Earlier today we put up SEGA's Spartan Total Warrior announcement, but what was not included was the fact that SEGA simply bought out the UK developer. SEGA Europe today announced that the company has acquired the hugely successful development studio, The Creative Assembly. Founded in 1997, headed up by Tim Ansell and operating from offices in the UK and Australia, The Creative Assembly team has produced a catalogue of hits throughout their history and notably is the team behind the award winning Total War franchise.

Super Monkey Ball Deluxe, for the first time on PS2 and Xbox consumers for the first time, features 300 stages (114 from Super Monkey Ball, 140 from Super Monkey Ball 2, and 46 Deluxe-exclusive boards). Read more for new screens ...

Battles In Normandy brings wargamers back to the western front with historical scenarios including two monster campaigns, and eight smaller historical scenarios. A full scenario editor is included and additional free scenarios are available online. This demo includes both a tutorial on the game and a full “Ardennes Offensive” scenario, also known as the Battle of the Bulge. Read more for download links ...

Capcom Fighting Evolution features a diverse cast of characters as well as additional hidden characters from each of the following titles: Street Fighter II, DarkStalkers, Street Fighter III, Red Earth and Street Fighter Alpha.

Already revealed a few days ago, SEGA of America, Inc., SEGA Europe Ltd, and The Creative Assembly, known for the Total War series, today officially announced a partnership to create the action-based Spartan: Total Warrior for the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube. The first game in the new Total Warrior franchise represents the development giant's first console release. Read more for details and the first screens ...

During SEGA's Sonic the Hedgehog induction into the Walk of Game tonight, it was revealed with a brief trailer that SEGA is working on a new title in the franchise, but this time the focus will be on Sonic's sworn enemy, Shadow. While no details were disclosed, it will be yet another platformer, albeit with some twists, and the clip showed environments and gave you a taste of what to expect, graphics-wise. Shadow the Hedgehog is scheduled for fall 2005, and SEGA promised there will be more information about "several" new Sonic titles. Read more to download the trailer and see for yourself.

Following a successful 18-month period publishing PC games in Europe, new British video game publisher Digital Jesters announced today that Bet On Soldier, the first-person shooter for PC that has all of Europe buzzing, will be the company’s first foray into the U.S. gaming market, will ship this summer.

EA Tiburon is working on the first patch for EA Sports' NASCAR SimRacing due to be released in the near future. Blackhole Motorsports managed to get their hands on a tentative fix list which indicates there are quite a few tweaks, gameplay adjustments and fixes to be made. Read more for the full fix list...

Konami today announced that it has shipped two video game titles based on the hit TOKYOPOP anime property Rave Master. Rave Master: Special Attack Force for the GBA and Rave Master for the GameCube are over-the-top fighting games that feature storylines, characters and locations from the popular Rave Master animated TV series and comic books.

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, 15-time New York Times best-selling author and expert on US military, global conflict and future military technology. Not even in stores yet, but here is the first patch, although no specific details available (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for download links ...

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 :

• Battlefield 2 - Proper BFCON LAN Trailer
• FEAR - Trailer #3
• Empire Earth 2 - Tara Teich Diary #2
• NIBIRU - Trailer #2
• Splinter Cell Chaos Theory - NSA Trailer #5
• Rayman DS - Trailer #2
• Silent Hunter 3 - Trailer #7

According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, three members of a global computer piracy ring admitted Thursday they shuttled millions of dollars in computer games, movies and software around the world through a coded system of Web sites and chat rooms. One of the three people in question is Seth Kleinberg, Executive Editor of Game-Over.net, who apparently was arrested last April as part of Operation Fastlink. Read more for details ...

Earlier today Epic and Ubisoft announced support for AGEIA's new PPU, SEGA Corporation now also announced a license agreement with AGEIA Technologies Inc. that entitles it to use the NovodeX Physics SDK NovodeX in games developed for the PC and next generation game consoles.

LEGO Star Wars combines two childhood favorites, LEGO and Star Wars, to create an innovative and exciting action-adventure title designed for young gamers. The game is based on The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and the eagerly awaited Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, slated for worldwide release in May 2005.

Guild Wars is a Competitive Online Role Playing Game with an emphasis on rewarding player skill. In large head-to-head guild battles, cooperative group combat, and single player missions, players will explore a fantasy world while pursuing professions and acquiring skills to develop their own personalized character. Unique items, special abilities, and a wide variety of skills add meaningful value for the player and for their comrades.

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. Hip Games today released information on Breeze, the arch enemy of Anya Romanov. Read more for details and screens.

Forza Motorsport gives Xbox gamers who are passionate about cars and racing the opportunity to own, customize, and race their favorite cars in a realistic driving simulation. From sport compacts to LeMans prototypes, players use earnings from hundreds of races to buy upgrades and aftermarket parts so they can transform real production cars into high-performance race cars.

Ubisoft and developer Gearbox Software today announced that their World War II game Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 has gone gold for the PC and the PS2. Both the PC and PS2 versions will be available in stores on March 17 for the manufacturer's suggested retail price of $49.99.

Developed by Monolith Productions, F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Assault and Recon), is an intense first person close-quarters combat experience with rich atmosphere and an engaging storyline. Vivendi has just launched a new F.E.A.R. teaser Web site, which features a flash embedded trailer and screens, although with mostly previously released material.