Comic-styled characters have exactly that – character, each animated down to the individual finger bone. But there's nothing comic about the way they do battle with the player, pairing up in teams to deliver one of the freshest racing game AIs ever seen.

Its water technology is making waves too, leading to the most attractive recreation of the sloshing wet-stuff yet seen in a game. Highly optimised Environment-Mapped Bump-Mapping (EMBM) technology provides the sparkle and reflections, while physics leads to waves interacting in ways that deliver unique gameplay for every level and floating objects that react in a convincing

In addition, Eidos will debut several new titles at the show including Ion Storm's Thief for Xbox and PC; Crystal Dynamics' Legacy of Kain: Defiance and
Chain Gang; and Climax's Italian Job, based on the upcoming film release from Paramount Pictures on May 30, 2003. "Eidos' partnerships with companies such as Paramount, Sony, and Microsoft are testament to the company's capacity to create strong content that has mass appeal across multiple entertainment mediums," said Rob Dyer, president of Eidos Interactive, US. "Eidos' fully loaded 2003 E3 lineup is an impressive combination of both groundbreaking content and industry-leading technology."

At E3 2003,

"Rainbow Six fans have given high praises to Raven Shield and have named it an instant classic." said Alain Corre, Ubi Soft's Managing Director for Europe, the Asia Pacific region and South America. "With new missions, weapons, multiplayer modes, and multiplayer levels, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Athena Sword will deliver more of what they crave - the action, the realism, and the thrill of fighting clusters of really deadly terrorists as a team."

Developed by Ubi Soft's Milan studio, Rainbow Six 3: Athena Sword boasts a host of standout features, including:

• All-new, eight-mission campaign in locations including Italy,

Features:

Xbox Live Compatible. Tecmo's "Team Ninja" development group has created a revolutionary new Xbox Live Compatible feature within Ninja Gaiden. This radical new feature is being developed specifically for Ninja Gaiden and is like nothing any gamer has experienced in an action game before it.

Increased skills and new weapons. Through the progression of the game the player's skill will increase, as this happens they will be rewarded with new weapons to fight their opponents with. As the

"The breadth and depth of our publishing portfolio are clearly represented in our E3 line-up, and we are very proud of the high caliber of our brands and products," said Luc Vanhal, President and COO, North America for VU Games. "Our cross-platform support is illustrated by our well-balanced mix of PC titles and video games for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube and Game Boy Advance -- several of which will offer online multi-player capabilities. Additionally, many of our products shown at E3 will be available later this year in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, which further underscores our commitment to bringing

The lost civilization of Atlantis returns in “Age of Mythology: The Titans,” Ensemble Studios’ expansion to the hugely popular title, “Age of Mythology.” The expansion pack includes a new single-player campaign, scores of new mythological units, the ability to promote units to heroes, and, of course, the opportunity to harness the awesome powers of the Titans. The battle for heaven and earth continues as the Atlanteans enter the “Age of Mythology.”

Two products will stand out at E3 for DreamCatcher Games. The first is Painkiller, the company’s head-lining product - a stunning first-person shooter for the PC. The second is Arx Fatalis – the critically acclaimed PC game being shown on Xbox for the first time. BattleCruiser Generations, Pilot Down

The Climax Group, Europe's leading developer of interactive entertainment, today announced its impressive lineup of products to be showcased at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2003. Climax' E3 2003 lineup features an exciting and diverse group of titles for multiple gaming platforms.

"Having just opened our first U.S. office in Southern California, we are extremely excited to continue the company's momentum by highlighting an amazing array of products at E3, " said Karl Jeffery, CEO of Climax. "We look forward to introducing our fans to the next generation of Climax games. "

Climax' games to be showcased at E3 include:

Sudeki (Microsoft booth): A

Electronic Arts today announced the release of The Sims(TM) Superstar, the newest expansion pack to the top-selling PC game of all time, The Sims(TM). Players can now realize their fantasies of fame and fortune as they pursue the dream of being a Rock Star, Movie Star, or a Supermodel, live the lifestyle of a celebrity, and even mingle among some of the rich and famous. All new gameplay, new social interactions, and a whole new in-game destination offer players an all access pass to the world of superstardom. In The Sims Superstar, The Sims are ready for their close up.

"One

Perimeter, PC, Q4 2003 release date

Perimeter is an original RTS experience combining innovative warfare and terraforming capabilities with traditional RTS gameplay. The gamer will create modifiable combat units using advanced nanotechnology – units that can be modified in mid-mission as tactical situations change - and launch a campaign to seize territory. Once land is captured, powerful defensive perimeters are arrayed and the land is converted into the principal energy source. Developed by K-D LAB.

Rig'n'Roll, PC, 2004 release date

Rig'n'Roll (from creators of famous Hard Truck series) is delivering players the ultimate truck driving experience with authentic models of trucks and their

Law

Microsoft Game Studios today announced that Dungeon Siege II is currently in development and is slated for release in 2004. A trailer for Dungeon Siege II will be shown at E3, the annual video game convention taking place in Los Angeles from May 14 through 16. Visitors to the Microsoft booth (South Hall #1246) will be treated to a taste of the vision and direction of this upcoming title. This cinematic feast for the eyes showcases the extraordinary capabilities of the Dungeon Siege II engine, as the entire movie was created in-engine.

"Run to the village and warn the chickens!” said

Enhancing its strong platform strategies, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc (SCEI) announced today plans to expand its in-home entertainment to outside the home with a new, all-in-one portable entertainment platform, "PSPTM."

Scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of 2004, the company's goal is to extend the reach of PlayStation to a broader audience, allowing consumers to enjoy gaming and other entertainment content anytime, anywhere. Specific details on release plans and pricing will be disclosed at a later date.

The introduction of "PSP" highlights the company's long-awaited foray into the portable entertainment market. With unmatched advantages of the Sony Group, such as global

Particularly in the spotlight this year, six blockbuster games are expected to wow fans and rack up record sales:

• Beyond Good & Evil: Based on an original idea by Michel Ancel and developed by Ubi Soft's in-house studios, this title blends an ambitious, fluid new gaming experience with an epic storyline. Its Jade engine ensures that players benefit from the most advanced technologies available in the industry today.
• Far Cry: This cunningly detailed action shooter - which boasts a meticulously designed, next-generation Far Cry engine - pushes the boundaries of virtual combat to shocking new levels.
• Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time:

Pop Idol, set to be the mass-market game of the year for PlayStation 2 and PC, will be exclusively presented from a themed stage on the booth. Codemasters will challenge show-goers to see how well they can perform as a virtual Pop Idol singer as they control the in-game voice of a contestant through the music-based rhythm-action gameplay.

Every in-game performance is judged by a computer-generated Simon Cowell, and there may be some very familiar Idols faces at Codemasters' E3 booth too...

Codemasters will also unveil the next level for its power-brand games including Colin McRae Rally, Operation Flashpoint and LMA Manager.

Premiering

Steel Battalion: Line of Contact gives players the opportunity to once again use the most elaborate controller interface ever created to partake in futuristic military warfare. Ultra realistic visual effects and mech battles in the first or third person perspective create the ultimate mechanized military combat experience.

Empires: Dawn of the Modern World

Call Of Duty

Elite Force II

Rome: Total

American Conquest

Blitzkrieg

Cossacks: Back To War

Coassacks II: Napoleonic Wars

Square Enix U.S.A., Inc. ("Square Enix U.S.A."), the publisher of Square Enix(TM) products in North America, announced today the North American debut of FINAL FANTASY®XI for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and the personal computer (PC) at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), held May 14-16 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. FINAL FANTASY XI, will be available for demonstration at several booths including Square Enix U.S.A. (South Hall, booth #624), Sony Computer Entertainment America (West Hall, booth #2416), ATI Technologies Inc. (South Hall, booth #646), Logitech® (South Hall, booth #1300) and NVIDIA® Corporation (South Hall, booth #1636).
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030403/SQUARELOGO )