Activision, Inc. is shining a spotlight on the 2003 holiday season with a comprehensive lineup of games for the entire family. The slate includes film inspired titles such as Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure, groundbreaking action sports games like Tony Hawk's Underground, titles targeted toward the action gamer including True Crime: Streets of L.A. and Call of Duty, as well as a historical real-time strategy game of epic scope and breadth, Empires: Dawn of the Modern World.

The Dragon Claw Studio announced today that its massive multiplayer online strategy/RPG game will offer a completely free version for the next round of play. The free version comes with unrestricted play of one of the nine church options... Details below!

Square Enix let us know that the official site for Sword of Mana is now live.. Sword of Mana, the prequel to the famous Mana series, puts players in control of either a hero or heroine in the quest to save the Mana Tree from destruction, but each character experiences the story from a different perspective. The direction of the story changes based on which character the player selects. Sword of Mana will be released Dec. 1, at an MSRP of $34.99.

Namco Hometek Inc. announced today its character-based action adventure game, I-Ninja, has begun shipping to retail outlets nationwide. The game, available for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, is rated T for Teen and carries an MSRP of $49.99. I-Ninja will also ship for the Nintendo GameCube and the Xbox videogame system from Microsoft in early December... Microsoft Game Studios announced today that 'NBA Inside Drive 2004', is now available on store shelves across North America. The third installment of the Xbox-exclusive basketball franchise makes its debut as the inaugural basketball title in Microsoft's XSN Sports brand. With all-new online playability via Xbox Live and the free agent acquisition of three-time NBA Champion Shaquille O'Neal, who will serve as the game's official cover athlete and spokesperson, 'NBA Inside Drive 2004' is poised to take hoopsters beyond the box... Konami Digital Entertainment today announced that the newest addition to its popular interactive dancing series, Dance Dance Revolution ULTRAMIX for the Xbox video game system from Microsoft, has shipped to retail outlets nationwide.

Gamebryo Expands World-Wide Support for Multi-Platform Titles.. NDL, a leading developer of 3D graphics technology for the computer and video game industry, announced today that it is expanding its global network through a partnership with Korean-based Gamebase. As master reseller for NDL, Gamebase will promote and support multi-platform Gamebryo licenses throughout the Asian and Australian market. Established and headquartered in Seoul, Korea, Gamebase personnel have more than 10 years of industry experience and have established a solid network that will support NDL's growth throughout these key markets.

"NDL's 3D graphics engine and toolkit, Gamebryo, is being used by major developers and publishers, such as Firaxis, Vivendi Universal Games, Mythic Entertainment, Bethesda Softworks, Codemasters, Irrational Games and many others"

Specialist online games developer CAT Games has finalised an agreement with the NHL to launch an updated version of the online Ice Hockey management game called SeniorLeagueHockey. SeniorLeagueHockey.com is now the Premier Online Management Game of the NHL and is navigable directly from www.NHL.com. SeniorLeagueHockey.com has already attracted over 100,000 active managers, and the number is growing rapidly.

As the annual holiday shopping season kicks into gear, Atari, Inc. today announced its 2003 Holiday Lineup, which represents one of the strongest in the Company's history, and features several titles that are already exceeding the Company's expectations... Check the lineup below!

THQ Inc. today announced that it has delivered its most comprehensive and impressive videogame lineup to date, well in advance of the busy holiday shopping season. From enthusiast titles like "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain," "Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy" and "Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior" to mass market games like "SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom," "SplashDown Rides Gone Wild" and "Tak and the Power of Juju," all for multiple gaming systems, THQ is offering great gameplay sure to make the wish lists of gamers of all ages.

Lucasarts let us know that 'Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic' PC Version - is available in stores today!

Long before the Galactic Civil War, an epic drama begins... Engage in this saga set in the Golden Age of the Republic - over 4,000 years before the first Star Wars film, when both Jedi and Sith number in the thousands. With the Galaxy reeling from a recent conflict with the Dark Lords, the ongoing battle between the Jedi and the Sith rages on. Your actions determine the outcome of this colossal galactic war - and your destiny as a Jedi.

Aspyr announced today that Star Trek Elite Force II is shipping for the Macintosh. In this sequel to the critically acclaimed first person shooter game, players resume the role of Alexander Munro, chief of the Hazard Team, Starfleet's elite security unit. Now assigned to the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701-E, players will explore strange new worlds, battle against both new and familiar civilizations and go on the most dangerous assignments in the galaxy. Star Trek Elite Force II was developed by Ritual Entertainment and the Macintosh conversion was done by Westlake Interactive.