Ubi Soft, one of the world’s largest videogame publishers, unveiled today the latest creation inspired by the works of world-renowned novelist Tom Clancy. Splinter Cell™ is a third person stealth action game, featuring cyber-terrorism, shadow agencies, and covert operations and is set in the realistic, highly detailed geopolitical universe as portrayed by Tom Clancy.

Microsoft announced that the European price of its Xbox video game system will be reduced to an estimated street price of €299/£199, effective from 26th April 2002. “We are making a clear statement today – we mean business in Europe,” said Sandy Duncan, Vice President, Xbox Europe. “The phenomenally positive response to Xbox through reviews, awards and game sales has demonstrated that consumers love Xbox.

Ubi Soft Entertainment today announced that Warlords Battlecry II, the sequel to the popular and award-winning fantasy RTS game Warlords Battlecry, has gone gold. The title is expected to ship to U.S. retail shelves March 12, with an MSRP of $39.99. Additionally, they announced that the original Warlords Battlecry is now available at retail and from ubi.com for only $9.99.

Belgian site SpelletjesGarnaal is at it again with a preview movie of IGI 2: Covert Strike, the stealthy first-person shooter sequel in the works at Innerloop Studios. Based on a very early press build, the movie is available in downloadable (11.2 MB) or streaming Windows Media Player format and sports some seven and a half minutes of gameplay footage.

Graphics chipmaker Nvidia has announced a new generation of graphics processors that promise improved speed and new features, such as multi-display and peak frame-rate technology. The GeForce4 will push Nvidia's earlier high-performance graphics processing unit -- the GeForce3 -- down into the mainstream and value markets.

A post to the Official Neocron Forums has word that this upcoming science fiction MMORPG will be available as a free 1.2 GB download when it's ready. Also, the Jumpgate website has word that, as was previously announced, the client software for Jumpgate, NetDevil's space-based MMOG, is likewise now available for free download.

Black Isle Studios, the role-playing game division of Interplay Entertainment, announced today that a sequel to the award-winning computer role-playing game Icewind Dale is currently in development and will be distributed by Vivendi Universal Games in North America. Icewind Dale II is scheduled to ship to retail on May 28, 2002.

Continuing to build on its successful action sports brand, Activision confirmed today that developer Gearbox Software is currently in the final stages of production on the PC version of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3. The game will include several new platform specific features such as exclusive online modes, downloadable user-created maps and fully customizable mouse, game controller and keyboard configurations.

Activision has delayed the launch of Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix, its upcoming first-person shooter sequel, until later this spring, according to a company representative. The game was previously scheduled for release this February, but it will now be held back in order to give the developer more time to balance the random mission generator and refine the multiplayer mode, which was added late in the game's development.

Bohemia Interactive, the developer of award-winning Operation Flashpoint, appears to have set its sites on aerial warfare for an upcoming product called Independence Lost. The freshly launched webiste offers some screenshots showing choppers launching from aircraft carriers, a 2002 release date and some history of East Timor.