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.

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 ...

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 ...

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.

Crave Entertainment announced today the release the first handheld version of the Tokyo Xtreme Racer series with Tokyo Xtreme Racer Advance for GBA. For fans of Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero and Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3, Tokyo Xtreme Racer Advance will take players beyond the open roads of Tokyo and onto the motorways of London and the freeways of Los Angeles.