Leading Australian games developer Ratbag is planning a sequel to its highly successful Powerslide – the futuristic racing game that propelled the company into the international spotlight five years ago.

Visitors at the E3 games expo in Los Angeles will be given a sneak preview of Powerslide Slipstream, which takes video game motor racing to a new level of intensity and excitement.

In a significant development, Ratbag is self-funding the new game after acquiring publishing rights from Infogrames.

Ratbag Chief Executive Officer, Greg Siegele, says the company has further enhanced its proprietary Difference Engine® technology to provide the new game with even greater

In the year 2049, the most popular sport in the world combines high speed motor racing with 3 vs. 3 team battles. The Immortal Grand Prix pits teams of 3 players in IG Machines against each other at breakneck speeds of over 350 miles per hour, all while battling over 60 mile tracks that constantly change.

Players take control of Team Satomi to race and battle to become the best IGPX team in the world. With customizable IG Machines, team-based combination attacks, and a changing course that can be utilized to their advantage, players will experience a new type of racing

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The sources of magic fields are clusters of crystals, which at the same time are resources, an object of permanent fight. The magic fields possess many of the features of other, more familiar fields, for instance electromagnetic. Their power depends on the number of crystals in the sources; they lose their power with the distance from the cluster of crystals. They even have different frequency, which is visualized with colors. If several colored fields intersect, they produce a region of another color according to the common rules of color mixing. But

Red Faction 2 (PlayStation 2)

Alter Echo (PlayStation 2 XBOX)

MX Superfly (PS2

"We are very excited about our 2003 release schedule and look forward to having these titles on display for the world to see during this year's E3 show," said Rod Cousens, Global President and Chief Operating Officer for Acclaim. "As the global audience for interactive entertainment continues to expand, we have focused our resources on creating a lineup that will appeal to the masses and hardcore gamers alike."

Acclaim's E3 product lineup includes:

ALIAS

Based on ABC Television's hit drama series, "Alias" is a third-person action adventure video game that allows players to step into the role of the series' lead character, Sydney

"The video game industry has enjoyed tremendous success this past year due to the release of more 'AAA' titles, the introduction of the GBA SP and the price drop of consoles," says Darren Richardson, President and Chief Operating Officer of Mad Catz, Inc. "These events have further fueled an increase in consumer demand for accessories of all the video game systems. Mad Catz is well positioned to increase its share of the market and is excited to showcase high quality, cutting-edge peripherals at this year's E3 event."

Some of the innovative products the Company will reveal at E3 include:

RetroCON(TM) (PlayStation(R)2)

Classically designed

American Conquest

Blitzkrieg

Cossacks: Back To War

Coassacks II: Napoleonic Wars

A long time ago, a girl traveled around Tirasweel. Her silver hair shone even in the moonlight, and her eyes were clear as a fountain.

She could cast a glance into the future. When good things happened, people admired her. When bad things happened, people accused her. Some people called her the Moonlight Witch.

A long time ago, a Witch traveled around Tirasweel. She disappeared, leaving many questions behind...

FEATURES:

• AI that “Picks

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

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: