Mutable Realms today announced the signing of a contract with Themis Group, an international provider of outsourcing and consulting solutions and services to the interactive entertainment industry. Under the terms of the agreement, Themis Group will provide critical and quantifiable beta phase services for Mutable Realms upcoming game Wish, aimed at ensuring that Wish emerges from the closed beta phase ready to successfully scale up to open beta and commercial launch

NovaLogic Ltd. today also announced that the first expansion pack for the number one selling PC title Delta Force - Black Hawk Down is now scheduled for release during Spring 2004. Delta Force - Black Hawk Down: Team Sabre features two new single player campaigns that take Delta Force deep into the jungles of Colombia in search of drug lords, then on to battle terrorist factions in and around Iran's island oilfields. Team Sabre will also contain a number of new multiplayer features, including over 30 new multiplayer maps. Delta Force – Black Hawk Down: Team Sabre will ship during Spring 2004 on PC CD ROM.

Interactive Multimedia Solutions, Inc. is pleased to announce that Amaze Entertainment has licensed IMS LIPGen for its KnowWonder Studio. KnowWonder is best known for creating popular PC games such as "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and "Finding Nemo." KnowWonder will use the IMS LIPGenTM application to create facial animations for a number of high-profile games currently under development.

Climax today celebrated its fifteenth year as one of the nation's leading development studios with five nominations in the inaugural Develop Industry Excellence Awards. One of only two companies up for five awards, Climax has been nominated in the coveted categories of Technology, Innovation, Business Development, Best Online Development Studio and Best Independent Development Studio.

Forever Worlds is a 1st person 'pure' adventure game that transports the player into a series of surreal and immersive worlds. As an archaeological detective, gamers embark on an amazing journey through a chain of non-parallel dimensions, where magic and fantasies merge. Intuitive interfaces and navigation combine with fully integrated puzzles for a great adventure. Read more for a batch of new screens ...

S2 Games and iGames Publishing today announced an official release date of August 25, 2003 for the highly anticipated PC game Savage: The Battle for Newerth. The game received unanimous praise from attendees at the 2003 Electronic Entertainment Expo for its innovative gameplay and seamless melding of first-person action with real-time-strategy. Savage is currently in the second phase of beta testing and is expected to move to an open beta towards the end of July.

Yahoo! Games, the leading online games destination, today announced the first unlimited subscription packages for their popular Games on Demand program. Now games fans will be able to enjoy as many subscription games as they want, for as long as they want, at any time. Along with the original Three Games Package for $9.95 per month, players can now choose the Unlimited Package, which gives gamers access to all subscription games with no time limit.

A new European player is about to enter the games publishing market, as 4AM Entertainment (4AM) prepares to unveil its debut range of PC game titles in August and September of this year. 4AM is based in the UK (games division) and Germany (music division), with development partners in Taiwan and Korea. Read more for details, or check the previousy posted material on one of their upcoming games, "The Fate."

It has been rumoured for a few months now that there would possibly be a NOLF3 and although not much has been said and done (nolf3.com IS registered to Fox Int, involved in the previous NOLF games). Today we contacted one of our Vivendi contact to ask wether they could shed some light on "Contract Jack", and all they had to say is "No comment, we will announce soon". No specifics are known, wether this is merely an addon or a full fledged game but it does imply the introduction of a male character Jack, whilst our favorite female spy Archer will also be in on things ... Now that the cat is out of the bag, we can probably expect a formal announcement soon ...

This much-anticipated first add-on for the Star Wars Galaxies series, scheduled for release in 2004, will introduce personal starships and starfighters, which can be used for interplanetary travel or space combat. The expansion also promises additional worlds, playable species, non-player characters, new creatures and more! "The staggered release schedule of the space component of the Star Wars Galaxies series will benefit players because they will have time to establish their characters and explore different elements of the core game before we add the space layer," says Rich Vogel, director of development at Sony Online Entertainment's Austin studio. "Once the space component becomes available, players who have been with us since the beginning will be ready to buy their own starships and launch into this new arena."

Activision has released the, unsupported, beta update for Ritual's newly available sci-fi FPS "Star Trek Elite Force II", bringing the dedicated Win32 server to v1.01. This update is for server administrators ONLY (useless for multiplayer clients or other game owners) and removes the requirement of needing the game CD in the CD-ROM drive. Read more for details & download links ...

Noticed on HomeLAN that Activision's Doug Pearson has posted up a note on the Ritualistic forums with an update on their plans for the Star Trek: Elite Force II (already available in Europe, coming later this week in North America). Specifically a beta fix will soon be tested and later released for dedicated servers to no longer require the game to be in the CD-Rom drive, as well as mod tools for the community.

TechRanch USA, a resource founded and funded by BizDev, Inc. announced today that TechRanch Roundup, a monthly column dedicated to delivering relevant, timely information and business strategies to independent game developers worldwide, is now available.

Gamers can suit up for top-secret covert operations with the release of Activision's highly anticipated first-person action game, Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix, for the Xbox. Based on the critically acclaimed PC title from Raven Software, the game features all of the intense, gritty action found in the original, plus full Xbox Live support for mayhem-packed, all-out multi-player combat. Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix for the Xbox is currently available at North American retail outlets for a suggested retail price of $49.99 and carries an "M" (Mature -- Blood, Violence -- content suitable for persons ages 17 and older) rating by the ESRB.

This is not a drill. KOEI announced today, Naval Ops: Warship Gunner, the real-time naval action game is prepared to ship this Tuesday June 24, 2003. Consumers can still pre-order the title at gamestop.com, ebgames.com, and amazon.com. The title is available exclusively for the PlayStation2. Read more for details ...

S2 Games and iGames Publishing announce the debut of the beast horde into the current beta testing phase for Savage: The Battle for Newerth ; the much anticipated, first-ever real-time-strategy-shooter (RTSS). Participants in the beta test can now choose to fight on the side of man, equipped with technology and science, or on the side of the beast horde, armed with the forces of magic and nature. Savage: The Battle for Newerth is due to ship later this summer.

Thrustmaster announces co-development agreement with leading game publisher Empire Interactive Europe Ltd. regarding its racing wheel and light gun for Xbox and the awaited game “Starsky & Hutch” (Xbox version) which is to be released. Read more for details ...

Stake boasts a deep action combat experience, intriguing characters and superior graphics. This game represents the essential elements of a fighting game but goes beyond that with multiple power-up weapons, lots of collectable items, insane combo attacks, special tricks, secret characters, inspiring graphics, 3-D isometric camera views, exciting locations and multiple multi-player modes. Sound like it could be good!? Read more and find out if it actually IS.

ESPN Videogames today, at a press conference at the ESPN Zone, announced the signing of Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defensive tackle and Super Bowl champ Warren Sapp to serve as the official spokesperson and cover athlete for "ESPN NFL Football." Read more for details ...

Following the phenomenally successful European launch of its Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME and subsequent booster pak, Konami of Europe has announced that the latest booster pak – subtitled Metal Raiders – will be launched across Europe in July.. More about it below!

Formula One 2003 is the latest installment in Sony Computer Entertainments long-standing series of outstanding games, based on the FIA Formula One World Championship. Since its first release in 1996 (under the Psygnosis label), every one of the 7 Formula One releases has been the highest-selling and most successful of all Formula One based-games across the world. Read more for a fresh batch of screens and an ingame action trailer (thanks ToTheGame)!

The most talked-about game of the year took a major step towards retail availability as AGETEC, Inc. today announced that Magic Pengel: The Quest for Color for the PlayStation2 has gone gold. Magic Pengel: The Quest for Color is on schedule to ship nationwide on June 24. If you are like me, and never heard of this game, read more for details ...

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is pleased to announce the continuation of the multi-million selling Formula One series. The only game to be officially licensed by Formula One Administration Ltd, FORMULA ONE 2003 will be released in July this year. Benefiting from a brand new deal signed with Formula One Administration Ltd, the FORMULA ONE franchise will now be exclusive to SCEE and to PlayStation2 for the next four years, ensuring unparalleled accuracy and the closest experience to being an F1 driver you'll get on any platform.

Continuing its close partnership with the prestigious Prancing Horse-brand automaker and its history of unique and innovative accessories, Thrustmaster is thrilled to announce the release of the Enzo Force Feedback Racing Wheel. Bringing the power and precision of the Enzo Ferrari, Ferrari's mechanical and technological pinnacle, the Enzo Force Feedback Racing Wheel is compatible with all PlayStation 2 and PC games for maximum versatility and enjoyment.

Enter the world of urban street racing and high performance tuner cars with the latest title in the hit Need for Speed series: Need for Speed Underground. Take on today’s most popular tuner cars from Mitsubishi Motors, Subaru, Toyota and many more, building the ultimate street machine by earning cash to pay for custom body kits and a host of licensed car performance mods. But just creating a custom street racing machine will not get you to the top; it takes a certain amount of attitude and razor sharp driving skills to compete in the tough world of urban racing. Check out the new screens!