Electronic Arts today launched the beta for The Sims On Stage, a free website that allows users to share videos ranging from Youtube-style performance pieces to Sims machinima.

Videos on the service are separated by karaoke, poetry, comedy, and storytelling sub-sections. Like Youtube, the database can be sorted by total views and overall ratings, with a comments section residing below each video. The project is the result of EA's acquisition of online karaoke community SingShot Media earlier this year.

A rudimentary video editor is also included on the website, enabling those inclined to create thrilling "mashups" of Sims footage to go along with their rockin' songs.

So far the videos vary from hilarious to inspiring. But you don't have take my word for it--check out the website.

Nerjyzed Entertainment--self-described as an African American-owned digital entertainment company--today announced an Unreal Engine 3-powered football simulation titled Black College Football Xperience.

Licensing three football conferences within the sphere of Historically Black Colleges and Universities--the SWAC, SIAC, and CIAA--Black College Football Xperience will feature more than 40 teams, with play-by-play commentary, realistic stadiums, bands, and mascots.

"Nerjyzed Entertainment was founded by a veteran team whose mission is to create positive interactive products for the urban market," said Nerjyzed CEO Jacqueline Beauchamp. Nerjyzed's game joins the growing list of alternatives to Electronic Arts' Madden NFL franchise, including 2K Sports' All Pro Football and NaturalMotion's Backbreaker.

Black College Football Experience is set to be released on November 23 for PC. Shacker Ajax has been contacted for futher comment.

Update: Shacker Ajax has chimed on the announcement, offering... Read more

There's a Guild Wars: Eye of the North on 2404, asking lead designer Ben Miller about this new expansion pack.

EA Mythic today released Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn, a free update to the original MMO that provides new graphics, a freshly painted user interface, and a redone starter town and player tutorial.

"Kingdom Reborn represents EA's ongoing commitment to MMOs and Ultima Online's dedicated and loyal community, some of whom have been playing the game since its launch almost ten years ago," said EA's Mark Jacobs.

To kick off the resurrection, EA is offering a 14-day free trial of the game, which can be registered for on the UO website. You can also download the game client right here on FileShack.

Ubisoft sends along a demo for The Settlers: Rise of an Empire, the sixth entry in the real time strategy game series from Blue Byte Software. The demo includes two singleplayer levels; one is a tutorial, the other a skirmish map.

The Settlers: Rise of an Empire will be in stores next month.

1UP, GameSpot and GameSpy all have Spore previews, going hands-on with the new Will Wright game at the Leipzig Games Convention.

Blizzard has issued updates for StarCraft and the Brood War expansion, updating both to v1.15.1. The patch offers more bug fixes, and takes care of a nuke anywhere exploit. ... Read more

WarCry has posted a new 2Moons Q&A, asking Acclaim's Rusel DeMaria about this new action MMO game.

Update: There is no longer a confirmed date for the BioShock PC demo.

Original story: Valve today announced that Irrational Games' 2K Boston and 2K Australia's highly anticipated first person shooter BioShock is now available for pre-order on Steam for the price of $49.95 in the US and $54.95 in Europe. Steam users can now begin downloading the game's assets, which will be unlocked and activated on the release date of the retail version: August 21 in North America and August 24 in Europe.

The news comes after PC fans were disappointed in the release of an Xbox 360-only demo. Publisher 2K Games then assured the community that a PC demo would be released shortly.

Further salt was rubbed into the wounds of eager gamers as certain stores broke the street date, allowing certain individuals--including Shacknews' nefarious, no-good editor Chris Faylor--to purchase copies of BioShock early. For more on BioShock, check out my impressions and Chris Remo's lengthy preview.

New at FiringSquad this morning is a Q&A with Matt Firor. The former Mythic producer is now at ZeniMax Online Studios, a new MMO studio from Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media.

An evangelical entertainment group boasting actor Stephen Baldwin among its ranks is sending U.S. soldiers in Iraq copies of Left Behind Games' Left Behind: Eternal Forces video game. The group calls itself Operation Straight Up, or OSU, and sends the game to troops in "Freedom Packets," which also include a pocket-sized Bible, a copy of evangelist Josh McDowell's "More Than a Carpenter," and assorted snacks.

Max Blumenthal wrote about the group's actions in a blog post for The Nation. Some may find it contentious that Operation Straight Up is an official member of the Defense Department's America Supports You program. Others may find it confusing that the group chooses to send Left Behind: Eternal Forces, one of the few non-secular video games available, given its critical reception.

The game was based on the Christian fiction series of Left... Read more

Twice the fun since we forgot about this one during QuakeCon last week.

• Loki Demo
  This action RPG has nice blood. And uh..uhm.. that's about it.
• Scallywag: In the Lair of the Medusa Demo
  Action RPG demo, comes with fifteen levels and a sneak peak at mod support found in the full game.
• Global Conflicts: Palestine Demo
  Adventure game where you play as an Israeli or Palestinian reporter writing a story about security checkpoints.
• Tasty Treats Adventures: The Secret Recipes Demo
  Probably the best game I've played this year. Awesome graphics, a gripping story...it really doesn't get much better than this.
• RIP3: The Last Hero Demo
  For some top down shooting action, check out the RIP3: The Last Hero demo.
• Combat Mission: Shock Force Demo
  This demo of the tank sim/strategy game Combat Mission: Shock Force comes with two scenarios, playable as the US or Syrians.
• Transformers: The Game Demo
  Play through the game's first three chapters as Bumblebee.
• RedStone Open Beta Client
  A new fantasy MMORPG to try out.
• 2Moons Open Beta Client
  You can now check out the new action MMO from Acclaim.

With China getting its own Western-developed MMO, the world's second most populous country is now being targeted as well.

Sony Online Entertainment today announced it will be bringing an MMO based on Virgin Comics' Ramayan 3392 A.D. universe to the PC. Aiming for a global 2010 release, a Sony representative told Shacknews that the game is primarily being targeted to a Indian gamers, but is also being made available world-wide.

Ramayan 3392 A.D. is based on the ancient Sanskrit epic Ramayana. The story follows a battle between humans and demons in a post-apocalyptic world. The comic was written by Shamik Dasgupta with illustrations by Abhishek Singh, and was based on a story by author Deepak Chopra and Elizabeth (1998) director Shekhar Kapur.

"Virgin Comics approached us with a portfolio of amazing comic... Read more

MMORPG.com is hosting a 2Moons Q&A, asking assistant director Rusel DeMaria about the open beta of this game which you can grab from FileShack.

Also on IGN is this preview of Guild Wars: Eye of the North, offering hands-on impressions of the online action RPG expansion pack.

After a brief delay, Valve has opened up the beta for The Steam Community, its online Steam-integrated social and gaming service.

To take part in the beta, go to the Settings screen from the File menu while logged into Steam, and click the "Change..." button in the "Beta participation" area. Restarting Steam will enable the new Community tab, from which you may manage your profile, friends list, events, and groups. My current Steam Rating is "0 - Teh Suck."

Viewing friends' profiles or group profiles allows you to monitor the gaming activity of friends or group members, as well as participate in text and voice chat rooms. Non-Steam games can be added to the Steam list from the Games menu. If a friend is playing a game, you can launch that game through a context-sensitive menu or, apparently, join that friend's game if applicable.

Shackers looking to link up with like-minded anonymous internet weirdos should post in this chatty thread to secure an invitation to the Shacknews group.

It's been a busy morning here at BlizzCon. Hundreds lined up outside of the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California to catch a glimpse of the company's latest and celebrate their rabid fandom.

After a brief rush to the overwhelmed StarCraft II demo machines, the masses have gathered at the main staging area, awaiting the opening ceremony. I am among them, zipping all the action straight to your screen.

Click here for live updates from the BlizzCon 2007 opening ceremony.

Update: According to Valve's official developer site, the beta for The Steam Community was planned to launch today but has received a slight delay. "Due to complications, we are postponing the beta until next week. Stay tuned for more info then," reads the site.

Original story: Valve director of marketing Doug Lombardi has confirmed to Shacknews that The Steam Community--a new service that will add extensive social networking features to the company's online Steam platform--is set to enter beta testing within the week.

Previously announced last month, The Steam Community will see the addition of voice chat, user profiles and groups, organized matches, and opponent tracking to the company's popular gaming hub.

The service was originally marked for release in late July. According to Lombardi, more details of the launch are forthcoming in an official release.

With its Bethesda Softworks division a star performer in the large-scale single-player RPG segment, ZeniMax Media is looking towards the lucrative field of massively multiplayer online games.

Today the company announced ZeniMax Online Studios, a new MMO-only division. Heading up the company is Matt Firor, a ten-year veteran of Dark Age of Camelot and Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning developer Mythic Entertainment. Firor served as Camelot's producer.

According to an interview on the Bethesda Blog, Firor left Mythic last year, as Electronic Arts was acquiring the company. Since then he has worked in a consulting role with various developers.

"I am extremely impressed with ZeniMax and Bethesda Softworks management--their development philosophy closely matches my own, with an emphasis on quality, innovation, and craftsmanship," said Firor in today's announcement.

The announcement gave no indication of the setting or platforms being targeted by ZeniMax Online's games, though in his Bethesda Blog interview Firor did indicate that he expects the PC platform to remain the focus for... Read more