In time for the release of the eagerly awaited IGI2: Covert Strike public multiplayer beta test Jolt provided a swathe of high performance servers ready for IGI2 operatives to enjoy the stealth and tactical approach of the single-player game in a hectic multiplayer environment. The success of the multiplayer demo and Jolt's resilient network and servers is demonstrated by the fact that all 10 Official servers (powered by Jolt) have been full 24/7 since the release of the demo at 14:00 GMT on January 10th. Jolt will provide servers for both the multiplayer beta test and the full game which is published on February 14 2003 for PC CD-ROM.

Entertainment software publisher NovaLogic Ltd. today announced that they are looking forward to their busiest ever Q1 in 2003 with the release of three PC titles, Delta Force - Black Hawk Down, Highland Warriors and Devastation... Delta Force - Black Hawk Down will ship on February 28th, 2003, Highland Warriors on March 21st, 2003 and Devastation on March 21st, 2003.

The company also announced that a single and multiplayer demo for Delta Force - Black Hawk Down would be available at the beginning of February. More details about the demo will be released shortly.

SMH.com reports that a Hong Kong computer game enthusiast has been found slumped dead at a terminal in a game centre after playing non-stop for hours. The 28-year-old was found slumped at his screen early on Saturday after he apparently had played the online game Diablo II since early Friday evening.

A policeman found him in the game centre shortly after 1am, five hours after he began playing the popular game, according to reports. His death at a game centre in Hong Kong's Yuen Long district came eight months after a 17-year-old game centre employee was found dead after playing Diablo II through the night.

Warnings were posted in cyber cafes around Hong Kong advising customers not to spend too long playing games uninterrupted after the death of the teenager last May. A police spokesman said today that an autopsy would be carried out to determine the cause of the death of the man.

Alpha Black Zero is a upcoming 3rd person shooter, developed by Khaeon.. The year is 2366, and the SolGov Federation faces turmoil. Lieutenant Kyle Hardlaw, leader of specialized commando unit Alpha Black Zero, stands accused of multiple illegal assassinations against his own government. Release Date: Fall 2003.. Read more for some screens!

Original, provoking and rich in storyline, Yager for PC captures your imagination as you battle for your life in tomorrow’s hostile skies. But is all what it seems…? Keep your wits about you, and use what you learn, as your struggle evolves to become the fight against constitutional power, conspiracy and control. With the genre-busting mix of 3D action-adventure and air combat, coupled with the highly motivating storyline and nail-biting campaigns, Yager is next generation gaming at its finest. Release date TBA.. New screens below!

The official site for American Conquest, a real time strategy game from CDV, is updated with new screens and wallpapers. The high-quality pictures for your desktop are offered in different designs, colours and resolutions.

No Man´s Land’s website now offers a nice collection of high quality wallpapers for download. The wallpapers show some of the characters of No Man´s Land, and give a little insight on the design goals that the developers at Related Designs are aiming for.

Grom, CDV’s latest action adventure by the Polish development studio Rebelmind, has all the trappings of a Hollywood production and is fully packed with adventure, real time action and an intriguing story, set in the fascinating locale of Tibet. The mystique of ancient cultures and wild conspiracy theories is mixed with the turbulent background of the Second World War – Get a taste of what you can expect by downloading the new trailer from Grom's website.

Dungeons & Dragons Heroes gives you a chance to taste the victory as one of four heroes. It beckons you to take a journey through the world of the classic Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, to live as one of the great ones, and to do the legendary stuff that Heroes are meant to do! Check out a few news screens ...

Publisher Strategy First and Developer Introversion Software are happy to announce their North American publishing deal for Uplink: Hacker Elite, which will have gamers exploring PCs in a whole new way in Q1 2003.

Licensing rights for fantasy RPG Dungeon Lords by D.W. Bradley of Heuristic Park were recently signed up for exclusive licensing representation. D. W. Bradley is one of the leading developers of fantasy RPGs in the U.S., famous for creating three of the Wizardry titles. With 20 years of experience making RPGs, and a proven, proprietary, 2nd generation 3D RPG engine, Heuristic Park has embarked upon making a new type of game that represents a bold step forward for the genre of fantasy RPG games. The working title for this new game is Dungeon Lords, and this new genre is called, "RPG-fighter".

JoWooD is proud to announce Gothic II, the breathtaking role-playing action adventure game, will feature 400 Non-Player Characters when it has its UK release in Q1 2003 on PC. Players will need to keep their wits about them at all times to survive in this deadly world. As the player progresses through his epic journey, he will encounter hundreds of highly intelligent NPCs who will either help or hinder him depending upon both their disposition and their past interactions with the player. Read more for info and check out the screens ...

As expected, the multiplayer beta test for Innerloop and Codemasters' upcoming first person shooter IGI 2: Covert Strike has been released, allowing people to try out the team based multiplayer mode on one map from the full version. As IGI 2: Covert Strike reaches its final stages of development, this public Multiplayer Beta Test provides gamers with an early taste of what to expect from the game’s multiplayer maps. The multiplayer gameplay is set to be a major highpoint in the game. Codemasters’ recent, closed Beta Test was a massive success and attracted over 30,000 players, double the number anticipated. Read more for links where to download the demo ...

Mercedes-Benz World Racing, a 3D Racing-Simulation with high quality, mission-based elements, is the first game ever to feature a line-up of current Mercedes-Benz cars, plus selected classic and vintage models. Players start out as a rookie racer struggling to climb the ladder to the top of the racing circuit. After the completion of each mission, drivers can unlock new and vintage Mercedes-Benz cars, as well as new car interiors and racetracks in this exhilarating 3D racing game. A batch of new screens ...

Harbinger is a single-player action / RPG set in a fantastic science fiction universe. As one of three distinct character types, players explore the world of Harbinger – journey to the far reaches of space, battle unique foes never before seen in any medium, discover powerful new weapons and alien technologies, and uncover the dark secrets buried within the massive starship’s steel walls. In human words think Diablo in a Starcraft environment! Check the screens and the small in game footage trailer! Njoy!

The game is developed on original high-tech engine The Firestarter Engine, which uses the possibilities of the latest accelerator generation GeForce 3, 4. Among the engine possibilities are work with outdoor and indoor areas, coloured dynamic lighting, dynamic shadows, vertex and pixel shaders, T&L, procedure textures, various classes of particle system-based effects, interactive and destructible level objects, realistic physics, high-polygonal character and monster models (up to 5000 of polygons), skeleton animation. The official website has been updated (thanks Unrealik)with 3 new screens, read more to check them out

ATV Quad Power Racing 2 puts you in the driving seat of powerful off-road quad bikes and then gives you that little bit extra. The fast, edge-of-your-seat arcade gameplay blends seamlessly with the outrageous tricks you can pull both in the air and on the ground. Whether you’re performing a heart attack over the dunes, an endo across the stadium or a nik nak in the swamps, you’ll always be pushing it to the limits. Plus, you can do it all as one of 10 real top pro riders or one of 10 new characters. Race against the AI competitors and friends to take the top prize in many game play modes. It’s astoundingly detailed but, don’t worry, the only thing you’ll get bogged down in is the mud. Race through the dirt in this all-action racer but be prepared to fight dirty too.

Sony Computer Entertainment UK (SCE UK) announced today that during the peak selling season of 2002, PlayStation 2 achieved the highest ever sell-through breaking all records in its history for both hardware and software in Japan, North America and Europe.

Entertainment software publisher NovaLogic, Ltd. today announced the release of the official single player demo for Highland Warriors. Featuring two single player missions from the Mackay and Cameron clans campaigns, the 154 MB playable demo lets gamers re-enact the Scottish battle for freedom. The demo will be available for download from www.novalogic.com.

Activision Inc. and Marvel Enterprises Inc. agreed to extend their superhero video game licensing agreements. Financial details weren't disclosed, but the companies said the new agreement represents the largest deal between the parties and includes improved financial terms. In a press release Wednesday, Activision said it will develop and publish video game products based on Marvel's comic book franchises Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four and Iron Man through 2009. Under the new agreement, Activision also has the option to acquire the interactive entertainment rights to develop products in conjunction with motion pictures and television series involving those characters.

SpectraVideo plc are about to launch two new Logic3 Flightstick controllers for the Xbox and Gamecube consoles. The Logic3 Flightstick controllers are the perfect partners for games such as Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2 and Jedi StarFighter; Yager; Jane's Attack Squadron and even games like Battle Engine Aquila.

One ring to rule them all… Based on New Line Cinema's epic adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic fantasy novels, The Lord of the Rings™, The Two Towers™ video games will integrate cinema and gameplay to deliver an epic interactive experience. In the game, players will be able to relive the most memorable movie moments from the first two films, "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers." Does the game measure up the the excellence of the movie? Read more and find out!

Project 3 has once again released a new patch for their team-based tactical shooter New World Order. This upgrades your European retail copy to v1.34 and adds new graphics options, a third-person free look mode, networking enhancements, other new features, bug fixes etc (thanks FileShack). Read more for detailed fix list and links where to grab the goods ...

CDV Software is asking gamers throughout Europe to unite in a battle to defeat their American counterparts.The American Conquest War of Independence – sponsored in part by Gainward – will run on both sides of the Atlantic between February 14th and May 15th of 2003. Over 4,000 players are expected to enter worldwide, making this one of the biggest organised knockout tournaments around. Read more for details ...

Dreamcatcher's "Mystery Of The Mummy" is inspired by the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Become Sherlock Holmes as you embark on a remarkable adventure. Investigate a mysterious case, full of suspense, of the disappearance of a famous archaeologist and a valuable Egyptian Mummy, in turn-of-the-century England. What begins as a simple case quickly becomes a web of intrigue, robbery, priceless artifacts, and potentially, a murder. Read more for links where to grab the demo ..