Predictions of a continued upward trend in the popularity of leisure software, highlighted at the beginning of the year by The European Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), are still on track. New figures published today by ELSPA, sourced from Chart Track, show a continuing increase in sales of computer games in the UK with 11 million units of software sold in the first quarter of 2002. This is a 6 per cent rise on the same period last year. The value of games sold, across all formats, rose by 20% from £219 million in the first quarter of 2001 to £262 million in the first quarter of this year.

Get up and get down, Sam fans - now's the chance for all you budding level designers to express your creativity and kitsch sense while you frag the night away. You could win a brand-spanking new top-end Visiontek Xtasy GeForce 4 Ti 4600 video card, featuring the fastest Nvidia GeForce 4 chip on the market - all for showing us you've got a unique mix of design skills combined with a penchant for polyester pants.

EuroGamer has got a 2 part Q&A with Rage Software producer Colin Macdonald (part 1 here and part 2 here) discussing their upcoming first person shooter Mobile Forces. (Thanks blues). GamePlex has a Q&A on Condition Zero talking with Gearbox Software president Randy Pitchford, their upcoming 'single player' version based on an beefed up version of Counter-Strike (you know, that little half-life mod thats making history as we speak ? ;). GameSpy has a Q&A with Dan Houser and Leslie Benzies (Rockstar Studios) discussing the PC version of the hit PS2 game Grand Theft Auto 3. HomeLAN chats with Fox Interactive's David Stalker as he talks about Buffy The Vampire Slayer, the upcoming Xbox game based on the TV show. NwoGamer (obviously a fan site) has a Q&A with Termite Games' Jim Malmros talking about their upcoming multiplayer first person shooter New World Order (many people expecting this game to rival CS). HomeLAN chats with CCP Games's Hrafnkell Oskarsson as he talks about their upcoming massively multiplayer space sim EVE: The Second Genesis.

GAME RESEARCH has published a new report on online gaming habits covering US, Canada, UK, and the Nordic Countries. The picture emerging is not pretty. According to the report, the gamers are highly troubled by cheating and lag no matter what they play. Furthermore, they are becoming more inclined to act on these problems by leaving the online game they play.

- The World's First Grand Prix Experience Drive - Orange today launches OrangeArrows Virtual Reality Experience - a unique interactive experience that allows fans to see, feel, hear and drive the OrangeArrows AX3 around the famous Magny Cours F1 circuit.

"NBA Inside Drive 2003" will include numerous updates, including a season dynasty feature and Dynamic Player Performance. Additional gameplay features, as well as the "NBA Inside Drive 2003” spokesperson and in-game announcers, will be announced before the game’s launch." Read the full game announcement we made yesterday here. Today we bring you some screens showing off some hoop action ;)

Yesterday we posted 30 or so screens pulled from the 'Die Hard : Nakatomi Plaza' game we are currently testing ... today we serve up an interview with "Bryan Ekman", the Art Director on the Die Hard project. Bryan seems to drop hints that we may actually expect more Die Hard games ... and plenty more ..

Dimension Films and Abandon Entertainment have inked a deal with Shawn Ryan, creator-exec producer of FX series "The Shield," to adapt shoot-'em-up vidgame "Max Payne" for the studio. Critically acclaimed, "The Shield" scored the most watched original series premiere in cable history.

Man.. Its been demo heaven the past 24 hours or what? Just noticed over at Blues, that 7FX has just released a new version of the Team Factor demo, their upcoming team-based multiplayer shooter. Team Factor is a stand-alone multi-player action game designed with team play in mind. The games mission, environment and objective is inspired by the "shadow" military operations - whether real or fiction style. Read more for links where to grab this puppy.

Microsoft just announced it will release “NBA Inside Drive 2003,” its exclusive basketball title for the Xbox, this fall in time for the start of the 2003 NBA season.