November 2000

Mafia Week Continues at Gamespot UK....
Posted by [Lefty 2 Guns] @ 1:26 PM MST Thursday, November 30, 2000 [Comment on news]
While Mafia week continues at Gamespot Uk, they have added part three to their preview of the upcoming game Mafia. Today's installment includes the ability to use over 60 cars. Here's a bit from day three, "While the game is mission based, the player will be free to wander at will, either on foot or behind the wheel of a hot motor. Whether you are out for a joyride in a Ford Model T, or shipping moonshine in the back of a four-axle truck, the key is not to jump the lights. The beat cops are very keen to stamp out any kind of traffic infringement and if jumping the lights attracts their attention you can imagine the effect a bloody orgy of tommy-gun inspired violence will have on the boys in blue." (More @ the Source: gamespot.co.uk)

Interview: Zero-G Marines....
Posted by [Lefty 2 Guns] @ 1:11 PM MST Thursday, November 30, 2000 [Comment on news]
Today, both the single and multiplayer experience in a game must be top notch. Our development philosophy is that the single player experience must be compelling, so that it is natural that the player will want to play the game online and use the skills that they have acquired against human opponents. Since a majority of the missions will involve the use of squad-mates, we have taken the philosophy that your AI teammates should be intelligent enough that you do not need to give them orders if you don't want to. If you do, there will be sets of basic orders (go to, attack, guard, retreat, etc) that can be given to individuals or groups. Bots will also be available for multiplayer. (More @ the Source: dailytelefrag.com)

Interview: Red Faction....
Posted by [Lefty 2 Guns] @ 1:06 PM MST Thursday, November 30, 2000 [Comment on news]
In Red Faction the player assumes the role of Parker, a young miner swept up in a rebellion against his employer, the oppressive Ultor Corp. Driven to action by deplorable working conditions and a mysterious illness sweeping through their ranks, the rebels clash with Ultor and Parker finds himself thrust into a battle which takes him all over Mars and beyond. It is an action-packed story with several twists and fantastic character development that will really enrich the single-player experience of the game. (More @ the Source: actiontrip.com)

More Warcraft 3....
Posted by [Lefty 2 Guns] @ 12:48 PM MST Thursday, November 30, 2000 [Comment on news]
Another good preview of Warcraft 3 has been posted at Computer Games Online. Here's a taste, "Few strategy games have made the move to 3D with any measure of success; usually, it just adds to the complexity of the control scheme. The more you make the player responsible for finding the proper angles to view the game, the tougher it is to play. Seeing everything in motion the move to 3D makes perfect sense—we're talking some damn cool graphics here, with the Orcs moving into battle poses and swinging their axes. Blizzard's never been known for cutting edge graphics, but this may change with WarCraft III." (More @ the Source: cdmag.com)

Elite Force Patch Details ....
Posted by [Gush] @ 10:33 AM MST Thursday, November 30, 2000 [Comment on news]
James Monroe, lead programmer on the first-person shooter, Elite Force, has updated his .plan with news that the game’s next patch should be out before this Sat. Since the programming is complete, all that remains is to confirm that the patch will function with all released languages -- there will be one download for all languages. Monroe sent the Adrenaline Vault this list of the included repairs:

* Eradicated the dreaded turret bug that causes teammates to fire at the gamer
* Changed solo game's render mode so that the lights do not deepen on G400s
* Fixed scripting errors that allowed people to crash the cinematics with grenades
* Added game controller option to treat the axis as binary Fixed problems when the framerate dipped below ten, such as the cinematics not ending

Giants Bonus Levels....
Posted by [Gush] @ 10:25 AM MST Thursday, November 30, 2000 [Comment on news]
Although the game has just barely gone gold, Interplay is offering a free disk of bonus levels for those who pre-order the game from Interplay's web site.

AvP Levels....
Posted by [Gush] @ 10:16 AM MST Thursday, November 30, 2000 [Comment on news]
The two AVP Gold levels that Fox Interactive promised us have been released at AVPNews.com. You can get the new levels in a 5.5 meg download or you can also get all eight of the free levels that are available in a 20.3 meg glup.

Secret documents reveal Nvidia's next screaming chip design ....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:53 AM MST Thursday, November 30, 2000 [Comment on news]
According to the document, the chip's performance will depend on the application it is running on. In environments where there are low detail scenes (large triangles, simple geometry, hardly any depth) the NV20 is only twice as fast as the previous Geforce 2 Ultra. The difference in performance grows however with the complexity of the 3D scene (multitude of small triangles, very complex geometry, a lot of depth). (More @ the Source: zdnet.co.uk)

MechWarrior 4: Vengeance....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:38 AM MST Thursday, November 30, 2000 [Comment on news]
But the improvements in the graphics are worth the price of admission alone. Never have the 'Mechs looked this good. I should say rather that there's a kind of rough and dirty 'Mech look that I don't really find attractive, but it's certainly done well regardless of what you think of the style. The 'Mechs are also pretty easy to identify from a distance (although the targeting computer will tell you what you're targeting anyway). (More @ the Source: pc.ign.com)

The Tech Zone's Christmas Wish List....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:13 AM MST Thursday, November 30, 2000 [Comment on news]
Well, it's about that that time of year again. The guys at the TechZone have come up with their wish list for this holiday season. Here's a clip:"With Christmas rolling around the bend, we all sit wondering what to give and what we hope to receive. Maybe you have an idea for a gift , but no sure about what to get. I’m sure The Tech Zone can help you, with the array of these techie's toys, surely you’ll find what your looking for". (More @ the Source: thetechzone.com)

A Little Taste of Venom....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:02 AM MST Thursday, November 30, 2000 [Comment on news]
Games have long been dominated by North American development companies -- id Software, Epic Games, and most other US-based developers have always been at the top of the charts in the gaming world. Next year should see a change to that, however, as some very impressive products begin to come out of East Europe, a place not often known as a haven of technology. (More @ the Source: 3dactionplanet.com)

Do Gamers Really Want Online Consoles?....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 12:56 AM MST Thursday, November 30, 2000 [Comment on news]
. Of course, I'm not saying multiplayer games have just started; in fact, multiplayer options have always existed since the dawn of consoles. The first videogame created was a multiplayer game, but it's only today's generation of games that are getting most of the attention on this aspect of gameplay. A perfect example for this would be the many who are booing Sony's PlayStation2 because it doesn't have 4 controller ports on the front - even if Sony said they were making a multi-tap adapter for it. All the next generation consoles are coming out with 4 controller ports. By next generation consoles, I mean Nintendo's GameCube and Microsoft's Xbox. (More @ the Source: gameaddicts.net)

NOLF confirmed for PlayStation 2....
Posted by [NewsStaff] @ 5:00 PM MST Wednesday, November 29, 2000 [Comment on news]
From what we've been told by Fox reps in the UK this morning, the PlayStation 2 version of spoof spy first-person shooter No-One Lives Forever will be a straight port of the recently released PC outing. The game takes a similar slant and tone to the Austin Powers movies. Oh behave, etc.Players will have to work their way through various spoof locations in an effort to thwart the powers of evil with your exploding lipstick. You get the sort of level this is at. No release date has been confirmed by Fox for the shooter other than "sometime 2001". We'll have more in the near-future. (More @ the Source: computerandvideogames.com)

Review: Hitman: Codename 47....
Posted by [Lefty 2 Guns] @ 1:10 PM MST Wednesday, November 29, 2000 [Comment on news]
Daily Radar has posted a review of Eidos' new third person hitman for hire game, they gave it a direct hit. Here is a sample of the review, "So why bother playing a game with so many problems? Because Hitman: Codename 47 is just so damn cool. There are few other titles that have this game's sense of style and stealth. From the anonymous hitman's bald dome with mysterious bar code to the quiet assassinations in Chinese restaurants with silenced Berettas or piano wire, Hitman is like taking part in your own Luc Besson film." (More @ the Source: dailyradar.com)

Mafia Week At Gamespot UK....
Posted by [Lefty 2 Guns] @ 12:43 PM MST Wednesday, November 29, 2000 [Comment on news]
As part of their Mafia week, Gamespot UK has posted part 2 of their interview with lead designer Daniel Vavra. Here is a taste, "Our biggest challenge was not to abuse the main gangster theme and concept by making some stupid first-person shooter, where plasma rifles are exchanged by Tommy guns and sci fi textures by red bricks. We have concentrated on the story, atmosphere of the environments and very variable playability." (More @ the Source: gamespot.co.uk)

Battlesuit MK1 Interview Part 2 @ Stomped....
Posted by [NewsStaff] @ 10:27 AM MST Wednesday, November 29, 2000 [Comment on news]
On Tuesday, fellow CNET Gamecenter.com member PC Shooter revealed in an interview with its chief financial officer Choco Sunny that secret game for the first time publicly as Battlesuit MK1, a multiplayer oriented title which combined elements of giant robot gameplay with some first person shooter features. Stomped decided to find out more about Battlesuit MK1 and contacted its CEO Tim Morten for an interview. (More @ the Source: stomped.com)

GameGirlz Features: Debunking the Myth ....
Posted by [NewsStaff] @ 10:21 AM MST Wednesday, November 29, 2000 [Comment on news]
"Being a girl gamer is fun. For those who don't know much about girl gamers, let me start this editorial off with a rather simple concept - we're just like guy gamers (except we're girls). Since moving my passion for gaming to an online venue, I can say that experience has taught me that girl gamers are usually portrayed as anything but what they really are; women from all walks of life who just happen to enjoy sitting down, relaxing with rocket launcher in hand and having fun gaming online." (More @ the Source: gamegirlz.com)

The Grinch For All You Q3A Fans Out There! ....
Posted by [NewsStaff] @ 10:17 AM MST Wednesday, November 29, 2000 [Comment on news]
Ahh the Grinch. A storybook character of legendary proportions here in the USA. If you are outside the country you might not enjoy his charm just yet. Given the live action movie recently released might help with that fact though. In any case, I'm a happy camper with this model. I give this one a good endorsement for the Q3 fans out there. (More @ the Source: planetquake.com)

Weekly CPU Prices....
Posted by [NewsStaff] @ 9:59 AM MST Wednesday, November 29, 2000 [Comment on news]
These prices are for the "OEM" versions of the chips, also referred to as "tray" or non-retail, which are typically 10 to 15% cheaper than their retail or boxed counterparts. OEM CPUs usually do not come equipped with a heat sink or fan. They also usually come with a weak warranty, often in the range of 15-30 days. That is enough time for you to burn-in your CPU and make sure it's ok. It is extremely rare for a CPU to fail after surviving a five-day burn-in. (More @ the Source: sharkyextreme.com)

Not the Alice You Remember....
Posted by [NewsStaff] @ 9:56 AM MST Wednesday, November 29, 2000 [Comment on news]
The true vision of Lewis Carroll's Wonderland is a far cry from the candy-coated Disney film. The original text was rife with parody, satire, and an exceedingly dark and sinister world that teased the imagination while confusing the senses. Wonderland was much more a nightmare than a simple dream. (More @ the Source: gamers.com)

Gunman Chronicles Review....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 8:42 AM MST Wednesday, November 29, 2000 [Comment on news]
During this "training session" you find out that it is five years after the Battle of Banzure Prime. You are Major Archer, (I wonder if you’re related to Kate Archer from No One Lives Forever ) the one who gave the order to retreat from that battle in which the beloved General died. You have been given new mission orders, to take your men and investigate a suspicious signal coming from a remote jungle planet. Once you land on this planet something goes terribly wrong. What you thought was dead five years ago has come back to get revenge, and this is when the real fun begins.....(More @ the Source: pcshooter)

Genre Breeding....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:57 AM MST Wednesday, November 29, 2000 [Comment on news]
Perhaps it's time for the old supports to crumble and make way for genre unity. Imagine a game that employs a sort of entertainment decathlon strategy, in which you'll pilot a plane, pilot a 'Mech, swing for the fences, do some first-person shooting, map out a battle plan, answer trivia questions, make family friends, slay giant spiders, and so on all under the scope of a single title. Says Dr. Street, "I think we will continue to see more of [such titles] as fans look for a way to stitch together a bunch of standalone games into something longer and more meaningful that they can invest in emotionally." Such products would offer something for everybody — an attractive prospect for developers, publishers, and gamers alike. (More @ the Source: pc.ign.com)

NOLF & GeForce Cards ....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:52 AM MST Wednesday, November 29, 2000 [Comment on news]
This is for all you Geforce users out there ( Like myself ) its for if your having lockups, or NOLF just crashes on you. It was written by Ghost over at the nolfnews forums, so props goes out to him for writting it. But before you go on reading below make sure you follow the guidelines when setting up NOLF because i've also heard of some people trying to the High Detail NOLF with a p2 300mhz or so. So I urge you to set your settings based one what the Game says: (More @ the Source: nolfworld.com)

In Defense of the id Game....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:48 AM MST Wednesday, November 29, 2000 [Comment on news]
In a rebuttal to yesterday's editorial, Lee'Mon, from PlanetQuake, examines the love/hate relationship many gamers have between id Software technology and id Software games. Grey Loki's editorial from yesterday caused quite a stir -- what is your opinion? (More @ the Source: 3dactionplanet.com)

New Aliens vs Predator Levels Tomorrow....
Posted by [NewsStaff] @ 3:16 PM MST Tuesday, November 28, 2000 [Comment on news]
Well, since we've got the news engine back online, alot of people are probably asking "where are the new maps?". Well, the word is that they'll be released tomorrow, so be sure to check back and grab 'em both.I've had a look at the two latest offerings in the series, and here's the lowdown on what they are like:Last StandThis level is set on some sort of alien satellite complex, with architecture vaguely reminiscent of Predator decor. The level itself is composed of one large "X"-shaped central chamber surrounded by a perimeter of open-view corridors (that look out into the blackness of space). Weird pedestals hum at each of the four corridor intersections, whilst at the centre of the map is a strange pulsing orb embedded within claw-like pillars.StorageThis level has a grungy look and feel that will remind many players of Unreal Tournament. It is an oversized warehouse environment with three tiers and - although it's only one very large room - there are plenty of places to duck for cover behind (or snipe if you're a Predator player) such as crates and gantries. (More @ the Source: avpnews.com)

Giants Gold !....
Posted by [NewsStaff] @ 3:01 PM MST Tuesday, November 28, 2000 [Comment on news]
A brief update at Interplay's Giants: Citizen Kabuto site has the news that the game has gone gold (thanks John Donham). As the update is very, very brief, there are no details as to when the game will be available in stores, however most online retailers are saying it will ship on December 7th, and if nothing else, it looks like the game will make that date. (More @ the Source:bluesnews.com)

Interview with David Lasko, Technical Marketing Manager with ATI Technology.....
Posted by [NewsStaff] @ 9:24 AM MST Tuesday, November 28, 2000 [Comment on news]
David: There is a variety of things. One of the goals with this Radeon card was to achieve a minimum level of 32 bit gaming performance. Which means you can play any game available today in 1024 x 768 resolution and 32-bit color. You can play these games at like 60 frames per second on a Radeon 64. So that was kind of the goal. We have no performance drop between the 32 to 16-bit color so there is no reason to play at the lower resolution with less color depth. (More @ the Source: pcshooter.com)

Fallout Tactics Chat! ....
Posted by [NewsStaff] @ 9:18 AM MST Tuesday, November 28, 2000 [Comment on news]
Come join the next Fallout Tactics chat and discuss the universe that will revolutionize the strategy genre! Please join members from the Interplay and MicroForte Fallout Tactics teamand discuss this exciting new strategy game which takes place in the Fallout universe.What: Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel Chat When: December 14, 2000 at 5 p.m. PST Where: http://rpgvault.ign.com/chat/ in channel #ignvault or for fans (and team members) who prefer to use a regular IRC client can connect to host17.webmaster.com, #ignvaultWho will be in attendance from the Fallout Tactics Team: Chris Taylor - Senior Designer Tony Oakden - Producer Ed Orman - Lead Game Designer Karl Burdack - Lead Programmer Parrish Rodgers - Lead Artist

Battlesuit MK1 Interview....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 8:46 AM MST Tuesday, November 28, 2000 [Comment on news]
Check out This interview for the new up and coming FPS game from Savage Entertainment. Here's a little preview: Choco: All of our backgrounds were out of Activision where we had worked on Mech 2. After that we worked on Heavy Gear and Heavy Gear 2, so what we wanted to do was take that giant robot combat experience and marry it with a little bit more of an action shooter type sensibility. So what you have here is our take on that with the battlesuits and two major modifications to giant robot gameplay; the ability to get in and out of your battlesuit and a sort of a Tribes-like experience with capture the flag gameplay and fixed-in-place stuff that you can get into and out of with a lot more strategic gameplay. (More @ the Source: pcshooter)

Fallout Tactics Concept Art....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 8:41 AM MST Tuesday, November 28, 2000 [Comment on news]
There images below are concept art images from the upcoming Interplay title - Fallout Tactics. (More @ the Source: xgr.com)

What is the Annihilator 2 Ultra? ....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:41 AM MST Tuesday, November 28, 2000 [Comment on news]
The good old Ultra, with a 250MHz core clock matched to 230MHz DDR SDRAM (460MHz SDR SDRAM equivalent). The GeForce2 Ultra core is the same as the GeForce2 GTS core, containing four pixel pipelines each capable of rendering one pixel per clock with two textures per pixel. Four pixels per clock at 250MHz gives you a one gigapixel per second fill rate. And at two textures per pixel, we're talking a two gigagtexel per second texel rate. Yeehaw! TSMC's .18 micron GX process is a newer process technology, which apparently enables NVIDIA to push their GeForce2 architecture a bit further than with the GeForce2 GTS. And backing up the blazing fast GPU core is 64MB of 230MHz DDR SDRAM. According to NVIDIA, that is the fastest DDR SDRAM memory available on a consumer product today. With the equivalent of 460MHz memory running on a 128-bit memory bus, the GeForce2 Ultra carries an astounding 7.4 gigabytes per second of memory bandwidth. That is faster than a four-channel PC800 RDRAM system (though a 128-bit RDRAM interface would have 12.8GBps of memory bandwidth). With 64MB of very fast memory, the GeForce2 Ultra is tuned for running at 1600x1200 and beyond. (More @ the Source: sharkyextreme.com)

Budget Video Cards Roundup ....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:38 AM MST Tuesday, November 28, 2000 [Comment on news]
So, with some consideration, we can pick a GeForce2 MX based card as the budget card of choice. Not only does the card shine in T&L intensive games, but it also has strong performance in all the benchmarks. In addition, many GeForce2 MX cards are currently on the market for around $100 or even a bit less. (More @ the Source: anandtech.com)

Ninja Half-Life hmmmmmmm? ....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:32 AM MST Tuesday, November 28, 2000 [Comment on news]
The goal of Ninja Half-Life is to present to the player a unique atmosphere, one without bullet weapons. As taken aback as many of you must be, I am sure, it won't take the fun out of your multiplayer experience. Perhaps it would be fair to say that NHL will be an attempt to combine the action of a Manga film such as Ninja Scroll with the tense atmosphere that comes with multiplayer gaming. Make no mistake however, NHL will not be an Anime mod, it will simply incorporate that type of storyline and atmosphere. (More @ the Source: planethalflife.com)

Video games: Cause for concern?....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:26 AM MST Tuesday, November 28, 2000 [Comment on news]
Huge hype surrounds the launch of each new games console - the Sony Playstation 2 is just the latest. But should parents be worried by their children's passion for virtual play? A recent study of children in their early teens found that almost a third played video games daily, and that - more worryingly - 7% played for at least 30 hours a week. Dr Griffiths is concerned by that figure. He said: "What are the long-term effects of any activity that takes up 30 hours of leisure time a week on the educational, health and social development of children and adolescents?" (More @ the Source: news.bbc.co.uk)

Xitel Force Feedback Headphones....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:23 AM MST Tuesday, November 28, 2000 [Comment on news]
The headphones vibrate in response to the low frequency bass sounds of gunfire and explosions. Included in the box, are the headphones with remote volume & vibration control, 2-AAA batteries, and a 3.5mm to 6.5mm conversion jack. (More @ the Source: onepc.net)

Serious Sam INTERVIEW....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:18 AM MST Tuesday, November 28, 2000 [Comment on news]
Hey, it's not like id, Epic, and Lith are the only ones coding away at 3D FPS worlds… Croteam has risen from relative obscurity (kinda like Arnold Schwartzenneger when he flashed his naked butt in the original Terminator and muttered out 'I'll be BACK') and has gained quite a reputation with the 3D shooter online community. And while Jason Hall and John C. are flexing their stuff and battling over the top spots, Croteam is diligently coding away and patiently waiting for their chance. And judging by the Serious Sam furiously fast single player demo, I think they're on track to achieve their goals and ambitions and even surpass them maybe. (More @ the Source: actiontrip.com)

Preview: Rogue Spear (MAC)....
Posted by [Lefty 2 Guns] @ 12:34 PM MST Monday, November 27, 2000 [Comment on news]
A preview of Rogue Spear has been posted at Mac Gamer for all you Mac users out there. This version is expected out in early December and the preview is great for those of you who haven't played Rogue Spear before. (More @ the Source: macgamer.com)

Take Lara Home Competition....
Posted by [Lefty 2 Guns] @ 12:28 PM MST Monday, November 27, 2000 [Comment on news]
In celebration of Lara Croft's return to gaming in Tomb Raider Chronicles, Eidos Interactive has teamed up with Gamespot and they are giving away Lara goodies. You could win your very own life-size Lara mannequin and a Psion Revo PDA to go with her, or copies of Lara's adventures which are up for grabs as well. (More @ the Source: gamespot.co.uk)

Preview: C&C Renegade....
Posted by [Lefty 2 Guns] @ 12:19 PM MST Monday, November 27, 2000 [Comment on news]
Renegade Online has written up a preview to the upcoming FPS Command and Conquer: Renegade. Here is a bit from the article, "Oh, gee, great, another 3d shooter. My friend, you could not be furthur from the truth. This is not just a shoot-em-up. Unlike the majority of action games on the market, Renegade doesn't have one set path to follow in order to complete a mission. In order to complete mission objectives you can hi-jack a tank and jump right in to the action with blazing guns and fight until the bitter end, or you can stealthily creep around the map, avoiding confrontation, and covertly accomplish your task. Unfortunately estimating Renegades release date would be as easy (and as accurate) as pissing into a thimble a mile away, so we are in for a wait." (More @ the Source: renegade.cncnz.com)

Warcraft 3 Preview....
Posted by [Lefty 2 Guns] @ 12:05 PM MST Monday, November 27, 2000 [Comment on news]
A preview of WarCraft III is up at Firing Squad. Here is a taste of their article. "You can take any skepticism you have about Warcraft 3 not living up to its predecessors and throw it in the trash. Remember the way that Warcraft 1, Warcraft 2, Diablo, and Starcraft blew you away? That probably won't help prepare you for what's to come." (More @ the Source: firingsquad.gamers.com)

Project IGI Gone Gold....
Posted by [Lefty 2 Guns] @ 11:57 AM MST Monday, November 27, 2000 [Comment on news]
According to ProjectIGI.com, the first-person shooter from Eidos Interactive has gone gold and should be hitting store shelves around December 8.

Citizen Kabutos Review....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 8:23 AM MST Monday, November 27, 2000 [Comment on news]
The first (and only mission I will talk about...I hate learning all about a game before it comes out, don't you?) mission has you finding food for one of the locals so he will help you find your friend. In doing so you run into the Sea Reapers. No fear- you and your sidekick (another one of your species that moves and attacks with you) are armed to blast 'em. Then there is Kabuto himself- one mean-ass &#(@. You can tell just from the last batch of screens that this is one guy you don't want to mess with when he's hungry! Finally, your species- Meccaryns (Meccs), have some really neat features like jetpacks, different missiles, deployable turrets, and more. (More @ the Source: xgr.com)

A Look At Project Eden....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:12 AM MST Monday, November 27, 2000 [Comment on news]
In this 1st / 3rd person action / adventure strategic shooter from Core Design and Eidos (the same good people that brought you Tomb Raider), you take control of four members of the UPA (Urban Protection Agency). The UPA's job is to deal with any disturbances that may occur, similar to a police force. Your first objective is to find a group of engineers that went missing in the lower levels and find out what's causing the problems in the Real Meat factory. What you find are a bunch of ugly beasties that don't seem to like humans very much, so you deal with them accordingly. (More @ the Source: 3dactionplanet.com)

What The Heck Is Counter-Strike? hehe....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 3:20 PM MST Sunday, November 26, 2000 [Comment on news]
IN CASE YOU'VE BEEN LIVING under a rock, Counter-Strike started out as a hugely successful modification for Half-Life. The premise is simple: two teams - terrorists and counter-terrorists - battle it out in a series of matches, in which teams either try to accomplish an objective (e.g. planting and detonating a bomb, rescuing hostages, etc) or eliminate the entire enemy team. (More @ the Source: gamespy.com)

Simplicity vs. Complexity....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 3:16 PM MST Sunday, November 26, 2000 [Comment on news]
Do you prefer simple games, the kind that only require you to shoot first and ask questions later? Or do you really get into games that have more depth and require a bit more effort on the part of the gamer to play? Two of our intrepid writers decided to face off on the issue -- Hellchick prefers games that rely solely on action and quick reflexes rather than strategy and tactics, while The Grape is a fan of games with more under the surface. (More @ the Source: 3dactionplanet.com)

Tribes 2 First Impressions....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 3:13 PM MST Sunday, November 26, 2000 [Comment on news]
When first thinking about Tribes 2 one must think back to where it all started. The original Starseige Tribes brought us the first online only squad based combat and immediately proved to be a striking success. Tribes has developed a very strong and loyal community that has patiently sat through delays in the hopes of seeing Tribes 2 take the online community by storm. The community at large has placed a great deal of expectations squarely on Dynamix and Sierra’s shoulders. From this beta preview, it does look like they will definitely be able to deliver the goods. (More @ the Source: mgon.com)

NOLF Walkthrough....
Posted by [Lefty 2 Guns] @ 1:49 PM MST Sunday, November 26, 2000 [Comment on news]
For those of you hardcore gamers who are playing No One Lives Forever at SuperSpy level and need a little help, Gamers Press has posted a walkthrough up to mission nine, but if you're that good you won't need the help, right? (More @ the Source: gamerspress.com)

Gunman Chronicles Review ....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 12:26 PM MST Saturday, November 25, 2000 [Comment on news]
The weapons along make this game one of the best of the year. Here a little gibblet from the review: The biggest change that Gunman offers over Half-Life is the ability to make modifications to the weapons you pick up during the game. Here is a run down of the basic weapons and configurations that are available in Gunman: (More @ the Source: videogamerguy.20m.com)

IGI - I'm Going In Demo Needs Work....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 12:20 PM MST Saturday, November 25, 2000 [Comment on news]

At first glance I was most impressed by the intro 'in-game'movie that was displayed. As I moved through rooms, I got the feeling that I was playing Half-life, the indoor graphics arequite similar. Outdoor graphics are another story, a strange oneif any. Models and objects that were close appeared nice and detailed, while ones in the distance appeared to be pixilated creating havoc with my eyes. These weird graphics made it in some cases really hard to see enemies in the distance. This form of graphic interpolation means that the poly count is lower,allowing for slower, older computers to run IGI without difficulty. The player models are done very well with curvedelbows, and expressive faces, comparable to the ones in NHL 2001.The weapon models were textured and created very well, with the skinning done decently. The highest point was the special effects, with muzzle flash and Unreal-type indoor lighting.

Overall, I consider the graphics of this game to be from apast generation, however this game is brand spanking new -compare these graphics to the ones of Tribes 2. IGI comes acrosslike a game that was meant for last year, with so-so graphics,and gameplay that feels and leans toward console action. After playing the demo I was not entertained and went back to playing Gumman Chronicles.The full version for this game is not out yet, and I would recommend leaving this one on the shelf when it is released. If you want something with a somewhat similar style give Landwarrioror gumman or Rogue Spear a try.

GeForce 2 Ultra Review....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 9:55 AM MST Friday, November 24, 2000 [Comment on news]
When NVIDIA announced the GeForce 2 Ultra, there was some question, mainly due to the price, as to how many companies would actually come out with their own version of the Fastest Card on Earth. It's become apparent in the last few weeks that there indeed seems to be a market for these high-class texel burners, as companies such as ELSA, Hercules, Creative Labs, ASUS, and many lesser knowns have announced Ultra based cards for the retail consumer market. (More @ the Source: riva3d.com)

Red Faction Interview ....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 9:53 AM MST Friday, November 24, 2000 [Comment on news]
PlayNOW! staffers Timothy C. Best and Josh 'Borg' Holmes interrogate two of the men behind the Martian uprising that is Red Faction. It would seem that Red Faction packs some pretty impressive technology as well as quite a story. This might be one uprising that is hard to put down. Find out why... (More @ the Source: playnow.com.au)

Tribes 2 Interview ....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 9:37 AM MST Friday, November 24, 2000 [Comment on news]
Luckee: Is your job basically to guide the Tribes 2 developers to get the game released?Lee: Usually a producer keeps and eye on the development team to keep them on schedule. My job actually has more to do with marketing the game. Whether it be advertising, packaging, print ads, online campaigns, tournaments, promotions or things like that. (More @ the Source: pcshooter.com)

Shop 'Til You Drop ....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 3:05 AM MST Friday, November 24, 2000 [Comment on news]
Shoppers will flood the malls, scour catalogs and click their way onto e-tailer Web sites in record numbers today as the traditional start to the Christmas shopping season kicks off. The hard-to-find Playstation 2 and scooters appear to be this year's hot toys.

Netscape 6 Final Released....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 3:03 AM MST Friday, November 24, 2000 [Comment on news]
Netscape 6 is the revolutionary new browser from Netscape. This page gives an overview of Netscape 6, the browser that CNET called "a mighty impressive app, maybe even an IE killer." More information on Netscape 6 can be found in the departments list on the left, including: A Tour of Netscape 6. Click here to begin. The Netscape 6 data sheet - in depth information. The Netscape 6 Theme Park - Skins that allow you to customize Netscape 6. My Sidebar Central - Find cool tabs or create one for your site. Developer Central - everything you need to create a custom version of Netscape 6. (More @ the Source: netscape.com)

Serious Sam Looks HOT!....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 2:55 AM MST Friday, November 24, 2000 [Comment on news]
Want to relive the golden age of first-person shooters, where spectacular weaponry and incessant enemy incursions ruled? Time to get serious with Sam. (More @ the Source: gamespy.com)

Quake 3: Team Arena Review....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 2:42 AM MST Friday, November 24, 2000 [Comment on news]
Quake 3 Arena (Q3A) was, in my mind, nothing short of a multiplayer masterpiece. It is the definitive deathmatch game. Period. No other game has been able to beat Q3A in terms of sheer deathmatch. The weapons were standard, but accessible. The graphics remain stunning. And the gameplay. The pure sense of speed. The intensity of flying around a map in a frantic rush for survival. However, it was missing one thing. Teamplay. Sure, it had team deathmatch and four capture the flag maps. But not real teamplay. Q3A was designed to be the definitive deathmatch experience, but very little was done with teamplay. And because of this, Unreal Tournament (UT) was given many props in the multiplayer scene for having exceptional teamplay, and Q3A now was facing some real competition. (More @ the Source: 3dactionplanet.com)

NVIDIA Hits The Mobile/Notebook Industry!....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 2:35 AM MST Friday, November 24, 2000 [Comment on news]
Compared to existing mobile graphics processors, GeForce2 Go is three times faster than the nearest competitor and more than 10 times faster than today's mainstream mobile 3D processors. (More @ the Source: 3dgpu.com)

A Hands-On Look at MechWarrior 4....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 2:29 AM MST Friday, November 24, 2000 [Comment on news]
Mechwarrior 4: Vengeance begins with a major offensive on your home planet. Your family has been wiped out but you are spared, having been off fighting for the clans. Your father sends a last letter just before the palace falls telling you that he is proud of you, begging you to stay away and live. Your only other living relative is an uncle who did not participate in the battle. At the beginning of the game, you are reunited with your uncle and he shows you the last video from your father. You begin an offensive against the usurpers -- this is your vengeance.The intro sequence shows you the horror of your planet being invaded. The video is simply amazing -- it really sets the stage for the upcoming battle of good versus evil. Then you begin your missions by taking on small gun emplacements. In other words, you can step on them and they go boom. But the next mission throws a couple of small mechs at you, and the levels ramp up from there. Between missions you get "video mail" from your lancemates, uncle, and other people you are with. They use it to give you hints for battles, hints for which lancemates to use for different scenarios, and other general usage hints. (More @ the Source: 3dactionplanet.com)

Next Generation Graphics Discussion ....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 2:24 AM MST Friday, November 24, 2000 [Comment on news]
With every big player in the consumer 2D/3D graphics/video chip market having released their latest products every single one of us wants to know what the future has in store for us. (More @ the Source: 3dhardware.net)

Weekly Hardware Price Index....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:53 AM MST Thursday, November 23, 2000 [Comment on news]
The Tech Zone and iBuyer.net is pleased to bring you this weekly price index. No need to go searching the net for the best prices on your next piece of hardware. We will be adding more components to this list soon. The guide will be updated every Tuesday. Prices are listed for the date shown. You can always get the latest prices by following the link for the product you're looking for. (More @ the Source: thetechzone.com)

Multiplayer Land Warrior Demo Released ....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:43 AM MST Thursday, November 23, 2000 [Comment on news]
Just in time for the holidays, NovaLogic has released a multiplayer-enabled Delta Force: Land Warrior demo. At 37.2 MB the download is significantly larger than the singleplayer demo, however that's because it contains all the contents of the original demo plus the new multiplayer functionality. (More @ the Source: Bluesnews.com)

Sacrifice Demo ....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:40 AM MST Thursday, November 23, 2000 [Comment on news]
GameSpot is pleased to offer the demo premiere of Sacrifice. The demo offers three tutorial levels and three single player game levels. (More @ the Source: zdnet.com)

The Quake III: Team Arena Demo is Now Available....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:33 AM MST Thursday, November 23, 2000 [Comment on news]
Last year there was this little game released called Quake III: Arena. While it was a small game from a little-known company carrying the moniker id Software, the kids seemed to dig it for a few laughs. Perhaps you've heard of it in underground circles, or maybe you have a cousin who's even played this "shooter" once or twice. (More @ the Source: pc.ign.com)

Mechstock 2000....
Posted by [Lefty 2 Guns] @ 1:27 PM MST Wednesday, November 22, 2000 [Comment on news]
Gamespy recently visited Mechstock 2000 and they have up to date info on the upcoming MechWarrior 4 and MechCommander 2 soon to be released. (More @ the Source: gamespy.com)

Max Payne Rumors....
Posted by [Lefty 2 Guns] @ 1:18 PM MST Wednesday, November 22, 2000 [Comment on news]
The rumors were running wild this morning with the news that Max Payne may be dropped by 3D Realms and Gathering of Developers. Stomped took a few minutes to check in with Mike Wilson over at Gathering, and here is what he had to say: "Max is alive and well, and will be kickin' your ass next year!" So, I guess that takes care of that little rumor...

Obi-Wan Cancelled....
Posted by [Lefty 2 Guns] @ 1:09 PM MST Wednesday, November 22, 2000 [Comment on news]
LucasArts has cancelled their upcoming Star Wars title for the PC, they had this to say concerining the matter, "Following an extensive review of the project and a great deal of deliberation, LucasArts Entertainment Company has ceased development of Star Wars: Obi-Wan for the PC". This cancelation marks a big disappointment for the Star Wars community, to whom this game had been heralded as the sequel to the infinitely successful Jedi Knight. (More @ the Source: eurogamer.net)

PCShooter Under Construction!....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 7:19 AM MST Wednesday, November 22, 2000 [Comment on news]
We are currently revamping our site to work in Netscape as well as IE. Some users have had problems viewing the site using Netscape, so we redesigned the site to work in both browsers. We are working this week to convert our pages over to the new format. Some pages still don't work in Netscape, but by Friday this inconvenience should be resolved.

Interview with Donny Ballman, Game Producer for Drag Racing 2 ....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 7:07 AM MST Wednesday, November 22, 2000 [Comment on news]
"That is something I think is fun about the game. You can just jump in the car and race or you could launch an entire career. You can race every single track that is in the current NHRA season. You can go to funnycar, top fueler, and there are realworld teams in there as well." (More @ the Source: PCShooter.com)

The making of Sacrifice Part 2 ....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 7:01 AM MST Wednesday, November 22, 2000 [Comment on news]
Upon visiting the ATI booth at Comdex, Luckee saw Manjit Jhita, Lead Animator on Sacrifice, playing the game and sat down to chat with him. Here's a little taste: Every creature is made up. I don’t think you’ll see any dragons or trolls or anything else in the game that looks familiar. We kept away from traditional characters because we didn’t want elves and dwarves running around the landscape. (More @ the Source: PCShooter.com)

Aquarius New Upcoming FPS....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 3:24 AM MST Wednesday, November 22, 2000 [Comment on news]
The coolest part of Aquarius is that you can directly control individual units (such as mechs, tanks and aircraft) in combat by entering third- or first-person mode at will. Your own fighting skills are employed to turn the tide of battle. In addition, the game offers "The Strategist," a flexible artificial intelligence that avoids rote tactics. You can select various kinds of opponent behavior (aggressive, conservative, bloodthristy or "completely loco!"). (More @ the Source: 3dactionplanet.com)

Hardware Holiday Buying Guide....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 3:15 AM MST Wednesday, November 22, 2000 [Comment on news]
For some, PC gaming is all about numbers. Not the digitized zeros and ones that fill a CD with content, but the megahertz needed to cram the greatest number of pixels onto the screen while achieving maximum frame rates. These are the users who obsess over bus speed, demand the fastest processor cache, and spend hours reading up on the latest code crunching technologies. (More @ the Source: avault.com)

FPS Holiday Buying Guide....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 3:11 AM MST Wednesday, November 22, 2000 [Comment on news]
Forget about creating a character and fine-tuning his stats during a 200-hour quest for the golden bauble. Toss out the three-inch manuals and brainbusting puzzles. Instead, point, aim and shoot -- hence the reason these titles are perfect targets for social criticism and political rhetoric. (More @ the Source: avault.com)

Early Pentium 4s Had Wrong Code....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 3:04 AM MST Wednesday, November 22, 2000 [Comment on news]
Intel said early shipments of its speedy new Pentium 4 chips to personal computer makers included the wrong piece of software code, though none of the chips reached consumers, the Wall Street Journal reported in its electronic edition Tuesday. (More @ the Source: techtv.com)

Giants : Citizen Kabuto Screenshots ....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 2:57 AM MST Wednesday, November 22, 2000 [Comment on news]
One of the hottest titles of the upcoming season is Giants: Citizen Kabuto from Interplay and Planet Moon...this game looks incredible. I have only been able to play the preview build, which is a couple behind the current status of the game, for about an hour but cannot wait to dive back in. According to the Interplay guys the next preview we get will "completely bake your noodle stir fry style"- so we are definately looking forward to that considering the shots below. We will have another article this holiday weekend about the gameplay of Giants along with some more screenshots (of course!)...Now feast them peepers on these BEAUTIFUL screenies: (More @ the Source: xgr.com)

American McGee's Alice Review....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 2:52 AM MST Wednesday, November 22, 2000 [Comment on news]
Everyone knows that Lewis Carroll's story about wee Alice is slightly less innocuous than the Disney version would purport. Many very cool books, movies, and songs have been written about the more unsavory aspects of Alice in Wonderland and its author. American McGee's Alice takes this approach one step further, developing Alice into a three-dimensional character with a sad history. The player is introduced to Alice through a series of scenes that illustrate the fiery death of her parents, her subsequent mental breakdown, and her own journey to Wonderland, presumably to save its denizens from the evil Queen of Hearts. However, after seeing the way the story develops--which I won't give away here--it becomes clear that this journey is also a way for Alice to deal with the grief and guilt of her parents' deaths. (More @ the Source: happypuppy.com)

Rainbow Six Collector's Edition Ships....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 2:48 AM MST Wednesday, November 22, 2000 [Comment on news]
Due to the amazing success of Red Storm’s Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six series of games, the company is shipping today a Collector’s Edition of the PC franchise just in time for the holidays. The Collector’s Edition contains seven CDs and one compilation Prima strategy guide covering the entire Rainbow Six PC series.

Hitman: Codename 47 Released....
Posted by [Lefty 2 Guns] @ 1:24 PM MST Tuesday, November 21, 2000 [Comment on news]
An announcement from Eidos Interactive states that their 3rd person killer for hire game, Hitman: Codename 47 should hit store shelves today (November 21).

Diablo 2 Expansion Info....
Posted by [Lefty 2 Guns] @ 1:08 PM MST Tuesday, November 21, 2000 [Comment on news]
The staff at Gamers.com recently made a visit to Blizzard Entertainment, and they have posted a preview of the Diablo II Expansion Set based on what they saw there. Included in the preview is detailed information about the storyline, new items, and details about the two new classes that are being added to Diablo II. (More @ the Source: gamers.com)

The Michael Jordan of pro-gaming?....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:01 PM MST Tuesday, November 21, 2000 [Comment on news]
In the ever growing sport of professional gaming, Johnathan "Fatality" Wendel is the most successful competitor in the world right now. In the last twelve months he has won several tournaments, including the Razer-CPL event, the BattleTop Universal Challenge, and the World Cyber Games Challenge. He's only been beaten once this year in a major tournament, has taken home over $80,000 in prize money, and is likely to pick up even more at the Babbages CPL event in Dallas next month. (More @ the Source: eurogamer.net)

Project IGI Demo Released....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 12:40 PM MST Tuesday, November 21, 2000 [Comment on news]
Check out this playable demo of Project IGI offering you a chance to try out this 3D thinker-shooter by Innerloop and Eidos before its scheduled release next month. Playing Jones, an ex-SAS undercover operative, you'll have to infiltrate the enemy base in an attempt to thwart a rogue Russian colonel who is hell-bent on fatally destabilising Europe.As well as an array of fully realised NATO guns and weapons to add to the authenticity, Innerloop's Terraform engine, first seen in Joint Strike Fighter, offers landscapes featuring up to a million square kilometres. (More @ the Source: gamespot.com)

The making of Sacrifice Part 1 of 2....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 8:22 AM MST Tuesday, November 21, 2000 [Comment on news]
Recently while at Comdex Luckee Interviews John Gwen Lead Character Modeler on Sacrifice! John Gwen, Talks about his role in the creation of Sacrifice.(More @ the Source: pcshooter.com)

Are We Having Fun Yet? ....
Posted by [Blood] @ 5:37 AM MST Tuesday, November 21, 2000 [Comment on news]
Carcas gives us a hard hitting look at the aspect we all hate in any FPS game, Camping. We all know players who do it, those who hide in the shadows waiting to snipe those players foolish enough to approach the weapons stash the camper is guarding.

The serpentine labyrinth of narrow maze-like passages opened up into a large,dimly lit room. Candles burned from candelabras all about, barely illuminating the high room of the mammoth room. In the center, the room was dominated by araised section and two elevator shafts that spiraled upwards.

The sniper knew up on the next level was where all the good weapons were,hidden about another small complex of hallways. Without hesitation, he ran up to the elevator and waited for the door to open. The ride up seemed longer than usual and he reflexively dove to the side once the door opened, but no shots rang out. He was the first... forthe full article Click Here

Gunman Chronicles In Stores By Next Week!....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 2:10 AM MST Tuesday, November 21, 2000 [Comment on news]
Sierra Studios and Rewolf Software announced that they have shipped Gunman Chronicles. Developed by Rewolf Software, Gunman Chronicles is set in the western spiral of the galaxy, five years after a horrifying alien infestation. The adventure leads players to four unexplored planets with an amazing variety of habitats for enemies, features 40+ hours of gameplay, new customizable weapons allowing for 32 variations of arsenal, original sound and music, and 30 new monsters to wage heart-stopping battle. In addition, Gunman Chronicles includes multiplayer modes for up to 32 players via LAN and Internet connections.

Sacrifice Is Great!?....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:57 AM MST Tuesday, November 21, 2000 [Comment on news]
Sacrifice does what Battlezone did, only more so. Instead of just combining action and strategy, this is a mixture of strategy, action, role-playing and adventure. The graphics are awe-inspiring, the sound and voice acting way ahead of just about any other game and the gameplay is superbly compelling, but is it 'perfect'? (More @ the Source: gamesdomain.com)

PC Entertainment System Guide....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:50 AM MST Tuesday, November 21, 2000 [Comment on news]
Upon waking up on a bright Saturday morning, a short venture to the home entertainment system for an early movie, and some channel surfing can be an excellent way to start a nice relaxing day. Watching your favorite movie on an ultra crisp viewing screen, with incredibly precise surround sound can turn an ordinary film in to an incredible experience. Unfortunately, few are fortunate enough to have the budget to afford most Home Entertainment Systems. (More @ the Source: speedy3d.com)

TRIBES 2 Interview ....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:48 AM MST Tuesday, November 21, 2000 [Comment on news]
Dynamix producer Dave Georgeson is interviewed on Gamers Depot this morning, talking about (what else?) TRIBES 2. The questions deal with a wide variety of topics, including what hardware the game will take advantage of, how the singleplayer missions will work, what separates it from the competition and lots more. There are also eight new screenshots, taken from the closed beta test. (More @ the Source: bluesnews.com)

Mafia Interview....
Posted by [Lefty 2 Guns] @ 12:13 PM MST Monday, November 20, 2000 [Comment on news]
Have you ever wanted to be a gangster? Kick back in your Zoot suit and pack a Tommy Gun? Well now is your chance! Illusion Softworks is working on the new game Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven that will fulfill all your gangster needs. Pcgameworld has talked with Daniel Vavra, lead designer of Mafia, and they got the goods on this incredible looking title. (More @ the Source: pcgameworld.com)

Interview at Comdex with Travis L. Williams, Senior Producer and Chuck Waveson, Associate Producer, on Giants: Citizen Kabuto ....
Posted by [NewsStaff] @ 12:09 PM MST Monday, November 20, 2000 [Comment on news]
Travis: Actually this was started by Planet Moon, the original developer of MDK, who was started by our subsidiary company Shining. They are the guys doing Sacrifice right now. But the original MDK team went off and started their own company called the Planet Moon Studios, which are the developers of Giants. It really started with Nick Brudy and Bob ??, sorry I can’t remember Bob’s last name. (More @ the Source: pcshooter.com)

Interview at Comdex with Al Peng from AOpen ....
Posted by [NewsStaff] @ 12:08 PM MST Monday, November 20, 2000 [Comment on news]
Actually I guess that AOpen’s focus is for mainstream resellers. One of our specialties is that we can also come up with the strategies to tackle the gamers market out there. AOpen’s DX34 Plus, has the over clocking motherboard with high stability and performance. We are also trying to extend our horizons a little in market segmentation. It also has the ability to have dual processors. (More @ the Source: pcshooter.com)

PC vs. Console....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:09 AM MST Monday, November 20, 2000 [Comment on news]
Ah yes, the age-old battle of PC freaks versus Console trash. "I'm better than you are; no I'm better than you." Aren't you a little tired of listening to both sides arguing over who's the best? Well I am, so I thought that I would do something about it and compare a few of the top games that have been released for both the PC and Console. The Console side will include both the PS2 and Dreamcast. You can call this a head to head match-up, mano y mano battle to the finish for final supremacy. Or maybe you just can't decide whether to pick up Nascar 2001 for the PC or the PS2. Believe it or not, there are folks who reside on both sides of the track, myself included. Another thing for all the console fans, I'm going to have to throw out the old adage, that PC's are too expensive and upgrading is so costly. I don't think that's the case anymore, with all the cheap or even free PC's and $69.00 Voodoo 3 cards out there, it's getting to be about the same price as a PS2, and that's with a monitor. All right, everybody are you ready for Saturday night at the fights? Let's get it on! (More @ the Source: mpog.com)

Gravis Destroyer Tilt Game Pad ....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:06 AM MST Monday, November 20, 2000 [Comment on news]
Gravis’ classic game pad was released to the PC world years ago; the original Destroyer PC Game Pad followed it closely. While these game pads had a limited amount of features compared to today’s high-tech gadgets, they were still popular with gamers of yore. Today’s gamers are more demanding and want the ultimate control over what they see on their screen. Microsoft has incorporated motion sensors into their game pads for quite some time now, Gravis, however, has not used the technology in any of there game pads until now. Let’s see if their game pad will be as good as the other motion sensor game pads out there. (More @ the Source: 3dgameforce.com)

Intel Pentium 4 1.4 and 1.5 GHz....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:06 AM MST Monday, November 20, 2000 [Comment on news]
Intel is ready to take back the speed crown. Before AMD's Athlon chip was released back in August of 1999, you would be hard pressed to find a worthwhile system without an Intel processor powering it. The Pentium, Pentium II, and Pentium III have all been tremendous successes for Intel, but as of the past six months, Intel has faltered more than a few times, leading some skeptics to believe that Intel's reign at the top was over. (More @ the Source: gamepc.com)

Front Line Force Review....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 1:06 AM MST Monday, November 20, 2000 [Comment on news]
The game is all about capture points. There are two teams, rebels and commandos, but you'll end up playing both defense and offense regardless of which you're on. The defenders get 20 seconds at the start of the round to get themselves positioned, while the attackers cannot move. Once the onslaught begins, the attackers attempt to take control of the capture points by holding the activate button near them for several seconds, during which the captor is defenseless. Once the attackers have taken a capture point, the defenders cannot take it back, and the round is won when all three capture points are taken, in which case the attackers win; if all capture points are not taken in the allotted time, the defenders win. Teamplay is further emphasized by the fact that frags have little to do with who wins. Sure, the game keeps track of them, and being first on the list is great for bragging rights, but if you want to win, you have to keep that team together and take those points. (More @ the Source: mpog.com)

Comdex Was A Hit....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 12:56 PM MST Saturday, November 18, 2000 [Comment on news]
Well guys, lefty 2 guns and I are back from the dex so you can expect lots of indepth interviews on new hardware coming out as well as up coming games. I must say the limo ride every morning was great as well as the awesome Omni spy wireless shuttle bus ride in the evening:). Over all Comdex was a blast. Special thanks to AOPEN.com for taking the time to give us indepth insight to all their products coming out for the new year.

GeForce Quake III Arena shootout....
Posted by [Luckee] @ 12:32 PM MST Saturday, November 18, 2000 [Comment on news]
It's been a while since we pitted all three of NVIDIA's GeForce2 based graphics cards in head-to-head 3D performance. In this article we will take a look at the cost-effective GeForce2 MX for gamers on a budget, the middle-of-the-line GTS for the avid 3D gamer, and the top-of-the-line Ultra for those who demand the fastest performance, all duking it out in Quake 3 Arena. (More @ the Source: nvnews.net)

The Future of FPS Part 2 ....
Posted by [NewsStaff] @ 3:12 PM MST Friday, November 17, 2000 [Comment on news]
The FPS genre has matured enough to be expanded into sub-genres. On one hand, that's what id and Epic did with Quake III Arena and UT recently: put out product in a sub-genre of simple, almost sports-like games that focus exclusively around competition between individual players or teams. On the other, there are the complex story-line themed games like Deus Ex, Elite Forces, and Fakk2 tread close to the adventure game genre. It's better in the sense that the gamer has a choice of games. A game can play a few demos and find an entertainment experience that matches what he or she hopes to find in an FPS game. And it's worse for the same reason. A gamer may really like the play in one game, but he or she may have to buy multiple games that aren't a top favorite in order to play with friends at LAN parties or on-line. I've seen it happen in my own household (I have a teen-age son). (More @ the Source: techextreme.com)

PS2 Half-Life Announced ....
Posted by [NewsStaff] @ 1:40 PM MST Friday, November 17, 2000 [Comment on news]
Just as the Dreamcast port is winding down, Sierra and Valve have announced that work has begun on a Playstation 2 version of Half-life. The port is being worked on by Gearbox Software, who previously created the Opposing Force mission pack, as well as Half-life: Blue Shift, which is exclusive to the Dreamcast release. Here's an excerpt from the press release with some preliminary details on the additions to this version of the game: "Gearbox Software's intimate relationship with Valve Software and the Half-Life universe matched with the power of the PlayStation 2 and our growing experience as next-generation console game developers will carry us to deliver first-hand the greatest incarnation of the most important action game of our time," said Randy Pitchford, Director of Gearbox Software. (More @ the Source: bluesnews.com)

MIR to return to Earth, with a bang!....
Posted by [Gush] @ 12:40 PM MST Friday, November 17, 2000 [Comment on news]
Although not game related, the latest word from Russia is that the space station, MIR will be forced to crash land into the Pacific next February.

The station will be brought out of orbit and back to Earth over the Pacific Ocean 900 to 1,250 miles (1,500 to 2,000 kilometers) from Australia, Yuri Koptev said at a news conference, according to the Interfax News Service.

"Right now we are at such a stage in the operation of Mir that any of its systems could well fail at any time," Koptev said.

Also, Dennis Tito, the American who planned to be the world's first space tourist and began preparations for the trip at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, is very unlikely to ever visit Mir, Koptev said.

Sources later reported this about Tito:

Dennis Tito Says It's 'Highly Likely' He Will Go to the ISS In April 2001. "I believe the chance of me going to Mir is less than 1 percent," Tito said in an exclusive interview with SPACE.com, "but I think it is highly likely that I will end up flying to the International Space Station (ISS) on April 30."

More information found at Space.com

3DFX is still kickin'....
Posted by [Gush] @ 12:20 PM MST Friday, November 17, 2000 [Comment on news]
It would appear the news of 3DFX discontinuing the manufacture of graphics cards was just a rumor. (Watch those stocks plummet!). 3Dfx wanted to let everyone know that although they are closing a plant, they are not stopping card production. Here's the blurb:

Alex Leupp, 3dfx's president and CEO, said the move was being made to reduce the company's costs. "The sale of our Juarez facility will allow us to continue selling add-in-board products to the retail channel, with significantly reduced fixed costs," he said in a statement.

The plan should allow 3dfx to maintain its own brand of graphics cards and doesn't force the company to go cap in hand to the add-in board partners it annoyed back in 1998 when it decided to focus on the retail space by manufacturing its own cards. That move was cemented by the acquisition of board maker STB Systems.

Goldeneye HL Mod....
Posted by [Gush] @ 11:52 AM MST Friday, November 17, 2000 [Comment on news]
Beta 1.7 of the GoldenEye Mod for Half-Life has been released. It is intended to fix the problems that cropped up in version 1.6, which was released a couple weeks ago. The mod brings a bit of James Bond feel to Half-Life. Source: Stomped

No One Lives Forever Preview....
Posted by [Gush] @ 9:38 AM MST Thursday, November 16, 2000 [Comment on news]
Gamepen has assembled a massive preview on No One Lives Forever. If you are wondering whether to blow the dough for this game(though you shouldn't), hopefully this preview will convince you.

The game itself knows the 60's. If there is anything painfully obvious, it's that Mike Myers missed the point of the 60s British spy movie with the Austin Powers movies. Regardless of how cheesy they got, they always relied on thrilling action and stunts - and that's what NOLF supplies in spades.

Gunman Preview....
Posted by [Gush] @ 9:32 AM MST Thursday, November 16, 2000 [Comment on news]
Gamers.com has pieced together a great preview on Rewolf's Gunman Chronicles. Here's a snip:

Gunman Chronicles has big shoes to fill -- Half-Life is regarded as the best single-player game ever made. Can a sci-fi space cowboy game really take off? Valve must think so; they've taken Rewolf Software under their wing. We take a look at why Gunman is worthy of joining the ranks of Half-Life, Team Fortress Classic, Opposing Force, and Counter-Strike.

UT Tweak....
Posted by [Gush] @ 9:21 AM MST Thursday, November 16, 2000 [Comment on news]
Need that extra punch in UT performance? 3D Spotlight has recently updated their Unreal Tournament tweak guide. This guide explains in detail how to boost your UT game to the MAX. Go check it out.

3DFX to stop making graphics cards....
Posted by [Gush] @ 10:35 AM MST Wednesday, November 15, 2000 [Comment on news]
The word from CNNfn is that 3DFX will discontinue manufacturing of graphics cards, instead selling their chipsets to 3rd party companies. Here's a grab:

The company plans to close its Juarez, Mexico, card manufacturing plant and remove itself from the business of building the graphics cards that reside in desktop PCs. This is an abrupt switch from the December 1998 takeover of STB Systems, which 3dfx heralded as a move that would put them in charge of their own destiny. Instead, that move -- combined with numerous production delays and supply problems -- has removed the company from its once-dominant position in the industry.

You can read the rest of the article here.

Some of the better things in life ARE free.....
Posted by [Gush] @ 10:23 AM MST Wednesday, November 15, 2000 [Comment on news]
Bernd Beyreuther from Radeon Labs states in an interview that their Nebula Device 3D engine will be released free of charge. Here's an exerpt:

2. Why are you "giving away" your engine, instead of selling licenses ? I have to answer that 5 times every day :) When we started NOMADS the first decision we had to do was: should we use an existing engine or should we code our own. The very specific demands of NOMADS - clouds, flying islands, 10 miles line of sight - required an new engine. The moment we decided to write our own engine, the possible options were:

1. sell
2. do not do anything with it
3. making it free

about 1.: We would become an engine developer. We would have to spend a substantial amount of time to manage, doc, our product , to support. Our customers would be companies. We probably would earn some money, but we would loose some time too. Some companies prefer to go that way. We prefer to make games. Our customers are gamers. So we decided to focus on NOMADS-development not on selling NEBULA.

about 2.: We would not win anything.

about 3.: We win a lot: a huge betatest for free - thousands of users testing nebula on extremely different machines (different linux, windows-versions, different video-cars) The result: Nebula runs stable and on tons of platforms making code open, forces you to write clean code (since everybody will SEE it :) clean code is good for every project people write extensions to Nebula and offer them for free too (we really do not have to develop everything ourself) we can give back something to the OSS community lust but not least it is a big advertising campaign for RadonLabs

The War 3 hype is heating up.....
Posted by [Gush] @ 10:12 AM MST Wednesday, November 15, 2000 [Comment on news]
It seems that every corner I come around on the gaming web, I see another news flash regarding Warcraft III, from Blizzard Entertainment. Well, it's easy to understand why, as Blizzard has posted a new FAQ revealing some great information on this heavily anticipated game. Here's a bit of it:

Since the game has become more RTS than RPG, will the game still be called a RPS?The reason that we called the game an Role-Playing Strategy game in the first place was to help prepare people for a much different RTS game then we have done with the previous Craft games. Once the game is released, it will be up to the public to decide what kind of game it is.

You can see the rest of the FAQ here.

Quake 3 Arena for Dreamcast Reviewed....
Posted by [Gush] @ 10:07 AM MST Wednesday, November 15, 2000 [Comment on news]
GamePen has posted up a review of Quake 3 Arena for the Dreamcast. The review mentions that the PC and DC versions of the game are nearly identical, with exception of a slight problem with the railgun not as accurate in the DC version. Here is a snip:

Talk to a PC guy that tries to play with a 56k modem, and ask them how successful they are playing games on the internet. More often than not, they'll tell you that playing online with a 56k modem is like ripping their own teeth out. Unbelievably, though, Sega has pulled the feat off. There are some differences, though. The game only allows four players on a map. It's disappointing at first, because I'm used to some amazingly chaotic deathmatches with dozens of players on the PC and cable modem. On the Dreamcast, though, it simply changes the game. Strategy is even more important, and the pacing is a bit slower. It's actually a nice change of pace from the chaos that ensues when you have more players on the map than you can actually keep track of.

You can read the rest of the article here.