The promised Bet on Soldier single-player demo is now available, offering the chance to sample Kylotonn's upcoming gambling-themed first-person shooter. The 541 MB demo contains a pair of missions from the game. The download is available on No Frag and mirrors are available on 3D Gamers, 4players.de (Germany), ActionTrip, Computer Games (Romania), FileFront, FilePlanet (registration required), Filerush (torrent), Gameguru Mania, Gamer's Hell, GameSpot DLX (registration required), PC Gameworld, and Worthplaying.

Gamecloud has some details on the just-announced Savage 2: A Tortured Soul they found by picking through the official message boards for the RTS/FPS hybrid sequel. There are a bunch of details ranging from subjects like how a demo will be handled to how the construction aspect of the RTS element will change.

An 18 Wheels of Steel: Convoy demo is now available, offering a trial with the full version of the trucking sequel coincidentally released right about a year after the demo for the original (story). This is the full version of the game, which can be played freely for an hour before it must be unlocked with a key (which can be purchased online) to allow continued play. The download can be found on 3D Gamers, FileFront, GameSpot DLX (registration required), PC Gameworld, and Worthplaying.

The Myst V Website is now online, replacing the teaser site that was holding down its place. The site offers game info with a Myst-appropriate interface, and even offers a puzzle section that unlocks bonus content on the site. Also, a new Worms 4 Product Section is online, dedicated to Team17's upcoming invertebrate strategy sequel. Thanks Frans.

A new Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood movie shows off Gearbox Software's World War II shooter sequel. The "Urban Environment & Squad Combat" clip offers gameplay and interview footage. Also, a new X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse movie shows off more of Raven's upcoming mutant superhero sequel. The 38 second clip is a 108 MB download(!), available on 3D Gamers, FileFront, Gamer's Hell, and (re-encoded) on Worthplaying. Meanwhile, a Squad Assault: Second Wave movie celebrates the release of the World War II RTS remix, the clip is available on 3D Gamers, FileFront, and Worthplaying. Finally, a new The Sims 2: Nightlife movie shows off another couple of minutes from the upcoming wee people expansion, the movie is available on 3D Gamers, FileFront, Gamer's Hell, GameSpot, and Worthplaying.

• Gods and Heroes
  Exploring a World of Virtual Mythology - Gods and Heroes on GameZone talks with Stieg Hedlund about the upcoming MMORPG: "The setting is a very rich one, there is quite a lot going on from ordinary troubles like Phorcides (a mythological sea-creature) snatching cattle from ranchers to high-level political intrigues in the emerging City-State of Rome. As players are heroes of Rome, they are called upon to protect her citizens and aid in her plans for expansion."
• The Sims 2: Nightlife
  The Sims 2 Nightlife Q&A on GameSpot talks with Tim LeTourneau about the upcoming Sims sequel expansion: "Downtown is a whole new neighborhood (just like the campuses in The Sims 2 University). What's really cool is we have added the ability to set neighborhoods to nighttime, which kind of goes with the whole theme of the pack. So when you see our downtown you see searchlights combing the sky in a dramatic cityscape. I think players are really going to be surprised when they see it."
• Valhyre: The Aftermath
  GamersInfo's Valhyre: The Aftermath Q&A discusses this upcoming MMORPG with Don Teal of Duck's Den Productions: "Valhyre, to put it simply, is a massive playable online story. Meaning that there will be more to Valhyre than just min/maxing stats and grabbing the shiniest treasure. Each person will have the chance to be the main character of their own story. Some stories will compliment each other, some will clash and struggle against each other, but each will be unique and determined by the actions of the player. In addition we want to work in PvP between the races, a robust craft system, engaging combat and strong community aspects that will make Valhyre a cohesive and convincing world."
• PhysX
  GDHardware's Ageia Q&A talks with Andy Keane, formerly of 3dfx, about PhysX, Ageia's upcoming hardware-based physics engine: "AGEIA has made significant progress with the game developers and publishers since GDC. We’ve signed on many titles and publisher wide deals, including Ubisoft, Sega, Epic and more. Additionally, the AGEIA PhysX SDK (formerly called NovodeX) is included with each standard PLAYSTATION3 SDK, and the AEGIA PhysX SDK supports the Xbox 360. What does all this mean? Many titles in the next year will support the AGEIA PhysX hardware and have physics effects that really show off the benefits of rigid body physics and fluid dynamics. We also announced, today, that in addition to ASUS, BFG Technologies will be a board partner. Product is expected to be available by Christmas 2005 with at least three supporting titles."

Thanks Frans.

• Bone on 3D Gamers.
• EverQuest 2 on Everquest 2 OGaming.
• Getting Up Contents Under Pressure on Atari Australia.
• Neuro Hunter on 3D Gamers.
• Warfare in the Official Product Section.
• Wildlife Park 2 on 3D Gamers.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Playstation 3 supports mouse and keyboard.
• Producer for Xbox 360 game says DVD presents storage issue.
• The Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows Website is live.
• 2K going to World Series, EA steps up to NCAA plate?
• Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection Shown.
• Halo 2 premium content now free.
• Master Chief Explodes Onto Xbox in the All-New Halo Triple Pack.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Talkman Date Confirmed.
• Hasbro Brings Sega iDog at Low Price to Amazon.com.
• EU PSP's Not v2.0.
• Live shot of GM’s Hummer laptop.
• PSP launch Every game reviewed on Gamesradar.
• N-Gage Arena Launcher Update.
• Nintendogs game sells 250,000 in first week.
• The PlayStation Fashionista.
• Simmons Jewelry Co. Dropping 35k Iced Out Sony PSP Case.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Real Gaming Challenge Intel vs. AMD.
• ECS ships dual AMD-Intel mobo.
• Albatron readies 'SLi-enabled' Intel-based mobo.
• Gaming System Buyers Guide August 2005 on Zombie Nexus.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Madonna and Iggy Pop to star in Motorola iPod ad.
• Flood Waters Can't Sink Net Link.

• The Avernum 4 Homepage heralds the coming of the next installment in Spiderweb's Windows/Mac RPG series, due early next year...
• Outcast (Stealth Test Failed). A postmortem on the Voxel-powered game...
• EA Makes Tactical Change with Introduction of FIFA Manager 06, the name in some territories for Total Club Manager 2006. Thanks Frans...
• Half-Life 2 Survivor Arcade Game!...

Well, as forum regular Creston predicted, Gunnar's chipped teeth are nothing that requires dentistry, just the sign of one of those dogs that chews on things he shouldn't. She gave me a referral for a doggie dentist should this predilection of his result in a busted canine tooth, since if that happens, there will be a short window of opportunity to have it root canalled or it would result in an elaborate extraction.

All in all, it does still seem he's a chip off the old block.

Chipped Links:	Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
Play:	The Great Bug Off Game.
Link:	LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series. Thanks Jex.
Stories:	Fats Domino Found in New Orleans. Thanks zombie69. South Africa anti-rape condom aims to stop attacks. Pit bulls may face sterilization.
Science!	Science and food mix in molecular cooking.
Images:	Gasoline Prices. Puppies!
Media:	Inside DOOM. Thanks Fantaz.
Auction:	Battlefield 2 mercenary. Re-listed with proceeds going to charity. The last pint of Gasoline in Atlanta. Thanks Karrillion.

A demo for Starship Troopers is now available, offering a sample of the upcoming shooter based on the movie based on the Robert A. Heinlein book of the same name. The 450 MB download debuted on GameSpot DLX (registration required), and mirrors are now also available on 3D Gamers, 4players.de (Germany), ActionTrip, Computer Games (Romania), eXtreme-Players.de (Germany), FileFront, FilePlanet (registration required), Filerush (torrent), Gameguru Mania, Gamer's Hell, PC Gameworld, VGPro, and Worthplaying. Want to know more? Word from the read me is: "You play the role of an elite Marauder - the Special Forces of the Mobile Infantry. As High Command's precision strike tool it's your duty to spearhead the campaign against the arachnid menace. Whenever 'the going gets tough' Marauders are expected to lead the way!"

This announcement on the JoWooD Productions Website states that a court has rejected bankruptcy proceedings against the publisher (thanks Gamecloud), saying "JoWooD will now continue its successful way of restructuring the company." The update also reflects on the recent dispute with developer Perception (story) over the Stargate SG-1 video game:

The court order also states that Perception itself has admitted that the delay of the game delivery was also caused by the failure of Perception although JoWooD has already paid the undisputable amount of EUR 5.5 Mio.

Got Game and Merscom announce that Squad Assault: Second Wave has shipped:

Weston, CT - September 1, 2005 - Got Game Entertainment LLC and co-publisher Merscom LLC today announced that "Squad Assault: Second Wave" for North American release has begun shipping to retail stores across the U.S. and Canada. A 3D real-time strategy game with multi-player, "Squad Assault: Second Wave" immerses players in a realistic, riveting recreation of World War II tactical combat. Featuring 57 total single missions playable at three different difficulties, 26 operations and 6 dynamic campaigns, the game is primed for replayability and retails for only $29.99 (USD). "Squad Assault: Second Wave" is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB for Blood and Violence.

Created by Eric Young, of DAS Entertainment, designer of such war game classics as the "Close Combat" series and the "V for Victory" series, "Squad Assault: Second Wave" continues that quality tradition. Once the battle starts, the soldiers you command respond with real reactions to the combat situations around them. While the battles can rage fast and furious, the game’s user-defined auto-pause feature for order entry and battlefield assessment also offers a perfect alternative for those who prefer traditional turn-oriented play and a more thoughtful game. Further, the full 2D maps in "Squad Assault: Second Wave" are available at a keystroke to make battle overview simple and easy to view, and a simple to use mod-installer for mod swaps requires just a click of the mouse.

"As World War II buffs know, this Saturday, September 3rd marks the anniversary of the day the United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany in 1939," said Got Game President Howard Horowitz. "With the release of ‘Squad Assault: Second Wave’ this weekend, both history buffs and real-time strategy fans can experience the intensity and the drama of the ensuing battles."

For demo and more information visit www.SA2ndWave.com.

Rainbow Six Lockdown Release Trailer (direct link) is now available celebrating the availability of the console version of the Tom Clancy shooter sequel. The download is 19.6 MB. Also, a new Dark Messiah of Might & Magic movie is available on Ubisoft's FTP server showing off the recently announced Source-engine M&M game. Thanks Frans.

• The Chronicles of Spellborn
  MMORPG.COM's The Chronicles of Spellborn Q&A talks with Barry Hoffman of Spellborn International about their upcoming MMORPG: "We do not feel the need to hand out a penalty when your character dies. We’d rather give a bonus to a playercharacter for not dying for an extensive amount of time while playing the game. Of course a player standing around idle will not be granted such a bonus."
• Control Monger
  The Control Monger Q&A on GamerGod talks with Clyde Bielss of MindSurge Entertainment about Control Monger, their upcoming MMOFPS: "The Free version of the game is just that, "Free," and we do not plan to make any money off the free version. Our partner company www.hypernia.net has been nice enough to run our official servers free of charge to the public. Players will also be able to run there own servers. The way we plan to make money off the game in the long run is, the free version is the base code for the paid expansion pack version. So we are not losing any development time or money by releasing a free version, which we will now be calling the training version (free trial) for our MMOFPS."
• Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species
  The Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species Developer Diary #2 on Worthplaying is another Q&A about the upcoming animal husbandry expansion: "On the most basic level we wanted to expand the content in Zoo Tycoon 2 to include more of the features that you might see when you visit a real zoo. By doing so, we introduced additional building options that players can use in their zoos. Aside from our interest in giving people the tools to make more varied zoos, the elevated paths are a feature that fans have long asked for. We were delighted to be able to answer that request!"

• Cold War on Worthplaying.
• Pirates Of The Burning Sea on Gamecloud.
• Quake 4 on Computer and Video Games.
• World Racing 2 on IGN.
• Vanguard: Saga Of Heroes on Gamecloud.

• ANNO 1701 on 3D Gamers.
• The Chronicles of Spellborn on MMORPG.COM.
• SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars on 3D Gamers.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• NVIDIA up in arms at Playstation 3 SNAFU.
• EA's NASCAR 06 Total Team Control Hits Store Shelves Today.
• Sony says multiple Playstation 3 SKUs unlikely.
• GDCE Sony's Harrison Talks PS3, PSP In Keynote.
• PS3 Games $70-80!
• US Retailers: Xbox 360 Primed for Thanksgiving.
• Sony and MS Split on Online Strategies.
• SNK delivers King of Fighters two-hit combo to Xbox.
• Microsoft to open Xbox 360 store in Tokyo & New York City's Times Square?
• PlayStation users warned after grand theft auto.
• Dirge of Cerberus - Final Fantasy VII beta delayed.
• No Street Fighter 4...Yet.
• Nintendo considering even more Metroid, Zelda spin-offs.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Apple Mac mini promotion dead after one day. No explanation offered, but the term "ill-conceived" pops to mind.
• Toshiba may delay HD DVD player launch into 2006.
• Tech World Awaits Apple's Latest 'Surprise'.
• DivX and HDFEST Partner for First DivX HD Film Festival.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Internet, Cell Phone Carriers Piecing Together e911 System.
• Midnight launch for the Sony PSP.
• Brand New Ghouls ‘n’ Ghosts for PSP.
• Europe gets GPS Gizmondo.
• GDCE Feature: Overview of the PSP in 2005.
• GDCE Feature: Integrating Xbox 360-Specific Features Into Games.
• 9 million PSP games, 8.2 million UMD movies sold - Sony.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• States Expanding Push for Internet Taxes.
• Alleged Zotob Hacker May Have Crafted 21 Other Worms.
• New Microsoft portal will help cops.
• Never Forget Another Password.
• Alternative browsers pose challenge for cybersleuths.
• AIM has starring role in teen horror movie. Those messages are coming from INSIDE YOUR HOUSE!!!!
• Loved Ones Turn to Web for Searches in Flood Zone.
• Google Makes Book Service International.
• Microsoft Boosts MSN Toolbar.
• Yahoo! announces 'phased rollout' of new version of Mail.
• What Google Cannot Index, It Will Destroy.

The Rome: Total War: Barbarian Invasion FAQ has had a few more questions and answers slapped on the top of the pile, making for a more haphazard mess than ever. Thanks Frans.

• DigitalLife's National Videogame Tournament Set to Kick-off.
• InsaneTek Forums - The Messiest Desk-Workspace Contest.
• CaseModGod Crucial Ballistix Tracer Mod Competition.

• 3D Plants & Trees Lab. Thanks Mike Martinez.

• In Defense of Farming on WarCry Network.
• The Day the Loot Stopped Dropping on GamerGod.

• The Bard's Tale on RPGDot.
• Blitzkrieg: Rolling Thunder on Strategy Gaming Online.
• Codename: Panzers Phase Two on Game Over and Killer Betties.
• Dungeon Siege II on Game Over and Gamezilla.
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on The Entertainment Depot.
• Squad Assault: Second Wave on GameSpot.
• War World - Tactical Combat on GameZone.

• Asetek WaterChill Water Cooler an A1 Electronics.
• Cooler Master Aquagate Mini R120 Water Cooling on TrustedReviews.
• Creative SB Audigy 2 ZS Notebook on X-bit labs.
• ECS KN1 SLI Extreme Motherboard on PC Perspective.
• Enermax Whisper II 2.0 NVIDIA SLi Certified 535W PSU on 3dGameMan.
• HSPC Tech Station on PimpRig.
• Jabra BT250v Bluetooth Headset on XYZ Computing.
• Kingston HyperX DDR2 750MHz Memory on Bjorn3d.
• Lian Li PC-767 Case on Virtual-Hideout.Net.
• MSI ATI Theater 550 Pro PCI Video Card on Hot Hardware.
• MSI P4N Diamond Motherboard on The Tech Report.
• OCZ EL DDR PC-3500 Gold GX Dual Channel on GamerGod.
• PowerColor Radeon X800GT Video Card on SiliconFactor.
• Samsung DigiCam SC-D455 Digital Camera on TechTastic.
• Silverstone LC11M HTPC Case on SFF Tech.
• Vantec NexStar 3 USB2.0 HDD Enclosure on PCStats.
• Zalman CNPS7700-Cu CPU Heatsink-Fan on Futurelooks.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Eating Gold while Acclaim Bled to Death...
• Gamers Prepare for Wormageddon as Majesco Entertainment Announces 'Worms 4 Mayhem'. Thanks Frans...
• Digital Illusions won at Develop Industry Excellence Awards. Thanks Frans...
• Original unreleased C&C Dawn soundtrack released. Thanks Ant...
• City of Heroes updated again...
• Game makers 'ignore pot of cash'...

It's deja vu at the BlueTower, as I am going to take Gunnar the super puppy to the vet today to have a couple of his front teeth examined, as it looks like he's chipped them. This is on the heels of Hudson the wonder dog recently needing a cracked tooth extracted, and of course, my own long history of dental woes. Both are dogs are sweethearts, and I gladly take some credit under the 'dogs take after their owners' theory, so I guess in the same vein, I must accept some of the blame that their teeth take after mine as well. Here's hoping this doesn't turn out to be a major thing for the little (60 pounds little) guy.

Links with Bite:	Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
Link:	TheRawker. Thanks Hump. For those about to RAWK.
Stories:	Former Clinton Advisor: No One Can Say they Didn't See it Coming. Thanks Warren. Critical U.S. Supply Line Is Disrupted. Filk Music for Nerd People. As seen in Trekkies.
That's the ticket!	Hamster-powered phone charger.
Science!	The Australian It's a miracle mice regrow hearts. Thanks Gen. Hospital. Parasites brainwash grasshoppers into death dive.
Image:	Superdome - Then and Now.
Media:	WoW is a Feeling.
Follow-ups:	NJ entrepreneur almost ready for trip to space. Phoenix Mars Lander Strong Arming The Red Planet. Hubble Space Telescope Begins 'Two-Gyro' Science Operations.