Back in May Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich introduced a bill to ban violent video games, which was then later approved and had to go in effect January 1st. On July 25, 2005, a lawsuit was filed challenging the law, claiming it violated the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech. Today, Federal District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly in Chicago, IL agreed with the plaintiffs and ruled that the video game restriction law is unconstitutional, and issued an order permanently enjoining the law's enforcement. You can read the full, 53 page, ruling right here...

MVP 06 NCAA Baseball is being produced by Electronic Arts Canada in Vancouver, B.C., and will celebrate everything that makes NCAA baseball unique -- aluminum bats, intense action, and stadiums filled with school spirit and packed with passionate fans.

Darwinia, the latest multi-genre creation from UK-based Introversion, is now available for pre-purchase via Steam. Those who pre-purchase the game will save 10%. In addition, a new Darwinia gameplay trailer (52MB) is now available from Steam and Steampowered.com.

RoboBlitz, using Epic's Unreal Engine 3, is a fast-paced action game featuring puzzle-solving and unique physics-based weapons. Players blast through 15+ levels of high-intensity action as Blitz, a multi-talented robot on a mission to save its factory from a band of invading mechanical brains. A Roboblitz techdemo, then known as RoboHordes, was shown at GDC and E3 2005.

Virtual Jam owner Pernell Harris has sued Electronic Arts over features included in EA's Madden NFL 06. Pernell claims he met with EA in 2003 to discuss a game he was developing, Heart of a Champion, in which players guide an athlete from high school to professional football, not unlike the NFL Superstar mode in Madden NFL 06. The lawsuit filed November 28 with the California Superior Court in San Mateo County, accuses EA of breaching an "implied in fact contract" by using those features without compensation and violation of a confidentiality agreement. EA's responsde " "We have read the complaint and the allegations are completely without merit."

Red Hot Shots, Dive Tackling, Wall Running, Dragon Punches, over-the-top mid-air volleys - all chainable tricks in HoopWorld. Developed by Streamline Studios, HoopWorld is a three-on-three multiplayer trick game that rewards gamers for playing competitively together. Check out the freshly launched HoopWorld website, or read more for new screens ...

Midway issued the following statement regarding the status Rise & Fall: CaW, "Due to circumstances beyond Midway's control, Stainless Steel Studios is no longer involved with the development of Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War. Despite this unfortunate situation, Midway remains focused and determined to deliver a revolutionary real-time strategy experience with Rise & Fall, and will look to stay true to the title's original development vision. Rise & Fall Civilizations at War remains scheduled for release in 2006." More details are promised soon ...

Epic has released a new patch for its sci-fi FPS Unreal Tournament 2004. This patch brings your retail game to v3369 and addresses the usual slew of bug fixes, engine & network enhancements, and gameplay tweaks. This new patch is compatible with the ECE Bonus Pack. Read more for detailed fix list and download links ...

Brought to you by Bohemia Interactive Studio, the creators of Operation Flashpoint, Armed Assault will reacquaint gamers with the ultimate in realistic, combat gaming. Armed Assault features a new engine with a fresh modern setting. Freedom of action and immersive complex environments, blended with a unique touch of total simulation.

Keepsake will immerse you into a journey beyond compare. Assisted by a dragon afraid of heights, Lydia takes on to explore the Dragonvale Academy's empty structures in search for her best friend Celeste. Frogster has released the first patch for Wicked Studios' adventure game Keepsake bringing your German retail game to v1.1 and adressing some puzzle and dialogue issues.

In Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 3, players will embody Captain Scott Mitchell as he commands the Ghosts and Special Forces allies equipped with the IWS in the quest to save the president of the United States, recover stolen nuclear codes and eliminate a vicious band of renegade soldiers hell-bent on unleashing catastrophe.

Enlight has released a patch for the downloadable version of its Marine Park Empire, sync'n your digital version with the earlier released v1.2 retail patch, fixing character uniform and scenario bugs, as well as improving ingame models and salary system.

SimBin and MoTeC announced they will be integrating real life racing technology into the racing game genre. MoTeC is specialising in the design and development of world class engine management and data acquisition systems for race cars.

Timothy and Titus: Saints, Martyrs, Heroes, developed by White Knight Games, is based on St Paul's disciples St Timothy and St Titus. The game follows their adventures in a fictional tale of fun, mystery, and adventure as they spread the Gospel message across the lands of early Christianity.

Akella Company and Wargaming.net announce the development of strategy game based on novel Inhabited Island by Strugatsky brothers.

THQ today announced that the fourth installment of the epic Broken Sword series of games will be entitled Broken Sword: The Angel of Death. Created by Revolution Software, this latest epic adventure is due to launch on PC and is expected to hit stores around the world in summer 2006.

Ape Escape 3 is pached with more content than any previous Ape Escape titles, a full 28 stages (136 total areas, compared with 84 for the previous installment) and tons of mini games. Family-friendly Ape Escape Academy makes its PSP debut and features feature ad hoc wireless functionality and more than 40 mini-games that are diverse and range in difficulty. Both titles will be available on January 17, 2006.

Last week Myriad Interactive announced it had formed the DJ Group which included Digital Jesters, Monte Cristo and Turtle Games. Today Monte Cristo has reacted strongly to the suggestion that it has become a label of the DJ Group and benefited from investment from Myriad Interactive.

Pursuit Force is a fast-paced arcade-action game, that fuses driving and combat mechanics to create a unique gaming experience for PSP. Pursuit Force follows the misadventures of a rookie Police Officer tracking down five criminal gangs across an entire fictional state in America.

The Interactive Entertainment Institute, announce today that Ray Kurzweil is the plenary keynote speaker for the G.A.M.E.S. Synergy Summit 2006 (GSS06) held at the Wyndham Orlando Resort on January 17-18.