The U.S. video game industry saved its best for last this year. When video game publishers report quarterly results in the weeks ahead, the focus for investors and analysts will be on a coming slate of blockbuster games that need to live up to their advance hype for the industry to avoid falling short of the still heady expectations for sales growth.

Bethesda Softworks announced today that it will develop and publish Fallout 3 -- a sequel to the highly popular Fallout role-playing game franchise.

Bobby "Scaler" Johnson got more than he bargained for when he stumbled upon his next door neighbor's evil plot to take over the world by stealing all the lizards and training them to become his mutant army. Check out the latest set of screenshots ...

Video games publisher and developer Namco Hometek Inc. announced today that the highly anticipated, epic role-playing adventure Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean will be available for the U.S. market in November 2004. Here are some screenshots to tide you over until then ...

Sony Corp. expects to show off its latest PlayStation at the E3 trade show next May, it said on Monday, increasing pressure on Microsoft Corp. to take the wraps off its Xbox successor at that time.

Digital Jesters has released the English demo for Cyanide Studios' latest installment in the Cycling Manager franchise, featuring one month of management with all the features on simulated races. Also includes the mountain stage from the Tour De France and features the CSC team. Read more for download links ...

Blue Fang Games, developer of the games franchise "Zoo Tycoon," recently celebrated surpassing the 2 million unit mark in U.S. retail sales, according to The NPD Group. The developer is set to take the franchise to the next level with "Zoo Tycoon 2," coming this fall.

The Red Star takes place in a parallel fantasy universe, in which a mythic empire based on the Soviet Union sets the landscape for an epic battle of militarized sorcery and monolithic technology. Currently under development with Acclaim Studios Austin for the next-generation gaming systems. Read more to check some new screens ...

Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone is an action adventure game set in the popular D&D world created by Wizards of the Coast. Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone will place players in the middle of a heated battle between two demonic armies set to overrun the world of Faerun. Check out these new screens ...

Online game sales and subscription revenue will triple to $1.1 billion by 2008, with new devices, shift from CD-ROM, and falling console prices creating revenue opportunities for online games, says Yankee Group research firm.

The Global Defense Network (GDN) is a combination of fast paced shooter and rhythm action game with an intriguing sci-fi plot spread evenly throughout. The Global Defense Network has released its proprietary training simulator to the public. Charged with defense against aggressive extra terrestrial activity, the GDN has begun to seek out gifted individuals to assist in its efforts. To this end, the formerly classified simulator used to train GDN Agents has been released to the public.

Electronic Arts has launched the official website for Black Hole Games' 3D RTS Armies of Exigo, a fantasy RTS where the boundaries of the battlefield are broken and war is waged both above and below the ground. This game takes strategy to new depths as elves, beasts, knights, and creatures of the darkness are locked in an epic battle for survival. Armies of Exigo will be published by Electronic Arts in Fall 2004. Check out the previously posted screens, or head on over to the official website for more info.

PureSim announces the immediate availability of the latest version of PureSim Baseball. With over 70 new features including a revolutionary new ball park designer, animated in-game displays and support for features such as league expansion, PureSim Baseball 2004 provides a richly detailed, immersive Baseball experience. From drafting and building a team as the GM to making the in-game decisions on the field, PureSim offers the user complete control over their Baseball Universe.

The Hostile Intent team has released a new version for their Half-Life mod, bringing it to v1.3 and has a slew of bug fixes and game tweaks. Read more for details and download links ...

"Dungeon Siege II" returns players to the beautiful fantasy land of Aranna, but it is a land scarred by civil war, where the lines between good and evil are blurred. Players must lead an elite battle party against Valdis, a vicious marauder determined to return the world to order, no matter the cost. "Dungeon Siege II" promises to set a new standard in role-playing games by combining an intriguing story-line with intense real-time party combat and cutting edge 3D graphics.

Battlefront has released a new patch for their strategy game TacOps 4. This update patch brings your retail game to v4.05APu and adds 135 new vehicles including the first appearance of UK units and equipment as well as additional new OOB items for Australia, New Zealand and Germany plus dozens of player requested features, changes and bug fixes. Read more for detailed fix list and download links...

Developed by Mad Doc Software and due for release in the first half of 2005, Empire Earth 2 will build upon the award-winning formula of its predecessor by adding features requested both by casual game players interested in a brief spin through history and by more hard core gamers who demand a real-time strategy game that will challenge them for dozens, if not hundreds, of hours.

Stalingrad is a real-time strategy based on the modified Blitzkrieg engine. The game tells a story of one of the most dramatic periods of World War II and covers all major events from June 1942 till January 1943. The game consists out of two campaigns. During the first one players will lead the advancing German forces and after that will assume the role of a Soviet commander, whose aim is to liberate the city and smash the 6th Army of Wehrmacht.

“Kao: The Kangaroo” starts his new adventures for JoWooD Productions not only on the PC, but also on all major console systems. Jumping, running, and boxing, the brave kangaroo hero has to solve many exciting levels and tough challenges. “Kao – The Kangaroo 2,” scheduled for October 2004, is among the first games released for several systems simultaneously: XBOX, Playstation 2, GameCube, and, of course, PC.

As King, it is your duty to lead your people in their struggle to raise your kingdom from its humble beginnings to a position of power and prestige. War, diplomacy and a burgeoning economy are the means by which you increase your power and expand your influence. Check out the latest screenies ...