Slashdot Mirror

nevermore94 writes "After a long wait, Tribes: Vengeance, the latest game in the Tribes series has finally shipped to retail stores in the United States. Reviews are available at ActionTrip, GameSpy, GameZone, and WarCry .

etoychest writes "To be honest, I venture over to IGN.com about as often as I find myself in the all-natural food section at the local supermarket. That is, next to never. Still, occasionally some information does leak out of the site that makes you wonder if there is a reason to go back. This time, thanks to our friends over on the Penny-Arcade forums, I was made aware of a tidbit tucked away in the current IGN Pocket mailbag, as written by Craig Harris: 'Well, this was something that I've known for months about, but was literally sworn to secrecy by the people involved (just like many OTHER things I know but can't say). But since it's been mentioned in another publication, I can confirm that, yes, Halo is in the works for the GBA. That's all I can say, on risk of having my fingernails ripped off with a bottle opener.'" But are we sure they're not talking about this GBA Halo? Update: 06/12 12:05 GMT by S : There's a rather definitive official denial of this rumor over at Bungie.net.

Thanks to GameZone for their interview with Andre LaMothe about the XGameStation, the DIY, programmable game console theoretically due this December, but likely somewhat delayed. Although details of the XGameStation are still being finalized, LaMothe describes the specific technical details: "I think the ARM7 is going to be my choice as the final main CPU at 33-66 MIPS, and an FPGA GPU that does basic sprite, character, and bitmap graphics in 4-256 colors, with 1-4 Megs of RAM", and goes on to evangelize the software: "We will surely encourage people to port as many games and emulators as possible to the XGS. I am mainly concerned with getting MAME, Intellivision, Atari 2600, etc. ported ASAP."

Thanks to GameZone for their interview with Colin Anderson of developers Denki, as they discuss "if interactive TV can succeed in the gaming world", following Denki's continued UK releases of games played on set-top TV-receiving boxes, with titles including Denki Blocks and an updated Super Breakout. Denki's Anderson suggests: "It's not that digital TV games haven't been successful in North America, it's simply that they haven't been available up until recently... the US [is] around 12-18 months behind Europe", and also points out the different target audience for the format: "The interactive television audience tends to be 50-55% female with the most popular age ranges being under 12 and over 30. It's a real challenge from a designer's point of view to build a product that appeals equally across such a wide demographic." Would you play games on your digital TV box?

Thanks to GameZone for their interview with Brian 'Psychochild' Green of Near Death Studios, talking about their resurrection of the 3D graphical MMORPG for PC, Meridian 59, which first launched in 1996, a year before even Ultima Online. Some of the original developers bought the property back from 3DO in 2001, and are "unveiling a new graphics engine" at this year's GenCon. According to Brian, "We think that Meridian 59 still has a lot to offer online RPG fans with it's innovative gameplay, interesting character advancement, well-balanced PvP, and great communication tools. Unfortunately, the graphical presentation gets in the way of people appreciating the game."

Thanks to GameZone.com for their interview with Marc Saltzman discussing his book, Game Creation and Careers: Insider Secrets from Industry Experts. The book includes interviews with many leading creators, plus design docs from Chris Taylor of Dungeon Siege/Total Annihilation notoriety, as well as "..everything from how to protect your game idea, how to sell it, getting a job at a development studio or publishing company, setting up your own development house, working with headhunters and agents, doing it yourself by selling games online (shareware, etc.), proper game testing, marketing, public relations and key organizations, conventions, Web sites and schools." He also tries to address the paradox stumping many wannabe game professionals: "..how do you get experience when no one will hire you without any?"

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a GameZone.com article interviewing Professor James Paul Gee, the author of a new book advocating videogames as a learning tool. According to Gee, "It dawned on me that good games were learning machines... Many of these [game-contained] principles could be used in schools to get kids to learn things like science, but, too often today schools are returning to skill-and-drill and multiple-choice tests that kill deep learning." He goes on to reference "good learning principles" built into games like System Shock 2, Rise of Nations, and Arcanum, and advocates early gaming for learning: "In my view - and I know it is controversial - kids should be playing games from early on, from three years old, say."

Thanks to EvilAvatar for pointing to a Boomtown.net article discussing whether the new Xbox Live-exclusive Return To Castle Wolfenstein maps released a couple of days ago were actually downloaded. It seems the size of the files downloaded from Xbox Live were way too small to have been an actual level, despite the official press release indicating it was a "downloadable map", so it's possible the maps were on the game disc all along, and all that was downloaded was an 'unlock levels' message. The Boomtown article puts its own spin on this: "Providing these levels as a sweetener for Live Subscribers would be all very well, if extra development - over and above that of the game itself - is involved. But if the levels are already developed and present on the disk, then the publishers are inviting flak from the many Xbox gamers who don't have broadband."