Reuters is reporting that U.S. video game sales rose 8 percent in 2004, despite a drop in sales in December due to widespread hardware (PS2/Xbox) shortages, analysts said on Friday. The Xbox outsold the PS2 slightly in the month, analysts said, but both consoles sold fewer units than they did in December 2003

After yesterday's server patch, LucasArts has released a new client patch for Pandemic's sci-fi shooter Star Wars Battlefront. This update brings your retail game to v1.2, and adds mod map names, adds invisibility counter, network code improvements, resolves some balance issues, and regaular fixes. Read more for download links ...

Activision has released the final v1.5b patch for its WW2 based FPS Call of Duty which resolves an exploit that can be used to crash servers. This is a server side only patch. If you do not plan on hosting a server there is no need to download and install it. Read more for download links ...

Project: Snowblind is a the first-person action shooter putting you in the role of an elite super soldier, fighting on the front lines of a near-future war using unique weapons, abilities and high-tech gadgetry that inject depth and variety to gameplay. Read more for new screens and trailers.

Auto Assault combines vehicular combat with role-playing elements. Players explore a post-apocalyptic future in customizable cars, motorcycles, semis and even tanks. Players battle other players both in arenas and in epic race vs. race wars for control of the regions in a devastated Earth. Check the revamped Auto Assault site, or read more for a batch of new screens ...

Another day, another batch of game trailers were released. Instead of giving them all their own posts, we grouped them, and so far there are trailers for :

• Brothers In Arms - Trailer
• Legend of Kay - Trailer #4
• Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure - Trailer
• Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory - Developer Diaries (3)
• Starfox Assault - Intro Movie

The official Counter-Strike Bot will be released for Counter-Strike: Source on Monday (January 17th). The Bot features enhanced abilities and will be available for all owners of Counter-Strike: Source. Also included in Monday's release is an updated version de_tides, rebuilt by Turtlerock Studios.

The Sims 2 University is the first expansion pack for the highly-acclaimed The Sims 2, giving players of The Sims 2 the ability to watch their Sims become young adults and put childhood behind them as they settle into an all-new college town to live out their ultimate college fantasy.

Sony Online Entertainment today announced the addition of LucasArts' Star Wars Galaxies to the Station Access subscription plan. Now, all SOE-developed massively multiplayer online games are available to subscribers for US$21.99 per month. Star Wars Galaxies will be added to Station Access on Feb. 1, 2005.

Maximus XV Abraham Strong: Space Mercenary created by Rebelmind is a sci-fi RPG/action title presented in astounding real-time 3D graphics. This update brings your retail game to v1.02, unfortunately no details as to what it fixes are available at this point (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for download links ...

Continuing the crossover trend between the movie and games industry, details surrounding the theatrical-style music score for the highly anticipated new first-person action game, Pariah were announced today. Tim Larkin, known for his work on the blockbuster Myst adventure series was chosen by developer, Digital Extremes to create a score that captured the mood and style of Pariah.

Act of War: Direct Action, developed by Eugen Systems, is Atari's new action game with a storyline and game universe created in cooperation with Dale Brown. This demo features the 6th campaign operation from the full game, with 5 missions to be completed. Read more for download links ...

Funcom announces that the free Anarchy Online offer has been a tremendous success and will be fully extended throughout all of 2005 and into 2006 (only new accounts & sign-ups until 15.01.2006). Anarchy Online now has more users than ever before, and the player feedback about the experience Funcom is offering has been fantastic. The game is setting records on an ongoing basis, with more active players now than seen in the month of launch more than 3,5 years ago.

Not content with allowing armchair managers to coach their favourite teams in photo realistic 3D, Pro Rugby Manager 2 is set to offer a 2D tactical display, bringing a whole new level of strategy to the world's number one rugby management game. The new option will provide gamers with all the tactical information, statistics and available strategies as well as a crystal clear representation of the match as it plays out.

Dark Age of Camelot is about to celebrate the third anniversary of its launch with the release of its Catacombs expansion, that brings so much more than a standard add-on. Players will benefit from major changes and new dimensions to the game as they set out to discover the underground mysteries of their realms.

DreamCatcher Games today announced that it will publish Universal Combat: A World Apart, the second title in the Universal Combat series. The game will release globally for PC in May 2005.

Hip Interactive announced today that it will release a PC demo for Blue 52's stealth action game Stolen, although no details as to what it would include was revealed. Stolen is an ultra realistic, third person, stealth-based, action game based around a high-tech female thief. Along with innovative high-tech stealth/robbery game actions and events, Stolen also boasts some truly amazing technical and presentational features to give it a spectacular look that will captivate gamers.

Konami of Europe has announced a new title in its successful World Championship Tournament series of Yu-Gi-Oh! titles. Due for release in February, Yu-Gi-Oh! Day of the Duelist – World Championship Tournament 2005 is the most comprehensive simulation of the Trading Card Game to date.

East Front is a high-tech first-person 3D-shooter. The action takes place in the alternate universe where fascist Germany won in the Second World War. A soldier of the German Resistance, Karl Stolz, turns out to be involved in the deadly play of mysterious powers, and at stake is control over the whole world. Read more for six new screens...

WrestleMania can define a legacy, and yours is about to be written. The greatest spectacle in sports-entertainment comes to Xbox with WWE WrestleMania 21. Read more for additional details & screens..

This eighth and ninth installments of the wildly popular King of Fighters franchise makes it way to the PlayStation2 and the Xbox in this ultimate double pack collection of 2D fighting. We had a chance to check out a build of one of the oldest & most favorite fighting games, read more for our updated impression...

'NFL Street 2' has been completely redesigned and reinvented challenging players to change the way the game is played. In addition to several new game modes, EA-Tiburon has added a whole new dimension to the game with interactive wall moves and style catches.

The current offer would have made EA the owner of more than 50 percent of the total number of shares, representing a majority vote in DICE after outstanding employee stock options have been exercised. Even though the extended acceptance period has not yet expired, EA has waived the above-mentioned condition.