After the recent release of the adventure game “Zelenhgorm” in the German-speaking markets, Schanz Interactive GmbH strengthens its presence as Publisher with Empire of Magic, a turn-based strategy game by Mayhem Studios, Slovakia.

Empire of Magic is a captivating and unusual turn-based strategy presented by Mayhem Studios. It captures the adventures of the young mage Artemian, in the background of the fall of a mighty empire. The player becomes a witness of a tragedy, which develops from mysterious raids of the undead to a bloody civil war within the heart of the empire. The genre of the game approaches that of RPG’s. The atmosphere of a real adventure gives a new, yet unknown dimension to the game.

Console accessories specialist Venom are enjoying spectacular success with their range of dance game accessories, commanding 41% of the domestic market in Mat Controllers according to latest ChartTrack figures.

Halo will soon be available for the PC. Featuring new multiplayer maps, weapons, vehicles and more, Halo for the PC has been on the short list of must-have titles for almost every first-person shooter fan around. Visit the newly launched official site today to find out more.

NDL announced today that its Gamebryo 3D graphics engine and toolkit will be used by Firaxis Games in their remake of the classic hit title Sid Meier's Pirates! Sid Meier's Pirates! is among the most popular and loved titles in gaming history. Originally released in 1987, Pirates! received unprecedented critical acclaim for crossing multiple game genres to offer unique, unrivaled gameplay options. Pirates! set the industry standard for innovative game design with its unique blend of open-ended role-playing, real-time adventures and thrilling action sequences.

Chaser is a first person shooter, built on the high-end 3D engine (CloakNT), in which main character passes through real environments and uses real weapons. The official Chaser Multiplayer Demo is now available for download. The multiplayer demo includes two game modes: Deathmatch and Shock Troops. The Deathmatch map is "Building Site". There are also two Shock Troops maps: "Final Strike" and "Building Strike". Read more for download links!

Codemaster has released a new upgrade for their stealth/action game IGI 2:Covert Strike. This upgrade will bring your retail game to v1.2 and increases framerates, improves synchronization of lifts and game timers, and fixes a few multiplayer bugs. There are also updated v1.2 dedicated servers for Win32 and Linux. Read more for details and download links!

Console accessories specialist Venom is pleased to announce the release of the S Club 8 Licensed Dance Mat. S Club 8 is one of the UK's premiere pop bands from Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment (including Pop Idol, American Idol, S Club, Annie Lennox, Will Young). S Club and S Club 8 were both named among the top 5 UK entertainment properties for 7 - 14 year olds by readers of Toy News in February 2003. S Club Juniors became S Club 8 in April 2003 following S Club's announcement that they were parting company as of June 2003 following a nation-wide tour which saw both bands performing to over 200,000 fans.

EyeToy: Play is a compendium of twelve games, which are not only stunningly simple and instantly playable but deliver compelling entertainment for every member of the family. From the wild and wacky UFO Juggling to the more serene water effects in the playroom, EyeToy: Play is the party game for the 21st century. Here is a link to the new website for Sony's camera thing. Might be worth keeping an eye on.

Capcom today announced it is developing a PC version of its PlayStation 2 title Chaos Legion. Due for a simultaneous global release this autum, Chaos Legion for PC will not only support Windows 98/ME/2000/XP but also eight languages covering all key territories. Read more for details!

SN systems has strengthened its position as market leader in the Japanese market by opening a dedicated office in Tokyo and signing a technical alliance with games developer and publisher giant Sega. The technical alliance is the first step in forging the way for a unique strategic alliance between SN Systems and Sega as they work towards new and improved products for next generation consoles.