Archived News:
Swedish developer Prelusion Games, creators of the adventure game Gilbert Goodmate, has announced that it has two new games in development. Not to be confused with the identically named game in the works at Related Designs and CDV, No Man's Land is a third-person action game set in World War I featuring "a mission-based story line wich lets the player experience war in the trenches of the Western front." The other game is Hauntings, described as "an adventure/strategy game where you as a ghost have to haunt people away from their homes and other places in order to please the greater
spirits and eventually getting over to the other side." Thanks Adventure Gamer, where they add that both games are being developed using Prelusion's in-house 3D engine MGE.
- Warrior Kings
Black Cactus has revamped their entire Warrior Kings screenshots gallery, offering two dozen new views into the medieval world being created for their upcoming 3D RTS.
- Dungeon Siege
PC Zone UK has posted three new Dungeon Siege screenshots, showing off the 3D role-playing game by Gas Powered Games that was recently delayed until next year (story).
- Etherlords
Four more Etherlords character images are online at GameSpot, illustrating the 3D turn-based strategy game in the works at Nival Interactive.
- Throne of Darkness
Another Throne of Darkness Elements of the Week is up at RPG Vault, and instead of screenshots this installment features some monster concept art for Click Entertainment's isometric action RPG.
- IL-2 Sturmovik
Some 16 new IL-2 Sturmovik screenshots illustrate a hands-on preview of 1C Maddox' Games WWII flight sim on The Wargamer.
GameSpot's
Battlefield 1942 Q&A talks with Lars Gustavsson, the executive producer
at Digital Illusions on Battlefield 1942 in a conversation that took place at a
recent press event at the offices of Electronic Arts. In the Q&A they
discuss progress on this upcoming World War II shooter that the article
describes as "a decidedly lighthearted game that focuses on simply being
fun rather than being realistic or historically accurate." The discussion
covers how the new game relates to their previous alternate-history WWI game Codename: Eagle
(including a frank discussion of what of Codename: Eagle's shortcomings they are
looking to overcome), what sort of single player experience will accompany the
multiplayer component, the fact that you can fight for either side in the
virtual war, what level or realism is to be expected, and more. In addition to
the interview, they have posted a video
interview that includes the first-ever look at some gameplay footage, albeit
via the ShakyCam(tm), along with some commentary on what it is we are seeing.
GameSpot's Max Payne Game Guide
is now online, offering, as they describe it, "everything you need to
survive the perils of the underworld and lead Max on his quest for
revenge." Included is a rundown on the game's weapons, a listing of cheat
codes and Easter eggs, walkthroughs for Parts 1, II, & III, and even a
section on how to best spend your bullet time. As usual, the guide is also
available in a downloadable Adobe Acrobat PDF file in addition to the HTML version.
Fansite Coldwar: Flashpoint reports that Bohemia Interactive has announced that the US edition of Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis has gone gold, and will arrive in North American stores around August 28. As mentioned before, this edition will include the dedicated server and enhanced multiplayer code as well as all patches and add-ons released online so far, along with new upgrades that will be made available in another patch for the European editions.
War3.Com's
Bill Roper Interview talks with Blizzard Bill about what he's willing to
reveal about progress on Warcraft III. Topics include a few questions about the
current state of the races in the game, the role legendary heroes will play, spells, AI, whether to trust assumptions that have been made based on
the trailers that have been released, what world tools will be
included with the game's release, and more.
Ask Ed: The Interview on
XGR is one of their streaming audio dealies to be held tonight with Ed Del
Castillo, one of the co-founders of Liquid Entertainment. The conversation will
cover more about Battle Realms, Liquid's upcoming RTS game, and the broadcast
will also represent part of their "ask the developer" series where Ed
will be bombarded with reader-submitted questions. The festivities kick off at
9:00 PM EDT this evening, a SHOUTcast
compatible media player is required.
Another belated Red Faction Friday on the official site for Volition's first-person shooter of destructible enemies and environments brings a new screenshot of the week, depicting a deathmatch scene, as well as a new soundtrack excerpt in MP3 format, entitled Relayer. They've also kicked off a Bug Fix of the Day feature, aimed to "provide hours of entertainment for the whole family, or at least a couple minutes of entertainment each day."
The first public beta of Renegades for
TRIBES 2 is now available (thanks GameSpyDaily), bringing one of the most action packed madhouse
mods created for the original Starsiege TRIBES to TRIBES 2. This is a server
side mod, so you can check it out by joining one of the beta servers, but they
also offer a Renegades client, which is a "bonus pack" that, while not
required to play, is said to enhance the experience with a modified HUD and
other Renegades-specific touches.
The Official Weapons Factory Arena Website
has a new version 3.0b of the class-based Weapons Factory Arena mod for Quake
III Arena (thanks Stomped). If your WFA
install is up to date, you can get a (relatively) small 15 MB update, and there
is also a larger full version you can download, in addition to the whopping big
map pack. The new release offers changes to the way map voting works, as well as
some other tweaks and fixes, but the main purpose is to provide compatibility
with Q3A version 1.29H.
- Homeworld 2
Refuting rumors that the game has been cancelled, RelicNews has posted the first concept image of Homeworld 2, the space-based RTS sequel (still) under construction at Relic Entertainment.
- Terminator
FGN Online has posted the first two PS2 screenshots of Terminator, the first of the games in the works at Infogrames inspired by the James Cameron movies, which will also be released on the PC.
- Warcraft III
Blizzard has released a single new Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos screenshot, sporting a new scene in their upcoming 3D role-playing RTS.
- AvP 2
As usual, AvPNews has appended another five new Aliens Vs. Predator 2 screenshots to their gallery for Monolith's first-person shooter, starting with the last shot on this page and continuing on this one.
- SoF 2
There are a few unfamiliar Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix screenshots on NetGamingNow mixed in with at least five familiar scenes from Raven's mercenary shooter sequel.
- Spider-Man
PC Zone UK has posted five new screenshots of Spider-Man, the third-person console action game being ported to the PC by LTI Gray Matter.
- Sierra's Triple Dose
The last round of screenshots of the week to feature Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura (which will be released this week), Sierra Studios has also issued new ones for Empire Earth and Throne of Darkness.
- Magic and Mayhem
There are four new Magic and Mayhem: the Art of Magic screenshots on EuroGamer, showing off the 3D real-time strategy game being completed at Climax Entertainment.
- Pool of Radiance
Eleven new Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor screenshots are up at GameScreenshots, depicting new scenes in the isometric role-playing game nearing completion at Stormfront Studios.
- Cult
Czech site BonusWeb has posted the first details (in English) and screenshots of Cult, an isometric fantasy RPG in development at Slovakian companies Blade Team and 3D People.
- Heli Heroes
Similarly, German company Zuxxez Entertainment has announced Heli Heroes and released the first set of screenshots from this arcade helicopter shooter being created by their subsidiary Reality Pump Studios (thanks EuroGamer).
- World War III
Back on EuroGamer itself, there are also four new, high-res screenshots of World War III, the 3D RTS by Reality Pump that went gold just now (story).
Responding to inquiries about bouncing emails, Jaunty Jake Simpson sent along a
note saying he has departed Raven. Nothing much to sink one's teeth into here
other than him saying the split was amicable. Here's the note Jake sent
along: Since I've already had some enquires via ICQ and via my home email
about stuff bouncing from Raven, I thought I'd just send out a note to confirm
that yes, I am no longer at Raven. The time had come to move on, so I'm doing
that. It's a totally amicable split, it was just time to move on to new
pastures.
I don't have anything set in stone long term beyond finishing a screen saver I
was working on, and playing with some GameBoy code, so if you want to get a hold
of me, please contact me at jakesimpson100@yahoo.com.
Sierra sends along a statement reaffirming their plans, reported earlier in this story, to continue supporting TRIBES 2 despite the closing of Dynamix. The statement is fairly brief, so here it is in its entirety:
To the TRIBES Community:
After the recent announcement regarding Sierra's strategic reorganization,
many are aware that Dynamix has been closed and the development of TRIBES
has been relocated to Sierra's Bellevue studio. Long time veteran of the
gaming industry, Producer Rod Fung, will be heading up TRIBES development
and moving the franchise forward. Rod has been with Sierra for over eleven
years, most notably producing the award-winning SWAT titles for the company.
Rod will be assembling a TRIBES development team consisting of experienced
game developers, including talent from the original TRIBES 2 team.
The transition will be seamless and transparent for our TRIBES fans. Both
TRIBES and TRIBES 2 are currently among the top five online action games and
fans can expect the same level of dedication that they have received in the
past. The Bellevue based development team has long-term visions and plans
for the TRIBES games and is dedicated to continuing traditions of the
franchise.
More immediately, work continues on an upcoming TRIBES 2 patch and a
playable demo. The authentication servers are up, the IRC servers will
continue as they are and the forums on TRIBES2.com are strong and thriving.
Please stay tuned for what is to come as Sierra focuses on continuing and
growing the TRIBES franchise and its community.
Russian developer Nikita has released a playable demo of Parkan: Iron Strategy, available for download from Games Domain. The demo allows you try out their recently completed 3D action strategy game ( story), provided you able and willing to stomach the staggering 210.6 MB download size (not 21.1 MB, as the page inadvertedly shows). Warning: The ZIP file appears to be corrupt, so you're advised to hold off downloading until a valid copy of the demo is available.
Games Domain also reports that World War III, the 3D real-time strategy game by Reality Pump, and Zax: the Alien Hunter, the isometric action adventure by Reflexive, have gone gold, and publisher JoWood will be putting them in UK stores by October 12 and September 14, respectively. There's no word on release dates for the North America or elsewhere in the world.
As promised ( story), Blizzard has released a new patch for Diablo II and Lord of Destruction, bringing their isometric RPG and its expansion to version 1.09. The patch is currently available only via the Battle.net auto-update, and the Patch Information page lists the huge number of modifications, major bugs, minor bugs, and skill balance changes that it provides for Lord of Destruction, as well as the few improvements and bug fixes added to the original Diablo II game. There are also details on the new "CD-key muting" function.
GameSpot UK's Age Of Empires II The Conquerors Interview
is the second part of their Q&A with Ensemble Studios Bruce Shelley, chatting
about the Conquerors, the Age of Empires 2 expansion pack. Topics include
the innovations the add-on brought to the series, and paves the way for yet
another portion of the interview, as they promise a part thee to discuss the
upcoming Age of Mythology installment in the series.
Computer games linked to brain damage
(ZDnet) is a report offering an ominous message (thanks 9bears). Are these
researchers on the ball or brain damaged themselves? Only time will tell. Here's
a clip: Scientists working at Tohoku University in Japan have discovered
that computer games only stimulate those parts of the brain that are devoted to
vision and movement, and do not aid the development of other important areas of
the brain. The researchers are particularly concerned that by spending many
hours playing games some children will not develop their frontal lobes--which
play a crucial role in controlling behaviour, and developing memory, emotion and
learning.
In contract (sic), tasks such as arithmetic will stimulate brain activity in the
frontal lobe, which is thought to continue developing until adulthood.
The Good Cop Bad
Cop Q&A on PC Pointer.de is the English translation of this
German Q&A on the subject of Good Cop Bad Cop, the upcoming third-person
action/adventure game that will offer the opportunity to play a policeman who
seeks your choice of either justice or revenge in the murder of his father. Not
much in the way of details have been provided about the game since its
announcement ( story), and this Q&A with Tony Warriner of
Revolution Software doesn't really do much to change that, as it offers fairly
tight-lipped answers to most of the questions. It does, however, reveal that the
game will have no multiplayer component, and addresses the suggestion that the
game will be a Max Payne clone, saying: "You might think that from the
early screen shots I guess, but its really a very different game." The
Q&A also makes reference to using the controller rather than a keyboard because "it's a PS2 game," though the
announcement story indicates it's heading to the Xbox and PC as well.
Geek Girl's Guide 2 Games
interviews Eric Young, the executive producer of Freedom Games (as well as the
2nd baseman for the Chicago Cubs) to discuss G.I. Combat. The conversation
touches on Eric's background in combat games that began with the V for Victory
series, a bit on Freedom Games, and a bunch of quick Qs and As about G.I. Combat,
covering a range of topics like terrain, units, the player's role, multiplayer
capabilities, and more.
There's a Red Faction Preview
on HomeLan that goes those who have played the console version or either of
the two available demos one better, by getting to play around with a recent
build of the full PC version of Volition's upcoming first-person shooter, though
it does point out that "the single player portion of the PC version is
virtually identical to the PS2 version." The preview, which is illustrated
by several new screenshots, describes weapons, AI, the 'get your ass to Mars'
setting, and also offers a bit on the multiplayer component, which is not shared by Red Faction for the PS2. In addition to analyzing gameplay, the preview
discusses the game's graphical shortcomings, which seem to be based on the
console system's requirements, as well as the innovations of the GeoMod engine,
with its much-discussed ability to destroy portions of the environment.
If your spidey-sense is tingling to beat the band, it may be because there's a new
Spider-Man preview on GameSpy.com with a look at the upcoming port of
Neversoft's game centered around the action-packed life of your friendly
neighborhood Spider-Man. The preview describes the project to port the game to
the PC by LTI Gray Matter as "pretty literal," and that it "looks
like it will still be a console game at heart, oriented toward gamepad use,
though you can also use the keyboard or a joystick." While expressing
concerns about the camera system, dated graphics, and controls (which are "a
bit awkward at this stage in the port's development"), they praise the
choice of depicting the character as he was in the comics of the 60s and 70s,
rather than the more stylized versions that have followed, and the way it does
justice to the feel of the original material, saying "it looks like
Spider-Man just might do comics the justice they deserve."
The Adrenaline Vault Previews Trade Empires
with a look ahead at the upcoming game that celebrates the joys of commerce ( "Coffee
is for closers") where players will learn develop trade routes. The
hands-on preview describes the historical accuracy in which the scenarios you
lay are steeped, gives a feel for how the RTS-style gameplay will unfold,
describes the addictive nature of the game, and more, and is illustrated by a
bunch of new screenshots.
There's a Mimesis
Online Interview on Gamers Pulse talking with Piotr Krzywonosiuk from Polish
developer Tannhauser Gate about progress on their upcoming MMORPG. The interview
features lengthy answers to the questions, including a detailed rundown on the
team, a effort to answer the obvious comparisons to Ultima Online, Asheron’s
Call and EverQuest, a rundown on gameplay, and more.
The jDoom website has a new version
1.01a of the Doomsday engine, which mops up some "rather insignificant
bugs" that remained in version 1.01, describing the resulting fix as a
mini-patch. The just-released ( story) jDoom 1.01 archive
has been updated with the new executable.
The debut release of the MYRA
modification for Quake III Arena. While some mods seem to demonstrate denial
about the similarities their projects might have to some that preceded them,
MYRA unashamedly actually stands for My Rocket Arena, and freely calls itself a
RA3 clone. The twist here is that MYRA allows multiple simultaneous matches in
the same arena, to eliminate much of the standing in line that is part of the
Rocket Arena experience.
I'm (finally) back in the Blue Tower, we had more delays on our return flight
yesterday than on our way out, there was some severe weather in our path that
was the cause, and as we passed over it I got to see a lightning storm from
above for the first time, which is an extraordinary sight. This lead to a weird
coincidence moment. The woman sitting next to us asked me if I knew whether
lightning ever shot upward, and I told her I didn't know, and then not too long
after, right there in the magazine I was reading ( Maxim... you know for
the articles), the answer popped up, as they had an explanation of how lighting
works, including word that it only travels toward the ground. Chances are someone has
a more complete explanation that may indeed contradict that fact from the
simplified magazine piece, but I just thought that it was a neat moment of
getting the answer to a question out of the not-so-clear not-so-blue sky.
Story of the Day: Oregon Auto Dealer Agrees To Pay Fines
after they "sold seven cars in one month to a man with Alzheimer's."
Bonus Story: Military honour for penguin
(Ananova). Thanks Andrew Arace.
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