Archived News:

Saturday, Dec 18, 2004

X² - The Return Delayed

Egosoft confesses that X² - The Return is delayed (thanks Frans), and that publisher Deep Silver now projects a Q2 2005 release for the X² - The Threat add-on, which was previously expected in February. The Deep Silver Site offers further consolations, but no explanation: "As the delay may be a little disappointment for all the X2 fans out there, we show three exclusive screenshots here to shorten the waiting. Expect more screenshots, infos and news to show up on the completely redesigned X2 website."

DOOM 3 Add-on Details

PlanetDOOM (thanks Charles) has some info on the upcoming Resurrection of Evil add-on for DOOM 3 gleaned from an article in the new print edition of Game Informer magazine. They set the action three years after the conclusion of DOOM 3, describe a bit of the new artifact in the expansion, and show optimism over the prospect that the add-on will support cooperative multiplayer play.

Ground Control II Bonus Map

The Ground Control II Website (thanks Frans) celebrates another free map Friday with the release of a new map called Nashorn. Here's the designer's description for the last free bonus map of the year: "I wanted to make a map similar to Cromwell Stone. This map is a little more compact, and it turned out to play differently than Cromwell in some ways. I like the standoff gameplay you get when there's a equal amount of zones on each side divided by a hard to cross barrier. Though if you play viron you can use the water to your advantage to get around."

WoW Patch Plans

The World of Warcraft Community Website has details on features in the works for the next update for Blizzard's upcoming MMORPG. The update will include a new dungeon, new flight paths, UI improvements, class improvements, and more. Thanks Frans.

RCT3 Patch Plans

The RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 FAQ now outlines the contents in the next update planned for the theme park simulator. The update offers numerous tweaks and bug fixes. Thanks Frans.

International UT2004 Demo

The Unreal Tournament downloads page now offers an updated international edition of the Unreal Tournament 2004 demo. The content is the same as the English demo (story) except for the addition of localized Korean, French, Spanish, and Italian support.

Morning Q&As

  • Brothers in Arms
    The Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 Q&A on TotalVideoGames talks with Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford about their upcoming world War II shooter: "The AI in Brothers in Arms is very complex and comprises a bunch of different systems that not only make sure the guys react like trained soldiers but help them see the environment for what it is. There is also a new system we call ‘Situational AI’ that allows the enemy to use smart strategies to fire and manoeuvre against the player’s squad."
  • Auto Assault
    RPG Vault's Auto Assault Q&A #2 talks with NetDevil's Scott Brown about their upcoming automotive MMORPG: "Tricks and trims are available at body shops throughout the Auto Assault world. Tricks are custom parts you add to you car to give it the distinct look you desire. They can include wings, fins, metal plating and even skulls. Trims are custom paint jobs you can apply to customize the look of the vehicle and really make it your own. Both tricks and trims are purely cosmetic; they do not affect the vehicle's performance in any way. There are several other items that players will customize to control the vehicle and combat performance statistics."
  • EverQuest II
    There's a brief EverQuest II Q&A on nvmax.com talking with SOE's Steve Danuser about their MMORPG sequel: "New quests and items are added to the game on a regular basis. We just added a series of quests for solo players, and more quests for both soloers and groups are on the way. Our live team will continue to add content to the game on a regular basis."
  • Year End
    HomeLAN Fed's Games In 2004-2005 series trains its sights on Tim Train of Big Huge Games.

Game Movies

A new Unseelie movie is now available, showing off the upcoming horror-themed shooter in the works at KaWoW. The clip can be found on 3D Gamers and Worthplaying, while in a related note, The Unseelie Website is online. Also, a new 25 to Life movie is online, showing off the upcoming life of crime game. The clip is up on the Eidos Interactive Website, though the PC designation is noticeably absent at the end. Finally, the Voodoo Islands Screenshots Page now offers four new short gameplay clips from Voodoo Islands. The "old" clips have already been removed, but are mirrored on 3D Gamers.

Source Update

Steam News (thanks Frans) has word on a couple of Source engine dedicated server updates, providing a command line fix and laying the groundwork for an upcoming SDK update.

Saturday Previews

Punisher Demo Patch

A patch is now available for the demo for The Punisher. The version 1.10 update is available through the demo's internal update feature, or it can be manually downloaded from 3D Gamers and Worthplaying.

Saturday Screenshots

Splinter Cell Movie News

Coming Soon (thanks Ant) has an update on plans for a Splinter Cell movie, saying actor/director Peter Berg has signed on to direct an upcoming movie based on the shadowy game exploits of stealthy super-agent Sam Fisher. Word is: "Variety says Berg is writing the script along with Splinter Cell game writer J.T. Petty and John J. McLaughlin (Man of the House). Paramount said the movie is aimed at combining the game's blend of stealth action with a 'dynamic, original' character."

Half-Life BrainBread

A new version 1.1 patch for the BrainBread modification for Half-Life is now available. The update to this humans versus zombies conversion adds a new gun and a new map, improves co-op support, fixes some bugs, and maybe even improves pings.

Competitions

The Make Something Unreal Contest Grand Finals Finalists in the Mod category have been posted on the Unreal Tournament Website.

The Mod Squads

The Classic Doom for DOOM 3 Website now offers Christmas Eve as the projected release date for their next alpha release.

Saturday Game Reviews

Saturday Hardware Reviews

Out of the Blue

This is another of those evening updates that, with a little aging (like a fine wine), became a morning update... I've been a little off-schedule lately, so maybe this will turn the trick towards reversing that trend. Speaking of off-schedule, today will kick off my extended family's annual multicultural extravaganza, as one of our family groups will be holding its gathering today. I just hope we're not having an early Festivus, though... I don't know if I'm up for the feats of strength right now.

Play Time: Reflex.
Links of the Day: Jenny, are you there (867-5309). Thanks Tony.
Stories of the Day: Hitler Was a Tax Dodger, Researcher Finds.
'Challenges' Prove Too Much for White House.
Manhattan Hawks Allowed to Rebuild Nest.
Media of the Day: It's a Wonderful Life in 30 seconds, re-enacted by bunnies.
Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
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