Hardware News

Morrowind Interview

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


Gamer.no has slapped up an interview with Bethesda Softworks' Todd Howard regarding their hit RPG, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. They chat about everything from patches to mod support. Snip:

Some players are complaining about Morrowind being too easy. The skills are being improved too fast and so are the levels. They also claim there is no real competition against the monsters who inhabit the world, except for the NPCs. Was this a design decision, or purely unintentional?
Some of it is designed in, some of the exploits are obviously unintentional. We added a "difficulty" slider in the first patch to make it easier/harder for people. We still get people telling us how hard the game is, while some people say it's too easy. So a slider was the best way to go. It seems that players who find the hidden away magic items are the ones who find the game too easy. So it's more item-based power, than say, skills.


Soldier of Fortune II Interview

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


The guys over at Planet Solider of Fortune caught up with Raven Software's Bryan Dube for a quick Q&A regarding their Quake3 engine powered - first person shooter, Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix. Here's a clipping:

Currently, a patch is on the horizon. What have you mainly planned to fix/add?
The upcoming patch is focused toward fixing as [many] issues with the game as possible in both single player and multiplayer while also trying to add a bit more content for the multiplayer crowd. The upcoming patch will feature 1 new gametype called demolition as well as 4 new Raven made maps.


Neverwinter Nights Review

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


ActionTrip has kicked up a review on BioWare's newly released RPG, NeverWinter Nights. With a score of 93, it's definatly worth a look. Snip:

The fluentness of gameplay is largely due to the practical interface and inventory system. Your character can carry quite a lot of junk on his back. However, if you overburden him/her, your movement speed will momentarily decrease. As for the GUI, it has a whole bunch of effective and straightforward options, which make the gameplay fun and trouble-free. All D&D fans will be thrilled to know that there's a useful and pragmatic console at the bottom of the screen, where all of the advanced RPG stuff is footnoted - attack and defense points, skill improvements, various penalties, etc. To consult the console occasionally may be a good learning step for less experienced players. Oh yes, many other issues have been incorporated into the gameplay in order to agree with D&D principles. This denotes stuff like making sure your character didn't receive any penalties for wearing the wrong armor or using the wrong weapon (example: my rogue couldn't perform any of his special skills while he was wearing heavy armor).

If your looking for some mod lovin', head over to Blackstone Publishing's site, where they have released a new module called The Golden Dragon. Here's their description:

A Free Module for Neverwinter Nights based on an (as of June 2002) unreleased d20 System(tm) module by Blackstone Publishing.
Explore the village of Lockyer where many adventures await you -- Help a humble barmaid recover a lost amulet, and assist a local farmer to clear out an invading orc tribe. Based on an unreleased d20 system adventure.
15 Areas, 3 Quests, NPCs, Henchmen, Dragons!

Thanks Evil Avatar!

IGI 2 Preview

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


Finally tonight, Ferrago has slapped up a preview on Innerloop Studios' upcoming tactical shooter, IGI 2: Covert Strike. Here's a clipping:

One of the main talking points in the development of Covert Strike is the addition of the save feature. Your progress in the original was saved upon the completion of a level. While this added superb tension, later in the game when the levels really started to get big starting from scratch too often resulted in huge amounts of frustration. Now you can save your progress via the map computer. Innerloop are trying to avoid the quick save tension killer of most shooters by making saving a more ‘tactical’ affair, also based on the skill level you’re playing at. How this pans out though we’ll just have to wait and see in the final version. The computer system Jones has will retain the same functionality of the original, also allowing him to receive Intel from the supporting cast.


WarCraft 3 First Impressions

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


PC.IGN has posted their first impressions on Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming RTS, WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos. Here's a blurb:

WarCraft III at its basics won't surprise anyone terribly much. It's an RTS. Those that have played the genre before will have no problem sinking their teeth into this one. There are a few things that are different however that help add to the experience. The big one is the addition of hero units that have the ability to gain experience and become more powerful as well as equip useful items. This helps to make you care more about the main characters in the game as well as force you to use them. Gone are the days of Starcraft when Kerrigan and the rest of the gang were left in the base well defended. Your hero units can be powerful characters and the only way to level them up is to fling them headlong into the fray. In multiplayer heroes only level up and stay in the mix of things for one game, but in the campaign, your heroes will carry levels and items over from map to map through the campaigns.


Deus Ex 2 Shots

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


Computer and Video Games.com managed to snage some new screenshots from ION Storm Austin's upcoming Unreal engine powered - first person shooter/RPG, Deus Ex 2: The Invisble War. Click here for the goods.

Icewind Dale II Screenies

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


The fellas over at GamePro have tossed up some new screenshots from Black Isle Studios' upcoming RPG, Icewind Dale II. You can check these bad boys out right here. Thanks Voodoo Extreme!

Neverwinter Nights Ships One Million

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


GameSpy Daily has posted word that BioWare and Infogrames has shipped over one million copies of their newly released RPG, NeverWinter Nights. Here's a blurb:

Earlier in the month, Infogrames released "Neverwinter Nights"(TM) for the PC, shipping 500,000 units in North America, with an additional 500,000 shipped to other territories around the world. Since hitting retail store shelves on June 18th, "Neverwinter Nights" has already sold through 125,000 units, has generated reorders for an additional 100,000 units to date, and has been the #1 Best Seller at retailers across the U.S.

Nice!

Return To Wolf Source Code Released

June 28, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Shack News has word that the source code for Gray Matter Studios and Nerve Software's first person shooter, Return To Castle Wolfenstein, has been released. You can grab this 1.22mb file from Shack's server. Time for some mod lovin'!

Morrowind Interview

June 28, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


GameSpot has Bethesda Softworks' Todd Howard in the hot seat tonight, answering questions regarding their hit RPG, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Topics include everything from cut features to a possible add-on disc for Xbox owners looking for plugins. Here's a blurb:

GS: What sorts of features were cut from the final version of the game?
TH: Not many really. We took a few weapons out, like slings and throwing axes. We stuck pretty close to our initial design. We did cut a lot of dungeons out. Our initial design had like 700 dungeons, which was just way too many. There would have been one every 50 feet.


EverQuest II Q&A

June 28, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Also over at Ferrago this evening is a preview on Verant's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest II. Here's some lovin':

EQ2 also plans to have an expertly crafted economy this time round. In the original, there was something of an unhealthy dichotomy, with newbies always strapped for cash and with high-level players having nothing to spend their fortunes on. For the sequel, Verant will attempt to solve this by having an entire skill tree branch devoted to trade skills – skills that will allow you to produce items for other players. The economy in EQ2 will therefore be much more player driven, with less of the artificial interference prevalent in other online games.

Cha-ching!$!

Splinter Cell Q&A

June 28, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


Ferrago sends word that they have posted an interview with Ubi Soft's Mathieu Ferland regarding their upcoming 3rd person stealth game, Splinter Cell. Here's a clipping:

Ferrago: I gather that with Splinter Cell, you aim to progress the stealth-action genre, from a third-person perspective. What new advancements will the game include that will add to the sense of realism that Clancy’s games have always strove for?
MF: Splinter Cell introduces a brand new way of playing into the Tom Clancy universe. Other titles of the franchise like Rainbow Six or Ghost Recon were FPS emphasizing team combat and tactics. In Splinter Cell, there is no room for a whole team as most of the missions have to be done secretly, without leaving a trace. It is a much different ground of actions and the fight against terrorism occurs at a higher degree on the field of national security. Sam Fisher sometime needs to wait and think about how is going to make his next action, and how he’ll achieve his next objective.


Medieval: Total War Site Launched

June 28, 2002 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky


ACTIVISION BRINGS THE DARK AGES ONLINE WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE OFFICIAL MEDIEVAL: TOTAL WAR WEB SITE
Santa Monica, CA – June 28, 2000 -- Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and the Creative Assembly today relaunched the official web site for the upcoming strategy game of epic battles, Medieval: Total War. The site, located at www.activision.com/games/medieval_totalwar/, includes news, game features and custom wallpaper. The site will also display the latest screenshots from Medieval: Total War that showcase the game’s graphical enhancements. Thanks to a bit of technical wizardry on behalf of the developer, Medieval: Total War’s units now have with four times the detail and resolution of the troops in Shogun: Total War.
“The new web site is a fantastic resource for Medieval: Total War and offers fans a glimpse of the innovation and quality of the game,” said Tim Ansell, Managing Director of the Creative Assembly. “First time gamers can be fighting epic battles in minutes and hardcore strategy fans can engage in deeper, richer campaigns to conquer Europe. And the enhanced graphics take the game to a whole new level. It all comes together to make us very confident that Medieval: Total War is going to be this year's PC smash hit."
The Medieval: Total War web site will feature the following sections:
Features – Learn the basics of Medieval: Total War, including factions, siege weapons, types of gameplay styles and more.
Story – Delve into the brutal history of medieval Europe and learn about epic campaigns that took place like the 100 Years War or the Crusades.
Screenshots – View massive conflicts between warring factions with all the pageantry, spectacle and bloodshed of medieval combat.
Downloads – Fans can get medieval on their desktop with official Medieval: Total War wallpaper. The official demo will also be available for the site shortly.
Medieval: Total War allows players to take control of one of twelve world powers as they attempt to rewrite history through a mixture of trade, diplomacy, resource management and epic wars of conquest. Featuring an incredibly powerful 3D engine, the game supports real-time 3D battles of more than 10,000 troops and more than 100 unique unit types, including knights, infantry and siege engines, in terrain as varied as deserts, forest, plains and mountains. Players will utilize authentic battle strategies and tactics as they unleash their forces against medieval castles and mighty fortresses with an arsenal of battle-field weapons including long-bows, muskets, cannons and catapults which can pound castle walls and buildings to rubble.
The Creative Assembly is a leading developer of computer games for PC and console platforms. Based in Horsham, UK, The Creative Assembly are best known for their genre-defining game of epic warfare, Shogun: Total War. The follow up to this award winning title, Medieval: Total War intensifies the epic battles to cover four centuries of warfare across Europe and North Africa, featuring spectacular castle sieges to deliver the most anticipated strategy game the PC has ever seen. Fans can find out more on the entire Total War franchise at www.totalwar.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 $786 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2002.
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.

John Carmack Speaks

June 28, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


The almighty John Carmack has updated his .plan file once again. It's an interesting read really! Here's a slicer:

I need to apologize to Matrox -- their implementation of hardware displacement mapping is NOT quad based. I was thinking about a certain other companies proposed approach. Matrox's implementation actually looks quite good, so even if we don't use it because of the geometry amplification issues, I think it will serve the noble purpose of killing dead any proposal to implement a quad based solution.

<snip>

I am now committed to supporting an OpenGL 2.0 renderer for Doom through all the spec evolutions. If anything, I have been somewhat remiss in not pushing the issues as hard as I could with all the vendors. Now really is the critical time to start nailing things down, and the decisions may stay with us for ten years.

Some good stuff there! If you like John C. and want to know what he thinks about the scene, keep an eye on his .plan file.
John C. had also posted some thoughts about realtime and offline rendering over at Slashdot. Here's one very interesting quote: $qs Multi chip and multi card solutions are also coming, meaning that you will be able to fit more frame rendering power in a single tower case than Pixar's entire rendering farm. Next year.

Next year? What is he implying?

Next 3DMark Rumors

June 28, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


Hehe, I found a rumor over at nV News: $qs Furthermore, MadOnion is rumoured to be waiting for the official launch of DirectX 9 to release its new version of 3DMark.

The next 3DMark will be out (despite when the next DirectX is released) When It's Done! :)

New Beta Radeon Drivers

June 28, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


There are some new beta ATI drivers for the Radeon cards according to Driver Heaven. And every OS has a new driver! Let's take a look:
  • Win XP Driver

    Details: Dated: June 4th, 2002
    2D Version: 6.13.10.6102 (Up from 6.13.10.6094)
    Packaging Version: 7.73 (Up from 7.72)

  • Win 2000 Driver

    Details: Dated: June 4th, 2002
    2D Version: 5.13.01.6102 (Up from 5.13.01.6094)
    Packaging Version: 7.73 (Up from 7.72)

  • Win 9x/ME Driver

    Details: Dated: June 4th, 2002
    2D Version: 4.13.01.9043 (Up from 4.13.01.9039)
    Packaging Version: 7.73 (Up from 7.72)

I don't even know if these drivers are indeed new, but I'd guess so. Anyways, download them if you want them ;)
I'd like to mention that you need to read the WHOLE post because it contains valuable information about the driver (how to add the control panel, etc). Of course, these drivers are BETA and thus unsupported. Use them at your own risk.

Lionheart Interview

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


Fan site, Lionheart: The Inquisition, has tossed up an interview with Reflexive Studios' Eric Dallaire regarding their upcoming RPG, Lionheart. Here's a clipping:

Exitium: Clarify the difference that sets Lionheart apart from other fantasy role-playing games. Cite examples (Diablo 2, Baldur's Gate, Dungeon Siege, etc), if you will.
Eric Dallaire: First, the game uses SPECIAL, the excellent ruleset created for the Fallout games. The SPECIAL system allows Lionheart to have a deep character creation system. Players will be able to advance the skills of their characters in many different ways as they progress. Like other Black Isle games, one of the main features of Lionheart is that it has a deep, non-linear storyline. Like Fallout, Lionheart's story is based on alternate history, although the settings and atmospheres are much different. You assume the role of a descendent of King Richard the Lionheart during a turbulent time in this alternate history. As you develop your character, you will be able to drive the story forward and choices you make will affect the storyline. Also, your actions will affect the ending and we are scripting multiple endings for good and evil characters.
Unlike Baldur's Gate or other Infinity Engine games, you won't be controlling a party of NPC's. Like Diablo, you will be controlling one main character throughout the game, although you will have the opportunity to have NPC companions join you for specific quests.


New NeverWinter Nights Patch

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


BioWare has release a patch (v1.19) for their newly released RPG, NeverWinter Nights. Here's whats new:
  • creatures will now use their spell-like abilities again
  • Bards will no longer become illegal characters
  • sort Community Names alphabetically in chat
  • Neverwinter Nights now works with DirectX debug DLLs
  • added a Tech Support chat area
You can grab this bad boy through the game's auto-update feature. In related news, BioWare has also posted a Module Construction Tutorial for all you editing freak, plus a Chapter One Guide for players seeking help. w00t!

Warcraft III Impressions

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


GameSpot has slapped up their first impressions of Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming RTS, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. The game hits stores July 3rd, so keep an eye out for it! Anyways' here's some juice:

Like Starcraft, Warcraft III has a campaign for each of its races: the humans, the orcs, the undead, and the night elves. In addition, the campaigns in Warcraft III, like those in Starcraft, all tie together to form a single epic storyline, told from four different perspectives. Starcraft, however, included the option to play the campaigns in any order, while Warcraft III does not. You do have the option to play or not to play through the two-mission prologue campaign, in which you're taught the basics of Warcraft III's mechanics while guiding the orc war chief Thrall and his green-skinned mobs. Yet since this prologue campaign is indeed part of the game's story, it's worth checking out even for experienced real-time strategy players.


GTA3 Patch Released

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


A new patch (v1.1) has been released for Take Two Games' PC port of the 3rd person action title, Grand Theft Auto 3. Weighing in at 1.1mb, it fixes various fixes, so check it out! Thanks Blue's News.

Parhelia Reviews o'Plenty!

June 27, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


I have been on vacation and noticed that we don't have all Matrox Parhelia reviews listed (our bad), so I thought to collect as many as possible, and list them all here from A to Z. Dig it: There! I read thru all of them, honestly, and I liked them all. Pick one, or do like I did - read them all.. ;)
Some biggish hardware sites (like [H]ardOCP and some others) haven't still posted their take on the Parhelia. I guess they do such an in-depth review that it just takes longer than it normally does! :)

stealth_wing: In the light of worm's comment about sites like [H]ardOCP, it might be worth checking out this newspost @ nVNews. That post was awarded by the Matrox Users Resource Center (MURC) with the "Balls larger than pumpkins" award. Could that newspost contain the truth? I guess we'll know that quite soon.

AMD To Box Their CPU's?

June 27, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


According to OC-Melbourne, AMD will start to pack their CPU's in boxes, and sell them that way. Maybe even that way ONLY? Here's a snip: $qs According to the sales team from a anonymous computer parts retailer, AMD Australia (or perhaps even worldwide) appear to now be focusing exclusively on Retail Boxed processors, (including packaging, a HSF, and a domed case badge - more ) for their Athlon XP and Duron range, rather than their OEM range which many overclockers are used to purchasing. $qe Humm.. Take it with a grain of salt still. There is no official confirmation from AMD, so don't take it too seriously..

Deus Ex 2 Interview

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


The Gaming Horizon has kicked up an interview with Ion Storm Austin's Harvey Smith regarding their upcoming Unreal engine powered - first person shooter/RPG, Deus Ex 2: Invisible War. They cover everything from nano-augmentations to characters making a return in the sequel. uNF:

GH: We've heard details of "non-lethal, non-violent resolutions" to serious conflict, allowing gamers to decide for themselves how ethical they're going to be. Could you explain this to us? Was it another result of the bad violence reputation that games have been receiving lately, or just another innovation?
HS: DX2 has as much potential for violence as any other game. Our decision has more to do with choice--we want the players to feel free to act. The "role-playing" game is a winning combination of self-expression and strategic thinking. For years now, the RPG has been creeping further into the collective mind of the culture. I feel like Deus Ex and DX2 are just part of the latest evolutionary stage of this process. Players like to make decisions for themselves; players don't want to be on rails. We want to give people the chance to approach the game, as desired: violence, negotiation, stealth, computer hacking, demolitions, et cetera.


Postal 2 Q&A

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


The Action Vault has caught up with Running with Scissors' Nathan Fouts for a quick Q&A regarding the AI in their upcoming first person shooter, Postal 2. Here's a taste:

Action Vault: Compared to most action games, are there any significant differences in the way you are designing and implementing the AI?
Nathan Fouts: One of my main goals was to treat the player in the game the same as any NPC. This allows for all sorts of fun, dynamic, and new situations to occur - what some might call emergent behavior. By limiting the number of times I check to make sure it's the player, all sorts of fun can happen. For instance, you can provoke a bystander with a gun, into drawing his gun. When this happens, you can hide your gun or zip up your pants - whatever it takes to make yourself look innocent again, then go running down the street. The pissed-off bystander will likely follow after you, gun blazing. All the other bystanders will go running for cover from him. He is now the threat. They don't care one way or another about the player. Actually... they care for the player, for a change. If cops see what's happening, they'll jump in and take down the rogue bystander, leaving you to watch the ensuing mayhem and feel pretty mischievous.


Unreal 2 Screenies

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


Well-Rounded.com managed to get their grubby little paws on some new screenshots from Legend Entertainment's upcoming first person shooter, Unreal 2. Click here for the goods. 8)

worm: Quick!! Someone give me a towel! I need to wipe off the flood of drool on my floor.. :) Unreal II will simply be _amazing_.

Return To Wolf GOTY Ships

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


ID SOFTWARE AND ACTIVISION RELEASE RETURN TO CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN: GAME OF THE YEAR EDITION
Mesquite, Texas - June 26, 2002 - id Software(tm) and Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) have joined forces to enlist gamers in the ultimate blitzkrieg with the release of Return to Castle Wolfenstein(tm): Game of the Year(tm), a special edition of the blockbuster PC hit that has shipped more than 1.2 million units worldwide. The Game of the Year edition features the original award-winning Return to Castle Wolfenstein, new multiplayer maps, the WolfRadiant map editor, the making of Return to Castle Wolfenstein feature AVI and the full version of the game that started it all, Wolfenstein 3D. The title is currently available at retail outlets nationwide at a suggested retail price of $44.99 and is rated "M" (Mature) for blood, gore and violence by the ESRB.
"Return to Castle Wolfenstein has been one of the most widely played and critically acclaimed games of 2001, including a ninety-percent or higher rating by over 35 different publications and multiple game of the year awards," said Todd Hollenshead, CEO, id Software. "By incorporating all of the new maps, updates, editing tools and bonus material, we've created the ultimate Return to Castle Wolfenstein package.
Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Game of the Year offers all seven official post release multiplayer maps developed by Nerve Software and Splash Damage, including Chateau, Dam, Ice, Keep, Rocket, Tram and Trenchtoast. Plus, the special edition also features demos and trailers of several other popular titles powered by id Software's legendary Quake III Arena(tm) engine. For gamers craving even more Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Game of the Year also delivers "Behind Enemy Lines," the official making-of video as well as wallpapers, screenshots and cartoons for fans to savor the action on their desktop.
"The original Return to Castle Wolfenstein delivered intense gameplay and thrilling action, now with Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Game of the Year edition, we've armed gamers for a new and long-lasting assault that is sure to give fans endless hours of Wolfenstein excitement," said Larry Goldberg, executive vice president, Activision Worldwide Studios. "With a full set of new maps, bonus material and even the original Wolfenstein 3D, Game of the Year has something for everyone."
Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Game of the Year is a supernatural World War II adventure where gamers are thrust into a last ditch offensive against Himmler's SS paranormal division. In addition to an action-packed story-driven single-player experience versus the Third Reich, the title's multiplayer mode enlists gamers to hone their tactical skills in squad-based combat scenarios. Players will join the fight as an axis or ally soldier and be challenged to intense, realistic campaigns like storming beachheads, infiltrating military installations, holding strategic positions, and more.
id - Freud's primal part of the human psyche and one of the hottest game shops on Earth - has been rocking the gaming world from Mesquite, Texas since 1991. As a renowned leader in the industry, id Software forged such frenetic titles as Wolfenstein 3D®, DOOM®, DOOM II(tm), QUAKE® and QUAKE II(tm). With intense graphics and mind-blowing action, id's games have helped redefine the modern video game, continually setting industry standards for technology and gameplay. And, in keeping with tradition, id Software has amplified the world of adrenaline pumping 3-D gaming with the release of their latest action titles, QUAKE III Arena(tm), QUAKE III: Team Arena(tm), and Return to Castle Wolfenstein(tm). id's advanced QUAKE III Arena engine is leading the next revolution in 3-D interactive games with both single and multiplayer technology. Check out more about id Software at www.idsoftware.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 $786 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2002.
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.
# # #
© 2001-2002 Id Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Published and distributed by Activision Publishing, Inc. under license. Developed by Gray Matter Interactive Studios under license. Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM, DOOM II, QUAKE, QUAKE II, QUAKE III Arena, QUAKE III: Team Arena, and the id Software name are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Id Software, Inc. in the United States and/or other counties. Activision® is a registered trademark of Activision, Inc. and its affiliates. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

Battlefield 1942 Shots

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


XGR.com has shot-up some new screenshots from Digital Illusions' upcoming World War II first person shooter, Battlefield 1942. You can check these puppies out right here.

Directx8.1 b

June 26, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


I mean.. I'm not really sure what this release is all about, but it seems that Microsoft has released a new version of DirectX8.1, bringing it up to 8.1b. Here's some sauce I was able to find:

DirectX 8.1b Redist Install
This download provides the end-user Redistributable that developers may include with their product. The redistributable license agreement covers the terms under which developers may use the Redistributable. If you choose to distribute the Redistributable Code, you must include the files as specified listed in the Redist Directory Read Me file.

  • For More Information - http://msdn.microsoft.com/directx
  • Version - 8.1b
  • Release Date - 25 Jun 2002
  • Estimated Download Size/Time @28.8 - 25,171 kb / 2h
System Requirements
- The DirectX 8.1b Redist download supports Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
- This package requires 25.7 MB of free space to download.
Operating System - Windows 98 & 2000 & Windows Me, Win XP

So, the file is as hefty as 25.7MB! Dang that IS hefty! I have no idea what good/bad this version brings, but for the brave ones out there click here to download. For more info, click here. If you guys want to discuss your findings, do it over here.
Those who just want the smaller sized DirectX8.1 (no redist), click here.

stealth_wing: Could this have something to do with the GTA3 problem on Windows XP? GTA3 needs a patch that updates the d3d8.dll to a newer version. Maybe that's why Microsoft released this DX8.1b. Also, what happened to DX 8.1a??
Anyways, the download is so big because it includes DX 8.1b for both 98/ME and 2000/XP.

RivaTuner v2.0 RC11

June 26, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


Yes! The update is finally there! Guru 3D sent in word that Unwinder has updated RivaTuner to version 2.0 RC11. Let's take a look at a big selection of the the changes:
  • Full Detonator 29.xx support including the latest Detonator 29.80.
  • Improved low level overclocking interface for NVIDIA graphics processors. Now RivaTuner unlocks the PLLs before setting a clock frequency. Usually both NVPLL and MPLL are unlocked in VGA BIOS, but due to unknown reason the PLLs tends to be locked on certain systems with the newest NVIDIA drivers.
  • SoftQuadro scripts are no longer included in RivaTuner. SoftQuadro related questions are also ripped from FAQ. Now SoftQuadro functionality is fully replaced with the NVStrap driver.
  • Added low level flexible refresh overrider module for fixing 60Hz refresh rate under Windows2000/XP on non-NVIDIA based boards (tested on ATI RADEON 8500 and all NVIDIA boards). RivaTuner's refresh overrider is programmable and it provides the most flexible TSR-styled way of overriding 60Hz refresh rate, which is currently available on the tweaking scene.
  • Added 'Disable dithering when decompressing DXT1 textures' OpenGL option for GeForce4 Ti/MX graphics processors. This option allows to boost performance at the cost of image quality.
  • Added 'Anisotropic filtering quality preferences' OpenGL option for the Detonator 28.90 and higher, which allows to select either performance optimized or quality optimized anisotropic filtering algorithm on GeForce256 and higher.
  • Added databases for the Detonators 28.80, 28.90, 29.11, 29.20, 29.4x, 29.60 and 29.80.
  • Updated performance/quality/game presets for both Windows 2000/XP and Windows 9x. Added professional preset for Combustion for Windows 2000/XP.
For those who've been paying attention to the above list, SoftQuadro is no longer available. SoftQuadro has been replaced by NVStrap. What is NVStrap?

Added NVStrap driver for all GeForce based boards for Windows2000/XP (thanks to the man who whished to remain anonymous for confirming that NVIDIA PCI DeviceIDs are programmable, this info greatly catalyzed the NVStrap driver development). This tiny boot bus extender driver embeds in the OS kernel and provides the following unique tweaking possibilities:

  • AGP sideband addressing overriding capability. NVStrap gives you possibility of overriding VGA BIOS defined SBA support without editing/flashing VGA BIOS.
  • AGP fastwrites overriding capability. NVStrap gives you possibility of overriding VGA BIOS defined FW support without editing/flashing VGA BIOS.
  • PCI DeviceID overriding capability. NVStrap driver can override PCI DeviceID on software level and convert your GeForce board to a Quadro and vice versa. The driver is loaded before OS kernel so neither Windows nor Detonator driver will be able to detect the real PCI DeviceID of your display adapter. This trick allows you to unlock all the professional Quadro features on GeForce based boards and unlock game optimized ICD on Quadro based cards without soldering and patching the Detonator drivers.
Note: NVStrap driver supports all GeForce based boards and it can override PCI DeviceID on the latest NV17 and NV25 based boards, but it's not enough to override PCI DeviceID only in order to unlock the professional Quadro features on these boards. The newest NVIDIA graphics processors has hardwired protection against DeviceID modification, which can be blocked with SoftQuadro4 scripts only (not included in the current release of RivaTuner).

Hmm..NVStrap sounds promising. I wonder if NVIDIA can find another thing to block GeForce to Quadro conversions ;) For more information and a download link, visit this page.

Radeon 9500 MAXX Performance?

June 25, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


It looks the question mark in the title should be a very big one...
Yesterday, some image was posted on an Italian forum. The image showed that someone had a Radeon 9500 MAXX. The card got the insane 3DMark2001 score of 27573 3DMarks! Take a look at the pics here.
Now before you start cheering, that image has been put to the test by some of our Discussion Board members, in particular polariz and InDirectX. Have a look at this thread to see what's wrong with the images, especially the image showing 3DMark.
I think we'll have to wait a while longer before we can see true performance numbers of any R9500 card. This one clearly has too many oddities to be considered as a real score.

worm: Muhaha.. It's one of the biggest hoaxes in a while! People should start to learn the old saying "Don't believe everything you read - at least not on the internet!". :)
The 3DMark score doesn't even add up. If you use the formula 3DMark2001 SE uses (3DMark score = (Game1LowDetail + Game2LowDetail + Game3LowDetail) * 10 + (Game1HighDetail + Game2HighDetail + Game3HighDetail + Game4) * 20), you get a totally different score than the one in the fake picture.
I got one word to the author of that image: Lame

Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project Review

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


The fellas over at Tuplay have thrown together a review on Sunstorm's budget title, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project. What did they think of the game? Read on to find out! Snip:

There are 7 different weapons that Duke can use the blast mutant baddies to hell and back, 8 if you count Duke’s bootprint firmly implanting itself on an enemy face. You start off with Duke’s signature golden Desert Eagle pistol and soon acquire the shotgun. Other guns available are the assault rifle and the GLOPP powered ray gun and pulse cannon. For real explosive power, there are pipe bombs and the rocket launcher. A worthy arsenal if I do say so myself.


Carmack On Parhelia

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


id Software's John Carmack has also updated his .plan, but he talks about Matrox's new Parhelia video card. Topics include the cards performance, how it compares to NVIDIA/ATI's offerings and how well it will work with the upcoming first person shooter, Doom 3. You can catch all the details right here.

Monolith Job Openings

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


Monolith's Jason Hall has updated his .plan with word that they are looking for two animators to work on their upcoming Matrix Online title. So if your looking to break into the biz, here's your chance!

Horizons Interview

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


GameSpy has tossed up an interview with Artifact Entertainment's Steve Escalante regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Horizons. Here's a taste:

GameSpy: Give us an example of how the dynamic quest engine is going to work? What kind of events will be tied into it that are going to make it go beyond the usual "delivery boy" scenario that most online games use.
Dina Mastbaum (Designer): We are in the midst of implementing this system and cannot give all of the specifics you might want. However, the quest system includes multiple types of delivery mechanisms, including a stationary NPC who bestows quests from finite list; a mobile NPC who bestows quests from finite list; an NPC who bestows quests from combinatorial lists; School masters who bestow quests relative to the experience of the player character; and game masters who bestow unique quests depending upon player character and storyline.


Asheron's Call 2 Beta Begins

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


Turbine Entertainment has updated the official site for their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Asheron's Call 2, with word that beta testing has begun. Testers have been chosen from the community, so cross your fingers and check your damn email!

GeForce 2/4 Go Drivers

June 25, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


One of our own frequent chat and forum members, nv, does some driver modding for all you GeForce2 GO and GeForce4 GO users.
That's right, if you want drivers for your mobile NVIDIA chip, head over to D-Force.

New Poll!

June 25, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


That's correct me lads! I just updated the poll, since it was getting a bit ... well, oldish! ;) This time we ask: $qs The summer is made for...

Go ahead and cast your vote on what you think the summer is made for. I kinda like the "Doing nothing" option.. :)
Our last poll ended like this: $qs Were the DOOM III shots & videos from E3 2002 impressive?
So good, I almost pooped my pants! [52.9%]
Most Impressive [22.4%]
Kinda cool [8.6%]
Seen better [3.2%]
Ok [2.6%]
Dunno really [3.8%]
Yawn.. [6.5%]
Total votes: 9664

So, most of you almost pooped in ya pants, right? That's errr.. nice! ;) I personally think DOOM III will kick some serious ass when it will be released. It just looks amazing, and creates some pretty hefty standards in the gaming scene..

Wildcat VP & P4 2.4/2.5GHz Reviews

June 25, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


The good n'old peeps over at Beyond3D have posted some new articles/reviews for you hungry tech junkies. If you like more in-depth articles than usually, B3D is the right place. Dig these: $ls
  • Wildcat VP Preview
  • Pentium 4 2.53/2.4GHz Processor & 850E Review

    Asheron's Call 2 Update

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


    Turbine Entertainment has updated the official site for their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Asheron's Call 2. The update includes some new info in their FAQ section, covering everything from NPC vendors to visiting towns from AC1. Click here for the goods!

    Battlefield 1942 Preview

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


    There's a Battlefield 1942 review up over at the Adrenaline Vault tonight, where they take a look at Digital Illusions' upcoming World War II first person shooter. Here's a chunk:

    The full game offers three multiplayer modes, the traditional Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag modes, as well as Conquest mode, a unique twist on Unreal Tournament's Domination mode. Although it is primarily billed as a multiplayer online title, Battlefield 1942 also features a robust single player aspect. Similar to Global Operations, all multiplayer maps can be played through offline with bots. Playing through each map unlocks additional maps for offline play, although all will be available for online multiplayer.


    NeverWinter Nights Review

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


    GameSpot has posted a review on BioWare's newly released RPG, NeverWinter Nights. If you purchase games based on review scores, then you better haul @ss to your local comp shop. *wink*

    There are seemingly countless options available, and Dungeons & Dragons is certainly a complex system-- nevertheless, the game does a fantastic job of getting you started. A bunch of pregenerated characters are available from the get-go; or if you opt to make your own, you can click on a "recommended" button that will suggest what you should do next, every step of the way. This gives good advice on how you should apply your ability scores depending on your class, which starting spells and special feats your character should take, and so on. The campaign's prelude starts you off in an adventurers' academy where, in context, you'll learn how to control the game and learn about your character's primary skills, depending on which character class you chose. You can skip most of this tutorial if you don't want to deal with it, but it's a great way for new players to get into the game.


    UT 2003 Interview

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


    The Multi Player Zone has caught up with a couple of the guys over at Epic and Infogrames for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2003. It's pretty lengthy, so break out your reading glasses! Snip:

    [MPZ] : Over the next few months we're likely (well.... maybe) to see release of a whole batch of next-gen FPS games such as Breed, PlanetSide, Doom III (?), Quake 4, Halo on the PC Platform. What do you believe that UT-2K3 offers over these other games?
    Richard : The one thing UT2003 will definitely have over everything else is ‘user-friendliness’. UnrealEd allows anyone to make their own unique maps and game types and UT2003 makes it even easier than it was for UT. Once users have access to this chance to create, they keep the game alive for as long as they have ideas – just look at what the modding community has made for UT. Plus, you never ‘complete’ UT because there’s always someone else out there who’s better than you – so the challenge of the game is infinite. After you’ve completed everything else, you’ll still be going online to play UT2003 or making a new map or skin. On top of that, most games have multiplayer as an addition to the main game – almost an ‘afterthought’. For UT2003 – multiplay IS the main game.


    Galactic Civilizations Q&A

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


    HomeLAN has slapped up an interview with Stardock's Brad Wardell regarding their upcoming strategy title, Galactic Civilizations. They chat about everything from the user interface to the expected release date. Here's a taste:

    HomeLAN - What can you tell us about the playable sides in the game?
    Brad Wardell - The way we approach it is that you are the leader of the human civilization near the dawn of the 23rd century. Humanity is yours to mold. Your entire civilization is essentially like an RPG character that you can gain new abilities and attributes for during the course of the game based on the decisions you make. So you can make your civilization evil and brutal and nasty or gentle and peace loving and lots of combinations in between.


    Detonator 29.80 WHQL

    June 24, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


    The Guru 3D folks posted the latest juicy facts on Detonator 29.80. The best news is that all OS's are supported and that the driver is WHQL certified. Here's some more info:

    Driver dated 05/24/02 - 24th of May 2002, tested and certified by Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL), All nVidia cards to date supported, full multi-language support, nView support present, Win2k/XP driver not compatible with old Refresh Rate Fixes.

    They also mention that you can use RivaTuner 10.2 to apply the refresh rate fix. For a more direct link to the drivers, click here. As usual, these are BETA drivers and thus unsupported. use them at your own risk!

    worm: You can also grab the files from 3DChipset, if Guru3D is slow for ya!

    James Bond 007: NightFire Preview

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


    Computer and Video Games.com has posted a preview on Gearbox Software's upcoming first person shooter, James Bond 007: NightFire. Here's a nugget:

    As far as I'm concerned, Half-Life still offers the best example of enemy AI in any game, especially the soldiers and the black ops. This is even truer in Opposing Force, Gearbox's expansion pack, where the intelligence of your human enemies reaches a peak in computer games. And, rest assured, this is an area that'll shine. "Because of the titles we've worked on and our emphasis on game-play engineering," explains Landon, "Gearbox has become quite good at AI programming over the years. In NightFire, you can just take for granted all of the AI behaviours you've seen in games such as Half-Life, but they'll be taken much further." That alone is a good enough reason to buy the game as far as I'm concerned.


    Battlefield 1942 Shots

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


    XGR.com has tossed up some new screenshots from Digital Illusions' upcoming World War II first person shooter, Battlefield 1942. There are 12 shots in total, so head over for a look!

    Rage3D Tweak v3.4

    June 23, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


    I just noticed that the folks @ Rage3D have updated their ATI Radeon tweaking utility to version 3.4. There's also an important note:

    Version 3.4 Is for use with ATI's drivers version 7.72 and newer, meaning all drivers that fit under the Catalyst name. If you wish to run a driver version older than 7.72 with Rage3D Tweak, then use version 3.2 of the tweaker for full compatibility with all tweaks.

    For more info on what has been fixed/added and for a download link, head over to this$ page.

    VIA 4-in-1 v4.40

    June 23, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


    Better late than never, but here's the scoop on VIA's latest 4-in-1 drivers. Version 4.40 of these drivers have the following release notes:
    • Update VIA chipset driver from v1.50 to v1.60a
    • Update VIA AGP driver to v4.20a
    If you want to downlad these bad boys, then get them here.

    Empire Earth Expansion Preview

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


    Finishing this slow news day off, PC.IGN has thrown up a preview on Mad Doc Software's upcoming expansion pack, Empire Earth: The Art of Conquest. Here's a blurb:

    There are a ton of new units to see here not least of which are the new carriers used by the Japanese. The unit model is in keeping with the historical Japanese flattop design. There's no tower cluttering up the decks here. The carrier also introduces the Japanese Zero fighter, which will combat for control of the skies with a new Allied unit, the SBD Dauntless. (Technically the Dauntless is a dive-bomber and not a fighter, but it makes a nice sentence, don't you think?) PBY Catalinas act as scout planes and help you locate the Japanese carriers.

    Head over for the rest!

    Asheron's Call 2 Screenies

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


    WorthPlaying.com has slapped up some new screenshots from Microsoft's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Asheron's Call 2. You can check these suckers out right here.

    First NWN Module Released

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


    BioWare has released it's first module for their newly released RPG, NeverWinter Nights. It's called "Contest of Champions" and adds some new multiplayer lovin'. Here's their description:

    Pit your mightiest warrior, your deadliest assassin and your most feared spell-caster against the best the world has to offer in BioWare's Contest of Champions!
    This module is designed to allow a group of players to jump into combat against each other on up to for 4 different teams. Anything goes within the two different battle arenas. The last team standing at the end of combat wins the round.

    Also, head over to GameSpy for a review on the game. They end up giving the game a 91/100!

    New Morrowind Tool & Plugin

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


    Thanks to Voodoo Extreme for this tip. Bethesda Softworks has released a 3D Studio Max exporter for custom models, plus a new plugin called Master Index for their hit RPG, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Head over for a look!

    New SoF2 Map Shots

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


    Evil Avatar.com managed to snage some screenshots from the four new maps in the upcoming patch for Raven Software's Quake 3 engine powered - first person shooter, Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix. You can check them out right here.

    NOLF 2 Interview

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


    The Armchair Empire has tossed up an interview with the guys behind Monolith's upcoming first person shooter, No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way. They get into everything from system req's to mod support. Here's some juice:

    How long did you spend on character development?
    David Longo, Art Director: We begin work on the characters begins during pre-production and finish when we go gold. When we ship, several people will have contributed to bringing our 40+ characters to life. Early on, over the course of a couple months, most of the concept work for all the main characters was done while we explored new features for NOLF2 like phoneme lip-synching, facial expressions and texture shaders. After investigating the risks and determining the time cost per character and getting a solid schedule, we go into full production mode. During this phase we do the modeling, texturing, setting up for animation, motion capture, animation clean up, texture facial variations, accessory attachments, cinematic animation tweaking and polish.


    NeverWinter Nights Review

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


    The Games Domain has slapped up a review on BioWare's newly released RPG, NeverWinter Nights. With a score of 5/5, they really seem to like it. Snip:

    NWN takes away all the boring dice rolling, but allows players to have similar adventures through their PCs. Taking part in online dungeon hunts, which, incidentally, can be designed and built on the fly by anyone with the game (more on that later), a DM can manipulate the action around them and make the game very real, just as they would in a pen and paper game. As if this weren't enough, the game also includes a full single-player campaign, based around the trouble and strife of the city of Neverwinter, jewel of the north.


    Soldier of Fortune II Review

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


    We have finally kicked up an in-house review on Raven Software's Quake3 engine powered - first person shooter, Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix. So if your still debating whether or not to picking this title up, get readin'!

    Back in 2000, Raven Software shocked the masses with their controversial first person shooter, Soldier of Fortune. Welp, the sequel, has finally hit stores nation wide and is sporting a more realistic feel, some amazing graphics, and all the limb flying action you can handle. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix, so prepare to get dirty as I run some details by you while sharing my overall thoughts.

    Click here for the goods.

    UT 2003 Update

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


    Epic Games' Mark Rein has hit the official Unreal Tournament 2003 forums with a quick update on the upcoming first person shooter. Topics cover everything from Voodoo3/TNT2 support to the much anticipated demo. Here's a taste:

    Network performance is improved from the original UT. Bandwidth usage has been decreased which should help particularly for people playing over modems. We've also focused on optimizing server CPU utilization. AI and gamecode is undergoing a lot of tweaking and improvement. In this area the last 10% is the difference between a good game and a great game and, I said in a previous update, UT2003 is going to be a great game.


    Tropico 2 Interview

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


    GameSpot has caught up with Frog City Software's Bill Spieth for a quick chat regarding their upcoming strategy title, Tropico 2: Pirate Cove. They chat about politics in the game, the switch to pirates and more. Snip:

    GS: Are there pirate ships? What part do ships play in the pirate island's economy?
    BS: There are pirate ships. They are essential to the island's economy because a successful pirate cruise is the main source of income for the island. In Tropico the player had to make money by selling commodities to freighters that showed up. But in Tropico 2 you make money, for the most part, by stealing it.


    Icewind Dale II Dev Diary

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


    The RPG Vault has posted a developer diary written by Black Isle Studios' John Deiley regarding their upcoming RPG, Icewind Dale II. Check it out:

    Currently, we are checking the game balance. All of the designers are playing through the game on the different difficulty settings and making copious notes on the good, the bad and the ugly. Changes are then implemented and we play through it again and again and... Anyway, you get the picture. We want the game to be enjoyable for all players regardless of their levels of expertise or playing styles. I think you'll be pleased with the results.


    Battlefield: 1942 Preview

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


    Thanks to HomeLAN for sending word that they have kicked up a preview on Digital Illusions' upcoming World War II first person shooter, Battlefield: 1942, after getting a chance to check out a beta. Anyways, here's some juice:

    The major selling point of Battlefield: 1942 is the many vehicles that it allows the players to drive. The North African map is set in a vast desert with rolling rock hills where tank battles are the main order of the day. Light and heavy tanks can be used as well as big mobile artillery guns. The tanks are very easy to drive about and you can switch from first to third person mode if you feel like that will.improve your aim and a second player can even man the tank’s machine gun. Taking the tanks out is an achievement that nicely balances the toughness of the tanks with the fun of seeing them blow up real good.


    Deus Ex 2 Preview

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


    GamesRadar has thrown up a preview on ION Storm Austin's upcoming Unreal engine powered - first person shooter/RPG, Deus Ex 2: Invisible War. Here's a clipping:

    With Deus Ex 2 they're taking those crucial freedoms further. As far, perhaps, as they can go. Spector confirms: "We scripted a lot of events in Deus Ex - more than I or any of us wanted to. And I think with Deus Ex 2 we're going to go a lot further in deepening the simulation (rather than adding more scripting). Because we are taking the time to build the tools that will make that kind of freeform gameplay possible, players will have more freedom of action."


    Fastest Webmasters Updated

    June 20, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


    A bit of a delay again due to some technical issues, but we have once again updated our Fastest Webmasters list.
    There aren't a huge number of updates since the last time (that's what we call "summer" ;), but it is of course worth checking out. To do so, click here.

    Me Myself And I

    June 20, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    Yes, I am heading out! That means out, literally! I need to see the sun, to chill and to enjoy my - vacation! :) 2 weeks of doing nothing! That's life.. I might be posting some news every now and then, but if anyone finds anything major and very tasty, don't send it to me. Instead email it to News@MadOnion.com.
    See ya later chaps, and please do behave while I'm gone, ok? ;)

    Parhelia 16x FAA In Action!

    June 20, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    Some users over at MURC have posted a screenshot taken using the new Matrox Parhelia graphics card and its 16x FAA mode. The shot looks sweet! :)

    Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon MMOG

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


    GameSpot has posted word that Phantagram Interactive will be developing a massively multiplayer online game based on the movie, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". Set for release in 2004, kung-fu fans unite!

    Lionheart Interview

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


    The RPG Vault has tossed up an interview with Black Isle Studios' Chris Parker and Reflexive Entertainment's Ion Hardie regarding their upcoming RPG, Lionheart. Here's a blurb:

    Jonric: To provide our readers with an introduction to Lionheart, what kind of game is it, and how would you summarize its most significant features?
    Chris Parker: Lionheart is a computer role playing game that is being developed by Reflexive Entertainment in conjunction with Black Isle Studios. The game is an original title that uses an updated version of the SPECIAL character development system (from Fallout) in a quasi-historical medieval Europe. Lionheart diverges from traditional high fantasy by placing the player on Earth in the 16th century in which history has taken a different path and magic has been released upon the world. Using a mix of historical and fictional locations and characters, the player progresses through a deep story while advancing through the classless character system.


    First NWN Patch Released

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


    BioWare has released a small patch (v1.18) for thier newly released RPG, NeverWinter Nights. You can download this puppy through the auto-updater in the game. Snip:

    Please do not panic about the version number seemingly leaping from 1.10 to 1.18. The "missing" versions are builds of the many different international versions of Neverwinter Nights. Here are the fixes in this patch:

    • Fixed the server filter crash
    • Improved client and server stability
    • Fixed the issue with plot items being dragged directly into an inventory bag

    Also, head over to PC.IGN for their quick impressions of the game. I couldn't find it at any local stores today, so hopefully I'll be rockin' you guys online tomorrow. Muhaha!

    Morrowind Patch Released

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


    Bethesda Softworks has released a new 3.41mb patch (v1.1.0605) for their hit RPG, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Include is a health meter for enemies, a whole list of bug fixes and more. You can grab this sucker right here!

    SOF2 Tweak Guide

    June 19, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


    Techspot sent in word that they've posted a tweak guide for Raven's first person shooter Soldier of Fortune 2. Here's a small intro:

    In the guide we deal with loads of in-game settings and commands that will ease your tweaking experience. Currently the guide is more oriented at the single player game given that people seem to be having more problems with that.
    Raven developers were also kind enough of taking some time off their schedule to collaborate with us on the development of the guide.

    To enhance your SOF2 experience, check out this guide.

    XFX GeForce4 Ti4400 Review

    June 19, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


    The chaps at 3D Velocity have posted a review of the XFX GeForce4 Ti4400 offering. Here's a blurb:

    Lately, Pine has decided to hit the mainstream graphics card market with a whole new image and a whole new division, enter: XFX Graphics. Their new, hip look is transforming the once seemingly invisible company into a formidable competitor in the dog eat dog world of graphics card production. Let's see if they have the muscle to back up their new look, or will this dog go running back to the woods?

    To find out, click here.

    Hall of Fame Is Back!

    June 19, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    The ultimate Hall of Fame is back & updated to the max! We changed almost everything to make the lists even more accurate and up-to-date than before!
    Here's a small rundown of changes:
    • Updated the CPU's to 1.6GHz
    • Changed from Pentium III to Pentium4
    • Changed from Athlon Classic to AthlonXP
    • Removed Soft T&L Lists
    • Added Pure HW T&L Lists
    • Added User's Choice CPU List
    • Added Users Top 10 List
    • The lists are based on 3DMark2001 SE Projects
    • Smaller improvements and changes here and there..
    Don't be shy, check it out now!

    More Sierra Performance Analyzers

    June 19, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    We are proud to announce 2 new Performance Analyzers, again specially for all gamers out there! The Empire Earth Performance Analyzer and Nascar Racing 2002 Performance Analyzer have been developed in conjunction with Sierra, Gateway and Intel to once again bring you the the most stellar online services to date!
    The Empire Earth Performance Analyzer and Nascar Racing 2002 Performance Analyzer enables gamers to quickly and accurately analyze their current computer system components in order to determine if it meets the minimum system requirements needed to play Sierra's titles, Empire Earth and Nascar Racing 2002. These services also give options to enhance your PC's gaming performance and image quality!

    3DMark & NVIDIA Driver Issue Solved?

    June 19, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    Indeed. Actually, I found this info over at nV News. ;) Here's what NVIDIA's support wrote:

    This was a bug with our drivers. The bug has been fixed. We are sorry but we can not get into the details of the bug however it was not a cheat. The fix should be introduced in our next driver release.
    NVIDIA Support

    So, case closed!

    Project Cryo

    June 19, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    Are you alone? Do you want someone to be in your hand, hour after hour? Well, if you do the same as in Project Cryo you will not feel so alone anymore! ;)

    Matrox Parhelia PR

    June 19, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    The chaps over at HotHardware have posted the Matrox Parhelia press release. Here's a snip: $qs At introduction, Matrox Parhelia graphics boards will be available with 128MB of DDR memory in both retail and bulk packaging. The retail packaged version of the Matrox Parhelia 128MB board will have an estimated street price of US $399 and both versions are expected to begin shipment by June 30th, 2002. Additionally, Matrox plans to bring a 64MB and a 256MB version of the Parhelia to market later this summer.

    Head over to HotHardware for more + some images of the actual card!

    IGI 2 Multiplayer Details Revealed

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


    Evil Avatar.com has tossed up a press release revealing some details on the multiplayer portion of Codemasters’ upcoming tactical shooter, IGI 2: Covert Strike. Here's a blurb:

    The subject of the all-new multiplayer game mode has kept the forum buzzing. The game’s designers have listened closely to the opinions on the forum and today Codemasters confirm key elements of the game’s multiplayer structure.
    IGI2: Covert Strike will deliver a full team-oriented multiplayer mode, with squads of up to eight players on both sides.
    Gameplay pits IGI operatives against terrorist groups from around the globe. The varied multi-objective based gameplay will include hacking data satellites to launching space shuttles, bombing oil refineries and escorting convoys. Reconnaissance elements provide for a new style of FPS multiplayer gaming, blending stealth and surveillance with action and gunplay.

    Head over for even more info!

    NeverWinter Nights Ships & BioWare Raises Cash for Charity!

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


    The peeps over at PC.IGN have word that BioWare's much anticipated RPG, NeverWinter Nights, has started shipping to stores. So if you can't find it today, be sure to pick it up tomorrow!
    In a related story, BioWare managed to raise $10,000 by auctioning off two autographed copies of NWN, with all proceeds going to their Kids' Fund charity in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada). You can check out all the details right here.

    E3 Awards Announced

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


    The official E3 awards for this years show have been announced. Categories range from best of show to best online game. And the winner is...

    Best of Show
    DOOM III
    (id Software/Activision for PC)
    With a franchise as powerful as that bearing the name Doom, gamers demand that each iteration represents “the next big thing.” Watching programming legend John Carmack manipulate the lone marine through the claustrophobic corridors, it was easy to get caught up in the revolutionary steps embodied by the technology on display. And all of that would do an injustice to the entrancing glimpses of terrifying gameplay, mixing hellish monsters with expert manipulation of the new technology. The buzz generated by this early show made Doom III the indisputable “must see” of E3 2002, and rightly deserves the recognition of Game of Show.

    Click here to check out the other winners!

    Horizons Screenies

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


    Also over at HomeLAN this evening are some new screenshots from Artifact Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Horizons. Head over for a look!

    Return To Wolf GOTY Interview

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


    Thanks to HomeLAN for sending word that they have posted an interview with Nerve Software's Brandon James and Splash Damage's Paul Wedgewood regarding the Game Of The Year edition of Return To Castle Wolfenstein. Here's a clipping:

    HomeLAN - Is it easier or harder to create maps for a game after the retail product has been released?
    Brandon James - Easier. There is a much clearer picture of how people play the game and how playing styles differ from those within the office. Being able to build upon a world that has been released lets us draw upon a wealth of assets. On the flip-side, you could also say it’s harder because of the expectations from within the community and ourselves to create and deliver updates that are in line with and then exceed what was in the original retail product.


    Parhelia Retail Shots

    June 18, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


    The Hot Hardware folks have posted some shots of the final Matrox Parhelia Retail board. The pics are accompanied by a press release from Matrox.
    For all the details, click here.

    nvHardPage v0.92.9b

    June 18, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


    The folks @ Guru 3D sent in word that they have an updated version of nvHardPage. nvHardPage is yet another tweaker for NVIDIA cards. The utility also includes the refresh rate fix to make it easier for you. Here's what's new, fixed, changed and whatnot:
    • compatible with 29.60 winXP detonators
    • added overclocking tab
    • added functions for deleting (all) D3D and OGL reg. values
    • added detection settings for 22.80 and lower det. under Win9x/Me
    • updated D3D Texture LOD setting
    • updated oglreg.dat file
    • fixed OGL AA setting
    • fixed D3D LOD detection under Win9x
    • fixed bug in "ALL OpenGL SETTINGS" under Win9x
    • some others small fixes and changes
    • updates in INFO program:
      • added mipmapping support
      • added multitexturing support
      • added point, bilinear and anisotropic filtering support
      • added device, raster, textures and texture filtering caps
    For more info and/or a download, head over to this page.

    New Quake 3 Fortress

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


    Finally tonight, a new version (v2.2) of the Quake 3 Fortress mod has been released. Included are 16 new/updated maps, lots of bug fixes and more. You can grab this sucker right here!

    Morrowind Interview

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


    The fellas over at GameSpy have Bethesda Softworks' Todd Howard in the hot seat tonight, answering questions regarding their hit RPG, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Here's a chunk:

    GameSpy: So, what's in the future for Bethesda and Morrowind? Ready to announce Morrowind 2? Or maybe NCAA Road to the Final Four 3?
    Todd Howard: (laughs) Currently we're trying to help the (PC) mod community. I'm shocked at how fast they're going. There are hundreds and hundreds of mods on the Internet already. Some of them are quite good. We've taken some of the best one's and polished them up and put them on our site. We have three up right now and more are coming.


    NeverWinter Nights Screenies

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


    Both HomeLAN and XGR.com have some new screenshots up this evening, showing off BioWare's upcoming RPG, NeverWinter Nights. Head over for a look!

    UT 2003 Q&A

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


    Computer and Video Games.com has kicked up an interview with Epic's Jay Wilbur regarding the upcoming first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2003. Topics include everything from the future of the series to his favorite weapon. Snip:

    What are the three most essential parts that make up a FPS, and how have you addressed them in UT2003?
    Wilbur: Atmosphere: you need a rich atmosphere, not necessarily realistic but it needs to be jaw dropping and immersive. Weaponry: you must have satisfying weapons. By that I don't necessarily mean powerful weapons. A weapon doesn't have to be devastating to be satisfying. Take our default weapon in UT2003, the assault rifle, which is incredibly satisfying but not that powerful. It's very meaty and has an attached rocket launcher. The final one would be success: you need balance whereby the average player can start playing and achieve some level of success. I've got my wife to play UT2003 and she's been able to get in there and gain some level of success, and she's never played a FPS before.


    Blizzard Interview

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


    4Gamerz caught up with Blizzard Entertainment's Bill Roper for a quick chat regarding his work on current and future projects. Here's some lovin':

    4gamerz: Regarding Diablo 2 and Lord of Destruction: there are many dupers on Battle.net, even in closed games. Have you found a solution to deal with duping yet? What are you going to do with those cheaters?
    Bill: Duping and cheating are problems that many games face; as with every game company that has a persistent economy and game world to protect, we are constantly finding and addressing these types of problems. We have a great community of players who let us know when hacks occur and often where we can find the perpetrators. We have shut down many, many ways for people to duplicate items, and should more arise, we will remove those avenues as well. In terms of actions taken against people who commit these acts, we remove duplicated items, ban players, and even delete accounts if necessary. It is unfortunate that we are forced, at times, to police the community in this way, but we have found that it is in the interest and at the request of the overwhelming majority of players in the game.

    Thanks Blue's News!

    Warcraft III Interview

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


    Worthplaying.com has tossed up an interview with Blizzard Entertainment regarding their upcoming RTS, Warcraft III. Here's a taste:

    How have the Warcraft III Beta testers impacted the final design of the game?
    The most important impact Beta testers have had on the game is the balance tweaks we have implemented after tracking which strategies were being used successfully. Our goal was to ensure that no one strategy was overwhelming or unable to be countered. Some specific changes include:
    · Footmen-class units are now even more robust than their ranged counterparts
    · Goblin zeppelins now unload more slowly and hold fewer large units than regular-sized units
    · More choices are available lower on the tech tree to allow players a wider variety of early strategies

    Also, head over to the official site for a look at the box art!

    NeverWinter Nights Preview

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


    Gamers.com has posted some quick impressions of BioWare's upcoming RPG, NeverWinter Nights. Im really thinking about picking this sucker up, can't wait! Anyways, here's a blurb:

    It's chapter 2 and onwards that the single-player really kicks in, and some of the best quests are done there and beyond. Expect to do things like travel through time, be a judge for military trial, and maybe take on a famous red dragon.


    New Morrowind Plugin

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


    Bethesda Softworks has released a new plugin for their hit RPG, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. It's called the "Helm of Tohan" and here's the description:

    The Adamantium Helm of Tohan is a rare and powerful artifact lost in the Sheogorad Region. Travel north to Dagon Fel to find out more about this legendary helm.

    You can grab this sucker right here.

    Get a signed copy of NeverWinter Nights!

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


    BioWare has updated their site with word that they are selling two autographed copies of their upcoming RPG, NeverWinter Nights, as well as an autographed air-hockey table! The money raised will be going to the BioWare Kids Fund, so dust off your wallets guys! 8)

    Counter-Strike 1.5 Issues

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


    The official Counter-Strike page has been updated with some work-arounds concerning a couple bugs that have popped up. So if your having problems, head over for a look!

    Unreal Tournament 2003 Q&A

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


    UT World has caught up with Digitial Extremes' Starsky Partridge for a quick chat regarding their upcoming first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2003. Here's a nugget:

    How many percent of the sounds and music for UT2003 are done already? Are the taunts published in the e3 videos the final ones?
    most of the sounds and music are completed already. i am spending a lot of my time now implementing the environment sounds. the taunts are also being tweaked.


    Neverwinter Nights Preview

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


    If your looking for a preview fix this evening, head over to GameSpot, where they have just shot up a quick preview on BioWare's upcoming RPG, Neverwinter Nights. The preview was done after getting a chance to play the game, so make sure you check it out!

    Task Force Dagger Shots

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


    The guys over at HomeLAN have managed to snage some new screenshots from Zombie Studios' upcoming first person shooter, Delta Force: Task Force Dagger. Click here for a look!

    Gore Review

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


    GameSpot has posted a review on 4DRulers' first person shooter, Gore. They end up giving the game a score of 6.3! Here's a clipping:

    The single-player campaign appears to be cobbled together from slightly reworked versions of the game's multiplayer levels, and it shouldn't take more than five or six hours to complete. It's a completely linear and straightforward run through a greatest-hits collection of commonly used shooter locales. There's a space station, a warehouse, a neon-lit urban environment, a dungeon, a Central American temple, a South American drug lord's mansion, an office, and the classic big, empty cathedral/castle with lots of stained glass. Bucking tradition, Gore also includes a Wild West town and a haunted mansion. This variety would have worked better if Gore's graphics were more impressive. The custom rendering engine produces visuals that have more in common with Quake II-powered games than more-recent Quake III and Unreal titles. There are no large outdoor scenes, and most of the action takes place in corridors or tightly bound courtyard areas.


    Icewind Dale II Q&A

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


    The fellas over at Icebound have tossed up an interview with Black Isle Studios' Chris Avellone and Tex Yang regarding their upcoming RPG, Icewind Dale II. Here's some juice:

    6) What was the single hardest moment of converting IWD2 from 2nd edition rules to 3rd edition rules?
    Tex: In my opinion there really wasn’t one particular moment that was the hardest in converting IWD2 from 2nd edition to 3rd edition. Since we couldn’t really overhaul the whole game in one fell swoop overnight, it was a gradual process which had different hard moments throughout. The closest single moment I can think of, if it could be classified as one, would be the time we decided to go 3E to begin with - from that moment on, things have been pretty much on overdrive ever since.
    Chris: For designers, Domain priests and the Intimidate/Diplomacy/Bluff checks. The programmers may have a different (and longer) list.


    Purge Interview

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


    The RPG Vault has posted an interview with Freeform Interactive's Richard Cheung regarding their upcoming Action-RPG, Purge. They chat about everything from the character system to how magic works. Snip:

    Jonric: How will characters advance and improve during the game? And are there differences in this respect between playing solo and in groups?
    Richard Cheung: The last aspect of the Player Character is his experience points (XP). When a player receives enough XP, he gains a level, which gives him slightly improved DETAILS. XP are gained for eliminating opponents. Bonus XP are earned for killing opponents at higher levels than you.
    In Purge, teamwork is high encouraged and rewarded. Instead of a mere "you win". Players who tactically work as teams will level far faster than players who solo in combat will. Individual XP gains pale in comparison to Team XP. An entire team receives XP for accomplishing team goals such as eliminating the opposing NPC or destroying the opponent's portal.


    WarCraft III Golden!

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


    Blizzard Entertainment has announced that their highly anticipated RTS, WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos, has gone gold and should be hitting stores July 3! Here's a clipping from the press release:

    IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 13, 2002--Blizzard Entertainment®, a studio of the games division of Vivendi Universal Publishing, today announced that Warcraft® III: Reign of Chaos(TM), the eagerly awaited sequel to the company's #1-selling series of games, has gone gold.
    With record-breaking initial orders of 4.5 million copies, the game will be available at retail outlets worldwide in multiple languages beginning on July 3, 2002.
    "We're very excited to announce that development of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos has been completed and that gamer and retail demand will make this the largest launch in gaming history," said Mike Morhaime, Blizzard Entertainment president and co-founder.


    OpFlash: Resistance Screenies

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


    Shack News has kicked up some new screenshots from Bohemia Interactive's upcoming expansion pack, Operation Flashpoint: Resistance. You can check them out right here. 8)

    RTCW Patch and Map Pack

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


    Activision has released a new patch (v1.33) for their Quake3 engine powered - first person shooter, Return To Castle Wolfenstein. But that's not all! A new map pack has been released as well. Included are three old maps and four new ones from the GOTY edition. Anyways, head over to Blue's News for the goods!

    Update: If your looking for a couple mirror's, head over to WolfensteinX or Shack News. Now get downloading!

    New Version Of 3DMark2001 SE Released

    June 13, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    MadOnion.com® is pleased to announce the release of a new version of 3DMark®2001 Second Edition - build 330! The new version ensures more reliable functionality with new hardware that was released after the launch of 3DMark2001 SE in February 2002.
    Important Note: This patch is for 3DMark2001 SE (build 300) released in February 2002, and not for the original 3DMark2001 (build 200) released in March 2001!
    If you want to read more, click here. If you want to download the patch, click here or you can also download the new build as a full install here.

    New Version Of 3DMark2001 SE Released

    June 13, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    MadOnion.com® is pleased to announce the release of a new version of 3DMark®2001 Second Edition - build 330! The new version ensures more reliable functionality with new hardware that was released after the launch of 3DMark2001 SE in February 2002.
    Important Note: This patch is for 3DMark2001 SE (build 300) released in February 2002, and not for the original 3DMark2001 (build 200) released in March 2001!
    If you want to read more, click here. If you want to download the patch, click here or you can also download the new build as a full install here.

    NVIDIA Cg

    June 13, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    NVIDIA has announced their new high-level graphics language, Cg. Here's something on it: $qs A high-level graphics language has broad appeal, facilitating development of graphics effects and ultimately providing high-impact, long-life applications for consumers. In addition, the use of Cg increases programmer productivity and decreases development time of more graphically complex games.

    If you want to dig some more on this, click here.

    ATI CATALYST Drivers

    June 13, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    ATI has just released a new set of drivers they call, CATALYST (version 02.1). It seems that these drivers are something really new! They are released for all operating systems, and they seem to be very hot performers according to some sources! The versions are: They feature new display settings and they have loads more values to play around with! Enjoy, and please do comment them on our discussion boards.

    Free 3D!

    June 13, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    This time I thought to give you some linkage to some free 3D! That means utilities that cost nothing, and with which you can do some pretty amazing things! If You have good ideas for "Feature Of The Week" don't be shy to send it in!

    Star Wars Galaxies Q&A

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


    Finally tonight, the guys from Penny Arcade have tossed up an interview with LucasArts' Haden Blackman and Sony Online's Rich Vogel regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Star Wars Galaxies. Here's a nugget:

    Gabriel (PA): How might a character get a bounty placed on them?
    Haden (LucasArts): We have a mission system in the game and some missions can be bonded. Let's say Rich creates a player-generated mission to deliver a hundred blasters to Tatooine, and it's bonded. When I accept that mission, I pay a little bit of money into a bank account. That money actually pays for a bounty hunter mission if I fail. So let's say Rich gives me the blasters, and I get knocked off by some Kryatt so I fail the mission. Next thing I know, there's a bounty hunter on my tail. It's unlikely that something like delivering blasters would be bonded, but something like smuggling spice probably would be. You will also be able to pull up a list of missions and go after nonplayer characters as well.


    Gore Audio Interview

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


    XGR.com will be holding an audio interview tonight at 9:30pm EST with 4DRulers' Joel Huenink regarding their first person shooter, Gore. Topics include the games engine, storyline, multiplayer and more. So be sure to tune in!

    NeverWinter Nights Interview

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


    GameSpot has slapped up an interview with BioWare's Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka regarding their upcoming RPG, NeverWinter Nights. The game just went gold, so keep an eye out for this bad boy! Snip:

    GS: Now that Neverwinter Nights' development is finally complete, would you say that the game has turned out more or less the way you wanted it to? What's been the most difficult thing about creating it? Has there been a single feature that's been most challenging to implement?
    RM: The overall scope of Neverwinter is probably the most challenging aspect of [developing] the game--there is just so much content there, and so many features. All told, we have put about 160 man-years of development work into the game. Playing the single-player game through from start to finish takes about 140 hours or more if you try to do everything (that's how long it took me, in any event). The four pillars of the game--single-player, multiplayer, the module creation toolset, and the dungeon master tools--all represent significant challenges in their own right.

    GameSpy sat down with Greg and Ray for a quick chat as well, so be sure to check it out!

    Morrowind Beta Patch Signups

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


    Bethesda Softworks is now accepting applications to beta test an upcoming patch for their hit RPG, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. If your interested, head over here for all the details. Thanks HomeLAN!

    HL/CS Patches Released

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


    Right on time, Valve Software has released new patches for both Half-life (v1.1.1.0) and Counter-Strike (v1.0.0.5). Included is the Ricochet mod, a new CS map, tons of bug fixes and more. You can grab both the upgrade and full versions of these patches over at Blue's News.
    Mirrors:
    • 3DGamers
    • Gamers Hell
    • Shack News
    • CS Nation (Lots of mirrors listed)

      HL & CS Server Files Released

      June 12, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


      The server files for Half-Life (Win32 v4.1.1.0 & Linux v3.1.1.0) and Counter-Strike (Linux 1.5) are released. If you are running a server for HL or CS, you might want to update them files now! Here are some linkage for the Half-Life server binaries: And then for the Counter-Strike serverfiles: So get updating!

      3DMark2001 SE FAQ Updated

      June 12, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


      We just updated our 3DMark2001 SE FAQ. The FAQ is a very good source for info if you run into weird things with our products! Here's one new entry: $qs Q: When I disable the loading screens between the benchmarktests, my score drops when run with Nvidia accelerator. Why?
      A: This most likely is a Nvidia driver issue. We are investigating this. $qe To get more info, head over to the FAQ here.

      Rein on Leaked UT2003 Demo

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


      Epic's Mark Rein has hit the official Unreal Tournament 2003 forums with comments regarding the leaked demo that has hit the net. He also answers a couple questions from the community. Anyways, here's a blurb:

      A leaked early test version of UT2003 is floating around the internet. It is not representative of the quality or performance of the final game. Infogrames' job in situations like these is to go after the people who are leaking or passing-along this version. They also need to suppress conversations about the leaked version on web forums to avoid pointing at it and tempting innocent people, who normally don't traffic in stolen software, to download it to find out what people are talking about. Their duty to their shareholders is to protect the value and marketability of their products to the fullest extent possible. They HAVE to do that, they're a public company and their shareholders would expect no less because Infogrames is invests a lot of money to bring games like UT2003 to the marketplace.


      Deus Ex 2 Interview

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


      GameSpot has kicked up an interview with ION Storm Austin's Harvey Smith regarding their upcoming Unreal engine powered - first person shooter/RPG, Deus Ex 2. Included are some new screenies, so make sure you check them out. uNF:

      GS: It's already been made clear that the sequel will try to do a better job of not forcing players into direct fights. Can you discuss some of the enhancements you'll be adding to things like stealth and diplomacy? Will the sequel have any new ways to resolve conflict?
      HS: We're spending a lot more time on the AI. Paul Tozour (interacting with other AI-experienced Ion people, like Doug Church) is putting together an overarching AI system that works for DX2 and Thief 3. Also, Brian Sharp is writing a custom sound-propagation model for the games. In DX2, if you go into an office to loot it, and you close the door at your back, the sounds you make in the office will be muffled by the door. In addition to these wholesale systemic changes, we're tweaking out a lot of the biomod powers so they allow the player to sneak, exploit the AI, and so forth.

      *drool*

      Icewind Dale II Q&A

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


      The RPG Dot has slapped up an interview with Black Isle Studios' Dave Maldonado regarding their upcoming RPG, Icewind Dale II. They talk about the 3rd edition rules, combat and more. Snip:

      RPGDot: How linear is the gameplay in IWD2 in comparison with its predecessor?
      Dave: Just as linear, for the most part, though there are quite a few more side quests and a good deal more role-playing that has a direct effect on the game. There are even areas that some parties will find to be hostile 'dungeons' while other parties will find them to be neutral (or even friendly!) 'rest stops' to heal up, trade items, and so on... it all depends on the party's make-up, prior actions and so on.


      Tron 2.0 Audio Interview

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


      XGR.com will be holding an audio interview tonight at 9:30pm EST, where they will chat with Monolith's Frank Rooke regarding their upcoming title, Tron 2.0. Topics include the games engine, weapons and more. So make sure you tune in!

      NeverWinter Nights Golden!

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


      BioWare has posted a press release with word that their highly anticipated RPG, NeverWinter Nights, has gone gold and should hit stores sometime this month. Here's a clipping:

      Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – June 11, 2002 – Infogrames, Inc. (Nasdaq: IFGM), a leading global publisher of interactive entertainment software, today announced that the long awaited and highly anticipated epic, Neverwinter Nights™, has completed development and will ship to retail stores under the Company’s Atari label before the end of June. The most complete software adaptation of the classic pen-and-paper Dungeons & Dragons® role-playing game ever, Neverwinter Nights is the latest game from BioWare Corp., creators of the 4 million selling Baldur’s Gate series.
      "Finally, PC gamers the world over can breathe – their dream computer game is complete and only days away from their PCs," said Jean-Philippe Agati, senior vice president and general manager of Infogrames’ Los Angeles studio. "Neverwinter Nights has lived up to all of its promises – engaging and exciting single player campaign, a groundbreaking multiplayer component, never-before-seen user editing abilities and, for the first time ever, a true translation of the D&D® ‘Dungeon Master’ to electronic entertainment."

      In the mean time, head over to HomeLAN for their beta impressions of the game! 8)

      HL & CS Patches On Wed

      June 11, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


      The good chaps at Blue's News has the good news that Valve is about to release the updates for Half-Life (v1.1.1.0) and Counter-Strike (v1.5) on wednesday - that's tomorrow baby! :) What's fixed/new? Well here is something I caught: $ls
    • the Ricochet Mod
    • phase two of the recently introduced anti-cheat technology
    • a new Counter-Strike map (de_piranesi)
    • various fixes and tweaks

    Official NVIDIA Drivers

    June 11, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    It seems that NVIDIA has today updated their display drivers to version 29.42 (WHQL). They can be found for the whole NVIDIA line of graphics cards, and for all operating systems! Here are the links: So, it seems that we still need to wait a bit more for the rumored Detonator5 series.. *sigh*

    John C. Interview

    June 11, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    Badboy Reverend from B3D had sent the living legend, John Carmack some questions about id software's upcoming game, DOOM III. Here's a small sample:

    The Kyro (or specifically, the Kyro2). With lack of cubemap support, and with LightDirection being a cube map texture, would disabling per pixel normalization of LightDirection enable the Kyro2 to run DOOM3? Would you do this?
    I doubt it, but if they impress me with a very high performance OpenGL implementation, I might consider it.

    Errr.. So DOOM III won't even run on the KYRO/II hardware, or did I miss something? Well, looking at the Q and A, it seems so.. To get the rest of the stuff, head over to Beyond3D.

    F1 2002 Screens

    June 11, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


    EA Sports released their latest installment of their F1 franchise: F1 2002. F1 2002 is the first F1 racing game with an official FIA license that introduces the cars, tracks & drivers of the 2002 season. As a big fan of F1 racing, this game is a must-have for me.
    I made a bunch of screenshots during my initial laps on a few circuits. Here's a select group of shots (130 - 180 KB for each shot) of the Albert Park circuit in Australia.

    Star Wars Galaxies Audio Interview

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


    XGR.com will be holding an audio interview tonight at 9:30pm EST with LucasArts' Haden Blackman and Sony Online's John Donham regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Star Wars Galaxies. So be sure to tune in!

    EverQuest II Shots

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


    GameSpyDaily has managed to snage some new screenshots from Sony Online's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest II. Included are character renders and level shots. Check them out!

    Jedi Knight II Q&A

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


    3DActionPlanet caught up with Raven Software's Mike Gummelt for a friendly chat regarding their Quake3 engine powered action title, Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. You can find some single and multiplayer tips in here, so make sure you check it out. Snip:

    ZeMadFrenchman: Force powers look decidedly cool, but I'm not sure which is best for multiplayer, the light side or the dark side -- which are the most useful force powers?
    Mike: Again, it's going to depend on your goals. If you're playing a game mode that requires you to stay alive (like CTF or maybe some future elimination or Counter-Strike like mode), light side is best (because of Force Protection, Force Absorb, Force Heal and Jedi Mind Trick). If you're playing in a competition for the most kills (FFA), dark side is obviously going to be best. I would say that the dark side is easier to use and the light side requires more strategy and thinking. Jedi Mind Trick is excellent in games of CTF, especially if cranked up to level 3. Force Grip is great for levels with long drops in them. Force Jump and Force Speed are definitely useful in CTF. Force Heal is always good to have. Force Drain is a good dark-side compensation for the lack of Force Heal. Force Lightning can be a killer, but Grip, Drain and Lightning can all be countered by the Light Side's Force Absorb.


    Hero X Preview

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


    HomeLAN has thrown up a quick preview on Amazing Games' upcoming super-hero action title, Hero X. Here's a nugget:

    You communicate with other people in the game through comic book style captions and word balloons and as mentioned before the NPCs occasionally refer to your character’s name as they talk to you. Your character responds by clicking one of usually two or three pre-generated responses in the comics caption. One of the more unique gameplay items that Hero X has it’s “Cheese Mode”. When turned on a slice of Swiss cheese appears on the top left corner of the screens and familiar comic book sound effect balloons appear when you go after the bad guys (shades of the Adam West-Burt Ward Batman TV show).


    TBred Reviews o'rama

    June 10, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    Here you go folks; Reviews on the AMD Thoroughbred: I think there will be more, but I this is 'nuff for a second!

    AMD's TBred Announced

    June 10, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    A bit late on this, but hey it's all about quality! ;)
    AMD annouced their latest CPU core, the Thoroughbred. The new core for their AthlonXP processors is based 13 Micron Technology, which makes it highly interesting! Here's a snip from the official press release:

    SUNNYVALE, CA -- June 10, 2002 --AMD (NYSE: AMD) today introduced the AMD Athlon™ XP processor 2200+ with QuantiSpeed™ architecture—the first AMD desktop processor based on its 0.13 micron process technology. The new AMD Athlon XP processor 2200+ delivers improved performance, lower power and a smaller die size while maintaining a stable, compatible Socket A infrastructure.

    I'll start a new newspost where I'll list some reviews for you hungry tech-geeks! ;) Just hang in there..

    Powerstrip 3.18 Final

    June 10, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    One of the best tweaking utils out there, PowerStrip has been updated again. It's now finally a final version, 3.18 and no more beta! ;) Here's some sauce: $qs PowerStrip 3.18 provides advanced, multi-monitor, programmable hardware support to a wide range of graphics cards - from the venerable Matrox Millennium I to the latest Radeon 8500DV and GeForce4 Ti4600. It is in fact the only program of its type to support multiple graphics cards from multiple chipset vendors, simultaneously, under every Windows operating system from Windows 95 to XP. A simple menu that pops up from the system tray provides access to some 500 controls over your display hardware, including sophisticated color correction tools, period level adjustments over screen geometry, and driver independent clock controls. $qe If you need to goods, here's some linkage:

    New Ad-aware referencefile

    June 10, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    MajorGeeks has the news that there is a new version of the Ad-aware referencefile out, bringing it up to 026-09-06-2002. If you don't have this great ad/spy-ware removal util, you better grab it from MajorGeeks.

    Morrowind Interview

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


    Shack News has slapped up a two-page interview with Bethesda Softworks' Todd Howard regarding their hit RPG, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Want to know whats next for these studs? Then head over for a look! Snip:

    Jason: One other thing that has been a source of debate on our site and other places, is…there are some role-playing games being made right now where the developers are trying to make things all very realistic, and one of the key points of contention with Morrowind, is there is one game where they are trying to create a believable romance. In Morrowind you can make someone fall in love with you, but you can't court, marry and have kids. Is this something you considered, or…?
    Todd: Eventually yeah, I think the goal of The Elder Scrolls is to provide the ultimate fantasy universe. So again, anything in the stars you can think of. So in The Elder Scrolls 11, maybe you can have kids and then play as one of them, I don't know. Right now that's not…the only reason we'd do it is if it were part of the story. But a lot of our stuff is we want to keep it open…we'd build a system for that.


    UT 2003 Preview

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


    Thanks to Evil Avatar for this bit. The peeps over at GamesRadar have posted a brief preview on Digital Extremes' upcoming first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2003. Here's a clipping:

    The leanings towards team 'sport' are strongly evident throughout: the newest game mode is Bombing Run - essentially single-player Capture the Flag, where you have to deliver a ball rather than a flag to the enemy base. Of course, being sporty, you can lob the ball at will, allowing you to pull off intense feats of skill, such as throwing the ball into the air, killing someone with your shock rifle and catching it as it comes back down. (You can't use a weapon while you carry the ball, but your health regenerates.) This means that the game is more balanced towards teamwork than just heroic fragging.


    NOLF2 Preview

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


    The guys over at GamiTopia have thrown up a preview on Monolith's upcoming first person shooter, No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way. I loved the first one, can't wait to check this bad boy out. 8)

    In No One Lives Forever, the missions gave players the option to play either by stealth or with guns-a-blazing. While NOLF 2 offers these elements as well, more emphasis has been put on the stealth aspect of things. Hiding and using stealth can often make the objectives easier to accomplish. If players do get into a firefight, the game will allow you to pick up and move bodies out of the way to prevent your enemies from knowing something is afoot. The game will also allow players to check dead bodies, as well desk drawers and file cabinets, for information that could reveal helpful ways of getting through the missions.


    New Dungeon Siege Editor Tutorials

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


    Gas Powered Games has released some new editing tutorials for their hit Action-RPG, Dungeon Siege. Included are both tutorials on fades and triggers, plus an updated look at the basics of the editor. Click here for the goods!

    XGR E3 Impressions

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


    With boxing, hockey and other sports eating up the day, there's little news to report, but let's see whats on tap.
    XGR.com has posted some E3 impressions. They cover many titles, including Doom3, Deus Ex2 and more. Here's a taste:

    Unreal Tournament 2003
    I'll keep this brief since Paligap has already said a lot about this game. Graphically it's everything you've seen in the screenshots and videos, the next-gen Unreal technology is drop dead gorgeous. I had the opportunity to put in a few minutes with the game on the show floor (and did quite well too) and found that the game plays very tight. The feeling of "floating" that the original Unreal Tournament physics brought is gone, maneuvers like the double jump make moving around the map and avoiding enemy fire much more interesting. The weapons will feel familiar to most players but are definitely updated a great deal. Without id to throw another multiplayer-only Quake into the fray it looks like UT2K3 is going to be almost unchallenged in the pure multiplayer arena.


    Asheron's Call 2 Interview

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


    The RPGDot has posted an interview with Judith Hoffman, the executive producer behind Microsoft's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Asheron's Call 2. There's a ton of info in here, so check it out:

    RPGDot: Are there NPCs to interact with? If so, how varied are they?
    Judith: AC2 is revolutionary in that there are no true NPCs in the game. Since the game world has recently been devastated and has only recently recovered enough to support adventurers again, there is no place for NPCs to come from! Players will explore, fight, build, and quest by working together and gathering clues from rediscovered relics, talkative monsters, and many other sources that you'll have to see to believe.


    Star Wars Galaxies

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


    PC.IGN has caught up with LucasArts' Haden Blackman and John Donham for a quick chat regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Star Wars Galaxies. They cover everything from the ammont of players per server to animal taming. Some interesting stuff. Snip:

    IGNPC: As far as player-built towns are concerned, what kinds of numbers need to be in an area before it is actually declared a "city" by the system? Basically, when do NPC's start cropping up and when can a player government be established?
    Haden Blackman: We haven't determined the minimum number of homes that need to be in an area before that area can incorporate and become a city. Part of that determination will be based on the number of players per server. We don't want to make the number too high, because we want to encourage city-building and online communities with in-game representation. As cities grow, they gain access to more stuff, so a small city won't be nearly as versatile as a larger one.


    NeverWinter Nights Screenies

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


    HomeLAN has also thrown up two new screenshots tonight, showing off some spiffy combat in BioWare's upcoming RPG, NeverWinter Nights.
    The guys over at XGR.com have some new shots up as well, so head over for a look!

    Raven Software Q&A

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


    HomeLAN has kicked up an interview with Raven Software's Kenn Hoekstra regarding Jedi Knight II, Soldier of Fortune II and more. Here's a bit on Raven's expansion:

    HomeLAN - Finally, is there anything else you care to discuss about Raven's upcoming plans for the future?
    Kenn Hoekstra - Raven is in the process of expanding its staff from 60 developers to 73 so we can have three full teams, rather than two and a half. The expansion will start in July or August and will round out later this year as we ramp up all three of our projects. Expect some big announcements from Raven in the coming months. We've got big plans for the future...all of which will be revealed, in time.


    New Leaked Radeon Drivers

    June 7, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    This one is weird! Weird because all (Win98/ME/2k/XP/XP64Bit/NT4) drivers are in 1 file, making the package pretty hefty - 21MB! The driver versions (for the ATI Radeon series) are as follows:
    • Win98/ME: v4.13.01.9039
    • Win2k: v5.13.01.6093
    • WinXP: v6.13.10.6093
    • WinXP 64-Bit: v6.13.10.6093
    • WinNT4: v4.3.4017
    You could say that this package is more "unified" than we want! :) Anyway, as these are BETA and leaked, be careful if you decide to install! If you feel frisky and brave, grab the drivers here.
    Thanks to Casey for the linkage & info!

    Clawhammer Benchmarks

    June 7, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    Tecchannel.de has posted the first(?) benchmarks of the new CPU from AMD, the Clawhammer. While I'm not so sure about the text as it is in German, the numbers speak an universal language! :) Here's a teaser: $qs Clawhammer 800MHz - 183fps
    Athlon MP 800MHz - 130fps
    Athlon MP 1667MHz - 210fps
    Pentium 4 1600Mhz - 182fps

    I wonder what happens when they release, let's say 1.6GHz version of the Clawhammer? ;) 300fps or even more? Click here if you want to quickly se the rest of the Q3A benchies, and here for the index of the article.

    New ATI OpenGL Drivers

    June 7, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    It seems that ATI has released a new set of OpenGL drivers for their Radeon series, bringing them up to version 4.13.3140 (previous was 4.13.3064). These new OpenGL drivers are mainly released to correct problems with SOF2 (at least according to the source, 3DNow Galaxy) but they might also make some difference in other games/apps.. Here's the linkage: Note: These new OpenGL drivers should be used with the latest official Radeon drivers from ATI; Win98/ME - 4.13.9031, Win2k - 5.13.01.6071 and WinXP - 6.13.10.6071.
    Be careful though, and backup your existing files.. You never know what can happen!

    New World Order Screenies

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


    Blue's News has slapped up a butt-load of new screenshots from Termite Games' upcoming first person shooter, New World Order. You can check these puppies out right here.

    Icewind Dale II Dev Diary

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


    Black Isle Studios' Damien Foletto has posted a developer diary over at the RPG Vault this eveneing, where he chats about their upcoming RPG, Icewind Dale II. Here's a blurb:

    "Currently, the designers are focusing on balance and bug fixes. Each of us is playing through the game with pre-made parties that we created, and will ship with the game. This gives us a chance to not only evaluate the different areas in the game for fun and balance, but also do the same for the pre-made parties (we don't play the party we created ourselves, we play another designer's created party). Having played through 75% of the game myself, I can say that I'm having a blast. There are things done in this Infinity Engine game that have never been done before, and it elevates the game play to a whole new, very fun level. The 3rd Edition rules alone give character development a more personalized feel, allowing the player to create precisely the character they envision. Even if the player is a newbie and chooses one of the pre-made parties, after playing the game for a few hours and leveling, the characters will feel like their own. I know most players will play the game with a party of their own creation, but to whet the appetite of those that might select a pre-made party, here's the one I made for the game:"...


    LucasArts Interview

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


    LucasGames.com has thrown up an interview with LucasArts' Simon Jeffery and Tom Sarris regarding the company and their future titles. Here's some juice:

    LFN: What’s the future of Star Wars gaming after Episode III has been released?
    Simon: Well I think we are going to see it develop in a few areas. Obviously we are going to have a potential world set up and have massively online gaming and that will keep Star Wars evolving on its own, because you are going to have tens or hundreds of thousands of people all playing the game at the same time and they will basically be building a Star Wars Universe as they go. We are also looking at new areas of Star Wars gaming, such as Bioware’s Knights of the Old Republic set several thousand years before the movies. It allows us to do stuff with Star Wars that we have never done before. We are looking to move away from just the game of the movie and really flush out the universe and expand it as much as we can.


    PlanetSide Interview

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


    HomeLAN has posted an interview with Verant Interactive's Dave Georgeson regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online first person shooter, PlanetSide. Not much new info in here, but still worth a look. Snip:

    HomeLAN - How was the PlanetSide demo at E3 received from the press and fans and are you pleased with the reception?
    Dave Georgeson - E3 was great for us. We purposefully worked in a black box for months after I arrived so that "PlanetSide" sort of fell off of people's scopes while we honed it and focused it. E3 was sort of an unveiling for us and we were able to give folks a bit of the taste of things to come. We ran air combats, ground vehicle combats, interior firefights, and fights in forests so dense that they left folks a bit "wow"ed. It was a blast...but it was also the tip of the iceberg. We're nailing down a lot more now and we're looking forward to a solid Beta later on.


    Hitman 2 Q&A

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


    The Action Vault has sat down with IO Interactive's Thor Frölich for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming first/third person action title, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. Here's a clipping:

    Action Vault: To what extent will Hitman 2 use scripted events to advance the story? Will there be many, and what degree of importance will they have overall?
    Thor Frølich: We used scripted events to trigger specialized AI responses to Hitman's behavior. Since so much of the game revolves around stealth, most of the NPCs (mainly your targets) will have to react in a certain way should they be alerted to your presence. So, I'd have to say that scripted events play a very important role. However, most of them serve only as a way to have gameplay change on a level according to the actions of the player and not so much to drive the plot forward. The plot mostly serves as a motive for Hitman to take up his old trade but also as the red thread linking the various hits to each other. The individual missions all pre-suppose that the previous one was a success (otherwise you wouldn't be there), so the story is pretty linear. We're aiming for very diverse and non-linear gameplay backed by a great and thrilling story.


    Windows 2000/XP Registry Guide - Part 2

    June 6, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


    Deviant PC published part 2 of their Windows 2000/XP registry articles. This part takes a closer look at the internet-related settings. Here's a snip:

    The Registry controls all aspects of Windows functionality and determines how it acts on a network, whether it be at home or in the workplace, and on the internet. There are many different settings that can be adjusted and tweaked to enhance (or secure) the internet experience, be it maximising your download potential or reducing that all important ping to your favourite gaming server.

    You can find the full article here.

    PowerVR SDK Update

    June 6, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    My good ol' pal K just fired in that PowerVR has updated their SDK. Here's a small snip: $qs The Update include several new demos, illustrating features like Procedural Textures, Internal Colour Accuracy, Stencil Buffer Shadows, Terrain Lighting, etc. Also included is a brand new Benchmark

    Just to point out the most new stuff, here are some links: And then some more important info for those who wants to download any of the SDK stuff:

    Some Quick Remarks :
    - Fire requires a 3D Card that supports Render to Texture and EMBM, this means that this demo will NOT work on GeForce1, 2 and 4MX cards.
    - FableMark might show artefacts when run on an ATI Radeon 8500 card this is due to driver issues. It is possible to run FableMark correctly on these cards using UniTuner to disable Hardware TnL and HyperZ. UniTuner is available from : http://esprit.campus.luth.se/~humus/UniTuner/index.php

    Enjoy..

    A New Era For Gamers!

    June 6, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    We are proud to announce our latest Performance Analyzer specially for all gamers out there! The Half-Life Performance Analyzer has been developed in conjunction with Sierra, Gateway and Intel to bring you the the most stellar online service to date!
    The Half-Life Performance Analyzer enables gamers to quickly and accurately analyze their current computer system components in order to determine if it meets the minimum system requirements needed to play Sierra's award-winning game, Half-Life. The service also gives options to enhance your PC's gaming performance and image quality!


    NV30 News..

    June 6, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    I noticed in a post over at Beyond3D's Forums, that in the latest issue of Wired magazine, NVIDIA's CEO spills some beans on the NV30 (NVIDIA's next gen graphics chip). According to the article in Wired, the NV30 will contain approx. 120Million transistors! That's _a lot_! The post in the forums also say that the NV30 is taped out..

    A New Era For Gamers!

    June 6, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    We are proud to announce our latest Performance Analyzer specially for all gamers out there! The Half-Life Performance Analyzer has been developed in conjunction with Sierra, Gateway and Intel to bring you the the most stellar online service to date!
    The Half-Life Performance Analyzer enables gamers to quickly and accurately analyze their current computer system components in order to determine if it meets the minimum system requirements needed to play Sierra's award-winning game, Half-Life. The service also gives options to enhance your PC's gaming performance and image quality!


    Raven Job Opening

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


    If your looking to break into the biz, Raven Software's Eric Biessman has updated his .plan with word that their looking for a new designer to work on upcoming console and pc games. You can find out all the details right here. Good luck!

    Neverwinter Nights Shots

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


    Shack News has slapped up two new screenshots from BioWare's upcoming RPG, Neverwinter Nights. If you haven't heard of this game(who hasn't?), you can check out all the details on the official site. 8)

    Elite Force 2 Preview

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


    ActionTrip has tossed up a preview on Ritual Entertainment's upcoming Quake3 engine powered - first person shooter, Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force 2. Here's a blurb:

    During your missions, your character has a variety of deadly races to fight against. Most of these are well-known (Borg, Klingons, and Romulans). As the developers have emphasized, the game will feature two all-new mysterious races that are still under a cloak of secrecy, so we do not know how they were named. You may observe on the screenshots that some of these enemies are scary-looking lizard-like creatures. I'm afraid we'll have to stay put in order to find out more about these enigmatic new alien races.


    Morrowind Review

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


    Voodoo Extreme has posted a review on Bethesda Softworks' hit RPG, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. They seem to really dig the game, giving it a score of 93%. Here's a taste:

    Quests vary from "find an item" to "clear a dungeon" to "spy and collect information on (fill in name)". With the huge number of quests available, rarely do you end up doing the same type of quests one after another. Also, most quests have multiple solutions, allowing for different character types to solve the problem with their strengths, instead of their weaknesses. For example, one quest in the Fighter's Guild requires you to Silence someone from the Thieves Guild. You can kill this person, pay them off so they don't talk anymore, or even threaten them with their life if they don't leave town. The multiple paths to solve quests may not be something new in the genre, but it is done well and allows for the player to truly role-play a character, instead of having to break away from that to murder someone.


    Official E3 Nominees

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


    The official 2002 E3 nominees have been posted. Categories include everything from Best Original Game to Best Role Playing Game. They will announce the winners on June 18th, so make sure you check back! Anyways, here's the nominees for Best of Show:
      Best of Show
    • DOOM III (id Software/Activision for PC)
    • Metroid Prime (Retro Studios/Nintendo for GameCube)
    • Neverwinter Nights (Bioware/Infogrames for PC)
    • The Legend of Zelda (Nintendo for GameCube)
    • The Sims Online (Maxis/Electronic Arts for PC)

    Fastest Webmasters Updated

    June 5, 2002 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis


    Our *cough* world famous compo is still going strong! And it's been another 2 weeks since the last update so we've just put our newest Fastest Webmasters list online.
    15000 3DMarks is no longer a barrier and you won't even make it into the list if you have less than 12000 3DMarks. Even more stats: 18 out of 20 scores have been produced with a GeForce4 Ti4600 and all of them have been done with a GeForce4 Ti chip.
    Yeah yeah, I'm just babbling here, right? Nope, see for yourself over here.

    Mozilla 1.0 Released

    June 5, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    Just a quick note to you all, that Mozilla has released Mozilla 1.0. No more RC's or beta; this is gold! So if you want to try it out, be sure to head over here.

    Empire Earth Addon Shots

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


    GameSpot has managed to get their grubby little paws on some new screenshots from Sierra's upcoming add-on, Empire Earth: The Art of Conquest. This strategy title definatly turned some heads, so check them out!

    World of Warcraft Preview

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


    The fellas over at Gamer's Pulse have tossed up a preview on Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, World of Warcraft. Cha-ching!

    It has a very simplistic and non-intrusive layout. Small buttons are in the corners and you can open them up bigger if you need too. You can move also using either the mouse with a point and click or you can use the keyboard. He was playing with the keyboard and then mouse to pick up items or to do other tasks. One thing that was nice to see was the way in which battle is being handled as he was playing a mage he had a number of spells to use. And there is a targeting system where you can target an enemy and then press the F key and when you go to fire it auto targets the enemy of your choice. This was very useful, as he would launch fireballs at harvest golems or ghouls. The spell casting process takes a little while so you need to make sure you have some time. Also combat is fairly simple as you can point at your enemy you will battle your enemy. Combat looks to be fun and not very difficult.


    Doom III preview

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


    The Daily Telefrag has slapped up a preview on id Software's upcoming first person shooter, Doom III, after getting a private showing at this years E3. Here's some juice:

    The key tool of creating proper DOOM III atmosphere is the all-new lighting system. Shadows are calculated for each pixel of the scene, which allows developers create locations where lights and darkness are essential constituents of the set. Here's another quote from E3 movie: you notice some monster dragging corpse inside a small compartment. You follow and find yourself in a bathroom. The camera leaves player's "body" and takes a sneak peek around the corner. A lamp hanging from the ceiling lights small room, and the proper feeling is achieved by blinking light that illuminates walls by turn (it's hard to express this scene in written, this must be seen live). Your flat-skull friend monster is here again (as I figured out later in a private chat with id Software, this one is a new incarnation of original Doom's pinky demon), tapping on the bleeding corpse, snarling, and devouring the guts of a poor nameless guy. The lighting was used extensively throughout this scene, and the effect was so overwhelming that I could have taken it for a well-cut FX-bolstered movie.


    Fox Interview

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


    HomeLAN has Fox Interactive's Greg Goodrich in the hot seat tonight, answering questions about his departure from Gray Matter and his new position at Fox. Here's a taste:

    HomeLAN - Last year, Fox Interactive left the publishing arena and partnered up with a number of publishers like Electronic Arts, Sierra, Activision and Ubi Soft. Has the transition been good for the company?
    Greg Goodrich - I've watched Fox go through a number of changes over the years and it always seemed as if they had trouble trying to figure out what type of company they wanted to be. In the last 18 months Fox has not only made a change in the business model but a dramatic change in their development philosophy. Games have to be good regardless of the franchise and the only way to produce great games is to work with the very best development talent. When you add focus, commitment and the necessary resources wonderful things start to happen. Along with a strong franchise comes greater distribution potential. The great thing about the new Fox model is that we get the best of both worlds. We get to leverage the publishing power of partners such as Electronic Arts and Vivendi Universal and we get to make our own decisions. From a developer standpoint it's a complete positive. And we're going to continue to sign the very best. I think you'll be surprised in the near future to learn of some of the developers Fox is working with.


    QuickTime 6 Public Preview

    June 4, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    I kinda dislike Quicktime for some reason. Maybe because it is pretty slow, it thinks it is THE player, it is pretty slow and on top of that, eats up very heavily on resources. Did I mention that it is pretty slow? :) Well, Apple has now released a Public Preview on the QuickTime 6. Here's some sauce on what's new: $ls
  • MPEG-4 File Format (.mp4)
  • MPEG-4 Video
  • AAC Audio
  • Instant-On
  • Skip Protection
  • Updated User Interface
  • Includes a new DVC Pro PAL video codec
  • Support for Macromedia Flash 5
  • Enhanced AppleScript support
  • Host of new developer application programming interfaces You can either grab it from Apple or then from FileForum. Beware as it is a Public Preview only..

    R300 Shots

    June 4, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    More pictures of new hardware. This time some shots of the ATI R300. The shots are taken at the Computex 2002, and can be found over at Anandtech. Here's some sweet talk: $qs Just a few weeks ago we were in Toronto visiting ATI and they were very tight lipped about anything R300 related; it will be interesting to see if VIA was supposed to be publicly running this R300 in their suite. $qe Will VIA be slapped for this one? Who knows..

    MobileMark2002

    June 4, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    BAPCo and MadOnion.com announce the release of MobileMark2002, a new benchmark to evaluate notebook user experience by measuring both performance and battery life at the same time. Click here for more information or read the press release. Here's a snip from the pr:

    Burlingame, California – June 4th, 2002 – BAPCo® and MadOnion.com® today announced the release of MobileMark™ 2002, a new benchmark to evaluate notebook user experience by measuring both performance and battery life at the same time. Performance and battery life are among the top purchase criteria for notebooks users, yet no method existed for evaluating both criteria with the same workload.
    MobileMark™ 2002 addresses the need for a simple to use and broadly deployed industry standard benchmark that can measure and report performance as well as battery life at the same time. Until now, notebooks have been evaluated on performance in the AC mode and battery life in the battery mode. MobileMark™ 2002 will allow notebook OEMs, IT departments, reviewers, publishers, testing laboratories and notebook users to evaluate mobile systems in today’s more realistic mobile environment.

    For those interested, head over here.

    Matrox Parhelia Pictures?

    June 4, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    It seems that AthlonXP has snagged some pics of the Matrox Parhelia-512 graphics card. Fakes or real? Who knows..

    Facelifts

    June 4, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    It seems that 2 of my fav sites have done a facelift to their layouts. Very spiffy if you ask me! Check out Rage3D and 3DGPU.com.

    Reviews galore!

    June 4, 2002 - Nick "Neeyik" Evanson


    Far too many reviews to say much about them (or even check them out) but here's a brief scan through my inbox at the moment: The following sites also have come coverage of the annual Computex event in Taiwan: There you go, get through that lot! Make sure you've got plenty of coffee and cookies in...

    Beta WHQL Detonators 29.42

    June 3, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    Yet another leak, but this time the drivers are WHQL. At least that's what is said.. If you feel frisky and want to have the latest Beta Detonator drivers for your NVIDIA based graphics card, be sure to try these: As these are not official drivers, be careful..
    Thanks to michnic for the link!

    Update: In case those links are busy, try Inpact-hardware.

    The Sum of All Fears Review

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


    GameSpot has tossed up a review on Red Storm Entertainment's tactical shooter, Tom Clancy's The Sum of All Fears. Is it worth your hard earned cash? Well, head over to see what they thought of the game. Snip:

    Beyond that, The Sum of All Fears plays like a slightly more streamlined version of Ghost Recon. Again, the developers apparently simplified several aspects of the game for beginners who might pick it up based on their interest in the motion picture. For instance, The Sum of All Fears has a much-simplified planning phase--all you do is choose which weapons you and your squadmates will carry, and that's it. Your squadmates don't have any kind of ability scores, and they're all exactly the same. They get replaced only when they die, and unlike in previous Tom Clancy games, you don't "buy" more experienced soldiers later on in the game, either.


    World of Warcraft Preview

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


    Gamers.com has posted a short preview on Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, World of Warcraft. Here's something to chew on:

    Just as the world as a whole will be familiar to WarCrafters, so will the structures. Many of the buildings we saw in WOW were actual, familiar buildings from WarCraft III, now seen on a personal level. One example we saw was the Human Town Hall, in all of its huge, 3D glory (did we mention the graphics engine for the game looks stellar?). Blizzard is also working to make sure each inch of their world has a story and history connected to it. If you find a dungeon, there will be a reason for its presence, and a story associated with it. These stories spawn quests, and then play into the evolving history of the world of Azeroth that WarCraft players have been experiencing since WarCraft I.


    RTCW Expansion Shots

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


    The folks over at Gamer's Hell have managed to snage some of the first screenshots from Activision's upcoming expansion pack, Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. You can check these suckers out right here.

    Republic Preview

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


    Also at PC.IGN this eveneing is a preview on Elixir Studios' upcoming strategy title, Republic: The Revolution. Here's a clipping:

    So how exactly do you go about wresting power from an oppressive Machiavellian government? While Ivan's idea of "baking cookies and asking nicely" is certainly a possibility, the best way to go about this lofty task is to get the power of the people behind you. Remember those community leaders we mentioned before? Well you can encourage these influential citizens to join your faction, essentially becoming part of your political cabinet, which can have a maximum of nine members.

    Struggle for political power? Nice!

    Y-Project Preview

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


    PC.IGN has thrown together a preview on Westka Interactive's upcoming Unreal engine powered - first person shooter/RPG, The Y-Project. Being compared to such big boys as Deus Ex, this might be one to watch. Snip:

    The third layer of play is that of the mini-game, or as Thomas calls it, the "fun factor" layer. This is where players can go to the cinema, play an arcade game, or generally immerse themselves in the nuances and meticulousness of the world. We were even told that all of these little fun things were going into the game first, so that the as of yet unnamed publisher couldn't scrap them all as the title grew late into development and things needed to get cut for time. A development team that prioritizes the little details is a development team that gets applauded by yours truly.


    EAX HD For JK II

    June 3, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    Soundblaster.com has the goods for all you peeps with the Audigy (or Extigy) soundcard. They have posted a "patch" for Luca's Arts game Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast which enables all those goody effects that the EAX HD technology can produce (environmental morphing, dynamic occlusion, obstruction effects, environmental reverberation and 3D positional audio). This free "patch" is available for all of you. Simply head over here.

    Update: I just got a message from a user called JoyRider where he told me that the EAX HD patch is the same file as the official JK II 1.03 patch. That means, if you have updated your JK II to version 1.03, the EAX HD patch is obsolete. Go figure..

    NVIDIA On DOOM III

    June 3, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    While checking out the Herc Prophet 8500 AIW review at Beyond3D I noticed that Reverend had posted some interesting news! He had fired off an email to NVIDIA asking their take on the fact that DOOM III had been powered by future ATI tech at this years E3 fair. Head over to Beyond3D to check out what NVIDIA's Brian Burke (NVIDIA's PR Manager) had to comment!

    3D Prophet AIW 8500 DV

    June 3, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    Marco van Zuylen from Beyond3D has posted a review on the Hercules 3D Prophet AIW 8500 DV. Is this THE AIW card that you might have been waiting for? Maybe. Here's a slicer: $qs Despite it's low clock frequence, this card pulled some very impressive framerates. The best features are high levels of anisotropic filtering without big performance loss, something which I haven't seen by the likes of Nvidia or PowerVR. Matrox has something coming, but then again Nvidia and PowerVR will have new things too. Things like tru-form makes the radeon series unique.

    It seems that this card sure is top quality! Check out the full review here.

    AMD Opteron & Hammer

    June 3, 2002 - Nicklas Renqvist


    There seems to be a load of coverage of the AMD Opteron & Hammer CPU's from the Computex fair, held in Taiwan. Here are some initial articles on the CPU's and the fair in general: $ls
  • Anandtech
  • OCWorkbench
  • The Inquirer
  • AMD Press Release I feel there will be more very soon! Stay tuned..

    Star Wars: KOTOR Preview

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


    EuroGamer.com has posted a brief preview on BioWare's upcoming RPG for the PC and Xbox, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Here's a clipping:

    Through a system of attribute points you can build up an array of special skills to complement your Force powers, from computer literacy to droid manipulation and many more besides. BioWare and US publisher LucasArts are anxious not to reveal too much of the game at this point, preferring instead to drip-feed information as and when it fancies a bit of promotion, but it’s clear that the range of activities on offer will present the player with countless hours of exploration and plenty of replay value as players tinker with the nuances of light and dark side Jedi.


    Earth And Beyond Online Preview

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


    Keeping the news today somewhat alive, HomeLAN has slapped up a preview on Westwood Studios' upcoming massively multiplayer online game, Earth And Beyond Online. Here's a taste:

    Since this is an RPG at its core, Earth and Beyond Online has character advancement in exploration, trade and combat. Strangely enough, exploration in the game also includes getting points for mining and salvaging. You can mine asteroids for things like debris, oil, crystals and more and you can trade them at space stations for credit. You can even salvage from broken down space ships for parts which you can use or you can trade for better equipment for your ship. Advancement in characters will allow you to upgrade your ship. Do well in combat and get access to better weapons, do better in exploration and get access to better engines and so on.


    Neverwinter Nights Movie

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


    The fellas over at the NeverWinter Nights Vault have posted a new movie from this years E3, showing a couple of the BioWare guys talking about their upcoming RPG, Neverwinter Nights. You can grab this sucker right here.

    Allied Assaut Mapping Contest

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


    EA has updated the official site for their hit first person shooter, Medal of Honor: Allied Assault. Included in the update is news of a new contest, where the public can send in their single and multiplayer maps with a chance of getting them included in the upcoming expansion pack. Click here for all the details!

    DAoC Expansion Q&A

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


    Thanks to HomeLAN for sending word that they have tossed up an interview with Mythic Entertainment's Matt Firor regarding the upcoming expansion pack for their massively multiplayer online RPG, Dark Age of Camelot. Here's some juice:

    HomeLAN - What other gameplay elements will be included in Shrouded Isles that you consider to be important?
    Matt Firor - Well, the new classes will add a lot of neat skills and spells that don't exist right now, which will be a lot of fun for existing players to try out. We are adding some interesting elements to the existing game (i.e. you won't have to buy the expansion to get these): an all-PvP server, the ability for craftspeople to make magical weapons and armor, and player-bought and controlled housing.


    • Recent posts

    Choose year

    2001

    2002

    2003

    2004

    2005

    2006

    2007

    2008

    2009

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013