Microsoft today announced that the next generation of online multiplayer gaming service Xbox Live will be available in North America on the X360 starting this holiday. In addition to the free Xbox Live Silver membership available to every Xbox 360 owner, for only $49.99 (U.S.) or $59.99 (CDN)* gamers can amplify their gaming experience with a 12-month Xbox Live Gold membership. No more credit card will be required to sign up!

Cold War follows the story of Matt Carter a freelance journalist who finds himself in the midst of an international conspiracy that aims to control the U.S.S.R. Using only recovered weapons and improvised gadgets, he must now evade or overcome elite Soviet forces and defeat the conspiracy before he is sent to a Siberian prison camp or killed.

Mastiff today announced it has shipped dance game Pump It Up: Exceed for the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox. The game comes in a package that includes the special five-button Pump It Up mat, and will be available at retailers throughout North America for a suggested price of $59.99.

Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks is an Action/Adventure title driven by both intense single and multi-player action, with background interactions (i.e., acid pits, living trees, spiked ceilings, etc.), multiple new fatalities, and action-based puzzles. Midway Games today announced that Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, has gone gold and will ship to stores on September 26th, 2005.

Beginning with the attack on Pearl Harbor, this flight combat game puts players in the middle of some of the most intense naval conflict in WWII’s Pacific Theater. Check out the new screens, or download the new video showing ingame footage...

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.

MTV Films today announced that it has acquired an option on the worldwide film rights to the award-winning, action-horror video game property The Suffering from Surreal Software, a subsidiary of Midway Games.

Get ready for NBA hoops like you've never seen it before: unprecedented player detail, seamless gameplay and full arenas packed with rabid 3-D fans. This is the next generation of NBA LIVE, and it's gonna knock your socks off. As the new line of hardware consoles begin to hit stores in Fall 2005, NBA LIVE will be there, opening up a whole new dimension for hoops fans everywhere.

Ultimate Spider-Man allows players to take on the role of Spider-Man AND a super-villain in an original storyline. Dive into an immersive adventure as you experience a living comic-book illustrated with 3D Comic Inking Technology. The game's expanded, free-roaming environments deliver a deep adventure with a variety of challenging missions, diverse game play and an improved combat system that allows players to face off against the largest number of characters from the Spider-Man universe ever assembled.

Far Cry Instincts is a technically advanced gaming experience built from the ground up using the kind of cutting-edge technology that Far Cry fans will recognize from the PC title. Far Cry Instincts will ship for Xbox in September 2005.

Groove Games today announced World War II Combat: Road to Berlin, a high-intensity first person shooter (FPS) set in and around the chaotic battle grounds of Berlin during the final days of World War II. Developed by Direct Action Games, creators of the SPEC OPS series, Combat: Task Force 121, World War II Combat: Road to Berlin features single player and multiplayer action modes on Xbox Live.

EA announced today that it has shipped its hockey title, NHL 06, to retail stores. With NHL 06 players can score like a superstar, express themselves through their shooting style with the new Skill Stick and light the lamp with highlight reel moves such as spinoramas, toe drags, bat-ins, and between-the-legs shots.

Developed by Brainbox Games and using the Unreal Engine, Land of the Dead: Road to Fiddler's Green is a FPS featuring zombies, frightening effects, and key environments seen in George A. Romero's Land of the Dead horror film.

In KOTT2 players will join the ultimate battle of Paul de Raque, Grand Master of the Order of the Temple and hero of the first game, and the forces of Hell. Travelling the lands and kingdoms of 13th century Europe, Paul must unveil the secret of three mysterious ancient artefacts and fight the demon armies attacking our world.

SSX On Tour features all-new player customization that gives you the chance to join The Tour. SSX On Tour is packed with all-new highly detailed tracks, new stylish player customization options, new monster tricks, and multiplayer options.

Microsoft announced today that its Xbox exclusive Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes, has gone gold and is now ready for a worldwide release. As the most feared and respected warrior generals in the war-torn land of Bersia, players must hack-n-slash through hordes of enemies using various melee moves and magic spells, while commanding hundreds of soldiers, catapults, and dragons, to achieve the ultimate victory.

Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows is the fusion of fantasy fighting action with the strategy of user-friendly RPG elements , providing gamers a deep, engaging gameplay experience complete with solo play, co-op and an online community.

EA announced today that MVP 06 NCAA Baseball is in development and scheduled for release in spring 2006. This new version of the MVP Baseball franchise is being produced by Electronic Arts Canada in Vancouver, B.C., and will celebrate everything that makes NCAA baseball unique -- aluminum bats, intense action, and stadiums filled with school spirit and packed with passionate fans.

2K Sports announced today that the critically acclaimed NHL 2K6 has begun shipping to major retailers across North America. NHL 2K6 continues to deliver the most realistic and entertaining hockey experience with unparalleled visuals, intuitive gameplay, and a host of new features.

Atari today announced that Indigo Prophecy, a suspense-filled adventure video game, has gone gold and development is complete.  Known as Fahrenheit in Europe, Indigo Prophecy tells the story of a man whose destiny is irrevocably altered when he unwillingly commits a brutal murder. Through the use of branching storylines and multiple character perspectives, players embark on an immersive adventure on par with a Hollywood thriller. 

Driver: Parallel Lines returns to its gameplay roots with a sophisticated, adrenaline-pumping car chase AI and unprecedented vehicle dynamics and physics. Driver: Parallel Lines is set in a photorealistic interpretation of New York City, features a seamless open mission structure, and is one of the first console racing games to incorporate online play.

Atari is returning to the universe of "The Matrix" with a new game that lets players assume the role of actor Keanu Reeves' lead character Neo and relive his most important and memorable scenarios from the complete film trilogy, including the original film.

The acclaimed TOCA series will return with every element of motorsport for real in TOCA Race Driver 3. Race drivers will be competing in a massive variety of the world's most aggressive motorsports, complete with explosive damage effects, head-to-head online multiplayer racing and a game engine rebuilt for a greater degree of simulation.

Based on an updated version of the same engine technology used in Bungie's first person shooter "Halo," "Rebel Without a Pulse" puts players in control of a wisecracking zombie named Stubbs, "who takes on an ultra-modern city of the future using nothing but his own carcass and the weapons of his possessed enemies." The game is rife with tongue-in-cheek humor, a strong storyline and innovative combat techniques.

Build your own movie studio and make films to capture the world’s imagination. Start filming in the break-neck 1920s and rewrite history as you pioneer the great cinematic advances. Be the first to introduce talkies, colour, animation or computer-generated special effects. Pick the scripts you want to shoot, design and construct the sets and hire the director, the crew and the stars.