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MGL Industry News for May 30th-June 2nd, 2000 Send news headlines to news@macledge.com!

New Deep Space 9: The Fallen Screenshots (posted @ 7:40 pm EST):

Stomped has received today five exclusive screenshots from Simon and Schuster Interactive from their upcoming game Star Trek Deep Space Nine: The Fallen. They also talked to The Fallen's producer Ken Gordon on the progress of the game, and gained some insights, too. Much of the Deep Space Nine space station itself will be seen in the game, including places that were never seen in the show. The entire Defiant starship has also been rendered for the game, according to Gordon. Gordon stressed that The Fallen will not be a puzzle adventure game. "This is a third person game that plays like a first person shooter." One of the advantages of having a third person perspective is in the handling of the enemies. When one of The Fallen's many monsters chases the player character, Gordon says, "It kind of becomes the predator's point of view." MGL was given the chance to run by the Simon and Schuster Interactive offices and play The Fallen during MWNY. It's not something we want to miss, so expect some more information about The Fallen later this week, after we get a chance to run around as Captain Sisko. --R. Adams Related Links: - Simon and Schuster Interactive

Macworld Expo statistics looking good (posted @ 5:49 pm EST):

As members of the press, when we register for Macworld or E3, our e-mail addresses get placed on a list where lots of related e-mail comes in. Press releases, invitations to press conferences, party invites (my favorite), etc. Today we got some pre-Macworld Expo numbers from IDG Expo regarding exhibitor participation, registered attendees, and more. We thought you'd like to see how this Macworld is shaping up, even though the games area won't be as large as in the past: Pre registrations are up more than 133% over last year at this time, with the strongest local promotional program beginning the week of July 17. Exhibit space is up 25% over last year’s record-setting event. Approximately 400 leading information technologies suppliers, such as Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Canon, Hewlett-Packard, EPSON, Kodak, Nikon are exhibiting. More than 50 companies will be exhibiting for the first time this year. Attendees represent more than 70 different countries. Major Internet players converging at the show – Netscape's new sponsorship partnership with Macworld; Earthlink increased their presentation area by TWENTY-FIVE TIMES; and the first time presence of E*Trade More than half of pre-registered attendees are from outside of New York. Large representation from Graphic Design/Creative Services, Printing/Publishing, Education and Arts & Entertainment industries. 25% of pre-registrants are CxO-level or department heads. More than 33% of all pre-registered attendees are from companies with more than 100 people; 21% from organizations with 500 employees+. Of course, they failed to mention the shrinkage of the gaming area, and the smaller booths by heavy hitters such as Aspyr Media and MacSoft...not to mention companies not exhibiting like Gathering of Developers, Ambrosia Software, and others (although those folks will be at the show...G.o.D. will be showing stuff at 3dfx's booth). Those of you who attend Macworld this week should pick up a complimentary copy of GameWEEK Magazine. Among the many hats I wear, I also write the Macintosh content for that magazine, and this year's Mac insert is not as cheerful as in past years. One article discusses the outrageous costs associated with Macworld Expos, and working with Apple when you're a game developer. On a more brighter note, that issue will mention the games that are expected to be exhibited, announced, and other items of interest. GameWEEEK is a weekly publication that is geared to retailers. --M. Dixon Related Links: - Aspyr Media - MacSoft - IDG Expos - Macworld Expo web site - GameWEEK Magazine

Freeverse releases Burning Monkey Puzzle Lab (posted @ 5:15 pm EST):

Freeverse Software is kicking-off Macworld Expo Week with the release of Burning Monkey Puzzle Lab. With killer graphics, a smoking soundtrack, and head-to-head internet play, Burning Monkey Puzzle Lab is a giant leap forward for the action-puzzle genre. Color-reaction games, hex-bonding games, mission modes, lasers, super-bombs, virus', color-killers, chameleons, and more will wring your adrenal glands dry. (While the mellow-tones of the Zen Mode will keep you from going into toxic-shock). Ian Lynch Smith, president of Freeverse has said, "Burning Monkey Puzzle Lab isn't really dangerous, but it is addictive. This is the wildest game we've ever released". Burning Monkey Puzzle Lab is premiering this week on C/Net's Download.com. and is also available from Freeverse's website at http://www.freeverse.com Burning Monkey Puzzle Lab is $19.95 shareware or $29.95 for the CD-ROM. System requirements include: OS 8.6 or later 35 MB free hard drive space NetSprocket 1.7.1 or later Quicktime 4 or later Freeverse Software is the premier maker of card, board and puzzle games for the Macintosh. Other titles include 3D Hearts Deluxe, Byte Me, Deathground, Classic Cribbage, 3D Spades Deluxe, CrossCards Burning Monkey Solitaire and many others. --M. Dixon Related Links: - http://www.freeverse.com

Tomb Raider 4 (and its demo) updated (posted @ 4:45 pm EST):

Westlake Interactive just completed updaters to Tomb Raider: The Last Revalation and the demo version as well. Here are the changes: A new option, "Compatibility Filtering" has been added to the TR:TLR Setup application (under the Graphics tab). If you had trouble with the game drawing blocky textures after going to the inventory/save game menus, you can turn this option on to fix the problem. With this option on, you will only see a black background when you pause the game for inventory, instead of a greyed out version of the game screen- this is normal. OpenGL graphics textures are now correctly loaded into the game's memory space, which should fix problems with parts of the game missing textures (showing up as white space) or crashing. Fixed a bug that could cause crashes immediately on startup or after the purple loading bar was almost done. Known Issues that still remain include: On 3Dfx cards, the display may become garbled after you quit TR:TLR. This appears to be a bug in the 3Dfx drivers. Also on 3Dfx cards, movies do not play back (you just see a white screen) if you the game is set to any resolution other than 640x480. We are working with 3Dfx to resolve this issue, so far there is no workaround other than to set the game to 640x480. Get the Tomb Raider 4 (full version updater) at MGL's Download Center. Get the Tomb Raider 4 (demo updater) at MGL's Downloads Center. --M. Dixon Related Links: - Aspyr Media - Westlake Interactive - Eidos Interactive

WaterRace to be demoed at Macworld NY (posted @ 1:59 pm EST):

We received word from the French Touch Team, working on WaterRace for Mac. Here's the scoop: "Unfortunately, for different reasons, French Touch won't be present in MacWorld Expo in New York, this week. "However we've been working extensively for over a month with 3Dfx to make sure the upcoming high-speed racing game WaterRace will be running with excellent performances on the Voodoo 2000, Voodoo 3000 and of course the next generation Voodoo 5500 which will be revealed in MacWorld. "Yesterday, we've just finished working on a exclusive and never shown before self-demo of the game that will be showcased on the 3Dfx booth. "Make sure to visit the 3Dfx booth and check out the WaterRace demo! It's a unique chance to discover this unique game available only for the Mac, that will be released this fall. French Touch is a independent game developer dedicated to the creation of exclusive 3D games for the Macintosh. Their first title is a water racing game called WaterRace. --M. Dixon Related Links: - French Touch - Water Race web site

MacEdition article focuses on Apple's relationship with developers (posted @ 1:46 pm EST):

The good folks at MacEdition have a very interesting article on Apple and its relationship with game developers: "Apple and games. The two go together like ... dirt and cake, right? While an iMac may invoke snickers from the hardcore gamer cadre, the situation is improving. Despite the gloom of the recent de facto defection of Bungie from the ranks of Mac game developers, there are still plenty of games out there for the Mac gamer to look forward to, such as the imminent release of Diablo II and the long-awaited Baldur's Gate. Other games are in the pipeline as well, and nVidia's recent and vocal interest in the Mac shows the health of the market. The situation is improving, and that's good news. "The bad news is..." Check out MacEdition's article, Zmonk's Game Cage Dysfunctional family: Apple's relationship with its game developers. --M. Dixon Related Links: - Apple - Bungie

ATI Radeon preview (posted @ 1:25 pm EST):

While we're looking forward to see what ATI has to offer gamers at this year's Macworld Expo, FiringSquad has got a preview at the card and compared it side-by-side to 3dfx's and NVIDIA's best offerings. Check out their Radeon preview (PC based). ATI just released the card for PC. ATI's Radeon 3D acceleration card is nearing completion for the Mac as well, and should be releasing soon. FiringSquad noticed, as did we, that ATI no longer refers to it as Radeon 256, referring to its 256-bit architecture in the processor. Most consider the name change a way to avoid problems with confusion over NVIDIA's new card which uses the numbers "256" in its name. MGL will be getting our hands on the Voodoo5 card this week, and hopefully a Radeon card as well. Benchmarks are coming! One final note: the Radeon card will have one noticable advance over 3dfx's Voodoo5 card: DVD playback support on the Mac. If you have a Power Mac with a DVD drive in it and want a 3dfx Voodoo5 card, you'll need to plug another monitor into the Voodoo5 card and keep the ATI card in place if you desire DVDs on your Mac. Currently, there isn't a plan for a AGP version of the Voodoo5 card...unless 3dfx can get into Apple's bill-to-order store. --M. Dixon Related Links: - ATI - FiringSquad's ATI Radeon preview

MGL at Macworld Expo (posted @ 1:15 pm EST):

We'll be at Macworld Expo NY. In fact, yours truly is already stationed here in New Jersey, preparing for it all. MGL staffers, Ryan Adams, Matt Rock, Michael Watson, Wojciech Kotas, and myself will all be there covering the show and meeting with exhibitors. Look for guys with MGL shirts. Other MGL staff in attendance but not covering the show directly for MGL include Thomas Gurley ("Korbin") and Mike Roca. We'll unveil our Macworld Expo pages soon. We're still tweaking them a bit. Matt and Ryan are preparing to assault MGL with a great photo gallery from this summer's show, so they'll be snapping shots from Wednesday until they're kicked out on Friday afternoon! --M. Dixon Related Links: - Macworld Expo web site

Clusterball to release today...no word on Mac version (posted @ 1:06 pm EST, updated 4:45 pm):

The recent Clusterball newsletter reads: "You don't have to wait anymore - Clusterball is here!" Well, that might be true for some folks (PC users), but unfortunately there isn't any info in there on the Mac version of this future sports on-line game. Once the Mac version is released, how will this work? The base version of the game is free (with one venue - Egypt). Once you are Pilots (signed up), and members of the clusterball.com community, you will also get a free venue to play online (Stonehenge). Very soon players will be able to extend your Clusterball experience, as the developer will open the venue shop at clusterball.com. In the shop you can buy online playgrounds - push your flying skills at the helical formed track at the tropical island of Bora Bora, or try the venue China, spiced with pagodas and the Great Wall. The Clusterball team launched the new Clusterball web site - clusterball.com. The site will be the center of all the Clusterball related activites that will happen. Check your ranking, join the tournaments, download new Clusterball must-haves, etc. Basic features of Clusterball include: unique gameplay online multiplayer game singleplayer against AI introducing FLYERS - Advanced artificial intelligence opponents with different personalities. Real time 3D 3D sound effects 4:45 PM: Update: We got a simple answer from Daydream Software (publisher) on Clusterball: "Macintosh version will probably be out this year ... we hope ..." --M. Dixon Related Links: - Clusterball

MGL forums are on fire! (posted @ 1:00 pm EST):

I was amazed this morning when I checked the new MGL discussion forums. They are loaded with input from our readers! In just a few days, we've seen hundreds of posts. Thank you! If you missed our unveiling on Friday, check out our forums main page for all the topics. We'll still be tweaking them a bit, but hopefully will be leaving them alone soon so you can get used to them. --R. Adams Related Links: - MGL discussion forums

Update on Zork Grand Inquisitor, Aliens vs. Predator (posted @ 9:00 am EST):

This morning, Contraband Entertainment President Bill Heineman chatted with MGL's founder Mike Dixon about the status of a few games he is working on (or completed). Alien vs. Preditor Gold Edition is still in beta, due to the fact that they are trying to work out some issues with hosting network games on some systems. Zork Grand Inquisitor has been done for quite some time, and while they were hoping to have it ready for Macworld NY, that won't happen. However, the game will be shipping very soon. Heretic II is still in progress. Zork and Heretic II will both be labeled "conversion by Logicware." --R. Adams Related Links: - Contraband Entertainment - Activision

Update on Mac Driving Games (posted @ 11:00 am EST):

The MacMind has a new article spotlighting three new racing games for the Mac, Driver, 4 x4 Evolution, and Pangea Software's recently unveiled Cro-Mag Rally. Sometimes driving on the highway gets too, well, boring. Luckily, three in-your-face driving games are going to be making their way to our favorite fruit-flavored platform before (fingers crossed) the end of 2000. The article goes over each game, talking about aspects of gameplay, and when they will be released. We've also previewed Driver, and published a sneak peek at 4 x4 Evolution for your reading pleasure. --R. Adams Related Links: - Gathering of Developers - Pangea Software - Macsoft

Surprise From id (posted @ 9:00 am EST):

Id Software's Graeme Devine updated his .plan file early this morning. To those of us fortunate to be going to MWNY, it looks like he has a surprise for us there. Ah, off to New York for Mac World. We've got a nice surprise there for everyone. If anyone wants to get together out there, I'd be happy to sit down over a Guinness and talk. I've worked in Mac OS X DP4 since WWDC, and have lived well. Mr. Devine, if you read this, I'll take you up on the Guinness and talk, as I missed getting to meet you at E3! --R. Adams Related Links: - id Software

New Game Doctor Update (posted @ 3:00 am EST):

Illume Software notified us that they have just released the July file for Game Doctor - the largest collection of hints, cheats, walkthroughs, and other game enhancements available for the Macintosh. This month's file contains cheats, hints, patches, and walkthroughs for Baldur's Gate, Deus Ex, Diablo II, Firefall, Rainbow Six, The Sims, and more. The July file is available to download for all your hinting needs. --R. Adams Related Links: - Illume Software

A Drop of the Hard Stuff (posted @ 3:00 am EST):

Some links are courtesy MacSurfer's Headline News. MacWorld takes a gander at the possible hardware announcemnts at MWNY. DealMac found the Quantum Atlas III 18.2GB UltraSCSI 7200 rpm external hard drive for$299. Xlr8yourmac links to an interesting interview about 3dfx and it's part in the Mac world. Inside Mac Games has an interesting feature on upgrading your current Mac to make it a powerhouse. MacWire notes that you can now buy Cozo speakers for only $39.95. Macwelt reviews the Joecard G4/400 MHz and the Joecard G3/500 MHz. BareFeats reviews a Hardware IDE RAID that works with a flip of a switch, and the new 15,000 rpm Seagate Cheetah. --R. Adams Related Links: - MacSurfer's Headline News

Light news on Monday (posted @ Saturday, July 15th, 1:40 pm EST):

The news here at MacGamer's Ledge will be light on Monday as some of our staff are travelling to New York and I am kicking back on my 21st birthday. We should be back to work on Tuesday and on Wednesday -- the fun begins. We'll have full coverage of all things games at Macworld Conference & Expo New York 2000 so stay tuned. --T. Covert Related Links: - MacGamer's Ledge

Update to Myst III: Exile Designer Diary (posted @ 7:40 pm EST):

GameSpot's Myst III: Exile Designer Diary has been updated in the form of an interview with Mattel Interactive's Daniel Achterman, Associate Producer in the company's Myst Product Group. The interview discusses Mattel's role in the development and oversight of the title as it is being developed at Presto Studios. What do you think will make Exile stand out in the Myst series? I would have to say that the most noticeable element of the game design is the incredible visual variety and creativity of the ages in the game. Presto's designers have created a unique look for each age, and they're really pushing the edges of what people expect from Myst games. There are worlds in Myst III: Exile unlike any that players have ever seen before, but they still have that unmistakable Myst "feel" about them. They're exotic, yet oddly familiar and inviting. And they look great. Myst III: Exile is being developed simultaneously for both the Mac and PC. --T. Covert Related Links: - GameSpot - Myst III: Exile - Presto Studios - Mattel Interactive

First hints at Bungie's third title? (posted @ 7:30 pm EST):

While it's been known for a long time that Bungie Software has had a third project in development in addition to Oni and Halo, any hints or talk of it have been basically non-existant -- until now. In the latest print edition of Next-Generation magazine, Microsoft's Ed Fries reveals the first details on the third title including its name... For two years running Bungie has wowed the crowds with the astonishing Halo, and according to [Ed] Fries, "What is even more impressive is Fantasy Siege - a totally different type of game running on the same engine. The engine is a very important thing to us, and is a huge part of the deal." The comments in the article indicate that the title will be X-Box exclusive, but no official comments about the title (or Halo) have been made by Bungie. Thanks Blue's. --T. Covert Related Links: - Halo - Bungie - Microsoft

Oni interview with Bungie West Part 3 (posted @ 7:20 pm EST):

Harry Al-Shakarchi at oni.bungie.org has posted part three of his special feature on his visit to Bungie West which incldues interviews with three members of the Oni development team: Chris Porter, Michael Evans and Hardy LeBel. The interviews were conducted before the announcement of their acquisition by Microsoft, but it does contain a lot of valuable information and details on Oni, which is coming to the Mac and PC later this year from Gathering of Developers. Will you be able to attack from the distance, because let's say 50 people are guarding the door and you need to get past them. Wouldn't it be easier to get a few of them from afar first? Sometimes she needs to whack guys without attacking from a distance. We have this sounds system where 2 bullets hitting flesh make less noise than 2 bullets from a silencer which hits a box. So if you are unable to hit someone in the back of the head and hit a box instead, 2 enemies wil come at you in alert. Oni is a third-person 3D action game which mixes both hand-to-hand and gun-blazing combat. --T. Covert Related Links: - Oni.Bungie.Org - Oni - Bungie - Gathering of Developers

EverGlide offers deal on Blue Giganta (posted @ 7:10 pm EST):

EverGlide.com let us know that they're now offering a special deal on the Limited Edition Blue EverGlide Giganta Mouse Pad for $12.95. The offer is only good while supplies last and features the award-winning EverGlide mousing surface specifically designed for the rough demands of gamers. The EverGlide surface is tough, durable and machine-washable which means that it doesn't crack, fade, peel or fray like other mouse pads. It also offers a slick yet textured surface for optimal precision and movement in your favorite games. --T. Covert Related Links: - EverGlide

Brad Custer requests input on future desktops (posted @ 6:50 pm EST):

Following the launch of our forums today, MGL Resident Graphic Designer Brad Custer made a post asking for input on future desktops to be created for Custer's Corner. Keeping up with my weekly routine of creating desktops sometimes I find myself scratching my head over what to do next. I've been trying to keep up with current games being released since I know most people like to have a cool background to go with the latest game they are spending countless hours on. So here is where we are today. I'd like to get some input from others on what they'd like to see. Be it current games, old games or whatever you can imagine as long as it stays within the realm of games. If you have any requests for future desktops or ideas for Brad, share them with him in our forum! --T. Covert Related Links: - MGL Forums - Custer's Corner

MGL Review of Myst Masterpiece Edition (posted @ 6:40 pm EST):

MGL Contributing Editor Wojciech Kotas has written a review of the re-mastered version of the all-time best-selling computer game, Myst Masterpiece Edition. It's official, folks: Myst is never going away. It will always be with us, in one form or another. I suspect that many years from now, when I'm a doddering old fool, I will watch fondly as my great-grandchildren are sucked into their wristband Holographic Simulators for a game of "Myst 20: The Overlooked Worlds," while I, too decrepit to keep up with modern technology, settle down in front of my antiquated 32 GHz midnight blue G9 PowerMac for a trip down memory lane with the rare collector's edition of "Myst: Play the Original Game Backwards." In the meantime there is Myst: Masterpiece Edition, an enhanced reissue of the classic adventure game. For more on the game and how it stacks up, check out our MGL Review of Myst Masterpiece Edition. --T. Covert Related Links: - Myst Masterpiece Edition - Presto Studios - Cyan - Mattel Interactive

Update to The Fallen web site (posted @ 6:20 pm EST):

The official Star Trek Deep Space Nine: The Fallen web site has been updated today with a number of new additions. We have now completed the FAQ section, including general info, game info and system requirements. We have also added the Locations section data, with new screenshots of the levels, and the Other Equipment section, including screenshots of the Tricorder in action. The system requirements for the Mac version are fairly modest: 200 Mhz PowerPC 604 or better 64 MB RAM 100 MB hard drive space OS 8 or higher 4x CD-ROM or better Star Trek Deep Space Nine: The Fallen, an Unreal Tournament-engine third-person 3D action/adventure game, is in development at The Collective and slated for a simultaneous Mac/PC release this Fall. --T. Covert Related Links: - Star Trek Deep Space Nine: The Fallen - The Collective - Simon & Schuster Interactive

MGL Giveaway of Terminus (posted @ 6:10 pm EST):

Today we've started a giveaway of Terminus, the persistent 3D role-playing combat game from Vicarious Visions and Vatical Entertainment. Today be eligible to win, you just need to fill out a short form which asks for general information about you and your gaming habits. Please fill out the form ONLY ONCE (duplicates are deleted) and good luck! --T. Covert Related Links: - MGL Giveaways - Terminus - Vicarious Visions - Vatical Entertainment

Heavy Metal 2000 debuts tonight (posted @ 5:25 pm EST):

Ritual Entertainment's Robert Akins dropped us a note to let us know that tonight marks the debut of Kevin Eastman's Heavy Metal 2000, an animated film originating from the 1981 cult classic Heavy Metal. The movie will air at midnight Eastern / Pacific time on the STARZ! Cable movie channel. Ritual Entertainment is due to follow up the movie with an original game, named Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.2 which is more or less a sequel to the sequel. The game will pick up the story of the main character Julie (a.k.a. F.A.K.K.2) 30 years after the film's tell ends. That means the game will be 99% original content, which has been sculpted for the ultimate 3d Heavy Megaming experience. Hope that you enjoy the film and we look forward to bringing you our game later this month. The Mac version of Heavy Metal: FAKK2 is in simultaneous development at Contraband Entertainment. Update: The Adrenaline Vault has learned from Gathering of Developers that the game is expected to reach golden master within the next few weeks and should ship for the PC in August. This would likely put the Mac release in August or September, according to our recent report from Contraband which put the Mac version of Heavy Metal: FAKK2 almost exactly on par with its PC counterpart. --T. Covert Related Links: - Heavy Metal: FAKK2 - Contraband Entertainment - Ritual Entertainment - Gathering of Developers

Mac gamers receive first copies of Deus Ex (posted @ 5:15 pm EST):

We've received word from Mac users in Oklahoma and Delaware that their copies of Deus Ex for the Mac were received today from Aspyr Media Headquarters in Austin, Texas. Others who pre-ordered directly from the company should expect their copies sometime in the next few days. For those who haven't ordered the game yet and would like to, you can take advantage of the two deals we've set up for our readers: Deus Ex - $41 Deus Ex + Prima Strategy Guide - $51 Hundreds of Mac users have already placed their orders using this hot deal...shouldn't you, too? --T. Covert Related Links: - MGL Preview of Deus Ex - Deus Ex - Westlake Interactive - Aspyr Media - Ion Storm

Vicarious Visions releases Terminus 1.5 (posted @ 5:00 pm EST):

Vicarious Visions has released yet another patch for Terminus, their 3D persistent space role-playing combat game for the Mac, PC and Linux. This latest version includes the following common and Mac-specific bugs: COMMON: Fixed ending cutscene crash in multiplayer COMMON: Removed unnecessary military contract window COMMON: Fixed crash when starting game with invalid ship COMMON: Fixed overwriting invalid save games COMMON: Fixed adding gadgets to canisters COMMON: Fixed cargo scooping canisters with ammo COMMON: NPCs no longer post strike contracts on bases COMMON: Fixed /target command COMMON: Fixed issues with damaged fuel and energy systems in cargo bay COMMON: Fixed erroreous password mismatches in multiplayer games COMMON: Fixed round switching for in-game dedicated servers hosting melee games COMMON: Automatically switches current weapon when it is sold or moved COMMON: Removes stored ships when abandoning saved multiplayer game COMMON: Added ship cost display when selling a ship COMMON: Displays stored ships at Asteroid Outpost in Personal Info COMMON: Fixed ship scrollbar in Personal Info COMMON: Fixed frequency types when restoring save game COMMON: Fixed obscure memory leak COMMON: Fixed bug where ignoring players ignores one-liners COMMON: Fixed acknowledge page button COMMON: Modified comm text delay COMMON: Prevent empty comm messages from sending COMMON: Various script fixes COMMON: Added code to workaround future NPC ID Already In Use messages COMMON: Fixed duplicate ship names and NPC names COMMON: Fixed several spelling errors MAC: Multiplayer error messages are drawn MAC: Increased memory handles to fix DRP MAC: Added dialog box when joining multiplayer games from Game Ranger MAC: Added buffer to help prevent some out of memory errors MAC: Added support for more keys MAC: Improved resolution switching code, again MAC: Fixed Voodoo 3 resolution switching MAC: Added workaround for Game Ranger bug that prevented joining some multiplayer games MAC: Fixed issues with joining games rapidly in succession Notes: The changes in this version necessitated moving the multiplayer version up to 1.1. In order to use this patch in a multiplayer game, both the server and the client must be upgraded. Although several scripting errors where corrected in this patch, games saved with older versions of Terminus may still experience these errors as save game files actually store some scripts. If you are experiencing script errors after patching, try using a save game that was saved early in the storyline. Download Terminus 1.1 to 1.5 Updater (983K) Download Terminus 1.4 to 1.5 Updater (813K) Updaters for those currently at a version other than 1..1 or 1.4 are available from the Terminus Downloads Page. --T. Covert Related Links: - Terminus - Vicarious Visions - Vatical Entertainment

Fuffy.com releases Fuffy 2.1.1 (posted @ 4:50 pm EST):

Fuffy.com has released an updated version of their multiplayer dice game for the Mac, Fuffy, similar to yahtzee, yatzee, kniffel or yacht. Fuffy version 2.1.1 incorporates bug fixes in the Score Sheet and in entering keyboard shortcuts. The Score Sheet can now only be shown in a multi-player game, while command-keystrokes entered while the dice are rolling no longer result in score entry into an inappropriate category. Fuffy 2.1.1 is distributed as shareware, with a single player license fee of US $15. Download Fuffy 2.1.1 (1.4 MB) This item is provided by the MGL Download Center. --T. Covert Related Links: - Fuffy - Fuffy.com

Baldur's Gate to ship next Monday (posted @ 4:30 pm EST):

Graphic Simulations Corporation President Jeff Morgan dropped us a line to let us know that Baldur's Gate will begin shipping next Monday, July 17th. In addition, the game will be on sale next week at Macworld Conference & Expo 2000 in New York's Jacob K. Javitz Center which runs from July 19th through the 21st. The game was first announced for the Mac over a year ago and has been one of the most highly anticipated role-playing games on the platform. --T. Covert Related Links: - MGL Preview of Baldur's Gate - Baldur's Gate - Rosetta - Graphic Simulations Corporation - Bioware

MGL launches new gaming forums (posted @ 4:20 pm EST):

We are happy to announce that MacGamer's Ledge FINALLY has permanent discussion forums! We know you probably have found others around the net, but hopefully you will enjoy ours more and use it to discuss and post all of your gaming concerns. Our forum software is considered by many to be one of the best forum software packages out there, so please kick the tires and use it! We're still considering other forum sections and titles, and we've created a forum for you to place your suggestions! Some forums will require that you register to post new topics, while most forums allow you to reply without registering. Each registered user can set some preferences to limit or eliminate cookies (often required by forums) and to limit the number of items you see in the forum. We've even got a forum set up for Macworld Expo NY for you to post your rumors, thoughts, and aspirations on the show this month. So please visit our forums often and contribute! --M. Dixon Related Links: - MGL Forums

Big Game Giveaway ends with a bang (posted @ 1:00 pm EST):

Today, MacLotto.com and MGL will be giving away five cool Mac games to instant winners at MacLotto.com. The games include Deus Ex, Baldur's Gate, Terminus, Scrabble and The Sims for the Mac. Five games; five winners. You can't win unless you play. Yesterday, two lucky people instantly won copies of 'Terminus' from Vatical Entertainment and 'Scrabble' from MacSoft: Stephan Trouten - Terminus winner Jason Tree - Scrabble winner MacLotto.com offers a friendly, fun atmosphere and simple entry. Users simply login, choose six numbers from the MacLotto.com play card, and enter the sweepstakes. MacLotto.com draws random numbers each weekday. If a user matches just four of six numbers, that user wins a prize. During instant win days, any player can win immediately upon entry! MacLotto.com is holding this week-long promotion in conjunction with MacGamer's Ledge, the one-stop source for Mac gaming news and reviews. With thousands of dollars worth of prizes given away each month, MacLotto.com will be a 'first stop' for many web surfers. Registration and play card are available at http://www.maclotto.com/. MacLotto.com is a division of privately-held Infamus Software of Temple, Texas. MacLotto.com is a trademark. MacLotto.com sweepstakes is open to residents of the US and Canada. --T. Covert Related Links: - MacLotto.com

A Drop of the Hard Stuff (posted @ 1:00 pm EST):

Some links are courtesy MacSurfer's Headline News. MacSpeedZone looks at the Newer processor upgrades. MacNN notes that the iMac 350 has been discontinued. Bloomberg thinks ATI will lose some of Apple's business. Xlr8yourmac has 3Dfx Press Release on Mac Voodoo5, with quotes from John Carmack and Mark Adams. DealMac found the the 3dfx Voodoo5 5500 PCI graphics card being preordered at $329.95. --R. Adams Related Links: - MacSurfer's Headline News

Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation goes gold (posted @ 06/01 4:30 pm EST):

Westlake Interactive co-founder Ken Cobb made a post to Usenet today with word that they've finished work on Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation and that Tomb Raider 3 Gold work would begin soon. "...We just went final on TR4 this week, so TR3 Gold can start getting some attention now. I'm not sure when it will be done, but it shouldn't take too long." According to sources at Aspyr Media, Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation for the Mac will begin shipping early next week. It's your last chance to pre-order your copy and get one of the first copies off the press! --T. Covert Related Links: - MGL Sneak Peek of Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation - Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation - Westlake Interactive - Aspyr Media - CORE Design

Industry reaction to id's DOOM announcement (posted @ 06/01 4:20 pm EST):

Following this morning's announcement that id Software's next title would be a remake of their classic DOOM (story), Stomped contacted a handful of notable industry names to get their reaction to the announcement. Chris Hargroves at 3D Realms, programmer on Duke Nukem Forever, came forth with probably the most clear and level-headed response. "I don't there's anything seriously significant about it. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed Doom and Doom2 and have no doubt that another incarnation would be enjoyable to play. Doom itself was a major booster towards the creation of the first-person shooter genre that we know so well today, and was itself quite significant. But now that the genre is well established, it is unrealistic to think that a successor would have anywhere near the impact as the original. So, I don't have any real "reaction" beyond that of normal anticipation for a new product that I look forward to playing." "What is most important in the end is whether or not the game is fun, and whether it can be successful in the marketplace at the same time. I think a Doom successor/remake has the opportunity to be both, and I wish id well in their efforts." This new remake of DOOM will only run on Mac OS X on the Mac side, Apple's next-generation operating system which will begin its public appearance with a public beta release this summer and its first official release early next year. --T. Covert Related Links: - Stomped - id Software

RUNE interview with Jeff DeWitt (posted @ 06/01 3:05 pm EST):

RuneNews.com has published an interview with Human Head Software's Jeff DeWitt, Lead Animator on the company's upcoming third-person 3D melee-combat Viking action game, RUNE. Those big-arsed weapons Ragnar's carrying . . . man, those are awesome. Can you please go through the list of weapons and discuss what they do, how they give the player the sense of Ragnar's bodily strength (a la Soul Caliber's Astaroth) etc.? I don't really want to go through a list of weapons because I'd like the player to experience as much of the game with out knowing it first. As everyone knows we have 18 weapons currently and a few other objects up our sleeves. Each weapon will have it's own advantages, the weapon the player chooses will most likely depend on the situation and preference. We're trying to make each weapon unique so Ragnar's fighting styles will change as he changes weapons. Hammers won't cut limbs off but they will destroy shields very quickly were a sword might not break down a shield, but you can cut off the arm that's holding the shield and then you don't have to worry about it. Smaller weapons will be faster, they might not cause as much damage but you're more likely to hit a fast moving creature like able a goblin. As the game progresses we'll introduce the much larger two handed weapons that everyone is anticipating, these will be slower but they pack quite a punch. All in all the player will have many different ways to take out any foe that might challenge him or her. RUNE is in development for the Mac and PC with the Mac version being developed by a third-party developer simultaneously with PC development. --T. Covert Related Links: - RuneNews.com - RUNE - Human Head Studios - Gathering of Developers

Interview with id Software's Todd Hollenshead (posted @ 06/01 2:55 pm EST):

Evil Avatar has published an interview with id Software CEO Todd Hollenshead about the upcoming mission pack Quake III: Team Arena, the DreamCast version of Quake III in development and the somewhat disappointing Mac and Linux sales of Quake III: Arena... I think ID broke some kind of record by releasing Q3A on THREE platforms simultaneously (Linux, the MacOS and Windows). Although you're a business guy, can you say anything about the development (and problems that I'm betting came up) for these operating system? One thing is that it extended programmer crunch time until all versions were done, and that can be a bit frustrating to be "done", but not really. One thing that we were hoping to see partly as a result of the simultaneous launch is much greater multiples of what we have sold on other titles on the Mac and Linux platforms, but it just didn't happen. I could throw out a bunch of rationalizations as to why that was the case, but I think the honest answer is that just the vast majority of game buyers run Windows and buy Windows games. Poor sales of Quake III: Arena on the Mac have long been suspected but this is really the first time that the news has been clearly confirmed. --T. Covert Related Links: - Evil Avatar - Quake III: Arena - id Software - Activision

Conversion of Myth II maps to Myth: TFL (posted @ 06/01 2:15 pm EST):

Daniel Grant contacted us about a project he's involved in called Project Magma, an organized group effort to convert maps from Myth II: Soulblighter to Myth: The Fallen Lords. Despite numerous roadblocks such as few tools for the original game, a less-advanced architecture and general problems arising in the conversion process, they've managed to accomplish their goal by converting five maps from Myth II to Myth: The Fallen Lords: "Gyre & Gimble in the Wabe", "Drowned Kingdom / Empire", "Clash / Cracks in the Cloudspine", "Dead Man's Chest / Float" and "Dead of Winter". All five maps can be downloaded from the Project Magma web site. "What's the point?" I'm hearing you ask. "Why don't they just play the maps in Myth II?" Project Magma's ChrisP answers that question... "M2's game engine has to work hard to manage a large variety of models, scenery, units, animations and render a detailed map in 3D", says ChrisP. "By porting M2 maps to M1, M2 players can use the faster, smoother M1 engine for an all-round better netplay experience, and M1 players can rejuvenate play with a whole new bunch of units and terrains." For those who have neither game or one or the other, you can pick up your own copy of both Myth: The Fallen Lords, Myth II: Soulblighter and a slew of other goodies in a sub-$20 package called Myth: The Total Codex. --T. Covert Related Links: - Myth: The Total Codex - Bungie Software - Project Magma

Sound advice for gamers (posted @ 06/01 2:05 pm EST):

In the latest Wasting Time with the Idiots at Mac Observer, Gary and Randy take a look at the Monsoon MM-1000 computer speakers; two flat-panel sattelite speakers and a 25-watt subwoofer. Why did Gary choose this speaker setup? Gary: Because the key to accurate 3D sound from a 2 speaker setup is extremely focused sound. The flat panel speakers can deliver sound very directionally. This means that very few soundwaves are bouncing off of other objects, like your monitor and other obstructions. Therefore, games that use various types of 3D sound technologies work better with these speakers. Learn more about these speakers are other sound advice in "Wasting Time with the Idiots: Sound Advice for Gamers". For an in-depth look at more speaker options for your Mac, check out our Budget-Priced Speakers Round-up and our Mid-priced Speakers Roundup. --T. Covert Related Links: - The Mac Observer

MGL Review of Sid Meier's Alien Crossfire (posted @ 06/01 1:00 pm EST):

Today we've published our review of Sid Meier's Alien Crossfire, the expansion pack to Alpha Centauri, written by MGL Contributing Editor Dave Peck. The game continues the story started in Alpha Centauri and brings some more turn-based strategy warfare to your Mac. "The bold mission to give the human race a new start began with Alpha Centauri. Starting as a cooperative effort, the mission took a startling twist as the explorers, divided by insurmountable differences, broke into seven groups. Unable to live and let live, they became consumed by competition and hostility as each faction strove to dominate the planet." To see how the game stacks up, head to our review of Sid Meier's Alien Crossfire. --T. Covert Related Links: - Sid Meier's Alien Crossfire Introduction Movie - Sid Meier's Alien Crossfire - Westlake Interactive - Aspyr Media - Firaxis Games

Free Ambrosia CDs in June (posted @ 06/01 1:00 pm EST):

Ambrosia Software today announced that all this month Mac users can get their hands on an Ambrosia CD packed with all of the company's products FOR FREE. "A wave of Summer Fever has hit the Rochester, NY headquarters of Ambrosia Software, Inc., triggering a slew of irrational decisions by el Presidente Andrew Welch. His mandate? Get rid of the newly-pressed Ambrosia CD 5 at all costs, or else Ambrosia's African Grey Parrot, Hector D. Byrd gets tossed on the BBQ and basted to tender perfection." "Welch's increasingly hostile threats against the Ambrosia mascot have reached the point where they must be taken seriously: a mediation team has been called in, with Janet Reno pleading for "...a peaceful, measured solution to the situation." Protesters from the Friends of African Avians (FAA) have formed a human wall around the Ambrosia compound, vowing to block the el Presidente's access to his own office, and preventing him from harming a feather on Hector's head." "Why Welch wants the Ambrosia CD 5 disposed of is unknown; this spiff CD contains demo versions of all of Ambrosia's award-winning games and utilities, including the recently released smash hit Ferazel's Wand and other goodies. If your modem has more enthusiasm than ability to download the 20mb+ Ferazel's Wand demo, or any of Ambrosia's other games, now's your chance to grab them all on CD." To get your own Ambrosia Software CD, head to http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/news/promo/. The offer ends June 31st or when supplies are exhausted and is limited to one CD per customer. --T. Covert Related Links: - Ambrosia Software

First character biographies from Elite Force (posted @ 06/01 1:00 pm EST):

pc.ign.com has published the first two character biographies from Raven Software's Star Trek-inspired Quake III-engine shooter, Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force. The biographies detail two members of the Hazard Team, Alexandria Munro and Kendrick Biessman, which includes a look at both characters as they appear in the game. Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force will be coming to the Mac, although details are sketchy on who will be developing it and when it will be released. Raven Software has already indicated that the multiplayer part of the game, known as Holomatch, is already running on the Mac. --T. Covert Related Links: - pc.ign.com - Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force - Raven Software - Activision

Remake of DOOM in development at id (posted @ 06/01 1:00 pm EST):

While Return to Castle Wolfenstein is garnering lots of attention for Gray Matter Studios as they recreate id Software's classic first-person shooter, id Software's John Carmack updated his .plan today with fine details on how the decision came to fruition for the company to use today's stunning technology to remake another of their classic first-person shooters: DOOM. "Well, this is going to be an interesting .plan update." "Most of this is not really public business, but if some things aren't stated explicitly, it will reflect unfairly on someone." "As many people have heard discussed, there was quite a desire to remake DOOM as our next project after Q3. Discussing it brought an almost palpable thrill to most of the employees, but Adrian had a strong enough dislike for the idea that it was shot down over and over again." "Design work on an alternate game has been going on in parallel with the mission pack development and my research work." "Several factors, including a general lack of enthusiasm for the proposed plan, the warmth that Wolfenstien was met with at E3, and excitement about what we can do with the latest rendering technology were making it seem more and more like we weren't going down the right path." "I discussed it with some of the other guys, and we decided that it was important enough to drag the company through an unpleasant fight over it." "An ultimatum was issued to Kevin and Adrian(who control >50% of the company): We are working on DOOM for the next project unless you fire us." "Obviously no fun for anyone involved, but the project direction was changed, new hires have been expedited, and the design work has begun." "It wasn't planned to announce this soon, but here it is: We are working on a new DOOM game, focusing on the single player game experience, and using brand new technology in almost every aspect of it. That is all we are prepared to say about the game for quite some time, so don't push for interviews. We will talk about it when things are actually built, to avoid giving misleading comments." "It went smoother than expected, but the other shoe dropped yesterday." "Kevin and Adrian fired Paul Steed in retaliation, over my opposition." "Paul has certainly done things in the past that could be grounds for dismissal, but this was retaliatory for him being among the "conspirators"." "I happen to think Paul was damn good at his job, and that he was going to be one of the most valuable contributors to DOOM." "We need to hire two new modeler/animator/cinematic director types. If you have a significant commercial track record in all three areas, and consider yourself at the top of your field, send your resume to Kevin Cloud." This announcement will certainly come as a delight to fans of the original DOOM and DOOM II while others might be less-than-thrilled to see id fall back on their trusted franchise instead of heading in a completely new direction with their next title. As John Carmack has made it clear in the past, this new DOOM game will only be developed for Mac OS X on the Mac side (no support for Mac OS 9 and earlier). --T. Covert Related Links: - Webdog - id Software

Preview of Deus Ex (posted @ 06/01 1:00 pm EST):

Well Rounded Entertainment has published their preview of Deus Ex, the upcoming action/adventure/role-playing game from Ion Storm. The game's main unique feature is its open-ended gameplay and plot where the player chooses exactly how they want to play as opposed to be told by the game designer how they're going to play the game... "If you choose to take a more pacifist approach to the game, you won't have to worry quite so much about hitting the enemy (since you'll sneak up behind them with a stun gun or club whenever possible), but you'll have to be much more aware of your environment. Moving with stealth isn't always easy. You have to constantly stay out of the enemy's line of site (easy enough with one soldier, but increasingly difficult if he has friends in the room); be careful not to bump into something as you crawl (nudge a barrel or box and it will drag loudly across the floor, alerting any nearby enemies); and keep an eye out for the wildlife. Pigeons are as skittish here as they are in the real world. And when soldiers see a flurry of activity from birds that were fine a few minutes ago, they figure out where you're hiding. As for getting through locked doors, you'll have to pick locks, hack power modules and find other covert ways of breaking and entering if you want to stay under the enemy radar." Deus Ex for the Mac is currently under development at Westlake Interactive and will be published mere weeks behind the PC version by Aspyr Media. --T. Covert Related Links: - Deus Ex - Westlake Interactive - Aspyr Media - Ion Storm

A Drop of the Hard Stuff (posted @ 06/01 1:00 pm EST):

Some links are courtesy MacSurfer's Headline News. Low End Mac has reader feedback from its cheap G3/G4 upgrade article. The MacMind has a class on fixing/recovering almost any Hard Drive . Mac OS Planet tells us how to add USB to a PowerBook for under $17. MacFormat reviews the G4 500. The Mac Mind asks, "Will Apple choose Motorola or IBM?" MacWEEK finds out what makes a professionsl graphics card. MacFixIt talks about problems with the Macally iKey keyboard. DealMac found the Global Village Teleport 56k v.90 modem for $43. --R. Adams Related Links: - MacSurfer's Headline News

Fact of the Day (posted @ 06/01 1:00 pm EST):

Jason Whong of Green Dragon Creations went to college and worked closely with a cofounder of Vicarious Visions (developer of Terminus), Evan Rubenstein. There, they collaborated on the 1994 color version of Fungus (version 2.0) by Ryan Koopmans. As fate would have it, Evan exited the game industry by leaving Vicarious Visions about the same time that Jason entered it when he joined Ambrosia Software in 1997 (in Evan's hometown of Rochester, NY). Related Links: - Green Dragon Creations - Ambrosia Software - Vicarious Visions

Early look at Digital Extremes' Dark Sector (posted @ 05/31 6:45 pm EST):

Darker Sector recently had the opportunity to visit Digital Extremes, co-developer of Unreal Tournament and now working on a combination of first-person shooter and massively multiplayer online role-playing games which they're calling Dark Sector. As they were treated to an early look at the game, one of the game's main new enhancements of the Unreal Tournament engine is the seamless integration of space flight... "The final element of Dark Sector that everybody seems to be interested is the space flight. The flying itself bears an uncanny semblance to Freespace. Those of you who have played the game know it as an extremely fast-paced, action centered space sim. Dark Sector pretty much holds to this. The space itself is absolutely beautiful. A large planet rotates in the background, far from the ship. That's right, it rotates. Unlike the planets in Unreal Tournament, or Homeworld, you can watch the planet move slowly about its axis. The effect is more beautiful than words can describe. In the vicinity of the base was one of the "hypergates" that I was told about several weeks ago by Pancho. The hypergate was simply a ship-sized blue orb contained within a metal barrier that, when flown through, would transport the ship to another area. The act of getting into the ship, which I'm sure many of you are interested in, was done ingeniously. The base itself had a bay area with many teleporters. Stepping into a teleporter transported the player to his or her ship. I am quite sure that space combat will play just as important of a role in Dark Sector as the stations themselves." Digital Extremes' James Schmalz told MGL simmediately following the announcement of the game that Dark Sector would be coming to the Mac via a third-party developer (much like Westlake Interactive did on Unreal Tournament). --T. Covert Related Links: - Darker Sector - Dark Sector - Digital Extremes

3E D&D character generator for Mac (posted @ 05/31 6:35 pm EST):

Eric Noah's D&D 3rd Edition News site spotted a post from Fluid Entertainment's Scott Mathews regarding a possible Mac version of the 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons Character Generator. "I just thought I would drop a line and say hello and throw out some info about the Char Gen." "1. Currently built for the PC. Mac port is still under consideration by Wizards." Wizards of the Coast has been keeping very quiet about details on the 3rd Edition Dungeons and Dragons as well as those companies who have licensed the 3E rules for creating games such as Bioware's Neverwinter Nights, a game targeted for release in Spring 2001 for the Mac, PC, Linux and BeOS. --T. Covert Related Links: - Eric Noah's D&D 3rd Edition News - Wizards of the Coast

Black & White interview with Richard Evans (posted @ 05/31 6:10 pm EST):

The Citadel has posted a 42 MB MPEG movie featuring an interview with Lionhead Studios' Richard Evans who is programming the AI for the company's upcoming role-playing/strategy god game, Black & White. They've also posted a smaller 6 MB movie featuring Peter Molyneux announcing the open-sourcing of the game. Black & White will be released for the Mac following the PC release, although details have yet to be announced on who will be developing and publishing the Mac version. --T. Covert Related Links: - Black & White - Lionhead Studios - Electronic Arts

June release of Mac RS racing wheel (posted @ 05/31 6:00 pm EST):

MacGaming is reporting today that ACT Labs will be releasing their USB RS racing wheel for the Mac in late June. As evidenced in our E3 Photo Gallery, ACT Labs was displaying their wheel running on a Power Mac with LucasArts' Star Wars Episode 1: Racer. The two photos in our E3 Photo Gallery show MGL Hardware Guru Ryan Adams trying out the wheel as well as a closer shot at how the wheel and pedals look. --T. Covert Related Links: - RS Racing Wheel - ACT Labs

More video footage of Tribes 2 (posted @ 05/31 5:40 pm EST):

incite has posted a 60 MB movie of Tribes 2 which was originally included with the CD accompanying their magazine. The movie features both footage of the squad-based 3D shooter in action and short interviews with members of the development team at Dynamix Software. Dynamix Software's Dave Georgeson recently made it clear that the team was focusing on the PC version first while the Mac and Linux versions would be put together following the PC release. --T. Covert Related Links: - incite - Tribes 2 - Dynamix Software - Sierra Studios

MGL Giveaway of Traitor's Gate ends tonight (posted @ 05/31 5:35 pm EST):

Today is your last chance to sign up for our giveaway of Traitor's Gate from Daydream Software. The sign-up form could be pulled at any moment so head there now before it's too late! --T. Covert Related Links: - Traitor's Gate - Daydream Software

Simon the Sorcerer 3D interview with Andrew Brazier (posted @ 05/31 5:00 am EST):

GameSpy.com has published an interview with Headfirst Productions' Andrew Brazier who discusses the company's upcoming 3D adventure game, Simon the Sorcerer 3D. Is there any action in the game? Not really - there is no fighting or jumping about. There are some 'sub-games', which present a refreshing change in the gameplay, but it's all about solving puzzles and exploration, not running about killing things. We hope that it will appeal to those gamers who are maybe tired of (or perhaps just don't like) the mass of violent action games that are around that the moment. Simon 1 and 2 have previously appealed to all ages, from 8 to 80, and we hope this game will do the same. Simon the Sorcerer 3D will be released for the PC this summer with a Mac version to follow later this year. --T. Covert Related Links: - GameSpy.com - Simon the Sorcerer 3D - Headfirst Productions - Adventuresoft

MGL Preview of Scrabble (posted @ 05/31 5:00 am EST):

MGL Contributing Editor and Columnist Erica Marceau has written a preview of Scrabble, the upcoming crosswords game from MacSoft and Westlake Interactive. The GameRanger-compatible game is currently in the final stages of development at Westlake Interactive, and armed with a late beta Erica began her descent into the world of words... "If you enjoy words and expanding your vocabulary while having a fun time, you will enjoy playing Scrabble. MacSoft is preparing to release a newly updated version of this classic board game from Hasbro Interactive in June 2000, so let's find out what we've got to look forward to..." Dig it -- MGL Preview of Scrabble. --T. Covert Related Links: - Scrabble - Westlake Interactive - MacSoft - Hasbro Interactive

Update on Shogo: Mobile Armor Division (posted @ 05/31 5:00 am EST):

Titan Computer, currently working on the Mac and Amiga versions of Shogo: Mobile Armor Division, contacted us late yesterday with an update on the progress of the Mac version. The Mac port of "Shogo: MAD" has entered an early beta-stage. Server Completed and fully tested with a PC client. Client Sound: The Shogo sound-system was succesfully converted and is now fully functional. Input: The input-system is fully implemented. Shogo can be played using keyboard, mouse and joysticks/joypads. Joysticks and joypads support InputSprockets. Network play: Configuration of a network game (host or client) is now possible using a GUI. Software-renderer: The software-renderer has been up and running for some time now. The original Windows software-renderer was improved upon by replacing the transparency code. Hyperion was contracted by Monolith to develop the software renderer for LithTech V2 for Windows. The possibility of porting back the LithTech V2 software renderer to LithTech V1.5 for use with Shogo is being examined. This would allow for faster and more visually pleasing software rendering. Hardware renderer: A lot of progress was made converting the D3D renderer to OpenGL with some problems remaining (e.g. incorrect texture-coordinates) which will be addressed during the first week of June. Memory consumption: Memory-consumption still needs to be reduced further. Shogo: Mobile Armor Division uses the LithTech engine from Monolith and the work done in porting the original LithTech will help tremendously in porting the LithTech 2.0 engine to the Mac. --T. Covert Related Links: - Shogo: Mobile Armor Division - Titan Computer - Monolith

A Drop of the Hard Stuff (posted @ 05/31 5:00 am EST):

Some links are courtesy MacSurfer's Headline News. Low End Mac describes how slot-loading drives and laptops could be a dangerous combination. The MacMind has a class on fixing/recovering almost any Hard Drive. MacAddict cures some of your Mac aliments. The Mac Observer hands out "sound" advice with the Idiots. ZDNet AnchorDesk tells how much "free" DSL really costs. MacFixIt has a report on Newer Technology noting a G4 upgrade problem. DealMac found the 6-port Ethernet Hub costs $34.99 before a $15 mail-in rebate, $19.99 after. --R. Adams Related Links: - MacSurfer's Headline News

Fact of the Day (posted @ 05/31 5:00 am EST):

While Tropico supports 3D acceleration through OpenGL on the Mac, the software mode will still look quite good and could even be faster depending on the 3D card which is being used. 3D acceleration is used minimally in Tropico for things like alpha blending techniques in clouds and water. For more on the upcoming game from PopTop Software and Gathering of Developers, check out the MGL Sneak Peek of Tropico. Related Links: - Tropico - PopTop Software - Gathering of Developers

Preview of French Touch Software's WaterRace (posted @ 05/30 6:30 pm EST):

MacGaming has published a preview of WaterRace, the boat racing game for the Mac in development at French Touch Software, a group of programmers and artists who are working on the game in their spare time. "WaterRace is similar in implementation to arcade and console games like Hydro Thunder: The basic gameplay puts players in the cockpits of a variety of different high-speed racing boats. Players must traverse a series of increasingly complicated and challenging courses that incorporate a variety of terrain and gameplay elements. WaterRace is based on a custom-designed 3D engine for the Mac called Infinity 3D." "Players must place in the top three spots in each race to progress. Players go up against seven competitors, and if they place high enough in rankings at the end of each race, they're awarded bonus points -- those points are then used to progress to more difficult and challenging races, and they also open up a wider variety of boats to choose from. The game culminates in a head-to-head race against Leah, the Grand Champion, on a special course." WaterRace uses RAVE for 3D acceleration and requires a RAVE-compatible 3D graphics card and G3 computer or better. --T. Covert Related Links: - MacGaming - WaterRace - French Touch Software

Interview with Ambrosia Software's Andrew Welch (posted @ 05/30 6:20 pm EST):

In the latest edition of Playmakers at MacGaming, Jaap "jot" Tuinman has published his interview with Ambrosia Software President Andrew Welch who drops some hints and screenshots about the company's upcoming Mac games. "Deimos Rising is a spectacular sequel to Mars Rising -- it's everything you liked about Mars Rising but bigger, better, and more feature-rich. David Wareing, the author of Mars Rising and the upcoming Deimos Rising, has done in incredible job with the 16 bit rendering engine -- alpha blended transparencies, deformable terrain, and the mass-destruction fun that made people love Mars Rising." "Pop-Pop is an extremely interesting and addictive cross of Arkanoid (breakout-style games) and fighting games (such as Super Street Fighter), with it's own biting sense of humor and unique gameplay. Pop-Pop definitely has a style all it's own -- you can also pick up your war-paddle and play other people over the Internet, which is a blast (literally). Expect good things." For the rest of the interview with Andrew Welch, check out "Playmakers: Ambrosia gives a sneak peek at new games". --T. Covert Related Links: - MacGaming - Deimos Rising - Pop-Pop - Ambrosia Software

New Summoner screenshots and trailer (posted @ 05/30 8:00 am EST):

Following Volition's recent accomplishment of implementing hi-res on the Playstation 2 version of Summoner, Daily Radar has posted exclusive new screenshots of Summoner on the Playstation 2 as well as an awesome new Summoner trailer in AVI format. The trailer, which comes in both a large and small version, runs 38 seconds and shows Joseph summoning a Red Minotaur who he then uses to do some of his dirty work. Joseph then casts a curse spell on a nearby foe to end the clip. The trailer really showcases the intuitive interface for summoning, controlling and switching between characters as well as the awesome graphical effects that the engine brings to the table. Summoner will be released for the Playstation 2 this Fall with Mac and PC versions (multiplayer added) to follow in Q1 2001. --T. Covert Related Links: - Daily Radar - Summoner - Volition - THQ

Last chance to vote for Moofie Awards (posted @ 05/30 7:50 am EST):

Tomorrow Applelinks.com will shut down voting on the First Annual Moofie Awards, a new awards contest aimed at recognizing the best Mac games. There are twwelve different categories to vote in including Best Game, Best Developer, Best Original Score and Best Visual Effects. A few voters will be randomly selected to receive prizes. --T. Covert Related Links: - Applelinks.com

New Total Annihilation Map of the Week (posted @ 05/30 7:00 am EST):

Right on schedule, our weekly TA Tuesday features a Total Annihilation Map of the Week selected by Bruce and David Payan. This week's selection is The Battle for Heaven's Gate, a great map from David Mann which features some new tiles and other surprises. "This is a fairly large map that supports up to 8 start positions. I would suggest that using all 8 would make things a little crowded, but anything up to 4-6 players/AI's would be fine. In addition to the huge central island fort, there are six other smaller forts scattered about the map. Two are on the small islands north and south of the main island, and the rest are on the mainland that surrounds the water. The map is well-endowed with metal and geothermal vents, especially the main central island which has lots of metal." For more on The Battle for Heaven's Gate or dozens of other maps, head to the MGL Total Annihilation Map of the Week. --T. Covert Related Links: - MGL Gaming Resources - Westlake Interactive - MacSoft

All new ShareCore covers Mac shareware games (posted @ 05/30 6:55 am EST):

Vincent Lewis let us know that ShareCore has been significantly revamped since we last mentioned the site a few weeks ago. The site now has some recent news and a handful of Mac shareware game reviews. Check it out for complete coverage of Mac shareware games. For our own coverage of Mac shareware, check out the MGL Shareware Center featuring some fine writing by Dan Daranciang and Pat Miller. --T. Covert Related Links: - ShareCore

MGL's E3 Photo Gallery posted (posted @ 05/30 5:00 am EST):

Just before we closed shop for the weekend last Friday, we published our much-anticipated photo gallery from this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo 2000. The gallery includes a lot of great pictures with the following notable highlights: MGL's Mike Dixon and Ryan Adams with Playboy Playmates Bungie Software staff behind-the-scenes Lucy Clarkson (the new Lara Croft) up-close and personal Summoner Lead Programmer Mark Allender A rare photo of GameRanger creator Scott Kevill Duke Nukem An up-close look at the ACT Labs Wheel for the Mac Lots of booth photos Lots and lots of booth babes... So what are you waiting for? Head to our E3 Photo Gallery and experience the world's largest entertainment expo. --T. Covert Related Links: - Electronic Entertainment Expo

Update to MacMAME released (posted @ 05/30 5:00 am EST):

John Butler, Aaron Giles and Brad Oliver have released a new version of the popular arcade emulator, MacMAME 0.37b3. This new version includes the following changes: In sync with the DOS 0.37 beta 3 build. [Aaron Giles] Minor bugfix in the Z80 core for the Leland games. [Aaron Giles] Download MacMAME 0.37b3 (2.7 MB) This item is provided by the MGL Download Center. --T. Covert Related Links: - MacMAME

Interview with Westlake Interactive's Mark Adams (posted @ 05/30 5:00 am EST):

TheMacMind.com has published an interview with Westlake Interactive President Mark Adams which covers some history about Mark and the company and his thoughts on recent developments in Mac games. What do you think Apple needs to do to make the Mac more of a gaming platform? It's a pretty long list right now. Development tools are high on the list- with the recent announcement that Sprockets won't exist in OS X, Apple is definitely falling behind Windows as far as useful tools for game developers. Hardware-wise, Apple really needs to open up the market to third party 3D acceleration- getting 3Dfx Voodoo5 as a build to order option at the Apple store is a start. Getting other cards on the Mac like nVidia's would be a logical next step. And helping these 3D card manufacturers tweak their drivers to work well with OS9 (and OS X) is also important. On the marketing side, Apple has to do something to increase games' retail presence. Being able to buy games at Sears, or Best Buy, or even Walmart would be a huge help. Many hit Mac games in the past couple years have been limited not by demand, but by the fact that many Mac users that might be a game simply couldn't find any in local stores. Many people don't live with 100 miles of a CompUSA, and games are such an impulse buy they aren't as likely to be purchased over the web. Westlake Interactive is currently working on Scrabble, Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, Deus Ex, The Sims and an unannounced title which Mark drops some hints on in the interview above. --T. Covert Related Links: - TheMacMind.com - Westlake Interactive

Confuware to releases Harvest Moon Gold for Mac (posted @ 05/30 5:00 am EST):

MacDuff at Confuware Technologies let us know that they plan on releasing a Mac version of Harvest Moon Gold, an advanced version of the original classic Harvest Moon on the SNES. The title has been in development for two months and takes the great aspects of the original hit a step further; making the game longer, more interactive, and introduces the GUI as an extra little user friendly aspect. The first look at Harvest Moon Gold should be available this coming Wednesday, as a desktop picture at MacDesktops. If Harvest Moon Gold is anything like the classic, this game should be a treat! --T. Covert Related Links: - Harvest Moon 64

Sign-ups begin for Myth World Cup 2000 (posted @ 05/30 5:00 am EST):

Jason Beach, organizer for this year's big team Myth II tournament, has announced that sign-ups have begun for Myth World Cup 2000. The tournament will include nearly 500 players and 96 teams and include nearly three months of intense competition among teams. MWC 2000 is a double-elimination tournament consisting of one qualifying and eight elimination rounds, packed with over 25 different map/game combinations. The MWC web page will include follow-ups to all of these games, including final results, films and statistics, allowing players to examine their enemy or allowing the casual fan to see which team is in the lead. --T. Covert Related Links: - Myth World Cup - Myth II: Soulblighter - Bungie Software

A Drop of the Hard Stuff (posted @ 05/30 5:00 am EST):

Some links are courtesy MacSurfer's Headline News. The Mac Mind has a new piece, The Game Tamer: Mac Gaming for Dummies. Low End Mac has an overview of the Power Macintosh G4/350, 400. Daily iMac tells us where to get a new iMac/350s with free 64MB RAM for $999. MacInstruct give us a guide on speeding up start up. The Mac Night Owl reviews some simple trouble shooting tactics. About.com gives 101 tips and tricks for Mac users. HolyMac has a review of the new Optical Logitech mouse up. DealMac found the PowerLogix PowerForce G3 350/175 512k PCI processor upgrade for $179.99, the lowest price they know to be available. UPS Ground is $10.50. --R. Adams Related Links: - MacSurfer's Headline News

Fact of the Day (posted @ 05/30 5:00 am EST):

Deus Ex is played entirely at night. Deus Ex is under development for the Mac at Westlake Interactive and will be published by Aspyr Media shortly following the PC release. Aspyr is already taking pre-orders so secure your copy soon. Related Links: - Deus Ex - Westlake Interactive - Aspyr Media - Ion Storm

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