Click to enlarge the controller image. You'll notice that is it significantly smaller and the buttons have been moved around slightly. The question is, will Microsoft sell this controller in the United States as well for local Japanese gamers and kids with smaller hands? Most likely, but there is no official word yet.

Work has been progressing normally on the rest of the game, however, and the other races are being balanced daily. Multiplayer functionality has allowed Lead Designer Rob Pardo and the rest of the team to test many aspects of the game, and only a few days ago the team played its first four-player match. The first campaign-style mission was also recently played, revealing that Warcraft III's development is well on its way to completion. Blizzard still maintains that the game is about six months from releasing, and the build we saw showed no signs of crashing, although quite a few elements, such as unit graphics and animation, were simply shown with placeholder art.

"Mankind is always messing things up, and this time we’ve really done it. Rendering the surface of the fragile blue planet “Aqua” completely uninhabitable, our species is forced to descend into the deep blue and form a new civilisation. A good thing too, because the surface of the ocean is now sealed by a forty foot thick layer of dead organic matter, separating the murky depths from a nuclear winter."

"Since the game's release, we have been inundated with feedback from players and the press, " says Adel Chaveleh, Managing Director of TimeGate Studios. "We wanted to take this opportunity to address players' questions and concerns and to talk with our fans on a more personal level. By hosting this chat on GameSpy Arcade, we make it possible for a large number of people to interact with us directly."

Members of the Kohan development team that will be participating in the chat will be Alan Chaveleh, Executive Producer and Game Concept; Adel Chaveleh, Producer; and Denis Papp, Lead Programmer. Fans will be able to log onto GameSpy Arcade and chat with the team for up to one hour about gaming issues, such as what inspired them to make Kohan, what obstacles they overcame during development, and tips on how to get into the industry.

GameSpy Arcade is the industry leading, next-generation, gaming environment for fans of all game genres. Supporting more than 190 of the hottest multiplayer games, GameSpy Arcade makes it easier than ever for players to locate, connect to and join live games, download demos and files, keep track of their buddies, chat and more.

About Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns:

Praised as "potentially Game of the Year", this real-time fantasy strategy game is sure to appeal to a large market of gamers because of its unique blending of different game play styles. While adhering to some of the basics of traditional RTS style games, Kohan's distinctive economy model eliminates the need for micro management of resources, leaving the player with more time for strategic combat. Kohan will also appeal to the tactical wargamer with its company based combat system and use of military concepts such as formations, visual range, supply range and even morale. Not only will the more strategic and tactical players enjoy the game, but RPG gamers will also feel at home with the game's gripping storyline and role-playing elements, such as leaders and units gaining experience, leaders being carried over from one quest to another, and of course, the lush and visually stunning fantasy land of Khaldun, where dragons, spells and swords are common place.

Immersed into a fantasy setting, players take on the role of an immortal being known as the Kohan. The Kohan were once the ruling power of the world, but were wiped out in a series of massive cataclysms. They did not die an eternal death though, and have since been reborn and reawakened in a new world, unlike the one they once knew. They must come to grips with their past glory, their present hardship, and their future destiny. The player must try to solve the mystery of his race’s destruction and attempt to return the Kohan to their rightful glory.

About TimeGate Studios

TimeGate Studios, www.timegatestudios.com, is committed to being a premier content provider for all popular gaming platforms. Founded in 1998 in Houston, Texas, TimeGate offers a unique environment for talented game developers. TimeGate’s founders and management, with backgrounds in a number of industries, provide for a strong infrastructure that ensures success in current and future projects. TimeGate Studios is preparing for the future with plans to continue to expand its existing line of strategy titles and enter the online multiplayer market.

About Gamespy.com

Eurogamers in a recent feature, have reviewed Evil Island, and gave it it 8 out of 10 stars. The review goes for two pages and covers lots of different aspects, including controls, enemy AI, gameplay, graphics and movement. Overall a good review, which you can read by going to Here. A quote from the article.

”Luckily you are not alone for most of your quest. You can recruit two other characters to join you, and most of the time you will have a choice of three possible companions - usually a warrior, a magician and an archer or thief - giving you plenty of variety even before they start earning experience points for you to spend on tweaking their skills and attributes.
The characters can be controlled either individually or en masse through a simple point and click interface, with additional buttons arranged around the edges of the screen to adjust your stance (run, walk, sneak or crawl), cast spells, switch weapons, follow someone, try to pick an enemy's pocket or use an object. If this is still too complicated for you, you can pause the action and give out orders to your characters in your own sweet time. It's all very easy, and there's even a handy little tutorial mission at the beginning to get you used to the basic controls and concepts of the game.”

Interplay over the last few days, has officially launched their Baldurs Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal website. The website doesn't contain much information, but it does have afew sneak peaks sure to entice die-hard RPG fans.

In correlation to this launch, a number of websites have posted up previews on Throne of Bhaal. Today Gamespot has a short article up, detailing some of the features that will be included in this new game. The article also gives away some more storyline details, and has some VERY VERY interesting information that I am sure all Baldurs Gate fans will want to hear about. Don't believe me then read this quote:

"Fans of the Baldur's Gate series will be in for some big surprises with Throne of Bhaal. Not only will the expansion let your characters reach near-godlike status in terms of experience levels, but it'll also feature the return of Sarevok, the villain of the original Baldur's Gate, who also happens to be the protagonist's brother. BioWare announced that Sarevok will in fact be a new, playable character who'll offer to join your party early on in the expansion, within your abyssal stronghold. You'll actually be able to form a pact with Sarevok: In exchange for part of your soul, Sarevok will be restored to life and put in your servitude. He is an extremely powerful fighter, and voice actor Kevin Michael Richardson, who did the voice of Sarevok and also the narrator in the original Baldur's Gate, will provide the voiceover for the character."

"Throne of Bhaal will include 100 new items, and you'll also have the ability to create and modify your own items and artifacts with the help of Cespenar, an imp weapon smith would will build you special creations and modify your existing weapons if you have specific components in your inventory when you visit him in your stronghold. Speaking of your stronghold, there will also be plenty of containers that you can use to store your items when you don't want to take them out adventuring. Think of them as fixed Bags of Holding where you can store your Boots of Seven Leagues when you're only five leagues away from home."

"Although the Diablo II expansion set adds a whole new act for the solo player to fight his way through, a lot of the massive success of the Diablo series (particularly amongst hardcore gamers) can be put down to its multiplayer support. Unsurprisingly then the company's plans for online play were the main topic of the Q&A session with Blizzard's Bill Roper when he dropped by London as part of his recent European press tour..."

Maximum Charisma Studios Seeks Gamers To Test Online RPS Title Fighting Legendstm

ARVADA, CO – March 29, 2001 – Maximum Charisma Studios needs Beta Testers. Twenty-Five Thousand Beta Testers, to be exact. Testing for their upcoming title, Fighting Legendstm begins in June 2001. The game is currently in Alpha and scheduled for release in November of this year. Gamers interested in participating in the beta test can sign up at www.mcszone.com.

Sean Kennedy, President/CEO comments on the key roll of beta testers, “We want to provide the best possible gaming experience. Who knows what gamers want in a game better than gamers themselves? When Fighting Legendstm launches in November, it will be a robust product with minimal bugs; however, in our minds, it will only be half complete. The other half of the game will be added on a monthly basis after launch. We believe that if you pay $9.95 a month, you should get $9.95 a month of new game play – not bug fixes. The things we learn during beta, including game’s suggestions, will help provide the direction of these monthly additions.”

Fighting Legendstm is a role-play strategy title with action elements. The unique look of the anime style characters is set in a myriad of color and bazaar landscapes. Players can choose from 81 potential avatars. Community is a strong focus, as players must trade characters to diversify their squad, of 16 characters, in order to triumph in battle. In addition to fighting, there is an assortment of quests to choose from, ranging from mini scenarios to uber quests that require a group of allied player’s to complete. GM hosted events will be a prominent element with rewards such as; relics, monuments erected in-game, cash prizes and more.

"The games used for testing will be Half Life Counter Strike 1.1, Unreal Tournament, and Red Alert 2. Half Life: CS1.1 it works as any other keyboard, just map the buttons and you are set. One complaint I had with it was the buttons were too soft and didn't feel like my MS Keyboard. Other then that it worked flawlessly. Typing messages was easier then attempting to type with the keyboard slanted and having lots of typos."

Check out the site here!

BELLEVUE, WA (March 29, 2001) - Sierra On-Line and Gearbox Software announce today Half-Life(r): Blue Shift, the newest episode in the award-winning Half-Life franchise, will ship to retail outlets around the world in June.
Half-Life: Blue Shift allows fans of the franchise to interact with new characters and explore restricted areas of the Black Mesa Research Facility. The game's website, featuring a trailer for the game, went live today at the following URL, http://www.sierrastudios.com/games/hl-blueshift/.

Blue Shift is an all-new single player episode surrounding the Black Mesa security guard introduced in Valve's classic action thriller, Half-Life. In development by Gearbox Software, creators of the critically acclaimed Half-Life(r): Opposing Force(tm), Blueshift also contains the Half-Life HD Pack, which automatically upgrades the weapons and characters of all the games in the Half-Life saga with new high definition content.

"Blue Shift was created for Half-Life fans everywhere and we're very pleased to be able to bring it to the PC," said Randy Pitchford, Director of Gearbox Software. "In addition to the entirely new Blue Shift episode, the package also includes support for online play and the Half-Life HD Pack, which brings all Half-Life games to the next generation of graphics technology."

Half-Life: Blue Shift allows fans of the franchise to explore areas of the Black Mesa Research Facility where even Gordon Freeman never gained access. Half-Life: Blue Shift is a stand-alone product that does not require Half-Life to play. And in North America, Blue Shift will be sold with a full version of Half-Life: Opposing Force, winner of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Action Game of the Year Award.

Half-Life combines great storytelling with intense action and advanced technology to create an impressive, realistic world where players need to
think smart to survive. Created by Valve LLC, Half-Life has won more than 50 Game of the Year awards from publications around the world, was named "Best PC Game Ever" by Imagine Media's PC Gamer magazine (November 1999), and has sold over two million copies worldwide on the PC.

Founded in January 1999, Gearbox Software is a team of veteran 3D game developers collected in Dallas, Texas. Half-Life: Opposing Force was the company's first offering to the gaming community and is the recipient of the prestigious 2000 Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' PC Action Game of the Year. More information about Gearbox Software can be found at www.gearboxsoftware.com.

Sierra On-Line, Inc. , a subsidiary of Vivendi Universal Publishing and part of the Vivendi Universal Games division, is one of the original developers and largest worldwide publishers of interactive entertainment and productivity software. Sierra is renowned for releasing critically acclaimed and award winning titles that represent a wide variety of computer entertainment on both next generation console and PC platforms.

Bill Gates Outlines Strategic Plan for Xbox in Japan

Keynote at Tokyo Game Show Reveals Major Xbox Details, Including Support From Sega and Vision for Broadband Online Gaming on Xbox

TOKYO - March 30, 2001 - In his keynote address today at 2001 Spring Tokyo Game Show, Microsoft Corp. Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates revealed the company's plans to bring the Xbox™ video game system to Japan.
During the keynote, Gates underscored Microsoft's commitment to the Japanese market and announced that more than 70 Japanese game companies, including Sega Corp., have declared their support for Microsoft® Xbox.

"With Xbox, our goal is to create the future of video gaming, and our work in Japan will play a key role in achieving that," Gates said. "We're extremely excited to be working with Japanese games artists on Xbox to pioneer new dimensions of creativity in video games."

Microsoft and Sega Team Up on Xbox
Gates revealed that Microsoft and Sega have struck a long-term, strategic alliance to bring future versions of great Sega® games to Xbox. Sega will premiere 11 of its future titles on Xbox, including "Jet Grind Radio Future(tm)" (tentative title), the latest version of "Panzer Dragoon(tm)," "GUNVALKYRIE(tm)" and the latest version of "Sega GT(tm)." Sega will also explore opportunities to harness the Ethernet port and hard disk drive inside every Xbox console to create new online game experiences.

Xbox Games Without Frontiers
On the heels of Microsoft's announcement yesterday of a strategic alliance with NTT Communications Corp. to build a broadband online gaming service for Japan, Gates also outlined a vision for online video games, in which Xbox gamers can connect to a high-speed, high-bandwidth, always-on game network.

"Broadband online video gaming is on the verge of becoming as revolutionary as 3-D gaming was just a few years ago," Gates said. "The broadband connection in every Xbox is the key that unlocks new worlds of play, where friends and opponents are everywhere."

Gates discussed many scenarios for Xbox online gameplay in the future, including these:

· Boundless gaming. Xbox video game players will have the potential to instantly connect with online gaming communities to compete in social environments. Another scenario Gates discussed was one in which Xbox video game players will be able to participate in episodic and dynamic games that extend their game experiences beyond what comes on the game DVD.
· Simple, fast and predictable experiences. Online video gaming will be mmade easy on Xbox because of the broadband connection on the console.

Microsoft Announces Xbox Japan Division
Microsoft today also announced details on its Xbox Japan Division in Tokyo. The division is responsible for managing third-party relationships with Japanese games companies, and for managing Xbox operations, marketing, research, sales and support in Japan. The division also houses the Xbox Games Production Group, dedicated to developing and publishing exclusive Xbox games under the Microsoft label.

Toshiyuki Miyata, senior group manager of the Xbox Games Production Group, formerly managed the Development Department at Sony Computer Entertainment
Inc. (SCEI) in Tokyo, where he directed the creation of Sony's PlayStation games. During the keynote, Miyata demonstrated his team's latest creation,
currently code-named "Project K-X," an Xbox fighting game.

New Xbox Game Controller for Japan Unveiled
In addition, Gates showed the custom Xbox game controller, which will come with every Xbox in Japan. Based on feedback from Japanese gamers, the controller is slightly smaller than the North American and European controller, and the buttons have been positioned to best accommodate the styles of gameplay popular in Japan.
The Japanese Xbox game controller is built for maximum control and comfort. It features an eight-way directional pad (D-pad), left and right analog sticks, left and right shoulder triggers, six pressure- sensitive multicolored analog buttons, dual slots for memory cards and other peripherals, and a built-in "rumble" feature to increase gaming realism. The controller also features a cord more than 9.5 feet long to give gamers the freedom to sit nearly anywhere they want during gameplay.

About Xbox
Xbox () is Microsoft's future-generation video game system that delivers new and unforeseen gameplay experiences. With more than three times the graphics performance of the newest generation of game systems, Xbox unleashes game designers' creativity to produce games that are challenging, exhilarating, surprising and fun.

About Sega Corp.
Sega Corp. is a nearly $2.5 billion company recognized as the industry leader in interactive digital entertainment media, offering interactive entertainment experiences both inside and outside the home. Sega's World Wide Web site is located at http://www.sega.co.jp/.

About Sega of America
Sega of America is the American arm of Tokyo-based Sega Corp., and is responsible for the development, marketing and distribution of Sega video game systems and video games in the Americas. Sega of America's World Wide Web site is located at http://www.sega.com/.

Sega and Microsoft Team Up for Strategic Xbox Alliance

Sega to Create 11 New Games for Xbox and Plans to Support Xbox Broadband Online Gaming In First Stage of Relationship

TOKYO - March 30, 2001 - Today at the 2001 Tokyo Game Show, Microsoft Corp. and video game powerhouse Sega Corp. announced a long-term, strategic alliance to bring future versions of Sega's great games to Microsoft's future-generation Xbox™ video game system. The companies kicked off their relationship by announcing an 11-title publishing agreement to premiere many of Sega's upcoming games on the Microsoft® Xbox console. The first games to premiere on Xbox will be "Jet Grind Radio Future(tm)" (tentative title), "Panzer Dragoon(tm)" (latest version), "GUNVALKYRIE(tm)", and "Sega GT(tm)" (latest version). In addition, Sega plans to utilize the Xbox video game system's broadband online gaming capabilities.

"Having Sega on board with Xbox is a huge win for gamers around the world," said Robbie Bach, chief Xbox officer (CXO) at Microsoft. "The creative artists at Sega not only are going to deliver great Xbox games, they will help us establish the benchmark for great Xbox gaming experiences both on and offline."

"We believe that Microsoft will be very successful with Xbox, which is why we have such a close, strategic relationship with them," said Peter Moore, president and COO, Sega of America. "Our world-renowned development studios have been very impressed with the Xbox hardware, and they are excited to bring new gaming experiences to consumers by utilizing the platform's power and network capabilities. We share Microsoft's commitment to broadband online gaming and will work with it to deliver the best content possible to gamers."

The games announced for Xbox today include the following:

· "Jet Grind Radio Future" (tentative title). Gamers should get ready to skate, grind and trick to a new beat. "Jet Grind Radio Future" is a next-generation street action game for Xbox that delivers fast-paced action, new awesome tunes and an artistic look that's truly groundbreaking.

· "Sega GT" (latest version). The most recent version of "Sega GT" delivers adrenaline-filled, full-contact auto racing that allows gamers to design, build and customize the world's hottest cars and capture all the heated thrills found in high-performance driving.

· "GUNVALKYRIE." "GUNVALKYRIE," the next-generation shooter for Xbox, takes players to war to ignite the battlefields by joining an elite force of
mercenaries to battle it out for control of the universe.

"Blue Shift is an all-new single player episode surrounding the Black Mesa security guard introduced in Valve's classic action thriller, Half-Life. In development by Gearbox Software, creators of the critically acclaimed Half-Life(r): Opposing Force(tm), Blueshift also contains the Half-Life HD Pack, which automatically upgrades the weapons and characters of all the games in the Half-Life saga with new high definition content."

"I started receiving timeouts when the distance was about 30 yards and while I thought this to be a little shy of the claimed 50-100m, the 30 yards wasn't in a straight line in complete open space. Basically, it wasn't perfect conditions which I'm sure the specs are geared towards. It went around 2 corners so therefore it had quite a few walls to travel through. The documentation of the DWL-650 states that walls will decrease distance by anywhere from 1m to 30m per wall. Within those 30 yards, I was able to wander from desk to desk in the office and never lose network connection at all. At home I was able to surf the Internet with no problems while sitting on the couch watching TV about 50 feet away from the DI-713. It was at that moment when I realized just how much I was starting to love it...."

"...I´m sorry Intel, but the only pick for this month comes from AMD, their recently released Athlon running at 1.33GHz is selling for a very low price offering the best performance you can get out there from a single processor rig. This 1.33GHz processor makes good use of DDR memory and newer chipsets that also use a faster 133mhz DDR FSB (266mhz). Just in case you were wondering, an Intel Pentium 4 1.5Ghz is currently selling for about $550, that's two times the cost of the TBird that runs at a slower frequency (the fastest speed available for that specific processor) but offers a comparable performance, in fact it's been proven that the Tbird can easily beat a P4 in most tasks."

The Service Will Deliver the Best Online Gaming Experience, Taking Advantage of the Broadband Capability Built Into Every Xbox System

TOKYO - March 29, 2001 - Microsoft Corp. and NTT Communications Corp. (NTT Com) today announced a strategic alliance to establish a dedicated high- uality, high-speed broadband online gaming service in Japan for use of the Microsoft® Xbox™ video game system. This new service, expected to launch in 2002, will offer gamers in Japan a new way to experience gameplay and propel the idea of connected gaming from a novelty into a necessity.

"Every Xbox console has built-in broadband capability, the technology of the future for online video gaming. This alliance with NTT Com will enable gamers to enjoy the best online game content and gaming experience available," said Bill Gates, chairman and chief software architect of Microsoft, who will deliver the keynote address at the Tokyo Games Show tomorrow.

NTT Com, Japan's leading telecommunications company, will provide Microsoft with access to ADSL through OCN's broadband services. Microsoft's Xbox Division in Japan will co-manage the build-out of the online gaming service. This division will also provide support for the game developers creating online-enabled Xbox games.

"With broadband entering a new phase, as evidenced by the rapid proliferation of ADSL, we consider 2001 to be the inaugural year for broadband services," said Masanobu Suzuki, president and CEO of NTT Com. "NTT Com has been striving to expand its IP-based broadband communications infrastructure. I truly believe that the Xbox service will contribute greatly to the proliferation of broadband services among Japanese
households."

Xbox is the only video game system designed from the beginning to be a great platform for online gaming. The Ethernet port and hard disk drive inside every Xbox system let game developers create new online-enabled games that take the video game experience beyond the walls of the gamer's home and connect them to other gamers throughout the country.

Microsoft and NTT Com are also collaborating to explore the future use of enhanced fiber-optic connections, with speeds up to 100 Mbit, to create more compelling online video game experiences.

About NTT Communications

About Black & White and Spyware.

There has been the rumour that Black & White has so called spyware, which sends information about your computer (registry details, hardware info etc.) to Lionhead/EA.

This is wrong.

Black & White uses a mechanism for its built in messaging system to tell the server if you're online or not and ready for receiving messages from other friends online. The information sent is even too small to fit my full name into it.

We are not spying on your system!

For the people who are concerned about their privacy and security: If you connect with a normal web browser to a web site, much, much more information (your IP, your operating oystem, your web browser, the site you came from, etc.) is stored on every web server on the Internet.

So, be more concerned that if you have downloaded illegal software from web sites, the site operator has stored far more information about who you are and where you came from, than Black & White ever does. Suffice to say, if you playing an illegal copy of Black & White, the program is self-aware, so if you encounter problems with it, then maybe you should buy a proper version.

" Some men are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them. Zak, hero of Evil Islands, very much falls into this third category. Waking up amongst the ancient ruins of a strange island with no memory of who he is or how he got there, he is declared The Chosen by the local villagers and promptly co-opted into carrying out a series of menial tasks for them. When you're not killing goblins or wolves you are recovering stolen goods from brigands and filching magical items from the orcs. It's certainly humble beginnings for a would-be messiah."

Over on the official website, I just noticed that a date has finally been set for the first Fallen Angels Beta. The beta is currently in 23 days time and starts on April 21, 2001. This beta will be closed and limited to a certain number of participants. It is basically designed to act as a stress test. For more details or to sign up head over here.

Also posted up on the site is information on an upcoming chat event. This quote contains most of the details:

"Fallen Age House of Commons chat, hosted by Fallen Age Stratics, tomorrow, Wednesday, March 28th, at 7pm CST in the channel #fahoc on irc.stratics.com. Both Savant and Drysart will be on hand to answer questions in preparation for the upcoming beta release of Fallen Age in April."

One for example; Edge Online, in a recent review, after playing Anarchy Online, walked away with quite afew negative comments, including this one:

"Edge cannot help to still feel the initial disappointment that Anarchy-Online isn't all that was promised. Certainly, as it is it's engrossing, charming, and a fiercely impressive experience, but its basis in a combat-based system that limits that experience by definition leaves the player feeling slightly cheated. Edge-Online will continue reporting as the beta progresses."

Speedy 3D also played the beta, but thankfully they were abit more positive and actually were fairly impressed with Anarchy Online:

"So, Anarchy Online with its futuristic take on the MMORPG, simple character creation and excellent mission system is looking very much like a good buy, but don't expect to have much free time - the bane of every MMORPG gamer. Anarchy Online is currently in the third stage of beta and there are plenty of fan sites out there with beta journals, previews and screenshots to keep you interested. Expect the full game sometime in the first half of this year."

Basically the Dungeon Master is a life action player, given the ability to act as a computer and control enemy AI, NPC's, game rules, new and existing quests, and ultimately impact on the entire environment, though the use of in game tools. Gamespot gave high praise to this structure and to the overall product in their preview. Here's a quote:

"’It's the largest project we've ever undertaken,’ admitted Trent Oster, the producer of Neverwinter Nights. BioWare's next big project has actually been in development for more than four years now--two years in full force--and it represents a culmination of many of the best ideas of BioWare's designers. Essentially, the game is designed to be the closest thing to pen-and-paper Dungeons & Dragons for the PC. It's a set of extremely robust tools, which are tied together with powerful multiplayer capabilities that will be best suited for closely knit player communities--or groups of such communities. Much like a real-life Dungeons & Dragons campaign you might play with your friends, Neverwinter Nights--which takes place in the same rich Forgotten Realms setting from the Baldur's Gate series--will allow you the same level of creative freedom and flexibility within its exciting, beautifully rendered environments. Of course, it has a number of significant differences compared with traditional D&D, not the least of which is the game's ability to save your character on remote servers, giving your character the same sense of permanence that you'd get from a more-conventional massively multiplayer game like EverQuest."

"This week's updated is the next in our series of in-game movies. This one entails two stalwart adventurers lost in the Swamps of Irydni. For a larger version of this same footage, be sure to check out our community fan sites.

We are also unveiling our official Polls section. Participation in these polls will give us feedback on the types of features you
think we should concentrate on in the future.  The topic of our first poll is What Specialty Class are you most interested in playing

In recent updates over on the Official Rune website, it appeared as if the development team was near completion on Halls of Valhalla; so for all intensive purposes I am assuming that this article is valid and that the new Rune add on will be out soon (Even though there is no confirmation on the Rune website at this moment.) Heres a quote from Avaults article for anyone who hasn't heard about this expansion:

"Teams have one goal in HeadBall: tossing the heads of their opponents through goals to score points. HeadBall begins with each team hitting a switch placed in the map for their squad. Once all the teams have entered the arena, a countdown begins during which each participant moves to the best starting point -- no damage can be imposed at this stage of the match. However, once the starting gong has sounded, the melee begins. Participants can use defensive maneuvers to slow the progress of their opponents or go for decapitations. A severed head can be grabbed and run through goals placed around the map. Some maps have goals that all the participants can use while others have team-specific goals. Some maps have multiple goals that score a different number of points per head, with difficult goals earning more points. People who set up HeadBall servers can also select whether or not to throw “limb scoring” into the mix. In this modification, each limb tossed into a goal scores one point.

Also included will be original in-game music, 33 new maps available across all game modes, improved Internet code, and new defensive options such as stronger shields and stopping thrown weapons."

"Applicants must own a copy of Diablo II and must be U.S. or Canadian residents 17 and over. System requirements for the expansion set remain the same, but those wanting to run the program in the new 800 x 600 resolution will need higher-end machines. The focus of the test will be on improving game server stability and capacity. Please be advised that the beta test server will experience frequent periods of instability during the testing period.

2. GDC Article: Guidelines for Developing Successful Games by Bruce Shelley
The title for this presentation includes two words that need defining at the start. I use the word "guidelines" in the sense of suggestions or check boxes, but not as a recipe. I use "successful" here to mean the commercial success of a game: sales and profits. The goal of this presentation is to suggest policies, methods, and features that can lead to commercial success. The more of these guidelines that you follow or incorporate into your development, the greater the probability of success from the resulting game.

3. GDC Article: 1,500 Archers on a 28.8: Network Programming in Age of Empires and Beyond by Mark Terrano and Paul Bettner
Moving a few units around in your multiplayer game is an easy concept to grasp, but the challenge of tracking thousands of units over a modem connection is an entirely different matter. This session opens the hood on the Genie engine, the technological foundation of the Age of Empires series. We further delve into the multiplayer implementation of the next-generation BANG! engine. We discuss some of the lessons learned and the evolution of the networking code throughout development of the Age of Empires titles. The presentation covers useful tools, testing methods, and a few horror stories from the network code development of both engines

5. Content Designer
Content Designers have a variety of responsibilities at Ensemble Studios but, above all, they conceive good concepts for scenarios, perform the scenario editor work required to get these ideas into our games, and continually improve their scenarios as a result of testing and feedback. Additional duties are numerous and diverse, but include supervising internal playtesting sessions, designing game systems, and collecting source material for our artists. As members of the design team, this position demands the ability to work closely with other designers, artists, programmers and other elements of Ensemble Studios.

Baal is trying to reach the World Stone to corrupt it, which will result in only evil creatures being brought into the world, and as Blizzard's Bill Roper helpfully pointed out this is "obviously not a good thing". And so you find ourself in the middle of a full-scale war - the monsters aren't just standing around waiting to be killed anymore, they are battling barbarians, tending siege artillery, and patrolling their fortifications as they fight their way towards the mountain top where the World Stone is.

Montreal, Quebec. March 26th, 2001 - Strategy First Inc. and BreakAway Games are pleased to announce that Waterloo: Napoleon’s Last Battle has shipped.

"War gamers, strategy gamers and history buffs alike are in for a real treat," says Don McFatridge, President of Strategy First. "BreakAway Games has done a great job putting this title together and it has been a pleasure working with them."

"Waterloo: Napoleon's Last Battle represents the passion and hard work of the BreakAway Games' staff and we are thrilled to finally get it into the hands of the consumers," states Doug Whatley, President of BreakAway Games. "We think that the game combines the best of both worlds -- lush graphics and music that capture the mood of the time period, along with AI that will give gamers a run for their money."

"First of all, we have to acknowledge the fact that these are full cup headphones folks. There's a big word that goes with this for you audiophile people, but I don't remember it well enough to trust my spelling =). We'll just leave it at: They fit all the way over your ears. Mine have some room to spare, and when I took them to a LAN Party with me, none of the people I had try them on complained about them being too small. They're extremely light for their size and quality. It's basically like wearing a baseball cap when you wearing these babies."

"Implements 'spr-sprites_0.bos' file, in cases where certain users have reported missing images in their inventory. To use this patch, Fallout Tactics must first be installed. After downloading the FOT_3CDPatch_032301.exe, double click on the FOT_3CDPatch_032301.exe to begin the installation process. Once initiated, follow the onscreen instructions. The installer will automatically place this single file in the correct Fallout Tactics installed folder location (default path - C:\Program Files\14 Degrees East\Fallout Tactics\core\). The correct size of the installed file should indicate 86,937,840 bytes."

Also in other post war news, IGN.com have recently put up a review for Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel. In their review IGN give this expansion pack a good working over and come away with a good impression. Heres a quote from the article:

"I was pleased to see that, with all the emphasis on strategy and action, Brotherhood of Steel is completely in touch with Fallout's RPG roots. In fact, although this game is being classified as a strategy game, it's just as much an RPG as the previous games, at least in terms of the player characters. A few simplifications have been made in the area of story and NPC interaction. But as far as the character system goes, this game offers remarkable levels of customization. Sadly, you won't know enough about the game at first to create a really kick ass character, but since you're given other squad mates to fill in your deficiencies, this isn't too much of a problem."

3D GameForce wanted to kick off the spring season with a bang! That's why they are holding a special contest to celebrate the Grand Reopening of thier Forums. All you have to do to enter is register. Each registered member with over 10 posts will be entered into a drawing for one of three great prize packages. Please DO NOT post spam, they will be watching and any posts that are not meaningful will be void and deleted, and you will not be entered or have a chance too win! Good luck!"

Microsoft today announced that Bill Gates' keynote at the upcoming Spring Tokyo Game Show (TGS) will be webcast on the official Xbox Web site, at http://www.xbox.com. The keynote (and live webcast) will take place on March 29, 2001 at 8pm PST. Now everyone can attend the event without even getting on an airplane. Join Bill Gates as he reveals more information about Microsoft's commitment to gaming in Japan.

To view the webcast, gamers are encouraged to visit Xbox.com shortly before 8pm PST, click the link for the webcast, sit back and enjoy the show! To watch the webcast, users will need the latest version of Windows Media Player.

Protected Storage. Provides protected storage for sensitive data, such as private keys, to prevent access by unauthorized services, processes, or users. If your system contains such sensitive data, or programs with multiple Identities then you should set this to Automatic. If when set to Manual you may find this causes problems with certain programs, e.g. Outlook Express, if so then set it back to Automatic.

The Nomad Jukebox is small, weighs very little, and looks great - just as a PDA should (smooth, rounded and organic - rather than square and bulky). The Nomad Jukebox uses an 8 MB DRAM buffer, in permanent physical contact, to load the next section to be played thus providing jog-protection for up to 8 mins. This functions amazingly, I have had no problems listening in the car, jogging, or running down stairs. Not even the slightest skip!

"So before we continue, let's go ahead and give John Ashcroft the benefit of the doubt and actually say it:
Violent games help breed violent behavior in children.
There. Let's work from this premise for the remainder of the column, because I believe there's a small grain of truth to that statement Surprised? Read on and you'll find out why I'm still incensed at Mr. Ashcroft's finger-pointing."

Networkleague takes pride in introducing a unique online gaming system enabling online gamers to play their favourite computer game facing opponents matching their own skills and giving them the opportunity to cash in if they're good.

It's the shortest way to entertainment for those looking for an occasional break or serious competition for the pros.

Once a gamer have played the first couple of games, the NWL-system will be able to rate the gamer, and from then on he or she will be able to battle players on their own level.

Networkleague will also be comparing the player's technical differences, making it even and more entertaining for everyone. Besides that, Networkleague offers complete game statistics of player skills and game history.

Networkleague is free to join and play, and with the first ever 'one-click-play' button it will be to-the-point and easy configurable. No technical skills required.

As an appetizer Networkleague arranges thefirst worldwide, open and free online Quake-tournament ever, with prizes of more than 20.000 US$, including a grand finale in London the 2nd June. The final will be between the winners of four regional tournaments: US, French, UK and German battle. This tournament will be the dawning of pro-league computer gaming, and leagues with higher cash prizes in 6-10 other popular computer games will follow.

Networkleague.com pre-premieres the 19th of March, making it possible to download the special made Networkleague-map for Quake - called the "Colosseum" - together with a short video-teaser. Mid April the site will be fully functional for gaming and signing for the tournament.

Montreal, Quebec. March 23rd, 2001 - Strategy First and TimeGate Studios are pleased to announce that the Kohan demo is now available for download.

"Making a demo was important for us," says Adel Chaveleh, Managing Director of TimeGate Studios. "We understand the need for players to get a feel for a game prior to purchasing it. We're confident that they will enjoy Kohan and the true innovation we're bringing to the RTS genre."

The demo is available in two sizes to accommodate all users. The larger version requires 105MB and includes all sound, music and voice-overs. The smaller version only requires 36MB but excludes voice-overs.
Demo:

· Kohan’s basic tutorial
· One single player campaign mission
· Two available factions
· Multiplayer map for 2 players, human or AI, and up to 6 observers

In addition to those features found on the demo, the full retail version of Kohan includes:

"One of the big ideas, and I think one of the largest differences between Starcraft and Warcraft III, is that we want to focus people's attentions on to very specific units, as opposed to Starcraft where you might build 50 or 75 marines and just throw them in waves at the zerg, and he's got all these zerglings and hydralisks coming at you. That's very much a war of attrition, and it becomes who can out-resource the other player. With Warcraft III we want to focus on more refined strategies, on using smaller groups and better tactics to defeat the other player."

Stevie Case attends CPL Holland - March 21st 2001

At the upcomming CPL Holland Event in may, we will all be graced with the appearance of Stevie "Killcreek" Case who will certainly "hot" up the event. One of the most spicey personalities from the gamesworld visits Holland. Stevie "Killcreek" Case will attend our CPL Holland Event as representative from CPL World. The former level designer from ION Storm, one very interesting ambassador from Cyberathlete Professional League, will be present at the event in Loosdrecht, where you will have the chance to meet her live!

"Tribes was one of the first multiplayer only games released but over the years we've seen some other great multiplayer only games like Unreal Tournament and Quake III which stole the spotlight from Tribes. Now Sierra and Dynamix are back with Tribes 2 in the attempts to recapture that spotlight once again. Read 3D GameForce's latest quick look and find out what there is to look forward to when the game is released later this month."

The most exciting new bit of information from this fan site chat with Blizzard was that the Expansion Set will now feature an 800x600 screen resolution. Additionally, a lot of new information about items, characters, skill changes, and multiplayer enhancements was revealed. The analysis expands upon what was said, to provide the real meaning behind some of the more cryptic answers.

Aidyn Chronicles takes place in a fully 3D environment. What does this mean? Well, most RPGs are either 2D games, which appear flat with a top-down view, or else they use 3D characters on prendered backgrounds. Both of these methods have their advantages, but both lack the realistic feel of a world that is true 3D. With Aidyn Chronicles, you can go anywhere you can see, with no loading, black screens or transitions. If you see a cave or path, you can explore it fully - there's no artificial restrictions. The world itself is huge, with towering cliffs and sandy beaches, gloomy swamps and deep forests, arid deserts and snowy mountains.

Of course, this vast expanse is filled with creatures, both friendly and hostile. Human towns dot the landscape, and the cities of the mystical Mirari and fabled Jundar await the more determined adventurer. These places are havens from the dangers of the road, where fierce monsters - some not seen in a hundred years - wander, waiting for unwary travelers. In a town, you'll often find a weaponsmith skilled in the production of swords or bows, a master of arms to hone your fighting skills, or a sorcerer to teach you more spells in one of the four schools of magic. But more valuable even than these things is the information you'll receive. Depending on your attitude, townspeople may be glad to help you or become angry and insult you. But all have some information that is valuable to your cause.

The world of Aidyn is a dangerous world, and you will need to overcome many enemies to achieve your goals. When you get attacked by an enemy force in Aidyn Chronicles, you go into combat mode. Rather than just see your main character on screen, you now see your whole party. Facing you across the battlefield are the forces of the enemy. But this isn't one of those games where everybody just stays nicely on their own side and jump back and forth to trade blows.

In Aidyn Chronicles, during each character's turn, you can choose to move them around within a certain radius (determined by that character's abilities). If you have a heavily-armored knight in your party, he's not going to move very fast, but he doesn't have to - he can wade right in with a frontal assault. Your thief, on the other hand, can dash around a slower foe and go for a deadly backstab attack. Got a spellcaster with an arsenal of magic? Move them to catch the enemy in a crossfire. And that's just the tip of the iceberg - you can gain the high ground and get a bonus to attack, you can use a bow to strike from long range and then hide behind a tree....you have total control!