In 'Katamari Damacy' you start off with a small “katamari,” but with every level he completes, the “katamari” can quickly grow from a fraction of an inch to a monstrous mass in no time. The bigger the player’s “katamari” grows, the larger the objects the player can amass along the way -- ranging from playing cards and people to ocean liners and entire stadiums! A sequel to last years hit title has not been a secret, and here are the first screens ...

Video game sales rose 32 percent in the United States in March, analysts said on Friday, noting Sony's top-selling "Gran Turismo 4" racing game as well as an improved supply of console hardware.

Star Wars Galaxies: The Total Experience will offer the original ground game An Empire Divided, the Jump to Lightspeed expansion that brought players into space in their own Millennium Falcon and the all new Episode III Rage of the Wookiees expansion offering exclusive content directly from the final Star Wars movie all in one box, as well as an exclusive vehicle only available to bundle owners. Read more for details..

... and then there were two. Citing fears that Sony and Microsoft might copy some of the revolutionary ideas, Nintendo head honcho Satoru Iwata decided to withdraw previous statements and has now decided to not show the new Nintendo Revolution at E3 next month. Instead, visitors will have to be content with rolling demos of titles in development, a better look at the Nintendo online service, new Pokemon titles, and a new playable version of the latest Zelda title. We will be on site and report live if anything exciting does happen.

Dreamcatcher announced today that it is pushing backthe release date for its strategy game Domination from its original April 22nd date to May 20th. Domination features a renewed global conflict between the Free Nations Union and the Phantom League on distant planets, including sci-fi land, sea and air warfare at a grand-strategy level.

Akella is making yet another pirate game, after Sea Dogs and Pirates of the Caribbean, it is now time for the Age of Pirates. Known in Russia under Corsairs 2, this AoP will be distriuted under that name in Europe and North America. No details or planned release date are known yet, but at least there are some new screens ..

THQ today announced support for Microsoft's next-generation Xbox console. Internal studios Relic Entertainment and Volition, Inc. are leading the company's efforts by developing new, exclusive content for the new system.

GameStop announced today that it would buy rival Electronics Boutique Holdings Corp. for $1.44 billion in cash and stock, likely creating the leading video game retailer in the United States. Electronics Boutique stock jumped 29 percent, while GameStop shares fell 1.6 percent in early trading.

Midway announced today that Unreal Championship 2, the latest entry in the long established Unreal franchise and the sequel to Unreal Championship (2002), has shipped for the Xbox.

TT Superbikes will feature on the channel around the launch along with a strong presence at this year's TT event in June. There will be several promotions including prize give-away copies of the game to Men and Motors viewers. The game will also feature the Men and Motors Suzuki superbike, which will race at this year's event. Read more for details and screens ...

Buena Vista Games announced today the development of new video game titles based on the highly anticipated feature film, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," scheduled for release in Summer 2006.

Europe 1942. These are desperate hours for Allied forces as the Nazi war machine rages across a devastated European landscape. You are US Army Lieutenant William Holt, hand-picked by William “Wild Bill” Donovan to be the first field agent of the newly formed Office of Strategic Services­the OSS. Medal of Honor European Assault makes you the driving force in the struggle to liberate Europe.

Boiling Point: Road to Hell, previously known as Xenus, will combine intense armed combat with exploration and interaction with a vast and seamless open-ended gaming world. Boiling Point: Road to Hell is in development by Ukrainian developer Deep Shadows and is scheduled for release in Spring 2005.

NASCAR 2006 is expected somewhere in August and instead of the "you vs. the rest of the pack," it will now focus on team play. NASCAR 2006 will allow you to be part of a racing team, give commands, switching over to other cars in your team (especially useful in case you wreck your own ride), and of course slightly updated graphics. Your team members will either like or dislike you, depending on your action on the track.

NCAA Football 2006 is the latest iteration in EA's college football franchise, and one of the new features will be the Race for the Heisman. The new mode allows you to create a profile and work your way up through the stats, including perks to pimp out your college dorm room, and once your won the trophy, eventually you will be able to get drafted by the NFL, and transfer your character, and his stats, over to continue your football career in Madden NFL 2006. More details later ...

Tony Tough 2 acts as a prequel to 2003's Tony Tough and the Night of Roasted Moths. In this 3D point & click adventure game you get to Tony at the age of 13, and he has his first case to solve. Under development at ProGraph, and published by dtp, Tony Tough 2 is scheduled for release in April 2005. Not much info available at this point, but we do have some new screens...

Announced last month, then delayed earlier this month, the latest BFME community update reveals that the v1.02 is almost ready and is currently in Quality Assurance testing. While the new patch will address numerous technical issues, the core of this patch will revolve around further balancing the 4 playable factions, in order to push The Battle for Middle-earth towards a more challenging and intriguing experience. The production of patch 1.02 has been largely influenced by community & fan sites feedback, top players, and dedicated fans. Read more for a detailed fix list ...

As a follow-up to our SAG vs. publishers article from earlier this week, representatives of the Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and a group of video game publishers have agreed to extend the current interactive agreements to May 13, 2005. Discussions on successor interactive agreements are continuing. A press blackout remains in effect (thanks Blues). By extending the previous agreement, which expired last Friday, an immediate strike was avoided.

3000AD front man Derek Smart announced that the UCAWA has gone gold and will be available in two versions, retail and downloadable. Universal Combat: A World Apart gives hardcore fans an enhanced "Battlecruiser" experience, keeping the flavour of combat, but utilizing newer technologies. Universal Combat: A World Apart, the second title in the Universal Combat series will be published by Dreamcatcher and released globally for PC in May 2005.

It seems rumors from earlier this month about a possible resurrection of Prey are becoming more and more legit. Shacknews uncovered that 2KGames has re-launched the official Prey website, with a hidden message in the web code pointing to a worldwide unveiling in next month's PC Gamer issue. 3DRealms' George Broussard further confirms all of this by opening the Prey forums on the company's website, which also reveals that the game is being developed by Human Head Studios, previously known for Blair Witch 3, Rune, Dead Man's Hand. Prey, using the Doom 3 engine, will be on display at E3, but at the ATi booth instead of the 2KGames stand.