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Aspyr Media's June newsletter offers an update on the status of Enemy Territory Quake Wars for Macs, as well as mention of two new games "sure to be a hit with Mac gamers." ETQW is progressing well with the goal of a release date as near to the PC version as possible.

Aspyr Studios has been working hard keeping Mac builds of Quake Wars up to date with the PC version, and the game has been really shaping up well. The graphics engine has a lot of new code over the base Doom 3/Quake 4 engine, and id's new MegaTexture technology is up and running on OS X. Aspyr's goal is to ship Quake Wars Mac very close to the PC release.

Aspyr Studios has begun work on two very large OS X games that are sure to be hits with Mac gamers. One is a genre that has never been on the Mac before, and the other is a more familiar game type based on a very popular brand. If all goes well, both of these games will be on shelves for Christmas

Head over to the link below to check out the rest of the newsletter.

Aspyr June Newsletter

Aspyr Media (add to watch list)

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (don't use) (add to watch list)

Earlier this month Electronic Arts announced it was bringing six of their titles to the Mac with the promise of more to follow. In order to get the Mac titles out in a timely fashion, it decided to partner with TransGaming to use the later's Cider portability technology. Cider essentially also any PC game to run on an Intel Mac without the need to "port" the code from PC to Mac.

We recently sat down with TransGaming's Vikas Gupta about the deal with Electronic Arts. To check out the interview, please follow the link below.

IMG Interview: TransGaming's Vikas Gupta

TransGaming (add to watch list)

This week, IMG's resident artist, Brad Custer, brings us a desktop picture for Battlefield 2142, the upcoming title from Electronic Arts.

Here's what he had to say:

With our recent First Look and the announcement that Battlefield 2142 from Electronic Arts was in development for the Macintosh, my inbox has been receiving a lot of excitement about the news. So many great titles are coming to the Mac that it was hard to choose, but our First Look gave Battlefield 2142 the slight lead. I wanted to make a desktop that tied in with the ones already offered at the official site and I was able to create this week's wallpaper with the help of Electronic Arts.

Custer's Desktops

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GameBanshee has posted a new interview with Basilisk Games' Thomas Riegsecker about the company's upcoming RPG, Eschalon: Book 1. The first in a planned trilogy, the game will feature turn-based combat, a large world to explore, and a variety of quests. Among other things the article covers Eschalon's quest system, character generation options, and magic system.

GB: Take us through the game's character creation system. How much customization will players have at their disposal while creating their character? Also, what effect will the player's Origin and Axiom choices have during the course of their adventure?

Thomas: We tried to make the character creator as close to a pen-and-paper experience as possible. We want the player to feel as if they are crafting a brand new character rather than having to select from a prefabricated stereotype. To that end you have full control over skill selection, point distribution, character attributes and more.

Your character’s Origin is simply a personal trait identifying his homeland, which grants him certain attribute bonuses similar to a racial selection in other RPGs. The Axiom stat is very similar to the Alignment stat from D&D, though we tried to make it more practical and less restrictive. Basically, it grants one beneficial trait and one negative trait based on your character’s personal belief system. For example, if you select the Atheistic Axiom, then your character chooses to not believe in superstitions or divinity of any kind, and so he is immune to curses. However, this also makes him immune to the beneficial effects of blessings or healing via a pr

GameBanshee: Eschalon Book 1 Interview

Basilisk Games (add to watch list)

Eschalon: Book I (add to watch list)

Buy Eschalon: Book I

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Yesterday GameTap announced the availability of A New Light, the newest episode in of Myst Online: Uru Live. Following GameTap’s episodic format, this brand new installment will pick up where last month’s Scars left off, immersing players in another piece of the adventuresome, puzzle-focused game.

“The response to our new episodic model for ‘Myst Online: Uru Live’ has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Ricardo Sanchez, vice president of content for GameTap. “Fans of the franchise are able to plan their schedule around the latest updates, while they continue to explore all of the game’s mysteries and take advantage of the lively communities.”

In “A New Light,” power is shifting as new leaders begin to emerge, while those from the past begin to fade. Amidst the chaos, the new Age Er'Cana is released and explorers are asked to help feed the darkening lake. Meanwhile, new information is revealed and there are more who begin to fear of a coming war. Like all things Myst, mysteries abound and puzzles present themselves, so players can always expect to be challenged and rewarded.

GameTap (add to watch list)

Myst Online: Uru Live (add to watch list)

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Spiderweb Software has released an update for Nethergate: Resurrection, its Roman Era RPG. The patch brings the game to version 1.0.1 and fixes a problem the Celts can encounter when leaving the Land of the Dead. It also fixes many typos and a handful of bugs.

Britannia is a land ravaged by war. The natives of this land, the savage Celts, have long been subjugated by the Roman invaders. At last, they have risen up in bloody rebellion. Battles rage across the land. Cities are sacked, the inhabitants massacred. And, lost in the chaos, in the small, forgotten valley of Shadowvale, a plan is being formed.

Soon, a band of barbarians will rediscover the lost secrets of magic. They will find a way to rid their lands of their oppressors forever. And you, as the Celtic warriors, will attempt to free your people.

Or you, as the Romans, will attempt to crush them. For the good of the Empire.

Spiderweb Software (add to watch list)

Nethergate: Resurrection (add to watch list)

Blizzard Entertainment announced recently that visitors to the 2007 BlizzCon event will be allowed to participate in a public hands-on experience with a demo version of the upcoming StarCraft II. BlizzCon will be held in Anaheim, California this August.

Visitors to BlizzCon 2007 will be treated to the first-ever public hands-on with StarCraft II. Demo stations will be set up at the convention, and attendees can sample the new units and gameplay elements for themselves in multiplayer battles. We’re excited to offer this exclusive opportunity to our players, and look forward to seeing you at BlizzCon.

Follow the links below for more information.

BlizzCon 2007

Blizzplanet Ticket Contest

StarcraftTwo Ticket Contest

SCLegacy Ticket Contest (Sat. 23)

Blizzard Entertainment (add to watch list)

StarCraft II: Wings Of Liberty (add to watch list)

Buy StarCraft II: Wings Of Liberty

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