Nov. - Dec. '03

12-31-3

"After a several year delay," a new beta 0.77 of the Military Forces modification for Quake III Arena (called "the successor to AirQuake 1 and 2") is now available. Word is: "The latest version features more vehicles, maps, and weapons, including nukes!" There's also a note posted following the release admitting that they've discovered that the in-game server browser does not work, so they offer suggested alternatives.

A new Linux installer for the Spatial Fear modification for Unreal Tournament is now available.

12-29-3

A new version 0.97B of the Science and Industry modification for Half-Life is now available, the first update to this old school modification in a couple of years. The new release updates a couple of existing maps, adds several new maps, fixes a bunch of bugs, while adding a bunch of new features. The new version is available as a full installer, an update for previous versions, and as a Linux update for server operators.

This downloads page on the framed TRON 2.0 Website now offers a new version 1.042 update for Monolith's first-person shooter. The patch is available as an iterative update for version 1.030, or as a full patch to update any previous version of the game. Windows XP is required. Word is: "Saved games generated from previous versions will not work after this update has been applied." The patches are mirrored on 3D Gamers and Worthplaying.

12-28-3

The Liquid Element Website now offers downloads of a new prologue version 1.2 of the Spatial Fear modification for Unreal Tournament. They also have a follow-up to the new release that adds a missing file, so early adopters should head back for the updated download.

The new version 3.0 of the Sven Co-op modification for Half-Life is now available

A new bonus map for WarCraft III: The Frozen Throne is now available from the WarCraft III Bonus Maps Page. The "Tower Defense" map is described like this: "The most hardened criminals in the universe are held here, in a jail devised by those that would rather never see such vile creatures set free." The 900 KB download is mirrored on 3D Gamers, Gamer's Hell, and Worthplaying.

EA has launched the official Battlefield Vietnam Website, dedicated to the upcoming Vietnam War follow-up to BF1942. The site offers info, the trailers and shots from the game, forums, and some promising "coming soon" features, like the billboard where the number of online players will be listed.

12-27-3

Vivendi Universal Games to Host $40,000 Online Tournament for The Lord of the Rings(TM) War of the Ring(TM) is the press release announcing a $40,000 tournament for The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring. Interestingly, entry into the first round of the tourney is random. Here's the deal: "On January 26th, 2004, 32 participants will be chosen randomly from all of those who entered and matches will start shortly thereafter. The final four contestants will be flown to Los Angeles in January for the championship matches." Sign-ups are on the War of the Ring Website and GameSpy Arcade.

A new version 2.0.0a of the freeware Unreal-engine America's Army shooter is now available, updating the recent Special Forces edition of the game.

Mitnick calls for hackers' war stories.

12-26-3

A new version 4.1.1.1e Half-Life dedicated server beta patch is now available. The update closes an exploit and addresses a problem with client prediction timing. The Win32 and Linux patches are both available from 3D Gamers and Gamer's Hell. Word is that these patches should not be applied to Steam servers.

Star Wars Galaxies Core's Jedi Guide outlines how to maximize Jedi XP from lairs in the Star Wars MMORPG.

A new version 1.5 of the Dungeon Siege Tool Kit is now available, offering updated versions of both the Siege Editor Siege Max.

12-25-3

Merry Christmas all. For those of you that want to have some cool but unaffordable gift ideas check out Gifts for the obscenely rich gamer.

There's a Paul Anderson Q&A on Cinematic Happenings Under Development conducted during a visit to the set of the Alien vs. Predator.

12-24-3

The Industri Website has the release of what they are characterizing as a "leaked alpha" of Industri, which is based on the Tenebrae version of the Quake engine. They say: "Think of the release as an early preview."

Kazaa Wins Dutch Ruling.

12-23-3

Word from Greetz DevastatoR is that they have put a new QuakeIT version online. The new version of the Quake III Arena launcher is 6.01.

Pterodon has released a new multiplayer map for Vietcong, their Vietnam War first-person shooter. The 3 Canyons map adds a new Turn Table mode to the game, while also supporting Vietcong's other gameplay modes. The 8 MB download can be found on the Take 2 Games Website, mirrored on 3D Gamers, IGN, and Worthplaying.

12-22-3

PlanetQuake3.net now offers downloads of CeTuS - The Movie 2, a new Quake III Arena trick-jumping movie.

Computer And Video Games has posted a trio of new Half-Life 2 Screenshots showing off in-game action from Valve's upcoming shooter sequel.

As posted on Battle.net, the WarCraft III version 1.13 patch is now ready to download.

12-20-3

Computer And Video Games has a confirmation from Illusion Softworks that they are at work on a sequel to Mafia, their gangster themed action/adventure/driving game. No details other than the project's existence are provided at this time.

12-19-3

A new version 1.21 of The Battle Grounds is now available, updating this modification for Half-Life set in the American Revolutionary War. The new version of the now Open Source WON and Steam compatible mod offers several additions, tweaks, improvements, and bug fixes.

12-17-3

Half-Life 2 Online Source's Rick Ellis Q&A is a conversation with the Valve software engineer about creating levels for Half-Life 2, and how it differs from map creation for the original game.

12-16-3

GameSpy's DOOM Extravaganza caps off a boatload of coverage of the seminal first-person shooter's tenth anniversary with a Q&A with id Software's Kevin Cloud and Tim Willits, discussing their recollections of creating the original DOOM, while also probing for some info about progress on DOOM 3. Also newly posted amid their mass of articles on the topic is a Q&A with John Romero, discussing his memories of DOOM development.

A new patch for Deus Ex: Invisible War is now available, updating the Deus Ex sequel to version 1.1. The 3 MB patch introduces performance improvements, tweaks, and bug fixes, available from the Eidos Interactive website, and mirrored on 3D Gamers, Gamer's Hell, GameSpot DLX (registration required), and Worthplaying.

12-15-03

After an epic four-year development cycle, the Daedalus "megawad" for DOOM is now available on the TeamTNT Home Page. Running Daedalus, the project formerly known as DOOM 2000, requires ZDoom version 2.0.60 or higher.

The Radiant Website now offers a new version 1.4.0-rc1 of the GtkRadiant editing utility. Word is: "This is the first build of our 1.4 series, our new stable release. After several months of bug fixing work on the development version 1.3, we decided to branch out a stable release and start working on the next version 1.5. This release includes q3map2 2.5.11, and a new 'background image' plugin which can display a layout image in your 2D views." Also, the Max Payne 2 - Official Mod Contest is underway, offering prizes for Best Original Mod, Best New Dead Man Walking Level, and Best Real-Time Non-Interactive Movie (Machinima).

12-14-3

The official Unreal Tournament Website has relaunched, refocused on support for Unreal Tournament, Unreal Tournament 2003, and the upcoming Unreal Tournament 2004. Thanks BeyondUnreal.

RivaTuner version 2.0 RC 14.2 is now available.

12-13-3

The first installment of the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight SDK is now available for download. Here's the deal: "The Flight Simulator team is publishing this reference for developers and enthusiasts who want to customize and create add-ons for Flight Simulator 2004. We're publishing the SDK in installments, which will roll out over the next several weeks. Although portions of the SDK may prove useful to Flight Simulator enthusiasts with little or no programming experience, keep in mind that many parts of the SDK assume familiarity with XML, the C programming language, and game development."

A trailer from Wars and Warriors: Joan of Arc is now available, showing off Enlight's upcoming action/strategy game based on the famed Maid of Orleans. The movie is a 104 MB download, available from The Adrenaline Vault and mirrored on Gamer's Hell and Worthplaying.

A patch to update Beyond Good & Evil is now online, bringing the third-person action adventure game up to version 1.01. The 6 MB update adds anti-aliasing support, non-SEE CPU support, and more, available from 3D Gamers, GameCenter.cz, Gamer's Hell, IGN, and Worthplaying.

12-12-3

A high resolution version of the DOOM 3 trailer from E3 has been released, and is now available on FilePlanet (registration required). The 162 MB movie shows off gameplay from id's upcoming shooter remake. The download is mirrored on 3D Gamers.

A new version 1.6 of the Battlefield 1982 Interstate modification for Battlefield 1942 is now available. The full installer of the updated version is a whopping 310 MB, adding new weapons and new cars to this automotive combat mod loosely based on Interstate '76 and Interstate '82.

A map editor for XIII is now available on Ubisoft's FTP server (direct link), providing those interested in creating levels for the cel-shaded Unreal-engine shooter with the tool to do so. The editor is a 38 MB download, mirrored on 3D Gamers, Gamer's Hell, and Worthplaying.

12-11-3

The Sven Co-op Website has details on future plans for this cooperative multiplayer modification for Half-Life. There's word that this is now to be an "official" mod, and will be distributed via Steam in the future. They also offer details on the upcoming version 3.0, though this will not be released via Steam, as Valve is working on making the system more stable before adding further content.

The official Kombat Website is online for this upcoming World War II real-time strategy game in the works at Game Factory UA. Here's a description of the game, which is not yet carrying a projected release date: "Kombat is the 3D RTS game with tactical wargame and RPG elements. The game uses the real army structure of years 39 - 45 with all main and specialized branches including reconnaissance, counterespionage and medical squads etc. All main countries - participants of that time war are playable in the game. Other countries activities are managed by AI. The gameplay is based on officer’s training system that was used during the WWII. The unique system of global and local AI provides a lot of gameplay innovations. The powerful in-house engine allows to use new strong technical features." The site offers the first nine screenshots from the game.

12-10-3

Happy birthday DOOM! I'm guessing it's as surprising to many of you as it is to me that the game came out ten years ago today. Ifeel old now.

Apolyton CS has a story up based on a Firaxis Q&A on GameDaily that offers evidence that Civilization IV is in the works, though another follow-up to this successful franchise is a pretty obvious move. The quote on Civ IV comes from Firaxis president/CEO Jeff Briggs, though nothing beyond the project's existence is revealed.

A new version 2.0 of the International Crime Syndicate multiplayer modification for Soldier of Fortune II. There is a note accompanying the downloads with a suggested setting for server operators to work around a bug in this release.

The Warcraft III Files and Links Page now features an updated version of the Warcraft III tools that "fixes a crash bug in the User Property Editor plug-in included in the 1.00 version of the Art Tools."

12-9-3

The DOOM 3 Website has been updated, and it now offers the game trailer that debuted at E3, a few wallpapers, and a batch of screenshots, a few of which (shots three, four, and six) appear to be new.

The demo for Unreal II XMP is now available on FilePlanet (registration required). This provides a sample of the expanded multiplayer being added to the first-person shooter sequel that will be available as a free download for Unreal II owners and in stores as part of the upcoming Unreal II Special Edition. Here's how this is described: "This demo is a single level from Unreal II XMP ('Expanded Multiplayer'). The all new XMP mode is a class-based multiplayer game where teams use vehicles, cooperation and Unreal II: The Awakening's devastating weaponry to battle it out across large-scale terrain maps. Teams fight for control of energy sources to power their war machines, deployment points to get to the front lines quickly, and ultimately, four artifacts that are required to win each match." The 149 MB download is mirrored on 3D Downloads, 3D Gamers, BeyondUnreal, Boomtown (registration required), Computer Games Online, FileFront, Filerush, FileShack (registration required), Gamer's Hell, GameSpot DLX (registration required), GameTab, Happy Puppy (registration required), IGN, Loadedinc (registration required), and Worthplaying.

The Invictus Games Website now offers downloads of a new patch to update Street Legal Racing: Redline to version 2.1.8. A Flash-free mirror of the 1.6 MB download can be found on 3D Gamers.

12-8-3

Atari Ships "Terminator 3: War of the Machines" is the press release announcing that Judgment Day is nigh, and that this Terminator first-person shooter is now appearing in stores, presumably naked and looking for sunglasses.

The LucasArts Official Site has brief word that Armed & Dangerous is in stores now for both the PC and the Xbox.

12-7-3

A triple-play: RPG Vault's Deus Ex: Invisible War Q&A, Part 3 talks with Kent Hudson, Ricardo Bare, Warren Spector, Matt Baer, and Jared Carr asking a few last questions to cap off their conversation about ION Storm's impending FPS/RPG sequel. There is also a DX: Invisible War Q&A on Gamehelper talking with ION Storm's Harvey Smith, asking a variety of questions, including whether they are considering switching to Half-Life 2's Source engine on the eve of the game shipping. Finally, the Deus Ex 2 Q&A on Firing Squad also chats with Harvey "Witchboy" Smith going into more detail about the game's design and production.

The Invictus Games Website now offers downloads of a new patch to update Street Legal Racing: Redline to version 2.1.8. A Flash-free mirror of the 1.6 MB download can be found on 3D Gamers.

12-6-3

Atari Announces Unreal II The Awakening - Special Edition is the press release announcing that the upcoming free multiplayer add-on will also be packaged in a new special edition of the game. The release does not specify when the retail edition will become available, but says that free downloads of the XMP portion will be made available for current Unreal II owners when it hits shelves. On a related note, Atari sends news that a demo version of the XMP ("expanded multiplayer") portion that is at the heart of the special edition has become available.

12-5-3

The Machinima Production Kit version 0.3 is a free software kit to support the creation of movies using the Quake II engine. The "MPK includes map and model editing software, Machinima production software, and video editing software, as well as free sample content from Strange Company and Pictureshows.net to get you started on making Machinima yourself!"

LucasArts Entertainment's Armed and Dangerous Technical Reference Guide is online for the imminent third-person action game. Also, version 1.0 of the official Xenus FAQ is now online, offering an extensive list of questions and their corresponding answers about Deep Shadows' upcoming first-person shooter. Also, SimHQ's Hog Basics RAF Bentwaters Tactics Guide, 1982 offers tips from an A-10 pilot on how to pilot the Warthog in Lock On: Modern Air Combat.

12-4-3

A DOOM: the Movie update on CGW offers a quick progress report on the project, which has only progressed so far, but also outlines the reasons this attempt at turning the seminal shooter into a film will not be as protracted as previous attempts since it's covered under a "progress-to-completion" deal.

A new version 2.9 of the Infiltration tactical combat modification for Unreal Tournament is now available. The full installer is 448 MB and there is an additional Desert Storm Map Pack as well as a version of the mod as separate downloads of game files and maps.

Futuremark has released PCMark04, the latest version of their benchmark program.

12-3-3

The DOOM 3 Interview from CGW offers an unusually formatted Q&A with id's John Carmack, who comments on progress on DOOM 3 as well as various aspects of id's history and his personal interests.

12-2-3

The Max Payne 2 Q&A on Nextgame.It chats with Petri Järvilehto of Remedy Entertainment about Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, learning some general things about the game and how it differs from the original Max Payne.

12-1-3

Eidos sends along confirmation that the highly anticipated Deus Ex sequel is getting set to ship: "Eidos is proud to announce that Deus Ex: Invisible War will be shipping to retailers in North America tomorrow December 2nd and will be in stores December 3rd."

The Chaotic Dreams Website now offers downloads of Chaos UT2 PR2, a new version of the ChaosUT modification that emphasizes third-person melee combat in the new Chaos Duel mode. Here's a bit: "Chaos Duel is a all about 1-on-1 fighting, and supports different weapon modes for a variety of playing styles. Players can go head to head using the standard UT2003 weapons, the Chaos weapons, our new melee weapons, or a mix pre-selected by the maps author, using our new 'Mappers Choice' feature."

11-30-3

The Deus Ex: Invisible War Q&A chats with ION Storm designer Warren Spector about the now-gold DX sequel. They discuss gameplay as well as the real-world implications of themes the game explores. like nanotechnology and conspiracies.

Atari Announces "Terminator 3 Redemption".

11-28-3

Pregaming's Max Payne 2 Walkthrough Gameguide is now online, offering chapter-by-chapter guidance on making your way through Remedy's third-person shooter sequel. Also, Shrapnel Games now offers a guide to modifying Space Empires: StarFury.

11-26-3

GNS Project's Hostile Intent Half-Life Q&A talks with a couple of the folks behind the Hostile Intent modification for Half-Life, discussing how the project is nearing release after a lengthy development cycle after startling out under the name "The Sherman Project."

11-25-3

Eidos sends word that Deus Ex: Invisible War, the highly anticipated follow-up to Deus Ex, is now gold.

11-20-3

There's a Deus Ex: Invisible War Feature on UGO with some screenshots from ION Storm's upcoming first-person RPG sequel, as well as a video that features the CGI intro from the game, some gameplay footage, and some discussion of the project from designer Warren Spector. The video was actually released on the Eidos FTP Server a couple of weeks ago, but it was overlooked here at the time.

11-19-3

The demo release of Quake III: Outpost for Quake III Arena is now available. Word is: Q3: Outpost has its own new single-player experience, featuring storyline driven action and events, along with hordes of evil monsters.

The Qtracker Homepage now offers a new version 3.72 of this server browsing utility that also slices, dices, and mixes a mean martini. The new version adds support for Call of Duty, Contract: J.A.C.K., and Daikatana; while adding Remote Admin support for Call of Duty, Daikatana, Kingpin, Quake II, and SIN.

A demo for Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne is now available, offering the chance to sample Remedy Entertainment's recently released third-person noir shooter sequel. The demo features the first three levels from the game, as well as a dead man walking level that must be unlocked. The 246 MB download is available from Rockstar Games, and mirrored on 3D Downloads, 3D Gamers, Boomtown (registration required), FileFront, FilePlanet (registration required), Filerush, FileShack (registration required), Gamer's Hell, GameSpot DLX (registration required), GameTab, IGN, Loadedinc (registration required), Pixelrage.ro, and Worthplaying.

11-15-3

A new beta version 2.3 of the Q3F modification for Quake III Arena is now available. The update includes six new maps and four updated maps from beta 1. The new version also addresses many bugs and makes several tweaks to gameplay.

Adrian's Rojak Pot's Definitive BIOS Optimization Guide Revision 8.0 Interim Release 4 is now available.

11-13-3

There's Unreal University 2003 coverage on thegamecouch that also includes some UT2004 impressions.

11-11-3

Deus Ex Invisible War Hands-on on IGN previews the upcoming RPG sequel. Meanwhile, The Warren Spector Interview on GBase is the English version of their conversation with the ION Storm designer as he showed off Deus Ex: Invisible war in Germany. The interview is also available in their native German, and the article is illustrated with some photos, and accompanied by screenshots here and here. Also, Warren Spector talks Deus Ex Invisible War on Eurogamer.net transcribes another face-to-face conversation with Warren, this one conducted during a demonstration of the upcoming Deus Ex sequel in London. They go into detail about elegance, innovation, streamlining the original game without minimizing its level of detail, game design issues, and more.

Six new high resolution Deus Ex: Invisible War movies are now available on Gamer's Hell, showing off ION Storm's upcoming RPG sequel.

11-9-3

LucasArts announces that the PC version of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is gold, and will be in stores on November 18. Here's the story: "It is four thousand years before the Galactic Empire and hundreds of Jedi Knights have fallen in battle against the ruthless Sith. As the last hope of the Jedi, you must lead a band of freedom fighters in an epic struggle to save the galaxy. Can you master the awesome power of the Force on your quest to save the Republic? Or will you fall to the lure of the dark side? Hero or villain, savior or conqueror...you must choose wisely as you alone will determine the destiny of the entire galaxy!"

OverClocked ReMix, the "Unofficial Game Music Arrangement Community."

11-7-3

Valve sends along word of plans to release a beta update for Day of Defeat this week.

11-5-3

The Big Huge Games Website has news that Patch 3 for Rise of Nations will soon be available.

11-3-3

Deus Ex 3 underway: Spector Confirms on Computer And Video Games (thanks Frans) has word that as eager gamers anticipate Deus Ex: Invisible War, the imminent Deus Ex sequel, a third game in the first-person RPG series is already in the planning stages. There are no real details other than word that the third game will be a sequel to the second one, but without offering any direct quotes from Warren Spector, they say the confirmation of this project comes straight from the ION Storm designer himself.

11-1-3

The Battlefield 1942 Website has links to a new version 0.9C of the Battlefield Mod Development Tools, some new AI documentation, and some sample scene files to help ease the process of modifying the game. Mirrors of the new MDT can be found on 3D Gamers and FilePlanet (registration required). Also, the Digital Reality Homepage now features the return of the new version of the Hegemonia/Haegemonia modification tools that was briefly released and then yoinked due to a glitch.

Motherboard Monitor version 5.3.5.1 is now available.