Austrian based developer and publisher JoWooD Productions Software AG today announced that it has signed an exclusive publishing agreement with Encore, Inc. a majority-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation for the marketing and distribution of nine games throughout North America. Encore will be managing the sales, distribution and marketing for these titles while JoWooD will be delivering content.

WorthPlaying is giving away goodies sponsored by Strategy First. Enter the sweepstakes and have a chance to win one of 5 New World Order CD's... NWO is a tactical team-based first person shooter game.. "In New World Order, players meet Agent John Dobbs, one of the best military operatives in the world and GAT’s (Global Assault Team) newest recruit. Formed by some of the world’s most powerful nations, the GAT is a top-secret organization that has been brought together to stop The Syndicate, a group of militant separatists and terrorists who have set out to fill the world with fear, chaos and destruction... unless Agent Dobbs and his team get to them first"

JediKnightII.net let us know that according to the popular german game magazine 'GameStar' there WILL be a Jedi Knight 3! April joke or not? Here is a clip from Lucas forum:

The game will once again use a heavily-modifed Quake 3 Team Arena engine, as well as all of Raven’s own enhancements to it! Despite its Age, the screenies sure look spectacular! The multi-player part will also be enhanced, and rumours speak of vehicular combat!

According to Raven, JK III is 60% done, including story, scripts and levels. So, if everything goes well, you will be able to play it this fall!

Check out some screens here!

Atari is bringing all of the drama and fast-paced action of the Old West exclusively to the Xbox this Fall with Dead Man's Hand, a first person shooter chock full of gun fights and dripping in frontier lore. In development by Human Head studios, the creators of Rune, Dead Man's Hand uses the latest Unreal technology from Epic Games to provide amazing graphical performance, non-stop action and enhanced multiplayer capabilities through Xbox Live!

Immerse yourself into the challenging adventures that await you in 1503 A.D.: Listen to the first few moments of the game, an instant where you start your journey and where a story of exploration, discovery and battle unfolds. On a single ship and accompanied by only a few faithful men, you make your way into The New World – an introduction to the dramatic plot you will experience in 1503 A.D. The sound file is stored in MP3 format and has a file size of 827 KB. Enjoy!

TDK Mediactive Europe announced today the release of its multiplayer action shooter "SeaBlade". Taking full advantage of the awesome potential of the Xbox video game system from Microsoft, "SeaBlade" delivers unprecedented combat action with its fully articulated vehicles above and below the water across six diverse and apocalyptic environments.

It is 1588 A.D., a critical year of an alternate history hauntingly familiar yet fantastically alien to our own. Because of one fateful event during the Third Crusade, the history of this world diverged. This event, the Disjunction, ripped open a long-sealed breach to other worlds. Magic energy and powerful spirits flowed into the world, changing the lands and the people forever. Cast into this world, you are a character of your own devices, strengths, and abilities. Set upon by human factions and powerful spirits, you must decide how to best develop your skills in order to triumph over obstacles that lie between you and your true fate. A fresh batch of Lionheart screens as well as a new trailer have arrived!

According to a post on the BlackIsle forum by PR guru Jessica Urquhart, Lionheart is scheduled for release on August 12, 2003. The original date set was April, so there is no specific reason why the game is delayed for almost 6 months ... Read the forum post.

Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain explodes onto the PS2 as the latest chapter of the Syphon Filter storyline with edge of your seat offline and online action. The newest installment in the multi-million unit selling series offers sophisticated and highly intelligent AI, richly detailed worlds, an enhanced character customization system and groundbreaking cooperative, peer-to-peer online gameplay. Read more for details & screens ...

Noticed on HomeLan that the development of Akella's "Sea Dogs II" has been suspended and that title will not be released this year. We want everyone who had been looking forward to Sea Dogs II to be aware that Pirates of the Caribbean offers outstanding role-playing gameplay in a similar setting. Since Bethesda just announced their new 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and judging that Akella is also the developer on that product, it would be safe to say that the game just got "renamed" (thanks Bluesnews).

Strategy First just let us know that the website for their highly anticipated upcoming Real-Time Tactical game, Nexagon: Deathmatch has gone live. The Nexagon: Deathmatch website will feature tons of info on the game and other goodies. Game Overview, History of the Nexagon, Game Rules ,Sanctum description (this is your fortress), Forum links, Screenshots, Unit Description (describes the units that make up the Thralls, including attacks, abilities and stats). The website will also feature three mp3 music tracks and 10 wallpapers available for download. Also, check out our Nexagon preview!

Bethesda Softworks and Disney Interactive today announced that Bethesda Softworks will publish a Pirates of the Caribbean video game for the Xbox, PlayStation2, and PC. Inspired by one of this summer's most anticipated blockbusters, the game will bring swashbuckling adventures and rich worlds to Xbox and PC this June, and to PS2 at a later date. Read more for details and screens

Activision, NVIDIA Corporation, eVGA.com Corporation and id Software have teamed up with the Online Gaming League to host the Return to Castle Wolfenstein "Battle on the Beachhead II" tournament. Gamers from across North America will hit the battlefield in a struggle for frontline domination and exciting prizes including NVIDIA GeForce FX graphics cards from eVGA.com, limited edition RTCW prints signed by id Software, GameCube, Nintendo Game Boy Advance and hundreds of popular games. The tournament will run from April 7 through May 12, 2003 at the Online Gaming League website, on the Speakeasy Network, home of the largest broadband gaming community and the official ISP of the OGL.

Following a nationwide search of college campuses to find the most promising ninja-inspired short films, two students have been chosen as the winners of the Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, "Reel Ninja Film Contest." Legendary film director John Woo and producer Terence Chang of Lion Rock Productions awarded Joshua Gorin from the University of Pennsylvania the $15,000 Grand Prize for his submission, "The Ninja Movie," a clever three-minute live action short set in a snowy cemetery.

Article pulled by Request of MicroSoft/AEG...

Summitsoft announced today that its eagerly awaited Empire of Magic is on schedule for a May 1st release. Promising a masterfully crafted blend of strategy, role playing and story driven adventure, Empire of Magic takes a different approach to strategy games. "We have received a tremendous amount of interest on Empire of Magic by the gaming community," said Bruce Lowry, President and CEO of Summitsoft Corporation. "By throwing away traditional resource management found in most strategy games and replacing it with intense story rich scenarios and interactive role playing dynamics, Empire of Magic offers an exciting and fresh twist to the strategy genre."

It is 1588 A.D., a critical year of an alternate history hauntingly familiar yet fantastically alien to our own. Because of one fateful event during the Third Crusade, the history of this world diverged. This event, the Disjunction, ripped open a long-sealed breach to other worlds. Magic energy and powerful spirits flowed into the world, changing the lands and the people forever. Cast into this world, you are a character of your own devices, strengths, and abilities. Set upon by human factions and powerful spirits, you must decide how to best develop your skills in order to triumph over obstacles that lie between you and your true fate. A fresh batch of Lionheart screens has arrived!

Alienware has taken an unprecedented leap forward with the launch of a new case design for its award-winning desktop systems. Maintaining its position at the forefront of the industry and continuing a strong tradition of innovation, Alienware is the first specialty system builder to offer an exclusive PC case of its own design.

The next evolution in off-road gaming has arrived with the release of Cabela's Off-Road Adventure 3 for the PC from Activision Value, a division of Activision, Inc. Featuring a combination of fast-paced off-road driving action and the ability to hunt, players explore vast landscapes as they advance through increasingly more challenging missions to earn money, upgrade their rigs and unlock additional activities that will take them one step closer to reaching their goal of becoming a member of the "Cabela's Driving Club." Cabela's Off-Road Adventure 3 is available at retail stores nationwide for a suggested retail price of $19.99 and has been rated "T" (TEEN) by the ESRB.

The compendium of Eyetoy mini games is a new genre of social and mainstream gaming using the EyeToy technology and simple game mechanics which are fun to watch and play.. What's in the box? News on some of the included mini-games below.

Entertainment software publisher NovaLogic Ltd. today announced that they are teaming up with Jolt.co.uk to launch the Official UK Devastation Death Match Demo tournament. The tournament will take place on Saturday 5th April. After Qualifying rounds the top four players from each qualifier will compete in the final with the winner and runner-up decided by their total score over two maps. Prizes include a AMD XP2500+ processor, Broadband JOLT ADSL line, BMX bike and limited edition Devastation merchandise. Servers will be open from 13.00 GMT and to participate players should join one of the servers and devastate the opposition in 15 minutes of pure mayhem.

Unreal 2: The Awakening incorporates the same absorbing story-driven gameplay, cunningly ferocious enemies and nail biting tension that made the original title the top choice for first person action fans worldwide. Developed by Infogrames' Legend Entertainment, Unreal 2: The Awakening uses next-generation Unreal technology created by the masterminds at Epic to deliver intense life-or-death action in the most breathtaking scenery ever displayed in a computer game. Legend has finally released the announced update patch bringing your retail copy to v2001. This upgrade increasing performance, fixes EAX and various other sound related issues. Read more for detailed fix list and download links!

KOEI Corporation today announced plans to release G1 Jockey 3, for the PlayStation2. G1 Jockey 3 captures of all the excitement, action and splendor of one of America’s most beloved spectator sports, thoroughbred racing.

Do you have what it takes to rule the New World? Test your skills in 1503 A.D. -- The New World for the PC, which has begun to ship in North America. Set in one of the most challenging periods of human history, game developer SUNFLOWERS and publisher Electronic Arts blend the excitement of real-time strategy with the depth of empire building while sending players on a quest for wealth and power with thrilling adventures and discoveries at every turn.

Matrix Games and Just Flight Ltd. are please to announce a new partnership aimed at supporting Microsoft's best-selling Combat Flight Simulator 3 with a series of new historical add-on packages.