Combining the non-stop action of an arcade game with the noted plug-and-play appeal of its military shooters, Infogrames, Inc. today announced Operation Blockade for the PC. Scheduled for this spring, Operation Blockade provides both a single and multiplayer cooperative mode, as well as a pulse-pounding 360-degree field of fire.

Addressing consumer demand for increased audio realism in gaming environments, Analog Devices today announced a new version of its SoundMAX Audio Rendering Technology Toolkit (SMartTools) - which now offers significantly improved cross-platform output capability and a more intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) to game audio developers.

Mindscape is proud to announce an exclusive publishing agreement with Project 3 Interactive for the adventure game ’Schizm: Mysterious Journey’ on DVD-Rom and PC CD-Rom. The popular adventure game has already been launched as localised versions across Europe and the agreement with Mindscape secures distribution of the English version in the UK and Ireland.

We mentioned the rumor yesterday and today the story has been confirmed with Korean developer Phantagram, who are picking up the reigns of the RTS, rights to which are owned by Infogrames (who are not forthcoming with any detail on this at this point). Infogrames picked up the rights to Total Annihilation after purchasing GT Interactive, who published the original game, which was developed by now-defunct Cavedog Studios (thanks blues)

Sports Interactive, the team responsible for developing the record breaking Championship Manager series of football management simulations published by Eidos Interactive, is extremely pleased to announce that Ray Houghton has been retained as a consultant to advise on the eagerly anticipated Championship Manager 4.

Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.), the first organization focusing on the advancement of interactive audio and the community surrounding it, will make its debut during the 2002 Game Developers Conference in San Jose.

Rage, one of the UK's leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, today announces that it has set up a new internal development division to manage Rage’s growing catalogue of externally developed projects. The new division will also seek out further titles across all major formats for Rage to publish internationally.

Enhanced visual detail and new landscape features bring dramatic new gameplay elements to Operation Flashpoint: Resistance. New details on Operation Flashpoint's official expansion. From Bohemia Interactive Studio, the creators of Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis, comes the game's official expansion - Operation Flashpoint: Resistance. Due to launch at retail on June 21st and requiring the original game to play, Operation Flashpoint: Resistance introduces a new island environment with remarkable high-resolution graphics.

DVD Region X, the DVD import movie player for PS2, is being given away for free on the cover of the latest issue of PSi-2 Magazine (UK version ONLY). Worth £19.99, the full version of this best-selling product allows you to watch DVD movies from any region on a PS2. It also gives you better picture quality by removing the “green screen” effect that usually appears when trying to watch any DVD movie via SCART or RGB on a PS2. DVD Region X is available exclusively in issue 18 of PSi-2, which is on sale now in all good newsagents and game stores. The product comes supplied in a black DVD case, and full instructions are supplied inside the magazine. PSi-2 is a 132-page monthly PS2 magazine published by Thin Ice Media.

Strategy First and PAN Vision announced today that they have signed a distribution agreement in which PAN Vision acquires the rights to distribute Disciples II and Trainz throughout the Scandinavian territories.

F1 2002 will be the first Formula One game to feature the new 2002 season when it launches. Officially licensed by Formula One Administration Limited, it features real drivers, teams, cars and tracks from the 2002 FIA Formula One World Championship and it will be available at the start of the brand new season allowing the true Formula One aficionado the opportunity to play along as the real life drama unfolds.

Capcom Eurosoft today confirmed that it will be publishing its first PlayStation 2 titles on Sony Computer Entertainment Europe’s Platinum range this coming June. The first two titles are Onimusha: Warlords and Resident Evil Code: Veronica X both of which topped the charts when released last year.

Capcom Eurosoft today confirmed it plans to publish Capcom vs SNK Pro for the PlayStation. The game is scheduled to be released this July throughout all PAL territories.

The setting is Tokyo, in the year 2024. Freedom is a valuable commodity and freedom of expression even more so. JSRF – Jet Set Radio Future uses the power of the Xbox to create living, breathing cities that are filled with opportunities. Featuring unique anime-style graphics, new tricks and incredible stunts, JSRF – Jet Set Radio Future brings the hippest game ever into a futuristic world. Choose a character, strap on your rocket powered skates and immerse yourself in the vast environments. The story unfolds depending upon which areas of the game you explore. Along the way, you’ll compete with rival gangs, be chased by the cops and perhaps discover something unthinkable. The multi-player aspects will let you work together to reach seemingly unattainable places, create new attacks and perform astounding stunts. Wherever your adventure takes you, it’s all about extreme skating, extreme action and of course extreme style.

Those leprechaun's over at Infogrames send us some screens .. some new and a few we seen around already ... either way they threatened to torture us horribly if we didnt post them .. afraid as we are .. check them out .. ;)

Go glory hunting - fly 28 exciting and challenging new missions in IL-2 Sturmovik for only £19.99. This new campaign, specially designed by experts on the air war over the Eastern Front, puts you in the freezing Russian skies with bomber sorties, ground support, escorts, intercepts and more. Add to this the five bonus skins for co-op play, a price that wouldn’t break a babushka’s purse and you can see why this is an essential addition for all IL-2 fans. Product ships March 20th. Enjoy our screens!

Strategy First sends along a note that four new scenarios for Disciples II: Dark Prophecy are now available for download from the official site for their recently released turn-based strategy game. There's one scenario called Cornered Beast by Strategy First, while scenarios Armageddon, The Longest Journey and The Renegade Wizards were designed by fans.

Activision, Inc. is taking gamers on a mysterious journey to confront a malevolent force that threatens the future of the world in Lost Kingdoms, the first real-time action RPG for the GameCube. Partnering with premier Japanese software publisher and developer FromSoftware, Inc., Activision will publish Lost Kingdoms worldwide excluding Japan, Korea, and China. The game will be available this spring and carries a “T” (Teen) rating for comic mischief and violence from the ESRB.

TimeGate Studios, Inc. announced today that it has been nominated as “Rookie Studio of the Year” by the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) for their March 21, 2002, Game Developers Choice Awards ceremony in San Jose, California.

Keeping tenement walls, motorway arches and assorted rolling stock spray paint free, 3DO Europe today announced the launch of the world’s first online graffiti competition, in conjunction with HEAD, at THIS LINK to promote the release of Jonny Moseley Mad Trix for PlayStation2 and Game Boy Advance.

Good at games? Come and prove it! In celebration of the full launch of BTopenworld's Games Domain online games subscription service, Games Domain are throwing down the gauntlet to computer gamers across country to test their skills in the UK's biggest ever games tournament - the 'Games Domain Online Championships 2002'.

MadOnion.com™ today announced the immediate availability of its free and newly released PCMark™2002 Benchmarking tool, available for download from this link. PCMark2002 provides consumers and business users with a unified benchmarking tool that reliably measures and compares performance of laptops, desktop PCs and workstations, across multiple Win OS's. An integrated online result browser allows instant results comparison against the world's largest performance database. With PCMark2002's ease-of-use, professional calibre benchmarking software is now available to even novice PC users. Major corporations - including AMD, Intel, Microsoft and Nvidia - participated in the development and testing of the product and are impressed by its ease-of-use and its reliable and impartial benchmarking methodology.

Playnet.com today announced details of a limited offer to international gamers who want to experience the virtual battlefield of World War II Online- Blitzkrieg, the award winning massively multiplayer online game. The program, which kicks of Monday March 10th, provides players from outside North America the ability to purchase an activation key online. The purchase of the key for $9.99USD is followed by a full, no-cost download of the Windows-based game and a 7-day FREE trial. Once the free trial expires, a monthly subscription for $9.99USD is needed to continue play.

Only weeks after unveiling its European marketing and operations headquarters, VisionTek, a leading provider of advanced graphics and memory solutions for PCs, today announced that it is the first company in Europe to deliver GeForce4 Ti4600, NVIDIA Corporation’s flagship GeForce4 product, into the European retail channel. Working with retailers in the UK and Germany, VisionTek began shipping its Xtasy GeForce4 Ti 4600 AGP graphics accelerator board on March 1st.

NCsoft(TM) Corporation, the world's largest independent online game company, announced today that it will publish one of the most anticipated online game titles currently in development, Cryptic Studios' City of Heroes. The game will bring the concept of superhero role-playing to the massively multiplayer (MMP) genre and add yet another impressive title to NCsoft's growing list of online games.