Everybody knew it. But today, Microïds wanted to make it official. Syberia II, the sequel of the 2002 Adventure Game of The year, is currently in development at the developer/publisher Montreal-based studios. Microïds is also excited to release today the first images, screenshots and artworks, of Syberia II. The game will be released in the Fall of 2003.

Beginning Friday morning, February 14th, individuals will have the opportunity to log on to the beta signup page right here, and register for their chance to be one of 10,000 players chosen to play-test Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. These players will be the first to experience the new Expansion to Warcraft® III: Reign of Chaos. Read more for details!

Intense character development meets tactical action game play, as Majesco today announced Black 9 for the personal computer and Xbox video game system from Microsoft. Scheduled for release in fall 2003, Black9 is being developed by Taldren, the studio behind the award-winning Starfleet Command series.

Electronic Arts today announced plans to release this May The Sims Superstar, a new 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 and live the lifestyle of a celebrity. 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.

Eidos Interactive, one of the world's leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, announces Backyard Wrestling for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Backyard Wrestling is being developed by Paradox and will be released this summer. The game is based on the best-selling Backyard Wrestling video series that has become a worldwide phenomenon selling millions of copies of VHS tapes and DVDs in addition to successful pay per view events...

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!

Publisher Electronic Arts will release the single-player demo for Anno 1503 tomorrow. The sequel to the acclaimed Anno 1602 from German developer Sunflowers blends real-time strategy and empire building during the time of colonial expansion. Anno 1503 will be released under the title "The New World" in North America. CDV has announced that a demo for Nival Interactive's War War II RTS, Blitzkrieg, will be released next week. The upcoming Blitzkrieg demo consists of three Singleplayer Missions: one from the Germans, Allies and Russians. The first Mission is a German counterstrike against Russian forces. First you have to get rid of two Russian IS-II tanks. The easiest way is to outflank them, and hit them from behind, where the plates are quite weak. Use a sniper to destroy the local air defense, and clear the way for the heavy bombers which are taking care of the heavy artillery afterwards. After that, you're ready to utilize the giant mortar „Karl" to destroy an important bunker in the north of the map. And these were only 3 of many mission objectives in the first mission! You will spend some thrilling hours for sure.

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.

Sony Computer Entertainment UK (SCE UK) today announced Primal Art, an innovative peek into the world of contemporary art and the cultural appeal of video games, to be held at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA)... But is it art? Well, yes according to the Institute of Contemporary Arts, who are holding an exhibition of pics from it.

NEC Interchannel, Ltd., a subsidiary of NEC Corporation, today announced its plans to enter the gaming industry as a third-party publisher for the PlayStation2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and the Xbox. NEC comes back after an eight-year hiatus and plans to publish for all next-gen consoles. At the same token NEC Interchannel announces their first NGC game "Tube Slider". Read more for details...

Got Game Entertainment and Knut Mueller today announced a North American publishing agreement for "RHEM," an intricate pure-puzzle first person adventure game. Made for PC and Mac, RHEMthrusts the player into a strange land and on an adventure to uncover thesecrets of a mysterious letter. Read more for details and the first screens ...

THQ today announced that Rainbow Studios, THQ's leading action-racing game developer, is producing the next installment in its motocross franchise. The new installment will make its debut on the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system and Xbox videogame system from Microsoft in early 2004, in conjunction with the 2004 THQ World Supercross GP season.

Tired of those boring old Quake 3 benchmarks? Here's one based on AquaNox 2's engine... JoWooD Productions AG today announced that a subsidiary of the publisher, Massive Development, will publish a successor to its 3D benchmark program AquaMark 2.3 during this financial quarter. AquaMark 3 will be a fully DirectX 9-capable cutting-edge benchmark based on Massive Development's krass engine which also powers AquaNox 2: Revelation.

HiTech Creations, producer of the award winning online combat simulation Aces High, has announced plans to launch the next generation of the game, Aces High II: Tour of Duty, in Q3 2003. Aces High is the most popular massively multiplayer online flight simulator on the market, with players from over 50 countries worldwide participating in virtual combat 24 hours a day (thanks VE3D).

Tri Synergy announced today that it will release Purge, an online-only title that delivers a compelling combination of first-person-shooter gameplay and role-playing character development in Q1 2003. Developed by Freeform Interactive LLC, Purge immerses players in a strife-torn world that blends science fiction and fantasy. In Purge, players will find themselves engrossed in a war between two opposing forces, the Order (humans genetically modified to scientific perfection) and the Chosen (religious believers who reject all forms of technology).

Ubi Soft Entertainment announces the immediate availability of Scrabble 2003 Edition for the PC. This follows the successful launch of Junior Scrabble in November 2002 and precedes Scrabble for Sony PlayStation 2 scheduled for Q1 2003.

Atari Interactive today announced they will be releasing the much-anticipated hit Japanese game Ikaruga for the Nintendo GameCube next generation console system. With an MSRP of $39.99, Ikaruga is expected to land in America in April 2003. Read more for details ...

Not that it was a secret anymore but Activision today finally announced the development of Rome: Total War for the PC, the next game to be released in the Total War series and the follow-up title to The Creative Assembly's multi-award winning Medieval: Total War. In the game players return to the golden age of antiquity to take command of the most fearsome armies in a bid to rewrite the annals of history and be proclaimed Imperator.

Infogrames, a leading global publisher of interactive entertainment software, is proud to announce that its hugely successful V-Rally franchise is hitting the Nintendo Gamecube system. Following on from the unprecedented success of the PlayStation 2 version and the impending release of the Xbox version, V-Rally 3 on Gamecube will hit the streets in June 2003.

Aggressive tackling, mesmerising flicks and scorching goals are guaranteed as Acclaim Entertainment Ltd announces the launch of Urban Freestyle Soccer. Developed by Silicon Dreams, this action-packed four-on-four football feast encompasses everything that's great about the beautiful game by taking it back to the streets and combining silky skills with hard-edged extreme rules to deliver end-to-end, arcade-style action. Urban Freestyle Soccer will be released in Autumn 2003 on PC, PlayStation2, Xbox and Nintendo GameCube.

Last year, 2015 released one of the more exceptional World War II first person shooters - Medal of Honor Allied Assault - on January 22, 2002. On the anniversary of that release, Vivendi Universal Games announced today the development of Men of Valor: Vietnam for the PC and the Xbox. Men of Valor: Vietnam, developed by 2015, Inc. and published by Sierra Entertainment, is a historical first-person shooter that portrays infantry combat during the Vietnam War. Combining the latest Unreal technology with the gameplay expertise of 2015, Men of Valor transports the player to the humid jungles of Southeast Asia in the most controversial conflict of the modern era. Read more for details and the first few stunning looking screens!

Flying Lab Software just announced Pirates of the Burning Sea, a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game set in the Caribbean islands of the 18th Century. You play a bold sea captain, master of your own ship and crew, as you seek glory and adventure across the trackless deep.. Flying Lab let us know that the game will let thousands of players take on the role of a pirate and sail the seas. Read more for features and a few new screens ...

Capcom Entertainment announce four Nintendo GameCube titles, Dead Phoenix, Killer 7, P.N.03 and Resident Evil 4 each promising to take interactive entertainment to a whole new level. This impressive line up of games will have players exploring the far reaches of the sky, fighting futuristic enemy mechs, assuming the role of an assassin with seven different personas, and investigating the origin of the progenitor virus. P.N.03 is scheduled to release this summer, Dead Phoenix this fall, Killer 7 in 2004, and the release date for Resident Evil 4 is TBD. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating for all four titles is pending. (thanks GameSpyDaily)