NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. of DEI Racing will become the official cover athlete for the EA SPORTS franchise NASCAR Thunder 2003. Dale Jr. also contributed to the development of the game and his likeness will appear on all NASCAR Thunder 2003 packaging and merchandising.

Avault today reports that CDV Software Entertainment will release a demo of BREED at the beginning of October. The free download will contain one single-player mission and a tutorial. BREED is a science-fiction shooter with tactical elements. (Our latest screens HERE)

Shacknews today got their hands on the Project Nomads English Demo. The demo is 119 MB to download. Try out this high-flying 3D action role-playing strategy game from Radon Labs. The demo features a tutorial and the first two missions of the full game.

Divine Divinity has gone gold in the UK, and will be in a store near you on the 13th September. This EPIC RPG, has been a long time in development, but will be worth its weight in… (guess what… GOLD). Features and 4 new GOLD screens below!

Update: Divine Divinity also got a US release date set to September 27 (its GOLD worldwide)

Black Element Software brings you a new epic in horror action/adventure that will extend the rules of gaming entertainment. Utilising the smart, original 3D engine, the cinematic storytelling is spiced with a thrilling atmosphere. Today Cenega updated their site with some new screens, check them out!

The official UT2003 forum over at Infogrames is today updated with some more information about the upcoming demo. Here is a clip:

• Level Designers are reviewing the AI in their maps to make sure that the bots know how to Shieldgun jump, Translocate, Double Jump, and Low Grav jump to EVERY available spot in their maps.
  
• The single player campaign is being tested and finalized.
  
• The Redeemer is in and fully functional and is very close to being bug free.
  
• All levels are being finalized for ragdoll (low poly) collision.
  
• Extras are being put in. Select a mesh for your player avatar and the voice is now hooked up to announce it. Kill someone with a redeemer and their body goes flying. Sound matches up with the redeemer explosion properly. Mutators are being tested in random combinations with each other. Instagib with zoom and translocator and QUAD jump is quite a kick!

Bandai Co. plans to develop games for Nintendo Co.'s GameCube video-game console, the first titles from Japan's largest toymaker specifically designed for the Kyoto-based company's new game machine. The software will go on sale in Japan in November, Nintendo said in a news release distributed to reporters in Osaka. Nintendo will handle distribution of the game.

Westwood Studios announced today that it has launched multiple servers for the Earth & Beyond public test, and will be accepting tens of thousands of additional testers in the coming weeks. Earth & Beyond is an online role-playing galaxy that will be published by Electronic Arts under the EA GAMES brand this fall. Previously limited to only one server, the public test for Earth & Beyond has grown to include tens of thousands of registered players over the past few months, and is opening multiple servers to accommodate the large volume of testers. Tens of thousands of additional testers will be selected in September through the official Earth & Beyond website. Also, beginning today, GameSpy will be offering the public test software as a free download.

Sierra Entertainment, Inc., a studio of the Games division of Vivendi Universal Publishing, today announced NASCAR Racing 2003 Season, the finale to its best selling franchise. Scheduled for release in February 2003, NASCAR Racing 2003 Season, developed by Massachusetts-based Papyrus Racing Games, will combine the most authentic NASCAR racing experience with new revolutionary 3D graphics that will bring to life the sights, thrills, and sounds of racing at 193 MPH.

SEGA of America, Inc. announced today that "SEGA Sports NCAACollege Football 2K3" has shipped for the Nintendo GameCube. Produced by Visual Concepts Entertainment, a SEGA development studio, and developed by Avalanche Software, "SEGA Sports NCAA College Football 2K3" delivers a host of in-depth features including a comprehensive list of bowl games, team-specific playbooks, college-style player models and a Legacy Mode that lets users recruit blue-chip prospects, develop talent and build their program into a national powerhouse. SEGA Sports' college gridiron franchise features all of the trimmings fans might expect from the standard-bearer in sports video gaming.