Aspyr Media announces shipments have commenced for 1701 A.D., the North American edition of Related Designs' strategy/management sequel known elsewhere as ANNO 1701. Word is:

AUSTIN, TX (October 31, 2006) - Aspyr Media today announced that 1701 A.D. for the PC has shipped to retail outlets nationwide. North American gamers now have the chance to experience the global phenomenon and one of the most beautifully crafted empire building strategy titles to ever set sail on the PC.

Easy to learn, yet challenging to master, 1701 A.D. is the perfect game for players intimidated by the difficult learning curve of other empire building titles. Featuring a dynamic, animated feedback system, 1701 A.D. is always providing players with the information they need to establish, expand and maintain their bustling colonies. And with nearly unlimited customization and scalable difficulty, 1701 A.D. will challenge even the most hard-core strategy gaming fans.

1701 A.D. is rated E10+ for gamers aged 10 and up and is available for the suggested retail price of $39.99

Midway announces the release of the Unreal Anthology compilation:

CHICAGO – October 31, 2006 – Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY), a leading interactive entertainment publisher and developer, today announced it has shipped Unreal® Anthology, a catalog of premium Unreal® PC titles, including critically acclaimed and top–selling titles, Unreal Tournament® and the original Unreal.

"Unreal has been one of the most popular and successful FPS franchises since its induction on PC's in the 1990's," said Steve Allison, chief marketing officer, Midway. "As such, Midway felt it was important to provide the loyal Unreal community with a first–ever compilation of some of the most–acclaimed Unreal titles for one low price."

"We are very excited that Midway is bringing Unreal Anthology to Unreal fans everywhere." said Mark Rein, vice president, Epic Games. "These are some amazing games and the collection is a fantastic value whether you're new to Unreal or just trying to update your library."

Since its debut in 1998, the Unreal franchise has sold more than seven million units worldwide. Unreal Anthology is now available for personal computers at a U.S. suggested MSRP of $29.95 and includes:

Unreal® (including Return to Na Pali expansion pack) Unreal®II: The Awakening Unreal Tournament® (Game of the Year Edition) Unreal Tournament® 2004 (Editors Choice Edition & Mega Bonus Pack) For more information on Unreal Anthology or any of Midway's other products, visit www.epicgames.com or www.midway.com.

The Adventure Company announces the North American availability of The Secret Files: Tunguska:

Toronto, October 31, 2006 - Reveal fascinating conspiracy theories behind the true historical Tunguska phenomenon that occurred in 1908. As Nina, an adventurer in search of her missing father, uncover many independent theories and try to explain this event that remains a mystery to this day…

Before his disappearance, Nina’s father was involved in a research expedition to Siberia in an attempt to reveal the cause of the mysterious Tunguska catastrophe of 1908. Nina soon discovers that powerful adversaries are interested in her father's findings which are veiled in a shroud of secrecy.

Help determine the cause of the event – was it an asteroid or a comet or a meteorite as many theories suggest? Why were there no signs of a crater left behind? Is the idea of a real “doomsday” that remote for the human race?

With its widescreen perspective and cinematic storytelling, The Secret Files: Tunguska plays out like a mystery movie. Explore some of the most fascinating corners of the world: Berlin, Moscow, Cuba, China, and the Antarctic, as you uncover the secrets of the historical explosion in Russia during the early 20th century.

The Secret Files: Tunguska is available at retailers across North America with an ESRB rating of ‘T’ for Teen. For more information please visit our website at www.adventurecompanygames.com.

Valve announces plans to allow a four day sample cruise on The Ship starting Thursday:

The Ship, a massively mysterious thriller (MMT) from Outerlight Ltd, is scheduled for a free four-day tour of the full game, open to everyone via Steam, the leading online distribution platform.

The Free Full Game Trial of The Ship casts off Thursday, November 2 at 1 pm PDT and will conclude on Sunday, November 5 at the same time.

Built with Source technology, The Ship is the critically acclaimed debut from Outerlight, a UK-based studio. Steam is the first full-featured broadband platform for the delivery and management of PC games and digital content, and has pioneered its broadband services to over 10 million customers around the world.

Set onboard a 1920's luxury liner, Mr X, the Ship's owner has "invited" you to a mysterious game of hunt and hunted, as players must secretly track and extinguish specified passengers while avoiding similar fate.

For more information on the Ship, please visit www.steamgames.com

Steam News (thanks Frans) has word that the promised free booster pack for Red Orchestra is now automatically available via Steam. The booster pack includes a new map, new vehicles, G15 keyboard support, and more.

This press release from Enlight announces plans for X³: Reunion 2.0, an updated version of the space combat sequel that will offer the game on a DVD while removing the Starforce copy protection that represents an obstacle for many gamers:

PARKVILLE, MD — (October 31, 2006) — Enlight, one of the world’s leading developers and publishers of entertainment software for the PC platform, today announced the development of X³: Reunion 2.0, an updated version of the award-winning X³: Reunion released earlier this year. X³: Reunion 2.0 adds many new features to the original X³: game while alleviating the issues that were a barrier to some players. Available in November in DVD format, X³: Reunion 2.0 features no Starforce protection, enabling more players to access the game without the potential performance issues of the copy protection.

“With X³: Reunion 2.0 we’ve addressed the issues that matter most to gamers in removing the Starforce protection mechanism, and putting the game onto a single DVD instead of 5 CDs,” said Paul Lombardi, chief executive officer of Enlight Interactive, USA. “We’ve also added a number of features that make X3 an even larger universe than before with even more missions, ships, and features.”

New Civilization IV: Warlords patches are now available, updating the retail and downloadable D2D editions of Firaxis' turn-based strategy expansion to version 2.08. Word is the patch offers "updates to the Vassal States, Great Generals, multiplayer functionality, graphics, interface, sound, AI, balance, text, modding and the following 6 scenarios: Genghis Khan, Chinese Unification, Alexander the Great Scenario, Peloponnesian War, Vikings, and Omens." The retail patch is available on this page and the D2D patch is on this page (registration required).

2K Games now offers a new patch for Stronghold: Legends, updating the latest installment in the besieged strategy series to version 1.1. The update offers a lengthy list of fixes. Thanks Frans.

A new Clive Barker's Jericho movie offers the first clip from the upcoming horror game being created in association with the noted author. The movie is available from 3D Downloads, 3D Gamers, FileFront, Gameguru Mania, Gamer's Hell, Strategy Informer, and Worthplaying. Also, a new RTL Winter Games 2007 movie shows off the upcoming installment in the game series that is not licensed to use the name that rhymes with molympics. The movie is available on 3D Gamers.

• F.E.A.R. Extraction Point' Q&A on Killer Betties talks with Tim Hall about the shooter expansion: "Extraction Point is specifically a single player experience. We did release the online multiplayer portion of F.E.A.R. last month as a free download called F.E.A.R. Combat. We have also continuously updated the original F.E.A.R.'s multiplayer with new maps and game modes since the original release. So we didn't add anything from Extraction Point to the multiplayer but we are now giving the multiplayer game away free."
• Peter Molyneux
  Being Peter Molyneux on Gamasutra.com offers a frank talk with the head of the pride at Lionhead: "I’ve come to realize that the way I speak, the things I talk about are going to be interpreted. And that sometimes leads to misquotes, and that sometimes that can be frustrating, but for example – the talk I’ve given today, there’s nothing for me to point to onscreen – I’m just giving you a braindump of my ideas. And half of that – half of the interest of that is the interpretation you put on it in your own mind… I’ll be absolutely honest with you, sometimes in the past I’ve actually changed little bits of the game to match the misquote, however insane that sounds."
• Shadowrun
  Shadowrun Interview on FiringSquad discusses the upcoming first-person shooter with FASA's Mitch Gitelman: "We actively chose weapons that you could understand just by looking at them. With our magic and tech abilities, there are a lot of new concepts to explore in the game, therefore we wanted to ground you with weapons that made sense and behaved the way you expect. In addition, we wanted each weapon to have a clear role in combat so you would make combat decisions based upon what you were holding and had on your back. We didn’t want weapons with multiple combat modes or exotic abilities because we wanted players to be able to easily see what the enemy was carrying and be able to change tactics to compensate and get the upper hand."
• Elveon
  The Elveon Q&A on Computer and Video Games chats with Slavo Hazucha about the coming action/RPG: "There will be many opponents, all kinds of Elves coming from different cultures and presenting very different doctrines in close- and ranged-combat, monsters, demons and supernatural and divine opponents. The action challenge will be frequently changing - a fast-paced ranged combat sequence where the player has to keep five opponent archers at bay to allow his ally to cross a nearby bridge covered by their fire will be followed by a boss fight against a divine guardian of the area who will posses unique special attacks and often a few specific weak spots and will give him a hard time in single combat. The opponents also differ in size from small monsters to huge demons towering over the player."

• Medieval II: Total War on GameSpy.
• Possession on Hookedgamers.

• Clive Barker's Jericho on 3D Gamers.
• RTL Winter Games 2007 on 3D Gamers.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• French publishers join fight against Google Book Search.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Best Buy Midnight Launch Info 18 Stores Open For PS3, None for Wii.
• Rumor: EB Games Clamp Down On PS3 eBay Pre-Orders.
• Rainbow Six: Vegas Xbox 360 preview on HEXUS.gaming.
• Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam preview on Games Radar.
• God of War II for PS2 preview on Gamepro.com.
• Are High Prices For Next-Gen Gaming Consoles Propping Up The Market For Old Machines?
• The Wii's brains finally exposed? Braaains!

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Vista Coupon Craziness.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Apple makes it official New iPod Shuffle on Friday.
• Chili Con Carnage Q&A on Games Radar.
• Killzone Liberation in Stores.
• Power Stone Collection Now Available.
• Harvest Moon DS – Euro Launch Early 2007.
• iTunes 7.0.2 Released!. Thanks Ant.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Microsoft, Zend boost PHP for Windows.
• Google buys JotSpot, dips into wiki world.

• The WoW Diet: 41 lbs in 90 days. Thanks Mike Martinez. this one has been known to work in reverse, too…

Well, the trick-or-treating is well underway: MrsBlue is manning the battle stations while I finish this update. Hudson the wonder dog is being especially strange under this arrangement. She loves the kids coming around, but for some reason is hanging out up in my office until the doorbell rings, at which point she runs downstairs barking furiously. Oh well, as long as she's having fun.

R.I.P.: Si Simmons, Baseball’s Oldest Old-Timer, Dies at 111 (registration required).

Trick-or-Links!	Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
Play:	Smashback.
Links:	Hungerthon. Scorched Earth Case Mod.
Stories:	Man Builds 3,300-Pound Rubber Band Ball. Batman Helps Ga. Town Infested by Bats. No stopping adventurer from breaking records.
Science!:	Nanotube Computing Breakthrough. CDC probing salmonella outbreak in 18 states. Those veggies will kill you. Warned of costs, world seeks way to fight warming (registration required).
Follow-up:	NASA gives green light to Hubble rescue. Thanks Jim.

Atari Ships Neverwinter Nights 2 (thanks Frans) announces the availability of the eagerly anticipated D&D RPG sequel:

NEW YORK, Oct. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR - News) and Obsidian Entertainment today announced that the highly-anticipated Neverwinter Nights(TM) 2 has shipped to stores nationwide. Neverwinter Nights 2, the sequel to BioWare Corp.'s best-selling and genre-defining role-playing game, is set in the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Forgotten Realms® universe created by Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS - News), and will transport players back to the embattled city of Neverwinter. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is under license from the Hasbro Properties Group, the intellectual property development arm of Hasbro. Rated "T" for Teen, Neverwinter Nights 2 is available for Windows platform at a suggested retail price of $49.95.

Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, Neverwinter Nights 2 features a new, extensive single-player game with deep character development and a powerful new toolset that provides players with unprecedented ability to create their own universes, quests and storylines. A limited edition of Neverwinter Nights 2 is also available at retailers nationwide for $59.95. Neverwinter Nights 2 Limited Edition features a robust array of collectibles including exclusive in-game content such as a powerful new feat called Blessed of Waukeen that will grant a bonus to all saving throws, two special items, access to a unique weapon, and a magical golden aura that surrounds players' characters. A detailed cloth map showing in-game locations, a book of art depicting characters and scenes from the game and two silver antique rings (Good & Evil) are also included.

"Obsidian has delivered an outstanding sequel to one of the most beloved RPGs of all time," said Nique Fajors, Vice President, Sales, Marketing, Atari, Inc. "Neverwinter Nights 2 offers a deeply satisfying role-playing experience and a robust toolset that together will extend the life of the Neverwinter tales and bring more members to the community."

The Neverwinter Nights franchise has sold more than two million copies worldwide, is translated into 10 languages, sold in more than 40 countries and features one of the largest and most active fan communities in all of gaming.

More information about Neverwinter Nights 2 can be found at www.nwn2.com, which includes user forums, project news, development updates and more.

The official Tomb Raider Anniversary Website (thanks Frans) is live, offering a home to the just-announced return of Lara Croft. The site features multiple language support, but there's nothing in particular to see there yet.

• Rainbow Six: Vegas
  The Rainbow Six: Vegas Q&A on HEXUS.gaming talks with Jean-Paul Cambiotti about multiplayer support in the coming installment in the Rainbow Six series of tactical shooters: "Rainbow 6 differentiates itself in the sense that the action is more close quarters. It’s urban warfare so you’re usually on the inside of buildings as opposed to GRAW where it usually takes place outdoors and across larger terrains. GRAW has a military focus whereas Rainbow 6 is about elite counter terrorists. In terms of the game mechanics it was very important for us to have a total package that works for both the single player and multiplayer aspects, in GRAW there are mechanics that were different in both the offline to online modes, but in Rainbow 6: Vegas we wanted to keep that shared vision between single player and multiplayer; so that’s why you can take cover in MP, rappel, fast rope and use the same covering system that’s used in single player mode."
• F.E.A.R.
  The F.E.A.R. Q&A on gamerplus talks with Rob Loftus, senior producer on the horror-themed shooter series: "I think it actually came across a little better on the console than it did on the PC. If you think about the experience of console gaming versus how PC games are typically experienced, you may agree. Console gamers have the benefit of sitting on their couch and playing FEAR with it wired into their home theatre system. It’s awesome to experience the game in that kind of setting. While I’ve seen some awesome PC gaming setups, the typical experience is at a desk sitting a couple feet from a smaller screen than you may have in your living room."
• Introversion Software
  PC Gamer's Introversion Software Q&A (thanks Frans) talks with Chris Delay about what the indie developer is up to: "DEFCON’s main source of inspiration was the 1983 cult film War Games. It was a film that I had always loved as a child and references to it can be found in both Uplink (in the hacking elements), and more generally with DEFCON. I was watching it again about a year ago and I realized that there was a really cool game idea just waiting to be tried out that nobody to my knowledge had previously attempted. A lot of games that simulate global warfare tend to be, in my opinion, too heavily strategic (e.g., turn-based and stat heavy). I wanted something that looked like the movie, with vector-lined soviet subs closing in on your coastline. More than anything, though, I wanted to recapture the absolute paranoia and tension that surrounded that Cold War era—it was incredibly intense."

• Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising on The Armchair Empire.
• Gothic 3 on Worthplaying.
• Rogue Warrior on Gamehelper.
• Warhammer: Mark of Chaos on FiringSquad.

• Medal of Honor Airborne on 3D Gamers.
• Star Trek: Legacy on the Official Website. Thanks Frans.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• PS3 Twice as Power-Hungry as XBox 360.
• Sony to release 'silver' PS2 at $129.
• Rumor: Xbox Japan Unveils the 60 GB HDD... Accidentally.
• Play Gears of War at Six Flags New England on Halloween.
• PDZ Platinum Hits Edition to Feature New MP Maps.
• Q&A Oddworld's Lorne Lanning and Sherry McKenna.
• Call of Duty 3 Multiplayer Walkthrough.
• Cooking Mama Confirmed for Wii Early 2007.
• Japan to get Wii with DVD player.
• Namco-Bandai on the PS3.
• A Candid Moment with Crypto.
• Coolest Games Tap Wii's Weirdness.
• Halo Trilogy Theme Hits Marketplace.
• Saints Row Updated.
• First Playstation 3 Reviews.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Washington chip probe eyes Sony.
• Understanding the WIPO Broadcast Treaty.
• Microsoft targets auctioneers of pirated software.
• RIM Insiders Face Trading Ban Amid Filing Delays.
• Record Labels Not Planning On Sharing YouTube Windfall With Musicians.
• AMD asks court to consider Intel's worldwide activities.
• Microsoft sues counterfeit software dealers.
• Abusing The DMCA To Shut Up Critics.
• Britain hosts online gambling conference.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Windows XP Embedded soon to be USB bootable.
• Wireless HD specification due in 2007.
• New Windows Media Player Shines.
• Office Live to emerge from beta Nov. 15.
• Creative Technology CREA.SI Q1 posts loss.
• Windows Vista Team Blog Announcing New Packaging for Windows Vista and 2007 Office System.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Microsoft Was/Still Planning On Rewarding Zune Sharing?
• Activision Ships Two Barbie Titles for the GBA.
• Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings Update.
• 2K Announces Dungeon Siege Throne of Agony for the PSP Available Now.
• Grand Theft Auto Vice City Stories Available Now for PSP.
• Japanese Museum spreads knowledge using Nintendo DS.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• DIY boarding pass site gets shut down.
• Searching on Zotspot could earn users a 10 spot.
• Cisco brings videoconferencing to 'life'.
• Second Life Interest Grows, With Age Of Its Visitors.
• ABC News courting next generation on Internet.
• Facebook helps users create Web surfing scrapbooks.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• 10 things you should know about Internet Explorer 7 Security.
• IT firms take heat at global Internet forum over 'collusion' with China.
• Virus writers target web videos.
• New Windows attack can kill firewall.
• Laptop Vendors Seek Better Battery Standard. Priority placed on non-explosiveness.
• Botnets cause significant surge in spam.
• Data Encryption Makes A Big Splash In Market.
• Boot Camp update fixes USB modem, idle sleep bugs.

Massive D&D Online Equipment Database on GameBanshee.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Video Game Pioneer Tommy Tallarico Honored By Hollywood Arts.
• Qualifying Rounds Begin for Verizon PlayLinc TrackMania Online Game Tournament.
• Serious Games Summit: Henry Jenkins keynote.
• Serious Games Summit: Epic Games' Mark Rein.
• Serious Games Summit: Defense dept. games.
• Game On Exhibition – Industry Pioneers to Give Talks.

• Alienware Talks Hardware Blackmail.
• So you want to work in a game store?
• OMG CSRs!! on MMORPG.COM.

• ANNO 1701 (A.K.A. 1701 A.D.) on IGN.
• Caesar IV on The Gamers Temple.
• Dark Messiah of Might and Magic on 1Up.
• Dungeon Siege II: Broken World on Game Over.
• F.E.A.R. Extraction Point on GameDaily, Gameworld Network, and (in German) on GameCaptain.de.
• Flight Simulator X on Out of Eight, GamerNode, and SimHQ.
• GTR 2 on Strategy Informer.
• Just Cause on Computer Games Online.
• Marvel: Ultimate Alliance on GameSpot and Next Level Gaming.
• Pro Evolution Soccer 6 on Playfuls.
• Scarface: The World is Yours on Playfuls.
• Secret Files: Tunguska on BonusWeb.cz.
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade on GameZone.
• Wildlife Park 2 (A.K.A. Wildlife Zoo) on Game Over.
• Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species on GamersInfo.net.

• Abit AW9D-Max Motherboard on Motherboards.org.
• ATI Radeon X1650XT CrossFire GPU on Legit Reviews.
• ATI Radeon X1650 Pro vs. Nvidia GeForce 7600GS Video Card on TechSpot.
• BigFoot Networks Killer NIC Killer Marketing or Killer Product? on AnandTech.
• Crucial 10th Anniversary PC2-5300 2x1024 MB RAM on AMDZone.
• Dark Power Pro 430W PSU on Bjorn3d.
• Foxconn 975X7AB-8EKRS2H Motherboard on Ninjalane.
• Leadtek WinFast 7950GT TDH Extreme Edition Video Card on Boot Daily.
• Leadtek WinFast PX7950 GT TDH Extreme Video Card on AMDZone and Gaming Nexus.
• MACS Triumph TEC CPU Cooler on MADSHRIMPS.
• Microsoft Laser Desktop 6000 on Hardware Pacers.
• Palit 7900GS Sonic 256MB Video Card on DriverHeaven.net.
• PowerColor Radeon X1950 Pro 256MB Video Card on bit-tech.net.
• Razer Tarantula Gaming Keyboard on XYZ Computing.
• Sapphire Radeon X1950 Pro VGA Video Card on PCApex.
• Scythe Ninja Plus Rev. B Cooler on Pro Clockers.
• SilverStone ST75F 750W Modular PSU on 3dGameMan.
• SilverStone ST40EF 400W PSU on Techgage.
• SteelSeries Professional Gaming Mouse Pad on Gamepyre.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• ScummVM update improves point n' click emulation…
• SaySwap Launches. Game trading…
• Throwable Game Controllers. Huh?…
• Game Master on The New Yorker. A lengthy profile of Will Wright…
• Halo Production Grounds To A Halt. Thanks Strich…
• The j2 Halloween mappack offers a new holiday-themed Counter-Strike: Source map pack…

Well the preparations are set for tonight's invasion of trick-or-treaters. We have costumes for the dogs and the candy has hardly been picked over at all. One disappointment is that we failed to acquire any pumpkins to decorate with this year - Perhaps I'll surprise MrsBlue and try and pick up a couple of them at the last minute (I can talk about surprising her here because they block this site from her work -- neat, huh?).

Surprising Links!	Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
Play:	Purgatorium. Halloween Hangman. A topical repeat. Thanks Banddirector.
Links:	Pumpkin Way. Ray Villafane's Pumpkin Carving Tutorial. LED Throwie Rat (or Mouse). Completely for real gross. Thanks WarPig.
Stories:	Disgusting Candy Your Kids Will Love. Thanks Michelle. The Claim: You Gain 5 to 10 Pounds During the Holidays (registration required). `Soup Nazi` still building off `Seinfeld`.
Science!:	One for the Ages A Prescription That May Extend Life (registration required). Elephants pass mirror test of self-awareness.
Media:	Failed Poledancer Audition.
The Funny:	Dilbert. Thanks WarPig.