Strategy First today announced the details of their pre-sale campaign for War Times, their upcoming real-time strategy game releasing in March 2004. Both EBGames.com and GameStop.com have exclusive levels and missions that will be given to any customer who pre-orders their copy of War Times. Along with these bonus levels and missions, the customer will also receive a limited War Times mousepad.

Midway Games Inc. today announced that the official title for the new version of the world-renowned fighting game franchise will be Mortal Kombat: Deception. Mortal Kombat: Deception is currently in development and scheduled to ship fall 2004 for the PlayStation2 and the Xbox. Read more for details...

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic received a prestigious BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award last night in London. The award, the British equivalent to the Oscars, named Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic as the Xbox Game of the Year for 2003. In the U.S., Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was recently announced as a finalist in 10 categories in the 7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, with nominations including "Overall Game of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement/Innovation in Computer Gaming."

Vivendi Universal Games announced today a worldwide multiplayer test for the upcoming real-time strategy game, Ground Control II: Operation Exodus. Signups have already begun, and will continue through the Multiplayer Beta start date of March 8th. Read more for details...

Rival Interactive is creating a high-end, 3D, first person shooter game based on homeland defense called “Prism: Black Shield” for the Army National Guard (ARNG). The ARNG seeks to create a commercial quality game that is both entertaining and graphically rich. The game will be distributed as a recruitment tool and for increasing the awareness of the Army National Guard. In the game, players will use futuristic US military weapons, equipment and technology as part of a secret new team to combat terrorists on US soil. Players will battle individually or in teams against the game’s advanced artificial intelligence (AI) terrorists and react to a wide range of homeland terrorism scenarios.

TDK has revealed that Cauldron's hack'n slash action/adventure game Conan: the Dark Axe (based on Robert E. Howard's Barbarian) will be available in Europe on April 8th, 2004. No specfific release date for the North america version has been announced yet.

Tiscali Games are pleased to announce that BiosFear launched commercial service yesterday, February 26th. BiosFear is an action-packed, easy-to-get-into MMORPG set in a fantastic, fully 3D world packed with adventure and suspense. Join a guild and make new friends to explore the strange and varied worlds of BiosFear where entertainment and untold adventures await.

PlayStation today announced a unique partnership with International Sports Multimedia (ISM), exclusive licensee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for Interactive Entertainment software, to develop a PlayStation 2 game based on the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Scheduled for release in July 2004 just prior to the start of the next Olympic Games in August, Athens 2004, The Official Videogame of the Olympic Games will be the only official licensed videogame product of the IOC on PlayStation 2.

JoWooD's Preliminary Financial Results discloses several, so far unannounced, plans for various addons and sequels to, some currently still in development, new titles. The schedule includes another derivative of the highly successful Gothic series as well as Add-ons for the titles SpellForce, Soldner and Wildlife Park. The portfolio will also include a new sequel to the top-selling Giant series and console versions of Aquanox and Neighbours from Hell (incl.a sequel). Some further titles will be Pillage, Gorky Zero and a title based on a motion picture IP. JoWooD boasts an impressive line-up for 2005. Among 2005’s key titles will be Soldner II, SpellForce II, The Guild II, Star Gate SG1, another Giant title and a new sequel to the Gothic series.

Midway Sports today announced MLB SlugFest: Loaded, the newest title in the adrenaline-style baseball series which, for the first time, takes America’s Pastime online with a host of new gameplay features. Also new for 2004, MLB SlugFest: Loaded will include the addition of the Baseball Mogul engine into its franchise mode, adding great depth and endless re-playability to the game. Midway also today unveiled Sammy Sosa as the cover athlete for MLB SlugFest: Loaded, establishing a relationship with one of baseball’s all-time greats. MLB SlugFest: Loaded is scheduled for release in June 2004 for the PlayStation2 and the Xbox.