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.

Independent developer Blitz Games has just signed a development deal with publisher Empire Interactive under a license with Sony Pictures Consumer Products to develop games based on the upcoming film Bad Boys II. Martin Lawrence and Will Smith are back - and oh, so bad - on the streets of Miami in Bad Boys II, reuniting them with producer Jerry Brukheimer and director Michael Bay for a Summer 2003 release. The multi-million dollar marketing support has already kicked off with an action packed teaser spot in this year's Super Bowl - which is one of the most important advertising events of the year.

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.

As the world prepares to celebrate the 100th anniversary of powered flight, Microsoft Corp. today announced that "Microsoft Flight Simulator: A Century of Flight" is in development and cleared for takeoff this July. With "Microsoft Flight Simulator: A Century of Flight," the next milestone in the award-winning "Flight Simulator" franchise, Microsoft celebrates 20 years of developing and perfecting computer flight simulation.

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!

Unleashing an exciting new action hero within the popular platform gaming genre, Acclaim today announced that it has shipped its eagerly anticipated title, VEXX, for the PS2, Xbox and GameCube. Developed by Acclaim's internal development studio in Austin, Texas, VEXX is an original game that allows players to assume the role of the title character as he embarks on a heroic, combat-laden quest to seek vengeance on those that enslaved his people.

Eutechnyx have announced that their redneck racing simulator, Big Mutha Truckers is thundering its way toward release on PC and Nintendo GameCube. The downside is that PC and GameCube owners will have to wait until April to get their hands on the unique driving game that's received rave reviews following its release on PlayStation2 and Xbox in December 2002. The good news is that developers Eutechnyx are adding additional features not present in the previous releases.

Developed by THQ’s studio, Volition, Red Faction 2 is the sequel to one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed original game franchises of 2001. Featuring an enhanced Geo-Mod engine that allows players to strategically alter and destroy the game environment in real-time, Red Faction 2 expands and builds upon the experience and technology of the original game. Defend your country as Alias, a demolitions expert, with the help of five elite squad members, each specialized in their own means of destruction. Fight through diverse levels using vehicles, an arsenal of specialized weapons and explosives in a rampage to overthrow the government... Check out 16 new shots!

GET READY, GET WET, GO! Splashdown 2 takes the sport of watercraft racing to an all-new level! Theme park spectacle and wild arcade fun is the heart of this game. Incredible, dynamic environments with plenty to see and do, blazing speed and even more acrobatic tricks, and a whimsical, imaginative sense of fun! 14 new screens below!

AlienPants Ltd has been contracted by Nicely Crafted Entertainment, creators of the Massively Multiplayer Real Time Strategy Game Time of Defiance to provide Public Relations for the company and the game. AlienPants will bring their expertise in large online communities to assist Nicely Crafted in raising the profile of Time of Defiance in the UK and Europe, as well as managing the release of information regarding the monthly updates.

Multiplay, the UK's leading "LAN Party" organisers today announced the sponsorship of their upcoming i15 event by the game publisher Codemasters. This sponsorship will bring prize-winning tournaments to the event for two of the latest games from Codemasters, the first-person shooter Project IGI2 and long awaited sequel to Toca Touring Cars 2, Toca Race Driver. A prize fund of £1,500 is up for grabs in the IGI2 tournament, which will be played on the retail version of the game due for release on the 21st February. The tournament will see up to 48 clans (teams) battling it out for a share in the prize money. To make things interesting, the i15 tournament play will include a completely new map, pre-released exclusively to i15 attendees.

(Reuters) - Video game publisher Nintendo said on Tuesday that three January raids in south China netted 300,000 counterfeit games, spotlighting the ongoing war by western firms against piracy in China. The games were seized at three factories in Guangdong province -- a hotbed of pirating activity in China for high- and low-tech products alike, experts said. Nintendo spokeswoman Jodi Daugherty could not give a value for the products seized. She said Nintendo, maker of Game Boy hand-held consoles, seized one million counterfeit products in 2002, and backed 135 raids on Chinese factories that year. Nintendo estimates counterfeiting cost the company and its licencees about US$649 million in lost sales in 2002. Daugherty said a main focus of the company's efforts to combat the problem has been on China.

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."

Today the Dutch-based company TRC Development b.v. launches SimKits. This is a unique product line of kits with simulator parts, that allows cockpit self-builders to build gauges for twelve different airplane cockpits. The new website with the SimKits shop features the complete line of kits.

Mindscape, a leading software publisher is proud to announce the release of GI Combat - Episode 1: Battle of Normandy for PC CD-ROM on 7 March 2003. GI Combat is a real-time tactical combat game that engulfs players in the battles of Normandy, from the beaches to St. Lo, during the Second World War.

Mindscape is pleased to announce the release of O.R.B (Off World Resource Base), licensed from Strategy First. O.R.B will be released in March 2003 for PC CD-ROM, priced at £19.99... More about Off World Resource Base below!

UPDATE: Six screenshots added to celebrate the imminent UK release.

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.

As an all-powerful Pirate King, players must manage a seventeenth century band of buccaneers in "Tropico 2: Pirate Cove." To attract the most frightening of history's sea-faring bad boys, Pirate Kings must keep their charges brave and well-supplied between voyages. The island's "yo-ho-ho's" must stay at a feverish pitch in order to keep the King and his buccaneers satisfied with drinking, wenching, gambling, feasting, and the best in pirate accommodations. Chekc out these 6 new screens ...

Ancient grudge and new mutiny bring an end to the four hundred year reign of the Han dynasty. The once noble empire of China crumbles into three warring states. In this latest installment of the Dynasty Warriors saga, honor and loyalty in the face of adversity serve as game’s theme. Obligations to lords and allies guide these ancient warriors across the battlefields of Ancient China. Dynasty Warriors 4 uses the most advanced melee-fighting engine to deliver the next evolution of tactical action. Experience the thrill of taking on multiple opponents at once and fighting against impossible odds. New features not only add more depth to the legend of the Three Kingdoms but also to the individual characters and the dramatic events surrounding

After the update patch there is now a new v1.3 of the dedicated Linux server for Battlefield 1942 available. The new version adds a couple of query functions, squashes some bugs, and incorporates new optimizations to make for a "smaller and faster" binary. Read more for details and download links ...

Battlecruiser Generations is the fourth title in the acclaimed Battlecruiser series. Previously positioned as add-ons (XP) to Battlecruiser Millennium, the substantial enhancements to the game and its engines coupled with the need for a worldwide release, brought about the product change and with a renewed focus. Taking off where Battlecruiser Millennium left off, the game features a dramatic new graphic engine, advanced A.I.., and numerous gameplay enhancements. The game ships in August 2003. For BC gamers, its all good. The nice folks at 3000AD send us a fresh batch of new screens!

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!

Drome Racers is a multi-terrain racing experience that will leave young speedsters breathless. Players take on the role of Max Axel who has trained intensely for the challenging Drome Championship and wants to take home the trophy. Getting behind the wheel of high-tech cars based on the 2002 LEGO Racers construction toy range, players must face tough Multi-Challenge Races (MCR's). Each race is a seamless set of stages, mixing tracks with realistically stunning city, mountain and canyon environments.

Tak and The Power of JuJu is a 3D gaming adventure that takes place in an ancient, tribal world where magic (juju) actually works. The game consists of exploration, puzzle solving, and arcade-style skill mastery. The player controls the main character, Tak, as he tries to save his village from an evil sorcerer. Interstellar P.I.G. blends strategy, adventure and action game play into a truly addictive game of epic proportions. Set across multiple distinct, beautifully rendered 3D worlds, players must use their wits and battle skills to capture the P.I.G. chip and survive encounters with exotic and determined alien opponents.