Artifact Entertainment has signed an exclusive agreement with Digital Bros, a digital entertainment group from Milan, Italy, to acquire the European online hosting rights for Horizons: Empire of Istaria, the next-generation 3D online epic adventure; the most anticipated online game among European players. Scheduled for North American release in Fall 2003, Horizons will also be distributed by Atari in Europe.

THQ today released "Disney Princess" for Game Boy Advance. Based on the Disney Princess characters in Disney's animated classic films "Cinderella," "The Little Mermaid," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Sleeping Beauty," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin," the game is now available at retail outlets nationwide.

Warning! Helmets are NOT included. Atari today sent gamers on a wild ride with the release of "Furious Karting" available exclusively for the Xbox. Developed by Paris-based Babylon Software, "Furious Karting" is an extreme go-kart racing game soaked in attitude and hard-wired with pure adrenaline.

CITY interactive announces that their development team has already started working on new title called Aces WW I - working title. Development has started last year and CITY is planning to have the title ready for sale at Q3 2003. Aces of WWI - working title creates a new genre: the flying sim action adventure. People responsiple for that project are working with great enthusiasm in order to achieve very detailed reconstruction of original models and the ground, like in the best simulation games and provide high feel of reality. City wants to interest not only flying sim fans but to target all action game fans and hopes to receive enthusiastic response from special interest press all around the world. (thanks Blues)

Sega Europe Ltd, today confirmed that it is in the process of instigating its own publishing operation to bring to market videogames for all viable gaming platforms. Sega Europe will be building up areas to look after all elements of sales, marketing and PR, to join its pre-existing development infrastructure, with the aim of maximising the sales potential of its popular gaming brands across all PAL-based territories. Previously, Sega Europe had a number of agreements with third-party publishers to bring SEGA-developed titles to market across these territories.

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."

Atari has shipped the latest installment of the hugely successful "V-Rally" racing series -- "V-Rally 3" -- to the Xbox. With more than 4 million units in the series sold to date, "V-Rally 3" -- already a hit on Sony PlayStation2 -- promises to be the most authentic rally racer on Xbox.

Tri Synergy announced today that Bandits: Phoenix Rising, shipped to retail outlets nationwide. Bandits: Phoenix Rising immerses players into a vast, desert wasteland, where they must control a cannon-mounted combat car in order to defeat heavily armed enemies and ultimately defend their gang. Bandits: Phoenix Rising is rated T (Teen) with an SRP of $29.99.

CDV Software today announces its new website is live. The new portal is designed to integrate the newest information on CDV's games and the company site. The new website features a very user-friendly navigational structure, as everything is a three page click away from the main site. Currently the site contains five categories: games, shop, company, investors and support.

Mad Catz Inc., the world's leading third party manufacturer and marketer of video game accessories, today unveiled their extensive range of accessories for the Game Boy Advance SP, Nintendo's latest handheld console. All accessories, comprised of ten innovative products, will be available in Europe at the end of March. Mad Catz has timed the introduction of these accessories, retailing from £3.99 - £19.99, to coincide with the launch of the Nintendo GBA SP.

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.

Already known but finally official, Tri Synergy announced today that Purge, an online-only title that delivers a compelling combination of first-person-shooter gameplay and role-playing character development, has gone gold. Developed by Freeform Interactive LLC, Purge immerses players in a strife-torn world that blends science fiction and fantasy. In Purge, players will find themselves engrossed in a war between two opposing forces, the Order (humans genetically modified to scientific perfection) and the Chosen (religious believers who reject all forms of technology). Read more for details and a batch of fresh screens ...

Activision and Disney Interactive today announced a new video game that gives skateboarding a magical twist. Designed to appeal to children and teens ages 6 – 14, Disney’s Extreme Skate Adventure will use cutting-edge technology from Activision’s latest Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 engine to allow characters from three beloved animated films: Walt Disney Pictures’ presentation of Pixar Animation Studios’ “Toy Story 2,” “Disney’s Tarzan” and “Disney’s The Lion King” to skateboard just like the pros in their respective worlds for the first time. In addition to these characters, the new game includes a Create-A-Skater option where players can customize a youthful skater’s “look” by selecting clothing and accessories. Furthermore, as an Activision first, the company is holding a nationwide casting call search for 10 real kids who will become digitised characters in the game.

Ubi Soft Entertainment, one of the world's largest videogame publishers, today announces more details on the packaging of its upcoming titles to be released in Q1 2003: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six3: Raven Shield, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc. The company decided to follow the trend initiated by the DVD movie industry and to propose to its customers qualitative and innovative packaging as well as Limited Edition versions of their games for the fans.

This is quite simply a genuine match made in heaven! eJay Entertainment GmbH, one of the world's leading providers of music software, has teamed up with Ministry Of Sound's infamous record label Data Records to promote DJ Sammy.

Interplay Entertainment Corp. announced today the company has sold all future interactive entertainment publishing rights to the "Hunter: The Reckoning" franchise to Vivendi Universal Games. Interplay retains the rights to the previously published "Hunter: The Reckoning" titles on Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo GameCube. The "Hunter: The Reckoning" franchise is a property of White Wolf Publishing Inc.

Jaleco Entertainment announced today that it is developing and will publish Goblin Commander: Unleash The Horde, an innovative action-strategy game for the next-generation consoles set in an epic fantasy universe. A fourth quarter release is planned.

Publisher Strategy First and developer Stardock are pleased to announce the availability of Stardock Central to players of their upcoming 4x space strategy game, Galactic Civilizations. Stardock Central is a program that consolidates software updates, message boards, chat, documentation updates, and more into a single easy-to-use program.

WorthPlaying is giving away goodies from Ubi Soft. Enter the sweepstakes and have a chance to win one of 5 PS2 Reign Of Fire (PAL) games or 5 Reign Of Fire watches & 5 mousepads... Sign Up Here!

GRIN and CDV today announced that Vultures official website is online.. The official homepage has a nice set of screens and also a developer diary from the Swedish developer GRIN. The screens already convey a nice, gothic mood, which is especially unique for the beat 'em up genre! Loads of arenas filled with traps and in complete 3D featuring the latest technology await you, so don’t be square and visit the official homepage! The game features motion capture animation and real-time shadows which will make your Xbox melt!

Hercules is delighted to announce the launch of a complete new range of its popular 3D Prophet graphics boards. This new 3D Prophet series, based on ATI's latest chipsets, features perfectly-adapted solutions for all PC users, from ultra-hardcore gaming to general family needs. As always, Hercules' aim is to provide the very best solutions for every market sector.

Radica - the company behind Gamester, the UK's leading video games accessories brand - have unveiled the first products in a brand new high quality range of accessories exclusively for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance SP. The range includes a Kit Bag, the N-Case SP console case, the Game Case, a three-strong accessory Starter Kit and an Ultimate Essentials pack. All of these products will be released this month to coincide with the UK launch of the Game Boy Advance SP on March 28th.

ATI Technologies, Inc. a world leader in the design and manufacture of innovative 3D graphics and digital media silicon solutions, announced today that it has entered into a technology development agreement with Nintendo Co., Ltd. Under the agreement, ATI and Nintendo are developing technologies for use in Nintendo products. No other details regarding the nature of this agreement are being made available at this time.

An ensemble of hilarious characters featured on Cartoon Networks's top-rated television programs go interactive, as Majesco, one of the fastest-growing publishers of interactive entertainment, introduces Cartoon Network Speedway for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. Developed by DC Studios, the game is slated for release this July and will be the first in a series of Cartoon Network titles to be released by Majesco on GBA.

Octagon today announced it is working with Bihrle Applied Research of Hampton, Virginia and Third Wire Productions of Austin, Texas to create a flight simulator game based on the 1903 Wright Flyer. A training simulator is being developed to teach an elite team of pilots how to successfully fly an authentic replica of the Wright aircraft during December’s Centennial of Flight Celebration in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The training software will be modified to create a commercial flight simulator that will be geared toward the flight sim and aviation enthusiast markets. The computer game is scheduled for completion in late spring 2003.