GA-Strategy has been updated with the first details and screenshots from Microids' yet-to-be-announced 3D sci-fi real-time strategy game, Times of Conflict.

CS Article - Falcon @ 1:45 am PST
Actiontrip have something special lined up for ya today, folks! It's an in-depth, 4-page look at Counter-Strike (full of nasty gibs, and action-packed screenshots), reflecting on the reasons behind the mod's enormous success.

Looking Glass Studios Follow up - Falcon @ 1:33 am PST
Gamespy had a lot of former Looking Glass people and their friends contact us about our first "Where are They Now" article that they decided to compile a part 2. Today's installment is at http://www.gamespy.com/articles/september00/lgpeeps2/

BG2 First Impressions - Falcon @ 1:24 am PST
Baldur's Gate II First Impressions Part 1

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn arrived on store shelves last Thursday in many locations. While I had played the preview build rather extensively - about 45 hours with my main party plus another 15 trying a couple of the new character classes - I was still very eager to check out the final version, and the later chapters. I thought I'd share some of my initial impressions to this point, with further updates over the next few days.

Quake3 Linux Server Setup - Falcon @ 1:22 am PST
For any of you Linux newbies out there wanting to get your Quake up and running on your 133t new linux server, here is a Quake3 Linux Server Setup Guide for the novice Linux user.

4x4 Trophy Announced - Falcon @ 1:17 am PST
GA-Source has details and new screenshots from Channel 42 and Clevers Development's upcoming rally-style off-road racer, 4x4 Trophy.

Hitman Demo Review - Falcon @ 1:13 am PST
Today on 3DActionPlanet: Oh, the life of a hitman. You're constantly on the run from the law, and you're pretty sure that around every corner is someone waiting to do a hit on you, but such is the life of a mercenary.

Hitman: Codename 47 has a great premise; unfortunately, the control of your character in the demo is extremely awkward. Third-person shooters have always been criticized as being difficult to control and lacking in the natural feel of a first-person game, but generally the character becomes fairly easy to manipulate after a while. I didn't find this to be
the case in Hitman 47.

Strifeshadow Interview - Falcon @ 1:11 am PST
GA-Strategy interviews Lead Developer Martin Snyder, to find out more details about the upcoming multiplayer real-time strategy game, Strifeshadow - 4 new screenshots included.

Could you briefly describe Strifeshadow? Who is this game being designed for?
Strifeshadow is a multiplayer RTS game designed for both the casual and competitive multiplayer RTS gamer. People that liked games like Starcraft and Myth, whether they played for fun with friends or try to make a living winning tournaments will definitely enjoy the Strifeshadow experience.

Red Alert2 Parties - Falcon @ 12:48 am PST
GameSpy has learned that Westwood is holding red Alert 2 parties in Seattle, Los Angeles and Mequon, Wisconsin, where 100 fans will be given the chance to play the game before it hits the shelves. Check out the full news at http://www.gamespy.com/news

Shockwave.com Fall Lineup - Falcon @ 12:46 am PST
SHOCKWAVE.COM PRESENTS NEW FALL LINEUP

Compaq to Sponsor Tim Burton's Animated Series "Stainboy"; Other Games, Music, and First Online Store to Debut

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - September 26, 2000 - shockwave.com today announced its new fall lineup, including Tim Burton's animated series "Stainboy." Stainboy, sponsored by Compaq, Inc, is the centerpiece of a new season of content. Additional fall content includes the highly-addictive game, BLiX; a Shockwave Single from Madonna; and episode 4 of "Radiskull and Devil Doll," with accompanying merchandise in shockwave.com's first online store. All these properties and products debut at http://www.shockwave.com.

"shockwave.com is setting the standard for online entertainment networks by providing amazing content from all types of artists, both famous and undiscovered," said Lawrence Levy, CEO and President of shockwave.com. "We're excited to showcase this new generation of media properties that leverage interactivity, community and other unique qualities of the Internet, and to launch our first e-commerce initiative."

New shockwave.com Shows

New shows for fall include Tim Burton's "Stainboy," which features music by Danny Elfman. Stainboy episodes exist in the larger context of "The World of Stainboy" which include trading cards, greeting cards, interactive games, and other content designed and created by Burton himself.

Noted for his directorial efforts on "Batman," "Edward Scissorhands," and "Sleepy Hollow," Tim Burton created, wrote, and directed the "Stainboy" series exclusively for shockwave.com. Stainboy, a character from Burton's book, The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories will be brought to animated life on the Internet by Flinch Studio, an Internet entertainment and design studio specializing in Macromedia Flash™ animation. The "Stainboy" series and "The World of Stainboy" will debut on the site later today.

The fourth episode of the hit series "Radiskull and Devil Doll," created and produced by shockwave.com's own Joe Sparks, also debuts later today with new episodes appearing monthly.

New shockwave.com Games

shockwave.com is proud to offer BLiX as its standout fall game. BLiX combines techno music and ambient sound with an addictive puzzle design and rave-like aesthetic. Named after the astronaut BLiX, the game is deceptively simple, as players use skill and strategy to ricochet pong-like balls into a cup before time runs out. Winner of the Best Audio at the Game Developers Conference's 2000 Independent Games Festival, BLiX was designed and produced by the New York City-based gameLab exclusively for shockwave.com. The first 100 levels will be released this October, with hundreds more levels expected to appear on the site in coming weeks.

New shockwave.com Puzzles

Don Rubin and Steve Ryan have joined the shockwave.com team to bring their award-winning puzzling talent to the Internet. Ryan is well-known for his puzzle books (including Brain Busters, Pencil Puzzlers and Test Your Puzzle IQ), his Copley News Service Features, which have appeared for more than 25 years and his television game shows where he has been the rebus creator for "Classic Concentration" and co-creator on the hit show "Blockbusters," both for NBC. Rubin has become famous as the author of "The Real Puzzle," a syndicated puzzle column that has appeared in more than 300 publications, and as the author of eight books of challenging puzzles such as Brainstorms, Think Tank, and Those Incredible Puzzles. Both have signed on to create original and exclusive interactive puzzles that feature community-based puzzling and interactive-style brain teasers which will be available by early 2001.

New shockwave.com Music

Madonna's Shockwave Single™ "Music" debuted at http://www.shockwave.com last week, simultaneously with the release of her new album. Shockwave Singles are a new visual format that combines the impact of full-screen Macromedia Flash™ animation and MP3 audio compression. Shockwave Singles available on the site include songs from Chuck D's Confrontation Camp, Phish, Todd Rundgren, Tsar, and the upcoming singles "Cornerstore" from Dogstar's debut album which features Keanu Reeves on bass and "Squat" from De La Soul with the Beastie Boys.

First shockwave.com Online Store

The first online store from shockwave.com debuts today with branded "Radiskull & Devil Doll" merchandise. The highlight of the offerings is the plush "Devil Doll" which is available for $11.95. Other goods include t-shirts, hats, biker-style wallets and keychains. Users can connect to the online store from banners throughout the site, and also at the end of the fourth episode of "Radiskull & Devil Doll." This merchandise is only available at shockwave.com.

About shockwave.com

shockwave.com, Inc. is a leading Internet entertainment destination committed to providing the best interactive experience on the Web. shockwave.com features cutting-edge games, animation, music and creativity applications. In partnership with major entertainment companies and Web distribution and technology leaders, shockwave.com also offers artists and publishers a new and powerful distribution model.

Tuesday, September 26, 2000

Quake 3 v125 - VulTure @ 8:31 am PST
Over at the 'Shack is a story about the new patch for Quake 3, version 1.25. id's Todd Hollenshead talks about it, and says that this release is a beta release only.

We want to reiterate that 1.25 is a beta release. We're looking for feedback from those people who don't mind providing it. We will be addressing many of the issues that have been reported over the last few days, and are planning another beta point release in the very near future.

So for everyone having problems, rest assured that they will get all of the problems fixed!

Sacrifice FSAA Comparison Screenshots - VulTure @ 8:09 am PST
VoodooExtreme has put up a page that shows off the game Sacrifice. In each set of screens, they put a standard screen up against a screen that was taken with 4x FSAA (Full-Screen Anti-Aliasing) turned on. I need a new video card! The 4x FSAA shots look much smoother, with no jaggies!

Rogue Interview - VulTure @ 8:07 am PST
VGames has Rogue CEO, Barrett “Bear” Alexander, talking about American McGee’s Alice. Here a quick bite...

VG: Why Alice in Wonder Land?

BA: Well, this is what American and Electronic Arts had available, and to be quite frank, we really liked the idea from the first time we heard about it. So, obviously, there was much mutual excitement about the title and we're thrilled to get to work on something that really allows us to show off our creative prowess. And, since I have the forum here, I have to say that I can't believe the talent that we assembled here over the past year and half, we have got the TEAM of TEAMS, these guys are amazingly talented.

WinME article - Falcon @ 8:02 am PST
Speedy 3D has just kicked up an article entitled Me and WindowsME. In this article they take you through their experiences with Microsoft's Windows Millennium Edition, Installation, Stability, and speed all in one article.

WindowsME at first glance offers almost nothing new over last year's Win98SE. The interface remains the same, 16bit code is still present (though minimized even more), and it still crashes. So what does WindowsME have over Win98SE? Not much, but it still is enough to constitute an upgrade.

Interview with The Level Designers - VulTure @ 8:03 am PST
Fragland has put up part 1 of an interview with "The Level Designers." In this part they talk to Harvey "Witchboy" Smith from Ion Storm, lead designer on Deus Ex, and James Parkman, level designer at Legend Entertainment, currently occupied with Unreal 2. Here they are talking about their favorite games to make maps for...

James : I have a soft spot for Quake 2 mapping, as it's where I got my start.

Harvey : Deus Ex. The challenge of creating detailed real-world environments was huge. Also, providing for 'multiple solutions to all problems' was a really interesting undertaking.

Midtown Madness 2 Preview - Falcon @ 7:55 am PST
This weekend's big preview on EuroGamer takes a hands-on look at a beta of Microsoft's urban racer "Midtown Madness 2". Can it live up to the reputation of the original?

"The graphics do look slightly improved, though the interface is pretty much identical. Thanks to advances in hardware the developers can now afford to use higher quality textures, and the difference does show (particularly on the non-player vehicles in the game, which are now endowed with a lovely range of textures), but I thought more could have been done to the actual building models, which just look like bland geometric shapes."

NVIDIA News - Falcon @ 7:38 am PST
NVIDIA has issued the following press release:

NVIDIA Is Named One of Silicon Valley's Fastest-Growing Technology Companies

SANTA CLARA, CA — September 22, 2000 — NVIDIA® Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA) today announced that the company has been named to Deloitte & Touche's prestigious "Fast 50" Program for Silicon Valley, a ranking of the 50 fastest-growing technology companies in the area. Rankings are based on the percentage of growth in revenues during the five-year period from 1995 to 1999.

NVIDIA's co-founder, president, and CEO, Jen-Hsun Huang, credits the company's impressive revenue growth over the past five years to NVIDIA's extraordinary people, commitment to build a great company, and intense focus on excellence. Huang states, "We are extremely proud of this recognition. Being one of the 50 fastest-growing companies in Silicon Valley underscores our focus and drive to be one of the most influential technology companies in the world."

"Today, there are more than 22,000 technology companies in the United States, many of whom are going after the same domestic and worldwide markets. The Fast 50 winners for Silicon Valley have proven that they can compete successfully by consistently delivering technological wonders. We at Deloitte & Touche commend NVIDIA for having the vision and determination to become one of the 50 fastest-growing technology companies in Silicon Valley," says Roy Avondet, partner in charge of Technology & Communications for Northern California, at Deloitte & Touche in San Jose, CA.

To qualify for the Fast 50, companies must have had operating revenues of at least $50,000 in 1995 and $1,000,000 in 1999, must be public or private companies headquartered in Silicon Valley, and be "technology companies" defined as companies that produce technology, manufacture a technology product, or devote a high percentage of effort to research and development of technology.

Winners of the 21 regional Fast 50 programs in the United States are automatically entered in the Deloitte & Touche Technology Fast 500 program, which ranks the nation's top 500 fastest-growing technology companies. For more information on the Deloitte & Touche Fast 50 or Fast 500 programs, visit www.fast500.com.

About NVIDIA
The computing industry recognizes NVIDIA as the global leader in advanced graphics processing technology, honoring the company with the most graphics awards in the history of the PC industry. PC OEMs, add-in card manufacturers, system builders, and consumer electronics companies worldwide choose NVIDIA GPUs as the core component of their graphics processing solutions. NVIDIA GPUs are used by large corporations, small- to medium-sized businesses, and home-based consumers. NVIDIA graphics processors deliver superior performance and crisp visual quality for PC-based applications such as manufacturing, science, e-business, entertainment, and education. For more information, please visit the Company's web site at www.nvidia.com.

About Deloitte & Touche
Deloitte & Touche, one of the nation's leading professional services firms, provides assurance and advisory, tax and management consulting services through 30,000 people in more than 100 U.S. cities. Deloitte & Touche is part of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, a global leader in professional services with more than 90,000 people in over 130 countries. Deloitte & Touche refers to Deloitte & Touche LLP, Deloitte Consulting LLC and related entities. For additional information, please visit Deloitte & Touche's web site at www.us.deloitte.com.
###

SF 1.5 - Falcon @ 6:56 am PST
Strike Force 1.50 has been released. This patch fixes a number of issues. It also has many new features. Here are a few things included.

-Weapons tweaked for better ROF and accuracy
-Some details tweaked to make lag better online
-New sounds for some weapons
-Police scanner sounds at inv select
-Flash grenades
-New reward system at end round score
1)Win purple heart
2)Win Gold Star for best player per round
-New anti-tk code
-New skins

Head over to the site for all the changes and details -

Additionally an Elite Force Server Setup has been uploaded for all those new admins out there. Read it at http://www.admincentral.net/sp_efserversetupbasic.cfm

Mech4 Stress Test - Falcon @ 6:51 am PST
MECHWARRIOR 4: VENGEANCE PUBLIC MULTIPLAYER STRESS TEST STARTS TONIGHT

Microsoft today announced that a downloadable multiplayer test version of MechWarrior 4: Vengeance, the highly anticipated sequel being developed by Microsoft's FASA Interactive group, will be available later tonight at http://www.microsoft.com/games/mechwarrior4/. The public multiplayer "stress test" commences tonight and will run until November 7. MechWarrior 4 weaves heart-pounding BattleMech action with the continuing drama and unfolding storyline of the perpetual BattleTech universe.

The MechWarrior 4 public "stress test" is a multiplayer-only test platform. The download includes four of the 21 'Mechs included in the game, as well as one of the 26 multiplayer maps that will be available in the retail version. In the test download, the 'MechLab is fully functional, allowing players to create many variations of the four 'Mechs provided. The multiplayer options and game types in the download provides gamers with many different types of games, including Attrition (play for points), Destruction (play for kills), King of the Hill, Capture the Flag, and Steal the Beacon. Additionally, both individual and team play is enabled in the MechWarrior 4 public "stress test." To download the MechWarrior test version later tonight, go to: http://www.microsoft.com/mechwarrior4/

In MechWarrior 4: Vengeance gamers command an awesomely armed 40-foot tall, 80-ton, 90-mile per hour 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.

Players can command 21 different 'Mechs, seven of which have never been seen on the battlefield. 'Mechs can be customized with brand-new weapons, armor and sensors including the devastating Long-Tom artillery piece. Each 'Mech and MechWarrior exhibits unique strengths and weaknesses, so gamers must carefully evaluate each mission and plan accordingly. MechWarrior 4: Vengeance also includes a variety of new and compelling multiplayer features, including those designed specifically to support networked multiplay in the BattleTech Universe. For the first time, players will be able to create their own missions, host their own MechWarrior servers, and participate in missions cooperatively. MechWarrior 4 will also include full support for Internet play, with matchmaking available on Zone.com

Monday, September 25, 2000

Serious Sam - VulTure @ 8:17 am PST
Croteam has word that their upcoming game, Serious Sam, will have a multiplayer test in mid-October, or will they? From the team...

Since we are getting quite good with respect to deadlines for the final release, I won't allow network code to be rushed more than necessary just for the network test. I want to have it tested internaly and to fix as much things we can find ourselves before we hand it out to you people. I know you all want to get your hands on the multiplayer version, but I will also assume that you would better want it later, than bugged. In other words, you can expect that the public network test won't be out as soon as Roman would like it to be. That is, unless he comes with some very hard and sharp argument. :)

Baldur's Gate 2 - VulTure @ 8:01 am PST
Check here for new cheat codes for the just released Baldur's Gate 2! Now there is a way to add new gold to your inventory!

Tribes 2 Slippage - VulTure @ 8:01 am PST
According to the Avault, it looks like Tribes 2 might be slipping from it's fall release date. The design team is requesting a longer beta period from Sierra and if this is granted, they will have more time to polish up the game, but it will push back the release date.

Unreal Tournament Interview - VulTure @ 7:55 am PST
Peter Clark, vice president of production at Secret Level studios talks to GameSpy about the conversion of Unreal Tournament from the PC to the Dreamcast...

GameSpy: What are the major differences between the original PC UT and the Dreamcast version?

Peter Clark: The Dreamcast version is remarkably similar to the PC version. It looks, sounds, and plays just like the PC, although the DC controller definitely changes the way you play. If you have a DC keyboard and mouse, it feels exactly like playing on a PC. Due to memory limitations we weren't able to include all the game modes from the PC version so we chose the two most popular modes, Deathmatch and Capture the Flag.

Tribes 2 Interview - VulTure @ 7:50 am PST
MGON has put up an interview with Dave Georgeson, the Producer of Tribes 2. Here is Dave commenting on what kind of reaction he would like to see from the gaming community...

In the order that I think I'll see their reactions:
1) The web community. Do they like it? Do they see it as a major advance?
2) Vehicles. Do they find them useful? Do they adapt tactics to use them?
3) Game size. The game has the capacity to host very large games. It will take folks a while to adapt their tactics accordingly and embrace that capablity. But I'm really looking forward to seeing the game evolve as that occurs.

Q3a point release - Recoil @ 2:09 am PST
quote from omircon

I was mucking about in Quake III Arena with Point Release 1.25, and I thought, hmmm I might use /devmap so I can change the camera angle and see my mutate bodies... Once I got bored with that and wanted to toy around with the BFG, I typed in /give all, and whats this? 3 extra icons in the weapon select menu? (with black boxes to signify the icons etc. aren't there) Hmmm... the expansion pack has 3 new weapons... Co-incidence? I think not... Turns out these are the Nailgun, the Prox Launcher and the Chaingun respectively... They don't actually work and you can't see them... because the art isn't present.. but you can select them and 'use' them....

if you would like to see some screenies, download the zip file from here
Can anyone confirm this? Is it true that our beloved Chaingun from Quake 2 will make a re-appearance?, though ain't the standard machine gun enough?

Community Links Page - shiva @ 2:01 am PST
GameSurge is pleased to announce that our Community Links Page is now up and in operation. The new program we are using is unique, by the fact that not only can you add your own link, but now, you can rate the individual sites.

The GameSurge Community Pages features multiple categories, a easy to use system to add your own links, or to view others, and a simple but effective rating system, where you can vote from a scale of one to ten on your opinion of other websites.

Any comments on the Community Pages or suggestions on new categories can be sent directly to me at shiva@gamesurge.com, I will be happy to hear them.

Sunday, September 24, 2000

Starcraft 1.08 - Hobbes @ 9:19 pm PST
Well, it's about time. No official word from Blizzard yet, but they have been hinting at it in the Battle.net forums. I received word from a Blizzard insider-friend of mine that Blizzard is constructing Starcraft 1.08 for Starcraft and Brood War. It will include one new unit for the Terran and Protoss, but no new units for the Zerg. Although there is no new unit for the Zerg, there is going to be some unit upgrades that are unknown (a speculated upgrade of Hydralisk damage from 10 to 12, making them killer?). Stay tuned for further information.

New Poll - Falcon @ 12:22 am PST
Thanks to those who voted in our last poll, the statistics will help us to provide more directed content int he future. Our latest poll is, "What system would you like to be playing in one year?" Answers include the upcoming Xbox and GB Advanced.

Results of previous poll:
How old are you?

<16         96    33.68 %

16-18     67     23.51%

19-24      55     19.30%

25-30      30     10.53%

31-40      21     7.37%

40+         16    5.61 %

TOTAL   285   100.00 %

Horizons Interview - Falcon @ 12:14 am PST
With the recent addition of several new developer's to the Horizons team, many people have been confused a bit on what exactly their roles are. I managed to sit down with Eric Speier, lead musical composer for Horizons, and talk about his career and his current job with Artifact Entertainment.
You can find out all you ever wanted to know about Eric at http://www.horizonsvault.com/thegame/devs/eric.shtml

Elite Force Walkthrough - Falcon @ 12:09 am PST
Holodeck 5, a Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force fan site, is proud to present its complete single player walkthrough for Elite Force. It is available at http://www.3dactionplanet.com/eliteforce/walk/This walkthrough is part of a "sneak peek" at the rest of the site, which will be opening to the public very soon. In the meantime, gamers can get help on some of the game's trickier points.

TDR 2000 Review - Falcon @ 12:09 am PST
OK, so you can't run over human pedestrians any more... It's green, mutated zombies now, but what the hell, it's still fun! TDR 2000; ring any bells? More here:

Spiderman, Giga Wing Review - Falcon @ 12:03 am PST
GameCritics.com review Spiderman, taking on the much anticipated game based on the Marvel comic legend.

"The end product is probably the truest portrayal of an interactive Spider-Man adventure that has ever been made. Where as previous Spider-Man licensed games were nothing more than glorified Final Fight clones, this interpretation has removed the usual 2-D limitations and created a large 3-D world for Spider-Man to explore and make real use of his special abilities. Just like in his comics and TV shows, Spider-Man can scale walls and crawl along ceilings, shoot his web at enemies and lift and toss heavy objects at enemies."

Ben and Dale of GameCritics.com give Capcom's newest arcade shooter a play-through and put their respective opinions in a new review.

"The generically titled Giga Wing -- an overhead perspective, vertically scrolling airplane shoot-fest -- is another console release in the same vein as Strider 2. Once again, Capcom is responsible (in this case I would call them the guilty party), only this time Sega's Dreamcast is the target. Both games are straight-up translations of the semi-popular arcade titles of the same names. The difference here is that while there was no shortage of action in Strider 2, the game was controlled and had a definite pace. It had a sensibility. Giga Wing, on the other hand, is the perfect example of the floodgates left wide open. It's no-holds-barred constant chaos -- action gone awry -- and it gets tiresome quickly."

Gamespy Arcade News - Falcon @ 12:05 am PST
GameSpy Industries proudly announces that its new online gaming software, GameSpy Arcade, now offers online multiplayer support for five of the biggest titles to hit the market this year: Midtown Madness 2, Sanity: Aiken's Artifact, Crimson Skies, Deer Hunter 4 and Baldur's Gate II. As an added bonus, purchasers of Baldur's Gate II will find that the game comes bundled with the Arcade software, immediately plugging them into Arcade's multiplayer game launching capabilities and connecting them to the Webby Award-winning GameSpy Network of gaming content sites.
Players looking to use Arcade to make their online play easier and more fun can download the Arcade software for free from the Arcade web site at: http://www.gamespyarcade.com/download/

Having already announced bundling and support for Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force and the upgraded beta test version of 4 x 4 Evolution, Arcade pushes itself into its biggest week ever by supporting this crop of games. Now, players of the world's most popular gaming titles will find the fun they've been looking for with the Arcade software, which provides quick and easy server browsing and game launching, moderated chat, instant messaging, and the revolutionary PlayerSpy tool, which allows players to keep track of where and when their friends are playing games online. And
with the bundling of Arcade on both Elite Force and Baldur's Gate II, millions of gamers will now have access to the best gaming tools and content on the Web.

Xbox news - Falcon @ 12:02 am PST
GameSpy has just learned that both EA and Square are signing up to develop games for the Xbox. Read all about it here

Max Payne Preview - Falcon @ 12:02 am PST
IntelGAMER.com posted a Preview of GODGames up and coming action hit, Max Payne.

"To set the mood for the game, which takes place in New York City, Remedy Entertainment sent six brave souls to the big apple itself to get some screenshots and a feel of what New York City was really like. The team traveled throughout various regions of NYC including Brooklyn, Central Park, Harlem and a few ex-crack houses, taking pictures and recording on video anything that seized to impress their likings (typical tourists). When they returned home they estimated that they took more then 5,000 pictures and over 10 hours of video during their stay. The pictures/videos would be their key in making one of the most realistically detailed game levels ever, using real textures, locations, and sounds straight from the New York City streets..."

Saturday, September 23, 2000

Terminus Review - Falcon @ 11:57 pm PST
BarrysWorld`s MikeyBear launches himself into the inky void for the latest BW review article, this time onboard Terminus, the Space Opera Elite `em up by Vicarious Visions.

`.......Ok let’s not leave a trail of unbeaten bushes in our wake here ­ Terminus is a very heavily …shall we say "influenced" titled. It unashamedly dips (and mean I dips ….real deeply) into the pots owned by TVs Babylon5 and games such as Elite. To Babylon 5 it owes the flight engine (also a nod in the direction of Sir Isaac Newton), the visual style and ship designs, and a large lump of the plot that runs through the game, and to Elite it owes its gameplay and "ethos"........`

Logitech Mouseman Wheel Review - Falcon @ 11:52 pm PST
New today on EuroGamer is a review of Logitech's optical mouse, the Logitech MouseMan Wheel, certainly one of the funkiest looking rodents we've seen. Does it work as well as it looks?

"While I have been a firm believer in Microsoft's own optical Intellimice up until now, a recent accident involving a sticky beverage rendered my lovely white rodent wholly unusable, and when it came to picking up a replacement, I decided it might be
nice to investigate new avenues. After a little research it came to light that Logitech were launching their own brand of optical mice, and since I've long preferred the shapely curves of their rodents, I flung half a ton at them for a mouse and priority shipping and got myself setup."

Mac Diablo II Patch 1.03c Now Available - Hobbes @ 11:47 pm PST
Simply connect to Battle.net to download the patch. If you have trouble patching from Battle.net, you can also download it from Blizzard's FTP site. For more information on the Patch go here(Mac only patch).

Livin' Large Review - Falcon @ 11:30 pm PST
XLaming.com recently took a look at the new Sims expansion pack "Livin' Large" Is this a new way for Maxis to cash in on one of the best selling games of the times? Or perhaps it is truely good addon? Check out the review to find out more!

"I proceeded to click on max speed and watch in dismay as my once civilised sims turn into rabid animals wallowing about in their own mess begging to get some rest/food/bath. It was shocking yet very funny. Yes you did read that correctly! For some reason I found the sight of two sims turn into a revolting mess rather amusing. I do remember cackling as one of the sims called for a pizza in a desperate attempt to get some food. In response to this I removed the phone and laughed as the pizza man arrived but had no means to deliver the pizza. At this point I dubbed the residence I had created ‘The House Of Death’. After a few more minutes of this one of the sims died, and the reaper appeared on que."

Fallout Tactics Weapons - Falcon @ 11:24 pm PST
Vault13.net have just updated their unofficial Fallout Tactics weapons list with a bunch of new weapons. Most of the weapons don't seem to have names, since we couldn't see them in the screenshots.

Confused Members list - shiva @ 4:05 pm PST
As much as I enjoy getting 20 emails a day praising the products of hair loss prevention, I'm getting just a little fed up with all of this.

So I decided to do something about it. If you look REAL carefully, just below our last affiliate, you will see a small area that's clickable.

For all you mouse impared people out there, here's a proper link. Yeap. It's our new "mailing list", and it's so active, I had to display 200 members randomly, just so I could be sure they would be "seen". Hell, we have millions of members, all named Nancy.

So check out our Confused Members List, I know a few spiders that won't be in a little while. :)

The Forum - VulTure @ 12:09 pm PST
Since the forum has been fixed...

Everyone, go back into it now, and sign up.

Let the posting begin...

GreenMarine's Developer Corner: Volume II - VulTure @ 12:00 pm PST
In part two of GreenMarine's article on game development, he tackles the issue from a programmer's point of view.

So how does the game development process work on the inside? For a programmer, the project begins early. While the level designers and artists are working on concepts, background, and design, the programming team is researching and building the game framework. Even for a game like Unreal Tournament, which was built out of the Unreal codebase, there is a lot of early support programming. Old subsystems might be weeded out and rewritten and the basic organization for the project's code appears.

Quake III Problems - VulTure @ 11:55 am PST
The new release of the Quake III patch, has caused all of the mods for the game to fail. According to id Software's Robert Duffy..."1.25 contains new encryption code, anti-cheat code, pure server code, and runs with a new net protocol. It also adds quite a few mod requested system calls and functionality. It was never intended to be compatible with current mods. This was NOT mentioned in the readme and that was an oversight."

This is one of the reactions from the mod community..."Not having the source until days later when an uncompatible update is released, hurts our mods and frustrates users that upgrade assuming they can play a mod and find they have to downgrade to play a mod again."

To get more info on this problem, check out GameSpy!

Julie Strain Interview - VulTure @ 11:51 am PST
Julie Strain, star of FAKK2, gives an interview to the Arm Chair Empire. Here they ask her about her involvement in the FAKK2 project...

"Well, it was conceptualized by my husband, Kevin Eastman, many years ago. We’ve been married five years so we’ve lived, breathed, faxed, phone called, contracted, flew around the world and just, you know, breathed every f---in’ cell of life into the character, movie and, you know. Then you deal with all the toy lines and people creating stuff like that."

Future Developments in Online Games - VulTure @ 11:44 am PST
Raph Koster, lead designer and programmer for Ultima Online, gives his take on the whole online gaming world...

I want to make online games for the same reason that people want to keep playing them: to touch people, to find new things to conquer, and to leave a mark on the world. I want to make games people argue about, that make them discuss philosophy or art or culture. And I bet that's what the future brings us: online games that matter. If someone asked me what it was that made people play Ultima Online, that's what I'd answer: because it matters to them. And that's my challenge to all of you: to find some way to make this medium matter, so that it gets the audience that it deserves: my cousins in Ohio and everyone else. There's a bottom-line reason to do it-it's a large market-but there's also the reason that we are likely in this industry making this kind of game-which is hard, damn hard-because we love them. And we want others to love them too.

Quake III 1.25 Released - VulTure @ 11:36 am PST
OK, everyone, stop what you are doing and go and get this right now. The Quake III point release, version 1.25, is out! You can grab the files either here, or here!

For a complete list of changes in this release, check out Graeme Devine's .plan file update.

Sacrifice Beta Signups - VulTure @ 11:29 am PST
From GameSpot, comes word of the opening up of the Sacrifice beta test. There are only 5 slots open, but these 5 slots will be chosen at random, and are only being accepted this weekend, so go there now and sign up!

Classic CTF - VulTure @ 11:25 am PST
Over at Classic CTF comes word of the release of this mod for Quake III. This is an attempt to bring the classic feel of the original Quake CTF to Quake 3, and from the sounds of it, they did just that!

Red Alert 2 - Recoil @ 7:39 am PST
According to an article by PC Zone UK, Red Alert 2 will be shipping in the US on 26th October, with worldwide distribution to begin on the 28th October.
Source: http://www.pczone.co.uk

Forum Problems - shiva @ 1:19 am PST
There are days you just wish you don't get out of bed. And then there are days you wish you didn't get out of bed early.
As soon as I got up (And yes, I do sleep) I got a frantic message, telling me of problems with the board. To be honest, the board was totally messed up. After 2 hours of trying to correct the problem, and things getting even worse, I was forced to make a decision. I had to delete the entire board, and start all over again from scratch.
I'm still not sure what the problem actually was, but it pointed to a few things, so I made sure with this board that they will not be present. The problem itself was caused by a combination of problems, to the best of my knowledge.

1. I loaded in a special program, that would have improved the performance of the board, and allowed us to use the board for news postings. At the time, that program stated it was clearly compatable with all versions of UB2K, but much to my horror, and after I deleted everything, it turned out it wasn't so compatible. Still, I should have left well enough alone.
2. I believe I also had either a server failure, or a ISP failure in the middle of a upload.
3. And lastly, my own knowledge of UB and CGI is lacking to say the least. There was no actual operating instructions with this program, and though I do know a small bit on CGI, I am certainly not by any means that good. The truth is, if I didn't do the CGI, we at GameSurge wouldn't have any CGI at all. There's no one else, so it falls on my shoulders.

In other words, I may have made a mistake. Loading that new program was a big one, so now, I have to pay for it.
The data was corrupt. Even the posts and database were showing the same problems. And despite my best efforts, including re-loading portions of the program, it just didn't fix.
It was getting to the point that you couldn't post at all, so the only way I knew how to be sure to fix it, was to delete the entire board, and the database, and start fresh.

So, everyone's post is gone, and so are the registered members. I'm truly sorry for this, and it's a bad mistake, but I tell myself that at least it happened now, and not when the board gets very popular.

Till then, I will correct some small stuff (Don't worry, it's minor, and within my capabilities) and just keep the forum as is.

I have also just left one board for each section, as it really isn't needed to have multiple boards, at least till there's a need for them. So start posting again, and when enough people post on a system or subject, I will create a new board.

You can find the latest "version" of our forum right here.

Friday, September 22, 2000

UltraGaming Forum wants members - Thundra @ 7:19 pm PST
Niteshade asked me to do this for him, and i, behaving according to the international rules of staff relations, am posting to help out.
They have recently opened their forum and like any forum want people to go there and drop a line, so why don't you do that? Now that you registered in our forum, why don't you register at Ultra Gaming? I know i did....

ICQ 2000b is released. - Recoil @ 8:45 am PST
ICQ have now moved ICQ 2000 into the beta stage, from the alpha stage. This new version/build incorporates a real time voice chat, which is an imporvement from previous versions. This new feature is powered by net2phone. Also it has some other little features like sms messages.

download it from http://www.icq.com/download/

A side note - Falcon @ 8:26 am PST
I am currently in the middle of upgrading my system, part by part in fact. As a result my computer will be periodically down and occasiaonally very unstable... as a result of that I will be unable to do much more than check ICQ and email and periodically post news until it is all settled so do not be alarmed if the posting of submitted news or reply to emails takes a couple of days longer than usual.

Return to Wolfenstein Interview - VulTure @ 8:27 am PST
JeffK at SomethingAwful.com hosts an "interview" with Drew and Greg of Gray Matter Studios. They are currently working on Return to Wolfenstein, based on the Quake III engine. Be careful, though, you may need your Babelfish to get through this interview!

Screens - Falcon @ 8:20 am PST
GA-Source has been updated with 9 new screenshots from Planet Moon's upcoming action/strategy title, Giants: Citizen Kabuto.

GA-Strategy has been updated with a set of desktop images and MP3 from Shiny's upcoming real-time strategy hybrid, Sacrifice.

What's the Creature of the Week you ask? Simply put, it's a short animation of a creature who dwells within the world of Atriana! Sometimes small, sometimes large, and always interesting. This week's animation is definately on the LARGE side! Follow the link below to view this week's animation.

RPG Vault has another new feature this evening, a gallery showing off Harbinger, the upcoming science fiction-themed action RPG from Silverback Games.

Currently in development at Silverback Entertainment, Harbinger is an action RPG set on a huge spaceship. It will allow you to play as a human, a robot or an alien creature called a Culibine, the last of her race. The game promises a unique playing experience with each character plus features such as a non-linear story that is advanced through the player's actions, real-time combat and sharp 3D graphics in 800x600 resolution. We present a look at a dozen scenes from the game in our new Harbinger Gallery.

EuroGamer has another batch of eye candy for you today, in the form of sixteen (count 'em!) brand new screenshots, hot off the presses, of "Arthur's Knights". Another 3D adventure game from Cryo Interactive, this one is based around the legends of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.

GA-Source has been updated with 9 new EuroGamer has another dose of eye candy for you today, in the form of a second batch of eight exclusive new screenshots of "Odyssey", Cryo's adventure game which mixes impressive painted backdrops and real time 3D characters.

GA-Source has learned that the Russian language version of NMG's first-person shooter, Hired Team: Trial, has gone gold and that an expansion pack is already in development. Info an screenshots available here:

GA-Source has been updated with new screenshots from Digital Illusion's upcoming first-person wargame, Battlefield 1942.

Dueling Designers: Alan Willard and Cliff Bleszinski - Falcon @ 8:12 am PST
Cliff Bleszinski and Alan Willard of Epic Games are well known for their work on Unreal and Unreal Tournament. They're also polar opposites. On a recent visit, Kazi Wren interviewed the two on everything from making great mods to who 0wns the other! They also chat about cars, good level design, Mods, and wanting to deathmatch against a few id Software guys.

3DActionPlanet: What's this I hear about you guys hiding weird stuff on each other's computers?

Alan: Cliff thinks gay porn is a good thing to hide on someone else's system... I prefer to see it splashed all over his Windows desktop, preferably in Active Desktop mode!

Cliff: Alan keeps "claiming" that I'm putting links to NAMBLA sites in his web browser, but I don't know what he's talking about.

Diablo II Bugs - VulTure @ 8:01 am PST
DiabloII.net has a huge update on all of the bugs that have been reported in Diablo II. This list also includes the effects that the new patch, 1.03, had on the game.

Crimson Skies Trial Version - Falcon @ 7:55 am PST
CRIMSON SKIES TRIAL VERSION AVAILABLE FRIDAY

New Episode of Crimson Skies Action Theater Also Debuts

Microsoft today announced that the downloadable trial version for Crimson Skies, a new action/adventure game for the PC, will be available for download on Friday, September 22, at http://www.microsoft.com/games/crimsonskies/. On Friday, gamers will also be able to tune in for the latest Crimson Skies Action Theater episode, a serial radio drama that tells the story of the game's dashing air pirate, Nathan Zachary, and his cohorts, the Fortune Hunters. Crimson Skies combines the heart-pumping action of air combat with the swashbuckling feel of an Errol Flynn adventure movie.

The Crimson Skies trial version features two single-player missions as well as a multiplayer Death Match in the skies over Hawaii. In the single-player missions, gamers can take part in aerial dog-fighting, battle treacherous air pirates, and join the hunt for buried treasure in the South Pacific. The Death Match option allows players to fly one of four tricked-out planes, with multiplayer matchmaking for up to eight air pirates available for free* on Zone.com (http://www.zone.com).

Crimson Skies Action Theater is debuting a new radio drama every week through October 5. Gamers are encouraged to tune in to hear the latest high-flying adventure, as Nathan Zachary and fellow air pirates hunt for riches and glory. This week's episode is The Tesla Codex, Part Two. What mystery lies beneath the coded message Nathan has uncovered in the seedy pirate city of Skyhaven? Could The Fortune Hunters end up suffering the same fate as the famed missing scientist who is responsible for the letter?

In Crimson Skies players fly fast and low in a game reminiscent of a classic Hollywood tale, where dastardly enemies menace, evil plots abound, and a bevy of femme fatales awaits. As the handsome and daring air pirate Nathan Zachary, players take to skies filled with treacherous privateers, tricked-out fighter planes and giant aircraft-carrier zeppelins. Amid an ever-changing political landscape, Zachary and his notorious band of air pirates, the Fortune Hunters, have become the free agents in a fight for control of the skies.

The game transports players to an alternate-reality 1937. The United States has been struck by the crushing blows of the Great Depression, the Great War and Prohibition, resulting in mounting isolationism. The once-budding road and railway system has been destroyed, leaving the skies as the only means of transport and commerce. Militias in the North, South, East and West have formed rival independent nations in a fight for air supremacy. It is an era where swing may be king but pilots rule, a world where the guns are bigger, the planes faster and the adventures more daring -- the world of Crimson Skies.

Crimson Skies is available in stores everywhere for an estimated retail price of $49.95. For more information on the game, go to the official Crimson Skies Web site at: http://www.microsoft.com/games/crimsonskies/
*Connect-time charges may apply.

Another classic game arrives - VulTure @ 7:56 am PST
The Adrenaline Vault has word of Frogger2 by Hasbro. The original update of this game arrived in 1997, and it sold millions. Now, he's back, along with his girlfriend, Lillie Frog.

...Frogger returns to foil Swampy the Crocodile and rescue the innocent baby frogs that Swampy has taken hostage. To help him on his quest, Frogger has recruited his girlfriend, Lillie Frog.

To catch Swampy and save the frog babies, Frogger and Lillie use their improved superhop, power-croak and bug-seeking tongue powers. Swampy’s Revenge takes Frogger through a 10-chapter game story, including levels that play out in deep space, ancient pyramids and science laboratories. Frogger 2 also presents players with a variety of action gaming options that are new to the sequel: Players can choose to take the role of Frogger, Lillie or other amphibian characters. They can also choose all-new multiplayer action for up to four players.

Galaga!!! - VulTure @ 7:52 am PST
How many of you have dumped tons of quarters into one of those old Galaga machines? I know I have...Well, now Hasbro Interactive has decided to take the game and update a bit...

": Galaga is one of the great classics of the arcade, and Hasbro is bringing it to a new generation of gamers in a faithful rendition that should appeal to casual users as well as long-time scrolling shooter fans. Just to hear those familiar blips and bleeps in full-blown stereo and to see old enemies looping across the screen in 3D will be worth the price of admission for die-hard fans. Updating the arcade monuments of a former era requires equal parts technical expertise and an understanding of the reasons the game was great in the first place. Judging from the beta, someone at Hasbro slipped the equivalent of their college tuition through the slot of a Galaga machine. The sounds, game mechanics, graphics and addictive qualities echo the machine’s simple glories, while the addition of missions and 3D graphics give the product enough fresh content to appeal to newer casual gamers."

MechCommander2 Preview - Falcon @ 7:47 am PST
In their usual style ActionTrip have a preview of MechCommander 2 all good and ready for ya! All you need to do is, grease up, grab that bottle of Viagra, and get to work! Read it at http://www.actiontrip.com/previews/mechcommander2.phtml

Gameapy Olympics: Hardware - Falcon @ 7:45 am PST
GameSpy continues its Olympics with a look at Hardware. Our medals go to the best hardware released so far this year, with medals also going to the Best Value. Check it out at http://www.gamespy.com/articles/september00/olyhardware/

Far Gate - Falcon @ 7:44 am PST
Microids (Lighthouse Media) has issued the following press release:

FAR GATE: A RACE AGAINST TIME
Expanding RTS into a new experience for gamers

Far Gate, winner of the ‘2000 Independent Games Festival Audience Choice Award’, is a strategy combat game that chronicles a future conflict that has cost millions of lives. Now, the continued existence of life as we know it lies in your hands.

An international release from games publisher, Microids, and developed by Super X, Far Gate is an exciting and atmospheric race against time. Building space stations and amassing your own fleet of traders and warriors you hope to defend Earth’s colonists against a Universal alien threat - and discover the true nature of the Imperial Navy’s mission at Proxima.

The game takes you on a white-knuckle ride across the Galaxy through inter-linked Wormholes into another space and time, where only your strategic skills and fast reactions can save you and the colonists you protect. Played out within a truly massive setting that spans tens of solar systems containing literally thousands of objects, Far Gate is an epic tale of courage and determination.

Far Gate begins where games like Homeworld and StarFleet Armada left off - in terms of interface, visuals, and gameplay - raising the stakes as the next generation of 3D RTS titles, and expanding the genre into a new experience for gamers. Even the alien enemy has been created using Microids’ own proprietary geometry warping algorithm, giving it a fluid, organic feel. Each mission takes place in a unique solar system filled with true-to-life celestial wonders - stars, planets, moons, nebulae, asteroid belts, wormholes, spatial anomalies, etc, all physically modelled in an entirely dynamic system. A typical mission may span millions of light years, involve some several HUNDRED spacecraft and last over two hours!

Far Gate will have strong appeal to real-time strategy fans of games, with all the core elements of RTS games extended into an almost infinite space setting controlled via a simple, intuitive interface.

The game features:

· Distinctive state-of-the-art visual effects

· Fast-paced action that keeps the game moving, with the ability to watch the action from a 1st person perspective

· Scalable 3D Engine that supports low-end PC’s whilst taking advantage of the very latest features in high-end machines (bump mapping, detail mapping, texture compression, hardware Transform-and-Lighting, etc)

· Easy to use and innovative full 3D Interface

· Dynamic 3D battlefield with massive solar systems containing thousands of objects

· Advanced physics Engine giving smooth, realistic motion to every object in the game

· Engaging, cinematic single-player storyline with 30 missions set in solar systems across the galaxy

· 2-6 player Multiplayer via LAN, modem, or Internet

· 3 Unique Races, with 25 distinctive units each, including 2 alien races unlike anything seen in any 3D space game before!

Far Gate is simply an awesome game to watch and to play. Never before has a real-time strategy title been so immersive, sucking the player right into the middle of an epic space adventure.

Minimum Requirements:

O/S: Windows 95, 98, 2000 Professional, or Millenium

CPU: Pentium II 233 Mhz

32 MB RAM, 4X CD-ROM

Video Card: 4 MB Direct3D-compatible

Audio Card: DirectSound-compatible

Input Devices: Keyboard and Mouse

Multiplayer:

28.8K modem or Null Modem cable for head-to-head play

Internet Connection for 2-6 players

Crunch mode at Epic - VulTure @ 7:43 am PST
Epic is starting to kick into high gear, as they try and finish the Playstation2 port of Unreal Tournament. There are some behind-the-scenes pictures of all of the guys at work, so now's your chance to see how programmers look under pressure!

Gaming is Life column - Falcon @ 7:44 am PST
Today on StrategyPlanet, NikNak interviews actual construction types to get their stance on the legitimacy of the life of a peon in his article entitled "Workers of the Game Unite!"

"NikNak: Okay. ... Let's say you're job site is the location of an unexpected major battle. You are told to continue the construction even while military units fire at each other all around -

Walter: You don't even have to go any further. I'm gone and my crew is gone. I ain't under any obligation to continue working in an unsafe environment. "

NHL 2001 Demo - Falcon @ 7:42 am PST
SportPlanet hosted site, the NHL Wishlist has the premier download for EA Sports' NHL 2001 demo. Based on our experiences with the final code of this game, it's much improved over last season and well worth the
download! More info here:

Tribes II - VulTure @ 7:40 am PST
VoodooExtreme has put up some new screenshots of Tribes II. According to them, the game is still set for a fall release, so I guess we'll have to wait just a little while longer.

Fileplanet Mirrors - Falcon @ 7:33 am PST
FilePlanet is now mirroring the Gunlok demo by Rebellion. This is a action/strategy title where you play Gunlok, a member of the Advanced Special Forces Group. In a state of the are 3D environment, manipulate members that you pick up along the way to help your battle against "The Corporation".

FilePlanet is mirroring the NASCAR Heat Patch v1.1e. This new patch adds more realism to car damage, a bug fix in the "Victory with 43 Cars at Daytona" race, and some other game changes. Multiplayer bugs have also been fixed and more graphics cards will have the option to select the 1024x768 resolution.

FilePlanet is now mirroring the demo Cultures by THQ. With vibrant landscapes and colourful characters, maintain your civilization through effective resource management, prosperous trading, and discovery. Build a thriving economy and powerful military to lead your culture to success.

FilePlanet is mirroring Sirtech Canada's recently-released movie of their upcoming RPG title, Wizardry 8. The file can be found at http://fileplanet.com/index.asp?file=50184.

You are a hitman, and it is your job - no, your life, to kill. With weapons ranging from machineguns to sniper rifles to piano wires, you are alive to get your job done. Hitman Demo

Four GameSpy Arcade skins are now available on FilePlanet! Now users can customize Arcade with new Counter-Strike, Elite Force, and Wizard Works skins to enhance their Arcade experience. The first user-made skin for Arcade is also available: DooSPY, by David "DooBall".

CounterStrike

Elite Force

Wizard Works

DooSPY

Red Alert 2 - VulTure @ 7:35 am PST
Westwood has released some new movies for Red Alert 2, and they also give a short interview on the Daily Radar, explaining the whole movie process.

Storytelling handbook - Falcon @ 7:28 am PST
This week Vampire Vault has the final installment of The Complete Storytelling Handbook, articles aimed at the Vampire Storytelling and role-playing community. This week Mr. Clark wraps up this series by talking
about the basics of producing frightening experiences in Part 8 - Horror.

For the final instalment of The Complete Storytellers Handbook, I have chosen a topic near and dear to my heart... horror. Running a horror chronicle involves much more than simply tossing in a few zombies, some screaming victims, and a spattering of blood. These ingredients certainly set your chronicle on par with the latest slasher movie and its requisite sequels, but when was the last time you were truly frightened by a slasher movie? If you're going to call it a horror chronicle, you may as well make it horrific. Now step inside, if you dare, and glimpse the secrets that will have your players shaking at their desks in fright...

RPG Vault Updates - Falcon @ 7:23 am PST
RPG Vault has an interview on online worlds with Raph Koster of Verant Austin, the and latest segment in their weekly Baldur's Gate II feature.

Raph Koster Interview
Earlier today, we learned that Verant Austin is developing a Star Wars online world. There's still no further information to be had about the project, but we had an opportunity to talk with Raph Koster, Creative Director of Verant Austin, about online gaming in general. Raph is a leading authority on and spokesperson for online worlds so there is a lot of interesting information and opinions to be found in our lengthy and thought-provoking interview.

Baldur's Gate II Elements of the Week
Leading up to the release of Baldur's Gate II tomorrow, BioWare and Black Isle have been kind enough to let us introduce some of the game's NPCs, monsters and spells in our regular Baldur's Gate II Elements Of The Week feature. Today, we meet Anomen and look at Rakshasas and the Cacofiend spell.

Stomped contacts XBox developers - Falcon @ 7:19 am PST
Since there are a ton of PC and first person shooter game developers announced as working on Xbox titles, Stomped decided to contact a number of them to find out why they are support the upcoming Microsoft gaming console. You can check out comments from id, Epic, Volition and Legend with more forthcoming at http://www.stomped.com/shared/nsystem/comments/7608_1_page_1.php

In further news Stomped just talked with a represenative from Activision who stated that dispite an appearence by Star Trek Voyager : Elite Force in Microsoft's Xbox presentation movie today, the game is NOT CONFIRMED as an Xbox title. We continue to collect developers reponses to the Xbox announcements athttp://www.stomped.com/shared/nsystem/comments/7608_1_page_1.php

Monolith CEO Jason Hall has an interesting revelation as to his company's Xbox plans. Read his brief comments at http://www.stomped.com/shared/nsystem/comments/7656_1_page_1.php

Army Men : Operation Meltdown review - Falcon @ 7:19 am PST
EuroGamer ventures back into green plastic soldier territory today to see if the latest "Army Men" title from 3DO, "Operation Meltdown", is any better than its lacklustre predecessors...

"One neat idea that the developers have incorporated into the game is the inclusion of Green soldiers which are not under your control. For example, on one sortie I found several Green soldiers
lying on the ground behind a wall, being bombarded with all sorts of gunfire by a group of the Tan army. After they fell under my hail of bullets, the other Green soldiers got up and helped me out in my mission for a while, until they either got killed or wandered off. In fact, you will often see little mini-battles which are occurring outside of your control, but which you can choose to help in - this makes you fee