Well here we have it. Earlier this week Microsoft head honcho Bill Gates himself let slip that the Xbox sequel would be coming "this year," which has now been further narrowed down by an MTV on-air schedule advertising the Xbox 360 unveiling next week. "This special highlights the exciting new generation of XBOX. Packages include: Tours of the design labs Interviews with the designers Behind-the-scenes and inside scoop Never-before-seen footage of new videogames. Trailers of the newest games that are due out in November for the new XBOX." We can further confirm this as last week a developer, working on an Xbox 360 launch title, said his product would ship in November. Time to get excited!

Smart Bomb is an intense, adrenaline pumping, explosive experience for the PSP handheld! As a member of the Bomb Disposal Unit (B.D.U.), you are tasked with diffusing a highly intricate series of bombs which have been planted in various locations around the world. With over 150 different 3D puzzles, Smart Bomb will test your concentration, wit, and problem solving skills.

Namco announced today the first title based on the popular Berenstain Bears license, The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree. "The Berenstain Bears" series of books and TV specials has been delighting youngsters around the world for over 4 decades. Now, with the blessing of creators Stan and Jan Berenstain, Brother Bear, Sister Bear and cousin Fred make the leap to interactive entertainment for a new generation of children to enjoy.

Enlight announced today that TrackMania Sunrise, the racing heir to the original "Trackmania," has shipped and is now available in stores across North America. Developed for the PC by Nadeo, TrackMania Sunrise offers gorgeous environments, competitive multiplayer race modes, and insane customizable tracks with off-the-hook jumps, loops, and tight corners.

Destineer today announced that it has acquired Atomic Games, Inc., a pioneering developer of action-oriented military strategy games.

Software developers have figured out how to extract files from the Universal Media Discs used in Sony's new PlayStation Portable, though there is no way to play the games extracted from those discs.

Rising Kingdoms is an RTS set in a fantasy world, which focuses on empire development and dynamic tactical battles. This impressive title stays true to Haemimont's long tradition of RTS and RPG type games that started with Tzar: the Burden of the Crown and Celtic Kings series – Celtic Kings: Rage of War and Nemesis of the Roman Empire a.k.a.Imperivm II.

Volume one in The Virtual Battlefield Series, Beyond Blitzkrieg is a WW II MMO featuring the armies, vehicles, weapons and equipment found on the battlefields of Western Europe 1939-1942.

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 :

• The Witcher - E3 2005 Trailer
• Battlefield 2 - Trailer (2)
• Medal of Honor European Assault - Trailer
• NBA 06 - Trailer (6)

Tampa Bay Lightning All-Star center Vincent Lecavalier has signed with EA to be the cover athlete and spokesman for its EA SPORTS branded NHL 06 game. The highly skilled assistant captain of the Lightning is the perfect choice for the 14th season of EA’s NHL franchise as shooting and scoring have never been so much fun.

NCsoft and Cryptic Studios announce the release of City of Heroes Issue 4: Colosseum, the fourth expansion of the award-winning massively multiplayer online game. This free release of Issue 4 marks the one year anniversary of City of Heroes’ original launch. During that time the game has undergone a major transformation in terms of size, population and game features, the most dramatic being Issue 4’s introduction of player-versus-player (PVP) arenas.

Bet On Soldier is a first-person shooter which presents something considerably different in order to stand out from the crowd. With a corporation-takes-over-the-world-style plot, Bet On Soldier allows players to do exactly what it promises with its title - that is, bet on the outcome of encounters with specific enemies. Before entering battle, players can wager on which particular enemy soldiers they are going to kill.

2K Games today announced Shattered Union, the latest innovative title from Take-Two's PopTop Software studio. Read more for details and screens ...

Imperial Glory promises to be the most extensive strategy game ever, offering an in-depth management model along with graphically stunning real-time land and naval battles in full 3D. Choose which of the five great 19th century Empires to lead: Great Britain, France, Russia, Prussia or Austro-Hungary, each with their own unique attributes.

Marie Sylla, Director of Government Relations & Counsel made a statement, "We are pleased that the California House Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism and Internet Media did vote out A.B. 450, the Yee bill which prohibits the sale of certain types of video games. It is evident that most of the committee members recognized the obvious flaw with the legislation - that it is wholly unconstitutional. However by no means do we consider this vote against Yee's bill a win for the industry, as it is likely that Assemblyman Yee will push for reconsideration on his bill. Retailers are making their best efforts to ensure that their stores are complying with their policy of carding for 'Mature' rated games and would like to be given the same opportunity as the movie theater owners and music retailers."

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 :

• Singles 2: Triple Trouble - Trailer
• Delta Force: Black Hawk Down [Xbox] - Trailer (2)
• Loco-Mania - Trailer
• Pariah - Trailer (2)
• NBA 06 - Trailer

'Age of Empires III: Age of Discovery' is set in 1500 A.D. and chronicles the Age of Discovery that started around the time that Columbus "discovered" the new world. The single player campaign follows American history up through 1850, and in multiplayer mode, you'll be able to choose from among eight different civilizations, and there will include free-for-all and team-vs-team matches for up to eight players.

Fable: The Lost Chapters will feature a host of enhancements from its top-selling Xbox version, including new quests to conquer, areas to explore, creatures to slay and story elements to discover. Fable: The Lost Chapters is expected to reach store shelves this fall.

Codemasters has expanded its management team with the appointment of two world class executives to lead the company's growth strategy. Following the acquisition of 40% by Benchmark Capital Europe, the top tier venture capital firm, Codemasters has secured Rod Cousens as Chief Executive Officer and Tony Williams as Chief Operating Officer.

Video Games Live features music from some of the biggest video games performed by top orchestras and choirs across the country combined with video footage, lasers, lights and live action to create an explosive and unique entertainment experience. The national tour launches this summer at the world famous Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on July 6.

Vanguard: Saga of Heroes will be the premier third generation massively multiplayer RPG. A vast, seamless, immersive virtual world filled with elements of familiar High Fantasy, including traditional themes and more, all depicted using cutting-edge graphics technology. Sigil’s expertise and experience in the field will bring groundbreaking static and dynamic content to the genre.

The series famous for relentless intensity is returning bigger, better looking and more frantic than ever before. Sam Stone is back to rescue the universe one bullet at a time against overwhelming hordes of time traveling enemies in Serious Sam 2. Built from the ground up with a completely new engine, Serious Sam 2 will be a shot of adrenaline to the hearts of first-person shooter fans across the world. This is serious!

Xfire and Planetwide Games have announced that starting today, they will be offering a free 14-day trial download of "RYL: Path of the Emperor" - the massively-multiplayer online role-playing game. This 14-day trial download offers new online game players the ability to experience "RYL: Path of the Emperor," which has the look and feel of an RPG and a FPS hybrid in a massively multiplayer online role playing game.

THQ today announced record sales and net income for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2005, with net sales climbing 18% to a record $756.7 million from $640.8 million a year ago.

In Gene Troopers you are in the heart of a unique, vibrant and living universe. Explore amazing new worlds, develop your character into a stealth or battle professional, control supernatural powers, make friends with powerful characters and lead them into battle against the forces of evil. Experience a captivating sci-fi story, high-paced action and thrilling game play in a setting never seen before.