Jim Scott, Managing Director at Play X Europe, today exclusively announces that his Play X Europe Group is expanding, with a new venture into the publishing world with the launch of a new label – Oxygen Interactive. Scott, a veteran of the Industry since the late 80’, first marked the games industry with his Beyond Belief label back in 1988, developing and publishing games for the Spectrum and Commodore.

Westwood Studios is currently looking for a few good starship pilots (well, actually a lot of pilots) to hop in and help them test their upcoming online role-playing galaxy , Earth & Beyond. If you are accepted into their beta test, you will get a free, first-hand look at the first online role playing galaxy. After creating your own starship, you'll blast off and will soon be trading, exploring, and fighting alongside thousands of other players. "Sure, that sounds fun," you say, "but what's the catch? Find out HERE"

Well it's Sunday and there aint much news to toss up today.. Anyway we got some links to post up, so read on..

Review mix

• F1 2002 (PC) on GGMania
  
• Soldier of Fortune II (PC) on CanadianGamer
  
• Gran Turismo Concept (PS2) on NLGaming
  
  Interview mix
  
  
• Breed (PC) on U.S.C. Darwin
  
• Ultima Online: Age of Shadows (PC) on GameSpy
  
  Preview mix
  
  
• Hegemonia: Legions of Iron (PC) on Homelan
  
• Fahrenheit (PC) on Ferrago
  
• Far Cry (PC) on 3DAvenue
  
  Screenshot mix
  
  
• Battlefield 1942 (PC) on XGR

You ever wonder what goes on during the development process, how the game you're currently playing came into it's current incarnation, what steps were taken by the team, what changes were made? Want to know what you might have been playing? Here you are. Now be very thankful that you aren't. Read the full story over at 3DActionPlanet..

Unreal Fortress (UnF) is a total conversion modification of Epic Games' Unreal Tournament. This new (107MB) version went live this morning and is available for download at the official UnF site!

Voodooextreme got some new screenshots posted for this upcoming MMORPG, Neocron (our recent posted screens is available here). The open beta test will begin early August, and the game is due out Q4 of this year. At the same time they posted 3 screens from the upcoming 3D strategy game, Soldiers of Anarchy and some screens from Big Huge Games upcoming historical based real-time strategy game, Rise of Nations.

What do you get when a design team composed mostly of designers who worked on GoldenEye 007 for N64 set out to create a first person shooter for Nintendo GameCube? You get TimeSplitters 2, and you're very happy to get it. Due to be released this September, TimeSplitters 2 challenges players to blast their way through time at a glorious 60 frames per second. Awesome four-player action coupled with a serious single-player adventure should put TimeSplitters 2 at the top of your hit list.

Novalogic now tossed up the official Delta Force - Black Hawk Down site and it includes new screenshots, wallpapers, screensavers and information on the forthcoming multiplayer beta test. Here is a clip from their posted FAQ:

When is the beta available?

The beta will be available for download from Wednesday July 31st until Wednesday August 7th. It will be playable until Wednesday August 14th.

"The show must go on..." and thus, Alex Röder, Music and Sound Coordinator at SUNFLOWERS, lets you have a glimpse into his daily job. Follow the complex process from the craze to the final implementation of its remains. Find out about the ups and downs of a musician's life in this chapter of "Gamespy's 1503 A.D. Developer Diary".

Electronic Arts, the world’s leading interactive entertainment software company, today announced the landing of an elite squad of creative talent that will add an even deeper level of drama and immersion to upcoming games in the popular Medal of Honor franchise. Art Director Mark Lasoff, Lighting Supervisor Tom Allen and Technical Director Laurent Ancessi, will re-enforce the highly-decorated team at EA’s Los Angeles Studio (EALA).

Red Faction 2 is the sequel to one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed original game franchises of 2001. Featuring an enhanced Geo-Mod engine that allows players to strategically alter and destroy the game environment in real-time, Red Faction 2 expands and builds upon the experience and technology of the original game. Defend your country as Alias, a demolitions expert, with the help of five elite squad members, each specialized in their own means of destruction. Fight through diverse levels using vehicles, an arsenal of specialized weapons and explosives in a rampage to overthrow the government.. Check out the new in game screens, new weapon and new character ...

The PC game is based on the legendary comic strip Judge Dredd, published in 2000AD every week since 1977. It will be a first-person shooter seen through the eyes of Judge Dredd as he patrols the mean streets of the stunningly realised future metropolis, Mega-City One. Dredd will find himself having to deal with the full spectrum of criminal behaviour, from littering and caffeine abuse to saving the city from the utterly evil Judge Death. The game will also have extensive multiplayer modes, enabling ferocious splitscreen or online play and will use Rebellion's versatile new Asura engine.

We just received 4 new screens showing off the "Russian" and "Indian" maps in Monolith/Sierr'as upcoming first person shooter No One Lives Forever 2 : A Spy In H.A.R.M.'s Way. Check them out ...

Bethesda Softworks's just slapped out another patch for their 3D role-playing game, Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind bringing it to v1.2.0722. The patch is an average 3.8 MB and includes save game improvements, tons of bug fixes, a bunch of quest fixes as well as updates for all plug-ins. Read the included txt file for details. Also noticed on Blue's News that there is a new patch for Real War, last year's isometric real-time strategy game by Rival Interactive. The 2.0 MB download takes the game to version 1.6 and "resolves an issue which allowed cheat codes when playing On-line."

Sismoplay is launching its own DuelField Expert servers on July 26th 2002 allowing people from across the world to meet and interact while playing our latest online strategy game: DuelField. It revolves around Internet-based duels and has been available in Europe since March through partners including Tiscali, Europe’s number 3 ISP. Sismoplay is now focusing on North American and Asian players. Thanks to its low system requirements anyone equipped with at least a Pentium-based or equivalent internet-connected computer, 32MB of RAM, and a 28.8K modem is able to enjoy DuelField. No need for ADSL or cable to take part in the action.

Noticed over at Blue's News that Take 2 Games has issued a patch for Age of Wonders II: the Wizard's Throne , updating the isometric turn-based strategy game by Triumph Studios to version 1.1. The patch requires a 7.3 MB download and adds a new beginners difficulty level, more gameplay options, a sizable number of bug fixes, some balance changes and more, as detailed in the included Readme file (thanks Blue's News).

Rainbow Six: Raven Shield is the sequel to the immensely popular Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, 2000 Action Game Of The Year, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six, 1999 Action Game Of The Year. It will be the third game in the Rainbow Six line, which has sold more than 6.7 million copies worldwide. What would the week be without some new in-game screens, check them out!