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Peter Tamte Talks Mac Halo
8:31 AM | Jean-Luc Dinsdale | Comment on this story
With the news that Gearbox Software's PC version of Halo is rapidly approaching golden status, fansite Halo.Bungie.Org has posted an extremely informative and humourous interview with MacSoft president, and ex-Bungie Studios executive Peter Tamte. The interview covers a lot of ground in terms of the Mac version of the highly-anticipated first person shooter, especially regarding PC-Mac compatibility. In the interview, questions that have long been on the minds of many Mac gamers finally get answered: HBO: How hard has it been molding your porting schedule to the needs of another company (Gearbox), rather than doing all the work yourselves (but in your own timeframe)? PT: Much harder --like challenging Soulblighter without a Hero. We promised the Bungie and Mac communities that we would develop Halo on the Mac simultaneously. But, this is FAR more expensive and complex. For example, many sections of the Mac code have had to be rewritten 3-4 times as changes were made to the PC code. It is typical that the PC code changes many times during development. But, with a normal Mac conversion -- which begins after the PC version is nearly finished -- you only have to write the Mac code once. With simultaneous conversion like Halo, you get to write the same sections over and over again. Regardless of the cost to us, this is what we've done -- both to fulfill a promise I was a part of making when we sold Bungie to Microsoft and because I WANT TO PLAY HALO ON MY MAC!!! Apart from speaking on editing tools, mods, system requirements, and Apple's support throughout the project, Peter also takes a stab at the hottest question on every Mac gaming forum to date:HBO: Is there anything you're willing to say about a release date? PT: Westlake is burning the midnight oil to get it done as fast as they can. I have many, many years of practice not answering questions. How'd I do? If you're like me and most of the IMG staff, you've already skipped past the rest of this article and clicked on the link below. Once you're done, be sure to check in with the IMG Store to pre-order your very own copy of this groundbreaking title.
 Halo.Bungie.Org: Peter Tamte Interview
Halo: Combat Evolved (add to watch list)
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IMG Posts Shadowbane Review
3:23 PM | IMG News | Comment on this story
IMG reviewer Chris Ritchie has just posted a review for Wolfpack Studios' massively mulitplayer role-playing game Shadowbane. Set in a dark fantasy world burning with strife and unrest, Shadowbane takes the MMO genre to new heights of possibility by offering gamers an unparalleled challenge. It combines immersive role-playing with deep strategic elements such as city management, army creation, siege warfare and economic development. Shadowbane is also the first MMO to offer a Dynamic World Model, in which players' actions and decisions permanently change the history, politics and landscape of the game.
The Ubi Soft title, which has been in the works for over four years, has been expected to redefine the gaming genre since news of the game started being spread early in development. Has the game lived up to its expectations? Fans of RPGs in general will enjoy how this game is run, and those with lots of patience will be rewarded when they gain enough levels to start taking part in the in-game politics. Having the major purpose of the game to make player characters interact is a laudable goal, something that has been absent in even some of the most successful pay-to-play games. Click on the link below to read IMG's full review, and even post a little review of your own. Readers interested in getting their hands on the title should head over to the IMG store and order their own copy.
 IMG's Shadowbane Review
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Freeverse Outlines Fall Line-Up
11:12 AM | Tuncer Deniz | Comment on this story
Dan "Remy" Dickinson of Freeverse Software recently posted a message on the company's forum outlining their fall line-up. In all, Freeverse has six products in the pipleline with four that have already announced and two that haven't been unveiled yet. Here's a clip from Dickinson's post: 3D Crazy Eights
Your favorite game as a kid makes its triumphant leap onto GameSmith! Play against all your favorite opponents or go online in this kid-friendly game using our 3D Deluxe Cards engine.
Active Lancer
Join Lancer Squad, an elite team of flight capable soldiers, on their current mission to defeat the diabolical war machine of an alien army bent on taking over the universe. Taking the battle to the alien factories over the diverse landscapes of their home world, Active Lancer pits you (and a friend of you have need) against wave after wave of alien ships, tanks, boats, and gun turrets over 15 levels of increasing intensity. It's straight up vertical scrolling arcade shooter action.
Burning Monkey Casino
Put your bananas where your mouth is! Challenge the Burning Monkey crew to games like Video Poker, Blackjack, and 3 Card Monty, plus more!
Burning Monkey Mahjong Solitaire
Monty, Jackie, and even more monkeys are heading to the Far East to challenge you in the most beautiful Mahjong Solitaire game on the market! Lots of layouts, helpful features, a soothing soundtrack, and Asian-themed monkey antics! The post also mentions that Freeverse has two secrets projects under development, one code-named "Pointy Stick" while the other is "ChewToy".For more information on Freeverse and their upcoming games, head over to the company's website.
Freeverse (add to watch list)
 Forum: Freeverse This Fall
Apple Features NOLF 2: A Spy In H.A.R.M.'s Way
10:09 AM | Johan Hansén | Comment on this story
Apple's game section has posted a preview of No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy In H.A.R.M.'s Way that is scheduled to ship from MacPlay at September 22nd. In this First Person Shooter game you will control the beautiful but deadly spy Kate Archer as she tries to prevent the evil organization H.A.R.M. from accomplish their evil schemes. NOLF 2 will bring some changes from its predecessor The Operative: No One Lives Forever, for example there is a multi-player co-operative mode. From the preview: In addition to the usual deathmatch and team deathmatch modes, the multi-player side of NOLF 2 includes a four-chapter campaign that up to four players can tackle. It requires them to cooperate as they try to accomplish certain tasks, such as moving Cate’s unconscious body to a safe zone. Because you can’t have a weapon out while carrying a body, the person assigned to that task has to be protected by the others. For the people that eagerly await to get their hands on this sneaker action title, the preview at Apple might ease you minds a little while the shipping date approaches.NOLF 2: A spy in H.A.R.M.'s way is available for pre-order from the IMG store, listed at only $39.99 ($34.99 for MacGames CD/IMG Pro Subscribers). Hurry up to secure your copy today.
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Apple Games: NOLF 2: A Spy In H.A.R.M.'s Way
 Buy No One Lives Forever 2
Deus Ex: Invisible War Hands-On Posted
10:09 AM | Jean-Luc Dinsdale | Comment on this story
Veteran PC gaming website Gamespy has posted a hands-on preview of the highly-anticipated Ion Storm first person adventure Deus Ex: Invisible War. The preview was written based on an hour's worth of playing the Xbox version at the Ion Storm office. According to the article's writers, the game indeed does appear to be as open-ended and feature as much emergent gameplay as the game's press coverage has prophesized: "I think the narrative is the place where we're taking the biggest risks," Spector said, and we're inclined to believe him. Veterans of the first game will recall that while each situation could be tackled in different ways, the overall arc of the plot was more or less set in stone. Not so now, though. Invisible War's labyrinth of a storyline is greatly affected by the choices players make. As one Ion designer noted, you might explore three or thirteen of the Lower Seattle maps, depending on choices you make while playing. Also revealed in the article are some interesting surprises about the game's content that have so far remained under wraps:According to Smith, the number one question asked by fans is which ending from the first game is canon for part two. The answer may surprise you: it's all of them. Smith explained, "So one of the designers on the team, the guy who did all the Hong Kong stuff, had a really clever idea. He was like, 'What if we took all three endgames, and established that all of them happened?'" So that's exactly what Ion did. The hands-on preview is definitely worth a read for all Deus Ex fans, as well as gamers looking forward to playing what promises to be one of the richest computer gaming experiences to date. With the game passing the feature-lock stage and entering into the final beta stage, publisher Eidos Interactive expects that the PC and XBox versions of the game will hit store shelves before the Xmas season.Click on the link below to read the article, and stay tuned to IMG as more news about this new title gets revealed.
Gamespy's Hands-On Preview of Deus Ex: Invisible War
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Deus Ex 2: Invisible War (add to watch list)
MacPlay Newsletter Released
8:31 AM | Johan Hansén | Comment on this story
The famous Mac game Publisher MacPlay has released a new issue of their newsletter Inside MacPlay. The new issue is full of goodies for Mac gamers. They let us know that No One Lifes Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way will ship on September 22nd. This humorous first-person shooter is the sequel to The Operative: No One Lives Forever that also was brought to the Mac by MacPlay. It's time to take on the role of Cate Archer once again, armed to the teeth with helpful gadgets. The sequel, originally developed by Monolith Productions, will take Kate to exotic locations such as Japan, India and Ohio. MacPlay offers all who order No One Lives Forever 2 from their website before september 22nd a $10 discount on the price. Mind Rover and Hearts of Iron, 2 new Virtual Programming titles, are now available in the US thanks to their distribution agreement with MacPlay. Mind Rover is being described as a 3D strategy/programming game, where you build your own robot and develop its AI to accomplish the tasks given to you, including slugfests and races. In Hearts of Iron you get the chance to change history as we know it. It is a highly detailed strategy game based on WW2, made by the people behind the Europa Universalis games. All technologies, people and political events are based on their real counterparts. People that missed the Alien vs. Predator 2 Pre-Order campaign, which included an AvP Action Figure, will get a new chance for a limited time. MacPlay is offering AvP2 with a free action figure for only $39.99 for a short time. As another sweet deal, MacPlay is offering 7 of their high profile games for only $10 each. The deal lasts until midnight CST on September 21st. The games in question are:
Baldur's Gate II
Bejeweled & Alchemy
Freedom Force
No One Lives Forever: Game of the Year Edition
Power Chips & High Roller
realMYST
Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix
Hurry to grab your copy before the deal ends.For all retro gamers, MacPlay happily announced that they will bring Activision Anthology: Remix Edition to the Mac, featuring over 60 titles from the old Atari 2600. The Remix Edition also includes hit songs and rare commercials from the 1980's to really bring on that Retro feeling. The Activision Anthology: Remix Edition will ship for Mac in time for Christmas. If you want to read the full newsletter, check your mailbox if you are a subscriber of it. If you don't, it will be available from MacPlay's website shortly. While you're there checking, you might want to sign up for the newsletter so that you won't have to wait for it the next time.
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Buy No One Lives Forever 2
Buy Hearts of Iron
Buy MindRover - The Europa Project
New PC Halo Q&A Posted
8:31 AM | Jean-Luc Dinsdale | Comment on this story
PC gaming website The Adrenaline Vault posted a new Q&A with Gearbox president Randy Pitchford on Tuesday. While the three-page interview focuses primarily on PC issues, the article does go into some detail regarding the changes made to the game on porting it from it's console-centric debut: How have Halo's controls been redesigned for the PC?
Mouse and keyboard are king on the PC. The controls are awesome. We've been spending some time tuning mouse sensitivity and acceleration defaults - although everything is tunable in the setup screens. I've seen some folks plug in the Xbox controller and configure that. Halo is pretty versatile on the PC. With the multiplayer game in a closed beta stage, Gearbox expects that the PC version of the anticipated Bungie Studios title will be going gold "any moment now". With three of Westlake Interactive's best minds on the projects, it's anticipated that publishers MacSoft will have the Mac port of the game ready for customers soon after the PC release.Stay tuned to IMG for more news on this hotly-covered title. Players wanting to be one of the first on the block to get their very own copy of the game should head over to the IMG Store and pre-order the game directly from our favourite website.
Adrenaline Vault's Halo Q&A
Halo: Combat Evolved (add to watch list)
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