Rob Fahey (Page 154)

The Interactive Digital Software Association, which represents game software publishers in the USA, has officially changed its name to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), effective immediately.

Eidos' Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness has dropped back into second place in the UK sales charts after only a two week stint at number one, while Sony's Eye Toy: Play has taken the top spot in its third week on sale.

As pre-orders for Nokia's N-Gage game deck open in the USA, the mobile phone giant has announced plans to bring the system on tour around 50 cities in Europe, kicking off on August 9.

The Securities and Exchange Commission in the United States has begun a probe into a number of accounting practices in the games industry, with Acclaim, Activision and THQ all confirming that they are under scrutiny.

Nintendo's GBA re-release of Super Mario Bros 3, Mario Advance 4, has debuted on top of the Japanese sales charts - adding to the some 18 million units the game has already sold in previous incarnations.

Middleware specialist Criterion Software is set to host LivePitch GameOn! at the Austin Game Conference, an event aimed at allowing developers to pitch their ideas directly to suitable publishers at the show.

Software giant Microsoft has announced its financial results for the quarter and financial year ended June 31, revealing firm figures for the global installed base of Xbox and its targets for the coming year.

Dutch development studio Lost Boys, currently beavering away on a PS2 exclusive title for SCEE, has officially changed its name to Guerrilla following the acquisition of the company by the Media Republic group.

Namco's eagerly anticipated beat 'em up, Soul Calibur II, has received a nomination for the SIGGRAPH computer graphics festival in San Diego for its impressive 3D introduction sequence.

Sony Computer Entertainment has begun recruiting specialists in the field of emulation, including experts in compiler development and CPU micro-architecture, to work on a forthcoming project at the company.

Rockstar Games may be planning to sidestep its exclusivity deal with Sony and bring the multi-million selling Grand Theft Auto: Vice City to the Xbox as soon as this Christmas, according to a news report today.

Sources close to the memory manufacturers working on cutting-edge technology for the PlayStation 3 have apparently leaked information about the specs of the console, and interesting hints about early shipment volumes.

Dutch publisher and developer Playlogic International has acquired a 49 per cent interest in specialist handheld developer Engine Software, along with a 2.5 year deal to co-operate on the production of GBA titles.

Publisher Atari has announced its financial results for the year ended March 31, showing a large jump in revenues and a healthy profit figure which turns around a net loss in the previous reporting period.

Eidos development director and Core Design managing director Jeremy Heath-Smith has announced that he is to resign from the boards of both companies with immediate effect.

Lara Croft's first PS2 outing continues to sell well, racking up a second week at number one last week, while Sony's quirky Eye Toy is also proving a hit with consumers and holds on at number two.

Konami's Silent Hill 3 has topped the Japanese charts this week, selling some 58,000 units in its first three days on sale - but it's the only major new release for the week, and the market has slowed down significantly again.