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ND Games, a production and development division of Noviy Disk, announces 9th Company: Roots of Terror - a new action-oriented RTS developed by Lesta Studios, creators of Pacific Storm, using their brand new proprietary engine. The game is based on actual events that took place during the Soviet military campaign in Afghanistan. 9th Company follows the story of a ragged band of young recruits undergoing brutal training in Uzbekistan’s Fergana Valley and culminates with a bloody stand against the Mujahideen warriors on a nameless mountain top in Afghanistan. It’s the Battle of Thermopylae all over again: one Russian fighter against 10 Afghanis!

Starting tonight Halo 3, the final chapter of Microsoft s epic video game trilogy, finally goes on sale around the world. By the end of the week, fans in 37 countries will be playing the game Wired magazine recently called a cultural touchstone, a Star Wars for the thumb stick generation. In the United States, more than 10,000 retailers across the country are opening their doors at midnight tonight solely to sell copies of the game and accompanying Xbox 360 consoles and accessories. With nary a pirate, a spider or a wand in sight, day-one sales of the video game are expected to shatter entertainment sales records and top the biggest entertainment launches of all time.

D2C Games has announced the creation of a new studio, D2 (squared) Comics. The studio will adapt existing printed comics, transforming them into a new form of digital video comics for the mass market.The products will offer original musical scores, action directed by the comics creators, and behind-the-scenes video and commentary that expands the digital reading experience. The comics will be available for download for Sony PSP, PC, and mobile platforms in fall 2007.

Vicious Engine has been selected by Center Line, a full service digital, creative, design and production agency, for the development of a revolutionary new game used not merely for entertainment, but for business research and job training at IBM. Created with Vicious Engine, INNOV8: A BPM (business process management) Simulator is used by IBM in certification and education programs worldwide. A top creative agency with in-house production capabilities for film/video, animation, and web, Center Line developed this new entry in serious gaming using the same tools and technology actively being utilized by the interactive entertainment industry.

This RPG series reaches a crescendo with a brand new instalment that will delight fans of the series and RPG gamers alike. Developed by renowned Japanese RPG specialists, Gust, Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm is set for release on PlayStation 2 across Europe in July.

Atari announces that New York Times best-selling author Lorenzo Carcaterra has teamed up with the company as script writer on Alone in the Dark. Poised to redefine action gaming, Alone in the Dark will deliver blockbuster-action on a cataclysmic scale set in New York City s iconic Central Park. Alone in the Dark is being developed by Eden Games for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and Windows platform.

This week Wii owners can get in the ring with the Mega Drive version of one of the best fighting games of all time. Virtual Console is graced by the Virtua Fighter 2 a game which helped evolve the fighting genre into the modern era when it launched in 1996.

Fresh from China comes a new game by Xing Mobile. Kung Fu - Imperial Guards is a tale of 2 martial arts heroes who share their love for eachother with the loyalty to their emperor. Many vicious enemies try to kill the emperor and its your job to defend him at all cost.

Driven by continuing demand for portable systems across the region, PC sales in Europe, Middle East amp; Africa (EMEA) outpaced expectations in the first quarter of the year, according to preliminary data released by IDC. Total PC shipments rose 13.2% compared with the first quarter last year, reaching 19.4 million units, with notebook sales recording a solid 34.3% year on year.