Archived News:
The TRIBES
Vengeance Footage on PC.IGN.Com offers a new TRIBES Vengeance gameplay
movie, and there's another on GameSpot
(thanks Frans) that accompanies their TRIBES
Vengeance preview with a look at the next chapter in this teamplay shooter
series. Also, there's a new Joint Operations
Movie on PC.IGN.Com to go along with their
preview of NovaLogic's upcoming multiplayer shooter (that just announced a
delay), discussing plans for vehicles and future plans to expand this as a
franchise.
The PlanetSide
Website (thanks Frans) has word from Dave Georgeson that he's no longer to
be the producer on SOE's MMOFPS, but will be transitioning to a role as senior
designer on the game. Here's the deal: "PlanetSide is the biggest, baddest
game I've ever had the privilege to work on ... and it's going to keep going for
quite some time. So I'm taking the chance to move from being the Producer to
becoming a full-time Senior Designer on the team. Dallas Dickinson is taking my
place as Producer while I work more closely with Kevin McCann, Terrence Yee, and
the rest of the Design team to create new features for PlanetSide as well as to
continuously hone the existing game according to feedback we gain from you folks
and the data we gather from our databases."
A new patch is now available for Civilization III: Play the World, updating the
expanded version of the turn-based strategy game to version 1.27F. The file is
available from Atari
Interactive Support and mirrored on FileFront.
Non-English versions of the patch can be found here.
The Arreat Summit has word
of new U.S.-only Diablo II 1.10 Beta patch for Windows and Mac with new hacked
item deletion code. Word is: "Diablo II BETA Patch 1.10 is playable ONLY
in single-player mode and ONLY via TCP/IP for multiplayer. You cannot
play this version on Battle.net. If you install this patch." The patch
includes an uninstaller to revert to version 1.09 that will restore Battle.Net
functionality and restore deleted items.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3 Raven Shield
Website now offers their first "live team update," saying: "Patch
1.4 will hit the public release cycle next Thursday August 7th and be out the
door Thurday [sic] August 12th." The update includes extensive detail on
what the patch will include and address. Also, the Big Huge News
Page has a status report on patch 3 for Rise of Nations. Word is:
"Currently, we are performing internal testing on a Patch 3 candidate to
ensure that it is making all of the necessary updates and doesn't break
anything. The public beta for Patch 3 will begin when the patch candidate passes
our testing and that of Microsoft. The time that the patch will spend in
internal testing is difficult to estimate, days or weeks, but we will do our
best to keep you updated." Thanks Frans.
The Battlefield 1942
Website (thanks Frans) has word that Friday is when to expect a demo for the
Secret Weapons of World War II add-on for Battlefield 1942. The update includes
a couple of new screenshots, with the promise of more to come tomorrow. Here's
the scoop on the demo: The demo also unleashes the power of ten of the 16
new weapons in Secret Weapons of WWII. Fly and fight at the same time
with the experimental German rocket pack, or buzz the skies in one of the new
compact dynamo fighter planes—the Axis Natter rocket plane or the Allied F-85
Goblin. Both the Axis and Allies also have new motorcycles with machine
gun-mounted sidecars, as well as amphibious assault vehicles: the German
Schwimmwagen and the American LVT-2 Water Buffalo. The new Axis Flakpanzer, a
T-38 tank with an anti-aircraft gun mounted on top, is a nasty beast—but it
looks tame compared to the Allies’ Sherman tank with a T-34 Calliope rocket
launcher.
With all this plus new hand-held weapons such as silenced SMGs, new assault
rifles, and deadly throwing knives, become a deadly force on the most intense
virtual battlefields ever created. Prepare yourself for all-out war in the Battlefield
1942: Secret Weapons of WWII demo, available August 8, 2003 here at the
official BF1942 website.
The 3D Realms Website has word
of the cover story in the September 2003 issue of Computer Gaming World
magazine about Max Payne 2. They have posted a shot of the cover and some of
the favorable things the mag has to say about the third-person shooter sequel, but do not provide any
details about the game, deferring to the magazine as the source for these.
NVIDIA sends word that they've added MediaQ
to their shopping cart, and are preparing to click the link to complete their
purchase. Here's a bit on this foray into mobilization: Today NVIDIA
Corporation announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire
MediaQ, Inc., the leading provider of graphics and multimedia technology for
wireless mobile devices.
Under the terms of the agreement, NVIDIA will acquire privately-held MediaQ for
$70 million in total consideration, which NVIDIA expects to pay predominantly in
cash. The acquisition, which is expected to be completed in the third quarter of
NVIDIA's fiscal year 2004, has been approved by the board of directors of each
company and is subject to the satisfaction of regulatory requirements and other
customary closing conditions.
Though Joint Operations was just unveiled less than a month ago ( story),
NovaLogic now sends word that their upcoming Black Hawk-engine multiplayer game
will not be making its projected Fall 2003 release date. The game, set in a
near-future Indonesia, is now expected in the first quarter of 2004.
Mindscape Announces the Release of Hannibal - The Game for PC
is a press release that gets a bit carried away with itself, as it offers
details about the game based on the famed cannibalistic anti-hero, rather than
its availability as the title might suggest (though they are perhaps referring to the included release date), and although this project was first
revealed a couple of years ago ( story), this also seems to serve as the
project's official announcement. Hannibal is a first-person adventure based on
LithTech's Jupiter engine (NOLF 2), in the works at ARXEL TRIBE, and due for
release this November. Here's a bit on the story, which clarifies players do not
assume the gruesome role of the titular doctor: "Players assume the
action-packed role of FBI agent Clarice Starling and, respecting the Federal
Police Rules of Engagement, must hunt down Doctor Hannibal Lecter, a.k.a.
'Hannibal the Cannibal', across six sprawling levels, based on the movie's key
scenery. Using the disciplines of infiltration, arrest, interrogation and
forensic analysis, players face numerous sub quests, directly connected to the
serial killer's own world and psychological background, ultimately leading to
the root cause of how Lecter's mind turned from normality to insanity." The
announcement is accompanied by some
screenshots from the game.
The Endless Ages Portal (thanks
Frans) now features a new battle movie from this MMORPG: "This weeks battle
was lead by the fearless Smorb, the flob rebellion has been crushed!!" Also
a new XIII movie is now available, showing off still more of the upcoming
cel-shaded Unreal-engine shooter. The movie is a 33 MB download, which can be
found on 3D Gamers, FileFront, and Gamer's Hell.
MacSoft Announces Age of Mythology
on IMG has word that MacSoft will be publishing Age of Mythology for Mac OS
X. Word is: "The game has been under development by Westlake Interactive
since early 2003 and is scheduled to ship in October." Also, The
Digital Eel Website is now offering the Mac OS9 and OSX versions
of Strange Adventures In Infinite Space. This is being electronically
distributed, while there is also word on the possibility of a hybrid Mac/PC distribution
when it comes out on CD in September.
The debut release of the GTA Vice City Modern Mod
is now available, adding a while bunch of new cars to the car theft game. The
357 MB download has been mirrored on Gamer's
Hell, NWSGaming,
and Tiscali Games.
- Videogame Virtue:
"Playing computer games doesn’t shorten kids' attention spans—it
helps them to manage competing demands in the new era of 'continuous partial
attention.'" Thanks Mike Martinez...
- Lineage II Warcry has posted
a couple of Bill Brown's tunes from the Lineage II soundtrack...
Off to a late start today... I was a bit ill overnight, and inadvertently slept
in this morning (I'm feeling fine now). MrsBlue and I ate at a Chinese restaurant
yesterday for the first time since leaving New York City, and while we enjoyed
it greatly, it is also my prime suspect for my distress of last night. I had a
light gourmet dinner of peanut butter and jelly last night, and now MrsBlue, who
is clearly trying to keep the possibility of returning to the restaurant
alive, is trying to convince me that I might have just suffered peanut butter
poisoning. Yeah... that's the ticket.
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