Archived News:

Saturday, Jan 25, 2003

BF 1942 Patch?

Though not yet available on the main Battlefield 1942 Website, the ¾Ô¦a­·¶³1942 (Taiwanese BF 1942 site) is offering downloads of what seems to be the new version 1.3 patch for the WW2 shooter (thanks Kpp). My Chinese is a bit shaky, so it's difficult to determine if this 47 MB patch is official, a beta, or what versions of the game it patches, so prudence suggests that this is a "use at your own risk" situation until further details become available. Update: An explanation/warning about this patch has been posted to our forums:
WARNING ON LEAKED 1.3 PATCH

Hi All, Sorry for the confusion, but our colleagues at EA Taiwan have inadvertantly posted an old, work-in-progress version of the patch. That version was sent to them for review...but not for posting. We are still nailing down some issues which are in that version...and the official version has yet to be finalized.

So, the official release won't be compatible with the version released by EA Taiwan. This is because the executable will most likely be changed to address the issues we're currently working on.

We will be releasing the official 1.3 patch soon (and for those who've speculated, yes, after the whole 1.2 release we've decided that we'll only mention the patches when we're ready to release it).

Our goal is to keep improving your Battlefield 1942 experience and we apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

Jamil Dawsari aka [EA] Saracen Associate Producer Battlefield 1942

Frozen Throne Q&A

There's a WarCraft III: Frozen Throne Q&A on the Blizzard Website (thanks GameSpyDaily and HomeLan Fed) where Blizzard's Bill Roper answers some questions that have been popping up about their recently-announced WarCraft III expansion. Topics include how drastically gameplay will be changed in the add-on, details on new units, new settings, how the marketplace will work, plans for beta testing, and more.

Morning Q&As

  • Red Faction II
    GameSpyDaily's Red Faction II Q&A talks with the producer on Volition's shooter sequel as well as the GM of the team behind the upcoming GC version to discuss how the upcoming other console versions and the PC port of the game will differ from the original PS2 version.
  • Dominus Online
    RPG Vault's Dominus Online Interview, Part 1 talks with Regulator Studios' Pat Shearon and Aaron Ghadiyali kicking off an in-depth series discussing their upcoming online world. Topics include the sort of gameplay they are creating, where development stands, influences, aspects of the game world, customizing characters, and more.
  • Echelon Wind Warriors
    Action Vault's Echelon: Wind Warriors Q&A #2 is online, asking the entire development team on this flying combat game the following question: "What are one or two elements within Echelon: Wind Warriors' gameplay or its game world that you consider special in some way, and why?"
  • S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
    Tactical Squad's S.T.A.L.K.E.R.-Oblivion Lost Q&A is one of their French question English answer Q&As, this time talking with Oleg Yavorsky of Ukrainian developer GSC Game World about their upcoming sci-fi shooter, discussing gameplay, the game engine, the story, and more.
  • Restricted Area
    There's a Restricted Area Q&A on Worthplaying talking with Jan Beuck of Master Creating about their recently-unveiled action RPG. Topics include the game engine, linearity, the use of computer generated levels to enhance replayability, and more.
  • Serious Sam
    NewTek Europe's Admir Elezovic Q&A talks with the Croteam's modeler about his work, and the use of LightWave to create the characters in Serious Sam.
  • TOCA
    The TOCA Q&A on Computer and Video Games chats with Codemasters' Pete O'Donnell about the upcoming PC release of TOCA Race Driver, discussing lessons learned from the PS2 version, differences in the PC version, multiplayer support, the inclusion of a story in a racing game, and more.
  • Chain Reaction
    GameSpyDaily's Chain Reaction Q&A chats with Monster Studios' Chris Cole about their new Torque-engine puzzle game.

Saturday Previews

  • Post Mortem
    The Post Mortem Preview on Worthplaying offers brief impressions of Microïds' upcoming puzzle game that puts the player in the role of a private detective trying to break a homicide case.
  • Freelancer
    There's a Freelancer Preview on Gamer's Depot with the latest set of impressions based on playing with a press beta of this upcoming space simulator.
  • Forgotten Battles
    The IL-2 Sturmovik Planes Database now offers the first installment in a three-part preview of the upcoming Forgotten Battles add-on for this WW2 flying combat game. The follow-up installments are planned for release over the coming two weeks.

Saturday Screenshots

Consolidation

Sony Online Entertainment sends word that EverQuest Online Adventures, their PS2 MMORPG, has gone gold. The game (which is not interoperable with the PC version of EQ, is scheduled to be in North American retail outlets on February 12, and requires a $9.99 monthly subscription fee. Also, Shattered Universe is reporting that Star Trek: Shattered Universe is going to released on the Xbox as well as the PS2.

Defence Alliance CE

The Defence Alliance Community Edition is a newly released modification mod, as it is an altered version of the Defence (sic) Alliance Unreal Tournament mod that adds a human versus human mode. Created by the DA community, but full endorsed by the original team, the update also features new skins, some tweaks, and some new maps.

The Mod Squads

HomeLan Fed Exclusives Front Line Force 2 Q&A talks with Omega, Rage321, and Exor from the team behind the Front Line Force Modification for Half-Life (in a related note, that website now offers a new promotional FLF2 trailer). They discuss the popularity of their mod, their work on a full-fledged sequel to the mod, what's planned for the sequel, maps from the original mod that may be updated, and more.

Help Wanted

The Jobs at BioWare Page has been updated, and features quite a number of openings the Edmonton-based game developer is looking to fill, including art, design, programming, sound, QA positions, and more. Also, Americas Army: Operations is currently looking to hire a full time programmer with a minimum of two years of game programming experience, at least one published title, experience with the Unreal Engine, and knowledge and experience with C++. Applicants must be willing to relocate to beautiful Monterey California, and should send their resumes to lead programmer/technical director Rafael Paiz.

Game Reviews

Hardware Reviews

  • Abit IT7-Max2 v2 vs. Iwill P4HT-S Motherboards on HotHardware.
  • Albatron Ti4680P TURBO Video Card on HEXUS.net.
  • Coolermaster ATC 201B Case, Aluminium CD bezel & Mini Heatsinks on UK Gamer.
  • MSI KT4 Ultra-FISR KT400 Motherboard on VR-Zone Hardware.
  • Raidmax 268 Case on 4peeps.com.
  • Thermaltake P4 Spark 7 Highest Performance Cooler on 3dGameMan.com.

etc.

Out of the Blue

I'm feeling much better after my cold/flu... I do imagine that zinc stuff ultimately did achieve its purpose, as feeling perfectly fine just five days after first sniffle seems a pretty impressive recovery. On the other hand, the Internet seems to be sick now, at least on my end, as there are a bunch of sites I cannot reach at the moment... I'd try the zinc on my computer, but I don't know where to administer it. (I've now learned it seems a lot of the 'net has been under a denial of service attack).

I'm feeling better just in time to participate in a somber event, a funeral for an old friend, coincidental to yesterday's OotB, a softball buddy. Jake, the deceased, was a drowning victim, though apparently his body was not found. Considering he was one of the more free spirits I've ever met, I'm holding out hope this is one of those Jim Morrison/Elvis-style fake your own death situations. So if I'm right about that, and you are enjoying a cool drink on the beach right now, good for you Jake, and otherwise, rest in peace... this world could use more of your ilk, and your absence will be felt.

Play Time: Chatroom Chaos. (Flash required). Thanks Carla.
Links of the Day: Pseudodictionary. Thanks yonderboy|OSLT.
Kim Jong Il Unfolds Into Giant Robot. Thanks Jamie Fullerton.
Stories of the Day: The Future of Internet Cafes. Thanks Mike Martinez.
Springer considers political future. Thanks The Truth.
Man shot to death while beating dog. Thanks Rigs.
Wild Science: X-Ray Reveals How Insects Breathe. Thanks Ant.
Auction of the Day: For Sale EVERYTHING I Own - GOOD STUFF!! Thanks Rodd Buhlig.
Delorean Sp Ed DMC-12 Inc BTTF Extras. Thanks Gary Ambrose. "The way I see it, if you're gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?"
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