Apply now for the upcoming beta testing of the Lords of EverQuest. This revolutionary RTS inspired by the popular EverQuest online game will establish the next level of online real time strategy entertainment. Sign up here! (thanks Blues)

Prepare to blast into the heart of galactic evil as Activision, Inc.’s Star Trek Elite Force II has gone gold and is headed to retail. Set in the Star Trek: The Next Generation universe, players take command as head of the elite Hazard Team in this heart-pounding first person action game. Gamers will arm themselves with an impressive array of advanced weaponry as they hack, battle and vaporize a relentless onslaught of enemies including hordes of nightmarish creatures, new never-before-seen alien species and familiar franchise staples such as the Borg and Romulans. Developed by Ritual Entertainment, Star Trek Elite Force II and carries a 16+ PEGI rating and a suggested retail price of £39.99. The title is scheduled for release later this month.

Ubi Soft Entertainment today announced that they shipped copies of Will Rock for the PC to stores in North America. The first-person shooter, which has been developed by Saber Interactive, sees players assuming the titular role of an unlikely hero named Willford Rockwell whose body is inhabited by the spirit of an angry Titan. "Will Rock's high-adrenaline, frenetic gameplay lets shooter fans rediscover their love for the pure shooter," said Tony Kee, vice president of marketing for Ubi Soft Entertainment. "The inclusion of the Black Box Interactive Game Guide is an added bonus for any gamer." Read our recent preview here!

Belgium developer Larian Studios today announces the first details of their upcoming RPG, Riftrunner. Based on the award winning fantasy universe first introduced in Divine Divinity, Riftrunner is set to capture the imagination of RPG players yet again, and provides a strong stepping stone for the planned extension of the Divinity World.

Bringing the cold, hard steel action of one of today's most popular comic book series to the next-generation gaming systems, Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. today announced that it has signed an exclusive agreement with DC Comics for the interactive publishing rights to 100 Bullets. An award-wining pulp noir comic, 100 Bullets was created by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso, and chronicles the dark, moral-testing exploits of Agent Graves, a rogue member of a secret organization, who provides people with the opportunity of a lifetime -- an attache case containing the proof, the gun, and the carte blanche immunity to exact revenge on a person who's done them an irrevocable wrong.

Nokia Corp. is aiming its N-Gage gaming console at a different and potentially larger market than that of the likes of Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s GameBoy, the head of the Finnish company's entertainment and media arm said Wednesday.

"GameBoy is for 10-year-olds. If you're 20 or 25 years old, it's probably not a good idea to draw a GameBoy out of your pocket on a Friday night in a public space," Ilkka Raiskinen said.

Raiskinen said this older audience, targeted by Nokia's hand-held game-and- cellphone-in-one, presents a "bigger opportunity."

Ubi Soft Entertainment today announced that Prince of Persia: the Sands of TimeTM has won Best Action/Adventure Game by the prestigious Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2003. The Game Critics Awards are the only independent Electronic Entertainment Expo awards, voted on by editors from nearly 40 leading outlets that cover games - including top magazines, online sites, newspapers, and television programs nationwide.

Offering exceptionally strong pain relief, Painkiller is an easy to swallow, first-person shooter with a powerful combination of gaming ingredients that targets the site of pain fast, allowing computer gamers to get on with their lives. European publisher MindScape says that Painkiller, "developed by DreamCatcher Games", will be released in October for the effective relief of the symptoms of adrenaline addiction and features fast-paced, first-person horror gameplay in a world somewhere between Heaven and Hell... Read our recent preview here and read more for some new Painkiller boss level screen shots!

PUPPY GAMES today announced that Alien Flux, their ground breaking web based arcade game, went live today to coincide with the game's US preview at JavaOne taking place in San Francisco 9-13 June. One of only a handful of Java based games in the world, Alien Flux is being heralded as a flagship for Java gaming by Sun Microsystems, who will be demonstrating the game on their booth at the show.

BAU, BAM and BOM became Gem Smashers, traveling the world to spring, spin and smash the crystal cells where their friends are imprisoned. It’s up to you to help our little heroes survive! Use their magic energy, which makes them change colors; it is only possible for them to break down the gems and free their friends if they are the same color as the gem. Smash the gems, crack the puzzle, check the screens. It’s that simple!

Noticed on GameSpot that Enlight Studios is working on a third-person 3D game based on the life and battles of Joan of Arc. The game will feature a new proprietary 3D graphics engine designed to render detailed terrain and vast legions of French and English troop. The game will combine fast-action combat, RPG character development, and real-time strategy elements in an epic military campaign that will include some of the most intense historical battles of medieval Europe. Expected in November. Read the full article at GameSpot.

Yesterday there was, initally, the story that Half-Life 2 was not coming to xbox, then GameSpy got the confirmation from Valve that it WAS scheduled. Now GameSpy has talked to Microsoft Xbox Group product manager David Hufford that it is coming and explaining how the confusion about the fate of the Xbox version of HL2 came into existence in the first place. Check out the soap story!

Dungeons & Dragons Heroes gives you a chance to taste the victory as one of four heroes. It beckons you to take a journey through the world of the classic Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, to live as one of the great ones, and to do the legendary stuff that Heroes are meant to do! Check out the new screens ...

Plunged into a mysterious world, Kya must seek her way through multiple dangers to find her brother and a way back home. She discovers the Nativs, a peaceful tribe, oppressed by the Wolfens - the menacing army of the evil Brazul. Kya must lead the rebellion of the Nativs for their freedom. Mastering magical powers, Kya can liberate the Wolfens from their mystical imprisonment and restore their true Nativ identity. A new boatload of screens just sailed in ...

Another day, another batch of game trailers were released. Instead of giving them all their own post, we grouped them and so far there are trailers for :

• BF1942: Secret Weapons - E3 Trailer
• Medal Of Honor: Rising Sun - E3 Trailer
• XIII - A.I. Trailer
• FIFA 2004 - E3 Trailer
• Evil Genius - E3 Trailer
• Rome: Total War - Trailer 2
• Dragon Ball Z: Legacy of Goku II (GBA) - Trailer
• 
  
  Read more for download links ...

Providing an exciting opportunity to take part in the largest breakout in history from the "escape proof" Stalag Luft III German POW camp, gamers are invited to participate in the most memorable and famous motorbike scene in ever to emerge in Hollywood. Following the massive hit Conflict: Desert Storm, The Great Escape offers a unique variety of gameplay that builds you from slow, tension filled stealth scenes to adrenalin-filled action and chase sequences. Fans of the film and all gamers will certainly appreciate this stylish masterpiece. Check out the screens ...

Strategy First announced today that the first expansion pack for Disciples II: Dark Prophecy, Disciples II: Guardians of the Light, has shipped to retail stores nationwide. “We are very happy to be giving Disciples fans even more to get excited about,” said Don McFatridge, President Strategy First Inc. “Guardians of the Light will have die hard fans coming back for more and will give newcomers to the franchise a chance to experience the Disciples world we love so much.”

With super-responsive flipper control and ball movement, Pure Pinball gives players the feeling of experiencing full size pinball machines on hand. Featuring the Excessive Speed, World War, and Runaway Train pinball tables, Pure Pinball delivers an unprecedented level of silver-ball realism, making it the state-of-the-art computer pinball simulation of all time. The demo is time limited and contains the Excessive Speed table along with a comprehensive game manual. Read more for download links ...

Ubi Soft has issued another multiplayer map for their squad-based tactical shooter Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield. The author describes this as "I was tired of those HUGE multiplayer map.. so I made one for small team deathmatch and survival. Best for 1 on 1 to 4 on 4." A very small map for fast games, best used in Survival and Team Survival modes. Read more for download links ...