The QuakeCon trailer from Rage offers the first look at id Software's just-announced upcoming game project (thanks Ant). The clip is available on GameVideos, where the virtual bouncer requires you to pick a number greater than 18 before allowing access. The 1:14 long movie starts out with a fly by (literally) before showing off some character animation and lip synching and outdoor environments as well as snippets of gameplay, including shooter combat and some fast-paced vehicular action.

Eurogamer has word on another revelation from last night's QuakeCon keynote, as id Software reveals plans for Quake Zero, a web-based variation on Quake III Arena that will be supported by advertising. This is described by John Carmack as an "experimental" project, but could lead to a second team working on a tech5-based Quake game. There's more about this on Kotaku, where Todd Hollenshead admits some of the motivation for such a project is to regain some of id's preeminence in the world of competitive online gaming, and a browser-based shooter should allow access to the game for almost anyone with a computer.

The Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars Website has word that the Win32 Unranked Server Files for ETQW Beta 2 are now available, allowing server operators the chance to run and control their own server for the beta edition of the multiplayer shooter. Word is that work is also underway on a "lite" server that requires no client assets.

EA has announced the end of online support for several games (thanks GamePro) in what may be an annual event, as a similar announcement came around this time last year (story). Word is:

Servers for the games listed below will be shut down on the indicated dates. You may continue to play the games online up until these dates, but certain community programs may begin to close down prior to the shutdown dates.

All of us at EA would like to thank you for your valued participation in our online gaming community and hope that your enthusiasm for these games extends to our current lineup and beyond.

If you have further questions about your account or the shut down of these services, please visit http://support.ea.com.

Thank you,
Electronic Arts

September 1, 2007 Online Service Shutdown
Arena Football for PlayStation 2
Arena Football for Xbox
FIFA Soccer 06 for Xbox 360
FIFA Soccer 06 for PC
FIFA06 for PC
FIFA Soccer 06 for PlayStation 2
FIFA Soccer 06 for PlayStation Portable
FIFA Soccer 06 for Xbox
FIFA World Cup 2006 for PC
FIFA World Cup 2006 for PlayStation 2
FIFA World Cup 2006 for PlayStation Portable
FIFA World Cup 2006 for Xbox
Fight Night Round 3 for PlayStation Portable
Fight Night Round 3 for Xbox
Madden NFL 06 for Xbox 360
Madden NFL 06 for PC
Madden NFL 06 for PlayStation 2
Madden NFL 06 for PlayStation Portable
Madden NFL 06 for Xbox
Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects for PlayStation 2
Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects for Xbox
MVP 07 NCAA Baseball for PlayStation 2
MVP 07 NCAA Baseball for Xbox
NASCAR 06 Total Team Control for PlayStation 2
NASCAR 06 Total Team Control for Xbox
NBA Live 06 for Xbox 360
NBA Live 06 for PC
NBA Live 06 for PlayStation 2
NBA Live 06 for PlayStation Portable
NCAA Football 2005 for Xbox
NCAA Football 2006 for PlayStation 2
NCAA Football 2006 for Xbox
NCAA March Madness 06 for PlayStation 2
NCAA March Madness 06 for Xbox
NFL Head Coach for PC
NFL Head Coach for Xbox
NFL Head Coach for PlayStation 2
NHL 06 for PC
NHL 06 for PlayStation 2
NHL 06 for Xbox
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 for Xbox 360
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 for Xbox

November 1, 2007 Online Service Shutdown
Burnout Revenge for Xbox
Burnout Revenge for PlayStation 2
Need for Speed Underground for PlayStation 2
Need for Speed Underground 2 for PC
Need for Speed Underground 2 for PlayStation 2
Need for Speed Most Wanted for PlayStation Portable
Need for Speed Most Wanted for Xbox

• Lord of the Rings Online
  The Lord of the Rings Online Q&A on MMORPG.COM offers an article-format Q&A with the hard-to-stifle Jeffrey Steefle. Topics include growing their audience, session play, planned new classes, and more.
• Stranglehold
  The Stranglehold Q&A on Music 4 Games talks with the team behind the soundtrack for the upcoming game sequel to Hard Boiled.
• StarCraft II
  Blizzplanet's Glynnis Talken Interview is talkin' with the actress who portrays Sarah McKerrigan in StarCraft II.

• Left 4 Dead on GameSpy.
• Medal of Honor: Airborne on Games Radar.
• StarCraft II on GameSpy.
• World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King on Games Radar and IGN.

• StarCraft 2 on ThinkGaming.

An old refrain – substance needed in games, not just pretty pictures on GameZone.

• Beowulf to Preview at SIGGRAPH.
• Blizzcon Opening - MP3 Audio.
• WarCry's Tabula Rasa Key Giveway offers the chance to snag one of 100 keys to test the upcoming MMORPG.
• Unity game engine maker offers Web game dev contest. Thanks Ant.
• Video game conference 'toning it down'.

• NVIDIA Releases New Software Development Tools.
• NEC and Hitachi team to water-cool hard drives.
• Samsung chip lines fully working.
• Virtual reality helps GIs deal with PTSD.
• Cables Monster Cable for Life HDMI Upgrade Path Guarantees Format Compatibility for Life.

• Fatal Inertia Demo Now Available.
• Microsoft launches new Xbox 360 repair web site.
• Nintendo Wii outsells Sony's PS3 in Japan.

• id hints at Quake DS game.
• Google Phone Talk Is Back - Do you want an ad-supported mobile web?

• Mozilla shares scanning tool, Firefox 3 features.

• US genetic privacy bill hits snag.
• Fear & Loathing Over Feds’ Mod Chip Sting.

• Kittens -- the solution to spam?
• Consumer Reports on 'State of the Net': It's a jungle out there.
• Hackers bite into cookies to plunder user data from websites.
• Data leak products have security risks.
• Even More Trouble For E-Voting Firms Source Code Review Finds All Sorts Of Scary Vulnerabilities.
• Dateline NBC 'mole' outed, booted at Defcon. To catch an infiltrator.
• Defcon Uber Badge Hacked in 10 Minutes.

• Attack on Pearl Harbor on YouGamers.
• Civilization IV: Beyond The Sword on bit-tech.net and Gamers With Jobs.
• Enemy Engaged 2 on GameSpot.
• Let's Ride Friends Forever on GameZone.
• Venture Arctic on Out of Eight.

• Antec MX-1 SATA HDD Enclosure on HEXUS.net.
• Antec SpotCool Fan on Overclockers Club.
• Arctic Cooling MX-2 on APH Networks.
• ASRock 4Core1333-FullHD Motherboard on Virtual-Hideout.
• Eagle Tech Computers D-Series External Storage System on Big Bruin.
• Gigabyte GA-M57SLI-S4 nForce 570 SLI Motherboard on PC Perspective.
• Gigabyte P35C-DS3R Motherboard on Hardware Logic.
• LapWorks Futura Laptop Desk on Techneek.
• Lexmark Z1420 Wi-Fi Enabled Inkjet Printer on TrustedReviews.
• Nesteq Nova 600W External PSU on bit-tech.net.
• Olympus FE-230 Digital Camera on TrustedReviews.
• RAC Satnav 220 GPS on TrustedReviews.
• SilverStone Milo ML02 (SST-ML02B-MXR) Case on Phoronix.
• Thermaltake TMG ND4 Water Cooling on Legion Hardware.
• Thrustmaster Dual Trigger 3-in-1 Rumble Force Gamepad on Benchmark Reviews.
• Ultra X3 1600W Modular PSU on 3dGameMan.
• Vizo Orbiter HDD Cooler on Mikhailtech.
• Western Digital WD7500AAKS 750GB SATA Hard Drive on HotHardware.

• Bob Hoskins: Super Mario Bros. was a nightmare…

We're heading north today to celebrate our oldest niece's fifth birthday. MrsBlue is pushing to cancel our attendance, as my swollen face seems to indicate to her that I am not up for this, but I'm off the Vicodin, so I should be okay to drive, so I don't see the need for such a precaution.

Birthday Links!	Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez.
Stories:	An Artist and His Sub Surrender in Brooklyn (registration required). Bid to Break Kazoo Record Fails.
Science!:	Phoenix Heads for Mars, Spacecraft Healthy. Thanks Jim.
Images:	The Upside-Down House.
Media:	Super Rabbit Outsmarts Hunting Falcon. How to Visit New York City on $100. Um, don't actually try this. Best Ice Hockey Fight Ever.