BRIEFCASE THQ, JAKKS OFFER NEW WWF GAMES.

Byline: - Staff and Wire Services

CALABASAS - THQ, the Calabasas-based game manufacturer, and its longtime Malibu-based ally, Jakks, announced two additional video game titles in their World Wrestling Federation series Wednesday.

For Microsoft's Xbox, ``WWF Raw'' will hit stores Feb. 12, featuring animated fighting and a youth-oriented soundtrack. A second title, ``WWF WrestleMania X8,'' will be available for the Nintendo Gamecube in March, offering 35 characters, including new faces such as Rob Van Dam, Booker T and Lance Storm.

High-definition VHS tapes coming

High-definition movies are coming to home video, but on a variant of VHS tapes, not the newer DVD format.

20th Century Fox, Universal, DreamWorks and Artisan said Wednesday that they plan to release feature films in D-VHS format, videocassettes that offer better images than standard VHS or even than DVD can now provide.

Initial titles will include ``The Terminator'' movies, ``Die Hard,'' ``X- Men'' and ``U-571.'' The first titles are expected to be available by this summer.

The D-VHS tapes will be aimed at those who own high-definition televisions, whose crisp digital images are set to replace the old standard of analog TV.

Jameson doll sold at Hustler Store

VAN NUYS - Bringing a whole new connotation to the term action figure, Plastic Fantasy launched its Jenna Jameson doll on Wednesday.

Seven inches tall and sculpted with precision from the adult-film actress's measurements, the figure will retail both online and locally at the Hustler Store in West Hollywood, with a price below the $20 mark.

Focused on the adult market, the toy comes with a costume and attachable stand. Though Jameson marks the firm's first foray into the toy world, company founder Jerry Macaluso boasts extensive experience, having designed ``Star Trek,'' ``Power Rangers'' and Bruce Lee toys in the past.

Tetra Tech wins Air Force contract

PASADENA - Pasadena-based Tetra Tech Inc. announced Wednesday that it is part of a team awarded a $450 million contract to plan, design and construct Air Force base infrastructure nationwide.

Under the indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity multiple award contract, Tetra Tech will provide the planning and engineering support to the team.

The contract is one of three awards that will share the $450 million contract ceiling.

Regal emerges from bankruptcy

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Regal Cinemas Inc., the nation's largest movie theater chain, emerged from voluntary bankruptcy protection Wednesday with its chairman poised to head an even larger consolidated group.

The Knoxville-based chain, taking a route similar to several of its competitors weighed down by debt from aggressive theater expansion, filed for Chapter 11 protection in October.

With the approval of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Nashville, Regal resurfaced Wednesday with 3,655 screens at 302 theaters still in operation, creditors repaid and under new ownership.

As part of the plan, ownership of Regal was transferred from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. of New York and Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst Inc. of Dallas, which paid $1 billion for Regal in 1998, to a consortium led by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz.

Suspension stalls music disclosures

SAN FRANCISCO - The major record companies, which two weeks ago surprised analysts by seeking a temporary suspension in their copyright lawsuit against Napster, were about to face potentially damaging inquiries into their own behavior on maintaining copyrights.

According to transcripts made public Wednesday, the judge in the case said on Jan. 16 that she intended to grant a request by Napster to explore whether the record companies might have colluded to prevent Napster and other online music competitors from licensing music to sell on the Internet. The judge, Marilyn Patel of the Federal District Court in Northern California, also said she would allow Napster to explore whether the record companies might not control all the copyrights they claim to own.

A day later, before Patel issued an order to grant the requests, the record companies asked her to suspend the lawsuit for 30 days, and she complied. The companies' request came after they had vigorously pursued the case for three years.

Last week, the record companies said they had sought the suspension because they were nearing a settlement with Napster and did not want to be distracted by the lawsuit.

But several experts - copyright lawyers and an analyst who closely follows the case - said the transcript suggested that the recording industry might be more concerned over the copyright issues.

Napster had no comment on the release of the transcript. The company joined the record labels on Jan. 17 in asking Patel to suspend the litigation.