During the development process a game goes through several steps from initial design to alpha, beta and then finally to the Gold Master stage. Strategy First tossed up some nice reading about how a CD gets from their computers onto the retail shelves and hopefully onto your computers. Go check it out!

So, you’ve been playing the Dragon Claw Studio’s innovative and highly graphic web-based role-playing and strategy game for the past 6 months? You’ve had fun but felt that something was missing? All your soul-searching hasn’t led to any clear path? Rest your weary eyes and look no further...FaitH’s Era III has implemented changes and new features that will rock your world..! Read more for full pressrelease!

BioWare has released a new patch for Neverwinter Nights, updating their role playing game to v1.28. There have been some Aurora toolset changes, there's new ATI code for the Catalyst 3.0/3.1 drivers, and there have been some stability fixes among other things. Read more for detailed fix list and download links ...

The Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide site is updated with a new Creatures of the desert unite wallpaper. This new wallpaper features an abundance of many-legged creatures massing in the desert! Also in upcoming weeks, they will be showcasing aspects of the 3 new Shadows of Undrentide tilesets, starting this week with the Giant Statue Head, Chasm Stairs, and Oasis tiles from the Desert tileset! (thanks gamezone.cz)

Play from a distance so great you can't see the telly any more with this new Xbox controller. And Logic3 has its own S-styled one too... SpectraVideo plc are now shipping the new Logic3 FreeBird RF Wireless Game Pad and the S-Pad– both for the Xbox console. These two new controllers feature an improved ergonomic design, but with out losing any of the functionality found in the earlier, larger controllers.

WarBirds just got a new makeover! WarBirds, Pacific Theater of Operations is an upcoming major update to the award winning WarBirds III family of products. New terrain, new airplanes, new flight models, new strategy, and new fun all will be had with this exciting new version! The remarkable game play featured in WarBirds PTO is incomparable to any previous versions of WarBirds!

Mike at the German racing site Race-Zone let us know that they now have a complete list of all 109 vehicles from Synetic's upcoming racing game, Mercedes Benz World Racing.. The game features a revolutionary 3D Landscape Engine, which not only creates separate race tracks but facilitates the creation of kilometre long 3D sceneries allowing a virtually realistic full driving experience. The player can select his favourite model car from a nearly complete range of cars from Mercedes-Benz. Each model is sculptured based on original data from Mercedes-Benz.

Sierra has just launched the official website for their dinosaur theme park sim Jurassic Park Operation Genesis (developed by Blue Tongue Software). The new web site features a bunch of new but lo-res screenshots, links to the previously released demo (which we have mirror'd here), as well as a new trailer (also mirror'd here). Go check it out!

Cold Zero is an action adventure game where the player takes the role of John McAffrey, a former marksman with a SWAT team who was discharged from service after shooting a hostage by accident. His skills helped him get a job providing high level security for high profile corporations. One of his clients is BioResearch Inc, a company that created the genetic weapon known as Cold Zero. After a terrorist group attacks the laboratory and steals this virus, John sets our to find the terrorists before they have a chance to unleash a catastrophe of global proportions. It has been a while since out last Cold Zero screens, but here they finally are .. Njoy!

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced today that five additional major recording artists have agreed to provide music and video content for the upcoming rhythm-action game, Amplitude, developed exclusively for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system. Expanding upon a top-tier music roster covering hip-hop, rap, electronica and rock, the newly signed bands include blink 182, P.O.D., Mekon, Freezepop and Dieselboy. These artists will join other major recording artists on the Amplitude roster that include David Bowie, Garbage, Weezer, Quarashi and Logan 7. Developed by Harmonix Music Systems, Amplitude allows players to become a rhythmical DJ and jam with more than 20 diverse songs in virtual, vibrant interactive musical environments while mixing and remixing hit songs in both offline and online gameplay.

Sony Online Entertainment announced that EverQuest Online Adventures, exclusively for the PS2, hits retail stores nationwide today, ending months of anticipation for gamers awaiting this historic release. The launch of EverQuest Online Adventures marks the first time ever that North American PS2 owners can experience a persistent and vast living virtual world filled with thousands of other players from the "real" world. EverQuest Online Adventures includes a free 30-day trial and gives players what they've been looking for with non-stop action, the opportunity to explore an exciting new land, a world of fun and interesting people to meet and play with, quests, combat and more.

Chrome, a Tactical First Person Shooter, is a dramatic story of heroism, friendship and betrayal; a story full of sudden twists and turns mixed into tons of Sci-Fi action. Players assume the role of Logan; a veteran mercenary turned bounty hunter who is out to make it rich. Using a system of implants, the player is able to manipulate Logan’s personality and abilities in order to accomplish all of the 14 enormous and varied missions. We had a little sit down with Techland designer Paul Bartek and fired off some annoying questions, stole some brand new screens, and got out guns blazing!

Super Bust-A-Move 2 is a highly-addictive screen clearing puzzle action game for one or two players. Play it at a party, with a friend, or by yourself as you compete in four challenging modes, including the new edit mode where you design your own levels for almost limitless replayability! With all of your favorite classic characters plus two new ones, more than 10 stages for each character to clear in their own unique story modes, and the ever popular head-to-head battle mode, Super Bust-A-Move 2 is destined to be a fan favorite. Could a puzzle game still be worth your while? Read more and find out!

Battlefront.com has just released the v1.02 patch for Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin (PC Gamers Turn Based Strategy Game of the Year). This patch includes 17 new and improved vehicle and gun models, refinements to several commands and further tweaks to the fatigue and moral systems. Added Features include a new "pure armor" Quick Battle force type which will only allow "armor" units to be purchased plus dozens of unit and weapon/armor data updates and bug fixes. CDV will be releasing the v1.02 for the European Windows version of CMBB in the next few days, if not sooner. Read more for download links and detailed fix list ...

Somewhere far away lays the land of powerful demons and breath taking beauty. The land of brave knights, doom and salvation. Land of many faces where marvelous adventures await your arrival. Sharpen your swords and gather up enough magic power because in the end of this summer a strategic delicacy arrives - Empire of Magic. Check out the new batch of screens as well as a DiVX trailer ...

For 2003, Hasbro, Inc. delivers a host of new Milton Bradley, Parker Brothers and Tiger Electronics games that are fresh and contemporary for today's kids (both young and old), yet provide a familiar game play pattern that is comforting for all members of the family.

id Software and Activision announced today they are canceling the retail release of Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. Despite a strong effort from talented developers, the single player portion of the game did not progress as anticipated. Canceling the release was a difficult decision made in the best interest of the Wolfenstein franchise and fans. However, we remain excited about the progress and direction of Enemy Territory multiplayer. Over the next several months the focus of our development will be to complete the multiplayer portion of Enemy Territory and provide it as a free downloadable expansion to Return to Castle Wolfenstein.

Codemasters, a UK-based videogame publishing giant, today announced that its upcoming title, IndyCar Series, will feature Penske Racing, the most successful Indy car racing team in history. Read more for details and a batch of fresh screens ...

Infogrames Europe and Thrustmaster are pleased to announce that they have joined forces to take aim at the world of Xbox gaming with two exclusive new offerings for hours of adrenaline-filled excitement. Thrustmaster will launch its Beretta 92FS light gun for Xbox to coincide with Infogrames' European release of The House of the Dead III, the latest installment in Sega's blockbuster series and the first Xbox title to feature light gun support.

Konami of America, Inc. announced today that Yu-Gi-Oh! Dungeon Dice Monsters for the GBA has shipped to retail outlets nationwide. We'll try to get our hands on a copy asap and give it the WP treatment (not sure wether that is a good thing or not though ;)

'Nam - Tour of Duty, is Atomic Planet's exciting new take on the first-person action game: an innovative blend of adventure and tactical gameplay recreating all the tension and ferocity of combat in the Vietnam War. 'Nam - Tour of Duty is currently in development for the PlayStation2 and all other major platforms. Today we got some screens and a trailer to show you what its all about ... Read more to check out the candy!

Developed by Ubi Soft's Montreal studio in close collaboration with Red Storm Entertainment, Raven Shield features a brand new Tom Clancy storyline in which Team RAINBOW is led all over the world in a series of dramatic operations. The game will utilize graphics technology provided by the next-generation Unreal engine to power 15 new single-player missions that include the discovery of a cache of biological weapons and stopping an armed gang from terrorizing a London bank. Yesterday we had some screens and a trailer showing off the opening door maneuver, today we yet again got some brand new screens as well as a new trailer showing off some in-game footage that highlights a few basic commands from the Fluid Peek and Door Opening maneuvers in the game. Read more to check out the goodies!

Midlands developer Blitz Games has made a new appointment this month, promoting Project Manager Darren Wood to the newly created role of Development Manager. This new role will be to assist and support the Chief Technical Officer and to oversee the development of all the company's projects, working closely with each of the development teams. He will report directly to the company's four directors. This will leave CTO Andrew Oliver to focus on the strategic progression of the company's development tools and services, including its out-sourcing policy.

ITE Media is proud to announce another release from the Hugo range, Hugo - Black Diamond Fever which will be available on PC from 11th February and PS One from 14th April.

Vivendi and Interplay today announced the development of Hunter: The Reckoning Redeemer, developed by High Voltage Software exclusively for the Xbox. Based on the gothic world of White Wolf's pen and paper role-playing games, Hunter: The Reckoning is returning to Xbox fueled with more intense action than the original. An all-new character joins the original team of four to destroy hordes of new supernatural enemies in never before seen areas. Single or multi-player battles will be waged with the addition of new weapons, power ups, edges (spells) and Hunter-specific combat moves.

UPDATE: 11 screens are added!