Hitman: Bloodmoney Screens -Monday, 3.6.06 by Alex Petraglia

The Shack has twenty brand-new screenshots from Agent 47's upcoming foray, scheduled tentatively for a May release. Let's hope IO takes the time to address some of the issues plaguing this otherwsie stellar series.

The Outfit Demo Now Available -Monday, 3.6.06 by Alex Petraglia

As the good Major Nelson explained, the reason for the demo's delay and lack of a weekend release ties into the need to have personnel on-hand at Microsoft, in case things don't go as smoothly as planned. No worries. The highly anticipated multiplayer demo to this strategy/shooter hybrid can now be had on the XBOX Live Marketplace. I played a few rounds today and was thoroughly entertained. Relic's latest will be out very soon.

Minerva: Metastasis 2 Released -Monday, 3.6.06 by Alex Petraglia

As previously anticipated, the undeniably awesome Half-Life 2 modification known simply as Minerva is now in its second chapter. Download it here.

The 60 in. Subwoofer -Monday, 3.6.06 by Alex Petraglia

The 60-inch subwoofer absolutely has the capability to produce SPL levels well above 180 dB. It is simple math and the laws of physics. Actually, before designing it, we looked at a comparison between a large number of conventional subwoofers, or a single giant one. After we did the math, the obvious choice was the one giant woofer. It's output displacement is comparable to 160+ ten inch woofers. It can move a lot of air! That thing is sure to result in angry calls from neighbors at 2 AM. Digital Grabber

Argh! Where's my Outfit? -Saturday, 3.4.06 by Alex Petraglia

Last week, we reported that The Outfit demo would be available via the XBOX Live Marketplace on March 3. Turns out, THQ is fully ready with the playable build, and it's in Microsoft's hands awaiting final approval before getting uploaded and subsequently disseminated. IGN has the details. Hopefully we'll be playing before the weekend's close.

Oblivion Goes Gold, Shipping the 20th -Saturday, 3.4.06 by Alex Petraglia

Word via the official Bethesda forums that the highly anticipated XBOX 360 and PC RPG The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, has gone gold and will be on shelves about March 20th. You can read a recent preview of the game on the Shack.

New Splinter Cell: Double Agent Screens -Tuesday, 2.28.06 by Alex Petraglia

Gamespot has eight new screenshots from the XBOX 360 version of Splinter Cell: Double Agent. Note that these are among the first "next-gen" quality screens available online; all previous media has been taken from current generation technology.

Prey Developer Diary -Sunday, 2.26.06 by Alex Petraglia

There's a new Prey developer diary up at the official 3D Realms site, where project lead Chris Rhinehart fields questions from the audience. The Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment (DDA) system has several different layers to it, the main one of which is based around combat. As you fight the various enemies the DDA system constantly monitors your progress: how quickly you kill each enemy, how much damage each enemy inflicted upon you before you killed it, and if the enemy managed to kill you. After the battle is over, the game uses that information to calculate how skilled you are against that particular enemy and slowly adjusts that enemy’s difficulty.

Todd Hollenshead Speaketh -Sunday, 2.26.06 by Alex Petraglia

Worthplaying chats up id's CEO, who sheds some light on the company at E3, upcoming XBOX and PC titles, and the ever-popular $60 price-point. TH: Prices aren't something that we can really control. Frankly, I don't know if the $60 price point is going to stick or not. EA just announced they're reducing they're prices on "current-gen" games to $40 from $50. There are a lot of good business reasons to have higher prices, especially in light of the rising costs incurred in making games, but you certainly don't want to price yourself out of the market. Games don't just compete against other games for consumer dollars, and if games get too expensive, people will find other ways to be entertained.

F.E.A.R. Multiplayer Update -Saturday, 2.25.06 by Alex Petraglia

The team at Monolith is working on a big update to the multiplayer component of their smash-hit of 2005. If you load up F.E.A.R. and go to the server manager, you can see the changes for yourself on one of the test servers. Read more about it at the official forums.

Minerva: Metastasis 2 On or Around March 3 -Saturday, 2.25.06 by Alex Petraglia

Remember the brilliant single-player Half-Life 2 mod, Minerva? Well, after a long period of silence, its creator Adam Foster, makes it known that Part Two will be out early March.

XBOX 360 Demos on XBOX Live -Saturday, 2.25.06 by Alex Petraglia

The wonders of try-before-you-buy content, delivered straight to your next-gen gaming console. The demo for Call of Duty 2 is currently online, letting you play one single-player African mission. Relic, known for the Homeworld and Dawn of War lines, will make its console debut on March 14th with the World War II strategy/action hybrid The Outfit, but expect a multiplayer capable demo on March 3rd. Ubi's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is set to be released around the same time as The Outfit, and a demo of that is to be released sometime prior. Finally, we anticipate demos of both Battlefield 2: Modern Combat and Burnout Revenge in the next few weeks.

Where are the Updates?! -Wednesday, 2.22.06 by Alex Petraglia

Yes, yes, you can stop with the angry letters. New content in the near future will be limited as we gear up to reveal a very cool project and site update that you're sure to enjoy. In the meantime, I'll add some original articles now and then, as well as try to keep this news section fairly fresh. Stay tuned to this space for our update. The good stuff is almost here.

Holy Next-Gen, Batman! -Monday, 2.6.06 by Alex Petraglia

Joystiq has an exhaustive list of 86 (!) XBOX 360 titles poised to be released this year. Hell, if half of those make it, I'll be thrilled. On the other hand, there's the PlayStation 3 list with 45. I'm interested in the latter more, simply because we've heard relatively little about the PlayStation titles thus far.

Day of Defeat: Source Preview Weekend -Monday, 2.6.06 by Alex Petraglia

Cancel all your plans for this Friday through Sunday. Valve let's us now that its World War II inspired team-based multiplayer shooter, Day of Defeat: Source will be made freely available to preview for the duration of this weekend. Hopefully, figures Valve, you'll like it enough to purchase for $20 via STEAM.

Michael Huang Rains on My Parade -Monday, 2.6.06 by Alex Petraglia

Despite rumors that a Diablo 3 announcement might be imminent as Blizzard looks to hire, former Diablo team member and designer Michael Huang begs to differ. I think we'll all agree that, barring any unforeseen tragedy, Diablo 3 is inevitable. But, notes Huang, it may be at least a year or more before we hear a thing. Here's hoping to E3 '06?

James Cameron Has Big Ideas For Games -Saturday, 2.4.06 by Alex Petraglia

Director James Cameron, of Titanic, Aliens, and Terminator fame, has his own theories when it comes to game design and movie tie-ins. Cameron is working on the screenplay for Project 880, which he describes as "completely crazy, balls-out sci-fi." If it gets produced, it could be the first major Hollywood project that audiences will experience first as a multiplayer game on the Net, and only later on the silver screen.

Gates Has His Own IRS Computer -Wednesday, 2.1.06 by Alex Petraglia

You know you've hit it big when the United States tax office has a single computer dedicated to processing taxes for you and you alone. At a Microsoft conference in Lisbon today, Bill Gates revealed to attendees that, because his wealth is so vast, his tax information is computed and stored on a separate computer dedicated to him alone. "So I am constantly getting these notices telling me I haven't paid something when really it is just on the wrong computer. Then they will send me another notice telling me how bad they feel they that they sent me a notice that was a mistake," he said. May we all be so unlucky.

EA Calls Kettle Black -Tuesday, 1.31.06 by Alex Petraglia

I'd actually laugh at this if I didn't find it so disturbing; the absolute absurdity seems almost surreal. An open letter sent from Alain Tascan, General Manager of EA Montreal, to Martin Tremblay, Ubisoft Montreal, begins as such: On behalf of all game makers in Quebec, I urge Ubisoft to stop the illegitimate practice of forcing talented people to sign employment contracts that restrict their creative and economic freedom.

The sentence is so mind-numbingly painful that I think, for once, it's a legitimate instance of the dangers the videogame industry poses. If you remember correctly, EA came under great scrutiny last year with claims of stifling employee creativity, refusing to pay for overtime, and generally engaging in less-than-savory practices. Additionally, it's widely known that EA currently seeks to gain greater control over Ubi through a hostile takeover. The full document can be had here (PDF), but it's more of the same corporate mumbo-jumbo and finger pointing. Thanks to the CG Channel for the tip.

Halo 3 Done -Tuesday, 1.31.06 by Alex Petraglia

Want an idea of how the gaming industry works? Look no further than this Hexus news item claiming that Halo 3 is done and sitting at the factory waiting to be copied and packaged. Of course, all this just so happens to come from an anonymous inside tipster. I'm not sure if we should blame this fraud for giving Hexus bad tips, or blame Hexus for fabricating this informant altogether (although that's not like them), but whatever the case, the claim is absolutely lunacy. Not only have we yet to hear a single word or receive a scrap of a screenshot, most everyone in the industry agrees the game won't be out this year. This, folks, is a real lemon.

Tomb Raider: Legend Gold; Demo Plans -Tuesday, 1.31.06 by Alex Petraglia

Word from Eidos this evening that the latest installment in the long-running Tomb Raider franchise has gone gold and will be in stores this April. There are also plans to release a demo in February, presumably for the PC and possibly for the consoles. The game will come in PSP, PlayStation 2, XBOX, XBOX 360, and PC flavors. Collecting all does not necessarily guarantee any sort of prize.

Announcing the Optimus Keyboard Mini-Three -Tuesday, 1.31.06 by Alex Petraglia

Russian design firm Art Lebedev announced today its addition to the highly anticipated Optimus keyboard line. You can read all about the Optimus mini-three in our exclusive preview. Here's an excerpt that should whet your appetite. Artemy: Well, the product is very simple: a three-button additional keyboard. It's not intended to replace the keyboard you use now; it sits next to it...The new device is also called Optimus. That's not a coincidence, that's how we see things - this keyboard will naturally will lead us to the full-scale keyboard. We want to start making small steps. Giant leaps are coming soon.

Reviewed: ATI's All-In-Wonder X1900 -Tuesday, 1.31.06 by Alex Petraglia

Looking for a graphics card with all the bells and whistles for video editing and content creation, but not at the expense of game performance? Look no further than ATI's All-in-Wonder X1900. The card is in the hands' (and hopefully systems') of editors at The Tech Report and Firing Squad. From the former: I SUPPOSE THIS REVIEW should be fairly simple. We've reviewed ATI's All-In-Wonder video cards in the past, and we just recently examined the new Radeon X1900 family of graphics cards. Package together the standard suite of All-In-Wonder extras with a Radeon X1900 graphics processor, and you pretty much have the AIW X1900—a $499 graphics card with a laundry list of multimedia features that will record your favorite TV shows, let you edit family videos, play DVDs while you relax on the couch, slice through the latest 3D games with ease, feed the cat, and wash the dishes while you aren't looking. It is, indeed, a wonder.

Romero Takes on the MMORPG -Tuesday, 1.31.06 by Alex Petraglia

A news item at CVG reveals that famed id and Ion Storm developer John Romero has begun developing a new MMORPG. Strangely, Romero isn't willing to divulge the name of the company, nor is he slapping a name on the MMO title. "I can't really say too much... this is [a] complete secret, stealth company", he said, adding cryptically that "This is not a typical games company and we're not making typical games". Details so far are scant, and don't expect any until next year. We know John has a history of less-than-tactful claims, so I don't think he's looking to repeat history.

Take-Two Hiring -Tuesday, 1.31.06 by Alex Petraglia

Have a passion for gaming, a history in marketing, and an apartment in New York City? Than the latest job offering as Senior Product Manager for Take-Two might be for you. Thank Kotaku and krew for the link.

Dungeon Siege Heads to the Modern Day Dungeon: The Cinema -Sunday, 1.29.06 by Matt Steele Winters

Being a daily visitor to over three movie trailer websites, it came as a shock that a trailer for the Dungeon Siege movie didn't cross my path. After watching it, I now know why. Apparently, the internet agreed with me, since the trailer was pulled just mere days after its release. With stars such as Ray Liota, Jason Statham, and Burt Reynolds, you must be asking yourself "How can this movie be bad?" (Besides, you know, the director...) Well apparently it takes more than B-list celebrities to make an entertaining game-to-film adaptation. Someone needs to tell Jason Statham that hes no longer a transporter, and in Medieval times, we do not kick...we slay. On the other hand, I get the feeling that we finally have a movie worthy of the Army of Darkness legacy, but that remains to be seen. Beware all ye who enter.

I LOL'D -Saturday, 1.28.06 by Alex Petraglia

The sound effects really make it

Bill Gates: Rock Star? -Saturday, 1.28.06 by Alex Petraglia

Wired's online Apple commentator Leander Kahney has a piece surmising that Bill Gates, not Steve Jobs, may be the better CEO. Gates is giving away his fortune with the same gusto he spent acquiring it, throwing billions of dollars at solving global health problems. He has also spoken out on major policy issues, for example, by opposing proposals to cut back the inheritance tax. In contrast, Jobs does not appear on any charitable contribution lists of note. And Jobs has said nary a word on behalf of important social issues, reserving his talents of persuasion for selling Apple products.

Splinter Cell: Double Agent Delayed; New Teaser Video -Saturday, 1.28.06 by Alex Petraglia

Via an official financial report, Ubisoft informs that the release date for the highly anticipated (by us, at least) Splinter Cell: Double Agent has been pushed until September of this year. The statement reads, in part: This will also enable to maintain the highest quality for which Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell is recognized. This rescheduling will ensure the best return from the coming release as well as from future sequels of this brand over time. It may also happen to coincide with the release of the PlayStation 3...A developer on the project, Markus Friedl, has a post over at his blog with a few minor additions. All this changes the planning and priorities quite a bit for the upcoming weeks and months. But we already have a very, very good idea how we will use the additional time. We now we have a bit more time to tweak those levels to absolute top quality. And even though it's actually quite a bit disappointing for the entire team, I see it as a chance and definitely as something good for the game and its final quality. As a wonderful little consolation of sorts, we have the second teaser trailer from the game. It features still image captures, full-motion video, and what I'd estimate to be prerendered cutscene sequences. Although, considering we haven't seen a particularly large amount of next-gen screenshots yet, they might very well be in-game.

E3 2006 Preview -Saturday, 1.28.06 by Alex Petraglia

It's a little over three months away now, but gamers everywhere are giddy already for this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo. GameDaily has a preview of what to look forward to. This year the event will be taking place from May 10 through May 12 in sunny (sometimes) Los Angeles. Some new rules have been enforced this year, giving media a bit more time before the rest of the industry crowds the show floor. Plus, booth babes will be forced to wear more clothing (yes, we're all a bit saddened by this). However, this early in the game we're not looking to talk specifics. Instead, we'll take a quick look at what we expect to see from the three major players in just a few short months. Expect a flurry of big announcements in the spring months prior to the show, giving journalists the oppurtunity to actually go hands-on with some of these titles come May.

Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Package Options; Documentary Trailer -Wednesday, 1.25.06 by Alex Petraglia

Peter Hines, Bethesda's VP of PR and Marketing, is the latest with a developer diary on the official Elder Scrolls site. There, he talks about all sorts of goodies regarding the game's upcoming release. For one, like its XBOX 360 counterpart (obviously), the PC version will be DVD only. Regular edition releases will get the game, manual, and map. For the extra $10 to $20, the Collector's Edition will feature enhanced packaging, a pocket guide to the empire book, an actual septim coinpiece (the official currency of Tamriel; just don't use it on the bus) and a very cool bonus DVD featuring concept art, renders, and a very special "Making Of" documentary. We have a teaser trailer from that feature for your viewing pleasure. Expect a gone gold announcement soonish...

Announcing Medieval 2: Total War -Friday, 1.20.06 by Alex Petraglia

Word from SEGA today that the company, which acquired Total War developer The Creative Assembly in 2005, is set to publish the fourth installment in the popular strategy series this winter. The game boasts an impressive array of new graphical and gameplay enhancements, including the capability for a massive 10,000 dynamic characters to be taken into battle at any one time. On top of this, The Creative Assembly have implemented a fully redesigned multiplayer mode that offers a dynamic multi-battle campaign bolstered by an unprecedented level of visceral combat choreography that reflects the brutality of medieval warfare...Set in the most turbulent and bloody era in European history, Medieval 2: Total War will allow gamers to lead their armies across the battlefields of Europe and the Holy Land before discovering the Americas and doing battle with the fearsome Aztecs. Screenshots premiered below.

Star Wars: Empire at War Demo -Wednesday, 1.18.06 by Alex Petraglia

We're now hosting the demo to LucasArt's upcoming Star Wars RTS, Empire at War. The whole thing weighs in at 750MB and features both a tutorial and short singleplayer campaign. Download link to the right or here.

Last of the CES Coverage -Thursday, 1.12.06 by Alex Petraglia

CES has come and gone, and of all the wonderful show recaps I've read, The Tech Report's takes the cake. Quad nVidia SLI systems, Western Digital's RaptorX, and a Pentium 955 EE at 4.26GHz, it's like a game of "Let's See How Much Silicon Hotness We Can Pack Into a Single Article."

SiN: Episodes Preview -Thursday, 1.12.06 by Alex Petraglia

Chris 'Mr. Peanut' Remo recently had a look at with Ritual's forthcoming SiN: Episodes and highlights the game's progress in his preview on the Shack. Besides shedding some light on the upcoming episodic shooter, Remo found out a few interesting tidbits about Ritual head Tom Mustaine. Tom is also someone who appreciates the ability of games to form an emotional connection with players, whatever kind it may be. "I understand a game has to be profitable, I mean I'm half businessman here," he commented, "but at the end of the day if a game captivates an audience that's what it's all about."

Doom 3: Project Mars City Gets Update -Wednesday, 1.11.06 by Alex Petraglia

Modding genius Paul Capello has an update today of his brilliant Mars City case mod; now over a year and a half in the works. Pictures are in this thread and you can see Mr. Capello's official site here.

PlayStation 3 Pricing Examined -Wednesday, 1.11.06 by Alex Petraglia

Sony hasn't commented on specific pricing figures, though Ken Kutaragi, president of Sony Consumer Entertainment, reportedly told attendees of a 2005 corporate meeting "it'll be expensive." Analysts and many video game developers, though, suspect the system may debut with a price tag reaching nearly $500. Chris "The Man" Morris reports.

Guild Wars: Factions -Wednesday, 1.11.06 by Alex Petraglia

The first Guild Wars expansion has been announced, with a full press release on the official site. Factions, to be released sometime in the second-half of 2006, will add "new regions, professions, skills, missions, and monsters, along with expanded options for both Cooperative and Player-versus-Player (PvP) play, and enhanced features for guilds" to ArenaNet's already smashingly good MMORPG. Better still, there's an open tournament-type weekend event coming up (January 20 through 22) where players and newcomers alike will be able to experience some of Factions' new goodies. The event will enable players to experience two new professions being introduced in the campaign, the Assassin and the Ritualist. Participants will also be able to try out a number of the skills added to Guild Wars: Factions, including some of the deadly skills of the Assassin and the arcane spells of the spiritual Ritualist. They will also be able to get familiar with the new PvP continent, Battle Isles. Battle Isles will introduce players to new PvP experiences, new and expanded arenas, new quests, and a new explorable area as well.

New Antec Cases at CES -Wednesday, 1.11.06 by Alex Petraglia

At CES, Antec was showing off a new series of cases they've been working on. Here's the scoop, with some additional pictures here.

Apple and Microsoft Agree to Software Pact -Tuesday, 1.10.06 by Alex Petraglia

SEATTLE - Apple Computer Inc. won't thwart users from loading Microsoft's Windows operating system onto its new Intel-based Macintosh computers...but don't expect Apple to start offering a Mac running Windows. Associated Press

Condemned Coming To the PC this Spring -Tuesday, 1.10.06 by Alex Petraglia

All you PC gamers who missed out on Monolith's brilliant Condemned: Criminal Origins on the XBOX 360, fear not! SEGA's German site reveals that the game will be ported to the PC and released during the month of March this year. I'll get an English press release linked as soon as it becomes available. Update: Here's a translation of the first paragraph of the German release (thanks, Cobalt!): Munich, 10 January 2006. One of the most discussed games of the last weeks and months will appear at the end of March for PC: Sega publicizes the uncensored original verson of Condemned, with which PC gamers will experiences the same unfiltered pleasure of the nightmarish atmosphere of the most recent game from something famous developer Monolith. So we may actually see a version different than the XBOX 360 one? The plot thickens!

The Trials and Tribulations of the PC Geek -Tuesday, 1.10.06 by Alex Petraglia

A few days ago, we had a primer on how to build your own computer. As many readers would attest, doing this is likely to make you the "computer expert" in the eyes of family, friends and acquaintances. And that's not necessarily a good thing. People can get very funny about this, and based on long observation, here's some possible reasons why people can get a little bizarre when you try to help them. Overclockers.com

Gaming's Year in Review: 2010 -Tuesday, 1.10.06 by Alex Petraglia

In the future, there will only 38 PS4's at launch. In the future, GTA will be watered-down. In the future...we're still playing World of Warcraft. Wired weighs in on how screwed we gamers really are.

CoolIt Liquid Cooling for the XBOX 360 -Tuesday, 1.10.06 by Alex Petraglia

Hexus has a few promo shots of the CoolIt liquid cooling for the XBOX 360 from CES. The first thing to be aware of is that this isn’t just a bolt-on-the-side extra for you Xbox 360, this is a serious case mod as all the Xbox 360 casing under that shiny blue CoolIt casing isn’t there anymore… that’s right kids, this thing is set into the Xbox 360 meaning that pretty much half the side case is now gone… a fair chunk from the underside is missing too to allow for the pipework.

Dell's Flat New Masterpiece -Thursday, 1.5.06 by Alex Petraglia

30 inches. 2560x1600 native resolution. 14ms response time. And a mere $2,200! Dell's 3007FPW is nothing short of stunning. Thank you Engadget for making me one envious geek. On sale now.

Utah Congressman Proposes Another Videogame Bill -Thursday, 1.5.06 by Alex Petraglia

Game Politics reports on Utah Representative Jim Matheson's statements to the Deseret Morning News. Matheson plans to propose legislation on the federal level that prohibits violent game sales to minors. His statements are brief but nonetheless riddled with flaws, including the most wonderful quote: "I stay away from that unconstitutional aspect."

A Look Inside the WD1500 -Thursday, 1.5.06 by Alex Petraglia

Last night in my CES wrap-up (just below), I mentioned that Western Digital is releasing a new addition to its popular line of Raptor Serial ATA harddrives. But it turns out, not only is the WD1500 available in a classic harddrive package, you can also opt for the RaptorX model. For $50 more, your WD1500 will come in a sleek black case with clear viewing window; a feature first made popular by the more hardcore case modders. Seems like a very good deal for the enthusiast less-than-enthusiastic about voiding his warranty.

3D Realms Now Hiring! -Thursday, 1.5.06 by Alex Petraglia

Word today on the Shack that 3D Realms is now looking to hire a programmer. Apply now and maybe you can help get Duke Nukem Forever out the door in 2006! Are you more of the artistic type? According to George B himself, they'll soon be looking to hire in every department, so send over that resume, no matter your area of expertise.

CES 2006 Day One Wrap-Up -Wednesday, 1.4.06 by Alex Petraglia

So Day One of the always amazing Consumer Electronics Show is winding down, and we can finally manage all the cool new gadgets coming out of Vegas. Here's the run-down you can't afford to miss.

-Prepare for wireless USB
-Microsoft outlines entertainment plans for 2006
-Western Digital's new Raptor ($300 for 150GB, 16MB cache, 10K RPM)
-Philips 'Entertaible' digital board game system
-Bluetooth stereo headphones from Motorola
-Peter Moore rallies his troops

That's about it for today. Stay tuned for the rest of the week for lot's more!

Two PlayStation 3 Tidbits -Wednesday, 1.4.06 by Alex Petraglia

It was originally rumored that Sony would be showing off the PlayStation 3 at CES this week. Turns out, that's not true, although the company will be showing off some gaming creations, presumably PSP and PS2 related. In more positive news, it looks as though the United States and Japan will share a region for Blu-ray encoded discs. Great news for the fans of Asian-only titles that don't get re-released in the States! Very, very smart move on Sony's part.

Google's 2005 Zeitgeist -Wednesday, 1.4.06 by Alex Petraglia

For better or worse, Google keeps copious records of every term we search for. Conspiracy theories aside, this always makes for an amusing end of the year search wrap-up, or Zeitgeist. Some of the top ten gainers of 2005, which include iTunes, Wikipedia, orkut, and World of Warcraft, begs the question "is the world getting more geeky?" There are some useful and fun graphs included, like one that show show Wikipedia inquiries grew exponentially from January to December, and another that clearly shows the corelation between "Martha Stewart" searches and her release from prison.

Upcoming Apple Announcements Preview -Wednesday, 1.4.06 by Alex Petraglia

Mac Rumors has word (via Think Secret) that Apple will be unveiling some new content-creation products at the National Association of Broadcasters conference this spring in Las Vegas. New products include Final Cut Pro 6, Final Cut Extreme and Xserve RAID Extreme and (potentially) a new Cinema Display capable of 4520x2540 resolution. Beautiful graphics at the expense of your vision.

10:00 PM EST- Microsoft's CES Keynote Live -Wednesday, 1.4.06 by Alex Petraglia

Scoot on over to XBOX-Scene to watch a streaming live feed from Microsoft's CES 2006 Keynote. They'll be discussing the 360 and Windows Vista and deals with MTV and the like. Engadget has live blow-by-blow text coverage here. I'll find some more links and static coverage (when it's all done) in a bit.

Google PC Rumors Heat Up, Cool Down Quickly -Wednesday, 1.4.06 by Alex Petraglia

Ars reports that the LA Times was reporting on the potential unveiling of a Google PC or similar device at CES this week. Google CEO Larry Page will be delivering a keynote address in Vegas, and it was assumed that he'd announce the contraption at this time. But a Google representative quickly responded to the rumors: "We have many PC partners who serve their markets exceedingly well and we see no need to enter that market," a Google spokesman told Times Online. "We would rather partner with great companies." Seems believable enough, but we all know Google is always plotting something...

Carmack Grilled (Doesn't Tan) -Wednesday, 1.4.06 by Alex Petraglia

Everyone's favorite geek playboy John Carmack is interviewed at Kikizo Games. Topics of discussion range from mobile gaming to the Doom Movie. Interestingly enough, the interview is devoid of any real questions concerning id's latest project, an addition to the Wolfenstein series for the XBOX 360 and PC. It will probably be called Return of Return to Castle Wolfenstein. Or maybe Wolf 4D. Something along those lines.

The Definitive Windows Skinning Guide -Tuesday, 1.3.06 by Alex Petraglia

I think we'll all agree that Windows is by no means an attractive looking operating system, at least when compared to the likes of OS X or the various Linux distros. Thankfully, with a little work, you can turn your bland desktop into a beautiful and useful outlet to the digital world. See the full guide here.

XBOX 360 Controller for Windows -Monday, 1.2.06 by Alex Petraglia

The XBOX 360's controller is without a doubt the most comfortable and intuitively-designed console controller I've ever held. But for those not yet ready to shell out the $400 to get their grubby paws on it, Microsoft has wisely released a wired, USB version of the peripheral for the PC. Techgage goes hands-on with its review.

The 2005 Foot-in-Mouth Awards -Monday, 1.2.06 by Alex Petraglia

If there's one thing we can always depend on, it's really smart people saying really dumb things. Wired takes a look back at the duh! moments of 2005. They range from humorous, like Paul Ottelini's response to a rather crticial reporter ("You're obviously from France") to downright scary, like when Sony blew off the whole rootkit thing by proclaiming "Most people don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?" Ouch. As always though, I think Ballmer's profane outbursts win first-place.

California Game Bill Shot Down in Courts -Tuesday, 12.27.05 by Alex Petraglia

Quick! Raise your hand if this comes as a shock. California's infamous game bill, passed by Governor Schwarzenegger in October, was prevented from going into effect by U.S. District Judge Ronald Whyte. Said the Judge: "The plaintiffs [the videogame industry] have shown at least that serious questions are raised concerning the states' ability to restrict minors' First Amendment rights in connection with exposure to violent video games, including the question of whether there is a causal connection between access to such games and psychological or other harm to children." It should be noted that this is the sixth time a state has passed similar legislation only to have it be shot down in court, and that a similar bill is being introduced on a federal level.

Half-Life 2 Goes 64-bit. Should We Care? -Tuesday, 12.27.05 by Alex Petraglia

Valve announced a few days ago that Athlon 64 users can now play both Half-Life 2 and Lost Coast in native 64-bit renditions. STEAM will automatically detect the presence of a compatible processor and switch to 64-bit mode when the game is launched. But Techgage rightfully asks "what are the benefits?" Sure enough, they took some initiative and found out. Testing shows the presence of some noticeable bugs, while benchmarks are a mixed bag at best. 64-bit gaming has potential, we'll all agree. But it would seem that actualization of any benefits are a ways off.

The Best of 2005? So '04! -Saturday, 12.17.05 by Alex Petraglia

Slumping sales figures from November? This year's best-selling titles released in 2004? Say it ain't so! Despite some superb and unique titles released on every platform and a major console release, the NY Times reckons that this year was a major disappointment. A single statistic reveals just about everything you need to know about the game industry's performance this year: of the 10 top-selling games of 2005 through November, only 3 were released in 2005. The other 7 all date from 2004 or earlier. In other words: the industry failed to create a single breakout hit this year. While I agree to some extent, our upcoming Game of the Year Awards may prove otherwise...

Ragdoll Kung Fu Dev Leaves Lionhead -Saturday, 12.17.05 by Alex Petraglia

Mark Healey, former Lionhead developer and creator of the popular Ragdoll Kung Fu game (released via STEAM in October) has left his position at Molyneux's studio with plans to form his own team and release a game sometime next year. Healey said the decision to leave Lionhead had been "very hard", and confirmed that he has left the company on good terms. "It was just time for a change really," he wrote. EuroGamer

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Screens and Dev Diary -Saturday, 12.17.05 by Alex Petraglia

There are a few Oblivion updates over at Bethesda's official Elder Scrolls site. Some additions to the screenshot gallery and a developer diary by programmer Brendan Anthony regarding magic abilities in the game. Many of the spells from Morrowind have been given major facelifts, or reworked entirely, in an effort to make the system as exciting and useful as possible. My personal favorite is Detect Life. In Morrowind, this effect placed icons on the minimap indicating where creatures or characters could be found. It was a nice effect but not workable for Oblivion, so now when Detect Life is cast, a magical cloud, which is visible even when the creature is not, will envelop each nearby creature. You can watch these clouds to track potential targets, and usually you can even identify which creature you are looking at by the specific shape and movement of its cloud.

Elevation Partners Considers Going Public -Friday, 12.16.05 by Alex Petraglia

Pay attention, friends. This is good stuff. Elevation Partners, venture capital firm spearheaded by former EA president John and U2's Bono, is considering going public. Elevation, I might add, acts as the holding company for developers Bioware and Pandemic. The NY Times weighed in today: By having the two studios join forces, Elevation is hoping to gain better leverage in contract negotiations with major publishers, like Electronic Arts, Activision and THQ, which market games and get them into stores...The leaders of the combined operating company, temporarily named VG Holdings, also hope to take the entity public, an unprecedented move for a game studio that does not double as a publisher. It's an interesting move and no doubt a step away from the traditional publisher-developer paradigm. But one can't help wonder if it's just a trade-off for the lesser of two evils. NY Times

Clinton's Federal Game Bill Formally Introduced -Friday, 12.16.05 by Alex Petraglia

We previously reported on the announcement of Senator Hillary Clinton's proposed federal videogame bill. Her office sent a press release to popular blog Game Politics with plans to formally file the Family Entertainment Protection Act. Here's an excerpt: With just over a week left in the holiday gift shopping season, Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton, Joe Lieberman and Evan Bayh, joined by parents, advocates and experts, introduced legislation designed to prohibit the sale of inappropriate video games to children. In unveiling the bill, the Senators underscored that video game content is getting increasingly violent and sexually explicit, yet young people are able to purchase these games with relative ease and parents are struggling to keep up with being informed about the content.

Doom 3 Classic Mod -Friday, 12.16.05 by Alex Petraglia

Maybe you've caught wind of this Doom 3 mod making its rounds for the past few days? The Doom Classic mod is essentially the original Doom reincarnated using iD's 2004 shooter. The whole thing weighs in at just about 160MB and includes singleplayer and deathmatch maps. It may just be time to dust off those Doom 3 discs! For your convenience, I've mirrored the package here. Give it a whirl; you'll be glad you did.

Morris Goes Hands-On With Revolution Controller -Friday, 12.16.05 by Alex Petraglia

CNN Money's gaming guru Chris Morris had some hands-on time with a prototype of Nintendo's controller for their upcoming Revolution console. Shaped like a television remote control, the Revolution controller uses internal sensors to translate your wrist, arm and hand movements on screen. It's easy to use, but takes a few minutes to adjust your playing style. (I initially found myself waving my arms wildly, resulting in the onscreen pointer whizzing back and forth at blinding speeds.) He even made a round at the Shack to answer questions.

Halo Zero Download -Thursday, 12.15.05 by Alex Petraglia

A buddy sends along this little Halo inspired side-scroller today. You can see the official Halo Zero website here for screenshots and a summary. And we've got a handy download link right to the right or over here.

On MMORPG Addiction -Thursday, 12.15.05 by Alex Petraglia

"For the uninitiated, MMORPG stands for Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game. The basic premise of these epic online games is that players from around the world converge on servers to do battle against computer driven opponents and often each other. Each server can hold on average up to 5,000 players at a time. It is then no wonder that these servers become home to a unique subculture of players who eat, sleep and breathe these fantasy worlds - sometimes to the detriment of everything else in their life." The Tech Zone

Two New Google Goodies -Thursday, 12.15.05 by Alex Petraglia

Found two previously unannounced Google secrets today. The first is Google Music Search. Enter any song or album title or artist, and you'll get all relevant links, like discography, song listings, band photos, latest news, and discussion boards; essentially utilizing all of Google's existing search capabilities, but blending them together in a very handy way. Also, the boys and girls at the big G have made a Firefox extension dubbed Google Safe Browsing. Once installed, it will alert the user if it detects a potential phishing scheme. Useful for those not-so-tech-savvy grandparents of yours!

Robin Williams Still a Gamer -Thursday, 12.15.05 by Alex Petraglia

A blogger approached Robin Williams on the set of one of his upcoming films and inquired as to whether or not the renowned actor still plays online games. The response was in the affirmative and Williams went on to say that he's currently playing “Battlefield 2 - the 2 stands for 2 in the morning.” Here's the full bit with pictures, via Kotaku.

Sony Rags on XBOX's "Hi-Def" -Thursday, 12.15.05 by Alex Petraglia

Say's Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios president Phil Harrison: "'The true definition of HD is the three elements of the HD value chain - the display, the content and the hardware to play back that content, and PlayStation and Sony is the only organisation that has all three bits of the value chain together. As you well know the Xbox 360 doesn't play high definition movies and doesn't have true HD functionality - PlayStation 3 is the only format that has 1080-progressive, which is the true definition of HD, so it's really premature to be talking about the HD era. The HD era really only starts when we are on the market.'" Link

Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones Concept Art -Thursday, 12.15.05 by Alex Petraglia

Stumbled upon some Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones concept art for you. Add this to the "game's as art" file cabinet. See the pieces here.

Take-Two's Stacker Applauded by Parents -Wednesday, 12.14.05 by Alex Petraglia

I can't believe I let this fine title slip under my radar. Take-Two's latest and greatest title, simply named Stacker, is a real step forward in the growing divide between the industry and parents. "With Stacker, the player interacts with an environment full of boxes—lightweight, uniformly brown boxes with rounded corners—and uses diligence and repetitive hard work to complete his mission," said Doug Benzies, Stacker's chief developer. "We're confident that the new 'reluctantly interactive' content engine we designed will prevent any excitement or emotional involvement, inappropriate or otherwise, on the part of the player." Superb reporting, as always, from The Onion.

Unreal Tournament 2007 Screens -Wednesday, 12.14.05 by Alex Petraglia

Starting saving your pennies. Voodoo Extreme has a collection of new Unreal Tournament 2007 screenshots for your perusal. Impressive stuff, to say the least. Epic's epic shooter is expected to drop sometime in '06.

American McGee: "I Know Little About Making Games" -12.5.05 by Alex Petraglia

Alright, now that I've got your attention with that title, I'll explain myself. In his latest blog update, American discusses a point I've long considered. Because of the relatively recent establishment of the "gaming industry," no one is really certain the best way to produce a game. It's not dissimilar to the early days of cinema. For most, I'm sure, it's still a lot of trial and error and finding a system that works over time. Says McGee, regarding Bad Day LA: "When I first began talking to the press about it I honestly had no idea what the game was. So I fell back on the default “3rd person action game” line and then quickly changed the subject to the story and theme... How, you might wonder, can you build something and not know what it is? Well, I’ll tell you. To start, I’ll be the first to admit that I know little about making games. Yeah, I’ve been doing it for 13 years, and have worked for the likes of id and EA, but hey, what do I know? Maybe I’ve faked my way through it all to this point! Actually, I just don’t think that anyone really knows anything about making games. The medium is too new. Sure, I know how to make a title that fits into an established genre; anyone working in the industry long enough knows how to do that. But to truly make a game, to build something from scratch, now that’s a scary thing, a tough thing.

Study Shows In-Game Ads Work -12.5.05 by Alex Petraglia

Activision and Nielsen Entertainment today released the results of a new study on the effectiveness of in-game advertising that incorporates different levels of product integration. The research is the fourth component of an ongoing joint initiative between the two companies to establish standardized tools to measure the value of in-game ads...According the study, it confirms earlier findings that product integration helps to drive awareness and recall, but also uncovers a new variable, pervasiveness, which contributes to driving brand awareness as well. Most important, the research shows that the combination of product integration and pervasiveness results in a high degree of persuasion -- the willingness of consumers to change their opinions of a brand and/or recommend it to others -- and establishes that videogames drive persuasion. It may be proving to be beneficial for advertised company or service, but is it helping the image of the publisher? Link

Two Holiday PC Charities -12.5.05 by Alex Petraglia

I have two more PC giveaways to tell you about this evening. The first comes from Hardocp, where they've teamed up with Penny-Arcade's Child's Play Charity to raise funds to purchase toys for hospitalized children. A $10 raffle ticket may win you a custom-built system featuring an AMD Athlon 64 X2, a matching set of GeForce 7800 GTX OC SLI video cards from BFG, and a Falcon Northwest customized Exotix theme.

Maximum PC Magazine, on the otherhand has put up an eBay auction where they're selling an in-house built SFF PC, featuring an Intel Pentium M 770 and eVGA GeForce 7800GT. 100% of the final purchase price goes to the Red Cross' Katrina fund.

Illinois Videogame Law Ruled Unconstitutional -12.2.05 by Alex Petraglia

District Court Judge Matthew Kennelly ruled late on Friday that Illinois’ recently enacted restrictions on the sale of videogames deemed harmful to minors are unconstitutional and that the state is barred from enforcing the law. The law’s chief proponent, Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) argued that exposure to games containing explicit violent and sexual material are in some way detrimental to the welfare of children, while opponents declared the law a restriction on free speech and thus, unconstitutional.

The law, previously scheduled to go into effect January 1, would have charged retailers a fine of up to $1,000 for selling games containing violent or sexual content to minors. A similar law, passed by Governor Schwarzenegger in California last month, is also currently being challenged in court. Finally, it’s worth noting that Senator Hilary Clinton announced plans for a similar bill on the federal level this very week.

As Judge Kennelly so concisely put it: "In this country, the state lacks the authority to ban protected speech on the ground that it affects the listener's or observer's thoughts and attitudes." In doing so, the Judge confirmed yet again that videogames are protected under the First Amendment and deserve treatment no different than film and literature.

XBOX 360 European Launch -12.2.05 by Alex Petraglia

Microsoft's XBOX 360 launched in Europe today. The scenes from Aberdeen to Zurich and everything in between were not unlike what we Americans saw on November 22nd: long lines and riots (well, not really riots, but you get the idea). The units sold out fast nearly everywhere, and Neil Thompson, regional director for the XBOX, spoke about inventory concerns at a launch event in London. The UK's Time's Online has more. Finally, Hexus has its impressions of the console.

Alienware's Aeon Flux Laptop Giveaway -12.2.05 by Alex Petraglia

Alienware sends word of its latest contest. Get your hands on a limited edition Aeon Flux themed Area-51 m5500 laptop, featuring custom cosmetics, an Intel Pentium M 760 proc, and an nVidia GeForce Go MXM 6600. My favorite tidbit in all this? Right on the page, Alienware kindly informs us that "Estimated odds of winning for this Sweepstakes = 1:2,500,000." Oi.

RIAA Headed To Court -12.1.05 by Alex Petraglia

The RIAA has launched 14,800 lawsuits since 2003 in an effort to curb illegal file-sharing. To date, not a single suspected file sharer has seen the courtroom, while instead, approximately 3,000 have settled with a fine of roughly $3,000-4,000. All that is about to change. Patricia Santangelo, mother of five from Wappingers Falls, New York, is accused of downloading such fine tracks as Godsmack's "Whatever" and Incubus' "Nowhere Fast." She vehemently denies this and has opted to take the the Industry to court. Ars has more. As you know, I try my best to remain impartial here at all times (ha!), but it goes without saying that anyone in their right mind is praying that the Court rules in favor Miss Santangelo. If so, it will mark a long-overdue blow to the RIAA's witch hunts. Lest you need further convincing: "The chances of it not being the right person or someone in that household are slim," said Stanley Pierre-Louis, senior vice president for legal affairs at the RIAA. "Let's face it, what we're doing is on the right side here." Sorry, consumers. The fact train doesn't stop here.

Japanese Arcades, Meet Gordon Freeman -11.30.05 by Alex Petraglia

Half-Life 2: Survivor? No, it's not a previously unannounced expansion pack or the latest venture by Mark Burnett. This rendition can only be had on custom gaming units for Japanese videogame arcades. The game features both a story and multiplayer mode, as shown in these shots. The actual unit features impressive surround sound, a seat, and joystick and foot pedals (most likely for the vehicle segments). More pictures and details are here. Now this would make for a seriously sweet Christmas gift.

More on Fedral Videogame Bill -11.30.05 by Alex Petraglia

Another report today on the Clinton/Lieberman game bill I announced yesterday. The ESA's Doug Lowenstein has made a statement, applauding the senators' interest, but ultimately says new legislation is unnecessary. "We believe the combination of trustworthy ESRB ratings, parental education, voluntary retail enforcement of ESRB ratings, and, most recently, the major announcement that all next generation video game consoles will include parental control systems, makes Senator Clinton's bill unnecessary. There is now a continuum of tools from the store to the home enabling parents to take charge of the video games their kids play. It is now up to them to do their jobs as they see fit, not up to government to do it for them."

Work at BFG -11.30.05 by Alex Petraglia

Via Hardocp we have word today that renowned videocard manufacturer BFG Tech is looking for both a RMA/technical support manager and a hardware technician to work on-site at their office in the Chicago area. Both listings are here.

XBOX 360 Inventory Tracker -11.30.05 by Alex Petraglia

Miss out on launch day? Eagerly awaiting the next flood of shipments? Here's a nifty inventory tracker for online and brick-and-mortar XBOX 360 retailers. The page updates and refreshes itself constantly for your convenience. Not suprisingly, the only two places you can get your hands on one at the moment is eBay and Overstock.

The First Custom XBOX 360 Faceplates -11.29.05 by Alex Petraglia

I think we all knew it was bound to happen. Facetags has a collection of original faceplates for your XBOX 360, with categories ranging from Abstract to Vixen. Yeah. Plus, if you don't like their designs, you'll soon be able to create your own. In addition to the hundreds of premade templates available from launch, Facetags also has plans to launch an industry first – an easy to use application that allows users to create their very own designs online. The plates are now selling for a reasonable $10.

First Federal Videogame Bill in the Works -11.29.05 by Alex Petraglia

If there's one thing I've been known to ramble on about for extended durations, it's certainly poorly-conceived anti-videogame bills. And as luck would have it, there's yet another one in the works! Outspoken proponents Senators Clinton and Lieberman will introduce the The Family Entertainment Protection Act when Congress convenes in two weeks. You can read all about the proposal at Clinton's website. On the page you'll see that "Illinois, Michigan, and California have all passed state laws to prohibit the sale of violent video games to minors," but what you won't see mentioned are the various groups in all three states that have or will soon challenge the laws in Court. You might also spot this little bit: “Today's report is yet further proof that we need to make sure parents have the tools and support they need to make informed decisions for their children,” said Senator Clinton. But what you won't see is the fact that the bill essentially takes the power out of the hands of parents, by instead making the decision for them. And who could forget, the classic line repeated verbatim and ad nauseam “There is a growing body of evidence that points to a link between violent videos and aggressive behavior in children." But, as usual, you'll see no such example of said evidence. This is getting too easy for me...

Wolf Blitzer's "Situation Room" on CNN this evening had a brief segment on videogame violence. Which is exactly where our quote of the night is obtained. Said David Walsh, from the National Institute of Media and Family: "About the only thing these groups haven't blamed on video games is the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq."

For better or worse, expect a lot more noise about this recent nonesense in the coming weeks.

Reviewed: Lian-Li PC-V880 -11.29.05 by Alex Petraglia

Lian Li's PC-V880 will find a huge following in the HTPC crowd. It has a features and flash to please the most discriminating of users. Some of the most notable of its features is the value of two externally accessible bays which cannot be overstated. When you need to do disc to disc burning a single bay case won't do and will have you fussing in no time. The smart and compact layout as well as the high level of construction quality show you that this case is a Lian Li and worthy of all you have heard before. All-in-all, a very high-quality HTPC aluminum case. As always, Li-Li delivers. Overclocker Cafe

Win Stuff from Hexus -11.29.05 by Alex Petraglia

We like Hexus quite a bit. Sometimes, they have tech news. Sometimes they have game reviews. And still other times, they go all out and give away a boatload of cool Intel silicon. Ten lucky UK residents will win an Pentium 820 2.8GHz Dual Core proc and a D955XBK motherboard. Attention piqued? Here are your details.

Prey Teaser Trailer -11.29.05 by Alex Petraglia

There's a new teaser trailer showing about a minute of mixed gameplay footage from Human Head's and 2K's upcoming XBOX 360 and PC shooter, Prey. You can download it from here or here.

More Quake IV -9.17.05 by Alex Petraglia

Also on the Shack, you'll find a whopping 11 new Quake IV screenshots, plus one new deathmatch movie and one new "vehicle" movie. Access to them all can be found here.

It Came From Bellevue! -9.17.05 by Alex Petraglia

Valve's top-secret Washington headquarters have been Remo'd, as everyone's favorite Shacknews reporter takes a visit to Gabe and company. Read all about HDR in Half-Life 2, the Lost Coast bonus level, Day of Defeat: Source, and some other odds and ends, like STEAM, Aftermath, and the future of physics. Included are some very pretty screenshots, but if you're still craving more, you'll find a slew of higher-res Day of Defeat shots and art here. The game is set to be released September 26th via STEAM.

Alert Monty Python; Bubonic Plague is Back in Town -9.16.05 by Alex Petraglia

Alright, I'll admit that title is a bit deceiving. NEWARK, N.J. — Three laboratory mice infected with the bacteria responsible for bubonic plague are missing from a bioterrorism-research facility in Newark, sparking an investigation by federal and state authorities...Officials said the animals could have been stolen from the center, one of the top-level biocontainment labs in New Jersey — or simply misplaced. The discovery occurred more than two weeks ago and was confirmed Wednesday after questions were raised by The Star-Ledger newspaper...State Health Commissioner Fred Jacobs said mice infected with plague bacteria die "very fast," so "the risk to the public ... is probably slim to none." Well wouldn't that have been something?

The RIAA: Still Clueless -9.16.05 by Alex Petraglia

The Recording Industry Association of America has sent letters to seven peer-to-peer companies, asking them to halt what the RIAA alleges is their practice of encouraging users to illegally distribute copyrighted material...The RIAA's actions follow a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June against P2P services provider Grokster and marks one of the first actions the recording industry trade group has taken against P2P services beyond Grokster. In a unanimous decision, the court said companies that build businesses with the active intent of encouraging copyright infringement should be held liable for their customers' illegal actions. ZDNet

Remember, Remember, the 22nd of November -9.15.05 by Alex Petraglia

Time to start counting your pocket change. Microsoft just announced at the Tokyo Game Show that XBOX 360 will launch November 22nd, 2005 in the USA. Europe and Japan has to wait until December 2nd and December 10th, respectively. It's going to be a mighty fine Thanksgiving for many. Thanks Kotaku.

Rockstar To Thompson: Laugh! -9.14.05 by Alex Petraglia

Oh, those crazy kids at Rockstar games. They've gone and done it again. This time, picking their favorite antagonist Jack Thompson as the target. Over at the company's official website for the new Liberty City Stories game for the PSP, you'll find actual (faked) emails concerning the Miami attorney. Not suprisingly, Thompson, who is sure to keep his finger on the pulse of what's hip in the gaming community, has responded already. "Take-Two/Rockstar has created and paid for an actual Internet web site at www.citizensunitednegatingtechnology.org for the purpose of furthering the notion that its most abiding and most effective critic, Jack Thompson, is himself a sexual pervert. This is the oldest dodge used by the porn industry, first used on Jack Thompson by radio pornographers whom Thompson got fined by the FCC in 1989...Jack Thompson can assure the world that the only thing to which he is "addicted" is eating entertainment industry scofflaws for breakfast - and golf." This is a major breakthrough! We now have sufficient evidence that proves golf can cause mental instability in middle-aged attorneys. Call the politicans ASAP! Maybe they can write up a bill to ban the sport. More here and here.

On a Scale of 1 to 10, Lost Coast Is Super Great -9.14.05 by Alex Petraglia

Why? Because it has HDR, of course! Bit-Tech investigates. Half-Life 2: Lost Coast is Valve's reply to a series of What If questions: what if there were no limits? What if we didn't have to make sure people with mid-range systems could enjoy our games? What if the system requirements knew no bounds?...Following the release of Half-Life 2 worldwide on 16th November 2004, a group of programmers and artists at Valve sat down to create the ultimate level, incorporating ultra high resolution textures, models and adding High Dynamic Range Rendering (HDR) to the Source engine. Their aim was to create a technology showcase: a no-holds barred level that would set new standards in image quality and realism; something to really push even the highest of today's high-end systems.

Primotech Original: Dissecting California’s Violent Game Bill -9.12.05 by Alex Petraglia

When reading up on the bill, I wondered if such steps were, in light of recent events, actually warranted and necessary. Would this act help to once and for all keep mature games out of the hands of minors? Would it provide some relief from the inundation of negative press the gaming industry has been receiving for quite sometime? Would it finally get those pesky politicians and lawyers and sensationalists off the gamer’s back? I hoped so...Beyond the perfunctory glance, however, it becomes evident that this bill brings into focus and, more importantly, actually probes some of the more serious issues facing the industry. Above all else, examining and dissecting the proposal reveals some truly frightening facts. Read all about it here and discuss it here.

The Gaming Novel -9.12.05 by Alex Petraglia

Wired has a short read on the emerging popularity of the gaming novel. I saw the Splinter Cell book the author makes mention of in my local Border's the other day. I wasn't sure quite to make of it, to be honest. Needless to say, I didn't buy it. Maybe if Clancy had actually written it...

LA Worker Kills Power to 700,000; Is Quoted As Saying "Oops" -9.12.05 by Alex Petraglia

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- About 700,000 electric customers in Los Angeles lost power Monday afternoon after a worker mistakenly cut a wrong line, triggering a cascade of problems in the city's power grid, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said. In addition to putting a whole load of people in the dark, he's also caused general online funkiness due to a number of major sites hosted on servers in the affected area. Read it here.

OMG Furooms!!! -9.11.05 by Alex Petraglia

After a hiatus, of sorts, the immensely popular Primotech Forums are back online! Join today! We'll take 10% off the current registration fees.

Microsoft Admits To "Killing PC Gaming" -9.10.05 by Alex Petraglia

While this might just sound like an early (or late?) April Fool's prank, Microsoft outlined to MCV yesterday that the software giant itself is responsible to blame for the stumbling PC gaming market. Boy, that's sure taking a lot of credit. In fact, the entire article is packed with such nonesense. With the imminent release of the XBOX 360, you can be sure that Microsoft's gaming divisions are devoting themselves to the console. Allow me to elaborate: "Key to this is a bespoke retail concept, offering Xbox 360 and Games for Windows titles, plus a cross-compatible range of peripherals, integrating the gaming experience." So, we'll have our attention focused back on the PC when we see...that we can get the same games and peripherals for a machine that costs as much as a new videocard. Well, that's reassuring. "And the publishing community is also throwing its weight behind the push, with the major publishers even redesigning their PC boxes to flag up Games for Windows in a similar way to console format branding." Because it seems fairly obvious that a piece of software, designed specifically for Microsoft's operating system to begin with, will sell better if you slap a Windows sticker on it.

Fox Buys IGN Network for $650 Million -9.10.05 by Alex Petraglia

The IGN Network was bought out earlier this week by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., the parent company to Fox Media. The IGN Network, for those not familiar, includes the IGN.com gaming, music, and movies conglomerate, Gamespy, Rotten Tomatoes, TeamXBOX, and many other such related websites. With regards to honest and responsible journalism in their respective fields, it's good to see two similarly matched outfits join together for the common good of their audiences. Both Murdoch and IGN's head Mark Jung have about 650 million nice things to say about each other here.

San Andreas Re-Release; Liberty City Stories for PSP -9.10.05 by Alex Petraglia

Two Grand Theft Auto tidbits for you today. First, according to retailers EBGames and Gamestop, San Andreas is set to be released again, sans warm java beverage, as early as September 13th. The game will be labeled "Second-Edition," and is rated Mature.

Next up is the official announcement of the new Grand Theft Auto: Libery City Stories game for the Sony PSP. The game has the typical GTA look and feel you've grown to love, and tells the story of mobster Toni Cipriani. Rockstar has an offical flash site for the game here. You'll find a collection of screenshots and trailers there. The game will be released late next month. The latest issue of PSM has an exclusive look. Will this mark a turn-around for the PSP?

Day of Defeat: Source Dated -9.9.05 by Alex Petraglia

Gamers received today what they deemed to be a long over-due announcement. Valve's Day of Defeat: Source will be made available for $20 (for Bronze owners; Silver and Gold get it free) via Steam come September 26. See the official announcement here and two solider models here.

Guild Wars Update; Sorrow's Furnace -9.9.05 by Alex Petraglia

The fine folks at ArenaNet promised us lots of free updates to the Guild Wars universe when they released the game earlier this year. While they've been good about minor updates, which fix bugs and add smaller quests, the September 7th Game Update marks a milestone in Guild Wars history. The update includes the long-awaited "Sorrow's Furnace" add-on. Included are two new explorable locales, Grenth's Footprint and Sorrow's Furnace, located in the Shiverpeak Mountains. Designed for the more experienced players, expect tough new boss monsters, rare and lucrative items, and the oppurtunity to gain vast quantities of XP points. IGN has a creature feature and an exclusive interview here.

Bad Day LA Trailer -9.7.05 by Alex Petraglia

Hot on the heels of the Bad Day LA Blowout last week, we now have the official trailer for your viewing pleasure. Comes in two flavors: Smaller, Quicktime Movie (22.6 MB; 320x240 pixels) and a larger, AVI File (33.4 MB; 720x480 pixels). Enjoy!

CCT Game Calendar Announced -9.6.05 by Alex Petraglia

Stumbled upon a "working page" for a game-art calendar project. Game developers can send in their artwork and, if all goes well, we'll be able to purchase full-size, high-quality copies of the final product at some point. If this gets enough publicity, I think the response will be overwhelming, and the folks in charge will have a really tough time narrowing down the selections to twelve. But a cool idea, nonetheless; can't wait to see how it pans out.

EB & Gamestop Merger OK'd -9.6.05 by Alex Petraglia

Major U.S.-headquartered specialty video game retailers GameStop Corp and Electronics Boutique Holdings Corp. have announced that registration documents relating to the merger of the two companies have been approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Gamasutra

Human-Computer Interaction Sucks: In Eight Easy Steps! -9.6.05 by Alex Petraglia

Today's brilliant (and I mean it, this time) blog posting goes to this guy. Not only is it well-written, it's damn informative. Take a peek: I bet you my bunny the former Soviet union could have designed a better operating system GUI than any of the software vendors of today. Not only would their GUI allow you to get the job done faster, it would completely lack preferences, freedom of choice and any settings even remotely related to changing the way you interact. And there's more: Their GUI would provide one way and one way only of accomplishing an atomic task. Imagine what that would do to a context menu!

Input Device Frenzy Fest -9.6.05 by Alex Petraglia

The keyboards and mouses are out in full force today. Microsoft announced a gamer-oriented keyboard and unleashed a new mouse from it's hardware department. Not to be outdown, Logitech is releasing four brand-new mice. Can't wait to meet them.

PSOne Celebrates 10 Years -9.6.05 by Alex Petraglia

Bake a cake and light some candles—this Friday marks the 10th birthday of everyone's favorite 32-bit system, the Sony PlayStation. It's hard to believe that it's been a full decade since the PS1 came along and launched Sony to the pinnacle of success. But here we are, downshifting our Emotion Engines as we cruise into the twilight days of the system's successor, making way for the PS1's Cell-powered grandchild. 1Up'd

Bad Day LA Extravaganza -9.1.05 by Alex Petraglia

A veritable plethora of American McGee Presents: Bad Day LA updates today. First, over at Mr. McGee's personal blog, you'll find a number of banner ads for your downloading and redistribution pleasure. Some wallpapers here (and here, and here, and here, and there). IGN also has eight new screenshots. Be sure to leave your thoughts at the official forum. Bad Day LA will be out sometime in 2006 for the PC and XBOX. As nice as all this looks, remember, no fapping!

The Boll Man Talketh -9.1.05 by Alex Petraglia

1Up has a feature interview with none other than the incomparable Dr. Uwe Boll. Lot's of memorable quotes worth saving for a rainy day, like "I'm still happy with Alone in the Dark. I think the only weak part in Alone in the Dark is maybe Tara Reid's acting." Oh boy. "So I think it's a little idiotic also from their end. The one thing with everybody who knows how hard it is to make a movie at all should also appreciate, no matter what the movie is - even if it's an amateur or shitty movie - where people are putting work into it and people should respect that." He has a point. It's just not really valid.

XBOX 360 To Invade NYC (Maybe) -9.1.05 by Alex Petraglia

Microsoft may open a glitzy retail store in New York City's Times Square to raise its profile and showcase consumer-oriented products such as the new Xbox...One possible site is a four-story space at One Times Square, a billboard-covered building where the famous ball is dropped during the New Year's celebration. I know I'll take the grueling (half-hour) trip for the groundbreaking! Linked.

Getting Incoming Signals From Wi-Max -8.30.05 by Alex Petraglia

The new wireless standard that will change the world (or something like that) is not too far off now. CNN has a look.

Windows Vista To Eat Your Media -8.30.05 by Alex Petraglia

It's been rumored for sometime, but this is all the proof I need. Microsoft readies the next version of its Windows operating system, called Vista, the software giant is building in unprecedented levels of safeguards against video piracy...For the first time, the Windows operating system will wall off some audio and video processes almost completely from users and outside programmers, in hopes of making them harder for hackers to reach. The company is establishing digital security checks that could even shut off a computer's connections to some monitors or televisions if antipiracy procedures that stop high-quality video copying aren't in place. Absolutely incredible.

XBOX 360 Dissected -8.30.05 by Alex Petraglia

XBOX-Scene has some pictures up of a cracked open XBOX 360 dev kit. Highlights include the bare GPU and CPU units and possible proprietary power cable. See all here.

Delusions of Evil -8.27.05 by Alex Petraglia

Sure, we all love to play as the space marine or theoretical physicist whose only duty is to save the earth. But what about playing as the bad guy? Lot's of friendly faces weigh in at GameCloud.

Black and White 2 (Almost) Gold -8.26.05 by Alex Petraglia

Lionhead announced today that work on Black and White 2 has almost reached its conclusion. While the game hasn't officially gone gold, the team is confident enough to cite a September 30th release date. You can see the box art for the game here. And, make sure you ALL email Matt and tell him the good news. He'll appreciate that. Maybe give him a call at work, too...

So Long, Rio -8.26.05 by Alex Petraglia

One of my favorite digital music player manufacturers closed its doors today. D&M Holdings, parent company to Rio, announced that the "ultra-competitive business no longer fit its market strategy." Too bad; I always loved their lines. Interestingly enough, and this is true, my Carbon doesn't seem to want to turn on tonight. Did it hear the news? Went on strike? Self-destruct?!?! We'll see soon enough.

Games Are Art! -8.25.05 by Alex Petraglia

And don't let them tell you otherwise. I stumbled upon this site today and was really impressed with the concept. Give it the old once-over.

Speaking of Conspiracy Theories... -8.24.05 by Alex Petraglia

A site that goes by the name Pitchfork Media has yet another look at all the benefits of music piracy. The story, which tracks the success of Big Champagne, makes for quite the read on this fascinating subject.

ESRB Prez. Vance Grilled -8.24.05 by Alex Petraglia

Actually, I hardly call any investigative reporting CNet does a "grilling," but it's something at least. The news outlet has interviewed ESRB president Patricia Vance, asking questions regarding Coffeegate and the ESRB rating system and things of that ilk. Answers are pretty cut and dry, except I really did quite enjoy this one: When asked if it was right for polticians (chiefly Hillary Clinton) to blow the Hot Coffee fiasco out of proportion, Ms. Vance answered "[it] ended up being a political football for both parties, and that's unfortunate." Right on, sister.

Doom Movie Official Trailer -8.24.05 by Alex Petraglia

The official trailer for the Doom movie has made it's debut. See it at the Yahoo movies page. Some cheesey one-liners, but some impressive action sequences as well. I'm not sure whether I'm suppose to love or hate the first-person camera angles, so I suppose we'll just have to wait and see the final product.

Gaming On-Demand Services To Save The Platform -8.20.05 by Alex Petraglia

The Inq is running an interesting piece on the potential second-coming of the PC market, if the gaming on-demand services from folks like Valve and Microsoft are implemented properly and really take off.

Quake 3 Source Code Released -8.20.05 by Alex Petraglia

At this years Quakecon, but a few days ago, Johnny C. revealed that the source code for Quake 3 would soon be released to the public. He's made good on his promise. Give it a download and do something cool with it, if that's your thing. Perhaps a sequel to Quake 2? I leave it to you.

Friday Night Consolidation! -8.19.05 by Alex Petraglia

Just got back from an extended trip (no, sadly not Quakecon). I'm sure you're wondering where all your news is. Well, these are the stories you are looking for, crammed in bite-size form. You'll thank me.

Games
-Previewed: Unreal Tournament 2007
-Delayed: TimeShift (until Spring 2006)
-Attended: Games Conference 2005
-Peek Sneaked: Project Offset August Video
-Drawn...ed: Gears of War Concept Art

Gizmos and Gadgets and Other Fun Stuff
-Leaked: XBOX 360 Marketing Brochure (Cool Stuff)
-Reviewed: BFGTech GeForce 7800 GT
-Arrived: Holograms! (kinda)
-Reviewed: Bose SoundDock

Miscellaneous
-Interviewed: Frank Miller (On Sin City DVD's, Batman, and Carla Gugino)
-Cracked: Passwords That Can't Be
-MMNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOed: Forget, Forget the 5th of November

We'll be returning to our regularly scheduled broadcasting tomorrow. You stay classy, San Diego.

Rational Thought Prevails! -8.12.05 by Alex Petraglia

It's good to see that a jury has more common sense (and influence) than a raving crusader (you know to whom I refer). Devin Moore was convicted this week of capital murder, a sentence which he could face the death penalty for. Why should you care? Mr. Moore's defense attorney decided it would be convenient and beneficial to their case to whip out the "videogames made me do it!" card. Surely there's nothing wrong with fabricating information that may set a murderer free? Thankfully, the jury saw through the smoke screen and handed down the due sentence.

Gaming: What Does it all Mean? -8.7.05 by Alex Petraglia

The Economist is running a fantastic article on the social impact gaming is having on the country and the world. IS IT a new medium on a par with film and music, a valuable educational tool, a form of harmless fun or a digital menace that turns children into violent zombies? Video gaming is all these things, depending on whom you ask.

STEAM Update: Lost Coast, Aftermath, Day of Defeat -8.7.05 by Alex Petraglia

While we know we're starting to sound a little like a broken record, Lost Coast, Day of Defeat, and Aftermath are in the final phases of development and being polished for release. While the latter two aren't quite at the point where we can nail down an exact release date, we're expecting to have Lost Coast ready in a couple of weeks. Restart your STEAM client to see it, or just go here.

Samsung Spinpoint SATAII 200GB NCQ HDD Reviewed -8.5.05 by Alex Petraglia

Futurelooks has a review today of Samsung's 200GB SATAII drive with NCQ. Hot. They have some very nice things to say about the offering. The Samsung SP2004C 200 Gigabyte SATA hard drive was a very welcome suprise. Though it couldn't beat the Maxtor with its massive 16 megabyte cache, it more than made up for this by being extremely quiet and boasting faster seek times and a higher average read speed. This drive would be an excellent choice for a quiet pc project or that home theatre PC due to the very noticeably quiet operating noise. The Samsung also features Native Command Queing and SATA II support so it can take advantage of a new motherboard wen you upgrade.

Spyware/Adware Removal Refresher -8.5.05 by Alex Petraglia

The TechZone has posted a How To on removing Adware and Spyware. For most geeks, all the information presented is common knowledge. But this may be one to pass along to your less-savvy friends. If your computer runs slower than normal, or you are constantly bombarded with popup ads, then your system probably has spyware installed. Spyware is a software that runs on your computer, and can do many types of things. Spyware can come in the form of a tracking cookie that informs its creator of which websites that you visit, or it can be a software that gets installed that serves popup ads to your computer to try to get you to visit other websites.

Prey Screens; Interview -8.5.05 by Alex Petraglia

Three new Prey screenshots for your viewing pleasure. There's also an article-style interview with lead designer Chris Rhinehart online. Even with this wealth of earlier material, however, Rhinehart and his team have still sought to make this version of Prey a largely original endeavor. While the team chose to keep the portal system that was an important feature in earlier iterations of Prey a central design element of the current version, most of this Prey represents completely new work by both Human Head and 3D Realms.

And On This Day in History... -8.3.05 by Alex Petraglia

Exactly one year ago, Doom 3 was causing gamers everywhere to lose control of their bodily functions...in excitement over the long-awaited release, of course! I personally haven't opened a closet door the same way since. Thanks id!

Call of Duty 2 Interview -8.3.05 by Alex Petraglia

In a never-before-seen move, our beloved Shacknews has posted a piece of original content! Steve and crew pose questions to Infinity Ward's lead designer Zied Rieke. But yet, they get answers, too! The marvels never cease. There are a few new screenshots included there as well. From the looks of it, things are shaping up quite nicely. Expect this one out on the PC and XBOX 360 sometime late this year.

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory Patched -8.3.05 by Alex Petraglia

Ubisoft has issued a patch for this year's stealth hit Chaos Theory. This brings the game up to version 1.04. The most noticeable improvement is the addition of ATi Shader Model 2.0 support. See the previous link for a download. You know, for the two of you who still play.

Creative Has A Vision -8.3.05 by Alex Petraglia

Chances are it won't be a very good one.

Dungeon Siege II Demo Released -8.3.05 by Alex Petraglia

Gas-Powered Games released today it's demo for it's upcoming RPG Dungeon Siege II. It weighs in at a mammoth 1.4GB. More free mirrors here and here. One cynic who will go unnamed reports "dungeon siege is pretty awful." Ahem.

XBOX 360 Watch -8.3.05 by Alex Petraglia

No, not a time device. Like an alert. Notice. What have you. Lot's of scuttlebutt and commotion over Microsoft's upcoming console. First, Bill is confident that, while both Sony and Microsoft have Ferrari's, "our [Microsoft's] Ferrari is leaving the starting line substantially before their Ferrari is, and in most races that's a very nice thing." In most races, that's also called cheating. But neither here nor there...Getting past the car metaphors for a moment, a leaked photograph from an XBOX 360 presentation in Spain shows that the controller may contain a small QWERTY keyboard for sending text messages and chatting in-game. Also leaked from that presentation are rumors that we might be seeing both Half-Life 3 and a Grand Theft Auto on the 360 someday. And finally, it's been all but officially confirmed by Microsoft (good luck on that one), the XBOX 360 will debut this year for $300.

Apple's Might Mouse Debuts and Pops Out of Many Mouseholes -8.2.05 by Alex Petraglia

Apple introduced today its newest creation: The Might Mouse. No. Really. Features included a 360 degree scroll-ball mounted at top and touch sensitive pads. Macworld had early impressions, while Ars Technica has a more thorough review. When all is said and done, all of the the Apple PR on the Mighty Mouse product page is a bit much. As a poster in the Mac Ach succinctly observed, "this thing isn't as revolutionary as one may think. It's just nice to have an Apple mouse with a frickin' scroll button and right click."

AMD's 3800+ X2 Makes the Rounds -8.1.05 by Alex Petraglia

AMD unveiled today its new line of dual-core 64-bit desktop chips. The Athlon 64 X2 3800+ clocks in at 2.0GHz and features 512KB L2 cache on each core. According to AMD, pricing will start at about $350. TechWare Labs had this to say: The 3800+ X2 is an excellent performer and if the price falls within your budget, then purchasing this processor will be worth every penny. The 3800+ X2 is much less expensive that its big brother the 4800+ X2, which will definitely open the market up to the consumer who can't afford the top of the line AMD processor, but wants the benefits of an AMD dual core. Hot Hardware and Anandtech and The Tech Report weighed in on the processor today, too.

EA and Hollywood Square Off -7.31.05 by Alex Petraglia

Wired is running an article this month on the impending collision between the movie industry and the gaming industry; specifically, EA. Videogames and Hollywood have been colliding in slow motion for two decades. But the collaboration between the man many call the greatest actor of all time and the gamemaker acknowledged as the most powerful in the world is a sign that the show is finally on - and coming in November to a console near you. For EA, it's not a moment too soon. You can read it online here.

Cinemas to Kill Off the Reel -7.28.05 by Alex Petraglia

Representatives of Hollywood's top movie studios say they have agreed on technical specifications that will make it easier to distribute and display movies digitally...Digital Cinema Initiatives, the industry consortium created in 2002 to unite studios, theater owners and tech manufacturers in planning the shift to digital, released version 1.0 of its requirements and specifications for digital cinema Wednesday. Wired

Your Smart Videogame Story for the Evening -7.27.05 by Alex Petraglia

That being said, I would like to talk about how videogames are turning us into criminals. And it is true. After playing Halo 2 for a few short hours, I gunned down an entire orphanage, raped everyone I could find in the local mall parking lot, and then I burned goat’s blood in an alter to Satan while listening to the “Bloodhound Gang” and “Rammstein”. Videogames will turn you into a violent and bloody sociopath, and I’m living evidence. After a hard day of work at ActionTrip, we usually sacrifice a child to Mephistopheles. What can I say, the man speaks the truth. Link

Your Stupid Videogame Story for the Evening -7.27.05 by Alex Petraglia

NEW YORK (AP) -- A woman upset that she bought the video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" for her 14-year-old grandson without knowing it contained hidden, sexually explicit scenes sued the manufacturer Wednesday on behalf of consumers nationwide...Florence Cohen, 85, of New York, said in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan that the game's manufacturer, Rockstar Games, and its parent company, New York-based Take Two Interactive Software Inc., engaged in false, misleading and deceptive practices. Of course, the kid never actually did see those pesky hidden scenes. And the granny had no objection to the parts of the game that contained the colorful language, gratuitous violence, and over-the-top, adult-themed situations. I mean, if she did, why else would she have bought the game? Surely I couldn't possibly be hinting at something here? I sincerely hope Rockstar does not settle out of court, and the judge hands down a well-deserved "STFU." Link

Windows Vista Emerges -7.27.05 by Alex Petraglia

Windows Vista (previously Longhorn) kicked-off today with the release of version Beta 1. PC Mag.com is running some excellent coverage, with hands-on impressions and lot's of editorial pieces. Also worth noting are the articles on IE 7 and everything that got left out. NeoWin has more details and links here, while you can get a HEAVY dose of screencaps here. I'll have my own impressions online soon.

You've Been Boll'd! -7.27.05 by Alex Petraglia

In case you missed the memo, everyone's favorite director, Herr Boll, has just wrapped production on the new Bloodrayne movie. While there are some big names cast as leads in the film, like Kristanna Loken, Michael Madsen, and Ben Kingsley, I can't shake the inexplicable feeling that the movie will be about as enjoyable as a colonoscopy. In case you needed further proof, watch the trailer that just debuted. Just don't blame me if you start bleeding from the eyes. You can thank German tax code for this.

AGEIA; Physics Interview -7.27.05 by Alex Petraglia

TechAge has an interview today with Andy Keane, VP of Marketing at AGEIA, the company looking to create the world's first independent physics processing unit. From the article: "Basically, AGEIA created a PhysX PPU chip, which resides on a PCB board, which will be used in your PCI slot. The PhysX chip utilizes the NovodeX SDK. What the chip can do essentially, is handle mass amounts of physics operations.. much more than a normal CPU can. In fact, according to AGEIA, a current CPU can handle around 1,000 active bodies, while the PhysX chip can handle 32,000 with relative ease. With future software updates, that number could get even higher." Some interesting details in an easy-to-follow kinda way. Worth a read through, considering how I have a sneaky suspicion we'll be hearing a lot more about this in the coming months. There are some video demos on this page.

Doom Movie Trailer Available -7.26.05 by Alex Petraglia

IGN has an EXCLUSIVE (I know because it's plastered over every 10-square pixel on the page) trailer of the new Doom movie, starring the Rock and some other people. I can't say I'm too impressed, but thankfully I wasn't expecting much, so I'm not all that disappointed, either. Here's a link.

Reviewed: Gainward's Geforce 7800GTX -7.26.05 by Alex Petraglia

Roughly a month ago nVidia raised the bar once again and released their new high end graphics card. The most shocking part was that the Geforce 7800GTX was available at retail outlets the same day they announced it...The reference Geforce 7800GTX core is clocked at 430 MHz and the memory is clocked 1200 MHz. The Gainward 7800GTX Golden Sample core is clocked at 480 MHz for the core and the memory is clocked at 1300 MHz. Yep you read it right; this is the fastest air-cooled Geforce 7800GTX card clocked at 480/1300. Memory bandwidth reaches 41.6GB/second. And the best part is that you are under warranty from Gainward at that speed... From NGO HQ Some neat HDR and TAA comparisons in the article, too.

Massive Getting Bigger -7.25.05 by Alex Petraglia

More good news for the industry! Everyone's favorite homewreckers at Massive Incorporated announced today that their latest "solutions" (which implies there was a problem, one I was not informed of, apparently). If still-image ads didn't make you swear enough when they first debuted in your games, Massive is now sure to have you hurling your keyboard across the room in fury when you see its video adverts. You'll first spot these little buggers in Anarchy Online, but expect more titles to be added too soon than I care to consider. Interestingly enough, Massive still has only been able to secure deals to get ads in PC games; it hasn't yet received the blessings of Microsoft and Sony for their respective console's online gaming access. If console gamers do manage to get off the hook for this one, as I truly pray they will, the entire notion of gaming advertising in general will disintegrate, and then I won't have to be bothered by posting news about this crap. Well, that's my little rant for the day. Besides, when I met Mitch Davis not too long ago, he didn't strike me as all bad. Just...mostly.

In Soviet Russia... -7.25.05 by Alex Petraglia

Vardan Kushnir, notorious for sending spam to each and every citizen of Russia who appeared to have an e-mail, was found dead in his Moscow apartment on Sunday, Interfax reported Monday. He died after suffering repeated blows to the head. I'm not sure if the fact that I find this mildly amsuing makes me a bad person. But it does raise the question: Is spam punishable by death? I think not. But I wouldn't object if someone took a contract out on some of the curs over at ***various "targeted advertising" companies removed for legal reasons***.

And Now For Something Completely Different -7.25.05 by Alex Petraglia

This has nothing to do with anything, but it was funny and I felt like sharing. "The captions were a direct english translation of the chinese interpretation of what the script was saying. it varied from being somewhat close to the script to being 'far far away'...." See here and over here. Warnings: Profanity, spoilers, yada yada...

Getting Friendly: Valve and EA -7.18.05 by Alex Petraglia

It appears that Valve, not content with only distributing its games via STEAM, has sought EA as its new publisher. When the developer settled its lawsuit with Vivendi back in April, the company was left without a publisher to distribute boxed copies of its games. The company has tapped EA, which will publish and release Half-Life 2: Game of the Year Edition and Half-Life 2 for the XBOX sometime this year. Valve head Gabe Newell makes sure to use lots of popular industry jargon: “EA is the worldwide leader in bringing best of breed games, for all platforms, to market...By combining EA’s unparalleled operation structure and distribution channel with Valve’s award-winning development teams and games community, we’ve established an awesome combination for delivering great products to console and PC gamers around the world.” You can read the full press release here. The exact details of the agreement aren't stipulated, but I can't imagine Valve giving up any IP to the behemoth.

XBOX 360 Captured in the Wild -7.18.05 by Alex Petraglia

It’s pretty c