2K Games and 3D Realms today announced Prey, a revolutionary first person shooter for PC and a next-generation console system in development at Human Head Studios, under the direct supervision of 3D Realms. Prey will be on display at ATi's booth...

Vivendi Universal Games announced today that the real-time strategy game Empire Earth II has shipped to retail stores in the US and will be available for purchase by Thursday, April 28th. The game carries a suggested retail price of $49.99 for the PC and has been rated "T" for Teen audiences by the ESRB.

Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves will entice a broad range of players with multiple tiers of gameplay to reach both the hard core and gaming novice. Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves will draw players immediately into the devious adventures of Sly and his crew by offering a unique cast of playable characters, a challenging dual analog stick multiplayer mode, new vehicles, mini-games, disguises, enhanced combat move sets and much more.

Techland's Island of Living Dead is a survival horror FPP shooter where action is situated in the near future, when all of today's threats and fears become reality. Global pestilences, mutating viruses and products of illegal genetic engineering begin to devastate mankind. The player, surrounded by mutants and half-dead enemies, will struggle for his life. "Island of Living Death" uses the Chrome Engine, among other simulation of environment devices, and all top notch vertex- and pixel-shader-based visual effects to provide an unforgettable experience of playing your own life in the amazing world of the near future.

Topware Interactive Inc. has officially entered the North American market as both a publisher and distributor of PC and console software. All three principals of Topware Interactive Inc.: Alexandra Constandache (owner), Dirk Hassinger (CEO), and James Seaman (Managing Director), are part of the prominent European game producers, Zuxxez AG of Germany.

Deep Silver will be joining the industry caravan to Los Angeles, presenting their 2005 and 2006 titles to the worldwide media. With many announcements to be made during the show, Deep Silver can confirm that the following titles will be on show at their stand in the South Hall (724) : D1rt, X3: Reunion, Singles 2, Earth 2160, Rush for Berlin and Hearth of Empire: Rome. Read more for details ...

Maxis-EA is redefining the Sims 2 franchise and will deliver classic open-ended gameplay along with exclusive new features. Aspirational gameplay and fully customizable content will give players the most authentic Sims experience to date on console.

Vivisector: Beast Inside developed by Action Forms (creators of Chasm and Carnivores series) is a unique mixture of 3D Action/Horror. The game blends a thrilling interactive story with intense, high-adrenaline action and immerses players in a rich and fascinating storyline.

Seems like Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is not the only movie tie-in title under development, as Walt Disney Internet Group revealed today that it is working on a Pirates of the Caribbean MMO scheduled for release next summer in conjunction with the second PoTC movie. Disney's Buena Vista Games recently acquired Avalanche Software and founded its own production studio in Vancouver. Whether either one will actually partake in the development is not clear at this point. Read the full article over at Variety...

Curse of Darkness introduces players to an entirely new storyline and main character – Hector, one of two Devil Forgemasters, who had once refined his skills under Dracula. Told in true Castlevania style, this action-packed tale of betrayal and revenge takes players on a journey through an expansive world filled with formidable foes and beautifully rendered environments to the ruins of Dracula’s castle.

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.

In the style of Hollywood’s popular horror movie genre, Obscure tracks a group of five all-American high school students who discover the halls they walk each day are anything but safe from their most horrifying nightmares. A string of mysterious disappearances and unexplained events set the stage for a night more horrifying than any trip to detention...

Featuring stunning 3D fighting action, Rave Master for the GameCube includes 19 characters from the animated series including Haru, Elie, Musica and others. Rave Master’s unique Story Edit Mode allows players to create their very own original Rave Master adventure by choosing dialogue, backgrounds and even music.

Valve has released a new Half-Life 2: Deathmatch map, dm_runoff, which is now available via Steam. If you have HL2:DM installed in your Steam games list, you will receive the new maps automatically. This release also includes a Source Engine update which moves default Steam port to 27009 (UDP) from 27030. Use -steamport to override this setting.

Rebelstar Tactical Command is a turn-based strategy and combat game with role-playing elements, "Rebelstar Tactical Command" transports players to a not-so-distant future in which Earth is ruled by an evil empire.

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 :

• Deep Sea Tycoon 2 - Trailer
• Empire Earth 2 - Release Trailer
• Fantastic Four - Trailer #2
• Guild Wars - Trailer #8

According to NPD Group, total U.S. sales of video game hardware, software and accessories rose 23 percent in the first quarter of 2005 to more than $2.2 billion The sharp increase was mainly due to the launch of PSP and NDS handhelds, and software wise the best selling product was Sony's PS2 title Gran Turismo 4, with 1.1 million copies sold. The $10 billion U.S. video game industry is keeps steady in comparison with the domestic movie box office sales.

CDV, in partnership with developer Enigma, today announced War Leaders: Clash of Nations, previously known as War Leaders: WWII. War Leaders will offer players a complete strategy experience, requiring gamers take on the role of diplomat, grand strategist and battlefield tactician in a war-torn WWII Europe.

Today Ubisoft announced that it is developing Prince of Persia 3 (working title) for the PS2, the Xbox, GameCube and the PC. Scheduled for release in the second half of 2005, Prince of Persia 3 is the third volume in the award-winning Prince of Persia franchise.

SpecForce is Techland's latest futuristic tactical shooter with a plot connected to already known Chrome. Game development has been underway for some time now, and will use an optimized Chrome Engine. Techland today revealed first details of the game's multiplayer mode, along with fresh game play footage.

Namco announced today We Love Katamari, the sequel to 2004's beloved cosmic clump-rolling game, Katamari Damacy. "We Love Katamari," available exclusively for the PS2 later this year, will feature the diminutive yet determined Prince, with an assortment of celestial cousins and the eccentric King of All Cosmos.

Today DICE announced it will be bringing its upcoming Battlefield 2 Modern Combat console title also to Sony PSP handheld. It is planned for a first quarter 2006 debut. Digital Illusions licenses the right to develop Modern Combat for PSP to EA's studio in Great Britain.

Electronic Arts today announced the release of NBA STREET Showdown and FIFA Soccer for the PSP. Now, right in the palm of their hands, players can experience the graphics, new game modes, and Wi-Fi multiplayer of both EA franchises.

THQ and Relic Entertainment today announced their latest RTS game Company of Heroes. A real-time strategy game set in World War II, Company of Heroes brings to life, in full cinematic detail, the greatest war mankind has ever known. Scheduled to release worldwide in 2006, the game will make its public debut at the E3 in May. Read more for details and the first screens ...