Midway Games Inc. announced today that noted producer and composer Chris Vrenna will score the music for Area 51, the ultimate “sci-fi meets government cover-up” first-person shooter. Area 51 is scheduled to ship in 2004 for the PlayStation2 and the Xbox. Read more for details ...

Jarhead Studios' Wild West first person shooter has gone gold and should be in stores (published by Groove Games) end of this month.

You are the Stranger, a man hardened by your years as a gunslinger. The only thing harder than you are the rocks you sleep on at night. You have arrived in a troubled town looking for peace and quiet, but you're not that lucky. Framed for a crime you didn't commit, you must use your skills as a gunslinger to evade the law and fight to stay alive in a corrupt western town where everyone wants you dead. Fight your way through ten action packed levels. Save the day by thwarting a train heist, go one on one with other gunslingers, fight your way through an abandoned mine and save the girl from a rich tycoon Hell-bent on seeing you dead. Then ride off into the sunset, if you're still alive.

Gamesindustry.biz let us know that the public beta test of broadband games-on-demand service Steam will end on Tuesday evening Pacific time, and the first full version installer will be made available on Wednesday morning at 11am PDT via www.steampowered.com, Valve Software has announced.

With the new release on Wednesday, Valve plans to reset the account database. Any future registrations will have to be allied to a genuine CD-key, drawing to a close the honeymoon period of free Half-Life, CS and mod access - not to mention Half-Life 2 movie releases - for the two or three people still without a copy of the original game.

With over two years of development time going into the project, the team at EGOSOFT have crafted a dynamic, active universe, in which to immerse the player. Tagged as the "21st Century Elite" by PC ZONE, the game has already received vast amounts of coverage; with press overwhelmed by the quality of graphics and depth of game play. Read more for details and a batch of new screens ...

Dead to Rights is an intense, action thriller that is currently available for PlayStation2, Xbox, and GameCube. Dead to Rights features model Grant City officer, Jack Slate, who's been framed for murder and seeks revenge on those who have killed his father and set him up. What Slate discovers during his journey sends him on a downward spiral into a labyrinth of corruption, betrayal and crime. Best-selling, Dead to Rights has qualified for and is now selling as Platinum Hits for Xbox. Read more to check a fresh batch of PC screens ...

Xicat Interactive, Inc., a publisher of computer games such as Jane's Attack Squadron and Iron Aces II, has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with KOCH Media for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The company will be responsible for all aspects of sales and distribution for Xicat's titles.

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes thrusts players into the stunning 3D world of espionage and stealth action created by celebrated producer, Hideo Kojima. Playing as legendary videogame hero, Solid Snake, gamers will infiltrate an Alaskan nuclear missile disposal facility occupied by a terrorist organization called FOXHOUND. Only in this game will players truly feel like they are in the heart of the action, as if every step taken leads them closer to danger.

A new release schedule for Microsoft's Xbox reveals that many key titles for the console have slipped even further into 2004. Halo 2 has slipped back a further two months, and is now scheduled to arrive in April. Ninja Gaiden has fallen back a few more months on top of already announced slippage. Kameo: Elements of Power is scheduled for a June launch. Fable is slated for an optimistic Q2 2004 release. Sudeki is confirmed as Q1 2004 release.

As U.S. Army Sergeant John Baker, players join the battle at Kasserine Pass in North Africa, race to capture Messina in Sicily, and finally repel the German army at the historic battle of Monte Battaglia in the heart of Italy. Armed with a new arsenal of weapons, players will fight alone and with squad mates as they rush to stop the Axis powers. Some more screens from the multi-player demo...

Flying Labs Software decided to push the release date out to Q1 2004 for The Pirates of the Burning Sea "MMORPG". It gives them time to schedule a whole milestone without new features so that they can focus on performance and stability.

Pirates is broadband only, with high-end hardware specifications for graphics -- a GeForce 3 or better is required in at least a 1GHz machine, and the game is optimized for the latest DirectX 9.0-class cards. Pirates is being published on-line directly to gamers using Valve's new Steam technology, the same delivery system used by Half-Life 2 and Counterstrike 2. Check out the new seaworthy screens ...

SWAT: Global Strike Team was founded in 2018 as an international offshoot of the U.S. SWAT organization. Primarily established to supplement the income of the U.S. SWAT establishment, the Global Strike Team contract their personnel and expertise to companies and countries around the world to help “resolve” situations for those who have the funds but not the means to do so. The GST is made up of specially selected SWAT officers and ex-military personnel who have shown the ability to adapt to and overcome any situation they encounter. Like the U.S. SWAT organization, SWAT: GST is a life-saving institution whose mission is to uphold the laws of its operating country, so all efforts must be made to use only necessary force.

The Steam Beta has delivered several Valve games and popular Half-Life MODs to over 300,000 gamers, and will come to a close Tuesday evening (Pacific Daylight Time). The first full version of Steam, Valve's broadband platform for the delivery and management of digital content, will launch at 11 am PDT on Wednesday. Set up installers for the full version, which will be free of charge to existing Half-Life and Counter-Strike players, will be available from www.steampowered.com and leading game sites.

Rebellion, developer of the forthcoming Judge Dredd: Dredd Vs. Death for PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube announced today that due to a duplication error at a third party, unfinished beta builds of the game have been sent out for review as 'finished' games to a number of magazines across PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox formats. It has also been announced that the release date for Judge Dredd: Dredd Vs. Death on PC, PS2 and Xbox has now been moved back to the early part of October. A specific release date will be announced when it is confirmed. Currently the GameCube release date of 21 November is unaffected.

Atari and Digital Brothers are proud to announce the launch of the Horizons Empire of Istaria European website. This European website will be the central hub for ‘Horizons’ game info and will be localized in 5 languages: English, French, German, Spanish and Italian. This highly anticipated next generation online multiplayer experience is coming to the PC for Xmas 2003.

Developer Valve has revealed that it plans to offer a $9.99 monthly subscription system to purchasers of Half-Life 2, as well as releasing three separate versions of the game - which has now seemingly slipped to November. (thanks Gamesindustry.biz)

In an email, later confirmed as authentic, posted to forums on Half-Life2.net, and a later follow-up on the forum thread, Valve boss Gabe Newell confirmed that the company intends to offer an optional subscription which will grant members free additional content for Half-Life 2, delivered over the Steam digital distribution system.

Developer Beenox has revealed their Twister project which is in fact "Wakeboarding Unleashed featuring Shaun Murray"! THE one and only amazing Wakeboarding action title is coming for the PC and Macintosh! The title is being ported by Beenox and will be published by Aspyr Media. Read more for some details ...

High-tension Battle : The graphic concept of Lineage II is made up assuming that there is a tremendous siege by dozens of charaters which has the most advanced 3D details like those in fighting games. Rampart standing high in the way of surging forces, Plains overlooked by one riding on dragon high in the sky, Archers on the rampart sniping at the coming enemy from far place. These powerful scene will be produced with the latest 3D technology. Read more for some nifty screens ...

Medal of Honor Allied Assault™ Breakthrough for the PC has gone gold and will ship on September 22, 2003. The new expansion pack for the critically acclaimed Medal of Honor Allied Assault takes players from chasing Rommel in North Africa to the heart of Italy in the struggle to breakthrough the fortified lines of the Third Reich.

Midway Games announced today that a wide-ranging radio system will be implemented in RoadKill, a mission-based, post-apocalyptic combat driving game, which is scheduled to ship in October 2003 for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox video game system from Microsoft and Nintendo GameCube.

Continuing its strategy of developing cornerstone franchise properties with widespread commercial appeal, Majesco, one of the fastest-growing publishers of interactive entertainment software, today announced a deal that will take their popular action/horror video game, BloodRayne to the silver screen. Vierte Boll Kino Beteiligungs-GmbH & Co. KG (Boll KG), the production company responsible for several film adaptations of video games including Alone in the Dark and House of the Dead, has purchased the theatrical film and merchandise rights for the game.

DreamCatcher Games today announced that it will publish Pax Romana on PC-CD. Developed by Galiléa, Dreamcatcher Games has exclusive global rights for the title. Pax Romana is an historical strategy game set in ancient Rome, designed by the creators of Europa Universalis. There are two sides to this epic game – political and strategic. The strategic side is very much a battle of cunning and well-planned military tactics, whereas the political side involves the manipulation of senators and generals alike, as politicians seek to gain military and financial power. Read more for details and screens ...

In Tribes: Vengeance's single-player campaign, gamers become immersed in a roiling galactic thriller. Throughout the game, the player catches glimpses of other, interrelated stories that are unfolding behind-the-scenes. In addition, gamers are given the opportunity to experience the full scope of the single-player story through multiple viewpoints and characters. Powered by an enhanced version of the Unreal Engine, the world is brought to life with characters that have facial expressions and fully-realized personalities, vehicles that kick up dust as they pass by, and weapons that display spectacular effects. Check out the new screens ...

As U.S. Army Sergeant John Baker, players join the battle at Kasserine Pass in North Africa, race to capture Messina in Sicily, and finally repel the German army at the historic battle of Monte Battaglia in the heart of Italy. Armed with a new arsenal of weapons, players will fight alone and with squad mates as they rush to stop the Axis powers. A few more days until the demo will be released, in the meantime some new screens ...

The stars are coming together for a great cause ­ TO BEAT THE HELL OUT OF EACH OTHER! Gotham Games has released the list of sacrificial celebs who have signed on to lend their likeness to MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch, a new game coming later this year to the PS2, Xbox, PSOne and GameCube. Based on the gore-filled, MTV claymation hit, MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch will feature digitally rendered versions of teeny-boppers, tabloid princesses and other notorious superstars. Read more for some juicy screens...

Ubi Soft Entertainment announced the upcoming availability of console demos and CD soundtrack in support of the launch of XIII, its highly anticipated first-person shooter. Demos and CD soundtrack will be available late September. PlayStation2 and Xbox fans can get an exclusive sneak peek at exciting single-player and multi-players levels along with a full length soundtrack produced by San Francisco-based label Future Primitive Sound. The purchase of this two-disc will be applied to the full product when it becomes available. Nintendo GameCube and PC fans can receive the enhanced CD soundtrack by pre-ordering.