Riverdeep today announced the upcoming release of School Tycoon an all-new life simulation strategy game that presents kids with the ultimate fantasy ? the opportunity to rule their own school. The product combines classic "build and management" simulation with wacky and hilarious comic mischief, as kids endeavor to balance the super-cool elements they have created within their school, with the typical administrative policies and procedures required to run an orderly campus. School Tycoon will be available this fall on Windows for a suggested retail price of $29.95.

School Tycoon sends players on a mission to design, build, and master the Ultimate

Under license from Hasbro Consumer Products, Atari has announced plans to take one of the most popular trading card games ever created to the Xbox videogame system from Microsoft with the release of "Magic: The Gathering - Battlegrounds." A PC CD-ROM version of the game was also announced. Currently in development by Secret Level, "Magic: The Gathering - Battlegrounds" is filled with faithful translations of classic creatures, spells and enchantments from the premier trading card game in a visually stunning 3D game environment rife with real-time strategic fighting, devastating wizard arsenals and intense creature combat.

"`Magic' represents one of the best

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

Created and developed by Sucker Punch Productions, Sly 2: Band of ThievesTM is the team's second installment to their successful "Greatest Hits" debut title, Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus®, which has sold more than one million copies worldwide since its launch in September 2002. Recognized for their artistic style, creativity, superior technology and brilliant storytelling abilities, Sucker Punch pushes the boundaries and revolutionizes the character-based action-adventure genre once again. Destined to be one of the hottest titles of the year and kicking off the holiday season with a September 2004 launch, Sly 2: Band of Thieves will stun players

Rise of the Kasai, the sequel to the critically acclaimed The Mark of KriTM, builds upon the original with new storylines, characters, weapons, and cooperative online gameplay - offering a game three-times larger than the original. With 10 captivating levels and numerous collaborative fighting stages, gamers will start the journey by playing through events that took place 10 years prior to The Mark of Kri and then jump to 10 years later when a series of new spells have taken hold. Players can either assume the role of Rau, a heroic warrior unmatched in skill and strength, Tati, his younger,

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:

Developed by Insomniac Games, the company that helped define the action platform genre with the award-winning Ratchet & Clank franchise on PlayStation®2 and the highly acclaimed multimillion unit selling Spyro the DragonTM series on PlayStation, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal once again sets the standard in its category by delivering online gameplay for the first time in an action platform game, as well as featuring the much-anticipated return of the dynamic duo Ratchet and Clank.

The third installment of the Ratchet & Clank franchise incorporates new elements of gameplay not seen previously in the series, including online and offline multiplayer

Created and developed by Naughty Dog, Inc., Jak 3TM is the team's follow-up to their best-selling title, Jak II TM and their Greatest Hits PlayStation®2 debut title, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy®. Together, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy and Jak II have sold more than 2.5 million units worldwide, both playing a part in revolutionizing the action platform genre. Combining a variety of genres including driving, adventure, action-platform, puzzles, strategy and exploration, Jak 3 promises to deliver one of the most entertaining and interactive experiences to gamers this holiday season!

In Jak 3, nothing is the same. The story

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.

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