Microsoft has signed up more than 350,000 subscribers worldwide for its Xbox Live online video gaming service, as it prepares to bring the platform to Europe. The company had claimed sales of 150,000 subscription kits one week after its November launch and 250,000 kits as of the first week of January for its initial roll-out in the United States and Canada. Microsoft launched the $49 subscription kit enabling online play for its Xbox game console last November in the United States and in mid-January in Japan. It will be released in Europe on March 14. The first set of downloads was recently launched for the game "Mech Assault," and Microsoft registered more than 172,000 downloads for the new content in its first week. The next major game to have downloads will be "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell" from Ubi Soft Entertainment; a new level for the game, called "Kola Cell," will be available simultaneously with the Xbox Live launch in Europe.

Icculus has issued another updated dedicated Linux server for MoH: Allied Assault Spearhead, allowing Linux PCs to host multiplayer games for v2.11 of the World War II FPS expansion by EA. This is still in beta stage (v3) so not the final product and the developers encourage email support! Read more for details & download links ..

Ubi Soft today announced that the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation PC game will have the same look and feel as the show by featuring the likenesses and voice talents of the CSI cast, and a script by written by Max Allan Collins, author of three CSI novels. Ubi Soft also consulted with Las Vegas Senior Crime Scene Analyst Daniel Holstein to validate the accuracy of the CSI forensics referenced in the game. Scheduled to hit store shelves March 25, the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation will challenge players to solve a series of crimes, acting as members of the Las Vegas CSI team.

Gameloft today announces the release of its wireless game: Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell. Adapted from the console stealth action game of the same name (best-selling XBox title for the 2002 holiday season soon available for PC, PlayStation2 and Nintendo GameCube), the wireless version is an explosive mix of platform action game and infiltration game. Hours of fun guaranteed, with a truly great game title on your cell phone!

World of Warcraft is an online role-playing experience set in the award-winning Warcraft universe. Players assume the roles of Warcraft heroes as they explore, adventure, and quest across a vast world. Being "Massively Multiplayer," World of Warcraft allows thousands of players to interact within the same world. Whether adventuring together or fighting against each other in epic battles, players will form friendships, forge alliances, and compete with enemies for power and glory. Blizzard released a trailer for their 3D massively multiplayer online RPG, illustrating the game's environment, the characters inhabiting it, and their activities (thanks 3DGamers).

From the creator of award-winning Capitalism series and Seven Kingdoms series, Trevor Chan, here comes a break through in business simulation genre. The game that takes the art of cooking and running a restaurant to new heights, Restaurant Tycoon is a gastronome's dreams come true. Buy, build, outsell and undermine your competition in the world's culinary capitals, all faithfully recreated in stunning 3D environments. Enlight Software today also announced that Restaurant Empire has gone gold and will hit US store shelves in late March. Read more for links where to grab the demo ...

Hit the jackpot with Casino Inc., the complete sim that drops you right in the glitzy, and sometimes gritty, world of casino management. Casino Inc features all the detail expected from a simulation. But combined with the appeal of Casino life, and the added spice of the "adult" side of the business, Casino Inc. has more to offer than any other casino management game. After a false start last Friday, here is the working version ...

Strategy First has let us know that their space strategy game Galactic Civilizations (developed by Stardock) has gone gold and is expected to appear on store shalves March 25. Eidos also sent over a press release announcing that the US version of Pyro Studios' Roman Empire themed 3D RTS game Praetorians has gone gold. No release date is mentioned but online retailers have the game shipping to stores in mid-March. Praetorians is already available in Europe.

In a time before time, in a world you’ve only imagined, a shadow has been cast, six heroes have been chosen and the greatest of all challenges has been laid down. With the awesome elemental powers of the Toa at your fingertips, it has fallen to you to defeat Makuta and return the island of Mata Nui to light. Be the Toa – Live out the Legend… See the most successful toy-range in LEGO Company history come to life in 2003 on PS2, Gamecube, PC & Xbox. Live out the "Bionicle" legend in an action adventure epic of good versus evil, with combat, collection, puzzle-solving and exploration. Read more for details and some of the first screens ...

SEGA of America, Inc. today announced that Yu Suzuki was awarded the coveted Interactive Achievement Hall of Fame Award from the Academy of Arts and Sciences (AIAS), a non-profit member organization dedicated to recognizing the art and science inherent in videogames. The Interactive Achievement Awards were presented in conjunction with the D.I.C.E. Summit (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) on Thursday, February 27, 2003 in Las Vegas.

Line of Sight: Vietnam is N-Fusion's latest project to create a stealthy combat game set during the Vietnam War, which is proving to be an ever-more-popular setting for computer games.The game will be created by Deadly Dozen developers nFusion Interactive, and puts the player in the role of a U.S. Army Special Forces sniper operating in the dense jungles of Vietnam during the height of the U.S. involvement in the war. The game should be available later this week and today N-Fusion has released some hi-res screens, check them out!

NovaLogic is pleased to announce that the competition to find who can build the best Delta Force - Black Hawk Down Fan Site on the Web will begin on March 5th, 2003! To help get people started, NovaLogic is providing some basic assets in a Web Design Kit. These include screenshots, vehicles, characters, weapons, logos and box art. Entrants may also explore the NovaLogic website (www.novalogic.com) and the Internet for additional material. Entrants are not required to use all the assets in this kit.

On the heels of the successful “Law & Order: Dead on the Money” CD-ROM game launch in North America, games developer and publisher Legacy Interactive announced today that the company has signed a domestic distribution deal with Vivendi Universal Games for the game’s sequel, scheduled to ship in 2003. In addition, an international distribution deal has also been signed with DreamCatcher Interactive for the rights to both the first "Law & Order" game and "Law & Order II: Double or Nothing".

Fair Strike is the recent project of published Buka Entertainment and developed by G5 Software, known from the helicopter action/arcade Red Shark. It seems that the team is really keen on helicopters because Fair Strike is also a chopper action, but with an antiterrorists background. Scheduled to be released somewhere end of 2003

An ensemble of hilarious characters featured on Cartoon Networks's top-rated television programs go interactive, as Majesco, one of the fastest-growing publishers of interactive entertainment, introduces Cartoon Network Speedway for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. Developed by DC Studios, the game is slated for release this July and will be the first in a series of Cartoon Network titles to be released by Majesco on GBA.

Step into the boots of a Marine Corporal, survive the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, and drive the Japanese Army from the Pacific in Medal of Honor Rising Sun from Electronic Arts. Developed by EALA, Medal of Honor Rising Sun creates an immersive and authentic WWII experience in either single-player or multi-player modes. Medal of Honor Rising Sun will be available for the PS2, GameCube and the Xbox in the fall of 2003.

The award-winning software publishing arm of BBC Worldwide has announced it will support the BBC's latest pre-school series, Fimbles, by publishing a PC CD-ROM based on the show. The Fimbles PC CD-ROM, called 'Fimbling Fun', will be published on March 28, 2003. The title follows the success of BBC Multimedia's children's software, which includes Bob the Builder, Teletubbies and Tweenies titles on PC, PlayStation and Game Boy platforms. In all, the company's range of software has collected over 50 awards from the multimedia and toy industries, including accolades from BAFTA, IVCA and BIMA.

Can you lead Ace Lightning on his mission to defeat the evil Lord Fear and send him and his gang back to prison in the sixth dimension? Taking the CGI characters, the storyline and the humour from CBBC's leading drama, this third person action adventure is set for release on PlayStation 2 this Spring.

SCI is pleased announce the street date for Conflict: Desert Storm on GameCube as 18th April 2003. The highly anticipated launch comes a month earlier than anticipated and riding a wave of keen specialist press interest. Already flagged as a key GameCube release for the year, it will benefit from the increased retail activity of the Easter holidays... "Cube version gets bigger explosions, a higher frame rate, "dynamic aiming" and four-player split-screen"

Softwrap, the leading British-based provider of virtual 'shrink-wrap' solutions for the games and software industry, today announced that it is attending the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Jose, California, 4 - 8 March, and is also offering games developers the chance to win a whopping $10,000 in prize money!

Essential Reality, Inc. a developer and integrator of leading-edge sensory and real-time remote tracking devices, announced today that the P5 Software Development Kit (SDK) for PlayStation2 is now available for download on the Sony Computer Entertainment America developer website. The SDK, which is being offered exclusively to licensed members of the PlayStation2 game development community, is being released in an effort to support the development of P5-enabled gaming content.

The Ziff Davis Game Group announces its media sponsorship of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) on May 14-16, 2003, the second year in a row the Ziff Davis Game Group has sponsored the Expo. As part of the sponsorship, the editorial team of the Game Group will produce the E3 Show Daily, the publication that reports the ongoing developments, deals, launches and breaking news of each day of the Expo.

Midway Games Inc. announced today that Freaky Flyers, the first-and-only, fast-and-furious, 3-D airplane cart racing-adventure game is scheduled to ship in July for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox video game system from Microsoft and Nintendo GameCube.

Ubi Soft today announced it is developing a brand new Prince of Persia game: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Jordan Mechner, creator of Prince of Persia, is working hand in hand on the latest title in the series with Ubi Soft's Montreal production studio, most recently renowned for creating Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. Scheduled to ship for all platforms starting in Q4 2003, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is poised to become the latest success story in a series of hit games from Ubi Soft.

Zona, Inc. the MMOG network solution provider, announces that Terazona has been chosen as the MMOG network engine for Capcom's Ghouls 'N Ghosts on cross-platforms including video game consoles. Game Factory, a game developer, has licensed Ghouls 'N Ghosts and will be incorporating Terazona into the game. Ghouls 'N Ghosts, highly regarded as one of the best video games ever created, is the classic "save the princess" adventure video game.

Rubies of Eventide, by Cyberwar is a new upcoming MMORPG slated for April 2003 launch! Rubies Of Eventide is now in the process of Beta Testing. Find out more about this game and sign up to be a Beta Tester here! (thanks GameSpyDaily)

Hizbullah has launched a computer game allowing players to simulate its fighters during military operations on Israeli soldiers prior to the liberation of the South. The game 'Special Force' consists of different stages all inspired by actual Hizbullah operations in the South.

ThinkTanks is a power-up based tank combat game with a simplified play mechanic, meant to appeal to the casual gamer. Reminiscent of the simple fun of Atari "Combat," only in a 3d environment. Easy to learn but hard to master, ThinkTanks is designed to provide an enjoyable gaming experience for players of all ages and skill levels... Full story below and a single, choice screenshot.

In India, Emperor Asoka Maurya has embarked on a non-violent campaign to bring prosperity to his people and promote Buddhist philosophy. In China, the king of Qin struggles to unite the seven kingdoms and stave off invasions by Hun tribes. To the west, a fledgling Rome battles with Carthage for Southern Europe and the Mediterranean. Meanwhile, Egypt and Seleucid Persia wrestle to control Syria and the Near East. Choose your side and lead your empire to Strength and Honour!

Rainbow Six: Raven Shield features a brand new Tom Clancy storyline in which Team RAINBOW is led all over the world in a string of dramatic operations. The game will utilize graphics technology provided by the next-generation Unreal engine to power 15 new single-player missions that include the discovery of a cache of biological weapons and stopping an armed gang from terrorizing a London bank. Today we have another big batch of brand new screens for your enjoyment!

Blitzkrieg is a breathtaking RTS game during the Second World War. Similar to Sudden Strike, the gamer commands Allied, Russian or German troops. 3D surroundings and 3D units offer brand new tactical possibilities. From the historical point of view, this RTS game is even more accurate than Sudden Strike. With its generated missions and adaptive degree of difficulty it has everything a war gamer could possibly wish for. Read more for the preview ...