Konami today announced a multi-year agreement with FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide, co-producer and licensor of American Idol, that gives the company the exclusive interactive video game rights for American Idol.

EA has signed a pact with New Line Cinema extending its rights to make games based on The Lord of the Rings franchise using images and actor likenesses from the pic trilogy. In addition, EA has now also signed a deal with with Tolkien Enterprises for J.R.R. Tolkien's literary trilogy, previously in the hands of Vivendi, giving it rights to use events and characters from the books not used in the pics.

Metro 3D announced today that it has reached an agreement with Data Design Interactive to publish 9 affordable Playstation2 and budget PC games in the UK. Read more for details ...

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 :

• Tomb Raider Legend - Trailer #4
• We Love Katamari - Trailer #2
• Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves - Trailer
• The Con [PSP] - Trailer
• Jak X: Combat Racing - Trailer #4
• Sun - Trailer
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  We will update this throughout the day when new trailers become available. Read more for download links ...

Phantasy Star Universe is being developed for both the PS2 and the PC, offering two complete RPG experiences - a single-player action adventure spanning multiple planets, and a robust online multi-player component.

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 :

• Bet on Soldier - Trailer
• Far Cry Instincts - Island Editor Trailer
• Need For Speed Most Wanted - Trailer (2)
• Rainbow Six 4: Lockdown - AI Trailer
• Nightwatch - Trailer
• Resident Evil 5 (PS3/X360) - Trailer
• Star Wars Battlefront 2 - Trailer #5
• Star Wars: Empire at War - Trailer
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  We will update this throughout the day when new trailers become available. Read more for download links ...

Oblivion is a single-player game that takes place in Tamriel's capital province, Cyrodiil. You are given the task of finding the hidden heir to a throne that sits empty, the previous emperor having been killed by an unknown assassin. Oblivion is another leap forward in role-playing with its combination of freeform gameplay and cutting-edge graphics.

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.

Top Spin takes 16 of the top professional tennis players in the world including Maria Sharapova, Roger Federer, Venus Williams and Carlos Moya and puts them in gamers' hands to create the most realistic tennis game ever. Players must work their way up from an unranked amateur with no skills, to a top ranked player in the world with huge endorsement deals. Top Spin is the only PS2 tennis game playable online.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Winter Assault features a deeper single-player experience, a brand new fifth race – The Imperial Guard – and even more intense Dawn of War action. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Winter Assault is based on the world of Warhammer 40,000 - the dark, futuristic, fantasy universe from Games Workshop.

Ubisoft announced today that its Montreal studio is working on Battles of Prince of Persia, a card based action game situated between Sands of Time and Warrior Within. Scheduled for released this holiday season, Battles of Prince of Persia will have you command units and troops by means of a Tactics interface, and controls fights by means of a card based battle system utilizing specific rules.

The first-ever Battlefield console installment will drop players into the heat of battle on the high tech frontlines, entering a new modern era of combat with more firepower and new expansive environments. Armed with the latest modern weaponry, players can take control of over 30 vehicles, including tanks, helicopters and fast attack vehicles, to engage in major conflicts in some of the largest online battles.

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.

Hammer & Sickle is new turn based strategy game set in the award-winning Silent Storm universe, and currently in development by Nival Interactive (thanks Huxley Union).

Picking up immediately where the original Myst ended, players are presented the privilege, challenge and responsibility of restoring the lost empire of the D'ni - an ancient civilization of people who thrived for thousands of years but later met with a great catastrophe. Myst V: End of Ages advances the graphical beauty and detail of its worlds with a fully immersive 3D environment, art and visual design director Josh Staud tells us all about it ...

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.

With The Sims 2 Nightlife, players will be able to take their Sims out to hit all the swanky hot spots in the all new downtown location and spice up their lives with an all new dating gameplay and a new life goal focused on pleasure seeking. A set of recently released screens and new 'Karaoke' trailer...

Microsoft reported a 37 percent jump in fourth-quarter profits today, citing strong sales across all its divisions, from servers to its Xbox console and video games. For the quarter ending June 30, Microsoft's net earnings climbed to $3.7 billion, up from $2.69 billion a year ago. Sales also jumped 9 percent to $10.2 billion, up from $9.3 billion a year ago.

Darkwatch is an original FPS combining the Western and Horror genres to create a cinematic experience with unparalleled depth and game play variety. As half-vampire Jericho Cross, players must hunt down a powerful vampire lord whose undead minions have overrun the Wild West. The result is a stylistic premise blending western and vampire-horror milieus, and one injected with innovative concepts.

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 :

• America's Army: Rise of A Soldier - Dev Diary #2
• Fable: The Lost Chapters - Trailer #2
• Madden NFL 2006 - Trailer #4
• Perfect Ace 2: The Championships - Trailer
• Pilot Down: Behind Enemy Lines - Trailer #2
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  We will update this throughout the day when new trailers become available. Read more for download links ...

Netcharger and MindSurge Entertainment announced today that they have opened the doors for sign-ups for the Control Monger closed beta test, starting on the 2nd of Aug 2005. Control Monger will be a 100% free to download and free to play team based online first person shooter for up to 255 players, with 7 player types (Repair, heavy, construction, sniper, demolition, soldier & spy bot), multiple modes of play on each map (CTF, KoTH, DM etc.), and supports custom made maps.

Sony Computer Entertainment announced today that it had reached an agreement in principle to acquire UK-based game applications developer SN Systems Limited. With this acquisition, SCEI aims to further enhance the development environment and tools that the company provides to the creative community for developing computer entertainment content for PS3.

Be the envy of all your friends and family and have your "Face in the Game" with Football Manager! Sports Interactive and SEGA are once again offering you the chance to feature as an actual player or member of staff in the ultimate in PC football management titles, Football Manager 2006.

Not only Rockstar's GTA: San Andreas seems to cause controversy but now Atari's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure is getting scrutinized. New York City Council Member Peter F. Vallone, Chair of the Public Safety Committee and leader of the fight against graffiti, has called for Atari to scrap plans to release its graffiti based video game, accusing Atari of aiding and abetting criminal behaviour.

Mario Superstar Baseball combines an intuitive hitting system with easy-to-learn fielding and pitching controls – making it an arcade-like experience that will appeal to baseball novices and hard-core fans alike.