The RPG franchise that keeps on crankin' - that's Might & Magic. After a near-infinite wait after the fifth game in the series, 3DO and New World Computing released Might & Magic VI last year to the pleasure and delight of many fearing the death of the traditional computer RPG.

　　3DO is capitalizing on the Might & Magic craze, however, and today announced that Might & Magic VII has shipped to stores - in fact, it might even hit shelves as soon as Wednesday. The new installment features a 16-bit graphics engine with 3D acceleration, new monsters (mostly borrowed from Heroes of Might & Magic III), new places to roam, new creatures to kill, a new storyline, and new mini-quests to get endlessly sidetracked by.

　　"We really listened to the players of Might & Magic VI when we designed this game, and this one is the best yet," says Jon Van Caneghem, founder and president of New World Computing. "We think the story in Might and Magic VII is even more compelling than the previous games. The gameplay improvements and the new character options should contribute to many sleepless nights for fans of the series."