February 2002
Thursday, February 28, 2002
Jedi Knight II Chat Tomorrow....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:42 AM MST Thursday, February 28, 2002 [Comment on news]
Games Domain will be hosting an online chat on Friday with Raven Software's Steve Raffel, Kevin Schilder and Kenn Hoekstra, and Activision's Graham Fuchs as they talk about their upcoming first person action game Star Wars: Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast. The chat will begin at 1 p.m. EST and requires a free registration to Games Domain's chat system.
HL Desert Crisis Patches....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:38 AM MST Thursday, February 28, 2002 [Comment on news]
The Desert Crisis mod for Half-Life has been updated with newer versions of both the client and server files that will address some issues identified since the initial release.
Serious Sam: The Second Encounter Review....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:22 AM MST Thursday, February 28, 2002 [Comment on news]
The Adrenaline Vault has posted a review of Serious Sam: The Second Encounter. Here's a snip from the conclusion:"With Serious Sam: The Second Encounter being a new episode in the saga, it's important to recognize from the outset that this release is more like an add-on pack than a full-fledged standalone sequel. Taking the best elements of first-person shooters that preceded it, what we have here is a magnificent homage to the genre rather than an attempt to introduce significant novelty or redefine its boundaries. Explicitly rejecting the recent intellectually demanding twists in first-person shooters injecting complicated storylines or subtle stealth, this new offering returns us to the classic arcade roots of combat action with equal quality evident in single-player and multiplayer modes. Insistent on taking a lighthearted approach to the action rather than a hyper-realistic attempt to immerse you in a convincing real-world setting, this title succeeds in drawing you as far away from the constraints of real-life as possible. Clearly superior to its predecessor, with bigger environments, more weapons and enemies, and improved graphics, Serious Sam: The Second Encounter is more than worth the bargain bin asking price it commands. Despite its very minor limitations, this is about as close to pure, silly fun as you will find on the personal computer."
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:18 AM MST Thursday, February 28, 2002 [Comment on news]
Shacknews has posted an article on Counter-Strike: Condition Zero from a recent visit to Gearbox's offices. Here's a snip:"There are actually 3 different modes that you can play each map on, Narrative Mode, Endurance Mode, and Challenge Mode. Each one offering different types of objectives to complete. Challenge mode will probably appeal the most to the hardcore CS players. There are some other twists on some modes, for example one particular hostage map the CT’s actually get to the hostages first."
Wednesday, February 27, 2002
Intel to Drop Rambus in New CPU Products....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 4:50 PM MST Wednesday, February 27, 2002 [Comment on news]
EBNews.com is reporting that Intel has future plans to drop all support for Rambus technology and go with DDR SDRAM. Here's a snip from the announcement:Intel Corp. in the second half of this year will drop its final Direct Rambus DRAMs support in new computer products, it was learned Tuesday at the Intel Developers Forum.
The last RDRAMs used in Xeon workstations will be replaced by new chipsets supporting double data rate (DDR memory).
An Intel workstation roadmap secured by EBN showed a Placer chipset with DDR SDRAMs for dual processor Xeon workstations, and a Granite Bay DDR chipset for uniprocessor Xeon workstations. They will replace the Intel 860 workstationchipset using RDRAM and Intel 850 with RDRAM.
The new Prestonia Xeon processor for servers introduced in January already uses DDR memory, supported either by Intel's own E7500 Plumas chipset or a third party vendor chipset from ServerWorks, Santa Clara, Calif. Intel's desktop and notebook lines since last year have virtually dropped RDRAM in favor of single data rate SDRAM or in January going to DDR memory as well.
Intel will continue using Direct Rambus memory with its network processors. Also, although not new products, the next iterations of its 850 and 860 chipsets, supporting a 533MHz front-side, will support RDRAM when they arrive, probably in the second half of this year.
But when the next generation of workstation DDR chipsets arrive, it will mark the end of a long and torturous episode when Intel tried to mandate Direct Rambus as the next generation memory for the PC and workstation markets.
OS-Free PCs ??....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 4:45 PM MST Wednesday, February 27, 2002 [Comment on news]
GameSpy is "Plugged into PlanetHardware" with an article where they take a look at Walmart.com and the fact that they're planning to sell PCs cheap, without an installed OS or monitor. Here's a snip:The big question for Wal-Mart's experiment will be "why?" Wal-Mart is certainly not the biggest player in the computer sales industry, but its large presence overall seems to indicate that Wal-Mart seeks to attract a new crowd of customers. While most consumers prefer a no-hassle, pre-configured computer solution, tech-oriented consumers may prefer a more configurable one.
By offering PCs without operating systems, the user can decide themselves which operating system to use. Free operating system supporters may find this to be beneficial as the cost for a Windows operating system license will not be included in the purchase price of the computer. Software pirates may also find Walmart.com's system offerings to be helpful by using a pirated copy of Windows in lieu of a pre-installed license. The OS-less PCs will also provide an excellent way for consumers to carry licenses from dead or unused PCs over to less antiquated hardware.
NOLF2 Screenshots....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 4:38 PM MST Wednesday, February 27, 2002 [Comment on news]
NOLF News has word that there are nine new No One Lives Forever 2 screenshots on German site GameStar.de.
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin Q&A....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:25 AM MST Wednesday, February 27, 2002 [Comment on news]
ELiTeD has posted a Hitman 2: Silent Assassin Q&A where they talk with IO Interactive's Thor Frølich, an artist on the upcoming contract killing sequel. They discuss changes and new features being added to the follow-up, how they are utilizing feedback about the original game, impact of the first-person mode, the ongoing use of stealth and disguise, new weapons, the cast of characters, the reworked engine, music, and more.
PlanetSluggo - Vol. 3....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:20 AM MST Wednesday, February 27, 2002 [Comment on news]
3DAction Planet has posted their weekly column called PlanetSluggo, where "GameSpy's Man of Action" looks at the release of Renegade, previews IGI, and... reviews Jedi Outcast. Check it out!
[Mornin' Mocha]....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:17 AM MST Wednesday, February 27, 2002 [Comment on news]
I don't know about all of you, but I'm SICK OF WINTER! The sun has been shining lately which is a good thing, but it's cold. It kind of fools you into thinking it's warm with as brightly as it is shining, but fooled you'll be if you think that! The days are getting longer finally so I know we don't have too long to wait now. Bring on the heat!!
Tuesday, February 26, 2002
Hidden and Dangerous II ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:40 AM MST Tuesday, February 26, 2002 [Comment on news]
The official website of Hidden and Dangerous II, Illusion Softworks' upcoming shooter sequel, was updated with the list of the weapons available in the game including the parameters for each of the weapons. Hidden and Dangerous 2 will feature improved single-player gameplay with the same mechanics of Hidden & Dangerous, impressive graphics supported by the LS3D engine, improved animations of the characters, tons of weapons and cars, and nine styles of massive multiplayer. Check it out!
Renegade Dedicated Server....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:33 AM MST Tuesday, February 26, 2002 [Comment on news]
Westwood's ftp server has a dedicated server for Command & Conquer Renegade. This 42.0 MB server is the first beta release, requires Windows NT, 2000 or XP, and includes everything needed to run the game's five multiplayer maps in stand-alone mode.
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin Preview....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:30 AM MST Tuesday, February 26, 2002 [Comment on news]
GameSpot has posted a preview of Hitman 2: Silent Assassin based on a recent hands-on experience. Here's a nibblet:"...For those who don't know, the game takes place several years after the events of Hitman: Codename 47. Your character has resigned himself to a life of gardening in a Sicilian monastery. On a daily basis, the hitman confesses his life's sins to the priest who's taken him in, but otherwise he leads an uninteresting life--that is, until the priest is kidnapped by the Italian mafia. Determined to save his friend, the hitman reactivates himself with the "agency," and his first self-imposed mission is to break into the local mob boss's house in an attempt to rescue the abducted priest."
GeForce4 Performance with the Pentium III....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:26 AM MST Tuesday, February 26, 2002 [Comment on news]
FiringSquad has posted an article for those of you wondering how the GeForce 4 might perform with the Pentium III. Here's a snip from their intro:"Ealier this month we took a look at the GeForce4 on a high end AMD Athlon XP processor. While this article was very informative for those of you who insist on having the latest and greatest hardware, gamers with older processors were left wondering how significant of an impact a video card upgrade would bring to their gaming experience. For those gamers, today we've taken a look at the GeForce4 with older Pentium III-equipped systems at 700MHz and 1GHz. End users with anything below 600MHz should probably consider a processor upgrade as their top priority for the most enjoyable gaming experience."
[Mornin' Mocha]....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:21 AM MST Tuesday, February 26, 2002 [Comment on news]
Seems as though our taste of Spring here in Utah is no longer. We've had really cold winds blowing the past couple of days that'll really chill you through. Last week it was in the 50s.... :o( Anyway, all is well and things are returning to "normal" with all of the Olympic mayhem gone. Hope all is well with you too.
Monday, February 25, 2002
TECH TECH....
Posted by
[luckee] @ 1:54 PM MST Monday, February 25, 2002 [Comment on news]
Today’s Hardware Stuff. Here’s a snip:
Breed Movie ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:47 AM MST Monday, February 25, 2002 [Comment on news]
The official Breed web site has posted up a new Breed movie which shows off some shadowing and lighting for the engine in Brat Design's upcoming sci-fi action game. This DivX movie is about 7MB and has just over 30 seconds of in-game footage.
CPL Summer Championship Registration ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:42 AM MST Monday, February 25, 2002 [Comment on news]
Registration for The CPL’s summer event begins today and it looks like some small changes have been made. Here's the word from their official site:"The CPL online registration for the Summer Championship will be launched in the afternoon of Monday, February 25, as previously announced.
Participating teams should be aware of an important change: one person can no longer register an entire team, each member has to register individually. A team is only confirmed when at least 5 members are registered.
The tournament registration will close in 45 days and incomplete teams will be deleted from the system (admissions are non-refundable). At that point, completed teams that are on the waiting list will be confirmed in chronological order, based on registration date.
We urge competitors to act quickly and get their spots reserved for the two main tournaments. Teams that have obtained an auto-berth, or are seeking one, must still register and pay admission.
BYOC will be smaller to accommodate other activities. Once the BYOC spots are taken, only 50 people will be added to the BYOC waiting list.
The CPL will announce the other planned event activities in March."
Tribes 2 Arena ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:35 AM MST Monday, February 25, 2002 [Comment on news]
The Tribes 2 Arena mod for TRIBES 2 is now available, offering team-oriented last man standing gameplay in the manner of Rocket Arena. Version 1.0 features three team support, support for HUD scripts to show scores, and more. Here's some info:"Arena is a gametype mod for Tribes 2. Gameplay is similar to team deathmatch. The game is organized into rounds which end when all the teams but one have been eliminated. Unlike team deathmatch, when players are killed they're placed in observer mode until the end of the round.
No client download is required to play arena. However, like base Tribes 2, some maps use custom terrains which must be installed from outside the game. There are also clientside scripts available which add helpful, but not required, features."
Operation Flashpoint: Resistance Q&A ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:31 AM MST Monday, February 25, 2002 [Comment on news]
Tiscali Games has posted a Q&A with Viktor Bocan, Chief Designer on Operation Flashpoint: Resistance, the expansion pack to Bohemia Interactive's modern warfare sim. Here's a nibblet:TG: Can you tell us what we can look forward to getting from Resistance expansion pack?
Two major improvements can be clearly identified just in the press release. It is a new campaign and a new island. The topic of the campaign is a resistance against invaders and it should bring quite a new approach to the Flashpoint. We simply tried to exploit the possibilities of the game at the maximum level and to create the campaign where individual missions are closely linked to each other and the role of player in the position of a commander is very important. Moreover, in order to let the players, who just like pure action, enjoy this game, we plan to include several individual missions independent of the story. We hope to satisfy almost everybody. The new island is larger then the old ones and I would say more varied. Since the campaign does not use the whole area of the island there are many new places where the game fans can place their custom missions.
Painkiller Interview ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:26 AM MST Monday, February 25, 2002 [Comment on news]
HomeLan has posted an interview with People Can Fly's Project Diretor, Adrian Chmielarz, where they talk about their upcoming horror-action title Painkiller. Here's a taste:HomeLAN - How did the idea for Painkiller come about?
Adrian Chmielarz - First, we all love first person shooters. I mean, looooove. We are Quakeworld and Unreal Tournament aficionados. There is even one individual who plays Deus Ex online, yes sir! We think we know what differs a good FPS from bad FPS, so it was a clear choice for us for our new project. Second, we knew we wanted to have inhuman enemies. Demons, vampires, banshees, zombie, warlords, etc. Third, we though it'd be fun to put those evil creatures in present times and fighting them with conventional weapons. If you count the rocket launcher as conventional weapon, anyway...
DoD 2.0 Review....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:20 AM MST Monday, February 25, 2002 [Comment on news]
3DAction Planet has posted a review of Day of Defeat 2.0. Here's a snip:"One of the top three most played mods for Half-Life, Day of Defeat (DoD) offers something different for the Team Fortress or Counter-Strike enthusiast. In the latest release, v2.0, there has been something of a design makeover -- with a completely new hud, a new recoil system, new weapons and even more great maps, as well as new environmental effects such as fog, rain and smoke. The changes are most definitely an improvement -- you'll spend the first ten minutes just gawking at eye candy, not even death will phase you. After all, it is just another chance to see that awesome tank again!"
[Mornin' Mocha]....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:17 AM MST Monday, February 25, 2002 [Comment on news]
The winter Olympics are officially over as of last night and the closing ceremony was climaxed by a beautiful fireworks display. There were 12 locations in the foothills of the Salt Lake valley that were shooting off the fireworks with some 9,500+ shells exploding into the night sky. What a sight it was! I'm sad to see the games end as it has all been a lot of fun as well as the most successful games for the U.S.A. to date! We came into these games with the aspirations to earn a record 20 medals and far exceeded that goal earning 34! Congratulations to everyone!
(Photo courtesy of ksl.com)
Sunday, February 24, 2002
Today’s Hardware Stuff ....
Posted by
[luckee] @ 1:32 PM MST Sunday, February 24, 2002 [Comment on news]
- TekSector reviews the 601 Full Tower Server Case.
- OC's Club reviews the Li 70 case.
- LivePC checks out the GeForce4MX 440 3dcard.
- OC'r Cafe is giving away a great package.
- They also review the Mobile Hard Drive Rack.
- IANAG reviews the Heatspreaders.
- G3D reviews the Thermaltake Active Memory Cooling Kit.
- They also review the Titan Alarm Cable.
- HWExtreme checks out the EasyDisk Removable USB Hard Disk.
- HWPub is giving away a M762A Dual AMD MP with Coolermaster HSF.
- 3DGameMan reviews the ATI All In Wonder Radeon 7500.
- 3DVelocity reviews the eVGA Geforce4 MX440 video card.
- ClubOC checks out the Zeus Silver Mid-Tower Case.
- AmdMB reviews the ECS K7S6A motherboard.
- PCStats reviews the VIA P4XB-RA P4X266A Motherboard.
- Dan checks out the Lian Li PC-45 and PC60 cases.
- SubZeroTech reviews the Thermalright AX-7 HSF.
- MGON reviews the Belkin N50 speedpad.
- SLCentral reviews the Thermaltake Crystal Orb.
- OCWB reviews the Shuttle AK35GTR.
- OC'r Cafe reviews the Global Win TAK68 cooler.
- HotHardware checks out the Compex Wireless Capable Gateway.
- TweakTown reviews the Antec SX1240 Full Tower Case.
- TechAngel has a guide to setting up a home network.
- HardwareZone reviews the Gigabyte GA-7DXR motherboard.
- G3D reviews the Tweakmonster Tin-coated Fan Bracket.
- PCStats checks out some PC3000 DDR366 SDRAM.
- XtremeTek reviews the BackUp MyPC software.
- TweakersAU reviews the 60GB External FireWire HDD.
- XtremePCUK reviews the CoolerMaster ATCS 210 case.
- IPKonfig reviews the Kingmax 256MB TinyBGA PC2400 DDR memory.
- ViperLair reviews the Thermaltake Tiny Fin P4 cooler.
- BenchHouse checks out the Intel Celeron Tualatin based CPU.
SOF2: Double Helix Skinning Contest ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 11:01 AM MST Sunday, February 24, 2002 [Comment on news]
Activision has posted news of a Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix skinning contest where you can win a chance at having your creation included in the multiplayer portion of the commercial release of the game.
True Matrix TC for Max Payne....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:55 AM MST Sunday, February 24, 2002 [Comment on news]
FilePlanet has posted a file called True Matrix Total Conversion, programed by EvilMonkey. Here's what the description says it is:The True Matrix TC for Max Payne converts this popular game into The Matrix, complete with new weapons, characters, and music from the hit film.
You can grab it here.
Urban Terror Updated....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:44 AM MST Sunday, February 24, 2002 [Comment on news]
The Urban Terror website has posted a new beta version 2.5 of the Urban Terror mod for Q3A. This release addresses a problem with the new team skins code and the "999" problem with bots, reduces lag-producing server traffic, and more.
Postal 2 Interview ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:40 AM MST Sunday, February 24, 2002 [Comment on news]
HomeLan has posted an interview with Running With Scissors’s CEO Vince Desi to find out more about Postal 2. Here's a snip:HomeLAN - What gameplay elements are you planning to put into Postal 2 that you think are unique and important?
Vince Desi - We're heavily concentrating on character AI and Special Effects and Weapons, and I don't mean just pretty shit, I'm talking stuff that will make gameplay outrageous.
[Mornin' Mocha]....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:34 AM MST Sunday, February 24, 2002 [Comment on news]
Saturday's four-man bobsleigh final finished with USA I earning the silver medal and USA II earning the bronze. Prior to Saturday, the United States had not won a men's bobsleigh medal in nearly half a century, dating back to the 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo Games. Way to go guys!
(Photo courtesy of saltlake2002.com)
Saturday, February 23, 2002
Does Gore Have It's Place?....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:58 AM MST Saturday, February 23, 2002 [Comment on news]
3DActionPlanet has posted an article called Does Gore Have It's Place where they take a look into the gaming industry and if games really need gore and flying body parts to be good. Here's a snip:That's right, we're not talking about the city or the ex-Vice President, but that red stuff that gets flinged everywhere when people (or aliens, monsters and assorted hellspawn) are hurt. When I hear 'gore' in relation to games, my mind immediately goes to Soldier of Fortune. This game must be know world-wide for its liberal use of graphical violence - skulls cleaved by .44 caliber Magnum rounds, legs severed by shotgun blasts, bad guys cooked to death by microwave guns.
Desert Siege Preview ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:55 AM MST Saturday, February 23, 2002 [Comment on news]
LoadedInc has posted a preview of the upcoming expansion for Red Storm's tactical shooter Ghost Recon, Desert Siege. The preview covers the two missions included with the preview sent by Ubi Soft.
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault SDK....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:50 AM MST Saturday, February 23, 2002 [Comment on news]
AlliedAssault.com posted a bit of news on the Medal of Honor: Allied Assault SDK, based on an e-mail they received from EA. You can check it out here.
Action Half-Life Updated....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:56 AM MST Saturday, February 23, 2002 [Comment on news]
Beta 5 of the Action Half-Life mod has been released and it has a bunch of fixes and changes. The Windows version of the mod is a 90MB download and the Linux version is a 94MB download.
[Mornin' Mocha]....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:41 AM MST Saturday, February 23, 2002 [Comment on news]
Sorry about the lack of an update yesterday... I was off playing at the Olympics with some friends. The games are almost over with competition wrapping up tomorrow afternoon. I'm going to miss all the banners and decorations everywhere, though I think they'll be displayed until the paralympics have ended. This shot is a pre-dawn view of Salt Lake... Don't you love that horizon?
(Photo courtesy of ksl.com)
Thursday, February 21, 2002
Games Elevate Hate to Next Level ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:54 AM MST Thursday, February 21, 2002 [Comment on news]
There's a disturbing story on Wired.com detailing the use of first-person shooters as a means to promote hate and hate crimes against non-white races. Here's a snip to get your blood boiling:The proliferation of so-called "white power games," which can be bought or downloaded online, is part of a larger strategy by extremists to recruit younger members, said Abraham Foxman, the national director of the ADL (Anti-Defamation League). "These games use modern technology to seduce young people who are attracted and addicted to games, into bigotry, prejudice and anti-Semitism," Foxman said. "They piggyback on the popularity of games and are a perversion of a well-meaning entertainment vehicle."
What the hell's up with that? You can catch the rest here.
Painkiller Teaser....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:50 AM MST Thursday, February 21, 2002 [Comment on news]
The official People Can Fly web site has posted up a Flash teaser trailer showing off Painkiller, their upcoming first person shooter. Painkiller was originally being developed by Lemon Interactive but is now being created by a new company made up of former Lemon team members. (Spotted on HomeLanFed.com)
Team Factor Site ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:46 AM MST Thursday, February 21, 2002 [Comment on news]
7fx has launched a new German language Team Factor web site with info and screenshots from their upcoming multiplayer-oriented fps. The site also has the first ever movie trailer showing off the game in action. They also have a countdown timer on the site indicating a playable demo will be released March 12.
Tactical Ops: Assault on Terror Interview ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:38 AM MST Thursday, February 21, 2002 [Comment on news]
PC.IGN.com has posted an interview on Tactical Ops: Assault on Terror, where they talk to Laurent Delayen of Kamehan Studios and Infogrames Producer Rafael Currulla. Topics include the change from mod team to development studio, the changes and improvements they're working on for the retail game, future plans for the free mod, what the single-player campaign will be like, and more.
Battlefield 1942 Preview ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:34 AM MST Thursday, February 21, 2002 [Comment on news]
GameSpot has posted a preview of Digital Illusions' Battlefield 1942. Here's a snip on the different character classes that can be played:Battlefield 1942 is primarily a multiplayer game, and as you'd expect, you'll choose to play as either an Axis or an Allied soldier. Each side has five different classes, or "kits," as they're called in the game. Despite their unique name, these kits--scout, assault, anti-tank, medic, and engineer--basically function like classes that you might be familiar with from other games, except for the fact that they all share the same movement speed. Each of these classes either has a unique ability or carries a unique weapon. The assault class, for example, is unique because he can carry the most grenades. The scout is the only class that carries a sniper rifle and has the ability to call indirect artillery onto any location on the map simply by using his binoculars--essentially, anyone manning an artillery unit will be able to see what the scout sees. The medic, naturally, can heal teammates, while the anti-tank class is the only soldier capable of carrying a rocket launcher. The last class, the engineer, can place land mines under and detpacks onto any vehicle in the game, and he also carries a monkey wrench that can fix any damaged vehicles.
Jedi Knotes #7....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:32 AM MST Thursday, February 21, 2002 [Comment on news]
The official Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast site has posted the seventh Jedi Knotes article where they cover the development of their Q3A-powered shooter. This edition is authored by Project Administrator, Kenn Hoekstra.
[Mornin' Mocha]....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:28 AM MST Thursday, February 21, 2002 [Comment on news]
Our U.S. athletes are on fire! Coming into these games the record number of medals won by the U.S.A. in any winter Olympics was 13. The team had their sights set on 20, feeling that would be quite an accomplishment to reach. Well, they not only reached 20, but they're currently standing at 26 with 4 days of competition left... way to go U.S.A.!!
(Photo courtesy of kodak.com)
Wednesday, February 20, 2002
Hitman 2 Media....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:48 AM MST Wednesday, February 20, 2002 [Comment on news]
The official Hitman 2 website has been updated with a pair of new weapon screenshots, four new character renders (including a "ninja sniper"), screenshots from the Sicily and Japan locations, and some downloadable wallpaper.
Incoming Forces Screenshots....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:44 AM MST Wednesday, February 20, 2002 [Comment on news]
PC Pointer.de has posted five new Incoming Forces screenshots, that show off the 3D action game by Rage Software. Check 'em out!
New Rocket Duel....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:42 AM MST Wednesday, February 20, 2002 [Comment on news]
A new version 1.2 of the Rocket Duel modification for Quake III Arena is now available.
PlanetSluggo - Vol. 2....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:36 AM MST Wednesday, February 20, 2002 [Comment on news]
GameSpy's Man of Action(TM) shares his thoughts on the world of action games. This week he looks at Global Operations and State of Emergency, pays a visit to Westwood for the Renegade Mod College, and looks at the "unappreciated multiplayer genius" of Codename: Eagle.
[Mornin' Mocha]....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:34 AM MST Wednesday, February 20, 2002 [Comment on news]
U.S. bobsledders win gold! Congratulations go out to those U.S. women bobsledders!! What an exciting turn of events... see it doesn't always pay to be the team in the spotlight! These games continue to have many "firsts" with this being the most substantial one yet. Here's a picture of those awesome women coming across the finish line.
(Photo courtesy of msnbc.com)
Tuesday, February 19, 2002
QuakeCon 2002 Announced....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 4:47 PM MST Tuesday, February 19, 2002 [Comment on news]
The dates for this year's giant id Software-sponsored LAN-fest, QuakeCon 2002, have been announced. The event will be held in the Mesquite Convention Center and Exhibit Hall at the Hampton Inn in Mesquite, TX, from August 15-18. Among the many planned festivities are tournaments in both Quake III Arena and Return to Castle Wolfenstein. You can grab all the details here.
IGI2: Covert Strike Interview ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 4:44 PM MST Tuesday, February 19, 2002 [Comment on news]
Loadedinc has posted an interview with managing director of Innerloop, Henning Rokling, where they talk about IGI2 as well a bit about the original Project IGI. Check it out!
Aliens Vs. Predator 2 Patches ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 4:42 PM MST Tuesday, February 19, 2002 [Comment on news]
Sierra has released new patches for Aliens Vs. Predator 2 for download from their patch ftp server, bringing the English, German, French, Italian and Spanish editions of Monolith's three-way first-person shooter to version 1.0.9.4. The files require a 6.4 MB download each, and this release addresses a pair of gameplay problems, adds the Queen and the Exosuit to multiplayer, adds new chat-line commands, makes some multiplayer improvements, and fixes over a dozen bugs as listed in the included Readme file.
OpFlashpoint Expansion Pack Details ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:23 AM MST Tuesday, February 19, 2002 [Comment on news]
While its common knowledge that an expansion pack for the first person military shooter Operation: Flashpoint is in the works, today the game's publisher Codemasters sent out a press release with the first real details on the product. The expansion is called Operation Flashpoint: Resistance and is set on a new island years before the events of the first game. The press release is promising new weapons, vehicles, high resolution textures and a revamped network code for the expansion which is due for release in June. Here is a snip:Operation Flashpoint: Resistance casts the player as Victor Troska, an experienced ex-Special Forces militia soldier. Having turned his back on his military past, Troska has settled into a respectable civilian life on the island of Nogova*, a short distance from the original game’s three islands. However, his situation changes when the Soviet force invades the island group and destroys Troska's idyllic dreams.
Reluctant at first to return to a conflict situation, he is forced to participate in, and then lead, the ramshackle Resistance effort, which grows up in response to the Soviet occupation of the island.
C&C Renegade Interview....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:21 AM MST Tuesday, February 19, 2002 [Comment on news]
Computer and Video Games has posted up an interview with Westwood Studios co-founder Louis Castle as he talks about their upcoming first person shooter Command and Conquer Renegade. Here's a snip:Do you think Renegade will appeal to Command & Conquer RTS fans as much as FPS fans?
Louis: It's probably not the most popular thing to say but I will say it: with Renegade we are aiming at our Command & Conquer customers. We built this game for them, we designed it because of input from them, and it's always been about those players. We recognise that a lot of those people like action games, although having said that a lot of them have said that they don't like current first-person action games because they're just too hard - that's why we have difficulty levels and a multiplayer mode that rewards teamplay. What we didn't expect though was a bunch of guys around the office who are Counter-Strike freaks to fire up a Renegade multiplayer server every night instead. Every day there's a Renegade server up and running. We're really happy if FPS fans go nuts about it, but the ultimate goal was to bring Command & Conquer players into the action world.
HalfLife: Desert Crisis Released....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:18 AM MST Tuesday, February 19, 2002 [Comment on news]
The first public release of Desert Crisis is now available for download. There's also a mirror on FilePlanet. Here's a bit for those of you not familiar with what Desert Crisis is all about:Desert Crisis is a mod set in the near future, so there is a mix of modern weaponry (such as Desert Eagles and MP5's) and futuristic weapons (such as laser sniper rifles and plasma cannons). Desert Crisis features a modular objective system which gives the mappers _TOTAL_ freedom. They can link objectives as well, so you could, for example, shoot the VIP and take his briefcase. It is totally up to the mapper, they can even specify if they want rounds or not. The objective system also works with Half-Life's trigger system, so events can be triggered by the objectives. For example, you could capture the flag, and buildings could explode, it is totally up to the mapper.
The mod also features a character selection system similar to old-school paper RPGs. You choose your body-type, weapons, and perks (such as extra adrenaline, nightvision and so on). This way, your character is a reflection of your playing style. Also, not only can you customize how your character is equipped, but how he LOOKS as well. DC features a unique character customization system wherein you can pick skin color, accessories (hats, hair, glasses, etc.). There are literally THOUSANDS of possible combinations. This mod will be one of the first games where you can recognize someone by how they look, not just the name at the bottom of the screen.
GeForce 4 Titanium 4600 Review ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:12 AM MST Tuesday, February 19, 2002 [Comment on news]
EuroGamer has posted a review of the GeForce 4 Titanium 4600. Here's a snip:"NVIDIA’s GeForce 4 Titanium 4600 (or NV25) may have started life as one of the worst kept secrets in the hardware industry, but now it’s on the market it easily steals the crown for top video card from its sibling the GeForce 3 Titanium 500 and relegates competing cards to the ranks of also-rans. You can argue about the futility of the naming convention all you want, but in terms of raw power the Ti4600 boasts a 300MHz GPU and 128Mb of the fastest memory, clocked at 650MHz. Some card manufacturers – Gainward is one – have squeezed even more out of the chip, ramping up those clock speeds to improve performance."
Unreal II Q&A....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:07 AM MST Tuesday, February 19, 2002 [Comment on news]
Hypothermia has posted an Unreal II Q&A where they talk with Aaron Leiby of Legend Entertainment about their work on the upcoming sequel to Epic Games' first fps. Topics include his role in the game's production, what will set Unreal II apart, pressure to live up to the previous successes of the Unreal franchise, changes they've made to the game engine, and more.
Gabe Newell Interview....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:05 AM MST Tuesday, February 19, 2002 [Comment on news]
Trepidation Software has posted an interview with Managing Director at Valve Software, Gabe Newell. Here's a tidbit on who Gabe is for those who do not know:"I'm Gabe Newell, and I'm the Managing Director at Valve. I co-founded the company with Mike Harrington, who has since retired to build a boat and sail around the world. I picked the title Managing Director because I felt silly calling myself CEO or President when there were only four of us."
C&C Renegade MP Demo Review....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:00 AM MST Tuesday, February 19, 2002 [Comment on news]
3DAction Planet has posted a review of the C&C Renegade MP Demo that was released last week. Here's a snip:"So, what's all the excitement about? Renegade, quite simply, is a blast. The "Command & Conquer" game mode offered in the demo is everything strategy purists could have hoped for, and everything hardcore action gamers demand. It's fast-paced, refreshingly unique, balanced beyond belief, and addictive as hell. The full retail version will include traditional deathmatch and team deathmatch, as well as versions of capture the flag and last-man-standing, but the new C&C mode will no doubt be the true beauty of Renegade."
[Mornin' Mocha]....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:33 AM MST Tuesday, February 19, 2002 [Comment on news]
Wow what a day yesterday! Finally got to experience the mayhem that is the Olympics... don't know how many miles I walked yesterday, but I'm sure it was plenty as I arrived downtown just before 1:00 p.m. and left at 11:45 p.m. Didn't ding myself too bad in the wallet either I must say. In fact, I had such a good time I just may go back a time or two before the whole thing ends on Sunday. Here's a shot of the Salt Lake Ice Center, more commonly known as the Delta Center, at dusk yesterday.
(Photo courtesy of KSL.com)
Monday, February 18, 2002
RTCW "Mapper Resource Center"....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 7:47 AM MST Monday, February 18, 2002 [Comment on news]
I found a website this morning that I hadn't been to before, it's called nib's Mapper Resource Center. Pretty good site for those of you looking to create your own maps for Return to Castle Wolfenstein. Check it out!
Threewave CTF Interview....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 7:35 AM MST Monday, February 18, 2002 [Comment on news]
TheMushroom.com has posted a "where are they now" article where they chat with David "Zoid" Kirsch from Threewave CTF. Here's a snip:6: CTF has become one of the mainstays behind multiplayer gaming. What do you view as the "next step"? Will multiplayer gaming always be about protecting a "flag"?
Goal orientated teamplay based games are certainly here to stay. Counterstrike is a good example of that. I think any multiplayer focused action games will have some sort of goal orientated teamplay included just because it's expected and its fun.
If I knew what the next step was going to be, I'd be working on it already!
C&C: Renegade Demo Patch....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 7:15 AM MST Monday, February 18, 2002 [Comment on news]
Westwood has released a patch for the Command & Conquer: Renegade multiplayer demo. Here are some of the things fixed: 1. The Renegade Demo will automatically detect and set your bandwidth
2. Contraints have been created to ensure appropriate server bandwidth
3. Added a command to report important performance values
4. Found and removed some memory leaks that were affecting server performance
5. Miscellaneous bug fixes and improved server stability
[Mornin' Mocha]....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 7:09 AM MST Monday, February 18, 2002 [Comment on news]
It's President's Day here in the U.S. and it looks like today's my day to get in the mix at Olympic Square, and after seeing all the people on the news I'm wondering if I've lost my mind. Oh well, one day of massive crowds shouldn't be too much to handle. I'm actually looking forward to it, it should be a lot of fun... now if I can keep from spending too much money! :o)
Today's shot is a skater overlooking the Medals Plaza Stadium in Downtown Salt Lake City.
(Photo courtesy of KSL.com)
Sunday, February 17, 2002
Mod Developers Week....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:22 AM MST Sunday, February 17, 2002 [Comment on news]
GameSpy is wrapping up their Mod Developers Week series with a visit to Westwood's "Mod College." Here's what it's about:"Last Friday, Westwood took the next step in the evolution of developer support by holding a "Mod College" at their headquarters in Las Vegas, NV. Developers from 11 mod teams were flown in from points all over the world to take part in a full day of tutorials and Q&A surrounding the ins and outs of the capabilities of the new engine Westwood created for their latest game, C&C: Renegade. For many of the developers, it was a great learning experience and an encouraging sign from an established developer. More than that, however, it was a trip they'd never forget."
Serious Boot Beta 2....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:16 AM MST Sunday, February 17, 2002 [Comment on news]
Beta 2 of the Serious Boot bot mod for Serious Sam: The Second Encounter has been released. You can grab it here.
Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza Delayed....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:12 AM MST Sunday, February 17, 2002 [Comment on news]
Computer and Video Games is reporting that Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza has been delayed. The article states Piranha Games is "making further improvements to enemy AI and character animations." You can read it all here.
Medal of Honor Interview....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:07 AM MST Sunday, February 17, 2002 [Comment on news]
PlanetMedalOfHonor has posted an interview with Jerry "Powzer" Keehan, who is now a level designer over at Ritual, but is formerly of 2015. They talk about his personal contributions to MOH:AA and more. Here's a snip:Skidrowpunk: Now, you were in the American Air Force. Jumping from the Military to the game industry is something you wouldn’t expect, how welcome was that change?
Jerry: You would be surprised at how many people in the game industry have spent time in the military. One major thing you learn in the military is: teamwork. A game development team is the epitomy of teamwork. So, looking back, I suppose the military was probably great preparation.
On Renegade Problems....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:57 AM MST Sunday, February 17, 2002 [Comment on news]
Westwood has posted up a page with tips for running the Command & Conquer Renegade demo, showing how to filter out non-dedicated servers, and emphasizing the amount of bandwidth required to run servers for various numbers of players. Also, Westwood's official forums for C&C: Renegade, has a post from Dan Cermak regarding a patch in the works that will hopefully solve the lag problems. Here's what he had to say: I wanted to get on and update you on the issues related to the demo. The problems are not with the game, they are with the upstream bandwidth of many of the impromptu servers. We did not properly constrain who could set up a server so immediately there were over a hundred servers that did not meet bandwidth requirements and this provided an unacceptable gaming experience. We are currently working on a patch that will autodetect whether you can host a game and also tell you the max number of people we recommend for your game. Each host will be required to be a dedicated server as well. We worked late into the night to get this corrected and expect to have a new demo and a patch up today. Be assured that the problem is not in the network code or in the game, we simply did not set enough limits in reqards to who could host the game. I apologize for any problems or issues this may have caused. In addition we are going to set up some more servers on site that meet bandwidth requirements.
[Mornin' Mocha]....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:48 AM MST Sunday, February 17, 2002 [Comment on news]
People keep coming to Olympic Square... people and more people. So many people in fact that last night they were discouraging people from going downtown... "go to Washington Square or the Gallivan Plaza" they said, so concerned in fact they had it posted on the freeway information signs. Up to two hour waits were in store for Olympic festivity-goers with only those holding tickets to venues moving to the front of the line. Wow... people.... Here's a glimpse of one of the things they'll see...the Olympic towers, in Olympic Square, with lights beaming into the night sky.
(Photo courtesy of KSL.com)
Saturday, February 16, 2002
Mod Developers Week....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:53 AM MST Saturday, February 16, 2002 [Comment on news]
It's Counter-Strike and Tactical Ops in this installment of GameSpy's Mod Week. Check 'em out!
Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix Movie....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:48 AM MST Saturday, February 16, 2002 [Comment on news]
PC.ign.com has posted a SOF2 movie. The glance this time comes in the form of a minute long video showing off all kinds of action. You get a good look at the collision detection and animation, the foliage in outdoor levels, a bunch of different weapons, infrared vision, and more than a little bit of exploding and body parts flying around. You can check it out here.
C&C Renegade Demo....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:45 AM MST Saturday, February 16, 2002 [Comment on news]
Electronic Arts and Westwood have released a multiplayer-only demo version of their Command & Conquer themed first person shooter, Renegade. Weighing in at just under 90Mb, the demo includes one map supporting the C&C teamplay mode, which essentially throws you into the middle of a real-time strategy game where all of the units are real players running and driving around the map. Included are 28 characters, 23 weapons and 11 vehicles, which should be enough to keep any Command & Conquer fan happy. The only downside is that apparently the demo must be played using GameSpy Arcade. Here are some mirrors:
Project IGI 2: Covert Strike First Look ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:28 AM MST Saturday, February 16, 2002 [Comment on news]
3DAction Planet has posted a first look at Project IGI 2: Covert Strike. Here's a snip:The story begins where it left off in Project IGI: I’m Going In. In the sequel, you remain in the role of an agent working for an organization called IGI. His name is David Jones. Your job will to prevent international terrorism and take out the bad guys. All in a day’s work, right? The main focus of the game will be the network or arms technology traded on the black market. Missions will take place on a global scale through Russia, across Libya and into China. That isn’t all. Plot twists will occur throughout the game not just at the beginning and end of missions, but during the actual missions as well.
[Mornin' Mocha]....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:08 AM MST Saturday, February 16, 2002 [Comment on news]
Okay so things are still pluggin' along. Not a whole lot of gaming news so far today, so here's another picture of downtown. This picture is overlooking the medals plaza and the nightly fireworks display.
(Photo courtesy of KSL.com)
Luckee's Hardware Stuff....
Posted by
[luckee] @ 4:16 AM MST Saturday, February 16, 2002 [Comment on news]
Today’s Hardware Stuff. Here’s a snip:
Friday, February 15, 2002
Jedi Knight II Preview....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:53 AM MST Friday, February 15, 2002 [Comment on news]
Computer and Video Games has posted a new Jedi Knight II preview over where they take a look at the upcoming first person shooter from Raven Software and LucasArts. Here's a taste:"...The plot of JK2 is loosely based upon Star Wars novels covering events proceeding Return Of The Jedi, and, of course JK and Mysteries Of The Sith. So, without getting bogged down in history, let's just say that ex-Jedi, Kyle Katarn is back and must relearn how to use The Force (how can you forget how to use something like that?) in order to eliminate one of the most menacing threats the galaxy has faced.
In other words it's business as usual with hordes of Stormtroopers and a whole cacophony of strange beasts to blast, annihilate, disseminate and destroy in as many ways as you can possibly think of during 24 levels of futuristic, FPS brutality..."
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:50 AM MST Friday, February 15, 2002 [Comment on news]
EuroGamer has posted an article on the recent London press event about the launch of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault. The article features quotes from EA producer Rick Giolito and the game's military consultant Dale Dye.
Mod Developers Week....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:25 AM MST Friday, February 15, 2002 [Comment on news]
It's Vampire Slayer for Half-Life and the Dragonball-Z-style Bid for Power for Quake 3 in this installment of GameSpy's Mod Week. Check 'em out!
UK Medal of Honor Patch....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:17 AM MST Friday, February 15, 2002 [Comment on news]
Coinciding with the game's release in that country, Electronic Arts has released the UK version 1.10 patch for Medal of Honor: Allied Assault for download from FilePlanet, bringing it in sync with the US edition. The 14.7 MB download includes an in-game GameSpy server browser, multiplayer cheat protection, enchanced dedicated server control, and networking improvements.
[Mornin' Mocha]....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:10 AM MST Friday, February 15, 2002 [Comment on news]
One full week of Olympic competition is under our belts and it has been quite a ride. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves and taking part in the festivities. I think some of my favorite things are still the banners on the buildings downtown. Pretty cool to be driving down the street headed straight for a larger than life downhill skier.
(Photo courtesy of KSL.com)
Thursday, February 14, 2002
Battlefield: 1942 Q&A ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 1:59 PM MST Thursday, February 14, 2002 [Comment on news]
GameSpyDaily has posted a Q&A where they talk with Lars Gustavsson, Romain de Waubert de Genlis, and Johan Persson of Digital Illusions about their upcoming World War II tactical shooter Battlefield: 1942. They talk about the different operable vehicles, the five classes (down from the original planned six), graphics, and more.
Chaser Screenshots....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 1:56 PM MST Thursday, February 14, 2002 [Comment on news]
There are four new screenshots of Chaser on German site PC Pointer.de, showing more from the futuristic first-person shooter in the works at Slovakian developer Cauldron.
Mod Developers Week....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:57 AM MST Thursday, February 14, 2002 [Comment on news]
Today on GameSpy they continue Mod Developers Week where they look at Weapons Factory Arena and SAS - Into the Lion's Den.
The Perfect Game....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:48 AM MST Thursday, February 14, 2002 [Comment on news]
3DAction Planet has posted an editorial/article today called The Perfect Game where they offer a rebuttal to Monday's RTCW vs. MoH:AA editorial. Here's a snip:"It's a common outcry: "If we could just get a game that combined everything good about Game A and Game B, then that would be THE PERFECT GAME." But while that sounds like a good plan, it goes against everything Lee'Mon knows about game design..."
[Mornin' Mocha]....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 7:39 AM MST Thursday, February 14, 2002 [Comment on news]
Happy Valentine's Day! The Olympics continue to be an exciting event and the people of the world are discovering how beautiful Utah is. Here's a shot that will support that statement. The view is from KSL news' Chopper 5 as it hovers over I-80 Monday morning, in the distance you can see the lights of the Salt Lake valley.
(Photo courtesy of KSL.com)
Wednesday, February 13, 2002
Today's Hardware Stuff....
Posted by
[luckee] @ 1:19 PM MST Wednesday, February 13, 2002 [Comment on news]
Today’s Hardware Stuff. Here’s a snip:
4-Way GeForce4 MX Shootout....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:47 AM MST Wednesday, February 13, 2002 [Comment on news]
GamePC has posted a 4-Way GeForce4 MX Shootout. Here's their intro to get you started:"nVidia recently launched the GeForce4 series of graphics processors at a rather large press event in San Francisco just less than one week ago. At the event, there was an obvious emphasis on the top of the line GeForce4 Titanium series being the latest and greatest on the market. While the Titanium is sure to impress those looking for the highest frame rates, no matter what the cost, nVidia knows that not everyone is willing to pay $400 for a graphics board. Thus, nVidia has taken many of the GeForce4 specific features and driven them down the budget graphics market. The GeForce4 MX was born."
Mod Developers Week....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:44 AM MST Wednesday, February 13, 2002 [Comment on news]
Today on GameSpy they continue Mod Developers Week where they look at Poke646 & Kung-Fu Max Payne.
MOH:AA Screensaver....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:39 AM MST Wednesday, February 13, 2002 [Comment on news]
EA's Medal of Honor: Allied Assault website now offers downloads of a screensaver based on the World War II shooter.
CPL Summer Championship Announced....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:37 AM MST Wednesday, February 13, 2002 [Comment on news]
The Cyberathlete Professional League has posted notice of a tournament scheduled to take place this summer. The five-day CPL Summer Championship event will take place Saturday, July 13 to Wednesday, July 17, 2002 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, in downtown Dallas, Texas. You can catch all of the details here.
PlanetSluggo - Vol 1....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:33 AM MST Wednesday, February 13, 2002 [Comment on news]
GameSpy's Man of Action(TM) shares his thoughts on the world of action games in a new weekly column at 3DAction Planet. Check it out!
[Mornin' Mocha]....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:31 AM MST Wednesday, February 13, 2002 [Comment on news]
Our US athletes continue their quest to beat their medal record of 13 in the winter games and they are well on their way. As of yesterday's competitions, the US leads the medal count with 9. Way to go U.S.A.! Here's a shot of the torch for ya.
(Photo courtesy of ksl.com)
Tuesday, February 12, 2002
Project 3 Buys Termite....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 6:40 PM MST Tuesday, February 12, 2002 [Comment on news]
Dutch publisher Project 3 Interactive has announced that they have taken over the Swedish development house Termite Games. Termite has been developing the tactical shooter New World Order. Here's a snip from Project 3 CEO Robert Ercevic:"We already considered Termite to be a very talented team, so when the opportunity arose for this take over, we moved in very quickly. They have really created a revolutionary 3D engine and with New World Order as the first game being made with it, we think the FPS community will be absolutely amazed. We are just thrilled they're now part of us and look forward to bringing their superb technology and games to various gaming platforms for years to come."
Cube - An OpenGL FPS Game Engine....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:46 AM MST Tuesday, February 12, 2002 [Comment on news]
OpenGL.org has posted word of "Cube - an OpenGL first-person shooter game engine." Here's a description: Landscape-style engine that pretends to be an indoor first person shooter engine. Combines very high precision dynamic occlusion culling with a form of geometric mipmapping on the whole world for dynamic LOD for configurable fps & graphic detail on most machines. Uses OpenGL & SDL.
Allows in-engine editing of geometry in full 3D (you fly around the map, point / drag stuff to select it / modify it), which can even be done with multiple people at once (a first!). Has simplistic but effective fine grain vertex lighting that looks like lightmapping and can do dynamic lights & shadows. Doesn't need any kind of map precompilation, even lighting is done on the fly. Has very simplistic quad-tree world structure that can do slopes (heightfields with caps) and slants, does decent collision detection & physics, has client/server networking that goes a long way in giving a lag-free game experience, and features a Doom/Quake-style singleplayer & multiplayer deathmatch game with some uncompromising brutal oldskool gameplay.
Most of the engine design is targeted at reaching feature richness through simplicity of structure and brute force, rather than finely tuned complexity.
SOF2 Sound Interview....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:43 AM MST Tuesday, February 12, 2002 [Comment on news]
PlanetSolider has posted an interview with Raven's Sound Designer Zachary Quarles, who is currently at work on Soldier of Fortune 2: Double Helix. Here's a nibblet:PS: When you are making a sound for a gun, do you listen to recordings of fired guns or do you go yourself to listen first hand?
ZQ: It depends on if I can actually get somewhere to hear the actual weapon...it's a bit difficult to go to a firing range to listen to a grenade launcher - so in these cases I do a bit of research and listen to several different reference-based recordings, talk to people that have had contact with them (this is where someone like Mr. John Mullins comes in handy! :) and try to come up with something from there.
Serious Sam 2 Walkthrough....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:38 AM MST Tuesday, February 12, 2002 [Comment on news]
GamingGroove has posted an in-depth walkthrough of Croteam's shooter -- Serious Sam: The Second Encounter. Check it out!
Mod Developer's Week....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:36 AM MST Tuesday, February 12, 2002 [Comment on news]
GameSpy continues their week long look at the people behind "the most popular mods in the universe." Today they take a look at Day of Defeat for Half-Life and Alliance for Quake 3.
Games to take on a life of their own....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:27 AM MST Tuesday, February 12, 2002 [Comment on news]
BBC News has posted an article called Games to take on a life of their own, where they take a look at AI in games. Here's a snip:Video games of the future could have characters with almost human intelligence, capable of understanding and acting on your commands.
Scientists from King's College in London are working on enabling computers to understand, speak, learn and eventually, think.
They have created a technology called the Language Acquisition Device (LAD) which emulates the functions of the brain's frontal lobes where humans process language and emotion.
Radeon & Half-Life....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:15 AM MST Tuesday, February 12, 2002 [Comment on news]
Radeon and Radeon 7500 Technical Support Rage3D Discussion Area has word on how Radeon users having framerate woes in Half-Life with the latest drivers can easily overcome the problem.
[Mornin' Mocha]....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 7:20 AM MST Tuesday, February 12, 2002 [Comment on news]
Wow... you gotta love those US Snowboarders! What a site it was to see three US athletes on the podium sweeping the medals in the halfpipe event. Here's a snapshot of our gold medalist Ross Powers getting some huge air.
(Photo courtesy of slc2002.com)
Monday, February 11, 2002
Unreal Tournament 2 Weapons Preview ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 2:22 PM MST Monday, February 11, 2002 [Comment on news]
Unreal Ops has posted a preview of the weapons in Digital Extremes' upcoming first person shooter- Unreal Tournament 2. Check it out!
Hitman 2 Interview ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 2:16 PM MST Monday, February 11, 2002 [Comment on news]
Computer & Video Games has posted an interview with IO Interactive's Thor Frølich about Hitman 2 where they discuss the new first person mode, the mid-mission save feature, the game engine, and more.
Mod Developer's Week....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 2:07 PM MST Monday, February 11, 2002 [Comment on news]
GameSpy has started a 12 part series of interviews with mod teams of "the best FPS mods available." Today's interviews are:
Whatever Happened To .. Originality ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 1:59 PM MST Monday, February 11, 2002 [Comment on news]
EuroGamer has posted a short article/editorial today called Whatever Happened To .. Originality. Here's a taste to get you going:"..., it's hard to deny that the gaming industry has lost a certain je ne sais quoi in its rise from the realm of bedroom programmers to multi-billion dollar corporations, particularly in the last few years. Sometimes it seems that all we get are sequels, sports games and licensed tat. When was the last time you saw a genuinely innovative game? Whatever happened to originality?"
Hitman 2 Soundtrack Interview....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 1:52 PM MST Monday, February 11, 2002 [Comment on news]
GameSpyDaily has posted an interview with Nano Studios' Jesper Kyd, the composer of several game soundtracks including Hitman and Hitman 2. There are also two mp3s from the Hitman2 soundtrack, the title music and the setup music. Here's a nibblet:GameSpyDaily: What's the most difficult part of composing game music?
Jesper: This aspect changes constantly, but in general once you are inspired to the max, the music writes itself. There are difficult aspects in each score you write. I try to push myself a little further and experiment with many different elements, based on what type of score and atmosphere is needed.
I am a firm believer that music has to be original and turn heads. I try to include elements in my music that have not been heard much before. The Hitman2 score includes orchestral music mixed with synths and drum machines.
[Afternoon Mocha]....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 1:47 PM MST Monday, February 11, 2002 [Comment on news]
Sorry about the late update today, I've been ultra busy this morning. For today's Olympic tidbit I decided to post a picture from Snowbasin. Here's a snip to go with it:Olympic competitors may exceed 75 mph on "Grizzly", the men's Olympic downhill course at Snowbasin. The course is named for a legendary bear that roamed the area between 1911 and 1923.
If any of you watched the men's downhill competition yesterday, you know this course isn't forgiving of any mistakes.
(Photo courtesy of Kodak.com)
Sunday, February 10, 2002
Updated Cheating-Death....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:53 AM MST Sunday, February 10, 2002 [Comment on news]
There's an update to the Half-Life anti-cheat program Cheating-Death. The new version 0.9 now offers full support for Day of Defeat 2.0, Oz 2.5 and the Firearms mod. It also adds more cheats to the list it currently disables. Some of the new features included are: -Added system tray support.
-Fixed sound problems.
-Added code to check for lag cheats.
-Added code to check for speed cheats.
-Added code to check for colored models.
-Added support for DoD 2.0, Oz 2.5, and FireArms mods.
Instagib: SE....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:39 AM MST Sunday, February 10, 2002 [Comment on news]
