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Prey Released

Thu, 13 July 2006
by: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it | source: 3D Realms | thanks: Those creepy faceless aliens

It'll turn your world upside-down

Oh, what a feeling...

3D Realms, Human Head Studios and Venom Games have released Prey for the PC and Xbox 360. It marks the end of a grueling eleven-year process that has seen the game change developers, disappear from the public eye and emerge on an unsuspecting public. The game is available in retail stores as well as from the online distribution system Triton.

Originally announced in 1995, Prey was planned to coincide with the release of Duke Nukem Forever, another troubled game in development. Using cutting edge technology, 3D Realms showcased an impressive array of technological developments including portal technology, allowing rips in space to be created, moved and reshaped in real time. However, citing technical difficulties, the project was put on hold in 1999 and disappeared from the public eye. Nothing more was heard of Prey until 3D Realms regained the license from Infogrames in 2001. Even then, it was not until mid 2005 that 3D Realms acknowledged the existence and development of the "new" Prey.

Using an enhanced version of the Doom 3 engine, Prey features some of the most innovative gameplay to be seen in any FPS. The portal technology showcased in the original version of the game is still present, appearing even more unbelievable that its first incarnation. Innovative gameplay techniques such as Spirit Walking, Wall Walking and Deathwalk are also used to help, confuse and hinder the player.

Tommy is a down-on-his-luck garage mechanic, stuck in the middle of who-knows-where on some forgotten reservation, where Native Americans are tucked away out of sight, out of mind.

And then the unthinkable has happens! Earth becomes prey to the galaxy's largest predator, a space bound Texas-sized alien that's looking to satiate its hunger with the organic goodness that most populates Earth: Us. And the first course is a certain forgotten reservation.

A Spiritual Awakening

Tommy and his girlfriend have become prey, his grandfather killed, and hundreds of his tribal nation have been abducted through space-warping portals. Freeing himself, all Tommy cares about is saving Jenny. But the spirit of his grandfather beckons him to embrace his heritage, accept the ancient teachings, and prepare to battle the menace that threatens to destroy all the planet's life. It's a choice between love and responsibility. It's a choice that cannot be made easily.

Innovative Gameplay

* Built on an enhanced Doom 3 engine, the most impressive 3D engine used in a released game.
* Portal technology adds a new dimension to gameplay, allowing enemies to appear out of thin air and create new and completely original puzzles and gameplay styles.
* Several never-before-seen gameplay elements such as Spirit Walking, Wall Walking, and Deathwalk.
* Highly organic, living environment that itself can attack Tommy.
* Tommy has a sidekick, a spiritual hawk that can help him fight enemies and decipher the alien language of the living ship.
* Multiplayer game support that takes advantage of the unique gameplay styles in Prey.

- 3D Realms

Look for Prey in your nearest retail store or purchase it from Triton.

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Canadian Actress to Appear in Need For Speed

Thu, 13 July 2006
by: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it | source: NFSUnlimited.net | thanks: My blinged-up ride

It's important because she's good looking

Will she look like this in the game?

Apparently all games need stories nowadays, and stories need characters, and characters need actors. Hence the news that Canadian actress Emmanuelle Vaugier has signed on to appear in EA's upcoming Need For Speed Carbon.

She won't just be telling you to belt up and drive safe when you're hooning through the streets in your tricked out death mobile because, hey, it seemed fun in the game. Instead she plays Nikki, the ex-girlfriend of the main character. I can feel the dramatic tension already.

NFSUnlimited.net has posted EA's media release, which includes a word from the lady herself:

"Being able to work in a videogame for the first time and working with the Need For Speed Carbon team at EA has been a great experience for me. This is a game that evolves the racing genre, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it", Vaugier said. "Playing the role of Nikki allows me to take a completely fresh approach to acting and push the boundaries of the creative process."

- NFSUnlimited.net

Indeed.

According to her rap sheet at IMDB, Vaugier has appeared in TV shows Two and a Half Men and Smallville, as well as numerous bad movies. She was also featured in Maxim's top 100 females list in May, which makes her highly qualified to market a video game.

Need For Speed Carbon is due in November on eleven (count 'em) different platforms, PC being one of them. The first person to make a nude patch gets a cookie.

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Funky Freeware Fighter!

Thu, 13 July 2006
by: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it | source: Asahi-net | thanks: A giant robot

Go crazy with Tukumi Fighters

Confusing, no?

Described by its creator, one man operation ABA Games, as a "Sticky 2d Shooter", Tumiki Fighters is a peculiar blending of classic side scrolling shoot-em-up and Katamari Damacy. Like KD, Tumiki Fighters hails from the land of all things innovative, Japan, and boasts a similarly unique art style, in this case one seemingly inspired by a child's toy blocks.

Taking your roughly aeroplane-shaped collection of pastel coloured blocks for a spin for the first time initially feels like any other Japanese style shooter. Enemies approach from the right. You dodge their fire and shoot them down. Where Tumiki Fighters differs from the norm is that once you've gunned down an opponent you can catch their bullet riddled geometric hulk and attach it to your ship, forming a makeshift shield. Assimilating an enemy with guns grants the player that extra firepower. The downside, of course, is that once the little aeroplane becomes a huge amorphous mass of ordinance spitting cubes and triangles, it also becomes a rather easier target for the enemy. Don't expect that massive turret ripped from the smouldering chassis of the previous boss enemy to last more than a few seconds.

It's a beautifully simple premise and, like Katmari Damacy, one of those ideas that makes one wonder why no one thought of it sooner. Best of all, it's one that you don't have to pay for. The game is freeware, available to download from the ABA games website. Simple, innovative and addictive, this is a game well worth the tiny five megabyte download.

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Battlefield 2: Sir. Mod / Sandbox Mod

Thu, 13 July 2006
by: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it | source: Total BF2.com | thanks: Those guys who steal my jeep

Yes Sir, yes Sir, two mods full

Sir Mod - Pimp my bongovan!

While The Sir. Community may be best known among Battlefield players for their crazy stunt videos, not everyone may be aware that the group has also branched-out into the world of mod development.

The Sir. Mod

The Sir mod doesn�t take itself too seriously; imagine all the crazy things you could do with the content in Battlefield 2, and then chuck an afterburner on it. Chock-full of new skins, signs and billboards, vehicles with jet engines, handheld artillery and crazy new physics and weapon changes, the Sir Mod is all about having a good time.

Partial v0.8 Changelog:
==================
* Signs and Billboards changed in MEC Cities.
* Flags Changed.
* MEC and USMC skins changed.
* Hand Held Artillery
* Mounted MG's replaced with artillery.
* Flamethrower.
* USMC APC equipped with jet engine.
* MEC APC equipped with Helicopter engine.
* All piloted jets act as mobile spawn points.
* Blackhawk Skin Changed.
* Barrels and other objects skinned.
* MEC Paratrooper skin changed. - Mounted Artillery.
* Any bomb, hellfire, or arty explosion will have increased smoke.
* American Pumpaction shottie fires 12 grenades.
* SAW is an fully automatic M2HB.
* M4 fires new fancy flares.
* Unlimted color-changing smoke grenades.
* Snipers fire Artillery shells.

- TotalBF2 Forum

More information on Sir. Mod v0.8 is available here.

Sandbox Mod - Bridge o' crates

BF2 Sandbox

Undoubtedly the most unique mod for Battlefield 2 thus far, BF2: Sandbox is best described as being in the vein of Garry's Mod for Half Life 2. The mod allows players to use the Battlefield 2 engine to build structures, set up racetracks, ramps, and generally go crazy via an easy-to-use Command Rose interface in-game.

v0.2 Changelog:
=============
* Changed object grabbing source from weapon to soldierCamera. This means that idle animations will not cause grabbed objects to fly around.
* Converted objects to be compatible with multiplayer.
* Added "Freeze" function.
* Fixed a small bug with loading.
* Fixed bug where object grabbing would stop working after death/vehicle entry.
* Fixed crashing on "Clearing" map.
* Added Mashtuur City and FuShe Pass.
* Made tracer less opaque.
* Pallets are now destructible (with C4).
* Limited saving/loading/clearing to authorized users in MP.

Multiplayer:
=========
New in 0.2 is the availability of setting up multiplayer games. There are a few differences, however, due to limitations in the BF2 engine:

* Created objects are not automatically grabbed.
* Object positioning is subject to loss of sync between server/client. When trying to precisely place an object, point your mouse to where you want it, *then wait 2 seconds*. The object may snap to its actual position on your screen.
* In [mods/sandbox/python/game/gamemodes/gpm_cq.py], you can change the limit of how many static and ragdoll objects a user can spawn (this limits server crashes). Default is 100/15. You also need to set an admin or two (MP_LS_USERS), this specifies who can save/clear the sandbox while in MP mode.
* Tracer distance is not visually shown sometimes.
� Some elevated objects may "sink" if aircraft are landed on top of them.

- TotalBF2 Forum

More information on BF2: Sandbox is available here.

The Sir. Community prove that there is more to Battlefield 2 than just cunning stunts.

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Yet Another EverQuest Expansion

Thu, 13 July 2006
by: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it | source: MMORPG.com | thanks: All you MMORPG addicts

The Serpent's Spine will introduce a new player race

SAN DIEGO, CA � July 10, 2006 � Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE), a global leader in the online games industry, today announced EverQuest� The Serpent�s Spine�, a new expansion for the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG), EverQuest. EverQuest The Serpent�s Spine will only be available via digital download beginning in September for the suggested price of U.S. $29.99.

- MMORPG.com

The new starting city of Crescent Reach

This, the latest expansion for the most expanded MMORPG of all time, EverQuest, will introduce the first new playable race in three years, the Drakkin, a human/dragon hybrid. The expansion will also include a level cap increase, new content for all levels, a new starting city and more.

If my calculations are correct, this is the twelfth expansion pack for the genre-defining fantasy MMORPG which refuses to die. EverQuest has not only survived a deluge of clones and the huge success of World of Warcraft, but also the release of its own sequel, EverQuest II. If Sony Online Entertainment feels comfortable charging US$29.95 for this latest expansion, then it's safe to assume that they're expecting the franchise to continue in popularity for a long time yet.

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