**THREE** SPECIAL CONTESTS

You know about our first contest for HOMEWORLD: RAIDER RETREAT — If not, read on...
   If you are a PC gamer, then you KNOW how HOT Sierra Studios’ HOMEWORLD game is... how would you like to win a copy of HOMEWORLD: RAIDER RETREAT... this is a brand new mission for HOMEWORLD and includes a special, stand–alone edition of the game. This means you do NOT need HOMEWORLD to play this mission!
   Included on the CD–ROM are four missions from the original game, including the full training mission which we feel is one of the best tutorials for any game ever produced. Plus there’s support for multi–player LAN games as well as a skirmish mission that features all of the game’s ships. Your goal is to destroy the Turanic Raider space fleet before they reach the safety of their planet’s defenses. Not an easy task, but well worth the undertaking — especially if you enjoy awesome RTS games.
   To enter, click here and then enter words Homeworld: Raider Retreat in the email’s subject line. No additional text is required in the body of the email.
   We wish all Gamers Gazette readers success! We have several copies to award, so enter today! This special contest will run until December 16, 2000.

We also have a second contest JUST for Gamers Gazette subscribers! How would you like to win a copy of Sierra Studios/Valve’s Half–Life: Counter–Strike smash hit? This is the NUMBER ONE online multiplayer game, as well, and features terrorist/counter–terrorist action. Included with this game is Team Fortress Classic! Other goodies within include Opposing Force, Firearms, Redemption and Wanted scenarios. (If you are a single–player only gamer, this is NOT the game for you!) If you’d like to try your hand at some intense online play, why not enter this special contest today? Simply click here and in the header of your email message enter Half–Life: Counter–strike. No addiitonal text is needed in the body of your email. This super contest will end on January 1st, 2001.

And, just appearing at FGN.COM, is the new Half–Life: Platinum Edition bundle giveaway... imagine, receiving ALL of the Half–Life games in a single offering! Fast–paced action and more... includes a variety of add–ons released by Sierra Studios over the past year. This is THE compilation game to get... if you win, that is. Random drawing at the close of the contest will determine the lucky participants. All you have to do is to send us an email with the words "Half–Life Platinum"... that’s it! More info at this direct contest link!

GAME ON, folks!

Timeline is Available [12/08/00] Michael Crichton’s novel, Timeline, is now available in an electronic game version for the PC from Eidos Interactive. This game takes place in the 14th century feudal France and is the first title to be produced by Timeline Computer Entertainment, Crichton’s game company, and Eidos Interactive. You’re sent on a mission to locate your missing professor during the Hundred Years War of the English and French. There are 20 game levels you must work through. Timeline is rated E for Everyone and sells for $39.99. Details

A Bomb of a Hit [12/05/00] December 15th has been set as the date when B–17 Flying Fortress II: The Might Eighth will ship from Hasbro Interactive. This combat flight sim allows you to become any one of the critically–important positions aboard this bomber: gunner, navigator, pilot or radio operator. You must not only complete your missions, but also protect your ship as the enemy swarms in to attack.

Norsefolk on Mac [12/05/00] Now shipping is Rune for the Macintosh from Gathering of Developers. Created by Human Head Studios, with Mac co–development by Westlake Interactive, this Take–Two Interactive distributed game brings you 43, single–player game levels and seven multiplayer environments. Using the Unreal Tournament engine as a foundation for the presentation, and wearing a M rating, you’ll find yourself in five worlds within which to conquer. This will be aided though the use of some 15 rather unique weapons.

Patch Works for Deus Ex [12/05/00] Although the game shipped in single–player version only, that has now been remedied by the folks at Ion Storm. Just made available is the multiplayer patch for the game which contains maps for Area 51, a missile silo, Smuggler’s Lair in New York, a cathedral in Paris, and the U.S.A.F. Vandenberg AFB.

Best Buy is Makin’ Music [12/08/00] Another acquisition — this time it’s Best Buy Co., Inc., which is acquiring Musicland Stores Corporation. Best Buy is offering to pay $12.55 for each outstanding share of Musicland’s common stock. The acquisition will occur in the first quarter of 2001.

EMusic.com Has a Fantasy [12/08/00] If you’re a music fan, and one who has been accessing the services of EMusic.com, you’re now going to have available a TON of new artists. This increase in artists is due to an agreement EMusic.com made with Fantasy Records, and the first step involves the availability of more than 35,000 Fantasy tracks for purchase or download. You can download the music in MP3 format including music from Fantasy under the labels of Milestone, Prestige, Riverside, Contemporary/Good Time Jazz, Kicking Mule, Pablo, Specialty and Takoma. Some of the Fantasy stars include Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, John Coltrane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Jerry Garcia, Stan Getz, Dizzy GIllespie, Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, Little Richard and many more. Then to make this even more appealing, EMusic is providing a free 30–day trial to EMusic Unlimited, where you can download any amount of music that you choose form EMusic’s digital collection of more than 140,000 MP3s for a monthly fee of $9.99. Details

Instant Music from Tower [12/08/00] Through their new agreement with MP3.COM, Tower Records will now enable folk who buy their music at their website able to nearly instantly grab their sounds. Basically, when you buy your music online, within a few minutes you can then hear streamed versions of your songs from a server. This new service should launch sometime before next February.

Tommy Tunes’ Replacement [12/08/00] At the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Vegas, the show "EFX" has starred Tommy Tune. However, he’s departing the show in mid–January and his replacement will be Rick Springfield, who will debut in his new role on January 30th. Coincidentally, that also happens to be the date his new album will roll out, as well. The stage presentation presents the audience with a trip through the worlds of Merlin the wizard, P.T. Barnum, Harry Houdini and H.G. Wells.

More Digital Music @ Excite@Home [12/08/00] You can now use MusicMatch’s personal music system when you access your Excite@Home service. The new Excite Jukebox that’s powered by the company’s MusicMatch Jukebox 6.0 will offer all of the content located at this direct link. You’ll be able to turn your current music media into digital music files with free, CD–quality MP3 record, plus there’s an integrated CD burner for creating your custom MP3 or audio CDs. A sophisticated music management system will allow you to record and store entire music collections in a single location and you can also personalize MP3 radio stations to access your fav artists, as well. There are more than 100,000 free, downloadable tracks at the URL, as well. Details.

Leaping Onto DC [12/08/00] Starlancer, published by Microsoft and developed by Digital Anvil (who themselves have just been acquired by Microsoft), is now ready to get you all spaced–up on the Sega Dreamcast. Morphed over to the DC by the coders at Crave Entertainment, this game is by the folk who created the smash–games Wing Commander and they have provided gamers with FMV cinematics that are quite outstanding, as well as custom music and thousands of speech samples. Details

FGN4KIDS

Racin’ Ratz [12/05/00] Tyco’s R/C Racin’ Ratz for the Game Boy Color takes you for a ride in a small radio–controlled type vehicle. This title is distributed by Mattel Media, is rated E for Everyone and sells for $29.99, and is Mattel’s first Tyco R/C title for the Game Boy Color. Here you’re either Chris or Betty and you get to create a lot of damage in your R/C vehicle as you try to complete more than 25 missions over 10 levels. You get to tear through the house including the bedroom, living room, garage and other rooms and grab household items. You’ll search for power–ups that help you to complete jumps over the furniture, climb obstacles and shrink your car so that you can get through small spaces. It’s not over yet. You’ve got to solve puzzles before you complete each level.

Hot Biking from HotGen [12/05/00] Developed by HotGen Studios, based upon the JAKKS Pacific Road Champs miniature, die–cast toy bike series, comes Road Champs BXS Stunt Biking. Published by Activision, this E rated game is for the Nintendo Game Boy Color and features 64 different biking action levels as well as 27 different courses. You can select from eight riders and try your wheels on 50 unique tricks within the four BMX disciplines: flatland, street, vert and dirt. There’s also a career and tournament mode. Details

Lara Flick Trailer Set for Net [12/08/00] If you don’t happen to see the new trailer for the upcoming Tomb Raider feature film, fret not... several sites will have the trailer available for you to download, starting this Friday. Both the QuickTime site at Apple and the Windows Media Site at Microsoft will have the trailer available, and you can fully expect this trailer to trail–off to other sites after that... talk about a tease! Details

HEADS UP! Hasbro, Parley–vous? [12/08/00] We first told you about the rumor earlier this week regarding the rumors concerning Infogrames Entertainment SA purchasing Hasbro Interactive. It’s now official; Infogrames’ acquisition of Hasbro Interactive involves a long–term licensing agreement giving Infogrames exclusive rights to develop and publish digital interactive games based on current and future Hasbro properties on all existing and future digital interactive formats as well as the acquisition of Games.com. Infogrames is purchasing all of Hasbro Interactive and Games.com common stock for $100 million, which involves $95 million in Infogrames Entertainment SA securities and $5 million in cash.What else is in this for Hasbro? Hasbro gets an annual guarantee from Infogrames based on sales generated from the licensing agreement. Of course, these agreements have to get the approval of the shareholders of Infogrames as well as the regulatory approval and the other usual closing conditions. This merger should be complete by the quarter of 2001. Some of the biggie titles that will be involved in this transaction include Microprose’s brand and titles such as Civilization, Falcon and Roller Coaster Tycoon; the Atari name and properties such as Centipede, Missile Command and the old title, Pong; as well as the interactive Hasbro games of Monopoly, Scrabble, Clue, Risk and Boggle.

Sega.com Has a Family [12/08/00] Looks like Johnathan Kaplan, Founder and Chairman of Family Wonder, is taking on a new title — President and CEO of Sega.com! Additionally, Kaplan’s company, Family Wonder, is being acquired by Sega.com. Family Wonder, Inc. is a family entertainment media company and assists families with decisions regarding child care and purchases. Kaplan’s experience in both the online and publishing industries make him a great candidate for the new position. Kaplan’s new duties involve responsibility for Sega.com’s online console and PC gaming businesses in North America, which includes all business development, marketing, sales and operations (sure hope a vacation is included somewhere in this deal). Both companies are remaining quiet about terms of the deal, natch.

Wild Tangent Gains Talent [12/08/00] The company created by former Microsoft DirectX evangelist Alex St. John, Wild Tangent, has just hired on Paul Steed as a producer. He’ll create and direct original content that features the company’s Web Driver compression technology and SDK. Steed has nine years of game development artistic involvement with such companies as Origin Systems, Iguana Entertainment, Virgin Interactive and id Software, contributing to such titles as Strike Commander, Privateer, Bioforge and the Wing Commander series. Details

Title Burst for Gamers [12/06/00] Whether you are a Dreamcast gamer or indulge in your games via the Game Boy Color, Crave Entertainment has just released three titles for these systems. For the Game Boy Color, there’s Godzilla: Monster Wars — multiple attacks are possible throughout the ten levels and 16 types of foe. The game is rated E. For an older audience on the GBC is Ultimate Fighting Championship that offers you eight combatants from the UFC as well as a full training mode with Big John McCarthy, the UFC ref. This title is also rated E. For Dreamcasters comes the port of Sno–Cross Championship Racing, also packing an E rating. You’ll initially get to drive 500cc and 700cc snow sleds, with others becoming available as you progress through the game and unlock additional levels. To ensure extended game play with this title, Crave has included a track editor so you can create your own, snowy surprises.

Collegiate BBall Ships [12/06/00] With a nod to the popularity of March Madness, and already having a firm hold on the digital sports game genre, EA SPORTS presents their new NCAA March Madness 2001 game for PSX’ers. This title offers a whole slew of new features as well as Coach Mode where you can work you way up from a small college and see if you can win the NCAA title. The game features new, unlockable dribbling moves and team–specific playbooks and play styles let you run up the score or slow it down. The game’s Dynasty Mode has also been expanded for those who desire to get behind the scenes and into off–season action, as well. There are more than ten adjustable camera angles as well as instant replay with a full, 360–degree view. And, detailed playing ratings supplied by Broadband Sports, based upon 2000–01 rosters, help bring added realism to the game. The title is rated E and is analog controller compatible as well as supports as many as eight players. Details

Conflict of the M&M Kind [12/06/00] Don your armor, sharpen your cutting and slashing weapons — especially if your are PlayStation gamer. Warriors of Might and Magic is now en route to retail from The 3DO Company and presents you with intense hand–to–hand combat, a new GUI, terrific sfx and a new fighting system. With a compelling storyline that leverages the company’s Might and Magic franchise series, you’ll become engaged in not only quelling those who would prefer to quell you, but also some intriguing characters and character development issues. This game is also expected to debut on the PlayStation 2 later this year. Details

Warning to PS2 Wanna–Haves [12/06/00] According to The European Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), there’s good reason to think before leaping when it comes to acquiring PlayStation 2 games. Seems as though a number of counterfeit PS2 games have been siezed in Europe through raids conducted by police Trading Standards and ELSPA investigator work. The raids were carried out in Belfast, Ireland, and Lancashire and London in England, all netting large numbers of illegal PS2 discs. According to the Chief Investigator for the ELSPA crime unit, Terry Anslow, "The launch of the PlayStation 2 has caused huge excitement amongst shoppers, the demand for the console and associated games has been tremendous. Unfortunately the counterfeiters have decided to cash in and the market is quickly flooding with their bogus copies. We are issuing a warning to shoppers to beware when purchasing discs. We have witnessed fakes being sold to unsuspecting shoppers for up to GBP30. When tested on a legitimate console, we have found that these discs will not even play".
   ELSPA is the industry body set up to protect the interests of the computer games publishers. During the period January to September this year alone they have carried out more than 700 raids which have resulted in the seizure of 162,737 counterfeit discs. If you are in Europe and have info on computer game piracy activities, please contact your local Trading Standards office, or call the ELSPA Hotline at 0870 5133405.

Finding Your Machine [12/06/00] Having difficulty locating your most–desired game system, specifically, the PlayStation 2? Made more calls than a magazine salesperson trying to locate a machine at local and distant malls and retail centers? Managed to incur carpal tunnel syndrome by entering various URLs into your browser trying to find the machine online? Perhaps this new site, PS2bargains.com, can be of some assistance. This site is determined to help you find online retailers who have the nextgen system available. Plus, they offer updates on this info and help you avoid some of the scammy scrubs who will try to part you from your money for a non–existent machine. You’ll also find at the site coupons and other discounts from other online retailers. Details

Macromedia Has a Flash Announcement [12/04/00] If you’re a fan of Macromedia, but get a little hung up on Flash, take heart. Macromedia will be providing assistance to make better and more accessible sites to the more than 1.5 million folk who use Macromedia products. The first element in this program will be to usability experts and leading designers together in order to create techniques that will make Macromedia Flash more compelling. Currently, 96 percent of the computers can view Macromedia Flash content. The top 10 tips that the experts have are: Remember User Goals, Remember Site Goals, Avoid Unnecessary Intros, Provide Logical Navigation and Interactivity, Design for Consistency, Don’t Overuse Animation, Use Sound Sparingly, Target Low–Bandwidth Users, Design for Accessibility, and Test. Details

Recordable DVD Arrives Soon [12/08/00] Oh, it’s out there, but quite expensive. Pioneer certainly has a head start, as they plan to release their DVR–103 drive during Q1 of next year. This recordable DVD/CD drive for computer users reads and writes multiple recordable formats that include DVD–R, CD–R and CD–RW, and offers as much as 4.7GB of storage capacity per DVD side. Plus, this new drive will be capable of recording DVD–R discs at twice the normal speed. The drive is compatible with DVD video players, as well. Details

Get Into HTML Easily [12/04/00] Let’s say you work extensibly within various Windows applications and create various Windows docs... now, you’d like to bring your work to the web, but oh my heavens, you have to hand–code them into HTML format first! Hmmmm, mebbe not... from New Zealand–based Inzone Software comes their latest version of Click to Convert. This utility enables you to convert ordinary Windows docs into HTML files and, thereby, into pages for web consumption. The utility actually acts like a print driver within Win9.x/NT/2K/ME environments, saving you some really needed time for other work. You can glom onto an eval copy right here.

Music Zippiness [12/04/00] If you decide to purchase Iomega storage products, you will now be able to access both the PC and Macintosh version of MusicMatch’s MusicMatch Jukebox software so you can play, record, organize and uncover digital music through this easy–to–use program. This is due to the agreement between MusicMatch and Iomega enabling the app to ship on their line of Zip, Jaz and PocketZip drives. In fact, now shipping with Iomega’s HipZip digital audio player and all newer model Iomega CD–RW drives is MusicMatch’s MusicMatch Jukebox Plus. This digital music app will have shipped more’n 10 million copies by year’s end. Details

GameColony.com Brings Games to Chinese [12/08/00] Known for their tournament, multiplayer board and card games, GameColony.com is partnering with SINA.com. SINA.com provides Internet media and services for the Chinese worldwide. Together they’ll co–brand games, and GameColony.com will supply multiplayer Java–based games and chat to SINA such as chess, backgammon and other card games. Details

Millions Game On [12/08/00] Mplayer has just boasted to one and all that their MMOG service has just surpassed 20 million unique visitors, all during last October. The totals are based on Media Metrix research, meaning Mplayer use has doubled over the last four months. According to their research, 27 percent of all domestic 18 to 34 year olds have visited Mplayer. Good stats! Details

Browsing & Gaming [12/08/00] From the mighty game works at WildTangent comes their latest and greatest, browser–based online title — SabreWing. This offering, which costs naught to play, will find new missions intro’d to online gamers each and every Friday — at least for the foreseeable future. Included in the debut game are two combat missions as well as two training missions to help you learn the title.

Fore for You [12/05/00] Microsoft released the most significant upgrade to their digital golf series, Links, in more than a decade just recently. Perhaps you aren’t certain whether this is a game you’d be interested in purchasing... well, the try–before–you–buy mentality is a good one, and Microsoft is now making available a trial version of Links 2001 for download at this link. This version offers nine holes of play from the Chateau Whistler golf course and you can play as PGA star Sergio Garcia. There are five play modes: stroke, skins, Bingo Bango Bong, My Kinda’ Game and Stableford. Plus, at Zone.com (http://www.zone.com) you can engage in multiplayer gaming.
   There’s also a new trial version of Microsoft’s Midtown Madness 2 at this link. This downloadable version features the following racing modes: Blitz, Check–Point and Cruise. You can tune your skills as you race through the streets of San Francisco. And in Blitz mode, you can engage in multiplayer competition.

Bunch O’ Bucks Available [12/05/00] If you believe you are somewhat cognizant of the content within Sega Sports NFL 2K1 game, you could find yourself immeasurably richer! Sega.com has just announced their first of what is hoped to be an annual SegaNet bowl. There’s some $100,000 available in giveaways and you can win by playing the game itself as you compete against others for prizes such as the always–handy cash or a trip to Florida for the Super Bowl itself. Teams of four will battle it out against experts on this popular football game. However, the contest is only open to SegaNet members, with the first drawing to take place this week. Four teams will be randomly drawn each week, for six consecutive weeks, for a chance to challenge Team SegaNet, comprised of a group of NFL 2K1 experts. Registration ends on January 4, 2001. Details

Gin, Without the Alcohol [12/05/00] Waaaay back in the early 1900s, gin appeared as a card game, becoming extremely popular as the game appeared in movies and on Broadway. The most popular variation became Gin Rummy, with simple rules and challenging game play. NetIntellGames is now offering Gin Rummy online where you can play against bots or live opponents, via LAN or the Internet. You can also simultaneously play two tables! A solid family game, Gin Rummy allows you to use your own rules for the scoring system as well as select card and cloth views. Details

New Goodies for Everquest [12/05/00] There are approximately 300,000 Everquest gamers out there, folk who enjoy their dalliances within the Sony Online Entertainment, Verant Interactive–developed, online fantasy game world. The company has now announced they are shipping EverQuest: The Scars of Velious to retail stores and you’ll find an all new and rather frigid continent, 19 new adventure zones, new creatures galore, plus additional spells and weapons with which to aid your quests, plus an enhanced 3D game engine. The new world features 3x the number of polygons as the original game as well as larger textures. This is the first expansion pack from the company that DOES require the original game to experience the new features. Plus, the recommendation is that you have advanced characters at the level 35 or higher range to board the ships that are available to take you to the new continent. Details

More Online Games [12/04/00] Getting even more involved with EA.COM is Boxerjam, an online game developer and publisher. As you know, EA.COM _IS_ America Online’s "game channel", and Boxerjam has also been providing such goodies to AOL since 1995. Now the content agreement between the two will find Boxerjam creating online game show content for the EA Lounge online gaming area.

Getting to Test Online [12/04/00] Great new Beta test becoming available for online gamers... Netgames UK is offering such involvement for anyone who wishes to try their service until December 31st. This online net specializes in unmetered Internet access for such multiplayer titles as Half–Life, Quake 3 Arena and Unreal Tournament. Based in the United Kingdom, the company hosts their own Scan International built servers directly on the Cable and Wireless global IP backbone. Website.

Multimedia, Wireless–Style [12/05/00] Imagine watching movie previews via your wireless contraption and becoming so enamored with the showing that you decide to immediately decide to purchase tickets to that film — all on your mobile device. With the first, location–based wireless streaming app having been developed through the teamwork of Packetvideo Corp. and SignalSoft Corp., the companies are going to demonstrate their technology at the upcoming Streaming Media West convention in San Jose, CA, next week. Mobile users will be able to garner all sorts of info, in real–time, with just a few clicks on their device. Plus, with PacketVideo’s alliance with Portal Software, customer management and real–time billing will allow content providers and mobile operators to "cash–in" on the content delivered via wireless nets. Details

Cell Help for Star Trek [12/05/00] Through the use of a new technology developed in Finland called SMASH, if you happen to be a player of Star Trek Deep Space Nine: The Fallen, you’ll now be able to glom onto all sorts of game hints and solutions using your cell phone. The Simon & Schuster game simply requires gamers to obtain these hints by using their keypads. You must sign–up for this program at the game’s website, enter your cell phone number, and on December 11th you’ll receive your first instant text message that confirms your participation as well as several game hints. If your cell is WAP enabled, you can also send email messages back to Simon & Schuster for even more help. Then, in January, you’ll also be able to browse the game website using your WAP cell, with no charge for that service. Details

New Java Library for WAP [12/05/00] There’s a new Java library from WaveLink Corp. that enables developers to create wireless LAN apps that’ll run on various wireless devices that include PocketPC, PalmOS and DOS. Using the familiar Java language, this library provides full support of graphical interface objects (i.e., buttons and pull–down menus) for PalmOS and PocketPC devices. The WaveLink server–side app is not restricted by wireless device memory and processor constraints. Plus, there’s a set of development libraries that include a COM&3150;based library that supports Visual Basic, Visual C/C++, PowerBuilder, Visual FoxPro and a C library for UNIX as well as a full range of PICK environments. Details

Wireless Chess Mastery [12/04/00] Into your Palm OS big–time, but would relish a thinking–person’s chess game to while away the hours? You’ve got it — Pocket Express has a popular game that offers chess to Palm’ers and now they’ve upgraded the product — PocketChess is now into release 2.0. There are new features that include infrared chess for two–player engagements, full support for color, saving and reloading games, a desktop companion for your Win–based PC, and you can adjust play to suite your skill level.

Big Times at Digital Anvil [12/05/00] Certainly is grand when the work you do is recognized for its effectiveness — just ask Digital Anvil, for this game development company based in Texas has just announced a prelim agreement with Microsoft to be acquired. Microsoft will garner the company’s FreeLancer title as well as an upcoming Xbox game that’ll release next year. By the way, the founder of Digital Anvil, none other than Chris Roberts, will be departing the studio to work on his own creative goodies but will continue to serve as a creative consultant.