Archived News:
PC.IGN has posted a new preview
of Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, the upcoming RPG from Troika
Games and Sierra Studios. The preview is essentially the chronicle of the author's
experience with a beta version of the game, and contains loads of gameplay details
accompanied by eight new screenshots.
A video
interview with Dave Maldonado, the lead designer on the upcoming 3D RPG
TORN is up at FirstLook this evening (thanks Daily
Radar). The interview was conducted at the (relatively) recent Game Developer's
Conference and is available in both Windows Media Player and RealPlayer formats, each with
a number of different bandwidth options.
Codemasters has given its official Operation Flashpoint site a major overhaul, and it now offers a lot more information and media on the 3D tactical action game nearing completion at Bohemia Interactive, including a few new units and some new screenshots. Thanks ColdWar: Flashpoint for the reminder.
Sierra Studios has released new patches to bring the USA and International editions of NASCAR Racing 4 to version 1.1.0.0. The patch brings a huge list of AI, multiplayer, pitting, interface and other improvements and fixes, all listed in detail in the included readme file. Also, Frontier Developments has released an Immersion patch for Infestation, adding force-feedback to their arcade combat racing game. Finally, there is what's tersely described as a "PATCH camera" for Grouch, a third-person comic-style action game by Spanish developers Revistronic, available in your choice of English, German, Russian, Italian, Czech, and Polish but, oddly, not Spanish.
There is a new Throne of Darkness preview on EuroGamer, examining the upcoming isometric action RPG by Click Entertainment during a demonstration by art director Ben Haas. The preview has a fairly detailed description of the gameplay on offer, and comes with a gallery sporting a dozen new screenshots.
A new guide
to Black & White is up at GameSpot this evening. Like all of their guides,
it's available online or as a downloadable PDF file ( Adobe Acrobat or compatible
required), and it features general strategies, tips for raising your creature,
and a full walkthrough for each of the five different lands in the game.
- Elite Force Expansion
The recent flood of Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force Expansion Pack screenshots continues at XGR, where two dozen new images of Raven's shooter add-on are online (thanks Stomped).
- Gothic
PC Gameplay has posted half a dozen new Gothic screenshots along with some brief impressions of the third-person action RPG by Piranha Bytes that's already available in Germany.
- Star Wars Galaxies
The official Star Wars Galaxies site has been updated with new full-color art for the Rodian and Mon Calamari species in Verant's upcoming MMORPG that's set in a galaxy far, far away.
- Lord of Destruction
The trickle of Diablo II: Lord of Destruction screenshots at the official site for Blizzard's upcoming isometric action RPG expansion continues another day.
- Battlecruiser Millennium
3000 AD has released a new gallery of 30 Battlecruiser Millennium screenshots illustrating their upcoming space and surface-based simulation.
- Echelon
There is a new Echelon screenshots gallery on Echelon HQ, depicting another battle sequence in the futuristic combat flyer nearing completion at Madia and Buka.
- The Sting
Half a dozen new screenshots of The Sting are up at eUniverseGames, showing off this burglar sim game by German developers neo Software.
Tonight RPG Planet will be holding
a chat with members of the Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor team at SSI.
To participate, you'll need to download
GameSpy Arcade and head over to the RPG Planet lobby at 7:00 EDT (4:00 PDT).
Fan page SOF Center has conducted a
10 question interview with Jim Hughes, a level designer at Raven Software
on Soldier of Fortune 2. As he's not allowed to discuss the game in-depth yet,
most of the questions here deal with level design in general and how the Quake
III Arena technology differs from the Quake II tech they used for the original
Soldier of Fortune.
Matrox has released new
WHQL certified drivers for their G450, G400 MAX, G200, G200 TV and other
cards. There are individual driver downloads for Windows 9x, NT4, Me and 2000,
and no release notes are available at this time.
Fansite Seriously! has posted a new patch for Serious Sam, available for download from FilePlanet, which brings the US edition of Croteam's fast 'n furious shooter to version 1.00c. The 4.9 MB download adds mod support to dedicated servers, addresses multiplayer incompatibilities between the US and European editions of the game, fixes a variety of configuration issues, and more. Thanks Stomped for the tip.
A new Emperor:
Battle for Dune Q&A is up at Stomped today, talking with Westwood Studios'
Chris Longpre about this imminent 3D strategy game. Chris says that they are
well on their way to meeting their June release date, and he also comments on
their move to 3D, the game's different multiplayer modes (which includes both
combative and cooperative modes) and more.
Tolstiy's Place interviews
Jamie McNeely of Strategy First, talking with him about their upcoming title
Zero-G Marines. John provides some general information about the game, and he
also talks about how they are attempting to make the experience as believable
as possible (while still being fun), how nonlinear the game will be and more.
eUniverseGames'
Dreadnoughts Interview talks with Dmitri Salcedo and Eric Cha of Xenopi
Studios about their upcoming squad-based first person shooter. There are plenty
of gameplay details here, including the news that the game's environments wrap
so that there are never any walls, but rather an infinitely looping game world.
Microsoft has released
version 1.3 beta of their Sidewinder GameVoice software (thanks ActiveWin.com).
Both the client and server are available for download at Microsoft's GameVoice
site, but be warned - this beta version is not backwards compatible with earlier
releases.
Xbox.ActionTrip.com has conducted an
interview with John Chowanec, the associate producer at Cinemaware on their
upcoming PC, PS2 and Xbox title Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown. John explains
how the game balances strategy and RPG elements, the role the other Merry Men
play in the game, the advantages of using a 3D engine and more.
The Flash-only official Startopia site sports a new developer diary (itself in good ol' HTML, fortunately) with the latest on the creation of Mucky Foot's upcoming space station management game. This installment has word on the game's speech files, tutorials, and various other items, as well as work on a playable demo which is expected to be released sometime next month.
There is a Post Game Interview With Chris Taylor on Fallout eXtreme, talking to the senior designer of Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel now that this isometric tactical combat game by Micro Forté and Interplay has reached store shelves. Chris hints at their plans for the future, including the release of the game editors, looks back at the finished game, and briefly comments on a few other topics.
Game-Guru.net
interviews Steve Macomber, the art director at Silverback Entertainment,
talking mainly about Harbinger, Silverback's upcoming action/RPG offering. The
Q&A covers the backgrounds of both the company and the game, going on to
discuss the characters you can play in Harbinger, and delving into a good bit of
detail about the game's design and gameplay. Also on tap are nine new
screenshots.
GameSpy.com
interviews Tim Clarke talking with the hep cat (that's what the kids call
musicians these days, right?) behind the music and sounds in TRIBES 2, Dynamix'
recently released multiplayer shooter sequel. The conversation discusses his
work on game soundtracks, and gets into specifics about his work on the sound
and music in TRIBES 2, which he calls the highlight of his career.
We have word on a couple of games that have just shipped, so if you are on the
lookout for either Tropico, PopTop's dictator simulation, or the US edition of
Cossacks, you might want to give your local software emporium a ring and find
out if they've arrived yet.
Citing Infogrames as the source of their information, GameSpot UK
is reporting that support for Internet play has been dropped from the upcoming
European version of the Dreamcast port of Unreal Tournament, which will now only
offer multiplayer play via that nasty split screen mode. A report on MSXbox
reproduces a list from Gamepro magazine of what Xbox games LucasArts will
be showing off at E3, and one of the titles it contains is Obi Wan, which would
seem to reveal the previously unnamed next-gen console system for which the game
was said to be in development. Finally, a report on the Gaming Intelligence Agency
says that Konami is "shutting down the hype machine," and Metal Gear
Solid 2 is going to make like Solid Snake and stealthfully slip past the radar
unnoticed after making an appearance at this year's E3, the report saying no
more info or screenshots will be released between now and the game's release,
planned for later this year.
Signups are now being accepted for Savage Leagues'
TRIBES 2 League. Also, Counter-Strike.de
has posted their film clip from the CPL in smaller and larger formats, showing
off the event and talking with loads of the folks in attendance.
Scenario
Design Principles for Steel Beasts on SimHQ.com is an article with tips on
how to use the bundled mission editor to create your own Steel Beasts scenarios.
Columbine Victims File $5B Suit,
the AP story on the lawsuit reported on here last week ( story),
offers more information on the companies named in the $5 Billion lawsuit
stemming from the Columbine school shooting, saying "Companies named in the
lawsuit include Nintendo of America, Sega of America, Sony Computer
Entertainment and Time Warner Inc., which is now AOL Time Warner, and ID
Software Inc. and GT Interactive Software Corp., creators and publishers of the
game 'Doom.'"
It turns out one of the odd anniversaries I mentioned yesterday was inaccurate.
The first Duke Nukem Forever screenshot was not the old
geezer shot mentioned yesterday, but rather this
shot of an armed off-road vehicle (and a gun), as pointed out by Joe
Siegler, who should know these things as he's been working at 3D Realms since
before the invention of computers. For the record, the shot was actually released September
19/20 (late night), 1997. To make this all more on-topic, as mentioned
yesterday, today is the fourth anniversary of the game's announcement, though
the official 3D Realms DNF press release was not released until the following
Monday (April 28). By the way, Joe also points out the old geezer's name is
Gus, in case you ever run into him at a party.
Link of the Day: Computer-Generated Sketch.
Thanks Robn Kester.
Story of the Day: Post Office delivers to eBay
(ZDnet).
Bonus Story: Tube scent machine breaks down
(BBC). Thanks Chris Jones.
Media of the Day: Teen Injures Friend In Alleged 'Jackass' Stunt
(NewsNet5.com). Thanks [smash]silkk.
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