Activision just sent out word that they're planning on releasing a public beta test of the free Return to Castle Wolfenstein extension. Enemy Territory was initially planned as a full standalone title until the single player was dropped leaving only the multiplayer component. It was announced that this multiplayer portion of the game would be released free of charge at a later date. Currently the beta version is undergoing some internal testing but they hope to have it released next week. Players will NOT need Return to Castle Wolfenstein to play Enemy Territory (or the ET test we're releasing soon). Enemy Territory is a free stand-alone game, so anyone who wants to play will be able to download it (thanks VE3D).

"Prisoner of War" offers a new style of gaming that is brave, original and non-violent. Prisoner of War features a novel approach in a historical and tense environment. This combines with solid gameplay mechanics to create a truly intelligent, fun and appealing game. Codemasters has released a new patch for its action/adventure game, Prisoner of War. This upgrade "fixes the situation whereby the main menu loads but there is no mouse cursor and it is impossible to select any of the options. This does not affect any other issues, so if you do not have this problem you should not install this upgrade" (thanks GamersHell). Read more for download link ...

In "Line Of Sight: Vietnam" you are an eagle-eyed sharpshooter in the Army's Special Forces (better known as "The Green Berets") at the height of America's involvement in the Vietnam War. nFusion Interactive has just released the map/mission editing tools for their recent budget-priced tactical shooter letting you modify and create new content. The package contains the nWorld and MissionEd editors, auxiliary tools, all necessary resources, and documentation to get you on your way. Read more for download links ...

The exceptional level of interest from games developers experienced by Codemasters' acquisitions team at the recent Game Developers Conference [GDC] will see the company continuing to focus its business development on acquiring further titles at this year's E3 expo (May 14-16, Los Angeles). Codemasters’ product acquisition team will be at E3 (Codemasters booth 746, South Hall, Los Angeles Convention Centre) to meet game developers and discuss global publishing opportunities. Codemasters is ready to sign titles for PC, PC online, PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube formats.

All over the UK, gargoyles have raised their grotesque visages to the skies and declared their desire to be adopted by kind families in time for Easter. Citing the hero of a new video game as their inspiration, the nation's gargoyles are pleading with the populace to take pity on their sad plight. Forsaken, destitute and vilified, these oft-misunderstood creatures feel that their true heroic natures are being overlooked as people fall foul of first impressions and adhere to the mistaken belief that ugly equals evil.

Both the Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance versions of Splinter Cell contain all of the most popular elements of Splinter Cell: compelling storyline and characters inspired by acclaimed novelist Tom Clancy, revolutionary lighting and graphical effects that create an astonishingly realistic, tension-filled experience guaranteed to blow Nintendo fans away. Protagonist Sam Fisher has what it takes to get the job done. Armed with the latest high-tech gadgets night and thermal vision, prototype weapons and surveillance gear, Sam executes stunning athletic moves such as the split jump, rappelling and zip lining. The wide variety of gadgets and moves available combined with the wide-open gameplay-never play it the same way twice-gives gamers an unparalleled freedom of action totally unique to Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell.

Rockstar Games today tossed up the official site for their upcoming PC version of, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The site includes screenshots, details and features. GTA: Vice City will be released May 2003. Check it out!

Nintendo's greatly anticipated release of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, exclusive to NINTENDO GAMECUBE, launches across Europe with the support of a €5 million marketing campaign. This latest title in the hugely successful Zelda series launches on 3 May 2003 with support from TV, print and online advertising, plus limited editions for retail.

ChampMan 4's reign at the top has lasted just two weeks, as Ubi Soft's all-conquering Splinter Cell finally hit the all-important No.1 spot, some 19 weeks after its initial Xbox debut. Since its March 28 release on PS2, the stealth action classic has rocketed up the charts, and now the initial rush for CM4 has subsided, the game looks set to dominate the upper echelons of the listings for some time to come - especially with demand for the PC and Xbox versions still strong, and GBA and Cube versions due next month.

Atari today announced that the much-anticipated hit Japanese game Ikaruga for the Nintendo GameCube next generation console system has shipped to retail outlets nationwide. The game comes loaded with glorious graphics, awesome action and incredible firepower.

Midway Games Inc. announced today that The Suffering, an all-new, action-packed survival horror game, is scheduled to ship fall 2003 for the PlayStation 2, the Xbox and Nintendo GameCube... Read more for gamestory and features!

Pokémon makes its debut on Game Boy Advance with Pokémon Ruby & Pokémon Sapphire. Brace yourselves, Pokémon is on its way back to Europe! Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire launch across Europe on 25th July 2003, and this time those feisty Pokémon are in full vivid colour, and accompanied by a clear crisp soundtrack, all enabled by the very best in hand held gaming technology, the Game Boy Advance.

The graphics board for hardcore gamers bundled with a full version of Rainbow Six Raven Shield.. Hercules is delighted to announce the launch of 3D Prophet 9800 Pro, its new flagship graphics board based on ATI's latest and fastest chipset. 3D Prophet 9800 Pro is the most recent addition to Hercules's high-quality range of graphics boards, providing ultra-fast performance for the elite of the gaming community.

Take the Pop Idol challenge, discover what's next for Operation Flashpoint and Colin McRae Rally and experience Dragon Empires' new visual world – Codemasters is set to reveal all at this year's E3 Expo (May 14-16th, Los Angeles Convention Centre). With a blockbuster line up of console and PC games at its showcase booth (#746 in the South Hall), this is Codemasters' biggest E3 presence yet with more first showings, big reveals and major announcements than ever before... Read more for some more candy!

WorthPlaying is giving away goodies sponsored by Electric Artists. Enter the sweepstakes and have a chance to win one of 30 "Tenchu : Wrath Of Heaven" T-Shirts... Four lucky Ninja bastards will get an additional Tenchu : Wrath Of Heaven PS2 (NTSC) copy of the game! Tenchu 3: Wrath of Heaven delivers the most realistic, stealth-based, ninja-action/adventure game ever... The contest ends May 12th ! Want more information ?? Check out our Tenchu 3: Wrath of Heaven REVIEW

Mark Rein, Vice President @ Epic Games posted following information on Infogrames Unreal Tournament 2003 forum:

Ryan Gordon let me know this morning that he has sent a version of the Macintosh UT2003 demo to Macsoft that is ready for large scale testing in the hands of Mac users everywhere. Macsoft will be doing some testing on this and creating an installer for it but hopefully this week the Mac demo of UT2003 will be released. Once the demo is out Macsoft will be collecting bug reports and feeding them back to us so we can promptly fix them and finish the game for retail release.

You will definitely want to update to OS 10.2.5 to take advantage of the latest Mac OpenGL code - especially if you're using an ATI graphics card as prior versions of OS 10.2 had performance issues with ATI cards when running UT2003.

The much anticipated FS Traffic 2002 from Just Flight has gone gold and is due for release on the 23rd April. FS Traffic 2002 brings realism to your Flight Simulator 2002 world by replacing the default AI (Artificial intelligence) aircraft and AI flights. No longer will you see the default airlines companies taxiing around! FS Traffic 2002 replaces the default Ai aircraft with 20 brand new high quality G-Max built airliners. All have animated flight surfaces, gears and engine fans along with transparent cockpit windows and night lighting! Product info and screens here!

World of Warcraft is an online role-playing experience set in the award-winning Warcraft universe. Players assume the roles of Warcraft heroes as they explore, adventure, and quest across a vast world. Being "Massively Multiplayer," World of Warcraft allows thousands of players to interact within the same world. Whether adventuring together or fighting against each other in epic battles, players will form friendships, forge alliances, and compete with enemies for power and glory. It's a slow news day so here are 4 new screens!

UbiSoft has now released the US patch for their stealth third-person action game Splinter Cell, bringing your US ONLY edition to v1.2. This release implements a variety of graphics enhancements and fixes, as well as gameplay tweaks and other bug fixes. Read more for details and download links ...