Hardware News

Athlon XP 1900+ Review

April 30, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


And this is not just a review of _an_ Athlon XP. No, it's a review of an Athlon XP 1900+ with the "magical" AGOGA stepping. Let's have a quick look at EXHardware's intro:

The tremendous success of the original AMD Athlon processor brings us now into AMD's latest line of Athlon XP processors running at speeds of up to 2100+ (1.73GHz). Today, we're taking a look at the Athlon XP 1900+, not the fastest of the breed but armed with a promising AGOGA core stepping, it might just provide us with some surprising results. How well does this chip overclock and is this particular stepping worth seeking out?

That's the big question and the answer is right here.

Hitman 2 Q&A

April 30, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


XGR.com sends word that they have slapped up an interview with IO Interactive's Jacob Andersen regarding their upcoming first/third person action title, Hitman 2. They have posted some new screenshots as well. So check it out!

What are 3 main things you guys learned from making Hitman that you think will make this a better game?
Never let ‘programmer-keys’ stay in the final game. We got so used to the default key setup in Hitman1 that we didn’t think of changing them to something standard (which of cause pissed off a lot of people (with good reason)), so with Hitman2 we have put a lot of attention into making the controls as ‘standard’ as possible. The savegame is another addition which was necessary. A lot of people the game was too hard, so we’ve put some time into this issue as well. The easy way to complete the game is still going in guns blazing, and the real challenge is doing it 100% clean (Only the target is harmed and no alarms have been raised). There’s one other thing we’ve learned from Hitman1; don’t think you can make ‘intelligent’ cameras (they end up taking control from the player, making the game frustrating).


Mafia Preview

April 30, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


The fellas over at Invisible Dream.com have thrown together a short preview on Illusion Softworks' upcoming third person action title, Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. This one sounds kinda cool! Here's a blurb:

Mafia’s main drawcard is its city. Set over a sprawling 12 square (virtual) miles, the city features busy traffic, pedestrians and is positively full of life. Divided up in to individual sectors like CBD, slum, suburban, industrial and farming properties, the game features everything from million-dollar villas right down to tin shacks. The city of Lost Heaven features it’s own airport, banks, gallery, restaurants, miles of country side, and of course, a harbour. Where Mafia sets itself apart from GTA3 is the ability to enter over 30 of the buildings and locales within the city including Chinatown, Little Italy, cathedrals, hotels, fire stations, theatres and towering sky scrapers. While the game pauses to load in-between the indoor and outdoor settings, the engine handles both areas competently. Illusion Softworks have built the fictional city of Lost Heaven with reference to authentic buildings and photographs from the time. Fashion, technology, music, architecture, transportation, weaponry – All captured with painstaking accuracy.


Morrowind Interview

April 30, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Keeping the interviews rollin' tonight, Gaming Groove has tossed up a quick Q&A with Bethesda Softworks' Micheal Fridley regarding their upcoming RPG, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. This sucker should be out the first week of May, so keep an eye out for it! uNF:

GG: How would you describe the gameplay in the words of your own personal experience playing the game?
MF: It's the ultimate "go-anywhere, do-anything" RPG. People who want to play a more structured and linear game can do that. People who want to wander around, join a faction, and improve their character without attempting the main quest will have a great time as well.


SoF2 Interview

April 30, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


The Action Vault has posted an interview with the guys behind Raven Software's upcoming Quake 3 engine powered - first person shooter, Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix. It's a single question deal where everyone gets a chance to answer. Here's a taste:

Action Vault: What is your favorite change or improvement in Soldier of Fortune II versus the original game, and why?
Brian Raffel, Studio Head: I am very happy with Soldier of Fortune II and I am very excited about many of the improvements we have implemented over the original. The Random Mission Generator really stands out to me as something that is new and exciting. We really wanted to try and push the FPS game in some way and I think the Random Mission Generator is a great accomplishment, I am very proud of it. I also love the more realistic weaponry and storyline that makes Soldier of Fortune II more authentic and edgy. Finally, I really enjoy the new level of realism that I feel brings you closer to a true warfare experience. War is not a pretty thing and I think people should be able to get as close to that experience as they want.


Digital Extremes Q&A

April 30, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


PC Game Central has caught up with Digital Extremes' James Schmalz for a quick chat regarding their upcoming titles, Unreal Tournament 2003, Unreal Championship and Dark Sector. Here's some juice:

The online community is certainly one of the major focuses in many of today's games, especially with Unreal where the script and level editor are freely open to the public. We also know that Unreal Tournament 2003 will provide even more tools for the modding community. Why do you think that these large gaming communities have become such a great focus for developers these days?
The community is what keeps our games alive for years on end. Prior to online gaming the there were not too many games that were played for more than a couple of months. It has been over 2 years since the release of Unreal and UT and they're still being played just as much if not more since their release. Games live and die by the community that is built up around them. Plus it's interesting to see what others can do with the tools we have; there are a lot of creative minds out there.
It's essentially because of the community that we are able to continue making games and providing them with the best gaming experience is our ultimate goal.


VideoLogic ZXR-500 Review

April 30, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


3D Velocity has a review of VideoLogic's ZXR-500 5.1 speaker system. A blurb:

Of course a quick walk along the shelves of your local PC retailer will confirm that cheap speakers are nothing new, in fact just yesterday I was looking at a boxed 4.1 setup (4 satellite speakers + Subwoofer) that claimed an almost ridiculous 600Watt output for less than £35. I asked if I could hear it in action and the manager duly obliged while I stood their smiling. Output at best was around 10Watts RMS, the satellites were tinny and badly overdriven and the bass boomed wildly along with the sound of unsecured cables rattling away inside the enclosure. There's no such thing as a free lunch but this God-awful system barely passed as a quick snack.

Catch the full stuff here.

Global Win CAK-II 38 Review

April 30, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


Over at 3D Gameman, there's another video review available for your viewing pleasure. This time round, it's the Global Win CAK-II 38 cooler that's being tested. Here's a snip:

The Globalwin CAK-II 38 Cooler has most of the characteristics of a awesome cooler; high CFM fan, its copper and cools your CPU very well. However, it's loud at ~47dBA and has the single clip design which is a little dated and unsafe.

Sit back while you watch this review.

Ad-aware 5.8

April 30, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


The good folks at Lavasoft have released a new version of their supah utility, Ad-aware, bringing it up to version 5.8. Here's a small something for you people who don't know about this utility: $qs Ad-aware is an award winning, free multi adware removal utility, that scans your memory, registry and hard drives for known adware components and lets you remove them safely.
Many options like scanning depth or automatic modes can be set in the preferences menu. Ad-aware features an easy to use wizard-style interface, guiding you through the scanning and removal process.

Everytime I run Ad-aware, it finds atleast 2 or 3 new entries (spyware/adware) on my system! I recommend this utility to ALL of you! Grab the latest version here.

Condition Zero Update

April 29, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


The AVault has posted an update with quotes from Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford regarding their upcoming first person shooter, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. Here's a really interesting bit:

Pitchford also said Gearbox would reveal an entirely new single-player mode at this year's E3: "We're saving the details for the show, but I think folks will be amazed by how much it adds to the product."

E3 can't come soon enough! 8)

SimCity 4 Preview

April 29, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


GameSpot has slapped up a preview on Maxis' upcoming hit sim franchise, SimCity 4. Included are some tasty new screenshots. Check it out!

Another major change to the SimCity formula is the way that this sequel presents its real estate model. Whereas the quality of the buildings was determined by the land value in SimCity 3000, in SimCity 4, land value will follow, not lead, the quality of real estate. So if rich people want to move in to a certain neighborhood, the buildings in that area will look ritzy, which will ultimately lead to an increase in land value. And since the demand for real estate determines that property's value, and since property value determines the quality of the buildings, you can bet that all the structures in SimCity 4 will have several different appearances that reflect the current state of their respective neighborhoods. Ignore the needs of a neighborhood for too long, and you'll upset the local populace, who will up and move away after a while, causing that area to deteriorate.


Raven Job Opening

April 29, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Raven Software's Kenn Hoekstra has updated his .plan with word that they are looking for a new sound guy. This comes after Zachary Quarles' announcement that he would be leaving the company to start freelancing. Anyways, if your interested in the position, click here for the details.

Shiny Interview

April 29, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


GameSpyDaily has posted an interview with Shiny Entertainment's Dave Perry regarding their move to Infogrames and their upcoming Matrix title. Not much meat to it, but still worth a look. Here's some juice:

GameSpyDaily: What can Infogrames offer you that Interplay could not?
Dave: Infogrames is a financially stronger company, and they can supply us with serious levels of development / marketing and distribution support. Interplay is trying hard to turn around and this big deal gives them a chance to focus. I guess they need to do more Shiny deals as it's turned out nicely profitable for them. (Buying and selling development companies.)


Swiftech MCXC370 Review

April 29, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


Today, we've posted my review of Swiftech's MCXC370. The full package contained the MCXC370 heatsink and a 33 cfm fan. It's a heatsink with a copper base for better cooling. Here's an introduction:

With modern CPUs, we arrived at a point in time where good cooling solutions are more important than ever. Heatsink/fan combinations have evolved quite a bit: better designs, other materials being used, more powerful fans, etc. A perfect example of that is the Swiftech MCXC370.

If you're in for the full stuff (who isn't? *wink* ), point your mouse at this link and give it a click.
Feedback is welcome as usual. If you got some, just drop me a line.

New Poll!

April 29, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


I thought it was time for a new poll! This time we are interested to know:

From where do you buy your games / hardware?

Hmmm.. For some reason, I still don't use any online stores. I kinda like to feel the hardware in my hands, before I throw out some money on it! Go ahead and cast your vote!
Our last poll ended like this: $qs What controls device do you use in FPS/TPS games?
Keyboard + Mouse [84.9%]
Joystick + Mouse [2.1%]
Keyboard + Joystick [1.3%]
Keyboard Only [1.1%]
Joystick only [1.2%]
Gamepad [2.0%]
Specialized FPS controller [7.4%]
Total votes: 5010

I was amazed that Specialized FPS controller came in second! I have never used one, or even seen one IRL. Some say that they are very good and accurate, but.. Well, it seems I need to make my collection of controllers even bigger! <wink wink> ;)

Grand Theft Auto III Preview

April 27, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


The fellas over at Ferrago have slapped up a preview on Rockstar Games' upcoming PC port of Grand Theft Auto III. The game was a huge hit on the PS2 and is finally comming out for the PC, so watch for it!

The one thing you most probably know about GTA3 is the ‘living’ city. The setting for the game is Liberty City, a wretched hive of scum and villainy if there ever was one. There are thousands of NPCs milling around the city and you can interact with any one of them, more often than not ‘interaction’ involves killing them with a high calibre sniper rifle. But these NPCs make the city feel ‘alive’, you can drive around at any time of the day or night and see various different types of inhabitants. It’s quite incredible. Not to mention gruesome, if you choose to run them over. You sicko. But not all of the NPCs are defenceless, oh no, not by a long way. Dotted around the city are various gangs and organisations, such as The Mafia, The Yakazua, The Triads, Yardies, and some very nasty Colombians. These guys can be very dangerous if you are not in their good books, so be warned…


NOLF 2 Preview

April 27, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


XGR.com has posted their impressions of Monolith's upcoming first person shooter, No One Lives Forever 2, after checking the game out at Universal's press event in NYC. He talks about the graphics, AI and other goodies. Check it out:

The question you are asking is "Paligap, my Gaming God (ok, I threw that in there), is it as fun as the first?" My reply: "Damn Skippy!" I was able to play a little bit of the game and see some animation avi's that showed off the different facial expressions, shadowing, and, of course, their water. While demoing the game, Sarita and gang and I were saying that the new benchmarking in games (at least visually) is water. To quote Sarita - "wait til you see our water...I know everyone says that but wait." So I did, boy, and she was right! This water is some of the best I have seen rivaling the water effects in Bloodwake for the Xbox (to date the best, most realistic looking water released - I say released because just wait for Morrowind). The avi that was showing off the water reminded me of going down the river in San Antonio with the walkways above. The reflections were sweet looking and the ripple effects were top notch. Another avi showed off the weather effects which were also very nice - I don't think there is much room for improvement in gaming in terms of the weather effects. Developers seem to have that down pat - it's the weather cycles that I think they can make improvements on and maybe take a lead from Black & White's weather system but I digress...

They also post some brief impressions of Enclave and Ghostmaster. Click here for the goods.

C&C: Renegade Interview

April 27, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


HomeLAN has Westwood Studios' Dan Cermak in the hot seat tonight, answering questions regarding the addition of flying vehicles in their first person shooter, Command and Conquer: Renegade. Here's a taste:

HomeLAN - Which aircraft are added in the patch and what are their capacities?
Dan Cermak - We've added a transport helicopter on both the GDI and Nod sides, which cost $900 and can carry 4 people. On the GDI side we've also added the Orca fighter, which costs $700 and can carry 1 person. Finally, on the Nod side we added the Apache, which costs $700 and can carry 1 person.


Nascar Racing 2002 Patch

April 27, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


Paul from SimRacingWorld informed us about a patch for Sierra's Nascar Racing 2002. What does it fix? No idea, but a patch should fix something ;) Anyway, here's some info

This patch brings NASCAR Racing 2002 Season to version 1.1.0.1. The 1.1.0.1 version of the game is NOT multiplayer compatible with previous versions.

You can grab the patch here.

GeForce4 MX440 Shootout

April 26, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


The folks at Hot Hardware put 7 GeForce4 MX440 cards in front of the firing platoon and had a shootout. Here's some quoting action:

Products from Abit, Chaintech, eVGA, Gainward, Leadtek, Visiontek and X-Micro are all represented. We evaluated everything from their price to their bundle, ran a slew of benchmarks and picked a winner!

Who's the best and what's the rest? Read it all over here.

Jedi Knight II Review

April 26, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


XGR.com has thrown up a review on Raven Software's Quake3 engine powered Action title, Star Wars: Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast. They end up giving the game an impressive 98%. Here's a taste:

Speaking of force powers, there a couple of new ones that are welcome additions. I can't decide if grip or mind trick is my favorite one to use but there is nothing like gripping a Stormtrooper, levitating him off the floor, and then throwing your lightsaber at him causing him to drop to the floor. The Jedi Mind Trick is also very useful in certain situations and the animation that goes along with it is very cool. In fact, if you are sneaking around you can listen in to the conversation of the stormtroopoers (like in the movies) and you might hear something like this: "Did you hear that?" "I dunno, go check it out." Then you cast Jedi Mind on them and they continue, "Must have been something in the air ducts" or something like that. Very nicely done.


NeverWinter Nights Movies

April 26, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


GameSpot has slapped up a bunch of new movies showing off BioWare's upcoming RPG, NeverWinter Nights. They include gameplay, character creation and more. You can check these suckers out right here. 8)

Soldier of Fortune 2 Preview

April 26, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


HomeLAN sends word that they have posted a preview on Raven Software's upcoming Quake3 engine powered - first person shooter, Soldier of Fortune 2: Double Helix. Here's a clipping:

As with Elite Force and Jedi Knight II, Raven is using id Software’s Quake III Arena engine for SOF 2. In addition to the GHOUL 2 animation, Raven has put in their own terrain engine for some sequences in the game, most notably when Mullins is riding in a vehicle like a truck or helicopter and has to fire a machine gun at his enemies and targets. There is also some effective use of rain effects in parts of the game. In a mission on board a cargo ship, you can see the individual drops impact on the ground in a heavy rainstorm. Level design, like in all of Raven’s games, is top notch in SOF 2, with the most impressive being the Columbia jungle levels, where high grass is not only beautifully detailed but also affects the gameplay as well as enemies can high and take cover from you in the jungle.


WarCraft III Screenies

April 25, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


GameSpyDaily managed to snage some new screenshots from Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming RTS, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. I know a lot of you onions are looking forward to this sucker, so head over for a look!

Infogrames Buys Shiny

April 25, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Infrogrames has posted a press release announcing that they have purchased development studio, Shiny Entertainment, and now have the rights to The Matrix games as well. Here's something to chew on:

New York, New York, April 24, 2002 – Infogrames, Inc. (Nasdaq: IFGM), a leading publisher of interactive entertainment software, today announced that it has signed a Purchase Agreement to acquire Shiny Entertainment, Inc. from Interplay Entertainment Corp. (Nasdaq: IPLY). Through this acquisition, Infogrames will have exclusive worldwide rights to develop and publish interactive games based on sequels to the highly acclaimed, Academy Award-winning action thriller, “THE MATRIX.” The games will be based on the upcoming sequels, “THE MATRIX RELOADED” and “THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS” from Warner Bros. Pictures. The transaction is expected to close within one week, following satisfaction of various closing conditions, which include the execution of other ancillary agreements with various third parties.

Thanks to everyone who sent in the news!

Dungeon Siege Review

April 25, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Ferrago sends word that they have slapped up a review on Gas Powered Games' newly released Action-RPG, Dungeon Siege. They really seemed to like the game, giving it a score of 91%. Anyways, here's a bit on multiplayer:

The multiplayer side of things is enjoyable and provides another campaign to fight through into which you can import a character from the single player game. It’s a bummer that you can control only one person in multiplayer which means you must join up with other online players to have a chance to make your way through the larger second campaign. It’s simple to join or set up a game although the fact that there is no central server a la Battlenet leaves things wide open to cheating, something that will only get a lot worse when the editor is released. It’s very unlikely that the online side of things will approach anything near the popularity of Diablo 2’s but it does give more game to play through and I think that was all that was intended by Gas Powered Games. This game also has massive potential for modding and has a long life ahead of it once third party dungeons and scenarios become available. There are already projects in the works to use the engine to remake some of the Ultima games and the comprehensiveness of the forthcoming editor means we could be seeing a Cowboy Siege or a Warhammer Siege in the coming months.


Driver Comparison

April 25, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


The good chaps over at nV News have posted a Anisotropic performance comparison between the official NVIDIA 28.32 drivers, and the recently leaked 28.90. Wanna know how it turned out? Click here for the schtuff.

Winamp 2.80

April 25, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


It's time to rock'n'roll! Nullsoft has released a new version of their very popular software, Winamp, bringing it up to version 2.80. If you are into listening to mp3's, be sure to download the sucker (Full version)! If you want, you can also download the Standard version or the Lite version.
Here's the fixlist:
  • Fixed drag & drop from open file dialog related bugs
  • Made CDDB support better handle not-found CDs/lack of CDDB installed
  • Update to CDDB ui
  • New splash screen
  • Minibrowser security fix
  • Updated winamp agent to support both winamp 2.x and 3.x
  • Included PP's hacks for slightly better unicode filename support
  • in_wave support for floating point .WAV files fixed
  • Better win9x compatibility for DirectSound
  • waveOut made skip less
  • Some in_mod per-file fixes
  • OGG Vorbis support

New Leaked ATI Drivers

April 25, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


Yet another set of leaked beta drivers for all you Radeon owners. Version 6071 and for WinXP & Win2k only. Win9x is (as usual) not leaked yet.. I have very little info about these puppies, so beware! Links: Please do report your findings over at our discussion board.

Update: There seems to be a driver pack for Win98/ME too. The Win98/ME version 4.13.9030 can be downloaded here.

RadLight Removes Ad-Aware!

April 25, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


Yep, that's true! There is a software (DivX Player) called RadLight that simply removes, Lavasoft's Ad-aware. No questions, no warnings, just removes Ad-aware. That simply sucks IMHO! I normally don't post stuff like this, but this time I think this news should be brought into the spotlight. Why aren't there any proper laws against stuff like this, and laws against spyware? I _hate_ stuff that gets installed without asking my permission!
Join the discussion here.

CS 1.4 & HL 1.1.0.9 Clients!

April 25, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


Well, I know that it's nice to have 1000 mirrors posted, but I got a tip from _ThE_bLaCkDeAtH that CS-Nation has _a load_ or mirrors posted - I won't even start to repost them here! :) So click here for mirrors to Counter-Strike 1.4 Mod, Counter-Strike 1.0.0.4 Retail and Half-Life 1.1.0.9. (updates and full installs).
I hope CS 1.4 is as good as it sounds to be! I'm glad they finally got rid of the bunny hopping.. It made the game rediculous!

C&C: Generals Preview

April 24, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


The guys over at Games Domain have posted a preview on Westwood Studios' upcoming 3D RTS, Command & Conquer: Generals. If you haven't heard of the game yet, there's some good info in here, including quotes from EA's Mark Skaggs regarding everything from when the game takes place, to the spiffy new engine. Here's a taste:

Generals will also feature some brand new units that have not been used in previous Command and Conquer games. A new Aurora Strike Fighter will have supersonic capability, allowing it to make quick air strikes before the enemy even knows what happened. A Chinese dragon tank will have flame-thrower capability, and hacker units will be able to break into enemy bases - from the safety of their home base. The sneaky GLS have an unusual "angry mob" unit that can tunnel anywhere on the map, surprising the enemy and pummeling them before with reckless abandon.


Dungeon Siege Review

April 24, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


The Firing Squad has slapped up a review on Gas Powered Games' newly released Action-RPG, Dungeon Siege. Can gaming god, Chris Taylor, deliver another hit? Read on:

This is the basic formula for Dungeon Siege – 95% fighting, 5% story and shopping. This is a good thing for everyone that likes RPGs heavy on action, light on story, much like the Diablo series. When it comes down to it, a lot of people like RPGs where you kill lots of monsters and get cool weapons and items. In Dungeon Siege you can’t take more than two steps before a monster is attacking you. Most of the time it’s a swarm of monsters attacking everyone in your party. The combat is all in real-time, with the ability to pause, just like Baldur’s Gate II. Pausing tends to take away from the frantic, combat-oriented pace of the game. I tried to do everything on the fly to keep the real-time strategy feel, and I think the game plays much better that way.


Become A Member!

April 24, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


MadOnion.com encourages you to join our Affiliate Program. If you own or manage a web site, you can earn 10% commission on every MadOnion product you sell!
It's easy and it's free! Click here to find out how.

Half-Life x.1.0.9 Released

April 24, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


VALVE has released the new server files for Half-Life. The Win32 client binaries will be released later (same as with Counter-Strike 1.4 Win32 client files). Here are the first mirrors I could find: More mirrors will be available soon..

Counter-Strike 1.4 Released

April 24, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


Yeah! The new version of the kick-ass mod for Half-Life, Counter-Strike, has been released. That makes it version 1.4. So far there is only the Linux server packages available, but the Win client files will be released later today. So, if you have Linux running CS, here are the first mirrors: I bet that there will be a load more mirrors available soon, so keep checking in from time to time. Even the Win client files might pop up anytime now.. :)

Yoshi's Boxx

April 24, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


Do you have the Atari 2600, Nintendo Entertainment System (8-bit), Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2 and a PC? Wouldn't it be nice if you would be able to have them all-in-one? Yeah! That would be very cool. Well, Yoshi DeHerrera wanted to have all-in-one, and came up with the Yoshi's Boxx. If you would like to make something similar, be sure to check this out.

Jupiter Engine Movie

April 23, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


LithTech has released a 10mb AVI showing off their new Jupiter game engine. This is the engine behind Monolith's upcoming FPS, No One Lives Forever 2, so fans of the game might want to check this movie out for a glimps of things to come. Head over to Blue's News for the goods.

EverQuest 2?

April 23, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


In the latest PC Gamer, there's some info that suggests there will be a sequel to Sony Online's MMORPG, EverQuest. You can check out all the info at Caster's Realm. Here's a blurb:

It's system requirements when released (currently slated for October 2003) will be a P3-733 (or Athlon XP), 512MB of Ram and GeForce 3 or higher. It's graphics engine was developed along with that used in the upcoming Star Wars Galaxies title.
The world of EQ2 is set some time into the future from the current EverQuest world. There will be only three continents however at release. 50% of the zones will be entirely new, and 50% will be rebuilt areas of the traditional Norrath. But the world has changed. The article describes how Freeport has been taken over by the corrupt Freeport militia and the remnant paladins isolated in a new area known as Marr. The Iksar still roam, but the Vah Shir have disappeared (Kerrans are however playable).

Also, head over to House 'O Spank for 2 screenshots! Thanks to Voodoo Extreme for the tip.

Global Operations Review

April 23, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


GameSpy has posted a review on Barking Dog Studios' Lithtech engine powered - first person shooter, Global Operations. The game walks away with a 66/100, so I guess they didn't dig it too much. Snip:

Looking at the basic gameplay, it's easy to see why teamplay games like Counter-Strike, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Medal of Honor and Day of Defeat dominate the Internet at the moment. When it's clicking, Global Operations never fails to excite -- as your team tries one new strategy, the other team counteracts with something else. If you feel you're ineffective with one class, there are always six others to work with. You could easily spend months learning the ins and outs of every map, all the weapons and the subtleties of all the specialties -- and that's a very good thing.


Morrowind Goes Gold!

April 23, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Bethesda Softworks has updated the official site for their upcoming RPG, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, with word that the PC version of the game has gone gold and should hit stores the first week of May. Here's some juice:

April 23, 2002 (Rockville, MD) — Bethesda Softworks™ announced today that the highly-anticipated role-playing game, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind™ for PC, has gone to gold master and will be in stores the first week of May. Morrowind will also be available soon for the Xbox™ video game system from Microsoft.
Morrowind is an epic, open-ended single-player RPG in which a player can create and play any kind of character imaginable. Players can choose to follow the main storyline and find the source of the evil blight that plagues the land, or set off on their own to explore strange locations and develop their character based on their actions throughout the game. Featuring stunning 3D graphics, open-ended gameplay, and an incredible level of detail and interactivity, Morrowind promises to be an experience like no other.

w00t! Im going to be all over this bad boy. 8)

Neverwinter Nights Preview

April 23, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


PC.IGN has tossed up a preview on BioWare's upcoming RPG, Neverwinter Nights, after getting a chance to play the game. Some pretty cool stuff in here, so check it out:

Even with accessibility as their aim, the team at BioWare is implementing the 3rd edition rules in their complex entirety. As producer Trent Oster explains, "When you fail to do a complete implementation, you will skew the balance of the rules system. It's balanced around its entirety. The less you implement, the less you can rely on its inherent balance." It's a much more detailed version of the rules. But instead of relying on a specific and exception-oriented approach, the new rules function according to systems. This means that there are fewer particulars involved but more general principles. Things like class-based restrictions are all but gone (although the systems tend to preserve their intent). Spellcasters will still probably shun armor and weapons, for instance.


Fastest Webmasters Updated

April 23, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


Another 2 weeks have passed which means that we've updated our Fastest Webmasters list.
Since the previous one, the scores have been on the rise once again and now a webmaster needs almost 11500 3DMarks to make it into the list. Another fact is that the list is now a GeForce4 Ti exclusive one.
If you want to take a look at the top scoring webmasters, give your mouse a click over here.

NeverWinter Nights Beta Test Signups

April 22, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Evil Avatar.com has word that you can now sign up to beta test BioWare's upcoming RPG, NeverWinter Nights. Testing will begin in early May, so all you RPG fans better get clickin'. Head over to Betatests.net to signup!

UT 2003 Interview

April 22, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


The Action Vault has posted an interview with the guys behind Digital Extremes' upcoming first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2003. It's a one question deal where everyone gets a chance to reply. Here's a blurb:

Action Vault: Which NPC opponents do you enjoy blowing away a little more - or a lot more - than the rest, and why do you feel this way about them?
Bastiaan 'Checker' Frank, Level Designer: Every time my crosshair goes over Gorge my blood starts to boil. That bastard with his heavy armor and that sneer on his face makes me furious! I dive into him with my rocket launcher, and try to gib them as fast as possible. The reason? The bigger the guy, the easier to spot him, the bigger the body parts after my rockets have drilled some holes into his heavy equipment! Gorge, leader of the juggernauts, you will feel pain...


GTA3 Interview (PC)

April 22, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


GameSpy caught up with Rockstar's Dan Houser and Leslie Benzies for a quick chat regarding the upcoming PC port of Grand Theft Auto III. They cover everything from graphical upgrades to why multiplayer was not included. Here's a clipping:

GameSpy: What general graphical enhancements will be made to the PC version of the game?
Les: All the textures in the city are much higher resolution, and have more colors so everything is sharper. Draw distance can be configured by the player to take advantage of the power available in the latest PCs. The player can change the number of cars and pedestrians on the street so the city can be really busy. We've also added replays to take advantage of the extra memory available when playing the game on PC -- you can hit the replay button and watch the last 30 seconds' action all over again.


Jedi Knight II Tools Released

April 22, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Raven Software's Kenn Hoekstra has updated his .plan with word that they have released some editing tools for their Quake3 engine powered action title, Star Wars: Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast. It weighs in at 4megs and includes the following:
  • JK2Radiant - The map editor.
  • MD3View - Model viewer for .md3 format models
  • ModView - Model viewer for .glm (Ghoul2) format model
  • ShaderEd2 - The shader editor/viewer
  • sof2map - The map compiler, you will not be using this directly,
  • JK2Radiant uses this.
Click here for mirror's and Kenn's full .plan update.

Neverwinter Nights Preview & Interview

April 22, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


GameSpot has posted a preview on BioWare's upcoming RPG, Neverwinter Nights. To go along the preview is a video interview with BioWare's Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk regarding the game. Here's some juice:

The character-creation system is robust, and Neverwinter Nights uses almost all of the 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons rules. You can create a character from scratch, choose one of the premade character kits, or choose a basic template and take the recommended statistics, skills, and feats. One of the best new features of the 3rd Edition rules are these skills and feats, which make for much better rewards when you gain levels. Gone are the abstract benefits of leveling from previous editions--now you'll get to assign skill points in a wide variety of areas, including weapon proficiencies, picking locks, or being able to identify spells as they are cast. Feats act as special abilities, allowing you to attack several enemies at once, access better armor types, or successfully cast in hostile conditions. These additions make it possible to create more varied characters: You can be a plate-mail-wearing spellcaster or a spellcasting warrior, depending on the skills and feats you choose.


Beta Detonator 28.90

April 22, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


Hilbert Hagedoorn from Guru 3D sent in word of some freshly leaked Detonator drivers. Detonator 28.90 is available for all NVIDIA cards and for all OS's. That means that there's a package for both Win 9x/ME and Win 2000/XP! :)
The files are dated 2nd April 2002. There's no word yet on performance or refresh rate fix compatibility.
You can grab these bad boys here.

Note: There have been reports about a corrupt Win 2k/XP package, but that problem has been solved. Download and bench! ;)

Unreal Tournament 2003 Preview

April 21, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


BarrysWorld has posted a preview on Digital Extremes' upcoming first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2003, after getting a chance to play the game. Here's some juice:

The weapons have been given a considerable overhaul. Any camp-happy, sniper-dependent cowards out there (c’mon, the Duke’s not the only one) are gonna have to learn to get their hands dirty with proper in-yer-face action because the Sniper Rifle has been through some changes. It’s just as easy now, and as much fun, to take a high position and line-up a target for that all important head-shot. But since the rifle now fires a bolt of electricity rather than a bullet, it’s easier to tell where the cowardly scumbitch who fired it is hiding should the first shot miss or any team-mates in the arena witness the act. It’s still a fantastic weapon - it just means that snipers have to learn to be more mobile and that it’s gonna be harder to get those cheap wins (sob).

Thanks Evil Avatar!

Freelancer Preview

April 21, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Things have been pretty slow today, but Computer and Video Games.com try to keep things moving by tossing up a preview on Digital Anvil's upcoming space sim, Freelancer. Here's a blurb:

The first thing that hits you is how incredibly diverse it is graphically. No more do we have to endure in our space games a black backdrop, pocked with white pixels and the occasional purple swirl. In Freelancer, space is as beautiful as you imagine it to be. Moreover, rather than travel through an endless tunnel of stars towards a distant nebula (knowing full well you'll never make it), here you can cruise from one end of the universe to the other, passing through dust clouds and nomadic asteroid fields that to those who might stick to the regular trade routes appear as distant landmarks. Each system of stars - their planets, moons and man-made stations are all linked by jumpgates - but rather than have each system as a self-contained 'level', the entire game universe is mapped as one. Hidden in deepest space, perhaps, will be secret bases and ships - the stuff of online legends - much like Elite's mythical Generation Ships that may or may not have ever existed. Some people love that kind of thing.


Dungeon Siege Review

April 21, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


HomeLAN sends word that they have posted a quick review on Gas Powered Games' newly released Action-RPG, Dungeon Siege. The game walks away with an impressive 92%. Here's a taste:

There are so many elements that make Dungeon Siege so cool but I’ll hit on a few of them in this review. The graphics, as seen by the many, many screenshots of the game already out on the web, look terrific. The 3D Siege engine is one of the best ever developer for an RPG and easily blows Diablo’s looks out of the water. The self-contained fantasy world contains no load times at all which adds to the addictive experience. Character, weapon and item models are all extremely detailed.


New World Order Interview

April 20, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


The fellas over at WarFighter.com have slapped up an interview with Termite Games' Gianni Aliotti regarding their upcoming first person shooter, New World Order. Check it out:

War Fighter: How does your game differ from similar titles already on the market or soon to be on the market like Ghost Recon and Global Operations and other combat games? Will we see something new in this game?
New World Order: For starters, the graphics will be on a totally different level. We will also introduce some unique game modes and several features like a ranking system for obtaining weapons as well as a weight system. Another feature that will especially please the hard-core gamers, is the per pixel damage which ensures that every “hit” counts (not just the kill like in other games). Basically, we don’t use the typical “hit box” that would easily allow near misses to count unfairly as hits.


Condition Zero Q&A

April 20, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


GamePlex caught up with Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford for a quick Q&A tonight, where they chat about the upcoming first person shooter, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. Here's some juice on the AI:

What will the created virtual intelligence be able to do? Can the enemies work in groups or things like that?
AI characters do work in groups and do communicate with each other. They'll cover each other and advance in squads. They also learn things. If they succeed or fail because the player has learned how to exploit something, they'll remember that and change their strategy. It's pretty neat actually. We've been able to fool many people who have tested the game with us into thinking they're playing multiplayer games with other folks in the office when they're really just playing with our AI Bots.


SoF2 Preview

April 20, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


PC.IGN has thrown up a preview on the multiplayer portion of Raven Software's upcoming Quake3 engine powered - first person shooter, Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix. Here's a chunk:

The Colombia level is almost as interesting. Set among ruins and surrounded by mountains, the level has some really impressive grass rendering. The density and believability of the grass is simply breathtaking. I even spent a few minutes looking for my pistol which I accidentally dropped in the tall grass. I never found it again. There are tunnels in the mountain on the Colombian level and lots of vines hang down from the ceiling.


Hi-Res GP4 Movie

April 20, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


The folks @ SimRacingWorld have posted a high resolution promotional movie of Grand Prix 4.

We have posted a High Resolution version of the Grand Prix 4 promotional movie (75MB), featuring crashes, pit crews, menu systems, wet weather, on-board views, over taking and more. It also shows off the new graphics engine well.

You can grab this heavyweight champion (75 MB) here. Or if you want to skip all chit chat, give it a click here.

Shadowbane Interview

April 19, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Finally tonight, HomeLAN sends word that they have slapped up an interview with Ubi Soft's John Billington regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Shadowbane. Here's some juice:

HomeLAN - This will be Ubi Soft's first massively multiplayer game. How will the company deal with the game's launch in terms of its network backbone and marketing?
John Billington - Ubi Soft is one of the top video game publishers in the world with close to $400 million in revenues last year, so we have a ton of resources at our disposal. We are lucky to have recruited a top notch MMO and networking team to handle the back end. Both the head of our MMO operations and strategy as well as the executive producer for Shadowbane come from Turbine Entertainment where they were lead contributors to the development, launch and operation of Microsoft’s Asheron’s Call. In addition ubi.com, the entity running the game network and co-publishing Shadowbane, has invested heavily in e-commerce technology, network infrastructure, and customer service in order to support Shadowbane as well as future MMO games we are considering publishing.


Dungeon Siege Q&A

April 19, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


ElecPlay.com sat down with Gas Powered Games' Chris Taylor for a quick Q&A regarding their newly released Action-RPG, Dungeon Siege. Incase you missed it, check out the demo that was released yesterday. Anyways, back to the interview. Here's a blurb:

BJ: Let's talk about expanding the entertainment of your game with editing tools.
CT: We're providing a lot of development tools [to the mod community]. The single biggest tool is our Siege Editor; it's the thing takes all our content and puts it all together. We've built the engine so that you can create new AI, create new special effects, new spells, anything that the game has in it, all the way up to, but not including the creation of new art assets, which is new monsters and characters. Discreet has created a program called Gmax, so what we've done is create something called "Siege Max." Siege Max is basically 3D Studio where you can only export in a certain game format, our Dungeon Siege format. People will be able to create new monsters, new armor, new shields, weapons, boots, helms, et cetera...terrain. And they've got the full suite. They can build anything they want.

Also, head over to the AVault, where they have posted a review on the game!

NOLF2 Interview

April 19, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


The fellas over at Action Trip have tossed up an interview with some of the guys behind Monolith's upcoming first person shooter, No One Lives Forever 2. They chat about the engine, Cate Archer's new look and more. Snip:

ActionTrip: What's in store for the multiplayer?
Craig Hubbard: Cooperative play. The marketplace is glutted with competitive-style multiplayer titles, so it's difficult to compete in that arena, especially if you're concentrating on delivering a rich single player experience. Meanwhile, nobody has really done a cooperative espionage game. We felt it would be more rewarding to fill an obvious void than to rehash gameplay you can get in dozens of other products. Besides, cooperative gameplay capitalizes on the strengths of the singleplayer game, which is a definite bonus.


SoF2 MP Test Tips

April 19, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Raven Software's Kenn Hoekstra and Clem Samson-Samuel have updated their .plans with some tips on the newly released multiplayer test from their upcoming Quake3 engine powered - first person shooter, Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix. Here's a taste:

While I was going to write a 'Shop 101' and explain in detail how complex the flow of the map is, I decided to let people find out on their own. I will however, give a few hints:
- Use the outside of the building. Believe it or not, but you can walk most every way on the outside of the building.
- You can climb the cables on the scaffolds.
- Work as a team. This may seem obvious, but the attacking team (Blue) really has to work together to succeed. It isn't completely required, but it sure is a lot of fun when you do!
- There are MANY routes that the attacking team can take. While there are only three ways into the room with the briefcase, there are over a dozen ways to get there. I am serious that there are over a dozen ways!
- There are at least 9 ways to escape with the briefcase.
- While crouch jumping (holding crouch shortly after jumping) is not required, it can get you to a lot of place you normally couldn't get to. :)


Star Wars Galaxies Screenies

April 19, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


LucasArts has released some new screenshots from their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Star Wars Galaxies. You can check these bad boys out at the official site. Thanks Shack News!

Splinter Cell Announced

April 18, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Evil Avatar has posted a press release from Ubi Soft announcing a new third person action title, Splinter Cell. The game will be released on the PC and Xbox this fall, with other platforms planned for next year. Anyways, here's a blurb:

Splinter Cell™ will grant players access to the highest echelons of national security, where shadowy operatives have the freedom to do whatever it takes to safeguard America. In Splinter Cell™, the player controls Sam Fisher, a field operative of a secretive “black-ops” NSA sub-agency called Third Echelon. Sam Fisher is geared up to infiltrate high-security strongholds, seize critical intelligence, destroy threatening data and neutralize the enemy - all without leaving a trace. Developed by Ubi Soft’s Montreal Studio in Canada, Splinter Cell™, is a unique experience that will have the player thinly skate on the fine line that separates fact from fiction.


SoF2 Interview

April 18, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


GameSpyDaily has kicked up an interview with Raven Software's Rick Johnson and Kenn Hoekstra regarding their upcoming Quake3 engine powered - first person shooter, Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix. They mostly chat about the newly released multiplayer test, but it's still a good read. Snip:

GameSpyDaily: Most players are familiar with the FFA and Team Deathmatch modes – can you briefly explain the other two gameplay types supported in the demo, “Infiltration” and “Elimination”?
Rick: Infiltration is basically one team defends an object, while the other team must try to capture that object and escape to some point on the map. It is a single death game, where as once you are shot, you are out until the round ends.
Kenn: Elimination is essentially Infiltration without the goal of capturing an object. You must try to eliminate the other team: last-man-standing or last-team-standing style.


Neverwinter Nights Preview

April 18, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


The RPGVault has slapped up a preview on BioWare's upcoming RPG, Neverwinter Nights, after visiting their offices for some hands-on lovin'. Here's some juice:

The initial section of gameplay is an in-game tutorial that teaches you how to play while taking you along the first part of the main storyline. As a hero recruited into the above-mentioned Academy, you meet a series of NPC characters. Each steps you through certain actions and interface elements. For example, the first is a character called Bim who shows you the default mouse functions, the quickbars, the character sheet and the three camera modes. The first of these is isometric top-down, which resembles the point of view in the Baldur's Gate games, except of course that Neverwinter Nights is 3D, which allows for camera functions like rotation and zoom. The other alternatives are chase cam and stiff chase cam where you use the keyboard to control movement, turning and strafing. One notable element about the quickbar is that it uses the 12 function keys plus Shift and Ctrl, which makes for a total of 36 slots where you can drop weapons, spells et al. Bim also shows you the radial menu that is accessed by right-clicking and that gives you access to various functions such as rest, special abilities, the character sheet, attack, cast spell and special attacks. For some of these, clicking on it brings up a second menu layer.


Unreal Tournament 2003 Screenies

April 18, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


The guys over at Voodoo Extreme were lucky enough to swipe some new screenshots from Digital Extremes' upcoming first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2003. There are four in total and you can check them out right here.

Dungeon Siege Demo Released!

April 18, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Gas Powered Games has released a huge 183meg demo from their newly released Action-RPG, Dungeon Siege. This game has been getting rave reviews, so if you have a good pipe, you might want to check it out! Here come the mirrors:

SOF2 MP Test Available

April 18, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


Kinda.. :) Atleast we know the URL now: http://www.fileplanet.com/index.asp?file=87213. They still have a .txt as a placeholder, but soon baby, soon.. Be prepared!
Update by kAsT: The demo has been released. You can grab the 51mb file from the following mirrors:

Warcraft III Impressions

April 17, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


And finally tonight, GameSpot has posted their impressions of the latest beta released for Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming RTS, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. Here's a blurb:

The new ultimate spell is only one of many changes to the heroes. Another obvious difference is that heroes are no longer summoned from the town hall but rather from the altar, which was previously used just to revive heroes. To adjust for this change, the altar has been brought down the tech tree, so you can choose to build it right after the basic infantry barracks--or even before, to rush out with an unescorted hero. The altar is now the required structure for upgrading to the second-tier town hall, and these changes mean that summoning heroes doesn't interfere with the town hall's building queue. This is one of the changes that has forced beta testers to rethink their building strategies, and it has generally made the lastest versions of Warcraft III a very different game. There have even been some changes to the upkeep system, which taxes gold production when players reach high unit populations. The bar for low upkeep has gone up to 40 population and it's now 70 for high upkeep. Blizzard is obviously still tweaking upkeep, as 1.20 and 1.21 both included small adjustments to the high upkeep tax rate.


UT 2003 Screenshot

April 17, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Unreality managed to get their grubby little paws on a new screenshots from Digital Extremes' upcoming first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2003. Click here for the goods. Thanks Voodoo Extreme.

New Renegade Patch

April 17, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Westwood Studios has released a new patch(v1.030) for their first person shooter, Command and Conquer: Renegade. This sucker includes new air vehicles, new maps and more! You can catch all the details right here, or just start downloading the 17mb file off Westwood's FTP. Happy gaming!

Jedi Knight II Tweak Guide

April 17, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


The fellas over at 3DSpotlight have thrown up a tweak guide for Raven Software's newly released Quake3 engine powered Action title, Star Wars: Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast. Some good info in there that im sure a lot of you onions should eat up. Now get tweakin'!
In related news, Tuplay has posted a review on the game. Did they dig the game? Click here to find out.

SWAT: Urban Justice Q&A

April 17, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


HomeLAN has posted an interview with Sierra's Rod Fung regarding their upcoming tactical shooter, SWAT: Urban Justice. They get into everything from weapons to their new engine. Here's a taste:

HomeLAN - What can you tell us about the new engine's features and how does it affect the actual gameplay?
Rod Fung - The engine has a very open architecture that allows modders to create and modify game types, levels, and missions. It has all of the bells and whistles of many of the other state of the art engines including cell and portal based levels, dynamic lights, high-res textures, complex sound engine, realistic animation system, etc… One highlighted feature of the TakeDown engine in SWAT UJ is the artificial intelligence system. We have taken the award-wining AI of SWAT 3 and improved upon it. The AI in SWAT UJ is more realistic and life-like. If you liked SWAT 3 you will really like SWAT UJ.


New Poll

April 17, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


It was time to change the poll, so now it says:

What controls device do you use in FPS/TPS games?

Hmmm.. I am totally for keyb + mouse, but according to some sources, some really use joysticks for fps games! :) Might sound weird, but.. Cast your vote now!
Our last poll looked like this:

About how much money will you spend on computer stuff this year?
$0-$10 USD [2.8%]
$11-$50 USD [1.1%]
$51-$100 USD [2.8%]
$101-$200 USD [6.7%]
$201-$400 USD [14.8%]
$401-$700 USD [17.7%]
$701-$1000 USD [16.1%]
$1001-$1500 USD [12.5%]
$1501-$2000 USD [7.7%]
$2001-$3000 USD [6.0%]
$3001-$4000 USD [2.2%]
$4001-$5000 USD [1.8%]
$5001 USD or more.. [7.8%]
Total votes: 8948

$401-$700 USD is nice! That's at least 1 new gfx card this year! ;) I'm about to spend atleast $1000 USD this year, as I need a new computer for making music..

IGI 2: Covert Strike Q&A

April 16, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Innerloop Studios' Ole Marius Kohmann has been interviewed over at the Action Vault tonight, where they chat about the upcoming tactical first person shooter, IGI 2: Covert Strike. They look into the games plot, AI and much more. Here's a clipping:

Action Vault: Will IGI 2: Covert Strike make much use of scripted events to advance the story? How much of a role will they play in the overall game experience?
Ole Marius Kohmann: There are several scripted events in the game. We have events that the player is interacting with and we have events that the player will look at. The biggest event is probably when the player is riding along with a helicopter and firing on the enemies from behind. That is really good. The TBA (Time Based Action) is also making a return from Project IGI. Every map has several scripted events varying in size and complexity.


Chrome Screenies

April 16, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Thanks to Shack News for this bit. The peeps over at Techland have slapped up some new screenshots from the upcoming first person shooter, Chrome. Some pretty spiffy stuff. Check them out!

NOLF2 Preview

April 16, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Computer and Video Games.com has posted a short preview on Monolith's upcoming first person shooter, No One Lives Forever 2. I really hope this one is as cool as the first. Snip:

In keeping with the spoof spy theme, the first game's weaponry was augmented by some frankly improbable gadgetry. Body Remover Powder, anyone? Expect more of the same in the sequel, with Archer's armoury including a crossbow and some Japanese throwing stars, aided and abetted by the HR-4 Ladies' Compact Code Breaker and a pocket-sized lipstick spy camera in tulip - Cate's favourite shade, apparently.


Chris Taylor Q&A

April 16, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


FutureLooks.com caught up with Gas Powered Games' Chris Taylor for a friendly chat. They cover everything from working with Microsoft to their next project. Here's some juice:

Futurelooks: So after this, what’s next? What can gamers expect in the near future?
Chris Taylor: Oh, we’re definitely going to continue Dungeon Siege, maybe create an expansion pack, and then go with Dungeon Siege II. And after that, we might even have another try at an RTF game like Total Annihilation, but under a different name.


Global Operations Review

April 16, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


HomeLAN has tossed up a review on Barking Dog Studios' newly released Lithtech engine powered - first person shooter, Global Operations. The game walks away with a respectable score of 85%. Here's a chunk:

Of course, the best way to play GlobalOps is with other folks on the net. With other Internet based games like Counter-Strike the subject of hack and cheating attacks, it’s a pleasure to play a game that hasn’t (so far) been the subject of the same attacks. Finding a game is easy thanks to the built in game server browser. At the moment there are only a limited number of GlobalOps servers up and running but that may change thanks to the recent release of a stand along Linux dedicated server. Barking Dog also seems to be dedicated to improving the game. Two patches have been released already with a third on the way and a level editor for the game has also been released.


ALI Integrated Driver 1.07

April 16, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


ALI has released a new version of their Integrated Driver, bringing it up to version 1.07. Here's the good stuff:

Updates on ALi Integrated Driver ver 1.07:
1.Update ALi AGP driver from version 1.81 to 1.90.
2.Update ALi AUDIO WDM driver from version 5171 to 5181.
3.Replace ALi Win2K Mini-IDE driver 1.41 with Ultra-IDE 4.0.0.5 for Win2K/XP.
4.Update ALi IDE Cache Utility driver from version 1.05 to 1.06
5.Update ALi FIR driver from version 1.41 for Win 98/98SE to 1.5.
6.Update ALi FIR driver from version 1.41 for Win 2000 to 1.26 for Win 2000/XP.
Contents:
1. AGP driver 1.90 for Win95 OSR2.1 for Win98/Win98SE/WinME/Win2K/WinXP
2. IDE Cache Utility 1.06 for Win95 OSR2.1/Win98/Win98SE/WinME
3. Mini-IDE driver 1.41 for Win2K
4. FIR driver 1.51 for Win98/Win98SE
5. FIR driver 1.26 for Win 2K/WinXP
6. Audio WDM driver 5.12.01.5170 for Win98/Win98SE/WinME/Win2K/WinXP
7. USB controller 1.03 for Win95 OSR2.1
8. M7101 Patch 1.01 for Win95
9. IRQ Miniport driver 0.1 for Win95
*This driver will detect the OS version and show the items of drivers you need to install.
*Windows XP contains in-box drivers supporting ALi device controllers, which are not found in ALi Integrated Driver ver 1.07

Pretty hefty shaft, but important! If you want to grab the binaries, click here (Taiwan mirror) or here (USA mirror).

GeForce4 Ti4200 Review

April 16, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


The lads at Hexus have posted a review of NVIDIA's GeForce4 Ti4200. This should be the future bang for the buck card in NVIDIA's product line with a pricing under $200. Let's take a look at a small snip of Hexus' findings:

While it's only a reference card supplied from NVIDIA with no software bundle, no manual and no driver CD, we can still give it a useful workout against recent Ti4400's we've seen and also the card it replaces, the Ti500.
And replace it does, for an even lower price than Ti500 ever was. Performance is better than Ti500 in all areas and when overclocked, the gap widens further. You also get all the benefits of the bigger cards in the range and the benefits are numerous.

For those interested, the full review is here.

Trident XP4

April 16, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


Oh my! This one came out of nowhere! Trident is coming out with their first DirectX8.1 hardware! That is hot stuff.. Trident is a known name in the laptop business, and with this little badboy, they will just get bigger! Here's a snip from the press release: $qs The XP4 is just one member of a family that includes the discrete 250 MHz XP4 with a 128-bit memory interface of up to 666 MHz DDR clock. There are also the XP4m16 and XP4m32, both of which are multi-chip-modules (MCM) containing XP4 silicon die with 16/32 Mbytes of FBGA frame buffer memory in a similar 31x31mm package for thin/light notebooks where the smallest footprint is required.

<snip>

Full DirectX 8.1 hardware with BrightPixel(TM) rendering engine delivering the highest 3D performance at 1 billion pixels/sec and 8 billion texels/sec.
High-efficiency memory interface with SmartTile(TM) architecture enabling a peak system bandwidth of 10.4 Gbytes/sec.

That sounds very good! How well this XP4 really will perform when it's out, is left to be seen..

Operation Flashpoint: Resistance Q&A

April 15, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


HomeLAN has Bohemia Interactive's Mark Spanel in the hot seat tonight, answering questions regarding their upcoming expansion pack, Operation Flashpoint: Resistance. Here's some juice:

HomeLAN - What new multiplayer maps and features will be a part of OpFlash: Resistance?
Marek Spanel - There’ll be a couple of new mp maps set on the new island but the main enhancement is completely reworked netcode. There are so many changes we’re not exactly sure what all the benefits will be, but we really hope the new netcode will allow more units online and smoother gameplay. We’re going to start the MP Test of the new Resistance netcode soon, and every owner of Operation Flashpoint can join in with the testing. We believe the best results come from wide testing across the Internet.


Interplay selling Shiny?

April 15, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


According to this post over at GameSpot, Interplay Entertainment are in negotiations to sell development studio, Shiny Entertainment. Here's a blurb:

Interplay Entertainment has announced that it is in the advanced stages of negotiations with a potential buyer of Shiny Entertainment, the development studio that created Sacrifice, Messiah, and MDK and is currently developing The Matrix for the Microsoft Xbox. The sale is intended to help fund Interplay's future growth. Company representatives confirmed that the sale of Shiny would include all games in development at the studio, including The Matrix.
"Although the transaction is not complete and is subject to definitive agreements and satisfaction of various closing conditions, we envision this initiative as a key element in our future growth plans, providing the potential source of funding as Interplay builds on its leadership position in adventure and role-playing games on the PC and next-generation consoles," said Herve Caen, CEO of Interplay. "In combination with our recent cost-cutting measures and management reorganization, this transaction would further strengthen our balance sheet going forward. Games upcoming for release in the second quarter will be the first steps in our renewed growth efforts."

Any thoughts on who the buyer could be? Maybe Microsoft since they already paid a crap-load to get The Matrix an Xbox exclusive(atleast for 6month)?

Morrowind Update

April 15, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Bethesda Softworks has updated the official site for their upcoming RPG, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Included in the update are some new MP3 samples from the Morrowind soundtrack and a book that is suppose to improve your Acrobatics skill in-game, titled Dance in Fire. Check them out!
Also, Invisible Dream for a preview on the game. They have also posted a bunch of new screenies. w00t!

New Jedi Knight II Dedicated Server

April 15, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Raven Software's James Monroe has updated his .plan with word that they have released a new dedicated server(version 1.02c) for their Quake3 engine powered Action title, Star Wars: Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast. Both Linux and Win32 versions have been released. Here's whats new:

Version C:
*fixed the exploit that could crash the servers by sending an empty connect message.
*minor improvements to the win32 dedicated console (tab "complete" and one-line history)

You can grab them right here.

AvP2: Primal Hunt Shots

April 15, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Voodoo Extreme has slapped up some new screenshots from Third Law Interactive's upcoming addon, Aliens vs Predator 2: Primal Hunt. You can check these suckers out right here!

P4 Chipsets Shootout

April 15, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


The folks at X-bit Labs have posted a shootout of all available Pentium 4 chipsets.

Well, we have collected all the currently existing Pentium 4 chipsets and ran a bunch of tests to find out the best choice. In our comparison you will see how well Intel 850, Intel 845, Intel 845 B-Step (Intel 845D), VIA P4X266, VIA P4X266A, SiS 645 A1 and A2 revisions, and ALi Aladdin-P4 can perform with Intel Pentium 4 2.2GHz (on 0.13micron Northwood core).

If you're looking to buy a P4 system, check this article to help you find the right chipset.

GF4 Ti4200 vs R8500

April 15, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


I just spotted this battle, organised by SimHQ. They compare NVIDIA's GeForce4 Ti4200 against ATI's Radeon 8500 in what they call a "dogfight". Here's the usual snip:

While both cards are evenly matched on paper, I think this DOGFIGHT demonstrates that things may not always be, as they seem.
I took many days to think about how I could write up this conclusion and make it seem not so bad for ATI. In the end, I can’t figure out a nice way of saying they got totally whacked by NVIDIA’s Ti4200. The scores are not even close in a number of tests.

A very interesting read, with a lot of charts for your viewing pleasure. With 66 tests, they surely don't let coincidence decide about the victory as the GF4 manages to win in 61 cases! You can read it all over here.

Battlefield: 1942

April 14, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


The guys over at GameSpy have tossed up a preview on Digital Illusions' upcoming World War II based online shooter, Battlefield: 1942. Here's some juice:

The maps we saw were set in a variety of locations, with large, outdoor areas as the theme of the day. The first, "Bocage" (a Western Europe map), was a desert map set up for "Conquest" mode, with lots mini-bases connected by roads and surrounded by barbed wire. Another map, Guadalcanal (in the Pacific theater), was basically a long island strip flanked by large aircraft carriers. A few city maps are planned (including one in Stalingrad), as well as an "Omaha Beach" map, which no WWII game would be complete without.


Neocron Preview

April 14, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


HomeLAN has kicked up a preview tonight, where they take a look at Reakktor Media's upcoming massively multiplayer online Action-RPG, Neocron. Sounds pretty cool, but maybe thats just my inner Deus Ex fanboy talkin'. 8)

While Reakktor Media touts the fact that players never have to fight to enjoy Neocron, that doesn’t mean they have forgotten good old-fashioned conflict Combat in Neocron should please fans of action-RPG games like Deus Ex with its first person shooter style gameplay. Like most FPS games, Neocron uses the typical keyboard keys for people to fire their weapons and move in real time, thus giving the game a major difference from other massively multiplayer game. Player-versus-Player combat is limited to The Outzone regions of Neocron and the Wastelands (few to none of those pesky Copbots are in those areas) and players can buy a number of weapons ranging from pistols and rifles to more advances items like robotic drones. Heading out to the Wastelands also means dealing with some rather nasty creatures as well as humans.


Hero X Screenies

April 14, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


GameSpyDaily managed to snage some new screenshots from Amazing Games' upcoming action-adventure title, Hero X. This is another super-hero game, that kind of resembles Freedom Force. I wonder how the gameplay will match up. Anyways, click here for the goods.

ATI's Latest Leaked Drivers

April 14, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


Some new leaked beta drivers for the ATI Radeons are out. This time version 9026, and for Win98/ME. In order to make you all Radeon users happy, I'll list all the latest leaked drivers here in 1 place: Enjoy..

Asheron's Call 2 Animations

April 13, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Turbine Entertainment has updated the official site for their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Asheron's Call 2, with some new animations. They come in AVI format and show off a creature called Tyrant. Anyways, check them out!

Navy Seals Q3 Interview

April 13, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Also over at HomeLAN tonight, is an interview with Team Mirage's Benjamin Bauer regarding their Quake 3 Arena mod, Navy Seals: Covert Operations. They cover everything from public reaction to future updates. Here's a chunk:

HomeLAN - What are the team's current plans for updating the mod?
BenB - Beta1 was only the beginning. Beta1.1 will fix most of the small things we noticed in the public now and with Beta1.5 we can really start to more creative especially with a mass of equipment, more weapon classes like LMGs, heavy MPs, silenced sniper rifles, new features and mission goals !!


Jedi Knight II Review

April 13, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


HomeLAN sends word that they have posted a review on Raven Software's newly released Quake3 engine powered Action title, Star Wars: Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast. Here's a taste:

Katarn continues his growth and development in Jedi Knight II. Perhaps as a result of his experiences in Mysteries of the Sith, he has turned his back on his Jedi heritage and has returned as a mercenary working for the New Republic. However, he and his long time partner Jan Ors find themselves dealing with a new threat with both Imperial forces and evil Jedi who as usual want to do some dastardly things. Raven Software and LucasArts have created an engaging storyline for Jedi Knight II, which shows Kyle making a critical mistake which gives the bad guys the upper hand. Needlessly to say, Kyle goes back to using his Force powers again to defeat the new threat.

May the force be with you!

Another Wolfenstein Planned?

April 13, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


RTCWWorld.com has slapped up a quick interview with id Software's Kevin Cloud, where he lets it slip that another Wolfenstein game is planned. Snip:

G: "How did you come upon the idea of the game RtCW? Do you plan to make the next Wolfenstein game, If so when?"
A: The group of people at Gray Matter is huge fans of the original game and had wanted to do a follow up for quite some time. They did a ton of research on real Nazi projects and experiments during World War II, took it a slight step further (although you’d be surprised with the bizarre stuff the Nazis believed and were trying to do). We’ve used the X-Files type analogy a number of times, but they really did do a great job mixing the bizarre ideas and imagery with the more familiar World War II settings, to create that type of feeling when you’re playing. There will be another Wolfenstein game. Hopefully we'll get a chance to work with Gray Matter again. Drew and I will probably meet sometimes later this year to discuss it.

You can check out the rest of the interview out on their main page. Just scroll down a little.

UT 2003 in-game Movies

April 13, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


Yeah! Some real eyecandy for all of you who are just sitting and waiting for UnrealTournament 2003. Giga Games has posted 5 movies, showing off real in-game stuff from UT2003. It looks simply amazing! Here are some links for ya: $ls
  • Giga Games
  • Mirror - Bonusweb Enjoy! Well worth the downloads..

    Duke Nukem Q&A

    April 12, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    The Adrenaline Vault caught up with 3DRealms' Scott Miller for a quick chat regarding the Manhattan Project and Duke Nukem Forever. Not much meat, but still worth a look. Here's some juice:

    Given its long production, is it possible Duke Nukem Forever could reach a point where it might never recoup its costs?
    Miller: It took Max Payne one month of PC sales to recoup its costs. Since then we’ve had seven months of pure-profit PC sales and five months of pure profit console sales. The same pattern should hold true for DNF. The bottom line is that the bottom line will quickly be paid-off. DNF is not nearly as expensive to develop as many think, certainly nothing like some of those expensive Japanese games I've heard about, with costs running into the eight-figure stratosphere.


    Morrowind Preview

    April 12, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    The guys over at Voodoo Extreme have thrown together a preview on Bethesda Softworks' upcoming RPG for the PC and Xbox, The Elder Scroll III: Morrowind. Included are some new screenies, so check it out!

    Travel can be accomplished by foot or by beast. One of the initial beats you will find are called Silt Striders. These mammoth bugs have controls attached to their central nervous system, and as a result are used as taxis of sort. They can take you to all the big cities - provided you pay the driver a fee of course. Personally, I found it somewhat rewarding to travel everywhere on foot. Just follow the roads and signs, and you'll find what you're looking for eventually. Of course there are some dangers involved - thieves, monsters, and other shady creatures inhabit the world of Morrowind, and most of them aren't your best friends. One day I decided to just start running and see where I ended up - in the end, I had ran for about 45 minutes, come across three majors cities, two encampments, and one band of robbers who promptly took all my money. I attempted to take it back, unsuccessfully.


    SoF2 Multiplayer Test Next Week

    April 12, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    SOLDIER OF FORTUNE II: DOUBLE HELIX MULTIPLAYER TEST AVAILABLE ON APRIL 18
    Compatibility Test For The Highly-Anticipated Action Title Heading For The Hands Of Hardcore Gamers
    Santa Monica, CA -- April 12, 2001 – Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and Raven Software are giving gamers a chance to test their grit with the announcement of the Soldier Of Fortune II: Double Helix multiplayer compatibility test. The test, which will initially be available exclusively from GameSpy’s FilePlanet on April 18, 2002, gives gamers a chance to compete in one map across four different game modes including deathmatch, team deathmatch, elimination and infiltration. Gamers who choose to participate in the test will also have access to 20 skins and all the weapons available in the multiplayer portion of the full game. Players are encouraged to provide feedback to the team on gameplay and compatibility via email at sof2mptest@ravensoft.com. The multiplayer test is not the official demo for the game and does not contain the single player portion of Soldier Of Fortune II: Double Helix. The title has been rated “M” (“Mature” - Violence and blood - content suitable for persons ages 17 and older) by the ESRB.
    Slated for release this May on the PC, Soldier Of Fortune II: Double Helix portrays the gritty world a modern day gun-for-hire tasked with stopping a conspiracy bent on releasing a deadly new plague upon mankind. Under contract to the top-secret organization known only as the shop, players will travel from the snow swept streets of Prague to the jungles of Columbia to secret subterranean terrorist strongholds as they undertake a deadly hair-raising mission to foil the plot and eliminate the threat for good.
    Founded in 1995, GameSpy Industries is a leading content and technology company targeted at the gaming and entertainment industries. For more information, visit www.gamespyindustries.com.
    Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted revenues of $620 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2001.
    Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Australia, and the Netherlands. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com.
    The statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements.” The Company cautions readers of this press release that a number of important factors could cause Activision’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements. These important factors, and other factors that could affect Activision, are described in Activision’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2001, which was filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers of this press release are referred to such filings.
    ###

    NVIDIA 28.80 Win2k/XP

    April 12, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    And these ones should work. As they are leaked, edited and beta, be very careful if you decide to install'em. Here's the scoop from MaxReboot:

    I noticed that Station Drivers has found 28.80 Dell Quadro4 Drivers. After close examination it became apparent that the driver didn't support all nvidia cards or nView. So...I decided to put a reference version of this driver on-line.
    Here's few words about this driver:

    • 28.80 nVidia Reference Driver for Win2K/XP
    • all files dated 25th of March 2002
    • all nVidia video cards to date supported
    • no multilanguage support
    • nView support present
    • Refresh Rate Fix Compatible
    • Install only at your own risk!

    And to grab the file, click here. Shouldn't take long before we see the Win9x/ME version leaked too..

    stealth_wing: I'm getting mixed results on my GeForce3. My 3DMark score dropped by about 120 points (the Nature test was also slower). The odd thing is that the Codecreatures benchmark was faster.. I'll be testing these drivers in games during the weekend, but I have a feeling that they're good performers in games.

    New KYRO Linux Drivers

    April 12, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    The big K from PowerVR just fired in that they have released Beta 2 (Build 2.00.20.0234) of the Linux drivers for KYRO. As I am no Linux fanatic, I can say _very_ little about these drivers. K wrote that "These can be compiled against different versions of the Kernel by the end-users." Ooookey! ;) To get ya hands on these babies, click here.

    New Official ATI Drivers!

    April 12, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    The good folks over at ATI are really working hard! They have yet again released a new set of official drivers for the Radeon-series, and for WinXP, Win2k, WinME and Win98. Groovy! Check below for links to the binaries: Enjoy the new goods, and get benchmarking! :)
    As usual, do uninstall your current drivers before updating to new ones. A good guide "how to" can be found at Rage3D's forums.

    SoF2 Preview

    April 11, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    The fellas over at GameSpy have posted a quick preview on the multiplayer portion of Raven Software's upcoming Quake3 engine powered - first person shooter, Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix. Here's some juice:

    The final gameplay type, called "Infiltration", in many ways resembles the familiar and successful Counter-Strike formula: one team has one or more objectives to accomplish, and the other team is tasked with stopping them. The main Infiltration map we played throughout the night had a "Capture The Briefcase" theme to it, set around a large house with a swimming pool. The game was set to a last-man-standing mode, so it did in many ways feel like Counter-Strike … only with cutting-edge graphics, no need to buy weapons, and (dare we say) no whiny, cheating spammers?


    Warcraft III Preview

    April 11, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    Ferrago sends word that they have kicked up a preview on Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming RTS, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. Let's just hope the game lives up to all the hype. Booya:

    has been streamlined quite a bit from its predecessors. While the information on the single player experience is a bit thin, the multiplayer beta test has proved to be a rousing success. Reports sing the praises of the new, simple interface with icons displaying the structures that can be built, and locked off icons for structures that are not available yet. A lot of the micromanagement issues have been toned down. Those characters that cast spells can be set to do it automatically, which cuts down a bit on character maintenance. While all of the factions are unique in their own ways, they all function in a similar way with this simple interface. In a departure from Warcraft II, extra workers will not be able to aid in the building of new structures, but can be used to repair damaged ones.


    New Global Operations Patch

    April 11, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    Barking Dog Studios has released a new patch(v1.2) for their Lithtech engine powered - first person shooter, Global Operations. Here's whats new:

    • fixed the client freeze at round end
    • fixed server crash when allied teams kill NPCs
    • fixed mouse zoom bug
    • fixed gas/smoke grenade sprite bug
    • c4 bomb pick up issue
    • other stability fixes

    You can grab the 5meg file from EA's FTP.

    Morrowind Interview

    April 11, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    The RPG Vault has thrown up a new developer Q&A with the guys behind Bethesda Softworks' upcoming RPG, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Here's a chunk:

    Jonric: What's the coolest in-game moment you've had while playing or testing, and what made it so cool?
    Todd Howard, Project Leader: I was busy testing some new AI for guards hunting you down in Balmora, which is a pretty complicated town, and very big. So I run around attacking guards and jumping from rooftop to rooftop to see how well the chase me. Anyway, Balmora has all these little bridges that cross over the canal that runs through town. Three of the guards were trying to come after me from the other side of the canal, so they all ran across the bridge together. There was a townswoman walking toward them on the bridge. Since all three could not fit by her at once, they decided to knock her right off into the canal so they could get me. Splash! Poor woman.

    lol...nice!

    Return To Castle Wolf SDK Released!

    April 11, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    Activision has finally released the SDK source code for their hit Quake3 first person shooter, Return To Castle Wolfenstein. Now all you mod freaks can get to work! You can grab the 6.4mb file at the following mirrors:

    Detonator 28.35 Update

    April 11, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


    In this news post, worm mentioned the Detonator 28.35 set of drivers based on some NV17M drivers.
    The good news is that the Guru 3D folks have posted the reference driver (so no hacked .inf file) of the 28.35 Detonators. That means that they work on all cards.. or at least should ;) The files are dated 11th March and are refresh rate fix compatible.
    If you want to grab these babies, give it a click here.

    Win 2k/XP Detonator 17.90

    April 11, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


    I just noticed a new leaked Detonator set. Detonator 17.90 is available for all you NVIDIA card owners who are running Windows 2000/XP.
    The driver is dated 13th March 2002 so it's a more recent one than 28.32 and 28.35. Since this belongs to the pre-Detonator XP era, it doesn't support the GeForce4 cards.
    Click this link if you wanna grab it. But remember, it's a BETA driver so use it at your own risk.

    Epox 8K3A+ Review

    April 11, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


    Another review found its way to our mailbox. This time round, it's AMD3D who have reviewed the Epox 8K3A+ motherboard. This baby's based on VIA's KT333 chipset. Here's a little peak:

    Lets start off by saying this is an excellent overclocking piece of hardware. All the adjustments for voltage are there in abundance. Epox know how to build an option packed bios. Every mobo manufacturer take note. My only gripe is the current lack of a 1/5 divider at 166fsb. Hopefully this will be sorted out very soon. Even without the 1/5 divider the machine performed well with 100% stability at 166/166(333/333).

    For the rest of this review, click here.

    Creative GeForce4 MX440 Review

    April 11, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


    PC Powerzone UK have posted their review of the Creative 3D Blaster GeForce4 MX440 (can a name be any longer?). As usual, here's a snip:

    Creative have decided to stick to their own cooling solution instead of using NVIDIA's design. The cooler is very low profile and won't block a PCI slot as some coolers do, it looks like it's made from polished aluminium and has a clear-bladed fan. Creative has put a 3-Pin header on the graphics card which is great if you decide to change the cooler later on.

    You can check out the full stuff over here.

    SiS AGP 1.09f Driver

    April 11, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    Well, according to the SiS's Driver page, there is a new AGP driver, dated 4/11/2002 (today) and the version is 1.09f. What the "f" stands for, is something I do not know! :) Anyway, the driver is meant for people with SiS630, SiS730, SiS735 , SiS733, SiS635, SiS633, SiS645 , SiS650 , SiS740 , SiS745 chipsets. If you have one of those, grab the latest AGP driver here.

    Savage2000 Drivers

    April 11, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    Slap my ass and call me Sally!! This is a total surprise to us all! According to Savage News, S3 has released new Win9x, Win2k and WinXP drivers for the Savage2000 video card/chip. Holy macaroni! Check out the new drivers if you have a S2000 hummin' in your system: For more new drivers (VIA Twister, VIA Savage/MX- etc.), head over to Savage News.

    Update: I updated the links to some even newer files..

    Radeon8500 Part 2

    April 11, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    The chaps at Beyond3D are known to post some excellent in-depth articles! This time, they do it again! ATi Radeon 8500 64MB Review (Part 2) is a more in-depth and more tech related part of the review, showing some really interesting things about the Radeon 8500. Here's a slice to get you all warmed up: $qs To my mind ATi have built a chip that both looks towards the future and still has an eye on the now. With features such as Pixel Shaders 1.4 they have given the most advanced and flexible implementation of Pixel Shaders to developers so far, and judging by John Carmack’s comments he certainly seems to feel this is a step in the right direction. With features such as TRUFORM it gives developers a slightly more immediate path into a form of HOS that has already seen use in a number of available titles. I am still of the opinion that ATi’s FSAA hasn’t ended up in the form it was initially expected to, and being a Super-Sampling implementation it is much more fillrate intensive than the multisample formats that are available on nVIDIA boards - does, however, improve texture aliasing in all situations compared to equivalent multisampling solutions.

    It's a good read(tm), so get your snacks and soda ready! Click here for the goods.

    Radeon 6058 Win2K & XP

    April 11, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    There are some new leaked beta drivers for the ATI Radeon out there, bringing the version up to 6058. There is no word on what they fix or do, but some early reports show that at least D3D is boosted up quite a bit! So all you benchmark fans, these ones are for ya! ;) Some linkage: And as always, you are on ya own with these ones. No support from anywhere..
    Also, remember that you need to uninstall your previous drivers before installing new ones. Believe me, you save _a lot_ of time by doing that! If you are unsure how to uninstall drivers in WinXP (or Win2k / Win9x), check out this post at Rage3D. A good "how to uninstall" guide.

    Asheron's Call 2 Preview

    April 10, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    Computer and Video Games.com have slapped up a preview on Turbine Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Asheron's Call 2. Some pretty nice graphics in this puppy. Check it out!

    Emerging from safe havens below ground are three unique playable races, all sharing an uneasy truce. Humans are specialists in ranged combat, the new Tumeroks are magic specialists and the brawny Lugians are best suited to brawling outside the local pub on a Saturday night. Combat itself is also to be fully reworked, with a greater choice of moves, more tactical options and a lot less repetition.


    Soldier of Fortune 2 Preview

    April 10, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    There's a new preview up over at ActionTrip tonight, where they take a look at Raven Software's upcoming Quake3 engine powered - first person shooter, Soldier of Fortune 2: Double Helix. Here's some juice:

    Naturally, a Soldier of Fortune game wouldn't be what it is without some excessive gore and plenty of blood and guts. Raven has made a giant leap with their GHOUL 2 Rendering System, and I'm not just talking about the added per pixel hit locations. The skeletal animation works like a charm, and the accent in SOF2 is not so much on seeing the blood splatter in all possible directions, as it is on the realistic animation of a person getting shot or maneuvering in combat. Most of the time, you won't have that extra few seconds to marvel at your opponent's lifeless body, since his buddies will be on you faster than a drunken Irishman on a Britney Spears poster. The per pixel hit locations come into play when you wound somebody, as that is sure to be an important aspect of the MP game.

    Nice!

    Global Operations Review

    April 10, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    PC.IGN has tossed up a review on Barking Dog Studios' lithtech engine powered - first person shooter, Global Operations. How does the game pan out? Here's a taste:

    Once you get over learning the maps, you'll find a well-balanced game that begs for league matches. Global Operations is a bit of a hybrid of the team-based shooter games on the market. It's got the class system like a Team Fortress (or a more complicated version of Wolfenstein for those that don't play TF) and the fast and furious action of a Counter-Strike but with timed respawns. It also has those interesting, and sometimes exceedingly difficult, objectives for both of the teams involved.


    Dungeon Siege Review

    April 10, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    GameSpot has thrown together a review on Gas Powered Games' newly released Action-RPG, Dungeon Siege. Lot's of good press behind this game, so it just might be worth checking out. Snip:

    In addition to the single-player campaign, which can be played in cooperative multiplayer mode, there's also a separate gaming world designed primarily for multiplayer sessions. You can play that setting solo by just starting a multiplayer game alone, but you're only able to play one character in multiplayer games. As a result of that restriction, the game plays quite differently, since you don't have access to a pack mule and are likely to be less tolerant of the disparity in the relative utility of the different class abilities. Since you can't "autoshare" loot and experience points, it's frustrating to be burdened with a character that's incapable of getting a fair share of the conquests. Exacerbating those problems, multiplayer games can quickly devolve into frenzied sessions where everyone is trying to kill as many monsters as possible without working together in any meaningful way.


    AvP2 Expansion Pack Announced

    April 10, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    The guys over at AvPNews.com have posted a press release from Sierra, announcing Aliens versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt, an expansion pack for their hit first person shooter. Here's a blurb:

    Los Angeles, CA – April 10, 2002 – The saga continues as Sierra Entertainment™ and Fox Interactive™ announced today the development of the Aliens versus Predator™ 2: Primal Hunt expansion pack. Aliens versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt continues the nail-biting terror and suspense from the award-winning Aliens versus Predator™ 2. With all new single-player and multi-player levels, weapons, and new player characters, this original interlocking story is an all out battle of three of the deadliest species in the universe as the Aliens versus Predator 2 saga begins.
    Primal Hunt, developed by Third Law Interactive, has the Predalien and Predator stories moving back 500 years prior to the events of Aliens versus Predator 2. Before the humans set up the research facility on Planet LV1201, Predators frequented the planet for the sole purpose to hunt Aliens. On a routine hunt, a Predator stumbles upon ancient Pilot ruins and discovers an Artifact of great power that, as legend has it, controls Aliens and keeps them at bay. That same fateful day an accident causes our hero Predator to become trapped in a stasis field. 500 years later, he is discovered and inadvertently revived by a human named Dunya who is trying to retrieve the Artifact for the mercenaries she works for. As the Predator secretly follows her back to base, he unknowingly allows Aliens access to the human facilities. While the Aliens wreak havoc, a lone Predalien searches out the Artifact to try to destroy it before it becomes active again.

    You can check out the full PR on AvPNews' main page. Also, head over to HomeLAN for some new screenshots!

    Star Wars: KOTOR Screenies

    April 9, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    The circus freaks over at GameSpot managed to snage some new screenshots from BioWare's upcoming RPG for the Xbox/PC, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. The graphics in this title are looking pretty damn hot! Click here for the goods.

    New Jedi Outcast Dedicated Server

    April 9, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    Raven Software's James Monroe has updated his .plan with word that they have released a new dedicated server (v1.02b) for their rockin' Quake3 engine powered Action title, Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. Here's what's new:

  • fixed a uninitialized variable in the glm model loader which *may* have been causing a crash after a player joins. (this was a dedicated only bug)
  • fixed a bug in the code which runs the VMs that was causing the "opStack corrupted in compiled code" (this was the normal executable as well as the dedicated-only binaries.) Thanks to Rick for fixing this nasty little bugger!

    You can grab them over at JediKnightII.net. 8)
    Update: Also, Ferrago sends word that they have posted a review on JK2. They end up giving the game a score of 92%. w00t!

    Star Trek: Elite Force II Q&A

    April 9, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    The guys over at Ritualistic have tossed up an interview with Ritual Entertainment's Chris Stockman regarding their upcoming Quak3 engine powered - first person shooter, Star Trek: Elite Force II. They cover everything from art style to multiplayer modes. Here's a blurb:

    People seem to be divided over the art style you are going with, claiming it's too stylized and not realistic enough. Why was this decision made, and how close, in your opinion, are the recently released screenshots to what will be seen in the final product?
    Kenny Thompson: We are working toward a realistic but still stylized final product. We are hand painting all of our textures, not photo sourcing them. Inevitably, the result is a stylized representation of reality, which is our goal.
    The game, as stated in the press release is 40% done. We will have time to do a second pass on any game asset we feel is falling short of our goals. Currently, I cannot commit to the specific assets that will get that pass. I can tell you that most character assets will see additional tweaks in a final polishing phase.

    Also, head over to Shack News for some new screenshots!

    Allied Assaut Editor Released

    April 9, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    2015 has released the level editor for their hit Quake3 engine powered - first person shooter, Medal of Honor: Allied Assaut. Now all you mod freaks can start whipping up new multiplayer maps! Anyways, this sucker weighs in at 2.3megs and you can grab it at either FilePlanet or 3DGamers.

    Morrowind Preview

    April 9, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    The RPG Vault has slapped up a preview on Bethesda Softworks' upcoming RPG for the PC and Xbox, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. It also includes a bunch of new screenies, so make sure you check them out! Snip:

    Rather than putting character creation or choice before the gameplay, Morrowind gradually steps a new player through the generation process within the first few minutes playing time. While not an entirely new take on this RPG custom, it is still a refreshing and painless introduction to the skills-based roleplaying system of the world. Taken off a prison ship to the small hamlet of Seyda Neen, the player may choose among three methods of creating a character. These should satisfy players from any backgrounds, be they hardcore role-players or newbies. By the end these processes, which we won't spoil, you will have generated a character with a name, gender, race and appearance backed up by a set of various skills. There are 10 races in Morrowind, some new to the series like the Imperials, and some old favourites like the Redguards and Nords. Your choice in race can run further to the exotic with three available elvish races - Dark, High and Wood - or beast races like the Orc, Argonian and Khajiit. Each has a distinct look and animation with slight predispositions to certain skill sets plus certain resistances, weakness and magical abilities. For example, Orcs are slightly resistant to magic and can Berserk once a day, much to the chagrin of their opponents.


    RivaTuner v2.0, RC 10.2

    April 9, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    Hilbert Hagedoorn from Guru3D fired off an email letting us know that they have a new version of the premium tweaking utility RivaTuner uploaded. This new version carry the number 2.0, Release Candidate 10.2. Here's a list of what's new and fixed: $ls Minor bugfixes:
  • Fixed crystal clock frequency detection for nForce based boards.
  • Revised PLL dividers calculation algorithm. The maximum VCO frequency control, which has been introduced in the previous version, could cause RivaTuner to generate invalid PLL dividers and hang in low clock frequency generation accuracy mode. This problem appeared on the clock frequencies below 128MHz (mainly on TNT/TNT2 and GeForce256 based boards). Now RivaTuner doesn't control the maximum internal PLL frequency when the PLL post divider is frozen.
  • Fixed the maximum VCO frequency for NV17 based boards.
    What's new:
  • Added VCO frequency related info to the 'NVIDIA specific display adapter info' diagnostic report category. Now RivaTuner can dump the maximum internal PLL frequency, dump and check internal frequencies for core and memory PLLs.
  • Added undocumented ShowRoundedClks registry entry, which allows the power users to control RivaTuner's clock frequency rounding behavior.
  • Added undocumented SetDeviceGammaRampColorControl registry entry, which allows to work around corrupted color correction startup routine in the Detonator drivers (e.g. on GeForce2 MX with Detonator 21.xx or on GeFroce4 with Detonator 27.xx) and set gamma ramp bypassing the drivers.
  • Added hotkey manager. Now you can associate the hotkeys with the launcher's items and use the launcher's features (e.g. change a color scheme) without leaving a game and switching to RivaTuner.
  • Added DirectX 8.1 specific info to the 'IDirect3D8 HAL capabilities' diagnostic report category.
  • Context help updated.
  • FAQ updated. Pretty hefty list there! Click here to grab it.

    Leaked Detonators 28.35

    April 9, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    For Win2k and WinXP only. Ok, these drivers first appeared as NV17M only drivers, but now someone "patched" them up so they work on all NVIDIA cards. As usual, be extremely cautious when using beta leaked drivers. If you are interested, head over to warp2search. Watch out for their popups.. ;)

    ATI Interview

    April 9, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    The folks over at Reactor Critical have posted an interview with ATI's, Pierre Laine. They do chat a lot of cool things concerning ATI, but I think these teasers are the hot stuff:

    Reactor Critical: Can you give us a snip about the timeframes of introduction of your code-named R300 solution, please?
    Pierre Laine: Well, we will launch the R300 as soon as Microsoft launches its DirectX 9.

    <snip>

    Reactor Critical: What do think about leaked drivers? The visitors of our site really like it very much. They just like to see them leaked, they like test it with their hardware and software. Those are especially gamers who like to gain their speed with another 5 fps.
    Pierre Laine: Well, officially we do not like or support leaking or using leaked and unofficial drivers as we try to make them better, faster and eliminate all the problems with compatibility.
    However, I personally understand that it is really interesting for hardcore gamers to see what are the differences between the latest beta-releases as well as to have some extra perfomance.
    Keep in mind that the official statement is to follow ATI.com website in order to download the latest drivers.

    Want more? There is pretty much of it over here.

    Sim City 4 Screenies

    April 8, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    Thanks to ShackNews for this bit. The guys over at GamePort managed to get their grubby little paws on some new screenshots from Maxis' upcoming strategy title, Sim City 4. Not too shabby. Check them out!

    Freedom Force Review

    April 8, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    HomeLAN has slapped together a short review on Irrational Games' newly released super-hero RPG, Freedom Force. Is the game worth your hard earned cash? Read on:

    Super heroes like Minute Man, El Diablo and others engage in squad based combat in real time for the most part. Clicking on each of your super hero characters brings up a menu that gives the player options to move, uses powers, lift objects and other aspects of the character. After each mission you gain points which you can use to enhance the pre-created heroes or you can make your own heroes from scratch. This is perhaps the best aspect of Freedom Force as you can go wild with your imagination and create your own idea of a Justice League or Avengers. Irrational released a character tool several months ago and if you are so inclined you can even design what your perfect super hero looks like and share your design with the hundreds already out on the net.


    Condition Zero Preview

    April 8, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    Computer and Video Games.com has tossed up a preview on Gearbox Software's upcoming first person shooter, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. The preview was done after testing the game out and includes quotes from Gearbox's Randy Pitchford, so this one is definatly worth checking out. uNF:

    Randy then informed me that hardened Counter-Strike veterans will be in for a stern test, while partially solidified FPS players will find even some of the earlier levels, seriously challenging. "When playing against the bots, many hardened CS players who've been testing the game haven't been able to tell the difference between them and human players," bragged Randy. The man wasn't talking crap either, as he and his Bot mates proved by battling frantically to extinguish an enemy stronghold. Such was the tension, in fact, that while we watched the action unfold, the Stimpy lookalike started shaking uncontrollably with excitement, buck teeth knocking violently against his kneecaps, dislodging pieces of his lunch and sending them arching off in random directions as he trembled. Picking out a piece of cold fish which had lodged itself in my ear, I asked Randy to tell us a bit about the new types of missions, and some of the new mission goals we could expect to see in CZ.


    ARES Engine Q&A

    April 8, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    HomeLAN sat down with Barking Dog Studios' Michael Gyori for a quick chat regarding their brand-spankin' new in-house game engine, ARES. Not only will this engine be used for their unannounced RTS title, but they also plan on licensing the it out! Snip:

    HomeLAN - Is the engine going to be designed to be friendly for mod and game developers?
    Michael Gyori - Ares will be very friendly for mod developers. The World Object Editor (WOE) is the corner-stone of ARES and enables it to be very data driven. There is no "hard data" buried in the code that prevents someone from changing almost anything in the game. The World Editor is also very flexible and because it uses data generated by the WOE, you can easily create worlds that are very different from each other.
    The publisher and type of game created might demand that tools and data structure are not made public for various reasons. One of the most prevalent reasons for restricting "modability" is cheating. The more tools and knowledge about a game's data structure a person has, the easier it is for them to hack a game and cheat. This becomes especially damaging to multi-player games where clouds of doubt are cast over game results because cheating has been detected in the past.


    Soldier of Fortune II Preview

    April 8, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


    There's a new preview over at GameSpot tonight, taking a look at Raven Software's upcoming Quake3 engine powered - first person shooter, Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix. They also include a video preview if your prefer. Anyways, here's a blurb:

    We found that the most addictive gunfights took place in the game's jungle environments. That's because these levels contain fields of long grass that are drawn by placing alpha-blended textures on flat, moving polygons. It's a simple method that more and more games are adopting, but it's artfully done in Soldier of Fortune II. This effect isn't just for cosmetic purposes, though. Many of the game's 100 character models are skinned with camouflage that blends perfectly with this grass, especially while crouched. In fact, you'll be hard-pressed to spot a hidden enemy until you're a few feet away. This makes it very easy to set up an ambush on unsuspecting players and very crucial to sweep areas for traps before rushing an enemy flag.


    Fastest Webmasters Updated

    April 8, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


    Woohoo!! We're alive and kicking again! During the weekend, we updated our Fastest Webmasters list.
    It's been a while since the previous update, but everything's running smoothly again so expect a return to our bi-weekly schedule.
    As for the list, the GeForce4 is dominating which was to be expected. As a result, you need at least 10000 3DMarks if you want to have a chance of appearing in the list. For all the details, check the list.

    ATI Radeon 8500 Reviews

    April 8, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


    A couple of reviews of Radeon 8500 cards found their way to my mailbox, so let's see where you can find them.
    • ATI AIW Radeon 8500 DV @ Hardware Pub
      The Hardware Pub posted a review of the All-in-Wonder Radeon 8500 DV. Here's a clip:

      Powered by the world-leading Radeon 8500 graphics core and 64MB DDR memory, the ATI All-In-Wonder Radeon 8500DV provides unsurpassed 3D graphics rendering, high quality DVD playback, integrated silicon chip TV tuner, and multiple video features. The 8500DV is representative of six generations of graphics and video technologies and research, and creates a unparalleled TV, video and graphics product. It is the first card in the All-In-Wonder line to have two IEEE 1394 DV ports as part of its design. This allows for connection to MiniDV-enabled camcorders and other IEEE 1394 devices

      You can find the full stuff here.
    • ATI Radeon 8500 64MB @ Green Jifa
      The GJ folks have taken a closer look at the older version of the R8500. Here's a piece of their findings:

      If I could pick a piece of hardware to turn into a woman and bare my children, it would, without a doubt, be the Radeon 8500. Although, I may just be getting influenced by the hot 3D girl in the reviewer's guide. Either way, the Radeon 8500 is definatly an awsome buy, and I recommend it to any hardcore gamer looking for a "1337" card

      The rest of the review is located here.

      Epox 8K3A+ Review

      April 8, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


      Tweakers Australia have posted a review of the Epox 8K3A+ motherboard. The board is built around VIA's KT333 chipset. Here's a quick intro:

      Now that the KT333 chipset is in full swing, a lot of motherboard manufacturers have already began to release their version of what hopes to be the most powerful AMD platform available. One of the first on the scene was EPoX with their 8K3A+ model, boasting ATA133 IDE and Highpoint RAID, 6-Channel Audio, and DDR333 support to name just a few. Since the EPoX 8K3A+ was the second KT333 based board we got a chance to review, we were eager to get it out of the box, and up and running as soon as we could. Building on the success of the popular KT266A based 8KHA+, the only question remains is whether or not the 8K3A+ has the goods to take it one step further.

      To find out, click here.

      LOd Bias, AA and AF

      April 8, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


      I take it that all of you already know what LOd Bias, AA and AF stands for, and what they do? Well, if you are not familiar with any of the key features of making your games look even better, you need to read the LOd Bias, AA and Anisotropic Filtering article posted by Reverend, over at Beyond3D. A small slicer:

      What I have here in this article is a look at what a VisionTek GeForce4 Ti4600 can come up with when I play around with its unsupported LOD Bias adjustment as well as how its officially supported anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering may help with curing the texture aliasing introduced upon introduction of overly aggresive LOD Bias settings. To have easy adjustments to the LOD Bias, I decided to use Alexey's excellent RivaTuner. I used only one game to test and that is the recently released Quake3-engine based Jedi Knight 2 : Jedi Outcast.

      Great schtuff! Read it and learn! :)

      Warcraft III Preview

      April 7, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      It's another slow Sunday folks, but the guys over at Evil Avatar try to keep things kicking with a preview on Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming RTS, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. Here's a nugget:

      WarCraft III is simple to get into, but not a game that is quick to master. (Even though some people on battle.net play it like they have been playing it their entire life.) It plays a lot different compared to other RTS games, even Blizzard's. You don't turtle yourself into an area, you get the feeling that when you start you want to go out and scout around to see what is going on. The game has a brand new 3D engine that is amazing and has all of the WarCraft style. Fans that love the world of Azeroth are in for a treat because Blizzard has really kept the series intact and is just improving it.


      Quake 3 Fortress Beta 2 Released!

      April 7, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      Welp, it's finally here people. The much anticipated beta 2 of the Quake3 mod, Quake 3 Fortress, has been released! This sucker has all kinds of new goodies, including new models, maps, effects, modes ect. So you should definatly check it out. Anyways, it weighs in at around 140megs and you can grab it right here. (mirrors listed)

      PlanetSide Interview

      April 7, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      HomeLAN has posted an interview with Steve Wang, one of the programmers behind Sony Online's upcoming massively multiplayer online first person shooter, PlanetSide. It's more of a 'get to know you' Q&A, but still worth a look. Here's a taste:

      HomeLAN - For PlanetSide specifically, what has have been some of the biggest challenges in terms of your particular area?
      Steve Wang - Planetside is a tricky beast. We’re a Massively Multiplayer game, but a first person shooter as well. It’s not an easy task to bring the two together. Certain FPS tenets that have been around since QuakeWorld have to be rethought, scaled properly for a Massively Multiplayer game, and still have the feel of a FPS. Those kinds of things have been the biggest hurdles, but when all is said and done, they are the very things that make our game unique.


      Dungeon Siege Interview

      April 6, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      The fellas over at GamersClick caught up with Gas Powered Games' Chris Taylor for a quick Q&A regarding their Action-RPG, Dungeon Siege. They chat about everything from free content to weather effects. Snip:

      GamersClick: Will the Siege Editor be user friendly? So friendly that a person with no prior experience in game editing could sit down, open the editor up, and begin making things? CT: The ease of use of the Siege Editor really depends on what the user is trying to create. For example, if they are just trying to create some new terrain, it's actually pretty straight forward. However, to create new AI, or spell effects using the skrit system, it is a lot more involved.


      Unreal Tournament 2003 Q&A

      April 6, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      The ActionVault has posted an interview with the guys behind Digital Extremes' upcoming first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2003. Here's some juice:

      Action Vault: Based on your personal preferences, what are a couple of your favorite weapons in Unreal Tournament 2003, and why?
      James "Gwot" Edwards, Lead Modeler/Animator: Shock Rifle would be my number one fave, with the Translocator coming in second. With these two weapons, I can cover a lot of ground and at the same time pull off some fancy moves while doing so. I see myself as more of a finesse player, so I like weapons that focus on accuracy as well as being very dynamic in game. I love doing combos or just going for the aimed shot kills... not much of a zoomed view player myself so the Shock Rifle is where it's at. Translocator turns you into a highly mobile killing machine. It really breathed new life into teamplay as we know it. And nothing beats a telefrag. Not even flipping out and chopping off people's heads, ninja-style. Awesome! And by that I mean totally sweet. =D


      GlobalOps Review

      April 6, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      3DGamingDaily sends word that they have posted a review on Barking Dog Studios' newly released Lithtech engine powered - first person shooter, Global Operations. Here's a bit on the gameplay:

      One of the things that sets Global Ops apart from the rest of the tactical first person shooter crowd is its spawn area and the use of an intelligence officer. You don’t just respawn at a certain location. You have to be inserted, via truck, helicopter or other means. This allows players to work out a strategy before jumping into the action, although doing so means your enemy will get closer to it’s objective before your team springs into action. The intelligence officer gets an ‘eye in the sky’ overview of them map, as well as being able to monitor the action in real time through the camera’s scattered around the map. By setting waypoints for his team, the intelligence officer can exploit weaknesses in another team by sending his players into a flanking or ambush position, or even telling his team which way to go to avoid enemy contact. Although this position is almost never used in standard multiplayer, in a league with organized clans playing, I think it will be a vital position. When it comes down to it, a team using voice communications (roger wilco, gamevoice, etc.) and having an intelligence officer running the show will have a huge advantage. And any advantage in a league game is a good one to have.


      CeBit 2002 Report - Part 2

      April 6, 2002 - Nick "Neeyik" Evanson


      A week late with this one (oops...) but if you cast your mind back a short while, you should remember that Ace's Hardware posted the first part of their excellent report on this year's CeBit. Anyway, the second part is online for you all to read:

      As you know, the R300 is ATI's next-generation 3D accelerator following the Radeon 8500 (R200). The R300, or "Radeon 9500" if you will, will be a DirectX 9 compliant part, and may very likely feature MPEG4 acceleration in hardware. ATI already has some experience with MPEG4 acceleration, specifically in the Imageon 100 for handheld computers. The R300 is being developed by the ArtX team, the company behind the Flipper core in Nintendo's GameCube that was acquired by ATI back in 2000. The Flipper core is distinguished by its 3 MB of embedded 1T-SRAM. The team's experience with such embedded designs has fostered many rumors across the internet that they may take a rather non-traditional approach with the R300. However, despite the many rumors, we have little solid information on the details of the R300 architecture at this time, so we will just have to wait and see what transpires...

      With a close look at what the immediate future for motherboard chipsets holds as well, it's definitely worth a read. Catch the whole article here.

      A week of reviews

      April 6, 2002 - Nick "Neeyik" Evanson


      The news inbox overfloweth with reviews (again), so it's time to sift through it and post some of the bits and bobs around...
      • Futurelooks try to make you go all green with envy by reviewing the Samsung SyncMaster 210T 21" flat panel display - pity the site is heavy with pop-ups though.
      • Inside-Hardware give you the lowdown on the Easydisk 16MB removable USB storage thingy!
      • Tweakers Asylum have updated their Win9x/ME Detonator driver database to include the performance of the 27.50s, 27.70s and 28.32s.
      • GyroTweak have knocked out a quick review of some Crucial PC2100 DDR-SDRAM memory.
      • OCworkbench have given the Chaintech 7SJR SiS745-chipset motherboard a thorough testing for you.
      • Accelenation test out an ATI Radeon 8500 video card and let you know what they think.
      • Tweakers AU have reviewed the nifty looking Arkua 868S-7G Socket 478 heatsink.
      • BlueSmoke take a Cooler Master ATC-210 aluminium case to pieces just for fun! Well and to review it too, of course.
      Have a nice weekend folks.

      Codecreatures Benchmark

      April 5, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


      Codecult have released a 3D benchmark based on their Codecreatures Game Develoment System. Here's a bit of a background:

      Bochum/Germany, April 5th - 2002 –, Codecult, a Phenomedia-Group company, today announced the release of a new 3D graphics benchmark based on their Codecreatures 3D Engine. Codecult recently presented the Codecreatures game development system at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Jose, California. The audience, consisting of noted professional game developers from studios from all around the world, were impressed by its complexity and the diverse possibilities the engine enables. This enthusiastic reception has sparked Codecult to release a graphics benchmark based on the new 3D game engine.

      <snip>

      The Codecreatures benchmark is written with Microsoft’s DirectX 8.1 API and incorporates the use of Vertex and Pixel Shaders popular on next-generation 3D graphics accelerators.

      This benchmark has some hefty requirements, let's take a look:
      • Requires DX 8.1
      • Your graphics card must have hardware support for pixel shaders (GF3, R8500 and GF4 Ti cards).
      • 512MB RAM is recommended
      While that might still look like a piece of cake for some systems, I can tell you that this benchmark will bring it down to its knees! I tried it myself and my system was simply crying (I have a PIII 1 GHz, 256MB RAM and a GeForce3 ). I managed to score a stunning 8.4 FPS on average at 1024x768!
      But there's a positive side: the benchmark is a visual masterpiece. Every frame could be used as an excellent wallpaper. So if you have a DX 8.x card, this benchmark will give you a "Wow!" and several "Oh my god!" at the same time :) To download it, click here.

      SoF2 Multiplayer Impressions

      April 5, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      PC.IGN has posted some impressions on the multiplayer portion of Raven Software's upcoming Quake3 engine powered - first person shooter, Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix. Here's a taste:

      After a few games rescuing and not rescuing the stranded briefcase, we moved on to a team deathmatch map set on the roof of a hospital. This was a pretty intense situation as instead of the teams starting in the same place, everyone starts in random locations around the map. To make things worse, friendly fire was on. So shooting your friends in a moment of surprise wasn't unheard of. Members of your own team are fairly easy to recognize because of the big icon sitting above their heads, but what can you do? Our bouts in this map showed me on more than one occasion that Raven isn't holding the gore back yet again. I blew one guy's head completely off and I saw more than a few stumpy legs and bones sticking out. Horrifyingly entertaining. Kinda like picking that scab that's sort of falling off and really itches. You know the one. You just can't keep your hands off of it... sicko.


      Morrowind Update

      April 5, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      Bethesda Softworks has updated the official site for their upcoming RPG, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Included are a couple new wallpapers and some screenshots from the TES construction set. According to the site, the game should be released sometime in May for both the PC and Xbox, so keep an eye out for this sucker!

      Raven Interview

      April 5, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      The Lone Gamers have tossed up a quick Q&A with Raven Software's Kenn Hoekstra. They touch on several subjects, including Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast and Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix. Snip:

      What is your feel on the violent nature of Soldier of Fortune II compared to games without any blood like Medal of Honor? Is it worth the more mature rating?
      I believe Soldier of Fortune II is just as fun with the mature options turned off in the content lock menus as it is with them on. If people want to play the game without any blood, they can do so. It's entirely up to them to make that decision for themselves and that's one of the reasons the content lock tools are there. We set out to make a mature rated game intended for and marketed to adults, 18 and over, and that's what we're doing. In my opinion, the design choice differences between Soldier 2 and other military action games are purely philosophical. As such, I don't really like to make comparisons between Soldier of Fortune 2 and any other game, other than maybe the original. I think the game stands on its own merits.


      Elite Force II Interview

      April 4, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      GameSpyDaily has Ritual Entertainment's Jon Galloway in the hot seat tonight, answering questions regarding their upcoming Quake3 engine powered - first person shooter, Star Trek: Elite Force II. They cover everything from E3 to multiplayer. Definatly a good read, so check it out!

      GameSpyDaily: What is the basic plot of Elite Force II?
      Jon: The game begins aboard the Borg Sphere as seen in the final episode of Voyager and showcases a more detailed account of how the Voyager escaped/destroyed the Borg Sphere...
      The real story begins after Voyager returns home to the Alpha Quadrant. Like most of the Voyager crew, Munro and the rest of the Hazard Team have taken up new assignments in Starfleet. Through a series of events, Munro and the members of the Hazard Team find themselves transferred aboard the prestigious Enterprise-E serving under Picard. After answering a distress call of a derelict Federation vessel, the Enterprise-E and crew find themselves caught up in the upheaval of tension and conflict between warring species and find out who is behind it all. You will come across many familiar races in Star Trek including the Klingons, Borg, Andorians, and Romulans along with two new races and a horrific new alien race of monsters. Your actions will determine the ultimate outcome of these events.


      Tony Hawk 3 Review

      April 4, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      The guys over at GameSpot have posted a review on Gearbox Software's PC port of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. The game walks away with a score of 9/10, which is very nice for a port in my opinion. uNF:

      Pulling a trick and linking it to the next one is where the challenge comes in. Tony Hawk 2 players will need to learn to use the revert, an essential new ability used for linking air tricks to ground tricks, and may also learn to master changing between different grinds and manuals without breaking their rhythm. Whatever you do, you can't land sideways--you'll bail if your landing is off, yet no matter how brutal the bail, you'll get right back up, ready for more. Keeping your balance during grinds, manuals, and lip tricks also requires care and precision, more and more so the longer you keep your combo going. Tony Hawk 3 is an extremely fast-paced game--it moves much faster than its predecessor--so it'll keep you on the edge of your seat, primed and ready with the best your reflexes have to offer. If your reflexes can't handle a first-person shooter, then Tony Hawk 3 isn't your game.


      Jedi Outcast Review

      April 4, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      GameSpyDaily has slapped up a review on Raven Software's newly released Quake 3 engine powered - first person shooter, Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast. All you Star Wars fans better check this sucker out, it seems to be getting good reviews everywhere. Snip:

      It's right about this point, however, that Jedi Outcast really starts to click. The lightsaber is vastly improved from Jedi Knight, with fantastic animations and a variety of moves and fighting styles at your disposal. You can block enemy fire, smash certain obstacles, toss your saber out like a boomerang and even lop off a few arms here and there (no beheadings, though -- this is the Star Wars universe, after all). Although you can switch at any time, the game defaults to a third-person view when you activate your lightsaber; the engine has trouble with the third-person view in a few locations, but it's certainly easier to fight other lightsaber-wielding opponents from this vantage point.


      Dungeon Siege Review

      April 4, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      Evil Avatar has thrown up a review on Gas Powered Games' much hyped Action-RPG, Dungeon Siege. Is the game worth buying? Read on:

      I’ve spent more time playing multiplayer than the single player game. The amount of fun to be had playing co-op through the single player map (Kingdom of Ehb) alone is worth the price of admission. The fact that Gas Powered Games has offered up a totally different multiplayer map (Utraean Peninsula) that is larger than the Kingdome of Ehb is just a huge extra value. You have the option of starting a character in multiplayer and diving straight into the Utraean Peninsula or you can finish the single player game and then port your character in a veteran mode of the Peninsula. Either way, you’ll have a lot more game to play once you finish up with the single player mode.


      Star Trek: Elite Force II Announced

      April 4, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      STAR TREK’S® HAZARD TEAM IS BACK FOR ANOTHER TOUR OF DUTY IN ACTIVISION’S STAR TREK® ELITE FORCE II FOR THE PC
      Santa Monica, CA — April 4, 2002 — Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) readies a tour de force for PC gamers with the announcement of Star Trek® Elite Force II. In this sequel to the critically acclaimed first person action game, players resume the role of Alexander Munro, chief of the Hazard Team, Starfleet’s elite security unit. Now assigned to the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701-E, players will explore strange new worlds, battle against both new and familiar civilizations and go on the most dangerous assignments in the galaxy. Star Trek Elite Force II is being developed by Ritual Entertainment and has not yet been rated by the ESRB.
      “Star Trek Elite Force II is the continuation of one of the most highly regarded Star Trek games ever,” states Larry Goldberg, executive vice president of Activision Worldwide Studios. “Incredible graphics, exotic environments, great characters, excellent teammate A.I. and, of course, the richness of the Star Trek universe – this action game has it all.”
      After a brief prologue on the U.S.S. Voyager and a short stint at Starfleet Academy, the Hazard Team is assigned its toughest mission yet – duty onboard the Federation’s renowned flagship, the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701-E. Powered by id Software’s QUAKE III: Team Arena engine, Star Trek Elite Force II permits players to break out of the confines of ship bulkheads and spacestation corridors, and undertake away team missions in open environments such as expansive alien landscapes, the void of space and deadly swamps. Additionally, players must master zero-gravity combat when they do battle on the hull of a starship.
      Now set in the Star Trek: The Next Generation® universe, players can expect to face off against classic Star Trek antagonists such as the Borg, Klingons and Romulans. Players will also fight several never before seen alien species including a mysterious nightmare race. To help players gain the upper hand against such formidable foes, Star Trek Elite Force II allows players to arm themselves with 13 different weapons and gear including a phaser™, compression rifle, multi-functional grenade launcher, Romulan disruptor, tetryon gatling gun, a full-featured tricorder™, and several all-new weapons.
      Over the course of the Star Trek Elite Force II, players will be able to explore different options or tactics when dealing with a threat, as opposed to being forced to pursue a particular path. Additionally, the game boasts a larger number of environments and a significantly longer gaming experience than the first Elite Force.
      Star Trek Elite Force II marks the return of multiplayer Holomatch. Similar to the original game, Star Trek Elite Force II offers several multiplayer modes including modes found in the Elite Force Expansion Pack, but with new features and weapons like the Klingon Bat’Leth. Multiplayer modes include Holomatch, Capture The Flag, and Team Holomatch.
      For all the latest Star Trek news, visit the official home of Star Trek at http://www.startrek.com, or the supersite for all Star Trek games at http://gaming.startrek.com.
      About Viacom Consumer Products, Inc.
      Viacom Consumer Products, Inc. merchandises properties on behalf of Paramount Pictures, Paramount Television, Viacom Productions, and Spelling Television, as well as third-party properties. Viacom Consumer Products, a unit of Viacom Entertainment Group, is a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. To learn more about Viacom Consumer Products and our properties, please visit us at www.viacomcp.com.
      About Activision, Inc.
      Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted revenues of $620 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2001.
      Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Australia, and the Netherlands. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com.
      ###
      Star Trek™, ® and © 2002 Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Star Trek and Related Marks are Trademarks of Paramount Pictures.
      The statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements.” The Company cautions readers of this press release that a number of important factors could cause Activision’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements. These important factors, and other factors that could affect Activision, are described in Activision’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2001, which was filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers of this press release are referred to such filings.

      AIW Radeon 7500 Review

      April 4, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


      The HotHardware folks have posted a review of ATI's All-in-Wonder Radeon 7500. Again a small snack:

      Aiming for the user who wants a great card multi-purpose Graphics/TV Card for around $200, ATI has come up with a sister product to the Radeon 8500DV line, which typically sells for twice the price. The question is how much of the features and performance did they have to sacrifice to reach this lower price point?

      If you're in for a surprise, click here.

      Abit TH7-II Review

      April 4, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


      Hexus have smashed a review of the Abit TH7-II motherboard together. As most of you know, the TH7-II is for the socket 478 P4 chips. Here's the usual snip:

      I have been extremely impressed with the Abit TH7-II throughout testing, it has not failed once, and stability has been excellent. Despite pushing the limits of my CPU, and constantly rebooting and changing settings, the board takes it all in its stride.If you are considering taking the Rambus route with your PIV, then the TH7-II should definitely be on your short list. It may lack things like USB2, 6 channel audio, etc, but it more than makes up for it in the stability and performance.

      You can read the complete review here.

      AMD TBred (Model 8) 1700+

      April 3, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


      The funky guys over at Muropaketti (Finnish site) got an engineering sample of AMD's new Thoroughbred CPU. While they were not allowed to post any numbers, they said this: $qs I ran few tests and didn't face any problems. Unfortunately I can't tell you any benchmark scores but since there are no differences between Palomino and Thoroughbred than manufacturing process, it shouldn't be too hard to figure out that there are not much which could bring more performance.

      All in all, the CPU seems to be pretty spiffy. If you want to check out their summary in English, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page. Do check out the shots too, as they compare the TBred with the Palomino.

      Dominion Q&A

      April 3, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      The fellas over at Gameport caught up with Pharaoh Productions' David Allen for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming RPG, Dominion. They chat about everything from the engine to the games combat system. Here's something to chew on:

      Is there some PvP option? Who will have advantage on its side PC player (keyboard, mouse) or Xbox player (Xbox pad)?
      Yes, all on-line worlds will have optional PvP with rules associated with the PvP (such as clan PvP, racial PvP, guild PvP, open PvP, etc). The creator of the world will have the ability to set and change all PvP options. I don’t think either side will have a distinct advantage based on their client platform – we are designing the game to be fair for both, since we plan on allowing both client types to play together.


      UT 2003 Audio Interview

      April 3, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      XGR.com has posted an audio interview with Digital Extremes' James Schmalz regarding their upcoming first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2003. They chat about everything from the engine to the name change. You can grab the mp3's and drool over a couple new screenshots right here.

      Q3F Beta 2 this weekend!

      April 3, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      The official Quake 3 Fortress site has been updated with word that they will be releasing the much anticipated beta 2 this Saturday(April 6th)! They seem to have done a huge amount of work on this Quake3 mod, including new models, new effects and all kinds of other goodies. So make sure you check it out! I know i'll be installing Q3 again, just for this bad boy. 8)

      Global Operations Review

      April 3, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      GameSpot has tossed up a review on Barking Dog Studios' newly released Lithtech engine powered - first person shooter, Global Operations. With a final score of 8.1, this could be a title to check out. Snip:

      The recon unit, however, is possibly the game's most successful innovation and has turned out to be very popular thus far. A player on recon is automatically equipped with a life-signs detector. When the detector is activated, every enemy unit, friendly unit, and moveable object within a wide range appears onscreen as a symbol whose size and position represent its relative distance from the recon player. This is regardless of how many intervening walls there may be. The great part is that teammates in the vicinity of the recon unit receive this information as well. This has the dual effect of inspiring teamwork and reducing the viability of lone-wolf camping. A squad consisting of a recon unit, a medic, and a couple of gunners is a formidable force. A complementary little innovation is that large-caliber guns can fire through thin walls. It's incredibly satisfying to shoot an opponent hidden behind a flimsy barrier after your recon unit paints him for you.


      Star Wars: KOTOR Interview

      April 3, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      The RPG Vault has posted an interview with LucasArts' Mike Gallo and BioWare's Casey Hudson regarding their upcoming RPG for the XBox and PC, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. The questions mainly cover the decision to release on the xbox first and the differences between the two. Not much juicy info in there, but still worth a look. Click here for the goods.

      Freedom Force Interview

      April 2, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      EB Games.com caught up with Irrational Games' Ken Levine for a quick chat regarding their newly released super-hero RPG, Freedom Force. Here's a taste:

      Tell us about the gameplay. How would you describe the mechanics of Freedom Force?
      Freedom Force is a real-time tactical RPG with superheroes in a fully interactive, fully destructible environment. Knock over buildings, toss a bus at a bad guy, use a stop light as a baseball bat. You can pause the game at any point to input commands. The game rewards rich, tactical thinking.


      C&C: Generals Preview

      April 2, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      PlanetCommand&Conquer has tossed up a preview on Westwood Studios' upcoming 3D RTS, Command & Conquer: Generals. There's also an interview with Harvard Bonin, the producer behind the game, at the end of the preview. Check it out!

      Aside from a different storyline, the completely new style of gameplay as compared to previous C&C titles is what's shaking up the community. The first, and most obvious change to this C&C title is the 3D format. EA Pacific is using the Sage engine, which uses some elements from Westwood Studios Renegade engine but aside from that; it's all-new. From the early screenshots this engine looks fantastic. The buildings and units are all crisp and clear. The screenshots of daylight to nighttime transitions look absolutely gorgeous. The addition of 3D graphics will be a welcome change to the series. Another change that will be new for C&C gamers is the style of gameplay. Generals is completely dissolving the old format from which all C&C games were born. The sidebar is getting the boot and being replaced by a bar that graces the bottom of the screen -- this bar is also optional, it can be toggled on or off. Units will no longer be bar controlled, players will have to click on the buildings and select the units they want build in a manner identical to StarCraft's.


      Fallout Q&A

      April 2, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      Thanks to Saint_Proverbius for sending word that Vault14.net has slapped up a quick Q&A with Black Isle Studios' Feargus Urquhart regarding the development of their Fallout games. Here's a blurb:

      Saint_Proverbius: You've said that BIS plans to use SPECIAL in other games in the future. Would these be traditional CRPGs like Fallout or more combat focused like TORN? If they are more combat focused, how would you insure that there is a balance between non-combat skills and those that are direct combat skills?
      Feargus Urquhart: Actually I think we will eventually make all types of RPGs with the SPECIAL system. I am sure we will eventually come out with a fairly traditional CRPG that uses the system and probably a much more action orientated one as well. It most likely all depends on the strengths of the internal or external development team who are going to make the game, the kinds of games we think will be the products competition and some random determination based on what we feel like making at the time. As for a balance between the combat and non-combat skills, which I feel weren't very balanced even in Fallout, it will all depend on the type of game. If we were making a completely combat focused game - then instead of putting them in there just to have them, we would probably drop them. If it were something more similar to the pacing of Fallout then we would need to include them and do a more consistent job of using them.


      Soldier of Fortune II Interviews

      April 2, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      The Action Vault has posted an interview with Raven Software's Kenn Hoekstra regarding their upcoming Quake 3 engine powered - first person shooter, Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix. They chat about everything from the storyline to the engine. Snip:

      Action Vault: You said earlier that the new game will include a number of multiplayer variations? What are the different modes and will multiplayer incorporate any other significant features?
      Kenn Hoekstra: Yes, Soldier of Fortune II will have a rather extensive multiplayer element that includes deathmatch, team deathmatch, capture that flag and three other custom game types as well as a host of modifiers that can be set by the server. In addition, the random mission generator technology is available to randomly generate multiplayer maps for all game types.

      The guys over at ShackNews have also posted an interview with Kenn Hoekstra. Check it out!

      P4 2.4 GHz Reviews

      April 2, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


      As the NDA on the newest Intel P4 got lifted, reviews of this silicon running at 2.4 GHz have been dripping in. Before I start listing the reviews, you can read Intel's official press release here.
      Now let's see who was lucky enough to have a sample:
      • Tweak3D was one of the first to send in their news. Here's a snip:

        This time around Intel has bumped the speed of their Pentium processor to 2.4 GHz, a 200 MHz increase from the existing 2.2 GHz processor. The new 2.4 GHz is still based around the Northwood core that features 512k full speed L2 cache and is fabricated using a 0.13u process.

      • HotHardware also reviewed a sample.
      • Hardware Mania also managed to run off with a "Woody".
      • Hexus also posted a review. Again a short snip:

        We can't help but feel that the introduction of the 2.4GHz P4 is merely a stop-gap between Northwood revisions, and simply launched to counteract the excellent performance of AMD's XP2100. Yields appear to have sufficiently improved for Intel to manufacture 2.4GHz CPUs with the minimum of fuss. We couldn't let our 2.4GHz P4 off without finding out just how far it could go. We placed it on a DDR motherboard, raised the voltage to 1.85v, and were mildly shocked to see it comfortably surpass the 3GHz barrier.

      • ComputerBase also were among the lucky ones. Note that this review's in German.

      New Poll

      April 2, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


      Well, the easter is over, and everything is pretty much back to normal. I'm still on vacation, but.. you know, how could I just sit back and do nothing? It'd be horrible! ;)
      So, a new poll for you to vote for. It goes like this:

      About how much money will you spend on computer stuff this year?

      Don't be shy! Cast your vote!
      Our last Quick Poll looked & ended like this:

      Weekend Quick Poll - Snacks of choice while playing games?
      Potato Chips [18.0%]
      Salted Peanuts [2.3%]
      Pizza [16.9%]
      Burgers [2.3%]
      Candy [6.3%]
      Icecream [3.0%]
      Chocolate bars [5.6%]
      Salty Chocolate Balls [5.4%]
      Fruits [4.3%]
      Only lots of soda pop! [35.9%]
      Total votes: 2606

      So sodapop makes your gaming experience even better? Ok.. :) Some people even emailed me complaining that I missed out "beer" as an option. Sorry! Next time I promise that I will have beer as one option! Hehe..

      Jedi Outcast Review

      April 1, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      GameSpot has shot-up a review on Raven Software's newly released Quake3 engine powered Action tite, Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. The game walks away with a 9/10. Anyways, here's a clipping:

      The lightsaber is excellent--never before has melee combat in a shooter been so effectively executed. You can fight effectively from either a first-person or third-person perspective. In addition to gaining force powers, Kyle is also able to advance his lightsaber technique. When you first get your saber, you can block a certain percentage of incoming shots with your saber automatically. You can also throw it in an arc like a boomerang. As the game progresses, these two skills will improve, so that at their fullest potential, you'll be able to deflect virtually all blaster fire and actually control the saber as it weaves through the air. Beyond that, the saber combat in the game is surprisingly deep. The type of swing that Kyle takes is dependent on his movement direction and the location of the nearest enemies. So if an enemy is behind you, and you hit the backward key as you swing your saber, Kyle will stab backward. Time your strike at the apex of a jump, and Kyle will swing his saber downward in a deadly arc.


      Raven Interview

      April 1, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      FluxGames has Raven Software's Kenn Hoekstra in the hot seat tonight, answering questions regarding their current titles and the future of the company. Here's a nugget:

      2. After many good releases from Raven , what are your plans for the future?
      We're going to continue developing games for the PC, including Quake 4 in conjunction with id Software and we're also going to branch out into the console market with a new, unannounced console game. Our third project is also unannounced, but will likely be an FPS action title for the PC. First and foremost, however, we need to finish developing Soldier of Fortune II.


      Morrowind Q&A

      April 1, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      Morrowind@RPGDot has kicked up a short interview with Bethesda Softworks' Pete Hines regarding their upcoming RPG, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Not much new in here, but still worth a look. Snip:

      6) Finally a question about food in the game: Is there a need to eat in order to keep your character healthy and agile?
      Eating helps restore you Health or Fatigue. You can also eat all of the ingredients you find in the world and, depending on your Alchemy skill, you may experience the special effect that eating the ingredient provides. It could be something like the ability to walk on water or restore Health, or it could be harmful, like draining Intelligence. Ingredients can also be used in potions, which brings out additional properties they may contain. So, you don't NEED to eat, but it does help.


      Jedi Knight II Dedicated Servers

      April 1, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      The guys over at HomeLAN have posted both Linux and Win32 dedicated servers (unsupported) for Raven Software's newly released Quake3 engine powered Action title, Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. You can also grab the win32 one from XGR.com. Now get downloadin'!

      SoF2 Multiplayer Test Preview

      April 1, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


      Evil Avatar.com has posted a preview on the upcoming multiplayer test from Raven Software's Quake3 engine powered - first person shooter, Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix. Here's some juice:

      At first glance it might seem like you are just getting FPS gameplay, but much more is waiting for you when you load up the first game. One feature that has been added is the ability to select your weapon load out during each mission phase. So if you choose to customize your setup every round you have that option. It also creates teamwork as everyone wants to carry equipment that will be beneficial to his or her team.
      There are also quick radio commands that you can use to communicate with your team to further the tactical features of the game. And not to mention the Net code is excellent. Even with all the features that Raven has added to the game it is still smooth and sexy.


      Bits 'n' bobs for the week

      April 1, 2002 - Nick "Neeyik" Evanson


      Another week, another batch of reviews for everyone to browse through: As well as reviews, there are a couple of new programs out for you to use as well:
      • CPUreview have updated their MemTach memory benchmarker to version 0.93 Alpha.
      • Guru3D have got the latest (build 200) NVIDIA BIOS editor, which has been updated to include GeForce4 MX cards.
      Happy browsing!

      RivaTuner v2.0 RC10.1

      April 1, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


      One of the best tweaking utilities for video cards just got better! The Guru 3D folks sent in word of an updated version of RivaTuner. Version 2.0 has now arrived at Release Candidate 10.1 (will there ever be a 2.0 final?). Here's a grab out of the big list of fixes:
      • Full Detonator 28.xx support.
      • Detonator 27.42+ compatible 60Hz refresh rate fix. Now RivaTuner can work with both compressed (supported by the Detonator 27.42 and higher) and uncompressed (supported by all versions of the Detonator drivers) display mode formats.
      • Improved 60Hz refresh rate fix safety
      • Added low level RADEON 8500 support
      • Added 27.30+ compatible LODBiasFix patch scripts
      • Added databases for the Detonator 27.30, 27.42, 27.50, 27.51, 27.70 and 28.32. Updated databases for the Detonator 21.81 and higher
      A surprising line catches the eye.. low level R8500 support. I wonder what that means as I can't verify it. Anyways, if you want to try it out, feel free to grab it here.

    • Recent posts

    Choose year

    2001

    2002

    2003

    2004

    2005

    2006

    2007

    2008

    2009

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013