Market intelligence firm Niko Partners announced results from its latest report showing an impressive 68% growth for the Chinese video game market in 2006, with the segment of online games generating $995 million in revenue, up 74% from the 2005 level.

THQ announced that it has entered into a development agreement with Big Huge Games, known for Rise of Nations, for a brand new RPG scheduled for release on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in 2009.

Dawnspire: Prelude is a team-based online action-rpg set in an original fantasy world focuses on teamplay, tactics and player skill. This v1.28 update adds a new map, tweaks all of the classes and fixes bugs, crashes and more ...

Data Design have secured developer and publisher status for Nintendo Wii, and are currently in the process of porting 12 of their titles, the first six titles are due for released in second quarter 2007, and another 6 titles later in the year.

Super Stardust HD is a reinvigorated, HD version of the asteroid-blasting classic, while Snakeball has you gliding around on a bizarre hoversnake, snapping up colored balls to score points competing against others.

MotorStorm delivers brutal off-road racing, plunging players into a realistic - but frenzied and chaotic - environment awash with grit, mud and petrol, in a game that leaves the standard rules of racing in the dust. Sony confirmed that Motorstorm is getting a new/free update mid May, pluggin exploits, fixing audio, improving stability and various other multiplayer enhancements.

3volution Productions announced the addition of renowned producer and engineer, Jeremy Blair, as Chief Engineer and Producer to its Temple Studios in Los Angeles, where he will co-produce and be in charge of all premium music engineering for the company.

Microsoft released an update to XNA Game Studio Express which adds new functionality, enhancements and performance improvements to the software. Officially dubbed the XNA Game Studio Express 1.0 Refresh, this release is an incremental update to the previously released XNA Game Studio Express 1.0.

Black Bean Games' SBK-07: Superbike World Championship 07, developed by Milestone, promises to deliver a thrilling, accessible and engaging racing experience for both Superbike and race fans alike...

32nd America's Cup: The Game throws you in at the deep end of this supreme challenge in Spain, off the coast of Valencia, where the city is faithfully reproduced with Port America's Cup, the home of the 12 teams vying to win international sport's oldest prizes. Focus Home Interactive has released a single-player demo allowing you to check out a tutorial and two playable regattas.

1C Company announced that it will begin publishing its slate of titles in the United States for the first time ever. Between a new distribution and co-publishing partnership with Atari, Inc. and new offices in the West, consumers will soon be able to buy 1C's game in most retailers across the nation.

Microsoft has released the spring backwards compatibility update, adding 38 original Xbox games that you will be able to play on your X360. At the time of writing it is not yet available on Xbox Live, so you need to download it here, and burn it to DVD. Titles of note are Call of Duty 2/3, Jet Set Radio Future, Mercenaries, Oddworld Munch's Oddysee, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Tiger Woods 07, Republic Commando and plenty more...

Sony Computer Entertainment America today announced its 2007 second-quarter software line-up for PS3, PSP, and PS2, pomising no less than 100 new titles in the next few months across all platforms.

Sony has released a new v1.70 system software update for the PS3, delivering features such as the ability to download PSOne titles from Playstation Store (and play it on the PS3), use saved data for PSOne software on the PSP, and adding the vibration function of accessories that are for use with PSOne and PS2 titles. The v3.40 PSP update adds more PSOne title compatibility, and a change to the method of managing certificates.

Black Bean Games' SBK-07: Superbike World Championship 07, developed by Milestone, promises to deliver a thrilling, accessible and engaging racing experience for both Superbike and race fans alike...

Neverwinter Nights 2 is an RPG taking the player from the tiniest of villages into a sweeping tale of danger and war. Last week Obsidian released a v1.05 patch, but shortly thereafter removed it again, and have now released an updated version, which includes bug fixes, unit tweaks, general improvements and some new features.

Former Electronic Arts Canada, industry veterans announced today the formation of Jet Black Games, a video game development company that will focus on developing original and licensed intellectual properties for the Nintendo DS and Wii.

Super Paper Mario is not a 2-D sidescroller but an action-adventure fusing 2-D and 3-D perspectives, not to mention RPG and platformer elements. The action sprawls across eight worlds filled with traps, puzzles, bizarre mysteries and items that often draw themselves out of thin air.

Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix downloads Capcom's incredibly popular puzzle game into the new generation, featuring enhanced 1080p HD graphics, several new game modes, improved game balance, and online play.

Guitar Hero II arrives with a new track list, new venues and additional play modes – including the ability to transform the original Guitar Hero SG Controller into a rhythm, lead or bass guitar. Various gamers reported an issue with GH II's whammy bar on the guitar controller, which Red Octane recognized, and now the issue apparently has been resolved through an auto-update.

Focus Home Interactive announced a licensing partnership with the organisers of the 32nd America's Cup and Alcatel-Lucent, Official New Media Provider to the 32nd America's Cup, for the rights to create a new Virtual Skipper title featuring all the best facets of America's Cup racing.

Penumbra: Overture is an innovative first person horror game utilizing physics for interaction and puzzles. The game is set in an underground facility on Greenland where the protagonist searches for information regarding his late father.

Fire up your mind with Hot Brain, a game that engages the mind through a series of puzzles and challenges designed to raise the activity and temperature of your brain. Hot Brain presents challenging and fun mental activities that help ignite your mind in areas like logic, memory, math, language and concentration.

Funcom and Eidos announce that more than 100.000 gamers, half of those within 24 hours, signed up for the Age of Conan Beta test over the Easter holiday. Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is an online action/RPG, mixing a deep, story-driven single-player experience and a massive and brutal multiplayer end-game brings forth the ultimate representation of the Age of Conan.

Sierra Online has partnered with Marc Ecko Enterprises to bring some of their hottest apparel brands, *ecko unltd., Ecko Red, G-Unit Clothing, Avirex and Zoo York, to FreeStyle Street Basketball.