Take a brand new Battlecruiser for a test drive

The controversial release of the original "Battlecruiser" way back in 1995 was marred by a whole flotilla of bugs afflicting the game, making it nigh on unplayable, mostly thanks to the publisher kicking it out the door before it was complete. Not about to let the same thing happen to him again, Derek Smart today announced that sign-ups have begun for a limited public beta test of the latest installment in the series, "Battlecruiser Millenium". The new game is designed from the ground-up to work under Windows (the original was a DOS game!), and will feature updated AI, a new 3D accelerated graphics engine, over 250 units, a new improved interface, multiplayer support, and the proverbial much, much more.

Before you get too excited though, it's worth noting that, taking a page out of Microsoft's book, the beta is only being distributed on a CD-Rom which will set you back $15; that's about £10 in real money. On the bright side, you will be able to get a rebate if you go on to buy the full version of the game after the beta testing is over. If you're still interested, you can sign up for a place on the beta test at the 3000 AD website.