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HL2 Goes Gold, Briefly - 30.9.04 An announcement appeared on the official Half-Life 2 website today, saying that the game was Gold and would be available on 23 Nov. Shortly after, the announcement was taken down, but not before a screen-capture was taken by Gamers-Depot.com And then that screen-capture was also pulled. Read more on GamersHell.com & Voodoo Extreme Related: Half-Life 2 reviews start to roll out ATI HL2 voucher owners to receive Bronze package Half-life 2 Package Details Discussion >> By Rob
Vivendi Universal Games made the multiplayer version of the demo available today:OS Windows 98/ME/XP/2000 This comes one day after Vivendi released an announcement that a bug was found in the single-player demo, and the official website was revamped More ... Info: Tribes Vengeance - Single Player Demo Discussion >> By Rob
![]() ![]() The next version in futuremark's line of 3d graphics performance benchmarking tools has arrived in the form of 3dmark 2005 (yes, i am aware it's still 2004 ;)) I am just getting over the stringent 3dmark 03, and now this bad boy has come to put all the current graphics cards to shame! You must have a DirectX 9 compatible graphics adapter with support for Pixel Shader 2.0 or later, or this software will not work. 3DMark05 is concentrated on measuring the performance of the DirectX 9 generation of 3D hardware using the technology of next generation games. Earlier 3DMark versions have usually been launched with the introduction of a new Microsoft DirectX version and with the introduction of a new hardware generation. This has somewhat limited how much 3DMark has utilized the new hardware features. At the time of this writing, DirectX 9 was introduced soon two years ago, and there is now DX9 generation hardware available all the way from the very high end to value and mobile parts. 3DMark05 can thereby utilize the features of DirectX 9 to a 100%. In fact, DirectX 9 hardware is required for every game test of 3DMark05, resulting in the ultimate tool for DirectX 9 hardware performance comparison. System Requirements: - DirectX 9 compatible graphics adapter with support for Pixel Shader 2.0 or later, and graphics memory of 128 MB or above. - Intel® or AMD® compatible processor running on 2 GHz or above. - 512 MB system memory or more. - 1.5 GB of free hard disk space. - Windows 2000 or XP operating system with the latest Service Packs and updates installed. - DirectX 9.0c runtime installed (download) with the latest updates. - Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 installed, for some 3DMark functionality (download). - Microsoft Excel 2000, 2003 or XP for some 3DMark functionality. - Microsoft DirectX 9 Summer Update 2004 System Development Kit is required to run the image quality test using the reference rasterizer. Graphics cards everywhere, run and hide ! ! ! Download 3DMark 05 from majorgeeks (290 MB) Futuremark Website Discussion >> By Gary
![]() Retail patch v1.1 for Colin McRae Rally 2005 has just been released. This patch concentrates on the following issues: 1) Any instances of seeing white grass on tracks should now be gone 2) There should be no more flashing sun textures when using "Handicap" on splitscreen games 3) There is now an option to turn off sun effects within the game, this is achieved my running the game from a command prompt with the "NOSUN" command line option 4) All engine tests now give you the same amount of time to complete them 5) You can now go straight back from High texture quality to Medium texture quality 6) There should be no more flashing sun effects when driving around tracks 7) The random weather in online races will now correctly be random, and not taken from the previous race Colin McRae Rally 2005 accelerates the series to a blinding speed that captures the sheer adrenaline of edge-of-control rallying and lets you take the stages at speeds a third faster than before. You won't be spinning off unnecessarily either: the stages have been designed to let you use that speed as you hurtle through the detailed international environments. However, crash out and you'll see the individual damage models for each car in action - right down to scraping the paintwork! Retail v1.1 patch (16.6 MB) Colin McRae Rally 2005 Website Discussion >> By Gary
![]() Gamespot has a review of the Latest MYST installment, Revelation (out now - 30 Sept). They give it a rating of 8.5 or 'Great' and visitors to the site give it a 9.3 or 'Superb': Myst IV packs in a lengthy, memorable journey that's liable to last you for days, if not weeks, before you finally reach a climactic moment that's quite a payoff for all your effort. And it truly does feel like the end of a journey when it happens. Myst has always been an experience as much as a game. Though the series has spawned countless imitators in the adventure genre, it has continued to stand tall among them, thanks to its highly cohesive design and relentless attention to state-of-the-art production quality. Former Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel provides an original song and his voice to the game; doing the voiceover for the gateway to the "zen" world of Serenia.A demo was released in August and a beautifully made official website was launched that lets you play segments of the game without having to download any files. Completing the puzzles on the website rewards visitors with a video from the developers, visit the site at www.mystrevelation.com Info: Myst Worlds Myst IV Revelation Buy Myst IV Revelation Myst III Exile Uru: Ages Beyond MYST Discussion >> By Rob
![]() A bug has been found in the demo released for Tribes: Vengeance and Vivendi have sent out a public service announcement. According to GameDaily.com, an incorrect version of the demo was seeded at various file hosts on the Internet: The team at Irrational Games and Vivendi Universal Games are working diligently to prepare a new version of the demo and anticipate it being ready very shortly. While embarrassing, we realize that an alert like this is a better alternative than putting out a buggy demo. Our sincerest apologies. GameGossip.com also report that the official website for Tribes: Vengeance has been revamped.The site now has a brighter look, but appears to contain the same information (last news item was posted on 18 Sept). (Compare sites: New - Old) Tribes: Vengeance is described as "the ultimate high-flying multiplayer battle experience" and will be released in the U.S. on 5 October. Info: Vivendi Universal Games Irrational Games TribalWar.com: The Voice of the Tribes Community Discussion >> By Rob
Hlfallout.net received the details from Valve CEO Gabe Newell. The Steam packages will be available next week (minus the asterisked* products until their release), and Counter-Strike Source will be playable immediately: Retail Boxes
Steam Packages
*To be made available upon product's release.HalfLife2.net also has an exclusive interview with PC Gamer's Chuck Osborn who reviewed the game for the world exclusive first review, out in October. When asked about the multiplayer aspect of HL2, Osborn said: Counter-Strike: Source is the multiplayer game. By Rob
![]() A forum posting that falsely announced the price of the new PlayStation Portable got picked up by gaming sites across the Internet yesterday, even making a front page article on the hugely popular Slashdot Games. In his original post, the hoaxer linked to a non-existent Gamespot article; gamers saw the link but seemingly believed the story without checking the source, the story was then picked up by GCAdvanced.com which started the ball rolling. Amir0x (who started the story), posted the message on the TorchTheBridge.com forums but later admitted the story was 100% a hoax: ANYWAY... More info: PSP Price 'Hoax' Widely Circulated PSP price likely fake Selection of videos of PSP in action from the Tokyo Games Show PlayStation Portable Preview Video Discussion >> By Rob
By Dave
Risk Your Life Open Beta - 28.9.04 An Open Beta has been launched for testing of Risk Your Life, a massively multiplayer online role playing game created by Planetwide Games.To participate, download the game client from Download.com (591.44MB) and sign up for the test here. From the official press release: (PRWEB) September 19, 2004 -- Risk Your Life is one of the few MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) that bring you an online Virtual reality atmosphere that is both completely interactive and immersive. RYL is a well-balanced MMORPG developed under a 3D environment that allows players to create their own character, define its role, do battle with it in a virtual world. Planetwide Games Inc. Risk Your Life official website Discussion >> By Rob
![]() A first patch has been released for Starwars Battlefront to improve NAT negotiation for online games which may help improve multiplayer performance. Minor fix to server browser screen. After downloading the update, double click on Battlefront1_00.exe to install. Review by IGNIQ'S Richie Cahill Download the patch here (2.7 MB) Starwars Battlefront Website Discussion >> By Gary
![]() Story via Counterfrag - The Sims 2 sold 1 million copies in ten days, a high water mark in the 22 year history of publishers EA Games. The game was released on 17 September and was the first new standalone version of The Sims to be released in 4 years (various add-on packs are available). The vast success of The Sims is reflected in the fact that the series (the first game plus the add on games) was consistently the biggest seller in the PC Games market for the years 2000 through 2003, with over 41 million combined sales since its release in February 2000. Another Sims derivative game, The Urbz will also be released in November. This game moves the Sims out into the big city and will be available for PlayStation 2/Xbox/Nintendo, GameCube and Gameboy Advance. Info: THE SIMS 2 EARNS BIG SIMOLEANS FOR EA The Sims 2 Official site Buy a copy of The Sims 2 The Sims 2 Released The Sims 2 Review by ArsTechnica: (8 out of 10) The Counterfrag.com Sims 2 Review: (94%) The Urbz The Sims Series Discussion >> By Rob
![]() Via HomeLAN Fed, we learn that the October 5th issue (U.K., the U.S. issue is out in December) of PC Gamer will carry the very first exclusive review of Half-Life 2. There is no information about what the reviewers thought of the game, only the teaser image for the cover above. The review is based on the release candidate sent to Vivendi Universal Games on 15 September. Info: Half-Life 2 Reviewed by PC Gamer? PC Gamer official website Half-life 2 Pre-load Phase 4 Possible Half-life 2 Delay Over Court Battle Half-Life 2 Special Edition Counter-Strike Source Review by IGNIQ Discussion >> By Rob
The fourth phase of the Half-Life 2 preload begins to Steam account holders today. Valve appear to be geared up for a very near future release, but as reported on IGNIQ recently, there could be a delay depending on the decision of the publisher, Vivendi Universal Gaming. Discussion >> By Rob
PlayStation Portable Preview Video - 27.9.04 A video preview is available of the PlayStation Portable, which was recently featured at the Tokyo Games Showcase. The PSP will go on sale in Japan later this year, and will launch in other markets in the first half of next year. “PSP” will be equipped with a wide screen 480 x 272 pixel (16 by 9) TFT LCD monitor with a backlight, and powered by super chipsets utilizing the latest 90 nm semiconductor technology. For graphics, 3D rendering will be enhanced by the employment of curved surfaces (NURBS) along with conventional polygons. Video quality will also be enhanced with MPEG4, which delivers quality equivalent to DVD video at a low data rate. Discussion >> By Rob
One of my favourites from the old 2000AD comics is being turned into a game for the PS2, XBox and PC.Rebellion (owners of 2000AD) have announced they will be making Rogue Trooper. For those that never heard of it before, Rogue Trooper is a genetically enhanced soldier, who was created as the ultimate weapon for fighting on the totally polluted Nu Earth. His only company is his three friends, Helm, Gunnar & Bagman who were killed in action, but live on in the form of three microchips attached to Rogue's equipment. The series was created in 1981 and ran until 1984, though he made various comebacks through the years, and his most recent story in 2000AD was in March. The original story had Rogue roving Nu Earth looking for the man who betrayed his battalion to be massacred, and this is the story the game will be based on. Details are scant about what the game will be like, but there are some screenshots available on the official site. Info: 2000AD hero blasts back Rogue Profile on 2000ADonline.com Fan site dedicated to Rogue Trooper with lots of good info Discussion >> By Rob
A demo is now available for Chris Sawyer's RollerCoaster Tycoon 3.It allows you play a demo scenario for 45 minutes as well as three tutorials. The game will be available to buy from November: RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3 is completely updated and redesigned to take the series to all-new heights. Featuring incredible 3D graphics and the exclusive new Coaster Cam™, you can now see your park from any angle and ride the coasters you build. From street level to blimp, see your park pulse with fun and excitement like never before. Download the demo here(184MB) Info: Official RollerCoaster Tycoon website 10 things you (probably) never knew about Chris Sawyer's Tycoon games... Chris Sawyer's Locomotion Demo (Also recently released) Pre-order RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Discussion >> By Rob
![]() A new Catalyst 4.9 fix has been issued by ATI to combat against a conflict with the new Psychotoxic demo. Starting a game of Psychotoxic may result in the game failing to respond or producing a VPU recover error. Download the fix from ATI Psychotoxic Demo Discussion >> By Gary
GTA San Andreas - Hi-res Trailer - 26.9.04 ![]() A new hi-res trailer has just been released for Grand Theft Auto - San Andreas, the next installment in the ever popular GTA series of games from rockstargames. San Andreas will be available on PS2 in North America on October 19, 2004 and in Europe three days later. Though no sign of a pc release until next year *grrrrr* GTA San Andreas Official Website GTA San Andreas Hi-Res Trailer #2 (81.3 MB) Discussion >> By Gary
![]() From NuClearVision Entertainment comes a demo of "Psychotoxic". The 3d Action first person shooter that revolves around the Four horsemen of the Apocalypse. You play Angie Prophet an angel and guardian created thousands of years ago to rescue the unsuspecting human race. The setting is today's New York. Three of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse have already caused horrible damage on earth. The Fourth Horsemen is also preparing to return. Violence and aggression are increasing drastically. Homepages here and here Download the demo from 3dgamers (188 MB) Discussion >> By Gary
![]() According to gamewag the next release of ATI's Catalyst drivers (4.10) will be worked to significantly improve the performance of Radeon based cards. A new feature called "Application Detection and Optimization" will handle games differently to try and optimize performance. As an example, with the release of DOOM III some clever folks figured out a way to significantly improve performance on ATI cards by tweaking some shader settings. What ATI is saying, is that they will take the initiative to figure out these optimizations and do them automatically. Full story over at gamewag Ati latest news Download the latest Catalyst Drivers here Discussion >> By Gary
Counter-Strike: Source Preloads - 25.9.04 Gamers who are participating in the Beta test for CS - Source noticed an unusually large download through Steam over the past few days. It was speculated that it may be the preloading of the encrypted files for the completed game, and this was indeed confirmed by Valve on Halflife2.net. Thanks to HomeLAN Fed for the story. Info: Read a top review of Counter-Strike Source (Beta) by Dave here (4 out of 5 stars) IGNIQ.com CS Source forums Discussion >> By Rob
![]() A follow on article on Gamespot.com about an ongoing court battle between Valve and their publishers, Vivendi Universal Gaming, isn't very encouraging about a release date for Half-life 2. Valve are pushing for as early a release date as possible, but Vivendi, angered by the public statements Valve have made about a release, have the option of delaying until six months after they receive a final version of the game. Read the article here, and a good analysis is available here. Info: Valve vs. Vivendi Universal dogfight heats up in US District Court Discussion >> By Rob
![]() Take to the skies in one of six unique space combat fighters, battling for supremacy in and around space stations, asteroid belts, and bizarre space phenomena! Void War was released yesterday (24 Sept), download the free trial at the official website (10.6MB)Info: VoidWar.com Rampant Games - Developer website Preview of Void War Discussion >> By Rob
CS Source Beta Review - 24.9.04 By Dave
![]() Sales records are being broken at On a related note, a quest from Fable may be spilling out into the real world; a character refered to in-game called "The Better Bard" has begun posting (reg req) on the official XBox forums, seemingly providing clues to one of the quests in the game. For a list & analysis of The Better Bard's posts, check here. (Thanks to dek for the story and link) Added Sept 25 The Better Bard has admitted he was a hoaxer, going so far as to set up a blog to gloat at Fable fans who believed his posts. More info: Fable Forum Goers Fall For Huge Hoax Info: Fable official website (Flash) Fable forums (reg. req.) Fable game information on XBox.com dek's Fable review Discussion >> By Rob
![]() A demo has been released for the ever popular Multi-player / Single-player futuristic first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2004. Reload, rev up and ride out. The new Tournament is faster, higher and meaner. Land and air based vehicles take combat to a new level; while an arsenal of new weaponry, daunting arenas and battlefields and the challenge of the Assault and Onslaught modes make the gladiator blood sport of the future a brand new experience. Buckle up; it's gonna be one hell of a ride! .1 Minimum System Requirements ------------------------------- Operating System: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP Processor: Pentium III or AMD Athlon 1.0 GHz processor Memory: 128 MByte RAM Hard Disk Space: 300 MByte free Video: 32 MB Windows compatible video card* Sound: Windows compatible sound card. NVIDIA nForce or other motherboards/soundcards containing the Dolby Digital Interactive Content Encoder required for Dolby Digital audio.* DirectX: DirectX version 9.0b or higher DirectX is not required for using the software renderer Modem: 33.6K baud (for modem/Internet play) Internet (TCP/IP) and LAN (TCP/IP) play supported. Recommended System Requirements ----------------------------------- Operating System: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP Processor: Pentium III or AMD Athlon 1.2 GHz processor Memory: 256 MByte RAM Hard Disk Space: 500 MByte free (300 MByte for game, 200 MByte swap) Video: NVIDIA GeForce 2 or ATI Radeon Hardware T&L card with 64 MB VRAM recommended Sound: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS DirectX: DirectX version 9.0b or higher Modem: Broadband Internet connection Internet (TCP/IP) and LAN (TCP/IP) play supported. * Indicates device should be compatible with DirectX, version 9.0b or higher. Official UT 2004 Website Screenshots here ut2004-demo3334.exe Discussion >> By Gary
Before the game is even released (or announced Gold for that matter), you can pre-order your copy of the Special Edition.Interestingly enough, the estimated date for pre-release on the page is November 1, which was the guess of IGNIQ forum members back in July. The package includes a limited-editon DVD-ROM version of HL2, Counter-Strike Source, Half-life Source (digitally remastered version of the first game), a limited edition T-Shirt and a HL2 Prima Book (character backgrounds, the making of and artwork). Thanks to GameGossip for the link Discussion >> By Rob
An interesting article I found via the Wonderland blog, about Windows Longhorn and the XBox 2: "Xbox 2 peripherals will all work on PC," said Lester, clarifying that Xbox controllers, steering wheels, and other console-related peripheral functionality will all be brought into Longhorn's portfolio, as will Xbox Live functionality. For game players, this will make for, if nothing else, an added convenience, since playing a game on a PC or an Xbox will [ideally] come down to little more than unplugging the controller from one and plugging it in to the other. For game developers, Microsoft hopes that the introduction of XNA will help standardize development on both platforms--to such an extent that "you won't have to choose between Xbox or PC" to develop games...and, ideally, so that players won't have to choose between the two platforms to play these games. By Rob
![]() Knights of Honor is the first Empire Conquering Simulation in real-time, and your goal is simple - become the Emperor of all of Europe by fair or foul means. Download a demo that includes a tutorial and lets you play two Kingdoms (Bohemia & Scotland) Demo available in English, German & French here. Info: Knights of Honor official site Black Sea Studios - developers site Preview of KOH on Fragland.com Discussion >> By Rob
![]() Download a single-player demo of this 3d tactical strategy space game. The demo allows you to play one mission on three levels of difficulty. Download it from worthplaying.com (110MB) Nexus: The Jupiter Incident will be available in October, and will be distributed by Vivendi Universal Games. Info: Nexus: The Jupiter Incident official website HDInteractive - publishers site Discussion >> By Rob
![]() Take off from massive aircraft carriers to shoot down enemy fighters and torpedo Japanese war ships... or man anti-aircraft artillery defending against enemy raids in this high-end, console-like game featuring 20 pulse-pounding missions and spectacular 3D scenery! Download a free demo from Reflexive Arcade. (9.6MB)Info: Reflexive Arcade official website Discussion >> By Rob
Applications for beta testing of Dungeon Lords, a new Combat-RPG, are being accepted now. The applications will close on October 4th; you can sign up here for a chance to be among the first to play. Dungeon Lords is expected to be released on 10 Nov in the U.S and 14 Nov in Europe. Info: Dungeon Lords official website Dream Catcher Games Discussion >> By Rob
![]() Disciples II: Rise of the Elves is a milestone in the Disciples universe. For the first time, Disciples fans will be able to play as the elder Elven race as they struggle to reclaim their forests from the four primary forces in Nevendaar. Driven by an unpredictable god who urges them to battle, the Elves begin a massive march towards their fate. Gallean's Return is a compilation pack of the two previously released expansions for Disciples II, Servants of the Dark and Guardians of the Light.This free trial is fully featured and allows you to play for three hours. It's available on the official site of Strategy First, along with trials for the other expansions for Disciples II, download here. Info: Disciples II: Rise of the Elves official website Loadedinc.com Disciples II review (8/10) Discussion >> By Rob
By Dave
![]() Kohan 2: Kings of War, the real time strategy sequel from Timegate Studios is now available in shops. The first installment, Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns was TimeGate Studios first game to be developed and was widely praised upon release. ... it plays similarly to the original yet has so much more to it that makes it unquestionably different. The resulting game has a great design, and it offers plenty of depth and complexity. A free demo is also available for download on Gamespot.com, that includes a tutorial and 1 full single-player mission. Download the demo here (Free reg. req.) Info: Kohan 2 official site Timegate Studios Games List Discussion >> By Rob
![]() From the developers of the Championship Manager series comes a fully functional and time limited (beta) demo of Football Manager 2005. The Football Manager 2005 beta demo was created on September 2nd, since that time a number of enhancements and fixes have been made to the game. The idea of the beta demo is to give people a taster of the game and some feedback on the general playability of the product. We also use it to help diagnose any problems that people have with hardware, drivers and other programs prior to the release of the game to ensure the final product will run as smoothly as possible. Football Manager 2005 will be released by SEGA in Europe, for PC and Mac, on November 5th 2004. Football Manager 2005 Beta Demo (15.9 MB) More info here Discussion >> By Gary
Sid Meier's Pirates! - Trailer - 22.9.04 ![]() A "Making of" trailer has been released for Firaxis Games' 3d action, adventure and strategy release "Sid Meier's Pirates!". Looks like some good old "Monkey Island" style fun. Swash-buckling insults and general groggery ! ! ! In Sid Meier's Pirates! you take the leading role of a Pirate Captain in the 17th century Caribbean amassing fortune and fame in an attempt to seize your rightful place as one of the most revered (and feared!) pirates in history. Test your skills as a sea captain exploring the high seas and exotic ports in a richly detailed 3D world. Overtake the enemy and seize valuable booty. Exchange plank-shattering broadsides in fierce naval battles, and engage in duels with worthy opposing captains. System Requirements: Operating System: Windows® 98/Me/2000/XP Processor: Pentium® 1.0 GHz or higher Memory: 256 MB RAM Hard Disk Space: 1.2 GB Free CD-ROM Drive: 4X Speed Video: 32 MB video card* with Hardware T&L support Sounds: Windows® 98/Me/2000/XP-compatible sound card* DirectX®: DirectX® version 9.0b (included) or higher Official Website here Related sites here and here "Making of" movie trailer (95.9 MB)(320x240, 9:21, AVI) Discussion >> By Gary
![]() A new trailer (hi and low res) for the up and coming 3d simulation rally release, Cross Racing Championship has just been released over at 3dgamers. Utilizing the next generation of the Invictus engine which incorporates its new real-time physics module, Cross Racing Championship (CRC) will allow the player to experience the thrills of high-speed on and off road racing across vast open terrains. The game, developed by Invictus is Scheduled for an Autumn 2004 release. Download the high-res trailer here (66.2 MB) Grab the low-res trailer here (32.9 MB) Discussion >> By Gary
![]() "Source", the Half-life 2 engine has been licensed out to a new MMORPG to be released from Smiling Gator Productions. Twilight War: After the Fall will be only the third company to use the engine; Vampire: The Masquerade-Bloodlines will employ it, as well as an un-titled XBox game from Arkane Studios. Source Engine Licensed for Massive Multiplayer Roleplaying Game (Valve Press Release) Read more here Info: Twilight War: After The fall official website Featurelist for Valve's Source engine Discussion >> By Rob
Part four of the Elder Scrolls series has been under development since the year 2002, and the best guess is that it will be ready for release in 2006: details of the project remain scarce, the developer is at least promising "another leap forward in role-playing with its combination of freeform gameplay and cutting-edge graphics." Thanks to moonshine & dek for links to the story and images. Info: Bethesda Softworks ElderScrolls.com GameInformer.com The Elder Scrolls Tenth Anniversary (Aug. 26th) Discussion >> By Rob
A new update has been released for Steam, which includes changes for Steam itself and a Half-life 2 survey. The update will be downloaded automatically when you launch Steam:
More here Discussion >> By Rob
Scarface In-game trailer released - 21.9.04 A trailer for Scarface has been released showing in-game footage of this 3rd person action shooter, based on Scarface starring Al Pacino. Players will travel through the steamy, often violent streets of Miami, the irie islands of the Florida Keys, the Bahamas and various other locales and will interact with a world full of seedy and dangerous characters to procure information, negotiate business deals, smuggle contraband and avoid rivals and DEA on a mission to rebuild their fallen empire The game will not be released until 2005. Download the trailer from gamershell (22.1 MB) Discussion >> By Gary
![]() ![]() Nintendo have announced their new handheld console, Nintendo DS, will be available in the U.S in November. This is the first time Nintendo have debuted a new console in the U.S., usually Japan is the first market targeted. Two screens offer two perspectives on the action at once. The touch screen could make accessing items, moving characters or navigating menus as easy as a tap or drag on the screen. Voice recognition could let players simply tell the game what they want it to do. Chat software will let users transmit text messages, handwriting and even drawings to one another. And wireless functions could link players in the same room or across the country. Nintendo DS official website Impressive Lineup of Games Demonstrates Appeal of Nintendo DS Its official: Nintendo DS debuts November 21st at $149.99 Nintendo DS to launch first in the USA Discussion >> By Rob
![]() Sony today unveiled the new-look version of the PlayStation 2. The new version will be released in Europe on November 1st, and will be smaller and lighter than the current model. Thanks to Ferrago.com for the story Info: Sony Germany Official press release (Machine translated) Sony Announces PSTwo New, Smaller PS2 Discussion >> By Rob
![]() A free PC trial is now available on Gamespot.com for Atari's recently released classic games pack. The trial allows one day's full use. Grab it here (Free Gamespot Reg. Req.) Info: Official page on Atari.com Atari Announces Anthology (Classic Games for PS2 & XBox) Atari Flashback (Standalone console based on the Atari 7800) Discussion >> By Rob
Wings of War Playable Demo - 19.9.04 ![]() A Wings of War playable demo for both single and multi-player is now available on Gamershell.com In Wings of War, you take the role of a rookie World War I fighter pilot and progress through the ranks, earning medals as you complete missions. Download the demo here (156.4 MB) Info: Wings of War official website Discussion >> By Rob
![]() The demo PC version of Full Spectrum Warrior is now on Gamespot.com It's based on an actual simulation used to train U.S. Army light infantry troops, but not officially endorsed or commissioned by the U.S. military. Full Spectrum Warrior was originally released for the XBox, and the PC version was released on 20 September. Players act as the Squad Leader, providing direction to Alpha and Bravo fire teams. The successful Squad Leader effectively uses cover in the environment and moves his fire teams in a coordinated fashion so they can protect themselves from possible attacks that could come from any direction. Full Spectrum Warrior puts you in the dirt with your men, where danger lurks around every corner. Check out the demo here. (Free reg. req.)Info: Full Spectrum Warrior official website Trailers for Full Spectrum Warrior Discussion >> By Rob
![]() An official trailer for The Matrix Online is available on Gamespot.com. The MMORPG set in The Matrix is being published by Sega and will be available on the PC in November. In November 2004, players can participate in the continuing saga of the Matrix movie trilogy. The Matrix Online picks up where the movies left off and now you get to be part of the story. Grab the official trailer from Gamespot (Reg. Req.) Check more trailers at Gamedaily.com Info: The Matrix Online official website Discussion >> By Rob
![]() Well at long last the wait for a demo of Doom 3 is finally over. The demo features 3 levels. Download it from gamershell (461.2 MB) Official Doom 3 Website ID Doom 3 modlist by IGNIQ Doom 3 Beta Patch v1.05 Doom 3 Review by IGNIQ members More Doom 3 News And Discussion from IGNIQ Members Discussion >> By Gary
![]() Southlogic Studios has released a demo for the next line in their Deer Hunter series of 3d Action titles. Known Issues: - GeForce 440 MX: Has problems with full-screen anti-aliasing. This is a driver issue with NVidia drivers 61.77 and 61.76. It can be fixed by installing driver version 56.64. Newer NVidia drivers released after this product might also correct the problem. Can turn off the effect in the "settings" page. - SiS330 Graphics: White specs throughout game. - Matrox Parhelia and Milennium P750: Trees have strange coloring Put your skills and experience to the test! Travel the globe to hunt in six incredibly detailed natural habitats. Hunt five amazingly realistic species of deer including Sambar and Axis deer. Choose from a huge variety of weapons, ammo, equipment, vehicles and transportation to bring down prize game. Play alone or online for exciting multiplayer action. The hunt is on! Download the fully playable demo (Illinois Area) from 3dgamers (180 MB) Official Website Discussion >> By Gary
Colin McRae Rally 2005 Multiplayer Demo - 18.9.04 ![]() A multiplayer demo for Colin McRae Rally 2005 will be released next week, which will feature both Single and multi-player options. Full story here Colin McRae Rally 2005 Single-Player Demo Official Website By Gary
![]() ![]() As this years American Presidential election between George Bush and John Kerry seems to be boiling down to the just whos military record is clean, pure and served. There is one company (Kuma Reality Games) that is looking to grab a piece of this action and turn it into a gaming profit. They are working on a new military simulation title (yet to be named) that revolves arond the February 28, 1969 incident in which Lt. John Kerry’s Swift boat was ambushed by the Viet Cong. Read the full story here Discussion >> By Gary
Ultimate Gaming Mouse Coming Soon - 17.9.04 ![]() Designed for gamers by gamers, the Razer Diamondback features on-the-fly sensitivity adjustment, non-slip side rails, a new ergonomic ambidextrous design, 1,600 dpi for increased precision accuracy and tracking ability, ultra-high speed motion detection for either low or high-sensitivity players and seven independently programmable buttons optimized for gamer response. Info: Razer Diamondback official site Discussion >> By Rob
![]() The Sims 2, "The sequel to the best selling game of all time", is now available to buy in shops across the U.S. In The Sims 2, your Sims now have a purpose in life. Will they aspire to a life of popularity, fortune, family, knowledge, or romance? Give them what they want and they'll lead a long, successful existence; indulge their fears and risk leaving their lives in shambles. Take them to extremes; from being left at the altar and needing a shrink to inheriting a fortune and becoming filthy rich. Witness the big and extreme moments that make every Sims' life uniquely memorable. Requirements: With T&L capable video card + 32 MB of video RAM: * 800 MHz processor or better * 256 MB RAM if Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 * At least 3.5 GB of hard drive space Non-T&L capable video card (an Intel Extreme Graphics or a Radeon 7000/VE Series): * 2.0 GHz processor or better * 256 MB RAM if Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98, or Windows 2000 * At least 3.5 GB of hard drive space More information on graphics cards here Info: Review on SFGate.com Official website The Sims 2 trailer Discussion >> By Rob
![]() A demo of the World War II FPS Mortyr 2 is now available on Gamershell.com (111.3 MB) Info: Mortyr2.net - Official site Discussion >> By Rob
![]() A new build of the poplular, free and constantly updated Ad-aware has been released. Download it from majorgeeks Your next line of defense against spyware, adware and other forms of intrusive software. First step: ![]() Take back the web, ditch "Internet" Explorer and download Mozilla's Firefox browser. With a built in pop-up blocker, tabbed browsing, better security, keeping your system safe by not loading shady active-x controls, live bookmarks with rss integration and a wealth of plugins to customize Firefox the way YOU want it. All this plus ease of use, friendly interface, constant updates and care poured in by the dedicated Mozilla team. And last but not least by a long shot...IT'S FREE... WHAT are you waiting for, get Mozilla Firefox and feel the freedom ![]() Discussion >> By Gary
![]() A single player demo of the much welcomed expansion to last years "game of the year" Call Of Duty has just been released. Featuring the intro level of the expansion which itself sports 13 new single-player missions, 11 multi-player missions and 3 new modes. I loved Call Of Duty, a class game through and through. From its cinematic musical score , realistic graphics and gameplay, to the real ww2 scenarios. The best of Battlefield 1942 and Call Of Duty combined Minimum System Requirements - 3D Hardware Accelerator Card required - 100% DirectX® 9.0c compatible 32MB Hardware T&L-capable video card and the latest drivers* - English version of Microsoft® Windows® 98/ME/2000/XP - Pentium® III 800MHz or Athlon® 800MHz processor or higher - 128MB of RAM (256MB or more recommended) - 8x Speed CD-ROM drive (1200KB/sec sustained transfer rate) and latest drivers - 225 MB of uncompressed free hard disk space (plus 400MB for Windows® 98/ME swap file, 600MB for Windows® 2000/XP swap file) - 100% DirectX® 9.0c compatible 16-bit sound card and latest drivers - 100% Windows® 98/ME/2000/XP compatible mouse, keyboard and latest drivers - DirectX® 9.0c (not included) IMPORTANT NOTE: *Some 3D accelerator cards with the chipset listed here may not be compatible with the 3D acceleration features utilized by Call of Duty™ United Offensive™. Please refer to your hardware manufacturer for 100% DirectX 9.0c compatibility. SUPPORTED CHIPSETS: - All ATI® Radeon™ cards - All nVidia® GeForce™ chipsets - Matrox® Parhelia™ Download the demo from 3dgamers (220 MB) Call of Duty And United Offensive Website Discussion >> By Gary
![]() ID Software allowed a gaming magazine to publish some screenshots from Quake 4 - BoingBoing.netThe scans have been taken down from the original link, but are available here. Discussion >> By Rob
Gabe Newell posted on the hl2fallout.com forums:Yes, the RC went to VU yesterday. , but due to scepticism of any announcements from that account, he also confirmed it to halflife2.net.Mr. Newell's hl2fallout.com forum account was recently hacked and used to make a false Gold announcement. Link via waxy.org Info: Half Life 2 - Coast gameplay movie Building the Ultimate PC for the arrival of Half Life 2 IGNIQ.com HL2 Fact list Half Life 2 - Stage 3 Preload Discussion >> By Rob
Conflict: Vietnam Demo - 16.9.04 ![]() Conflict: Vietnam follows the progress of four US soldiers, cut off from their unit and behind enemy lines during the 1968 Tet Offensive. Tasked with fighting their way back to friendly lines, they are faced with day-to-day survival in a hostile environment where the enemy could be hiding anywhere and everywhere. Download the demo from Gamershell.com (247.1 MB)Info: SCi Entertainment Official Conflict: Vietnam site Official Conflict Series site Discussion >> By Rob
![]() A demo is now available of Shade Wrath of Angels by Cenega Publishing: Shade: Wrath of Angels is a 3rd person perspective action, horror, adventure game where intrigue grips the player as our hero begins to unravel the mystery surrounding his brothers’ disappearance. Minimum System Requirements: Operating system: Win 98SE, ME Processor: Intel PIII - 700 MHz Memory: 128 MB RAM Video card: 32 MB GeForce2 Sound card: SoundBlaster compatible sound card Hard disc: 2 GB free space on HDD Other: MS DirectX 9 Recommended System Requirements: Operating system: Win 2000, XP Processor: Intel P4 - 2 GHz Memory: 512 MB RAM Video card: 256 MB GeForce4 Sound card: EAX compatible sound card Hard disc: 4 GB free space on HDD Other: MS DirectX 9 Info: Official Shade site from Cenega Discussion >> By Rob
From the official Novalogic press release: November 16th 2004 should be marked on the calendar of all Joint Ops fans, as that date sees the release of Joint Ops: Escalation, the first expansion pack for the Number 1 Selling, world record breaking, large scale FPS. Official Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising Website Free demo (249.8mb) Discussion >> By Rob
![]() This will be of huge interest to fans of the original 1997 PlayStation game: a new game for the PS2 centered around the character of Vincent Valentine called Dirge of Cerberus: The only information currently available on the game is that its story involves a mysterious group called the DGs attacking peaceful towns in the world. The game will take place one year after Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, the CG movie that recently premiered at the Venice Film Festival and is slated for release next year on DVD and the PlayStation Portable's UMD format. More info: PS2 Final Fantasy 7 Spinoff Square Enix planning FFVII spin-off? - First rumour of the game Square Enix - Final Fantasy Developers Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children - CG Movie FFOnline - Unofficial guide to the series Guide to Final Fantasy VII Discussion >> By Rob
![]() An editor is now available to create maps & mods for Painkiller. It's available on 3dgamers.com To use the editor, a patch is required: painkiller_update_v1.3.5.exe Info: Painkiller: Official Website Buy Painkiller from DreamCatcher games Painkiller: Single And Multi-Player Demo Discussion >> By Rob
DOOM 3 Mods List - 15.9.04 ![]() Mods for DOOM 3 are constantly being produced, we have compiled a list of all the ones we've seen so far, with links to reg-free downloads wherever possible:
More DOOM 3 links: DOOM3.com id Software Tried & tested DOOM 3 cheats Collective IGNIQ Review of DOOM 3 (4 out of 5 stars) Discussion >> By Rob
![]() Create your city and defend it in a hostile medieval setting! Monte Cristo, developers of Medieval Lords: Build, Defend, Expand have released a playable demo of the 3d strategy release. In a medieval setting, you are the administrator of a city and must make it thrive through the course of time, in spite of the various attacks it undergoes, and the geographical and climatic constraints of the immediate environment. Listen to your population, organize your city and make it thrive. Minimum Configuration • Pentium 1,4 GHz • 256 MB RAM • GeForce 2 - 64 MB Graphic card • Sound card DirectX® 9 compatible • 4x speed CD-ROM • 1,2 GB free disc space Recommended Configuration • Pentium 1,7 GHz • 512 MB RAM • GeForce 4 - 64 MB Graphic card • Sound Card, DirectX® 9 compatible • 4x speed CD-ROM • 1,2 GB free disc space Official Website Related sites here and here Grab the fully playable demo from 3dgamers (231 MB) Discussion >> By Gary
EVE Online 14 Day trial - 14.9.04 ![]() Gamershell.com have announced a 14 day free trial for EVE Online, the massive multiplayer RPG from CCP games. Read the story here and generate a key for the trial here. Once you have the key, you can download the game client here (464.1 MB) Info: EVE Online official website Discussion >> By Rob
![]() Nvidia is partnering with Blizzard Entertainment to add World of Warcraft to Nvidia's "The Way It's Meant to Be Played" program. To promote the partnership, Nvidia are giving away 1000 places in the closed beta test for World of Warcraft. The places will be chosen randomly from everyone who applies; to get your name in the list, sign up here. Info: World of Warcraft official site About Nvidia's "The Way It's Meant To Be Played" Discussion >> By Rob
Terrorist Takedown Official Website - 13.9.04 ![]() The official website for the upcoming action game, Terrorist Takedown, is now online at www.terroristtakedown.com Terrorist Takedown will be available on 1 November. The features: * Take the helm of deadly Apache and Huey helicopters and Humvees ADDED An official trailer is now available from Gamershell.com Info: New Website/Screens: Terrorist Takedown Merscom.biz - publishers of Terrorist Takedown Discussion >> By Rob
![]() The OMENS OF WAR expansion for EverQuest will be available in Europe on 14th September. This expansion will be available from Ubisoft exclusively on download at a price of €29.99. The features for this expansion are: Level Cap Increase More info: Everquest official website Omens of War Expansion official site Official Everquest F.A.Q. Discussion >> By Rob
![]() A PC playable demo is now available of the game CSI: Dark Motives, adapted from the CBS T.V. series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Download the demo here (official website) Info: Official site for the original Crime Scene Investigation game Official site for the T.V. series Discussion >> By Rob
![]() Rome Scenery, a new mod for the highly reputable (and equally expensive) Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 has been released and is available over at Lago Sim. Rome, the Eternal City, cradle of civilization, capital of an empire extended to the limits of the known world. SYSTEM REQUIREMENT FS 2004 Pentium IV 1.5 GHz or equivalent 256 Mb RAM 250 Mb of free space on HD Video card 64 MB 3D accellerator Sound card Windows 98 - ME - 200 - XP FEATURES - more than 2000 sq/km of terrain included - completeley 3D reproduced city - 1 arc/sec mesh for the whole area - Runways, taxiways and aprons reproduced with high details using customized textures with rubber and wear and tear marks - Lights systems and Calvert designed with 3D objects and totally controllable by the pilot - Airports buildings designed with 3d studio MAX and compiled following the native FS2004 techniques - Photo-realistic textures for buildings and objects at all airports - Animated fingers controlled by the pilot - Animated airports handling objects - Customized AFCAD layout - Completely designed to reduce the impact on frame-rates - Airports completely integrated in the surroundings area terrain - navigable water surfaces - modular development ready for new expansions Game available over at Lago Sim Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 Website Discussion >> By Gary
![]() The revolutionary new Tiger Proofing course alteration technology allows you to modify course dynamics and call out your PGA TOUR® rivals by adding lengthier Tiger Tees, tighter fairways, dramatic undulations to greens, deeper bunkers, higher rough, and more. An enhanced EA SPORTS™ Game Face featuring non-proportional bone scaling and texture blending creates incredibly realistic looks, right down to the bags under your eyes. After making a name for yourself on the TOUR, tee off against legends including Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Ben Hogan to see how you stack up against the all-time greats The game will be available in shops on 20 September for the XBox, PlayStation 2 and PC.It will retail at $49.95 for consoles and $39.95 for the PC. More info available here. Info: Official site from EA Sports Gamespot preview Discussion >> By Rob
Atari will be re-releasing their classic console games in a single pack for the XBox and PlayStation 2.The Atari Anthology will include 85 games that were originally released for the Atari 2600 system. Capturing the nostalgia and sheer fun of the original video game revolution, ATARI ANTHOLOGY is scheduled to hit retail shelves in November at the competitive price point of $19.99 that could make it irresistible for holiday shoppers. Read the official press release from Atari hereAtari also recently announced a new Flashback console, also to be released in November, that is a replica of the original Atari 7800 system and will include 20 classic games built-in. Discussion >> By Rob
Half Life 2 - Coast gameplay movie - 12.9.04 ![]() Yet another Half Life 2 trailer has been released (rolling eyes) Ah well, still something to wet the appetite, even though ones appetite could not really get any wetter in my opinion. This video showcases the beautiful and mind-blowing detail in the Half Life 2 scenery and finds Gordon driving along a desolate beach in his buggy whilst tackling big mean aliens and some other forms of nasty entities... It appears G-Man is as concerned about the release date as much as you or i... Check it out over at gamershell (166 MB) (Bandwidth capped at 100 kb /s) The IGNIQ.com Half-Life 2 Fact list: by Rob Check out IGNIQ's Half Life 2 Forum for more news and info Discussion >> By Gary
![]() Some previously seen footage from an ati gameplay clip. The resolution is boosted and quality of the clip is done by rad tools Check it here By Dave
Half Life 2 - Stage 3 Preload - 11.9.04 By Dave
Tribes Vengeance - Demo - 10.9.04 ![]() You play as Daniel, the leader of the Children of the Phoenix. He has come to the Imperial capital in order to gain an audience with the Emperor. The Emperor has granted his request, but first Daniel must successfully complete a traditional combat trial. Tribes: Vengeance is due in shops on 12 October. Download this single player demo here (382MB) Specs: Minimum Specification: Windows® 98/Me/2000/XP operating system 1. ATI® Radeon™ or equivalent DirectX® 9.0c-compliant 32 MB 3D video card with hardware T&L and pixel shader support 2. Microsoft® Windows® 98/Me/2000/XP operating system 3. 1.0 GHz Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD® Athlon™ processor or equivalent 4. 256 MB RAM 5. 915MB of uncompressed hard disk space for game files 6. DirectX® 9.0c (included) 7. DirectX®-compatible sound card and speakers or headphones 8. 4X CD-ROM drive 9. Microsoft® compatible mouse and keyboard Recommended Specification: Windows® XP The recommended specification is exactly the same as the minimum specification with the following changes: 1. Windows® XP 2. ATI® Radeon™ 9600 or equivalent DirectX® 9.0c-compliant 128 MB 3D video card with hardware T&L and pixel shader support 3. 2.5 GHz Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD® Athlon™ or faster processor 4. 512 MB RAM or more 5. 24X or faster CD-ROM drive Info: Official Tribes: Vengeance website Discussion >> By Rob
The official Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords website was updated by Lucas Arts with release dates for the follow-up title to last year's award-winning rpg. X-box owners will see the game hit the shelves in December of this year however, pc owners are not quite so lucky in having to ring in the new year before getting their hands on this much anticipated release. February 2005 will see the official launch of the pc format of KOTOR 2. Full story Check out the latest video over at gamershell (5.4 MB) Knights Of The Old Repuplic 2: The Sith Lords - Website By Gary
![]() Medieval Lords is a new city builder from Monte Cristo, allowing you to create your own medieval kingdom from a simple village to a city that will go down into the ages. Download the demo here (230 MB)Requirements: Min: • Pentium 1,4 GHz • 256 MB RAM • GeForce 2 - 64 MB Graphic card • Sound card DirectX® 9 compatible • 4x speed CD-ROM • 1,2 GB free disc space Recommended: • Pentium 1,7 GHz • 512 MB RAM • GeForce 4 - 64 MB Graphic card • Sound Card, DirectX® 9 compatible • 4x speed CD-ROM • 1,2 GB free disc space The game was released in the U.S. on 2 September, and a U.K. release is expected on 15 October. Info: Official site Discussion >> By Rob
![]() In the land of Aden, there exists a large and colorful online community of humans, elves, dark elves, orcs and dwarves. Players shuffle for their place in the Lineage II society, pledging alliance to clans and exacting revenge on others. With intense player-vs-player combat and large scale castle sieges at their disposal, players take control of their online world and create a dynamic 3D game that is as beautiful as it is treacherous. Large and lush 3D landscapes, intimidating monsters, dozens of individual and clan quests, a vibrant in-game society, and free massive content updates add up to a must-have PC game for your collection. A second gameplay trailer for Lineage II is now available from Gamedaily, check it out here.Info: Lineage.com Lineage2.com Developer interview (2002) More trailers Discussion >> By Rob
![]() This single-player demo for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War lets you lead humanity's finest--the Space Marines--in a full early campaign level. The demo also contains 2 skirmish maps, and a tutorial mode! In skirmish play, players get to hone their Space Marine strategies against the computer AI. Download it here (319MB, Rated Mature)The real-time strategy game recently went Gold and will be hitting the shops on 20 September. Info: Official Warhammer 40K website Discussion >> By Rob
![]() Two and a half months after the game was first scheduled for release, development on ShellShock: Nam '67 is finally complete. Eidos announced today that the game has achieved gold status and has been sent to the factory, and it's on track for its September 14 ship date. Criticism has followed, because Eidos seems to be revelling in the most base aspects of the war with their promotional emails: . . . they seem to stress the lowest common denominators of the game turning it into something more exploitative than thought-provoking. Shellshock official website Discussion >> By Rob
![]() The RedAssedBaboon Gaming Blog points to an article from Empire Online about the status of the official movie based on DOOM 3. The original director for the planned movie, Enda McCallion, will be replaced by Polish director Andrzej Bartowiak: It was to be McCallion's debut feature, but according to Universal, the music video director has bowed out for 'personal reasons'. So, step up to the plate, Mr Bartowiak. You may remember him as the man who pointed the lights and lenses on such films as Falling Down, Lethal Weapon 4, and the staggeringly well shot Thirteen Days. Pretty good, eh? Well, we've got to be honest and include the fact that his CV as director has slightly less sparkle: Cradle 2 The Grave, Exit Wounds, and Romeo Must Die. All, it must be said, films that float comfortably within the B-osphere. A recent interview with Todd Hollenshead of id software about the movie Andrzej Bartkowiak on IMDb.com Discussion >> By Rob
These are the official catalyst drivers released from ati not the beta test ones done by Doom 3 patch! Grab them here By Dave
FIFA Soccer 2005 - Demo - 9.9.04 ![]() If footie is your thing then you will be pleased to know that EA Sports have made available a fully playable demo of FIFA 2005 for download. I am always more than a little pessimistic about EA Sports games though as it just seems to be a large undeserving, money making mechanism that sells the very same game with each passing year. Every release is dated inaccurately also. Take for instance Tiger woods 2004, this game was released in late 2003. Clearly this is an advertising ploy into making the customer believe the game is somehow newer and/ or less dated than it actually is, like the way companies are STILL flogging you that whole "ONLY 799.99" crap, as if somehow you are NOT paying eight hundred. I see so many people rushing out to the stores every year to buy these sports games in their latest form, which to me hold no noticable difference than the last, at least not enough reason to give it a new title and charge an appauling amount of money for what really should have been called a "mod"... But enough of of what I think, it's YOUR cash and don't let ME tell you how to spend it :) ==================================================== 1.System Requirements ==================================================== Minimum: 700 MHz Intel Pentium III or equivalent 128 Megabytes of RAM (256 MB for Windows XP and Windows 2000) DirectX 9.0b Compatible 3D accelerated 32 MB video card or equivalent (see supported chipsets in section 9) 350 MB free hard disk space and additional space required for DirectX 9.0b installation 32X Speed CD-ROM/DVD-ROM DirectX 9.0b Compatible Sound Card MS compatible mouse Keyboard Required Operating Systems: Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows XP or Windows 2000 Note that Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 are not supported. Required Software: DirectX 9.0b ==================================================== 2. Installing FIFA 2005 DEMO ==================================================== Double-click the Setup.exe file to begin the installation process. Follow the onscreen dialog for installing the demo. The "Typical User" install (default setting) will install FIFA 2005 DEMO to C:\Program Files\EA SPORTS\FIFA 2005 DEMO (where "C:\" is the drive that your current operating system is located). ==================================================== 3. DirectX 9.0b ==================================================== If you try to run the game without DirectX 9.0b installed, you will be prompted to upgrade before the game installation begins. DirectX 9.0b can be found on the Microsoft website: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx Note: If you already have DirectX 9.0b (or higher) installed, it is not necessary to reinstall it. DirectX and supported hardware We recommend that FIFA 2005 DEMO be run with DirectX 9.0b compatible sound cards and video cards. We also suggest you update your sound card and video card driver to the newest release from the vendor or chipset website. ==================================================== 4. Uninstalling FIFA 2005 DEMO ==================================================== The simplest method of uninstalling FIFA 2005 DEMO is to use the "Uninstall FIFA 2005 DEMO" shortcut in the Start Menu (usually "Start Menu/All Programs/EA Sports/FIFA 2005 DEMO/Uninstall FIFA 2005 DEMO"). Windows also has an "Add/Remove Programs" Icon in the Control Panel that you can use to uninstall the game. ==================================================== 5. Memory Requirements ==================================================== a.) Memory requirements in Windows FIFA 2005 DEMO requires a minimum of 128 MB of RAM to run the game (256 MB is required for Windows XP and Windows 2000). Note: The more system memory available, the better the game will perform in all areas. b.) Running the game under stressful Windows conditions At Electronic Arts we strive to bring you the best in graphics, audio and gameplay. We are always pushing the envelope of computer performance. While we have made every effort to ensure that FIFA 2005 DEMO multi-tasks with all Windows applications, we recommend that you shut down other applications (including virus scanners) and run FIFA 2005 DEMO by itself when possible. c.) Virtual memory We recommend that you let your operating system automatically manage the amount of virtual memory. Check out the demo for this "new" game from 3dgamers (86.1 MB) Official FIFA 2005 Website Discussion >> By Gary
![]() Visitors (46.1 mb): This singleplayer Half-Life mod features an original storyline involving Dr. Alan Green, who had recently published a book exposing the events of the Black Mesa Incident. As Dr. Alan Green, you make your way through 25 different maps spread out over 7 levels. If you're itching for a Black Mesa story before the release of Half Life 2, try out this mod. Vampire Slayer Chapter VI Mod - Windows Linux:This latest and likely final version of the Vampire Slayer Mod pits vampires against slayers in a multiplayer environment. The vampire players depend on their speed and dexterity to get close enough to deliver a lethal blow, while the slayers use their diverse arsenal of weapons to ultimately drive a stake through their hearts. Added Check out the new IGNIQ.com Half-life2 Factlist Discussion >> By Rob
![]() Multiplayer Freedom Mod v4: This mod allows you the freedom of choosing whatever skin you want, regardless of which side you are fighting for. You can also switch skins in-game by bringing up the in-game menu. Red Oktober CNQ Map:This very large map for Call of Duty is suitable for over 20 players. In this map, the Axis are attempting to push the Russians back across the Volga River. Requirements for both:128 MB RAM, 8X CD-ROM, 32 MB VRAM, 1400 MB disk space, DirectX v9.0. Info: Call of Duty official website Discussion >> By Rob
![]() A new mod has been released for Max Payne 2, featuring 6 new levels. The levels of The Big Reveal take place after the end of Max Payne 2. Thank you for downloading this file, "The Big Reveal" Mod for Max Payne 2 : The Fall of Max Payne. This mod has been made by Clement Melendez ("Corwin") during summer 2004 with the Remedy Editing Tools. MINIMUM SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS 1Ghz PIII/Athlon or 1.2Ghz Celeron/Duron processor 32MB AGP graphics card with hardware transform & lighting support 256MB RAM 1.5 GB hard drive space Windows 98/ME/2000/XP DirectX 9.0 Keyboard and mouse RECOMMENDED SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS 1.4Ghz Athlon or 1.7 Ghz Pentium 4, Celeron or Duron processor 64MB DirectX 9 compatible AGP graphics card with hardware T&L support 512MB RAM 1.5 GB hard drive space Windows 98/ME/2000/XP DirectX 9.0 Keyboard and mouse The mod is available over at gamershell (72.5 MB) Max Payne 2 official Website Max Payne 2 playable demo from 3dgamers (3 levels, 1 DMW map) (246 MB) Max Payne 2 review by IGNIQ'S Dave Dalley Discussion >> By Gary
DOOM 3 v1.05 Beta Patch - 8.9.04 ![]() Id have released the first patch for their flag-ship first person shooter. It is a beta so there is no technical support for the patch. Robert A. Duffy has announced that the game SDK, the Linux dedicated server and the demo will be made available in the coming weeks. The patch deals with stability, interface, network/multi-player and rendering improvements. See the full changelog here Grab the patch from gamershell (17.3 MB) Doom 3 mods pack no.6 Boost Doom 3 performance by 40% on ATI cards Doom3 Console commands Wanna play Doom 3 under Windows 98 ? Doom 3 expspice mod Doom 3 Re-made Map Doom 3 editor How is doom running for you? Doom3 Duct Tape Mod By Gary
I stumbled across this article on how to turn an old nes (nintendo) console gamepad into a pc joystick by changing the plug on it to a usb (universal serial bus) connector. The guide is designed for those who particularly liked the nes gamepad or for people who play nes games via an emulator on their pc and wish to take it to the next level. Check out the guide over at joystiq Discussion >> By Gary
![]() Pacific Storm, Takes on the story of the U.S. Pacific navy station bombing at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 by the Japanese. Developed by Lesta Studio Now you can take part in all major Pacific battles of the World War II in the Pacific Storm game that is a mixture of RTS, war-game and simulator. All major and important sea battles of World War II, which took place in the Pacific Ocean, are included and you can play either for the USA or Japan. Check out the Movie of actual gameplay (720x576, 2:23, WMV) over at 3dgamers Official Website Related Discussion >> By Gary
![]() A BETA level editor is now available for Joint Operatons: Typhoon Rising. Download it free on gamershell.com (Note: follow the instructions at the bottom of the page) Info: Joint Operations free multiplayer demo Joint Operations official website Discussion >> By Rob
![]() Via Gamershell Cornutopia, a U.K. based game developer, recently made available a demo of the new version of their space trading and flight simulator, Flatspace. Flatspace v1.06 contains some gameplay enhancements such as a previous/next target cycle control, a limited range for missile lock and better intelligence for the computer controlled ships In the demo access to all of the upgrades in the game, as well as an arcade sub-game are disabled. The demo also only lets you buy/sell weapons and missiles but no other equipment.Download the v1.06 demo here - (16.MB) Info: Flatspace official website Cornutopia official site Discussion >> By Rob
Perpetual Entertainment, a games developer and publisher which recently received a $6.5 million investment, has been given the rights to produce a Star Trek Massively Multi-Player Online Game (MMOG): Players will encounter characters, places, and situations from their favorite Star Trek movies and television series; will explore incredible new worlds; and will cooperate with or battle friendly and hostile races throughout the game,” said Chris McKibbin, President of Perpetual Entertainment. Info: Perpetual Entertainment official website StarTrek.com - Gaming Sci-Fi Universe - First website to post news about the game STGU Forums - New Star Trek Game leaked? Discussion >> By Rob
![]() A recent report by an investment banking & brokerage firm stated: …we also expect three PC games to break the million-unit threshold in 2004, including… November's Vivendi-Universal (V-Not Rated) release Half-Life 2. Vivendi Universal replied with a no-comment when asked about the release date but release candidates are being sent by Valve to Vivendi on 15 September.Read the story in Gamespots Rumor Control Discussion >> By Rob
A new pack of Mods for DOOM 3 is available now from Gamershell.com.It's the sixth pack they've made available so far, all of which can be downloaded here. This new pack contains: # DOOM 3 Allied Marine Squadmates v0.31A Mod (47 KB) # DOOM 3 Boom Beta 3 Mod (3.1 MB) # DOOM 3 Classic CyberDemon Mod (6 KB) # DOOM 3 Enh@nced v2.5 Mod (4.4 MB) # DOOM 3 Mycelos Weapon Enhancement v1.0 Mod (1.5 MB) # DOOM 3 No Attack v0.1 Mod (108 KB) # DOOM 3 PolyModifier v0.1b Mod (373 KB) # DOOM 3 CougarMod v1.5 (304 KB) # DOOM 3 Last Man Standing Mod (2 KB) Discussion >> By Rob
![]() A demo of this add-on to the Blitzkrieg real time strategy game is available now. The demo includes 4 missions, but excludes new 3D units and sound effects of the full version. The Ostfront Demo is now in-line with the full version of OSFRONT: Barbarossa. You can now experience the full range of game play changes. Range and LOS increases, re-textured vehicles, enhanced shooting resolution and ballistics, revised vehicle speeds and turret traversing and many more....All this with 4 missions. Download the demo hereInfo: Blitzkrieg official website Active Gaming - Developers of Ostfront Barbarossa Discussion >> By Rob
![]() An open BETA test has begun for Battalion: Head 2 Head from Urban Squall. The game is completely browser based and allows you to battle against other players to gain control of a map: Battalion is essentially a mix between traditional real time strategy games and chess. It is a turn based multiplayer strategy game: multiplayer in that you compete against other human beings, turn based in that each player goes sequentially until one of several game end conditions are satisfied. The simple graphics may put off some gamers, but the gameplay is pretty addictive.Check it out here - link via gamershell Info: Battalion Tutorial Discussion >> By Rob
![]() A free demo of this shooter from Reflexive Arcade has been released. Thousands of aliens, giant spiders, mutant lizards, and more are on the attack - can you survive the onslaught? You will consistently unlock new and better perks that improve your ability to use a devastating arsenal. Crimsonland features 3 modes of play, Internet high score posting, and endless hours of pressure packed fun. Requirements:OS: Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Me, Windows NT Processor: PII-300 Memory: 64 MB DirectX: Version 8.1 Display: 8 MB The game is rated Mature for blood and violent content. Download the demo here (6.70 MB) Info: Official Crimsonland website Reflexive Arcade website Discussion >> By Rob
![]() An update to the Natural Selection Mod for Half-Life has been released. Natural Selection v3.0 beta 5 includes a lot of bug fixes but also gameplay and Combat-specific updates: Gameplay changes: Download the new version here Info: UnknownWorlds Entertainment - Developers Discussion >> By Rob
![]() Locomotion is a new game designed and developed by the creator of the best-selling RollerCoaster Tycoon series. Your goal is to build and operate a transport network by linking passengers and cargo to their destinations. A timeframe of one hundred years is covered (1900-2000) with the specific vehicle types, buildings, industries, and background music. The free demo allows you to check out the game and is available either with or without music.Grab the demo at Gamershell.com (123.7 MB with music, 29.9 MB without) Info: 10 things you (probably) never knew about Chris Sawyer's Tycoon games... Discussion >> By Rob
![]() A number of videos have been released for United Offensive (the new expansion for Call of Duty). There are two interviews with developers Ken Murphy and Doug Pearson who discuss both the campaigns and what to expect from the multi-player end. There are also three official trailers and 18 videos of actual in-game play to wet your appetite in anticipation of getting your hands on it. If Call of Duty was anything to go by than i shall stake my claim on a copy of this expansion from my local games purchasing type location post haste. Check out the videos over at gamespot (you will need to register) United Offensive Website Developers Website Discussion >> By Gary
Conflict Vietnam - Trailer - 4.9.04 ![]() Download the trailer for the just released Conflict Vietnam. The game follows the lives of four soldiers: Ragman, Junior, Hoss and Cherry who have been separated from their squad. It is a third person shooter where you control all four soldiers in an attempt to find a safe path through this jungle-terrain and back to your unit while trying to avoid the carnage going on around you. With this game we have once again pushed back the boundaries with some of the richest jungle environments you will have ever seen. Whereas Conflict: Desert Storm I & II were often about longer range combat, with Conflict: Vietnam it gets up close and personal. We have a triple-A certified hit on our hands - XBMA 400mph vomit-stream of napalm-scented action - XBOXHot or Not? BOILING! - – Official PlayStation 2 MagazineOfficial Website and trailer here Grab it from Bittorrent here What IS Bittorrent ? Related sites here and here Discussion >> By Gary
Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault Demo - 3.9.04 By Dave
![]() Techland, the Polish company behind Xpand Rally, announced today that the game has gone Gold and will be available in European stores on 24 September:
Info: Download a free multi-player demo of Xpand Rally Xpand Rally Screenshots Techland.com.pl Discussion >> By Rob
![]() IGNIQ- Are asking you what are your favourite half life mods and not so favourites. Also what ones would you like to be seen done by the new half life 2 engine. I Myself will be reviewing these mods within the next week. Discussion >> By Dave
Well i have had service pack 2 installed now for a little while and everything has been going reasonably well, until i tried to use Bittorrent. I have been using Bittorrent now for quite a longtime and have found it an invaluable tool for spreading files and conserving bandwidth. But now i am not getting high speeds like i once did. And after a little reading i have discovered that service pack 2 sets the TCP-connections to 10 connections max simultaneous, this being done supposedly to avoid the fast spread of worms, viruses and the like. I was not happy with this at all, i like that security has been the main focus point in sp2 but in saying that i don't want my dam machine locked down by Microsoft in such a way that i cannot even use a p2p application to upload and download files to my fellow friends and companions across this vast space we refer to as the world wide web. There is a German developer named lvlLORD who has come up with a fix that allows you to change the max connections with a little patch: What's this all for? I am seriously considering uninstalling to avoid all this nonsense (though i may try the patch first). But if you would like to choose security over workability and compatabilty then service pack 2 might be exactly what you are looking for. I guess it is a case of working out which option is best for you and what you use your pc and internet for... And how much control (or lack of) you wish to have (or not have) ;) See here for a list of known apps affectedIf you want to try out the patch then get it here If you want service pack 2, get it here Want to make a slip-stream sp2 xp cd ? Check out this guide Discussion >> By Gary
![]() Red Storm Entertainment, developers of Ghost Recon 2 have released an in-game movie of actual gameplay (640x480) of the sequel to Ghost Recon (2:39, WMV9). The game is not scheduled for release until early 2005 but let us take a quick peak at the storyline. In my experience to date, anything with the name "Tom Clancy" tagged to it has been no more than a disgusting propaganda infested insult to anyone with a shread of intelligence to work with. But let us not pre-maturely jump to conclusions before we see the plot. In the wake of one of North Korea's worst famines, an insidious North Korean general influences the government to secretly divert humanitarian aid to beef up its army, slowly gaining power in the process. Oh well, i thought this one may be different (REALLY, i did). What can you do. Though if an insulting mud fest of distorted morality is really what you want then you should be right at home here..each man's meat...well you know the rest (or do you...!) Grab the trailer from 3dgamers (42.9 MB) Ghost Recon 2 Official Website Ghost Recon Official Website Ubi-Soft's GR2 Section Discussion >> By Gary
![]() More sign ups have been announced for the BETA test for the PC version of the board game Axis & Allies. The real time strategy game will be coming out sometime before the end of the year; this BETA test invitation will be closed on September 9, so sign up soon at this site. Info: Official Atari website for Axis & Allies TimeGate Studios - Developers of Axis & Allies Atari's Betatests.net - Home Page for the Atari Betatesting Community Discussion >> By Rob
![]() LucasArts announced today that Star Wars: Battlefront has received Gold status and will be on shelves 21 September. The game has been described as "a Battlefield 1942-style war-action game set in the Star Wars universe". From the official press release: Prepare for battle. LucasArts is excited to announce that the highly anticipated action/shooter, Star Wars Battlefront has officially GONE GOLD on PS2, Xbox and PC and is scheduled to blast its way onto store shelves on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 --- day and date with the Star Wars Trilogy, which marks the first time all three classic films will be available on DVD. Info:Star Wars: Battlefront official website from Lucasarts Discussion >> By Rob
![]() An official update from Valve: The second phase of the Half-Life 2 preload begins to Steam account holders today. Half-Life 2 pre-load begins HL2 Fans Hopes Raised by False Announcement Half-Life 2 going Gold is a complete hoax! Discussion >> By Rob
Windows Media Player 10 Release - 2.9.04 Well, To whoever it may concern Microsoft has officialy launched their Windows Media Player 10 after months of beta testing, and also public testing as it was available for download in the early stages of its "development". I downloaded it to see what the changes were. First let us see what Microsoft say about it: A whole new look giving you quicker and easier access to your favorite digital media. Translation: A few licks of a lighter shade of blue paint here and there to give foundation to the word "sleak" A world of music at your fingertips. With Windows Media Player 10, you are just a click away from the world's largest collection of digital music. Translation: A list to online distributers of poorly encoded mp3 tracks who will charge you an abomination to download them. Smart Jukebox Features, Nah, i'd rather hire an escaped mental patient to stab me in the face with a rusty fork than let Microsoft manage my music collection the way "I" would like it. The only good thing i'll say is that they have finally given users the option of ripping their cds to mp3. In the past all you could do was rip them to wma (Windows Media Audio) Thus helping Microsoft further in taking over the world with one foul swoop/ or bite... I have never liked Windows Media Player. I think the most useless feature would have to be the "Media Guide", you might remember it from such useless news broadcasts as "J-Lo to split with new hubby", or "P-Diddy releases new line of "Who gives a f***?" If you really want to try it out than grab it here But i would highly recommend Quintessential player. It is a free no-nonsense audio player that has supported every format i've thrown at it. I want something to simply play my music, not an overly bloated advertisement-jukebox that serves no purpose on anyones' desktop. Discussion >> By Gary
Maps and mods recently released for DOOM 3: Added: Also check our list of links to reg-free DOOM 3 mods. Outerlimits2 Map
Wastemyhate Map This Map take Place in a Castle Style Area what was BattleReady v1.3 Mod 1. Much harder gaming experience. This Doom 3 mod enhances the visual appeal of the game by upping the visual effects throughout. Blood, debris, and decals all stay around longer, and the weapon effects such as sparks, lighting, smoke, etc. have all be increased. Advanced Sentry modThis mod creates a sentry to fight for you with just the toss of a grenade. Fragger Mod 1 (BETA)This mod is about improving the visuals in Doom 3 by adding new skins and other This program allows you to convert your favorite Quake 3 maps into Doom 3. TinMan Squad ModThis mod for Doom 3 lets you call upon the help of AI controlled friends to assist you in blasting your way around. Death Is Coming MapYour Mission: This mod applies smooth to the models in Doom3, giving Maps and mods recently released for Far Cry: Far Cry SP Devil's Coast Map
This mod for Far Cry adds many tweaks to the weapons and gameplay to give the game a more realistic feel. Works for both single and multiplayer. Far Cry Sexy Valerie - Cleavage EditionThis skin for Far Cry lets you spice up the character of Valerie Cortez by showing a bit more cleavage than usual. Maps and mods recently released for Battlefield 1942: BF 1942 Surreal Alpha 22 Mod Version 22 of the Surreal Alpha Mod adds new weapons, vehicles, and more. BF 1942 RealPlane Mod v1.655 new planes all with RealPlane corrected armaments, new eye candy effects and This map is based on the Battle for Remagen bridge in March 1945, where the US This is the full install of v1.6 of the Merciless mod for Battlefield 1942. It adds new textures, sounds and more to your Battlefield 1942 experience to ensure the highest possible historical accuracy. Discussion >>By Rob
![]() United Offensive, the expansion pack to the WWII shooter Call Of Duty, has gone Gold and will hit the shops on September 15. Going Gold means a game is finished the development stage for code, content and packaging and is ready for delivery to manufacturers. The expansion will include 13 new single player missions, 11 new multiplayer maps and 3 new modes of play. It will be available on PC-CDROM and will cost 29.99 USD. Info: Official Call of Duty: United Offensive site (Flash) Gray Matter Studios - Developers of United Offensive Register for updates on this game from Activision Call of Duty: United Offensive Official Movie Discussion >> By Rob
![]() ![]() ![]() A new high and low-res video has been released featuring in-game footage of this highly anticipated release from the Medal of Honour franchise. Grab the hig-res clip from 3dgamers here (13.4 MB) Grab the low-res clip here (10.9 MB) Moh - Allied Assault Website Moh - Breakthrough Moh - Spearhead Discussion >> By Gary
![]() LucasArts launches today new updates to the Star Wars: Galaxies game that includes new quests and new ways to become the Jedi class of player: Previously, players became Jedi characters using "holocron" items that hint at specific professions to master. That is, in order to have a Jedi character, players previously had to master several of the game's many professions (including hand-to-hand combat fighters, crafters, and entertainers) in order to unlock a "force-sensitive" character slot, essentially starting an all-new Jedi-to-be character from scratch. A new mod is also available for Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy on the PC; the Jedi Academy Force Mod III - Return of The Sith This mod lets you choose from nearly 30 different character classes including Wookie, Stormtrooper, Gungan, Jedi Sentinel, Battle Droid, Mandalorian, and Sith Zealot. All the classes have been balanced with different skills and abilities, so there's sure to be something for everyone. Download the mod free here (Reg. required)Info: Star Wars: Galaxies official site Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy official site - single player demo Discussion >> By Rob
![]() An update to the beta Counter-Strike Source has been released by Valve. Steam users who have it installed will receive the update automatically when they start Steam. Changes in the update:
Discussion >> By Rob
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