The new upgrade includes 13 new heroes for custom play and multiplayer; adds “tell commands” so that players can control AI allies; increases strength of the AI with “build templates” and enhanced AI system; tweaks aspects of gameplay, such as changing companies in pressed/column movement to lower priority targets and reduces the guard zone of settlement buildings; reduces the upgrade cost of Citadels and the Nationalist City; improves the Grenadier, Elite Guard, Wraith, Lich and Melee Kohan heroes; and tweaks the Elite Bowman, Ranger and Pathfinder.

After having won several gaming nominations and awards from top gaming magazines and Industry organizations such as the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences and the Game Developer’s Conference, TimeGate Studios is still topping the charts with its innovative gameplay.

Developed by U.K. based Traveller's Tales, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex for Xbox follows the same high energy storyline as the November 2001 release of Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex for the Playstation®2, nominated for a Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Award 2002. Crash travels by land, sea and air to defeat his arch-nemesis and creator, the evil Dr. Neo Cortex.

Composed of more than 30 levels, the new title features the most realistic special effects ever seen in a Crash game. Vibrant graphics, real-time lighting and shadows, and even a new furry coat for gaming's favourite marsupial are made possible by the enhanced graphical capabilities of the Xbox hardware.

With level load times significantly reduced, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex offers exceptional replayability with more than 40 hours of gameplay, multiple play modes, real-time sequences and five new bosses.

"Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex for Xbox is a perfect example of Universal Interactive's commitment to publishing the highest quality interactive entertainment across suitable platforms," said Colin Brown, marketing director at Vivendi Universal Publishing. "Traveller's Tales has done an excellent job maximising the power of the hardware to create a title that Xbox gamers will love."

Crash Bandicoot is among the best-selling character-based game franchises in the history of the PlayStation® game console. The Crash Bandicoot franchise has sold more than 25 million units worldwide.

Will you be working on any future expansions for Dark Planet? If so, what additions and improvements can we expect to see in it

We're well underway on the 2nd functionality patch now, as has been said elsewhere, we're very happy with the stability of Dark Planet which allows us to keep banging out new features instead of fixes. As we're ahead of the curve here, we've had some extra time which we've been able to use to create what we are absolutely sure is the most powerful 3D RTS map editor in the world today. The power which we give the user is incredible, and the ease of use is a fundamental quality which we hope people will really pick up on when it gets released. Rather than slowly paste down individual tiles, which is normally the case, the Map Editor allows the level creator to literally paint the ground down on the floor as if it were Photoshop or PaintShop pro. We're really pleased with this and cant wait to see what new people come up with.

Each column is approx 500 words, and takes a hard --but not unfair-- look at EVERYTHING in the industry from PR releases, to the companies' bickering, to well... anything in the industry :).

This week is titled the "I told you so edition", where Mark makes his predictions on the future of the Xbox, and gives a small commentary on Rockstar's State of Emergency as well as Heroes of Might and Magic IV.

Reviews:

SIGNING A WORLDWIDE PUBLISHING AGREEMENT FOR A NEW FLIGHT SIM

Montreal, Quebec. April 17th, 2002 – Strategy First and Third Wire Productions are pleased to announce that they have signed a worldwide publishing agreement for their highly anticipated flight simulation game, Strike Fighters: Project 1, scheduled for release later this summer. Strike Fighters: Project 1 is a new jet combat game designed by the lead designer of European Air War (Best Simulation Game of 1998) and Jane’s Longbow 2 (Best Simulation Game of 1997).

Strike Fighters is a multi-faceted flight-simulation game that features one of the most versatile combat aircraft of all time – the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II – a lean, loud and versatile aircraft that saw action as both an interceptor and strike fighter. The core of the game is traditional combat flight-simulation in which the player takes command of a thundering jet fighter and engages in aerial dogfight with enemy fighters while seeking and destroying ground targets.

The fictional campaign is set in the 1960s, when aviation technology was still primitive, but advancing at breakneck speed. Weapon selection within the game matches historical availability, offering a few select missiles and guided weapons later, but focusing primarily on mounted guns. As any former combat pilot can attest, the weapons of that era challenged the delivery skills of even top pilots, and most air battles involved visceral “in-your-face” gunfights in which outmaneuvering opponents remains the key to victory and survival. Strike Fighters takes this type of close combat to an unparalleled height by realistically modeling flight physics and aircraft systems, adding an overall sense of immersion to the game.

The game’s newly developed graphics engine employs the latest DirectX technology and renders scenes in rich, 32-bit color, with spectacular lighting effects, intricate texture layers, and reflective mapping. All flyable aircraft are modeled with exceptional detail and accuracy, right down to customizable squadron art and kill tallies.

Previews:

Interviews:

Los Angeles, CA - April 8, 2002 - The saga continues as Sierra Entertainment(tm) and Fox Interactive(tm) announced today the development of the Aliens versus Predator( 2: Primal Hunt expansion pack. Aliens versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt continues the nail-biting terror and suspense from the award-winning Aliens versus Predator( 2. With all new single-player and multi-player levels, weapons, and new player characters, this original interlocking story is an all out battle of three of the deadliest species in the universe as the Aliens versus Predator 2 saga begins.

Primal Hunt, developed by Third Law Interactive, has the Predalien and Predator stories moving back 500 years prior to the events of Aliens versus Predator 2. Before the humans set up the research facility on Planet LV1201, Predators frequented the planet for the sole purpose to hunt Aliens. On a routine hunt, a Predator stumbles upon ancient Pilot ruins and
discovers an Artifact of great power that, as legend has it, controls Aliens and keeps them at bay. That same fateful day an accident causes our hero Predator to become trapped in a stasis field. 500 years later, he is discovered and inadvertently revived by a human named Dunya who is trying to retrieve the Artifact for the mercenaries she works for. As the Predator secretly follows her back to base, he unknowingly allows Aliens access to the human facilities. While the Aliens wreak havoc, a lone Predalien searches out the Artifact to try to destroy it before it becomes active again.

As this terrifying story begins to unfold, players become one of the three heroic and deadly characters that are all fully prepared to do what it takes to take ownership of this powerful and sought after artifact. Choose to play as the Predator that becomes trapped in stasis only to awaken 500 years later, the human corporate mercenary, Dunya, or as the Predalien, a twisted hybrid of Alien and Predator.

Other Key Features of Aliens versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt
* Nine new single player levels (3 per species)
* Intense multi-player combat - includes 4 new levels
* Includes all patches/updates and additional maps issued by Monolith since the release of AvP2.
* New species-specific weapons and combat styles
o Human - Dual Pistols, Turret Gun, Deployable Sentry Gun o Predator - Energy Flechette, Self-Destruct (only in multiplayer)
* Two new creatures indigenous to the planet.
* New environment - never-before-seen Predator ruins
* Ties in with original story of Aliens versus Predator 2 and provides closure to some open-ended questions

"We're all thrilled to be working with the extraordinarily talented chaps at Third Law on the Primal Hunt expansion pack. The brand new set of interlocking adventures in Primal Hunt ties in perfectly with AvP2 by giving players some prior history of the events that took place and by giving them another perspective as well," said Dave Stalker, Producer, Fox Interactive. "The community has been asking for new single player levels, new characters, new weapons and new multiplayer levels...Primal Hunt delivers them all!"

Reviews

In strategic mode, you play against computer opponents or other players on the Internet exercising your strategic and tactical skills to achieve victory. You must train and command many units, hire and develop heroes, acquire powerful artifacts, conquer strongholds and villages and launch large-scale military campaigns against your foes to bring them to their knees. The game-play in this mode is similar to traditional RTS gameplay.

In adventure mode, you control a party of heroes and explore the world as the struggle between Caesar and the Gaul chieftain Vercingetorix evolves. You must decide which side you will support, who you will betray and whether you will follow the mysterious druids as they request your assistance. Command strongholds and large armies, take risky missions behind the enemy lines, and find powerful artifacts to support you. Make friends and foes as you try to reveal who you are and who you want to be!

Story

The adventure takes place in the Gaul lands during Caesar’s conquest of Gaul. Four main forces have strong and conflicting interests in the area.

First, there are the Gauls. They are numerous and brave, but are often at odds with each other. Their pride and religion often gets in the way of victory. Their lack of unity makes them even weaker.

The Romans reside in a mighty state with progressive social order and advanced military knowledge. Julius Caesar’s brilliant leadership makes Rome a deadly enemy. Its social structure requires constant expansion. Consequently, Caesar seeks to conquer Gaul for glory and fortune in his quest to become the sole leader of Rome.

The Teutons represent the united German tribes. They cross the river Rhein every year, seeking to expand their influence. They are a fearsome and numerous force, but don't have the same long-term plans for conquest and expansion as the Romans. They seek fortune and glory through victory and self-gratification.

The mysterious Druids wield horrifying and ancient powers. A few Druids are enough to stop a full-scale army! They have the power to make nations prosper or states decay.

Previews:

Interviews:

Montreal, Quebec. April 9, 2002 - Strategy First is pleased to announce that they have acquired the publishing rights to Object Software's newest title, Prince of Qin, in all territories other than North East Asia.

"We are looking forward to working with Object Software on yet another title," says Steve Wall, Vice President of Business Development for Strategy First. "Dragon Throne was a great addition to SFI's 2002 line-up and we could not be more pleased to add Prince of Qin to our roster."

"We are delighted to be working again with Strategy First on this latest title," says Richard Wallis, Chief Executive Officer of Object Software. "We have been extremely impressed with the way Strategy First have managed the release of Dragon Throne in North America and we are confident that they will do another great job with Prince of Qin."

Prince of Qin is an action RPG set in the last years of the Qin Dynasty 2,200 years ago. This title balances team fighting with various strategies and tactics and offers great challenges in more than 100 unique locations that accurately depict society and architecture, as it existed in China at that time.

Players take on the role of Prince Fu Su, the first Qin Emperor's eldest son and the Crown Prince of Qin. According to historical records, Fu Su committed suicide in obedience to a supposed imperial decree. However, in this game Fu Su does not die but lives and launches himself on a mission for revenge.

Multiplayer action with up to 500 gamers on one server; a unique equipment making and inventory system; various endings; over 150 non-player characters; 5 different types of legendary Heroes; fierce foes and a sophisticated fighting system rooted in the ancient philosophy of the Five Elements are what makes Prince of Qin a truly unique experience.

"Blizzard Freezes Bnetd Gaming Platform, Sues Own Customers

Electronic Frontier Foundation Defends Gamers' Rights

For Immediate Release: Monday, April 8, 2002

St. Louis - Game maker Blizzard Entertainment, along with its parent company Vivendi Universal Games, late Friday sued a small Internet Service Provider and its owner for distributing free software that emulates Blizzard's free Battle.net gaming service.

The lawsuit claims that the creation and offering of the "bnetd" free software emulator for Blizzard games violates copyright and trademark laws.

"Blizzard contacted our lawyer at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) saying they would consider dropping the case if we help find ways to prevent pirates from using the bnetd server software," noted Tim Jung, Internet Gateway ISP owner of the and defendant in the case. "While we bnetd developers spent many hours last week trying to help Blizzard, they apparently spent many hours preparing to sue me and my small business."

"The complaint is a classic big corporate attempt to scare the little guy," noted EFF Senior Intellectual Property Attorney Fred von Lohmann who represents Jung and Internet Gateway pro bono. "This software was developed by hobbyists using longstanding, legal reverse engineering techniques -- the same ones used by major hardware and software manufacturers. If bnetd is vulnerable to copyright challenge, then most reverse engineering projects designed to create interoperable products, from games to printers to network cards, are also vulnerable."

"The bnetd software has many uses that have nothing to do with piracy, and everything to do with improving the gaming experience for legitimate purchasers of Blizzard games," added EFF Legal Director Cindy Cohn. "Suing your customers for making your product more fun to play is a poor use of corporate resources, as well as unfounded by law."

The bnetd software allows Blizzard game purchasers online or on a local area network to chat, find competition, and start multiplayer games. A group of volunteers, including Jung, created the bnetd project for Blizzard games because Blizzard's Battle.net service was undependable and had limited functionality.

Blizzard sent a cease-and-desist letter to Internet Gateway in late February, claiming violations of the anti-circumvention provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) along with copyright violations. Internet Gateway has removed the bnetd software temporarily in response to the letter. The current complaint does not claim DMCA violations, but instead adds trademark claims never mentioned before.

This case, entitled Davidson & Associates d.b.a. Blizzard Games and Vivendi Universal Games v. Internet Gateway and Tim Jung, was filed in Federal District Court in St. Louis, Missouri.

"Electronic Arts has announced that The Sims Online, its upcoming online virtual-life game, is on track to begin an external beta test this summer. The game is based on The Sims, the incredibly popular virtual-life game created by Maxis, and it will let players control a virtual person in a persistent online world populated by hundreds or even thousands of virtual-people controlled by other players.

The Sims Online is currently in a pre-alpha stage of development. The development team at Maxis, which numbers more than 60 people, is working on completing some of the game's features, such as roommates, early economy, functional objects, and the navigation system."

From the onset Freedom Force is nothing short of enthralling. It begins appropriately enough with an alien plot to destroy the earth, by empowering our most despicable villains with "Energy X". The strange energy gives super powers to those who come into direct contact with it.

"IGNPC: Are the games shorter as a consequence?

Chris Mahnken: The duration of the game may end up being shorter because one team may be more likely to meet all the victory goals in time. That's relatively uncommon in Tribes 2 where the games typically play out to their full 30 minutes or whatever. The game time limit by default will still be 30 minutes. But you'll be more likely to see games where one side or the other, in capture the flag for instance, caps out in 10 minutes or whatever. "

Well, spring is at the door, spilling brightness into the offices here at MindArk. Thommie’s going to become a Dad any day, Marcos’ quill is cocked and the programmers are busily piecing together the mechanics of the world’s first virtual universe. Exciting stuff.
The support department is truly supporting now with ‘round the clock attention to the needs of the Commercial Trial - the staff swelling in tandem with the growing needs of our users.
New members have also joined the PR team, solidifying our commitment to the various forums and communities as well as to regular news and updates at the Project Entropia site. Several projects are underway to maintain the momentum, including a revamping of this news publication in the very near future.
So, as I stroll through the bright, busy offices, coffee cup in hand, I make my way out through the electronic highways to open landscapes, adventure and new global friends. Calypso exists… let’s have a closer look.

"The continuous world aspect of Dungeon Siege is so effective that we completely forgot about it once we started playing the game. Can you tell us more about it? From a technical perspective, how difficult was it to pull off?

The continuous world was much more difficult to engineer than we originally thought, but it was totally worth it. This state-of-the art technology allows us to have a world that literally uses over a gigabyte of data, but only requires a computer with 128 megs of RAM. What's great about this is that it scales up, and will allow us to build worlds that are even bigger but that don't require any more RAM in the computer to play."

Xbox System and Games Are Off to Record-Setting Start in Just Four Months

REDMOND, Wash. — April 8, 2002 — Hailed widely as “video game of the year” and recipient of multiple industry awards for excellence, “Halo™: Combat Evolved” has earned the distinguished honor of being the fastest million-unit seller ever for any next-generation console. According to NPDFunworldSM, the definitive source for toy and video games industry sales data, “Halo: Combat Evolved” recently crossed the magical 1 million mark in sales in the United States and Canada. Statistically, this means that more than six copies of “Halo: Combat Evolved” have been sold every minute of every day since its launch on Nov. 15, 2001.

“Halo: Combat Evolved” also has played a major role in helping the Xbox™ video game system from Microsoft Corp. set additional key sales records in the United States in just four months following its launch. The following milestones put Xbox on pace for long-term, worldwide success:

• With nearly four games sold for every system purchased, Xbox has a higher attach rate than any next-generation console. Data shows that in the four-month period following the launch of Xbox, owners purchased 1.2 more games with their Xbox system than PlayStation 2 owners did, helping Xbox achieve 82 percent more software sales than PlayStation 2.

• In just four months, Xbox has already catapulted to the No. 2 position among current game console sales.

• Since its launch, Xbox has outperformed PlayStation 2 sales by 25 percent when comparing system sales during the first four months of each on the market.

“The demand for ‘Halo: Combat Evolved’ has been incredible from the very beginning,” said Pete Roithmayr, vice president of Merchandising at Electronics Boutique. “It’s reason alone to own an Xbox. Heck, it’s the reason to play video games. ‘Halo: Combat Evolved’ is that good.”

“We are thrilled that ‘Halo: Combat Evolved’ has won over Xbox gamers, with sales hitting 1 million units at an amazing pace,” said Ed Fries, vice president of Xbox Game Content at Microsoft. “There’s nothing like it anywhere else. It’s only on Xbox. If you haven’t played ‘Halo: Combat Evolved,’ you’re missing out on the best video game experience available.”

Indicative of the growing worldwide popularity of the “Halo” brand, European gamers are also gravitating to the game less than one month after its launch. According to Chart-Track Ltd., a reputable marketing research tool on PC software and video games in the United Kingdom, 86 percent of all Xbox system purchasers have also bought a copy of “Halo: Combat Evolved.” Gamers in Japan will get their opportunity to join the worldwide “Halo: Combat Evolved” fan base when the game is introduced there on April 25.

According to Fries, “Halo: Combat Evolved” is only the beginning. “Both Microsoft® Game Studios and our third-party developers in the industry will soon be announcing a large lineup of amazing new titles and services that will further demonstrate the gaming experience and graphics performance only available with Xbox.”

In February 2002, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences bestowed “Halo: Combat Evolved” with its coveted Game of the Year award as well as awards for Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering, Console Action/Adventure Game of the Year and Console Game of the Year. Equal praise has come from countless magazines and Web sites, including Game of the Year awards from Electronic Gaming Monthly and IGN.com.

This episode, entitled The Tower, requires the player to accompany the Prince of Valhalla to the heart of the great castle, and finally come face to face with his archenemy the Lord of Infinity. This episode contains over 480 phrases of digital speech, and includes a finale where the Prince must outwit the Lord of Infinity in a war of words.

The Valhalla Classics Speech Adventures are available for download and play via the Vulcan Portal application. This is a desktop application, which also includes a growing community of people who communicate via the Portals 3dVoiceMail system. 3dVoiceMail is a little like email, but each user has a 3D representative that synthetically speaks each message to it's recipient.

"GS: Many fans of the Heroes series have proven themselves to be dedicated, even fanatical. Did you have trouble reconciling the wishes of dedicated Heroes fans with those of the team, as well as with what more mainstream players would want?

JB: Last year we had a fan theme his bar mitzvah around Heroes of Might and Magic. We do have some incredibly enthusiastic fans but disappointingly few groupies.

We get tons of great feedback from our fans. Often, suggestions are very much in line with our present thoughts and plans. It would be impossible to make a game that used every suggestion we received, but we frequently measure our current development against what our fans are hoping for and/or expecting. The bottom line is that we make games that we all want to play, and we keep our fingers and assorted body parts crossed, hoping that other people will want to play them too."

Missions vary in length, from the very short to the tediously drawn out. All of the areas are packed with bad guys, and defeating them takes an eternity, especially when it emerges that the Jin’ha are using Force-repelling armour. Between the start of the game and the boarding of the Trade Federation ship as mediators ­ in other words the starting point for the film ­ Obi-Wan’s missions involve defeating ceaseless hordes of enemies and finding his way through idiotic puzzles. Often these consist of jumping down from ledge to ledge and not falling to certain death, a task made agonizing by the blurry low-resolution textures all over the huge passageways and tunnels."

"Being an Imperial Storm Trooper is a hazardous occupation at the best of times, what with the constant threat of Rebel attack and meddling Jedi knights. Statistically though, your average grunt should be more worried about the risk of accidents in the workplace than being killed by marauding revolutionaries. After receiving an anonymous tip-off from a union rep, we called in the Health & Safety Executive to examine a random sampling of Imperial facilities. What we discovered was truly shocking..."

'Dungeon Siege' Takes Players on the Ultimate Adventure
Microsoft and Gaming Visionary Chris Taylor Deliver the Highly Anticipated 'Dungeon Siege'
REDMOND, Wash., April 8 -- Microsoft Corp. today announced that the breakthrough role-playing game "Dungeon Siege" is on store shelves. "Dungeon Siege," developed by Gas Powered Games Corp. and Chris Taylor, who created the award-winning "Total Annihilation," is one of the most highly anticipated games of 2002.
Combining the strongest elements of fantasy role-playing with over-the-top intensity and nonstop action, "Dungeon Siege" features advanced graphics technology that showcases a lush 3-D world with unprecedented realism and handcrafted detail. From a flourishing, vibrant forest to a deep, subterranean cavern, "Dungeon Siege" allows players to journey through breathtaking landscapes in a completely seamless world. Players are never removed from their immersion in the game to stop and watch a loading screen.
"All of us here at Gas Powered Games have been looking forward to this day for a long time, and we are thrilled to finally see the game on store shelves," said Chris Taylor, president and founder of Gas Powered Games and lead designer of "Dungeon Siege." "I want to thank everyone for the continuous support and all the kind words this last year as we pressed toward the finish line. We sincerely hope that everyone has as much fun playing the game as we did making it."
"Dungeon Siege" is the first title developed by Gas Powered Games for Microsoft Game Studios. The game is so highly anticipated and well-received that gamers are already asking about sequels and add-ons.
"With 'Dungeon Siege,' Chris Taylor and Gas Powered Games have realized their dream of creating a beautiful, challenging and seamless world to game in," said Stuart Moulder, general manager of Microsoft Game Studios. "This title furthers Microsoft's strategy to expand into new categories with strong triple-A titles that provide players with fun gameplay experiences."
Players explore the world of "Dungeon Siege" with parties of up to eight characters. Beginning as a humble farmer, players join forces with additional characters as they embark on the single-player campaign. Players can use their strength to become a mighty fighter, journey as a nimble archer, or develop their mental prowess to become a powerful magic-caster. They also can step into highly engrossing, visually spectacular battles, choosing from among more than 1,000 types of weapons and armor and more than 100 spells.
"Dungeon Siege" offers players innovative multiplayer experiences. In addition to allowing them to replay the single-player campaign in the multiplayer mode, "Dungeon Siege" invites players to enter a completely separate multiplayer world, the Utraean Peninsula, which is nearly twice the size of its single-player counterpart. The vastness of the Utraean Peninsula, along with its all-new quests and adventures, provides players with nearly endless opportunities for gameplay. Utilizing the "Dungeon Siege" multiplayer system, up to eight gamers can join together to play, explore and battle via ZoneMatch, the Internet or a local area network (LAN).
"Dungeon Siege" also will offer a revolutionary game design tool, the Siege Editor, which will be available shortly after release. The Siege Editor will enable players to create completely new, adventure-filled worlds for an endless number of battles. It will give players the freedom to rework many aspects of the game, making "Dungeon Siege" not only a game, but a role-playing platform for those who want to create their own dungeons, spells, AI and story sequences to share with other players.
More information on "Dungeon Siege" is available online at . "Dungeon Siege" is available in stores or on the Internet at for an estimated retail price of $49.95 and runs on PCs with Microsoft® Windows® 98, Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me), Windows 2000 or Windows XP operating systems.

Gamespot has just put up a six page previews of Age of Mythology. I hadn't read much about AoM before this article, but after reading it I'm to think this game might be pretty good =). Don't believe me, well here is one of the more wierder aspects to AoM.

"Age of Empires veterans might be confused the first time they play a Norse culture. For starters, Norse villagers do not build. All they do is gather resources. That's why they're called gatherers. Instead, infantry units actually build the Norse buildings. Street elaborates, "Any Norse infantry unit can build. This has some amazing gameplay ramifications: Norse towns tend to sprawl across the map because a scouting ulfsark will just drop houses wherever he is exploring. Norse players are forward builders par excellence. Norse are great at claiming settlements because as soon as they knock down an [enemy] town center, the same units can build a new one in its place."

First up Pillars and Rooks have been interviewed on warbucket, =/ an interesting site that just might do well with a better layout, and not so many wierd pictures.

AI in the game is probably the best I have seen this year, it’s to the point that Storm Troopers or whomever it is that’s after you at that moment will actually spread apart and attempt to surround you, they also do an amazing job of placing themselves very strategically to ensure they give it to you as best as possible.

Strategy First has become one of the leading publishers of wargames, and so Hearts of Iron fits very well into our line-up, says Steve Wall, V.P., Business Development for Strategy First. Although Hearts of Iron is a strategy game, its theme revolves around one of the most infamous wars in history. It is a beautiful game that really brings back to life the strategies and tactics that were used during battle. We are pleased to be working with Paradox on this title and look forward to its release later this year.

"The biggest war of the last century will finally get the grand strategic treatment that gamers all around the world have waited for. Hearts of Iron represents a breakthrough in the genre and with Strategy First behind it we know it will receive the attention it deserves." says Fredrik Malmberg, Executive Director at Paradox Entertainment.

Hearts of Iron is one of the first WWII PC games to encompass such a grand strategic scope. The game map spans the entire world, including all nations between 1936  1946. The game allows players to take the War to any new front of their own choosing, while focusing primarily on the epic struggle between the great alliances of the New World Orders  Fascism, Communism and Democracy. Players are able to modify and construct their own settings and campaigns with the games scenario generator, which offers thousands of combinations, not to mention hours of gameplay.

Developed by the same team behind the award winning Europa Universalis series, Hearts of Iron features a highly advanced research model that allows players to acquire more powerful weapons through the course of the war; a unique political system that includes historical generals and political leaders that has a direct effect on neutral nations; over 100 different ground, air and naval forces; and multiplayer mode over the Internet.

Players must find the right balance between strategy and tactics to achieve victory in what some are saying is one of the most exciting WWII strategy games to look out for this year!

On Thursday, April 4, from 5pm to 6pm PST, Gas Powered Games president Chris Taylor will be in the Zone Theater Chat Room to talk about Dungeon Siege, slated to hit store shelves Friday. To participate in the chat and go behind the scenes of Dungeon Siege, click "Chats & Events" on the navigation bar across the top of any Zone.com page, and then click "Chat Rooms" and "Zone Theater Chat" in the room list.

Chris Taylor has spent more than a decade creating and designing video games. In May of 1998, Taylor founded Gas Powered Games on the east side of Seattle and immediately began work on Dungeon Siege, being published by Microsoft. His portfolio includes such classics as Hardball II, 4D Boxing, Triple Play Baseball, and the critically acclaimed Total Annihilation RTS title. Dungeon Siege, the company's first game, has already gone gold and will be available in stores on April 5 for an estimated retail price of $49.99 (U.S.).

Dungeon Siege is an action fantasy role-playing game featuring an immersive fully 3-D environment. The game plunges players into a continuous 3-D fantasy world on a quest to stop a mysterious evil that has been unleashed. Beginning with a single character, players can travel through the world and gather a party of up to eight characters, or choose to face the challenge alone. The action role-playing in Dungeon Siege propels players into one over-the-top battle after another as the storyline unfolds.

What's new :
1) Supreme Ruler 2010 Progress Report...
Unfortunately we are no longer on track for a Late Q2 '02 completion. Many changes have been made in the last month to enhance the gameplay. Some of these changes have been small and cosmetic, but others have been Major! In any case, our goal remains that Supreme Ruler 2010 will be released as soon as possible, but NOT before it is the best product we can make it! While this year still remains the target, if we feel that the game is not yet ready, we will not hesitate to further postpone release.

On a far more positive note --- One of the biggest issues remaining in the User Interface had been deciding the Hows and Whats of the Diplomacy Interface. This has now been worked out and has gone to the testing stage. We will be making further details of this available soon, but to our knowledge, Supreme Ruler 2010 will have the most flexible and powerful diplomatic model available in any strategy game with allowance for Economic / Military Treaties, Exchanges, Alliances, Anonymous Support (want to prop up a week neighbour in their fight with your enemy?), and much more!

The Scenario Tree has been finalized --- now we just have to finish all those maps!!! As has been mentioned before, the research needed to accurately portray each World Region is quite extensive... but creating a compelling and accurate story-line for each Region can be even more of a challenge! With this in mind, we have been recruiting subscribers from various geographic regions around the world to assist in this --- telling us what local issues have in the past and are likely to in the future cause the most friction etc...

One of the accomplishments of the past month has been the "Pathing" in Supreme Ruler 2010. The algorithms are complete and the detail is fantastic! We even take into account Air and Sea Transports! Watch as Tank Divisions rendezvous in ports with Transport Ships to begin hazardous sea crossings! (Transport vehicles, both Air and Naval, will automatically path
to where they are needed.)

2) Developer Diaries
In September we began posting Developer Diaries to the GAMESPY.COM website.
It goes into detail on the various Hex Upgrades that can be added to the map --- from Resource Upgrades such Oil Wells, Agriculture Farms, Coal Power stations, Desalination Plants, etc... to Military Bases, Airports, Seaports, and even Launch Sites (for satellites and less friendly fare!)

3) New Screenshots!
There has been a bunch of new Screen Shots added to the web site as well over the past few weeks. Some of them illustrate both the "Pathing" and the Hex Upgrades mentioned in the preceding two.

Sydney, 4 April 2002 - The crazy orange bandicoot is back! Crash Bandicoot, one of the best-selling games in the history of the Sony PlayStation®, makes its explosive debut for Nintendo Game Boy® Advance, in Crash Bandicoot XS. Distributed by Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing, Crash Bandicoot XS is available now at all leading computer stores across Australia for RRP $79.95.

Created by acclaimed developer Vicarious Visions, Crash Bandicoot XS marks the first time Crash has been developed for a handheld game system. The game sets out to accomplish what the hugely popular Crash series achieved on the PlayStation console- to establish itself as one of the top Game Boy Advance franchises and push the limits of the GBA hardware.

Crash Bandicoot XS contains 20 levels featuring six unique locations that take Crash anywhere from the Mayan Jungle to frigid Arctic Caverns. The game also features gameplay modes ranging from side-scrolling to 3D chase levels to aerial dogfight combat sequences. The variety in presentation styles and gameplay is a hallmark of the Crash franchise and is featured throughout the game, another first for the GameBoy Advance.

"Crash is one of the most recognised characters in the world of video games and is perfectly suited to the Game Boy Advance," said Colin Brown, marketing director at Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing. "The franchise will continue to capture enthusiasts of the action/platform genre as well as new fans of the Game Boy Advance."

In the new game, Crash will embark on a wild adventure as once again he is pitted against his arch-nemesis, the evil Dr. Neo Cortex. Orbiting high above Earth, Cortex has decided to abandon his fixation on our hero and redirect his evil focus. Why did he get into the villain business in the first place? World Domination, of course! Using his latest invention, a massive shrinking ray, Cortex takes aim and fires at Earth, shrinking the planet and its inhabitants to the size of a grapefruit. Luckily, Crash's brilliant kid sister, Coco, is feverishly working on a machine to reverse the effects, but she needs crystals from around the world to power herinvention. It is up to Crash to retrieve the crystals and help return the entire planet to its natural state.