FiringSquad's Neverwinter Nights Q&A chats with Dr. Greg Zeschuk co-CEO of BioWare about Neverwinter Nights, their upcoming D&D RPG. Topics include an overview of the game, how the dungeon master feature will work, advantages of the 3rd edition D&D rules, maintaining balance as characters are allowed to travel from server to server, the ability to win the game with an evil alignment, how character death will be handled, system requirements, and more.

• Raven Shield
  The French official Rainbow Six: Raven Shield site offers the E3 movie trailer for this squad-based tactical shooter as a 70.4 MB QuickTime download. Thanks Raven Shield Platoon, where they list a mirror, while there's a 11.9 MB DivX version on Tiscali Games.
• The Thing
  There is a movie of The Thing on FilePlanet (registration required), showing off the third-person horror action adventure by Computer Artworks in a 31.9 MB download. Update: There's a mirror on 3D Gamers.
• Ghost Master
  The E3 movie trailer of Ghost Master along with a set of new screenshots is online at Computer and Video Games, showing off the 3D spook-em-up by Empire Interactive in a 48.8 MB download, but the usual warning about their slow ftp server applies.
• Rise of Nations
  Tiscali Games has posted the E3 movie trailer of Rise of Nations, showing off the real-time and turn-based strategy game by Big Huge Games in a 4.3 MB download in Windows Media Player format.
• Asheron's Call 2
  The official Asheron's Call 2 site serves up the E3 trailer for Turbine's upcoming MMORPG in three streaming Windows Media Player sizes, along with part one of an E3 interview. Thanks aauman.
• Miscellaneous
  More trailers can be found on BonusWeb, including clips for the DreamCatcher titles Auryn Quest, FUEL and Stealth Combat.

RPG Vault's World of Warcraft Q&A chats with Blizzard's Bill Roper about World of Warcraft, their upcoming entry in the MMORPG field based on their hugely-popular RTS series. Topics include the reasons for using the Warcraft universe as opposed to one of their other properties, their philosophy in creating the game, the playable races, character creation and attribute caps, the role of combat in the game world, weapons and items, magic, camping, PvP, community support, and more.

ION Storm has launched the official site for DX2: Invisible War, their just-announced 3D action RPG sequel to Deus Ex (story). The Flash-only site is currently a bare-bones affair, offering merely a brief overview of the game's story and features along with the previously released screenshots and concept images. Thanks Through the Looking Glass.

Word is that Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix is starting to appear on store shelves, so Activision and Raven Software have released a dedicated Linux server for the game, available for download from Planet Soldier of Fortune and 3D Gamers. The tiny 663 KB download contains the Linux executable with suitable instructions, but it's accompanied by a warning that it hasn't "had that much testing" so your mileage may vary.

GameSpot's Doom III Impressions are online, offering extensive thoughts upon seeing what's being demonstrated of DOOM III at E3, saying "we're guessing that id Software's area of the show floor is only going to get more crowded over the course of the show--because word of mouth about how utterly incredible Doom III looks is going to spread, and fast." The article offers moment-by-moment details of what is being shown, all of which was being rendered real-time by the game engine. They describe the intro, weapons, physics, enemies, environmental interactivity, combat, and more. Here is a bit from the beginning offering some impressions of the visuals:

The demo opened with a cutscene showing a planetoid of some sort--perhaps one of the moons of Mars--in the year 2145. The scene changed to show a high-tech cityscape on the surface of the planetoid, and it then panned over to a formidable-looking military installation: the Union Aerospace Corporation. Heavily armed and armored guards stood chatting in front of the facility.

One took his helmet off. The camera moved in to reveal the incredible detail found in Doom III's characters. The characters' facial expressions were quite lifelike as they exchanged dialogue. But what was even more impressive was the subtle detail that could be seen in their individual skin tones and complexions. It's no exaggeration to say that these are easily some of the most realistic-looking 3D real-time-rendered characters ever seen in a game. The quality of the character models--and actually, even the visual design of their high-tech armor--is comparable to what can be seen in last year's computer-animated sci-fi feature film Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.

Update: GameSpot has even more More Doom III details based on seeing the game at their E3 Sneak Peeks panel, quoting lead designer Tim Willits that "the Doom III technology is completely done, and even though there are still some obvious optimization issues that need to be worked out, the design team is now fully engrossed in finishing the actual game itself." Further, Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor and id Software "are currently in negotiations to do the music for the final game," and "id has no current plans to do an Xbox port of Doom III, though the game could hypothetically run on Microsoft's hardware. "

Warner Bros., Monolith Productions and EON Entertainment Developing Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game Based On The Matrix is the press release announcing plans to plug players into a massively multiplayer Matrix game much like the namesake network in the Matrix movie, although this one will use its participants as an ATM from which to draw money, rather than as a battery to supply electricity. Of course no one can tell you exactly what the Matrix is, but games are different, so here is a bit from the PR on what to expect:

Able to accommodate tens of thousands of players in a single shared environment, the game will be a re-creation of the virtual world of "The Matrix," employing cutting-edge 3-D graphics, networking and server technology. The game will combine the best elements of the action-adventure genre and character building/role playing games with the social interaction/community of an ongoing online game. Under the direction of Warner Bros., Monolith Productions and EON Entertainment will design the game using LithTech's Discovery System, a completely new set of tools and technology, including a new 3-D renderer and high-capacity server system, built to accommodate the unique challenges presented in the creation of this type of product.

Though we cannot find an official announcement anywhere, GameSpot's Return to Castle Wolfenstein add-on pack impressions from E3 offers the revelation that work is underway on an expansion pack for Return to Castle Wolfenstein, the Quake III-engine World War II shooter. The as-yet unnamed project, in the works at Splash Damage along with Nerve Software, who collaborated with Gray Matter Studios on the multiplayer portion of the original game, will include ten new multiplayer and ten new single-player missions, new weapons, new abilities, and a new 'covert ops specialist' class. They offer quite brief impressions of the add-on, and word that it is scheduled for release later this year.

Gamers Fight for the Highest Bidder in MechWarrior 4 Mercenaries is the official press release announcing production on the next installment in the MechWarrior series of BattleTech games, though the Q&A about the game posted the other day (story) left little doubt that the game was in the works. Here is a bit from the release about the project, which is a stand-alone game:

Updating the critically acclaimed guns-for-hire theme of the original "Mercenaries" title, "MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries" adds an edgy standalone chapter to the ongoing saga.

"'MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries' takes fans back to one of the most popular gaming themes in the 'Mech universe: playing for cold hard cash," said T.J. Wagner, a producer at FASA Studios. "By combining the soldier-of-fortune gameplay of 'Mercenaries' and the stunning 'MechWarrior 4' game engine, we've created the ultimate 'Mech game that fans have been asking for."

Developed by Cyberlore Studios in conjunction with Microsoft's FASA Studios, "MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries" features 10 new 'Mechs, in addition to the 'Mechs previously released with "MechWarrior 4: Vengeance" and "MechWarrior 4: Black Knight Expansion"; an assortment of weapons; and new electronics packages that enhance the 'Mechs' defensive capabilities. A dynamic single-player campaign offers players more than 40 missions spanning 10 planets. And for the first time in the history of the franchise, players will be able to command a secondary lance.

• GameSpot
  GameSpot E3 PC E3 2002 Coverage is underway, with coverage of World of Warcraft, featuring first-hand impressions of the early version being demonstrated of Blizzard's upcoming MMORPG. They have also posted some Warcraft III impressions describing the first few missions in the single-player game.
• GameSpy
  GameSpy.com's E3 2002 Coverage is also underway with a bang, they have articles up about a big batch of what's being shown at the expo, including a preview of Republic, a No One Lives Forever 2 Preview, a Celtic Kings: Rage of War Preview, a G.I. Combat: Episode I Preview, a Kohan II Preview, a The Movies Preview, an O.R.B. Preview, a Prince of Qin Preview, a Real War: Rogue States Preview, a Shadowbane Preview, and a Strike Fighter: Project 1 Preview.
• AVault
  The Adrenaline Vault's E3 Coverage is likewise off the ground, offering impressions of what they are seeing, including a Kohan II Q&A chatting with Timegate Studios about the just-announced Kohan sequel and a UFO Aftermath first look with impressions of this upcoming strategy game.
• Miscellaneous
  E3 Command's show coverage includes their A Tale In the Desert Interview, discussing eGenisis' upcoming combat-free RPG, and there are also overviews of the show so far on Games Domain, Gaming Age, and Computer and Video Games.
• Publishing Deals
  Finally, a few announcements of publishing deals have been made at the show, including Strategy First to publish Galactic Civilizations, DreamCatcher to Publish Harbinger, and though we don't have a press release to link to, it has also been announced that Painkiller will published by DreamCatcher Interactive.

Sony Online Entertainment has relaunched the official PlanetSide site for their massively multiplayer 3D action game in development (thanks Dreamscape Virus). The site offers sparse information on the game and some of the available weapons, a brief development update by producer Dave Georgeson, a slightly updated FAQ, and no fewer than 26 new screenshots.

As expected, the DOOM III: The Legacy Movie that is showing at E3 is now available for download from FilePlanet (registration required) in low-res (8.4 MB) and high-res (92.1 MB) variants. Word is the QuickTime movie offers a "7-minute long history of id Software's DOOM series, complete with interviews of the team and exclusive footage from DOOM III." In related news, there is a brief John Carmack interview on Gamers.com, quizzing id's lead programmer about the kind of gameplay experience they're aiming for, his work on the rendering engine, the game's sound support, and their goal of creating an "outstanding single-player experience" with only "minimal multiplayer facilities." Update: Mirrors of both versions are online at 3D Gamers, GIGA Games (Germany) and Gamesweb (Switzerland), and of the high-res version at Fragland.net (Belgium) and AusGamers (Australia).

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Announces Max Payne 2 Is In Development is the press release announcing little more than that, Remedy Entertainment and Rockstar Games are developing a sequel to last year's gritty third-person action game Max Payne. The game is projected for a release in 2003, but no other details are provided, not even which platforms the game is in development for.

HomeLan Feds' America's Army Operations Q&A catches up with Michael Capps, executive producer on the just-unveiled project to create a game for the U.S. Army using the Unreal engine. Topics include how the Army was sold on this project, the level of influence they had over the game's design, how the game will be different from Unreal Tournament and Quake III Arena, research behind the game, weapons, levels, engine changes, their plans to distribute the game for free, how far along they are in development, and more. Included are the first eight screenshots to be released from the game, and a further 19 screenshots (along with the other ones) are online at Adrenaline Vault.

JoWood's E3 Lineup Injects New Life Into Traditional PC Gaming Genres is the press release announcing the titles publisher JoWood is showing off at E3. Included in the list are a few revelations: Production is underway on AquaNox: Revelation, a new adventure set in the underwater world of the original AquaNox, though it's not clear whether this project, expected in Winter 2002, is a sequel or an expansion pack. Also now in production is SÖLDNER: Secret Wars (we'd be willing to bet this game's future will include a name change), an action game planned for a 2003 release that puts players in command of a highly-trained mercenary force. Speaking of name changes, the final yet-to-be-revealed tidbit from this release is that "K-Hawk: Survival Instinct" will be the new name for the upcoming tactical action game that at one point had been known as C.O.N.S.E.A.L.

The pop-up gallery in the upper righthand corner of the Special Report: E3 on CNNmoney offers the first four officially released screenshots of DOOM III, the eagerly-antipated first-person shooter sequel by id Software. The images unfortunately come in a rather low resolution though. Update: Full-screen versions of the screenshots are now online at GameStar (thanks PC Pointer).

JoWood Productions has launched the official Gothic II site for the third-person role-playing adventure sequel being crafted at Piranha Bytes. A bare-bones affair, the bi-lingual site merely offers brief storyline teaser and half a dozen new screenshots.

There's a World of WarCraft Preview on PC.IGN.Com looking at Blizzard's upcoming MMORPG in another preview of what will be shown off to attendees of E3. The article describes the game's interface, camera work, environments, the graphics, and more, going on to give a feel for how gameplay will unfold, including the role of towns, day/night cycles, the inclusion of interiors, NPCs and monsters, combat, character classes, death penalties, plans for expansion down the road, and more. Included are extensive quotes, though there is not a hint at all of who it is that they are quoting.

There's a Tim Sweeney Q&A 4Unrealers talking with the lead programmer at Epic Games about progress on Unreal Tournament 2003. Topics include the clarification that there's no set release date for a UT2003 demo, system requirements, frame rate caps, vehicles, the inclusion of tools to create cinematics, e-sports integration, the continuing evolution of the Unreal engine, release dates, the possible return of familiar maps, and more.

There's a DX2: Invisible War Preview on GameSpy.com offering a look at the upcoming Deus Ex sequel in the works at ION Storm. Offering quotes from both Warren Spector and Harvey Smith, the article discusses the goal of creating a "better all-around experience," the modifications they are making to the Unreal engine, the role of shadows and stealth, interaction with the game environment, AI and missions, augs and skills, how the game will be shorter but offer greater replay value, and more.

Here's a round-up of E3 movie trailers that have reached us so far:

• IGI 2
  There is a new movie of IGI 2: Covert Strike on Computer and Video Games along with a batch of new screenshots, together illustrating the stealthy first-person shooter by at Innerloop Studios and Codemasters. It's a 37.9 MB download in AVI format, but the ftp server is rather slow so patience is required. Update: A mirror is now available at 3D Gamers.
• Prisoner of War
  Also from Codemasters is the E3 movie trailer for Prisoner of War, showing off the third-person action adventure by Wide Games in a 33.7 MB download for which patience is likewise required due to the ftp's slowness. Warning: It appears the zip-file with the movie is actually corrupt, but a working mirror is now online at 3D Gamers.
• Celtic Kings
  There are three movies of Celtic Kings on FilePlanet (registration required), showing off this isometric RTS by Haemimont Games in a Battle Movie (38.3 MB), In-Game Movie (12.9 MB), and Gladiators Movie (7.0 MB).
• Hearts of Iron
  FilePlanet also serves up a Hearts of Iron movie trailer, introducing the World War II RTS by Paradox Entertainment for the price of a 14.0 MB download.
• Galactic Civilizations
  A rather more massive affair is the Galactic Civilizations intro movie on FilePlanet, as this clip introduces the 4X space strategy game by Stardock in a hefty 111.6 MB download.
• Horizons
  There is also an HORIZONS: Empires of Istaria E3 Trailer on FilePlanet, showing off the MMORPG in development at Artifact Entertainment for a modest 12.2 MB download.
• Miscellaneous
  Codemasters also offers a TOCA Race Driver movie (52.0 MB - but it again appears to be corrupted) among other clips, while GameSpy & FilePlanet offer more movies of console titles along with many of the clips we already mentioned yesterday. Finally, though not really E3 related, there's a 1503 A.D. / Anno 1503 movie (7.5 MB) on Worthplaying that shows a mere 15 seconds of CGI footage from the trading strategy game by Sunflowers.

GameSpot's Delta Force: Black Hawk Down preshow report offers the announcement that "Novalogic is currently working a new multiplatform Delta Force game." "(S)et in 1993 during Operation Restore Hope, in which Delta Force and US Army Rangers participated in a number of raids against Somali warlords," the game is described as "based on Black Hawk Down" (which we'll assume means the movie). The game is expected to ship for the PC late this year, and for the Xbox and PS2 in 2003. The Xbox version will feature online support, though from the following quote it can be inferred that the PC version will offer more in the way of features than its counterparts:

In the PC version of the game, you'll be able to control a number of ground and aerial vehicles, including humvees and attack choppers, and even use mounted weapons. Firefights will occur in close quarters, but some will be designed to take place at long range to model Delta Force's signature long-range engagements. The weapons in the game are based on the same weapons used in Operation Restore Hope.

Update: NovaLogic has now issued a press release to formally announce Delta Force - Black Hawk Down, and a teaser site is also online.

There's a DOOM III Preview on GameSpy.com which is a preview of a preview of all things, as they describe what attendees at E3 will get to see of DOOM III, id Software's eagerly-anticipated first-person shooter sequel. The article describes the presentation booth where the demonstration will take place, and goes into what tidbits can be gleaned form the 11 minute video clip that comprises the majority of the presentation, which they say is shy of details on weapons, enemies, or levels. They describe the game as a "retelling" of the original DOOM story, mention the return to the moons of Mars or thereabouts, say the demo features many Zombies but mostly the pistol as a weapon (though the shotgun also comes into play), their goal of terrifying gamers with a deliberately-paced atmospheric game, the role of writer Matthew Costello (7th Guest and the 11th Hour), features of the new engine (including bump-mapped textures and a sophisticated physics and collision system), the cinematic approach they are taking, sound effects (created for the demo by Trent Reznor), system requirements, the possibilities of console ports, and more. Included are several photos of the DOOM III presentation area.

HomeLan Fed's XIII Q&A chats with Julien Bares about XIII (thirteen), their upcoming cel-shaded Unreal engine shooter. Topics include the game's conspiracy-themed storyline, the choice of the Belgian comic series as the source for the game, the number of locations featured, enemies, weapons, AI, working with the Unreal engine, differences between the versions on different platforms multiplayer support, and more.

GameSpot's No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way Q&A talks with members of the design team on Monolith's upcoming shooter sequel. Topics include the story of the follow-up, continuity between NOLF2 and its predecessor, the return of the humorous tone of the original, how much emphasis will be placed on stealth, non-combat items and abilities, features of the game's updated LithTech engine, locations Cate will visit this time out, new weapons and enemies, plans to show the game at E3, and more. Accompanying the article are a dozen new screenshots and four renderings of in-game models.

Following yesterday's announcement that this project will be utilizing the Unreal engine (story) U.S. Army Introduces "America's Army" PC Game is the press release with further details about plans for the U.S. Army to create "an innovative, realistic computer game providing civilians with an inside perspective and a virtual role in today's premier land force, the U.S. Army." While not specifically described as a recruiting tool, it is noted that this new project will be distributed for free when it's completed (expected sometime in August) via the Internet, gaming publications, and Army recruiting centers. Here is a bit more on what this will be about:

Each time a soldier-character encounters a new challenge or life choice, the game uses a revolutionary real-time story engine to generate new screenplays, dialogue, scenes, sounds and actions to carry the character through a personalized story. This link between player's actions and choices results in nearly infinite story possibilities. The game features text-to-voice technology allowing for personalized simulations while combining animation with photo-realistic background images.

The action-packed "Operations" portion allows up to 32 players to enter into "virtual service" with the U.S. Army on the same unit mission. Players begin their virtual Army experience as a recruit with an anonymous user name to experience challenging Army missions from a first-person perspective. Developed using the latest version of Epic Games' "Unreal Engine®" and optimized for NVIDIA GeForce2(TM) graphics processors, "Operations" features 20 single and multiplayer missions. Training missions build player capabilites [sic] -- from navigating Fort Benning's obstacle course to parachute drops in preparation for assignment to the 82nd Airborne Division. Multiplayer missions are played free on a virtual playing field online with web servers hosted by HomeLAN.

Terminal Reality and Majesco have taken the wraps off the official BloodRayne site, showcasing their upcoming third-person horror action game. The site is currently only available in a broadband Flash version complete with the customary intro clip, and offers a story synopsis, an overview of the game's features, 14 new screenshots, five gameplay clips from the PS2, GameCube and Xbox ports, and a cinematic movie trailer running for more than two minutes. BloodRayne is slated for a Halloween 2002 release.

This LucasArts Press Release has word that Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast is heading to the GameCube and Xbox systems, the ports of the Star Wars shooter sequel to be available "this Winter." Rockstar Games Announces Grand Theft Auto: Vice City with word that the follow-up to GTA3 is expected to be available in the US October 22, while PS2 Owns GTA on PS2.IGN.Com has the announcement that "Grand Theft Auto 3 and all future titles in the GTA franchise will be exclusive to PlayStation 2 until October 2004." THQ Unveils "Evil Dead A Fistful of Boomstick" At Electronic Entertainment Expo is the official press release of the upcoming Evil Dead game that was already unveiled by a recent preview (story). There's a Joe Brisbois Q&A on The Electric Playground chatting with the producer on Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, the upcoming third-person Star Wars action game. Nintendo: the Power, Promise and Passion of E3 offers details about the line-up of games Nintendo is showing off at E3, while this press release announces their collaboration with GameSpy industries to offer online support. You can download the Metroid Prime Trailer from Shacknews (free registration required). Finally, there are some Project Ego screenshots on Ferrago.co.uk.

• Apollo P4X266E Chipset
  VIA Releases VIA Apollo P4X266E Chipset is the press release announcing a new chipset with support for 533 MHz FSB Intel Pentium 4 CPUs.
• New AIM
  A new version 4.8.2781 of the AOL Instant Messenger is now available. Thanks Jaden.
• Flashes...
  Worm Targets Microsoft SQL Servers Lacking Password (also SQL worm taking off)... Via chipset gives AMD racing room... DeCSS banned again.

The Freedom Force Downloads Page now offers downloads of "the Editor," the utility that allows the creation of custom scenarios for Freedom Force, Irrational's superhero game. This is the actual release of the file that was supposed to be available upon the opening of Modforce.com (story). The Dungeon Siege Website now has the release of version 1.09B.306 of The Siege Editor along with a Siege University Tutorial on its use. The C&C Renegade Website has posted the editable source files from the single-player levels in Renegade so those creating their own levels can see how certain effects are accomplished.

• Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza on EuroGamer.
• Elite Forces: Navy SEALs on Electric Playground.
• Freedom Force on ESCMag.
• Grand Theft Auto III (first impressions) on PC.IGN.com.
• Heroes of Might and Magic IV on Australian Game Zone.
• Operation Blockade on MyGamer.
• Spider-Man: the Movie on GamePen.
• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind on GameGenie and (first impressions) on RPG Vault.
• WarCommander on Computer and Video Games.
• Warlords Battlecry II on Worthplaying and GameReviewers.

• Airborne Assault: Red Devils over Arnhem on GameSpy.com.
• DX2: Invisible War on Ferrago.co.uk.

• Akasa Pax.Mate Acoustic Absorption Mat on EXHardware.
• Shuttle SS40 Barebone System on AMD World.
• Skyhawk MSR4620EP Aluminum Mini Server Case on Amdmb.com.
• SUMA Platinum GeForce4 Ti4400 Video Card on x-bit labs.
• Unitech Optimus Radeon 8500 eXP 128MB Video Card on 3DGPU.com and Rage3D.
• X-Micro Impact T4200 Video Card on TweakTown.

• Columbia Acquires Rights to Develop Sci-Fi Action Film Based On Popular PC Game 'Deus Ex' for Producer Laura Ziskin has word that Deus Ex, ION Storm's hit action/RPG. is going to be making its way to screens even larger than your computer monitor...
• Infinity Ward Publishing Partnership Announced is the press release announcing the formation of a new development studio by some folks formerly of 2015, as well as details of their relationship with Activision, who own 30% of the company and rights to acquire the remainder...
• This press release on MacPlay has word on plans to bring Freedom Force, Irrational's superhero game, to the Mac platform, with an OS X version expected for release during the Fall of this year...

The preparations have been made, the warning shots have been fired, and now the Barbarians are at the gate... yes indeedy, another E3 is underway. Look forward to a few days of hype and hope, as we brace for a spate of announcements and all manner of drama, of course to be followed by weeks, if not months, of previews based on what's being shown off at the expo.

R.I.P. Famed biologist, author Stephen Jay Gould dies at 60. Thanks Steven Beiting.

Play Time: Fly The Copter. Flash required. Thanks Sharon. Very similar to another play time entry, but cool nonetheless.
Link of the Day: Did you ever wonder what it would be like to see a water balloon pop in space. Thanks EvilToast.
Story of the Day: Iran casts dragnet for Barbie. Thanks Hollywood.
Media of the Day: Hasbro Star Wars Action Figure Theater. Thanks ^DragoN^.