IWon.com let us know that Microsoft may launch services in Japan that would allow users to play some Xbox games using mobile phones, as the company seeks out ways to gain market share against its game-console rivals. The U.S. software giant is in talks with Japanese companies about developing games that would be downloaded and played on wireless phones, said Takashi Sensui, Microsoft's Xbox marketing director for Japan.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, will debut on the Xbox video game system this fall and release on PC early 2003. Developed by BioWare Corp., the dramatic game features an original story set some 4,000 years prior to the timeframe of the Star Wars films in an era dominated by an epic conflict between the Jedi and the evil Sith. Njoy 4 new screens below!

Today LucasArts posted the second of a four part history of LucasArts "Part Two: The Classics". The information in this story is based on company documents, historical publications from other developers and publishers, and past and present employee recollections.

Fileshack got a new version of the offline demo for Enigma: Rising Tide. This offline demo (build 9.20.2002) of Enigma: Rising Tide allows you to play a few single-player missions from the upcoming online naval combat game. You can grab this 257MB demo here!

Electronic Arts today announced that Need For Speed Hot Pursuit 2 is GOLD. The game will be available in stores October 1 for PS2, NGC and Xbox. The PC version will be available October 21st. Need For Speed Hot Pursuit 2 stays true to the heritage of housing a stable of over 20 exclusive and exotic cars from the world's most coveted licensors including Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini.

It is not only a mad day for gold announcements but also got game delays as S&S Interactive's community manager mentioned on the official EVE: The Second Genesis discussion forums that the new release date for the game is December 10th. The extra time will be used by developers CCP to fine-tune the title (and you still owe us a beta!). Data Becker just let us know that their upcoming 3D RTS game, Highland Warriors (developed by Soft Enterprises), has been delayed until January 2003 due to the need for further balancing of the units in the game.

Japanese publisher and developer, Kemco, announced Boulder Dash EX for Nintendo GameBoy Advance is now available at retail outlets nationwide. Developed by Vision Works, this addictive action-puzzle game is based on the popular coin-op arcade classic, which delivers an exciting storyline with superb graphics and amazing new features. Boulder Dash EX is rated E for Everyone and has an SRP of $29.99

Sierra Entertainment, Inc., a studio of the Games division of Vivendi Universal Publishing, and Fox Interactive(tm) announced today No One Lives Foreverä 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Wayä has indeed gone gold. The sequel to the award winning The Operative: No One Lives Foreverä 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.

Larian Studios' Divine Divinity Website now offers a "hotfix" patch for their newly-released RPG which brings it up to version 1.31. The patch offers a host of bug fixes, as well as some feature changes. The patch is available for the English. French, and German versions of the game. Read more for detailed fix list and links where to grab all version ...

PROJECT NOMADS is a cross genre game that mixes gameplay elements of 3D action, real-time strategy and role-playing. Huge, floating islands drift slowly through the haze of the clouds. Amidst these rocky giants, the player controls a flying Wizard Engineer. With his arcane powers and glittering, magical artefacts, he can build clusters of factories, power plants and defence facilities on these massive platforms. If you have not yet checked out the demo, you should! Its a very nice looking game, check the screens and see for yourself!

Neocron is one of the three remaining cities on Earth created and developed from the ruins of World War III. This post-apocalyptic city has emerged after several hundred years of fighting, disease, pollution, torment and suffering, but has culminated in a strange discovery. A spacecraft with 3,000 settlers on a mission to the Irata colonies, once deemed destroyed, and ironically the wrongful cause of WWIII, finally re-establishes contact. This contact spoke of a paradise not seen on Earth for over 700 years. Check some of the vehicles you will encounter inside the game .. njoy!

Battlefront.com shipped WWII ground combat simulation 'Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin' and its distribution partner CDV Software made the game available in most European stores. The game features over 300 military vehicles and more than 600 other units in its various missions that chronicle major WWII events from the German invasion of Russia in 1941 to the 1945 storming of Berlin. A map and scenario editor are included for intrepid players to construct their own thrilling showdowns if they were to grow tired of the elaborate multiplayer aspect of CMBB. To celebrate the shipping, CDV send over some new screens .. njoy!

Atlus U.S.A. announced today that Dual Hearts, a breathtaking 3D action / role-playing game (RPG), available exclusively for the PlayStation2 has shipped to retailers. Featuring a wonderful storyline and a unique combination of puzzle-solving gameplay and action-packed sword swinging, Dual Hearts will draw you into the fantastic world of Rumble and Tumble and never let go.

Sierra Entertainment today announced the launch of the official website for the newly updated HOYLE titles for 2003: Hoyle Casino 2003, Hoyle Card Games 2003, and Hoyle Board Games 2003. The website also supports Hoyle Puzzle Games 2003, a brand new title that delivers the same innovative gameplay and originality that HOYLE fans have come to expect. The site features screenshots, news, downloads, and all the community support necessary for information on the latest additions to Sierra's best selling HOYLE franchise. The site can be found right here.

New screenshots, a new Box design and a kick ass in-game trailer…what more could a gamer ask for? Strategy First has released all of the above today just for you! Read more to check out 10 brand new screens, have a a sneak peek at the newly redesigned O.R.B. box and download the ingame trailer .. what a day ;)

Japanese publisher and developer Kemco has shipped Egg Mania and Egg Mania: Eggstreme Madness. The addictive pick-up-and-play action-puzzle game was developed by HotGen Studios Limited for PS2, GameCube video game system and Xbox and will hit retail outlets nationwide with an SRP of $39.99. Egg Mania hits stores on the Game Boy Advance with an SRP of $29.99.

Today there is a demo available from 4X Studios' upcoming alternate-history World War I shooter IronStorm. Read more for links where to grab it (since its a whopping 194mb we will add links as they become available).

CVG today got the rumors confirmed with Infogrames about that Unreal II has been pushed back to a first quarter 2003 release.. Read the full scoop here!

Xbox Live, the fast-action, always-connected broadband gaming service which launches in Europe later this year, will be previewed on the Xbox stand in the Games Matrix at Stuff Live, Europe’s biggest technology showcase, from 3-6 October at Earls Court in London. "Plus the best of 175 new games for Christmas"

Mark Rein from Epic Games just released following good news that Unreal Tournament is now GOLD!! Here is the clip:

Just before 5AM Eastern Standard Time this morning we shipped the release version of Unreal Tournament 2003 to manufacturing. It should be in production later today and in stores before the end of the month. We want to thank everyone on the forum for all of the valuable feedback. In the week since we shipped the demo we worked pretty much non-stop to squash a lot of bugs and incorporate some of the great feedback we got from players all around the world.