Vivendi Universal Games announced today that it has entered into a production agreement with Turbine Entertainment to develop "Middle-Earth Online," a massively multiplayer (MMP) game to launch in 2004. The game will be developed as part of VU Games' long-term agreement with Tolkien Enterprises to create interactive entertainment based on J.R.R. Tolkien's epic novel "The Lord of the Rings." Read more for details and 4 hi-res screens ...

Chaser is set in the year 2044 with players taking the role of John Chaser who, at the beginning of the game, wakes up suffering from amnesia on board the spaceship HMS Majestic being pursued by a crack team of heavily armed shocktroop soldiers. The game then takes players into an apocalyptic future set on Earth and Mars. There is a new updated demo available now which adresses several improvements over the last demo. The v1.30 demo fixes clipping issues, sound problems, bugs with weapon selection and the action mode, and more. This new version features the same Training Center tutorial and Little Tokyo mission. Read more for download links ...

Eidos Interactive today announced the development of Whiplash for the PS2 and Xbox . Whiplash features a shackled animal duo on a mission to sabotage an animal product-testing corporation. Providing an innovative approach to the character-based action genre, Whiplash combines a unique "chain" gameplay mechanic with in-depth enemy and environment interaction, rich combat and slapstick humor. The result is an engaging game where player choice triggers an unscripted chain of chaotic, humorous events. Read more for details ...

Not really a major secret anymore but today Eidos Interactive announced that the next instalment in the Thief series is currently in development for Xbox and PC. The game is being developed by Ion Storm, creators of the award-winning Deus Ex franchise, and is due for release winter 2003. Read more for some new screens ...

Australia's Torus Games announced today that it is bringing Activision's Pitfall Harry to the Game Boy Advance. The new game, Pitfall Harry GBA will feature action, adventure, and shoot 'em up fun, promising amazing handheld thrills!

L.S.P. announced today that they have signed a licensing agreement with Universal Studios Consumer Products Group to develop interactive games inspired by Universal Home Entertainment Production's first season of The Mummy animated television series. The Mummy, the game, will release on Xbox, Playstation® 2 and PC CD-ROM in 2004. Read more for details ...

Colin McRae Rally 3, coming to PC this summer, captures the emotions and consequences of being a professional rally champion. It's an unbelievably personal gaming experience, as you become the globe's greatest rally driver - Colin McRae himself. Read more to check out 20 new screens ...

Extreme Force is an action adventure game with a heavy emphasis on strategy and tactics; Casting gamers into the role of an elite member of the Grant City Anti-Crime Squad, players will be inundated with a bevy of special weapons and items (like the night vision goggles, grenades, and door charges), while simultaneously implementing several stealth maneuvers not unlike the disarm techniques of Dead to Rights. Action fans needn't worry either though, as there are plenty of mindless run-and-gun combat missions to compete in as well. Expected in stores on PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube in Q4 2003. Read more for some of the first screens ...

Freshly released and available in stores, Summitsoft Corporation has issued the first patch for Mayhem Studios' fantasy turn-based strategy game Empire of Magic. This 'Hot Fix' adresses the "Object with given ID is already in list (#)" problem. Read more for download links ...