Microsoft’s Age of Empires Collector’s Edition Sierra Studio’s Half–Life, Platinum Edition Red Storm Entertainment’s Timeline Fox Interactive’s No One Lives Forever Acclaim Sport’s HBO BOXING Mattel’s Hot Wheels Stunt Track Driver 2.0 Fox’s Alien Resurrection
ENTER TODAY!
December 17th through 19th., 2000
Plushy Agreement
Digimon Another Pokemon?
Power Rangers Bring Power Bucks
Automated Doggie Garners Top Sales
Kinesoft Offers Game Art
Race Baiting to the Extreme from Interplay
3D Space Strat From Learning Company
Golfing from Sierra Sports is Platinum
Online Manual to Help You Fly
New Web Video Features Surf Adventure
Live Concert Agreement for Music Choice
Rage Against The Machine Enraged Over Napster
Extra Music With Rio
New Deal ’Tween Ritmoteca and Sony Music
New Album Sales Record Set by Smith
Kids Swapping Sounds
3DO Ships Dual Titles for Game Boy Color
Multi–Faceted RPG from Atlus USA
New Handheld Debuts In Japan
Third Dragon Warrior from Enix to U.S.
Under–Leveraged Entertainment Properties
IMAX Assists Disabled and Disadvantaged
Get That Beemer at World Mall
Winning Wrestling from THQ
No Limit Racing Debuts from Activision
A PS2 First from Majesco
Mattel’s Retro Robots
More PS2 Goodies from Sony
Value–Priced Interactives
New Preview Release of QuickTime
Authoring MPEG–4 Media To Get New Tools
Combo Dev Tools from Macromedia
Internet App Offers Java JDBC 2.0 Driver
New Architecture from RealNetworks
Monitoring Your Work Gets Classier
Getting Prizes Easier from Arcade Planet
'Mech Machinations Via Download
Square Gets a BakBone
Yahoo! Takes to the Slopes
ActiveSky is a Star
Boosting Wireless Platform Performance
Wireless App Support from WaveLink
The Timing is Right for Xbox
Messages from Gamers Gazette sponsors
Darkness and insanity reign in American McGee’s ALICE. When Alice answers a distressed summons to return to Wonderland, she barely recognizes the befouled setting. Something is decidedly amiss. Undaunted by the diseased ambiance, cavernous confusion, and mortal danger that surround her, Alice sets out on a quest to undo the chaos.
Equipped with courage, a keen appetite for the bizarre, and a lethal array of transmogrified toys, she'll penetrate the strongholds of her enemies, confront the forces of evil, and put the wicked Queen of Hearts in her place. — Continue the adventure — the Alice website.
Staff
Publishers/Editors
Hartley & Pattie Lesser
Senior Contributing Editors
Reuben Ahmed
Michael Askounes
Contributing Editors
Mike Chantry, Ed Hurta, Alex Nekrassov, Russ Shady, Jeff Sheltren, Zach Sinrod
Contributing Authors
Paul Wolf, Chris Zelenak
Subscriptions
Gamers Gazette, The Official Future Games Network newsletter is published twice (2x) weekly in both HTML and TEXT–ONLY formats. All subscriptions are free. To subscribe to either version, simply click here.
To cancel your subscription, please send mail to fgngg–unsubscribe@listbot.com for the text version or to gghtml1–unsubscribe@listbot.com.
Legal Notice
While Gamers Gazette and the Future Games Network and their agents have used their best efforts in collecting and preparing the information published within the newsletter, Gamers Gazette nor Future Games Network does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident or other causes.
Gamers Gazette and Future Games Network and its affiliated sites and individuals may, from time to time, own, have positions or options in companies discussed herein and may also perform advisory services, and/or have other relationships with those companies.
Copyright & Trademarks
Copyright 1999, 2000 Cybereps. Feel free to distribute the TEXT–ONLY version of Gamers Gazette for any NON–COMMERCIAL purposes as you see fit. Please credit any excerpts to http://www.fgn.com/ggnews.html. Gamers Gazette is a trademark of Cybereps. Future Games Network is a trademark of Cybereps.
Contacts
Hartley G. Lesser
Pattie J. Lesser
Please note: Only one issue to be published this week, due to "away" business meetings. Thank you for your understanding... we do recommend you read David Cole’s "The Cole Perspective" column for some true, game industry insights! Read his analysis.
SPECIAL CONTESTS FOR GAMERS GAZETTE READERS
#1 — 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. To enter, send an email to contest headquarters and enter the words Homeworld: Raider Retreat in the email’s subject line. No additional text is required in the body of the email. This special contest will run until December 16, 2000.
#2 — 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 send an email to email headquarters 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.
#3 — SANITY: AIKEN’S ARTIFACT from Fox Interactive — the Psionics are spreading their evil throughout the universe. Only Agent Cain (the voice of ICE T) stands against them, and he risks his own sanity in doing so! With more than 20 single–player levels and full multiplayer support for as many as eight gamers within 10 levels, you must try to collect 80 Talents to smash your opponents. Driven by Monolith’s LithTech 3D engine, you can also try to collect and trade new psionic talents with other online gamers, as well. To enter, send an email to contest headquarters with the phrase Fox Interactive’s Sanity in the header. No other text is needed. This contest will close on January 5th, 2001.
Age of Empires Collectors Edition — Special Holiday Contest
Combine the four titles that comprise the franchise that IS Microsoft’s Age of Empires, all developed by Ensemble Studios, and combine them in a single, bundled offering and you have the new Microsoft Age of Empires Collection Edition. Not only does this combined offering include Age of Empires, Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings and Age of Empires II: The Conquerors, but also a special Age of Empires compilation soundtrack and collectible cards. Each of the games we can offer via this random drawing is a limited edition and is numbered! The contest closes on December 31st, so rush over to this direct link and select the Age of Empires’ box art to obtain more details.
And don’t forget the 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!
Analog Games
Plushy Agreement Digimon Another Pokemon?: Another HUGE phenomenon besides Pokemon is Digimon: Digital Monsters whose licenses total more than $1 billion worldwide. Digimon is rated at the number six position in the top 10 best–selling action toy brands of the year and number four position in the top dollar sales according to The NPD Group Inc. Digimon is another popular kids’ TV show found on the Fox Kids Network. Details.
Power Rangers Bring Power Bucks: Here’s another huge action figure market — the Power Rangers, which are at the number one position for the Best–Selling Action Toy of the Year. Power Rangers sales total $5.6 billion in retail sales of all categories of the Power Rangers licensed products on a worldwide basis.
Automated Doggie Garners Top Sales: Hasbro Inc. and Tiger Toys could not be any happier with their Interactive puppy, Poo–Chi. This toy, which is the original member of Tiger’s Robo–Chi line of products, is the no. 1 selling toy this season in dollars sales, no. 1 for new toys that were intro’d this year, and the no. 1 selling robotic dog by unit sales, according to NPD Group’s TRSTS Toys Tracking Service. More’n 10 million of this digital doggies have been sold worldwide since the toy’s debut last April and, in the last three weeks alone, more than 1.5 million now have new owners — or will have, come Christmas morning. Details.
Computers
Kinesoft Offers Game Art: Back at E3 last year, Kinesoft rolled out previews of their upcoming PC games MageLords and Crimson Order. During the ensuing months, they’ve been hard at work preparing the games for their Q2 2000 release. Kinesoft has now made available a whole bunch o’ new game info and artwork, and you can get a look into these offerings at this direct link.
Race Baiting to the Extreme from Interplay: Running on Windows–based machines, you can now engage in a variety of conflicting scenarios as one of three distinct races: the Meccs, the Sea Reapers and the giant Kobuto as Interplay Entertainment’s Digital Mayhem division is now shipping Giants: Citizen Kabuto to retail outlets. As you’ll quickly learn, each of these races is HIGHLY incompatible, and your job is to win supremacy over the islands which they inhabit. With single– and multiplayer modes, you also manipulate the landscape to create obstacles and destroy your enemy. Action carries over from single player games into the multiplayer arena as you attempt to gain the only two resources on the island... those being Smarties and Vimps. You must use technology, magic and combat techniques to win the day. Details
3D Space Strat From Learning Company: March of next year is the scheduled date for the release of a North American localized version of TopWare’s The Moon Project for PC gamers. This German game developer continues their Interactive Earth series with this title and expect to release both the German and English–language version simultaneously. The Learning Company will publish the title, which features 3D terrain deformation, real–time lighting, a soundtrack, music video, particlefx, fog of war and more. Details.
Golfing from Sierra Sports is Platinum: With the continued rush to release product that appeals to a broad range of gamers in time for holiday purchase, Sierra Sports has just released their PGA Championship Golf Titanium Edition. This upgraded title from the original offering offers seven, new and exclusive 18–hole golf courses plus seamless multiplayer technologies. Those who own PGA Championship Golf 2000 can obtain the new courses as well as multiplayer capability at no charge at the company’s website. Incorporated into the game is the company’s TrueSwing swing feature that brings into play more realistic feel and control. The title was developed by Headgate Studios and also offers Season and Career models to help recreate pro tour play. Details
Online Manual to Help You Fly: There’s a new PC–based civilian flight sim expected to debut shortly from Wilco Publishing — 767 Pilot in Command. If you’d like a head start on preparing for this ultra–realistic civ flightsim, the company is making available the complete 116–page Panel Operations and Systems Manual online. Available as a free download, this guidebook covers everything from the sim’s flight panel, flight instruments, inertial reference systems and autopilot director systems to explanations of the various systems aboard the plane. Additionally, the operations of the 767’s Flight Management Computer are included. Details
Digital Music & Sound
New Web Video Features Surf Adventure: Over at Brilliant Digital Entertainment’s website there’s a great new first — this offering features Dreamworks Records’ The Long Beach Dub AllStars as they present an animated surf adventure of their hit single "Saw Red", which is from the group’s "RightBack" album. The Brilliant website features FMV, streaming 3D animation and you can also get involved in their "Free–Stuff" Giveaway promo that’ll award Vans gift certificates to those who click onto the secret, interactive rollover that’s featured in the aforementioned video. More gear will follow, as well. Video at ArtistDirect and at Dreamworks Records. Contest info at this direct link.
Live Concert Agreement for Music Choice: Starting in January, Music Choice will be offering a weekly schedule of concerts, thanks to a new programming agreement with Live Music Channel. The Music Choice OnStage offering is a free, cable–exclusive series that is expected to reach more’n 30 million cable households in the U.S. Live Music Channel will provide one program per month that will feature performances and musician interview footage. Plus, audio and video clips of Live Music Channel programs on its web site at http://www.musichoice.com will be offered with reciprocal links. The program is one hour in length and covers all music genres. Details
Rage Against The Machine Enraged Over Napster: Never ones to react calmly, Rage Against The Machine, reacted in a manner according to their style. When the group discovered that their fans have been banned from Napster for downloading their latest Renegades album, the group said ENOUGH. Guitarist Tom Morello wrote an apology to the group’s fans on the RATM online bulletin board, explaining that the band didn’t know that the ban existed, and that the ’new management’ arm of their group told Sony Music Corp., parent company of Epic (which is RATM’s current label), to ban the music. Ouch! Says Rage Against The Machine. Not if we have anything to say about it! And they immediately contacted management to get the Napster fans reinstated. Currently Napster has in excess of 40 million users. Details
Extra Music With Rio: The first of the new Rio memory Backpack products will soon be shipping directly from Rio. This new offering adds an extra hour, or 32MB, of storage for consumers enjoying their digital music on the Rio 600 and the yet–to–be–released Rio 800 handheld digital audio players. The first to Backpacks built–in memory in two formulations: 32MB for one hour and 64MB for two hours of play. Plus, they include a rechargeable battery plus an AC adapter, all at the same price. The Backpacks operate on both the Rio 600 and Rio 800 players. They slide–on to the players and feature Microdrive and removable SD/MMC card support. Expect them to make their way to stores during the first half of 2001. Details
New Deal ’Tween Ritmoteca and Sony Music: With a true Latin beat, Ritmoteca has just signed a digital distribution deal with Sony Music Entertainment. Featuring Sony Music artists on the homepage, such as Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez, Victor Manuelle, Francisco Paz, Jon Secada, Jaci Velasques and Chrile Zaa, they will be spotlighted on the homepage. The deal provides Ritmoteca with a catalog of music available for download and streaming, with downloads currently offered in the ATRAC3 format with Windows Media digital rights management and the WMA format. Details
New Album Sales Record Set by Smith: Christian music artist Michael W. Smith, whose talents have awarded him Grammies and Doves, has set a new record for a recording within his genre with his "Freedom" album. Released on November 21st, the album rocketed to the #1 position on SoundScan’s Top Christian Albums chart for the week that ended November 26th. Plus, the album attained the Number One position on SoundScan’s Top Christian Instrumental Albums chart. Of note, this CD was the highest debut in the history of SoundScan’s Christian Albums chart.
Kids Swapping Sounds: Studies indicate that almost half of the folk ages 12– through 24–years worldwide have downloaded music on the Internet in the last 30 days, which is great for those with an appreciation for music but limited finances. Guys ages 12– to 17–years are downloading at a rate of 55 percent compared to 41 percent of the girls in the same age bracket.
Dreamcast
FGN4KIDS
Handheld Games
3DO Ships Dual Titles for Game Boy Color: Now available for your Game Boy Color from the 3DO Company are World Destruction League: Thunder Tanks game and the Heroes of Might and Magic II, which are both rated E for Everyone with Mild Animated Violence. The World Destruction League: Thunder Tanks is a wild battle–tournament in which you duke it out using tanks, while televised throughout a world that has undergone catastrophic changes. There are seven cities to work your way through and lots of gunpower. You’ve got to defend yourself from five computer–controlled tanks which are tearing apart Red Square in Moscow, the Tower of Pisa in Italy, power plants and more. The Heroes of Might and Magic II is a fantasy strategy game in which you’ve got to win against evil warlords in a battle for resources and territory. You’ll encounter mystical creatures and nasty enemies, and you can get help from some of the 40 heroes while battling your way through seven mission based campaigns, and you can play at your own pace with the turn–based game play. Details
Multi–Faceted RPG from Atlus USA: Wow, talk about a game that embraces a variety of game disciplines... how about RPG, trading, collecting and training, all in one package. That’s exactly what Atlus U.S.A. Inc. claims is incorporated into their new Nintendo Game Boy Color game, Robopon: Sun Version. Head–to–head combat between gamers is viable via the Game Link cable. You’ll have to build a truly powerful robot, using some 100 parts and upgrades. There’s a speaker and clock built into the title that will ensure you’re aware of events ongoing within the game, even when you have shut down your GBC. Details
New Handheld Debuts In Japan: Although certainly not a system on everyone’s wish list in North America, such cannot be said for gamers in Japan. The new Wonder Swan Color from Bandai Co. is now available. The company hopes more than a half–million of these units will make their way into gamers’ homes. With a base of more than 1–1/2 million original Wonder Swan machines already sold worldwide, this company has a looooonnnnnnngggggg way to go to even think about catching up to the Nintendo Game Boy phenom. If you’d like to have more details, get your translators prepared and head over to the Bandai website.
Third Dragon Warrior from Enix to U.S.: Enix America has reported that their Dragon Warrior III for the Nintendo Game Boy Color is heading to North American shores mid–2001. Already released in Japan as Dragon Quest III, the localized English version will offer several new features. The company indicates that Mr. Horii, the game’s designer, has worked on the translated version which will incorporate much of his style and humor into the new version. Details
Miscellaneous
Under–Leveraged Entertainment Properties: This is exactly what Jupiter Research is stating concerning this genre... their Jupiter Research Executive Survey has determined that most of the entertainment executives contacted describe their websites as a means of distributing their existing content (82 percent), for distribution of original content as well as existing brands (82 percent), for marketing their off–line assets (77 percent) and for the sale of their merchandise online (68 percent). However, such branded URLs and exclusive content are consistently underperform what the right’s holders expect to occur. Seems as though entertainment companies undervalue their online properties as they tend to limit online exposure to single "official" sites, or they otherwise grant all online rights to but a single partner. Jupiter believes that, in order to maximize such properties and to minimize the costs of bringing such material online, rights holders should further explore partnerships with several licensees, giving these partners the rights necessary only for each distribution channel. Details
IMAX Assists Disabled and Disadvantaged: For those youngsters who are disabled or disadvantaged, there’s some fun entering their lives. IMAX is going to take hundreds of these children to the movies as the company prepares special screenings of CYBERWORLD 3D, their new 3D film. The screenings are to take place in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia and Seattle. The children are from the Variety Clubs in those areas and will thrill them with the 3D visual fantasies of the film. IMAX’s Cyberworld, presented by Intel, is a collaboration of computer–animated films with new characters and some older favorites, such as The Simpsons and ANTZ. The film follows Phig, a synthetic hostess, who takes viewers through CyberWorld, a futuristic gallery of adventures and spectacular imagery. Variety Club was found 70 years ago and is one of the largest childrens’ charities in the entire world and provide lifesaving and life enriching assistance to disabled, disadvantaged and abused children through their various, local chapters.
Get That Beemer at World Mall: If you’ve had a hankerin’ to own a BMW or a Range Rover, this could be a good shot for success in that endeavor. The owners and operators of WorldMall.com are going to give away one of these high–end transportation devices in their great car giveaway sweeps running until December 31st. All you have to do is logon to their website and then enter your email address. In fact, enter additional email addresses, and you’ll receive additional chances to win. All of the entry rules and guidelines may be found at their website listed above.
Multi–Platform
Winning Wrestling from THQ: Seems as though mat rumbles are among the top games, sales–wise, this year. We’ve heard that both WWF Smackdown 2: Know Your Role (developed by Yuke’s Co. Ltd. of Japan) and WWF NO Mercy (developed by Aki Corp. of Japan) continue to rank as the #1 games in the PSX and N64 charts, respectively. The former game debuted on November 20th, with the latter game releasing on November 13th. Plus, across the pond in the U.K., WWF Smackdown 2 has managed to bust open all sales records, becoming the first game to ever sell 150,000 units in but one week. Details
-->
Nintendo (64/Gamecube)
PlayStation (2/PSX/one)
No Limit Racing Debuts from Activision: Just puttering out of their coding garage is the new Supercar Street Challenge from Activision. For the PlayStation 2 environment, with a PC version expect mid next year, you’ll find yourself behind the wheel of super supercars as you race in no–limits, high–speed races in various cities across our globe. You’ll get to design, build and race the cars in some 16 locales, each area complete with its own landmarks, real–time weather, lighting, sfx and more. Don’t wanna build your own? Fret not, for the game also includes 10 supercars from various auto designers whose names are synonymous with speed — Callaway, Fioravanti and Modena. Hey, smash–thru mode is part of the game, and car damage is reflected on your vehicle. Details
A PS2 First from Majesco: A first–person shooter is currently being created at Majesco, as the company obtained from Activision the rights to a PS2 title based on the latter’s Soldier of Fortune game series. Pipe Dream Interactive, an internal development studio within Majesco, is handling the coding and other development details, and this game should find its way to retail late next year. Details
Mattel’s Retro Robots: Slinky, Mr. Potatohead, and Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots are all classic toys from the 70s. Mattel Media is bringing Rock `Em Sock `Em Robots Arena to your PlayStation for $29.99. Rock `Em Sock `Em Robots Arena is rated T for Teen, because of the fighting and ripping apart of these guys and features the original Blue Bomber and Red Rocker. You’ll begin at the bottom of the Bronze league and then progress upward by challenging and winning fights with the other robots, while winning money that enables you to upgrade your robot.
More PS2 Goodies from Sony: If you’re into sports games, especially collegiate bball and fball, Sony Computer Entertainment America is preparing to slamdunk two new offerings for you. First there’s NCAA GameBreaker 2001 and then there’s NCAA Final Four. With added realism, thanks to the power of the PS2 graphics engine, expect true–to–life motion capture in both offerings. Due date is around December 19th, just in time for those awaiting such titles to give as gifts — mostly personal — this holiday season. Details
Value–Priced Interactives from Take–Two: There’s a new brand name to watch for at your retail store as far as games are concerned from Take–Two Interactive Software. Called the "Got Game" titles, these games include the likes of Pro Pinball: Fantastic Journey, Spec Ops: Stealth Patrol, and Grudge Warriors, to name but three. What makes these games a real bargain for PlayStation gamers is their price — $9.95. Just imagine how many you could request be stuffed into your stockings hung by the chimney with care. Details
Technology
New Preview Release of QuickTime: Now available from Apple Computer is their prelim, preview version of their multimedia player, QuickTime 5. This new version can handle all sorts of media, from video, sound and animation to graphics, text and music, as well as 360–degree VR scenes. Sound format support includes MIDI, MP3, DLS, SoundFonts and more. Other goodies include skip protection for streaming video, a Flash 4 plug–in, 3D images, MPEG–1 support and an enhanced digital video codec. You can glom onto this new version at the Apple website and this puppy runs on both Mac and Win–based machines.
Authoring MPEG–4 Media To Get New Tools: Combining forces are iVAST Inc. and Kaydara as they are going to be working together to produce MPEG–4 multimedia authoring tools for the latter’s FiLMBOX app suite. You’ll be able to create, manage and export advanced interactive streaming media for your broadband distribution using these tools. Kaydara is going to use the iVAST Studio SDK to integrate MPEG–4 into their FiLMBOX line of products.
And speaking of iVAST, which we were, the company has just joined the Internet Streaming Media Alliance. Teaming up with Apple, Cisco, Kasenna, philips and Sun Microsystems, this new alliance was built in order to speed up the market adoption of open standards for streaming rich media over IP. Details
Combo Dev Tools from Macromedia: Just released is Macromedia’s new Macromedia UltraDev 4 Fireworks 4 Studio, a completely integrated development solution. Combining UltraDev 4 and Fireworks 4 software, this studio combines authoring of server–side apps with graphics creation. UltraDev 4 contains all of the features found in the company’s lower end solution, Dreamweaver 4, plus adds new features that are specific to app building. Fireworks offers users the ability to quickly produce and optimize site graphics. Details
Internet App Offers Java JDBC 2.0 Driver: Just announced by Pervasive Software is their Pervasive.SQL 2000i Beta. With new, web–focused features to help simplify data management for Internet apps, the product includes the new, pure Java JDBC 2.0 driver for better overall performance and scalability. Other features include iCommand and iRowset to complete the OLE DB environment as well as offering increased compatibility. There’s also Enhanced Client Support for reduction of operating costs and to allow for immediate deployment across the Internet or Intranet. Expect the product to ship early next year. Details
New Architecture from RealNetworks: Digital media delivery can be a pain in the server, one reason that RealNetworks has just unveiled their RealSystem iQ. This standards–based increases Internet broadcast reliability and scales to the largest possible audience. A whole slew of content delivery nets and technology partners are set to deploy the system, including the likes of Enron Broadband, Intel, Adobe Systems, IBM, Intel, Avid Technology, Macromedia, Sun Microsystems and others. This technology eliminates congestion in the network’s "middle" and does away with the "one–way" approach of origin–to–edge distribution. Honeycombs of distributed, interconnected servers are created, with the RealSystem iQ then empowering all serves to broadcast into the network, receive content from other servers, and then deliver media to end users. Neuralcast Technology provides the foundation for routing media from one server to many, via standard net protocols. All media types are fully supported. Details
Monitoring Your Work Gets Classier via Sony: Sony Electronics has produced a number of "stylish" products, none more so than their new PFM42B1 SuperSlim monitor that offers horizontal or vertical viewing in a 42–inch viewable area. Available in either brushed silver or charcoal gray, this flat panel display offers a resolution of 1024x1024 pixels and has a 160–degree viewing angle. You can also change the aspect ratios from 4:3 to 16:9 (perfect for DVD film viewing) and has an advanced scan converter that reproduces a wide range of digital video signals that include SDTV, HDTV and UXGA computer signals. At only 3–1/4 inches in thickness, and weighing 65.5 pounds, the screen certainly comes with a wallet smashing SRP of $7,999. Details
Web Goodies
Getting Prizes Easier from Arcade Planet: Thanks to an agreement with RadicaGames.com, this company is now going to provide their online prize redemption games through the former’s website, with these offerings going "live" by February 1st, 2001. Visitors to the website will be able to "click" on a Radica Games link and play PrizeGames.com free–play and pay–to–play games, under the Radica Games brand name. PrizeGames.com is Arcade Planet’s prize redemption game site and gamers will be guaranteed they can earn prize credits and then select their own prizes.
’Mech Machinations Via Download: Microsoft’s latest title, MechWarrior 4: Vengeance, can now be experienced first hand by folk willing to download a new trial version from the company’s game website. Thrusting you into BattleMech action within the BattleTech universe, this trial version finds you entering versus mode against deadly enemy AI bots in a wave battle scenario. The AI bots are customizable and you may select how many such ’Mechs you want and which chassis you should use. You can also determine the difficulty level. There’s one map from the game’s retail version included and four of the 21 ’Mechs in the game are available for your use. Download
Square Gets a BakBone: Square Company in Japan will be bringing PlayOnline at http://www.playonline.com to the Internet in the beginning of 2001 which is made possible because of BakBone Software’s software–based storage management. PlayOnline will provide online gaming, shopping, movies, and other entertainment info, and BakBone’s NetVault provides easy management of the backup, restore and archiving functions that cover a variety of computer platforms. The next version of NetVault will be available in January and supports network–attached storage and is compatible with Windows 2000. Currently NetVault works on many platforms including UNIX, Linux and Windows NT.
Yahoo! Takes to the Slopes: Yahoo! is taking on new elements, specifically snow sports. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team has entered into an agreement with Yahoo! Sports which gets title sponsorship of the Yahoo! Sports Big Air & Style series. This series consists of three national TV competitions on the snowboard circuit for this season; December 16 in Okemo, Vermont.; January 6, 2001 at Breckenridge, Colorado; and February 10 at Mammoth Mountain, California. Additionally, there will be content that covers the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team events as well as news from World Cup 2000 circuit at Yahoo! Sports. There will also be chats with the athletes, sweepstakes and e–commerce goodies. Look closely when you watch the competitions, there’s a Yahoo! Sports patch on the U.S. Snowboard Team uniforms. Details
Wireless
ActiveSky is a Star: You can now enjoy more multimedia capabilities of your mobile and handheld computers thanks to ActiveSky’s Media Writer 3.0 encoding tools for its mobile visual media player. This opens many doors for both professional and business users to create dynamic media such as video, animation, graphics and mixed media to handheld units that include Cassiopeia, Handspring Visor, iPaq, Jornada and Palm. ActiveSky is working with other creative media companies who have purchased licenses to encode the software such as AMX Studios, Clipscom, Dominion Post, Encodethis!, Eveo, Media 100 and Video Renditions which will then license this software. Details
Boosting Wireless Platform Performance: There’s an entirely new family of products from MediaQ that boost performance on wired and wireless Internet appliance platforms. One of the new products is named the MQ–1100, this is the first device that combines a 24–bit 2D graphics engine, LCD display interface, and USB device controller into a single device. The second product is the MQ–1132 which provides USB host and Serial Peripheral Interface controllers as well as I2S stereo audio interface and the functionality of the MQ–1100. These controllers enable web browsing and run smoothly at resolutions up to 320x320 with 65,536 colors on passive and active LCDs. A 64–bit, 2D graphics acceleration engine, with screen–to–screen BitBLT, makes computer graphics–like performance possible. Power management is handled by DynamiQ. Details
Wireless App Support from WaveLink: Now supporting wireless PalmOS devices are WaveLink Studio server–side apps. From WaveLink Corp., developers can now create apps that run on all networked PalmOS devices in a language they know and use. These include Java or any ActiveX–based language such as Visual Basic, Visual C++, PowerBuilder, Visual FoxPro and Delphi. This means WaveLink can now reach thousands of existing installations that support DOS and PocketPC wireless devices throughout the world. Pull down menus, hotspots, buttons and more are fully supported, as well as COM and Java libraries being available, removing the intricacies of RF device work and allowing them to concentrate on application functionality. Details
Xbox
The Timing is Right for Xbox: Just out is info that Integrated Circuit Systems has been selected by Microsoft to supply the timing solution for the upcoming Xbox nextgen game system. The company’s ICS 388–01 device will be the single component integrated into the product and will assist in handling processing and display functionality within the new machine. Two URLs that could be of interest include ICS’ website and the Xbox website.
Silent Scope from Konami (PS2) by Reuben Ahmed
Quake 3 Arena from id (Dreamcast) by Paul ’Sly’ Wolf
The Little Prince from Tivola (PC/Mac) by Michael Askounes (FGN4KIDS SAFE!)
The Cole Perspective game market analysis by David Cole, President of DFC Intelligence
Metal Gear Solid from Microsoft reviewed by Alex Nekrassov
Privacy Statement