Author - Jerry Paxton

Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria 2nd Minigame Released

2008/05/09

Turbine has launched a second mini-game inspired by the upcoming Mines of Moria expansion for Lord of the Rings Online. The mini-game is called Swig and Toss, and is a combination axe-toss and drinking game. The Mines of Moria is due out in the Fall.

You can find the game and official Mines of Moria site here.

Official Release:
Turbine, Inc. and Codemasters Online today announced the launch of Swig and Toss, the second mini-game on www.unlocktheminesofmoria.com. Registered participants can challenge themselves and their friends to earn special deeds that unlock unique rewards including exclusive videos, images, and in-game items that will aid them on their journey when The Lord of the Rings Online™: Mines of Moria launches this fall.

Swig and Toss is an axe throwing competition with a bit of drinking and wagering to make things more interesting! In this 10-round game, players try to keep a steady aim while attempting to hit a target with their axe. Hit the mark and win! Miss and hear the Dwarves around you scoff at your lack of skill.

Between rounds, players can take a few swigs from their mug to help quench their thirst. This will help boost their confidence and loosen their pocket strings, increasing the amount they can wager.

JustFlight RAF Vulcan Packshots

2008/05/08

Jerry Paxton

News

JustFlight has released some packshots for its upcoming FSX add-on, RAF Vulcan, featuring the title aircraft. The add-on features an incredibly detailed Vulcan model complete with animations. The virtual and 2d cockpits are detailed to the level we have come to expect from JustFlight and the flight dynamics were engineered at tested by an actual Vulcan pilot.

There is no concrete release date for the add-on yet, but you can find the official product page here.

Product Description:
The Avro Vulcan’s beautiful lines and distinctive shape make it an icon of cold-war aviation. The Vulcan first flew in 1952, entered RAF service in 1957 and the final Vulcan flight was back in 1993. Thankfully, the last of these milestones has changed – Vulcan XH558 is airborne again thanks to a Heritage Lottery Fund grant and the tireless work of its dedicated fans.

Soon to be updated for FSX compatibility, RAF Vulcan includes a faithful model from acclaimed developers PSS of XH558 as it appears currently, an additional eight all-new liveries from some of the aircraft involved in the Falklands conflict of 1982, and some of the preserved aircraft in the UK.

RAF Vulcan contains a total of eighteen examples in different Squadron liveries and with different model variations, including the 2K air-to-air refuelling tanker variant and those carrying the Blue Steel British nuclear cruise missile, the Shrike anti-radar missile as used in the Falklands, and the ‘project cancelled’ Skybolt missiles.

UEFA 2008 Feedback Community Opened

2008/05/07

Jerry Paxton

News

Fifplay.com has opened up the UEFA EURO 2008 community website where gamers can give positive and negative feedback about the game. UEFA EURO 2008 was released in Europe last month and has a scheduled North American release of May 20th.

Official Release:
FIFPlay.com has openned a new feedbacks/comments page at its website to let EA Sports football videogames fans writing their reviews, feedbacks or comments on UEFA EURO 2008 online.

Everyone can write his/her thoughts and ideas about the recently released EURO 2008 game at this page. Submitted feedbacks and comments will be sent to EA developers from FIFPlay.

FIFPlay’s UEFA EURO 2008 Feedback page is accessible under URL: http://www.fifplay.com/euro2008_feedbacks.

NASCAR 09 Paint Booth Feature

2008/05/07

Jerry Paxton

News

A new feature in the upcoming NASCAR 09 was announced today called the ‘Paint Booth’. This allows players to create ‘endless possibilities’ in their vehicle skins. Players will even be able to download templates from the game website to use as a base for their own design in the game. NASCAR 09 is set for a June 10th release.

Official Release:
NASCAR 09 puts more of you in the game than ever before! Utilizing the all-new Paint Booth feature, NASCAR fans can now take in-game personalization to the next level by giving users the ability to completely customize their car from start to finish. In addition, for the first time in franchise history, a car customization template is available online which creates endless possibilities for personalization. Players will be able to see their friends custom designed car skins when racing against them online.

The online connectivity of Paint Booth allows players to download a car template from easports.com and import it into editing programs, such as Photoshop, giving users a multitude of design options. They can then upload those images into the game and show off their dream machine on the track.

Monsoon HAVA Platinum HD Review

2008/05/07

Jerry Paxton

Reviews

In the last couple of years, devices such as the ‘Slingbox’ have become increasingly popular for recording video as well as transmitting it to people on the go. Basically, the idea is to intercept some audio-visual signal, be it from a TV, Xbox, etc and allow a personal computer, which has specific software installed on it, to log in to the device and receive that intercepted a/v stream.

Monsoon Multimedia’s HAVA line of a/v ‘place-shifters’, as they call them, have made quite a splash in this market. By offering units which not only allow multiple connections but also some that have wireless broadcast capability, Monsoon has given every other contender a run for their collective money.

We were fortunate to take a look at their HAVA Platinum HD place-shifter, which is known as the second-tier place-shifter, allowing component cable connections in addition to the composite connection option found on the basic HAVA Gold. The HAVA Platinum HD is made of a hard plastic case which is a dark gray color. This unit is much more plain, style-wise than when compared to their HAVA Gold edition. On the back of the Platinum HD you will find two different areas. The first area is for the inputs and the second area is for all the outputs. Also on the back of the unit, you will find the Ethernet port as well as infrared blaster (more on that later) port.

To install the HAVA, you simply connect it in between the source of the signal and the television (and technically, a TV isn’t even necessary). In our tests, we were more interested in the gaming possibilities of the device, so our plan was to connect it to the Xbox 360. We had a slight issue in that because the Xbox component cables are male and the cables on the HAVA are male, we needed an RGB connector. This is a very cost-effective solution of about $7 dollars from Amazon. After obtaining that, the install was simple. The finishing touch was plugging our Ethernet cable into the HAVA and installing the software on the computers we were going to use to connect to the device.

The software is functional, yet sparse, with the basics needed to watch the video stream, control the virtual remote control, and record the stream. This virtual remote is used to control the ‘infrared blaster’. No, it is not some diabolical death ray, but instead is a unit that connects to the HAVA and hangs over the cable box, tv, etc you are connected to and allows control over it similar to a universal remote from your client computer.

You can have up to three machines logged into this HAVA model at any one time. From the home network, viewing the stream in Mpeg2 quality at 720×480 is really quite good. When logged in from beyond the home network viewing in 320×240 via an Mpeg4 codec, the quality is obviously lessened but still watchable. A very cool thing you can do while on the home network is record the input similar to a DVR system. Obviously, every device connected to one HAVA gets the same video. If you are part of a gaming clan and want to record your games to review your performance or just to gloat, this device is for you! The device could also lend itself to owners of gaming centers to broadcast tournaments to monitors around their facility. The device definitely has alot of possibility.

A feature we were unable to test out was the logging into the HAVA via mobile phone as none of us has a compatible cell phone. However, this ability would definitely be convenient entertainment for someone at the office or just chilling at a coffee shop somewhere. Unfortunately, while outside the home network, the advanced features of recording, etc do not work so you are just left with receiving the a/v stream.

I streamed Gears of War while on the Xbox 360 and forced my wife and daughter to watch from a computer hooked to the network in the other room. It was strange to hear my game noise come out of the room a split-second after it happened on my television set but the overall experience was easy, fun, and useful. I think I will also be using this model to bring cable television to my upstairs rooms which, unfortunately, do not have cable hookups.

We can highly recommend this unit for not only streaming your game sessions but also any other video signal to anyone without pause or concern. Monsoon has created a very well-built and full-featured place-shifter in the HAVA Platinum HD, and at an MSRP of $149 dollars (but some places have it as low as $119), it is worth every penny. The only wish we have for it is to allow more than one connection from beyond the home network.

Starlancer: The Sol War Interview

2008/05/06

Jerry Paxton

Previews

We got the chance to interview ‘SWAT_OP-R8R’, founder and project leader for the Swat Development Group, which is currently working on a new Starlancer game developed using the FS2 Open game engine. This is a fan-made project, and will be free to obtain once it is finished. We would like to thank SWAT_OP-R8R and the rest of the SDG for their hard work. We can’t wait to play Starlancer: The Sol War….

GS: So, tell us a little about Starlancer: The Sol War and what it was about the original Starlancer that drew you guys to work on this particular project?
SWAT: Starlancer: The Sol war is being developed by the SWAT Portal, a big Lancer community, and the original Starlancer was the first game we ever covered at SWAT. That was many years ago but we still loved to remember the old times and played the original Starlancer long after Microsoft made the decision to close the game rooms. We thought it would time to bring this great game back to life and so The Sol War Project was started. First we the plans for this new game looked a bit different… a different engine and just one campaign… no multiplayer. But fortunately these plans did change very soon an so we switched to a game engine that allows everything that we need for this new Starlancer game. We also decided that we want to tell more than just the original Starlancer story. Since the release of Freelancer in 2003 is known that the war between alliance and coalition did last almost 100 years so we decided to tell a story with 3 campaigns showing how this war actually developed from the view of the alliance. So we practically cover 3 different time lines showing how the war did start, how the alliance managed to win important fights and finally how the Freelancer sleeper ships have been build before the alliance had to leave to the Sirius sector. One of our developers also came up with the idea of a prequel that is meant to learn how to play and to tell a mini-story about what happened in the few weeks before the great war.

GS: How many people are on your development team and are any currently working in the industry?
SWAT: Starlancer: Sol War is a pure fan project and our development team is pretty small. We have a coder working on game engine, a few modelers for the ships and stations and a bunch of mission designers. Many members of the SWAT community already volunteered to help with the voice recording so basically even though we are not many we still can cover the necessary work. It just takes a bit longer.

GS: Which game engine are you modifying for use in the game? Also, are your in-game models being re-used from the original Starlancer or has the team recreated them? If so, which 3d modeling program are your modelers using?
SWAT: We decided to use the FS2open engine as it is still one of the best after all those years and since Volition made the source code public we easily can modify it to our needs. Since the original Starlancer is already pretty old the original ships wont be used as they are. We only use them as a base to rebuild them in a higher detail grade. In the end we want to create a game that looks better than the original one. Well I noticed that we modelers have different preferences as to which tools we use. That is very likely because we have been working on other games before and everyone of us learned to model with a different tool. Personally I don’t see a big problem in that since nowadays you can include the different files in almost every modeling tool.

GS: As this is a whole new game engine, your possibilities are much greater than if you just modded the original game. Is there any chance of walking around your capital ship in first-person before getting to the space-combat?
SWAT: We concentrate our work on the playing and fighting factor. It is not planned to have a sightseeing tour on the Yamato or the Reliant. But cut scenes will give players and impression about those locations. The player mostly will deal with the Starlancer ITAC where he can do training missions, get info about ships, weapons or pilots and plan campaign missions. Even though we have a new engine and basically a completely new game we still try to use elements of the original game so the player can identify with it.

GS: Will your standalone game feature cut-scenes as well as in-game voice acting? If so, will your voice actors come from the team or are you planning to hold auditions?
SWAT: The game will of course contain cut scenes. Those are simply necessary to create a deep gameplay and keep the players interested. And yes we are going to work on voice acting. The SWAT Portal which meanwhile is a big Scifi Game community will help with this.

GS: Will you be implementing support for Force Feedback® enabled joysticks?
SWAT: Of course!!!! That is a must.

GS: Speaking of controller-related items, will you have integrated support for the Track-IR head-tracking system?
SWAT: Honestly we have not thought about that possibility yet but now that you mention it we will see what we can do.

GS: Will there be a co-op campaign option for players to rally and take on the story together?
SWAT: The Multiplayer will cover a co-op mode with the 3 main campaigns and a deathmatch mode. You can play the missions together with friends if you want.

GS: Is an official project website in the works as of yet, and if so, where can our readers find it? If not, where is your project information located now?
SWAT: There was an official website for this project but unfortunately the site was attacked by a hacker. We have not rebuilt it and due to all our other projects (in total 10 Lancer related projects) we have not much time working on it at the moment. Once I have a few days free I will try to bring the official project site back online. For now the project can be found on our forum at www.swat-portal.com. Under ‘SWAT Projects Gallery’ on our main site you can also find screenshots of an early version.

GS: And finally, is there anything else you would like our readers to know?
SWAT: Yes. Starlancer is not dead yet! ^^

You can find the Swat Development Group website here.

Images After the Break!

Microsoft Zune Marketplace Gets TV Shows from NBC

2008/05/06

Jerry Paxton

News

Finally, Microsoft has penned a deal to get some videos to the Zune Marketplace. In this case, they have signed with NBC, Comedy Central, and more to get shows such as The Office, South Park, and Heroes on the service. Each telivision show will be priced at $1.99 an episode however pricing packages will be announced later on as the service moves towards its scheduled Fall release.

Via Microsoft

STALKER Clear Sky North American Release

2008/05/06

Jerry Paxton

News

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky will be officially released in North America on August 29th, 2008. If you haven’t had the opportunity to play the original game, I highly recommend it. It is a very cool first-person shooter with plenty of action, open-ended adventure, and chills to go around.

You can find the official game website here.

Official Release:
Deep Silver, Inc, a publisher of interactive entertainment for PC and consoles, today announced they will publish the highly anticipated PC title S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky in North America. The game is expected to be available worldwide on August 29, 2008 and is developed by GSC Game World, a leading computer games developer.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is a survival FPS game for PC based on a ‘what-if’ scenario of the second Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident. The game is created as a warning to mankind against mindless play with technologies. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is the official prequel to the renowned S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game by the Ukraine-based GSC Game World studio. The game is set in 2011and brings forth the events to have preceded the third campaign of Strelok to the Zone center. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky introduces an alternative look onto the events of the original game and offers the player to try himself out as a mercenary s.t.a.l.k.e.r. in search of his own path in the world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

Overclocked: A History of Violence Demo

2008/05/06

Jerry Paxton

News

The demo for Overclocked A History of Violence has been released from Lighthouse Interactive and dtp Entertainment today. We reviewed the game here and thought it was a very goof adventure game – definitely worth checking out.

You can find the demo as well as game info here.

Official Release:
Lighthouse Interactive and dtp Entertainment today released a compelling playable demo for the psychological thriller adventure game, Overclocked: A History of Violence. Created by award-winning developer, House of Tales Entertainment, players will delve into the world of Overclocked to explore the deranged minds of three of the five patients admitted to the Staten Island Forensic Hospital. This highly anticipated adventure game on PC DVD-ROM was released in the UK on May 2 and is available in stores now.

Overclocked explores violence, an archetypical, yet actual condition of mankind. Players will become engrossed in a world where memories and illusions; dreams and reality; perpetrators and victims… collide. Overclocked: A History of Violence is Windows® Vista™ compatible.

Prototype Pushed Back Until 2009

2008/05/05

Jerry Paxton

News

Unless this is a VERY early April Fool’s joke for next year, the shape-shifting, third-person action game Prototype has been pushed back until April 1st, 2009. This, according to IGN as well as the Gamestop website. Prototype is being developed for the PC, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3 platforms.

A Sierra spokesperson had this to say:
‘Since its announcement, Prototype has been regarded by many as groundbreaking and taking the open-world genre in new directions, and in the simplest explanation possible, we need more time to deliver the game the team initially set out to create.’

That kind of proactive policing on the part of a video game publisher and developer is refreshing and welcome in an industry where more often than not, games are rushed out the door unfinished.