Tri Synergy announced today that Bandits: Phoenix Rising has gone gold. This “Mad Max”-style action game for the PC in set in a desert wasteland of territorial clans. Players will battle cannon-mounted vehicles, while defending their gang and seeking glory, for their clan. Developed by Grin Inc., BANDITS will blast its way onto store shelves on March 25, 2003. The game is already available in Europe for several months.

Vivendi Universal Games today announced the shipment of Empire Earth: Gold Edition to retail stores nationwide. Published under the Company's Sierra Entertainment label, the new video game combines Gamespy.com's 2001 "PC Game of the Year" Empire Earth with the Empire Earth: The Art of Conquest expansion released in 2002. Together, both games have sold nearly two million copies worldwide and won numerous industry awards. The new combo-pack gives real-time strategy game fans everything they need to conquer the world.

3DO today announced that its baseball game High Heat Major League Baseball 2004 for PC is now available. "With a completely rebuilt graphics engine, 27 different pitches and new motion captured player animations, High Heat Major League Baseball 2004 is sure to impress even the most seasoned player". Microsoft announced that Freelancer is landing on US store shelves today. Developed by Digital Anvil and Microsoft Game Studios, Freelancer enables gamers to "experience the adrenaline rush of fast-action combat with the engrossing story of a dynamic living universe". Infogrames, Inc. announced today that its fishing game, Pro Bass Fishing 2003, is shipping today for Windows PCs. The game is "a challenging and highly accurate bass-fishing simulation complete with real bass-fishing locations, authentic bass behavior and changing weather and water conditions, and complete personal customization for the ultimate virtual fishing experience". Rayman, the only gaming hero with no arms, no legs, helicopter hair, and brand new powers, is headed for store shelves! Ubi Soft today announced that Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc for the GameCube and Rayman 3 for the GBA have both shipped for retail.

Activision, Inc. announced today that the company has signed an agreement with legendary U.K.-based game designer Peter Molyneux. Under the terms of the agreement, the company has secured the exclusive worldwide rights to Molyneux's new project tentatively titled The Movies for the PC and all video game console platforms. The agreement also grants Activision the option to publish sequels and add-on products to the title.

'Warrior Kings: Battles' maintains the excitement that made Warrior Kings a leading RTS, but now introduces the player to a proficiency of computer Artificial Intelligence (AI) not yet seen in an RTS product. Not only can AI Generals build a functioning economy, deploy offensive and defensive armies, and control potent formations, but they can intelligently probe your defenses to determine your weak points. AI Diplomacy, a major new feature, makes you think you are playing human opponents, giving new depth to single and multiplayer Internet gaming. After you are done reading the extensive interview, check these screens (or vice versa)...

Set in a fantastical medieval world where small Kingdoms struggle for supremacy in a chaotic land of knights, and demons, you are the ruler of a new kingdom, born from the ashes of a once mighty realm. To resurrect this realm to its former glory you must forge order out of chaos by uniting the fragmented lands into a single, mighty empire under the rule of one warrior king - you. We sat down with Black Cactus' Lead Designer Charlie Bewsher and talked about gameplay, game AI and tons more ...

Ubi Soft today announced that the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation PC game will have the same look and feel as the show by featuring the likenesses and voice talents of the CSI cast, and a script by written by Max Allan Collins, author of three CSI novels. Ubi Soft also consulted with Las Vegas Senior Crime Scene Analyst Daniel Holstein to validate the accuracy of the CSI forensics referenced in the game. Scheduled to hit store shelves March 25, the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation will challenge players to solve a series of crimes, acting as members of the Las Vegas CSI team.

Strategy First has let us know that their space strategy game Galactic Civilizations (developed by Stardock) has gone gold and is expected to appear on store shalves March 25. Eidos also sent over a press release announcing that the US version of Pyro Studios' Roman Empire themed 3D RTS game Praetorians has gone gold. No release date is mentioned but online retailers have the game shipping to stores in mid-March. Praetorians is already available in Europe.

In a time before time, in a world you’ve only imagined, a shadow has been cast, six heroes have been chosen and the greatest of all challenges has been laid down. With the awesome elemental powers of the Toa at your fingertips, it has fallen to you to defeat Makuta and return the island of Mata Nui to light. Be the Toa – Live out the Legend… See the most successful toy-range in LEGO Company history come to life in 2003 on PS2, Gamecube, PC & Xbox. Live out the "Bionicle" legend in an action adventure epic of good versus evil, with combat, collection, puzzle-solving and exploration. Read more for details and some of the first screens ...

Can you lead Ace Lightning on his mission to defeat the evil Lord Fear and send him and his gang back to prison in the sixth dimension? Taking the CGI characters, the storyline and the humour from CBBC's leading drama, this third person action adventure is set for release on PlayStation 2 this Spring.

Essential Reality, Inc. a developer and integrator of leading-edge sensory and real-time remote tracking devices, announced today that the P5 Software Development Kit (SDK) for PlayStation2 is now available for download on the Sony Computer Entertainment America developer website. The SDK, which is being offered exclusively to licensed members of the PlayStation2 game development community, is being released in an effort to support the development of P5-enabled gaming content.

Firaxis has issued a new patch for Sid Meier's Civilization III: Play the World, bringing their expansion to v1.21f. The update makes several additions, changes, and fixes an impressive list of bugs (read full story for details). This patch is for the US version only and is incompatible with any European version of the game. Read more for detailed fix list and download links ...

Today several trailers for various games were released. Instead of giving them all their own post, we grouped them and so far there are trailers for :

• SpeedKings
• Heaven & Hell (CDV)
• The Hulk Trailer 1 (GBA/Vivendi)
• The Hulk Trailer 2 (GBA/Vivendi)
• Praetorians (Eidos)
  
  Read more for download links ...

Operation Flashpoint for personal computers has won universal acclaim for its realistic simulation of military conflict situations on the PC, even to the extent where the game's technology has been adapted for the United States Marine Corps to use as a special combat training application called VBS1 (Virtual BattleField System) and it's now heading to consoles. Read more for details and some Xbox screens ...

NDA Productions/vivendi today released some new screens for their just announce "Ground Control 2 : Operation Exodus". The game is the next episode in the award-winning and highly acclaimed Ground Control RTS game series. Read more for details, 16 new screens and some character art ...

Prepare yourself for the most emotionally involving and realistic football management game in history: Championship Manager 4 has arrived. Can you cope with the challenges of the league and the expectations of the board and fans? Can you deal with the demands of players and agents? Or will you collapse under the pressure, another mid-season casualty? Accept the challenge: take the reins at the club of your choice and lead your squad onwards. And remember, you're only as good as your last game. Sports Interactive has just released a playable demo which allows you to take control of your favourite English team for 6 months of action. Read more for details and links where to get it ...

Today several trailers for various games were released. Instead of giving them all their own post, we grouped them and so far there are trailers for :

• Line Of Sight : Vietnam (Infogrames)
• Enter The Matrix (Infogrames)
• Will Rock Trailer 1(UbiSoft)
• Will Rock Trailer 2 (UbiSoft)
• Lock On (UbiSoft)
  
  Read more for download links ...

Co-Publishers Strategy First and Project Three Interactive with developer Termite Games announced today that their tactical, team-based first-person shooter, New World Order, has gone gold for North America. “New World Order is going to be a great new title for the first-person shooter market,” says Steve Milburn, Director of Marketing for Strategy First Inc. “With its $29.99 MSRP, it will let a whole new category of gamers get in on the excitement of this genre.”

Sony Online Entertainment announced that it is adding a new server to meet customer demand for EverQuest Online Adventures, exclusively for the PS2. The new server will allow thousands of new players to join the popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game where people create characters from a number of fantasy classes and meet people from the real world online as they embark on exciting adventures in a vast virtual world. The new server is scheduled to go online Friday, March 7, before noon Pacific Standard Time.

Set on post-apocalyptic Earth where survival and ultimate dominance are all that matters, Devastation is a high action, teamplay oriented first person shooter. Powered by heavily modified, next generation Unreal Engine technology, it pits teams of rebelling street fighters, gang leaders, mercenaries and ex-military fighters against overwhelming armies of high-tech corporate troopers. Check out fresh batch of devastating screens...

Today several trailers for various games were released. Instead of giving them all their own post, we grouped them and so far there are trailers for :

• Praetorians (Eidos
• Black Hawk Down (Novalogic)
• NBA Street 2 (EA)
• Dakar 2 (Akklaim)
• Evil Dead Fist Full Of Boomstick (THQ)
• Yager (THQ)
  
  Read more for download links ...

This world-builder title is inspired by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic Park franchise—the studio’s most successful film franchise. Jurassic Park allows you to fulfill Dr. John Hammond’s dream by successfully designing and managing your very own Jurassic Park. Create the most amazing dinosaur theme park the world has ever seen, OR battle your way through 12 intense missions that will truly test your skills against the awesome powers of nature and its most dominant creatures. Today we got a massive Jurassic Park screens gallery for you to enjoy!

Counter-Strike is the #1 online action game in the world. After a one-year public Beta, Counter-Strike was commercially released in Fall 2000. It has sold over 1 million copies worldwide, been named “Game-of-the-Year” by several gaming publications, and is the headliner at competitive gaming tournaments around the world. Counter-Strike: Condition Zero (CS: CZ) advances this award-winning series by introducing single-player action and special enhancements for online play. CS: CZ is a tactical action game that challenges you to compete with and against cunning computerized opponents in mission-based campaigns across the globe.

Championship Manager 4 is the next generation of football management games offering more players, leagues and competitions than any other title. For the first time ever in the series, Championship Manager 4 features a 2D match engine enabling you to make tactical decisions as the action unfolds. Watch the whole match or choose to view the highlights.

Infogrames, Inc. announced today that the highly-anticipated and long-awaited sequel in the space epic Master of Orion 3 has been experiencing pre-orders significantly above expectations, and the game will ship out to retail stores globally, to more than 20 major countries around the world.