Slashdot Mirror

Thanks to Blue's News for the information that the PC tactical shooter Hidden And Dangerous has been released for free download by publisher Gathering, to help trail the sequel, out next month. According to Blue, this 'Deluxe' version of the original "...not only includes the full version of the WW2 squad-based combat game, but also the Devil's Bridge expansion, all the required patches and updates, as well as the mission editor." There's BitTorrent linkage to this generous 264mb giveaway courtesy Filerush and via GameTab, and it's noted that you "...can also get H&D Deluxe on a CD as a bonus for preordering H&D2 at EB, GameStop, or Best Buy."

Ant writes "According to Blue's News, there's a playable demo for S2Games' FPS/RTS hybrid, Savage: The Battle for Newerth now available, providing the chance to sample multiplayer under either Windows (143 MB) or Linux (155 MB)." There are also BitTorrents of the Windows demo and the Linux demo, courtesy GameTab, for this welcome Linux-friendly title, recently cause for controversy when GameSpot pulled a review of it after "...allegations by the game's developers that the reviewer of the product did not play it for a sufficient length of time."

Ant writes "According to Blue's News, there's a playable demo for S2Games' FPS/RTS hybrid, Savage: The Battle for Newerth now available, providing the chance to sample multiplayer under either Windows (143 MB) or Linux (155 MB)." There are also BitTorrents of the Windows demo and the Linux demo, courtesy GameTab, for this welcome Linux-friendly title, recently cause for controversy when GameSpot pulled a review of it after "...allegations by the game's developers that the reviewer of the product did not play it for a sufficient length of time."

Thanks to Stratics for their column discussing the concept of 'planned obsolescence' as it relates to MMORPG expansion packs. The author explains: "Planned obsolescence is, at its root, a strategy to get you to buy more... a design mechanism that would encourage additional purchases by creating the impression that a product had been improved over its early - though still perfectly functional - incarnation." He argues that expansions for MMO titles are controversial because "MMOs are service-based products [and] it is difficult to justify this double charging of the customer for development", and ends on a cautionary note: "While a full sequel... certainly merits an additional purchase, I fear that the practice of planning obsolescence into MMOs by subtly out-moding earlier releases of a given title will ultimately undermine the genre and, therefore, the industry."

Thanks to Stratics for their column discussing the concept of 'planned obsolescence' as it relates to MMORPG expansion packs. The author explains: "Planned obsolescence is, at its root, a strategy to get you to buy more... a design mechanism that would encourage additional purchases by creating the impression that a product had been improved over its early - though still perfectly functional - incarnation." He argues that expansions for MMO titles are controversial because "MMOs are service-based products [and] it is difficult to justify this double charging of the customer for development", and ends on a cautionary note: "While a full sequel... certainly merits an additional purchase, I fear that the practice of planning obsolescence into MMOs by subtly out-moding earlier releases of a given title will ultimately undermine the genre and, therefore, the industry."

Thanks to Stratics for their column discussing the concept of 'planned obsolescence' as it relates to MMORPG expansion packs. The author explains: "Planned obsolescence is, at its root, a strategy to get you to buy more... a design mechanism that would encourage additional purchases by creating the impression that a product had been improved over its early - though still perfectly functional - incarnation." He argues that expansions for MMO titles are controversial because "MMOs are service-based products [and] it is difficult to justify this double charging of the customer for development", and ends on a cautionary note: "While a full sequel... certainly merits an additional purchase, I fear that the practice of planning obsolescence into MMOs by subtly out-moding earlier releases of a given title will ultimately undermine the genre and, therefore, the industry."

Thanks to GameSpot for their editorial discussing the ability to alter in-game characters to look like yourself in videogames, specifically citing EA's Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004. The author admits to having "a definite penchant for games that allow me to play as a character resembling myself", and muses: "I've already spent an unhealthy amount of time putting myself into Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 - imagine how cool it would be if that same character could be transported to FIFA Soccer 2004, Madden NFL 2004, or even SSX 3." With other forthcoming titles such as Tony Hawk's Underground highlighting this type of feature, is playing as yourself a much-desired extra for everyone, or would you prefer controlling someone more... handsome?

FortissimoWily writes "Following last week's rumors regarding Warner Bros. wanting to produce a Mega Man feature film, an amusing and very entertaining live-action fan-made movie trailer (which was created for a college project) has been making the rounds today, and is now being hosted on fansite Planet Mega Man in several resolutions [there's a BitTorrent link for the hi-res version, via GameTab]. Now, if only such a full-length movie were real..." That Dr.Wily can be so cantankerous, eh?

Thanks to the San Jose Mercury News/AP for their article discussing Atlantic Records' addition of an abridged, playable PlayStation 2 game to a new music album, due out next month. According to the article: "The first 1 million copies of P.O.D.'s fifth record, "Payable on Death," will come with a version of "Amplitude," a game that allows players to remix a collection of pop songs." Interestingly, "The abridged version of the game will only have a P.O.D. song called 'Space'", a track that wasn't available on the original release of the Sony-published music game, and the president of the record company says: "Atlantic Records has an opportunity with this because this technology is not copyable, it's not downloadable, it's not swappable."

Thanks to GameSpy for their article officially revealing the return of classic RPG series The Bard's Tale, following recent rumors that a new title was in the works. However, screenshots of the title, from former Interplay boss Brian Fargo's new company, inXile Entertainment, reveal a radically different top-down view, as the game, due out at the end of 2004, "is being developed primarily for the PS2", and "is using an improved version of the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance engine." There are also noticeable similarities to the classic original series, as: "The plan calls for the game to start near the original town of Skara Brae, an ancient ruin in the Orkney Islands on the northern tip of Scotland." Update: 10/01 22:34 GMT by S : There's now an interview with Brian Fargo about the new Bard's Tale title, also courtesy GameSpy.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing out BioWare's official Jade Empire site is now open, with news and screenshots about this Xbox-exclusive "epic action roleplaying game" from the creators of Baldur's Gate and Star Wars:KOTOR. There are also early screenshots for this Microsoft-published, Q4 2004-due title, "based on mythical China", in which the player "becomes a legend in... [a] world of martial arts and magic." There's also an interview with the BioWare founders and Jade Empire producer over at GameSpy which, though marketing-speak heavy, gives away some of the similarities to the popular KOTOR (for example, "If players want to pause to reflect on their strategic choices during a tough battle and choose that perfect style, they can do this at any time", though Jade Empire has real-time combat.)

KOEI announces that Dynasty Tactics 2 is to be unleashed unto North America this week. Based upon the Dynasty Warriors titles, Tactics 2 now features the infamous Lu Bu among its characters. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance just reintroduced me to the genre of the tactical strategy game, and if this installment is like the previous, it should be a good game. The game system sounds interesting as well. From the release: "The game's new Points Evaluation System grades a player's performance based on several criteria including: 'complete defeats' and 'number of tactics linkages.' Players can also explore cities, villages, and tactics training camps. On the streets, you can meet the villagers, obtain items and receive instructions on employing rare tactics with devastating results."

Thanks to GameSpy for their unveiling of a new PC real-time strategy title based on the Lord Of The Rings movies. Not to be confused with Vivendi's book-based War Of The Ring RTS we covered a couple of days back, in this title, "EA and the C&C Generals team are bringing their own brand of RTS gameplay to Tolkien's world.", and the tech demo screenshots from this large-scale, early-in-development title look intriguing, as the developers try to "capture the epic cinematic flavor of the three film's battles (including Helm's Deep, Ithilien, and Minas Tirith) by combining content from all the movies."

Thanks to Eurogamer for their first impressions of Worms 3D, as Team 17's 2D turn-based strategy classic gets Sega-published and updated into the third dimension. The article suggest that "...we couldn't really see how the move to 3D would bring with it much in the way of 'improvements'", but ends up addicted, and "surprised at just how timeless the Worms formula appears to be." Blue's News reveals that a demo for Worms 3D is now out, possibly leaked early, but downloadable from Gamer's Hell, 3D Gamers, and BitTorrent via GameTab, and for those of you still digging the original 2D version, it seems the Asian-only Online Worms has 3 million Beta testers in China.

Thanks to Reuters for their story confirming the official Xbox Wireless Adapter, now locked in for an October 5th release for $139. Details of this 802.11b/g device were inadvertently leaked by the FCC a couple of weeks back, and TeamXbox has a first look at the adapter, but this announcement also reveals the new Xbox Live bundle deal, as Microsoft "...will offer a $40 rebate to people who buy both the adapter and the $69 Xbox Live Starter Kit, which offers a one-year subscription to the company's online gaming service, a headset for voice communications and a copy of the game 'MechAssault.'"

Thanks to GameSpyDaily for the news that Vivendi's Lord Of The Rings game sequel, The Treason Of Isengard, has been cancelled. The PS2/Xbox title, a Surreal-developed follow-up to last year's disappointing Fellowship Of The Ring, was apparently "not going to achieve the strict... standards for our Tolkien games", and so the book-licensed game was axed, despite a number of public showings and the newly-unveiled ability to play as Treebeard. In other LOTR game news, EA has announced the ability to play online for its forthcoming, non-cancelled movie-licensed title, Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King.

Thanks to the Gaming-Age forum regulars for pointing to info on the EB Games site showing Microsoft's Xbox hardware bundle for Christmas, consisting of the online-friendly Star Wars: Clone Wars, Tetris Worlds, and 2 free months of Xbox Live, priced at $179. Meanwhile, GameInformer.com has a rumor (via unconfirmed sources) of a Zelda-related GameCube hardware bundle this Xmas, including "...a bonus disc that will include the following Zelda games and goodies: Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Zelda Documentary." While this GameCube bundle is still a rumor, new Player's Choice budget titles from Nintendo have been officially confirmed, including (from September 25th) Metroid Prime, Animal Crossing, and Super Mario Sunshine for $29.99, and Star Fox Adventures, Pikmin, and Luigi's Mansion for $19.99.

Thanks to the Gaming-Age forum regulars for pointing to info on the EB Games site showing Microsoft's Xbox hardware bundle for Christmas, consisting of the online-friendly Star Wars: Clone Wars, Tetris Worlds, and 2 free months of Xbox Live, priced at $179. Meanwhile, GameInformer.com has a rumor (via unconfirmed sources) of a Zelda-related GameCube hardware bundle this Xmas, including "...a bonus disc that will include the following Zelda games and goodies: Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Zelda Documentary." While this GameCube bundle is still a rumor, new Player's Choice budget titles from Nintendo have been officially confirmed, including (from September 25th) Metroid Prime, Animal Crossing, and Super Mario Sunshine for $29.99, and Star Fox Adventures, Pikmin, and Luigi's Mansion for $19.99.

Thanks to IGN Cube for their article revealing new details from the forthcoming GameCube version of Wario Ware, as Nintendo's GameBoy Advance title "emphasizes multiplayer gaming through various new modes" in its GameCube translation. Among the wacked-out multiplayer modes are 'Listen To The Doctor', in which "...you follow the instructions of a doctor who'll tell you, among other things, to squat [in real life] while playing. Your fellow players can push buttons to rate your performance. In the end, the player with highest rating wins." The article is also accompanied by some amusingly skewed scanned screenshots, revealing some very similar gameplay to the GBA original, but with added four-player flavor.

Thanks to GameSpot for their story announcing that Electronic Arts' Madden franchise will sponsor a pre-game show on TV network ESPN, in which the hosts "...will use footage of EA Sports' Madden NFL 2004 game... as a visual aid in helping to explain and illustrate NFL strategy and matchups." However, as the article points out, "EA Sports' sponsorship of an ESPN show calls into question Sega's current exclusive multiyear licensing deal with the sports network, announced last year" - and amusingly, this Yahoo article points out "ESPN.com's new games Web site, ESPN Gamer, gave 'Madden' a higher review than 'ESPN NFL Football'."

Allaran writes "The latest installment in the Myst story, an online experience entitled URU: Ages of Myst, is ramping up to its release. This has been up and coming for some time, but a trailer (Warning:20MB) [BitTorrent link via GameTab] has just been released, made entirely from within the game engine. Apparently, there is a significant offline game that can be played, with the option to subscribe as well."

Thanks to GameSpot for their 'GameSpotting' editorial discussing the relative lack of certain online console games. The author focuses on "the fighting genre [as] the most blatant example" of this dearth, with only Capcom Vs. Snk 2 EO for Xbox currently playable online. He also mentions the PS2 as lacking depth of online titles, claiming "A steady flow of online PS2 games would have been nice. But the last one released was... wait for it... Chessmaster." Were you also expecting to be "seeing almost every game coming out with some kind of online support" by now, or are current online titles enough for you?

Thanks to GameSpot for their 'GameSpotting' editorial discussing the relative lack of certain online console games. The author focuses on "the fighting genre [as] the most blatant example" of this dearth, with only Capcom Vs. Snk 2 EO for Xbox currently playable online. He also mentions the PS2 as lacking depth of online titles, claiming "A steady flow of online PS2 games would have been nice. But the last one released was... wait for it... Chessmaster." Were you also expecting to be "seeing almost every game coming out with some kind of online support" by now, or are current online titles enough for you?

Thanks to Yahoo! for hosting the press release announcing Eidos Interactive's return to full-year profitability, despite the disappointing critical reception for the latest Tomb Raider title, as Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, TimeSplitters 2 and Championship Manager 4 "each sold circa one million units during the year." Eidos comment on Lara's transfer to developers Crystal Dynamics as bringing a "fresh look and feel" to the franchise. Elsewhere, the massive-selling Championship Manager soccer sim franchise will no longer be developed by creators Sports Interactive, raising questions of "how Eidos will manage to deliver anything up to CM's standard" for the 2004/2005 version, and Eidos won't be publishing TimeSplitters 3, since developers Free Radical own the rights to it.

Thanks to Yahoo! for hosting the press release announcing Eidos Interactive's return to full-year profitability, despite the disappointing critical reception for the latest Tomb Raider title, as Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, TimeSplitters 2 and Championship Manager 4 "each sold circa one million units during the year." Eidos comment on Lara's transfer to developers Crystal Dynamics as bringing a "fresh look and feel" to the franchise. Elsewhere, the massive-selling Championship Manager soccer sim franchise will no longer be developed by creators Sports Interactive, raising questions of "how Eidos will manage to deliver anything up to CM's standard" for the 2004/2005 version, and Eidos won't be publishing TimeSplitters 3, since developers Free Radical own the rights to it.

Thanks to Yahoo! for hosting the press release announcing Eidos Interactive's return to full-year profitability, despite the disappointing critical reception for the latest Tomb Raider title, as Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, TimeSplitters 2 and Championship Manager 4 "each sold circa one million units during the year." Eidos comment on Lara's transfer to developers Crystal Dynamics as bringing a "fresh look and feel" to the franchise. Elsewhere, the massive-selling Championship Manager soccer sim franchise will no longer be developed by creators Sports Interactive, raising questions of "how Eidos will manage to deliver anything up to CM's standard" for the 2004/2005 version, and Eidos won't be publishing TimeSplitters 3, since developers Free Radical own the rights to it.

Thanks to Yahoo! for hosting the press release announcing Eidos Interactive's return to full-year profitability, despite the disappointing critical reception for the latest Tomb Raider title, as Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, TimeSplitters 2 and Championship Manager 4 "each sold circa one million units during the year." Eidos comment on Lara's transfer to developers Crystal Dynamics as bringing a "fresh look and feel" to the franchise. Elsewhere, the massive-selling Championship Manager soccer sim franchise will no longer be developed by creators Sports Interactive, raising questions of "how Eidos will manage to deliver anything up to CM's standard" for the 2004/2005 version, and Eidos won't be publishing TimeSplitters 3, since developers Free Radical own the rights to it.

Thanks to Blue's News for the info that a PC demo of Homeworld 2 is now available, offering "a sample of Relic's now-gold space-based RTS sequel... [including] a tutorial, two solo missions and a pair of multiplayer maps." Mirrors of the 141mb demo include Gamer's Hell, IGN Downloads, Worthplaying, and a BitTorrent links via FileRush and GameTab.

Thanks to The Magic Box for their report that the first set of earlier rumored Western titles for the Xbox are being released in Japan this October. According to the site, "Microsoft announced they will release the Xbox World Collection series for Xbox in Japan on October 23, five titles will be available, and a total of 20 titles will be released by summer 2004." The first five titles unveiled are Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus, Inside Pitch 2003, NFL Fever 2004, Outlaw Golf, and Outlaw Volleyball, as Microsoft tries to expand their Japanese Xbox support by importing a mass of American/European titles.

Thanks to The Magic Box for their report that the first set of earlier rumored Western titles for the Xbox are being released in Japan this October. According to the site, "Microsoft announced they will release the Xbox World Collection series for Xbox in Japan on October 23, five titles will be available, and a total of 20 titles will be released by summer 2004." The first five titles unveiled are Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus, Inside Pitch 2003, NFL Fever 2004, Outlaw Golf, and Outlaw Volleyball, as Microsoft tries to expand their Japanese Xbox support by importing a mass of American/European titles.

Thanks to The Magic Box for their report that the first set of earlier rumored Western titles for the Xbox are being released in Japan this October. According to the site, "Microsoft announced they will release the Xbox World Collection series for Xbox in Japan on October 23, five titles will be available, and a total of 20 titles will be released by summer 2004." The first five titles unveiled are Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus, Inside Pitch 2003, NFL Fever 2004, Outlaw Golf, and Outlaw Volleyball, as Microsoft tries to expand their Japanese Xbox support by importing a mass of American/European titles.

Thanks to The Magic Box for their report that the first set of earlier rumored Western titles for the Xbox are being released in Japan this October. According to the site, "Microsoft announced they will release the Xbox World Collection series for Xbox in Japan on October 23, five titles will be available, and a total of 20 titles will be released by summer 2004." The first five titles unveiled are Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus, Inside Pitch 2003, NFL Fever 2004, Outlaw Golf, and Outlaw Volleyball, as Microsoft tries to expand their Japanese Xbox support by importing a mass of American/European titles.

Thanks to GameSpy for their (similar, and in descending score order) Xbox, Gamecube, and PlayStation 2 reviews of the newly-released Soul Calibur II, plus a detailed Soul Calibur II: Pile-On! article, where-in "...a battle royale of GameSpy's biggest SCII fans pick apart a hit." Opinions? One editor suggests: "It's a fabulous game, but the original Soul Calibur wasn't just an excellent game: it started a new age for fighters. On the other hand, SCII - no matter how good it is - is just an incremental upgrade, a fairly routine fighter sequel."

Thanks to IGN PS2 for their hands-on preview of Tony Hawk's Underground, the latest in the multi-million selling Tony Hawk skateboarding game franchise. Evolutionary changes include "the ability to hop off your board and go around on foot", hitting inaccessible locations and new combos, and you can also now even "...hitch a ride on passing cars... [and] take control of a few automobiles" - hopping in and out GTA-style? Narcissism is also in, as you can "...pull a digital print of your own face into the game via the network adaptor and play as yourself", as the developers try to mix things up after the high-quality, but not mindblowing Tony Hawk 4.

Thanks to HomeLanFed for their initial report on the official unveiling of EA/Origin's new PC MMORPG, Ultima X: Odyssey. They say that the previously rumored title is "...a massively multiplayer game that was described as a 'sister' game to Ultima Online. The dev team promised that players will not have to worry about using macros in the game or beating up on tiny rats just to level up at the beginning." It's also confirmed that the game is "powered by Epic's Unreal engine", and "very action oriented", and much new information is expected as the EA-X Event continues on Friday. Update: 08/22 15:26 GMT by S : There's now an official press release, screenshots courtesy GameSpyDaily, and a 21mb trailer downloadable from Gamershell, Worthplaying, and via BitTorrent courtesy GameTab.

aerojad writes "The new Matrix Revolutions trailer is now available for download (direct link) on the official site. If you have plugin/bandwidth issues, there are also BitTorrent links available. For those wondering, there is more to it than you saw at the end of Reloaded." In related news, an anonymous reader points to the BBC News report that: "The makers of the Matrix films are considering only promoting the third film, Matrix Revolutions, for next year's Oscars. Warners, which produced the films, had considered pushing for both of them to be nominated as a single entry because they were shot on the same 240-day shoot, but the academy refused."

Thanks to Yahoo!/Reuters for their story describing Sony's amended PlayStation 2 hardware bundle, explaining :"...the $199 PS2, with a network adapter that allows users to play games online... [will now be] bundled with the game 'ATV Offroad Fury 2'." Sony also said "it would continue to sell the PS2 without the online hardware for $179", although it had expected to phase out this deal. However, "...demand is currently running about 20 percent for the online bundle and 80 percent for the stand-alone unit", and GameStop executives quoted in the article "... noted that they thought the $199 PS2 online package had not been selling as well as they believed Sony had planned" - seems Sony are trying to sweeten the online bundle deal.

Thanks to Tokyopia.com for their in-depth impressions of Konami's Winning Eleven 7 for PS2, the latest in the highly acclaimed soccer game series. The reviewer is disappointed that "..while the summer has been filled with a flurry of high-profile transfers, none are actually in the game. So David Beckham still plays for Manchester United", but loves the "different and fresh dynamic" which still has many rating it higher than its main rival, EA's FIFA series. Japanese gamers seem to like Winning Eleven, too - the latest software sales figures, courtesy GamePro, show that it sold a massive 600,000 in its first week, three times as many as a still-impressive debut for Final Fantasy:Crystal Chronicles.

Thanks to RPGDot for their Lionheart information page, which points to GamersWithJobs' first impressions of the PC RPG, which is developed by Reflexive, published by Interplay's well-known Black Isle RPG division, and has just shipped to stores. GamersWithJobs have positive impressions of this alternate-history title, which is set in 1588, when "...Europe is still reeling from the disjunction, a cataclysm that unleashed magic and demons on the world five centuries earlier during the Third Crusade, whereupon vengeful foes Richard the Lionheart and Saladin were forced to join forces to turn back the deluge of evil." The piece also points out that "...while the demo proved to be substantially more difficult than the final product, the mechanics of the game are faithfully represented in that demo and serve as fair warning for those attached to turn-based game styles."

Thanks to IGN Cube for their article on the Universal Soul Calibur II Arcade Stick, which is being released by Nuby and Namco on August 31st, just after the launch of the ravenously-awaited Namco fighting game sequel for PS2/Xbox/GameCube. IGN explains: "The interesting detail about the arcade stick is that it works with all three consoles - no extra assembly required. All gamers need do is plug the appropriate end into the console of their choice and they'll be up and running." So you can use the same joystick to play Link, Heihachi, and Spawn, if you're insane enough to buy Soul Calibur II for all three platforms, as well as repurposing the stick for any other famous fighting games that take your fancy.

Thanks to IGN Cube for their article on the Universal Soul Calibur II Arcade Stick, which is being released by Nuby and Namco on August 31st, just after the launch of the ravenously-awaited Namco fighting game sequel for PS2/Xbox/GameCube. IGN explains: "The interesting detail about the arcade stick is that it works with all three consoles - no extra assembly required. All gamers need do is plug the appropriate end into the console of their choice and they'll be up and running." So you can use the same joystick to play Link, Heihachi, and Spawn, if you're insane enough to buy Soul Calibur II for all three platforms, as well as repurposing the stick for any other famous fighting games that take your fancy.

Thanks to IGN Cube for their article on the Universal Soul Calibur II Arcade Stick, which is being released by Nuby and Namco on August 31st, just after the launch of the ravenously-awaited Namco fighting game sequel for PS2/Xbox/GameCube. IGN explains: "The interesting detail about the arcade stick is that it works with all three consoles - no extra assembly required. All gamers need do is plug the appropriate end into the console of their choice and they'll be up and running." So you can use the same joystick to play Link, Heihachi, and Spawn, if you're insane enough to buy Soul Calibur II for all three platforms, as well as repurposing the stick for any other famous fighting games that take your fancy.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to the GameSpy preview of LucasArts' Gladius, a PS2/GameCube/Xbox "epic tactical RPG that'll have you building an army of gladiators, one axe swing at a time." There's also a new Gladius preview at RPGamer giving a combat overview: ".. [it] takes place on a standard, tactical-RPG square grid, but the graphics do a good job of hiding it... combat is turn-based, but.. using certain attacks on a foe necessitates the use of several action/arcade elements, such as combo attacks strung together by timed button-presses." They also comment on the unexpected genre choice: "American-developed as it may be, Gladius is a tactical RPG that takes its cue from the old favorites, while at the same time trying to expand the genre." Might this title improve on LucasArts' recent efforts?

Thanks to Tokyopia.org for posting their spoiler-free post-game impressions from Silent Hill 3, the 'survival horror' PS2 title from Konami that's already been released in Japan and Europe, and is out in the U.S. on August 6th. The piece says that "The third game combines the tone and feel of the first game with the stronger emotional intensity of the second", but reassures on the creeping nature of the in-game horror: "Don't worry: the game hasn't devolved into cheap monster-jumps-through-window style gimmicks, a la Resident Evil. It's a more subtle 'shocking' and 'directness' than that... the pieces of Silent Hill 3 build slowly towards a sort of incoherent panic. The tension rises bit by bit.. [until] the player.. snaps and goes on a blind, unthinking rampage of running and shooting in cathartic self-defense."

As part of the continuing Half-Life 2 media blitz, GameSpy has an interview with Valve's Doug Lombardi about the much-heralded FPS sequel. This insightful interview has info on who'll be returning: "A few of your friends from Black Mesa are in Half-Life 2, and they are sort of immediately your allies; like some of the scientists and Barney the security guard character", as well as more on system requirements: "I think that Valve tries very hard to support as far back with system as we humanly can, and in this case we're going back to a Pentium II 800 with 128mb of RAM, but as get up to a Pentium 4 class you'll see better water and better effects." Meanwhile, the third direct-feed Half-Life 2 movie, 'Kleiner's Lab', is available via Steam, Gamers Hell, BitTorrent via GameTab, and most of the other usual online stockists.

Hugh "Nomad" Hancock writes "Over at Machinima.com we've released "Artery: Machinima", a 22-minute broadcast TV program on the Machinima movement- film-making in real-time 3D. Originally broadcast on Scottish TV station STV, this documentary includes interviews with Uwe Girlich, the guy who got the whole thing started, sci-fi writer Charlie Stross, who is working with the Machinima group Strange Company, award-winning film director Peter Rasmussen, and Machinima makers including the Ill Clan (Hardly Workin'), Strange Company (Eschaton) and Nanoflix. Plus, lots of swords!" There's also a BitTorrent link to the documentary, courtesy GameTab.

Thanks to RPGDot for pointing out there's a trailer for Microsoft/Gas Powered Games' Dungeon Siege II available from the official DSII site, as well as via Gamers Hell, showcasing a lush cinematic-style teaser (using the in-game engine) for this PC RPG sequel, which is simply listed as "coming 2004". The original Dungeon Siege was largely well-received, but sparked some complaints about repetitiveness/linearity, so it'll be interesting to see how the sequel develops the gameplay.

Thanks to GameSpot for their article revealing the first details on Xenosaga Episode II, subtitled 'Jenseits von Gut und Bose' ('Beyond Good And Evil'), and a follow-up to the popular, if long-winded PS2 sci-fi RPG from MonolithSoft/Namco. Screenshots reveal the major characters have returned, "..and some of them have been given a more-mature look for the new game." In related news, GamePro reported on new details and screenshots from MonolithSoft's GameCube-exclusive RPG, Baten Kaitos (named after a star in the Cetus constellation), which is "set in a collection of five floating continents in the sky", and surprisingly, has a "..fighting system [which] will involve the use of cards." Both are likely, but as yet unconfirmed for release outside Japan.

Thanks to several readers for pointing to the release of a second trailer ('The Docks') from Half-Life 2, via Valve's Steam content delivery system, as well as via GamersHell, IGN, 3D Gamers, and the obligatory BitTorrent link, courtesy GameTab. This follows the first movie, named 'G-Man,' that was posted a couple of days back -- all of these new Bink-encoded executable movies are direct-feed parts of the large shakycam E3 movie we mentioned a few weeks back.

Thanks to several readers for pointing to the release of a second trailer ('The Docks') from Half-Life 2, via Valve's Steam content delivery system, as well as via GamersHell, IGN, 3D Gamers, and the obligatory BitTorrent link, courtesy GameTab. This follows the first movie, named 'G-Man,' that was posted a couple of days back -- all of these new Bink-encoded executable movies are direct-feed parts of the large shakycam E3 movie we mentioned a few weeks back.