Kicking off the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), co-publishers ARUSH Entertainment and Groove Games today announced that Massachusetts developer Cyberlore has begun development on Playboy: The Mansion. Gamers worldwide will get the chance to build Hugh Hefner's Playboy Empire on their PCs and console gaming systems in late 2004.

One of gaming's most treasured franchises will be given new life this holiday season as Tecmo's esteemed internal development group, Team Ninja, and the powers of Xbox join forces to bring you 100% action in one of the most anticipated games of the new millennium. Ninja Gaiden is on the cutting-edge of action as the player takes on the role of powerful ninja, Ryu Hayabusa, who seeks revenge after his clan is massacred by the Vigor Empire. Taking full advantage of three-dimensional space, you follow the story with only your wits, your ninja skills, and your deadly sword, cutting down opponents in the Vigor Empire as you attempt to beat the Holy Emperor and reclaim the magic sword "Ryuken". Realistic battle actions and acrobatic ninja actions add another dimension to the game, restoring Ninja Gaiden to its rightful place in the gaming pantheon.

Logitech today announced the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro and Logitech Attack 3 joysticks for PC and Mac. On display at the E3 tradeshow in Los Angeles, the joysticks will be available this summer on retail shelves in the U.S. and at www.logitech.com. Pricing is not yet available. Read more for details ...

Alias is a third-person action adventure containing a unique blend of action and stealth that puts you under fire and under pressure. Utilize your incredible spyware and array of disguises to complete the most dangerous covert missions across the globe. Experience all the heart-stopping action and tension of the award winning TV series.

Put Fry, Leela, Bender and Dr Zoidberg through their 31st Century paces this summer when Matt Groening's EMMY award winning cartoon hits 21st Century Consoles. Good news everyone... Futurama the game is here! Futurama is a comprehensive 3rd-person platform shooter, which combines the humour, character development and innovation of the highly popular & award winning TV Show, with the best in platform game play & strategy..

Respected developer Lost Toys today announced that it has developed a GeForceFX2 (aka NV35) version of its acclaimed shooter Battle Engine Aquila to be made available for bundling through OEM specialists Vector OEM Content. The fully optimised PC version has been approved by nVidia and will be shown on the company's booth at E3 as part of its 'The Way It's Meant To Be Played' campaign.

ATI Technologies Inc. leading graphics technology provider, and Valve, creators of Half-Life, Counter-Strike and other award-winning PC action games, announced the first public showing of Valve's Half-Life 2 will take place at next week's Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, CA. The product will be shown on ATI's RADEON 9800 PRO 256MB, the highest performance 3D card currently available, in a state of the art theater located in ATI's booth (South Hall, 646). Half-Life 2, published by Vivendi Universal Games, will be demonstrated by Gabe Newell, Valve's co-founder and Managing Director, every half-hour. The original Half-Life was launched to tremendous reviews in 1998, won over 50 "Game of the year" awards worldwide, and launched a franchise with over 8 million units sold.

Activision sent our a notice to update everyone on Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory progress. "Thanks to dedicated gamers and testers, we've been working on fixing bugs and other issues that have been uncovered in the recently released map test. We've also been following feedback in the community to help us address any balance issues. We're in the final phases of testing and tweaking and hope to be ready to release the full, free, stand-alone game Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory early next week. Check out the official site for more information." We also got some new screens, read more to check them out ...

Midway Games Inc. announced today that Universal Pictures has obtained an option to the rights to develop the classic 1980s Spy Hunter videogame into a major live action motion picture. SpyHunter 2, the latest iteration of the classic videogame, is scheduled to ship fall 2003 for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox and Nintendo GameCube.

The cat is out of the bag, the NDA liften and severla previews have surfaced as expected. We got 20+ screens for your viewing pleasure, some familiar, some character art, some editor shots and others previously only seen as magazine scans but now in hi-res. Read more and check them out! If you want to check the previews, you can find them at PC.IGN, C&VG, GameSpy or Shacknews.

Activision, Inc. and Valve are taking World War II fans online to the battlefield with the retail release of Day of Defeat. The title, a multiplayer WWII first-person action game powered by Valve's Half-Life technology, provides intense team-based gameplay that pits gamers in Axis vs. Allies squad-based combat in Western Europe at the height of the war in 1944. Day of Defeat is available at retail outlets nationwide for a suggested retail price of $29.99 and carries a "T" (Teen -- Blood, Violence -- content suitable for persons ages 13 and older) rating by the ESRB.

Paradox Entertainment and Strategy First today revealed the next eposidoe in their Europa Universalis franchise. Victoria "In Victoria, players will be challenged to lead their nation into the industrial age of the 20th century, ensuring that the country becomes a great power by making sure that it stays ahead of the competition in terms of both wealth and strength. The gameplay will focus on six key aspects of running a country: diplomacy, warfare, economy and industrialization, colonization, technological development, and political simulation." The game is scheduled to be released for the winter holiday season. Read more for details and the first screen...

ePie Games has announced their upcoming Vietnam War game, Vietnam War: Ho Chi Minh Trail (thanks VE3D). It is the year 1970. The flames of war in Vietnam burn on years after French troops are dealt a crushing defeat. American troops, sent into harsh terrain and dense jungle, find themselves embroiled in guerrilla warfare with a cunning enemy that uses the jungle to its advantage. The Ho Chi Minh Trail, a Vietcong transport route snaking through thousands of miles of dense foliage, somehow endures the American saturation bombing campaign, and men and armaments continue to reach southern forces down this vital supply line......

In the savage, rough and tumble days of the American West, a hard working, homestead family is attacked by desperados, robbed of their possessions, and left for dead. One lone survivor, a boy named "Red", is taken in by an Indian, given a home and taught the ways of survival. Years later, a mysterious gunfighter appears in town and the lawless begin to fear for their lives. The old West will never be the same as Red fights with honor, seeking vengeance on the savage outlaws of the frontier.

Spanish publisher Planeta DeAgostini Interactive is preparing the release of the award-winner developer Revistronic's adventure Fenimore Fillmore: The Westerner in October. The company is still negotiating with different partners its distribution worldwide, and will be presenting it next E3 2003.

The French site Newtechnix.com tossed up some new screens from Valve Softwares upcoming fast-paced action 'Half-Life 2'. The game will make its public debut at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Check out the screens here!

"Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus" is the perfect blend of fighting realism and stunning special effects. "Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus" delivers a classic battle between good and evil as two ancient Chinese clans of superfighters, each seeking to uncover the secrets of immortality, battle for dominance. When the fight ends, players will witness the devastation of battle. Is Tao Feng worth the hype? Or is it just that, hype? Read more and find out!

Rival-Species is a HalfLife mod based around the popular Warhammer 40K universe, and pits you against three possible races, the righteous fury of Imperial Space Marines, the unquestionable evil of their Chaos Marine counterparts, and the technological superiority of the alien Eldar. Read more for download links ..

Day of Defeat is a World War II multiplayer first-person action game that pits players in Axis vs. Allies battles in Western Europe at the height of the war in 1944. This is the same version as the upcoming retail boxed version of DoD. Read more for download links ...

In Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer, players experience an all-out adrenaline rush as they drop down huge wave faces, pull into barreling tube rides and pull off hundreds of massive trick combinations and signature pro moves. Players choose their own path as they interact with famous surfers, sponsors, magazines and photographers. Exotic real world locations and events including full beach environments with real landmarks and hazards lend authenticity to the game. Read more for details ...

Michael Vick, the All-Pro quarterback from the Atlanta Falcons and one of the most electrifying and exciting players in the NFL, has reached an agreement with Electronic Arts Inc., the world's leading interactive entertainment software company, to be the EA SPORTS cover athlete and spokesman for Madden NFL 2004. Read more for details and screens ...

Gamesindustry.biz let us know that it's been confirmed that an Xbox version of Half-Life 2 is in development, with Valve's Doug Lombardi telling German Xbox magazine AreaXbox that the console port is underway.

"Yes, we're also working on an Xbox version, though not releasing any specific details on that until after E3," says Mr Lombardi.

This doesn't rule out versions on other consoles - it seems unlikely that AreaXbox would have asked about PS2 or GameCube versions - but given the difficulty of porting the title to those platforms, we'd suspect that the Xbox will be the only console to see Half-Life 2.

Noticed on Homelan that there is an interesting Reuters article on Yahoo about how industry people expect Doom III and Half Life 2 to lift up the PC games sales records. Two of the most-anticipated video games of 2003 put those much-maligned life forms back in the cross hairs of PC gamers in a pair of sequel games -- "Doom III" and "Half-Life 2." Some see those games acting as a catalyst that could recharge the fortunes of computer gaming after an unprecedented sales slump last year. Check out the Yahoo story for more details ...

The first game to feature one of Marvel Comics most popular superheroes. Daredevil is Matt Murdoch, a lawyer who was accidentally blinded by radioactive waste – an accident that may have taken his sight but also heightened his remaining senses to superhuman levels. Having seen his father, a once proud Boxer, killed by villains, Daredevil has sworn to make his home safe by battling the scum of Hells Kitchen – by day as Lawyer Matt Murdoch but at night as the justice seeking Daredevil. Daredevil can tell whether you are armed by smelling the gunpowder in the bullets, hear a heartbeat from metres away and can read by feeling ink on a page.