X-fries
Microsoft has signed up with a fast food chain to promote the Xbox games console in the US and Canadian markets. The deal with Taco Bell is intended to reach Taco Bells 5m weekly customers at 6,800 restaurants. The chain appeals particularly to males aged 18 to 34, which is also the Xbox's target market. The only drawback is that Taco Bell sells tacos, burritos and nachos rather than french fries, depriving the marketing men of a pun.

However, it is not too late to find an appropriate partner for a similar deal in the UK, where the Xbox launch will be handled by the advertising agency, Bartle Bogle Hegarty.

Red top
The Weakest Link quiz game should be out before Christmas to compete with the current blockbuster, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. BBC Multimedia has licensed the rights to Activision, an American publisher, which will produce localised versions for the PC, Sony PlayStation and PS2.

Versions for other formats should start to appear next year. Anne Robinson will be involved in the production and marketing of the game. The TV programme is already showing in Australia and the US, with France, Italy, Holland, Germany, Belgium, Turkey, Israel, Portugal and India to follow.

Late Cube
Nintendo has delayed the Japanese launch of the Gamecube, its next-generation console, until September 14, and the US launch may follow in November. This will put it behind Microsoft's Xbox in the US market, but the two systems may arrive in Europe around the same time: spring 2002.

Croft original
Lucozade is to be renamed Larazade next month, in a special promotion linked to the launch of the Tomb Raider movie featuring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft. Events will include a competition that leads to a two-day "Tomb Raider challenge at a real life version of Lara's home, Croft Manor".

Black & white
Next week, some of the world's best chess computers will fight it out in Spain, in a competition organised by British grandmaster Raymond Keene. The prize is a match with current world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik, the Russian who beat Garry Kasparov last November. However, IBM's Deep Blue, which beat Kasparov in a rematch in 1997, will not be taking part, and may have been dismantled.

Kasparov, still the world's best chess player, has also been playing with chess programs. Tomorrow, Virgin Interactive will launch Virtual Kasparov, described as the first serious chess program for the Sony PlayStation.

Kasparov told Online the game does play like him: "Obviously it takes a very aggressive approach."