Archived News:
Epic Games' Mark Rein has posted a status update on Unreal Tournament 2003 in the official forums for the multiplayer first-person shooter that is nearing completion at Digital Extremes. Topics include graphics performance and optimization, getting the game to work on Voodoo3 and Voodoo5 cards, Dolby Digital 5.1 sound support, network performance, and a new estimate of when the playable demo will be released.
Gamesradar has reproduced the DX2: Invisible War preview from the July issue of PC Gamer UK, an unusual move since that issue has been available for only a week (thanks Shacknews). After an introduction that reminisces the achievements of Deus Ex, the article goes into more detail about the goals for and features of the sequel, including the realistic physics, dynamic lighting system, new sound propagation system, realism in gameplay, enhanced graphics and character detail, what little they learned about the plot, the different game structure, the AI, and lots more, all highlighted with numerous quotes from the developers. Update: Not surprising considering the aforementioned circumstances, the article has been taken down.
In case last night's auto-update posed a problem ( story), then BioWare has now released the manual patch for Neverwinter Nights, as before upgrading this 3D role-playing game to version 1.18. The patch requires installing an up-to-date NWUpdate utility (505 KB) before running it on the 2.5 MB patch data, and besides the issues mentioned last night this release also addresses some chat room, Journal Entry, general sound, dedicated server, and other problems.
Icewind Dale II Designer Diary #10 on RPG Vault is the latest and, repeating their expectations from the previous installment, possibly final entry in this series covering the development of the isometric RPG sequel at Black Isle Studios. Penned by designer John Deiley, this edition covers the game's playtesting and balancing phase, the difficulty settings, some of the new features like the hit point bar and help screen, and more. Five new screenshots are included.
- Splinter Cell
There's a Splinter
Cell Q&A on Belgisch Gaming Nieuws with an English conversation with
lead animator Steve Dupont about the motion capture used in Ubi Soft Montreal's
upcoming Tom Clancy game. Included are some shots of models from the game.
- Purge
The Purge
Q&A on Gamer's Hell features Richard "Hap" Cheung of Freeform
Interactive discussing Purge, their upcoming LithTech-engine online cyberpunk
FPS/RPG. Included are some new screenshots.
- Brenda Brathwaite
There's a Brenda
Brathwaite Q&A on the Stratos Group talking with the designer who worked in some form or another
on the entire Wizardry series, the Jagged Alliance series, and more for the PC, as
well as the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons Heroes console game about her
extensive history in gaming and Wizardry 8 in particular.
GameSpot's
Tropico 2: Pirate Cove Q&A talks with Bill Spieth, designer at Frog
City, the folks at work on the upcoming pirate-themed follow-up to PopTop
Software's tropical island dictator sim. Topics include how the franchise's
change in direction game about, how the two games are connected, the departure
from previous Frog City titles, the role of ships, recruiting and training
pirates, structures, combat, edicts, how the project is progressing, and more.
Accompanying the piece are four new screenshots.
Do you like movies about gladiators Joey? How about games? Well too bad, as GameSpot's Gladiators: The Galactic Circus Games
Preview is a look at a game that's not about the gladiatorial exhibitions of
the past, but rather in a stylized future setting. The article describes the
extensive backstory that justifies these games, and goes on to describe
conflicts that will "see small armies of heavily armed futuristic troops
fighting to the death," along with some detail on the factions, heroes,
strategic styles, units, environments, and more from the game. Included are a
dozen new screenshots.
XGR's Doug Chiang Interview
is their conversation with the artist that is designing all of the spacecraft in
Earth & Beyond, Westwood's upcoming MMORPG. Topics include his contribution
to this game, as well as the Star wars movies. The audio program is scheduled
for broadcast this evening at 9:30 PM EDT, SHOUTcast-compatible media player
required.
Chat with Your Favorite Asheron's Call Developers
on MSN Gaming Zone is word of a chat with the Asheron's Call developers at
Turbine slated for this evening at 8:00 PM EDT in their
online chat room (thanks WDWGuide).
Also, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Raven Shield
Website now has a log of
the recent official Raven Shield Developers Chat edited into a Q&A
format. Finally, UnknownPlayer.com
is conducting an IRC session asking their panel of developers how they got into
the industry and for tips and tricks on how to follow in their footsteps. This
chat will also be at 8:00 PM EDT tonight in Irc.Sorcery.Net in #up.com.
German fansite Station-Network serves up a new Freelancer movie that was previously available on the cover disk of likewise German magazine PC Action. The movie runs for a bit over a minute in AVI format, mixing both in-game and ShakyCam footage from E3 to show more from Digital Anvil's upcoming space epic, complete with some German commentary. The site's download system seems aimed at making it difficult to download the movie, but there's a mirror on Lancer's Reactor.
There's a new Rainbow Six: Raven Shield
Q&A on PC Arena where they chat with UbiSoft Montreal's Chadi Lebbos and
Eric Begin, producer and lead programmer, respectively, on the upcoming
installment in the ongoing series of Tom Clancy-inspired tactical action games.
Topics include their reasons for selecting the Unreal engine for this project,
which revision of the engine they are using, their AI improvements, the HUD and
interface, navigation, mission types, and more.
HomeLan Fed's Battlefield 1942 Preview
offers first-hand impressions of Battlefield: 1942 after getting to try out the
latest beta build of Digital Illusion's upcoming World War II multiplayer action
game. They describe the beta's two missions (one in each of the
European and Pacific theaters), the included "Conquest" mode, player
classes, the emphasis on operational vehicles, graphics, the in-game server
browser, and more. Included are seven new screenshots.
The Adrenaline Vault Previews Celtic Kings: Rage of War
offering a look at this 2D RTS game in the works at Haemimont Software
based on getting to play with a beta version. The article offers comparisons to
similar titles, a rundown on the several different types of gameplay offered,
the individualized playable factions, how the game foregoes traditional RTS
base-building, keeping your subjects happy, unit creation, the role of hero
units, and more. Accompanying the article are 10 new screenshots.
Andrew Brazier of Headfirst Productions sends along a press release with a clarification
about what's going on with the rights to Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the
Earth, their upcoming horror/survival game. The following is the statement on
the subject from Headfirst Managing Director Mike Woodroffe: "The
publishing contract between Ravensburger Interactive and Headfirst Productions
Limited for the development and publication of "Call of Cthulhu : Dark
Corners of the Earth" has been terminated by Headfirst Productions Limited
for breach of contract by Ravensburger Interactive. The game's development
continues unabated and is now scheduled for release early in 2003. A further
statement will be issued when a new publisher for this title has been
found."
Call of Cthulhu : Dark Corners of the Earth is an eagerly anticipated
first-person horror adventure based on the writings of H.P. Lovecraft. All
publishing enquiries should be directed to Mike
Woodroffe.
There's a Baldur’s
Gate: Dark Alliance Q&A on X-Boxed.com discussing the Xbox Baldur's Gate
game. GameSpot's Enclave Preview
offers a look at Starbreeze Studios' upcoming hack-and-slash action game. Team Xbox' MechAssault Interview
Part One and Part
Two on DropShipCommand.Com are the bookend Q&As where they teamed up to
interrogate the team at work on the upcoming Xbox Mech game.
Console Reviews
Valve Software's fourth annual Half-Life mod (or MOD as they like to shout) expo is planned for will be held at the CPL Summer event Pentium 4 Summer Championship Event in Dallas on July 22. "Those interested in showing their MOD at this year's Expo should send mail to modexpo@valvesoftware.com with information on their project."
A new beta version of the Q3Bench
benchmarking utility is now available, which automates the process of running a
repeated battery of benchmarks using Quake III Arena or Return to Castle
Wolfenstein. This version should work with all versions of Q3A and RtCW.
We've updated the Submit News link to
our permanent temporary bluesnews@abydos.com
email address as our "normal" news address is having a pedicure or
some such thing, and has gone AWOL again. We're hopeful that this will be
cleared up quickly, but in the meantime if you really need to contact us, the
alternative address is your most reliable avenue. We do have some
progress towards creating a more fail-safe mail-safe, so hopefully this is one
of the last times we'll need to play this silly game. While I'm on the subject
of glitches, I'll work on another one. For the past couple of days, I am not
able to see the second day's worth of news here using Internet Explorer, as the
page ceases loading after the "eighth of a billion visitors" message
unless I hit "escape." This problem is not reproducible by Frans or by
me on different machines, so I can't figure this out. I've cleared my cache,
uninstalled and reinstalled the last IE service pack, and even upgraded to
version 6.0 with equal non-results, so I just want to make sure no one else is
experiencing this before I go to the next extreme trying to address this. Update:
In a rare fit of compound luck, both of these problems have now been cleared up.
Story of the Day: Rumsfeld Sold Up to $91M in Assets
(thanks Luka). "The report showed Rumsfeld also owned millions of dollars
worth of stock in computer graphics chip maker Nvidia, where he had been a
business adviser before his Defense Department appointment." And of course
now the U.S. Army is at work on a first-person shooter...
Story of the Day II: The
Federation and the Governor's Race. Thanks Jamie Fullerton.
Story of the Day III: Larger Passengers to Pay Double on Southwest Air.
Follow-up: Thong-checking administrator demoted.
Thanks SKLUZ.
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