As Bridge Commander unfolds, people will assume the role of captain, and command both Galaxy and Sovereign class Federation ships similar to the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701D and U.S.S. Enterprise-E. Gamers will command a large starship that has both massive firepower and strategic maneuverability, and is equipped a detailed three-dimensional bridge, and be able to assume direct control of combat encounters in the external tactical mode.

The game will feature the voices Captain Picard and Commander Data, and will feature a new alien race, along with familiar friends and foes such as the Cardassians, Ferengi, Klingons, and Romulans. The story follows the captain and his crew aboard the U.S.S. Sovereign, aiding colonies in a remote area of space following a stellar catastrophe. The crew races to find the cause through more than 30 different missions, which will include many of The Next Generation?s most fundamental elements--defense, combat, diplomacy, exploration, rescue, and scientific discovery.

Mythic and Abandon, also announced earlier in the week the creation of Init Games, a full-motion-video, online game site and content company, in conjunction with Tel-Aviv based technology company, Tidex Systems.

ATC-2000 allows laymen to experience the perils and joys of being an Air Traffic Controller - complete with all the dials, flight data information and tension associated with the job.

ATC-2000 is being designed and developed by Russell B. Davis who has a background of over 12 years of research in Air Traffic Control and Air Traffic Control software applications.

ATC-2000 will be published worldwide by PC Aviator in affiliation with Aerosoft and is scheduled for release in Summer 2000.

Set in the Star Trek: The Next Generation world, Star Trek: ConQuest Online is a turn-based strategy game where players assume the role of a Q, an all-powerful (and most times mischievous) being that traverses the universe and causes a fair amount of trouble by altering realities to suit his or her purposes. The player is charged with finding collectible pieces from the Star Trek: The Next Generation universe, capable of manipulating the galaxy.

Players start off with a predetermined set of pieces, constructed from a group of more than 150 characters, weapons and ships, each with varying abilities and value. Each player uses their pieces to gain control of the planets in their quadrant, as well as to attack and fend off their opponent's pieces. During each turn, the player uses a piece, or a combination of pieces in an attempt to gain advantage over their opponent. Types of pieces in the game include: character pieces (like Picard and Riker), ship pieces (like the U.S.S. Enterprise and a Borg Cube), and weapon pieces (like phasers and Bat'leths).

Gamers who would like to check out Star Trek: ConQuest Online before purchasing it can download a free demo from the Internet by going to www.activision.com. The full game will be available at retail stores for around $30 and will include online registration (required for tournaments and rankings, as well as to trade pieces), special bonus pieces, the game manual, additional art on the CD and one special game piece that is only available at retail. The game can also be purchased online with all of the retail components, except the special game piece.

Microsoft claims that the next incarnation of their API will offer such features as advances in real-time rendered music, photo-realistic graphics, advanced voice technology, and revisions to most of the DirectX components; The DirectSound and DirectMusic APIs will be combined to create a new unified audio architecture, the DirectPlay API will feature a new scalable architecture for massively multiplayer Internet games and will offer a new component called DirectPlay Voice - Microsoft's new voice communication API.

Although not PC related, it's also been speculated that Microsoft might debut their next-generation console machine, X-Box.

IHRA Drag Racing will feature nine IHRA-sanctioned tracks, a wide variety of cars, and two types of sprint racing. The tracks include: Darlington International Dragway; Rockingham Dragway; Cordova Dragway Park; New York International Raceway Park; Mid-Michigan Motorplex; Norwalk Raceway Park; New England Dragway; Maryland International Raceway; and Red River Raceway.

The game will also feature 50 cars, from classics to present-day vehicles, as well as the top five cars and drivers from IHRA?s drag racing classifications, including Top Fuel, Pro Mod, Pro Stock, and Alcohol Funny Car. The cars and drivers will compete in 1/4 and 1/8 mile heats during both day and night racing.

Exclusively licensed EURO 2000 will encompass the full look, feel and excitement of the real event. Players will experience the tension of the qualifying rounds, the celebration of the event, the colour and excitement in the crowds, the countries? flags, official event logos and, of course, the animated official mascot. The game will feature all of the nations that competed in the qualifying event in a realistic draw, giving everyone the chance to qualify for the finals. Once qualified, the player will enter a true tournament atmosphere, selecting his team from a realistic squad that may suffer injuries or suspension as the tournament progresses. Teams will play in a realistic style and formation, and will have their own preferred set pieces to use. The player will be able to train his first team against his reserves to enable selection of the strongest side, and will be able to set the reserves to play in the style of the next opponent, allowing effective tactics to be developed. Also included in the game are 40 of the greatest EURO championship teams of all time, allowing the user to replay some of the classic EURO games.

PC gamers will have to solve complex puzzles to gain access to restricted areas and save hostages. DHT2 features three different game modes, including third-person action and adventure, first-person sharpshooting, and an extreme driving sequence. As with the original title, the sequel provides a variety of options. People can attempt to complete one continuous, plot-driven adventure in Movie Mode, maneuver through an entire level in Arcade Mode, or sharpen their abilities in Practice Mode.

There are reports that the floating Crystals and Shadow creatures, which until recently had stood guard in the wilderness of Dereth, are now on the move. Strange, twisted citadels are also rumored to have emerged from the earth and hover ominously over the land near several towns. A vast, bat-winged figure has been spotted, flickering like dark lightning amid the storm clouds. Many are speculating about what these recent changes in Dereth could mean? Do these frightening apparitions signal the beginning of a much darker conflict?

Also included are 15 new multiplayer maps, new options for the Battle Map creator, and new units such as the Juggernaut, the Mobile War Factory, the Mobile Stealth Generator, and the Cyborg Reaper. There's also a new way to compete over Westwood Online. Called World Domination, it allows people to battle for the control of the world. Gamers will struggle for their chosen side, GDI or Nod, as they compete against thousands of other commanders. Either Nod or GDI will end up controlling more than 30 territories and claim the globe as their own.

Be sure to check out our C&C 2: Tiberian Sun Firestorm review for the scoop on this expansion pack.

"In Firestorm, since the mysterious disappearance of Kane, a new leader has emerged. Your first mission playing as Nod is to retrieve the core of COBAL (Nod's artificial intelligent computer) and once you do, you are given a series of tasks you must complete to bring about the victory of Nod. As GDI, you must save the world from Nod and it's evil plans to turn men into cyborgs. Since C&C2 wasn't so great, I didn't expect the add-on to bring about drastic changes and sadly, I was right."

Be sure to check out the rest of our Firestorm review including a fist full of screenshots. Enjoy!

"Aztec history, even if it was very short, showed us an extremely advanced and cult civilization. No wonder Cryo Interactive has chosen their empire as décor for their latest game of the cult-adventure series, a worthy successor of Versailles and Egypt. As usual, quests are games that lack replayability and Aztec is no exception. It's still a game that shouldn't be missing from any gamer's collection though, especially as lately these kinds of games are so rare, thus so precious."

Be sure to check out the rest of our Aztec review including a mit full of screenshots. Enjoy!

Covert Ops will provide an overview covering the subject of counter-terrorism from 1970 until the present. It will contain video interviews with top experts in the field, as well as photos and video footage of weapons and equipment, along with a description of the situations in which they are used. A special section on the creation of Rainbow Six and Rogue Spear will also be included. People will also be able to test their abilities and terrorist scholarship through interactive ?Officer Candidate School? testing, and through completing the new levels.

The game also features six character choices, clothing from Nidecker, Bonfire and Rossignol Winter 1999/2000 collections. Boarder Zone is also officially licensed by Arnette sunglasses and JanSport backpacks. Other features include nine tracks located in three different areas (Alpine, Forest and Village), four game modes include Race, Time Attack, Big Air and Pipe, and weather and lighting effects.

Sammy Sosa High Heat Baseball 2001 claims to be a step up from previous incarnations of the game, with such features (besides the endorsement and inclsuion of the Sammy Sosa name) as a state-of-the-art 3D engine, a dramatic increase in the number of superstar ``signature'' animations, intelligent crowd noise, and an ``smart'' camera that takes you to the action like a top television producer would. Additionally, Sammy Sosa High Heat Baseball 2001 continues to feature a balance between action and realism.

Developed using a modified version of id Software's Quake II game engine, Soldier of Fortune is a violent depiction of the gun for hire - the military mercenary. The game is based loosely on the magazine of the same name, and features a high level of blood, gore and realistic weaponry.

The futuristic, first-person action game was first announced in March 1999 and scheduled to be released in the Summer of 1999. But a snag was hit during the development cycle and NovaLogic opted to delay the title until the Spring of 2000. Now the company has delayed the game indefinitely, as they change their focus to another upcoming game - Tachyon: The Fringe.

Three major players on the Blizzard Team, Pat Wyatt, VP of R&D; Mike O'Brien, Company Director; and Jeff Strain, who was the Team Lead and Lead Programmer of Blizzard's unannounced game, have left to form a new company, Triforge Inc. of Newport Beach, California.

While Blizzard is extremely sorry to lose to see these excellent staff members leave, Blizzard does not envision any substantial effect on WarCraft III nor Diablo II, as the three men were working on other projects before their departure.

The news goes from bad to worse folks. This is only the first of what will soon become a long list of Blizzard departures this year as Havas Interactive makes it's salary adjustments (reductions).

In Tropico, people step into the role of a dictator of a remote Caribbean island, and are challenged to build a path of progress for a nation mired in poverty, civil unrest, and infighting. Based on their economic vision, gamers build hotels, mines, factories, and over 100 other structures. Diplomacy and politics will factor into Tropico, as people must pacify various internal factions and external threats. If the island?s growth is well planned, people will have money to buy the people's favor and ensure prosperity. If growth implementation is poor and the economy falters, the population may revolt, forcing gamers to institute martial law.

Tropico is based on an improved version of PopTop's proprietary S3D engine that allows for more detailed 3D graphics and renderings. The S3D engine was used in Railroad Tycoon II. The engine will support hardware acceleration, variable resolutions from 640x480 up to 1600x1200, and variable color depth support from 8-bit to 32-bit color.

The game will feature the same humor and action that has made the show popular around the world. Each mission of the 3D action/adventure will allow players the opportunity to protect a new star. Protection is assured by the use of a range of unique weapons, and equipment.

The company will work on designing a multi-hex combat system for Red Thunder; according to the developers, this will enable players to select units from a stack they wish to attack with, and also allow for multi-stack attacks. They will also include an 'Undo-Move' function, as well as an alteration to the Command/Supply system so that Soviet units are more closely tied to their respective Army headquarters. Finally, the company will update the scenarios sometime this month,with a few more scenario updates in April.

Players take on the role of a man has been chosen by Mother Nature as the caretaker of a barely-hatched baby robin that has fallen from a nest and been carried to a strange and distant land. The goal of the game is to get Filbert (the bird in question) back to his nest.

"There are three modes of play in Risk II: Classic Risk, Same Time Risk and Tournament Play. Classic Risk recreates the conventional turn based board game while Sam Time Risk introduces a style of play in which players make simultaneous decisions regarding their attacking and movement phases. This offers a unique twist on the game in that if you decide to deploy your units to attack a new territory, another player, in the same turn, might decide to attack the territory from whence those units derived from. It adds a new element of strategy to the game. Finally, Tournament Risk is a series of 16 pre-set scenarios with varying objectives and settings."

Be sure to check out the rest of our Risk II review including a desk full of screenshots. Enjoy!

"The graphics in Superbike 2000 are absolutely incredible. Not that the original Superbike wasn't breathtaking itself, Superbike 2000 still manages to raise the bar a few levels. The entire game is photo-realistic, from the bikes and riders to the tracks and environments themselves. It comes across almost like it would if you were watching the race on television. The game offers three different cockpit views with improved HUD features that now make information available regarding tire grip, wear, rider intervals and more."

Be sure to check out the rest of our Superbike 2000 review including a purse full of screenshots. Enjoy!