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    Arcade
    GameSurge homepageNews for today's gamerInformation about the GameSurge SitetO To the Arcade MainpageTo Pinball menuTo Arcade games Menu

    Archive for October, 2001


    Wednesday, October 31, 2001


    Microsoft today announced the official settings for the Age of Empires II: The Conquerors International Tournament Finals. Sixteen finalists from around the world will meet face-to-face in Redmond, Washington on Wednesday, November 7, to compete for a total prize pool of almost $100,000. One conqueror will emerge victorious and walk away with the grand prize of $50,000. Live play-by-play coverage of the world finals will be hosted by several members of the Ensemble Studios development team, creators of the Age of Empires series. To participate, visit the Zone Theater Chat room on November 7 from 12pm to 3pm PST.

    The tournament will consist of a single elimination bracket in which opponents will be determined by a random drawing. Each match will be played using Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion and the following settings:

    Map Style: Standard
    Location: Archipelago (first round)
    Arabia (quarterfinals)
    Mediterranean (semi-finals)
    Highland (finals)
    Resources: Low
    Difficulty: Standard
    Population Limit: 200
    Starting Age: Dark Age
    Victory Condition: Standard
    Map Size: Tiny
    Reveal Map: Normal
    Game Speed: Normal
    Lock Teams: Enable
    Cheats: Disable
    All Tech: Disable
    Record Game: Enable

    Age of Empires is one of the most successful strategy game franchises in history, having sold over eight and a half million units worldwide. The series, developed by Ensemble Studios, has received numerous awards including AIAS Strategy Game of the Year awards for Age of Empires, Age of Empires II: Age of Kings, and The Conquerors Expansion; as well as the prestigious AIAS PC Game of the Year for Age of Empires II: Age of Kings. Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion challenges gamers to wage war on an epic scale with all-new civilizations, unique units and technologies, and campaigns based on infamous conquerors such as Attila the Hun, El Cid and Montezuma.

    More information about the Conquerors Expansion is available on the game's official site at http://www.microsoft.com/games/conquerors/, or on the Ensemble Studios site at http://www.ensemblestudios.com/.


    In Westwood Studios' Command & Conquer: Renegade, players will have the opportunity to experience the strategy-rooted C&C universe up close. Not long ago, we learned about a particular aspect of the upcoming shooter, and today we learn another, as Executive Producer Dan Cermak discusses the move from the familiar RTS genre to action.


    Bullet time, double jumping, geo-mod technology... these are all features of recently-released PC and PS2 games. Or wait, are they just gimmicks? It is a think line between a game feature and simply another gimmick, and Dr Foxy sets out to tell us all about it!



    Games Xtreme have a review on Codename: Outbreak, the recently released tactical first-person shooter from GSC Game World and Virgin Interactive.
    "The visuals are 'powered' by GSC Game World's proprietary Vital Engine ZL. I say that only in the loosest definition as if it were not for the high resolution textures and the ability to add detail textures, you’d think this was a quake 2 licensed game. Maybe I’m being a bit hard on it, the engine does have the ability to create outdoor areas of some considerable size, but there’s no real complexity to the layouts and internal levels are angular and repetitive."


    The Cyberathlete Professional League has opened the Aliens vs Predator™ 2 Tournament online registration at 8:00AM Central Wednesday, October 31, 2001. This tournament's grand prize is a high-end customized 2002 Ford Focus ZX3, designed by APC of Corona, CA. and valued at approximately $40,000.

    Register here:


    Matrox has come through again for the graphics market with their new Matrox Millennium G550. Is it the right choice for gamers or professional CAD artists? Could it be a choice for both? Dan CRASH Crenshaw reviews the card, its features and performance. See if it is the right card for you.

    Tuesday, October 30, 2001

    'Views

    - Falcon @ 1:14 pm PST

    Reviews:
  • GTA3
  • FRAG (An FPS-Themed Board Game)
  • Max Payne
  • Excalibur Geforce2 Pro
  • VisionTek Geforce2/3 Ti Cards

    Previews:

  • IL-2 Sturmovik Preview ­ Part II (10-26-01)

    Interviews:

  • Torc Interactive

    Etc:

  • SAS (UT MOD), Yuri's Revenge and Spider-Man 2 Wallpapers
  • New York Race Screenshots
  • Pikmin Footage Video


    Prizes at December 5-9 Intel-sponsored World Championship Event Include $150,000 Cash, Customized 2002 Ford Focus ZX3

    DALLAS, October 31, 2001 – The Cyberathlete Professional League® today announced the biggest payday in its four-year history of highlighting the competitive skills of the world’s top computer gamers. The league, which regularly brings top-ranked players together in live tests of talent, skill and stamina, will award more than $200,000 in cash and prizes at its CPL World Championship Event, powered by the Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor, Dec. 5-9 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Dallas, Texas.

    The World Championship Event is expected to attract 2,000 computer gamers from 20 countries, making it the world’s largest professional computer-game tournament. CPL events in the U.S., Europe, Australia and Latin America have awarded cash and prizes totaling $250,000 this year alone.

    The professional competitions will feature two exciting PC games: a Special Edition of Half-Life™ Counter-Strike and the just released Aliens vs. Predator™ 2. Winners of the team-based Counter-Strike tournament will share $150,000 cash, including a $50,000 first prize. The Aliens vs. Predator 2 tournament will offer $60,000 in merchandise prizes in head-to-head competition, including a grand prize of a high-end customized 2002 Ford Focus ZX3, designed by APC of Corona, CA. and valued at approximately $40,000.

    “This is the biggest payday in our history and a major stimulus to computer gaming as a professional sport,” said CPL founder and president, Angel Munoz. “Computer gaming today involves complex strategy mixed with split-second action that requires skill, training, mental agility and computer savvy. The additional element of team-play could make this one of the biggest sports of the new century.”

    The digital duels will be monitored via large screen video projectors in an expanded spectator area on site as well over the Web in live relays.

    In addition to hosting ranked players vying for prizes, The World Championship Event will also include workshops hosted by leading gaming hardware and software developers and exhibition booths demonstrating the latest technology in processors, video cards, MP3 players, sound systems, pointing devices, gamer wearables and more.

    The event also includes an open LAN area where gamers can bring their own computers to unofficially compete against other gamers connected to the high-speed network. The LAN event will have capacity for 1,000 computers and will remain open to the public 24 hours a day throughout the 5-day event.

    This year’s primary event sponsor is Intel, the world’s largest chipmaker and a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communication products. Other event sponsors include: Altec Lansing, Logitech, Fox Interactive, Sierra, PNY Technologies, Netgear, Monster Cable, Speakeasy.net and American Products Company.

    For more information on the World Championship Event, go to www.thecpl.com/championship/. General admission price is $50 all five days.

    Launched on June 26, 1997, the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) is the leading computer gamer's league in the world. The CPL has elevated computer game competitions to a professional sport, by holding massive tournaments in the United States, Germany, Holland, Great Britain, Singapore, Australia and Brazil. The high-powered CPL events host: professional computer game tournaments, product exhibitions, workshops, spectator arenas and BYOC competitions. The CPL website is located at www.thecpl.com.

    Monday, October 29, 2001


    Fishtank Interactive has created a revised release list for their various PC products coming to market in the months ahead:
    • Etherlords: November 13, 2001
    • AquaNox: November 14, 2001
    • S.W.I.N.E.: November 14, 2001
    • Call of Cthulhu: Q2 2002
    • Arx Fatalis: Q2 2002
    • Beam Breakers: Q1 2002
    • Chaser: Q4 2002

    Also, stay tuned to GameSurge in the next few days for a review of Patrician II, a recently released game from German developer Ascaran. The game is very popular in Germany, and is being marketed in the US and Canada by Strategy First.


    Project Three Interactive's upcoming release, New World Order, got yet another boost today as Matrox explicitly pledged their support for the highly anticipated shooter. The game, being developed by Swedish studio Termite Games, is set for March 2002.

    "Matrox Graphics is pleased to be working with Termite Games and Project Three Interactive in insuring that our hardware is fully compatible with New World Order," says Mike Drummelsmith, developer relations manager, Matrox Graphics. "The visual effects in New World Order are simply stunning and, when paired with Matrox's trademark image quality, result in an action packed gaming experience."

    "We are, at the moment, rapidly getting to the final stages of development, so now it becomes very important that we sort out which graphics cards suit the game best and guarantee smooth gameplay and great graphics at the same time," explains Jim Malmros, Termite Games. "With a state of the art graphics card company like Matrox backing us up, we are able to make sure New World Order can show off everything it was designed for."

    "We are extremely pleased that Matrox is supporting us in the way they do," says Robert Ercevic, CEO Project Three Interactive. "They have been of great assistance and I can't wait to play the final game on their cards. We anticipate this to be the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship."

    The Matrox Graphics development relations team works with many of the top software developers to insure compatibility and optimizations for Matrox hardware. Drawing on 25 years of industry experience Matrox Graphics is dedicated to producing top quality graphics accelerators and was the first company to introduce hardware support for Environment-Mapped Bump Mapping with the introduction of the G400 product line in 1999.


    Sierra™, Fox Interactive™ and the Cyberathlete Professional League® (CPL) are excited to announce that Aliens vs. Predator™ 2 has been approved as an "Official Tournament Game of the CPL". To kick off this partnership, the Aliens vs. Predator 2 tournament, also sponsored by PNY Technologies®, will be included in a 30-city tournament at CPL qualifying centers, a worldwide online tournament with the Cyberathlete Amateur League™ and the upcoming CPL World Championship Event. The Aliens vs. Predator 2 finals tournament will have gamers from across the nation competing for the grand prize of a high-end customized 2002 Ford Focus ZX3 courtesy of the American Products Company located in Corona, CA.

    "We are excited to be partnering with the CPL to showcase Aliens vs. Predator 2 to the gaming community all over the world. This unique tournament, with over $60,000 in prizing, will be one of the biggest computer game tournaments ever,” said Ivo Gerscovich, Director, Promotions and Strategic Partnerships for Fox Interactive. “The common vision the partners shared in putting this event together will hopefully serve to set the standard for future tournaments."

    The Aliens vs. Predator 2 finals tournament will take place December 5-9, 2001 in Dallas, Texas at the CPL World Championship Event. The maximum allowed competitors at the finals will be 200, and through online and gaming center competitions, a total of 32 auto-berths will be granted. The final tournament starts with a preliminary qualifier round of Free-For-All matches, then a dual single elimination bracket. The main round consists of a 32-player double elimination bracket

    To keep with the spirit of the game, the finals tournament registration will be launched on Halloween, Wednesday, October 31, 2001. To register for the finals tournament, log on to http://www.thecpl.com/index.html?p=avp2.


    October 29, 2001 - TimeGate Studios announced today that key members of the Kohan: Ahriman's Gift development team will be participating in a Developer's Chat on Tuesday, October 30, 2001 at 7 pm CST on Gamespy Arcade. Participants will be able to converse directly with Ahriman's Gift developers about the prequel to the award winning title, Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns.

    "A chat presents the perfect opportunity to discuss our next release, Ahriman's Gift, with those in the gaming community" says Adel Chaveleh, TimeGate's Producer. "We feel that direct interaction with Kohan fans is so important to the development of successful titles."

    Ahriman's Gift is scheduled to ship in North America on November 6th and preorders are currently being accepted from major online retailers. More information on the game as well as a full listing of all current previews, artwork, screenshots, and more can be found on the official Kohan site.

    About Kohan: Ahriman's Gift:
    The upcoming release, Kohan: Ahriman's Gift, will set new standards in Real-Time Strategy Artificial Intelligence. 30 complex AI players challenge you with different styles of play using some of the best real-time strategy artificial intelligence ever. AI will create challenging gameplay in two new game types, Turtle and King of the Hill, allowing a slower, more strategic version of Kohan's original game rules. AI players are more than capable of contributing to victory and are even able to communicate with you and respond to your requests to attack, defend, and provide economy status reports to you!


    Microsoft today announced the winners of the Links 2001 Digital Armchair Architect Course Design Contest, which was co-sponsored by Golf Digest and ran from May 15 though August 31, 2001. Mark Franzoia's entry, "Crouching Beast," was chosen by a panel of expert judges from both Microsoft and Golf Digest. Franzoia wins a trip for two to play golf with pro superstar Sergio Garcia on the winning course, then the two will tee up on a real course.

    Steve Pope captured the first runner-up prize for his creation, titled "Prestige Golf Club." For his effort, Pope receives a visit with real-life golf course architect Dr. Mark Hurdzan to play a round of golf. The second runner-up, Greg Stout, received a complete set of Pro-line golf clubs for his work on "Pacific Ridge." The winning designs and finalists' courses are now available from sites listed in the "Downloads" section of the Links Country Club.

    Contestants used the Arnold Palmer Course Designer (APCD), the most powerful 3D course design software available, to build their entries. The APCD is included in Links Championship Edition, the most comprehensive edition of the best-selling Links franchise. Players can experience the unmatched realism of the award-winning Links 2001 as they tee off on 13 of the world's finest championship courses, including four completely new courses: Oakmont Country Club, the Royal Melbourne Golf Club, the Frankfurter Golf Club, and the Robert Trent Jones Trail - The Judge Course at Capitol Hill. Links Championship Edition offers gamers a host of favorite tour players, including Sergio Garcia, Annika Sorenstam, Mike Weir, and more -- as well as new golfer animations and personalities, customizable club distances that allow for an even more accurate re-creation of a player's actual game, and faster and easier online play. Players are able to design their dream course, tweaking every inch of fairway with the APCD, and creating tunnels and arches with full control over each point on the course. Over 400 fan courses created with the APCD are available free of charge online. (For a list of sites, visit www.linkscountryclub.com under the "Downloads" section.)


    Global Operations is looking to sign up 500 players to for a public beta test of the game which will be occuring shortly. Simply log on to the game's web site at www.globalopsgame.com and follow the directions.

    Global Ops is a realistic tactical team-based first-person action title that will feature over 10 real world locations as well as more than 30 real life weapons. The game will be available on the PC in early 2002.

    Sunday, October 28, 2001


    EVE: The Second Genesis is a massively multiplayer online game, or MMPOG as we like to say. That means that thousands of players all play in the same universe and that the world is running all day, every day. The garden of eve have nabbed 6 exclusive screens of EVE: The Second Genesis in action, be sure to check them out!



    Return To Castle Wolfenstein, as everybody probably knows, features real-world-based weapons from the World War II era. However, not very many people know all that much about the original weapons themselves -- where did they come from? What were they like to use? fr0sty has done us a great service, answering these questions and more!


    Reviews

    - Falcon @ 11:00 pm PST

  • Commandos 2
  • Microsoft Mice

    Previews:
    Tech War 2 (Red Alert 2 Mod)


    GameAddicts has now just published an interview with Matt Firor, producer of Mythic Entertainment, the makers of Dark Age of Camelot. So what did Matt have to say?
    GA: With most MMORPGs, the AI-run quests are almost never worth doing. They usually involve simple and mundane tasks and offer a pitifully small reward. How does Dark Age of Camelot avoid that all too common pitfall?

    Matt: Quests are more integral to Camelot than they are to other games. Each Guild has an Epic quest that players are encouraged to embark on which explains the game's backstory to them over the course of 45 levels of playing (as well as gives them great items and experience). There are a myriad of other quests to do as well - in fact, a Camelot player can earn up to about 40% of his experience per level doing nothing but quests, if he so chooses.

    Saturday, October 27, 2001


    Westwood has sent Planet Command & Conquer an exclusive Renegade MP3 for being selected as the Renegade fan site of the week. The MP3 is called "Ammo Clip" and is an ambient-techno music track from the Renegade soundtrack.


    London, Canada - 17th October 2001 - Egerter Software today announces its new Power Render 4 SDK - a flexible middleware solution offering 2D/3D graphics and audio functions.

    "Power Render has been in development before DirectX existed and for many years has kept up with the latest technology available for 3D graphics," said Chris Egerter, Egerter Software's president. "The previous versions were mainly programming libraries only accessible to individuals with previous knowledge of 3D programming. Power Render 4 represents a a dramatic change in the SDK since new Windows based tools have been created that open up the engine to non-programmers. It provides many tools for content developers, including a fully hardware accelerated 3D level editor, model viewer and material effect editor, character animation and scripting tool, particle effect editor, exporters for 3D Studio Max, Character Studio, and Lightwave."

    By creating a number of licensing options, Egerter Software has made Power Render available to everyone from professional game developers to hobbyists and web designers. A fully functional but trimmed down trial version is available for free at www.powerrender.com.

    Using the Power Render 4 SDK, game developers will be able to deliver unique titles, on time and within budget. Game developers will be able to focus on gameplay and content rather than spending valuable time building a custom engine for their game. Typically this saves 6-12 months of development time and will jump start any 3D development project for the PC or XBox using DirectX 8.

    Power Render 4 incorporates a number of new major features, including large seamless indoor/outdoor areas using BSP's and fully deformable quadtree based terrain rendering, progressive meshes, render styles, pixel and vertex shader support, 3D Sound, CD and MP3 playback, DOT3 and environmental bump mapping, skinning, interpolation, keyframing, cube mapping, shadow maps, dynamic soft shadows and realtime water reflections.

    "The SDK was designed to be extremely flexible and is being used for all sorts of exciting applications and game genres. For example, these features are being incorporated in an ActiveX control (currently in alpha) that will let you display content and develop custom 3D applications for the web and other languages. The ability to store pixel and vertex shader code and constants inside Power Render's proprietary 3D file format makes it possible to take control of the 3D pipeline without knowledge of C/C++ programming. This technology will be used to distribute content across the web that can take advantage of vertex and pixel shader effects inside your browser using the ActiveX viewer. You can also display animated characters and interact entire BSP or terrain based levels without any programming involved."


    Planetquake has a review of the Nostromo n50 SpeedPad, a part keyboard, part wheel and part 8-way directional pad contraption. They are also giving away 2 of these units, instructions are at the end of thereview

    Friday, October 26, 2001


    Hey, I'm FingerS - latest staff addition to GameSurge. I'm currently 17 years old, and reside in Prince Edward Island, Canada. My interests include music (Tool being my favorite band), sleep, food, reading (sadly) and games (duh?).
    I'm fervently looking forward to being a member of the GameSurge staff, so expect to see news posts, editorials, and reviews from me? Thanks for your time.


    Kiltron has released several more screenshots of the upcoming Bones: Legacy Of The Vadrigar game for Q3. The shots show a couple of new weapons, as well as new environments, and textures. Also on the programming side of things, there's a tutorial on how to setup Q3's latest source code (v1.29h) and have made some easy to use batch files available to compile the code with too. These batch files should simplify the compiling process for anyone.


    EA GAMES is very excited to announce that Cel Damage for the X-Box has GONE GOLD!!!!! Cel Damage is scheduled to ship to stores on Tuesday October 30th! Mark your calendars and place your pre-orders today.

    Cel Damage is part demolition derby, part whacked-out cartoon episode come to life. The game pits a cast of crazy 'toons against each other in maxed-out, weapon-laden vehicles to out-maneuver, out-race, and out-smack each other for personal glory. Whether it is a tommy-gun totin' gangster duck, a diminutive demon with a woodchipper, or a hatchet-wielding geek in a hovercraft, these gas-powered gladiators battle it out across 12 highly interactive environments with a host of wild weapons, such as giant boxing gloves and baseball bats, at their disposal. A stylish cel-shaded look and revolutionary "stretch and squish" physics engine make it seem as if all the wild action is taking place in an actual cartoon episode. It is time to get aggressive behind the wheel because now 'toons rule the road!

    · Cruise and bruise in the souped-up rides of the toughest 'toonsaround.
    · Wield a massive chainsaw, giant axe or one of 34 other wild and wacky weapons.
    · Smack your opponents silly in deathmatch, capture-the-flag or racing modes.
    · Battle it out across 12 interactive cartoon environments.
    · Smash your friends in four-player split-screen action.

    Cel Damage will also be available for the Nintendo Gamecube end of 2001.


    The second public test for Gore is now on FilePlanet and available for download:

    This updated test features new game modes (CTF and Tactical in addition to DM), new weapons, larger levels, dynamic lighting, improved sound effects and much, much more!

    You can play the demo online through GameSpy Arcade by using the following link:

    Reviews

    - Falcon @ 5:46 pm PST

    Spider-Man
    - Tony Hawk 2 engined console port, so I guess that should tell you something.

    MAD: Global Thermonuclear Warfare
    -Mutually Assured Destruction. Kinda like a bad marriage.

    Ultimate Ride
    - has nothing to do with any kind of substance abuse.


    That brand new computer you got two Christmases ago -- you know, the one with the blazing 300Mhz Pentium II processor and 8MB Voodoo3 card? The one you've been meaning to upgrade, but were afraid would become immediately outdated again? Well, now it's really outdated. And Return to Castle Wolfenstein is going to bring it to its knees. What are you going to do now?
    http://www.3dactionplanet.com/features/articles/top10lowend/


    Gamewallpapers.com has posted a new wallpaper of Star Trek: Armada II, which is under development by Mad Doc Software and distributed by Activision. The wallpaper is based on the highres box art of the game and is available at resolutions up to 1280x1024.


    Empire Earth Ships to Retail Stores on November 13th
    Sierra Wraps Up Development on Hotly-Anticipated Real-Time Strategy Game

    BELLEVUE, WA (October 26, 2001) - Sierra today announced that Empire Earth(tm) will begin shipping to retail stores in the United States on November 13th and the rest of the world on November 16th.

    "Empire Earth is set to revolutionize the real-time strategy genre," said Mike Ryder, president of Sierra. "No other RTS offers the breadth and richness of the Empire Earth universe."

    Demand for Empire Earth has already been demonstrated through the game's retail pre-order sales success, as well as a massive beta-testing program that has been underway since August.

    Anxious fans already have an opportunity to sample Empire Earth's gameplay. A special demonstration version of the game was released for free download via the Internet on October 19th. The demo contains several single-player scenarios intended to give gamers a taste of what Empire Earth has to offer and has already been downloaded over 100,000 times.

    Empire Earth is rated "T" for teen audiences by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), and has a suggested retail price of $49.99. More information about the game can be found at http://www.empireearth.com.


    DO YOU HAVE THE DRIVE TO WIN? ALIENS, PREDATORS & MARINES BATTLE FOR A CAR Sierra, Fox Interactive and Cyberathlete Professional League Announce Partnership

    Los Angeles, CA - October 26, 2001 - Sierra(tm), Fox Interactive(tm) and the Cyberathlete Professional League(r) (CPL) are excited to announce that Aliens vs. Predator(tm) 2 has been chosen as an "Official Tournament Game of the CPL". To kick off this partnership, the Aliens vs. Predator 2 tournament, also sponsored by PNY Technologies(r), will be included in a 30-city tournament at the CPL qualifying centers, a worldwide online tournament with the Cyberathlete Amateur League( and the upcoming CPL World Championship event. The Aliens vs. Predator 2 finals tournament will have gamers from across the nation competing for the grand prize of a high-end customized 2002 Ford Focus ZX3 courtesy of American Products Company located in Corona, CA.

    "We are excited to be partnering with the CPL to showcase Aliens vs. Predator 2 to the gaming community all over the world. This unique tournament, with over $60,000 in prizing, will be one of the biggest computer game tournaments ever," said Ivo Gerscovich, Director, Promotions and Strategic Partnerships for Fox Interactive. "The common vision the partners shared in putting this event together will hopefully serve to set the standard for future tournaments."

    The Aliens vs. Predator 2 finals tournament will take place December 5-9, 2001 in Dallas, Texas at the CPL World Championship Event. The maximum allowed competitors at the finals will be 200, and through online and gaming center competitions, a total of 32 auto-berths will be granted. The final tournament starts with a preliminary qualifier round of Free-For-All matches, then a dual single elimination bracket. The main round consists of a 32-player double elimination bracket.

    To keep with the spirit of the game, the finals tournament registration will be launched on Halloween, Wednesday, October 31, 2001. To register for the
    finals tournament, log on to http://www.thecpl.com/index.html?p=avp2. For a complete listing of the finals tournament prizing, log on to www.avp2tourney.com. For information on the Cyberamateur League, the
    upcoming online tournament and registration, log on to www.caleague.com


    Sign-up before November 1st and you'll be entered in a drawing for one of three great prize packs.

    (3) GRAND PRIZES- PC GAME SYSTEM
    (1) SECOND PRIZE- A PRIZE PACK WITH (20) TOP GAMES
    (1) THIRD PRIZE- A PRIZE PACK WITH (15) TOP GAMES

    Game Systems provided by Able Electronics Prize packs provided by Strategy First and Infogrames

    Log onto http://www5.playnet.com/bv/wwiiol/contest.jsp and learn more about the contest details.


    Once upon a time there was a small game company in Chicago. They were called Bungie, and they created games that made people happy. Over time they attracted a devoted following, and their games grew in size and scope.

    One day they announced a new game called Halo which was unlike anything else. Unfortunately, Halo was not done. The world waited impatiently for this new game. And then they waited some more. And after that they waited a little longer.

    In the midst of all this waiting, the company pulled up stakes and moved across the country to a strange land where people drank a lot of coffee even when there was no snow.

    One day, when Halo was almost ready, Bungie decided to throw a party celebrating the impending release of the game. And they decided to hold the party in the city they had called home for years: Chicago.

    After a long search, lengthy negotiations, and many setbacks, they finally found a place in Chicago where they could throw a proper party. They signed the necessary contracts and, in a fit of glee, posted a notice to their website. And the notice read:

    "Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Be thee advised that Bungie is throwing a party to celebrate the launch of their game Halo, and YOU are invited! The party will take place on Saturday, November 10, in the Paris Room of the Hotel Monaco, located at 225 North Wabash Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The festivities begin at 7 PM and do not end until everyone has had their share of yummy food, refreshing beverages, and Halo. Be ye also advised that a possibility of winning a free Xbox and Halo disc of your very own exists if you attend! Be ye there or be ye square!"

    Thursday, October 25, 2001

    Morrowind Q&A

    - Raven @ 6:10 pm PST

    RPG.Vault over on IGN, have now posted the 10 addition to their onging Q&A series with Morrowind Developers, Bethsoft. In todays addition team members talk about some of their favourate locations within the Morrowind world.


    Blizzard Entertainment, has updated the Official War of Warcraft website, with new information recently added to the Frequently Asked Questions webpage. The FAQ's are broken down into five sections namely, General, World, Characters, Combat and Miscellaneous. If your interested head over to the official WoW site.


    40 news in game animations can now be seen for Artifact Entertainment, Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game Horizions, over on IGN's Horizons Vault. These images include render of a Dragon model, Ku`lak, and much more. Heres a sample:
    Dragon Taking Off


    Microsoft announced that Asheron's Call Dark Majesty is shipping today to retail locations throughout North America, and should start appearing on store shelves as early as Friday. Asheron's Call Dark Majesty, the expansion for the popular massively multiplayer role-playing game Asheron's Call, will be available for only $20.00 (U.S.) and will include one free month of play.

    "The orders for Asheron's Call Dark Majesty began pouring in before we'd even started advertising it," exclaimed Renee Reedy, Senior Buyer at Electronics Boutique. "It climbed to our top 10 best-seller list, and has stayed there ever since. We received almost double the pre-orders for Asheron's Call Dark Majesty as we did for the original Asheron's Call."

    Asheron's Call Dark Majesty includes the full version of Asheron's Call, as well as new additions such as housing and storage, two of the most frequently requested features. Players will be able to purchase their own homes on pre-designated locations, as well as use their residence for secure storage purposes. Technically, the expansion improves upon the original by introducing all new models and textures which will now require a 3D graphics accelerator. Experienced players of Asheron's Call know that the story-line has continued to unfold monthly for almost two years. The Expansion Pack kicks off the next chapter in the ongoing Asheron's Call storyline by introducing the island of Marae Lassel. Marae Lassel is a sprawling new landmass which will contain new quests, dungeons, and treasures. The island will be accessible to all levels of players who purchase the Asheron's Call Expansion Pack.

    Asheron's Call Dark Majesty is a massively multiplayer role-playing game playable exclusively on Zone.com that draws together thousands of players within a dynamic, 3-D online world. With housing, an ever-evolving story-line, and regular content updates, Asheron's Call Dark Majesty immerses players in an intense role-playing environment where they must compete or cooperate with thousands of other online players. An extensive system of allegiance and influence greatly enhances social interaction. The online nature of the game facilitates an evolving and dynamic adventure inside a consistent universe. The game will never be solved because there will always be more areas to explore and quests to complete.

    For more information on Asheron's Call Dark Majesty, visit: http://www.microsoft.com/games/acdm


    Charlottesville, VA – October 25, 2001 - Internet Payment Solutions, Inc. (PayByCashÔ), the leader in providing alternate (non-credit card) payment options for Internet subscription content, announces an alliance with World Netgames. By offering alternatives to credit cards for billing, World Netgames expects to increase accessibility to Redmoon Online, their anime-style, science fantasy, massively multiplayer online game.

    “With the launch of Redmoon Online, we are attracting gamers who follow the RedMoon comic book series and those looking for exciting play with a compelling background story,” said Kevin Hannah, VP Marketing for World Netgames. “Our goals are to make this game accessible to everyone and to provide our customers with the ability to pay any way they wish. Internet Payment Solutions demonstrated that we can enable customers who don’t want to use credit cards without modifying our ecommerce system or customer service policies."

    "Internet Payment is uniquely suited to assist World Netgames in extending its reach to anyone interested in playing Redmoon Online, whether they want to use a credit card online or not,” explained Debora Higgins, President of IPS. “Our specialty is the empowerment of non-credit card customers seeking access to subscription Internet content. This population makes up about 10% of those on the Internet and we’re proud to be able to match these people up with content providers—especially game services—who otherwise would only accept credit card customers. It’s a big win for both our business partners and the consumers needing our service.”

    Wednesday, October 24, 2001

    'Views

    - Falcon @ 4:56 pm PST

    Reviews:
  • DFI NB72-SR, RAID enabled i845 based board
  • Inno3D TORNADO GeForce2 MX400
  • The Weakest Link
  • Commandos 2: Men of Courage

    Previews:

  • NY Race

    Interviews:

  • Daniel B. McMillan of Cosmic Origins
  • Pseudo Interactive 3D artist Dave Feltham
  • GreyHawk from NWN Stratics on their planned world, Glendenmoor


    Microsoft to Feature One Favorite Zoo Animal in New PC Game Title

    REDMOND, Wash. - Oct. 24, 2001 - Going bananas over that gorilla? Does that giraffe make you laugh? Make them stars: Enter them in the Microsoft® "Zoo Tycoon™" Beast in Show campaign for the chance to be featured in "Zoo Tycoon," Microsoft Corp.'s new PC game where players build a thriving zoo and success depends on animal and guest happiness. Microsoft will donate $20,000 to fund animal care at the winning animal's home zoo.

    Launching today, the Microsoft "Zoo Tycoon" Beast in Show campaign allows animal lovers - including zoo employees, visitors and friends - to pick the zoo resident they want to make a star. Online nominations begin today and will be accepted through Nov. 15 at http://www.zootycoon.com/. Ten semifinalists will be identified, and the final round of voting will take place Nov. 19-30. The celebrated Beast in Show will be announced in December.

    "The animals are the stars of the zoo - they are the reason people visit, and their happiness and well-being make or break it - both in the real world and in the virtual world of 'Zoo Tycoon,'" said Susan Kittleson, Microsoft "Zoo Tycoon" product manager. "Beast in Show gives us an opportunity to give back to the zoos that inspired the game."

    The Beast in Show prize package includes a cash donation toward habitat and animal care to the winning animal's home zoo. In addition, America's favorite zoo animal will be featured in the "Zoo Tycoon" game. Players will be able to download the winning animal from the "Zoo Tycoon" Web site to include in their personal zoos.


    Strategy First, Playnet.com and Cornered Rat Software announced today the release of a major update to the best-selling MMOG, World War II OnlineT. The update, available at no additional cost to everyone who purchases a retail copy of the game, brings new player-controlled strategy, character advancement systems, an all-new version of the 3D game world and many other features.

    Integrated Rank, Mission and Strategic Systems

    The new version lets players gain rank with their allied and axis characters by successfully completing offensive and defensive missions. Each character begins with a rank of Private and can gain points towards higher ranks. Higher-ranking characters can post priority missions utilizing higher-value equipment and weapons. Players can track the careers of all characters through web-based scoring pages including combat effectiveness details. The new mission system also introduces vehicle and weapon limits to the battlefield, adding important new strategic elements- all controlled by players in the persistent game world.

    "Now we've added the systems for players to take control of the strategic outcome of the conflict in addition to the vehicles and weapons that engage on the battlefield. It sets the stage for players to rise in rank and possibly become battlefield commanders in the historic setting of World War II", says Producer Chris Sherland.

    Upgraded 3D Environment

    This release brings an entirely new version of the largest online 3D game world available in an MMOG. The Blitzkrieg theater, the first of several theaters planned, lets players engage in combat on a ½ scale map of Western Europe including France, Germany and parts of Great Britain. The new version adds even more 3D objects including significantly more ground cover for troops and armor. The addition of more enterable buildings and landmarks also provides players with even more combat areas all of which are positioned with historical accuracy for the time period.

    Performance Enhancements

    Since the release of the game in June, the development team has been working to increase player capacity and bring performance enhancements to the game. The goal has been to increase frame rates, reduce load times and eliminate other technical issues. This release, along with several previous patches, has resulted in significant performance increases and stability reported by players with wide-ranging systems.


    'Win More Than The War' Competition Announced

    To kick-off the newest release, Strategy First and Playnet.com have announced a competition for the World War II OnlineT community. Each week the top performers on the virtual battlefield will win copies of great game titles like 'Sudden StrikeT', 'CossacksT' and 'Empire of the AntsT' with a grand prize of an AMD 1.3Ghz computer.

    "We're set to give away great prizes to the soldiers who are the best of the best on the virtual attlefield of World War II OnlineT", says Christina Ginger, Public Relations Manager for Strategy First.

    Further information on the contest, free trial and World War II OnlineT, please visit Playnet.com or the official website at WWIIonline.com.

    More on World War II OnlineT- Blitzkrieg Version 1.3.0- October 15, 2001

    New Mission Features

    o Mission scoring now takes into account the health of the facility you are defending or attacking when tallying results.
    o Mission scoring now includes, mission priority, number of damaged and killed enemy units, the value of those units and if you returned to base safely.
    o Vehicle availability tied to state (contention) of spawn facility (spawn limits).
    o Vehicle availability limited by spawn facility resources (spawn limits).

    RPG Features

    o Rank points accumulated through participation in successful missions.
    o Higher rank provides ability to post higher priority missions worth more points to poster and participant.
    o Higher rank provides access to higher value equipment.First Person Shooter Enhancements
    o Updated collision models.
    o Revised damage model extends character life at reduced capability.
    o Revised trooper commands and states streamline operation and overall gameplay.

    Updated Terrain
    o Greatly increased concealment/cover objects (trees, bushes, grasses).
    o New enterable buildings.
    o New ground textures.

    New Vehicles
    o Bristol Blenheim Mk IV Allied Light Bomber.
    o Bf110-C Axis Heavy Fighter.

    Upgraded Defensive A.I.
    o Defensive guns target enemy trucks more aggressively.
    o New AI rebuild-system tied to facility capture, not city contention.

    Performance Improvements

    o Significant increases in frame rate.
    o New in-game terrain loading/unloading scheme.
    o Reduction in connection and CTD errors.


    With the demise or Aural last year, many were wondering who would give Creative Labs competition. Hercules has stepped up to the plate with a full line of sound cards. Dan "CRASH" Crenshaw has taken a look at the MUSE XL, Fortissimo II and Game Theater XP. Read the review here:


    Fresh today on EuroGamer a review of the ridiculously fast futuristic racing game Ballistics.
    "Ballistics is all about raw, unadulterated speed, and holding your finger on the accelerator until the screen becomes one vast motion blur. It's a game that makes Wipeout look like Driving Miss Daisy. Astride your precarious looking hoverbike you will reach the kind of speeds which are normally reserved for astronauts and fighter pilots, thanks to an ingenious system of winding magnetic tubes which act as race tracks."

    Tuesday, October 23, 2001


    Publisher Project Three Interactive today announced that its new www.p3int.com website is now open to visitors. Besides an all new format and improved looks, the new website's most important new feature is the online shop, which enables consumers to buy Project 3 games directly, with a creditcard.

    Project 3's COO Erik Schreuder says: "We are a young and dinamic company and therefore want to offer our visitors the quickest and most dinamic way to obtain our products. The shop is at this time limited to countries where we have not established distribution yet, because we are not planning to compete with our own partners: if you can buy our products in your local store, you can't buy them from us."

    He continues with an example: "A good case is the UK, where we have not received a satisfactory distribution deal yet. Obviously, we received a massive amount of requests to sell Schizm online into the UK and those consumer demands have now been met." Other countries & regions from which consumers can buy directly online are a.o. Latin-America, Africa, Scandinavia and the Middle East.

    The much improved website also features massive support for Project 3 games, with various levels of assisting: from FAQ's to cunning hints to exhausting walkthroughs. The updated download pages include trailers, wallpaper and demo's from present and future games. A special center for press contacts enables FTP server access, additional game information and massive amounts of screenshots and artwork. Of course there is large section dedicated to links with e-zines and lots of interesting interviews with Project 3 games developers.


    Cutting The Edge has released 5 new Quake 3 wallappers and 1 Team Arena wallpaper. These wallpapers are high in quality and worth the time to check out. The Quake 3 wallpapers can be found here:

    The Team Arena wallpapers can be found >here:

    And to have a look at all the wallpapers created by Cutting The Edge you can take a look here:


    XBOX TO BE UNLEASHED AT 48-HOUR VIDEO GAME MARATHON IN NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES

    Microsoft Hosts Ultimate Gameplay Marathon for the Ultimate Game System

    REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 23 -- On Nov. 2 and Nov. 3 in New York and Los Angeles, the Xbox team from Microsoft Corp. will present Xbox(TM) Unleashed, a 48-hour continuous gameplay marathon pitting gamers against one another in intense head-to-head competition. In addition to providing gamers with the chance to get their hands on the Xbox video game system and Xbox games before the system is available at retail, Xbox Unleashed will allow gamers to compete in full public view and show the world what serious gameplay is all about.

    The 48-hour marathon will test participants' skills on many of the exhilarating and diverse Xbox games that will be available at launch, including "Amped(TM): Freestyle Snowboarding," "Fuzion Frenzy(TM)," "Halo(TM)" and "Project Gotham Racing(TM)" from Microsoft Game Studios; "DOA3(TM)" from Tecmo; "Cel Damage" from Electronic Arts; "NASCAR(R) Heat 2002" from Infogrames; and "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater(TM) 2x" from Activision(R). Cumulative scores for each competitor will be tracked, and at the end of the marathon the gamer with the most points in each location will be crowned the Ultimate Xbox Gamer.

    The winners will walk away with bragging rights and one of three prize packages. The grand prize is a customized Ford Explorer Sport Trac with Pioneer Audio/Video systems and an integrated Xbox system. Second place is an Xbox console and Xbox games, as well as a spring break trip for four to San Felipe in Baja California, Mexico, sponsored by Official Xbox Magazine. Third place is an Xbox console and Xbox games, food for a year from Taco Bell(R) and beverages for a year from SoBe. Taco Bell will be on site at the marathon offering samples of its new chicken quesadilla, and SoBe will be serving beverages for the duration of the video game marathon at both the New York and Los Angeles venues.

    Gamers who want to experience Xbox and the games at their own pace can choose the noncompetitive, free play area, which will also include prize giveaways and entertainment. In addition to the titles featured in the competitive area, gamers in the free play area will have access to "Madden NFL(TM) 2002" and "NASCAR Thunder(TM) 2002" from Electronic Arts; "Mad Dash Racing" from Eidos; "NHL(R) Hitz(TM) 20-02" from Midway; "Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee(TM)" and "NFL(TM) Fever 2002" from Microsoft Game Studios; "TransWorld Surf(TM)" from Infogrames; and Shrek(TM) from TDK Mediactive. DJs from 92.3 K-ROCK in New York and 106.7 KROQ in Los Angeles will broadcast live from the event.

    "Xbox Unleashed will capture the true spirit of what it means to be a gamer: fierce competition, loads of intensity and lack of sleep," said John O'Rourke, director of Xbox Sales and Marketing at Microsoft. "We're very excited to bring gamers together for 48 hours to unleash the Xbox difference and preview some of the most highly anticipated games of all time before they are available at retail."

    Head of the Line Contest
    Before the marathon, gamers across the country will have the opportunity to win* a place at the "head of the line" and be among the first round of gamers to kick off the competition at Xbox Unleashed. From now until Oct. 24, Xbox.com will host an online contest at http://www.xbox.com/unleashed/. Gamers who correctly answer a series of trivia questions will be entered into a drawing from which two lucky winners will win travel and accommodations courtesy of Xbox.com to attend Xbox Unleashed (one to New York City and one to Los Angeles to be determined by Xbox).

    Marathon Details
    Xbox Unleashed will start in each location at 12:01 a.m. local standard time on Friday, Nov. 2, and end at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3. Event locations are as follows:

    New York
    Metronome
    915 Broadway (at 21st Street)
    New York, NY 10010

    Los Angeles
    Universal City Walk
    100 Universal City Plaza
    Universal City, CA 91608


    Chances are that when you turn on your television you will see a show worthy of becoming a game. The only problem left is which TV-show could be come what genre of game. Well ladies, gentlemen and children of all ages, Klown is here to save the day. What TV-shows could be good action games you ask? Klown knows.


    Montreal, Quebec. (October 23, 2001) - Strategy First one of the world's fastest growing publishers of PC games is pleased to announce that they have signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Australian-based developer, Auran, for their upcoming Virtual Model Railroad Simulator, TRAINZ®.

    "We had the opportunity to meet with Auran at this year's ECTS and were very impressed with their latest project," says Steve Wall, V.P., Business Development for Strategy First. "TRAINZ® is a dream come true for any Train and Railroad enthusiast. You can design and build your very own virtual world and then put on your engineer cap and ride the rails in the most spectacular environments imaginable."

    "Our publishing deal with Strategy First is very much a partnership," says
    Greg Lane, CEO of Auran. "Because Trainz is a unique product with appeal beyond traditional games boundaries, we were looking for a flexible relationship that would allow us to reach both gamers and model railroaders. Strategy First will promote Trainz through the normal retail channels, and allow us to continue developing our online community as well as conducting online sales of the many add-on modules and regional packs that we have planned. We have currently modeled trains from over 20 countries and we are sure that Trainz communities will flourish in these countries and many more."


    For the thousands of train lovers around the world, talk of a new train simulator is a welcome addition and is sure to please players of all ages. Replicating many aspects of a virtual model railroad, TRAINZ® immerses players into the driver's seat of their favorite locomotives and allows them to create a huge variety of layouts using hundreds of textures and objects from around the world.

    While riding the tracks and listening to the realistic sounds of engines starting up, the clickety-clack of the rails and a large variety of other ambient sounds, players will be able to build their own stunningly realistic routes from a variety of locations, from the busy US East Coast, the picturesque English countryside to the endless plains of the Australian Outback - all using the intuitive and powerful TRAINZ SURVEYOR editor. Players will also be able to choose from the engineer's view and use 3D in-cab controls, or choose the train spotter view and use the virtual “DC” controller. They can even download a variety of fan-designed locomotives and trackside objects from the virtualtrainz.com web site.

    Scheduled for a Q1 2002 release, TRAINZ® will be distributed by Infogrames throughout the US and Canada and by Strategy First's other distribution partners throughout Europe, Australia and Asia. TRAINZ® will also be available for pre-order from the Auran website. More information is available on www.auran.com.


    Charlottesville, VA – October 23, 2001 - Internet Payment Solutions, Inc. and Mythic Entertainment announced today that players will have convenient alternatives to using credit cards when subscribing to Mythic’s new massively multiplayer online role-playing game Dark Age of Camelot.

    Says Mark Jacobs, President of Mythic Entertainment, the developer and publisher of Dark Age of Camelot, “We're pleased to be able to offer the PayByCash service to our customers as a viable alternative to credit cards, broadening the potential audience for Dark Age of Camelot."

    "Internet Payment Solutions (PayByCashtm) is uniquely suited to assist Mythic Entertainment in extending its reach to anyone interested in playing Dark Age of Camelot,” explains Debora Higgins, President of IPS. “Our specialty is the empowerment of consumers who don’t use credit cards. This population makes up almost 10% of the Internet population and we’re proud to be able to match these people up with Dark Age of Camelot.”


    About Internet Payment Solutions (IPS)

    Internet Payment Solutions, Inc. (PayByCash.comtm) is a billing services provider specializing in enabling non-credit card payment options for subscription content providers. IPS options include paying via Web-submitted “Virtual Check,” automatic direct debit from checking or savings, Western Union “Quickpay,” PayPal, Check-By-FAX, Money Order, Wire Transfer, or even cash. Their systems enable content providers to accept this range of payment options without making modifications to their existing billing systems or service polices. PayByCasht offers this service to content providers free of charge. More information about PayByCasht and its services can be found at http://www.paybycash.com.


    Microsoft have announced a series of "Xbox Xperience" events for the UK starting a couple of days after the US launch of the console. These will give British gamers a chance to try out and pre-order the console about four months before its European release.
    "First party titles such as Halo, Oddworld : Munch's Oddysee and Project Gotham Racing are expected to be on show in the amusingly named "Play More Zone", while a "Video Zone" will bombard gamers with "action-packed FMV's, sound and light demonstrating the awesome power of the Xbox". After that you may well be in need of the "X Zone", a
    "futuristic chill out area to relax after the gaming fest". You will also be able to pre-order an Xbox on the spot."


    Hot off the press, Blizzard Entertainment have just realised details on a new unit featuring in their 3D, Real Time Strategy game, Warcraft III: Reigns of Chaos, namely the Catapult. This new unit serves as the Orc's primary support and siege weapon. Heres a picture:

    Orcish Catapult... scary huh?

    Monday, October 22, 2001


    CREATE THE DREAM ZOO - WITHOUT THE SMELL! ZOO TYCOON ON STORE SHELVES NOW

    Trial Version Available from Official Zoo Tycoon Site

    Start roasting the peanuts! Microsoft today announced that Zoo Tycoon has started to appear on store shelves. There have been several reports of its availability at locations throughout the U.S., and wide availability is expected this week.

    Gamers wanting a quick tour of the game can download the trial version, now available on the game's official site at http://www.microsoft.com/games/zootycoon/. The trial version guides players through two tutorials and allows them to play a freeform game. In addition, players can create new habitats for animals such as the giraffe, the Bengal tiger, and the Thomson's gazelle.

    Zoo Tycoon brings a new and exciting twist to the tycoon style of simulation games, challenging players to construct a healthy and vibrant zoo while managing animal and guest happiness. With more than 40 unique animals and more than 175 habitat and zoo building materials, Zoo Tycoon includes an intuitive design that allows players to erect, manage and maintain a thriving metropolitan zoo. Players can build an extensive menagerie from traditional favorites such as elephants, lions and giraffes, or more exotic offerings including pandas and white Siberian tigers. Players must decide how to turn a profit with their zoo -- some may choose the path of frugal management, while others may overcharge for admission and stiff the guests with an $8 soda!

    Zoo Tycoon's easy-to-manage design lets players oversee the growth of their zoos, while the interactive tutorial provides helpful assistance for players looking to enjoy the game right out of the box. Developed by Blue Fang Games LLC, Zoo Tycoon allows players of all ages and skill levels to construct a zoo or engage in one of 15 challenging scenarios.

    Zoo Tycoon is available in stores now, by calling Microsoft at (888) 218-5617, or on the Internet at http://shop.microsoft.com for an estimated retail price of $34.95 (U.S.). Zoo Tycoon has an ESRB rating of "E" for Everyone. For more information, please visit the official site at http://www.microsoft.com/games/zootycoon.


    WHAT: Joe Pantoliano to "The Sopranos" to appear in EP 4 of Majestic
    WHEN: EP 4 is set to go live in a few weeks

    Joe Pantoliano of The Sopranos has played a traitorous renegade and a mobster, but now he may now be your best source for information in Majestic... assuming that you can trust him.

    Electronic Arts is pleased to announce that accomplished film and television actor Joe Pantoliano will make an appearance in Episode 4 of Majestic, the online suspense thriller that uses the Internet, phone and email to invade your life. While Pantoliano has made a career out of playing shadowy characters, from the renegade Cypher in the 1999 blockbuster The Matrix to the mobster Ralph Cifaretto in HBO's smash series The Sopranos, his role for Majestic turned him into a blackballed investigative journalist.

    "He plays the role of Tim Pritchard, a reporter who has made a reputation of digging for the truth, and in doing so, ends up airing stories that compromise the TV station he is working at," said Ralph Guggenheim,
    executive producer of Majestic.

    After being blacklisted by his bosses, Pritchard creates a Web site on the Internet where he invites like-minded individuals to post stories that the conventional media wouldn't dare publish.

    Pantoliano spent two days filming for Majestic as well as a day in the studio to record voice mail messages. In addition, Pantoliano's handwriting appears on documents created by his character in the game. "He's a great guy, he's an excellent actor. He understood very quickly what we were after and loved the concepts that make Majestic so revolutionary," Guggenheim said.


    Trip Hawkins, 3DO: "I wish we could all work together on a global vision to get everyone in the world to discover the joy of play..."

    Steve Meretzky, WorldWinner.com: "...I was stuck in a dead end game development job, until I discovered the excitement of blacksmithing!"

    Gordon Walton, Maxis: "...I'm really mean and this is a way to torture lots of people..."


    Cutting The Edge has just popped out another article, titled Developers Afraid Of The Dark, the article talks about game developers and why none of them have created a map that is dark and really gets you into the thick of things. The article covers mod developers as well. While it's a short read, it covers a much needed point and points out where developers are lacking.

    'Views

    - Falcon @ 5:59 pm PST

    Reviews:
  • Spyhunter (ps2)
  • C&C: Yuri's Revenge:
  • Throne of Darkness:
  • Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor:
  • Magic and Mayhem: Art of Magic:

    Interviews:

  • Mad Doc Software (Star Trek Armada II)

    Screenshots:

  • Weekly AOM Screenshot

    Sunday, October 21, 2001

    Slow news

    - Falcon @ 7:50 pm PST

    Going to be a bit busy over the next few weeks so the amount of news i'm posting will slow down a bit.

    Saturday, October 20, 2001


    Fileplanet is mirroring the Rogue Spear: Black Thorn demo over at: http://www.fileplanet.com/index.asp?file=80834


    A snip from Blue's that a patch is been made for the AvP2 multiplayer demo, which includes these changes along with a warning that no dedicated servers will lag with more than 6 players:
  • Fixed the crash bug on the Join screen.
  • Added async listing of game servers, so it will now add them in blocks at a time and you can see the progress.
  • Added a "[D]" to the end of server names that are dedicated... this helps spot them in the list without the filters, and it allows GameSpyArcade to filter them.
  • Added the player rename functionality during an MP game... use ' Spanky' to change your name.
  • The server list now filters out servers that can't receive proper game information and reduces the total server count by that amount.
  • Added a recommendation warning to players who try to start a non-dedicated server with more than 8 players as the maximum.
  • Added PageUp and PageDown support to the server list.
  • The arrows on the server list now act as PageUp and PageDown instead of just Up and Down.
  • Added mouse wheel support to the server list.
  • Added double click join support to the server list.
  • Made sure you can skip the FOX intro logo with the keyboard... previous it only worked with the mouse.


    There has been an announcement that the Star Trek: Armada MP test:
    We ran into some issues during our testing of the Multiplayer Test build which delayed our launch of the Test. As those issues were resolved it became quite apparent that we were spending too much time focusing on that separate Test build and not enough time on getting the WHOLE game done.
    In short there will be no Multiplayer Test.

    Friday, October 19, 2001


    Nico Zweers from Gamewallpapers has posted some exclusive wallpapers of Project Eden and DroneZ. And due to popular demand he has also created some new Half-Life wallpapers. There are some new movie wallpapers too of Tomb Raider and Shrek, both exclusive pictures:


    October 19, 2001 - Time Gate Studios and Strategy First Inc. are pleased to announce that the upcoming real-time fantasy strategy game, Kohan: Ahriman's Gift, has gone gold.

    As the prequel to the highly successful Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns, Ahriman' s Gift transports players back before the events that transpired in Immortal Sovereigns when evil begins to threaten the world of Khaldun.

    "We are extremely excited to announce the completion of Kohan: Ahriman's Gift," says Adel Chaveleh, TimeGate's Producer. "The strategy and tactics originally introduced by KIS have been brought to the forefront in KAG and we feel that the game has some of the best real-time strategy artificial intelligence ever."

    The title is scheduled to ship in North America on November 6 and preorders are currently being accepted from major online retailers. More information on the game as well as a full listing of all current previews, artwork, screenshots, and more can be found on the official Kohan site, www.kohan.net.

    ***In celebration of KAG going gold The Awakening's (Strategy Planet) KAG demo tourney has been extended through midnight on Sunday, October 21. More
    information can be found here:

    About Kohan: Ahriman's Gift:

    The upcoming release, Kohan: Ahriman's Gift, will set new standards in Real-Time Strategy Artificial Intelligence. 30 complex AI players challenge you with different styles of play using some of the best real-time strategy artificial intelligence ever. AI will create challenging gameplay in two new game types, Turtle and King of the Hill, allowing a slower, more strategic version of Kohan's original game rules. AI players are more than capable of contributing to victory and are even able to communicate with you and respond to your requests to attack, defend, and provide economy status reports to you!

    Background and Features:

    A fantasy real-time strategy game set in the world of Khaldun, Kohan: Ahriman's Gift takes you to new heights of strategic warfare. Built on the award-winning Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns gameplay, Ahriman's Gift provides countless hours of entertainment with five campaigns, forty custom-built maps, and a host of multiplayer options. You become one of the Kohan, an ancient race devastated by a cycle of world-breaking cataclysms. Newly awakened to an uncertain future and a past you don't remember, you must forge the present using superior strategies. Now, as your strength grows and your destiny unfolds, you have to seize the reins of power and take your place in the war between the Creator and the Shadow. Which side you fight on is up to you.

    · 5 campaigns to explore and conquer and an additional 40 custom designed maps, including several official Tournament maps. TimeGate's own fully functional map editor allows players to custom make their own Deathmatch, Scenario, and even Campaign maps.
    · Over 90 beautifully detailed units. Over 70 different heroes, each with their own abilities, history, and richly illustrated portrait.
    · Over 100 spells and 75 technologies that allow you to cast spells like True Blessing and Chain Lightning, and enhance your strategies with Potion of Strength and Shadowsteel Armor.
    · 30 complex AI players that use enhanced strategies to challenge the player with different styles and levels of play.
    · Kohan's robust multiplayer support allows for up to 8 players over Internet or LAN and features 7 game types (including Bloodbath and King of the Hill) as well as a powerful random map generator with 6 different climates. No two online games will ever be the same.


    RPGVault has published the third Project Entropia Development report today.

    If you are curious about what has been happening lately, then this report is not to be missed.
    In terms of development, the team has been working on many different things. There are far too many to list them all, but some of the major additions and changes put in place recently are new weapons, clothes, avatar hairstyles, NPCs, NPC AI and user interfaces. We have also modified the targeting system and various weapon parameters. Graphically, we have implemented changes in areas such as the sky, fog and terrain maps. We had been working on these on our internal development server, and now, the visuals in the beta test will more closely resemble those that we have shown in our development screenshots.


    EA GAMES is excited to announce that Motor City Online has just gone gold and will ship at the end of October!!!

    Enter a world where custom classics and tricked-out muscle cars rule the streets! Inspired by the golden age of American car culture, Motor City Online is the world's first Internet racing and hot rod community, where you build and race your own collection of custom cars with thousands of other players online! Whether you build it or buy it -- whether it's a pieced-together beater or a cherried-out rod -- earn a rep on a variety of circuit, drag and street tracks. Buy, sell, trade, customize, race, wager and put your pink slip on the line... in Motor City, you can live out your classic and muscle car dreams in the only community of its kind! For the more information, cruise over to the official website at www.motorcityonline.com


    The Aliens vs. Predator(tm) 2 multiplayer demo is available at the following sites: (Copy/paste pls, i'm not linking that many sites!)

    * In the US, log on to www.3Dgamer.com, www.bluesnews.com or www.pcgamer.com
    * In France, log on to www.gamekult.com
    * In Japan, log on to www.capcom.com
    * In Korea, log on to www.hanbit.com
    * In Germany, log on to www.4players.de

    If you would like a hard copy, the Aliens vs. Predator 2 multiplayer demo will appear exclusively on the covermount CD-ROM of the first annual Holiday issue from PC Gamer that will be available on newsstands November 20th.


    Sierra(tm) and Stainless Steel Studios, Inc. today announced that a playable demo of their upcoming real-time strategy game Empire Earth(tm) has been released for download via the Internet. Empire Earth will ship to retail stores worldwide in mid-November.

    The demo can be downloaded at http://gigex.com/GetPackage/GetPackage.ASP?PackageId=0041800002&source=02
    .

    The Empire Earth Demo includes four of Empire Earth's Training Scenarios, which introduce a few of the many special features available in the full game. Also included are two exciting scenarios from Empire Earth's four epic Campaigns. In one scenario, you command British troops during the Napoleonic Wars. In the other, you guide Manfred von Richthofen, the famous "Red Baron," at the start of World War I.

    More information about Empire Earth can be found at http://www.empireearth.com/.

    From Prehistory to the Nano Age of the 22nd Century, Empire Earth serves up gaming on an epic scale. Empire Earth is an epic real-time strategy game that covers 500,000 years of human history, from the discovery of fire to the laser battles of the future. Each player takes control of a fledgling civilization and strives to forge the greatest of all empires.


    Interested in Rockstar's upcoming controversial riot-simulating PS2 game? Check out GameAddict's preview of State of Emergency to learn more about this creative and violent little title.
    The story in this game takes a back seat to the rioting and destroying. The ATO (American Trade Organization) has taken control of your city, and you do not like it. From here you can start your riot. During the riot, you are essentially allowed to do whatever you want. ... [The] environments are completely destructible, many weapons are readily available, and a hundred people fill up the screen at a time.


    When theres enough paranoia to go round. Honestly, this is insane...

    Thursday, October 18, 2001

    AvP2 Gold

    - Falcon @ 8:18 pm PST

    Sierra and Fox Interactive Announce Aliens vs. Predator 2 Goes Gold

    Los Angeles, CA - October 18, 2001 - The around-the-clock shifts have ended and the countdown begins as Sierra(tm) and Fox Interactive(tm) announced today that Aliens vs. Predator 2 has indeed gone gold. It's only a matter of time until players can immerse themselves in a game that combines elements, creatures, and settings from the hit movies Aliens (and Predator) in three unique, interlocking stories. Aliens, predators, and humans share one powerful trait-the enduring will to survive. The only question left to ask is "Will you be up to the challenge?"

    "It's been a long journey on the Aliens vs. Predator 2 project and I'm proud to see this one set sail! The team over at Monolith has created a great product that I'm quite sure the AvP fans will enjoy," said David Stalker, producer for Fox Interactive. "My thanks go out to all the Monolith team members, as well as the folks from Fox, Sierra and Vivendi Universal who gave their very best for this game...now everybody go get some sleep!"

    Aliens vs. Predator 2 will be available at retail late October for a suggested retail price of $49.95. For more information, go to AvP2.sierra.com or order by phone at 800-757-7707.

    In related news,
    The clock is ticking and the launch of the Aliens vs. Predator 2 multiplayer demo is getting closer. Still haven't made up your mind yet about which species to choose? Here are some details about the demo that should start you thinking...

    * The playable characters will be the Alien Drone, the Predator, Harrison or Dunya
    * The weapons for the Marine will be the knife, pistol, shotgun, pulse rifle and smartgun
    * The weapons & tools for the Predator will be wristblades, spear, plasmacaster, netgun, charger, medicomp and mask.
    * The map will be "A Lesser Fate"
    * The modes will be Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch
    * There will be Internet/LAN support for up to 16 players
    * The total file size is 65MB

    For a detailed listing description of the Aliens vs. Predator 2 multiplayer demo, log on to www.avpnews.com.

    Tick, tock, tick, tock...clear some space on your hard-drive...tick, tock, tick tock...


    Project Entropia Beta Test Expanded
    MindArk welcomes 500 more participants to Phase II testing of its innovative online entertainment venture

    Gothenburg, Sweden ­ October 16, 2001 - MindArk AB announced today that the pool of participants in the current Phase II beta test of its pioneering Internet-based interactive entertainment enterprise, Project Entropia, has been expanded. The addition of a group of approximately 500 effectively doubles the size of the test. Phase I technical beta testing began in May with some 50 testers, progressing into Phase II in early September with more than 500.

    “Beta testing is absolutely critical to making Project Entropia the very best it can be,” stated MindArk Marketing Manager Patric Sundstrom. “We’re extremely pleased at the progress our development team is making, and a portion of the credit belongs to the beta testers, some of whom have been exceptionally helpful in identifying bugs and other problems. As a result, we’re also happy that we can now accommodate approximately 1,000 participants to take part in continuing testing as we move forward with the implementation of new features and content.”

    Project Entropia is a groundbreaking new form of interactive entertainment based upon a fully featured 3D persistent state world. It will be made available with no initial cost or mandatory subscription fees to millions of Internet users around the world. In the roles of human colonists on the seemingly idyllic virtual planet of Calypso, they will have the chance to meet and socialize or to explore and adventure with each other while facing challenges from wild indigenous creatures and invading robots.

    Applications to participate in further phases of the Project Entropia beta test are still being accepted at http://www.project-entropia.com/betatest/apply.asp?topic=betatest

    Additional information about Project Entropia can be found on the official website at http://www.project-entropia.com

    MindArk develops technology solutions that address the entertainment needs of millions of Internet users. With novel applications in the interactive entertainment sector and browser infrastructure, MindArk is a world leader in expanding the new universe.


    CPL Partner iGames Holding US Qualifiers

    CPL partner, iGames has commenced their qualifying tournaments in North America for the World Championship Event. This past weekend three of their associated game centers held qualifying tournaments:

    1. Icelan Network Game Center in Pomona, California
    2. Nekstlevel Interactive in Mississauga, Ontario
    3. Rivalution Network Center in San Jose, California

    This coming weekend the following iGames associated centers will be holding qualifying tournaments:

    1. Head 2 Head Games in London, Ontario
    2. G2K Games in Norton, Virginia
    3. Hyyperlynx in Slidell, Louisiana
    4. Next Game in San Francisco, California
    5. Gamer's Edge in Chandler, Arizona

    Winners will receive auto-berths and airfare. Sign-up today.

    XBox News

    - Falcon @ 8:02 pm PST

    Getting flooded with these lately:

    WANT TO BUILD A TIGHT SITE? - AMPED FAN SITE KIT NOW AVAILABLE

    Microsoft today announced that the official Fan Site Kit (FSK) for Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding is now available at http://www.xbox.com/News/0110/1801.htm>. The Amped FSK contains a variety of screenshots, sound effects, logos, Flash animations, and other art to help you build a killer Amped fan site.

    Rip the ultimate line on real mountains packed with 1500 jumps and rails in Amped, the first snowboarding game focused on freestyle riding. Pull over 1000 tricks on 80 wide-open mountain runs for a different ride every time. Land insane tricks in front of roaming camera crews to get your face on video reels and magazine covers. Get enough media exposure to become one of the world’s top 10 snowboarding superstars. And do it all to the music of over 200 core indie tracks.

    Xbox is Microsoft’s future-generation video game system that delivers the most powerful games experiences ever. Xbox empowers game artists by giving them the technology to fulfill their creative visions as never before, creating games that blur the lines between fantasy and reality. Xbox will be available in North America on November 15, 2001 at the suggested retail price of $299.99.


    Novalogic have announced that their latest helicopter action game Comanche 4 will be coming to the Xbox some time late next year, and released some new screenshots of both the PC and Xbox versions to celebrate.

  • Xbox shots
  • PC shots


    One of the few surprises to come out of Microsoft's flamboyant X01 event on the Cote d'Azur earlier this week was a line in the press release which claimed that UbiSoft had "announced Ghost Recon as an Xbox exclusive". Today Eurogamer is happy to report that this was (as we had suspected) a mistake and the PC version of the game is still on its way next month.

    A brief statement from UbiSoft reveals that "there is no exclusivity partnership between Ubi Soft and Microsoft for Ghost Recon on the Xbox, therefore Ghost Recon may be developed on some
    other systems in the future".

    Driver Index

    - Falcon @ 8:40 am PST

    Just thought i'd mention that I have updated most of the links on our driver index, which includes links to several video and audio driver download pages.

    Wednesday, October 17, 2001


    Firing Squad shot up a new article called Microsoft: Good for gamers? In it, as you may already have guessed, they go through some of the pros and cons of having a mega-company competing in the entertainment software industry.
    Halo, for example, is now one hot potato. It was slated for release on the Mac and the PC, but Microsoft bought Bungie and it may now become an XBox exclusive. It looks like they will be locking up titles to be produced exclusively on the XBox, which means the PC is likely to be left out of some of the best releases out there. I've been dying to see a good fighting game over on the PC for years, but it looks like DOA3 (Dead or Alive 3) will be another XBox exclusive. Given that the XBox is so similar to a PC, why can't they be big about it and port it on over to the PC so we can kick some tail over here? Why lock up Abe so he can only run his Odyssey over there on the XBox when he grew up over here on a trusty 17" monitor? I know the answer, but still, it's sad for the PC.

    Source: VE


    - SimHQ.com Air Combat Corner: It's a key part of real air combat, but you rarely see it being done 'by the book' online in sims. Today, following up on a reader question, Andy Bush discusses online tactical formation flying, using IL-2 and Aces High as models.


    BELLEVUE, WA (October 16, 2001) - Sierra Studios(tm) and Papyrus Racing Games today announced the release of an upgrade available for NASCAR(r) Racing 4, the most realistic driving simulation game available on PC. In an effort to provide the gaming community with the most accessible and complete driving experience, Papyrus, the award-winning studio responsible for creating NASCAR(r) Racing 4, has released additional features to enhance this phenomenal game. Just when gamers thought a driving simulation couldn't get any better, improvements to the AI, multiplayer capabilities, user interface, and overall car control can be downloaded at www.sierra.com, www.fileplanet.com, or the sites utilized in the Sierra Update utility in the game.

    About NASCAR(r) Racing 4
    NASCAR(r) Racing 4, released in February 2001, is the newest edition to the best-selling, award-winning racing series from Papyrus Racing Games, the leader in racing simulation. NASCAR(r) Racing 4 showcases a revolutionary new 3D physics model, designed by Papyrus founder, Dave Kaemmer, that adds realism to the reactions of the cars - with body rolls, the ability to become airborne, and tires that spin and lock up. The popularity of this simulation game has been recognized by the racing, gaming, and consumer publications, which touts NASCAR(r) Racing 4 as the most realistic simulation racing game available. Dale Earnhardt Jr., one of NASCAR's(r) youngest and hottest drivers states, " This is the sim we have been waiting
    for."


    Three species, one world - it is survival of the fittest and only one species will emerge victorious. Your chance is coming to be one of those species in the soon-to-be-released Aliens vs. Predator 2 multiplayer demo. Which species will you choose...

    The odds are stacked against the marine as he faces these two deadly foes, but never underestimate the heart of a marine and his will to survive.

    Challenged by human and Alien obstacles, the Predator must discover his will to survive must be greater than the lust for the hunt.

    Striking from within the facility, the Alien seeks to save its queen stopping at nothing to ensure survival of the Alien race.

    Stay tuned for more details...


    Croteam has been hard at work on a standalone expansion called Serious Sam: The Second Encounter ("TSE"). 3DActionPlanet had the chance to play an alpha build of the game. Intrigued, they hunted down the crew behind Serious Sam: TSE and had them answer some questions.

    Tuesday, October 16, 2001


    AMD done a very good job with bringing out the Athlons, now with the support of Microsoft. AMD have pushed there efforts to create a processor which can deliver 2x the performance of a normal Athlon. Review below.

    AMD introduced its brand-new processor for high-performance desktop computers, the AMD Athlon XP processor, formerly codenamed "Palomino." The AMD Athlon XP processor features the new, patented QuantiSpeed™ architecture, which delivers up to a 25-percent performance advantage versus competitive processors on a broad array of real-world applications, in such categories as digital media, office productivity, and 3D gaming. The new AMD Athlon XP processor offers a significant performance advantage compared to the standard AMD Athlon processor.

    The new processor also includes 3DNow!™ Professional technology, which adds 52 new instructions, accelerating 3D performance for digital media applications such as photo, video and audio editing. The AMD Athlon "XP" modifier is designed to convey the extreme performance AMD Athlon XP processors deliver for the upcoming Microsoft Windows XP operating system.

    Microsoft Corp. and major computer manufacturers are expressing support for the new AMD Athlon XP processor.

    "The upcoming Windows XP operating system has been tailored to take advantage of the unique capabilities of the AMD Athlon XP processor, resulting in a great end-user experience. Together with Windows XP and the AMD Athlon XP, we provide users with an efficient and dependable computing experience with new tools for the digital age," said John Frederiksen, General Manager, PC Experience, Microsoft. "AMD's efforts to clarify the performance metric will give consumers additional valuable information when making new PC purchase decisions."

    More information can be found on the Official AMD Web Site.

    Overall, I believe its worth its money and yet again AMD has out done Intel!

    Source: AMD XP Official Web Site


    Hi everyone. I'm one of the New Helpers here at GameSurge. I will be providing news on Hardware, Software, Gaming and anything else computer related. I also look forward into providing GameSurge some interviews with some of the lead Developers of gaming companies. Coming soon my review on AMD Athlon XP. Is it really worth its money?


    Issue 7 of the game guy by Mark Walker has arrived and is up at: http://www.gamesurge.com/features/editorials/gameguy7.shtml
    In this episode: "I chose my words carefully when reviewing games. A couple dozen people have poured a quite a bit of their time into the ROM I’m looking at. I value that effort, and won’t unnecessarily devalue their livelihood. By the same token I never copy ROMs for friends. It’s stealing. Piracy is the word du jour, but stealing is more to the point. But when is piracy not? "


    With Kohan : Immortal Sovereigns finally due for release in Europe this week, EuroGamer has posted its review of the role-playing / real-time strategy hybrid.
    "The way in which your troops function is radically different as well. Instead of running around individually, units are made up of four front line troops, two support troops and a leader. This can be either a standard captain or one of the eponymous immortal Kohan warriors you will discover throughout the game. These heroes provide bonuses for the troops under their command and can also wade into the fight themselves, gaining experience throughout the single player campaign. If one dies it's not the end of the world either - because they are immortal you can simply stump up some cash to re-awaken them from a magical amulet. They might lose experience, but they are at least available again."


    Vulcan Software have officially released their Valhalla Classics, the 2d episodic speech adventure, for the PC. To celebrate they are offering the first huge episode (The Crypt) for free.

    The Valhalla Classics are conversions of Vulcan's stormingly successful speech adventures, that were originally released for the Amiga in the mid 90's. The PC versions feature enhanced graphics, evolved game play, and extended digital speech, offering over 200 phrases per episode.

    The Valhalla Classics are played inside Vulcan's free windows application, the Vulcan Portal, an advanced digital distribution technology that allows its users to communicate via synthetically spoken 3d mail.

    To get your hands on the Vulcan Portal and episode one, visit the Portals website.


    Zone.com's Celebrity Trivia Challenge Expected To Top The Charts

    On Tuesday, October 16, pop music fans can play with *NSync when Lance Bass and Joey Fatone appear as celebrity challengers on "OutSmart." An online game show where fans attempt to outsmart celebrities at their own fame, "OutSmart" is free* and played exclusively on Microsoft's Zone.com.

    Fans should expect a unique experience when they play *NSync "OutSmart." Thanks to an advanced audio component, not only will pop gurus test their *NSync trivia knowledge against the teen heartthrobs themselves, but "OutSmart" players will hear Lance and Joey coming through their computer speakers-answering questions, and of course hazing challengers.

    In this episode, "OutSmart" host, Tim Parker dishes with Lance and Joey about everything from their roles in the upcoming movie "On the Line," their thoughts on dancing with Michael Jackson at the MTV Video Music Awards, to their latest album titled "Celebrity." Plus, there's no shortage of trash talkin' from these teammates - Joey slams Lance's "bowl cut" hairstyle while Lance takes aim at Joey's "weight gain" since they first met.

    Parker, who secretly listens to *NSync in his car on his way to work, tries to stump both players and celebrities by asking questions directly related to the stars' careers. Do you know which *NSync band members were born under the astrological sign Aquarius?

    The *NSync episode will be featured on Zone.com for two weeks, and will then be available in the OutSmart Gallery, giving pop fans ample time to test their boy band trivia. Other episodes available in the OutSmart Gallery include actress Jessica Alba, musicians Shaggy, Sisqo and Fat Boy Slim, and "American Werewolf in London" director John Landis.

    Zone.com is the largest multiplayer gaming site on the Internet, with 22.3 million registered members around the world, more than 140,000 concurrent users at peak times, and in excess of 130 games available for play. The Zone offers free membership and a wide variety of games, including card, board and puzzle games, free* matchmaking for popular CD-ROM games, and premium games.

    Cel Damage

    - Falcon @ 6:49 pm PST

    The welcome party continues for the characters of Cel Damage, Electronic Arts' upcoming game for the XBox. This week, we introduce you to Violet.
    Violet is a teen anime demon girl from Asia. With an affinity for military hardware, fast living, and rave-inspired mischief, Violet is 100% attitude and 110% delivery. Her mortar is the ideal "destruction from a distance" weapon. Attached is her portrait and a screenshot of her in action.

    Electronic Arts' Cel Damage for the XBox is vehicular combat at its cartoony, frenetic best. The game will ship with the launch on Microsoft's XBox in November. Cel Damage features 12 levels of fast paced action, over 30 outrageous weapons and 10 memorable characters.

    For more information and assets, please visit the official Cel Damage website at www.celdamage.ea.com.


    Sierra to Release SWAT: GST on Xbox(tm) Video Game System from Microsoft

    BELLEVUE, WA., (October 16, 2001) - Sierra and UK-based Argonaut Games plc. today announced SWAT: Global Strike Team (GST) to release next fall under the Sierra brand on Xbox and another, yet to be announced, next-generation console.

    "SWAT: GST takes advantage of groundbreaking work for the Xbox already underway by Argonaut," said Adam Fossa, brand manager at Sierra. "Their new SWAT engine has been designed from the ground up to give the game its own distinct look and feel. Some of the stylistic variations developed for the game include Hard-Edged Shadows, allowing for an almost limitless number of lights and shadows in any given scene, and Photo-Realistic Film Filter, which gives SWAT its distinctive true-to-life look."

    "GST will seduce the gamer's sense of sight, sound and touch," said Rod Fung, executive producer at Sierra. "More than any other entertainment offering on the market, GST will suspend the player's disbelief with its unique storyline, high quality graphics and stunning soundtrack."

    SWAT: GST is a first-person tactical arcade game combining the strategic elements of SWAT 3 with the instantly accessible arcade action of the Virtua Cop series. Like the real-life SWAT organization itself, the SWAT Global Strike Team is a life-saving organization tasked with defending and saving the lives of the innocent. As a member of the SWAT Global Strike Team gamers will be called to duty at a moment's notice, confronted with missions unlike any seen before.

    Founded in 2020, The Global Strike Team is as an international offshoot from the SWAT organization tasked with helping countries and organizations around the globe to resolve situations they cannot accomplish successfully on their own.


    Age of Empires II: The Conquerors International Tournament Finals to be Held on November 7, 2001

    Microsoft today announced the sixteen finalists for the Age of Empires II: The Conquerors International Tournament. In August and September 2001, sixteen countries/regions held individual tournaments via the MSN Gaming Zone, LAN events, or local partners. Each country/region crowned a champion who will represent their home country or region in the world finals in Redmond, Washington on November 7, 2001. The world finals will be hosted by several members of the Ensemble Studios development team, creators of the Age of Empires series. The value of the total prize pool is over $100,000, with the winner of the competition taking home $50,000.

    The sixteen finalists representing their country are:

    Jerry Terry (U.S.)
    Sunny Sihota (Canada)
    Paul Clarke (U.K.)
    Thomas Gross (Germany)
    Vignon François (France)
    Jonas Hasselrot (Sweden)
    Magnus Harald Haslebo (Denmark)
    Gaspard Gilot (Belgium)
    Tim Taminiau (Netherlands)
    Norson Shiniti Saho (Brazil)
    Byung Geon Kang (South Korea)
    Tanya Cowan (Australia)
    Alex Wang (Taiwan)
    Marcelo Ikegaki (Argentina)
    Hong Delin (Singapore)
    Christian Gebhart (Switzerland)

    Age of Empires is one of the most successful strategy game franchises in history, having sold over eight and a half million units worldwide. The series, developed by Ensemble Studios, has received numerous awards including AIAS Strategy Game of the Year awards for Age of Empires, Age of Empires II: Age of Kings, and The Conquerors Expansion; as well as the prestigious AIAS PC Game of the Year for Age of Empires II: Age of Kings. Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion challenges gamers to wage war on an epic scale with all-new civilizations, unique units and technologies, and campaigns based on infamous conquerors such as Attila the Hun, El Cid and Montezuma.

    More information about the Conquerors Expansion is available on the game's official site at http://www.microsoft.com/games/conquerors/, or on the Ensemble Studios site at http://www.ensemblestudios.com/.


    Vivendi Universal Publishing and Argonaut Games Announce Exclusive Deal to Ship Malice: Kat's Tale

    Sierra to Release Game on Xbox(tm) Video Game System from Microsoft

    Los Angeles, CA (October 16, 2001) - Vivendi Universal Publishing (VU Publishing), a division of Vivendi Universal (NYSE: V), and Argonaut Software Ltd. today announced an exclusive long-term, multi-platform deal to publish the much-anticipated title Malice: Kat's Tale. The game is due to release next fall under the Sierra brand on Xbox and another, yet to be announced, next generation console.

    Malice: Kat's Tale, a character driven, fast paced and challenging 3D action adventure game, made headlines at this year's CES trade show when Bill Gates used it to demonstrate the capabilities of the Xbox(tm) video game system from Microsoft. Malice: Kat's Tale delivers a new level of video gaming experience with substantially enhanced levels of gameplay, graphics and audio.

    "This is a title we've had our eye on and have been excited about for a long time," said J Allard, General Manager, Xbox Platform. "We are happy to be working with such experienced talent from Argonaut and Sierra and are looking forward to seeing this remarkable game come to life on Xbox."

    "This is a very strategic partnership for us as we extend our brand into the console market," said Mike Ryder, president at Sierra. "I believe we're poised to make a tremendous impact in the console market in the future, especially with the launch of Malice: Kat's Tale in 2002."

    "Vivendi Universal Publishing's marketing and distribution capabilities will allow us to substantially grow the Malice franchise," said Joss Ellis, COO, Argonaut Software. "This agreement marks the start of a new and promising relationship with one of the key global players in the games marketplace."


    CyberX-3D Technology Released for Mac OS X

    Web-based Software Puts You in the Game

    Bethpage, New York – October 12, 2001 – CyberExtruder announced today that its CyberX-3D™ web-based technology has officially gone gold and is compatible with Mac OS X. A proprietary software and web-based technology that automatically converts a single two-dimensional facial image into a fully-developed 3D model in one second, CyberX-3D allows Mac gaming enthusiasts to include themselves as characters within a game and become part of the action.

    “CyberExtruder is extremely pleased to make CyberX-3D™ available for the Mac”, said CyberExtruder CEO, Larry Gardner. “The Mac’s phenomenal graphics capabilities add tremendous value and excitement to Internet games, and Mac OS X really showcases our unique technology.”

    “Mac OS X features state-of-the-art technologies such as OpenGL, QuickTime and advanced networking capabilities, to make it a tremendous gaming platform,” said Ron Okamoto, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “CyberX-3D™ is a flexible, easy-to-use technology and we are excited that this customization capability is available to Mac gamers.”

    Developed by CyberExtruder, the patent-pending CyberX-3D™ technology allows users to submit a single digitized photo of their face to a secure website. The image is automatically analyzed, distinct facial landmarks are identified, and a highly accurate 3D model of the user’s face is created within just one second. What makes CyberX-3D™ technology a breakthrough is that it works from just one photo and is completely automated.

    The first three games, that have been CyberX-3D™ enabled include the best-sellers “Unreal Tournament”, “Quake III:Arena”, “Counter Strike” and “The Sims”. CyberExtruder has also announced plans to add “Max Payne” within the next few weeks.

    Gamers can convert their photo and download a special CyberX-3D™ file for each of the games for a one time charge of only $14.95 by visiting the CyberExtruder website. Currently, visitors to the site can also preview up to 6 images at no charge, and download a free screensaver of their face in 3D, which can be manipulated with the click of a mouse.

    In addition to generating revenues from the video game industry, the company is in the process of securing licensing agreements for the use of CyberX-3D™ as a rich media development tool. CyberExtruder is also working with several leading technology companies to develop a facial animation product for instant message and chat, as well as e-commerce and CRM applications.

    Monday, October 15, 2001

    Email Spam

    - Falcon @ 11:24 pm PST

    Due to an irritating amount of spam mail into my inbox I am barring all emails been relayed from a server from Korea (.co.kr), plus a few others including .za, and .cz. I don't think I have ever received a legitimate email from these countries but anyone who is from there feel free to use the site feedback form or email me from a free provider.


    Kirsty Lee's new feature, "Six Tactics for Career Development: Get Where You Want to Be," is online in the IGDA Articles section. It details six different approaches to obtaining your ideal career by improving on your current situation.


    Here for your viewing:


    PC Hardware posted a review of the KT266A based board, Epox 8KHA+. The reviewer discovered that the motherboard is very easy to overclock, extremely stable in high FSBs and a very good performer. The motherboard was tested in Windows 2000 SP2 and Linux Mandrake 8.1 using SiSoft Sandra 2001 SE, Bapco SysMark 2001, Winstone CC 2001, Winstone Business 2001 and Quake III. PC Hardware also experienced the highest memory score ever with a AMD CPU in SiSoft Sandra 2001 SE.
    The expandability provided by this design is quite large. The memory limitation of most KT266 solutions is also over passed, but not totally; 1.5Gb is a lot of memory, but 2Gb would have been better. Around the CPU socket there is enough space to install one of the largest coolers available, Swiftech MC462, although at a first look it may seem that the space is quite limited. “


    Microsoft today announced that a second Links 2001 Expansion Pack will be available at retail locations throughout North America in late November 2001. Links Expansion Pack Volume 2 is the second add-on pack for Links 2001, and will be available for only $19.95 (estimated U.S. street price).

    Cyber-golfers are invited to join tour pros Craig Stadler and Dan Forsman on four new courses designed for play with Links 2001 or Links Championship Edition. Stadler and Forsman join the Links pro lineup that already includes Sergio Garcia, Arnold Palmer, Annika Sorenstam, Mike Weir, Keith Clearwater, and Hidemichi Tanaka.

    Links Expansion Pack Volume 2 owners will be able to line it up in the natural desert terrain of Arizona’s Stone Canyon Club or lakeside on the Robert Trent Jones Alabama Golf Trail‘s Links Course at Grand National. Also, players can tee off on the newly-updated dramatic cliff-lined fairways of The Fazio Foothills Course at Barton Creek, and enjoy updated graphics on the panoramic scenery and challenge of Scottsdale‘s Troon North. As an added bonus, PC golfers can enjoy Ayrshire Dunes (also known as Northern Dunes), a fictional course created with the Arnold Palmer Course Designer by Links enthusiast Mike Jones.

    The Expansion Pack also includes over 300 new objects for budding architects who want to create their own courses with the Arnold Palmer Course Designer (APCD). Additionally, the Links 2001 Expansion Pack will contain the Links 2001 Course Converter that allows players to convert up to 36 Links LS courses for play with Links 2001 (courses must be previously owned), and the 1.1 update for the APCD.

    Players must have Links 2001 or Links Championship Edition, available separately, in order to play the Links Expansion Pack Volume 2. The Expansion Pack is not compatible with previous versions of Links.

    For more information on Links Expansion Pack Volume 2, visit: http://www.microsoft.com/games/linksexpansion2


    Houston, TX (October 15th, 2001) - The Awakening (the Kohan network site of Strategy Planet), announces that they are now accepting applications for entry into the "KAG Demo Tourney". Players will compete individually against opponents in a single-elimination tournament to begin Saturday, October 27.

    Competitors may register online at http://www.strategyplanet.com/kohan/tourney/tourney_register.htm until Friday, October 19. The KAG demo may be downloaded at http://www.fileplanet.com/dl/dl.asp?/strategyplanet/kohan/kohanagdemo.exe or
    at http://www.kohan.net.

    Prizes include an ultimate Kohan memorabilia package, concept art, and fantasy collectibles players are sure to enjoy! Sign up now and get a taste of what is to come with the release of Kohan: Ahriman's Gift November 6th!


    About Kohan: Ahriman's Gift:

    The upcoming release, Kohan: Ahriman's Gift, will set new standards in Real-Time Strategy Artificial Intelligence. 30 complex AI players challenge you with different styles of play using some of the best real-time strategy artificial intelligence ever. AI will create challenging gameplay in two new game types, Turtle and King of the Hill, allowing a slower, more strategic version of Kohan's original game rules. AI players are more than capable of contributing to victory and are even able to communicate with you and respond to your requests to attack, defend, and provide economy status reports to you!

    Background and Features:
    A fantasy real-time strategy game set in the world of Khaldun, Kohan: Ahriman's Gift takes you to new heights of strategic warfare. Built on the award-winning Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns gameplay, Ahriman's Gift provides countless hours of entertainment with five campaigns, forty custom-built maps, and a host of multiplayer options. You become one of the Kohan, an ancient race devastated by a cycle of world-breaking cataclysms. Newly awakened to an uncertain future and a past you don't remember, you must forge the present using superior strategies. Now, as your strength grows and your destiny unfolds, you have to seize the reins of power and take your place in the war between the Creator and the Shadow. Which side you fight
    on is up to you.

    · 5 campaigns to explore and conquer and an additional 40 custom designed maps, including several official Tournament maps. TimeGate's own fully functional map editor allows players to custom make their own Deathmatch, Scenario, and even Campaign maps.
    · Over 90 beautifully detailed units. Over 70 different heroes, each with their own abilities, history, and richly illustrated portrait.
    · Over 100 spells and 75 technologies that allow you to cast spells like True Blessing and Chain Lightning, and enhance your strategies with Potion of Strength and Shadowsteel Armor.
    · 30 complex AI players that use enhanced strategies to challenge the player with different styles and levels of play.
    · Kohan's robust multiplayer support allows for up to 8 players over Internet or LAN and features 7 game types (including Bloodbath and King of
    the Hill) as well as a powerful random map generator with 6 different climates. No two online games will ever be the same.

    Sunday, October 14, 2001


    Nothing could prepare the starving action gaming community for the gift-wrapped single-player goodness that was Max Payne. However, how can you tell if you play too much Max Payne? What are the signs? Michael "Tech21" Calfee has the answer! Presenting the top 10 signs you've been playing too much Max Payne.


    This weekend's preview on EuroGamer takes a shufti at IronStorm, a first and third person shooter set in war-ravaged Europe, which we saw in action at the recent ECTS trade show in London.
    "IronStorm is set in an alternative universe where the First World War is still going strong in 1964, with millions of soldiers dead and no end in sight. The result is a bizarre mixture of the two World Wars and Vietnam, with much of Europe in ruins, trenches criss- crossing the continent, and technology focusing on tough, reliable weaponry rather than sophistication."


    Today games xtreme have posted a review of Cryos movie tie in shooter, From Dusk 'till Dawn. Not being very impressed with the game it only got 73%.
    "And another - the plot! It's lousy, disjointed and, although the acting is passable, badly scripted. The mini-missions that sprinkle the game are also very contrived - why can't the big butch demolitions expert get her own damn explosives? Why does a party of heavily armed marines have to wait for a lone convict to go fetch them some ammunition from vampire-infested corridors? I begin to wonder if it was written by Cryo in French and then poorly translated by the same. Even the heavily-accented grunts in Outbreak (name-dropping) have a better script than this."

    Saturday, October 13, 2001

    *^_&# poll

    - Falcon @ 10:47 pm PST

    For some reason the poll died so I have had to reset it, if you voted previously feel free to vote again.

    Detonator XP

    - Falcon @ 7:58 am PST

    The latest (21.83) DetonatorXP drivers for Geforce/TNT2/Quadro based cards has been posted over at Nvidia. Personally the benchmarks have been too erratic for me to bother for my GF2 card and W2k...


    The bald bad guy with the bad Russian accent is back and this time he has a whole smorgasbord of twisted mates too!
    On the other hand anyone notice how the bad guys never win in the Red Alert series?
    Oh, the review over at MGON:
    Without doubt the best of these units is the siege chopper. This egg beater gone mad can attack units from the air, but it really gets into serious trashing mode when it lands and deploys as it hurls artillery shells huge ranges and can really devastate the enemy when used in number and with some anti aircraft support.


    Microsoft today announced that Zoo Tycoon, the highly anticipated game where players can build their ultimate zoo, has gone gold and is expected to hit store shelves later this month. Zoo Tycoon brings a new and exciting twist to the tycoon style of simulation games, challenging players to construct a healthy and vibrant zoo while managing animal and guest happiness.

    Upon launch, Microsoft will post a new downloadable Beach Resort scenario and a new object -- an American flag -- on the official Zoo Tycoon site at http://www.microsoft.com/games/zootycoon/.

    With more than 40 unique animals and over 175 habitat and zoo building materials, Zoo Tycoon includes an intuitive design that allows players to build, manage and maintain a thriving metropolitan zoo. Players can build an extensive menagerie, from traditional favorites such as elephants, lions and giraffes to more exotic offerings including pandas and white Siberian tigers. Players must decide how to turn a profit with their zoo -- some may choose the path of frugal management, while others may overcharge for admission and stiff the guests with an $8 soda!
    Zoo Tycoon's easy-to-manage design enables players to oversee the growth of their zoos, while the interactive tutorial provides helpful assistance for players looking to enjoy the game right out of the box. Developed by Blue Fang Games LLC, Zoo Tycoon allows players of all skill levels to construct a zoo or engage in one of 15 challenging scenarios for players of all levels. With fun, intelligent, challenging gameplay, Zoo Tycoon is the perfect holiday game for the entire family. Zoo Tycoon has an ESRB rating of "E" for Everyone. For more information, please visit the official site at http://www.microsoft.com/games/zootycoon/.

    Friday, October 12, 2001


    Impressions Games and Sierra Announce Development of Lords of the Realm III New Installment in Best-Selling Series Promises Gamers More Medieval Mayhem

    CAMBRIDGE, MA (October 12, 2001) - Impressions Games(tm) and Sierra(tm) today announced development of Lords of the Realm(r) III, the long-awaited return of the companies' highly successful Lords of the Realm series of games. The ultimate medieval simulation, Lords III covers the entire life of being a lord in the middle ages - castle building and design, rural estate management, acquiring knights and soldiers to make armies, warfare and conquest, politics and diplomacy, and the struggle with or against the Church, and with the rising merchant class. The elements that made the Lords of the Realm series a best seller worldwide are now powered by an all-new 3-D graphics engine designed to catapult the game to the forefront of the strategy genre in late 2002.

    Already hotly anticipated in the gaming community, Lords of the Realm III is named as one of the "Ten Hottest Games of 2002" in PC Gamer magazine's December 2001 issue. In addition, Lords of the Realm 2 was recently named one of the "Top 50 Games of All Time" by the same publication.

    "Lords of the Realm III will give gamers a real eyeful of medieval battles," said Alex Rodberg, brand manager for Lords of the Realm III. "We've done away with a lot of the interface elements that can often undermine the sense of immersion, and have made Lords III combat so visibly rich that clashes resemble something out of the movie Braveheart rather than those of a typical strategy game."

    Like its predecessors, Lords of the Realm III is a historically-based strategy game combining resource management, castle building, siege, politics and conquest. However, unlike its predecessors, Lords III utilizes an all-new 3D engine developed by Impressions Games, and is played entirely in real time. The game may be played by a single player, or by two to eight competing players. The multiplayer game includes various short, single-session scenarios or modes of play in addition to longer campaigns.

    Lords of the Realm III is set in the medieval period or the "Middle Ages," between approximately 850 AD and 1350 AD. Various scenarios and campaigns encompass the British Isles, Germany, France, Normandy, Brittany, Flanders and Denmark. Many figures, places, peoples, events and other things
    familiar and recognizable today (some historical, some fictional) arose in the Middle Ages, and are encountered in Lords III. Examples include: people
    like William Wallace and Robin Hood; places like Stonehenge and the Tower of London; and events such as the Crusades and the scourge of the Black Plague.

    About Lords of the Realm III
    Lords of the Realm III is the long-awaited, highly-anticipated continuation of Impressions Games' popular Lords of the Realm series. With two award-winning, commercially successful games in its family, Lords of the Realm III promises to propel the series to new heights.

    Beginning with a brand new 3-D engine, Lords of the Realm III is a carefully researched, richly detailed historical game of warfare and politics in a beautifully rendered medieval world. In Lords of the Realm III, players strive to rise from simple beginnings to rule a medieval empire, overcoming land-hungry bishops and scheming merchant princes, while exploiting the knights, soldiers, peasants, and craftspeople at their disposal.


    I'm lazy this morning..

    Empire Earth Demo Coming October 19th!

    Sierra and Stainless Steel Studios, Inc. today announced that a playable demo of their upcoming real-time strategy game Empire Earth will be released on the Internet on Friday, October 19th. Empire Earth is currently undergoing its final phase of testing in anticipation of shipping in mid-November.

    The Empire Earth Demo includes four of Empire Earth's Training Scenarios, which introduce a few of the many special features available in the full game. Also included are two exciting scenarios from Empire Earth's four epic Campaigns. In one scenario, you command British troops during the Napoleonic Wars. In the other, you guide Manfred von Richthofen, the famous "Red Baron," at the start of World War I.

    From Prehistory to the Nano Age of the 22nd Century, Empire Earth serves up gaming on an epic scale. Empire Earth is an epic real-time strategy game that covers 500,000 years of human history, from the discovery of fire to the laser battles of the future. Each player takes control of a fledgling civilization and strives to forge the greatest of all empires. Rick Goodman, Lead Designer of the acclaimed game Age of Empires, catapults the RTS genre into a bold new era.

    'Views

    - Falcon @ 7:35 pm PST

    Reviews:
  • Compex DS2216 16 port Fast Ethernet switch @ PCHardware.ro
  • Echelon @ Eurogamer

    Previews:

  • C&C: Renegade @ Eurogamer

    Interviews:

  • Thunderstrike: Operation Pheonix @ GamespyDaily


    Microsoft today announced that MechWarrior™ 4: Black Knight Expansion, the highly anticipated add-on pack to MechWarrior 4: Vengeance, has gone gold and is expected to hit store shelves in early November. MechWarrior 4: Black Knight Expansion drops the player into the notorious Black Knight Legion, a mercenary group of MechWarriors focused on taking care of the most important people - themselves.

    MechWarrior 4: Black Knight Expansion pack introduces five new ‘Mechs™ for the player to pilot: the Sunder, Ryoken, Uller, Wolfhound and Black Knight. It also includes several new vehicles, such as the Demolisher II Heavy Tank and the Nightwind Attack Helicopter; and new weapons, like the incredibly devastating Cluster Bombs.

    Players will also have access to some of the hardest to find weapons through the game's newest feature, the Black Market. The Black Market allows the player to take salvaged 'Mechs and weapons that they don’t need, and trade them for something they do need. Players are no longer restricted to items salvaged from the battlefield, they can now take their chances on the Black Market.

    In MechWarrior 4: Vengeance, gamers command an awesomely armed 40-foot tall, 100-ton war machine across the remote battlefields of a hostile world. Instead of desolate, sparsely populated battlefields, MechWarrior 4 takes place in a rich and dynamic universe inhabited by armed allies, noncombatants, and deadly antagonists. High-energy lasers pierce the night, rockets flare with blazing fire, and buildings and vehicles crumble into smoldering rubble. Day missions, night missions, fog, rain, snow, blizzards and lightning provide atmosphere and add to the intensity and realism.

    For more information, please visit the official site.


    PlanetDungeonSiege is glad to bring you a glimpse into the life of Kevin Pun, one of the several extraordinarily talented artists over at Gas Powered Games. He shares details about how he got started in gaming, what he does at GPG, the artistic process at GPG, his favorite aspects of Dungeon Siege, and more.


    Kiltron sends word that he has released a few more pics of Unreal Arena in the screenshots section showing off some custom map work to be included in the game, and some of the weapons to show how they look in the game. The project is going smooth thus far with more info soon.

    Thursday, October 11, 2001


    It's about time for a new poll question, so here it is:

    Who develops/publishes the best games?
    Blizzard
    Sierra
    Westwood
    Activision
    Eidos
    GoD
    Strategy First
    Electronic Arts
    Microsoft
    Other

    Results of previous poll:

    Diablo II/Diablo II: Lord of Destruction                 
    218  20.34 %

    Baldur's Gate/Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal     
    86    8.02 %

    Black and White                                                   
    46     4.29 %

    Serious Sam                                                         
    7       0.65 %

    Alone in the Dark                                                 
    17     1.59 %

    Operation Flashpoint                                            
    48     4.48 %

    Tribes 2                                                               
    40     3.73 %

    Half-Life/Counter-Strike                                      
    202     18.84 %

    Quake 3                                                              
    64     5.97 %

    Unreal Tournament                                             
    114   10.63 %

    Freecell                                                              
    36      3.36 %

    Other                                                                 
    194    18.10 %

    TOTAL                                                             
    1072  100.00 %

    Update

    - Falcon @ 10:17 am PST

    The server move has been fairly seamless, and my email address is now working again.
    As part of the move I have updated several pages throughout the site, including our PC Strategies page, as well as our PSX Strategy Page. All in all over 500 new pages added.
    Again, we are looking for quality sites to host, as well as for new staff members to join the team.
    Look for more reviews coming within the week.


    Harvey Smith, lead designer at ION Storm Austin, whipped together an impressive keynote address on the future of game design for a recent game conference in Montreal. He goes into quite some detail regarding immersive simulations, emergent behavior and how to create a greater possibility space for player expression. And, he sneaks in some bits on Deus Ex 2... A must read!


    Cutting The Edge has just published the second half to their Kreed interview. They continue talk with Burut about Kreed and more about the game itself and less about the engine, and finish up the interview with a few questions about the Geforce 3 and games in general.


    SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition Ships Today!
    SWAT 3 2.0 Update Now Available Free On Internet

    BELLEVUE, WA., (October 10, 2001) - Sierra today announced SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition (TGOTY) is taking over store shelves throughout North America. Available on PC, this special third installment in the award-winning SWAT(tm) 3 series is a two-CD edition including 27 missions, 10-person multiplayer, new weapons and mods along with an unprecedented Advanced Tactics CD. Developed in conjunction with LAPD SWAT, SWAT 3 places an emphasis upon saving lives and rewards gamers for non-violent resolution of each mission.

    The most authentic tactical simulation created, SWAT 3: TGOTY places gamers in crisis situations in strikingly realistic Los Angeles locations, such as Whitman Airport and Chang's Theater. The game adds six new missions to the original 21 missions, each playable in both single and multiplayer gametypes.

    Designed to enhance the gamer's SWAT 3 experience, the Advanced Tactics CD includes real-world SWAT tactics and strategies, including instructional training videos, a Q&A tactics section, and much more--all provided by actual SWAT officers. This edition also empowers gamers to create their own version of SWAT with robust community building tools, including the Worldcraft(tm) Level Editor and the newly enhanced Scenario Editor with career editing functionality.

    In addition, Sierra has released SWAT 3 version 2.0 update, giving owners of Close Quarters Battle and Elite Edition all of the features of the new Tactical Game of the Year Edition with the exception of those materials found on the Advanced Tactics CD. The 2.0 update includes 10-man multiplayer game play, enhanced AI, the option to play as an element leader or be commanded by an AI element leader, and the newly enhanced Scenario Editor. It can be downloaded for free from the SWAT 3 Web site.


    Phoenix Entertainment today released a batch of nine new development screenshots from its upcoming 3D game, The Underworld: Crime Does Pay.
    These new screenshots show several outdoor areas from the game. As further described on the Phoenix Entertainment web site at http://www.underworldgame.com/game_1.shtml, the outdoor areas of The City are involved in both the FPS-like and the RTS-like action in the game. The screenshots are posted on the Phoenix Entertainment web site at http://www.underworldgame.com/screenshots.shtml.


    LITTLEWHITEDOG.COM has just posted a review of D-Link's DI-704 home DSL/Cable modem gateway and 4-port switch.
    "The DI-704 offers 4 dedicated 10/100 switched ethernet ports on the front, a 10Mbs WAN up-link port on the back as well as an RS-232 serial port. D-Link included a power switch right next to the plug on the back of the unit. Also included were 12 lovely little LEDs, a manual, a quick installation guide and two 15ft. CAT5 ethernet cables. Another feature, which has become a defacto standard for network device administration, is an easy to understand, easy to configure web-based administration interface..."

    Thursday, October 11, 2001

    Back Up

    - Falcon @ 7:32 pm PST

    We're back up thanks to our new server on The Legacy Network. I can't seem to access the Control Panel at the moment which means I have been unable to set up any emails for the time being. If it is urgent please contact me at this address


    The latest Half-Life patch brought natively-supported voice communication to the game. However, is it really needed when other third-party voice communication solutions exist? Roger Wilco is a free, immensely popular real-time voice chat program; did Valve really need to duplicate this feature? Catachan & NeonRonin square off to debate this very question.


    Mythic Entertainment Announces Dark Age of Camelot TM Has Shipped to Retailers

    MYTHIC ENTERTAINMENT’S MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE ROLE-PLAYING GAME SET TO BE FASTEST SELLING ONLINE GAME TO DATE

    FAIRFAX, VA –OCTOBER 9, 2001 – Mythic Entertainment, creator of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Dark Age of Camelot, working in partnership with Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing, has announced that the game shipped to retailers today, a week ahead of schedule. Based on sales to retailers and pre-orders by customers, Dark Age of Camelot is poised to be the fastest selling MMORPG to date. With deals in place for distribution both in the United States and with various overseas partners, Dark Age of Camelot is well on its way in establishing its place among the pantheon of online games including Everquest, Ultima Online and Asheron’s Call. Dark Age of Camelot is developed by Mythic Entertainment and co-published with Abandon Entertainment.

    "We’re thrilled with the retail demand for the game. Our hugely successful beta test and the resulting word-of-mouth have resulted in a phenomenal number of pre-orders,” announced Mark Jacobs, President of Mythic Entertainment. "This couldn’t have happened without the total support of our partners at Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing. Working with them to bring our game to the public has been an absolute pleasure."
    "Mythic Entertainment has created a dynamic, fantasy MMORPG which is about to make a significant impression with the online gaming community,” added Philip O’Neil, Senior Vice President of Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing North America. “Dark Age Of Camelot has clearly demonstrated that it is on track to take its place amongst the best-selling PC titles of the season.”
    Mythic Entertainment is not content with simply releasing Dark Age of Camelot to the eager gaming audience; the company is also seeking to set a new standard in areas such as customer service. When Dark Age of Camelot opens its doors, there will be 46 customer service representatives standing by on the phones, Internet, and inside the game to ensure that the players’ experience with the game is an enjoyable one. The team that created Dark Age of Camelot will continue to work on the game in the coming months.

    “Our work does not stop or decline with the game’s release. It is our goal to make Dark Age of Camelot the premier MMORPG in the gaming industry,” declared Jacobs. “In order to do that Mythic will continue to add a wealth of rich content and features to the game as demonstrated by our recent surprise addition of horses.”

    Dark Age of Camelot takes place after the death of King Arthur, and breaks new ground for online play with three realms in conflict – realms that used to be peaceful and united under Arthur’s rule. The players assume a character from one of the three realms: Midgard, Hibernia, or Albion. Each realm is based on the mythologies of Viking-era Scandinavia, ancient Ireland, and Arthurian Britain, respectively. While retaining and enhancing the traditional appeal of MMORPGs (monsters, treasure, and community), Dark Age of Camelot adds the additional challenges of protecting the player’s realm’s powerful relics and to raid enemy territories to steal their relics and bring them home. Dark Age of Camelot is a next generation MMORPG and features 3D-accelerated graphics with movable camera, multiple class and race combinations, Player vs. Player and Player vs. Environment action, a robust trade skill system, and the most comprehensive player Guild system in any MMORPG.


    Games xtreme have posted up 18 new screenshots for World of Warcraft, the upcoming Warcraft based RPG from Blizzard. These 18 screens take their total to 34 now.


    Today Cutting The Edge has the first part of their Kreed interview up. Kreed is an upcoming First Person Shooter from Russian developer Burut. Kreed will be using the full power of the Geforce 3 and it's engine looks very similar to id Software's "Doom 3" engine. Check out todays interview of 20 questions to get you pumped and excited for tomorrows part 2 of the interview.

    Tuesday, October 09, 2001

    Server Move

    - Falcon @ 8:04 pm PST

    Well we're in for another server move, this time to The Legacy network. This will take place within a couple of days and involve some downtime during the DNS changes. We will also need to reconfigure our CGI scripts once the DNS has propogated, so there will be a short news downtime.

    Monday, October 08, 2001


    PC Hardware posted a review about Altec Lansing ADA890 sound system. We tested these speakers in both analog and digital mode using a Sound Blaster Live! sound card. The sound quality proved to be very good to exceptional in almost all modes, from the simple stereo to the industry standard for Home Theater Dolby Digital. Quite unique on the market, these speakers come with an original mode to transform the 4.1 configuration into a 2.1 configuration. Overall a high quality system, but do not expect to a low price. Take a quote:

    “The satellites are impressive, small, but powerful enough to handle 15W. The left and right front speakers connect to subwoofer using thicker cables, due to the extra functions each one handles. The left speaker has a phone jack, while the LCD display placed on the foot of the right satellite speaker offers information regarding volume level and mode indicators. Next to this display there is a power on button, the mode, bass and treble buttons that control these settings and another button, bigger than the others for volume level control. All these commands are digitally controlled.”


    On February 22, 2000, developer Mythic Entertainment announced Dark Age of Camelot, its entry into the online world RPG market. At that time, the game had been in progress for only a few months, but the company was already thinking in terms of a two-year development timeframe, meaning it would enter commercial service this fall, in half the time we’ve seen for other online worlds. Despite the amount of work involved in this type of project, the team will hit its target tomorrow, when the game is released. We’ve been following its progress very closely since that very first day. On the eve of its launch, we offer an extensive, informative and completely up to date hands-on look at what players can expect in our Dark Age Of Camelot Preview which is today's main feature at RPG Vault.


    Also updated on Blizzard websites are afew tasty treats from their highly anticipated (very) distant future release, World of Warcraft, A Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, set in the World of Azeroth. To see the updates head to the official website and check under the October Screenshots. I've said it before, but I have to say it again, this games looks amazing.... *stunned*


    In an interesting article, http://mmo.gameznet.com/, have compared the heavy-weights of the RPG world, to determine which is best. Including in the competition are Ultima Online, Anarchy Online, Everquest, Dark Age of Camelot and Asheron's Call. I would hate to spoil the surprise and tell people who ends up coming ontop, but I would honestly have to say I disagree with the reviewers choice. Its a big article, but filled with good juicy reading, get to it by playing follow the link.


    As some may remember, Anarchy Online was originally intented to be a story driven MMORG, whilst currently the story element has not been implemented, the Development team now says things are ready to go, afew the first few testing months for AO. Here is the full update straight from the Official Website:
    "With the impending launch of the Anarchy Online story – the first episode is released this Halloween – and following today’s introduction of the official story portal, we’d like to take a moment to update you on our future plans for the portal.

    "It was important for us to create something unique and different," says web editor Dag Scheve. "The portal is a world unto itself that still feels like, and is, a crucial part of the AO experience."

    "We’re creating a visual style for the portal that compliments the in-game experience, but with a slightly different style to it," explains Didrik Tollefsen, Funcom’s art director and an AO story director. "We want players to feel right at home, but we also want them to understand that this is something special and new, something that’s worth returning to on a regular basis to check out what’s going on both in the game and outside it, story wise. It’s a looking-glass into the past, present, and future of Anarchy Online."

    In its present form, the story portal is just a teaser of what’s ahead. As the story progresses and evolves, so will the portal:

    "We have created the framework, and now we’re going to focus on adding content and making the portal an integral part of the ongoing storyline," says Scheve. "This is where the individual episodes of the storyline will be presented and collected, so that anyone who’s missed an episode – or new players who might want to catch up on the story – will be able to access the archive and see what’s happened since the last time they visited. The story portal is also where players will be able to get information and hints about new content and in-game events."

    The episodes themselves will be complemented with profiles of central characters, background for the in-game clans and Omni-Tek departments, character profiles and interviews, and, of course, tons of really cool surprises along the way!

    "Because we’ve been constantly developing and tweaking the Anarchy Online," says writer and fellow story director Ragnar Tørnquist, "observant players will probably notice that a few things have changed since the first time they heard about the story. The portal is where we’re going to present those changes and where we set things straight. The material presented in this portal is the correct material – it’s canon, so to speak. It’s crucial both for us and the players that we gather everything in one place."

    One of the first features we present on the portal is the prologue to Tørnquist’s novel, Prophet Without Honour – Anarchy Online Book One. How important is the book to understanding the story?

    "You don’t have to read the book to understand what’s going on," Tørnquist continues, "but it helps. The book tells a big chunk of the complex back-story, establishes the universe, explains a lot of what’s happened between our present and Anarchy Online’s future, and introduces a few of the lead characters. The prologue and first chapter will be posted at the story portal, as a preview of what you’ll get if you buy the book."

    Make sure to visit the new portal to get a first look at the latest addition to the Anarchy Online experience, and keep checking back to witness the launch of one of AO’s most important features: the story!"



    According to Gamespot.com, Microsoft has announced that its upcoming expansion to the 3D Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, Asherons Call, has now gone gold. Titled Asherons Call: Dark Majesty, the new game now adds "housing and secure storage, plus new towns, quests, and treasures on the exotic new isle of Marae Lassel". Currently there is no support for this rumour on the official Dark Majesty site. For more information head here.


    Hot off the Blizzard website, are four new in game screenshots for their upcoming Role Playing Strategy Game, Warcraft III: Reigns of Chaos. Depicted in these images are a Balrog, Hero Mage, Dread Lord and Org Blade Master. Head here to view the first one.


    SimHQ.com has a contest in which you could win a copy of Xtreme Air Racing. Enter once per week for up to 4 chances to win.

    AvP2 Trailer

    - Falcon @ 4:02 am PST

    Back in 1999, Fox Interactive combined the most successful science fiction/action film franchises with computer games and ended up with Aliens vs. Predator, a stellar game possessing unbelievable graphics, incredibly fast gameplay and wicked sound effects and music. Aliens vs. Predator allowed players to take on the role of either the vicious Alien, the cunning Predator or the trigger happy Colonial Marine. Anyway you sliced it, the game was one helluva ride.

    Now two years later, the folks at Sierra have taken over the project and with the help of developer Monolith Productions, Alien vs. Predator 2 is shaping up to be another adrenaline pumping title. Concentrating more on the single player game, AVP2 will have over 21 single player missions and just as in the first game, players will be able to take on the role of either the Alien, the Predator or the Marine. Just as in the original, players will have access to all the arsenals of their respective characters including the Marine's Pulse Rifle, the Predator's Thermal Scan and the Alien's devastating tail.

    In addition to a solid single player experience, AVP2 will incorporate new multiplayer games and maps. There will be 12 exclusive multiplayer maps and over 10 characters to choose from.

    Coupled with 32-bit graphics, an advance lighting system and revamped sound and music, Alien vs. Predator 2 is one action adventure worth waiting for. 13th Street has gotten access to the trailer for the game, so here's a taste of what you're in store for! Enjoy!

    Sunday, October 07, 2001


    I don't normally post console news but this one caught my eye:

    Devil May Cry, the PlayStation horror action game which is due out in the UK next month

    "The fight scenes are amongst the most impressive we have ever seen in a video game, with Dante running up walls, leaping between ledges, doing back flips, and firing guns with so much recoil that they can momentarily suspend you in mid-air. A typical fight might involve you charging towards an enemy, slicing him open with a sword, throwing his body high into the air, and then holding it there for a couple of seconds with a stream of lead from your shotgun."

    Tribes2 Demo

    - Falcon @ 4:00 am PST

    FilePlanet is mirroring the Tribes 2 demo from Sierra. This demo features two single-player training missions to get you started, a CTF map, and a Team Hunters map.



    Hercules Prophet 4500 (Kryo II) Review (10-05-01)
    Dogfighter's hardware editor, Kurt "Froglips" Giesselman, examines an economy graphics card that takes a route less traveled: the Hercules Prophet 4500 using the Kryo II chipset.

    CH Products Pro Throttle USB Review (10-02-01)
    Historically CH Products has been an early adopter of USB connectivity for gaming, and led the charge for high end flight simulation controllers. Recently they have included the Pro Throttle USB into the mix.


    BattleGoat Studios is pleased to announce new details on its upcoming release "Supreme Ruler 2010". Particulars are posted on the Official Website. Supreme Ruler 2010 is an Economic,
    Political, and Military Strategy game for Windows based PC's that is scheduled to be released Q2, 2002.

    What's new :
    1) Our thoughts and prayers...
    With the rest of the world we at BattleGoat Studios offer our sympathies to all those affected by the tragedies in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. We're sure all creators of strategy products - in fact, all creators of fictional futures including book authors and filmmakers - hope and pray that their visions remain in the realm of fantasy and imagination, possibly even a warning to humanity of the dangers from an uncertain world.

    2) The response by the creative communities...
    In response to these horrific crimes, many software projects, films and toys have had art work altered, plot lines changed, or had their project pulled.

    The question we are struggling with is simply "How do we tastefully and respectfully handle it?" It is important to remember that we have fictionalized a history of the next nine years but based it on what has been going on in the real world today, both politically and economically. Can we ignore the events of September 11th? Should we? We have asked our subscribers to feel free and send us their feelings and comments on this issue. Currently we have decided to avoid specific mention of September 11th but will be writing the reactions of governments around the world into the plot.

    We will post much of the discussion to our web site in the weeks ahead. EMail comments to : Info@battlegoat.com

    3) Supreme Ruler 2010 Progress Report...
    Probably the most common question we get these days is "When's it coming out?" Originally we had targeted a 4th Quarter 2001 release but early on we realized that this would likely fall victim to our development style. To elaborate, we have the luxury of being able to finance our development ourselves so although we have made preliminary contact with several publishers we have not pursued signing with a publisher as of yet. We will need a Publisher to help us market and distribute Supreme Ruler 2010 to maximize its audience, but our first priority has been development. This has a major benefit for the players, the Publisher, and for us. For us, it keeps more of the control of the game and its release in our hands. For the Publisher it means seeing a more finished product beforehand and not being "surprised" by any final content or timeline.

    But most importantly, for the users this means that without a publisher looking over our shoulders SR2010 will see the light of day on our timeline and ONLY when we are happy with it. As an example, in July we set the project timeline back a month or two by re-working the User Interface. Now it is cleaner and more visually appealing. This will continue to be the method we use. If we have a "Better Idea" we will not hesitate to implement it. We have a specific "Vision" for Supreme Ruler 2010 and we want it to be the best product we can make it. We don't want to answer to someone else's forced release schedule.

    So what's the bottom line? Pending any other major changes in development, we are now anticipating a release date of around May or June 2002. We have recently added to our development team to facilitate this new timeframe by speeding up scenario development and sifting through design revisions all the quicker.

    4) AskDeveloper Diary - Introduced at GAMESPY.COM

    In September we were pleased to begin submitting our Supreme Ruler 2010 Developer Diaries to this popular web site. In this first installment we talk about the history of Supreme Ruler and some of our unique design concepts.

    6) New Screen Shots!
    Borders - SR2010 has a flexible border structure that will allow your region to grow on a hex by hex basis.

    Production - We've added a couple of new screen shots illustrating both a quick overview of the different industries, and a more detailed look at what's involved with any one product.

    Saturday, October 06, 2001


    Phoenix Entertainment was recently interviewed by the gaming site StrategyPlanet about its upcoming game, The
    Underworld: Crime Does Pay. This interview reveals new information about The Underworld: Crime Does Pay and includes three new screenshots.

    Also note that they will be releasing our next batch of screenshots from The Underworld: Crime Does Pay, featuring several outdoor areas from the game, early next week.


    VYKKERS LABS OFFICIAL PROPAGANDA MACHINE LAUNCHES TODAY
    Vykker Labs, the most profitable airship-based global pharmaceutical company in Oddworld, is now ready to take your moolah online at http://www.vykkerslabs.com. Learn why Vykkers Labs sets the standard in chunky laxative technology, lung replacements, and hyper-caffeination methods. Only Fuzzles were harmed in the creation of this site.

    From the Vykkers Labs Annual Report
    The fastest growing Franchise in the Vykkers Conglomerate, Vykkers Labs owes its prodigious success to a wide-ranging portfolio of market-busting consumer products, especially in the pharmaceutical and processed food arenas. With a daring corporate strategy built upon pure research, audacity and ruthless opportunism, Vykkers Labs has pioneered one innovative product after another.

    Leveraging their dominance of the Laxative market space, Vykkers Labs has proliferated their "Butt Flo" formula into products as diverse as novelty gum, soft-drinks, and fine wines. From here, it was an easy leap to synergize products in new and exciting ways, using one product to literally create demand for another. With the Gum-Rot products, for example, the company now earns profit on the entire lifecycle of consumer's oral needs, from the first sugar-coated toothbrush stroke to the final installation of disposal dentures. But innovation and product linkages are only one part of the exciting Vykkers story. Vykkers Labs took off (literally) when profits were re-invested in giant floating factory labs. These impregnable fortresses allowed the company to unearth new products and opportunities in remote areas, free of interference from tree-hugging Mudokons, animal rights wackos and other anti-progress freaks. It is within the blood-stained walls of these innovation institutions that products as diverse as Headburn Shampoo, Chill Pills, Baby Chow and Home Cosmetic Surgery Kits were developed and brought to market.

    But without the trust of consumers, none of these thrilling and imaginative products would have ever reached the retail shelf. Quality is tested in to each and every Vykkers product with a rigorous certification process, utilizing only the most repetitive animal testing possible.


    There are plenty of dedicated gamers out there who don't find things so easy when it comes to interacting with that new game that revolutionizes the industry. Many people have some form of disability in this world, but that shouldn't stop them from enjoying computer games. Catachan takes a look at gaming with a disability.


    Friday, October 05, 2001


    Lotsa interviews...

    This week's interview on EuroGamer is with Magic & Mayhem : Art of Magic producer Steve Norris. We talked to him about the switch from Charybdis to Climax earlier in the year and what this has meant for the final months of the game's troubled development.

    "Feature creep was the main reason for the delay. Everyone in the team wanted the best for the sequel and this inherently meant that if something did not work as we liked it was improved or re-mplemented.
    In the long run the game should reap the rewards, hopefully!"


    Dark Orbit is an action-oriented RPG where you pilot a ship while escaping from aliens 150 years in the future. The game is played in a Web browser using new technology from Wild Tangent. RPG Planet learns about Dark Orbit from an interview with Phil Shenk, the Executive Producer, who was formerly the Lead Artist on Blizzard's Diablo II.



    Aces high announces huge release of version 1.08 -- and the inclusion of all new vehicles and supply systems!

    GRAPEVINE, TX - October 5, 2001 - HiTech Creations, producer of on-line combat sim, Aces High, unveils today their latest version (1.08) of the premier air, land, and sea WWII battlefront.

    "The community is charged for the ultimate challenge," says company president, Dale Addink, who's team has worked diligently over the last months prepping for the release. "We've successfully resolved a list of new concepts and technologies for supply points, automated trains, truck convoys, roads, tracks and re-supply systems that we're sure our players will be thrilled with." Addink adds that combat sim players universally are seeking the challenges that Aces High now delivers.

    In addition to the automated train and convoy systems, players can also manually resupply bases and even other players through airlift, ground transport, and amphibious operations.

    Other improvements include:

    Added the M8 "Greyhound" armored car, and the following planes: Me-262, Hurricane IIC, Hurricane IID, F4U-1, F4U-4, and Mosquito Mk VI.

    New environmental sounds with range and Doppler effects. You can now hear the sounds of battle all around you as airplanes fly by and machine guns chatter in the distance.

    Improved graphics include new high definition ground textures, a new ground object system with trees, houses and many more terrain objects, and a new mipmapping option for better texture display.

    LAN support is now available in the FREE H2H mode.

    Many more new upgrades and features too numerous to mention. Further details can be found at our website at http://www.hitechcreations.com.


    GameSpyDaily talks with the producer of Comanche 4 to shed a little light on this arcade/sim-flavored helicopter combat game coming soon from NovaLogic:
    GameSpy: Tell us how stealth works in the game, and what players have to do in order to maintain it.

    NovaLogic: By design, the Comanche is a stealth aircraft. In its light attack configuration, the Comanche's weapons are stored in internal weapons bays, making its radar cross-section more than 600 times smaller than that of the Apache. The tradeoff is that it can't carry a lot of firepower in this mode. A pair of stub-wings called EFAMS (External Fuel Armament Management System) can be added to the Comanche to more than double its weapons load. However, these wings greatly increase the Comanche's radar cross-section.



    RPG Vault renew their recent conversation with the Joint CEOs of acclaimed developer BioWare who offer their thoughts on the future of company, CRPGs and other topics.
    Within the space of the past three years, BioWare has become one of the most respected studios in the industry. Today, we re-join Joint CEOs and Co-Executive Producers Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka to talk about the company, its future, what lies ahead for the CRPG genre and more in our BioWare 2001 Interview, Part 2.


    Cnet.com has a breakdown on the types of broadband currently available, including the highs, lows and recommendations.
    But all's not well in the world of broadband. Tough economic times and a lot of very bad business decisions have put scores of broadband suppliers out of operation or on the verge of extinction. It's more important than ever to pick your broadband provider carefully. Unfortunately, that's not easy. Depending on where you live, you may find your broadband options to be either staggeringly diverse or few and far between. Where's a speed seeker to turn?


    Nobody is sure what the future holds: money, power, fame -- it is all out of your hands. Games are the same way -- we, as gamers, don't really have the chance to voice our opinions. Well, until now. Grey Loki and CitizenC have sat down and made a list of the five things that they would like to see in the game of the future.



    Todays review over at games xtreme is for The Mystery of the Druids, the spooky and druid filled adventure game from cdv and House of Tales.
    "The game uses 2D pre-rendered backgrounds, which are very nicely detailed and animated, the characters however are 3D models and are made of up to 1000 polygons which for most of the time animate smoothly and integrate reasonably well into the backgrounds. While the backgrounds are very well detailed the game does load them very quickly and while I have heard some reports of people seeing the backgrounds overlap as the character moves between the scenes, I didn't actually come across this or many other visual glitches which have been reported (we got the UK retail version to review)."


    FilePlanet is now mirroring the new patches for Diablo II Classic and the Lord of Destruction expansion. Updating your v1.09 to v1.09b, this fixes a bug that should state "Unable to connect to Battle.net" but instead gave you a patch download dialogue that indefinitely stayed at 0%.
  • Diablo II
  • DII: Lord of Destruction.

    Speaking of FilePlanet they've sent out a lil release with some interesting info on their "successful" September, including: "between 300,000 and 500,000 files, about three terabytes of data, per day. At its peak in late September, FilePlanet transferred more than 12 terabytes of data in a single day. Twelve terabytes is equal to 12 million megabytes, or approximately 18,750 standard size CD-ROMs, transferred in one day.

    Thursday, October 04, 2001


    PREPARE TO STEP INTO A NEW PORTAL! ASHERON'S CALL DARK MAJESTY GOES GOLD

    Microsoft today announced that Asheron's Call Dark Majesty, the expansion for the popular massively multiplayer role-playing game Asheron's Call, has gone gold and is expected to hit store shelves in late October. Asheron's Call has become a leader in the MMRPG genre by providing on-going updates. These updates propel its unique storyline and provide new content and features on a monthly basis. Asheron's Call Dark Majesty will be available for only $20.00 (U.S.) and will include one free month of play. For more information on Asheron's Call Dark Majesty, visit: Here:

    Asheron's Call Dark Majesty includes the full version of Asheron's Call as well as new additions such as housing and storage, two of the most frequently requested features. Players will be able to purchase their own homes on pre-designated locations, as well as use their residence for secure storage purposes. Technically, the expansion improves upon the original by introducing all new models and textures which will now require a 3D graphics accelerator. Regular players of Asheron's Call know that the story-line has continued to unfold monthly for almost two years. The Expansion Pack kicks off the next chapter in the ongoing Asheron's Call storyline by introducing the island of Marae Lassel. Marae Lassel is a sprawling new landmass which will contain new quests, dungeons, and treasures. The island will be accessible to all levels of players who purchase the Asheron's Call Expansion Pack.

    Asheron's Call is a massively multiplayer role-playing game playable exclusively on Zone.com that draws together thousands of players within a dynamic, 3-D online world. Players can create truly unique characters by choosing between extensive combinations of visual appearance, attributes and skill sets. Asheron's Call immerses players in an intense role-playing environment where they must compete or cooperate with thousands of other online players. An extensive system of allegiance and influence greatly enhances social interaction. The online nature of the game facilitates an evolving and dynamic adventure inside a consistent universe. The game will never be solved because there will always be more areas to explore and quests to complete.


    James Hills sits down with Killcreek to talk about Monkeystone, John romero and Tom Hall's new game development studio. there's also some PR about their first game if you haven't seen it yet:



    Horizons Vault has some information regarding the rumours of Artifact Entertainment letting half their staff go:
    Artifact Entertainment has made a reduction of approximately 20% of the staff working on the development of its flagship title, Horizons. In addition key restructuring changes were made to the management team and production staff.


    Throne of Darkness First Impressions
    Throne of Darkness is Click Entertainment’s fast-paced action RPG set in a feudal Japanese scenario. Based on roughly 10 hours of play in single-player mode plus a total of five or six more divided between the two multiplayer options that are available, our Throne of Darkness First Impressions offers some initial thoughts about this intriguing, colorful new title.


    Strategy First and Flying Lab Software announced today that a patch has been released for their highly praised rail strategy game, Rails Across America.

    The patch will be an auto-update through Gamespyarcade.com and will also be available for download from www.strategyfirst.com. It fixes a minor multiplayer sync bug and removes a reference to terrorists on the Terrorist Attack influence card. Due to the recent tragedies in the US, Strategy First and Flying Lab felt it was appropriate to remove the reference to terrorists in the game.

    Rails Across America, released September 18th, 2001, is receiving critical acclaim from both the gaming press and gaming community as one of the most popular rail strategy games to come out this year. Likely to please fans of both the strategy and sim genres, it takes the Railroad Tycoon II model to a higher level and allows players to acquire a richer experience of running an entire railroad empire.

    For more information about the game, log onto www.flyinglab.com.


    ARVADA, COLORADO – OCTOBER 3, 2001 – Maximum Charisma Studios has announced its massively multiplayer online role-playing/strategy game called Fighting LegendsÔ has been completed on schedule and has, in industry parlance, “gone gold.” Maximum Charisma is self-publishing the game, and production of the first 100,000 units will be completed and shipped to retailers by the scheduled release date of November 1, 2001.

    Circuit City, Amazon, Hastings, Virgin Mega Stores, Best Buy, CompUSA, Fry’s Electronics, Electronics Boutique, Electronics Boutique Canada, Future Shop (Canada), Gamestop, Chips and Bits (e-tailer), Compucenter, CompuSmart, and Media Play will offer Fighting Legends in time for the holiday season.

    “We partnered with top retailers nationwide to offer 55,000 free Beta discs during the past three weeks. We were able to incorporate many of the more frequently occurring suggestions from the thousands of Beta testers who took advantage of this unique marketing program, and from those players in our core group of Beta testers,” said Steve Escalante, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “They did a great job helping us make Fighting Legends an even more fun and exciting online game.”

    What’s New in the Final Version of Fighting Legends

    There are three major additions to the Fighting Legends experience:

    A Navigational Guide has been included to help first-time gamers get a better understanding about the game, how to move around in the many zones of gameplay, and how to become a stronger player;
    A Tutorial Castle in the beginning zone of each of the game’s nine Clans will help train players in the basics of movement and battle; and
    Tours of the game can be scheduled with Maximum Charisma’s game-savvy Customer Service Department. Players can sign up for the tours at www.mcszone.com. Tours will be limited to a maximum of 15 players each.

    Game Ratings: An Industry First

    Fighting Legends is the first game to meet the strict criteria to be ICCS™ (International Content Certification Standard™) Certified under the internationally recognized iWatchDog™ Program. The game has received a “T” (Teen) rating by the Entertainment Software Review Board.

    Fighting Legends: The Game

    Fighting Legends is an animated, gender-neutral game in which players of all ages and skill levels lead a squad of warriors through the vast, magical world of Exisle where life is a constant struggle for survival. Aided by sword and spell, players confront the planet’s bizarre creatures and the most dangerous foes of all – thousands of other players each bent on securing his or her name in the Halls of Legend.

    There are nine clans scattered across the three planes of Exisle:

    In the Underplane there are: the Arachin Clan – spidery creatures with a mechanical twist; the Bone Clan – zombie like warriors; and Clan Wee – tiny blue skinned critters, save for the Hurler, that are nevertheless worthy foes.

    The Surface Realm is home to: the BearKat Clan – sentient feline bears; the BioMecha Clan – who have formidable armor and projectile weapons; and Clan Human – which excels in the art of hand-to-hand fighting.

    Making their home in the Sky Realm are: Clan M – wielders of the most potent spells in all of Exisle; the Pyron Clan – fiery demons of chaos; and the RIN Clan – who are phenomenal martial artists and archers.

    Each clan has nine characters for a total of 81 potential avatars, a vast collection of choices to keep even the most experience gamer challenged and intrigued.

    One of the primary activities in Fighting Legends is battle. Battle effectiveness relies on two central elements: planning and execution. Careful planning is reflected by the inclusion of diverse and experienced units in a squad, while the execution is purely defined by how well players maneuver their forces on the battlefield. The controls in Exisle are very action-oriented similar to FPS (Fast Playing Sports) style games. While preparation is crucially important, it is likewise necessary for players to maintain tight battle control.

    For more information about Fighting Legends, please visit www.mcszone.com.

    Thin CRT's?

    - Falcon @ 6:14 am PST

    CuttingTheEdge has finished another Quick Take. This time on the new technology known as ThinCRT. LCD screens have dominated the thin market... until now. Candescent can now prodive CRT (You know, the glass type monitors) that are even THINNER than LCD screens. ThinCRT is superior to LCD in every way. Check out the Quick Take to learn more about ThinCRT.


    I honestly don't see what the deal is with these coolers but all the sites keep pumping out these "roundups" anway...

    PC Hardware posted a MEGA coolers roundup with products from Swiftech, Alpha, Kanie, Fanner, Fortis, Thermaltake, Thermal Integration, AVC, OCZ, Zalman, Tiger, Power Cooler. There are coolers for every user, from the regular user to the hardcore overclocker. PC Hardware tested the coolers performance and noise in real world conditions. A comparison of 22 coolers in 26 pages.


    Moosehill Productions reveals their first game, Worst Case Scenario, and Gamespy goes to the mat to get you further details.

    They also have a casual chat with the CEO & President of the US-based publishing company, Xicat Interactive.


    Phoenix Entertainment has released a new batch of screenshots from its upcoming 3D game, The Underworld: Crime Does Pay. These new screenshots, which showcase a number of features of the game, are collected on our web site at http://www.underworldgame.com/screenshots.shtml.

    WTW 2.0.5

    - Falcon @ 12:08 am PST

    WTW - Who's The Winner Q3A log analyzer - Changes list

    Here's a new maintanance release.
    Added support for HeadHunter3 mod, enabled javascript compatibility with
    MSIE 6.x with new overLib and fixed a few bugs.

    Here's the list of changes from v2.0 (build 230):

    - Add: HeadHunter 3 full support.
    - Add: MSIE 6.x compatibily with overLIB 3.50 © Erik Bosrup.
    - Add: TDK (Theme Development Kit) v1.0.1 fixing an issue with Python
    1.5.2.
    - Add: WTW core engine compiled for Python 2.1
    - Mod: All special characters in OSP mod are deleted.
    - Fix: Total games were returned as floating point numbers in Wins Graph
    if total games number exceeded 300 games.
    - Fix: An issue with Rocket Arena 3 in single games pages.
    - Fix: Banlist wildcard issue.

    Wednesday, October 03, 2001


    Last week, Cryptic Studios unveiled City of Heroes, a superhero-themed online world RPG in which players will create their own heroes, choosing from hundreds of powers, skills, abilities and items. In RPGVault's lengthy and informative City of Heroes Interview, Game Designer Jack Emmert offers the first extensive look at his team’s very different and very intriguing project.


    Leadtek WinFast GeForce3 TDH Review (09-26-01)
    Rod White, Guest Contributor, examines the newest GeForce3 offering from Leadtek: the WinFast GeForce3 TDH. Avoiding benchmarks for First Person Shooters, the real question is what does it offer for flight simmers?

    SoF2 Preview

    - Falcon @ 4:04 am PST

    It's another one of these "is it a sim or ain't it" games, but Soldier of Fortune 2 certainly caught our attention at E3 this year. Today, Zero G takes a look at this new shooter with a combination preview and interview with Raven's Kenn Hoekstra.

    Tuesday, October 02, 2001

    Screenshots

    - Falcon @ 7:27 pm PST

  • Knights - PS2
  • Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds - PC
  • Super Smash Bros. Melee - GameCube
  • Airforce Delta Storm - XBox
  • Star Wars Obi-Wan - XBox
  • Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds - PC


    Microsoft today announced exclusive Asheron's Call Dark Majesty pre-order programs with Electronics Boutique and GameStop. Gamers who pre-order from Electronics Boutique or EBWorld.com will receive a new map of Dereth with a blown-up view of the new island of Marae Lassel. Those who pre-order from
    From the four corners of Dereth, Microsoft also announced that the official Asheron's Call Dark Majesty Web site is now live at
    http://www.microsoft.com/games/acdm. While the forthcoming storyline is still shrouded in mystery, players can indulge their curiosity by visiting the official site, which features a selection of concept art images of new creatures that adventurers will face on Marae Lassel, new screenshots, and an updated FAQ.

    Asheron's Call Dark Majesty includes the full version of Asheron's Call as well as new additions such as housing and storage, two of the most frequently requested features. Players will be able to purchase their own homes on pre-designated locations, as well as use their residence for secure storage purposes. Technically, the expansion improves upon the original by introducing all new models and textures which will now require a 3D graphics accelerator. Regular players of Asheron's Call know that the story-line has continued to unfold monthly for almost two years. The Expansion Pack kicks off the next chapter in the ongoing Asheron's Call storyline by introducing the island of Marae Lassel. Marae Lassel is a sprawling new landmass which will contain new quests, dungeons, and treasures. The island will be accessible to all levels of players who purchase the Asheron's Call Expansion Pack.

    Asheron's Call is a massively multiplayer role-playing game playable exclusively on Zone.com that draws together thousands of players within a dynamic, 3-D online world. Players can create truly unique characters by choosing between extensive combinations of visual appearance, attributes and skill sets. Asheron's Call immerses players in an intense role-playing environment where they must compete or cooperate with thousands of other online players. An extensive system of allegiance and influence greatly enhances social interaction. The online nature of the game facilitates an evolving and dynamic adventure inside a consistent universe. The game will never be solved because there will always be more areas to explore and quests to complete.


    GW.com has some juicy Soul Reaver 2 wallpapers, and a cool but cold Hitman 2 wallpaper. Both titles will be on PC and PS2, Hitman 2 will be on Xbox too:


  • Soul Reaver 2
  • Hitman 2

    Monday, October 01, 2001


    Well my host's DB has crashed on the server which means any email sent within the last 12-24 hours has been lost. If it is at all important could you please resend it to falcon@polar.icestorm.net


  • " "



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