Final Fantasy XI takes a much needed departure from the regular structure of a FF game by going online. In fact, it's the first massively multiplayer online RPG with a major franchise behind it to splash down on a console, and is thus braving rather fresh and uncertain ground. While this sort of genre has been a great success on PC, console aficionados have taken to online gaming a bit more cautiously, up until recently, with many companies only now dipping more than a metaphorical toe in the internet waters.

Konami has released a new movie trailer of Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance, their third-person stealthy action game in development. This movie from the Tokyo Game Show sports nearly four minutes of cinematic and gameplay footage highlighting the game's various features.

Ubi Soft has released a new patch for Ghost Recon, upgrading the US edition of the squad-based tactical shooter by Red Storm Entertainment to version 1.3. This release adds a huge number of changes, including gameplay, graphics, AI, editor and multiplayer improvements and fixes, and brings compatibility with the newly shipping Island Thunder expansion pack. Also online is the Desert Siege multiplayer patch that seems to have fallen through the cracks in April.

Just spotted this @ Activewin.com

We've got hold of a few shots from some of the upcoming Rare games due for release on the Xbox next year. So far they all look rather cute and in my view excellent. Check them out yourselves.

Blizzard has released a minor update for WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos, patching their 3D real-time strategy game to version 1.02a. This release merely adds localized Battle.net messages.

Activision sends along the promised upgrade for Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix, updating version 1.01 of the mercenary shooter by Raven Software to v1.02. This release includes PunkBuster Anti-Cheat Software, four new multiplayer maps, a number of weapon improvements and fixes, a handful of new console commands, a bunch of gameplay enhancements and bug fixes.

Capcom's prequel to the original Biohazard (Resident Evil) is slowly finding it's way into the light. Originally starting out life as a Nintendo 64 title, Biohazard 0 now comes to the GameCube, bringing more and more zombie-killing fun.

This movie is a short clip of in-game footage showing some snowy terrain as the main character runs through trenches. Download MoH: AA Spearhead Movie

Fetish Fighters is an all female 2D Fighting Game. This is an early alpha version.

Seems that Fileplanet.com has a new demo of Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. Dated 9/23/2002. No word on what's new.

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is the sequel to the underground hit Hitman Codename: 47. Play through some of this third/first person title as the silent assassin as he goes back in business for revenge.

Just spotted this cooool floating trick that you can try out for yourselves in UT2003! Posted by SeRiaL_KILLER.

Hi all, discovered a neat floating trick I wish to share with you all if you have not discovered it already. This trick only works on (CTF Citadel map). When you enter the game head for the teleport located within your home base. Before you get teleported to the roof top of your base and land to your feet, hold back as soon as you pass through the teleport then sidestep to the left or right avoiding the beam of light within the teleport then push forward and exit the teleport. As you will notice you will start to float around for about 15-20secs, after that...well you will just crash to your death or close. Use the double jump to save yourself from crashing to your death. One time I almost floated from my base top to the enemys base top. I will keep trying to see if I could get the floating trick to last longer.

7FX has released a new (and rather large) patch for Team Factor, bringing the European edition of their team-based first-person shooter to version 1.1. This release applies a sizable number of gameplay enhancements, improvements and bug fixes, and as usual it comes with the corresponding dedicated Linux server.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - In its latest move to generate revenue outside online advertising, Internet portal Yahoo! is launching a fee-based service Monday that lets users download and play videogames on demand.

The service will offer well-known titles that can be rented for a few days or weeks at a time and run as if the CD-ROM were bought at a store and popped into the personal computer, said Daniel Hart, Yahoo's senior director of games and entertainment.

Just spotted this:
4Gamer.net has released a trailer for Starcraft: Ghost that was taped at the Tokyo Game Show. They have mirrored it on Icrontic for you. Enjoy!

This QuickTime trailer shows many exciting scenes from SimCity 4.

Watch some of the sleek moves pulled by a few of the street thrashing characters in the fourth installment to the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series.

Watch some in-game real-time strategic battle in space in this movie of O.R.B. by Strategy First.

4X Studios has released the Iron Storm demo! The download is a hefty 194 MB, and I suggest you read the accompanying text , which offers the password required to unzip the archive, warnings for users of many specific video cards about possible compatibility issues, as well as a couple of warnings about how to avoid problems in multiplayer mode.

BELLEVUE, WA (September 20, 2002) - Sierra Entertainment, Inc., a studio of the Games division of Vivendi Universal Publishing, and Fox Interactive(tm) announced today No One Lives Forever? 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way? has indeed gone gold. The sequel to the award winning The Operative: No One Lives Forever? continues the adventures of super spy Cate Archer, pitting her once more against H.A.R.M. and the ever-present threat of global catastrophe.

Eidos has released an English playable demo of Frontline Attack: War over Europe, superseding the previous German demo of this 3D real-time strategy game by In Images that's also known as World War II: Panzer Claws in North America. As before, the demo requires a massive download and allows you to try out the tutorial and one mission playable as the Wehrmacht side.