Jon, a computer programmer, is exactly the kind of music lover the Recording Industry Association of America has in mind as it tries to shut down music file-swapping services such as KaZaA. He has downloaded about 5,000 songs off the Internet in the past two years. The vast majority, Jon concedes, were pirated copies, including the latest album from rapper Eminem.

VisionTek today announce two new additions to its award winning range of graphic accelerator cards marketed under the Xtasy brand, the Xtasy GeForce4 MX420 PCI and the Xtasy GeForce4 Ti 4200.

G3 Studios, a developer and publisher of video games for handheld devices, Pocket PC and other platforms, today released an updated windows version of its best-selling "Black Jack Pro." Now making use of high resolution displays with remastered graphics, the new Windows version is a direct result of customer feedback.

Leading video game developer and publisher Jester Interactive is close to completing the exhaustive pre-production for its forthcoming official Isle of Man T.T. title for PlayStation 2. Scheduled for release in 2003, Isle of Man T.T. will be the definitive motorcycle road racing game. To this end, a Jester party led by three enthusiastic company Directors travelled to the island to capture footage of the 38 mile-long course, and to take extensive measurements for use in the PlayStation 2 game.

Infogrames, Inc. today announced that the long awaited and highly anticipated epic, Neverwinter Nights, has completed development and will ship to retail stores under the Company’s Atari label before the end of June. The most complete software adaptation of the classic pen-and-paper Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game ever, Neverwinter Nights is the latest game from BioWare Corp., creators of the 4 million selling Baldur’s Gate series.

BAM! Entertainment today announced that military action title Dropship: United Peace Force for the PlayStation 2 is arriving at retail this week in North America. Dropship: United Peace Force, developed by Sony Computer Entertainment of Europe's Camden studio, entered the sales charts at #4 in the U.K. market during the very competitive holiday season. As part of the ongoing strategic relationship between BAM! Entertainment and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Dropship: United Peace Force is the second of three European Sony titles for the PlayStation 2, which BAM! Entertainment is bringing to North America. In March, BAM! shipped WRC: World Rally Championship and in mid-June the company will ship WipEout Fusion to North American retail outlets; both titles were first..

The first golf title for the Xbox video game system from Simon & Schuster Interactive has shipped to retail complete with strippers, biker chicks and the most advanced golf gaming engine ever made. "Outlaw Golf" (Rated: "T" by the ESRB; $49.95 estimated street price) is a hardcore golf game with a humorous side that takes gamers to three different courses where you'd never find PGA members.

TDK Mediactive, Inc. a global publisher of interactive entertainment software, announced today that its original fantasy title for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, Pryzm Chapter One: The Dark Unicorn, has shipped to retail outlets nationwide at the breakthrough suggested launch price of $19.99.

Today elderscrolls.com are recruiting Beta Testers for the first patch of Morrowind. The operative word in Beta Testers is "Testers." If you are selected to be one of the Beta Testers for the patch, you will be expected to test the areas of the patch that have been fixed. You will be given patch release notes and should test the areas specifically outlined in these notes. Hurry up and sign up here!

In an effort to boost sales of its Xbox video game console, Microsoft Corp. is offering a one-year subscription to its online gaming service for 6,800 yen ($55) in Japan. The starter package for Xbox Live, a service planned for North America, Europe and Japan this fall, will also include the online game Phantasy Star Online from Japanese game-maker Sega Corp.

Russian video game developer and publisher, 1C, announced today that it has shipped the PC game Jazz and Faust. The game, which marks the self-publishing debut for 1C in North America, features a rich, innovative storyline and beautiful 3D graphics. Jazz and Faust is available now at retailers nationwide with an SRP of $29.99.

Following sites is updated with new screens: Ensemble Studios released new screens from their 3D RTS, Age of Mythology - The official G.I. Combat site is updated with new screens from this 3D war game - The official site for the 3D RTS, Highland Warriors, is also updated with new screens.

THQ Inc. today announced that leading videogame creator Travellers Tales is currently in development on Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo for PlayStation 2, Gamecube and Xbox. The games, which have been in development for several months, are scheduled for worldwide release day and date with the Finding Nemo theatrical debut in summer 2003. THQ’s interactive adventures based on Finding Nemo are the first under the Company’s exclusive, multi-property publishing agreement with award-winning interactive entertainment publisher Disney Interactive and the Academy Award-winning Pixar Animation Studios.

Outsourcing games specialist Babel has launched a new technical services department to provide porting and iTV re-engineering services as well as reintegration of localised assets. Babel can now for the first time offer an end-to-end localisation service to clients. The department's first job was to produce a French PC version of BBC Multimedia's BIMA and IVCA Gold Award-winning Bob the Builder - Can we fix it? for leading publisher THQ.

The Climax Group today took a major technological step forward in the development of cross-platform games with the unveiling of Blimey, a powerful new game engine that drastically reduces development times. Created by some of the most experienced programmers in the interactive entertainment industry, the Blimey technology has been specifically designed to meet the needs of the Climax Group and allows for the rapid development of games on PS2, Xbox, Gamecube and PC. Read more below for full story and screens!

Codemasters has completed the enhanced PAL PlayStation 2 conversions of Soldier of Fortune – Gold and Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force. Both titles are licensed from Majesco Sales Inc., publishers of the games’ NTSC editions in the US.

CDV Software Entertainment AG, developer and publisher of computer games, is continuing its successful internationalisation. In the second quarter of 2002, CDV AG has signed several highly promising license agreements with well-known distribution partners abroad.

Competitive rally racing is taken to the limit as Majesco, one of the fastest-growing publishers of interactive entertainment software, today announced it has shipped GTC Africa for the PlayStation2 Computer Entertainment System.

A beta version of the 1.21f Patch for the Mac is now availiable. It upgrades Civilization 3 to version 1.21f, matching the PC version and fixing some Mac-specific bugs. Find out more here!

Activision, Inc. today announced that Raven Software's first-person action game Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix is topping worldwide sell-through charts. Just five days after its initial launch in the U.S., the game debuted as the #3 best-selling PC title by revenue for the week of May 19 - 25, 2002, according to NPD Intelect. In the UK, Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix was the #2 PC title for the week of June 1, 2002 as reported by Elspa/Chart-Track and was cited by Inform as the #1 PC title in Australia for the past two weeks from May 20 - June 6, 2002.

The first MOD for Mobile Forces is now available, Mental Race is a new, bonus gametype for Mobile Forces, put together by the game's creators, Real Time Worlds. Mental race is designed to be placed in maps compatible with Mobile Forces' Trailer mode, i.e. 'mf-' maps, such as the 11 original environments which came with the retail release, and any extra 'tra-' maps created by the community. The new game type can be started from the Skirmish mode screen for offline play with bots, or from the Multiplayer Host game screen for LAN or internet play.

Infinite Ventures, publisher of award winning games for PDA’s today announced the release of Battle Dwarves, a fast-paced strategy-action game for Microsoft Pocket PC compatible devices, including Compaq iPAQ and HP Jornada.

Frictionless Insight has posted the following E3 previews: Dragon Empires, the MMORPG and Roundup on all of Majesco's offerings at E3.

Today Activision was so kind and send us some Doom III E3 screens. "Built on id’s revolutionary new 3D graphics engine, DOOM III draws players into the most frightening and gripping 3D gaming experience ever created. DOOM III is currently in development for the PC by id Software". You might seen them or not.. Check them out below!

With Test Drive for PlayStation2 hitting the store shelves it's time to break out the cheat codes and experience some fun and exciting new cars. The game not only features SoundMAX SPX "animated audio" from Analog Devices, but three hidden SoundMAX cars that promise to tear up the tracks. The SoundMAX SPX audio rendering technology allows players to differentiate between the turbo charger on a V6 engine and the deep bass roar of a big block V8, thus bringing the game's engine sounds to life.