Simon & Schuster Interactive have announced they have signed an agreement with Stockholm game developer, Daydream Software AB, to publish "Ski-Doo X-Team Racing" in North America. Ski-Doo X-Team Racing is a multi-player snowmobile racing game for the PC (Windows ME, 98, 95), available in Fall 2001. Gamers can choose from 15 courses to race on - from the easy to the ridiculously hard. Each can be played in single player mode or multi-player mode via a LAN (Local Area Network) or Internet (TCP/IP) connection. Ski-Doo X-Team Racing will be available in Fall 2001 for the PC (Windows ME, 98, 95).
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The Nordic's leading publisher and developer of interactive entertainment, PAN Interactive, has announced a follow-up to Britain's premier Sci-Fi author, Douglas Adam's Starship Titantic PC CD-Rom game, with the computer game publishing rights to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Adapted from the top-selling book that has sold 15 million copies worldwide, the PC CD-ROM adaptation is being developed as an exciting third person, real-time 3D arcade towel 'em up adventure in the mould of Tomb Raider, Mario 64 and Zelda. With projected release in Q1 2002, PAN Interactive retain the global publishing rights for the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy PC game. UK distribution rights for the game are currently under negotiation.
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Sierra On-Line and Gearbox Software have announced Half-Life Blue Shift, the newest episode in theHalf-Life franchise, will ship to retail outlets around the world in June. Half-Life Blue Shift allows fans of the franchise to interact with new characters and explore restricted areas of the Black Mesa Research Facility. The game's website, featuring a trailer for the game, went live recently as well.

Blue Shift is an all-new single player episode surrounding the Black Mesa security guard introduced in Valve's classic action thriller, Half-Life. In development by Gearbox Software, creators of Half-Life Opposing Force, Blueshift also contains the Half-Life HD Pack, which automatically upgrades the weapons and characters of all the games in the Half-Life saga with new high definition content.

Netamin has posted the latest Fallen Age Beta contest. By mailing in the CD of an MMOG you're playing  now, Netamin will send you out a Fallen Age Beta CD.

"And, if players really want to show us how interested they are in Fallen Age, they should mail their old MMOG CD with the box it came in and the game manual. In return, they'll get a Beta Slot plus a Fallen Age T-Shirt, and for the first time ever - a great looking, specially designed Fallen Age necklace," continued Manachi."

The deadline for this contest is April 21, 2001-the day Beta begins. Mail all CD and materials to:
Netamin.com
PO BOX 5050
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
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The rules of the game are simple. Up to eight players compete on a board made up of hexagonal spaces. Players move their pieces to empty spaces on the board either by "cloning" (which creates a copy of the piece in an adjacent blank space) or "jumping" (where the piece leaves an empty space behind, but can travel twice as far). Move to a space next to an opponent's pieces, and you'll "assimilate" them - any adjacent pieces get turned to your colour. The winner is the one with most pieces when the board is full, or the one who manages to "lock out" all their opponents' pieces so they can't make a move. [Download: DemoNews]
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Maximum Charisma Studios needs Beta Testers. Twenty-Five Thousand Beta Testers, to be exact. Testing for their upcoming title, Fighting Legends begins in June 2001. The game is currently in Alpha and scheduled for release in November of this year. Gamers interested in participating in the beta test can sign up at www.mcszone.com. Fighting Legends is a role-play strategy title with action elements. The unique look of the anime style characters is set in a myriad of color and bazaar landscapes. Players can choose from 81 potential avatars. In addition to fighting, there is an assortment of quests to choose from, ranging from mini scenarios to uber quests that require a group of allied player s to complete.