Reuters is reporting that U.S. video game sales rose 8 percent in 2004, despite a drop in sales in December due to widespread hardware (PS2/Xbox) shortages, analysts said on Friday. The Xbox outsold the PS2 slightly in the month, analysts said, but both consoles sold fewer units than they did in December 2003

After yesterday's server patch, LucasArts has released a new client patch for Pandemic's sci-fi shooter Star Wars Battlefront. This update brings your retail game to v1.2, and adds mod map names, adds invisibility counter, network code improvements, resolves some balance issues, and regaular fixes. Read more for download links ...

Activision has released the final v1.5b patch for its WW2 based FPS Call of Duty which resolves an exploit that can be used to crash servers. This is a server side only patch. If you do not plan on hosting a server there is no need to download and install it. Read more for download links ...

Project: Snowblind is a the first-person action shooter putting you in the role of an elite super soldier, fighting on the front lines of a near-future war using unique weapons, abilities and high-tech gadgetry that inject depth and variety to gameplay. Read more for new screens and trailers.

Auto Assault combines vehicular combat with role-playing elements. Players explore a post-apocalyptic future in customizable cars, motorcycles, semis and even tanks. Players battle other players both in arenas and in epic race vs. race wars for control of the regions in a devastated Earth. Check the revamped Auto Assault site, or read more for a batch of new screens ...

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 :

• Brothers In Arms - Trailer
• Legend of Kay - Trailer #4
• Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure - Trailer
• Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory - Developer Diaries (3)
• Starfox Assault - Intro Movie

The official Counter-Strike Bot will be released for Counter-Strike: Source on Monday (January 17th). The Bot features enhanced abilities and will be available for all owners of Counter-Strike: Source. Also included in Monday's release is an updated version de_tides, rebuilt by Turtlerock Studios.

The Sims 2 University is the first expansion pack for the highly-acclaimed The Sims 2, giving players of The Sims 2 the ability to watch their Sims become young adults and put childhood behind them as they settle into an all-new college town to live out their ultimate college fantasy.

Sony Online Entertainment today announced the addition of LucasArts' Star Wars Galaxies to the Station Access subscription plan. Now, all SOE-developed massively multiplayer online games are available to subscribers for US$21.99 per month. Star Wars Galaxies will be added to Station Access on Feb. 1, 2005.

Maximus XV Abraham Strong: Space Mercenary created by Rebelmind is a sci-fi RPG/action title presented in astounding real-time 3D graphics. This update brings your retail game to v1.02, unfortunately no details as to what it fixes are available at this point (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for download links ...