Software giant Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday said it would cut the price on some best-selling titles for its Xbox video game console, a week after rival Nintendo cut some game and hardware prices in a bid to spur sales.

Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft said the "Platinum Hits" program would start with more than a dozen titles at a price of about $19.99 each. Top titles for the Xbox, which holds the No. 2 position in the U.S. market, usually retail for $49 or in some cases $39. Among the titles to be offered at the discounted price are Xbox hits like Microsoft's "Amped Freestyle Snowboarding" and "Project Gotham Racing" and third-party titles like Electronic Arts Inc.'s "Bond: Agent Under Fire" and Activision Inc.'s "Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions."

Lotus Challenge is truly the most complete racing game to date. By mixing different gaming styles, camera angles, story lines and even a hint of role playing, players can choose multiple paths through the game. Five huge modes offer players a complete tour of the world of Lotus. Stunt mode takes you to the set of a Hollywood blockbuster run by a hotshot director who gives you the play-by-play of the scene he wants you to execute. A multi-player option is available for those who want to challenge others through a championship or single race. Upon winning specific challenges, hidden tracks and cars are unlocked, so if you have already won a race you can go back and test your skills in a faster car.

Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick allows players to assume the role of Ash, the chainsaw-armed hero from the Evil Dead trilogy. Players will fend off hordes of Deadites with several weapons including the shovel, gatling gun, shotgun and chainsaw. Massive game environments include all new Evil Dead locations as players attempt to save the town of Dearborn from the influence of the Necromonicon ex Mortis – the Book of the Dead. Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick mixes the comedy and fun of a campy horror movie with intense combat missions for the most complete Evil Dead game yet. Another batch of screens for you to enjoy!

All-Star Baseball 2004 is more than a video game; it's the complete baseball experience. Acclaim brings this to you in a package infused with a wealth of baseball history. For the first time ever, baseball fans of all generations will get the opportunity to meet and compete as or against some of the past phenoms from the Negro Leagues. These players include greats such as Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson and Buck O'Neil, who commanded the baseball diamond long before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Today we have a batch of new screens from the Gamecube, PS2 and Xbox, as well as a some in game movies.

World Series Baseball 2K3 is in development at Visual Concepts/Blue Shift for a March release on the Xbox and PlayStation 2, and includes new classic ballparks (The Polo Grounds, Forbes Field, Shibe Park, Crosley Field, and Griffith Stadium), 25 hall-of-fame players (Bob Gibson, Mike Schmidt, Rollie Fingers, Stan Musial), ESPN broadcast presentation, and revamped gameplay modes. Read more to check out 10 new Xbox screens ...

At the heart of Gladius is a unique mix of dynamic game play that requires players to develop and manage a school of gladiators who, over time, gain experience, learn new skills, improve their abilities and finally test their might in epic battles. Players fight with deadly weapons and powerful magic, learn vital combat tactics, and enhance and customize characters... Check out six new shots!

Yesterday LucasArts announced it's releasing a new version of Star Wars: The Clone Wars for Xbox Live this spring. Star Wars: The Clone Wars is the first LucasArts console game available for play over the Internet and will offer expanded combat action specifically designed for Xbox Live. There were some screens with yesterday's announcement, today we got some more goodies for you people to enjoy!

Halo 2, a sci-fi action/first-person shooter game, is a full sequel to the best-selling original and will continue the story of the Master Chief, a genetically enhanced supersoldier who is the only man that has successfully defied the Covenant, a coalition of alien races on a murderous march toward Earth. “Halo 2” surpasses its predecessor both in graphical beauty and combat intensity. Bungie has released 4 new Halo2 screens, read more to check them out ...

LucasArts today announced it is releasing a new version of Star Wars: The Clone Wars for Xbox Live this spring. Star Wars: The Clone Wars is the first LucasArts console game available for play over the Internet and will offer expanded combat action specifically designed for Xbox Live. Read more for details, features and the first few screens ...

THQ Inc. today announced "Moto GP 2" for the Xbox video game system from Microsoft and PC. Scheduled for release in summer 2003, "Moto GP 2" is the only game that lets gamers talk trash online at 160 miles per hour.

This world-builder title is inspired by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment's Jurassic Park franchise, the studio's most successful film franchise. Jurassic Park allows you to fulfill Dr. John Hammond's dream by successfully designing and managing your very own Jurassic Park. Create the most amazing dinosaur theme park the world has ever seen, or battle your way through 12 intense missions that will truly test your skills against the awesome powers of nature and its most dominant creatures.

Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter takes place hundreds of years in the future, where both human and alien settlers are rapidly colonizing the galaxy. The player will assume the role of an ex-Special Ops officer, Mace Griffin. Against a backdrop of corporate, political and religious intrigue, Mace Griffin is framed for being involved in his comrades' deaths. After spending time in prison, he becomes a Bounty Hunter, a vocation that gives him access to classified information and a means to aggressively pursue his search for the people who framed him. Check out the new batch of Xbox and tiny PS2 screens ...

Infogrames is creating a third installment in the smash hit Driver series, currently titled Driver 3, for the Xbox/PS2/GameCube and PC. The game is being developed by Infogrames' own Reflections Interactive in Newcastle, England, the team responsible for the original two Driver games and Stuntman. "The success of the Driver franchise is an historic milestone in the gaming industry. Driver 3 on the PS2/Xbox/GameCube and PC will undoubtedly take the franchise to another level of success and gaming experience", said Larry Sparks, Vice president of European Marketing, Infogrames. Driver 3 is scheduled for release in 2003. Infogrames released some PS2/XBOX screens earlier today, check them out ...

Simon & Schuster Interactive announced today additional details ofits next installment in the Outlaw series of sports games that is being developed by New Jersey-based Hypnotix Inc. "Outlaw Volleyball: Spike orDie" (shipping: June 2003; Rated: "RP" by the ESRB) for Xbox, will feature 10 courts, 16 characters, and will be the first volleyball game on Xbox Live. Read more for download links (and especially chekc out trailer 2)...

In a world where the Soviet Union won the Cold War, a fierce conflict is beginning to unfold in the streets of America. Red Army troops are pouring across the borders of Mexico and Canada shortly after a nuclear missile is unleashed on Washington D.C. Chaos sets in when breaking news informs Americans that their President has been killed and the Russians have invaded the country. Players take on the role of a mild-mannered blue-collar worker who evolves into a charismatic and fearless freedom fighter obsessed with finding and freeing his brother, who has been taken hostage along with other New Yorkers by the Soviets. Chekc the new batch of Xbox screens ...

A sudden climatic change triggers a global crisis and a dramatic betrayal propels an adolescent misfit into a heroic battle for survival. The Battle Engine Aquila world consists of a series of islands that result from devastating climatic changes brought on by centuries of atmospheric pollution. With land at a premium, tensions have built between the surviving nations, as each tries to stake claim to the precious dry land. Is Battle Engine just 'another' mech clone or does it offer something new!? Read more and find out...

After last summer’s successful PS2 release of the greatest V-Rally yet with V-Rally 3, Eden Studios has gone back in to the development studio to work on the Xbox release. Utilising the unique technological architecture of the Xbox, they have produced two real innovations to make V-Rally 3 on the Xbox a much different and refined experience than that of its PlayStation 2 counterpart. Firstly, dynamics have been improved to produce more sensitive and responsive handling; easier yet still simulation oriented. Check out these blazing new screens ...

After the F1 Nurburgring disaster of 2025, the Extreme Gravity Racing Association, or XGRA, was set up as a regulatory governing body for all heavy gravity race events. The XGRA is the future sports equivalent of NASCAR or the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) – They are the rule makers, organizers and ultimately, the overlords of the racing world. Within the XGRA exists a deep and complex community of highly competitive teams, unforgettable riders and unbelievable sponsors, all clamoring for the right to stand atop the XGRA and claim the title of Champion. Along the way, lifelong trusts will be betrayed, bitter rivalries will be forged and some will meet a fate worse than death in this quest for ultimate racing supremacy.

Step into the world of SX Superstar, an ultra-realistic trip into the essence of supercross, chock full of smokin’ arcade-racing action that will release the rock star within. In SX Superstar, you are the star. Take your rider from the poorhouse to the penthouse in the only supercross title that focuses on the lifestyle aspect of professional supercross. Pull huge air and squash the comp for a big win, then line your pockets with cold, hard cash. Rake in enough bucks and start living the good life with better bikes, bigger houses and of course, hotter chicks! It’s like your life, only better!

It will take nerves of steel and lightning fast reflexes to make your way through these crowded streets. Introducing Speed Kings, the full-on adrenaline rush of street motorcycle racing, right in your living room. It’s a mixture of Burnout meets Road Rash that will have players weaving through traffic, pulling off insane stunts, running from police and racing to the finish line. Do you have what it takes to be a Speed King? Read more for a batch of fresh screens ...

Urban Freestyle Soccer takes the sport back to its street roots with teams competing against their rivals for the right to be crowned Kings of the Streets. Build your own team and make them a force to be reckoned with ready to annihilate all comers. Attitude and aggression are just as valuable as skill. Check out the new batch of xbox, PS2 and GameCube screens ...

Featuring four-time World Series Champion Derek Jeter, All-Star Baseball 2004 offers many exciting new modes of play and options that deliver unparalleled hardball realism. All-Star Baseball 2004 is currently available across all next-generation platforms and is being supported with an integrated marketing campaign, which prominently features Jeter and includes national television, print and online advertising. Check out new GBA, Xbox and Gamecube screens ...

A Warrior Slave…Chosen by the Gods…to Re-store the Glory of an Empire In the Year 106AD the Roman Empire is in terrible decline. After the untimely death of the much-liked Emperor Trajan, the despotic Emperor Arruntius has bled the once powerful Rome to its knees. Badly fought wars, famine and plague are rife in all corners of the Empire, whilst the Emperor and his elite enjoy every excess and vice that the emptying coffers can afford. As herald to this age of degradation, Arruntius has destroyed large portions of the city of Rome to create the battleground for the bloodiest gladiator event ever staged…

The world’s most insane off-road rally race returns to the consoles bigger and badder than ever before with Dakar 2: Special Stages Racing for the GameCube and Xbox. Choose from a vast assortment of fully licensed trucks, cars and motorcycles in which you’ll compete against the elements that mother-nature has placed in your path to victory. This is a no holds barred quest for world rally supremacy! Check out these new screens as well as an in-game trailer ...

Soul Calibur 2 will feature 13 fighters, platform specific characters such as Link (GameCube), Heinachi (PlayStation 2) and Spawn (Xbox), 7 gameplay modes including: Arcade, Vs, Time Attack, Survival, Team Battle, Practice, and Weapon Master, and 200 weapons when released. The newly launched site has official forums, screenshots, e-mail and news updates. In addition to all that, small, medium and large versions of the Soul Calibur 2 trailer are available at the site, which we have mirror'd here. Read more for download links ...