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Mac shareware giant Ambrosia Software informed IMG today that their long-awaited hacker simulator Uplink has been released today, and is now available for download at MacGameFiles.

Uplink puts the player in the role of a professional free-lance hacker who performs all sorts of jobs of questionable legality for major corporations. Such jobs range from breaking into rival computer systems to changing the academic records of carefully-chosen individuals.

Here's a clip on the features Uplink has to offer, according to Ambrosia Software's web site:

You play an Uplink Agent who makes a living by performing jobs for
major corporations. Your tasks involve hacking into rival computer
systems, stealing research data, sabotaging other companies, laundering
money, erasing evidence, or framing innocent people. It will take you
to the darker corners of the Internet, to the very underbelly of the
beast.

You can speculate on a fully working stock market (and even influence
its outcome). You can modify peoples academic or criminal records. You
can divert money from bank transfers into your own accounts. You can
even take part in the construction of the most deadly computer virus
ever designed.

If you are looking for a more hands-on kind of information, don't hesitate: download Uplink from our sister site, MacGameFiles.

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IMG's Uplink Preview

Download Uplink From MacGameFiles

Aspyr sends word this afternoon that SpyHunter is now shipping for both Mac OS X and Windows. This classic arcade title can now be relived in a fully 3D setting. Here's the word from the company:

Aspyr is pleased to announce that SpyHunter is now shipping for both PC & Macintosh! Thanks to TransGaming and Midway for all their hard work getting this project out the door.

The evil NOSTRA corporation prepares to unleash havoc on the world, and only the SpyHunter is equipped to stop them. Strapped behind the wheel of the powerful G-6155 Interceptor, you are the world1s last chance! Utilizing an incredible arsenal of both offensive and defensive weapons, you must elude NOSTRA spies, henchmen and assassins at any cost if civilization is to be saved. Prepare to be hunted!

• Mac OS X 10.2.4 or higher
  
• 600 MHz G3 processor
  
• 128 MB of RAM
  
• 16 MB 3D video card
  
• 750 MB HD space
  
• 4xCD-ROM drive
  
• Radeon 7500 / GeForce 2 class 3D hardware accelleration required
  

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Andrew Welch, president of Ambrosia Software, dropped us a line yesterday to inform us that a new update for his company's extremely popular space strategy game Escape Velocity Nova has been released.

The update, titled version 1.0.5, contains over tweny-one engine bug fixes and a whopping three hundred and one scenario changes. The changes, ranging the gamut from the correction of grammatical errors and weapons tweaking to substancial game engine fixes, represent a massive effort on the part of the developpers. Taken from a post by Ambrosia Software's website moderator "Jericon":

As you can tell, we were very picky with the scenario on this beta. We played through every storyline from both genders each time. This will most likely be the last and final version of Nova.

Ambrosia Software: EV Nova 1.0.5 game fixes

MGF: Escape Velocity 1.0.5 Updater (22.4 megs)

MGF: Escape Velocity 1.0.5 Full Version (76.4 megs)

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Now posted on the official Elite Force 2 website, a brand new trailer featuring the sequel to the criticallly acclaimed Star Trek shoot 'em up Elite Force. Branded as the official trailer to showcase the next generation FPS' features, the sneak preview afforded by the developers at Ritual Entertainment displays a number of the games' stunning talents.

As the trailer shows, its talents are numerous, with the game featuring convincing new physics and character animation, particle effects, and massive new outdoor and atmospheric indoor environments.

You can grab the trailer at the link below, but dial up users be warned; for a 39 mb file, it is fairly short, weighing in at only one and a half minutes. If you have the bandwidth to spare, however, the trailer provides a nice sneak peak into a heavily anticipated title.

Also note that the game is being developed for the Mac by Aspyr Media, and since it is still in early porting development, it has no solid release date for the Mac platform yet.

Elite Force II Official E3 Trailer, 39 mb

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Celestial Heavens, a Heroes of Might and Magic fan site, recently got to chat with the Marketing Manager of 3D0, Maeglin. During the interview, Maeglin mentions that a Mac version of Heroes of Might and Magic V will follow the PC version (scheduled to ship in spring 2004) by about 3 months. The interview also covers some other development aspects of HOMMV.

Here's a snip from the interview:

CH: So 3DO is not pushing for that date so much as Jon himself?

MG: Right, the (NWC) team is driving that. If the team needs more time, they'll take more time. However, we will be having the PC version and then we will have the Macintosh version. The Macintosh version will follow the PC version by about three months. We're going to again likely be working with Contraband.

CH: Who did the last one (Heroes IV Mac)?

MG: Right. We don't have a whole contract with them ironed out yet, but we do have a couple of plans for how to work with them, and we'll do better this time, plan earlier in advance. New World has been very pleased working with them in the past.

3DO Interview

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Inside Mac Games has posted a hands-on preview of Aspyr's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 based on a recent beta of the game. The latest version of this popular skating game includes a host of new skaters, a couple of new tricks, and some redeveloped gameplay.

Here's a clip from the preview:

One of the most drastic changes to THPS4 is the revamped Career Mode. In previous titles, players were force to tackle a level's various challenges while sweating it out under a time limit. This time around, the developers at Neversoft saw fit to trash the timer, meaning that players can now skate around each level to their heart's content. The change is significant in that Career Mode now feels much more relaxed and open, making for a less stressful gaming experience.

Goals are now activated by interacting with various people scattered across each level. The people, which range from photographers to any of the playable skaters, are easily located by the bright arrows hovering over their heads. Once a specific person is spoken to, he or she will describe the task they need completed. If the player accepts the task, a timer will start counting down, and the player must complete the task in the time allotted. To save players from getting too frustrated, tasks can be ended early or restarted at any time by accessing the pause menu.

IMG Preview: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4

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Ever since Glenda Adams released the first Preview version of Unreal Tournament for Mac OS X in September of 2001, Mac UT fans have been eagerly awaiting a version of this classic first-person tournament shooter that runs natively on Apple's modern operating system.

After Adams left Westlake Interactive (where she ported Unreal Tournament to Mac OS 9 for MacSoft) for Aspyr Media earlier this month, the future of Unreal Tournament for Mac OS X was called into question.

Last night on The Gamesome Mac (the Mac gaming radio program), however, Epic Games programmer Ryan Gordon, fresh from converting Unreal Tournament 2003 to Mac OS X, announced that he will also be bringing UT 2003's forebear to Mac OS X:

We're going to take [Westlake's] codebase, I'm going to look at what we have for the Linux codebase that Loki did for Unreal Tournament, which has been merged into UTPG's code repository—I'm going to take that, I'm going to take what Glenda gave me, I'm going to see what's what, and I'm going to get a Mac OS X version of it done—get it done, finished, and correct.

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UTPG

IMG News: Is Unreal Tournament for OS X Dead?

Wired Magazine's website wired.com has posted a quick, one-page Q&A with Cyan's legendary virtual world creator Rand Miller.

In the interview, Rand answers some pressing questions about Cyan's upcoming online game Uru: Ages Beyond Myst regarding content, development issues, and the true nature of the game:

Don't other massively multiplayer online games offer something new every night?
We don't consider this a massively multiplayer online game. I've played a lot of Dark Age of Camelot and it's loads of fun, but long-run games like that aren't sustainable. At some point you realize that you're doing the same things over and over. We wanted to create new places continuously and then add gameplay to them. We wanted to give players the option - not given in MMOGs - to either interact with others or explore alone.

The other games had definite endings. Will there be one to Uru?
Yes. We haven't decided what yet, but there will be a conclusion to the story, a payoff.

Further, as recently reported on the Unofficial Riven Homepage, the Mac port of the highly-anticipated game is currently in question. While Cyan is pursuing a Mac version, the developers lack the funding from the publishers to guarantee the port will be completed.

Check out the interview by clicking on the link below.

wired.com: Uru Q&A with Rand Miller

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