MadMinute Games and Activision Value have amicably parted ways. The Take Command Series will no longer be published under the Activision Value label. MadMinute Games, Inc. will announce their next title in October 2005.

Sign up to Xbox Live on or before 31st August 2005 and you will get one of three games absolutely free! Choose from Forza Motorsport, Conker: Live and Reloaded or Dead or Alive Ultimate. If you're quick about it and are one of the first 200 to sign up you'll get all three games for free!

Vivendi Universal Games' revenues for the first half of 2005 are €238 million were 61% above the prior year, mainly driven by World of Warcraft and the first quarter launch of Robots, a children's game based on the movie.

PopCap Games, creator of such hit casual games as Bejeweled, Zuma, and Bookworm, today announced an agreement to acquire Sprout Games, developer of Feeding Frenzy, Pizza Frenzy and Iggle Pop!.

The waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, relating to the proposed GameStop-EB Games merger, has ended. The merger transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2005, although it remains subject to approval by stockholders of both companies and other customary closing conditions.

Virtue Games is a multimedia game development studio that plans to change the mediocrity associated with Christian games. They have brought together a team of highly experienced professionals, from computer industry graphics experts to Hollywood special effects gurus, to produce the highest quality Christian computer games to date.

Lawmakers voted Saturday to ban the sale of violent or sexually explicit video games to minors in Illinois, a move other states and cities have tried but federal courts have repeatedly struck down.

LucasArts today announced a new Indiana Jones video game, set for release on next-generation consoles in 2007, Star Wars Battlefront II for PSP this fall, in addition to previously unveiled PS2, Xbox, and PC versions.

Buena Vista Games announced today that Classic Media, Inc. has awarded BVG the video game publishing rights to the comicbook property, Turok. The new Turok games will target the core gamer audience and will be developed by BVG's new Vancouver studio, Propaganda Games, and are scheduled for multiple console and handheld game platforms, including the next generation successors.

Nival Interactive is pleased to announce its purchase of a controlling interest in Targem Games, one of Russia's leading game developers. The deal is part of Nival's competitive strategy to create a global video game development company that will produce next-generation console and wireless games with universal appeal while maintaining its strong position in the PC game market.

Destineer today announced that it has acquired Atomic Games, Inc., a pioneering developer of action-oriented military strategy games.

Marie Sylla, Director of Government Relations & Counsel made a statement, "We are pleased that the California House Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism and Internet Media did vote out A.B. 450, the Yee bill which prohibits the sale of certain types of video games. It is evident that most of the committee members recognized the obvious flaw with the legislation - that it is wholly unconstitutional. However by no means do we consider this vote against Yee's bill a win for the industry, as it is likely that Assemblyman Yee will push for reconsideration on his bill. Retailers are making their best efforts to ensure that their stores are complying with their policy of carding for 'Mature' rated games and would like to be given the same opportunity as the movie theater owners and music retailers."

Video Games Live features music from some of the biggest video games performed by top orchestras and choirs across the country combined with video footage, lasers, lights and live action to create an explosive and unique entertainment experience. The national tour launches this summer at the world famous Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on July 6.

Valve and Vivendi today announced the settlement of a pending federal court lawsuit filed by Valve in August 2002. The parties have resolved their differences, and the settlement provides for the dismissal of all claims and counterclaims. VUG will cease distribution of retail packaged versions of Valve's games, including Half-Life, Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero and Counter-Strike: Source, effective August 31, 2005, and notify distributors and cyber cafes that were licensed by VUG that only Valve is authorized to distribute Valve games to cyber cafés and grant cyber café licenses. All previous license agreements made by Vivendi are being terminated. Needless to say, settlement or not, this is a huge win for Valve.

Buena Vista Games announced today that effective from Summer 2005, it will become a multi-platform publisher launching a portfolio of high profile video games in the UK, Germany and France. BVG will extend its current portfolio of kids- and family-focused titles to a wider audience, to include 'tween, teen and core gamers.

Buena Vista Games today announced two major business deals to strengthen the company's internal game development capabilities and further its goals of becoming a top tier publisher of handheld and console games. The deals include the acquisition of acclaimed Salt Lake City-based video game developer, Avalanche Software LC and the establishment of a start-up development studio in Vancouver, Canada, led by former Electronic Arts Canada senior development and business staff.

A contract between video game developers and unionized actors lending their voices to video games is set to expire on Friday, and no new contract has been agreed upon, leaving open the possibility of actors on strike. The Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA are in negotiations with a group of major videogame publishers, all of which have come to rely on union talent for increasingly cinematic videogames. Since videogame revenue rivals that of the box office, SAG wants a piece of the pie, and a strike could affect actors such as Clint Eastwood, Vin Diesel, or even Marlon Brando in EA's The Godfather. Read the full article over at Variety...

Game Savant announced that phase one of their three-part rollout has begun. In today's world it takes a full time employee to try and review new games before you purchase them, but they only cover the big ones. What about all the wonderfully innovative independent games out there? Phase one of Game Savant is to take the month's best releases and bring their playable demos via CD to your doorstep, free.

Today Ubisoft announced an exclusive multi-title licensing agreement with Sony Pictures Consumer Products to develop and publish games based on "Open Season" and "Surf's Up," the first two feature-length animated films from Sony Pictures Animation.

Vista Engine is an integrated system for the creation of modern high-quality RTS & RPG games. The system unites the latest technological innovations, multi-purpose tools for creation and assembling of game content and the most important part - full visual control over general structure, content and game logic without additional programming or scripting. Read more for details and screens...

TKO Software announced today that it entered into an agreement whereby Iron Will Games of Austin, Texas will assume full operational responsibility for its MMOG (massively multiplayer on-line game) title, Ashen Empires.

A few days ago we revealed that KD-Labs has formed a new label KDV Games and today they announced the signing of a deal which will see Codemasters publish their first, yet unannounced, title. KDV Games is focused on the development of new technologies and professional toolsets for the effective creation of quality entertainment software and the new project will become the first testing ground for its brand new Vista Engine.

The K-D LAB team announces the establishment and active promotion of a new trademark KD VISION Games Development Company. The people behind KDV Games are a team of professional computer games developers, who have worked hard on the promotion of K-D LAB's brand in national and world markets for many years.

Telltale Games, a new development studio in Northern California today outlined the company’s plans to re-energize the Adventure Game category from their San Rafael headquarters.

VU Games announced today the lineup of titles the company will be showcasing at the World Cyber Games Championship Expo in San Francisco from October 7th through the 10th. The Expo will be open to the public and will be located at and around Polk Hall, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in Downtown San Francisco.