Hardware News
Saitek Cyborg Evo Review
February 29, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Controlled Insanity have reviewed the Saitek Cyborg Evo Review:
"If your like me and into flight sim games, you already know that flying almost any plane, chopper, or aircraft is near impossible to do consistantly without a good flightstick. The old days of mouse and keyboard flying are gone, and new flightsticks are coming out every day, some are now even wireless! For my gaming needs, i've always stuck by my trusty Microsoft Sidewinder Pro 2, and its never failed me yet. However...a bran new stick on the market is turning a lot of heads, the Saitek Cyborg Evo"
Read the full review hereRazer Viper Optical Mouse Review
February 29, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Want a new mouse thats optical and has a high DPI? Overclockers Club have reviewed the latest high DPI optical mouse - the Razer Viper:
"The Razer Viper is a newly designed mouse that looks and feels much different than the Razer Boomslang. The Viper is an optical mouse that features a translucent exterior shell design and ultra slick teflon feet to provide an effortless glide across your mouse surface. The Viper also follows in the footsteps of the Boomslang because it operates at a very high resolution (1,000 DPI) making it extremely accurate and causes less fatigue on your wrists. How does the Viper stack up with the Boomslang and other optical mice? Let's find out!"
Read the full review hereNew Serious Sam 2 Update
February 29, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to Seriously! for letting us know that the Croteam has updated their website with a new weekly report regarding their upcoming first person shooter, Serious Sam II. Here's a taste:
Level Design is progressing well
Levels look better and better each day, while having less and less vertices by each new version. This is actually a very common trick used by Level Designers, when they first use ridiculous amount vertices on models to kill any PC in the office and then 'optimize', meaning reduce them back to the original number. However, we need to give them credit, as even some hard Croteam skeptics here now think that Serious Sam 2 looks to be visually at least 'aux par' with other games that will be released around the same time as Serious Sam 2 (Doom 3, Half Life 2 and Halo 2 were mentioned in particular). We'll have to wait and see.
MSI Mania - 3 of MSIs latest goodies
February 29, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
TweakTown have been reviewing MSI's latest goodies, the USB Mega Stick, their 8xDVD Recorder and their Wireless 11g:
"Today we are taking a break from looking at the usual motherboard, video card or CPU and weve decided to look at three of MSI's latest PC goodies. Read on as we take a look at their USB Mega Stick, 8x DVD recorder and Wireless 11g equipment."
Read the full review hereCool and Quiet or Anti-Extreme Overclocking Experience
February 29, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
XbitLabs have been looking at performance cooling but without all the noise for graphics cards - is there really such a thing?
"I think you are already familiar with our extreme overclocking methodology. However, to day we are going to undertake a different type of experiment. How to make your graphics card quieter? How to reduce the heat dissipation and retain high performance rates? All the tricks to the "CoolnQuiet" hardware in our new investigation!"
Read the full article herePCToys SimpleMax 101 SFF Case
February 28, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
You want a case, but the standard cases are too big for your needs? PimpRig have reviewed the PCToys SimpleMax101 SFF Case. Its small in size, but is it big in features and suitability?
"Three case openings and one drive opening later, I had the drive repaired, and filed down so the stealth would function without damaging the drive. I shouldn't have to file my drive to make it work. Well, I finally sat down to enjoy some gaming Kayin-style (read-RPG) and plugged in my gamepad. I was jammin along, and decided to snap some action pics. Well, in the attempt to upload them, I plugged in my camera to the front USB. It fell out. I plugged it in again. My cam didn't recognize. I tried it one more time to be sure. No luck."
Read the full review hereABIT AI7 Review
February 28, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
ClubOC.net have reviewed the new Abit AI7 based on the Intel 865PE with the new µGURU:
"The first computer I ever built had an ABIT BM7 motherboard, based on the Intel BX440 chipset and ran an overclocked socket 370 Celeron 333mhz CPU. That was state of the art back about 5 years ago. My Voodoo 2 SLI add in card was bad mojo back then. I could Play Quake GL like no ones business. Wow, that seems like a lifetime ago. ABIT was the first company to embrace the overclocking community, and they still maintain that commitment today. The competition for your overclocking dollar is fierce these days. Companies like ABIT, DFI, Albatron, Epox, Gigabyte and of course ASUS are pulling out all the stops to be on top. Our ABIT AI7, Intel 865PE / ICH5R chipset based motherboard review will examine one of ABIT's latest efforts in the high performance "budget" segment. Does ABIT still have what it takes? You might be surprised..."
CoolerMaster WaveMaster Black Aluminum Case
February 28, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
The WaveMaster by CoolerMaster, a case of beauty and original design! PCStats have reviewed CoolerMaster's black edition of the new WaveMaster case:
"If you were to tell me a few years ago that computers would be fixed up like hot-rods; with blinking lights, cold cathode lamps, case windows, and all the rest I would have said "you're crazy." The front of the WaveMaster case is nice and minimalist, with just a HDD light, and power & reset switch visible with the door closed. The company has embraced a new design ethic, and have really driven the retail market to innovate."
Read the full review hereATi HDTV Wonder Preview
February 28, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
HotHardware have previewed ATi's upcoming High Definition card for the pc:
"Jeff B spent some quality time with ATi recently, learning about their new upcoming HDTV Tuner card for the PC, the HDTV Wonder. You can bet your clicker and Bowl-O-Cheeze-Its that High Def is a natural for your PC.
Sometime early this Spring ATi will give you the ability to catch the game in High Def right on that slick new 20" Flat Panel you've been gaming on. These are the things that marital strife is made of my friends. Have a look!"
Breed Shots
February 28, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at the Action Vault this evening are some new screenshots from Brat Designs' upcoming first person shooter, Breed. Hit the image below for a look!
Ground Control II Interview
February 28, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Action Vault has shot-up an interview with Massive Entertainment's Henrik Sebring regarding their upcoming RTS, Ground Control II: Operation Exodus. Here's a bit on the engine:
Action Vault: What engine are you using, and what features are especially important considering the nature of the game? What do you think the system requirements will be?
Henrik Sebring: We're using a brand new engine for Ground Control II that's been developed in-house. One of our visions with Ground Control II was to create a battlefield filled with debris, smoke, objects and other mood enhancing objects as well as highly detailed units. Our engine can really meet those demands!
We've pushed really hard to keep the system requirements down, and the game runs smoothly on any T & L capable 3D card. It is still a little too early to state the exact system requirements, but the game currently runs smoothly (low end setting) on a 1GHz processor, 128 MB RAM and a GeForce 1... and on my own machine, a P4 2.4Ghz, GeForce 4, I can play the game on high settings with great satisfaction. =)
Deus Ex: Invisible War Patch
February 28, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Ion Storm has released a new patch (v1.2) for their first person shooter/RPG, Deus Ex: Invisible War. Fixing a bunch of bugs you can find this 11.65meg bad boy from the following mirrors: Now get downloadin'!
Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich Q&A
February 28, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPGVault has caught up with Irrational Games' Ken Levine for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming RPG, Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich. Topics range from the character development system to NPC's. Snip:
Jonric: Would you care to expand on the how the character development system works? What degree of player choice is there? Are there many non-combat skills?
Ken Levine: It's mostly based on Prestige. Each character has about 10 different skills to unlock and customize. Each of the skills can be improved and leveled up. How you develop the characters is completely up to the player.
There are a ton of non-combat skills. Quetzalcoatl, one of the new characters, has a support spell called Sacrifice. Using this power will heal all your teammates and eliminate all status effects. It comes at a great cost however.
Star Wars: Battlefront Dev Diary
February 28, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has posted a developer diary written by Greg Borrud, the producer behind Pandemic Studios' upcoming action title, Star Wars: Battlefront. Here's a clipping:
We started working on Star Wars Battlefront here at Pandemic Studios in November of 2002. We established our goal for the game right away. We wanted to create an online shooter title for the Xbox, PS2, and PC which would allow for team strategy and would feature battles and worlds from every one of the six Star Wars films. The game would be the ultimate Star Wars fan's dream. It would allow you to do nearly everything and anything that you had seen in the movies, from fighting in the trenches on Hoth to manning a Republic Gunship on Geonosis.
Star Wars Galaxies Q&A
February 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
SWG.Warcry has LucasArts' Kevin Q-3P0 OHara in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their massively multiplayer online RPG, Star Wars Galaxies. Here's some juice:
The Guardians It's not a hot issue, but rather an annoyance. Often, we'll be running to the shuttle, and upon clicking our ticket, to hand to the droid, the shuttle ups and leaves. Can we get some kind of notification, like for the droid to say 60 seconds, then 30 second last call, or something?
Q-3P0 I know the feeling, like when you run to a bus stop just as the driver closes the door and pulls away. I dont think we want to add more active spam to the game, but we might be able to give a better indication of when it is about to leave. Ill add it to the list, although honestly I doubt it will get looked at for a while. In the meantime, I recommend making an alias or macro to use as to run to the shuttle (such as /alias shuttle /target Ticket Collector;/boardShuttle;/say Wait for me...)
BioWare Interview
February 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Firing Squad has caught up with BioWare's Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk for a quick chat regarding their company. They look at everything from the location of their company to publishing. uNF:
FiringSquad: Do you see BioWare making an attempt at becoming a publisher, like Maxis tried in the early '90s? Perhaps you'll try the Rockstar route - acquiring developers and solidifying them under one brand?
Greg Zeschuk: While were interested in pursuing digital distribution where we sell high-quality content online directly to our loyal community of more than 1.6 million registered users, were not planning to become a traditional retail publisher. We have great partnerships with publishers like Atari (Neverwinter Nights), LucasArts (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic) and Microsoft (Jade Empire) and we respect their expertise in retailed package goods, distribution and retail marketing. Even though were kept very busy making great games we find the chance to create a new digital distribution model very exciting!
The Movies Screenies
February 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN managed to snage some new screenshots from Lionhead Studios' upcoming sim, The Movies. Click the thumbnail below for a peak!
City of Heroes Q&A
February 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at GameSpy this evening is an interview with a bunch of the guys behind Cryptic Studios' upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, City of Heroes. They cover everything from supervillains to teamplay. Snip:
GameSpy: Instead of the "Golden Age" of comics (bright tights and capes), you steered toward comics with a more modern sensibility. Talk a little bit about why you moved in that direction!
Jack Emmert: The Golden Age, and for that matter, the Silver Age, have ossified in our minds as a "better," "simpler" time. And so, we tend to assume that anything that visually matches those styles carry with it storylines that are likewise "simpler." But for a MMP to work, players need to take it seriously. They need to feel that the game and their characters have depth. Thus, we turned to modern-day comics for our Inspiration.
Hitman: Contracts Preview
February 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has tossed up a preview on IO Interactive's upcoming Action title, Hitman: Contracts. Here's a taste:
To emphasize the grittier feel of Contracts' story, Io has given the game a turn for the dingier, too. Gone will be the sunlit resort scenarios of Hitman 2; the world of Hitman: Contracts is dark and oppressive, with impressive rain, snow, and wind effects that help fully implement the inclement mood. To capture a more filmic, dreamlike state, the developers are also implementing soft-focus visual filters like those recently seen in Prince of Persia.
Thermaltake Silent Boost A1889-01 Copper Heatsink Review
February 27, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Another HSF review today, this time for the Athlon XP, the Thermaltake Silent Boost A1889-01 Copper Heatsink at FrostyTech.
"The premise behind the Silent Boost heatsink series is quiet cooling. The unique fans Thermaltake use, relate directly to the modified fans developed a couple years ago by Andy Lemont. Mr. Lemont discovered that horizontal slits in the fan casing could help to decrease fan noise by several orders of magnitude, and worked for short time promoting a heatsink adapted to this technique. The fan frame features a series of four 1.5mm x 32mm slits cut from what would normally be a solid surface. The slits allow air to be drawn in by the impeller at different locations, with the end result being a slightly lower pitch of sound from the 2450RPM fan."
Read the full review hereComing Soon: 64 bit for all!
February 27, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
64-bit processing is chugging along nicely for AMD at the moment, but Intel are due to join the wagon...sooner than we thought?
"Intel has given its nod. 64-bit may be coming a bit early, but Intels enormous R&D budget has more than compensated for it. In the end, one thing is for certain after all this has taken place: consumers will once again emerge as victors."
Read the article hereABS Zensation Z3 Notebook Review
February 27, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
XBIT Labs have reviewed the ABS Zensation Z3 Notebook based on the Pentium M.
"We do not review notebooks very often, as you may have noticed. But if we do then the models really deserve taking a closer look. Today we are going to introduce a great office notebook based on Pentium M processor, which boasts excellent performance, outstanding design and long battery life."
Read the full review hereEzonics ESound 5.1
February 27, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Headphones have always been in stereo or mono, but how would you like to experience full 5.1 surround sound in a compact headphone set without having to shell out for all those speakers?
Designtechnica Corporation have reviewed the Ezonics ESound 5.1 headphones.
"Overall, the ESound did a great job of producing actual surround sound in supported movies and games. Stereo music also sounded good, and even games without 5.1 surround sound audio benefited from the ESound solution.
Bass response was excellent, but at times too much and had to be turned down. With a few refinements, Ezonics would have a hard-to-beat product.
Six-channel sound in gaming is a reality and Ezonics has done a great job bringing that reality to a headset. We look forward to future versions that address our concerns but definitely think the ESound is a great start."
Shuttle SN85G4 XPC
February 27, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
You want a top of the range pc by not spending too much money on OEM menufacturers but don't want to think too much over what you need?
Overclockers Club have reviewed the Shuttle SN85G4 XPC barebone, based on the nForce3 for Athlon64.
"One of the fastest growing markets in home computing is the SFF (Small Form Factor) PC; this is due largely in thanks to HTPC (Home Theater PC) designs that have recently become popular. Shuttle is one of the most recognized names in SFF systems, because of their innovative designs and use of todays fastest chipsets. One of Shuttles latest creations, the SN85G4, is one of the fastest XPCs to date. The system is based around NVIDIAs nForce3 150 chipset that offers support for AMDs new 64-Bit CPUs. The size and weight of the SN85G4 makes it a very attractive package for LAN parties and HTPC rigs. Will the size of the system impact performance?"
Read the full review hereAcousti Products 120mm AcoustiFan
February 27, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Want to keep your PC cool but don't want to sacrifice noise?
BigBruin have reviewed the Acousti Products 120mm AcoustiFan.
"The AcoustiFan operates whisper quiet, but the amount of air being moved is noticeably less than the Papst and Delta brand 120 mm fans in question. With the wired resistor in place on the AcoustiFan power lead, the airflow drops even more, and although the noise at any level is barely detectable, it did drop a bit, as well."
Read the full review hereOCZ Eliminator 2
February 27, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
SubZeroTech have reviewed the OCZ Eliminator 2. Will this help keep your P4 cpu temperature down?
"After you turn the Eliminator on for the first time, you will hear this sucker spin up. The TMD fan takes a rather long time to spin up to full speed. I would say about 10 seconds for it to get to full speed. During this process, it almost sounds like a cd-rom spinning up, and is equally as loud..."
Read the full review to see if the OCZ Eliminator 2 impressed them hereBattlefield Vietnam Preview
February 26, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Another Battlefield Vietnam preview has popped up over at GameSpy this evening, taking a look at Digital Illusions' upcoming first person shooter. Here's a clipping:
As in Desert Combat, Vietnam's choppers take a bit of training to get used to, but in the hands of a skilled pilot (many of EA's testers definitely qualify), they're an awesome weapon, capable of quickly ferrying soldiers from one point to another. And although we never got to perform the maneuver ourselves, we did get to see the chain drop in action on one occasion: it's pretty startling to see a tank dangling in mid-air from the bottom of a helicopter, and it should provide many interesting new strategies once teams get the hang of it. Like BF1942, Battlefield Vietnam will contain support for offline play against computer-controlled bots; there's a good chance we'll be logging in some hours getting our pilot's license.
Far Cry Screenies
February 26, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN managed to get their hands on some new screenshots from Crytek studios' upcoming first person shooter, Far Cry. Hit the eyecandy below for a look!
NWN: Hordes of Underdark Review
February 26, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Ferrago has sent word that they have kicked up a review on BioWare's NeverWinter Nights expansion pack, Hordes of Underdark. Walking away with a final score of 92%, this might be one to check out! uNF:
For this adventure you have answered a call from the city of Waterdeep for stout adventurers to help the city fight off a Drow invasion. The story wastes no time getting into the action and the plot quickly develops into a pleasing web of intrigue, despair and brooding menace. The first chapter of the game will have you venturing beneath the city into the mazes of the Underdeep, a sprawling dungeon in the classic D&D sense. Created by a mad wizard the dungeon is well stocked with traps, monsters and treasure, and will give you a good opportunity to familiarise yourself with the new additions to your fighting arsenal.
Update: Thanks to Cyber Dog for letting us know BioWare has released a new patch (v1.62) for NWN. Fixing a bunch of bugs, you can grab this sucker right here!Tim Sweeney Q&A
February 26, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to Beyond3D for letting us know that they have slapped up an interview with Epic Games' Tim Sweeney regarding their next Unreal engine. Here's some juice:
Is UnrealEngine3 being created with Longhorn (the codename for Microsoft's next Operating System) in mind?
We expect to ship 32-bit and 64-bit executables on-disc, likely with the highest level of graphical detail that our game supports on PC only be available on 64-bit CPU's running the codename Longhorn OS. We certainly won't require it to run the game, but there are a lot of things we can do based on its key architectural improvements including address space, but not only that.
City of Heroes Preview
February 26, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has thrown together a preview on Cryptic Studios' upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, City of Heroes, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's a blurb:
Your hero's "origin" defines where your powers came from: such as technology (you use gadgets or special equipment), mutation (your biology isn't that of a normal human), or magic (you tap into the arcane arts). Then you chose an "archetype" that defines how your powers will be used, a method that aligns almost perfectly with classic role-playing styles. For example, a "blaster" hero hangs back and attacks opponents from a distance; a "tanker" character puts him or herself right into the thick of action and is capable of absorbing tons of damage; and a "defender" boosts the abilities of teammates or cripples an enemy's fighting ability. There are five different origins and five different archetypes to mix and match, and just about any comic book hero you can think of maps pretty cleanly to those combinations.
Abit's Radeon 9800 XT 256MB Review
February 26, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
HotHardware have reviewed Abit's latest range of graphics card now incorporating the ATi VPUs - this one based on the 9800XT
"Last month, when Abit announced that they'd be introducing a new line of graphics cards powered by ATi's Radeon line of GPUs, we all stoop up and took notice. With Abit's reputation for producing products targeted squarely at enthusiasts, hopes were high that they'd do something to truly differentiate their cards from the competition. Well, we just finished our review of the first Radeon to come out of Abit, their 9800 XT."
Read the full review hereShuttle ST61G4 Review: SFF PC on ATI RADEON 9100 IGP Chipset
February 26, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
XBIT Labs have reviewed Shuttle's latest Pentium 4 barebone system based on ATi's chipset:
"Today we will introduce to you a new Shuttle cubic system based on an ATI chipset, which boasts the todays fastest graphics. Besides, the new barebone system features a SerialATA RAID controller and an integrated card-reader. All in all it is going to be a very interesting solution for hardware enthusiasts."
Read the full review hereThermaltake Silent Boost K8 Heatsink Review
February 26, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Another Heatsink review today; this time for the Athlon 64 at SLCentral:
"Every little helps when overclocking, the Silent Boost K8 is a very well built heatsink unit and it does offer a reason to upgrade from the stock AMD Athlon 64 cooler. Would we reccomend it? Find out in our official review....... "
Read the full review hereiPOD Mini
February 26, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Wanting a portable MP3 player and had your eye on the iPOD but found it was a little too big for your tastes? Then maybe the iPOD Mini is for you reviewed at SLCentral:
"If you liked Apples iPod but would like something smaller then maybe you need an iPod Mini, its the size of a credit card, sleek, has a top-notch design and one of the best user interfaces around. Memory size is limited and can be a tad expensive to upgrade. We put the iPod Mini under the microscope, find out what we found in our official review....... "
Read the full review hereEvercool CUF-715 Copper AthlonXP Heatsink Review
February 26, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Overclocking your cpu can be a fun task but keeping the temps cool is difficult. Some can find it hard to even keep the stock temperatures down.
FrostyTech have reviewed the Evercool CUF-715. Will this help keep your cpu temperature down?
"Looking for a little more out of your AthlonXP processor and afraid that stock AMD heatsink just isn't cutting it? Rest assured, there are hundreds of other heatsinks waiting in the wind, and the Evercool CUF-715 is just one such example. This compact Socket A copper heatsink comes with all the features you'd expect from a mainstream cooler; copper base, copper fins, good sized fan, and even a fan guard. It doesn't rank too high in the noise department, and that's always a good thing. The soldered fin design and not-so-classy shiny gold fan blades certainly make this cooler stand out, but just how well does the Evercool CUF715 perform thermally?"
Read the full review hereSnap Appliance SnapServer 1100
February 26, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
You want to host your own server but are not sure how to set one up or even where to start? Maybe this is where the SnapServer would be suitable for you?
"Guru of 3D reviewed the SnapServer 1100, to put is short and blunt, this is an external HD that you hook up towards your Ethernet. An easy to install SOHO-level network storage device. It's supports most network types and even includes FTP and HTTP file access towards your files which makes this an entire other league compared to your regular external HD solution.
The product itself is in fact a dedicated computer that is running on an Operating System, in this case a customized version of FreeBSD which was named SnapOS. Guru3D.com's content runs on several servers, these servers all run on FreeBSD as it is very stable and very secure. So with that in mind the essence of this product is in fact a server. So what should you have a server in your network ?"
VPC1000 Multimedia Hub
February 26, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
You want a pc that can do everything - play your games, play your music, play your movies down to even listening to Radio? How about listening to the radio, your CDs or MP3s on your PC without turning the PC on? Sound interesting? Read on:
"Have you ever wanted to listen to your favorite FM radio station on your computer? Or maybe listen to your music CDs or MP3s without powering up your computer? Okay, all that and play DVDs too...by just adding a single component to your computer? Well, there really is an add in computer component that will do all that called the VPC1000 Multimedia Hub."
Read the full review hereHigh-End and Mid-Range Graphics Roundup - Part 2!
February 26, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
The graphics card war is well into the fight, but which one is ultimately the best of the bunch?
bit-tech have reviewed all the core chips from the ATi 9600 and above and nVIDIA's 5700 and above:
"...the mid-range decision was heating up to be a fight between the 9600 and the 5700. However, the new Nvidia pricepoint for the 5900XT, which has clearly been launched to try to counter the Half-Life2-inspired ATI buying antics of the general public, has meant that it is now the clear cut choice for the mid-range. Gigabyte have been the first to press with cards, so kudos to them for picking up on a good product quickly. This card wins our best mid-range card award."
Read the full review hereRaidmax Scorpio 668 Case Review
February 26, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
The Scorpio series of cases have got quite a bit of attention recently with their original looks.
TechWareLabs have reviewed one of these eye-candy cases to see if they are really "all that"
"The inside of the Scorpio case is a true dream, there is a ton of room for mounting hardware, plenty of fan mounts and a great design when it comes to airflow and case cooling. The hard drive cage and 3.5 drive cage are removable via a small lever on the top of the cage. Simply pushing the lever back and sliding the cage out will allow you to mount internal hard drives and floppy drives without difficulty."
Read the full review here32MB USB Pen Drive USB Bar
February 26, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
3DVelocity have got their hands on a 32MB USB disk - something, which I agree with the reviewer, is near a must for every pc owner!
" I've said it so many times I'm even beginning to bore myself, but the USB Flash drive is something every PC user should own, even if you think you've no use for one it's a fair bet that one day you will. And with prices now much more reasonable than ever before and capacities ranging all the way up to a thoroughly useful 1GB, there's a drive for every user and every pocket."
Read the full review herequiet! BQT P4-520W
February 26, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
TecCentral have got their hands on the quiet BQT P4-520W PSU. Sounds powerful, but what does TecCentral think?:
"In our following article we quiet ourselves for you a power pack from the house "!" regarded. With the "Blackline" series offers "quiet!" Power packs for each capacity range from 350W-520W.
For our test High ending variant with 520W was to us at the disposal. Whether it could become fair our requirements, experience you on the next sides.
Here commits also still another cordial thank-beautifully to the company quiet!, which us this power pack as if test-SAM-POLARIZE sent."
ATI Radeon 9600XT 128MB Review
February 26, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
TweakNews have reviewed ATi's own version of the ATi Radeon 9600XT:
"The 9600XT certainly is the mainstream card to buy. I tested it in many games while I was working on this review, from Vietcong to Morrowind to Need For Speed: Underground and then some. With tweaked-out settings, and the highest texture settings, my testbed never slowed down once, not even in the worst sandstorm in Morrowind. I was floored by its performance and never thought that my All-In-Wonder 9700Pro looked any better. DVD movies were crystal clear, and the output to my television was as good as my AIW.
Another major bonus with this card is the bundled Half-Life 2 coupon. What this means is that you take the retail price tag of $199 and subtract the game price of $50, and now you're only paying $149 for this card
and that, my friends, is how you justify such a purchase to your wife!"
Call Of Duty Beta Patch Released
February 25, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Infinity Ward has released a 3.8mb beta patch (v1.3) for their hit first person shooter, Call Of Duty. Fixing a hand full of bugs, you can grab this bad boy from the following mirrors:
Star Wars: Battlefront Preview
February 25, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at GameSpot this evening is a preview on Pandemic Studios' upcoming Action title, Star Wars: Battlefront. Here's a nugget:
You'll find two game modes to choose from in Battlefront--skirmish and galactic conquest. Skirmish is your run-of-the-mill custom match against computer-controlled bots or a friend, either online or offline. Galactic conquest is the heart of the game, and it lets you play as Rebel, Imperial, Republic, or Separatist forces in a brawl for control of one of the game's 10 planets, either online or offline. For those keeping score at home, the game will feature 16 maps that are spread out over 10 planets, including Endor, Geonosis, Kamino, Naboo, Tatooine, and Yavin.
Battlefield Vietnam Preview
February 25, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has whipped up a preview on Digital Illusions' upcoming first person shooter, Battlefield Vietnam. Here's a bit on the vehicles:
Ground vehicles, like jeeps and tanks, seem to handle similarly to those in Battlefield 1942, but they're certainly improved. Even the US troops M151A1 MUTT jeep has three passenger seats: one for a driver, one for a side passenger (who is actually free to fire while moving), and one for the mounted missile launcher. Each side also has an amphibious tank and an amphibious armored personnel transport. Hitching a ride in a transport won't be nearly as uneventful as it was in Battlefield 1942 since you can poke your weapon out of the vehicle's side to fire at passing enemies. The game also features plenty of static ground ordnance in the form of stationary artillery cannons and mortars, which are excellent for bombardment. (At least until a low-flying attack chopper or fighter jet comes in on a bombing run.)
Also, another peview has been posted over at PC.IGN. So check it out as well!Far Cry Preview
February 25, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Telefragged is the latest website to slap up a preview on Crytek Studios' upcoming first person shooter, Far Cry. Here's some juice:
It's the huge distance at which people can fight that makes Far Cry interesting; if you're used to the usual FPS games, this will take a bit of getting used to. Counter-Strike hardly compares in this respect, and even though you can fight at long range in Battlefield 1942 or its mods, the small arms weapons never felt right to me at that range. Here, though, the small arms combat is much more satisfying - as long as I have under an 80 ping when playing online.
Vampire: Bloodlines Movies
February 25, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Troika Games has released some new footage from their upcoming Source engine powered - Action/RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. You can grab these suckers from either WothPlaying or 3DGamers. Now get downloadin'!
TDK AID + 880N DVD Writer
February 24, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
The technology of DVDRWs is improving rapidly and the new DVDRW from TDK reviewed at HardwareZoom is no different!
"The recording media of choice is 4X DVD-R from TDK. The 880N allows us to burn it right at 8X! The burn process was carried out smoothly, and the entire burn took 9 minutes 28 seconds - not bad at all for just ordinary 4X media. Of course, being able to burn fast is one thing; doing so reliably is another. We performed a media quality scan with DVDInfoPro 2.xx and it shows a pleasing result with zero read errors."
Read the full article hereSoltek SL-PT880PRO-FGR Pentium 4 Motherboard
February 24, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
The Intel Chipsets have been dominated by Intel themselves recently, but VIA are about to kick back! ClubOC.net take a look at Soltek's new P4 motherboard based on the new VIA PT880
"After a long period of Intel domination, VIA has finally released a new chipset supporting the Pentium 4 processor, including the new Prescott. Named the VIA PT880, this chipset promises to bring us everything the Intel 875 has up to this point, and maybe even a little more. Soltek has crammed the VIA PT880, and a whole lot of other cool goodies into a motherboard called the SL-PT880Pro-FGR. It's quite a mouth full, but how else would you name a motherboard that has it all, including the kitchen sink? Decked out in deep purple and black, this feature packed motherboard promises to deliver a whole lot, for a whole lot less... "
Read how Soltek's VIA motherboard competes with Intels chipset alternative hereDFI LANParty NFII Ultra B vs. ABIT AN7
February 24, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
The overclockers dream AMD motherboards by Abit and DFI are being put head to head to show you what one is the ultimate winner at HotHardware
"DFI touts its "CMOS Reloaded" feature while the ABIT AN7 bears its own "μGuru" trademark. While these two new innovations are very different in terms of their functionality, both companies are targeting the same end result, allowing users to tweak settings to the outer limits of performance, with greater ease. "
An article which will help clear up the mist on what is the overall winner, which can be read hereOCZ PC-3200 Dual Channel Platinum Limited Edition
February 24, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
DDR400 is becoming the Industry standard with the Pentium 4 800FSB, Athlon XP 400FSB and the Athlon 64s, but you need memory that will keep up with that speed and tight timings! Brownie points are added though when you can get more MHz than the advertised rating.
ClubOC have reviewed OCZ's PC3200 Platinum and seem pleasantly surprised!
"Today we take a look at a set of dual channel memory from OCZ that is based on Winbond BH-6 memory chips. This "Platinum Limited Edition" RAM my only be rated at 400MHz DDR, but you'll never believe what we got out of it!"
Read the full review hereEnermax CS-10182-BA Server Tower Chassis Review
February 24, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Cases are a requirement in the PC world - but you want something that stands out and makes you feel proud of your creation! Is this case, reviewed at BigBruin for you?
"The Enermax CS-10182-BA is a very well designed case that incorporates many features that one would look for in a high end case that might carry a price tag higher than $68.00... The quality is unquestionable, and the term "heavy duty" is appropriately used to describe the CS-10182-BA. Its a sleek, stylish case that is spacious enough to easily provide room for all of your drives and peripherals."
Read the full review hereAthlon64 3200+ vs 3400+ vs FX-51
February 24, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
You want the ultimate system and 64-bit compatability for future proofing? Unsure of what to go for and what the differences are?
Bjorn3D have thrown all 3 64-bit processors using the Athlon64 name, to show you what really is what!
"Scott recently benchmarked his new Athlon 64 FX-51 system, so I'm using his numbers to compare to recent benchmarks I did with the 3200+ and 3400+. Refer to the table above if you want to quickly see the difference among these three processors. Also, note that all testing was done on an nForce3 platform (ASUS SK8N in Scott's case with the FX-51 and Chaintech ZNF3-150 Zenith in my case with the 3200+ and 3400+)."
A great read which will hopefully help you in your decision in the 64-bit world! Read the full review here10008 3DMarks with 3DMark03
February 24, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
:shocked: Yes that is correct! The magical 10000 3DMarks barried with 3DMark03 has been reached, and by no other than Macci. An amazing result of 10008 3DMarks! If you want to check out his project details & system information, click here. You can also follow the progress of our top performing users over at the Users Top 20 Hall of Fame.
On the behalf of Futuremark, I'd like to congratulate Macci for his amazing 3DMark03 result!
Far Cry Preview
February 23, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has shot-up a preview on the multiplayer portion of Crytek Studios' upcoming first person shooter, Far Cry. Here's a taste:
With the game's outdoor setting and deliberate pace, the powerful sniper rifle quickly became our worst enemy. While most of Far Cry's automatic weapons have some form of zoom (think Battlefield 1942's or Call of Duty's iron sights), the sniper rifle has four zoom settings from 3x-18x allowing would-be snipers to see most of the level at once. As a result, most of our automatic weapons weren't that useful, because our enemies usually weren't foolish enough to get caught out in the open. The level turned into a bit of hide-and-seek, with teams trying to control the areas with the sniper rifles, or at least stay off the rope bridges or other spots that all-too-often made for easy sniper kills. However, sniping isn't exactly easy: the more you zoom in, the more your breathing causes the scope to move around, and it's a skill that takes some time to get the hang of.
Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich Q&A
February 21, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameZone has posted an interview with Irrational Games' Ken Levine regarding their upcoming RPG, Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich. Here's a taste:
What's being done to make the game play even better than the original?
KL: Were listening very closely to our fans to help iron out all the issues that came up with the first game. Making a more independent AI that requires less micromanagement is a high priority. The multiplayer is also going to get a huge makeover. One of our core goals when we first started designing FFVTR was to make the multiplayer as good as the single player campaign. We always felt that multiplayer was one of the weakest aspects of Freedom Force.
Breed Screenies
February 21, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Action Vault has slapped up some new screenshots from Brat Designs' upcoming first person shooter, Breed. Hit the image below for a peak!
Serious Sam 2 Update
February 21, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to Glock for letting us know the Croteam has updated thier website with some new info on their upcoming first person shooter, Serious Sam 2. Here's a blurb:
Turrets arrived
Some members have already been to a demonstration behind a closed door, but for the first time Turrets were presented to all guys. Player and SciFi Orc can both get inside and shoot with it. So far, the best fight to get inside first was between Tomislav Pongrac 'Pong' (level artist) and one of the Soldiers, where Pong won by two entrances.
First Wizard cut-scene
First prototype cut-scene was created. Most of the guys saw it and they were quite amused with the unique style, so Mr. D.M. 'DoubleD' (famous Croatian cut-scene artist) is moving to the next cut-scene in the same style.
Vampire: Bloodlines Preview
February 21, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has whipped up a preview on Troika Games' upcoming Source engine powered Action-RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's a taste:
The game's story was developed by Troika, but it is closely intertwined with White Wolf's Time of Darkness novels about "Gehenna," the end of the world. In fact, the story has been officially accepted into the canon, and White Wolf considers Bloodlines to be the prequel to the books. You'll star in the game as a new vampire, and you'll have to report to your sire for guidance and directions. Eventually, you'll be able to choose between any of the seven major vampire clans, or you may choose to not affiliate yourself with any clan and go solo instead.
Can't wait for this one!
Star Wars: Battlefront Preview
February 20, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GamesRadar has kicked up a preview on LucasArts' upcoming action title, Star Wars: Battlefront. Here's a clipping:
Their willingness to experiment within the formula belies a canny eye for what works in multi-player gaming. In any online shooter, the chance to rise above the melee, whether it's in a WWII Spitfire in Battlefield 1942 or one of Halo's banshees, is a profoundly liberating experience. As is screaming out of the sun, hurling volley after volley of laser death into your fleeing opponents. But if vehicles are handled badly, it can be disastrous - just look at Counter-Strike's abysmal vehicles. Happily, Jim has it all worked out. "We're looking at each map and choosing which vehicles make most sense. Obviously, the X-Wing will be available on more than one map, but we're not going to stick it in every map. The jungles of Yavin is our smallest level, and it's really more of an infantry battle. Endor's an enormous forest, and not really appropriate to aircraft. You don't see them in the movies, and they wouldn't really work in the context of that map, flying above the trees. Endor's really all about the AT-STs and speeder bikes, whereas Tatooine is mostly desert, and it's dominated by X-Wings and TIE-Fighters."
Far Cry Preview
February 20, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Another Far Cry preview has popped up over at the Action Vault, taking a hands-on look at Crytek Studios' upcoming first person shooter. Here's some lovin':
From a purely visual standpoint, I saw a lot if jungle in this game. Loads and loads of jungle, but at least the pattern was somewhat livened up with a long strip of runaway, an airplane and some actual structures. Hopefully, the final retail product will have something more to offer than the blue lagoon settings we've all grown to love, cherish and respect. Actually, the Airstrip map featured this swamp-like, muddy setting that was kind of what the jungle would look like once you've left the beach and went in search for other shipwreck survivors.
Star Wars Galaxies Update
February 20, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has fired-up an update on Sony Online's massively multiplayer online RPG, Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided. They take a look at some of the new fatures being planned for the game. Here's a blurb:
The road to becoming a Jedi used to involve reaching the highest levels of certain career paths. Since the careers varied from player to player, the team ensured that no one could simply post a sort of walkthrough for prospective Jedi. While that same philosophy applies to the new system, becoming a Jedi will now be much more quest-oriented, relying on a specific, story-driven path that ought to be more entertaining. Sure, you'll still likely have to be a master-level character to get through some of the quests, but the story elements should make the process seem more rational.
Shellshock: Nam '67 Preview
February 20, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to Ferrago for sending word that they have slapped up a first-look at Eidos' upcoming action title, Shellshock: Nam '67. Here's a chunk:
Shellshock promises to "go where no other war game has gone", and if the press spiel is to be believed looks like it could well succeed in presenting both sides of the political argument without the bane of jingoism which can mar war-based creations (both the game and film varieties). The story of the conflict will be told through the eyes of a rookie soldier on his first tour of duty in this war-torn region, and through his gaze we'll "experiences the fear, chaos and atrocities" that embody the Vietnam War.
Thief: Deadly Shadows Preview
February 20, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at GameSpy have thrown up a preview on Ion Storm's upcoming stealth title, Thief: Deadly Shadows. Here's some juice:
The most striking is the addition of a third-person mode. Initially it wasn't in the design, but after some Ion Storm employees hacked it in to an early version of the game, its versatility and appeal became obvious to everyone involved. You can switch on the fly between first and third-person, and the game can be played entirely from one perspective or the other; it's up to you to figure out just how you like your game. A tutorial mode has been added to bring newcomers up to speed, but Spector promises it won't be as lengthy tedious as most games'.
Flagship Studios Q&A
February 19, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
inWoW.de has slapped up an interview with Flagship Studios' Bill Roper regarding their new company. Here's something to chew on:
2. Is your buget for the game less than you were used to in the past or have you an amount of resources and methods that is equal to the one you had when you made d2 and wc? Is it possible to create a blockbuster with a small budget in this time?
We are fortunate enough to have built a track record where we can work with budgets similar to those we had while at Blizzard, and I do think that larger budgets are somewhat essential for creating blockbuster games. This is not to say, however, that excellent games that do extremely well both in the marketplace and with critics cannot be made with smaller budgets. What it always comes down to is the core game play mechanics and how easy and enjoyable it is for gamers to play your game.
Turbine Interview
February 19, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has caught up with Turbine Entertainment's Jason Bell for a quick Q&A. They cover everything from the new West Coast studio to possible games on consoles. Here's a clipping:
GameSpot: How much of the new West Coast facility will be devoted to game development?
Jason Bell: In cooperation with Turbine/Boston, we'll be working on some development projects. We've already talked generally about doing an expansion pack for [the original] Asheron's Call, and that's probably what we're going to be focusing on out here. It's going to be a small studio for the first year. We're not going to have a huge group of developers. We'll be focusing our efforts on designing and developing an expansion pack with external staff as well. The leads will be in the LA studio.
Freedom Force Vs. The Third Reich Dev Diary
February 19, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPG Vault has posted a developer diary written by Irrational Games' Dorian Hart regarding the powers in their upcoming RPG, Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich. Here's a taste:
Next up: necromancy. Two of the new characters have powers that will bring KO-ed characters back to animated, fightin' shape for a while. Deep down Minuteman has always wanted to command the Forces of Darkness, so I know he'll acquit himself well. This time I spawn eight corrupt cops, and drop four of them KO-ed on the spot. Minuteman moves in and invokes Tombstone's power of Revitalizing Possession (Ye Gods, I need a better name for that one.) The four downed cops leap to their feet, and because they obey the will of their new master, they start firing on the other four cops. Minuteman steps back and pretends not to enjoy the carnage, until the effect wears off and the surviving zombies fall again to the ground.
Unreal Tournament 2004 Shots
February 19, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Shack News managed to get their grubby little paws on some new screenshots from Epic Games' upcoming first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2004. You can check these bad boys out by hitting the thumbnail below!
World of WarCraft Preview
February 19, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has kicked up a preview on Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft. Here's a bit on the races:
The game will let you play as one of eight races, four of which (humans, dwarves, night elves, and gnomes) belong to the human alliance and four of which (orcs, taurens, trolls, and undead) belong to the horde. The game will feature nine different classes, including paladins, rogues, priests, hunters, warlocks, druids, warriors, mages, and shamans. Different races will be allowed to play only certain character classes. The alliance and horde will begin the game in different parts of the world, and players belonging to opposing races may engage in controlled player-versus-player battles, though the majority of the game will be focused on "player-versus-environment" adventures. That is, most players will be going on quests and fighting monsters rather than fighting other players.
GeForce PCX
February 18, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
NVIDIA has announced their GeForce PCX series of cards. The new thing is the PCI-Express bus architecture. Here's a snip from their press release:
INTEL DEVELOPER CONFERENCE-SAN FRANCISCO -FEBRUARY 17, 2004-NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), the worldwide leader in visual processing solutions, today unveiled the industrys first top-to-bottom family of PCI Express graphics processing units (GPUs), all designed to take full advantage of the additional bandwidth and features that this new I/O interconnection standard delivers. By using an innovative PCI Express (PCX) high-speed interconnect (HSI), a complex piece of networking technology that performs seamless, bi-directional interconnect protocol conversion at incredible speed lines, NVIDIA can transform its current award-winning GeForce FX series into a full-family of PCI Express GPUs.
The new cards are as follows:- NVIDIA GeForce PCX 5950 based on the DX9 GeForce architecture, this new GPU delivers extreme graphics power and performance for extreme gamers.
- NVIDIA GeForce PCX 5750 designed for high-performance gaming with NVIDIAs full suite of cinematic effects and an unmatched feature set.
- NVIDIA GeForce PCX 5300 delivers state-of-the-art, best-in-class features and the reliability users have come to expect from NVIDIA, at an affordable price.
- NVIDIA GeForce PCX 4300 provides entry-level pricing coupled with strong performance, unbeatable visual quality, and DVD playback.
Hitman: Contracts Preview
February 18, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Another Hitman: Contracts preview has popped up over at GameSpot, taking a hands-on look at IO Interactive's upcoming action title. Here's a some juice:
Io has also put a great deal of effort into creating a new graphics engine for Contracts, and from what we saw of the PlayStation 2 build, the work really shows. The primary addition to the engine that really seemed to make the most difference was a postfiltering effect that essentially seemed to eliminate almost all aliasing and cleaned up the different textures and set pieces very nicely. This effect really gave the whole game a high level of polish that you wouldn't otherwise expect from an unfinished product. In addition to this, numerous other visual touches stood out. Some really spectacular lighting effects were included, which specifically set the mood for each individual environment, thus giving it its own unique feel. Each environment's lighting is also totally interactive. So, for example, shooting out lights in a room will cause enemies to shoot more erratically since they won't be able to see you and won't be able to aim at you. We also saw some really brilliant blizzard and rain effects in a couple of different missions. In fact, they were some of the best we've seen to date. These effects also interact with the environments, thus causing set pieces, like cloth flags and banners, to flail about very realistically.
Read on!Counter-Strike: Condition Zero Preview
February 18, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Games Domain has thrown together a preview on Valve Software's upcoming first person shooter, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. Here's a nugget:
Teammates are selected before the match from a list of varyingly talented bots. They're all scored on skill, co-operative skill, and bravery. There's a points system to limit your choice, so once you've acquired a few, you'll have to decide whether to take a team of five inept gun-wielding monkeys into battle for strength in numbers, or just one or two accomplished killing machines.
Kreed Screenies
February 18, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Action Vault managed to snage some new screenshots from Burut's upcoming first person shooter, Kreed. Hit the eyecandy below for a look!
Far Cry Preview
February 18, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has fired-up a preview on Crytek Studios' upcoming first person shooter, Far Cry. Here's a bit on the multiplayer portion of the game:
With permission from Ubi Soft, we can now also talk about Far Crys multiplayer modes, based on playing the multiplayer beta test that the publisher is running. There are four maps in the multiplayer beta. Two of them support the standard deathmatch and team deathmatch modes and are quite large as you might imagine. The other two maps support the games assault mode thats similar to Unreal Tournaments mode where one team attacks points on a map and accomplishes goals while the other team prevents that from happening. Unlike UTs Assault mode, however, Far Cry has a class system in place where people can pick sniper, assault or support roles with different weapon configurations and choices for each. While this mode shows promise we do have to say that playing multiplayer on the net is currently a somewhat lag filled experience, even with a broadband connection. Crytek and Ubi Soft still have time to address these issues before the game ships.
Republic Commando Preview
February 18, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has whipped up a preview on LucasArts' upcoming first person shooter, Star Wars: Republic Commando. Here's a taste:
Switching your main weapon from assault rifle to sniper rifle to grenade launcher comes with dramatic transform animations that will show your commando flipping, switching and installing new modules that will change the entire look of the thing. Like we've seen in Halo, you can only carry two weapons at once and from what we can tell this means you have to carry the main transformable weapon plus one other gun that you choose. You'll have to drop the default republic blaster pistol as your second weapon if you want to pick up a shotgun, Wookie bowcaster or the Geonosian bio-energy powered blaster along the way. You'll also have a slot for grenade type weapons and a default melee attack that looks like a Star Wars style, wrist-mounted switchblade on the commando's left wrist. All republic troops are righties it seems.
Beyond3D Stuff & News
February 17, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
Our good friends over at Beyond3D have been very active in posting new stuff online, so I thought to recap the latest ones!
- ASUS V9250 Magic FX 5200 Review
- ASUS V9570 TD FX 5700 256MB Review
- ATI SMARTSHADER Competition (Prize: Radeon 9800XT)
- 3D graphics chip / board comparison charts
Radeon 9600SE vs GeForceFX 5600XT
February 17, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
Hanners from Elitebastards has posted an article where he puts the Radeon 9600SE against the GeForceFX 5600XT. Here's a small snippet: $qs Starting off with the easier to overclock of the two cards, I took the 5600XT, enabled the hidden overclocking tab within the ForceWare drivers, and proceeded to see how far I could push the card. And, I have to say, the results were impressive. From the starting core/memory speeds of 235/266, I managed to push the core up over 100MHz, finishing with a stable core clock of 350MHz. The RAM on the board seemed similarly robust, overclocking stably to 330MHz. The card actually pushed up as high as 365MHz core and 345MHz RAM, but at that kind of overclock it would only run for twenty minutes or so before artifacts started turning up all over the place, which left 350/330 as the final, stable overclock.
So, let's see what the extra speed did for performance, using 3DMark03 (and the ForceWare 52.16 drivers), and the Antalus flyby and Halo timedemo (using the 53.03 set). All tests were run at 1024x768 without AA or AF: A good read packed with benchmarks and IQ comparison! Click here for the full article.
New Poll
February 17, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
Time to update the poll! This time we ask you this tricky question:
Did the UT2004 demo meet your expectations?
I must admit that I haven't played the UT2004 demo yet. Not sure if I even will.. :crazy: Anyway, go ahead and cast your vote! If you are interested to download the demo, you can find some links here.Our last poll ended up like this:
What DirectX generation is your GPU/VPU?
I don't know [6.2%]
DirectX6 [1.3%]
DirectX7 [3.5%]
DirectX8 [21.7%]
DirectX9 [67.3%]
Total votes: 15615
PlanetSide: Core Combat Review
February 17, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Trying to keep this slow day rollin', GameSpy has posted a review on Sony Online's PlanetSide expansion pack, Core Combat. The game walks away with a final score of 2/5 stars. Here's a blurb:
The idea behind Core Combat is that certain warp gates, called Geowarps, have mysteriously appeared and are linked to caverns that hold ancient, alien technology. The caverns connected to the Geowarps house advanced technology originally used by the Ancients to travel across the universe, and their discovery has sparked the development of new weapons. Originally, these Geowarps were discovered by the Vanu Sovereignty, but the secret of their existence was leaked by traitorous scientists. The information leak has started an all-out war for control of the caverns. All of this seems like a good idea you think would add to the gameplay experience, but it really doesn't.
Painkiller Demo Released
February 17, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at People Can Fly and Dreamcatcher have released a 228meg demo from their upcoming action-packed first person shooter, Painkiller. Included are three singleplayer levels to kick butt in. You can grab this bad boy at the following mirrors:
EverQuest II Interview
February 17, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPGVault has sat down with Sony Online's Tom Wells for a quick Q&A regarding the combat in their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest II. Here's some lovin':
Jonric: Still at the broad concept or design level, how much emphasis does the game place on player vs. environment compared to PvP?
Tom Wells: We're focusing on creating a great player versus environment experience. Thus, the majority of our design time is dedicated to making our PvE content the best it can be. That being said, you will be able to engage in some forms of PvP combat. Players can participate in duels, including both single combat and group against group duels. We plan to expand the number of available PvP options in the future.
Hitman: Contracts Preview
February 16, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at Computer & Video Games.com have thrown up a preview on Io Interactive's upcoming action title, Hitman: Contracts, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. You can check it out right here!
World of WarCraft Shots
February 15, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Blizzard Entertainment has released some new screenshots from their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft. You can check them out by tapping your mouse on the thumbnail below!
Star Wars Republic Commando Preview
February 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has thrown together a preview on LucasArts' upcoming first person shooter, Star Wars Republic Commando. Here's something to chew on:
The game will unfold in a no-nonsense militaristic style, which helps set a darker overall tone for the experience. Each mission will begin with a briefing of some kind. More often than not you won't get all the details on your task in the briefing. Instead, your objectives will be called in to you over your com as you progress through each mission. The briefings we saw had a dynamic "you are there" feel, which seemed to effectively capture the feel of a war movie. One of the briefings we saw opened on a Republic gunship en route to a drop-off point. As the voice-over filled us in on what the mission involved, we saw other gunships following in formation, dodging enemy fire and, in some cases, going up in flames.
Hitman: Contracts Preview
February 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The peeps over at PC.IGN have whipped up a preview on Io Interactive's upcoming stealth title, Hitman: Contracts, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's a nugget:
While the title might suggest that this new iteration is a series of unrelated stories, they're not. The myriad of missions are part of Agent 47's memories, which serve to give players a disturbing look at the mind of an assassin, but they're also connected because they lead up to the present. They all point to his painful existence in the hotel room, a new starting point from which the story then progresses. What happens next? IO wants to keep it a secret, so we're left with a little anticipation and excitement for the story to be fleshed out. Quite nice.
Middle-Earth Online Dev Diary
February 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The official Middle-Earth Online website has been updated with a new developer diary taking a look at Dwarf architecture in Turbine Entertainment's upcoming massivly multiplayer online RPG. Here's a blurb:
What sort of caves would Dwarves inhabit? As much as they might love the shining formations in a natural cave, I suspect they wouldnt occupy them as living spaces. Why? In part, because they admire them too much. A natural cave to a Dwarf would be a thing akin to parkland or a garden to us. More practically, the formations in natural caves are formed by water. Stalactites are constantly dripping with the very stuff that sculpted them, and as living spaces, the most beautiful caves would be the most dank and unpleasant to live in. I imagine that Dwarves would journey there to reverently admire the natural sculptures - but then would return to their spaces for living which had been hewn by their hands from dry, living rock.
Turbine has also released some info on a new Hobbit class. So be sure to check that out as well!
Mythica Cancellation Interview
February 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at GameSpy this evening is an interview with Microsoft's Chris Lye regarding the recently cancelled massively multiplayer online RPG, Mythica. Here's a taste:
GameSpy: The official site mentioned that Mythica was being cancelled "after careful evaluation of the MMORPG landscape." Go into more detail about how that influenced the decision.
Chris Lye: The massively multiplayer genre is a hugely crowded and competitive space. We didn't want to spread ourselves out over multiple MMORPG projects. We analyzed all the projects in the works and decided Mythica was the one to go. This wasn't about Mythica specifically. There were a lot of good things about the game. But, we had to make hard decisions about where we placed our assets.
Unreal Tournament 2004 Preview
February 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has tossed up a preview on Epic Games' upcoming first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2004. Here's a taste:
Aside from the snow and size, the key difference between Torlan and Arctic Stronghold is the presence of the sniper rifle, which can be just brutal across the wide-open map and nearly impossible to defend. When attacking the center point, it seemed snipers were always lurking above, often turning the fight for that power node into an epic back-and-forth struggle.
Folding@Home
February 13, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
Just thought to bring this up into the news. For those who have no idea what Folding@Home is, here's a small introduction:
What are proteins and why do they "fold"? Proteins are biology's workhorses -- its "nanomachines." Before proteins can carry out their biochemical function, they remarkably assemble themselves, or "fold." The process of protein folding, while critical and fundamental to virtually all of biology, remains a mystery. Moreover, perhaps not surprisingly, when proteins do not fold correctly (i.e. "misfold"), there can be serious effects, including many well known diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Mad Cow (BSE), CJD, ALS, and Parkinson's disease.
What does Folding@Home do? Folding@Home is a distributed computing project which studies protein folding, misfolding, aggregation, and related diseases. We use novel computational methods and large scale distributed computing, to simulate timescales thousands to millions of times longer than previously achieved. This has allowed us to simulate folding for the first time, and to now direct our approach to examine folding related disease.
Please note that the team is an independent one, and is not an official part of Futuremark Corporation.
Thief: Deadly Shadows Preview
February 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at GameSpot have whipped up a preview on Ion Storm's upcoming stealth title, Thief: Deadly Shadows. Here's a bit on the world:
The multiple perspectives should come in handy while you scout out your next objective in the City. Ion Storm is attempting to make Garrett's world seem like a living, breathing place rather than a simple set of levels that have been strung together. For instance, the game will not only task you with 12 main missions, but you'll also be able to revisit Garrett's apartment, which is a secluded room at an inn where he can practice his thieving and marksmanship skills. It's also a place where he'll occasionally pick up new missions and can even clean house. Like many of us, Garrett pays rent, but he can actually break into his landlord's apartment and raid the place, as long as he stays clear of the local guards. And rather than simply going from mission to mission, he can also explore "City sections," which are free-form areas with heavy-pursed civilians who wander to and from their locked houses and store their belongings in strong boxes.
Star Wars: Battlefront Preview
February 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN is the latest site to throw together a preview on Pandemic Studios' upcoming action title, Star Wars: Battlefront. Here's some lovin':
The battles change each time you play because of the game's open design, but they are also designed with particular characteristics for each location and per team. For instance, I dropped into a battle on the forest moon of Endor, the Ewok planet. The particular battle is designed loosely on the Rebel assault on the power shield generator patrolled by the Empire. As a rebel you must try to re-capture it, as an Imperial fighter, defend it. In this particular mission, the particular characteristic I was talking about is the third-party action of the Ewoks. Since I chose the Rebel side, the Ewoks fought on my side, so I got a little help.
Thief: Deadly Shadows Website Launched
February 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Eidos has launched an official website for thier upcoming stealth title, Thief: Deadly Shadows. Included is all kinds of info, screenshots and even a trailer. You can check it out right here!
World of WarCraft Interview
February 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at HomeLAN sat down with Blizzard Entertainment's Shane Dabiri for a quick chat regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft. They look at everything from the graphics to the beta. Snip:
HomeLAN - With the beta about to begin, how do you feel about the current status of the game in terms of its stability and content?
Shane Dabiri - We are very confident in our approach to our alpha/beta stages of testing. We are taking the approach of steadily increasing capacity and addressing issues along the way. We are also extremely happy with the level of content in the game. World of Warcraft is a rich environment and has been evolving over the past 4 years in the hands of the Blizzard art staff. I think people will be very delighted with the look of the game.
Unreal Tournament 2004 Q&A
February 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has fired-up an interview with Epic's Cliff "CliffyB" Bleszinski regarding their upcoming first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2004. Here's a bit on the Assault mode:
GameSpy: You also mentioned Assault, which is returning from the original Unreal Tournament. What's new this time around?
Bleszinski: Assault is one of those game modes that's basically like a single-player experience. We're starting off with a matinee fly-by sequence in Assault, in which you have a voiceover that tells you, "point A-point B-point C, here's what you do, here's where you go and here's what happens there," and that gives people a very clear indication of what's going on in Assault.
We've also added in a lot of heads-up display indicators to tell you where to go and what to do. A little objective list will slide out and say what the next objective is, and a voiceover will say "now you need to do this." Every time you respawn, it will say that as well.
There's a ten-second spawn queue in Assault now, so odds are when you die you'll end up spawning next to someone else who hopefully may know the map and can lead you to the next objective. We've added in all these kinds of elements not only to make Assault better, but to make it more user-friendly.
Intel's top CPUs battle it out at AnandTech
February 13, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
AnandTech have put Intel's 3 top processors at 3.2GHz against each other to show you what the difference is!
"With the introduction last week of the Socket 478 Prescott, we now have no less than three 3.2 GHz Pentium 4 processors from Intel. As we move toward the expected April 2004 introduction of Socket 775 and a new revised Prescott, we will be including compatibility testing of the 3.2E and 3.2EE, in addition to the 3.2C in future Pentium 4 motherboard and system reviews. With 3 flavors of 3.2GHz P4, 3 different architectures, and potentially different performance, all benchmarks needed to be updated to allow a reasonable comparison of current and future benchmark results. The results of the updated tests were so interesting that we decided to publish the results. Some of the results are already well-known, but other results like Workstation Performance were a bit of a surprise."
Read the full review here,External HDD's and Creative Keyboard reviewed @ X-bit Labs!
February 13, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
X-bit labs have posted two new reviews. One being External hard Disk Drives from Maxtor and Western Digital:
"Large data packs transfer and transportation is becoming more and more necessary nowadays. Today we are going to compare the functions and performance of two external solutions from Maxtor and Western Digital, which support both high-speed interfaces: USB 2.0 and FireWire. Find out which of them would suit better for your particular needs."
which can be read here, and the next one being an interesting Creative Prodikeys DM All-in-One Keyboard:"Today we are going to take a closer look at a new original MIDI keyboard from Creative with rich functionality and a bunch of additional keys and features. Want to play music on your PC, to create new tunes and have a lot of fun? Both: amateurs and professionals will enjoy working with Creat! ive Prodikeys DM!"
which can be read here.ClubOC Review Collection
February 13, 2004 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis
The ClubOC guys sure have been busy writing reviews and filling my mailbox
So let's throw all articles together in one newspost especially for them.
- Kingwin Thermal Center Review
Too put it lightly, we have always enjoyed reviewing anything that brings our PC's temperature down. Especially if it promotes better stability when overclocking. Heatsinks or hard drive coolers, Kingwin produces products that are worthy contenders for cooling, and they also enhance the looks of your PC.
Kingwin TC Review
- Vantec UV Cable Sleeving Review
As the name suggests, this is some UV reactive cable sleeving made by Vantec. You can check out the review right here.
- Albatron KX600S Pro Review
Albatron is now celebrating it's 2nd anniversary and is steadily gaining ground as motherboard and graphics card manufacturer. The KX600S Pro is a VIA KT600 chipset based, AMD Athlon XP motherboard. This board will give you lots of bang for your buck. It won't outrun a good nForce 2 based board, but if you are a VIA fan and need of a board with good performance and GREAT on-board sound on a small budget, this may be your board.
Here's your chance to read this review.
Crucial Hi-Speed USB 7-in-1 Card Reader Review
February 13, 2004 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis
The folks @ Extreme Overclocking have posted a review of Crucial's Hi-Speed USB 7-in-1 Card Reader. Here's a quick intro:
Consumer devices using removable flash memory are becoming extremely popular. Products such as digital cameras, MP3 players, and PDAs, are among many that use flash memory. Transferring data between these devices and a PC is simplified by using a USB card reader. In steps Crucial with their "Hi-Speed USB 7-in-1 Card Reader", capable of reading seven different flash memory types, and a high-speed USB 2.0 interface.
You can read all details in the complete review.ATI Catalyst Drivers v4.2 WHQL
February 13, 2004 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis
Another month, another Catalyst driver release by ATI bringing the suite up to version 4.2. As usual, they're WHQL certified. Here's a bit on some new stuff:
Component Video Output Enhancement
The latest ATI software driver now allows the user the choice of using panning mode or a center-timing mode in which the image would appear in the center of the TV screen when using the Component Video output on an HDTV display. This option is found in the ATI Control Panel and is supported under the Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows ME operating systems. This feature is available on the ATI RADEON 8500 and higher class of products.
Direct3D Setting Enhancement
Previous versions of the ATI display driver required the monitor going blank for up to 8 seconds when applying Direct3D settings. The latest ATI software driver for the RADEON 9500 and higher class of products now allows for the Direct3D setting to be applied without the monitor's display going blank.
And now the stuff you've been waiting for, download links:
- CATALYST Windows XP 4.2 - Driver Download
- CATALYST Windows 2000 4.2 - Driver Download
- CATALYST Windows98/ME 4.2 - Driver Download
worm's edit: The drivers will be tested for usage with 3DMark03 as soon as possible, so check this space in a while for more information.
Update: The Catalyst 4.2 drivers are approved to be used with 3DMark03 Build 340.
I'd also like to mention that Beyond3D and Driverheaven have released a "SMARSHADER Effects" tool (in conjunction with ATI of course). Both Beyond3D and Driverheaven will host this tool as well as organize end-user contests to see what guys like you can do with shaders! Head over and enter the contests as you can win a brand new ATI Radeon 9800 XT!
Men of Valor: Vietnam Shots
February 12, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The peeps over at WorthPlaying.com managed to snage some new screenshots from 2015's upcoming first person shooter, Men of Valor: Vietnam. Hit the thumbnail below for a look-see!
Star Wars Galaxies Interview
February 12, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer and Video Games.com has caught up with LucasArts' Haden Blackman for a quick Q&A regarding their massively multiplayer online RPG, Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided. Topics range from vehicles to the space expansion. uNF:
Any idea at the moment when we're going to see the space expansion released?
Blackman: Sometime in 2004. We haven't set an exact date and we're still working on prototyping and stuff, but it'll definitely be 2004. We're very excited about it, and the early prototypes are really, really promising. And it's coming together a little more quickly than I think we anticipated. The space expansion will complete the Galaxies experience in so many ways.
Unreal Tournament 2004 Demo Released
February 12, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Atari has released a 209mb demo from their upcoming first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2004. Including 5 maps and several gameplay modes, you can grab this sucker from the following mirrors: What are you waiting for? Get downloading!
The Sims 2 Q&A
February 12, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at HomeLAN tonight is an interview with Maxis' Tim LeTourneau regarding their upcoming people sim, The Sims 2. Here's a taste:
HomeLAN - What were the development teams main goals in making The Sims 2?
Tim LeTourneau - There are several goals set for our development team, but the main goal is to have our players immerse themselves fully into this next-generation simulation. Weve created dynamic environments and dynamic Sims, so players will continually be drawn back in to experience something new. The game and gameplay can mean different things to different players, so we want to surprise and entice current Sims players and attract new players as well. These are just a few examples of what we are striving for with The Sims 2 development.
Star Wars: Battlefront Interview
February 12, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has shot-up an interview with Pandemic Studios' Greg Borrud regarding their upcoming action title, Star Wars: Battlefront. They look at everything from classes to the games singleplayer. Snip:
HomeLAN - There are a lot of multiplayer vehicle based shooters coming out in the next year or so. Besides being set in the Star Wars universe, what will make Battlefront stand out from this pack?
Greg Borrud - There are three things that should really set us apart from the pack this next year. First off is the fact that this is a game with a sci-fi setting. We have a lot more freedom to create truly unique units, vehicles and worlds whereas strictly historical games are forced to stay much closer to real weapons and battles. Secondly, we are planning a very robust single player experience. The majority of these games are focused on multiplayer. This is still our focus as well but we are careful to make sure that the single player is not just an afterthought as it is in most games. Our single player experience should really engage those people who dont want to go online. And finally I think we will be doing a lot to really push this genre of team-based gameplay. We are influenced by a number of successful games, but we are taking some of these basic ideas and pushing them to the next level.
Middle-Earth Online Q&A
February 11, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
MMO Gamershell has posted an interview with Turbine Entertainment's Tim Holman regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Middle-Earth Online. They cover classes, PVP and more! Snip:
MMOG Hell: How will a player gain experience? Will there be a cap on what level one can achieve?
Tim H.: MEO does not use experience points. Characters can raise their stats, skills and vitals by actively participating in combat, crafting and quests. MEO also features a time based advancement feature that will allow players to increase their characters stats while they are not logged in the game.
City of Heroes Interview
February 11, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The AVault has Cryptic Studios' Michael Lewis in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, City of Heroes. They look at everything from powers to "Supergroups". Here's some juice:
With superheroes, combat is all about superior powers. Describe for us some of the powers available to the player.
Weve broken from the traditional Strength/Dexterity/Intelligence statistics model of character creation. In City of Heroes, a character is entirely defined by the powers chosen. If you want to be a stealthy martial arts expert, you might choose Super Reflexes, Martial Arts and Invisibility as your first few Power Sets. Within a Power Set, there are four to nine powers, all of which complement each other. For example, in Martial Arts, you might choose Crane Kick for laying out an opponent or Dragons Tail when youre surrounded - all of your powers will be useful in different situations, and the action changes fast, so youve got to think on your feet.
Star Wars: Battlefront Preview
February 11, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer and Video Games.com has whipped up a preview on LucasArts' upcoming action title, Star Wars: Battlefront. Here's something to chew on:
"Gameplay in Battlefront is clearly similar to Battlefield 1942 in nature," admits LucasArts producer Jim Tso. "However, we want to immediately differentiate the titles, and we feel that adding a layer of strategy and depth between maps will achieve this." To wit, hostile exchanges aren't merely one-off encounters; they actually have a lasting effect on a campaign's outcome. In the Galactic Conquest mode, opposing teams literally compete for dominion over the known universe. Capture every checkpoint on a planet (usually involving winning at least two battle maps), and you gain control of that planet. Conquer all of the planets, including Hoth, Endor, Naboo, Tatooine and Geonosis, and the galaxy - and the game - is yours.
Dragon Empires Q&A
February 11, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPGVault has caught up with Codemasters' Phil White for a quick chat regarding the beta of their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Dragon Empires.
Jonric: There's a common perception that a significant percentage of beta participants do nothing more than provide server load? To what extent does this concern you?
Phil White: Our first goal is to get server stability and then feature test aspects of the game. We know from previous experience that some people will jump at the chance and others will log in, do a few things and then log out. We are ensuring that we invite enough people to get good feedback. If this is not at the level we want, then we will invite more people.
Horizons: Empire of Istaria Review
February 11, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has slapped up a review on Artifact Entertainment's massively multiplayer online RPG, Horizons: Empire of Istaria. Here's a blurb:
Players have the ability to choose from nine races at character creation: humans, elves, gnomes, and dwarves. There are others, however, that are more fantastic, including half-giants, cat people, and dragons. Yes, you can play as a dragon, complete with a breath weapon. All player characters are called "gifted" for their ability to cheat death. You can die in combat, sure, but you'll be able to recall yourself from the last location you bound your soul to, much like EverQuest. You won't lose equipment or experience points upon death, but you'll receive temporary penalties to your attributes and skills.
Postal 2 Interview
February 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
XGameServers.com has sat down with Running with Scissors' Vince Desi for a quick chat regarding their first person shooter, Postal 2. They look at everything from multiplayer to a possible Postal 3. Snip:
With all the various multiplayer first person shooter games available, what aspects of Share the Pain do you feel will be unique to draw fans of the genre into your new release?
No doubt were not exactly mainstream for gamers but we really are mainstream for society. Recently we went to the CXG gig in Vegas and while it was a bust, the best thing was a whole new audience of Counter Strike fanatics got to try it out and loved it. As for specifics, we got Gary Coleman, everybody wants to kill Gary and we got the Postal Babes, its been insane. Seriously, we off you our own version of CTF, SNATCH. You get to go after the opposing teams hos, now tell me another MP game that offers this?
Battlefield: Vietnam Preview
February 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at PC.IGN this evening is a preview on Digital Illusions' upcoming action title, Battlefield: Vietnam. Here's a clipping:
There are a few more additions since last we saw the game. For one thing, there are now new and distinct loading screens and music for each level. While Quang Ti 1968 was loading we were treated to little "Surfin' Bird" and got the chance to read a little historical information about the battle. This kind of character was definitely missing from the original game where the battles seemed to take place in a kind of limbo. Here they're given a brief but effective context courtesy of a little summary. The graphics for each loading screen are composed of a number of period materials, both pictures and pamphlets, that really add a lot of character to the game.
Half-Life 2 Screenies
February 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at PC.IGN managed to snage some new screenshots from Valve Software's upcoming first person shooter, Half-Life 2. Tap your mouse on the eyecandy below for a look!
Hidden And Dangerous II SP & MP Demos
February 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Illusion Softworks has released separate single and multiplayer demos from their World War II-based Action title, Hidden And Dangerous II. So here's your chance to give this puppy a spin. Hit the mirrors below for the goods!
Prince of Persia Review
February 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to Ferrago for sending word that they have thrown together a review on Ubi Soft's action-adventure title, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Here's a chunk:
Fortunately, Ubisoft's animation and graphics technology more than keeps pace with the Prince's fluid movements bringing his seamless progress to vivid life in highly convincing detail - which is complemented perfectly by the gloriously rich environs of the developers imaginings. It really is quite a sight to behold, from Palaces to Temples and many other sumptuous locales which can't fail but to engross you in this expertly visualised take on the Medieval East. The attention to detail is particularly worthy of note - right from the fluttering curtains, to the water and mist effects, not to mention the movement of clothing and the intricate touches in the incidental aspects of the Prince's surroundings. Outstanding.
NWN: Hordes of the Underdark Review
February 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Armchair Empire has thrown up a review on BioWare's NeverWinter Nights expansion pack, Hordes of the Underdark. Walking away with a final score of 9/10, this might be one to check out! Snip:
On the technology side, HOTU is a slight improvement over the earlier installments. The texture packages have improved; the overall image is sharper; the animation seems smoother. Bioware has expanded the functionality of the user-controlled camera, allowing players to pretty much get any view on the action they could possibly want. This is a bit unnecessary since most of the viewpoints are impractical, but it is still nice to be able to look around while in pause mode. On the downside technology-wise, I suffered a number of lockups on both test systems.
Creative Infrared Remote Control
February 9, 2004 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis
Let's continue with more nifty gadgets! The boys and girls @ Tweaknews took the time to test a Creative Labs PC-DVD Multimedia Infrared Remote Control. For the lazy peeps, and also for the not-lazy ones
, here's a snip:
For those looking for an inexpensive solution, you cannot get much better than the Creative (PC-DVD) Remote Control. The remote worked great right out of the box without much tinkering. For those who want more out of it, programmable functions abound in the Remote Selector application. Plus, the ability to expand the software bundle via other open source applications means that you can customize the remote, and make it do what you want it to do. The distance was excellent, although as always, IR is limited by line of sight. The ability to use keyboard emulation and mouse functions is also a great addition, however a little more speed is needed for the mouse movement.
You can read it all right here.Verbatim 256MB USB 2.0 Drive
February 9, 2004 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis
And now for something completely different.. a review of an USB drive. The folks at OC Modshop posted a review of Verbatim's 256MB USB 2.0 drive. Here's a little teaser:
After finishing the review on my previous USB 2.0 drive I didn't think that the speeds would be much different between devices. I was clearly wrong because this Verbatim drive is much faster than any other USB drive that I have ever used. Not only is it extremely fast but it stores 256MB of data, and is very small. Along with being fast, small, and having a large capacity size it works with just about every operating system that you would be using.
Be sure to check out the complete review.Middle-Earth Online Dev Diary
February 8, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The official Middle-Earth Online webpage has been updated with a new developer diary written by "Muttonhead", a production artist behind Turbine's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG. He takes a look at the art side of things of course. uNF:
But most importantly, production design is a vital stage of world-building. The role of a game artist, or a team of artists, is to make sure that everything that is built for the game feels like it was built by the same pair of hands. All too often, I will be playing a video game and the whole thing will seem like a mish-mash of visual styles. This, to me, is a sign of poorly-planned art production, or simply the complete lack of serious production design.
They have also slapped up a new Letter from the Team where they take a look at the combat system in the game. So be sure to check this out as well!DS: Legends of Aranna Bonus Pack
February 7, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Microsoft has released a new Windows XP-only bonus pack for their hit RPG, Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna. Weighing in at 39megs, this puppy includes a new level to kick butt in. You can grab it from the following mirrors: Now get downloading!
EverQuest II Q&A
February 7, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The EverQuest 2 Vault has sat down with Sony Online's Steve Danuser for a quick chat regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest II. They look at everything from guilds to race/class combos. Snip:
Deathstryker: How many ranks/levels of membership will be available in guilds? For example, will guild leaders be able to customize guild membership levels with unique titles and permissions and will SOE offer a method to allow guilds to parse or query guild-specific information for use on their site in order to reduce work needed out of the game (similar to DAoC)?
Steve "Moorgard" Danuser: Our goal is to have a robust guild management tool that supports multiple customized ranks, permissions for various leadership functions, control over who can move objects or change decorations in the guild house, an events calendar, and more. It's a bit early to guarantee how much of that will be completed when we ship, but we do feel that those capabilities are important and will be striving to include them.
Integration with the Web is something we are investigating, but we can't give any specific details at this time.
Far Cry Preview
February 7, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at PC.IGN have posted a preview on the multitplayer portion of Crytek Studios' upcoming first person shooter, Far Cry. Here's some juice:
The assault modes and deathmatch modes each come with two maps in the beta. In assault, you can find yourself fighting for control of an airstrip and the associated helicopter pads and other resources. Like all the maps, this one is covered with all kinds of hills and foliage, making it easy for players to find hiding places. Still, as you move around the map, expect to come up upon enemies as you round a blind corner. The Dune map includes two large islands joined by lots of small sandbars. There's not much room to hide here on your way to the other island so you'll need to pick your way across carefully.
Updated TRON 2.0 Patch
February 7, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Monolith has released an updated version of the 1.042 patch for their action title, TRON 2.0. It has the same content as the last one, expect ths sucker is for those of you Windows users without XP. Anyways, click here for the goods!
Ultima X: Odyssey Interview
February 7, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPG Vault has slapped up an interview with Origin's Rick Hall regarding the combat in their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Ultima X: Odyssey. Here's a clipping:
Jonric: Still at the high concept and design level, how much emphasis will your game place on player vs. environment compared to player vs. player?
Rick Hall: Odyssey focuses more on PvE than PvP. When we set out to design the game, we felt that it was possible to actually achieve a single-player feel in a massively multiplayer environment, and the key to that was in developing a very comprehensive PvE experience. If you think about it, the notion of making a player feel "heroic" is more easily achieved in a solo game, where the player is, in a very real sense, the "center of the action and the universe." However, with that said, don't get the impression that PvP won't be supported, or that the game will not be massively multiplayer. It will include both of those elements. At its heart, it is definitely a massively multiplayer experience. We've simply tried to provide an environment where it "feels" as heroic as the experience you'd get in a solo-player game.
Motherboards.org Stuff
February 7, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
The good chaps over at Motherboards.org have posted some interesting articles. The first one is a review on the Intel's P4 Prescott CPU and the second one is a review on the Thermalright SP-97. Enjoy!
Thanks to Doc for the news!
Breed Hits North America in March
February 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at Blue's News have word that Brat Designs will be releasing their first person shooter, Breed, in North America on March 23rd. So keep an eye out for it!
EverQuest II Screenies
February 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Sony Online has released some spiffy new screenshots from their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest II. Hit the eyecandy below for a look!
Far Cry Interview
February 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer and Video Games.com has Ubi Soft's Doug McConkey in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their upcoming first person shooter, Far Cry. They cover eveything from the AI to multiplayer. Snip:
Anything else we should know about AI?
McConkey: Communication is a big thing. Along a beach, say, you'll see that enemies have these little huts and stuff, and as well as being places for these guys to hang out conveniently for you to creep up on and shoot in the back and stuff, they are all linked by radio. So if you're smart about the way you limit communications between the groups, you can make things much easier for yourself.
If there're three enemies, for example, they'll actually co-ordinate their activities. So two guys will start shooting you while one guy runs off to the radio. So then they'll send in a heavily armed gunboat to take you down, say. And enemies can set off flares to call backup.
Star Wars: KOTOR Review
February 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Gamers Depot has slapped up a review on BioWare's rockin' RPG, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. The game walks away with a final score of 4 1/2 "drips". Here's some juice:
All the Star Wars elements are there and falling back on old ideas is both good and bad. Its great because it gives the full feel and theme of the Star Wars universe, making you feel right at home. All the aliens and planets are from the established Star Wars universe. You get the chance to visit Tatooine, Dantooine (the one Princess Leia mentions in Episode Four) and the Wookiee planet of Kashyyyk. But since it is set 4,000 years before Episode One, the building, ship, droid and weapon designs are off just enough to make it all feel familiar yet all new.
EverQuest II Dev Diary
February 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has thrown up a developer diary written by Sony Online's Rich Waters regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest II. Here's a nugget:
Designing a game of this size is a pretty daunting task. Unlike many single-player games, which are able to focus on doing a few things very well, EQ2 needs to provide a wide variety of distinctly different gameplay within a single product. Some of the biggest elements to tackle are character development, quests and adventures, crafting and trade skills, combat, and social interaction. Each of these elements is very popular with different types of players, so we're doing our best to provide a high-quality experience in each area.
New Star Wars: KOTOR Patch
February 5, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
BioWare has released a new patch (v1.02) for their hit RPG, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Weighing in at 25megs, this sucker fixes a bunch of bugs, adds 1280x1024 res support and much more! You can grab it from the following mirrors:
Ground Control 2 Q&A
February 5, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The ActionTrip has sat down with Massive Entertainment's Henrik Sebring for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming RTS, Ground Control 2: Operation Exodus. Topics range from factions to the dropships. Snip:
Action Trip: What would you say are the main strengths for each of the warring factions?
Henrik Sebring: The two factions are very different on the actual battlefield. The NSA relies on cruder but somewhat conventional technology. They have a wide selection of different infantry types and vehicles. They excel in dominating the ground with their heavy terradynes backed up by support units such as the long-range mobile artillery and dual-purpose (anti-missile/air-defense) rocket vehicle. One of the strengths of NSA is that they have superior numbers and can more easily go for flanking maneuvers.
The Virons on the other hand are extremely flexible, as they rely on melding units together on the battlefield. A Viron unit is generally much stronger than the NSA units but suffers more when their units are actually killed. Also, being organic allows the Viron units to regenerate their health on the battlefield. Virons can easily master hit and run tactics - their units are fast using hovers and can even travel over water.
New Kreed Shots
February 5, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The ActionVault managed to get their grubby little paws on some new screenshots from Burut's upcoming first person shooter, Kreed. Hit the image below for a look!
City of Heroes Dev Diary
February 5, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPGVault has posted a developer diary written by NCSoft's Tosh Toida regarding the testing process of their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, City of Heroes. Here's a taste:
The first thing we do with each version is what we call a Smoke Test. In the electronics business, this meant plugging everything in and turning it on, to see what piece started smoking. In the games business, it's essentially the same thing - a quick check of all the systems to make sure they work right away. With a game this size, this is actually quite a task, and can take several hours to complete. Think about your favorite game, and then think about how long it would take to press every button in the game. Then do it again tomorrow. And then again the next day...
Crytek Raided
February 5, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
According to PCGames.de (use BabelFish to translate), Crytek Studios' office was raided by German police Wednesday morning. Apparently, an ex-employee is said to have told police that Crytek was using pirated software.
Update: Another report over at GameSpot has statements from both Crytek and Ubisoft regarding the raid. They basically say no one was arrested and no machines were seized. They also confirm that the release date of their upcoming first person shooter, Far Cry, has not been affected and will ship at the end of March as planned.
Half-Life 2 This Summer?
February 4, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
A new articles is up over at CNN Money, taking a look at the theft of the Half-Life 2 source code, game delays because of this and a possible release date for the much anticipated first person shooter. Valve Software's Doug Lombardi is quoted as targeting a summer release, but no exact date was given. Let's hope all goes smoothly. Anyways, click here for the goods!
Call of Duty Interview
February 4, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
SoundBlaster.com has caught up with Infinity Ward's Steve Fukuda regarding the audio in their hit first person shooter, Call of Duty. Here's a taste:
Q6. What levels are your favorite acoustically and is there anything that you would like people to listen for?
Some of my favorite moments acoustically occur where the sound effects are best complemented by the musical score, such as the last minute of Pegasus Bridge or the opening of the Red Square charge. The sheer density of sound in the battles at St. Mere Eglise, Brecourt Manor, and Stalingrad is also noteworthy. The German propaganda heard throughout the desolate sewers of Stalingrad still remains one of my favorite uses of dialogue in the game.
Black & White 2 Preview
February 4, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The ActionTrip has slapped up a preview on Lionhead Studios' upcoming Strategy-RPG, Black and White 2. Here's some lovin':
Another significant change was incorporated into the game's physics. In the previous Black & White, each action would trigger a specific animation sequence, which would occur according to the situation. In the sequel, everything operates within the new physics engine. A diligent team of programmers, 3D animators and designers, are currently working on a system that's going to ensure a practically endless combination of animation sequences depending on whatever takes place on screen. Objects, your Creature, and various units, will react just as you'd expect them to. As far as animation goes, no in-game model was left without a meticulous and delicate makeover. The Creature, for example, is composed out of 70 bones, almost a third of which has been placed on its face. Such an impressively designed skeleton was assembled to allow for a vast number of convincing facial expressions. As you can see, the Creature remains the focal point of the designing team.
Arkane Studios Licenses Source Engine
February 4, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Evil Avatar has word that Arkane Studios has licensed Valve Software's Source Engine for an upcoming project. Here's a clipping from the press release:
February 3, 2004 - Valve, developer of best selling games and leading edge technologies, today announced a Source Engine licensing partnership with Arkane Studios, creators of Arx Fatalis. Already in development, Arkane's Source-based project is targeted for the PC.
Valve's Source Engine Technology, the same used to create Half-Life 2, gives developers the ability to create expressive digital actors and physically simulated worlds. It also offers advanced rendering capabilities and the industry's most convincing artificial intelligence.
New FarCry Screenies
February 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
WorthPlaying.com managed to snage some new screenshots from Crytek's upcoming first person shooter, FarCry. Hit the image below for a look!
Sony Online Interview
February 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at Warcry.com have shot-up an interview with Sony Online's Raph Koster regarding his job, MMOG's and more! Here's a nugget:
Warcry: Lots of games you have had a hand in offered what I call 'sandbox' play: the ability to be creative in ways not directly related to the game itself. Furnishing a house in SWG, for example, can be a showcase for the artistic talents of the player. What other types of sandbox play would you like to see in the future?
Raph: All of it. This isn't something that is necessarily widely held in the industry or within any given company, so it's a somewhat controversial issue. But I am a huge believer in user content. The fact right now is that you cannot base a whole game on it. Nor do I necessarily want to. But I do favor finding ways to give players tools in addition to the burden of entertainment that rests on us as designers and developers.
People tend to tar me as the guy who wants everything sandbox and no handcrafted content. That's not really an accurate depiction of my approach or (if you go back to the work I did on muds) even of how I personally design things. But oh well, it's how I've gotten labeled, so I guess I have to live with it.
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero Preview
February 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has thrown up a preview on Turtle Rock Studios' upcoming first person shooter, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. Here's a bit on the singleplayer:
The final product, based on playing our copy of the near final build, is actually two different types of single player experiences (three if you count the bot instant action custom game modes). The Turtle Rock structured single player game is more like a console title with players going through the various maps (both new and familiar) and not only winning matches against bot generated terrorists but also achieving special challenges in those rounds (everything from simply killing an enemy to more specific tasks). Only a few maps are unlocked in this mode and as you and your team advance more maps are unlocked. You also get access to more and better AI teammates as you advance in each round and map.
Black & White 2 Dev Diary
February 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has posted a developer diary written by Lionhead Studios' John McLean-Foreman regarding the engine in their upcoming Strategy-RPG, Black & White 2. Here's a taste:
Another aspect that I would never have thought of, but have learned is also vitally important, is the design of the art tools. As David puts it, you can have a great 3D engine, but if you have crap artwork, or no way to properly transfer beautiful artwork into the game, then the final product is still crap. With that in mind, he and the 3D team have worked very hard to create a toolset that is not only easy to use, but allows the artists the flexibility to be inventive within their area of expertise.
Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich Q&A
February 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has sat with Irrational Games' Ken Levine for a quick chat regarding their upcoming Action-RPG, Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich. They cover everything from publishing to the games development status. Snip:
IGNPC: So what exactly is the publishing status of Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich, both here in the States and abroad?
Ken Levine: Irrational Games has decided to venture into new territory by self-funding the development of Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich. In the near future, we will start the process of selecting a co-publishing/distribution partner, both in North America and internationally. This is a huge task that has not often been explored by developers. We've received many nice queries from great publishers, and even went down the road considering proposals, but in the end, we decided it was better for us, better for the product, and better for the fans to do it this way.
Intel P4 Extreme Edition 3.4GHz Review
February 2, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
Thanks to Patrick from Hardware-Mag for sending in that they have reviewed the Intel P4 Extreme Edition 3.4GHz. Here's a snip (again used babelfish to translate):
As one recognizes very beautifully, the additional L3-Cache can know again little more performance from the Pentium 4 architecture kitzeln and 200 MHz a multi-clock of the extremes edition 3.4 GHz this prima to convert. But an increase in output of 13 per cent does not stand absolutely in the relationship with the additional and/or the double costs.
$qe
If you want to check out the full review (in German), click here.
Intel Pentium 4 Prescott Reviews
February 2, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
Here's a list of sites which all have reviewed the new Intel Pentium 4 Prescott CPU. Enjoy..
- Anandtech
- FiringSquad
- ExtremeTech
- THG
- HotHardware
- TechReport
- Accelenation
- PCstats
- Hardware-Mag (German)
PlanetSide: Core Combat Review
February 2, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to GameClubCentral.com for sending word that they have slapped up a review on Sony Online's PlanetSide expansion pack, Core Combat. Here's a bit on the weapons:
Whats a shooter expansion without new guns to rain death on your opponents? SOE didnt miss a beat here, of course. While it doesnt really look like a lot, three new weapons were introduced into PSthe Radiator, the Spiker, and the Maelstrom: a special radiation grenade launcher, an energy grenade launcher, and a dual grenade/energy stream weapon respectively). They didnt become fan favorites overnight, but in my experience, the Radiator has gained much more support than the other two.
Read on!Tribes: Vengeance Preview
February 1, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy is the latest website to throw together a preview on Irrational Games' upcoming first person shooter, Tribes: Vengeance. Here's a nugget:
Although there will be plenty of the wide-open areas that have become synonymous with the Tribes games, different-sized maps and locations are also being explored. One map we saw took place in a large underground cavern, while another took place in a futuristic facility (both evoking memories of Unreal 2). Irrational has ripped out the guts of the Unreal physics engine, which was made clear in one dizzying sequence where our zoomed around the facility, using curved walls to build momentum and rocket upward and downward at speeds much higher than with the jetpack on its own. Tribes players used to spending all their time outdoors should have a field day relearning new strategies for indoor movement and combat.
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