Activision today announced that it has acquired game developer Toys For Bob. Most recently the companies have worked together on the upcoming children's game Madagascar, based on DreamWorks animated feature film. The game is slated to ship this month timed to the movie's release.

The "Quest for Antonia" begins May 17th when Stuff Magazine and Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) launch a nationwide search for the woman who most resembles heroine Antonia Bayle from the online video game EverQuest II.

Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure combines combat, action, adventure and stealth, using a thrilling graffiti-driven framework to tell its story of self-expression and the fight for creative freedom. A thug, an outcast, a rebel...the lead character, Trane, is all of these in Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. He sets out to earn his street cred by getting his graffiti tag up throughout the politically oppressive city of New Radius but as events unfold, Trane becomes the unlikely leader of an urban revolution.

Juniper Crescent: The Sapphire Claw is a cartoon comedy game for the PC driven by a strong, compelling story and lively, fun characters. Based on characters from the comic strip, Juniper Crescent, the player controls Scout the One-Eyed Cat as he reluctantly agrees to search for the fabled artefact, the Sapphire Claw.

Captured, conveniently forgotten, tortured, and left for dead, MI6 agent Andrew Sterling awaits execution in a Chinese prison. The story begins when a mysterious friend from his past rescues him, setting off a chain of events that could rock the very foundations of global security and wreak chaos on a worldwide level.

A deadly mist called the "Miasma" spreads across the land, killing all in its path. Having forsaken hope, the inhabitants simply await their deaths. Spero, a member of the Imperial Legion, has been given the task of hunting spirits to further the alchemic studies of his friend Viser. The young soldier hopes this will bring an end to the Miasma. Meanwhile, a shaman warrior named Linea believes that she can save the world by opening the fabled Gate of Eternity.

American Civil War: Gettysburg brings this legendary and epic battle to life on your PC. Lead the Confederate army as they fight their way into the heart of the northern aggressor or take command of the Union forces as they hold fast against the rebel invaders. Try the game for 60 minutes, and purchase a key to unlock to full game if you want to continue (thanks GameSpot).

Since Troika is no longer amongst the living this patch is not official, so use at your own discretion. This update brings Activision's Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines retail game to v1.4 (requires v1.2 patch installed) and addresses a number of known issues, gameplay tweaks, bug fixes and so forth. Read more for details and download links ...

At New York's Central Park Zoo, a lion, a zebra, a giraffe, and a hippo are best friends and stars of the show. But when one of the animals goes missing from their cage, the other three break free to look for him, only to find themselves reunited ... on a ship en route to the island of Madagascar. When their vessel capsizes off the coast, however, the friends, who have all been raised in captivity, learn first-hand what life can be like in the wild.

Auto Assault combines vehicular combat with role-playing elements. Players explore a post-apocalyptic future in customizable cars, motorcycles, semis and even tanks. Players battle other players both in arenas and in epic race vs. race wars for control of the regions in a devastated Earth.

Tomb Raider: Legend revives the athletic, intelligent and entertaining adventurer who won the hearts and minds of gamers worldwide. Lara comes alive with intricately animated expressions, moves and abilities. An arsenal of modern equipment, such as a magnetic grappling device, binoculars, frag grenades, personal lighting device and communications equipment, allows gamers to experience tomb raiding as never before.

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 :

• Asheron's Call 2: Legions - Trailer (2)

THQ has launched the official Evil Dead Regeneration website, although currently it is pretty bare. Voiced by Bruce Campbell, the game explores a "what if..." continuation from Evil Dead 2, where you control Ash, wrongfully arrested & convicted for killing his companions, and sentenced to Sunny Meadows, an institute for the criminally insane, but not for long. Ash's peaceful stay is about to end -- thanks to the perverted experiments of his very own psychiatrist, Dr. Reinhard. Hell-bent on using science to harness the Necronomicon's powers, the mad doctor unleashes the book's all-powerful Evil on the world -- releasing a new slew of Deadites, monsters and spirits, twisting reality into a hellish strudel and leaving mankind with that not-so-fresh apocalyptic feeling.

Remnants of the Stars is an open ended space simulation that features unparalleled space combat integrated tightly with an engaging story. It takes place in a massive universe which the player is free to explore and exploit. Read more for new screens ...

Power Rangers creator Bandai Co. agreed to buy Pac-Man designer Namco Ltd. for about $1.7 billion (175.3 billion yen) in cash and stock to create Japan's second-biggest toy and video-game software maker. Both companies will merge Sept. 29 and be henceforth known as Namco Bandai Holdings Inc., and be led by Bandai President Takeo Takasu and Namco Vice Chairman Kyushiro Takagi.

Bold Games has released a new patch for Gabriel Entertainment's sim John Deere American Farmer, in which you create, build and manage a successful farm. This update brings your retail game to v1.02 and addresses a crash when loading save games, menu issue on certain gfx cards and a few game tweaks. Read more for detailed fix list and download links ...

In Battlefield 2, players will choose to fight for one of three military superpowers: the United States, China, or the newly formed Middle East Coalition. Armed with the latest modern weaponry, players can take control of any of the game's 30+ vehicles to engage in major conflicts with over 100 players in some of the largest online battles on the PC. Check these new screens and trailers ...

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 :

• Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana - Trailer #2
• Cold Winter - Multiplayer Trailer
• Pariah - Trailer (Part 2)
• Tomb Raider: Legend - Trailer
• Dragonshard - Trailer #6

Act of War: Direct Action is Eugen Systems' recently released RTS game with a storyline and game universe created in cooperation with Dale Brown. Atari has released a multiplayer demo featuring two maps (Fistful of Sand and The Last Battlefield), playable as the US Army over LAN/online, and in skirmish mode (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for download links ...

Borderzone is a combat oriented game, combining elements of role-play and action. Players assume the role of Olaf, one of the few remaining humans on the planet Terra. Having to leave the safety of their outpost, gamers venture on quests and into battle, running up to five characters simultaneously and amassing weapons, skills and magic. The action and strategy of the non-linear plot unfolds in a pseudo-turn based format, leading explorers to various endings depending on which paths they choose.

Myelin Media today revealed details about the online gameplay in STACKED with Daniel Negreanu. The game will feature its own sanctioned multi-table tournament system called “STACKED Masters” and will also include involvement from the seven professional players associated with the game, providing the most in-depth online play and community experience for any console poker game.

A few weeks ago VIS Entertainment closed its Dundee office and laid off several people at its other remaining Edinburgh studio, virtually halting all production on its titles in development, State of Emergency 2 and Brave: The Search for Spirit Dancer. Today DC Studios announced that it has acquired the rights to Rockstar's 2002 sequel and will resume development on State of Emergency 2, which is now schedule for late this year, PS2 confirmed, but no other platforms are specified at this point in time. DC Studios most recently finished Ubisoft's Rayman DS and is currently also developing a multiplatform title for Konami of Europe.

While Phantagram announced it a few months ago, Microsoft announced today that it will distribute the next saga of the epic action-strategy game Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes exclusively for Xbox in late summer 2005. Read more for details & the very first screens ...

SpecForce is Techland's latest futuristic tactical shooter with a plot connected to already known Chrome. Using an optimized Chrome Engine, the gamer acts as an operative of future's special forces unit - SpecForce. Established to fight crisis situations that threaten the Federation's peace, equipped with the latest combat gear, the unit is the Federation's elite rapid reaction force.

A new development studio has been launched - fronted by ex-Team 17, Ocean and Infogrames veteran, Jon Oldham, and fifteen members of Acclaim's Manchester studio, who were working on Interview With a Made Man. Fund4Games has secured the rights & assets to the title, and SilverBack Studios have reprised development for current and next-gen consoles, and it is now scheduled for 2006. Read more for details ...