VIAVGA DM 1 and 2 XP is a Deathmatch map custom built for 3 - 8 player deathmatch/team deathmatch skirmishes for Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil. This map is a heavily modified version of the original VIAVGA DM1, optmized for faster FPS speeds, enhanced lighting, increased detail and greater connectivity. Various weapons and items have been added and or repositioned and the double barrel shotgun and grabber gun have also been included. To make the grabber gun more useful, various throwable items have been added, including boxes, exploding fuel and slime barrels as well as volitile gas tanks.

Incredible shots showing off the latest version of Epic's popular engine.

GameSpy

FINALLY! The news you've all been waiting for! When are the maps coming out, and what will they cost? Read this to find out when you can get your hands on them. HINT: It's pretty soon...

Since UC II has been built from the ground up for the Xbox (even the 2.5 Unreal engine is a special Xbox derivative), there are features to the gameplay that will be unfamiliar to even the most diehard FPS gamer. The biggest overall change, and the one that has most of the classic PC players a little miffed, is the ability to switch between a first-person and third-person view.

TeamXbox

The Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack is the first true expansion pack for a gaming console, adding 9 brand new multiplayer maps that are even more detailed and creative than the ones we?ve been playing since November 9th, 2004.

NvNews Forum member tertsi has been developing a graphics mod for Doom 3 (and RoE) called 3mood. Specifically developed for NVIDIA NV3x and NV4x GPUs, 3dmood controls specular highlighting and features offset mapping. The special effects enhance an already impressive graphics engine and come at a minor cost in performance!

The Splinter Cell : Chaos Theory team at Ubi Soft has given me the go-ahead to provide the public with scripts that I hope would cut a lot of hardware reviewers' time if they want to include the game in their benchmarking suite. What the scripts do are (a relevant snippet from a readme included in the archive) :

Digital Extremes has released the playable demo for Pariah, offering the first opportunity to try out their imminent futuristic first-person shooter. This multiplayer demo contains a Team Deathmatch map titled Twisted, a Capture The Flag map called Recoil, and a Front Line Assault map named Survivor, along with three different vehicles and all multiplayer weapons.

Valve have released their first official screenshot from the Half-Life 2 expansion pack, Aftermath, to titillate us all.

EliteBastards

We finally give up a date for the autoupdate that will kill cheating, fix glitches and do some cool stuff you totally didn't expect. Read this update to have your expectations rocked hard.

Publisher Activision and developer Raven Software have finally released a new information update and one new screenshot for Quake 4, the next game in the well-known shooter series.

GameSpot

Gearbox Software is pleased to announce a beta test program for the eagerly awaited Brothers in Arms Software Development Kit (BiA:SDK). In preparation for the global release of the BiA:SDK, Gearbox is looking for a dedicated group of testers to put the development tools and tutorials through their paces. Slots in the beta test are limited to the first 100 qualified applicants. To sign up for the beta test please read this post in the Brothers in Arms Editing forum at Gearbox Software.

id Software has issued the updated public source code for Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, the free team-based multiplayer first-person shooter by Splash Damage. This version 2.60 package contains all the game source code, header files, menu definitions and other files for the current release of the game, and comes in Win32, Linux and Mac OSX installers.

Just got word that Anthony Tan aka the "Reverend" has thrown up his chat with id Software's John Carmack about shadowing techniques he plans on using in his next game engine ! It's well worth a Read.

Shadowing (and lighting) has always been important not only for the overall quality of 3D graphics in games but for the immersive factor in games.

Three Half-Life 2: Deathmatch maps are now available via Steam. These maps were created by the three players who won our recent HL2:DM mapping contest. If you have HL2:DM installed in your Steam games list, you will receive the new maps automatically.

Finally, my last posting on my time with the lovely Nintendo Van Tour folks. I saved the best, or at least one of the best, for last. Here?s my thoughts on my short time with GoldenEye: Rogue Agent DS.

Kotaku

In preparation for the show and to let you know that we care (and we really do... the flowers are on the way, we promise), we've put together a fat list of all the "official" titles being shown at E3 in Los Angeles from May 18-20.

IGN

Are we seeing the very first image of Project Gotham Racing 3?

TeamXbox

We did not want to disappoint the loyal Ghost Recon fans, but we did not want to risk releasing a final product that did not meet their high expectations. With the launch of Ghost Recon 3 planned for Winter 2005, significant human resources were needed to ensure the quality of the future instalment of the series, thus potentially jeopardizing the quality of either Ghost Recon 2 PC or Ghost Recon 3.

I decided to break these up into smaller chunks because I can?t seem to prevent myself from rambling about these great games. I?m going to wrap up today?s sneak peeks and hands-on with the spectacular Killer 7 and Donkey Konga 2. Make sure you check back tomorrow to read about my time playing Nintendogs, Pac-Pix, Polarium, Castlevania and a game that will change the face of portable shooters: Goldeneye DS.