Video game publisher 3DO Co. on Wednesday said it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and would seek to either sell the company or its assets. Redwood City, California-based 3DO, which has struggled to gain a foothold in the competitive games business and has relied on Chief Executive Trip Hawkins for funding of late, said it filed for bankruptcy protection in federal court in northern California (thanks HomeLAN).

Utilising the technical prowess of the Xbox video game system from Microsoft and Xbox Live!, Digital Extremes, the developers of Unreal Championship in conjunction with Epic Games and Atari have completed the auto-update for the game and is available for download through Xbox Live! today. While new to the console arena, auto-updating has been a mainstay of PC games for many years, and is a requirement to maintain fair and fun online gaming. Online games are extraordinarily more complex than single player titles. Exploits will invariably be found by the hundreds of thousands of gamers playing and sharing ways to gain an advantage in the game. Auto-updates defeat these exploits and balance the playing field against those who would cheat to win.

On the Raven Shield Platoon site you can find the third map released by Amon, member of the Raven Shield dev team. This map is considered an official map by Ubi Soft. Amon first intended this map to be Multiplayer and now it is. The map supports only Adversial MP modes (except for Pilot). The download is 1.69 Mb and you can grab it here!

The Canadian Press reports that Microsoft has a vision for just how its Xbox video game console should fit in consumers' homes. It's a hub-and-spoke strategy. The personal computer is at the hub of the home, where people store their music, digital photos and other files. But when people want to share that experience, it's usually in front of the family TV.

All you need is Music Mixer, a product unveiled at the recent E3 Convention in Los Angeles. It allows you to transfer digital music and photos from the PC to the Xbox, play DVDs or CDs, strip lyrics off music - even karaoke. You can also customize your own soundtrack and visuals.

Check out the full scoop here!

Activision, Inc.'s Lost Kingdoms II, the sequel to the top-selling, critically acclaimed RPG title Lost Kingdoms, takes gamers on an all-new magical quest with its release exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube. Set 200 years after the events of the original game, the title challenges players to uncover the origin of a new evil force that is threatening to destroy the Kingdom of Argwyll. Lost Kingdoms II is currently available at North American retail outlets for a suggested retail price of $49.99 and carries a "T" (Teen -- Comic Mischief, Violence -- content suitable for persons ages 13 and older) rating by the ESRB.

The player starts of as a normal citizen in the society governed by the UCF. The "Freedom Front" offers the player a chance to join the group. The player can either join, or decline and join the UCF group. The player is then assigned the post of an army general, commanding a small army. From here, the story can go in any direction based on the way the player plays. Raptor Entertainment released some new screens, njoy!

THQ today announced the release of MotoGP 2 for the Xbox and PC. Sequel to one of the most popular Xbox Live! titles and based on the fastest, most thrilling machines on two wheels, MotoGP 2 is available at major retail outlets nationwide.

Mindscape today announced the forthcoming release of Megarace 3, the third instalment of the futuristic cult racing game series, due to be published for the PS2 in July 2003 for only £19.99. Since its launch in 1993, the Megarace series has sold a staggering 1.3 million copies worldwide and the third instalment of the series is all set to continue this sterling performance when it is published for PS2 in July.

Capcom and Buena Vista today announced they are collaborating to bring Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas to the PS2. Based on the 1993 award-winning animated movie of the same name, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is a ghoulish tale with wicked humor and stunning animation. In this adventure action game, players assume the role of "Jack Skellington" the Pumpkin King and help reclaim Halloweentown from the mischievous Oogie Boogie. Capcom's production of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas will incorporate extraordinary worlds filled with magic and wonder mixed with enchanting and musical elements. Capcom plans to release the game in the fall of 2004.

I saw on RITUALISTIC that the German localized version of the Elite Force II pre-release demo is now available for download. This demo is around 112 Mb, containing a sample of intense gameplay from two of the single-player missions. Here is some download links:

• FileShack
• GeekyGamer
• Hazard Team HQ
• EFFiles

Softimage Co., a subsidiary of Avid Technology, Inc. announced today that the SOFTIMAGE/XSI software, the industry-leading nonlinear 3-D production environment, was used exclusively by Valve to create all the characters, models and props for the new game Half-Life 2. This widely anticipated sequel to one of the best selling PC games of all time introduces life-like in-game characters that herald the next generation of characters for interactive entertainment. To exceed the expectations of a more sophisticated audience and deliver the new title on schedule, Valve converted its production pipeline to the award-winning SOFTIMAGE/XSI environment.

Unsigned Independent Developer LogicalVice, an Orlando based Interactive Entertainment and Games Studio announced today its plans to release a multi-genre video game for the PC/X-BOX. The game, "BoomTown" is based on a loose interpretation of the American Wild West frontier, its players, and the mystique of witchcraft, and is scheduled for the 3rd quarter of 04. Boomtown will host single player campaigns and multiplayer online scenarios in a third person default, or first person perspective. Running on Epic Games' Unreal Warfare and the Karma Physics Math Engine it infuses a fresh look and an untapped genre with action packed scenarios and gaming modes like Last Man Standing, Dueling, Siege, or 25 Card Draw. It is six-shooters and sorcery. It is bullets and blood sacrifice. It is a game that will reshape the vivid landscape of pulse-pounding, white-knuckle action.

Players will saddle up as one of 25 frontier personalities. Choose from Bryce Blackburn, a steely gunslinger that makes "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" look more like "The Meek, The Lame, and The Puny" to Elspeth, the spiritual leader of a displaced witches' colony capable of hurling an arsenal of deadly spells. Bryce, Elspeth, and an assortment of other colorful characters will traverse stunningly detailed terrain, eerie settlements, and amazingly textured towns either on foot or more quickly by horseback, stagecoach, or train. In addition, over 30 different weapons will be at the player's disposal. Classic western favorites like the Colt 45 Peacemaker and Parker Shotgun will announce their presence with authority. Finding mystical alternatives like the Angelic Bone Sword and Mace of Devouring will unlock a whole new way of disposing of your enemy.

Blizzard Entertainment gave show attendees an exclusive look at one of "Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne's" highly anticipated single-player campaigns. With the multiplayer beta test nearing completion, the campaigns are among the last of many new features that are being finalized in preparation for the expansion set's launch this summer. In "The Frozen Throne," players revisit the war-torn world of Azeroth. Several months have passed since Archimonde and the Burning Legion were defeated at the battle of Mount Hyjal, but a new threat has arisen throughout the land. More facts below!

Rockstar Games, the world-renowned publishing division of Take-Two Interactive Software is proud to announce Manhunt, the next project from Rockstar North, the developers behind the global blockbuster Grand Theft Auto franchise. Manhunt will be available for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system and is expected to hit retail shelves in North America in Fall 2003. Manhunt will continue in the tradition of world-class gameplay, incredible production values, and sardonic sense of humor that has become synonymous with Rockstar North. Details surrounding the game remain shrouded in secrecy. To date, Rockstar has only admitted this: Manhunt explores the depths of human depravity in a vicious, sadistic tale of urban horror.

Under license from Hasbro Consumer Products, Atari has announced plans to take one of the most popular trading card games ever created to the Xbox videogame system from Microsoft with the release of "Magic: The Gathering - Battlegrounds." A PC CD-ROM version of the game was also announced. Currently in development by Secret Level, "Magic: The Gathering - Battlegrounds" is filled with faithful translations of classic creatures, spells and enchantments from the premier trading card game in a visually stunning 3D game environment rife with real-time strategic fighting, devastating wizard arsenals and intense creature combat.

Electronic Arts today announced the release of The Sims Superstar, the newest expansion pack to the top-selling PC game of all time, The Sims. Players can now realize their fantasies of fame and fortune as they pursue the dream of being a Rock Star, Movie Star, or a Supermodel, live the lifestyle of a celebrity, and even mingle among some of the rich and famous. All new gameplay, new social interactions, and a whole new in-game destination offer players an all access pass to the world of superstardom. In The Sims Superstar, The Sims are ready for their close up.

NVIDIA Corporation the worldwide leader in visual processing solutions, announced today that the newly unveiled GeForce FX 5900 series of graphics processing units (GPUs) is the overwhelming platform of choice for game publishers and developers showcasing the hottest PC games at this week's Electronic Entertainment Expo. More than 600 desktop and notebook PCs on 32 booths throughout the exhibition halls will be powered by NVIDIA GeForce FX GPUs, including the all-new GeForce FX 5900 models, demonstrating next-generation games such as Tron 2.0, Pirates of the Caribbean, Homeworld 2, Enter the Matrix, Deus Ex: The Invisible War and S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Oblivion Lost.

Rockstar Games, the world-renowned publishing division of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. has announced the North American release date for Midnight Club II for the Xbox video game system from Microsoft and the PC. Midnight Club II for the Xbox will be in stores on June 4th in North America and June 6th in Europe. The PC version of Midnight Club II will be available on June 25th in North America and June 27th in Europe.

id Software and Activision, Inc. confirmed today that id Software's DOOM 3, the most anticipated game of the year, is headed to the Xbox video game system from Microsoft. Built on id's revolutionary new 3D graphics engine, DOOM 3 draws players into the most terrifying and riveting 3D gaming experience ever created. id Software and Activision will feature a new trailer of the PC version at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, beginning Wednesday, May 14, in Activision's booth #1224 in the South Hall.

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 ...

SEGA today announced that it will deliver its top-selling franchise of all time -- Sonic The Hedgehog -- to the largest audience of gamers worldwide, launching four new Sonic The Hedgehog games on all next-generation console and handheld platforms this fiscal year. The highly-anticipated "Sonic Heroes," an all-new title in the Sonic The Hedgehog series, will debut on the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo GameCube and the Xbox video game system from Microsoft. Additionally, building off the success of the Sonic franchise on Nintendo GameCube, SEGA will release "Sonic Adventure DX Director's Cut" exclusively for Nintendo GameCube. Finally, Sonic will return to the Game Boy Advance with the release of "Sonic Pinball Party" and "Sonic Battle."

Cries of “He’s on Fire” and “Boomshakalaka” will once again fill the hardwood arenas of the NBA, as Acclaim Sports today unveiled its latest installment of NBA JAM for the next-generation consoles. Developed by Acclaim Studios Austin, NBA JAM, the grand-daddy of all arcade-style basketball games, has sold more than 6 million units worldwide. This fall, NBA JAM returns with its trademark over-the-top, arcade-style 3-on-3 gameplay, “On Fire”, “Big Head” mode and hot spots, as well as all-new rim-rocking moves specifically designed for the next-generation gaming systems.

Electronic Arts today announced an extension of the relationship with MGM Interactive and Danjaq LLC to extend the exclusive worldwide rights to develop, publish and distribute the ongoing series of interactive games based on the world-renowned James Bond franchise. The agreement, for one of the most popular video game licenses in history, will be continued until 2010. The agreement allows EA to create games based on the world of James Bond, including the entire library of Ian Fleming books, the existing 20 feature films produced by MGM and Danjaq and all new James Bond films released during the term of the agreement. EA also announced details about the next Bond game: James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing, which is scheduled for a holiday 2003 release.

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.