Archived News:
Rounding out today's barrage of patches, NovaLogic has released new patches to update the Italian and Spanish editions of Delta Force: Land Warrior, bringing them to version 1.00.29 like the English edition earlier this week ( story). The 3.6 MB patches don't come with a separate list of changes, but the main feature is likely multiplayer compatibility, and as usual you can also apply them through the auto-updater in the game.
- Call of Cthulhu
Swiss site Gameplex.ch has posted eight new Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth screenshots, offering some scary scenes from the first-person horror action game by Headfirst Productions.
- Conflict Zone
Half a dozen new Conflict Zone screenshots are up at Gamerush, showing off the imminent 3D real-time strategy game by MASA Group.
- Neocron
Fansite Neocron Online has posted three new screenshots of Neocron, the futuristic 3D massively multiplayer action RPG being beta tested at Reakktor Media.
- Galactic Civilizations
There are four new Galactic Civilizations screenshots on GameSpot, illustrating this 4X space strategy game under construction at Stardock.
German site 3DAction Zone has uploaded (with permission) a pair of video trailers from the cover CD-ROM of GameStar magazine. The first one is another video preview of Command & Conquer: Renegade, likely captured at the press event as this morning's movie ( story), and it offers some three minutes of in-game footage with a German narrative. Also, a new Operation Flashpoint movie is available that shows nearly six minutes of co-operative multiplayer footage in Bohemia's 3D tactical action game, accompanied by plenty of German commentary from the players. Both movies are available in high quality MPEG and low quality RealPlayer formats.
Now that the Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force Expansion Pack has gone gold ( story), Raven Software has also released the promised version 1.2 patch for the original game, available for download from FilePlanet. This 19.7 MB download adds the Jeri Ryan voice pack with the dialogue for Seven of Nine, and brings the Holomatch multiplayer engine to version 1.2 for compatibility with the imminent add-on, as well as adding a few new multiplayer skins. Update: Activision has posted the patch as well.
The official Red Faction site
has been given its Friday update. Tonight's goodies consist of a new screenshot,
another look at one of the weapons (the Pistol, which is well....a pistol) and
another downloadable MP3 featuring an excerpt from the game's soundtrack.
There is a new movie trailer for Startopia, available for download in two sizes from Eidos UK's ftp server. The 6.0 MB version is in 176x144 resolution while the 21.3 MB version doubles that at 352x288, both in MPEG format. The trailer runs for a bit over three minutes, mixing sequences from the previous cinematic trailer ( story) with plenty of new in-game footage from Mucky Foot's space station management game. A US-based mirror is available at 3D Gamers.
- Global Operations
The official Global Operations site has been updated with half a dozen new screenshots, three of the Lima and Belfast areas each, as well as (a few days ago) a new specialties page that introduces the Intelligence Officer and Medic characters in Barking Dog's upcoming team-based military shooter. And elsewhere, fansite GlobalOps Command has two new screenshots of their own.
- AquaNox
There are three new AquaNox screenshots on ActionTrip, and half a dozen more on 3D Games Zone, all showing off the underwater 3D action game by Massive Development.
- Project Eden
The Project Eden week on French site Gamedata comes to a close with a final barrage of 43 screenshots (some new, most familiar) of Core Design's squad-based 3D action game.
- TABBB
VoodooExtreme has posted five new Tex Atomic's Big Bot Battles screenshots, showing off Monolith's robotic arena shooter that went gold yesterday (story), and eUniverseGames has eleven new images on display as well.
- Anarchy Online
The stereotypical number of three new Anarchy Online screenshots are online at EuroGamer and Cosmo3D today, offering more scenes from the futuristic MMORPG being beta tested at Funcom. And in related news, the official Anarchy Online site was revamped today, with its main addition being a map of the Rubi-Ka game world.
Eurogamer has posted an article-style
interview with Timothy Gerritsen, the head head at Human Head. The interview
covers a lot of ground, and Timothy comments on Rune, the recently released
Rune: Halls of Valhalla add-on (which also works as a stand alone game) and
their entry in the Blair Witch trilogy of games. He also hints at their next
project, which while as-of-yet unannounced, will be released this summer for
the Playstation 2 (our guess is that it's Rune: Viking Warlord, which was recently
discovered on Take Two's site).
The patches keep on coming today, as Akella and TalonSoft have released a new version 1.51 patch for Age of Sail II, their naval-based 3D real-time strategy game (thanks AVault). The 1.5 MB patch addresses a few crash bugs, improves multiplayer, brings a few gameplay changes, and more.
The official Gathering of Developers site
has been updated with the sad news that Doug Myres passed away just before midnight
on May 3rd as a result of an asthma attack. A funeral service will be held in
Fort Worth, Texas on May 7th, and his family is welcoming anyone that wishes
to pay their respects. GoD's Mike Wilson also mentions that he will be willing
to help out anyone that wants to attend but cannot due to financial difficulties.
We here at Blue's News knew Doug well and are very stunned and saddened by this
loss. R.I.P. Doug Myres September 9, 1964 – May 3, 2001.
Rebel Act has released a new patch for Blade of Darkness, available for
download from Spanish site Arsenal66, which updates the US edition of their third-person melee-combat game to version 1.01 like the Spanish one last week ( story). Changes in the 2.1 MB download include stability improvements, a new Voodoo 1/2 driver, better camera control, and various other bug fixes. Update: a US-based mirror is now available at 3D Gamers.
Croteam has released a new patch for Serious Sam, available for download from FilePlanet, that updates the European edition of their fast-paced shooter to version 1.00c. This 5.5 MB patch brings that version in sync with the US patch released last week ( story), and it offers the same set of changes. Thanks Michael Harris for the tip.
ActionTrip has conducted an interview on Arx Fatalis, the first-person role-playing game being crafted at French company Arkane Studios. Developers Raphael Colantonio and Cyril Meynier are at hand to talk about the game's setting and atmosphere, the role-playing features, the weapons you'll have at your disposal, and more. Four new screenshots are also on display.
Gone Gold reports that the Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force Expansion Pack has gone gold, and this add-on to Raven's acclaimed Trekkie shooter is expected on store shelves around May 10.
There is a new preview of Civilization III on PC Zone UK, looking ahead to the turn-based strategy sequel under construction at Firaxis. The preview is fairly brief but describes this installment's improvements like the new graphics engine and enhanced diplomacy and combat systems, and comes with eight new screenshots.
Empire Interactive has released a small patch for Battle of Britain, updating the WWII flight sim by Rowan Software. The patch fixes "Sky banding in 16 bit graphics modes" and reduces "'Stuttering' seen on certain high-end PC configurations."
Like every alternate Friday, Westwood has released a new map pack for Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, available for download from their ftp server (188 KB). This 11th pack includes two new multiplayer maps, entitled Pacific Heights and Killer Instinct.
PC Zone UK has posted an update on the multiplayer features in Operation Flashpoint, the realistic soldier sim nearing completion at Bohemia Interactive. Word is that the game will ship with LAN and TCP/IP support, but no dedicated server support, which is expected as an upgrade several months after the game's European release in June. The US release is scheduled for September, but it's not clear whether that will then include the dedicated server. There are also details on the gameplay modes, the number of players supported, and more.
There is a brief Giants-GeForce 3 Interview on Stomped, quizzing Planet Moon's Bob Stevenson about the upcoming GeForce 3 version of their third-person action game. Bob briefly looks back at the game's development before going into more detail about how they're enhancing the game to utilize the new features of the GeForce 3, and also touches upon the PS2 port, what's next for the PC version, and more. Update: Stomped now has a high-res GeForce 3 screenshot of the game as well.
GameSpot
UK interviews Jamie Barber of The Bitmap Brothers, talking with him about
Steel Soldiers, their near-complete sequel to the original Z. Jamie comments
on their 3D engine, the game's AI and cut-scenes, and he also talks about what's
left to do as they wrap up development, saying that "in theory" it
should be finished in about a week.
id Software's Robert Duffy updated
his .plan this morning with some comments on the mod scene and an update
on the status of the next Quake III Arena point release. According to Robert
next week's beta release will feature substantial network optimizations (which
should be good news for the HPBs out there) and large FPS improvements among
other changes. Here are the details: We will be releasing a point release
beta early next week. This one has taken some time but it addresses quite a
few things. Graeme has been very busy with the network stuff and net traffic
is now being compressed at about 4:1, this should make a huge difference for
modem players. There should be a substantial FPS boost for most people and there
are a bunch of fixes/tweaks in place. This release will also contain an auto
update system so you can check for new updates at any time. If you get the beta,
the final will be offered via the auto update. This addresses all of the cheats
and hacks we know about as well. That is an ongoing battle. This point release
will utilize a different protocol as a result of the new network compression.
At the same time, I will finally get the UI stuff release for mod teams. This
will allow mod teams to distribute Team Arena style menus/scripts for Quake
3 only mods without violating the EULA.
There are some really nice looking mods going on right now, Urban Terror, Q3F,
WFA, Annihilation, Navy Seals are all looking really good. Quake The Movie is
also looking really really good, the guys at Tritin were kind enough to send
us the first 13 or so minutes and it is amazing stuff. Overall the source changes
mod teams will need to integrate are quite small.
Work progresses well on Q3A/TA, Wolf and DOOM.
The German division of publisher Virgin Interactive has announced that Original War has gone gold, and should be in stores in Europe soon. Original War is an isometric real-time strategy game by Czech developers Altar Interactive that aims to stand out in the RTS crowd through a "gripping storyline, importance of individual, and new gaming mechanisms." There are no details on a possible US release though. Thanks Patches Scrolls for the tip.
Fansite Havocide has posted a new movie of Command & Conquer: Renegade, the first- and third-person action game in the works at Westwood. The movie shows some two minutes of in-game footage and is the first in a long time to show the current state of the game in action. Also, neighboring site Dune Emperor eXtreme offers a movie of Emperor: Battle for Dune sporting two and a half minutes of in-game footage from Westwood's 3D real-time strategy game. Both movies are available in several formats and download sizes and were uploaded from the cover DVD of German magazine PC Games, so they also feature a German narrative explaining the premise and features of both games.
GameSpy Daily has conducted an
interview with Stuart Moulder, the general manager of Microsoft Games, talking
with him about yesterday's announcement that they would be acquiring Age of
Empires developer Ensemble Studios ( story). Stuart says that
Microsoft will have no real control over the day-to-day operations at Ensemble,
and he also says that this does not affect LucasArts' licensing deal with Ensemble,
and that there are no plans at this time to make an Age of Empires game for
the Xbox console.
Fan page PlanetAnachronox was sent a full build of Anachronox, and they have
posted a
first impressions preview. The preview contains their overall impressions
of the game so far, as well as some high-resolution screenshots (1280x960 with
anti-aliasing enabled) and a section that features questions from their forums
answered by the Planet Anachronox staff and Brian "Squirrel" Eiserloh
from ION Storm's Anachronox team. On a related note, Spiele City has posted
a new screenshot in their
Anachronox shot gallery (it's the last one).
PC.IGN.Com's Half-Life Blue Shift Interview talks with Randy Pitchford of
Gearbox Software about progress on Half-Life: Blue Shift, the upcoming Half-Life
follow-up that will place you in the role of one of the security guards (Barneys)
at the doomed Black Mesa research facility, a logical progression after playing
a scientist in the original game, and a soldier in Opposing Force, Gearbox's
first Half-Life expansion (I guess the only thing left is Half-Life: Snark
Attack, where you would play one of the aliens). The conversation covers the
welcome decision to publish Blue Shift for the PC as a stand-alone game after it
had been announced as a Dreamcast-only title, differences between the PC and
console versions, some details about the bundled Half-Life High Definition Pack
that will update the game's appearance for today's more advanced hardware, and
loads of gameplay details. (This and a couple of other articles were posted last night on IGN, but they were having technical difficulties at the time, hence the stories this morning.)
The Adrenaline Vault Previews
the Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force Expansion Pack with a look ahead at Raven
Software's follow-up to Star Trek: Voyager-Elite Force, their Quake III-engine
first-person shooter that the AVault lauds as "...the first perfect
translation of another entertainment medium to a computer game." The
article covers a good deal of what will be included in the follow-up, detailing
similarities and differences compared to the original game, such as the
single-player component, which will be a 'tour mode' that will allow free access
to 15 areas of the ship and interaction with your crewmates (though we hear that
there's a waiting list to invite Seven-of-Nine to join you for some Romulan
Ale), and HoloMatch enhancements. In addition to the run-down on new features
and weapons and the like, there are also a bunch of screenshots.
There's an Age of Mythology preview on
PC.IGN.Com with a look ahead at Age of Mythology, the upcoming installment
in the Age of Empires series that up until recently had been operating in
Stealth mode under the codename RTS III. The preview is the result of a lunch
with Stuart Moulder, general manager of the Microsoft Games Group to discuss,
among other things, Microsoft's just-announced acquisition of Ensemble Studios
( story). Topics they cover include the game's planned departure
from its historically-based predecessors (hence the "mythology" bit),
its new engine (as the venerable Genie engine from previous Age games is being
put out to pasture), how gameplay will unfold, what types of units will be
included, and more. Speaking of the MS-Ensemble pairing, Microsoft comments on Ensemble deal
on GameSpot is likewise based on comments from Stuart Moulder after he
visited their offices.
PlanetFortress tracked down Valve
Software's Erik Johnson to try and pin down a release date for the new Multicast
Spectator Mode for Half-Life that made its debut at a recent CPL event ( story).
Here's what Erik had to say: The day the next Half-Life update is
released, the Multicast Spectator Mode will be compatible with all Half-Life
multiplayer games, Team Fortress Classic, and Counter-Strike. In addition, we
will release the new SDK before the next Half-Life update, and offer any needed
support we can to help Mod teams to integrate MSM.
3-D Patent a World of Trouble
on Wired describes another one of those situations that makes some feel the
word "patent" should be spelled with four letters, following up on the
situation described in This
Gamasutra Article (as seen on Slashdot--thanks
WarPig[doh]) regarding the patenting of online avatars. The article explores the
possible legal ramifications of this, saying that "While some feared that
Worlds.com would try to enforce its patent against first-person shooters like
Quake and Unreal, the company is more likely to go after role-playing games such
as EverQuest and Asheron's Call.
Something Big and Blue in the 'Box
on Xbox.IGN.Com has almost nothing to say about this yet-to-be-announced
Xbox game from Big Blue Box (the first satellite developer out of Lionhead
Studios) other than: "word has it that Peter Molyneux himself is
personally overseeing the final stages of construction of this Death Star."
MSXbox interviews
Jez San talking with Argonaut's chief executive about their Xbox plans. GameSpot's
Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 2 Preview is a look ahead at this upcoming sequel
for the PS2.
The Clan Avalanche Forum
has the release of a new version 3.0 of the Voodoo Stats utility, which is a
client-side log analyzer for Quake III Arena. The program can display statistics
gleaned from your qconsole.log file in HTML format, offering support for CTF
games and DM/RA3, with support for other modifications planned for the future.
The Armchair Empire
interviews Neil Manke talking with the noted level designer about his They
Hunger series of Half-Life maps, the third of which is included on the June PC
Gamer CD. Also, Net-Games
interviews the A-Team, not the fancy-pants George Peppard crew, but rather
the folks behind Action Quake and Action Half-Life, talking about their next
action-packed project, Action Unreal Tournament.
Polycount's Bad
Girl contest is online. The contest basically matches the description, as it
is looking for a 3D model based on a "bad girl" from any comic book.
It should probably come as no surprise that the contest is the result of a
challenge issued by Paul steed, formerly of id Software, now of Wild Tangent.
It was one year ago today that id Software announced production on Quake III:
Team Arena. If that's too normal an anniversary for you, then you are likely to
be more moved that this is also the third anniversary of Leo DiCaprio appearing
on the cover of People Magazine as winner of their most beautiful
person poll, in spite of support from our community and others for Hank
the Angry Drunken Dwarf, who won as the people's choice in the web-based
version.
Link of the Day: The Butt Guessing Game '98.
Thanks Jay Nelson.
Story of the Day: Russian prisoners take online orders
(BBC). Thanks RVF400RR.
Weird Science: Army
Aims for Environmentally Friendly — but People Unfriendly — Ammo (Fox).
Describing the development of "green ammunition," which will not be
harmful to the environment (as long as you don't consider living things that
have been shot part of the environment). Thanks theAntiELVIS.
Weirder Science: Veggie car takes a spin
(BBC). Thanks Ant.
Wild Science: A
'Star Trek' Tractor Beam at Microscopic Level (Reuters). Thanks [MP]
Wolverine [MP].
Media of the Day: When Good Planes Go Bad
(AVWeb). Thanks Greg Shepherd.
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