CONFERENCES
Nintendo Finally Commits
Well, appears as though the Tokyo Game Show WILL actually find Nintendo of Japan in attendance. The company expects to unveil various GBC and GBA titles from March 30th through April 1st.
GAMES_ANALOG
Toys In a World of Their Own
W, Inc. has come up with a unique concept — a series of limited edition, collectable backgrounds, or scenery, for toys that are easy to store. These colorful ActionScapes add excitement to every toy, model or collectable and make great presentations for hobbyists and collectors. ActionScapes are available where toys or comics/collectables are sold.
GAMES_ARCADE
Team Work To Provide Arcade Games
Wow, bringing together the likes of Sony, Namco and Sega is certain to signify a much more positive direction for all companies, especially as these folk are now getting involved in arcade game title distribution. They are putting together a fiber–optic system that’ll enable high–speed delivery of games to the hardware. The games will be from both Namco and Sega, with Sony setting up the arcade hardware using a much upgraded PlayStation 2 machine. Testing is supposed to start by the end of this year. Distribution of this service should start in Japan by 2002. Scenario: a gamer in one arcade, location–based entertainment center could then play head–to–head versus another game in a different game center... cool!
GAMES_PC
Interplay’s Run Like Hell Gets Cast
With voice talent such as Lance Henriksen ("Aliens", "Alien 3", "Millennium"), Michael Ironside ("Starship Troopers", "Highlander II", "Total Recall"), Kate Mulgren ("Star Trek: Voyager"), Brad Dourif (in the upcoming "The Lord of the Rings", "Alien" Resurrection", "Dune") and Clancy Brown ("Starship Troopers" and "Highlander"), all the stops are being pulled out for Run Like Hell. This game will find players as Nick who is a military hero. Unfortunately, he has been exiled to a mining station waaaay out in deep space. He encounters an extremely hostile, alien race, that has either exterminated, or in the process of annihilating, all personnel on a space station. Survival and saving others becomes a tour de force in this third–person title that’s being prepared for the PlayStation 2, with a release date expected during Q3 of this year. Details.
GAMES_PC
Trekies on the Web
Simon & Schuster Interactive launched a website for Star Trek Deep Space Nine: Dominion Wars. Dominionwars.com provides gamers with the latest information on the highly–anticipated PC–based space combat game scheduled to release in May 2001.
GAMES_PLAYSTATION
Time to Shoot Hoops on the PS2
Sony has released 989 Sports’ first NBA ShootOut for the PlayStation 2. NBA ShootOut 2001 features stunning graphics and true–to–life game play with 22 cameras, play–by–play commentary from New Jersey Nets broadcaster Ian Eagle and extensive rosters.
Save Mankind from Mysterious DNA
Eidos Interactive’s prequel to the original Fear Effect action title is now available for the PlayStation. Developed by Kronos Digital Entertainment, Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix offers intense action, an engrossing storyline, anime–style characters and challenging puzzles.More info.
GAMES_PLAYSTATION
More Units En Route
According to Sony Computer Entertainment, their plans are to ship twice as many PlayStation 2 units throughout the world over the next year. The increased production should affect the supply side around April of this year, with a projected 20 million units to ship within 12 months. As is normal when production falls short of demand, the scapegoat in the dearth of PlayStation 2 units is credited toward the graphic synthesizer chip, which allegedly could not be obtained. The entire PlayStation family of console products is expected to near 130 million units by the close of March 2002.
Game Gear Making A Return
You may actually have one of these units sitting in the back of your closet gathering dust! Wipe it off, and be prepared for the comeback of Sega Game Gear. Majesco has glommed onto all rights to this portable console system from Sega Toys. Ten games are expected to ship with the remanufactured units. This system originally made its debut back in 1990 and features a 3.2–inch LCD screen that’s backlit and games offer 32 color animations. SRP for the unit will be $29.99 (USD) and $14.97 (USD) for the games themselves.
GAMES_WEB
ACTV Hits the Green in Hole 5
ACTV, Inc.’s subsidiary, Bottle Rocket, will produce an interactive trivia game that quizzes golfonline.com contestants on the legends and heroes of the links. Golf Magazine’s online destination for golf enthusiasts seeking instruction, equipment advice, travel planning and Tour coverage will also offer weekly, monthly and annual prizes to winners of the trivia contest beginning March 19. More info.
GAMES_WEB
SegaNet Announces an Un–Civil War
Players using Quake III Arena for the Sega Dreamcast can register for SegaNet’s first online console tournament. The Un–Civil War consists of two competitions from February 22 through April 2. TeamSphere Interactive’s Eventricity software enables SegaNet to streamline player registration, player seeding, automated match results and bracket updates. More info.
HARDWARE
ATI’s Radeon Ships
From the Canadian–based ATI Technologies comes their latest and greatest video board. This is the Radeon VE and supports the use of multiple monitors as well as high–quality and DVD video playback. There’s additional support for 3D, 32–bit color at resolutions as high as 1920x1200. Packing DDR memory to the tune of 64MB, and full AGP 4x compatibility, the Radeon VE also features a technology that allows you to establish as many as nine different configurations, called HydraVision. The SRP is $99 (U.S.)
HARDWARE
High–Quality Graphics Performance for the Mac
NVIDIA Corporation announced its GeForce3 GPU for the Macintosh platform at Macworld Expo Tokyo 2001. Powered by the new NVIDIA nfiniteFX engine, the GeForce3 GPU provides users with a realistic 3D interactive environment. More info.
HARDWARE
NYKO Files Suit Against Copycats
Are the technologies used in NUBY’s Cobra Light and Mad Catz Bone Light, Mech Light and Wild Thing too similar to NYKO’s Worm Light for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color? If so, Mad Catz
and NUBY are in a heap of trouble with NYKO’s peripherals design and utility patents already in place. NYKO Technologies has won five cases against infringing manufacturers and distributors with just the clout of their trademark.
INDUSTRY
Interactive Achievement Awards’ Finalists
The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has announced the finalists for its fourth annual Interactive Achievement Awards on March 22 in San Jose, California. Hosted by British Comedian/Commentator Martin Lewis, awards will be presented in 27 craft, console, computer and online categories, as well as an overall award for Game of the Year 2001. Additionally, John Carmack of id Software will be inducted into the Academy Hall of Fame. More info.
INDUSTRY
Mumbo Jumbo Into Mac
Porting games to the Macintosh requires a certain amount of expertise, and the development studio known as Mumbo Jumbo has just acquired the services of Duane Johnson, an expert in Mac ports. Johnson, previously a 3dfx Interactive programmer dealing with Macintosh issues as well as a NASA aerospace engineer, will take Windows and video game titles and recode them so they’ll run on not only the upcoming Mac OS X, but also the classic Mac OS. His previous success include ports of Baldur’s Gate and Descent 3. Nice move, Mumbo Jumbo!
INDUSTRY
THQ’s Q4 Net Increase
THQ Inc.’s net income for the fourth quarter of 2000 increased to a record $21,532,000 or $0.99 per diluted share, up 45 percent from the previous year. Its performance is attributed to strong sales of new wrestling and kids titles and the successful launch of its first PlayStation 2 title, Summoner. More info.
TECHNOLOGY
Graphics Solution for Next–gen Mobility
Imagination Technologies’s PowerVR MBX core for mobile graphics applications has been designed for integration alongside ARM microprocessor cores and enables the migration of modern 3D and video graphics content to mobile computing and communication devices. The PowerVR MBX technology will be available for licensing from ARM.
More info.
WIRELESS
Sound Addition By Bluetooth
With the continuing advancement of technologies for wireless appliances, and the success of the Bluetooth platform, by early next year there should be various speaker products available for the Bluetooth module. An agreement has been signed by Philips Components and Bang & Olufsen to both work on this technology.
February 21, 2001, News:
Fisher–Price and the Purple Dinosaur, Visual Web Authoring Solution Gets Extensions, Shadowrun Runs On, Rayman to GBA, More Scooby Snacks, WWF Fans Stay Tuned, LUNA with Massive Additions, Europa Universalis Ships, Wireless Sea Monkies, Million $$$ to Wireless, Nokia and Eidos Take Gangsters to WAP Enabled Phones, Forum Nokia Continues to Grow, Rave for Interplay, For Sale: Lucent’s Optical Unit, Palm Isn’t Doing Handsprings Over Microsoft, Bristol Bristles Over Loss to Microsoft, Sybase Lights Up With NEON, Scandinavian Game Developer Expands, Immersion’s New Force Feedback Development Software, Virtual Experiences by Internet, Where Isn’t Microsoft?
Current Reviews & Features
Links 2001 from Microsoft, reviewed by Ed Hurta
Oni from G.O.D./Rockstar, reviewed by Michael Askounes
Quake 3 Team Arena from id Software, reviewed by Reuben Ahmed
Giants: Citizen Kabuto from Interplay Entertainment, reviewed by Michael Askounes
Walt Disney World Magical Racing Tour from Activsion, reviewed by Reuben Ahmed
Delta Force: Land Warrior from NovaLogic, reviewed by Paul 'Sly' Wolf
The Cole Perspective #3: Game Industry Checkup by David Cole.
Spawn: In the Demon’s Hand (DC), reviewed by Alex Nekrassov.
Xtreme Sports from Infogrames (DC), reviewed by Reuben Ahmed.
Reach for the Stars from SSI (PC), reviewed by Michael Askounes.
Close Combat V: Invasion Normandy from SSI (PC), reviewed by Sean Freeman.
Racing Madness from Microsoft (PC), reviewed by Mike Chantry.
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