The dancing "Frank the Pug" applet that's available for download from the Men in Black II Website was done by none other than Paul Steed.

GameSpot Previews America's Army: Operations with a look at the first-person shooter portion of the America's Army game. The article details the difference between this and the separate adventure portion of the game called Soldiers, and describes this portion's use of the Unreal engine before going into the game's Counter-Strike-style multiplayer action. They describe the process of starting a character, training at boot camp (which includes things like qualifying for Sniper School with exceptional marksmanship), the detailed operation of the game's weapons, MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Training), impressions of the maps, and more. Included are 15 new screenshots, and XGR serves up another seven new images. There is also a movie trailer for America's Army available for download from Gigex (try the direct download link if the Gigex client doesn't work for you). The movie requires a 9.5 MB download and offers some two minutes of cinematic and gameplay footage in a self-running proprietary format.

7-4-2

Have a happy fourth of July.

The ThreeWave CTF Website now has a new version 1.6 of Threewave Capture the Flag for Quake III Arena. A change log of what's fixed and an executable installer are promised soon, but a previous update mentions this small patch is meant to fix a few bugs from version 1.5.

U.S. Army Launches "America's Army" PC Game on the Internet is the press release with further details on the plan to release "a special 'Recon' version of 'America's Army,' an innovative, realistic computer game providing civilians with an inside perspective and a virtual role in today's premier land force: the U.S. Army." This is a 10 level version of the "Operations" action-oriented portion of the game that will be a massive 220 MB download. Here is more on this release:

In the July 4 "Recon" version the virtual soldier experience begins with basic training missions that include the rifle range, obstacle course and McKenna Urban Training Site at Fort Benning, Ga. After completing basic training, players progress to online multiplayer missions ranging from defense of the Alaskan Pipeline against terrorism as a member of the 172nd Infantry Brigade (Separate) from Fort Wainwright, Alaska, to homeland defense as a member of the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) from Fort Drum, N.Y. Throughout the summer the Army will make additional missions available for download, culminating with CD release of the full game at the end of the summer. The game was developed using the latest version of Epic Games' "Unreal Engine." and is optimized for NVIDIA GeForce2(TM) graphics processors.

Sunstorm, ARUSH and 3D Realms have released a playable demo of Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project, their recent 3D platform action game, for download from the official site and 3D Realms. The 50.3 MB download contains the entire first episode called Rooftop Rebellion, complete with "3 sections, 4 powerful weapons, enemies such as PigCops, FemMechs and HoverMechs, 30 hidden nukes, 3 hot babes waiting to be rescued and one enormous boss fight high over the streets of New York City." Also, a 1.5 MB patch for the editor is available from 3D Realms to fix a problem introduced with the retail v1.01 patch last month.

Activision sends along the public Linux source code for Return to Castle Wolfenstein, allowing mod authors to bring their creations up to version 1.33. This 7.1 MB download contains the game code for both the single- and multi-player sides to the first-person shooter by Gray Matter and Nerve Software.

7-3-2

Activision sends along the public source code distribution for Return to Castle Wolfenstein. This mere 1.2 MB download only includes the multiplayer code updated to version 1.33, and as with the original code release this is not supported by any of the companies involved.

There's a Bryan "Apoxol" Dube Q&A on PlanetSoldierOfFortune that talks with the Raven Software programmer about Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix. Topics include his background, problems they had to overcome during the development of SoF2, what will be included in the next patch, the game's lack of storyline, the reasons for release of the SDK simultaneously with the game, and more.

7-2-2

PlanetQuake3.net is offering downloads of Tribulation, a new Quake III Arena trick-jumping movie described as one of the longest such exhibitions ever recorded.

DirectX 8.1b Redist Install is now available for download.

7-1-2

A new version 5.9 of the Eternal Arena modification for Quake III Arena is now available. According to the update: "the main addition in this version is the new Vadrigar Admin system, but there's added support for anti-camping, player name protection a new match ingame menu and some new server cvars."

Beta 1.0 of the Thievery modification for Unreal Tournament has been released, offering stealth-oriented UT teamplay where players take on the role of either thieves or guards. The mod is a 122 MB download offering new maps, models, weapons, gametypes, and more.

Take Two Games has released a patch for Grand Theft Auto III, upgrading the recent crime-infested 3D action game by Rockstar Studios to version 1.1. The modest 1.1 MB download contains a couple of improvements and fixes, removes most protection checks, and is save game compatible with the original game. Thanks FilePlanet, which has a mirror here (registration required).

6-30-2

Alpha 1 of the Jungle Warfare modification for Unreal Tournament is now available offering 15 new weapons, 10 new classes, 15 new maps, a jungle weather system, and more. The mod is a 35 MB download, and there is a guide and a FAQ online to answer questions that may arise.

A new version 4.11.39 of the Go!Zilla download manager is now available.

6-29-2

There's a DX2: Invisible War Q&A on Gaming Horizon News talking with ION Storm's Harvey Smith about the upcoming Deus Ex sequel going into the story, characters, new technology, mod support, and more.

Creative Assembly has released a playable demo of Medieval: Total War, their upcoming 3D real-time and turn-based strategy game, for download from Games Domain. The demo was previously available on the cover-disk of PC Gamer UK, which may be a more convenient way of obtaining a copy of the massive 235.3 MB file, and this Battle Tutorial demo offers eight tutorials and a single-player mission (the Battle of Jaffa) from the full game. Mirrors are available at 3D Gamers and AusGamers.

6-28-2

A new version 1.51 of the Freeze Tag Quake III Arena modification is now available, updating this teamplay mod that allows you to turn your enemies into gib-cicles. In the new version the team icon can't be seen through walls again, the time spent frozen and time-to-thaw in Freeze CTF is lowered, you cannot steal thaws, bodies can now be walked over, and more. The new version is but a 785 KB download.

As usual after the release of a major new graphics chipset, id Software lead programmer John Carmack has updated his .plan with his views on the Matrox Parhelia, commenting on its performance and the applicability of its features to their upcoming first-person shooter, DOOM III.

There is an Unreal Interview on Multi Player Zone, quizzing Epic's Mark Rein and Infogrames' Matt Powers, Tim Hess and Richard Iggo about the popular first-person shooter series. Topics include the role of Infogrames in the franchise, developing single-player versus multi-player games, current and future plans for the series, working towards the release of Unreal Tournament 2003, use of the Karma physics system, supporting the game after release, and more.

The official MechWarrior 4 site offers two multiplayer maps from the Inner Sphere 'Mech Pak as free downloads, allowing owners of the original to play them online without the expansion pack. The Coliseum map clocks in at a modest 8.2 MB while the Gagetown map is significantly larger at 20.8 MB, and both require the recent version 3.0 patches to function correctly. The official FAQ has been updated with a few new entries as well.

6-27-2

A new beta version 4.2 of the zero[ping]mode modification that offers enhanced client-side prediction for Quake III Arena to provide a less laggy experience is now available. The new version addresses a whole bunch of bugs, including the "dead with one rocket" bug.

The Unreal4Ever Website offers the debut version of U4E Fortress, adding all manner of fortress-oriented goodness to Unreal4Ever. Installing the 14 MB patch required a full installation of U4ETv602 and all of its components, and it is hoped that the next version will include new fortress maps. Here's a bit of how they describe the mod: "There's over a dozen Professions, dozens of new weapons and attacks, 3 new Gametypes including Gauntlet and Jailbreak, and enough eye candy to keep a A.D.D sufferer happy for a month!"

6-26-2

The Project N.O.E.L Website features downloads of their live-action movie based on Quake III Arena. Available in larger (151 MB) and smaller (43 MB) versions, the flick offers surprising parallels with Q3A, including authentic sound effects, authentic-looking weapons (including the game's anti-science-fictional scaling), complete lack of plot beyond what is inherent in a deathmatch, and perhaps most surprisingly of all considering it's a 'home movie,' pretty darned impressive special effects.

6-25-2

Activision sends along word that Raven Software is working on a patch for Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix, their recent mercenary first-person shooter. The patch will not only address various issues in the game, but also add four new maps titled Kamchatka Factory, Airport Warehouse, Hong Kong Streets, and Barn. Here are two high-res screenshots from each of the four levels.

Now that the retail game has been released, DreamCatcher Games sends along the final playable demo of Gore, the first-person shooter developed by 4D Rulers. The hefty 101.0 MB download offers the starting section of the single-player campaign as well as two multiplayer maps (UMC Cube and Vertigo) playable in Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Tactical and Capture the Flag modes.

Eidos Enlists New Commandos is the press release officially announcing Commandos 3, "the latest instalment in the multi-million selling Commandos franchise," though this is really just for the record, as there have already been indications that this project is in the works, not the least of which being the release of Commandos 3 screenshots

The WinHack Website has the unofficial release of Nethack 3.4.0 for PocketPCs.

6-24-2

GameSpot's Battlefield 1942 Preview is online, offering first-hand impressions of Digital Illusion's upcoming World War II action game based on getting to participate in its ongoing beta testing. They offer background on the game, describe the limitations of the beta test, and offer impressions of the pair of missions being tested, contrasting the differences between the European and Pacific campaigns, offering impressions of the vehicles, the roles players can assume, and more.

The Armchair Empire's NOLF2: A Spy in HARM's Way Q&A is a group conversation with several of the folks at Monolith working on the upcoming sequel to No One Lives Forever, their espionage-laden first-person shooter. Topics include music, system requirements, the LithTech Jupiter engine, modification support, characters, the script, cutscenes, inspirations, whether having played the original will add to enjoyment of the sequel and more. On a related note, there's also a Lithtech Technology Q&A on Gamersclick chatting with LithTech CEO Jeffrey "The" Hutt about the Lithtech engine(s).

6-23-2

A new beta version of the Q3Bench benchmarking utility is now available, which automates the process of running a repeated battery of benchmarks using Quake III Arena or Return to Castle Wolfenstein. This version should work with all versions of Q3A and RtCW.

Epic Games' Mark Rein has posted a status update on Unreal Tournament 2003 in the official forums for the multiplayer first-person shooter that is nearing completion at Digital Extremes. Topics include graphics performance and optimization, getting the game to work on Voodoo3 and Voodoo5 cards, Dolby Digital 5.1 sound support, network performance, and a new estimate of when the playable demo will be released.

6-22-2

It was on this day in 1996 that Quake was released.

The Freehold Website now offers a preview release of Freehold UT, which brings the Freehold universe to Unreal Tournament. Offered in this release are new weapons, proximity nukes, a SlipSuit, FireStorm bullets, economic factors where you can purchase equipment, variable armor, a Bounty War game type, an Espionage game type, and a Containment game type.

Infogrames sends along news that Neverwinter Nights, BioWare's eagerly-anticipated D&D RPG, has shipped to stores. Here's the word: "Infogrames, Inc. and BioWare Corp., the creators of the four million selling Baldur's Gate series, are pleased to announce that Neverwinter Nights(tm) shipped to retail stores today under Infogrames' Atari label and will be available for personal computer across North America this week.  The highly anticipated Dungeons & Dragons® computer game has been rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB and has a suggested retail price of $59.99."

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon heads online on GameSpot is the report that Phantagram Interactive is working on an MMORPG based on the Oscar-winning wire-fu flick slated for release sometime in 2004. There aren't any further details about this, or how this relates to Ubi Soft's announcement last year that they had obtained the license for games based on this movie, but they say a website with more info will arrive in the coming months.

6-21-2

The winners of the Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2002 have been announced, and not completely expectedly DOOM III takes home five awards, in the Best of Show, Best PC Game and Best Action Game categories, as well as the Special Commendations for Sound and Graphics. Other noteworthy results are Best Action/Adventure Game for Splinter Cell, Best Role Playing Game for Neverwinter Nights, Best Strategy Game for Command & Conquer: Generals, and Best Online Multiplayer for Star Wars Galaxies.

HomeLan Fed's Return to Castle Wolfenstein GotY Q&A talks with Nerve Software's Brandon James and Splash Damage's Paul "Locki" Wedgewood about the Game of the Year edition of Return to Castle Wolfenstein. Topics of the conversation with Paul include the story of the formation of Splash Damage, how they got the job of creating new Wolfenstein content,  a bit on their work for both the GotY edition and the upcoming Wolfenstein expansion, and more. The discussion with Brandon covers the reception Wolfenstein has met with, a bit on the game's multiplayer modes, the new GotY maps, and more.

The Orange Smoothie Productions Website has a new version 1.22 of OSP Wolf, bringing this package of enhancements for Return to Castle Wolfenstein in line with the latest version 1.33 of RtCW. A full list of changes hasn't been posted yet, but there is a note that playing back older demos will now result in "strange sound effects."

Version 1.00 of HLGuard is now available, which is the first public non-beta release of this utility that impedes cheating in Half-Life. Word is: "the team has been working to provide improved wallhack blocking support for more MODs including TFC, FLF, DMC, DoD, FA, AHL, HLDM, and VS."

Less than a week after the main releases, Sierra Entertainment has released a patch for Half-Life: Initial Encounter for download from its ftp server, updating this retail edition that included the Half-Life: Day One OEM demo and a stand-alone version of Team Fortress Classic to version 5.1.6.0. This 52.0 MB patch updates TFC for multiplayer compatibility with all the other editions of the game.

A new version 1.1 patch for the Night's Edge Wet Works futuristic team combat modification for Unreal Tournament is now available. "This small patch fixes some problems with dedicated servers, bots, and the in-game browser. It also includes a new Linux dedicated server script."

6-20-2

A new version 2.2 of the Q3F modification for Quake III Arena is now available. The new version offers 16 new or updated maps, gameplay adjustments, and a bunch of bug fixes. The new release is available for Windows, Linux, and the Mac as a patch, and work is underway on a full installer for Windows users. They also have a preliminary version of their work-in-progress Q3F guide.

There's a Jay Wilbur Q&A on Computer and Video Games talking with the Epic Games' biz-guy about Unreal Tournament 2003. The discussion covers things like where the Unreal series stands in gamers' hearts, the future of the franchise, his satisfaction with the feature-set being offered in UT2003, the success of the series, their FPS influences, why they call UT2003 the next generation of multiplayer first-person shooters, his favorite weapon from the game, their impressive AI, the reasons for foregoing multiplayer play in Unreal II, and more.

3D Realms sends word that a patch for Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project is now available, upgrading the 3D platform action game by Sunstorm Interactive to version 1.01. The 4.5 MB download addresses nearly 20 issues with the game as listed in this forum post, and there's a warning about save games in Episode 8.

BF 1942 Beta Testers Wanted! on the official Battlefield 1942 site announces plans for a beta test of this hybrid 3D action game that's nearing completion at Digital Illusions. The sparse page specifies a few system requirements, provides an email address for interested players to submit their apparently rather freeform application, and 50 beta testers will be selected from those who enter.

6-19-2

A new beta 4.1 of ZPM for Quake III Arena is now available, updating the zero[ping]mode modification that offers enhanced client-side prediction for the weapons in Quake III Arena. New in beta 4 is the addition of multi-arena and Rocket Arena game mode support, and since the site has basically been down since that release at the start of the weekend, we can include the follow-up beta 4.1 release in this report, which addresses a few bugs that were discovered in beta 4.

A new version 5.32 of Æon's Stats is now available, updating the free version of this shareware log file analyzer/stat compilation utility. The new version adds Medal of Honor: Allied Assault support and Soldier of Fortune II support. Binaries for Win32, Redhat (7.1) Linux (object code included), and Mac OS X are all available.

6-18-2

The Reaction Quake 3 Website has the release of beta 2.00 of this Quake III Arena modification. Here is the succinct description of what's on tap with the latest release: "Along with new maps, a new user-interface, new models, and other graphical updates, the long awaited addition of Teamplay and replicated Action Quake 2 physics is included." The download is about 150 MB, and a previous version of the mod is not required.

6-17-2

German magazine GameStar has posted a short movie of DX2: Invisible War, the first-person action RPG sequel under construction at ION Storm. As is their way, this clip is merely a teaser for a full video preview on the magazine's cover CD-ROM, and thus the 3.9 MB download shows a modest 23 seconds of in-game footage in which the player attacks a hunter-seeker robot, complete with some German commentary.

A new Preview Version 3.0 of the GameRanger server browser for the Macintosh is now available, "totally redesigned and rewritten from the ground up, featuring full support for Mac OS X in addition to compatibility with Mac OS 8.6 and 9." In a similar vein, version 1.08 of the Only Mortal "Cocoa" server browser is now available, providing user of Mac OS X 10.1.1 support for Quake II, Quake III Arena, and Return to Castle Wolfenstein.

6-16-2

id Software and Activision have now also released the Linux version 1.33 patch for Return to Castle Wolfenstein and the Game of the Year Map Pack so that server admins can upgrade as well. As usual, we have a local copy with mirrors of the Linux patch (7.4 MB) as well as the GotY Map Pack (49.5 MB).

6-15-2

Games that Changed the World: DOOM on Computer and Video Games is a look back at id Software's seminal first-person shooter as work continues on DOOM III, the game's upcoming remake. The article offers recollections of the first impressions the game made, some background on the team at id at the time, and some development stories from some of the former members of that team, quoting John Romero, Tom Hall, and Sandy Petersen, who describe why some things were done the way they were, and provide reflections on the finished product.

6-14-2

The latest on QuakeCon 2002 is that registration for this year's edition of the id Software sponsored LAN party/tournament will begin tonight at 10:00 PM EDT. Word on registration is that it will continue up until the event (August 15-18), but those interested in participating in the Quake III Arena tournament are urged to sign up quickly, as those spots are expected to fill up fast. Additionally those under 18 who wish to attend will be required to supply a waiver signed by a parent or guardian.

Activision sends along a new patch for Return to Castle Wolfenstein, updating the first-person shooter by Gray Matter and Nerve Software to version 1.33. This release brings the game in sync with the imminent GotY Edition, comes as a lite patch (4.1 MB) from version 1.32 and a full patch (9.9 MB) from any older version, and it addresses the Medic Revival Sticking bug along with improving PunkBuster WebTool support and adding a few new console variables. Additionally, the Game of the Year map pack (49.0 MB) is now available for owners of the original game, offering three previous maps (Trenchtoast, Icelab and Tram Siege) along with four new maps: Chateau, Keep, The Damned and Rocket.

6-13-2

There's a DOOM III Q&A on Beyond3D, quizzing id Software lead programmer John Carmack about the rendering engine in their upcoming first-person shooter sequel. The discussion is rather technical in nature, covering topics like the poly counts of the in-game characters, how various high-end graphics cards affect rendering, details on the rendering pipeline, and what can be expected on medium-range cards.

BioWare sends along a press release to announce that Neverwinter Nights has gone gold. This 3D role-playing game based on the 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons rules is expected to arrive on store shelves by the end of June, with a Linux server and client to be released around that time as well.

6-12-2

GameSpot's DX2 The Invisible War Q&A is online, offering an introduction to the upcoming sequel to Deus Ex, followed by a Q&A with ION Storm's Harvey Smith, the game's lead designer. Topics include where the story for DX2 connects with the original game, the reason they are changing the game's main character, the added emphasis on both stealth and diplomacy, engine physics, the game's story, and more. Included are three new screenshots.

A new version 1.1 of GameSpy Arcade is now available, touting its many advantages over other GSI products like GameSpy 3D and FilePlanet.

6-11-2

MacPlay Announces Soldier of Fortune II on IMG is the report of plans for a Mac version of Raven's Quake III-engine mercenary shooter sequel. According to the story: "The Omni group has been selected to port this Mac OS X only game to the Macintosh. MacPlay has told us this will likely be a 'quick' port, although they declined to give us any specific release date."

New Version 29.42 Detonator XP reference drivers for NVIDIA-based video cards are now available for Windows 95/98/Me, Windows XP/2000, and Windows NT.

6-10-2

The Qtracker Homepage now offers a new version 3.3 of the Qtracker server browsing utility which also serves as a server launcher, MP3 streaming audio browser, HTML server list generator and Remote Administration tool. The new release offers bug-fixes and a load of new and enhanced features, including region support, a QtUplink heartbeat program, and support for C&C: Renegade, Op Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis, The Sum of All Fears, updated Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix, and more.

John Mullins Video Interview Part 2 on PC.IGN.Com is the continuation of their video interview with the real-life inspiration for the protagonist in the Soldier of Fortune series.

AMD Introduces AMD Athlon™ XP Processor 2200+ on AMDZone is the press release announcing the launch of AMD's first 0.13 micron CPU.

6-9-2

ShellShock's Crater now offers a new version 02.06.08.00 of Q3Offline, "The best front-end and server admin tool for Quake III Arena powered games." The new version adds full support for Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix.

A post to the Infogrames Forums by Epic's Mark Rein gives a status report on progress on the Unreal Tournament 2003 demo, saying that they would provide an update on those forums when they think (emphasis Mark's) they are about a week out from a release, but they were not yet that close.

Seriously now offers downloads of version 1.1 of the InstaGib modification for Serious Sam: the Second Encounter, updating this mod that offers messy one-shot kills to add Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag modes "along with four custom CTF maps for your gibbing pleasure."

6-8-2

The Night's Edge Wet Works Website seems to have stabilized again, after buckling following the release of version 1.0 of the Night's Edge modification for Unreal Tournament. This first official non-beta release "brings quite a few enhancements to this futuristic-themed game of team combat. Now you can load up with an even wider variety of contemporary and ultra-advanced weaponry, using them on 19 different custom Night's Edge maps." Windows and Linux version are available, and word is a Mac version is also in the works.

Action Vault has conducted a Hitman 2: Silent Assassin Interview, quizzing designated spokesperson and graphic designer Thor Frølich about this third- and first-person action game in development at IO Interactive. Topics include the game's genre, premise, settings, the weapons and inventory system, the array of enemies, the variety in mission design and the use of scripted events, their in-house Glacier engine, a bit about the company's and game's history, and more.

Apple's QuickTime 6 Public Preview is now available.

6-7-2

There's a DOOM III Preview on DailyTelefrag based on getting to check out the presentation of id Software's upcoming DOOM remake at E3. Modestly describing themselves as being among "the minor number of chosen journalists" to receive a back room look at the game, they offer awestruck impressions of the experience, going on to recount the game's plotline, some of the imagery from the presentation, and just how scary the whole experience was. They go on to offer some of the info gleaned from a Q&A session with id's Mal Blackwell, Jan Paul van Waveren, and Jim Dosé including more on the story, the new game engine, monsters AI, a greater emphasis on outdoor levels, and more.

The Operation Na Pali Website now offers downloads of Operation Na Pali, the modification that adds a single-player episode to the multiplayer mayhem of Unreal Tournament. The mod offers its own menu that's integrated into the game, as well as a tutorial to help players get started.

6-6-2

The QuakeCon 2002 Website has word that they are looking for volunteers to assist with this year's convention/LAN party which will be August 15-18 at the Mesquite Convention Center in Mesquite, Texas. Also, registration for TribesCon is underway, to be held from July 18-21 in Harrah's Hotel and Casino in Reno, Nevada.

RayLogic has released the promised demo for Dark Ore, their upcoming space sim and first-person shooter hybrid. This beta 1 demo requires a modest 15.2 MB download and allows you to try out a bit from the single-player game. More information on the game can be found in the official FAQ which received a few minor updates.

6-5-2

John Carmack made a pair of posts on Slashdot about video hardware as it relates to the engine for their upcoming DOOM III (thanks Jacek Fedoryñski). The first post warns against misinterpreting things he's said or trusting paraphrased quotes that goes on to point out that the ATI 8500 is faster than a GeForce4 on paper, but not in real life, and pointing out the hardware they demonstrated the game on at E3 was not the 8500. The second post offers a bit more, discussing the impact of hardware limitations on game design, and going on to describe the kind of shelf life they expect for the DOOM III engine as well as good news for those hoping for a Linux version.

A new version 0.24 of the Quake2maX modification of id Software's publicly-available Quake II source code is now available. This version requires hardware OpenGL acceleration, and adds improved dynamic lighting and shadows, stain maps for blood and such, a client-side 3D chase camera, and more.

6-4-2

The Orange Smoothie Productions Website has a new beta version 0.22 of OSP Tourney for Return to Castle Wolfenstein. The new release offers enhanced match mode play extensive in-game player and match statistics, a configurable voting system, remote admin ("Referee") capabilities, and more.

The Medal of Honor Allied Assault Website has word on the first ever Medal of Honor Allied Assault Level Editor Contest, where: "From June 1, 2002 to July 6, 2002 we'll be taking submissions for your homemade MOHAA edited levels (maps). Both single player and multiplayer maps are welcome." Ten levels will be selected for inclusion in the upcoming MOHAA Expansion Pack.

6-3-2

Doom III possible for Xbox on GameSpot is a report confirming beyond a shadow of a doubt that it's a definite possibility that DOOM III may be headed to the Xbox at some point following the release of the PC version.

The Westlake Interactive Website has word that the Mac port of Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds has gone gold, though there is no hint at when the Macintosh version of the Age of Empires-engine RTS game will be in stores.

6-2-2

Doom III Has a Story to Tell on Wired is an audio interview with id Software lead programmer John Carmack and Nine Inch Nails' front-man Trent Reznor, who contributed audio to Quake, and will likely do the same for the upcoming DOOM remake. The interview is "about the game and the role of storytelling in the first-person shooter genre," runs for about 15 minutes, and is available in both high and low bandwidth versions for either RealPlayer or Windows Media Player.

There are ten new Postal 2 screenshots on Game Over, offering more scenes in the upcoming first-person shooter by Running With Scissors.

6-1-2

The Navy SEALs: Covert Operations Website has the release of beta 1.1 of the Navy SEALs modification for Quake III Arena. The new version is intended to offer some gameplay improvements while eradicating all known bugs. There was, however, a problem with the initial version posted for download, and an additional file is required to make the mod work for the time being.

Publisher DreamCatcher has announced that Gore has gone gold, bringing the several years that this first-person shooter by 4D Rulers has been in development to fruition. A shipping date is not listed but the game is expected to be "available soon."

5-31-2

There’s no ignoring Doom III is an article on MSNBC that looks back at the presentation of id Software's first-person shooter at E3, and offers brief interviews with lead programmer John Carmack and lead designer Tim Willits. After a description of the demonstration, the article covers the slower pace of the game, id's goal of avoiding a distinction between static and dynamic elements in the environment to enhance the player's immersion, the big step in rendering technology made possible by recent hardware advances, the reason the demo ran on an upcoming ATI graphics card, the game's back-story, the return of the BFG, why they chose to focus on the single-player experience, and more.

A Chat With id Software Part Three on GameSpy continues and completes their conversation with the folks from id at this year's E3. Today's installment is a Q&A with Graeme Devine that segues into a conversation with Tim Willits talking with the pair about DOOM III in particular. Topics covered with Graeme include his role in the production of DOOM III, challenges in developing a game with 5.1 channel sound, working with Trent Reznor, working once again with writer Matt Costello (who collaborated with Graeme on 7th Guest and 11th Hour), reactions to the game at the show, and more. The conversation with Tim covers topics like how development is progressing, the line-up of the design team, their concept in re-making the original DOOM, challenges of working with the new engine, the new procedure for making textures, environments found in the game, and more.

There is some new information posted on the Epic Messageboards posted by Mark Rein about plans for the Unreal Tournament 2003 demo:

1) What build version of UT2003 was being displayed at E3?

The latest one compiled just before E3. This was the first build I saw with a working Ion Cannon which is a ton of fun to use! What we showed on the show floor is essentially what we think the demo will be which consists of two DM maps (Antalus and Curse3), one Double Domination map (Suntemple), one CTF map (Chrome) and one Bombing Run map (Endagra). But, be warned, this could change. I don't believe there are any plans for a single player campaign for the demo.

2) What features were missing from the E3 build that will be added to the demo release?

The major ones I can think of would be the final server browser and stats tracking.

3) Approx how long has been allocated for feedback from the demo before finalizing the retail code?

There is no particular amount of time being allocated for this. The response we get will determine how much needs to be done and whether or not we need to release another version of the demo before going final or not.

4) Are there any plans to release the server code to admins in advance of the demo release so that there will be some decent servers available to play on ?

No, not that I'm aware of. Once the demo is ready, it's ready and we don't want to be holding it back. I suspect it will take us a few more days after the Windows release to get the Linux server released.

There's a NOLF 2 Interview on GameSpy.com catching up with the design team on No One Lives Forever 2, Monolith's upcoming sequel to their LithTech-powered spy shooter, in another E3 conversation. Topics include new features of the follow-up, the setting, weapons, their objectives for gameplay, obstacles development has encountered, cooperative multiplayer support, other multiplayer modes, the new engine, Cate Archer as a competitor to Lara Croft, and more.

5-30-2

Part two of GameSpy's id Software Interview catches up with id's Fred Nilsson and Christian "Disruptor" Antkow to see what they are willing to reveal about progress on id's upcoming DOOM III among other topics. Topics of the Fred Nilsson Q&A include his background in Hollywood CGI films (including Antz and Shrek), how he ended up at id Software, his role on the DOOM III project, challenges in the transition from films to games, trying to build the fear factor into the game, and more. Topics of the Christian Antkow portion include his role on the project, working with the new engine, sound design, working with Trent Reznor, the reaction to the demonstration of the game, and more.

Gone Gold, the gold standard for this kind of news, reports that Age of Wonders II: the Wizard's Throne has gone gold, as was already hinted at in a recent GameSpot story. This turn-based strategy sequel by Triumph Studios is expected in stores around June 12.

The Matrox Graphics Latest Drivers Page has new beta version 5.84 Win2K/XP drivers for G550/450/400-based accelerators, and new version 5.84.023 drivers for various G200-based video cards.

5-29-2

GameSpy.com's id Software Interview is part one of a conversation with some of the folks at id conducted during the just-completed E3 to discuss DOOM III, id's upcoming DOOM remake. This installment features conversations with programmers Robert Duffy and Jan Paul van Waveren discussing the tools being used to create the game, how the editing tools will now be built into the game, the return of the console, changes to the BSP process, the new game's collision detection and physics, working with the new engine compared to the prior engines, some specifics about physics, reactions to the show, and more.

Version 3.01 of ProQuake is now available. This is a modified version of the original Quake source code that is designed to ensure cheat-free gameplay for ProQuake clients connecting to ProQuake servers (though ProQuake and "regular" Quake clients and servers are also interoperable), with full modification support. Version 3.01 is a quick patch for to the just-released version 3.00 to fix a demo playback bug.

A new version 2.01 of the Seismovision Demo Player "for Quake 1, Quake 2, Quake 3 Arena, Half-Life, Unreal Tournament, Star Trek Voyager Elite Force and Return to Castle Wolfenstein" is now available. The new version updates the program's Return to Castle Wolfenstein support so that it can play back demos from any of the versions of the game.

A new version 7.1.1 of the CPUCooL utility is now available.

5-28-2

FiringSquad's DOOM III E3 Preview is online, offering three pages of first-hand impressions of id Software's upcoming DOOM remake.

Apparently bent on bringing the Internet to a halt in what's already a trying time for download sites, Activision has released the single-player demo for Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix for download from FilePlanet. The whopping 136.9 MB demo includes two levels from the full game, Columbian Jungle and Seaward Star. There are mirrors on FileFront, 3D Gamers and Fragland.net (Belgium).

ION Storm lead programmer Chris Carollo sends word that the official DX2: Invisible War site (Flash required) has been updated with new screenshots of their first-person action RPG sequel.

The Qtracker Homepage offers word that they have set up a new master server to help users locate and connect with online Unreal and Unreal Tournament servers, the Unreal server (Usage instructions) and the UT server (Usage instructions) can be found at master.qtracker.com:27900. This should aid Qtracker users in finding games more easily, and the plan is to also offer UT2003 support when that game is released.

5-27-2

GameSpot has even more More Doom III details based on seeing the game at their E3 Sneak Peeks panel, quoting lead designer Tim Willits that "the Doom III technology is completely done, and even though there are still some obvious optimization issues that need to be worked out, the design team is now fully engrossed in finishing the actual game itself." Further, Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor and id Software "are currently in negotiations to do the music for the final game," and "id has no current plans to do an Xbox port of Doom III, though the game could hypothetically run on Microsoft's hardware. "

GameSpy.com's John Carmack Q&A is online, catching up with the id Software co-owner and lead programmer to discuss progress on DOOM III, their eagerly anticipated DOOM remake. Topics include what he has personally been working on lately, his level of interaction with licensees of id's engine technology, their ongoing support for those who modify their games, considerations in making a game focused on single-player (as opposed to multiplayer) play, thoughts on the current crop of video accelerators, a bit on his hobby of rocket-building, and more.

The downloads section of the Pyro Studios website offers the first movie trailer of Commandos 3, showing off their recently unveiled tactical combat sequel. The movie sports a round minute of gameplay sequences and is available in two AVI format resolutions, but the server seems rather bogged down so it will take awhile to obtain either version. There's a mirror of the high-res clip on Gameplex, and of the regular resolution clip on Games Domain.

5-26-2

As expected, the DOOM III: The Legacy Movie that is showing at E3 is now available for download from FilePlanet (registration required) in low-res (8.4 MB) and high-res (92.1 MB) variants. Word is the QuickTime movie offers a "7-minute long history of id Software's DOOM series, complete with interviews of the team and exclusive footage from DOOM III." In related news, there is a brief John Carmack interview on Gamers.com, quizzing id's lead programmer about the kind of gameplay experience they're aiming for, his work on the rendering engine, the game's sound support, and their goal of creating an "outstanding single-player experience" with only "minimal multiplayer facilities. Mirrors of both versions are online at 3D Gamers, GIGA Games (Germany) and Gamesweb (Switzerland), and of the high-res version at Fragland.net (Belgium) and AusGamers (Australia).

The pop-up gallery in the upper right-hand corner of the Special Report: E3 on CNNmoney offers the first four officially released screenshots of DOOM III, the eagerly-anticipated first-person shooter sequel by id Software. The images unfortunately come in a rather low resolution though. Full-screen versions of the screenshots are now online at GameStar.

Eidos Interactive has now officially announced DX2: Invisible War, properly introducing the 3D action role-playing sequel by ION Storm. The press release elaborates on the kind of gameplay experience they will be trying to achieve, and offers the following story synopsis:

DX2 takes place approximately 20 years after the events depicted in Deus Ex, in a world only beginning to recover from a secret, conspiratorial war, technology run amok and catastrophic worldwide depression. The winner-take-all geopolitics of mid-21^st century Earth have given way to a struggle over more basic concerns: food, water, reestablishing civil law and cleaning up biological and nano-tech fallout. Several religious and political factions see in the chaos the opportunity to shape a worldwide government and they know that the right moves now could determine the shape of human society for decades - even centuries - to come. The player must reveal the secrets of each faction and the identities of the true players in this struggle for world power. In the end, the player discovers that he or she may be the key to all of the factions' plans. But the greatest mystery of all - the game's true goal - is more personal, much deeper and, for maximum impact, is best revealed during play. The story is an important part of any Deus Ex-universe game but character development, simulation and gameplay are, taken together, the real heart of the matter.

Columbia Acquires Rights to Develop Sci-Fi Action Film Based On Popular PC Game 'Deus Ex' for Producer Laura Ziskin has word that Deus Ex, ION Storm's hit action/RPG. is going to be making its way to the big screen.

There's a DX2: Invisible War Preview on GameSpy.com offering a look at the upcoming Deus Ex sequel in the works at ION Storm. Offering quotes from both Warren Spector and Harvey Smith, the article discusses the goal of creating a "better all-around experience," the modifications they are making to the Unreal engine, the role of shadows and stealth, interaction with the game environment, AI and missions, augs and skills, how the game will be shorter but offer greater replay value, and more.

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Announces Max Payne 2 Is In Development is the press release announcing little more than that, Remedy Entertainment and Rockstar Games are developing a sequel to last year's gritty third-person action game Max Payne. The game is projected for a release in 2003, but no other details are provided, not even which platforms the game is in development for.

GameSpot's Return to Castle Wolfenstein add-on pack impressions from E3 offers the revelation that work is underway on an expansion pack for Return to Castle Wolfenstein, the Quake III-engine World War II shooter. The as-yet unnamed project, in the works at Splash Damage along with Nerve Software, who collaborated with Gray Matter Studios on the multiplayer portion of the original game, will include ten new multiplayer and ten new single-player missions, new weapons, new abilities, and a new 'covert ops specialist' class. They offer quite brief impressions of the add-on, and word that it is scheduled for release later this year.

Warner Bros., Monolith Productions and EON Entertainment Developing Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game Based On The Matrix is the press release announcing plans to plug players into a massively-multiplayer Matrix game much like the namesake network in the Matrix movie, although this one will use its participants as an ATM from which to draw money, rather than as a battery to supply electricity. Of course no one can tell you exactly what the Matrix is, but games are different, so here is a bit from the PR on what to expect:

Able to accommodate tens of thousands of players in a single shared environment, the game will be a re-creation of the virtual world of "The Matrix," employing cutting-edge 3-D graphics, networking and server technology. The game will combine the best elements of the action-adventure genre and character building/role playing games with the social interaction/community of an ongoing online game. Under the direction of Warner Bros., Monolith Productions and EON Entertainment will design the game using LithTech's Discovery System, a completely new set of tools and technology, including a new 3-D renderer and high-capacity server system, built to accommodate the unique challenges presented in the creation of this type of product.

5-25-2

There's a DOOM III Preview on GameSpy.com which is a preview of a preview of all things, as they describe what attendees at E3 will get to see of DOOM III, id Software's eagerly-anticipated first-person shooter sequel. The article describes the presentation booth where the demonstration will take place, and goes into what tidbits can be gleaned form the 11 minute video clip that comprises the majority of the presentation, which they say is shy of details on weapons, enemies, or levels. They describe the game as a "retelling" of the original DOOM story, mention the return to the moons of Mars or thereabouts, say the demo features many Zombies but mostly the pistol as a weapon (though the shotgun also comes into play), their goal of terrifying gamers with a deliberately-paced atmospheric game, the role of writer Matthew Costello (7th Guest and the 11th Hour), features of the new engine (including bump-mapped textures and a sophisticated physics and collision system), the cinematic approach they are taking, sound effects (created for the demo by Trent Reznor), system requirements, the possibilities of console ports, and more. Included are several photos of the DOOM III presentation area.

Long known to be in development, Infogrames has now announced Enter The Matrix, the official title of the 3D action game by Shiny Entertainment. The game is slated for a release on PC, Playstation 2, GameCube and Xbox in conjunction with the theatrical release of The Matrix Reloaded in May 2003, but further details on its premise and features are not provided.

A new batch of Unreal Tournament 2003 screenshots has been distributed to the press, offering no fewer than 28 new (though not always very distinct) scenes in the multiplayer first-person shooter that is nearing completion at Digital Extremes. Also, more reports on the UT2003 press event recently appeared online, as there's an Unreal Tournament 2003 Visit Report on Action Vault with their impressions of the day, while UT2003's Big Day Out Part 3 completes their trilogy of reports with an examination of the gameplay and various multiplayer modes.

There is a new movie of Unreal Tournament 2003 on GameSpot, showing off Digital Extremes' upcoming multiplayer shooter. The movie sports half a minute of gameplay action and comes in several streaming choices (downloads and eight additional movies require a subscription).

5-24-2

A new version 5.0 of the QuakeIT game launching utility for Quake III Arena is now available. The new release is a complete re-write of the program's underlying code, and offers a new remote control feature that allows you to control a Q3A server from within QuakeIT.

A new version 5.3 of Æon's Stats is now available, updating this utility that can extract understandable statistics from the multiplayer logs generated by a bunch of first-person shooter games. The new version adds support for Jedi Knight II and Return to Castle Wolfenstein, and is available for Win32, Linux, and Mac OS.

Following quickly on its gold announcement, Rockstar Games Ships Grand Theft Auto 3 for PC to Retail Stores gives word of the availability of the PC port of this 3D action game by DMA Design and Rockstar. Here's a bit on what you can expect from the game: "Featuring a fully three-dimensional, living city, a combination of narrative driven and non-linear gameplay and a completely open environment, Grand Theft Auto 3 represents a revolutionary leap forward in interactive entertainment. Players are put at the heart of their very own gangster movie and let loose in a city in which anything can happen...and probably will..." There's also a preview on GameSpy.com.