Using the Lobby Client, a server browser, players can easily find other gamers to play with online. Denyusha, Co., Ltd., developer of ShadowFlare, has updated the Japanese version of ShadowFlare so that players can take part in network game play regardless of the language version they are using.
Korean and Chinese versions of ShadowFlare, which are due next year, will also allow players of those versions to join players around the globe in
online games. The international arena being created is the source of much excitement in the ShadowFlare community.

The other new ShadowFlare utility, the Item Catalog, will enable gamers to browse through the items they have collected or exchanged with other players. Players can use it to easily determine what items are missing from their collections and what items they may want to trade away.

-more-

ShadowFlare NewUtilities - Add 1

ShadowFlare: Episode One is currently on sale for US$ 14.99. The next episode will be released on December 10th. ShadowFlare: Episode One can be downloaded from the official ShadowFlare website at http://www.shadowflare.us/download.htm.

ShadowFlare is an action-oriented, role-playing shareware game that was released by Denyusha Co., Ltd. in Japan last October. Following its release, ShadowFlare became a craze among Japanese gamers. In ShadowFlare, players take on the roles of mercenaries that help survivors in turmoil and battle a multitude of creatures bent on stamping out humankind. As players adventure through dungeons and remote cities, their fighting skills grow, and eventually the choose their own destiny as a warrior, wizard, or hunter.

Some of the fixes and improvements for Patch V 1.13 include the following;

Take on the role of Fu Su and strive to learn the truth, plot revenge on your enemies and prevent your brother from controlling the dynasty.

The Halo Winter Season is a series of 4-man, single elimination tournaments held at iGames-affiliated game centers across North America. Single-elimination "Qualifying Tournaments" will be held on the weekends of November 2nd, December 14th, and January 11th at approximately one hundred iGames game centers. The Qualifying Tournaments shall consist of a single game type played until only four teams remain.

Michael Roark, Competitions Director for iGames as well as a game center owner states, “ We’re extremely excited about this upcoming Halo season. This is the first time iGames has worked directly with a group of Halo players to establish the tournament game regulations, which should please both players and center managers alike. This alliance with the players will help make for a smooth, fun time.”

The top four teams at each Qualifying Tournament will advance to one of eight Regional Tournaments where the big prizes and bragging rights are. The Grand Prize will be a trip for four to Electronic Entertainment Expo ’03 (E3). Also cash and goods will be up for grabs at the Winter Regional Round in February 2003.

Previews:

Previews

Interviews

Screenshots

Pleased to be signing the titles for North America, Asia and Australia, MD at Schanz International Consultants, Gerhard Schanz comments, “ the titles are a very interesting addition to our portfolio and will surely do well in the markets. We are looking forward to a long term partnership with the talented team of Tbox Works”.

Carlos Tamarit de Castro, Sales Manager at Tbox Works says, “Both games have been developed using the experience and advise of professional race drivers, so we obtained the real feeling of "speed"...it will satisfy the highest expectations for our partnership with Schanz International Consultants and their publishing partners”.

Rave Cart Racing offers an exhilarating experience in the world of feverish karting – drive, skid, brake, overtake, hug close to the curves and feel the speed like never before.

Dragster Racing presents innovative game play about a sport rarely dealt with in the world of videogames – the spectacular American Top Fuel Dragster Races, taking spectacle to the limits.

For more on Schanz International Consultants and Tbox:

The event, sponsored by Sierra, Intel Corporation, iGames, Prima Games, and FHM Magazine, will be open to the public and is the culmination of weeks of regional tournaments held at iGames centers around the country.

All local San Francisco gamers are encouraged to attend the tournament at Jillian's San Francisco in the Metreon (101 4th Street, San Francisco, California) and watch as the country's best Empire Earth gamers go head-to-head. The championship matches will begin at 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 19th and end at 8 p.m. Prizes from all of the tournament's sponsors will be given away to lucky spectators.

“We’re very excited that G.I. Combat is almost ready to go,” says Steve Milburn, Director of Marketing for Strategy First. “Eric Young and his team have managed to put out another great war game.”

From the designers behind the highly successful Close Combat series, which sold over a million units, G.I. Combat brings the wartime energy of Omaha beach to the PC with stunning 3D details, a plethora of legendary weapons, tanks and artillery, and a historical accuracy you’ve never seen before.

In G.I. Combat, players launch themselves into the dynamic 3D environment, grab hold of the most renowned weapons in history, including the MP-40 and the Thompson, and command some of World War II’s most powerful tanks and artillery such as the Jumbo Sherman, the Mark V Panther and the dreaded German 88. G.I. Combat lets PC gamers push back enemy offensives, lead assaults to capture key objectives and charge into the lush terrain of Normandy in one of the most historical battles of all time!

“We are very excited to have this game ready for full release,” says Steve Milburn, Director of Marketing for Strategy First. “I hope that everyone in and out of the flight sim community enjoys it as much as we do.”

From Tsuyoshi Kawahito (aka TK), the legendary lead designer behind Jane’s Longbow 2 and European Air War, Strike Fighters: Project 1 is set in the 1960s, a unique decade when aviation technology was still primitive, but advancing at a rapid pace. This historical era has been overlooked by flight sims – until now! Take control of some of the most renowned aircraft of the era, including the F-4 Phantom II, considered one of the most versatile combat aircraft of all time. Along with a historical timeframe, Strike Fighters: Project 1 has a thrilling Middle Eastern setting that puts gamers high above the now controversial desert sands.

Strike Fighters: Project 1 uses an all new “next generation” graphics engine that generates incredibly detailed images that transport you directly into the cockpit. But the ride doesn’t stop there! With its mod-friendly generator, Strike Fighters: Project 1 follows in the footsteps of games like Half-Life that offer gamers endless hours of new and exciting gameplay and replayability.

"I would say that game developers should take more risks, try not to copy the most successful titles just for a quick buck. Bucks are there to make by being creative; the audience is waiting for you to raise the bar. When it comes to music, don’t treat it like the last thing to slap in there. Music is more powerful than the images. When did you ever see a stadium move back and forth to a picture? But give them a beat, a groove a melody and the place will rock. So invest in things that will bring the greatest impact, music is one of the parts that will give that impact (or not). "

"The arrogance is quite astounding. Audacious questions are asked, coupled with accusing statements. Answers are of course expected, as
silence only ‘proves’ that the player in question is guilty of all charges, and of course not answering is arrogance. Naturally. The accuser uses venomous replies from the recipient to reaffirm suspicions,
or to back up a flim-flam argument that holds no water. He or she automatically assumes the right to brand you as a hacker despite playing the game for roughly, ooh, ten minutes. Don't forget you're not
allowed to use any gun available to you. Using AWP is lame. Waiting for someone to come round a corner is lame. Throwing grenades is lame."

Beta v1.7 was just released for limited testing and when finalized, will be the latest update to game available in time for the launch of the Macintosh version of the game in early November.

“It’s getting close to ‘go time’ for thousands of Mac players who are awaiting the release of the game. Soon they’ll get to join with the PC users on the virtual battlefields of Europe,” says Steve Milburn, Director of Marketing at Strategy First Inc.

Gigex and MSN’s Zone.com today announced a new service to provide Zone.com visitors with free access to the top 50 broadband video game trailers and demos. The collection of Xbox, PC and other game previews is available now at http://zone.msn.com/hub_downloads.asp The Gigex lists include many high quality, full screen console trailers, multiplayer PC games and demos. All downloads are available for free and without waiting times.

Based on the action-packed film that marked a generation, with exclusive rights to the MGM license, Platoon will bring all the real wartime events to today’s PC community for the first time ever.

“I loved the movie and I couldn’t be happier to be working on the game,” said Pro Sotos, Product Manager on Platoon. “It’s an easy game to jump into and its difficulty level raises just enough to keep it challenging.”

The Features…

· Covers the Vietnam War from 1965 to the height of battle in 1968.

· Tremendous visual effects such as character and object shadows, grass and explosion effects, environment mapping for reflective surfaces (windows, water and shiny metal) etc…

· Scalable level of detail system (L.O.D).

· Dynamic weather effects (wind, fog, rain, monsoons...).

· 3D terrain modeled on the Vietnamese countryside (elephant grass, rice paddy, jungle...).

· Particle system for explosion effects, smoke, fire etc…

· Control vehicles such as M113 Armored Personnel Carrier and M48 Patton Tank.

· Over 400 motion captured animations ensure realistic soldier movement.

· Soldier’s rank and abilities depend upon level of experience, and performance is continuously affected by the environment, terrain and combat situation.

· Includes a campaign and scenarios.

Q. Most of, if not all of your work is in the Sci Fi/Fantasy genre? Why or what influenced you
going into this genre?

A. “It really was a childhood love of fairy tales, mythology and certain books and film I encountered early on in childhood that set me on this path. One of the very first films I remembered seeing was “The Thief of Baghdad”. It was such a strong vivid experience watching this magical tale unfold I was hooked for life on stories with magic and fantasies from that point on. I began to discover a great love for folklore and mythology and legends from the books I found in the local library; I devoured them.”

Beta v1.7 was just released for limited testing and when finalized, will be the latest update to game available in time for the launch of the Macintosh version of the game in early November.

“It’s getting close to ‘go time’ for thousands of Mac players who are awaiting the release of the game. Soon they’ll get to join with the PC users on the virtual battlefields of Europe,” says Steve Milburn, Director of Marketing at Strategy First Inc.

WWII Online is still the first and only massively multiplayer first-person virtual battlefield that covers a ˝ scale map of Europe with accurate terrain modeling. It allows thousands of players to fight 24/7 in a persistent world in which character advancement and career paths provide a rich RPG layer, and strategic systems are driven by player missions and command structures. An extensive web-based player services package provided by www.playnet.com is integrated with gameplay. Players from around the world can take part in creating new history while fighting on the battlefields and in the skies of Europe.

World War II Online Mac Edition is an online combined arms simulation set in a relentless, action-packed environment where players can command and crew a variety of accurately modeled vehicles and aircraft, sling weapons, and fight as foot soldiers with and against thousands of other gamers. Set in the early war years, it includes equipment and major battle points: strongholds, fortresses, forests, rivers and more – much as it was on the battlefields of Europe.

World War II Online Mac Edition also contains special bonus items, such as a large foldout wall map of the game world, the official music track, and 20 original illustrations and wallpapers inspired by the game.

ShadowFlare is an action/role-playing shareware game that was released by Denyusha Co., Ltd. in Japan last October. Following its release, ShadowFlare became a craze among Japanese gamers. In ShadowFlare, players take on the roles of mercenaries that help survivors in turmoil and battle a multitude of creatures bent on stamping out humankind. As players adventure through dungeons and remote cities, their fighting skills grow, and eventually they choose their own destiny as a warrior, wizard, or hunter.

RPG Vault Divine Divinity Skills III
Developer Larian Studios offers a look at more magical skills, the Way of the Wizard - Powers of Body and Spirit.

RPG Vault Ryzom Images of the Week
This week's images from developer Nevrax show us a character and building from the mysterious Zorai race.
*Exclusives*

This is your chance to go undercover and see what really goes on in the real-life world of espionage! Be sure to log on to www.gamespy.com/nolf2giveaway on October 5, 2002 to enter the No One Lives Forever( 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way( Sweepstakes.

The Grand Prize includes:
* Trip for two to Washington D.C. (includes hotel transfers, 2 night's deluxe accommodations and hotel taxes)
* Two passes and VIP tour of the International Spy Museum
* Two seats on the Spy Drive Tour hosted by real-life former spies
* A pair of Predator 6x Night Vision Binoculars valued at over $2,500 from the Counter Spy Shop.
* Alienware Area 51M ultimate gaming laptop computer
* No One Lives Forever( 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way( Game
* Total Grand Prize Value - $8,400

After days of development and testing with the final Tribes 2 "Final Update" from Sierra, REV MOD 1.01 is now ready for servers to host and players to come and have a blast.

REV MOD is a vehicle-oriented, fast-paced "no download" CTF mod that is clean, bug-free and feature-packed. REV MOD strives to attain both fast-pace and balance, something that is no small achievement. The REV MOD development team consists of coders and game pros from around the world.

REV MOD 1.01 features a load of new maps. The Classic maps have been modified for REV MOD to include bot support, and Lexor has also included the much-anticipated BigWar 2 in this release.

American market just in time for Christmas.

Hitting store shelves on November 19th, UTC includes 2 CDs full of dynamic railroad gameplay that lets you not only create your own landscape, but collect and customize your locos and control as many trains as you and your PC can handle.

"Trainz impressed rail fans around the world with its combination of stunning graphics and easy layout construction," said Don McFatridge, President of Strategy First Inc. "We are delighted to have the opportunity to present this excellent upgrade in time for Christmas."

UTC brings a whole new dimension to gameplay with the introduction of challenging and compelling scenarios. From short passenger runs, to humpyard activities, to complex freight maneuvers, scenarios offer something for everyone. Performance is measured against scores or time limits, and play can vary between running a single engine, changing between multiple locos or operating as a switchman.

"The Ultimate Trainz Collection offers gamers and train fans more than just driving a train," said Tony Hilliam, Vice-President of Auran. "Working closely with our legion of loyal fans, we have improved our easy-to-use route editor and continued to add more content, more gameplay and more features. UTC also integrates closely with our Trainz Download Station making the collection and installation of new custom content a breeze.

We're excited by what our online community are already producing and are looking forward to the future as they invent new and imaginative ways of using this technology."