Archived News:
There's a Microsoft
HomeStation article on PC Format (thanks Shacknews)
that relates a scoop/rumor from this month's version of their print magazine on
HomeStation, codename for a product they call "Microsoft's secret son of Xbox."
According to the story, this would seem to be a home entertainment console capable of playing both PC and
Xbox games, that will also "dish out movies, music, messaging, games and TV
programming" served up by a Microsoft .NET server, while simultaneously serving as a
digital TV recorder with a wireless interface for portable devices "such as
digital cameras, PDAs, MP3 players and telephones using HomeRF or Bluetooth
protocols" (what, no dishwasher?). Here's a bit more from the story: Microsoft is working
on a top-secret home entertainment device code-named HomeStation. The PC/Xbox
hybrid will run a version of Windows to form a home entertainment hub. The
device will finally turn the idea of digital convergence into a living room
reality. Following in the footsteps of the PC-influenced Xbox, the device is
likely to be a non-upgradeable sealed unit, with a system board based on
nVIDIA's nForce, boasting GeForce graphics and Dolby Digital sound. HomeStation
will come equipped for an array of online and offline activities: a sizeable
hard drive, broadband connection and compression technology based on Windows
Media Player 8 - included with Windows XP - all point to a video-on-demand role.
Starting off somewhat incongruously asking "Move over, Max Payne?",
there's a CHIP Online.Preview
of AquaNox with a look at this upcoming underwater shooter in the works at
Massive Development. The preview is based on hands-on play with an alpha version
of the game, and features several pages of first-hand impressions of a couple of
levels that concludes by saying: "Massive has put together all the right
ingredients for an excellent action cocktail. Let's hope the fine-tuning will be
as successful as the graphics design."
Microsoft has released four new maps for MechWarrior 4: Vengeance, offering more multiplayer mayhem for the 3D mech action game that was released last Fall. The four maps are titled Highlands, Polar Tundra, Snowbound and Wetlands, and all are multiplayer conversions of missions from the original game. Meanwhile, the developer's MechWarrior 4 site also has word that the final version 2.0 beta patch can be expected "very soon, it was delayed due to localization issues, but all versions are nearing acceptance." The official FAQ has been updated and expanded as well.
The official Icewind Dale site has word that the German edition of Heart of Winter: Trials of the Luremaster is now available from FilePlanet (registration required), and there's also a mirror at Virgin Interactive Germany. The 72.6 MB download allows German gamers to play this free expansion for the isometric RPG expansion by Black Isle Studios. The English edition is also still available ( story), and finally, FilePlanet also offers downloads of the French and Spanish editions that we don't seem to have reported at the time of their release.
- Renegade
This Command & Conquer: Renegade gallery on Daily Telefrag sports three new screenshots (here, here, and here) of the first- and third-person action game being created at Westwood.
- Divinity
Daily Telefrag has also expanded their sprawling Divine Divinity gallery with some two dozen more scenes in the isometric role-playing game being crafted at Larian Studios.
- Battlecruiser Millenium
3000AD has released eight new surface-bound Battlecruiser Millenium screenshots, showing off their imminent space and planetary simulation.
Player Of Games
interviews Dr. Ray Muzyka, one of the co-founders of BioWare. Topics covered
in the Q&A include what still exists of Dr. Ray's medical practice (it seems
the interviewer is some manner of M.D., as well), which BioWare title is his
favorite, his reaction to working on an AD&D title (Baldur's Gate), whether
he also plays pen & paper RPGs, the fact that he's working on an executive
MBA(!), violence in games, and more.
- Movie Mania
There's a Morrowind
ECTS 2001 Gameplay movie on Multiplayer.it with a little over two
minutes of high-quality ShakyCam™ footage with English narration. They
also have the
Black & White: Creature Isles intro, likewise offering ShakyCam
footage shot off a monitor.
- Team Factor
EuroGamer's
Team Factor Preview calling it one of the surprise hits of ECTS, looking
at this "little known tactical combat game from Czech upstarts 7fx
which seemed to be producing quite a buzz at the show."
- PC Gameplay
PCGameplay's
ECTS coverage includes a
Perimeter preview, a Paradise
Cracked preview, an End
Of Twilight preview, and an Echelon:
Wind Warriors preview.
- GamesDomain
There's more ECTS coverage on GamesDomain
with brief coverage of World of Warcraft,
Warcraft III Reign of Chaos,
Project Nomads,
Iron Storm,
Duality,
AquaNox,
Divine Divinity,
NY
Race, Black
& White Creature Isles, and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
- Midgard
There's a Midgard:
The Life after Anarchy Online with a look ahead at FunCom's next MMORPG.
- The Future of ECTS
The
Future Of ECTS on EuroGamer looks at rumors of plans to turn ECTS
into a consumer event and other issues facing the show, after a record low
turnout by developers.
The Official True Combat website has news
of the release of a new Build 9 of True Combat (thanks Stomped)
that will update any version 045 of this "ultra-realistic" Quake III
Arena modification. The new release adds an H&K G3A4 and an updated harbor
map, offers fixes for the "weird hooded head skin on all models," the
equipment system, the hand grenade bug, the team survivor join bug, and the
general join bug, and also tweaks several things like grenade damage, range for
HK69, the availability of clips for HK69, knife damage, and more.
The latest Halo update is available in the forums of halo.bungie.org (due to difficulties getting it online at the fansite whose turn came up), and as always Bungie's Matt Soell fills up this Desperate Measures Edition with the latest happenings in the development of their 3D action title for Xbox, PC and Mac. This update has word on post-combat behavior, AI improvements, signalling animations, graphics enhancements, and more. Thanks Stomped.
GameSpy.com's Nerve Software
Interview talks with Brandon James about Nerve Software, the recently
unveiled company over which he presides that is composed of the folks that
helped complete American McGee's Alice at Rogue Entertainment. The conversation
includes a detailed look at Brandon's history in gaming, a bit about Nerve
itself, and his familiarity with the Quake engine(s) and relationship with id
Software. They also eek out the scant bit he can discuss about the mysterious
new game franchise Nerve will be creating under the watchful eye of id, and a
more forthcoming look at their work on the multiplayer component of Gray Matter
Studios' Return to Castle Wolfenstein, which includes an answer supplied by Gray
Matter's Greg Goodrich.
There's a new Civilization III Developer Update
on the game's official website titled "Wonders and Small Wonders"
penned by Dan Magaha of Firaxis Games. The article describes how the popular
Wonders of the World aspect of the original Civ is being expanded upon in the
latest installment in the series as they are now going to have both Great
Wonders (similar to those in the original, like The Great Wall) and Small
Wonders (things like Wall Street and Drive-Thru Fast Food). The update describes
the differences in the two kinds of wonders, going into the conditions required
to create them, and what side effects they will cause. On a related subject, In Historical Games, Truth Gives Way to Entertainment
NY Times free registration required talks with Sid Meier, the father of Civilization (in the computer gaming sense, at least) about development of the original Civilization and the
way realism must sometimes take a back seat to fun when creating a strategy game.
Computer Gamers has a report up on
word that's leaked out about the planned addition of the first naval vessel to
World War II Online, scheduled for release in the next patch. Word is: "The
ship will have 8 player positions for multi-crewing, and has several different
weapons." They have also posted a screenshot of the ship.
The PaleStar website has word of
a scheduled "major update" to the open beta of this online space combat
game that will take place Monday. Planned changes include the reconfiguration of
some ships to improve balance and to slow the pace of the game a bit, as well as
an increase in the amount of resources needed to obtain certain ships.
Actually, contrary to our headline, the
article on Barshemm.com calls itself a Dark Age of Camelot Review, rather than a preview, but of
course, it is not based on the final version of the game, but rather from
playing the ongoing closed beta. The article does offer extensive first-hand
impressions of the post-Arthurian MMORPG, however, as the author has been
participating in the test for nearly a year now. Also, Blue Monday's
interview with Matt Firor of Mythic Entertainment discusses progress on
DAoC, and the interview is also available
in the site's native Spanish.
The first release of the Existence Multiplayer Half-Life Modification
is now available. This is a story-based mod loosely based on The Matrix,
though it looks like they are shooting to make that "loosely" part
loose enough so they don't get Foxed. Beta 1.0 does not include the planned
martial arts aspects of the mod, but those are still in the works for a future
release.
First Details Black and White Next Generation
on PS2.IGN.Com continues the recent flood of Black & White news, talking
with Lionhead founder Peter Molyneux about one of his latest projects, Black and
White Next Generation for PlayStation 2. A new Planetweb Browser 3.0 for the Sega Dreamcast
is now available (thanks GamePen).
Team Xbox has posted the First Xbox Commercial Images,
some captured footage of the Canadian Xbox
Commercials, and subsequently Xbox.IGN.com
has posted direct feed footage of the First Xbox Commercials. There's a Q&A with In Utero
on GameSpot talking with the developers of Evil Twin, focusing mainly on the
console side of things. CVG attends the Game Developers Conference Europe
is their wrap-up, again focusing mostly on consoles. Finally, there's an Enclave preview on
Xbox.IGN.com with new screenshots and movies.
Registration for the Gamers' Gauntlet's
next event is now underway, this is a 120 person LAN event, scheduled for Oct.
5-7 in North Carolina.
The Bitmap Brothers
Z Steel Soldiers Support Guide is a full walkthrough for the game that is
part of a complete overhaul of their website. The usual weekly update to the Star Wars Galaxies Online
FAQ has taken place, and the FAQ has now been divided into multiple pages for
greater organization and easier digestion. Four new questions and answers have
been added to the
official Midgard FAQ.
New Heroes!
Muscle-bound and beltless! is an update to the Irrational Games website with
word of a couple of new generic superhero meshes on the
Freedom Force downloads page for those working on their own advance
creations for this upcoming superhero game. Also, the Emperor Message Board
(thanks Strategie Expert) has
word of a planned release of an editor for this Dune game. Finally, RPG Vault
has posted an article called: Arcanum Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura Mod Building 102 - The Dungeon Crawl Revisited.
Sorry about the quite late update this morning... I wish I could blame it on a
server crash or a connectivity crash, but it was really just a webmaster crash:
I just plain woke up late. I don't think I'm under the weather, or
anything, so I have no idea why I was out so long, but maybe I am fighting
something off. Anyway no more time to ramble, it's on with the show.
Link of the Day: ShockAnime!'s
Genryu's Blade (Flash required). Thanks Antony.
Bonus Link: I
want a fat babe (Flash required). Thanks Cp.
Story of the Day: Kids
Quake In Their Boots (Fox). Thanks theAntiELVIS. The million child jump.
Wild Science: Hungarians Claim Found Traces of Life on Mars
(Reuters). Thanks Trey Walker.
Wilder Science: Universe 'could condense into jelly'.
Thanks Douglas P. Ratcliff.
Follow-up: Echelon
spying network exists, EU committee says and Yes, Virginia, There Is an Echelon.
Thanks Hoe Muffin and hoosier_dadi).
|
Twitter 
