Out of the Blue

Today is the 19th anniversary of the release of QUAKE! It's also the 15th anniversary of the release of the original Deus Ex.

On a coincidentally related note, a question popped up in the forums about the anniversary date for this site, as it turns 20 either this year or next year. The question of which year is correct is inspired by the caption saying "Established 1995. Over three-quarters of a billion visitors since 1997," which is a little vague. The reason is that the exact answer is a little imprecise. Going back to the very beginning, the site started sometime in the second half of 1995 as Blue's 3D House of 3D Carnage (hosted on my homepage through my local ISP) as a more general site about FPS games, and the focus on news came on gradually after that. Going by that, the 20th anniversary of the site is sometime over the next few months, but I don't know that I have any way to be more precise about that. If you go by the content here, the site will turn 20 one year from now, as the oldest news stories in the archive are from July 1996. That's not very accurate, though, as before that I would delete older news as I added newer stories, and it was some time in mid-July that I realized this was regrettable and started archiving older news, and once again, I don't know if there is a more exact answer than that to be found. Finally, if you want the answer in its strictest sense, the site will turn 20 in October 2016, which is the anniversary of moving to the bluesnews.com domain, and first use of the name Blue's News. The visitor count starting in 1997 just reflects when a counter was added. As I say, it's a little imprecise, but it's safe to say we're currently in our 20th year of operation.

Links: Thanks Ant and Acleacius.
Play: Royal Offense 2.
Tower Droids.
Link: Susannah Mushatt Jones shares secrets to a long life. Thanks Boing Boing.
Stories: Want to buy your own airship: Get your orders in now. Thanks Skullguise.
Former 'Star Wars' actor arrested after chase. Pod-racing skills rusty.
Science: Access to electricity linked with reduced sleep. Thanks HARDOCP.
Images: Brace yourselves for the Steam Summer Sale.
Media: OUTLAST: WHISTLEBLOWER - PART 2 (React- Gaming).
Best Fails of the Week 3 June 2015. Ouch. Thanks nin.
Flying Kitty Surprise. Maybe scarier than yesterday's weightlifter.
The Funnies: Dilbert Comic Strip.
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48 Replies. 3 pages. Viewing page 1.
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48.
 
qtest86!
Jun 23, 2015, 00:09
Ant
 
48.
qtest86! Jun 23, 2015, 00:09
Jun 23, 2015, 00:09
 Ant
 
I still remember qtest86 in college in a computer lab with no audio. It was amazing!
Avatar 1957
47.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Jun 22, 2015, 23:17
nin
47.
Re: Out of the Blue Jun 22, 2015, 23:17
Jun 22, 2015, 23:17
nin
 
Task wrote on Jun 22, 2015, 23:12:
Yes I have Alien Isolation, but haven't built up the nerve to try it again. One of these days...

I'm in the same boat. It's a shame it didn't sell better, as they nailed the atmosphere perfectly...the idea of climbing in those vents makes me shudder.

46.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Jun 22, 2015, 23:12
46.
Re: Out of the Blue Jun 22, 2015, 23:12
Jun 22, 2015, 23:12
 
nin wrote on Jun 22, 2015, 11:35:

Ok, I am a totally chickenshit, and I made it through Quake.

Did you try Alien Isolation? I keep meaning to go back to it (not finished), but it spooks the hell out of me. The sound is phenomenal, and they really mimicked the set design of the first Alien movie.


I probably could handle Quake more easily these days, going from Doom to Quake was a weird time. Yes I have Alien Isolation, but haven't built up the nerve to try it again. One of these days...
Avatar 37119
45.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Jun 22, 2015, 22:23
45.
Re: Out of the Blue Jun 22, 2015, 22:23
Jun 22, 2015, 22:23
 
happy birthday Quake and Deus Ex!
Avatar 571
44.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Jun 22, 2015, 22:12
44.
Re: Out of the Blue Jun 22, 2015, 22:12
Jun 22, 2015, 22:12
 
nin wrote on Jun 22, 2015, 20:33:
KezClone wrote on Jun 22, 2015, 20:25:
Steam Summer Sale - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRxcSNaVCPA&feature=youtu.be

OK, that was fucking brilliant! Bookmarked!



Is it me, or does GabeN look a bit like Robin Williams?
If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
Avatar 22024
43.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Jun 22, 2015, 20:33
nin
43.
Re: Out of the Blue Jun 22, 2015, 20:33
Jun 22, 2015, 20:33
nin
 
KezClone wrote on Jun 22, 2015, 20:25:
Steam Summer Sale - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRxcSNaVCPA&feature=youtu.be

OK, that was fucking brilliant! Bookmarked!


42.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Jun 22, 2015, 20:25
42.
Re: Out of the Blue Jun 22, 2015, 20:25
Jun 22, 2015, 20:25
 
Steam Summer Sale - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRxcSNaVCPA&feature=youtu.be
_______________
tapes 'n' tapes
tapes 'n' tapes
tapes 'n' tapes
tapes 'n' tapes
Avatar 10323
41.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Jun 22, 2015, 18:55
Osc8r
 
41.
Re: Out of the Blue Jun 22, 2015, 18:55
Jun 22, 2015, 18:55
 Osc8r
 
Quake and Bluenews - ahh, what a great childhood i had

Seems i haven't changed much.

Yup, here's to another 20!
Avatar 24533
40.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Jun 22, 2015, 18:53
40.
Re: Out of the Blue Jun 22, 2015, 18:53
Jun 22, 2015, 18:53
 
Mr. Tact wrote on Jun 22, 2015, 16:35:
Here's to us all being here 20 years from now. Fingerscrossed

Aye.
Avatar 54727
39.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Jun 22, 2015, 18:48
39.
Re: Out of the Blue Jun 22, 2015, 18:48
Jun 22, 2015, 18:48
 
Jivaro wrote on Jun 22, 2015, 16:29:
nin wrote on Jun 22, 2015, 16:03:
Blue wrote on Jun 22, 2015, 16:00:
but the site wasn't relaunched at the new location until October 9, 1996.

IMO, that's the winner.


Agreed.

Heretics!, The lot of you who follow the hollow date of October 9, 1996. How untrue your misguided beliefs. The truth, as known by all us TrueBluers*, is as in the quote from El Presidente for Life, him-self at 4pm on 22nd of June, 2015 ~

"That's easy, as there are proper records of such things. The domain was registered on September 20, 1996, (but the site wasn't relaunched at the new location until October 9, 1996.) "


Blue Civil War! Army Bomb Rockstar Flamethrower Hungover Grouphug Cthulhu
38.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Jun 22, 2015, 17:03
38.
Re: Out of the Blue Jun 22, 2015, 17:03
Jun 22, 2015, 17:03
 
More From John Carmack on D3D Quake
I got an email from John Carmack that cleared up a misconception that I had (and I would guess others had too), which was that Direct3D Quake would have been an option for owners of current 3D video cards:

D3D quake is indeed canned. But this should not have any impact on current 3D card owners.

The only current card that would have been fast enough to run D3Dquake is 3dfx, and they can run glquake.

Glquake is implemented with blended lighting instead of surface caching, which gives a more level framerate at the expense of pushing twice as many pixels. The low end cards (S3, ATI, etc) have less than a third of the fill rate of 3DFX on real world data, so they would have been hard pressed to hit 15 fps running glquake/d3dquake. Anyone with one of these cards that was holding out for the D3D version would have been very dissapointed.

A custom, on-the-metal port to these cards might have been able to give performance almost as good as vquake (verite has exceptional potential for optimization if you go to the trouble, which compensates somewhat for the reletively low fill rates), but I don't think it is worth it.

The next generation of most vendors cards should be fast enough to run glquake and derivitives. Tell them they should support OpenGL.

John Carmack

Lul. Oh how far we've come.
Avatar 55267
37.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Jun 22, 2015, 16:39
nin
37.
Re: Out of the Blue Jun 22, 2015, 16:39
Jun 22, 2015, 16:39
nin
 
Mr. Tact wrote on Jun 22, 2015, 16:35:
Here's to us all being here 20 years from now. Fingerscrossed

Crossed indeed.

Thanks, Blue, no pressure!

36.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Jun 22, 2015, 16:35
36.
Re: Out of the Blue Jun 22, 2015, 16:35
Jun 22, 2015, 16:35
 
Here's to us all being here 20 years from now. Fingerscrossed
“If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. It is lethal". -- Paulo Coelho
35.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Jun 22, 2015, 16:29
Jivaro
 
35.
Re: Out of the Blue Jun 22, 2015, 16:29
Jun 22, 2015, 16:29
 Jivaro
 
nin wrote on Jun 22, 2015, 16:03:
Blue wrote on Jun 22, 2015, 16:00:
but the site wasn't relaunched at the new location until October 9, 1996.

IMO, that's the winner.


Agreed.
Avatar 55841
34.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Jun 22, 2015, 16:26
34.
Re: Out of the Blue Jun 22, 2015, 16:26
Jun 22, 2015, 16:26
 
GOD DAMN, BLUE!! You've been doing this shit for TWENTY-FUCKING-YEARS?!

...And I've been coming here just about that long. :`(
Avatar 55267
33.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Jun 22, 2015, 16:03
nin
33.
Re: Out of the Blue Jun 22, 2015, 16:03
Jun 22, 2015, 16:03
nin
 
Blue wrote on Jun 22, 2015, 16:00:
but the site wasn't relaunched at the new location until October 9, 1996.

IMO, that's the winner.

32.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Jun 22, 2015, 16:00
32.
Re: Out of the Blue Jun 22, 2015, 16:00
Jun 22, 2015, 16:00
 
Jivaro wrote on Jun 22, 2015, 15:53:
The date of registering the domain is a good idea...if that is something that can be located.

That's easy, as there are proper records of such things. The domain was registered on September 20, 1996, but the site wasn't relaunched at the new location until October 9, 1996.
Stephen "Blue" Heaslip
Blue's News Publisher, Editor-in-Chief, El Presidente for Life
Avatar 2
31.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Jun 22, 2015, 15:53
Jivaro
 
31.
Re: Out of the Blue Jun 22, 2015, 15:53
Jun 22, 2015, 15:53
 Jivaro
 
The date of registering the domain is a good idea...if that is something that can be located.
Avatar 55841
30.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Jun 22, 2015, 15:30
30.
Re: Out of the Blue Jun 22, 2015, 15:30
Jun 22, 2015, 15:30
 
CrimsonPaw wrote on Jun 22, 2015, 11:48:
How interesting, today also happens to be my 19th wedding anniversary. I didn't realize that Quake was released on my wedding day

You lucky bastard, now you can be even more excited to celebrate quakes release date being married
Avatar 57660
29.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Jun 22, 2015, 15:06
29.
Re: Out of the Blue Jun 22, 2015, 15:06
Jun 22, 2015, 15:06
 
Blue wrote on Jun 22, 2015, 13:21:
nin wrote on Jun 22, 2015, 13:18:
Ok, if you keep whacking the "older news" link you go back to July 31st, 1996?

https://web.archive.org/web/19970204065233/http://bluesnews.com/q-july.html

edit: Well, I tried....

And I appreciate it. But yeah, as I said, that's too late to help us. It just reflects what is still posted here from the time:

http://www.bluesnews.com/archives/july96.html

You should pick one for historical reasons then. Whenever you registered the domain would be easiest I guess, and if you do then 20 year anniversary would be in 2016. Ought to be cause for celebrations
Avatar 54727
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