November 2003
| Sunday, November 30, 2003 |
Moon Dog Spot Passes Away
 Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 6:37 AM |
Category: General |
Wrestling fans may or may not be familiar with the name, but Larry Booker, better known as Spot, half of the legendary Moondogs tag team collapsed during a show in Memphis, Tennesee. The event was supposed to be a celebration for local wrestling hero Jerry "The King" Lawler's birthday. Apparently, after the Moondogs lost to the Rock N' Roll Express, there was a brawl after the match and when the dust settled, Moon Dog Spot was lying in the corner motionless and pale. He died on the way to the hospital and was pronounced dead upon arrival.
We can tally up yet another wrestler who died in 2003. I must admit, while I'm a huge wrestling fan, I was not too familiar with the Moon Dogs, but every loss is still depressing. An account of the incident from a fan who attended the show can be found here.
| Wednesday, November 26, 2003 |
Jedi Academy MP SDK Released
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 11:57 PM |
Category: Developers_Corporate|x|PC_Action |
Raven's Project Administrator Kenn Hoesktra sends word that the Jedi Academy MP SDK has been released.
File Mirrors:Information on the release can be found in Programmer James Monroe's .plan:Jedi Academy 1.0.1.0 SDK (MP SOURCE CODE!) available now.
When you extract this archive, you'll find these programs and docs in TOOLS:
ShaderEd2 - the shader editor/viewer
MD3View - model viewer for .md3 format models
ModView - model viewer for .glm (Ghoul2) format model
carcass - the glm model compiler (uses car files) converts root.xsi to model.glm
(note carcass requires no spaces in your path so you may have to move the files to build a model!)
Assimilate - edits car files
EffectsEdEffectsEd.exe - the editor we used to create EFX files.
EffectsEdUsing_EffectsEd.doc
BehavEd.exe - the editor we used to create Icarus scripts.
IBIZE.exe - the Icarus script compiler (Note: the ICARUS compiler used in JKA is the same as the JK2 version, but the BehavEd.bhc file has changed.)
roq.exe - tool to compile images into a RoQ video.
and JAscripts.zip - all the scripts from JKA as reference.
JKA_Game_Source_License.htm - The code license file. You must comply with this to use the source code.
Disclaimer-JediAcademy-Tools.htm - Legal disclaimer reguarding this release
It will also extract the game source folders:
(!! YOU MUST HAVE the 1.0.1.0 Patch installed to use the source !!)
CodeMP - all the source code for the MP game DLLs. (see CodeMPMakeAMod_readme.txt for more info)
ui - ui code header
docs - sample files describing NPC and saber creation
NOTE: These tools are released "as is" and are unsupported by Raven Software, Activision or LucasArts. So, if you've made it this far, head to 3D Gamers or one of the other file mirrors listed above for the download.
| Monday, November 24, 2003 |
Showflake, The Albino Gorilla Dies
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 12:17 PM |
Category: General |
Very sad news to relate today. Snowflake, an extremely rare albino gorilla, and the most popular resident of Barcelona Zoo, died of skin cancer early this morning.(Yahoo! News) Zoo officials put the elderly gorilla to sleep after his health deteriorated in recent days, zoo officials said. Snowflake had been dying of skin cancer since 2001. Snowflake, or Copito de Nieve in Spanish, was taken to the zoo's veterinary department for an autopsy.
"Until the end Copito enjoyed a fantastic quality of life, interacting normally with his children and grandchildren," said the zoo's chief and veterinarian, Jesus Fernandez. "Lately though, he deteriorated quickly. In the past four or five days we noticed signs of pain and suffering and so decided to practice euthanasia." Snowflake was thought to be between 38 and 40 years old. The average life span in the wild is 25. In his 37 years at the Barcelona Zoo, he fathered 22 offspring with three different females. None is albino.
| Friday, November 21, 2003 |
H.A.R.M.ing J.A.C.K.
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 10:37 PM |
Category: General |
Vivendi Universal Games has released Contract J.A.C.K. for the PC, so you should be able to pick that up at retail outlets around the country.Developed by Monolith Productions, the title is a prequel to No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.’s Way and will allow players to participate on the other side of the action for a change, as an anti-hero working for H.A.R.M. The first-person shooter features a single player campaign and also supports a variety of multiplayer game modes. Rated “M” (Mature), the title has an MSRP of $29.99. Also, there are some informative interviews with developers Craig Hubbard (at Computer and Video Games) and Jon Gramlich (at Armchair Empire).
Star Wars: KotR, Now For PC!
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 10:16 PM |
Category: General |
LucasArts has also announced that Knights Of The Old Republic, another GREAT game in the Star Wars Universe has shipped - this time for the PC.Get ready to experience this highly rated game with brand new content for the PC, beautiful high resolution graphics and a customized interface. Choose your path wisely, for the fate of the galaxy rests in your hands!
Also, be sure to enter the "Choose your Destiny" Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to LucasArts! The grand prize winner will receive an all-expenses paid trip to LucasArts to have your likeness captured for use in an upcoming game. The grand prize winner will also receive a fully loaded Alienware PC. Enter now! There's a lot more info over on the official Knights Of The Old Republic site.
Jedi Academy For Xbox Now In Stores!
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 10:07 PM |
Category: General |
LucasArts has announce that Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy for the Xbox has shipped, and is in stores right now!Immerse yourself in the Star Wars universe as you take on the role of an eager Jedi apprentice ready to learn the ways of the Force from Master Luke Skywalker. Create your own character, customize your lightsaber and choose your adventure through a variety of missions in classic Star Wars locations. For more info, head to the official Jedi Academy site.
Lock On: Modern Air Combat
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 1:40 PM |
Category: PC_Driving_Flying|x|PC_Simulation |
Ubisoft announced that Lock On: Modern Air Combat, the highly-anticipated flight simulation game has shipped to retailers nationwide.Developed by The Fighter Collection, Lock On features today's most modern, technically advanced military aircraft in the most graphically rich, audio-intense game environment ever created for a combat flight simulation.
Lock On is the only modern day flight simulation game to combine high fidelity with a broad choice of aircraft. The game is filled with action-packed missions, realistic flight modeling and flexible game options that provide unlimited game play action to both beginner and veteran flight simulation fans. The game's blend of high-powered aircraft and various fighting styles combine for the most realistic flight sim featuring today's most advanced military aircraft. Lock On: Modern Air Combat is rated "E" for Everyone and is available for a suggest retail price of $39.99.
| Tuesday, November 18, 2003 |
Michael Kamen Dies
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 7:57 PM |
Category: General |
I am utterly shocked and saddened to learn that composer Michael Kamen, known for his work on the Lethal Weapon and X-Men movies, and with bands such as Pink Floyd, and Metallica, has died after a battle from multiple sclerosis. He was only 55 years old. Take a look at his list of works at the Internet Movie Database. There's really nothing much to say here, we've lost a true talent.
| Friday, November 14, 2003 |
Use The Mac, Luke!
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 11:02 PM |
Category: General |
Mac gamers rejoice! Aspyr Media has announced that it will be publishing the Mac version of Jedi Academy.(Inside Mac Games) Jedi Academy allows players to immerse themselves in the classic Star Wars universe as they take on the role of a student eager to learn the ways of the Force from Master Luke Skywalker. In the game, players interact with famous classic Star Wars locations and characters while facing the ultimate choice: fight for good and freedom in the light side or follow the path of power and evil to the dark side. Jedi Academy is being ported to the Mac by Brad Oliver, a recent addition to Aspyr's internal development team. The game is currently in beta and is expected to be released by the end of the year or early 2004.
| Tuesday, November 11, 2003 |
Jedi Academy v1.01 Patch Released
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 1:00 PM |
Category: Developers_Corporate|x|PC_Action |
As we posted over on Raven-Games.com, Raven's Project Admin, Kenn Hoekstra sends word that the v1.01 patch for Jedi Academy is now available. Here are some download mirrors:There are too many fixes/changes to list them all here, but server admins should note: You must update your servers to the new v1.01 code. Multiplayer games may be scarce until all servers upgrade to v1.01, which could take a few days.
Also, if you're interested in the latest versions of the Linux and/or Windows dedicated server utilities for Jedi Academy, you can download those as well: [jalinuxded_1.011.zip | jawinded_1.011.zip].
Final Fantasy X-2 Review
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 7:16 PM |
Category: General |
IGN has an exclusive review of Square Enix's highly anticipated Final Fantasy X-2. How does it fare?At the end of the day Final Fantasy X-2 may end up becoming the source of plenty of mixed feelings among hardened fans. As despite its stellar new gameplay additions, wealth of replayability, and absolute mother lode of mini-activities, its concept and presentation could ultimately hurt it. Never mind the fact that it's storyline isn't as strong as X's or that you're limited to only three characters for the entire adventure: here the prejudice is as simple as its perceived "girlishness". The review can be found here at IGN PS2. Looks like another winner folks!
Latest PC Reviews
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 11:37 AM |
Category: PC_Action|x|PC_RealTimeStrategy|x|PC_RolePlaying |
Here are the latest PC game reviews for titles released since 10/8/2003:Source: Game Rankings.com.
ATVI's Sales Slump, DOOM 3 Delayed
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 11:00 AM |
Category: Console_XBox|x|Developers_Corporate|x|Mac_Gaming|x|PC_Action |
According to GameDaily, Activision has released financial results from the second quarter of its current fiscal year.For the three months ending September 30, 2003, Activision reported net revenues of $117.5 million, down from the $169.2 million in the same quarter a year earlier. A quarterly net loss of $10.1 million ($0.11 per share) was realized, versus net income of $9.1 million ($0.08 per diluted share) a year ago. The company cited a “significantly smaller release schedule” as reason for the decline.
Six-month results saw the company with $276.2 million in net revenues, compared to the $360.4 million in the first half of the previous fiscal year. Net loss for the first-half was $5.9 million ($0.07 per share), versus net income of $29.8 million ($0.29 per diluted share) a year ago. Activision also announced that for “planning purposes” it was moving the scheduled release of DOOM 3 into its next fiscal year. The company’s current fiscal year ends on March 31, 2004.
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