August 2003
KotOR Grabs GameSpy
 Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 7:10 PM |
Category: Console_XBox|x|Developers_Corporate|x|PC_Action|x|PC_RolePlaying |
 GameSpy rated Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for the Xbox a score of 94 out of 100! Here's a bit of what they had to say:BioWare has crafted one of the best RPGs on any console with KoTOR. The gameplay, story, and sound are sure to grab you. The game is a much needed shot in the arm to the Xbox's sparse RPG library and is definitely the system's first must-have RPG. Among KotOR's many highlights, GameSpy also mentioned the "wonderful story and brilliant translation of BioWare's PC gameplay to the Xbox console, as well as the phenomenal voice acting, superb characters, and kick-ass battles." We couldn't agree more! Be sure to check out the rest of GameSpy's Knights of the Old Republic review.
| Saturday, August 23, 2003 |
Jedi Academy Site Redesign
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 12:39 PM |
Category: Console_XBox|x|PC_Action |
Speaking of Jedi Academy, LucasArts has dandied up their official website for it. There's even more FLASH integration than before, and some new media goodies are offered, including a diddie on customizing your character and lightsaber.
Use The Academy, Luke
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 12:35 AM |
Category: Console_XBox|x|PC_Action |
Jedi Academy, Raven's stunning Star Wars FPS sequel, gets more of the interview treatment, as Computer and Video Games quizes Activision Producer Graham Fuchs. Here's a bit on the lightsaber combat in the game:The lightsaber is the most distinctive and recognizable image from the Star Wars universe, and what really sets the games apart from other shooters. It was clearly what fans responded to the most from JKII, and what we loved as well. The hard part was really getting it to where it was possible to execute all the cool moves you see in the films, but keep the controls simple. Having accomplished that in JKII, adding the saber staff and dual lightsabers, as well as additional acrobatics was an evolutionary step that was more fun than work. Raven was also able to add a host of new moves for the single lightsaber, so fighting with your sabers this time around should be even more enjoyable. Fuchs goes on to explain another cool saber dueling scenario: "For example, when fighting a dark Jedi, he may push me to the ground and try to stab me before I get up, but I can backflip up to a standing position and jump over him while swinging my saber downward to kill him while his saber is still stuck in the ground trying to stab where I was."
Server Back Up!
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 1:43 PM |
Category: General |
That went a LOT faster and smoother than expected, I'm very glad to say!
Thanks to everyone who made this transition go so well -- you know who you are!
Enjoy, everybody!
| Thursday, August 21, 2003 |
Server Downtime
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 1:15 AM |
Category: General |
We'll be moving our co-located server to a new ISP, starting at 11:30am central time (8/21/03).
This means all of the sites will be down during this period, as the server has to be physically shipped to the new location.
Then the DNS's need to be reconfigured for all of the sites on the server.
Hopefully this won't cause too much downtime, but it could be as many as 2-3 days, or as much as a week at the most.
It will take one day for the server to be physically shipped to the new location. Reconfiguring the new IPs and allowing time for the DNS changes to go through are the most time-consuming aspects.
All of the sites will be back online just as soon as possible.
Doom 3 Impressions
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 7:20 PM |
Category: General |
The deluge of information concerning Doom 3 continues. NewDoom.com is keeping track of all the news from Quakecon. One of the best write-ups so far is from Gamepro: The level of detail is simply insane. Remember those screens from a few months ago that looked too good to be true? They're true, and they move. This is mostly due to John Carmack's latest engine, which enables all kinds of new interactions and special effects. Curved surfaces abound, and the dynamic lighting and distressed metal walls give the game (or at least this multiplayer level) a strong Aliens feel (appropriate enough for a space Marine setting—back in 1992, id wanted to do a licensed game, but it didn't work out with Fox). There are areas that have been warped by the dimensional portals, so you'll find yourself walking through a UAC corridor that suddenly evolves into a fire-red hallway of Hell. Just to show off the physics with a twisted sense of humor, there's a Marine's corpse suspended upside-down from the ceiling in unspeakable red goo; shoot it, and the rag-doll physics set in, causing the dead body to writhe and sway. Nice and disgusting. The rag-doll physics apply to all other bodies in the game too. The green player’s Marine model only looks like Master Chief through the lens of recent history; really, it's a higher-poly update of the original Doom armor. Nothing beats shooting corpses. Honestly, you can't deny that you'll be shooting and hitting dead stuff just to watch them realistically move in reaction. Maybe I'm just sick in the head.
Doom 3 Multiplayer Screenshots
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 6:49 PM |
Category: General |
With Quakecon going on as we speak, anticipation for Doom 3 is at an all time high. The game is looking better and better every time they release new shots. I think we can all agree that the game can't come soon enough. Screenshots of the multiplayer component of Doom 3 are available from NewDoom.com, your source for Doom 3 and classic Doom news.
I'm Back!
Posted
by
Sean 'Hades' Connolly
at 3:12 PM |
Category: General |
I’ve finally arrived home after a long but wonderful journey to the Classic Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show went well and I had a blast! In fact, I had to buy a second suitcase just to fit all the Atari Lynx and Game Gear cartridges that I stocked up on at the show.
Stay tuned for the next day or so for a detailed article with a ton of great pictures all about CGE 2K3!
| Thursday, August 14, 2003 |
ATI Inside Next Xbox
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 6:36 PM |
Category: General |
ATI has won the bid to be the graphics processor provider for the next generation Xbox, according to CNET. The troubled relationship between Microsoft and Nvidia made this partnership almost a given."We selected ATI after reviewing the top graphics technologies in development and determining that ATI's technical vision fits perfectly with the future direction of Xbox," Robbie Bach, senior vice president of Microsoft's home and entertainment division, said in a statement. Has anyone noticed that ATI already makes chips for Nintendo's Gamecube. Will ATI continue to make chips for Nintendo's next outing?
QuakeCon 2003 Has Started!
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 9:45 AM |
Category: Console_XBox|x|Developers_Corporate|x|PC_Action |
Todd Hollenshead, CEO at id Software, updated his .plan to comment on the imminent QuakeCon 2003, and makes mention of DOOM 3 multiplayer being unveiled for the first time at the event:Here it is already time for QuakeCon 2003. While the festivities officially start on Thursday there are quite a few folks already helping with setting up what will be the biggest QuakeCon ever. It looks like the weather is going to give us a break this year and we'll mark the first QuakeCon I can remember where we won't hit 100 degrees.
New for this year will be the location in Downtown Dallas at the Adam's Mark Hotel and Conference Center which gives us tons more room for more cool stuff. And our sponsors are really outdoing themselves to help us make sure that everyone that comes out sees cool new games and gear, has a good time, and probably picks up some free stuff, too.
The BYOC will be the biggest yet, with room for up to 2000 PCs. The reservation list is booked up, but first-come-first-serve starts Thursday afternoon if you didn't get on the list. The keynote is Friday afternoon, and tournament finals, awards ceremony and party are all Saturday night. But the fragging is non-stop Thursday to Sunday 24 hours a day.
And, of course, we will be unveiling DOOM 3 multiplayer for the first time. And everyone will be able to play it, too. For more info on QuakeCon 2003, check the website.
| Wednesday, August 13, 2003 |
X-Men Legends Screenshots
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 1:00 PM |
Category: Console_GameCube|x|Console_PS2|x|Console_XBox |
There are lots of new screenshots for X-Men Legends over at Boomtown, including this bit of info:X-MEN: Legends is going to be an old-school beat-em-up game featuring our dear heroes from the X-MEN comic books (and movies... and books... and cartoon series... and...). The game supports up to four players and focuses heavily on team play. Coupled with RPG elements this could result in a game that's more interesting than the average comic-book-to-game-conversion. We'll all know for sure when X-MEN: Legends is released in 2004 for the Xbox, the PS2 and the GameCube. Be sure to check out those cool screenshots!
Jedi Academy Interview
Posted
by
William 'Phoebus' Mull
at 12:53 PM |
Category: General |
Project Administrator Kenn Hoekstra talks about the three types of lightsabers, a dozen other weapons, a mission system that allows you to choose your path, and many other Jedi Academy features in this informative interview on Action Vault:One of the goals of Jedi Academy is to take the lightsaber combat, acrobatics, and Force powers, which we feel were real strengths in the Jedi Knight series, and improve upon them. People want to feel like they really ARE a Jedi Knight, so we are endeavoring to encourage the use of the lightsaber, combat moves and Force powers to progress through the game.
We also wanted the player to really feel they were in control of their destiny in this game, so many of the new features we implemented revolve around allowing the player to fully customize their character, their abilities, their weapons, their missions, and really create their own unique game experience. Doing it this way also adds a lot of replay value to the game because you can make different choices regarding your character or path along the way and have a completely different experience than the first time you played. Just head here for the rest.
Activision Sponsors Quakecon
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 2:22 PM |
Category: General |
Quakecon is only days away in Dallas, Texas and Activision is supporting the event. They will be showing off Call Of Duty (a World War II game based off the Quake3/Return To Castle Wolfenstein engine. Their financial support backing up the LAN games will be quite helpful, but the fact that Doom 3 will be playable in deathmatch form is sure to be a huge part of this year's event.“We can’t wait for this year’s QuakeCon. Where else can our fans take on each other in some great competition, play DOOM 3 multiplayer and check out cool new games like Call of Duty,” said Todd Hollenshead, CEO, id Software. “This is a unique opportunity for all of us at id and Activision to show the games we’re working on in a special setting usually reserved for industry-only shows.” Anyone going to Quakecon this year should have a blast. Hopefully we'll get a lot more news on Doom 3 after the event. I wonder if we'll get any word on Quake 4?
The End Of SMTP?
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 5:37 AM |
Category: General |
The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol has happily delivered your email for years but it may be time for a retirement party. If you aren't too familiar with SMTP you might not understand why. Unfortunately, SMTP will deliver mail with trust that whatever you send is safe. This was fine when SMTP was first being used, but today, with viruses and spam flooding our inboxes, the protocol just isn't up to snuff. The solution? An overhaul of the code, or an entirely new protocol. Many network security folks want to see it happen as well as someone who actually had a hand in creating the protocol in the first place. (Lockergnome) "I would suggest they just write a new protocol from the beginning," Suzanne Sluizer, a co-author of SMTP's immediate predecessor and a visiting lecturer at the University of New Mexico, said in an interview. I'm all for some revamping or a new protocol, but its adoption to the Internet will inevitably have some serious snags along the way. It will be interesting to see what actions (if any) are taken on this subject.
Resident Evil Sequel Details
Posted
by
Christian 'Fraust' Wilson
at 2:57 PM |
Category: General |
IGN Filmforce has some new information on the upcoming Resident Evil: Apocalypse movie. The ultra cool Milla Jovovich is returning in her role as Alice, along with new comers Oded Fehr, Jared Harris, Emily Bergl, and Sienna Guillory as Jill Valentine. There is also some details about the Nemesis.The Nemesis, will appear in the film. Gaming fans can expect the creature's appearance to be similar to the game. Nemesis is described as "eight feet tall and humanoid" with "metallic pipes and tubes grown into his flesh." He is "incredibly muscular, scarred and disfigured" but has "clear blue eyes" – striking reminders of a humanoid past. As a fan of the first movie, I'm really looking forward to this one. Of course we'll keep you updated on this movie as it is available. Filming begins in about a week.
Classic Gaming Expo Is Coming Near!
Posted
by
Sean 'Hades' Connolly
at 2:18 PM |
Category: General |
In about one week from now I will be in classic gaming heaven. Classic Gaming Expo 2003 will be kicking off to the public at 9am on Saturday, August 9th and will close its doors on Sunday at 4pm. I've posted about the expo before, but time is running short. The expo is located in the gambling heart of America, Las Vegas, at the Plaza Hotel.
The people behind the CGE web site have been posting a new announcement on the site for the past few days leading up to CGE. Some highlights are:- Classic Video Game Board/Card Game
- RUSH Hour being released for the Atari 2600
- Adventure 2 for the Atari 2600 demoed
- War of the Robots for the Vectrex Released
.. and plenty more! Check out the news for the rest of the batch. I'm really excited to be making the trip out to Vegas. I apologize for the lack of updates from me lately as I've been working my rear end off in preparation for this trip. I'll be sure to have a TON of information for you MG fan's to take in when I get back!
|
