February 2003
| Friday, February 28, 2003 |
Night Surfing
 Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 5:36 PM |
Category: General |
Tonight is utility night here on Night Surfing. I've some sites that hold great utilities that you can't miss out on. Lets see what I have.- Trillian
For those of us who use multiple messaging programs, you might find this little guy useful. It lets you use ICQ, AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, IRC, and even MSN Messenger all in one program. You can even give it skins. If you use any of these programs, then you'll want to give this a shot.
- VNC
This program rules. Simply put. Why pay to use PC Anywhere when you can use VNC. This program works pretty good on my LAN, and it works pretty decent over an Internet connection. It doesn't do everything PC Anywhere will do, but it's more than enough when you need to take control of another computer remotely. If you've got a friend, or two computers of your own, give this a try. It's fun to play with, but you might be able to find some use out of it in your various activities.
That will do it for tonight. I'll have more sites tomorrow night that you are sure to love. No Various & Sundries for a little while, as Phoebus is off takng care of some business. But don't worry, he'll be back soon.
Nintendo Buys Into The Matrix
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 12:56 PM |
Category: General |
Ha! You thought I meant the movie franchise. No, but this is still interesting news. A ZDNet article says that Nintendo has invested $15 million into Matrix Semiconductor who makes 3D memory chips.Because chips based on Matrix's designs go "up" rather than "out," companies that adopt its technology can squeeze more chips out of a wafer, and hence reduce costs. Phones and other devices also cost less to make because not as much motherboard space is required for Matrix-based processors. Even though designing 3D chips has historically been fraught with difficulty, investors have so far injected $95 million into Matrix. I wonder if this has anything to do with the next generation of the Game Boy family, which is currently in development. From the sounds of it, this would be a way to squeeze more juice into the handheld without increasing the size of it much.
Sega Getting More Bids
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 12:37 PM |
Category: General |
After announcing plans to merge with pinball maker Sammy Corp., Sega might have new bids from two very large US companies. Microsoft and Electronic Arts are both very interested in purchasing parts or all of Sega. Neither company has yet to be in talks with Sega thus far, but this would be a great asset to either company. EA would get another developer, and eliminate a competitor to their sports line up. Microsoft, on the other hand, would greatly benefit by getting a big name to help push its Xbox product.
Sega is also planning a restructure to its US organization, and possibly laying off as many as 20% of its workforce in their marketing and online departments. From the sounds of this, the company needs to make some form of deal or they might not be around too far down the road.
Metal Gear Cube Revisited
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 11:52 AM |
Category: General |
Forget what I said yesterday about the Metal Gear series going to the Gamecube. I told you I don't like to post rumors unless they are strong, and this one was. Sure enough, I was right. It is official. There's no set date, but Konami Japan has stated that a Metal Gear Solid game will appear on the Gamecube. Unfortunately, no further details have surfaced, but that news in itself is big. I have a feeling they are probably waiting until E3 to reveal more.
Now comes the big question. What Metal Gear Solid game will it be? Another port of Sons Of Liberty, the often requested remake of the original Metal Gear Solid? Or could it possibly be a totally new game? That we will all have to wait and see.
Call For Help's Gaming Show
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 10:27 AM |
Category: General |
Tech TV's call in help show, Call For Help is throwing a special "Gaming Day" on their show today (Feb 28th). They will be discussing The Sims Online, speeding up the performance of your PC for games, and where to find free games to play online. The episode is on today at 3PM EST. I know it's short notice, but you can always catch the reruns this weekend as well.
| Thursday, February 27, 2003 |
Night Surfing
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 4:01 PM |
Category: General |
This is coming earlier than usual, but I won't be home later. Better early than never, right? No wait, that's not how it goes. It really doesn't matter how that phrase goes, the important thing is that you'll have some sites to visit tonight.- Casebook: Jack The Ripper
If you've ever seen the movie From Hell you might be wondering how close the theories in that movie are to reality. As good as that movie was, I'm afraid to inform you that many details were inaccurate. You can find some excellent information on the different suspects in the Jack The Ripper case as well as read up on the victims. I know the thought of reading about serial killers is rather strange, but it is interesting to see just why people did the things they did. Read the facts, and determine who you think was the real Jack The Ripper.
- Reverse Speech
Ever hear those rumors about people saying things and when you play it backwards they are saying something else? Or when your parents get all angry and say "that music you listen to is evil, there's bad messages hidden in the songs"? I personally think a lot of this is really stretching the imagination, but others are pretty close. Give it a listen yourself and see if you think this is all B.S. or the real deal. You'll need Real Player to listen to these.
That will do it for tonight. These links should definitely give you nightmares. It's all part of my evil experiment to see the affect of Night Surfing on people's dreams. Enjoy, Mwhahaha!
The End Of Rush?
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 2:03 PM |
Category: General |
Rush is getting inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame today and this could be the last time you'll see them together as a band. According to Blabbermouth, guitarist Alex Lifeson had the following to say about taking a permanent break."At this stage in our lives, it meant so much for us to get out on the road and play this tour and we felt so good about it, in some ways," he said. "If it were to end now I would feel that there was some kind of closure, that we went through a rough period and did it great one more time. So the door goes two ways at this point. Either we dive into the next project in a year and repeat the whole thing, or we just find that we've had our fill and move on." Selfishly, I hope this isn't true. I'd love to hear more from this band in the future, but if this is the end of the road, they provided us with years of music that have forever shaped the industry. My hat goes off to you, Rush. If this is the end of the road, then thank you for lots of real music that touched the lives of millions.
Metal Gear Cube?
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 1:09 PM |
Category: General |
I normally don't like to post rumors, but this rumor has been going on for some time and it's sounding to be even more true. According to IGN, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto is in Europe promoting the newest Zelda games for the Game Boy Advance and Gamecube. He's been letting some details slip about upcoming games like Kirby. Where does Metal Gear Solid come into this? Well, it's been reported that Mr. Miyamoto revealed a collaboration between Nintendo and Konami to bring the Metal Gear franchise to the Gamecube. This is still a rumor, but it seems like it might be true. There was talk in the Official Xbox Magazine that Hideo Kojima was considering moving the series to another console. As soon as we find more concrete evidence, I'll update you on this news.
Capcom Fighting All Stars Gets The Axe
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 12:37 PM |
Category: General |
Capcom Fighting All-Stars which was an upcoming game from the publisher is no longer coming at all. Another game bites the dust according to Dorimaga Magazine. The game was going to be a fighting game with characters from the company's roster along with some new faces. I didn't know this game was actually in the works, but as it turns out, it was an in development arcade game. Seeing as arcades are fading fast, I'm not surprised to hear this news. Maybe this is something that can make it to the consoles? I suppose only time will tell.
Various & Sundries
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 6:22 AM |
Category: General |
That's right, as Fraustus revealed earlier, Saddam may have Dan Rather, but I, your humble correspondent, am bringing you this episode of The V & S Show with my own personal group of singing chimps acting as human shields. Which means we're in trouble, if you haven't already figured that out. Fraust, however, is holed up in his secret fallout shelter, which for us means news updates might be even more forthcoming than usual... we report, you decide.That's all the news bits you can use for now, but I'm sure the good Dr. Fraust will tear himself away soon from penning his 'Conspiracy Theory Memoirs' magnum opus, sung to the tune of 'Frosty the Snowman', as transcribed by Zippy the Wonder Chimp.
| Wednesday, February 26, 2003 |
Night Surfing
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 8:30 PM |
Category: General |
The day sure does fly by fast. But that's a good thing because it means new Night Surfing columns come faster. I've got goodies tonight. Would you like to see them? Yeah, I knew you would.- Which OS Are You?
Ever sit at your computer and go, "Gee, out of all these Operating Systems, which one would I really relate to the most"? Yeah, I did too. That is, of course, until I found this handy quiz. Answer some questions and find out what OS you really are. In case you are wondering, I turned out to be OS/2 Warp. Better than someone I know, who was *shudder* Windows 95. I truly feel sorry for him.
- DVD Profiler
Constantly losing track of how many DVDs you have? With this site, your worries are all in the past. When used in conjunction with their software, you can keep a detailed database of your DVDs by simply entering the UPC number. What's better yet? You can share your DVD list with the rest of the world. Point your friends to your list, and no more getting birthday presents of DVDs you already have. In case you are interested, you can check out my DVD list.
On that note, I'll leave you to enjoy surfing goodness. I think I'm now inspired to watch one of my many DVDs, but which will it be? Who knows. Tune in tomorrow as Phoebus commands his army of chimps to find the morning news in Various & Sundries.
Konami Changes Logo
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 11:31 AM |
Category: General |
The all familiar "squiggily line" logo of Konami get getting retired. According to IGN, the logo change is part of an expansion of the company. Upon its 30th birthday on March 19th, the company is looking to become a holding company as well as a game publisher. There will be two logos, one for corporate and one for marketing. I'm going to miss the old logo. It graced many great games. The new logos will go into affect as of April 1st. Check out the new logo (boring, in my opinion) at Konami's website.
Derek Smith Interviewed At Raven-Games
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 10:55 AM |
Category: General |
Raven-Games' latest Raven Profile is now online, this time with new 2-D Artist recruit Derek Smith. Be sure to check it out and as always, keep your eyes peeled for more Profiles of Ravenites!
Ground Control 2 Announced
Posted
by
Evan 'Dark Friend' Lesser
at 10:03 AM |
Category: General |
RTS fans rejoice! A press release issued yesterday by Vivendi Universal Games and Massive Entertainment ended gamers' speculation and confirmed development of Ground Control 2: Operation Exodus. Looking at the first screenshots on their new website, Massive appears to have upgraded their already phenomenal graphics engine to include even more detail and realism. Fans of the original Ground Control released in 2000 should not be disappointed with its sequel. Martin Walfisz, CEO and Executive Producer at Massive Entertainment says:“With Ground Control 2 we continue to build upon the unique gameplay elements that we explored in the original, but of course we also have several new features and surprises up our sleeves." If Ground Control 2 is even remotely like its predecessor, Vivendi and Massive Entertainment should have another gem on their hands.
Metallica Names New Bass Player
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 9:46 AM |
Category: General |
Music news relating to my favorite bands has been good lately. First Queensryche reunites with Chris DeGarmo, and now Metallica fills the bass player void that Jason Newsted left. Who is he? None other than Rob Trujillo. You may or may not recognize his name. Many of you may remember him from Suicidal Tendencies, but most recently, he's worked with Ozzy Osbourne and Jerry Cantrell.(Billboard) "When Rob came to San Francisco the first time and jammed with us, we all felt this incredible magic between the four of us," the band writes. "It was just something we could not describe, we all just knew it."
Additionally, drummer Lars Ulrich writes, "The last two years of just being the three of us have taught me soo [sic] much about myself, about James and Kirk and about Metallica. To welcome Rob into Metallica in 2003 after all the growth and soul searching we've been through for the last two years, feels ... awesome. Being at full strength again is at this moment indescribable." Metallica's highly anticipated St. Anger album is due out June 10th with the Summer Sanitarium Tour soon after. Rob will not appear on the new album, but you can be sure to see him live with the band this summer. Doesn't this just make your day?
Various & Sundries
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 9:24 AM |
Category: General |
Wednesday Already, Eh? Wow, another week's blazing by. Still, there's lots of news to go along with it, so let's get started, shall we?Fraust is stoked about something or other, and we may have a new guest news guy, who'll be helping us out from time to time. He's one of my best real-life friends, for whom I have a great deal of respect for his taste in computer games and music, and most other things. If you're familiar with our game reviews, you'll recognize his name. Anyway, take it away, gang!
| Tuesday, February 25, 2003 |
Night Surfing
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 9:44 PM |
Category: General |
First off, I apologize for your lack of Night Surfing last night, but unfortunately, school work had to take priority. Have no fear, I'm in the clear for now, so things are back to normal. Lets get right to the newest additions to the Night Surfing archive.- Silent Hill Forum
I mentioned this site earlier on my Silent Hill 3 update, but I figured I'd give it the spotlight since it's so full of information. The interesting thing about forums is that while you get a lot of rumors, you usually find information on the game in subject quickly. These are hardcore fans sharing the love of the game. I visit this place constantly, and if you are a Silent Hill fan, you really should check this place out. You can post there, or just read the threads. Even if you just read it, this is probably the very best place to get news on this creepy series.
- Web Pages That Suck
Chances are, if you've ever done a bit of web design, you've found this page or have been told about it. I'm only reminding you it exists, because it's just too good to forget. Hopefully, your site hasn't been highlighted here as a "web page that sucks". The purpose of this site (which I think has been around since the dawn of time) is to inform you how not to make web pages. This is a good resource if you are getting into making your own web page, but it's also fun to just look at some of the really bad sites and cringe.
That'll do it for tonight. Tomorrow Phoebus reveals the meaning of life in a very special edition of Various & Sundries. Well, either that, or he just provides some great morning links. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
New Silent Hill 3 Screenshots
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 2:56 PM |
Category: General |
As a frequent visitor to Silent Hill, I've been looking forward to Silent Hill 3 more than any other game this year. I just found new things related to Silent Hill 3 and I'm passing along the information to you, because you deserve it. New screenshots are available here and here.
There's a bunch of new ones, and they are very grotesque. I don't think I want to know what's with that frail arm with the tattoo on it. I don't want to speak too soon, but I think this game is looking to top the previous two in terms of disturbing images (and for anyone who hasn't experienced these games, it's disturbing enough as it is). Thanks to Bobcat979 (poster at Silent Hill Forum) for posting the link to these.
New Sim City 4 Landmarks
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 12:46 PM |
Category: General |
Maxis keeps the Sim City 4 experience fresh by offering you some new landmarks that you can add to your city. Available now is Sungrye-mun in Korea, Seoul City Hall in Seoul, Korea, and The Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Grab the plug ins and enjoy some new sites and stops for your ever flourishing city. Be on the look out for more landmarks in the future as well.
Students Helping Spammers?
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 12:31 PM |
Category: General |
If you're like me, you hate checking your email in the morning and getting piles of junk mail to root through. According to this article, some students are letting spammers use their school's bandwidth for sending this annoying mail."Paying students to spam is a relatively new phenomenon so we don't know the extent of the problem," says Steve Worona, director of policy and network programs for EduCause, a group that promotes the use of IT in higher education and includes thousands of schools around the world. "We'll try to put people together so they can come up with some best practices." The worst part about the incident at Tufts University is that the students involved came to the spammers about the deal, not the other way around. If I knew those kids, oh, you can believe there would be a beating. Remember kids, don't waste your school's bandwidth for evil. This has been a public service announcement from Mindless Games.
Top Ten Atari Arcade Games...
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 12:20 PM |
Category: General |
...According to GameSpy. I just saw this over at Classic Gaming.com and I think they've got a pretty solid list. It was made to remember the great games Atari made, as they've recently closed their doors. I won't spoil the games for you, but personally, I would have put number 10 a little higher up the chain. The number 1 game may or may not surprise you. Check out the list right here.
Various & Sundries
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 9:44 AM |
Category: General |
Terrific Tuesday, everybody! Here's some gaming and other news links you can get better use out of than a Chef Wizard to help enlighten your day:The Fraustie One said that obscure object was too deeply embedded in his ear, which I guess is the reason why we didn't enjoy a new Night Surfing experience from him last night. He promises never to let it happen again, if he can ever get the darned thing out. A better question, though, would be how did he manage to get it in there in the first place? Shudders....
| Monday, February 24, 2003 |
New Live Single Available For Download
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 12:10 PM |
Category: General |
The Official Live homepage has an MP3 of their newest song "What Are We Fighting For?" ready for your downloading and listening pleasure. Click here to download the new track. Personally I think it's an excellent song, and if the rest of the upcoming album sounds as good as this, I'll be more than happy. Actually, while you are there, you might want to check out the remix of Like A Soldier because it was remixed by a favorite artist of mine, Chris Vrenna. We tagged Chris Vrenna's website on Night Surfing a week or two ago, Tweaker.net.
Various & Sundries
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 10:36 AM |
Category: General |
Happy Monday... The eternal contradiction in terms. More like Morbid Monday, but who wants to hear that? Here are a few diverse links of the moment to lessen the pain.More news of the day to come, once Fraust manages to twist that window rotator knob out of his ear.
| Sunday, February 23, 2003 |
Night Surfing
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 8:47 PM |
Category: General |
Tomorrow morning starts the latest work week. I have a feeling this week is going to be a long one with school projects, work, and other assorted things. I'm sure your week won't be much easier, so that's why I've got some sites to give you a good head start. Lets get to them.- The Haunted Ebay Painting
Yeah, this thing is just weird. I saw it some years ago and was completely freaked out by the painting. When I stumbled upon it, the site I was at didn't know the name of the artist who made the painting, just the story behind it. This site reveals more, such as the name of the painting, "Hands Resist Him", and the artist Bill Stoneham. The story behind this painting is that it was found abandoned by a family and strange things started to happen. This strange painting eventually sold on Ebay for $1,025. Not too bad if you ask me. The painting is undoubtedly creepy. Give it a look and see if you have any weird things happen to you.
- Leoville
Anyone who watches TechTV knows who Leo Laporte is. This is Leo's very own website. You can find out when he'll be making appearances in your hometown, read his bio, check out his journal, or even join other citizens of Leoville in the message boards. This is an entertaining website I'm sure you'll enjoy.
That's all for tonight, friends. Join us tomorrow for more Mindless goodness, I know you want to.
New Halo Action Figures
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 7:17 PM |
Category: General |
Bungie has new pictures of it's upcoming action figures based off of the ever popular Halo video game. The gallery of pictures can be seen here. I need to get that Master Chief figure so I can put him next to Solid Snake and Link here in my room. What can I say? I'll always be a kid.
Various & Sundries
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 9:08 AM |
Category: General |
Just a few for this somnambulant Sunday.Have no fear, I'll update this space throughout the day as needed, so keep checking back.
X-Men Legends Unveiled
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 8:39 AM |
Category: Console_GameCube|x|Console_PS2|x|Console_XBox|x|Developers_Corporate |
As reported over on our Raven-Games sister site, there's an IGN article that finally reveals X-Men Legends, the previously secret console game in the works at Raven Software:In development with Raven Software, the critically acclaimed development team behind PC favorites Soldier of Fortune, Hexen and Heretic, X-Men Legends is the developer's first console game -- and its first RPG.
According to Raven's top honchos Brian Pelletier and Patrick Lipo, the one- to two-player game, which is still in development, focuses on team-based action and strategy. The uncanny X-Men's wild range of characters, any of whom can be switched to on the fly, helps to create an RPG that casually resembles Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance but that enables players to use a team-style combo system to unleash extra powerful abilities. Activision has corralled experienced Marvel writers to pen the story, including Writer Joey Casey (Uncanny Xmen), Steven Seagle, Joe Kelly, and Duncan Rouleau. Check the IGN article for more info. There will also be a more complete 'unveiling' of X-Men Legends in the March issue of the print Game Informer magazine.
| Saturday, February 22, 2003 |
Queensryche Reunites With Chris DeGarmo
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 3:52 PM |
Category: General |
I almost just had a heart attack. I've been listening to Queensryche longer than almost any other band in my list of favorites. They really haven't been the same since Chris DeGarmo left the band. I commend Kelly Gray for stepping in. I thought he did the best he could, and had very big shoes to fill. I've been very worried about this band's future, but this brightens things up tremendously.Seattle, WA - Founding guitarist, Chris DeGarmo has rejoined his former band mates at an undisclosed studio in the Seattle area. While it cannot be confirmed at this time whether Chris has officially rejoined the band, the group is writing as a complete unit for the first time in 7 years. A representative for DeGarmo confirmed the original lineup is "creating the next Queensrÿche studio release". Queensrÿche have amassed numerous gold and platinum awards and were nominated for a Grammy for their Top Ten Single "Silent Lucidity" in 1991. It's a Ryche marathon in the CD player now. The new album will be out this summer, and that can't come soon enough.
Silent Hill 2 Hits European Shores First
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 12:35 PM |
Category: General |
Well it's official, Silent Hill 3 will be released on May 23rd... in Europe. According to IGN who phoned Konami Of America, it was for "business reasons". The game will appear in the US and Japan weeks later, but no specific date seems to be announced for these territories yet.
This means I have to wait for Silent Hill 3 even longer than I wanted. I'm the biggest SH fan you will ever know, I badly want this game. Oh well, good things come to those who wait.
Various & Sundries
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 9:49 AM |
Category: General |
Saturdays... Never a good day to watch TV; there's only that interminable financial block on Fox News, right now. I'll probably get in some good reading today. Also, I think I'm going to beat up on Fraust a little bit in Q3A later for old times sake, if he can manage to get his version upgraded. What the hey, send us an email if you'd like to join in and take the place of a bot.Other than that, not much else going on at present. It's all rainy and wet outside, bleh. Speaking of rain, a stready stream of SPAM continues filling my Inbox, so I guess that's at least one constant in the universe to give us comfort. Come on back later for some cheery news.
| Friday, February 21, 2003 |
Night Surfing
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 4:04 PM |
Category: General |
Nothings worse than working really late, sleeping in late, and having work earlier than usual. Because of this, tonight's Night Surfing is kind of, well, Evening Surfing. Hey, you'd rather have some early links than none at all, right?- Mr. Cranky Rates The Movies
This person hates every movie in existance I think. When you have a rating system that goes from "Almost Tolerable" to "Proof That Jesus Died In Vain", you know you are in for some interesting reading. Take for example, his comment on Craig Kilborn's appearance in the movie Old School: "Kilborn's appearance in this movie sucked the funny not just from his scenes, but also from previous scenes, subsequent scenes and concurrent scenes happening in neighboring theaters." Go see how bad your favorite movie rates. You can debate his reviews too, if you'd like, on message boards on the site.
- Aqua Teen Hunger Force Online
This show is one of those shows so that's so incredible goofy, that it's hilarious. The show is found on Cartoon Networks late night cartoon block Adult Swim. The premise is about giant food products who solve mysteries. It's a bizarre show, but this fan site has everything you'd ever want to know about the series. The majority of the show's fan base is found here on their message boards as well. If you are a fan of this show, or you are just curious, give this site a look.
Well, another day, another handful of pennies. Take care, and send us new cool sites for our viewing pleasure.
Rush On The Screensavers
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 12:53 PM |
Category: General |
Here at Mindless Games, we're big Rush fans. But then again, aren't we all? You'll be overjoyed to know that this ever important band will be on TechTV's technology call in show The Screensavers. They will be talking about how they use technology in their music and at home. This interview is one I definitely can not miss out on.
Various & Sundries
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 10:18 AM |
Category: General |
Happy Friday... I've been watching Fox News as usual, and of course they're still reporting on the two disparate fires. I'm loathe to report on such things, especially since I'm sure you've already gotten the news from elsewhere. But at the same time, horrific events of this nature can't be ignored. The incident at the small club in Rhode Island has many fatalities, which are still being accounted for. The sudden consumption of the fire was extremely tragic, and I'm sure the blame will be passed around, between the club owners and the band, Great White, whose pyrotechnics in such a small, low facility was ludicrous. Such a senseless, preventable, unnecessary tragedy. My prayers for everyone involved in this, and in the much bigger barge fire in Staten Island, which as of this writing is still burning.Have a great weekend, everyone, you deserve it...
| Thursday, February 20, 2003 |
Night Surfing
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 5:51 PM |
Category: General |
I wonder if anyone goes night surfing for real? You know, grab a surf board and head on the waves at night, get eaten by a shark, never seen again, you know what I mean? I guess it doesn't matter, because Night Surfing with Mindless Games is way cooler.- Thundarr The Barbarian
A great fan site dedicated to Thundarr The Barbarian. There's news about the show here, episode guides, downloadable wallpapers, and even message boards. While you are there, you can sign a petition to get Thundarr episodes on DVD. Interestingly enough, this site is run by some guy named Kenn Hoekstra. I know I've heard his name from somewhere, but I can't put my finger on where.
- Downing Street Fighter
This is the greatest and most ultimate game of all time. It blows Street Fighter out of the water. Yes, now you can take your favorite British politicians and try to get them into the Prime Minister's seat through violence and fighting; the way it should be. Choose from eight powerful fighters (including the reigning champion Tony Blair). WARNING: This game is so fun an addictive that you might not want to stop playing it. If you have work early tomorrow, or have school, plan to not show up, because you'll still be playing this game.
That's all folks. Grandmasta P will have his world famous Various & Sundries tomorrow morning for you to enjoy. Until then, kick some ass on Downing Street and send us new sites.
Raven Is Looking For Artists
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 4:38 PM |
Category: General |
Raven Software's own Kenn Hoekstra has updated his .plan with news that Raven is looking for artists to work on Quake IV.Raven is looking for a 2-D/3-D artist to concept, build, and paint complex textures and world models for Quake 4. We prefer an artist with experience working in the PC gaming industry, with an understanding of creating textures and world models, but with very strong drawing, concepting, and painting skills. A more realistic artistic style is preferred. An ability to create game art for different genres - such as Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror - is a definite plus, but a strong background in drawing and painting sci-fi is a must for Quake 4. The position will also require an understanding of 3-D hi-poly and low-poly model building in Lightwave or Maya. This is a great opportunity for any artists out there who thinks they have what it takes. Go to Kenn's .plan for more information. I tried to apply for this position but when they saw my work was just a bunch of stick figures drawn with crayon, they showed me to the door. I really think I had a shot too. I guess the gaming world just isn't ready for my unique style of art.
New Deus Ex 2 Screenshots For The PC
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 4:23 PM |
Category: General |
Evil Avatar has just posted five beautiful shots of the upcoming Deus Ex 2. The game will also be released on the Xbox, but these screenshots are only for the PC version. They are mighty attractive, and you really should do yourself the favor of checking them out. Look here for more on Deus Ex 2 while we wait for it's Summer 2003 release date.
Splinter Cell Hits PS2 In April
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 3:36 PM |
Category: General |
My my, this Sam Fisher guy really gets around. First the Xbox, then the PC, and we just got word today that Splinter Cell hits the Playstation 2 on April 8th, 2003.Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell sets new standards on the PlayStation®2, immersing gamers in a deadly world of shadowy conspiracies and heart-pounding intrigue. State-of-the-art technology including the true-to-life dynamic lighting and shadow system, and new weather and ambient environment effects such as hazy heat, reflective surfaces, sea waves and depth and focus blurring, make Splinter Cell one of the most visually enticing titles on the system to date. The 3D sound environment encompasses the player with realistic ambient sounds, through advanced triple-streaming sound technology - separating individual voices, sound effects and music. Then rendered with Dolby Pro Logic II technology, the sound effects in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell for the Playstation®2 are some of the most sophisticated available to date. Players are submerged into a hyper-realistic world where visual and aural effects add to the tension of high-stakes counterterrorism. I was definitely one of the skeptics about this version of the game. I didn't know the PS2 had the juice to look as good as it does. This version was developed by Ubi Soft's Shanghai studio.
New X2 Movie Trailer
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 12:59 PM |
Category: General |
I hope most of you agree that we can't wait for X2, the latest movie in the X-Men saga, to hit theaters May 2nd, 2003. This won't make the movie come any sooner, but the new trailer for the movie is available for your viewing pleasure. Keep in mind you will need Quicktime 5.
Has anyone else noticed that super hero movies lately have actually been good? For a while, the Batman series was getting rather stale, and aside from the first film, The Crow movies are severely disappointing. I don't think anyone expected Spider-Man to do as well as it did (but deservingly so, that movie rocked)! Lets hope this trend continues in the future. As long as they stay high quality like they have been I will go see them.
Various & Sundries
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 7:41 AM |
Category: General |
Look! Up in the sky, it's... clouds and stuff. What were you expecting?And with that, you're on your own, until SuperFraust swoops in to save the day.
| Wednesday, February 19, 2003 |
Night Surfing
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 10:04 PM |
Category: General |
Good evening folks. I certainly hope you are enjoying this week. It's finally getting warmer around my area, but we still have tons of snow in the yard. I spent most of the day out, but I still managed to find some surfing goodness for you.- The Animated Series Of Doom
I know you play Doom. Everyone does. You can now experience the fun in this flash interactive cartoon of the PC shooter classic. This is basically a walk through the first level of the original game, but it's a neat concept I'm sure you'll enjoy.
- The Internet Archive
I've always loved going to this site. If you haven't been here, you are missing out. This site has an archive of websites, past and present, going through their different stages in time. Type in your favorite web sites and see just how it's changed over the years. Ever hear about a site that is no longer around but you always wanted to check out? Well, look it up here and experience the magic of the past, for the first time. I know you'll have a blast with this one.
Well folks, I'm dead tired, but I know the rest of you are still wide awake. These sites should be more than enough to keep you up late. Remember, send me more sites, I always want to see new ones.
4D Rulers Offers AMP II Engine For Licensing
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 7:25 PM |
Category: General |
4D Rulers and Slam Software have joined forces to bring you the AMP II Game Design System. They are now offering introductory pricing on the AMP2 game design system.The Amp II Game Design System is co-developed by Slam Software and 4D Rulers. We used its successor, Amp to develop our first person shooter Gore. Amp includes a rendering engine, the Wire Multiplayer Net Engine, editing package, and game code support library, all designed for use under Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000 or Windows XP. Here's a quick list of the system requirements:- Nvidia GeForce 3 and 4 ti. graphics accelerator
- Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP, NT
- 64 Megs of System memory
- 60 Megs of Hard drive space
- Pentium III 400 Mhz or higher
Lots more info can be found over on 4D Rulers' AMP II Engine page.
Finalized Square/Enix Merging Details
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 3:34 PM |
Category: General |
According to IGN, Square and Enix have finalized their merging details and are ready to become one company on April 1st, 2003 (mark your calenders folks). The new company will be named Square Enix Co., Ltd. The US company will be named Square Enix USA."As Square and Enix begin the worldwide implementation of the merger, our goals for the North American market will shift to include not only increasing our market share for our franchises, but also expanding the role-playing game market in North America," said Yoichi Wada. "We are currently evaluating the best strategy to accomplish these goals and look forward to growing our business as a new company. We have enjoyed a very successful partnership with Electronic Arts over the past five years and we are currently exploring opportunities for a new relationship." I can't wait to see what they come up with as a single unit. I wish they would have used my suggestion for the name "Squarenix". It's got a nice ring to it. Doesn't it?
Hunter: The Reckoning Wayward Preview
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 1:04 PM |
Category: General |
The license for Hunter: The Reckoning is pretty popular lately, with new games on the way for Xbox and Playstation 2. The PS2 version just got a lengthly preview at IGN that should get you interested in what looks like a great game.Graphically, Hunter: The Reckoning - Wayward is already looking pretty sharp, even in its early state. The framerate looks to be under control, and there is some really nice texture work to be found. There are also a quite a few new graphical effects that give the environments a livelier feel, including light rays shining in through windows, and smoke rising out of grates. The game should look even better as the development team takes time to add in new effects and optimize the code. Hunter: The Reckoning Wayward should be released later this summer, but if you'd like a sneak peak, head on over to the IGN preview.
Various & Sundries
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 9:32 AM |
Category: General |
Good Hump-day morning! We've got what you need to start your day off the right way.Mindless Games is the multivitamin of gaming & entertainment. Take it away, Fraust!
| Tuesday, February 18, 2003 |
Night Surfing
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 10:12 PM |
Category: General |
Welcome to another edition of Night Surfing. I'm your host, Frausty. Tonight I'm treading waters that many of you might not have experienced yet, which is exactly why it makes for perfect reading.- HDTV Defined
The analog signal you get from your favorite TV stations will be gone in a few years in favor of the new High Definition standard. You will have to upgrade your TV sets (or at least get an HDTV converter for your current set). You should read up on what this standard is, how it works, and why you will need to upgrade. There are many places to go to read up on this, but this site has a great wealth of information on the subject. If you are looking to upgrade and experience HDTV, or at least want to know what you will have to get into in the future, head on over to this site.
- HDNet
This is the definitive channel to watch HDTV. Just tonight I was looking for something to watch before 24 and The Shield and decided to check out what was on HDNet. There was a great college baseball game on. This channel shows everything from documentaries, sports, movies, you name it. This website will give you a look at their programming schedule and different services they offer. If you have an HDTV and are looking for the channel to impress your friends with, you can't go wrong with HDNet.
That will do it for tonight's exciting round of sites, but stay tuned tomorrow for our Various & Sundries from Phoebus for your morning fix of web goodness. Remember, we're always looking for sites so send them here.
Splinter Cell Hits Shelves (For PC)
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 1:05 PM |
Category: General |
If you run out to your local Best Buy (or any retailer of your choice) you may see something new to hit your eye. That's right, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell has been released for the PC as of today. This is the game that sold like mad this past holiday for Xbox and is being called the "Metal Gear Solid Killer".You are Sam Fisher. A lone shadow-operative in a world where lost seconds can allow terrorist plans to become deadly reality. You operate in the heart of hostile territory. Spy. Steal. Destroy. Assassinate. Just don't ever be seen. Because when the stakes are this high, the choice between leaving a witness or a corpse is no choice at all. When two CIA agents mysteriously vanish in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, the NSA's secret sub agency, Third Echelon, deploys Sam Fisher-its most capable splinter cell operative-to recover them. Fisher soon uncovers a deeper conspiracy: a plot that threatens to destabilize the world order and spark nuclear conflict. You'd be wise to check this game out. It pushes the stealth genre to new levels and is a solid action game for anyone looking for a great single player experience. It's ok Solid Snake, I still love you!
Phantasy Star Online Pricing in Europe
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 12:39 PM |
Category: General |
I just read over at Evil Avatar that the European version of Phantasy Star Online Ep. 1 & 2 for the Gamecube has a pricing plan. After a 30 day trial subscription, European gamers can enjoy PSO for 8.95 Euros or £5.99 a month. The game, along with the Gamecube modem and broadband adapter is due out March 7th. Evil Avatar also states that US gamers are paying $8.95 a month for the game service.
Various & Sundries
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 7:07 AM |
Category: General |
Happy Tuesday, once again! Not for nothing, but I'm really digging Mozilla. Thanks to the positive influences from my pals Fraust and Grimlock. I've got v1.2.1 installed and tweaked the way I like it, with the Pinball theme going, and even have all my favorites imported from IE. I still think Outlook Express is a little better than the NS style e-mail client (doubtless, I get the same amount of SPAM regardless), and I'm sure I'll keep using IE right along, but I just thought I'd share my little contribution to the cause. There's news bits afoot, so let's carry on, shall we?Stand by for more news throughout the day, and remember to spread the Mindless word!
| Monday, February 17, 2003 |
Night Surfing
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 9:40 PM |
Category: General |
Good evening. I trust everyone is safely in front of their computer monitors while this weather pounds down upon the country. Let's face it, most of you aren't going anywhere, but I do have some destinations for you to check out online! I'm always looking out for you, because I care (awww).- Dreamcast Emulation
I was reminded about this site by this morning's news about ROTT being ported to Dreamcast. If you didn't know, the Dreamcast has been a popular piece of hardware for modding, emulation, and general hacking. This site rocks for getting news about new emulators and ports among other things. It should be noted that the root of this whole Mindless Games network started with Hexenworld oh so long ago and sure enough, there is a Hexen 2 port for the Dreamcast. Even if you aren't an owner of this great system, it's worth checking out just to see what people are actually doing with it.
- Woz.org
If you don't know who Steve Wozniak is, then it's vital that you go to this site. If you do know who he is, you will want to check this site out to find out the latest on this Apple pioneer. You can read about various subjects related to Steve, check out the latest projects he's working on, and hear his views on subjects straight from his mouth (maybe keyboard is the right term here?). You'll learn something here, I promise you. So click on over and have a blast!
Have fun with these sites. I got a little extra geeky tonight and I hope you enjoy them. Let us know how you are liking Night Surfing or any other features on the site. And remember, we are always looking for fun sites, so please send them our way.
Mozilla Role Playing Game?
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 7:45 PM |
Category: General |
This has been in the works for a while, but there's recently been some advances in it. Over at Mozdev.org there is a great Role Playing Game engine in the works for Mozilla called Amoeba. There's some screenshots and source code available, but I think this is something to keep your eye on in the future. Check out some of the screenshots and keep your eye open on developments in this cool project. I figured many of you would be interested in this.
Splinter Cell Preview
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 6:46 PM |
Category: General |
Just when you think the Playstation 2 has reached it's limits, it still surprises you. An excellent new preview of Splinter Cell for the PS2 reveals that the aging console can stand on par with the Xbox.To say that the PS2 version is on a par with the Xbox version is no exaggeration, and is truly one of the finest feats of coding we've yet witnessed. All the texturing, lighting and effects have been replicated with impressive authenticity - although it came at a price. With a 70 strong team working on the conversion, this was almost double the number that put together the game in the first place. There are, of course, plusses and minuses. On the plus side, there's now an impressive heat haze effect when you're in front of the flames, while the objects, scenery, character models, and lighting effects look just as impressive as previously. It's also important to note that the Power Plant level in the PS2 version is exclusive. Anyone who might be expecting it as a download on Xbox Live might be disappointed. I'm jealous. If I had the money, I'd probably get the PS2 version as well as the version I have for the Xbox. If my plan to win the lottery happens, I'll definitely do it.
Rise Of The DC Source Port
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 9:59 AM |
Category: General |
Here's some cool news for classic gaming and Dreamcast fans alike: ROTT has been ported to the venerable, late, lamented DC console!Rise of the Triad is DOOM like 3D First Person Shooter released 1994 from 3D Realms, famous as DUKE NUKEM series developper. 2002 Cristmas, ROTT source code released under GPL. This software is Dreamcast port based on Linux port using SDL for Dreamcast.- fully playable with joystick
- save to Visual Memory with compression
- sound and music support
- no network support
Head here for the port's info and download section. The ROTT Source Code was released back on 12/20/02. About the only thing that's missing from the DC port is good ol' deathmatch, with those crazy drunk missiles, ahhh! Thanks Picklehammer, from over on the New Doom Forums.
Various & Sundries
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 9:11 AM |
Category: General |
Brrrr...! If you're on the east coast of the US, you know what I mean! Let's just hope this arctic anomaly blows on by soon. In the meantime, Happy President's Day, and happy reading!Hope you're enjoying our little Mindless contribution to the world of entertainment and communication. Why not tell your friends to jump on the bandwagon, there's always plenty of room for more!
| Sunday, February 16, 2003 |
Night Surfing
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 6:06 PM |
Category: General |
Good evening. Many of us here on the east coast are (or shortly will be) snowed in tonight. But have no fear, I've got some good sites to keep you company while the snow piles on. Interested? I thought so.- How Stuff Works
Ever wonder how certain political functions work? How your cable modem works? How an LED works? Anything you've ever questioned has been answered on this web site. Well, maybe not everything, but pretty close. I can't tell you how many times I've used this site to answer my questioning mind. More importantly, I've used this for more school projects than I can count. It's saved me many times. Check this out. I recommend you also put it in your favorites folder, because you never know when you'll need its wealth of information.
- Jump The Shark
Thanks to Phoebus for pointing this site out to me. The phrase "Jump The Shark" is commonly used when a television show does something to attract attention as a last resort when the series begins to go stale. Once it happens, the show usually goes downhill until it's inevitable demise. This site documents virtually every show you can imagine and tries do determine when or if it ever "jumped the shark". You'll find everything from Gunsmoke, The X Files, and even a Mindless Games favorite The Shield. Take a stroll though. Check out your favorite shows and find out if they've ever "Jumped The Shark".
That should be enough reading to keep you occupied for a while. Have yourself a good night, and send us some sites. You know you want to.
Atari Gets A Mention On SNL
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 3:52 PM |
Category: General |
I don't know if you saw Saturday Night Live last night or not, but during Weekend Update there was mention of Atari going out of business. In the update, Jimmy Fallon said "When asked for comment, Atari had the following to say..." followed by an 80's game sound that I can only describe as a "going down the drain" noise. If you can catch a repeat of this, keep your ear out for it. It's something classic gamers can appreciate.
Vice City For PC Announced
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 8:54 AM |
Category: General |
That's right, Rockstar Games, a division of Take Two Interactive, announces it will release a PC version of its PlayStation 2 smash hit, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, on May 13th. Just like the PC version of Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City for the PC will sport enhanced graphics and sound, the controls will be more PC-like, and we'll be able to customize the game. As it should be.
Various & Sundries
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 8:46 AM |
Category: General |
Happy Sunday, Mindless Games out front with the news of the day.Enjoy these offerings, and keep checking back with us throughout your extended weekend.
| Saturday, February 15, 2003 |
Night Surfing
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 6:03 PM |
Category: General |
I know, I know. You didn't get a Night Surfing last night. I was working on overhauling my network to wireless. It all seems to be working fine now, though there were a few bugs to work out yesterday and today. Since I've had the computer mindset the last two days, I thought I'd pitch two sites to you that are computer related and all you tech heads will enjoy.- Gibson Research Corporation
This is an excellent site that everyone who's concerned about security should look into. Steve Gibson has long been a source of information on how the latest security flaws can occur, and how they can be fixed. You can even run a few programs on this site to see if your computer is secured to the outside world. The wealth of information here should not be overlooked, I can promise you that.
- Stupid Computer Tricks
I think many of us can relate to the pictures you will find on this page. This site will give you laugh in many ways. Either you've come across this kind of thing, you've heard the horror stories, or maybe you've done them (hey, it doesn't hurt to laugh at yourself once in a while!). I really don't need to say much about this one. If you want to see some strange computer problems, you'll want to give this site a look.
Well folks, I hope you enjoy these sites, because I definitely do. Until the next edition of Night Surfing, surf smart, surf safe, and send us some sites, we want to see them.
BAM! Is Down In A Hole
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 4:39 PM |
Category: General |
BAM! Entertainment has reported a net loss of $12.8 million and that's never a good thing. The publisher has closed its London studio and released 40% of their work force in an effert to improve the situation. The company has also focused on making games that have established franchises, like Dexter's Laboratory.(IGN) Bam's looking to turn things around with "key" titles slated for release in 2003 comprising Carmen Sandiego; A Sound of Thunder, an action-adventure game based on a Ray Bradbury short story; Ice Nine, a stealth-action shooter, a handful of titles based on Cartoon Network franchises, such as The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack and Dexter's Laboratory; and in an unusual experiment, a game based on the Wallace & Gromit stop-motion shorts. I certainly hope that this company can bounc | |
