Monthly Archives: May 2006

Battlefield 1942

Battlegroup42 1.3 Released

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Anyone feel like going old-school for a bit?

The Battlegroup team has continued to work on their fantastic mod for Battlefield 1942 while they prepare an offereing for Battlefield 2. Version 1.3 was released earlier today and contains a large number of changes from the 1.2 version.

12 New Maps, including “Ghost Front” designed by Raze and Atomm(woohoo!)
5 Reworked maps
7 new maps with Co-op support
20 new weapons including Molotov Cocktail, Incendiary Grenade, M14 Thermite Grenade which are effective sabotage tools.
Many new effects and sounds.

Visit the Battlegroup42 website for download and installation info, as well as a detailed change list.

I know our friends over at the Napalm Cowboys Clan are running BG 1.3 on their “-=NC=- Bar and Grille” server. IP is 209.130.203.110 so go and give it a try.

Unreal Tournament

New Helmet

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Fans of Helmet will be happy to know they are releasing a new album on July 18th titled Monochrome. Here is the song list.

Swallowing Everything
Brand New
Bury Me
Monochrome
On Your Way Down
Money Shot
Gone
Almost Out Of Sight
Howl
410
Goodbye

Videos

Ministry Calling It Quits…. Soon.

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Fans of Ministry better hurry if they want to see them live. Al Jougensen is ready to move on.

“Ive got other things to do,” Jourgensen explains. “I just started a label (13th Planet Records), and I want to sign some bands and really build it up like I did with WaxTrax in the 80s, not just a vanity label. I think its time — and Ill be leaving on the top of my game instead of hanging on too long and doing crappy Aerosmith and Rolling Stones albums 30 years later.”

Full Scoop: Billboard.com

GR1 Heavy Metal

Top 13 Tracks As Of May 29, 2006

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# Artist Song Title Album
1 Disturbed Remember Believe
2 Drowning Pool Bodies Sinner
3 Slipknot My Plague (New Abuse Mix) Resident Evil Soundtrack
4 Slipknot Left Behind Iowa
5 Slipknot Duality Vol 3 (Subliminal Verses)
6 Slipknot Duality 9.0: Live [Disc 2]
7 Mudvayne Mercy, Severity The End of All Things to Come
8 Korn Word Up! Word Up! Radio Single
9 Disturbed Down With The Sickness The Sickness
10 Trapt Stand Up Someone In Control
11 Slipknot Vermilion Pt. 2 Vol 3 (Subliminal Verses)
12 Rammstein Sonne Mutter
13 Papa Roach Getting Away With Murder Getting Away With Murder

This list is generated weekly from a ranking based on your votes in the Live365 playlist window.

BFV WWII

Battlefield Conversion Team Announces Release!

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The server files should be available shortly at your favorite file website. Check back for mirror listings.

Server Files:
FileFront.com – Thanks Guys!

The full release will be sent to the file services on Thursday, June 1st.

Here is the read me.

==================================================================
Battlefield Vietnam(tm) World War II Mod Extended v0.9
Read Me File
February 12, 2006
==================================================================
The WW2 Mod Extended REQUIRES Battlefield Vietnam WW2 Mod v1.0 or higher to run.
The WW2 Mod REQUIRES Battlefield Vietnam v1.1 or higher to run.

KNOWN INSTALL ISSUES AND WORKAROUNDS

— 1.2 Patch and EAs WW2 Mod – If you have not installed the EAs WW2 mod, It is important
to install the 1.2 patch after installing the WW2 mod. If the WW2mod is installed
after the 1.2 patch, the WW2 mod will not function properly. To resolve this issue
install patch 1.2 again after you installed ww2 mod.

Continue reading Battlefield Conversion Team Announces Release! →

Battlefield 2

Game Browser Issues after the 1.3 Patch?

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EA has realized that there is a problem and may have actually found the solution.

Community Update – 5/25/06

Attention Soldiers and Server Admins!

After a thorough investigation into the issues plaguing the server browser after the 1.3 Update, we believe that a last minute update in the way the Battlefield servers and Gamespy servers communicate may be the cause.

We have decided to revert this change in an attempt eliminate these browser issues. Please note that no uninstalling or re-installing is required by players or server admins. All servers currently running must be restarted once this change has taken place.

Please also note that if you are experiencing CTD issues upon start up that any alternate-ranking redirections in your windows “Hosts” file must be removed.

The reversion will occur at 2:00 PST. We are continuing to review other issues players have noted with 1.3. Further updates will be posted to this space as they become available.”

Thank you,
/The team at Dice and EA

EA Community Update 5/25/06

Battlefield 2

Patch v1.3 For Battlefield 2 Released

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NEW FEATURES

* Air dropped vehicles: Squad members can now send a request up the chain of command for a vehicle to be dropped at their location.
* Co-op: Co-op Mode allows you to play Single Player levels on the Internet and LAN with both AI controlled bots and human players. Several new options have been created that will allow the server creator to modify how the bots behave in game.
* Number of Bots: This setting allows you to determine the total number of bots that will spawn in game.
* Bot Ratio: This setting allows you to determine the percentage of total bots that will spawn for each team. For example, setting this value to 25 means that 25% of the total bots will spawn in Team 1, and 75% in Team 2. Team 1 is always the MEC, Chinese, or their allies, while Team 2 is always the USA, EU, and their allies.
* Bot Difficulty: This setting determines the skill level of the bots. 10 is easiest, 100 is the most difficult.
* Default Kit Selection: The kit that you used last is remembered at the beginning of the round and between maps. Continue reading Patch v1.3 For Battlefield 2 Released →

Reviews

GameSpy Presents Top 10 PC Games of E3

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GameSpy has a round up of all the E3 goodness. In the first article, they list their top 10 picks for PC Games. I must say, 2006 may be a better year than I expected.

10. Medieval 2: Total War
9. Battlefield 2142 (Should we continue to support EAs BF Franchise?)
8. World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (Get out your tunicate)
7. Company of Heroes (This is an awesome looking WWII RTS)
6. Hellgate: London (From the makers of Diablo, comes a First Person RPG)
5. Crysis (From the makers of FarCry. Supports Ageias PhysX Processor)
4. Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (OH YEA!)
3. Supreme Commander (From Chris “Total Annihilation” Taylor)
2. Spore (Probably one of the most unique things EA has done in a long time. Then again, its actually from the Mind of Will “Sim City” Wright.
1. BioShock (This looks like an incredible original story driven game.)

After reading the article, I can tell you there should be some great games coming out this year. Personally, I am interested in the following:

Battlefield 2142
Company of Heroes
Hellgate: London
Crysis
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
BioShock

If I was still play WOW, I would definately be interested in The Burning Crusades.

How about you? Read the article and give us your thoughts on the upcoming releases. Do any of them sound interesting? What would you like to demo?

Up Yours

XMSR vs RIAA: The CEA Press Release

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Press Release

ARLINGTON, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May 17, 2006–

The following statement was issued today by Consumer Electronics Association (CEA(R)) Vice President of Government Affairs Michael Petricone regarding the lawsuit filed yesterday against XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. by a group of record labels:

“Here they go again. The record industry is returning to the courts in their non-stop efforts to stop new technology, neuter existing products, frustrate consumers and make illegal long-standing consumer home recording activities. Their new target is XM Satellite Radio, one of Americas top technology success stories of the new millennium. XMs only offense is providing legal and exciting programming options to millions of Americans, while opening new revenue and promotional opportunities for the recording industry.

“The lawsuit announced yesterday is a brazen effort by the labels to strong-arm more money from a successful technology industry startup. XM Radio already is the largest single payer of digital music broadcast royalties. More, the record labels receive royalties on every XM recording device sold as provided by Congress under the Audio Home Recording Act (AHRA).
“Through this lawsuit, the record industry is trying to block private, noncommercial recording off the radio–an activity which Americans have enjoyed for decades, has always been considered legal, and in this case has been expressly recognized by Congress, in the AHRA, as protected from lawsuit.

“The record companies cut a deal, embodied in legislation, which said digital audio recording devices are legal if they do not allow copies of copies. And, throughout their pursuit of the Grokster case, the labels insisted that they had no intention of threatening the sort of in-home, private, noncommercial recording enabled by the devices under question in this suit.
“The products at issue in this lawsuit do not allow redistribution over the Internet or to any other product. They simply allow consumers to time-shift music they are lawfully receiving through subscription fees – fees that support the royalty payments to the labels. No matter how hard the record labels try to stretch the truth, XM has zero resemblance to the old Napster or other peer-to-peer file sharing services. Continue reading XMSR vs RIAA: The CEA Press Release →

Hot Off The Presses

Age of Conan Wins Best MMO of E3 Awards

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Durham, USA — May 22, 2006 – Funcom is proud to announce that ‘Age of Conan’
received multiple E3 awards as the ‘Best Game of Show’ in the MMO genre. The game
went on to win awards from the three world leading gaming websites IGN, Gamespot and
Gamespy.

Gamespot awarded the game ‘Best Massively Multiplayer Game’ of E3 and said “based on
what we saw it’s the most promising massively multiplayer game in development
today”. Gamespy awarded the game ‘Best MMO’ of E3, and stated “every time we see it,
it manages to look better and better.” IGN handed out two awards for Conan, both as
the best overall MMO as well as the best PC MMO, and reasoned “When you talk about
the greatest fantasy writers of the 20th century, theres no disputing the two names
at the top of the list: J.R.R. Tolkien and Robert E. Howard …Weve been waiting for
an authentic Conan game for a long time and Funcoms certainly on track to deliver
an experience worthy of the license.”

Click Here to read more…

GR1 Heavy Metal

Top 13 Tracks As Of May 22, 2006

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# Artist Song Title Album
1 Slipknot Duality Vol 3 (Subliminal Verses)
2 Disturbed Remember Believe
3 Slipknot Duality 9.0: Live [Disc 2]
4 Korn Thoughtless Untouchables
5 Velocity Engine First Time The Healing Pool
6 Disturbed Down With The Sickness The Sickness
7 Disturbed Awaken Believe
8 David Draiman of Disturbed Forsaken Queen Of The Damned
9 Slipknot Vermilion Pt. 2 Vol 3 (Subliminal Verses)
10 Slipknot My Plague (New Abuse Mix) Resident Evil Soundtrack
11 Slipknot Left Behind Iowa
12 Slipknot (SIC) Slipknot
13 Korn Did My Time Take A Look In The Mirror

This list is generated weekly from a ranking based on your votes in the Live365 playlist window.

Videos

A Glimpse Back in Time

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This is a little off the beaten path for our news, but I saw on the BoingBoing.net blog this morning a link to a YouTube video of The Velvet Undergrounds John Cale and Lou Reed performing the song Heroin in France in 1972. This is a rare glimpse at a performance of the band that influenced so much of Rock and Roll from the 1970s onward. The Velvet Underground was where (in my opinion) Rock discovered its dark side and was a true counterpoint to the relatively straight laced pop music at the time. How many other bands in the sixties can you think of that were singing about addiction, prostitutes, and murder among other taboo subjects? I first heard them in the mid-80s when I started exploring the “Alternative” music of the time. Every other artist mentioned them as an influence so I felt I needed to check them out. It was well worth it. Make sure you check out also check out some of the other videos there,especially the one with Nico signing Femme Fatale.

General

Finally, Someone Gets It!

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Deep down inside, I know there is an eloquent writer just waiting to be heard. Since my subconscious iD seems to have squashed that little guy like EA squashes independent game studios, I have no choice but to let others do my speaking for me.

Enter David Wong. His article, Life After the Video Game Crash covers his impressions of E3 and the brewing console wars. In it, he highlights what happened in the mid 80s when the first gaming crash occurred. He even predicts that crash is about to happen again. I agree with him, but I want to add one more thing to his great article. The more games that are made for PCs in conjunction with consoles, the further down into the pit of hell PC gaming will slip.

Case in point.

History says otherwise. History says that youd eventually get bored with the machine even if there wasnt a better one to replace it.

Lets take this a bit further.

Which brings us to today. Weve now advanced from realistic 3D to slightly prettier 3D and… even slightlier prettier 3D with slightly better reflection effects and slightly better animated water ripples and – oh, look! This game has the most realistic fog yet!

See the problem?

What does an art form that relies on novelty do when it can no longer offer up anything novel?

Does any particular PC game come to mind? Yea, pick one. Battlefield 2142194268-72, Quake MMMMCDXIX, UT2069? Bueller? Bueller?

Battlefield 1942 was popular because it was different from anything else out there. Battlefield 2142 is the same old wolf in sheeps clothing. It is this exact reason that I predict BF2142 will ultimately be the worst selling of the franchise.

I know… I know… You think I am just EA bashing. Well…. Ok, so I am. Can you blame me? Every time a company develops a hot property that breaks the mold, they buy it up and run it into the ground. To make matters worse, when was the last time EA developed a unique, original game?

Im saying both Sony and Microsoft will wind up losing money on their consoles this time around. Nintendo wont, because they quite frankly dont seem to have that much invested. I think the pool of gamers, for the first time in 20 years, will shrink.

If I remember correctly, EA lost money last quarter because of the delay of the next generation of consoles. EAs fate is inevitably tied to the guys mentioned above. As a gamer, and an older gamer at that, I am ready for my next fix. I dont count on these guys to provide it.

Or even worse, I may get to where I have to practice a game, working to make my skills sharper and sharper so I can rub victory in the face of annoying teenagers Ill never meet, feeling the pressure to log more and more hours in the game so I dont embarrass myself in matches. I dont want to do that. I want to relax. I want to play.

….I want something new, exciting, innovating and entertaining….! Not a rehash of the same crap with better water, fire and fog.

Can I get a Hallelujah, Amen Brother David!