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Wednesday, November 30, 2005

New Day of Defeat: Source Map [November 30, 2005, 8:44 pm ET] - 8 Comments

Steam News announces automatic updates for Day of Defeat: Source and Rag Doll Kung Fu. The Day of Defeat: Source update adds the new od_argentan map to Valve's World War II shooter, and the Rag Doll Kung Fu update addresses a bug.

The Chronicles of Spellborn Beta Testing [November 30, 2005, 8:44 pm ET] - 4 Comments

Spellborn International announces that closed beta testing is underway for The Chronicles of Spellborn, along with how those not selected or registered for the beta can still get involved:

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Nov. 30, 2005 -- The first group of adventurers have entered into the close beta test for The Chronicles of Spellborn.

Developed by Spellborn International, The Chronicles of Spellborn will introduce gameplay that challenges MMO gaming conventions. No longer will back stories be irrelevant, players will move back and forth in time to experience the storyline. The Spellborn team has thrown out the old "auto lock" MMO attack system. Players will actively maneuver and aim in combat while they manipulate a "skill deck" that allows them to string together hundreds of different possible attack combinations. Also, armour and weapons do NOT affect combat so players can dress exactly how they like from the very start. Finally, the successes and failures of every player from the lowest to the highest levels will determine the fate of their House and the rest of the world.

Players selected to participate in the closed beta will be the first ones to experience this new model in MMO gaming. They will assist the developers in testing gameplay and provide feedback directly to the developers.

The closed beta test began with a limited number of applicants. More beta testers will be added periodically over the next few months. In early 2006, the Spellborn International team plans to hold a large-scale open/stress beta test. Individuals that have not been selected as part of the initial pool of beta testers can increase their chances (and help out the development team) by taking an active part in our official www.tcos.com forums.

Gamers that have not filled out applications yet can register on http://www.tcos.com/beta/beta.php.com.

Dear Diaries [November 30, 2005, 8:43 pm ET] - Post a Comment

  • UFO: Aftershock
    An insight into the making of UFO Aftershock on GamesIndustry.biz offers their usual carefully HTMLed rendition of a diary by Martin "Klíma" Klíma of ALTAR Interactive, who goes into extensive detail on the development of their sequel to UFO: Aftermath
  • Darkfall
    RPG Vault Darkfall Peek #17 comes an aggressive 24 hours after their peek #16 at Aventurine's upcoming online RPG, offering a look at the weapons in the game's arsenal.
  • FlatOut 2
    A pair of new FlatOut 2 diaries are online (thanks Frans) for BugBear's upcoming racing sequel. This diary entry discusses the wackiness that keeps them loose at work and some of the workflow improvements they have implemented since the first game, and this entry

The Late Show [November 30, 2005, 8:43 pm ET] - Post a Comment

A new Hammer & Sickle movie shows off the weapons in the upcoming Cold War game, which go far beyond the clunk-and-slash tools of the revolution from the title. This non-gameplay clip can be found on 3D Downloads, 3D Gamers, FileFront, and Worthplaying.

Evening Q&As [November 30, 2005, 8:43 pm ET] - Post a Comment

  • SiN Episodes
    There's a new SiN Episodes Q&A on RITUALISTIC offers answers to fan-submitted questions about Ritual's upcoming shooter sequel: "SiN Episodes utilizes a dynamic difficulty system, which takes into account a huge number of variables, such as the player's accuracy, the headshot ratio, how many times the player is getting hit, how fast enemies are dispatched, and many more. It then adjusts the number of enemies, how many health packs and ammo packs are dropped, and how accurate enemies are with their weapons. We also have a number of other things that adapt to the players' skill. For example, if the system notices that the player is landing a lot of headshots, more enemies will start wearing helmets, which require two headshots in order for the enemy to be killed."
  • Blitzkrieg 2
    RPG Vault's Blitzkrieg 2 Q&A talks with Elmar Grunenberg and Mario Kroll of CDV about Nival Interactive's World War II RTS sequel: "For Blitzkrieg 2, we wanted to take players to locations that they don't normally see in WWII RTS titles, along with showing them the old favorites. So, we included the standard locations, such as Russia and Germany, but then we expanded the landscapes to include Africa and the Philippines. Each and every environment has an effect, from the visuals to actual gameplay. So, for example, if you're playing in the Pacific, you'll take part in amphibious landings, and need to make more use of aircraft since they were so heavily used in the war in the Pacific."
  • RF Online
    The RF Online Q&A, Part Two on MMORPG.COM continues to discuss CCR's upcoming science fiction/fantasy MMORPG with Michael Rowland of publisher Codemasters: "RF Online brings something different to the genre. Yes we have fantasy. Yes we have sci-fi in space. Yes we have sci-fi on planets. It’s either one or the other. Here we have a game that fuses these elements together and doesn’t do a bad a bad job of it either. It feels right having your traditional magic classes fighting against hulking mechs, who in turn are being bombarded with laser cannons and rockets. Even the weapons find a merging of magic and technology to give you something different, that doesn’t look half bad either. And you get to battle with hundreds of players at the same time at the same place on a colossal level. (didn’t want to use the word “epic” there ;) )"
  • Galactic Civilizations II
    The Galactic Civilizations II Q&A on Boomtown is an in-house Q&A discussing Stardock's upcoming space strategy sequel, though other games come up, like an unnamed fantasy strategy game, Master of <cough> ("Don’t say it! We don’t know yet. Still in negotiations. We have an agreement on the money. There’s just a lot of contract issues that have to be resolved still."), and Society: "Can’t talk much about that. Suffice to say, a MMORTS. And before it gets asked how we’ll fare in a competitive market of MMO’s, Society is going to be freeware. We have a unique mechanism to generate revenue (And no, it’s not ads. We mean freeware as in real freeware). We brought in one of the lead developers of Simcity 3K from Maxis to lead the team."
  • Lineage II
    OGaming's Lineage II Q&A chats with Adam Davidson, producer on the MMORPG sequel: "The Castle Siege system in particular, I think we're all very proud of. I had concerns early on in development that the siege setup for the castles would be too challenging and risk prohibitive to many players. Of course, like every time, I underestimated the player base and I was proven wrong. In retrospect, I think the siege system has been brilliantly set up and has made for some very exciting and dramatic moments in Lineage II."

Evening Preview [November 30, 2005, 8:43 pm ET] - 2 Comments

Evening Screenshots [November 30, 2005, 8:42 pm ET] - Post a Comment

Chat-O-Rama [November 30, 2005, 8:42 pm ET] - Post a Comment

Ubisoft announces a pair of developer chats to discuss Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, one tomorrow for the PC edition, and one next week for the Xbox 360 edition:

London, UK - November 30, 2005– The GHOST RECON ADVANCED WARFIGHTER® developers will be online for 2 live chats with fans:

- PC live chat: December 1st at 5:00 PM (UK Time) with the participation of Mathieu Girard (Producer), Bo Andersson (Executive Producer and military expert), Ulf Andersson (Lead Game Designer) and Simon Viklund (Sound Designer)

- Xbox 360 live chat: December 7th at 5:00 PM (UK Time). Christian Allen (Lead Level Designer MP) and Gilles Matouba (Game Designer) will be on hand talking with Ghost Recon fans and answering questions in this special gift for Xmas season.

Here is everything you need to know in order to miss none of it:

    - Server Type: Ubisoft (irc.ubisoft.com)
    - Channel: #GhostRecon You can download an IRC client at http://www.ircreviews.org/clients/

    If you're not familiar with IRC software, you can easily join the chat by following the steps below:

    - Go to http://chat.ubisoft.fr
    - Enter a username (whatever you wish)
    - You don't require a password
    - Select the GhostRecon channel

    Chat times around the world:
    9:00 - San Francisco
    11:00 - Chicago
    12:00 - New York, Montreal
    17:00 - London
    18:00 - Paris, Munich

In the meantime, make sure you visit the game’s official website www.ghostrecon.com for up to date information and assets.

Dark Horizons: Lore Invasion Updated Demo [November 30, 2005, 8:42 pm ET] - Post a Comment

An updated Dark Horizons: Lore Invasion demo is now available, bringing the sample of Max Gaming Technologies' Torque-engine online mecha game to version 2.02. The demo offers the same content as before, and there is no word on what is changed. The Win32, MacOS, and Linux versions are available on this FTP server, and the Win32 download is mirrored on 3D Gamers, FileFront, VGPro, and Worthplaying.

Evening Consolidation [November 30, 2005, 8:42 pm ET] - Post a Comment

Thanks Mike Martinez.

Evening Tech Bits [November 30, 2005, 8:41 pm ET] - Post a Comment

Thanks Mike Martinez.

Evening Metaverse [November 30, 2005, 8:41 pm ET] - 2 Comments

Thanks Mike Martinez.

Evening Mobilization [November 30, 2005, 8:41 pm ET] - Post a Comment

Thanks Mike Martinez.

etc., etc. [November 30, 2005, 8:41 pm ET] - Post a Comment

Thanks Mike Martinez.

Out of the Blue [November 30, 2005, 8:40 pm ET] - 15 Comments

Wow, what a positively beautiful day we had today! It was 60s, sunny, and clear for a good part of the day. A little freaky for the last day in November, but nothing I am complaining about.

Sunny Links! Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
Story: Fan Says He Dumped Ashes on Eagles' Field.
At Christmas, What's In a Name?
Science: Fruit bats may harbour deadly Ebola.
Alzheimer's Could Be Diabetes-like Illness, Study Suggests.
Creative Types Have More Sex Partners.
Image: Tokyo robot-fest.
Media: 911 Calls.
Auction: Xbox frenzy hits eBay.
Follow-up: Failing ocean current raises fears of mini ice age.
Woman 'has first face transplant'. "I want to take his face... off."

BF2 Patch Plans [November 30, 2005, 1:45 pm ET] - 44 Comments

The Battlefield 2 Website (thanks Frans) outlines plans for an updated set of mod tools for DICE's military shooter sequel, as well as word on an upcoming patch:

We at DICE and EA are committed to on-going support for Battlefield 2. We're pleased to see that so many of you are still playing the game on a regular basis and continue to support it and the community with some great mods and movies (We're big fans of the machinimas, so keep them coming guys, and MINE, you guys rock!).

We wanted to let you know that we're already hard at work on a post 1.12 update. While we can't go into details about it, yet, rest assured that we're checking the forums, listening to our customer support teams and working hard on the features that YOU'VE asked for. As soon as we can give more concrete details, we will. Just know that we're all 100% into making Battlefield 2 the very best that it can be.

Ships Ahoy - Gothic II Gold, Gothic III NA Rights Set [November 30, 2005, 1:43 pm ET] - 20 Comments

Aspyr simultaneously announces they have shipped Gothic II Gold in North America and that they have acquired North American distribution rights to Gothic III:

AUSTIN, TX (November 30, 2005) - Aspyr Media today announced it has acquired the rights from JoWood to publish and distribute Gothic III in North America. As the third part of this globally successful role-playing saga, Gothic III offers players a nonlinear, open-ended role-playing game with an enthralling story that presents an extremely detailed simulation of nature and human behavior. Developed by Germany’s Piranha Bytes/Pluto13, Gothic III will be released in the first quarter of 2006 for the PC at a SRP of $39.99.

For players who can’t wait until Spring for more Gothic action, Aspyr released Gothic II Gold yesterday, which features the original game plus its expansion pack, Gothic II Night of the Raven. Gothic II Gold is available for an SRP of $19.99.

“The Gothic brand has a large and loyal following who appreciate the great variety of action and adventure that the series offers players,” said Ted Staloch, VP of Aspyr Media. “Gothic III lets players continue their adventures in the game’s endless world, which features countless side quests along with varied characters, spells and weapons.”

Neuro Hunter English Demo [November 30, 2005, 09:32 am ET] - 22 Comments

The English demo for Neuro Hunter is now available, hot on the heels of the release of the German demo for Mediaart's and Deep Silver's upcoming sci-fi action/RPG. The English demo is a 348 MB download, available on 3D Downloads, 3D Gamers, Filecloud, FileFront, Gameguru Mania, Gamer's Hell, VGPro, and Worthplaying.

Diabolik Announced [November 30, 2005, 09:31 am ET] - 3 Comments

Italian developer Artematica announces Diabolik, an upcoming PC and console adventure game based on a bit of prominent Italian IP:

After the exciting and fascinating DRUUNA, the amusing adventures of TOMMY & OSCAR and the famous detective of impossible MARTIN MYSTERE, we are really pleased to announce that one of the most renowned, historic and highly successful comics character as ever will soon become the protagonist of a new video game.

Born in 1962 of Giussani sisters’ fertile imagination, Diabolik and his partner Eva have become the protagonists of cartoons, films, advertising, spots, songs, gadgets and whatever else.

Available for PC platform and console, Artematica’s Diabolik will be a very innovative graphic adventure, completely real-time and really faithful to the character!

Riccardo Cangini, Artematica’s MD, remarks “we are enthusiastic about being able to work on such a ‘powerful’ character as Diabolik; it is from the time of Simulmondo that we have been wishing to carry out a game of profound impact and high quality, a video game that is successfully coming true thanks to the experience gained with previous adventures, with the help of new technologies and especially with the support of the publishing house Astorina and that of its staff whose help it turning simply…diabolik!

MX vs. ATV Unleashed PC Announced [November 30, 2005, 09:31 am ET] - Post a Comment

THQ and Rainbow Studios Redefining Off-Road Genre for PSP (thanks Frans) is the press release announcing PC and PSP installments of MX vs. ATV Unleashed, the offroading game:

AGOURA HILLS, Calif., Nov. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- THQ Inc. (Nasdaq: THQI - News) today announced the franchise that redefined the off-road genre will debut for handheld and Windows PC when MX vs. ATV Unleashed(TM): On the Edge comes to the PSP(TM) (PlayStation®Portable) system and MX vs. ATV Unleashed(TM) ships for Windows PC. The releases expand on the franchise's overwhelming success, allowing Windows PC gamers to personalize their racing experience with an all-new track editor. Both titles, anticipated to release in early 2006, will allow gamers to race with a collection of new vehicles and chose between new tracks, challenges and mini-games.

Morning Q&As [November 30, 2005, 09:31 am ET] - 3 Comments

  • Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
    There's an Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Q&A on DailyGame (thanks Frans) discussing the next installment in Bethesda Softworks' RPG series with Pete Hines: "We really identify the kinds of things we want to do with our game and then put it out on as many platforms that can support that kind of game. For us, the consumer’s decision of one version over another is really two-fold. One, where do you prefer to play this type of game? For example, some folks prefer playing shooters on a PC at a desk, but other types of games on a console while sitting on a couch. It’s whatever you’re most comfortable with. That’s really the most important decision. Second to that is, what have you got to play the game on? If you don’t want to compromise on a single thing, then you’ll need a high end PC with one of the latest video cards. If that’s not something you have, or can afford, then you may look at getting the 360 simply because it makes more economic sense. Are PCs and consoles about the same in terms of hardware? Probably. It really depends on what kind of PC you have as to how a game console compares."
  • Prince Of Persia The Two Thrones
    A brief Q&A on news0r discusses the music score in Prince Of Persia The Two Thrones, while Gamecloud's Prince Of Persia The Two Thrones Q&A talks with Ben Mattes of Ubisoft about the next installment in the PoP series: "We’re bringing some really interesting enemies in the game. The introduction of the Speed Kill System made us redo all the AI of the enemies. The enemies are now able to see the Prince coming from afar, hear him as the closes by or when he disturbs a volley of pigeons, for example, in which case, they will turn to an awareness behavior and investigate the issue further. If a real threat turns out to be found, they can trigger the alarm and call for reinforcements using the Sand Gate system. Moreover, let’s not forget the quantity and variety of completely new enemies and bosses we are putting forward in POPT2T, each featuring particular Speed Kill action sequences as well as unique fight behavior."
  • Gameshadow
    Gamecloud's Gameshadow 2.0 Q&A chats with Tony Treadwell about Gameshadow, their software that can automatically patch games: "Well we knew we pretty much had patching nailed. So we wanted to make it easier to use, provide other gaming content more pro-actively and give people a new UI that would be cool to use! So we created V2.00 as a platform to deliver lots of new stuff, including bonus content such as movies, mods and cool stuff to buy. We also wanted to make the product more intuitive and easy to use, and we think that we have done that."

Morning Preview [November 30, 2005, 09:31 am ET] - Post a Comment

Morning Screenshots [November 30, 2005, 09:30 am ET] - 2 Comments

  • The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II on GameSpot.

Morning Tech Bits [November 30, 2005, 09:30 am ET] - 4 Comments

Thanks Mike Martinez.

Morning Consolidation [November 30, 2005, 09:30 am ET] - 1 Comment

Thanks Mike Martinez.

Morning Metaverse [November 30, 2005, 09:30 am ET] - Post a Comment

Thanks Mike Martinez.

Morning Mobilization [November 30, 2005, 09:29 am ET] - Post a Comment

Game & Mod Development [November 30, 2005, 09:29 am ET] - Post a Comment

Op Ed [November 30, 2005, 09:29 am ET] - 2 Comments

Wednesday Game Reviews [November 30, 2005, 09:29 am ET] - Post a Comment

Wednesday Hardware Reviews [November 30, 2005, 09:29 am ET] - Post a Comment

etc. [November 30, 2005, 09:28 am ET] - 2 Comments

Out of the Blue [November 30, 2005, 09:28 am ET] - 67 Comments

I think I have some dog-bathing in my near future... Gunnar (a.k.a. Everybody Loves Gunnar) is starting to take on his signature pony smell again... urgh.

Stinky Links! Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
Link: Lite-on English FAQ. Thanks [A3D]Butcher. "Hope this would not disturb your beautiful life."
Ihateclowns.com.
Science: Possible Miniature Solar System Discovered. In a giant's finger... I won't go schizo, will I?
Scientists drill 'smallest holes'.
Genes May Affect Loneliness -- And More Friends Might Not Help.
Media: Office Chair Soccer.
Auction: Buy my Soul! The first Soul to be sold on eBay! Thanks Molestro.
Follow-up: Science faces 'dangerous times'.

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Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Hill's Gaming Bill [November 29, 2005, 8:07 pm ET] - 82 Comments

Clinton introducing federal game regulation has word that our Junior Senator from New York, Hillary Clinton (D), is behind a new bill on video game sales. Here's a bit:

This afternoon, Clinton's office announced she has written a bill that would institute federal regulation of game sales. Coauthored by longtime game critic Senator Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), the Family Entertainment Protection Act will be jointly submitted by the two legislators when Congress reconvenes in two weeks.

If made law, the Family Entertainment Protection Act would be a "a prohibition against any business for selling or renting a Mature, Adults-Only, or Ratings Pending game to a person who is younger than seventeen." It would punish violators with unspecified fines, though it did not specify if the clerk who sold the game or the retailer where said clerk worked would be punished. "This provision is not aimed at punishing retailers who act in good faith to enforce the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) system," read a statement from Clinton's office.

While the retail part of the bill is similar to laws recently passed in Michigan, Illinois, and California, the Family Entertainment Protection Act goes much farther. It would authorize "the FTC to conduct an annual, random audit of retailers to determine how easy it is for young people to purchase Mature and Adults Only video games and report the findings to Congress." These findings would be part of a larger annual analysis of ESRB game ratings. "This analysis will help ensure that the ESRB ratings system accurately reflects the content in each game and that the ratings system does not change significantly over time," read Clinton's statement.

The bill would also allow private citizens to file complaints with the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection (BCP) "if they find content to be misleading or deceptive." The BCP would issue an annual report on said complaints to Congress as part of the aforementioned annual review.

The Late Show - Updated Prey Movie [November 29, 2005, 8:07 pm ET] - 8 Comments

  • Prey Redux
    The "official" version of the Prey trailer from G4TV is now available. In addition to boasting a greater degree of officialness, this version of the clip is almost 4 MB smaller than that nasty unofficial version mentioned this morning. The 14.1 MB clip is available on 3D Downloads, 3D Gamers, games xtreme, VGPro, and Worthplaying.
  • SpellForce 2
    A new SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars movie shows off a couple of minutes of high resolution footage of Phenomic Development's strategy/RPG sequel. The 85.6 MB download is available on 3D Downloads, 3D Gamers, FileFront, Gamer's Hell, and Worthplaying.

Ford Street Racing Revealed [November 29, 2005, 8:07 pm ET] - 4 Comments

This press release (thanks Frans) announces Ford Street Racing as the next installment in this brand-specific car series:

Empire, a leading AIM Listed computer games developer and publisher, announces the signing of the latest Ford Racing title, Ford Street Racing, which will join the million-selling franchise when it is released in February 2006 on PlayStation2, Microsoft Xbox and PC.

This new title sees the racing move onto the streets of Los Angeles and features a unique team racing experience, putting the player in control of their own Ford Racing three-car team, allowing them to race and also issue commands to team mates to gain tactical and positional advantage. The game showcases 18 fully licensed Ford super cars, from the 1970 Mk1 Capri RS1600, through the Ford GT to the recently announced 2007 Shelby GT 500.

Dear Diaries [November 29, 2005, 8:07 pm ET] - 8 Comments

Evening Q&As [November 29, 2005, 8:06 pm ET] - 3 Comments

  • Sid Meier
    A Civilized man on Eurogamer talks with Firaxis designer Sid Meier about various things, including the future of the Civilization series: "At the moment we're happy to put it aside for a while and let people play it, and all the stuff we could think of went into the game [Civ IV], but history shows that it may come back again. It's been 15 years, so it's not like we bring it out every year or two, but we wait an appreciable amount of time. I don't know. Who knows what the world's going to look like in a few years? But the idea's rich enough, I think, to sustain any number of games."
  • Rapid Reality
    OGaming's MMO Center Q&A talks with Adam Ghetti of Rapid Reality about their upcoming raft of MMOGs: "Allow me to provide an example. Some console game developers have teams that do nothing every 6 months but create new mini-games. What this allows them to do is test the concept, and the ones they like, they’ll turn around and create a full-blown game based on it. We’re kind of taking the same idea, but putting a little more stability and effort into it. We’re letting users be the testers and finding out what they, the end customers, like. If it works, we’ll use it. If not, we won’t. A 6-8 month development cycle also allows us to be more creative and think quicker on our feet and explore new ideas as a whole."

Take Two & BioShock? [November 29, 2005, 8:06 pm ET] - 18 Comments

IGN Take Two Feels BioShock? on IGN makes the case for the theory that Take Two has signed on to publish/distribute BioShock, the upcoming action/RPG in the works at Irrational Games that some consider the spiritual successor to the System Shock series. The speculation is based on a filing at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a trademark on BioShock as a video game title.

Evening Preview [November 29, 2005, 8:06 pm ET] - Post a Comment

  • World of Warcraft: Ossirian the Unscarred - Ahn'Qiraj on BlizzPlanet.

18 Wheels of Steel: Convoy Patch [November 29, 2005, 8:06 pm ET] - 1 Comment

Breaker one-nine, a new patch is now available for 18 Wheels of Steel: Convoy updating the retail edition of the trucking sim to version 1.02, addressing a few issues, though not the known problem with ATI video cards. Word is that this patch should not be applied to the Trymedia download version of the game. Thanks The Patches Scrolls.

Evening Tech Bits [November 29, 2005, 8:06 pm ET] - 2 Comments

Thanks Mike Martinez.

Evening Consolidation [November 29, 2005, 8:05 pm ET] - 2 Comments

Thanks Mike Martinez.

Evening Metaverse [November 29, 2005, 8:05 pm ET] - Post a Comment

Thanks Mike Martinez.

Evening Mobilization [November 29, 2005, 8:05 pm ET] - 7 Comments

Thanks Mike Martinez.

The Escapist #21 [November 29, 2005, 8:04 pm ET] - Post a Comment

The Escapist - Issue #21, titled The Home Invasion, is online: "Feature contributor Allen Varney predicts the rising importance of our digital reputations in Game Design in the Transfigured World. In Theory of the Gaming Class, Mark Wallace proposes that gamers are the new leisure class. Bonnie Ruberg returns to explore video games, pornography and the question of active participation in Sex and Interactivity. And Jon Wood weighs the value of video games in the classroom in Gaming for Grades.

etc., etc. [November 29, 2005, 8:04 pm ET] - Post a Comment

Into the Black [November 29, 2005, 8:04 pm ET] - 2 Comments

We had a nice quick trip to my dad's to share our leftovers. It was a little rainy all day, but quite unseasonably warm, and we had excellent traffic mojo considering the rain, so everything worked out pretty much perfectly. Hatcha!

Mojo-filled Links! Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
Play: Rcade Basketball. Thanks Kevin.
Link: The Get Well Gamers Foundation.
Stories: 'Master of Disguise' Changes Many Lives.
Hurricane season refuses to blow over.
Clooney Opts for Tiny Eco-Friendly Car.
Science: Are Food Allergies a Growing Threat?
Anti-smoking drug may cut crystal meth craving.
Romantic love 'lasts just a year'.
Follow-ups: Here's the Problem With Emily Dickinson (registration required).
Japan Space Probe Has Thruster Problem.
Teh Funny: Penny Arcade.

Updated Quake 4 Demo [November 29, 2005, 5:01 pm ET] - 16 Comments

The promised fixed Quake 4 demo is now online, following the inadvertent release of the incorrect version (story). The proper sample of Raven's new installment in id's shooter series can be found on the Quake 4 Website and mirrored on 3D Downloads, 3D Gamers, Boomtown (registration required), Computer Games, Filecloud, FileFront, Filerush (BitTorrent), FileShack, Gameguru Mania, Gamer's Hell, GameSpot (registration required), VGPro, and Worthplaying. Also, as noted in Timothee Besset's .plan File, the GNU/Linux installer for the Quake 4 demo is on their FTP server (direct link) and on their BitTorrent tracker. This Linux edition is mirrored on 3D Downloads, 3D Gamers, FileFront, and Gamer's Hell.

Spider-Man Games Deal [November 29, 2005, 10:23 am ET] - 16 Comments

This Activision Investor Relations Press Release (thanks Frans) reveals plans to continue to create game tie-ins with the Spider-Man movie series through the year 2017 (at which point actor Tobey McGuire will be 42 years old). Word is:

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov 29, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that the company has signed an agreement with Spider-Man Merchandising L.P., a limited partnership between Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: MVL) and Sony Pictures Consumer Products Inc., to extend its exclusive worldwide publishing rights to the phenomenally successful Spider-Man(R) motion pictures through 2017. The license grants Activision the right to publish entertainment software products based on subsequent Spider-Man(R) movie sequels or new television series.

Under its current agreement with Spider-Man(R) Merchandising, Activision will develop and publish interactive entertainment games based on Columbia Pictures/Marvel Entertainment, Inc.'s upcoming feature film "Spider-Man(R) 3," which is set for release in May 2007. To date, Activision has published games based on "Spider-Man(R)" and "Spider-Man(R) 2".

Prey Movie [November 29, 2005, 10:23 am ET] - 25 Comments

As noted on 3D Realms News, the promised (story) Prey trailer from G4TV is now online, showing off the DOOM 3-engine shooter under construction at Human Head Studios. The clip offers just under a minute of footage for a 17.9 MB download, which can be found on the 3D Realms Website and mirrored on 3D Gamers, FileFront, FileShack, Gamer's Hell, Gameguru Mania, and Worthplaying.

UFO: Aftershock Patch [November 29, 2005, 10:23 am ET] - 11 Comments

Cenega Publishing now offers a new patch for UFO: Aftershock, updating ALTAR's counter-UFO strategy game to version 1.1. The update offers a whole boatload of bug fixes and tweaks. Thanks The Patches Scrolls.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War & Winter Assault Patch [November 29, 2005, 10:22 am ET] - 5 Comments

A new full version 1.41 patch (story) is now available for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War and the Winter Assault expansion for Relic's RTS game. The single patch updating either edition to version 1.41 can be found on 3D Downloads, 3D Gamers, Boomtown (registration required), FileFront, Gameguru Mania, Gamer's Hell, games xtreme, Relicnews, VGPro, and Worthplaying.

Neuro Hunter German Demo [November 29, 2005, 10:21 am ET] - Post a Comment

A new Neuro Hunter German demo is now available, offering the chance to sample Mediaart's first-person sci-fi action/RPG. The demo is set in the beginning of the game, and the 375 MB download is available on 3D Gamers, FileFront, and Gamer's Hell. Speak German? Good. Don't speak German? Good luck.

Dear Diaries [November 29, 2005, 10:21 am ET] - Post a Comment

  • Prince of Persia The Two Thrones
    The Prince of Persia The Two Thrones diary movie #5 concludes this series of video diaries for Prince of Persia The Two Thrones, the upcoming continuation of the antics of the acrobatic prince. The download is available on 3D Gamers, FileFront, Gamer's Hell, GameSpot, and Worthplaying.
  • WoW/Red 5 Studios
    An article on Thinkwild (thanks Hum Drum) offers thoughts from Mark Kern about his career in the game development industry, covering his background and education, his stint as World of Warcraft producer, up through the recent formation of Red 5 Studios.

Morning Q&As [November 29, 2005, 10:21 am ET] - 12 Comments

  • Starfall
    Gamecloud's Hyboreal Games Q&A chats with Eric Sexton of new developer Hyboreal Games, learning more details about Starfall, their debut project: "Starfall is a 3D, Science-Fiction, Action RPG. It's Halo meets Diablo with all the fast visceral game play of third person shooter merged with the character advancement and item collection of a role playing game. You can explore the planets of the Starfall galaxy, customize your space ship and choose the path of your character while deciding the fate of the galaxy."
  • Paul Steed
    Gamasutra's - Playing Catch-Up id's Paul Steed (thanks Gamecloud) tracks down the former id Software modeler who is now creative director at ATARI to learn what he's up to: "I always wanted to work with a publisher, in the sense that I want to affect games and make them better. I think it would be putting 14 years of development knowledge to good use. As a director I get to look at titles, and help guide the vision for it a little bit. Creative Director, to me, that's just an art director with more pull and responsibility."
  • Dave Taylor
    Gamasutra's - Playing Catch-Up Crack dot Com's Dave 'DDT' Taylor (thanks Frans) is another former id Q&A posted a while back, this one talks with the man also known as ddt about his history in the game industry, and what he's doing these days: "I say it's revolutionary not to blow smoke up anyone's ass, but it's really shocking. You can actually draw textures, scaled to any resolution of course, and they take anywhere from hundreds of bytes to a couple of bytes of space. "Unlike other solutions, where you press a button to come up with a random procedure and hope it's what you want, you can actually paint. If you don't like a piece of your map, you can move it or stretch it or whatever. It never becomes a bitmap, it just stays in the boundaries of this magical function that I only partially understand." The software, Allegorithmic's ProFX, is currently in the pitching stage."
  • Guild Wars
    The Guild Wars Q&A on TenTonHammer talks with Kevin Gadd, designer on ArenaNet's MMORPG: "Game development in general has always been something that I've been really interested in, and I've spent a significant amount of my free time on it in the past, either by developing games of my own or working on other people's projects. I see video games as an artistic medium with a ridiculous amount of potential for storytelling and expressiveness, so being able to work with the medium (especially on an innovative title like Guild Wars) is something that excites me a lot."
  • Massive Assault Network 2
    Gamecloud's Massive Assault Network 2 Q&A is a conversation with Wargaming.net's Nick Katselapov about their upcoming RTS sequel: "Massive Assault Network 2 is designed to deliver more exciting and variable ONLINE gaming experience then ones found in Domination: Massive Assault. And I’d like to persuade your readers that it does this job pretty well, I’d say a way much better then Massive Assault Network did for online part of original Massive Assault."
  • Auto Assault
    The Auto Assault Q&A on Ten Ton Hammer talks with producer Steve Snow about Netdevil's upcoming MMORPG: "For the most part, being able to drive around and fighting small tactical squads of enemies all by yourself, you go in and you blow them up, right? And you take the loot and it's yours...I think that transition for people is hard. You can tell someone that hasn't played Auto Assault before... they carefully inch up on the target, the comes out and starts firing, the player runs away, and they come-back a little bit later. Give that guy 10 minutes, just 10 minutes, and he's having a blast. He's no longer biting his nails... he's thinking 'okay, that guy has dynamite, he's going to be the first to go.' And they go down their target list, in two or three minutes you're done and you're sifting through the winnings. For me, that's cool, and I think a lot of people the transitions is a lot more fun then anyone ever thought it would be. Give us 10 minutes and I guarantee you, we'll convert quite a few people."
  • Hammer & Sickle
    The Hammer & Sickle Q&A on Gaming Nexus discusses the Cold War thriller with CDV's Mario Kroll: "For starters, you are not confined to any one particular character. You can create your own character in terms of appearance and background (which translates into one of six specializations). While your experience from a plot perspective is the same, how you look and what you are naturally adept at is different based on your preferences. James Bond, in my mind, is this sexy suave guy, almost with super-hero like charm and powers. Our main character is a much more gritty soldier that happens to be good at both killing and at spy tradecraft. How he develops and what he does after the game begins is really up to you."
  • Classic Remakes
    Classic Designers Talk Modern Remakes on Game|Life (thanks Ant) talks with the folks behind some classics about recent remakes of their work, for example, Al Lowe gives thoughts on the new Leisure Suit Larry game: "The games were always supposed to be about laughing at the odd situations that Larry got himself into. The women were always superior in my games. The joke was about this bumbling guy who went after hot gals, mostly getting humiliated, but eventually getting lucky. But Magna Cum Laude was about date rape. 'Can you get the girl drunk enough that she'll go to bed with you?' And that's not funny, man."

Morning Preview [November 29, 2005, 10:21 am ET] - Post a Comment

  • Titan Quest on 1UP.

Morning Screenshots [November 29, 2005, 10:21 am ET] - Post a Comment

Morning Tech Bits [November 29, 2005, 10:20 am ET] - 5 Comments

Thanks Mike Martinez.

Morning Consolidation [November 29, 2005, 10:20 am ET] - 6 Comments

Thanks Mike Martinez.

Morning Metaverse [November 29, 2005, 10:20 am ET] - 1 Comment

Thanks Mike Martinez.

Morning Mobilization [November 29, 2005, 10:20 am ET] - 5 Comments

Thanks Mike Martinez.

Game Guidance [November 29, 2005, 10:20 am ET] - 2 Comments

Game & Mod Development [November 29, 2005, 10:19 am ET] - Post a Comment

ITT Tech Game Developer's Club meets for free on December 5 in Green Bay, WI, offering game development tutelage from Ben Geisler (formerly of Raven and Radical) with the upcoming gathering to also feature Radical lead designer Eric Holmes giving his GDC presentation.

Competitions [November 29, 2005, 10:19 am ET] - Post a Comment

Tech-Mods.Net Forums' ECS and Intel Contest offers two winners a CPU/motherboard combination.

Tuesday Game Reviews [November 29, 2005, 10:19 am ET] - Post a Comment

Tuesday Hardware Reviews [November 29, 2005, 10:19 am ET] - Post a Comment

etc. [November 29, 2005, 10:19 am ET] - 11 Comments

Out of the Blue [November 29, 2005, 10:18 am ET] - 47 Comments

The curtain is about to fall on the final act in the saga of our Thanksgiving leftovers. We'll make a quick trip to my dad's to share the last of the turkey salad and bestow a gift of the last of the gravy, which would just go to waste if we kept it.

Gravy Links! Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
Stories: C.S. Lewis opposed screen 'Narnia'.
Town erects world's first Bruce Lee statue.
Go Ahead, Call In Sick -- It Prevents 'Presenteeism' (registration required).
Science: Born A Couch? Potato Each Persons' Activity Level Appears Intrinsic, Possibly Tied To Genetics.
Poisonings From a Popular Pain Reliever Are on the Rise (registration required).
Experiment Gives Illusion of That Shrinking Feeling (registration required).
Media: Thermite for teh win!
The Mad Scientist.
Follow-up: Testing: With Decaf, Lose the Jitters, but Gain the Gunk? Registration required.



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