Microsoft Corp. said on Friday it acquired the rights to the "High Heat" baseball video game franchise from bankrupt software publisher 3DO Co. The company did not immediately disclose the purchase price. 3DO's assets were sold at a bankruptcy auction in San Francisco on Thursday. When the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 28, it said it would try to sell its assets. Microsoft already has its own baseball game, "Inside Pitch," for its Xbox but game critics have long considered 3DO's "High Heat" as the best among numerous competitors.

As the anticipation surrounding EGOSOFT's upcoming space trading / combat sim, X²: THE THREAT reaches supernova proportions, UK software publisher KOCH MEDIA are pleased to announce the release of the X²: THE THREAT ROLLING DEMO. Using actual game code, this non-playable rolling 'movie' shows many of the game's key features. The demo will be released to an eager worldwide audience on FRIDAY AUGUST 22nd 2003.

It's mutiny on the high seas as you steal, barter and pillage your way to riches in the video game that accompanies Disney's major live action film for Summer 2003. Search for treasure as you defend your pirating skills with cannons, artillery and swords in an all out battle for the ultimate in pirate booty!

ATI Technologies Inc. today announced it has entered into a technology development agreement with Microsoft Corp. Under the agreement, ATI is developing custom, leading-edge graphics technologies for use in future Xbox products and services.

Plunged into a mysterious world, Kya must seek her way through multiple dangers to find her brother and a way back home. She discovers the Nativs, a peaceful tribe, oppressed by the Wolfens - the menacing army of the evil Brazul. Kya must lead the rebellion of the Nativs for their freedom. Mastering magical powers, Kya can liberate the Wolfens from their mystical imprisonment and restore their true Nativ identity. A few new screens just sailed in ...

Shrapnel Games is pleased to announce the upcoming 1st Quarter 2004 release of Mark H. Walker's Lock 'N Load: Unsung Heroes—Elite Forces in Action 1950-2003. Second in the Lock 'N Load boardgame series of squad level actions by noted game industry writer Mark H. Walker, Unsung Heroes promises to deliver as much excitement as the first, while staying true to the "More game, less guff" mantra.

Shattered Galaxy has revolutionized online gaming with its unique, acclaimed game play formula of action, strategy and tactics. Now, Shattered Galaxy is once again charging forward into new territory by offering unlimited free play time for any PC gamer! Read more for details ...

Korea: Forgotten Conflict is a 3D Real Time Strategy game based on the war that no-one, save for those involved, wants to remember. In game film sequences will reinforce the atmosphere and realism within this fully interactive environment. Although there were 450,000 Allies lost in conflict (and, to date, there are still more than 8,000 servicemen unaccounted for), Communist casualties amounted to nearly 2 million. Maybe you can lessen these numbers.

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is an eagerly anticipated first-person horror adventure based on the award winning RPG from Chaosium that in turn is based on the writings of the acclaimed American horror author H. P. Lovecraft...Some new screens showing just how dark some of those corners are.

A Warrior Slave…Chosen by the Gods…to Re-store the Glory of an Empire In the Year 106AD the Roman Empire is in terrible decline. After the untimely death of the much-liked Emperor Trajan, the despotic Emperor Arruntius has bled the once powerful Rome to its knees. Badly fought wars, famine and plague are rife in all corners of the Empire, whilst the Emperor and his elite enjoy every excess and vice that the emptying coffers can afford. As herald to this age of degradation, Arruntius has destroyed large portions of the city of Rome to create the battleground for the bloodiest gladiator event ever staged. Check this massive load of about 140 awesome new screens!

"Unreal Tournament 2004 is the next evolution of the greatest competitive computer game ever created," said Jean-Philippe Agati, senior vice president and general manager of Atari's Los Angeles studio. "The addition of new modes, mods and maps as well as the controllable land-, air- and space-based vehicles, means Unreal fans are getting an entirely new experience featuring devastating vehicular combat and wide scale warfare." Check out the first screens!

1C Company has released the first screens of their upcoming naval combat game, PT Boats (developed by Akella using an enhanced PoTC Storm 2 engine). Briefly shown at E3 2003 these are the first public screens available. Patrol Torpedo Boats were used in WW2 mainly to attack large cruiser due ot their maneverability and speed. The were also used to hunt submarines. The game will allow the player to try out various types and missions will range from escorting convoys, protect critical coastal locations and join big battles. PT Boats is expected in stores Q3 2004. Read more to check out the screens ...

Electronic Arts announced today that four-time NBA All-Star Vince Carter and third NBA draft pick Carmelo Anthony, who led Syracuse University to the 2003 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, will serve as spokesmen for EA SPORTS basketball products scheduled for release this fall.

The secrets behind this year's most eagerly awaited Australasian videogame - and the name of the new game - are at last being revealed with New Zealand's Stacey Jones being given a starring role. Available on PS2, PC and X Box, "Rugby League" has been in the making for over 12 months and has seen the NRL and program developers Sidhe Interactive inundated with requests and suggestions from fans, right down to the best name for the game. Read more for details and new screens ...

SWAT: GST is a first-person tactical arcade game combining the strategic elements of SWAT 3 with the instantly accessible arcade action of the Virtua Cop series. Like the real-life SWAT organization itself, the SWAT Global Strike Team is a life-saving organization tasked with defending and saving the lives of the innocent. As a member of the SWAT Global Strike Team gamers will be called to duty at a moment’s notice, confronted with missions unlike any see before. Check these new Xbox & PS2 screens ..

Judge Dredd vs. Judge Death will feature a unique new storyline, but one that fits in perfectly with the continuity of the comic with a full cast of characters from the Judge Dredd stories, including Judge Anderson and the Dark Judges, and many of the famous Mega-City One locations. Read more to check out some screens for each platform ...

Get ready for a World War II experience like you’ve never imagined. Weapons and vehicles from the Allied and Axis laboratories are about to see combat for the first time in the stand alone multiplayer demo for Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII... Read more for download links and demo info!

Today Buka Entertainment, one of the leading games publishers from Russia, and Gramis, a leader of Bulgarian games publishing business, are pleased to announce a Battle Mages and Fair Strike deal. Gramis will localize and bring Battle Mages, RTS/RPG set in the fantasy world, and Fair Strike, a helicopter action/simulation highly anticipated by the fans of this genre, to Bulgarian market... Included with the pressrelease is 3 Battle Mages screens!

Midway Games Inc. announced today that it will make Midway Arcade Treasures, the first next-generation console offering of more than 20 classic arcade games, available for hands-on demonstrations at the 2003 Classic Gaming Expo. Midway Arcade Treasures is scheduled to ship in fall 2003.

Midway Arcade Treasures features hundreds of hours of classic gameplay action from all-time arcade favorites including the fast-paced action of Spy Hunter, the multiplayer collaboration of Gauntlet, the space-age adventure of Defender and the dueling combat of Joust, just to name a few.

The eagerly awaited global strategy and tactical warfare PC game, UFO: Aftermath is currently undergoing last minute improvements during BETA stage and is now scheduled for release on 26th September 2003.

20 years on, the most famous re-publisher of them all is set to return to the industry. Mastertronic will be re-launched by games software industry veterans Paul Patterson and Andy Payne and the company's mission will be true to the original, all be it updated to handle the demands of the modern software publishing industry.

Besides bringing many a legendary 8 bit game to a true mass market (One Man and his Droid, Hunter Patrol, Spellbound, Phantoms of the Asteroid and Master of Magic to name a few), Mastertronic also brought the Sega Master System into Europe in the late 80's. The name Mastertronic all but disappeared from the industry in 1991 when it was merged with Richard Branson's Virgin Games initially becoming Virgin Mastertronic before being renamed Virgin Interactive Entertainment.

Vivendi Universal Games Intl and Rebellion, today announced that the official website for their game: Judge Dredd: Dredd Vs. Death, has gone live today.

Judge Dredd: Dredd Vs. Death is an intense first-person shooter set in the future megalopolis of Mega-City One. This 22nd century melting pot is home to 400 million citizens, every one a potential criminal, and the only thing preventing the city from descending into complete anarchy is the group of elite law enforcers known as the Judges.

Want to play Etherlords II before anyone else? Find out how...

Strategy First has teamed up with GameStop to offer players a guaranteed spot in the open beta test of their adventure-RPG game, Etherlords II.

Once a player pre-orders the game from GameStop, that player will be sent an email asking them to sign-up and then they can enter the world of Ether to take part in an epic online magical combat experience. The beta test will be focused on the game's new multiplayer modes and auto rating server.

NVIDIA Corporation today announced that it is the title sponsor for QuakeCon 2003, the world's definitive multiplayer tournament and PC gaming event. In addition to being the title sponsor, the Company also announced that the NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 Ultra graphics processing unit (GPU) has been named "official GPU of QuakeCon 2003" and will be used to showcase the highly-anticipated PC game, Doom 3.