Infogrames today tossed up this announcement about testing Unreal Championship for Xbox on the official Unreal Championship forum:

Can't wait for Unreal Championship? An avid Xbox gamer? If you can get to the Santa Monica area on Thursday, August 8th between the hours of 5:30 and 8:30pm and are over the age of 17, we're looking for you! We will be testing the latest build of Unreal Championship for Xbox and would like to get your feedback on the good, the bad and....well...whatever! A moderated play session will be followed by a simple Q&A and then an open floor of discussion. We'll be video taping proceedings for our own reference. If you're interested click here!

Microsoft Corp. today announced that BioWare Corp., which specializes in creating computer and console video games, has signed a deal with Microsoft Game Studios to develop an exclusive first-party Xbox game to be published by Microsoft. BioWare is known for its extremely popular "Baldur's Gate " role-playing game (RPG) series, of which more than 4 million copies have been sold worldwide. Currently BioWare, in conjunction with LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC, is developing an RPG for the Xbox video game system titled "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic." BioWare recently released "Neverwinter Nights," which debuted at No. 1 in North America and remained there in its first two weeks at retail.

Beta test the release of The Art of Conquest, an upcoming Empire Earth expansion. This beta will allow you to play a single multiplayer map through all 15 of the expansion pack's ages and test out the new units, powers, and buildings being added to the original game. It also offers a look a the new multiplayer interface. Grab this 278.6MB dowlnoad from Sierra or FileShack. (thanks ShackNews)

Ever wondered how to achieve the maximum level of game protection against cracking and pirate copying without studying a thick manual and even without the source code? StarForce Technologies™ reveals StarForce Professional 3.0, the feature-rich protection system, to combat illegal copying of software distributed on CD-ROM. Exhibitors and visitors of the international game exhibition ECTS, which takes place on August 29 - 31 in London, will be introduced to a beta version of StarForce Professional 3.0. Don't miss it; come to StarForce Technologies' stand #1414.

Activision, Inc. announced today that the company has signed world-renowned skateboarder Bob Burnquist to an exclusive multi-year video game licensing and sponsorship agreement. Burnquist will continue to appear alongside Tony Hawk in Activision O2's flagship action sports franchise, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, which was the single largest independent U.S. video game franchise during calendar 2001, according to NPD. Additionally, as an Activision-sponsored athlete, Burnquist's helmet and skateboard deck will feature Activision O2 logos beginning at the 2002 Summer Gravity Games on NBC.

Combat Mission 2 throws you into one of the most prolonged chapters of WWII between 1941 and 1945, an age of heavy losses and excitement: the entire Russian campaign. Begin with Operation Barbarossa, battle from the Black Sea to Siberia and experience Germany's unconditional surrender in Berlin. An incredible range of detailed fighting units and vehicles awaits your command in 50 extensive missions. Four new screens is available below!

Activision, Inc. announced today that the company has acquired the publishing and distribution rights to Gungrave for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system in Europe and Australia/New Zealand. A third person, all action game featuring anime-style cel-shaded graphics, Gungrave was developed by Red Entertainment™ of Japan, and is expected to ship winter 2002.

Tiscali Games today tossed up a DivX Counter-Strike: Condition Zero trailer (originally 30 MB AVI), and this time exceptionally without their usual logo-title / watermark.. High-res 600x450 (9 MB) or low-res 300x225 (4 MB). You find them here!

Codemasters send out 15 brand new screens from their newly released Operation Flashpoint: Resistance demo. Check them out and you can grab the demo here. Njoy!

7FX today released the second mission pack for Team Factor 10.5MB. Prepare for a fierce desert combat at the Desert Camp and a bombing chase in the abandoned Railway station. Both are outdoor-style maps giving you again many possibilities in achieving the mission goal. Show no mercy, frag the enemy! Find out more and grab it here. (thanks Pete)

Croteam has updated their website with some more details on the upcoming Xbox version of their smash title Serious Sam. Turns out that it will NOt be a mere conversion/port from the PC game but a WHOLE lot more than that. Most interesting is the fact that they will incorporate the 2 Serious Sam PC games into 1 Xbox version and the multiplayer will be something to look out for as well .. read more for details ... (thanks Voodoo)

Just noticed over at Dungeon Siege that they have added a new Siege University class that covers Teleporters and Displacers. In addition Siege University 200 now has several new definitions and Siege University 204: Moods has been updated with a "Practical Exercise" which illustrates how to make a new mood and an associated trigger. Njoy.

As mentioned yesterday Strategy First has now released the first patch for their recently released Romanic strategy game 'Legion'. The Legion update patch bring Slitherine Strategies latest to v1.0.6. This cutie add a few new campaigns and other tweaks and update. Read more for details and links where to grab it ...

Highland Warriors is a promising real-time strategy game that combining stunning technology and intense strategic gameplay to tell the story of the most important era in Scottish history. Further to its extensive single player missions Highland Warriors also features a sophisticated and challenging multiplayer mode as well as a user friendly map editor. Check out the immese detail of Highland Warriors in these widescreen shots.

Strategy First, Paradox Entertainment and Slitherine have announced that a new patch v.1.0.6 for their hit strategy title Legion will be released in August. The new patch not only fixes minor bug issues, but also adds exciting new features to the game's already winning gameplay. Among the changes and additions are two brand new campaigns – one based in Hispania and the other in a surprise setting with new never-before-seen units and buildings.

Activision is bringing the high-speed, high jinx of the best-selling Wreckless :The Yakuza Missions video game series to the PlayStation2. The title, which has remained a top-selling game on the Xbox™ sales charts, takes mission-based driving action to new heights with platform specific features including free-roaming interactive environments, more cars to drive, a variety of sub-mission objectives that unlock game-enhancing cheats and a multiplayer mode for head-to-head action. Wreckless :The Yakuza Missions is expected to ship this fall.

Activision send us some screens for "X-Men: Wolverine’s Revenge" for the PlayStation2, Xbox and Nintendo GameCube, as well as "X-Men: Next Dimension". Check them out and Njoy!

Just noticed over at Blue's News that Codemasters has now released the playable demo of Operation Flashpoint: Resistance, available for download from FilePlanet. The download size is unknown as this point, but the demo contains two new missions not included with the retail version of Bohemia's tactical shooter add-on, and "In one you'll play as the commander of an infantry squad and in the other as a member of the squad. Your mission is to neutralise the enemy forces in a small area of the new island." (Thanks Blues)

RALLY FUSION: Race Of Champions pushes off-road racing to the brake-screaming, mud-slinging limits by combining incredibly realistic physics, action, damage, cars and tracks with explosive visuals. Players must put their driving skills to the ultimate test as they battle it out for the Race of Champions crown. Check out these 30+ awesome adrenaline pumping screens!

Dolphins, elephant seals and jellyfish are swimming into cyberspace. Microsoft Game Studios today announced it will launch "Zoo Tycoon: Marine Mania," an expansion pack for use with the "Zoo Tycoon" PC game, in October 2002. "Zoo Tycoon: Marine Mania" is an entertaining and engaging game for the entire family, with more than 20 aquatic creatures including sea otters and octopuses, additional zoo-enhancing objects such as aquatic shows and marine scenery, and 10 new scenarios to test players’ zoo-building skills.

TDK Mediactive, Inc. a global publisher of interactive entertainment software, announced that it will be issuing a Collector's Edition for the fall launch of "Robotech: Battlecry" available on the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Xbox video game system from Microsoft and Nintendo GameCube video game system. Read more to find out what The "Robotech: Battlecry" Collector's Edition will include.

Voodooextreme got some new screenshots posted for this upcoming MMORPG, Neocron (our recent posted screens is available here). The open beta test will begin early August, and the game is due out Q4 of this year. At the same time they posted 3 screens from the upcoming 3D strategy game, Soldiers of Anarchy and some screens from Big Huge Games upcoming historical based real-time strategy game, Rise of Nations.

Red Faction 2 is the sequel to one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed original game franchises of 2001. Featuring an enhanced Geo-Mod engine that allows players to strategically alter and destroy the game environment in real-time, Red Faction 2 expands and builds upon the experience and technology of the original game. Defend your country as Alias, a demolitions expert, with the help of five elite squad members, each specialized in their own means of destruction. Fight through diverse levels using vehicles, an arsenal of specialized weapons and explosives in a rampage to overthrow the government.. Check out the new in game screens, new weapon and new character ...

Today CDV has unleashed another bunch of screens from their upcoming RTS titles .. Grom, American Conquest and Combat Mission 2 .. In case you dont know what they are about .. check out the screens!

Team 17, creators of the world-renowned Worms series of video games, has released an interactive TV version on the Sky Gamestar portal.