Cartoon Network and Midway have come to terms on an agreement which will allow Midway to publish five games based on Cartoon Network’s "Adult Swim" shows. Possible games to come from the deal could include Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, The Brak Show, Sealab 2021, and Harvey Birdman – Attorney at Law.

Midway has stated that no specific consoles have been selected for it’s debut of the games, with the first one coming from the agreement expected to drop in late 2006. David Zucker, Midway’s president and CEO had this to say: "The Cartoon Network is known for creating programming that is cutting-edge in its presentation and content, and thus perfectly suited for video games."

Various publications have reported that the successor to the Xbox, Xbox 2(also rumored to be called Xenon and Xbox 360) will be making it’s debut in October of 2005. Although Microsoft has not made an official statement towards the credibility of such rumors, it is not a stretch for the Xbox 2 to release in October.

Microsoft has stated their desire to "catch up" with Sony and not be left behind in release date of consoles in the next batch, and an October release date would secure them their wish. An Xbox2 domain name has been purchased, and reports that the owners of xbox360.com sold their domain to Microsoft have surfaced as well. Only time will tell the truth with the name of the next Xbox, but although October is rumored it is a very strong rumor for a release date.

Stay tuned here for more regarding the future of the Xbox 2!

Video Game publisher Mastiff today announced they will publish Pump It Up, the hot dancing game storming through Latin America, the UK, France, and Korea, for the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox. The arcade version of Pump It Up was recently featured in two national commercials and has appeared on television shows such as Steve Harvey’s Big Time and The George Lopez Show.

While other dance games arbitrarily assign positions to a dancer’s feet, Pump It Up features choreographed steps for each song and a five button mat that lets the step designers reward players for not just where they put their feet, but how the feet got there. The game features over 80 songs, including new music for the console version from cutting edge artists such as Grammy nominees Crystal Method and Steriogram, as well as Elvis vs. Junkie XL;, Earth, Wind and Fire; and Sugarhill Gang. Music familiar to fans of the arcade include top K-POP (Korean pop) acts like Sechs Kies, Honey Family, Clon and Novasonic, and songs like Beethoven Virus and Pump Me Amadeus by BanYa, the Pump It Up original band.

"It’s hip, it’s edgy, and it’s the only game out there that’s really about the dancing," said Bill Swartz, Head Woof at Mastiff. "Other dancing games are about watching the screen and stomping in the right spot, which is great if you didn’t get enough whack-a-mole as a kid. Pump It Up gets you dancing like you’re in a club."

James Ko, President of Andamiro USA says "We’re delighted to be working with Mastiff to bring the greatest dance game in the world to your living room."

The console version of Pump It Up: Exceed is based on the arcade game Pump It Up: Exceed but, in addition to the new music features a wealth of new features including three entirely new modes: Home, Sudden Death, and Survival as well as a practice and tutorial mode. Like the arcade version, the home version will also allow players to log their high scores on a world-wide score board.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Lockdown stars Team Rainbow, an elite counter-terrorism unit that is spearheading a new war on terror. They are the only ones who can save millions of innocent lives threatened by radical terrorists. In Rainbow Six Lockdown, Team Rainbow is personally attacked and their close-quarter battles reach unprecedented levels of tension and intensity. They will do whatever it takes to protect their people and bring them home. Get a deep look at the members of Team Rainbow comprised of the world’s best operatives.

Team Rainbow does not negotiate with terror. They destroy it.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Lockdown ships March 2005 and is being developed for the PlayStation 2 at Red Storm Entertainment, and for the Microsoft Xbox at Ubisoft’s Montreal studio.

Today Eidos made it known that Project: Snowblind, their upcoming first-person shooter developed by Crystal Dynamics, has gone gold. According to representatives, the game is expected to make a splash on store shelves on the 22nd of this month.

Project: Snowblind places you in the world of a middle-aged archaeologist who stumbles into things he doesn’t belong in. Snowblind is expected to bring new life to a deplenished genre, and many think it could be a sleeper hit.

The next installment of the popular Xbox Live feature, Game With Fame, features 3 Doors Down. Gamers will have the chance to play 3 Doors Down on Monday, February 21st.

Earlier today Midway announced that they have named David Sears, formerly of Zipper Interactive, a creative director at their Surreal studio based in Seattle. "David brings unequalled industry experience and design knowledge to the studio and we are very excited to have him on board," said Patmore of Midway. "David’s experience at developing games that appeal to a very large audience make him a key hire for Surreal and Midway as we gear up for next generation development."

While David Sears worked at Zipper Interactive he served as both the creative director and lead designer on the insanely-successful SOCOM series. Now, at Surreal, Sears will work on Midway’s next generation projects.

Atari, Inc., under an exclusive licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, is developing and publishing THE MATRIX: PATH OF NEO, an interactive console and PC game based on the blockbuster motion picture trilogy THE MATRIX, THE MATRIX RELOADED and THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS from Warner Bros. Pictures. THE MATRIX: PATH OF NEO is slated for worldwide release in the 2005 holiday season and will be available on the PlayStation(R)2 entertainment system, the Xbox(R) videogame system from Microsoft, and the PC.

Batman Begins, coming soon in movie and game for, will be receiving a serious boost in voice talent with the incorporation of the actors from the movie.

Christian Bale will handle the role of Bruce Wayne, otherwise known as the infamous Batman. Michale Caine will play Alfred Pennyworth, Wayne’s butler. Morgan Freeman will voice Lucious Fox,the developer of the legendary Batmobile, and Liam Neeson will voice wayne’s martial arts master Henri Ducard. Katie Holme’s will voice Wayne’s love interest Rachel Dawes, with Tom Wilkinson and Cillian Murphy voicing Carmine Falcone and Scarecrow, respectively.

Batman Begins will be released on Xbox on June 17th, the same day that the movie makes a debut.

On February 25th, gamers can expect to see the new title Scrapland in stores, says publisher Enlight. Although the Xbox version is nearly similar to the PC version, which was released in November, the Xbox version adds a new lock-on feature for gamers which make the game less eye-draining.

In Scrapland you are given the role of a robot named D-Tritus who is placed onto Scrapland and into the role of a journalist. Althougn, you eventually stumble onto a murder plot which must be solved. As D-Tritus you have the ability to morph into 15 different appearances too.

After many rumors that circulated amongst the gaming world through 2004 about Ion Storm’s future, the studio’s final chapter has been written and etched in stone. Eidos Interactive has announced that they will be shutting down the Austin, Texas based studio Ion Storm.

Eidos had this to comment, "This will mean the immediate closure of the Ion Storm studio in Austin, Texas, which has been focused primarily on the development of PC and Xbox games…. This is part of [Eidos'] move to consolidate and strengthen it’s technical and management capabilities into a smaller number of studios which are capable of scaling up in order to meet the competitive challenges that lie ahead particularly in anticipation of next-generation technologies and platforms."

With the closure of the firm, Eidos has said it will result in "the displacement of some 35 jobs." Although, Eidos has added that they will be scaling up the development staff at it’s Crystal Dynamics studio in San Francisco. The number of employees at the Crystal Dynamics studio is expected to rise by up to 50, bringing the head count up to nearly 180. Crystal Dynamics is currently working on the next Tomb Raider game.

Make a date with death. id Software(TM) and Activision, Inc.
(Nasdaq: ATVI) today confirmed the week of April 4 as the worldwide
release of never-ending evil, with the arrivals of both DOOM 3 for
the Xbox video game system from Microsoft and DOOM 3: Resurrection
of Evil, the official PC expansion pack to what critics and gamers
have raved is one of the scariest games ever created: DOOM 3.

"Brace
yourself for a new breed of fear and excitement," said Todd
Hollenshead, CEO, id Software. "DOOM 3 for the Xbox brings gripping
action, unparalleled graphics and sound, and a truly terrifying
experience to the home theater. This is DOOM 3 built for the Xbox,
including 480p and wide-screen support, full Xbox Live multiplayer, and
the Xbox exclusive 2-player co-op campaign. For fans of DOOM 3 on the
PC, Resurrection of Evil takes you to the undiscovered depths of the
UAC’s Mars base and back to Hell itself for a vicious new battle with
the forces of evil and the most ferocious demons imaginable."

Rated
10 out of 10 by XBN magazine, DOOM 3 for the Xbox brings the sci-fi
horror masterpiece to console gamers everywhere. In addition to the
most frightening and immersive single player game ever created, the
heart-pounding title features a new co-operative campaign and exciting
Xbox Live multiplayer action. The exclusive DOOM 3: Limited Collector’s Edition
also includes full versions of the original Ultimate DOOM(TM) and DOOM
II(R) playable in single player, or split-screen co-op or deathmatch
with 2-4 players on one Xbox. DOOM 3 for the Xbox is developed by
Vicarious Visions and id Software.

Co-developed by Nerve
Software and id Software, DOOM 3: Resurrection of Evil continues the
terrifying and intense action of the top selling, critically acclaimed
and instant classic DOOM 3 — awarded 94% from PC Gamer and five out of
five stars from Computer Gaming World — in an all-new assault on
humanity. Resurrection of Evil picks up two years following the events
of the original in a once forgotten and remote UAC research facility on
Mars. Players wage a brutal war against an army of new demons and
zombies including Hell’s own Hunters, while utilizing incredible new
weapons like the physics defying "grabber" and the return of the
classic double-barreled shotgun. Featuring new locations, puzzles and
mysterious powers like the ability to slow time, Resurrection of Evil
will have players reloading for the bloodiest battle yet.

Both titles are rated "M" for Mature (Blood and Gore, Intense Violence) by the ESRB.

Midway today announced the official kick-off of the Unreal Championship