|
|
 |
Archived News:
The Big Huge News Page once
again announces the release of a new update for the Thrones & Patriots add-on
for Rise of Nation through the game's auto-update function (thanks Frans), the
update presumably actually available this time, rather than a repeat of the
false alarm of last week ( story). Word is: "Several technical
issues are addressed in this first patch, with a second balance related patch in
the works." No manual edition of the patch is available, though the
accompanying
instructions do offer suggest remedies for failed installations. The
Patch Change List
describes what's new.
- The Matrix Online
Crafting
and Bullet Time on GameSpot is a Q&A with Toby Ragaini, lead designer on
The Matrix Online, the upcoming spoon-free MMORPG: "When you enter close
combat, a number of tactics become available for you to select. As you
choose tactics, your character attempts to perform specific actions. For
example, if you choose the speed tactic, you character will attempt to punch
or kick in a series of rapid strikes. Your tactic is compared to your
opponent's, and whoever's tactic score is higher is the one who successfully
executes their move and potentially damages their target."
- Tabula Rasa
Richard
Garriott discusses Tabula Rasa Part 2 on GameZone is the continuation of
an article-format Q&A with the designer also known as Lord British about
Tabula Rasa, NCsoft's upcoming MMORPG: "There is the magic system in the
game that has always been there. The thing that has fundamentally changed is
costuming and some aspect of the principle weapons that you begin the game
with – which are much more familiar and aspirational [sic]. As your
character advances and you become closer to the pinnacle of your powers, and
you take on more of the benefactor powers – this first interstellar race
from whom a lot of this great technology has come from originally. Their
stuff is absolutely still like is has been when we first started the game –
it is still very angelic, it will still include a lot of the same pieces but
it becomes part of the advanced game, not a part of the beginner game where
you are first exposed to these precepts."
GameDAILY BIZ (thanks
HomeLAN Fed) reports that a dozen major game publishers are being sued by
Texas-based law firm McKool Smith for infringing on a patent they hold: "Method
and Apparatus for Spherical Planning." They are making the case that the patent
covers displaying 3D images on a monitor, and an employee of one of the
publishers, quoted under the promise of anonymity, says the case is "ridiculously
broad... It's an abuse of the legal system," but also: "They might have a leg to
stand on from a legal standpoint. It's not impossible that McKool Smith will
win. A lot of very smart people are taking this very seriously." The dozen
publishers named in the suit are Electronic Arts, Take-Two Interactive, Ubisoft,
Activision, Atari, THQ, Vivendi Universal Games, Sega, Square Enix, Tecmo,
LucasArts, and Namco Hometek. Apparently several smaller companies are also
being threatened with legal action.
The Law & Order Game Website now
offers downloads of a playable demo for Law & Order: Justice Is Served, the
latest edition of the adventure series based on the crime and punishment TV
series. The following quote demonstrates the project's means, motive, and
opportunity: "The executable demo provides players an engaging sample of Law &
Order: Justice Is Served and contains several areas where players can directly
link to the game’s website for more information and to purchase the game." The
download is mirrored on
FileFront, Gamer's' Hell,
and Worthplaying.
Details on a week-long final stress test for World of Warcraft have been
revealed, though the World of Warcraft
Community Site has been battered into uselessness by the announcement.
Details on the test are available on
FilePlanet,
where you will see it requires a paid subscription for the privilege of helping
test the game. Word is the test will run for a week, at which point open beta
testing of Blizzard's eagerly anticipated MMORPG will begin.
I of the Dragon
Ships is the press release announcing availability of Primal Software's
action role-playing game that puts players in the role of the dragon being
described as "Diablo with wings" though (unfortunately, some might say), in this
story the Dragon is there to protect the peaceful villagers, rather than roast
and devour them: I of the Dragon is an action RPG where you are the hero,
you are the dragon. Born as a young dragon, you must mature in strength and
power through a leveling system that will reward you with new spells and skill
upgrades. With your own unique abilities, you must use spells and brute force to
hunt down and destroy the evil creatures that threaten the peaceful Nimoans. Use
all means available to help in your quest to unmask the source of evil that
plagues the land.
Sim Forum
(thanks Tiscali Games) offers a status report on a Sims 2 patch: I'm posting to
give you an update on the patch. We have a team working hard to get it out to
you soon. We want to make sure we understand the issues from all sides, and we
don't want to rush out a patch that will only substitute, misdiagnose, or
overlook problems the community is having with the game. We are so sorry for all
the inconvenience that some of you are having. We know it's frustrating for
some, and we know it's only because of the dedication to our games the community
has that makes them successful. We'll keep you updated as news becomes
available.
Word on the Team17
Forums (thanks
GameGossip and Tiscali Games) is that Worms: Forts Under Siege is gold for European
territories, and Team17's squirmy sequel should be available across The
Continent on November 19 for PC. Xbox, and PS2. The game's release in North
America will follow at a still-unspecified later date.
The Vendetta Online Website
(thanks Frans) announces the availability of Vendetta Online, the space-based
MMORPG. Word is: The game is now online as a pay-to-play product, and
should be available at some retail locations (EB, GameStop) today. Major credit
cards currenty accepted (Visa/MC/Amex/Discover), and we should have PayByCash up
in the near future to accept PayPal, etc.
[...]
No retail purchase necessary, you can download the game directly from us and
start playing right away. But, if you buy the game in stores ($29.99) you get 30
days free, plus a bunch of snazzy extras (printed manual, nice poster, etc).
We have a free trial right now, which is 8 hours of in-game time. Once that is
up, you need to pay $9.99 or sign up for one of the other block payment
methods.
HD Interactive has released a patch for the Nexus: The Jupiter Incident MP demo
addressing a few issues with the space game sample (thanks Chip).
This forum post
offers the link to the download, along with details on what's new and different.
- Children of the Nile
The
Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile Q&A on Gamebiz talks with Jeff
Fiske, design director at Tilted Mill, about their city construction game:
"The fact that we get to do lots of historic research is part of the fun of
putting together a gaming model based on an historic setting. I might enjoy
playing a first person shooter to relieve stress or just blow off some
steam, but I would not want to spend three years of my life immersed in the
production of one. We get to research history and spend our time learning
crazy or amazing facts about cultures and events in time, and then drawing
parallels between what we learn and what will make a good game play
dynamic."
- Battlefield Mod
HomeLAN
Fed's Battlefield Mod Coordinator Q&A talks with Lawrence Brown about
his new position as mod coordinator for the Battlefield series: "It’s not a
secret that mods help extend the life of a game. After a while even the best
games get a little old. You’ve done it all, seen it all, and shot it all.
But when people start releasing their own custom variations of the game,
suddenly you have a whole new experience waiting for you. The fans are what
make the game, and mods are an easy way for everyone to get involved."
A new version of FreeGameCam is now
available, as the name implies, this freeware utility can allow simulcast of
gameplay from any one of a variety of games. The current version supports 74
different games, including newly added Guild Wars support.
- ABIT AV8 (K8T800 Pro socket 939) Motherboard on
3DXtreme.
- Akasa AK-954D HSF on
Phoronix.
- ATI Radeon X800 XT PCI-E Video Card on
Bytesector.
- Bluetake HI-PHONO BT460EX Bluetooth Hi-Fi Audio Station on
CoolTechZone.
- Chaintech GeForce AA6800 Apogee Motherboard on
nV News.
- Intel Pentium 4 Extreme Edition 3.46GHz CPU on
Gamer's Depot,
hardCOREware.net,
Legit Reviews,
MBReview,
Perspective,
SimHQ,
Sudhian Media,
The Tech Report,
Tweak3D.Net,
Tweaknews.net,
ViperLair, and
X-bit
labs.
- Intel Xeon 3.6 GHz CPU on
GamesPC.
- Logisys Dracula Mid-Tower Case on
SystemCooling.
- Mushkin 2x512mb PC3200 DDR 222 Black Hi Perf LII V2 RAM on
GruntVillE.
- OCLabs PlexyBlock B3 Water Block on
XYZ Computing.
- PCAirCon PAC400 on
Hardware Avenue.
- Sapphire x800 Pro Video Card on
PyroPort.
- Sharp AQUOS 15 LC15L1US (wireless) LCD TV on
Bytesector.
- Silverstone Nitrogon P4 Heat Pipe Cooler on
ExtremeMhz.
- Sony Ericsson P910i Triband GSM 900-1800-1900 PDA Camera Phone on
OCWorkbench.
- Thermalright XP-120 HSF on
OverClock
Intelligence Agency.
- UV X-Connect 500W PSU on
Hardware WarCry.
- VisionTek Xtreme 2 Go Drive on
Overclockers Online.
- Xtrac Mouse Pads on
Mikhailtech.
It was a fine old Halloween yesterday, the rugrats did indeed hold off until
sundown, and as always, were a delight. As always, Hudson was a hit... there
were requests for shots of her in her fire chief's outfit last year, but we had
a camera mishap, but this year we were able to work this out, so with all due
advance "Welcome to my homepage, here are pictures of my dog" embarrassment,
here are
a few shots of Hudson the wonder dog (please don't share the shot revealing
her secret identity with any criminal masterminds).
|
Twitter 
