Midway today announced plans for the NBA Ballers: Phenom $100K Tournament. For two days in April, more than 1,000 of the best video gamers in the country will gather at The Music Box Fonda in Los Angeles to put their skills on display with hopes of walking away as champion in the highest paying 1-on-1 basketball video game tournament ever.

The Outfit multiplayer demo will provide X360 players with a great sample of the intense multiplayer experience (Strategic Victory) available in the final game - with up to 8 players battling to secure command points and strategic objectives throughout the map for their side. Read more for details and screens ...

Crime Life: Gang Wars is a free roaming crime based beat em up. Mixing action and strategy elements within a gritty, detailed storyline to explore modern-day urban gang culture, the player is cast as a small-time homie who must work their way through the ranks to become a gang leader.

Playing with pull back friction vehicles, ‘Mad Tracks’ players will battle in numerous challenges like races (Weakest link, red light, Roller Coaster...) or mini games (Snooker, table soccer, long jump, crocket, bowling, Darts...). More than 45 challenges in 10 original environments await, each victory unlocks new cars, new tracks or spare parts to improve performances of 16 cool vehicles.

Power your way across 15 new American-themed environments from the OutRun2 SP arcade experience. Race from coast to glorious coast with a fresh new mission structure, a license mode and online play, with up to six players for a thrilling head-to-head journey. While the console editions are scheduled for March 21st, the PC version suffers a slight delay and gets pushed to April 11, 2006.

25 to Life is the game the streets have been waiting for. Play as either cops or gangsters, in this urban-based third person shooter. The game delivers intense online gameplay for up to 16 players, as well as a rich single player experience.

Groove Games today announced the development of its new fast-paced Sci-fi FPS game, WarPath. Developed by Digital Extremes, WarPath offers up a unique single player experience as well as multiplayer modes that will challenge any shooter fan who owns an Xbox, or a PC.

2K Sports announced today new standard-setting features for Major League Baseball 2K6. With innovative Swing Stick technology, astounding Pure Motion Physics and the distinguished vocal talents of play-by-play broadcaster Jon Miller and National Baseball Hall of Fame legend Joe Morgan, Major League Baseball 2K6 is the only baseball video game that matters on any console.

SWOP, Sex Workers Outreach Project, is an organization trying to improve lives of the men & women working in the sex industry. SWOP has issued a statement encouraging parents to not purchase Take Two/Rockstar's beleaguered GTA: San Andreas. "Since the video game Grand Theft Auto accrues points to players for the depiction of the rape and murder of prostitutes, SWOP-USA calls on all parents and all gamers to boycott Grand Theft Auto."

Dreamfall: The Longest Journey is an action-packed thriller set in a large and varied game world mixing gritty reality with imaginative fantasy. The game features three worlds, three distinctly different playable characters, and exciting action-adventure gameplay wrapped in a mature, exhilarating, and innovative storyline.

Atari today announced that Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure has shipped to retail stores nationwide.

Value Price Publisher Metro 3D and games developer Data Design Interactive have been very busy over the last few months; both companies are now finally ready to unveil some high-profile changes. They would initially like to present a whole host of titles due for release this year for Playstation2, PSP, PC and Xbox formats.

FlatOut 2 is an over-the-top racing game where players experience the drive of their lives as they race around fully destructible environments in one of 16 fully customizable and upgradeable cars.

THQ today announced that a deal has been signed with Painkiller developer People Can Fly to bring their forthcoming title to consumers worldwide. Under the terms of the agreement, the as-yet untitled game is expected to be developed for a global release across next-gen platforms in fall 2007.

Featuring all new authentic tricks, FIFA Street 2 provides new gameplay experiences by making over-the-top moves and skills even bigger in this fast-paced sequel.

OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast is the latest installment in the iconic OutRun series, giving a new legion of gamers the opportunity to experience the thrills. Power your way across 15 new American-themed environments from the OutRun2 SP arcade experience. Race from coast to glorious coast with a fresh new mission structure, a license mode and online play, with up to six players for a thrilling head-to-head journey.

In Sonic Riders, Dr. Eggman challenges Sonic and his friends to a Worldwide Grand Prix, and the prize for coming out on top is an ultra-rare Chaos Emerald! Gliding on air boards gamers will experience a heightened sense of Extreme sports-style racing tension as Sonic and his pals perform tricks and stunts over treacherous wide-open terrain.

As the only game that offers an open, fast-paced driving action-movie experience, Driver: Parallel Lines features an unfolding storyline of double crossing and revenge. Set in a photorealistic interpretation of New York City, players take on the role of a notorious 18 year old who, free from conscience and rules, is the most sought after driver-for-hire in town.

Activision announced today that two of its games were honored at the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' Ninth Annual Interactive Achievement Awards Call of Duty 2: Big Red One earned "Outstanding Achievement in Story and Character Development" and The Movies was named "Simulation Game of the Year."

Dead or Alive 4 will redefine 3-D high definition graphics and sound, creating the most visually beautiful and realistic looking video game to date. DOA features online capabilities via Xbox Live, new interactive stages, an all star line-up of old and new favorite characters, and the most complex countering system yet.

Eidos Interactive today confirms that Commandos Strike Force, developed by Pyro Studios, will be released on April 4th, 2006 on PS2, Xbox and PC in North America.

In “Painkiller: Hell Wars,” gamers play the role of Daniel Garner, who after an unfortunate car accident is trapped between Heaven and Hell. To escape purgatory and find his salvation, he must fight mobs of hellish monsters to stop an imminent Unholy War.

SEGA announced today that Sonic Riders went gold and will be shipping to retailers in North America on Feb 21, 2006. Sonic Riders integrates extreme sports, high-speed racing and head-to-head battles, and offers a new racing experience with Sonic.

Panzer Elite Action is a fast-paced WW2 action game that lets the player feel the power of 30 tons of steel armor around them and gives them the ability to command increasingly powerful tanks in a series of intense and dramatic battles.

According to the rumor section in the latest issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) X360 owners could still see F.E.A.R. on Microsoft's nextgen console in 2006. Not really that much of a stretch as F.E.A.R developers Monolith have already made Condemned for the Xbox 360, which used the same engine, so technologically, it should be feasible. If it is indeed scheduled for this year, there should be an official announcement shortly.