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GAME.NET News
Hiya folks
I know it is a Thursday but I thought I best send out this Newsletter a day earlier than normal, this mainly because if you should see anything below that takes your fancy the last GAME order date to be guaranteed delivery prior to Christmas is Saturday morning. Unfortunately this means that I haven't got any service or server news for you this week, although if you are a Halo player then check the Patches section below as it is quite possible that our servers will be updated on Friday to the new version that came out this week.
What's On
Sunday 21st December 2003
Operation Flashpoint @ 14:00
Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy @ 15:00
Counter-Strike @ 20:00
Monday 22nd December 2003
Call of Duty @ 19:00
Half-Life: Team Fortress Classic @ 21:00
Tuesday 23rd December 2003
Battlefield 1942 @ 20:30
Wednesday 24th December 2003
Natural Selection @ 19:00
Battlefield 1942: Desert Combat @ 21:00
Files and Patches
Trailers
A fairly quiet week this one with the notable exception of another deluge of Patches, meanwhile on the Trailer front we have a trio of war games previewed with the loveliest looking being this 44 MB trailer for the already released Combat Mission: Desert Rats v Afrika Korps. The trailer is really most impressive to look at and if you have yet to pick up this WW2 RTS game it certainly does appear it could be worth the money for eye candy alone. Also fairly decent to look at is Massive Assault, like Combat Mission it is already available in the shops and this 56 MB trailer includes a narrated look at a mission from the turn-based strategy game. If you want to really get down and dirty though BattleField Vietnam will give you close up in your face action, released next year a couple of small and quite grainy looking trailers for the game have been made public and can be downloaded here.
The violence continues in my next trailer for you with a further look at upcoming FPS game Far Cry. This game has been hyped up as something a bit special and it certainly does appear that the AI and physics in it will be amongst the best we have seen from an FPS game for quite some time. Those aspects are exactly what is shown off in a new 38 MB trailer for the game, this time without the annoying German voice-over although a few of the sequences will be recognised by those who have seen previous trailers. Brand new stuff comes in the shape of a scene setting movie for Hitman: Contracts, the third game in the popular Hitman series and one that I am looking forward to having played Hitman 2 to completion, the small movie not including much in-game footage but fairly well put together. My final trailer this week ends the section on a more peaceful note with a fly-thru of some of The Sims 2 environments from the sequel to end all sequels, in my opinion the movie is not hugely impressive but then I've always found The Sims about as stimulating as taking two cyanide tables before bed so I'm probably not the best person to pass judgement on them.
Playable Demos
Just three demos for you this week, all of them having a strategy element involved but even if RTS games are not your thing I would still recommend checking at least one of them out as they all should pass a fair chunk of your time. Starting off with the largest of the trio and that is for Spellforce, the RPG / RTS game that is already out here in the UK and now giving you a chance to get hands-on with a massive 307 MB demo. You can download the demo by clicking here, it contains single player, multiplayer and tutorial missions and the ability to control a couple of races and their heroes. Whilst being less than half the size a 139 MB playable demo for Massive Assault arguably includes far more content with 5 training missions, 3 scenarios, 4 replays and a World War situation. All told there are over 5 hours of gameplay in that demo alone, but should you still not be satisfied then feel free to grab this 141 MB demo for Squad Assault: Western Front, this WW2 RTS game out already in the UK (I think) and the demo allows you to play both as the Nazis and the Allies, whilst also supporting online play. One thing to note though, should you still be stuck in the stone ages and have your PC peddling along on Win 98 or ME then you will need this small patch to get the demo working properly.
Game Patches
With not much to do other than watch their money role in from the massive increase in game sales at Christmas it seems a number of game developers are taking the chance to update their pride & joys this week with a phenomenal amount of patches being made public. I'll start off with the FPS games and a second patch for Halo in as many weeks, taking the game to v1.031 the small update fixes some miscellaneous issues along with improving the server variables to stop those people who find team killing teh funneh. Next up is a patch for Deus Ex: Invisible War, although not released in this country the original had a large fan base so some of you may have imported the sequel and if you do posses a copy then the you should get the tiny v1.1 update, various issues corrected in it with the main thing to note being an improvement in how the mouse responds.
It is around this time of year that the Disney cartoon classics get trotted out as potential Christmas gifts but if you'd rather shoot Bambi than watch it prance about on your TV then you may own a copy of Deer Hunter 2004, the latest incarnation of the hugely popular (in America anyhow) hunting game. If you are one such person then an early Christmas present has come your way from the developers in the shape of a v1.1 patch, whilst small in size there are a host of improvements made with network play and Win 98 / ME compatibility perhaps the most notable. In addition to this you can now create your own wilderness thanks to a 20 MB Map Editor, on the other hand if you would rather kill people than innocent animals then I'd recommend grabbing the latest IGI 2 Beta Patch, the small v1.2 to v1.3 update includes anti-cheat goodness and also claims to improve the FPS you get in the game.
Fancy yourself as the next head of Railtrack? If so then the chances are that you will own a copy of either RailRoad Tycoon 3 or Trainz 2004, just a couple of the numerous railway sims to be released this year. In the case of a former a small new patch has been released and, despite being very small in size, v1.03 includes a couple of major gameplay adjustments with stronger AI and lower passenger / mail numbers later in games making it tougher to win scenarios. With further changes to all aspects of the game and some new user interfaces this is a must have patch for anyone who has a copy installed. The same is also true for those of you running Trainz with the massive Service Pack 1 containing a host of new stuff and general improvements to the retail version of the game. This patch is a little trickier as it comes in two different flavours, you need to pick the one that is right for yourself depending on what version of the retail game you have. If you are running v668 then click here to get the v2035 update, whilst if you are running v690 then click here to get the v2035 update, the first being over 100 MB and the second being just over 90 MB.
Proper RTS games up next with two of the big hitters get a fresh coat of paint this week. The first to mention is C&C Generals expansion pack Zero Hour, this game has been out a while but the patch appears to be worth the wait with the relatively small v1.01 including 11 new maps and also featuring a variety of minor bug fixes that apply mainly to the missions and multiplayer experienced where certain bugs or anomalies have been found. Blizzard hit back immediately with a new patch for Warcraft 3 and the Frozen Throne expansion pack, the new version fixing some balance issues and map bugs but the majority of changes are reserved for the editor of the game with a number of fixes and new features on that front. To get the new version you need to click here for the original game or here for Frozen Throne, both files being around 17 MB in size.
Next up are a couple of RPG games, the first being the relatively unknown Prince of Qin. I have to admit to personally not having followed this game but if you should have a copy the new version is v1.26 and includes a number of key bug fixes, including some that correct a couple of real show-stopping problems. Speaking of show-stoppers, the folks behind NeverWinter Nights made a right balls up this week when they released three new patches for their game and then had to release three more the next day to correct a key issue. Hopefully none of you got caught up in this mess and if you have yet to patch then we have the right versions now on our FTP. Whatever copy of the game you are running the new version is v1.61, to update the original game click here (71 MB), for Shadows of Undrentide click here (65 MB), whilst for Hordes of the Underdark click here (23 MB).
The final three patches I have for you cover a wide variety of genres, first up to bat being Pro Evo Soccer 3 with the small v1.30.100 update fixing a couple of bugs but, most importantly perhaps, improving the performance of the game on lower-end graphics cards. Pro Evo 3 has been out for a while but not out until next Friday is One Must Fall: Battlegrounds, this being an updated version of the classic combat game One Must Fall that I remember playing on one of my old PCs. Should you somehow already have a copy of the game, or perhaps just want to prepare for when you do get it, the v2095 patch is for you, under 10 MB in size I have no details to hand as to what it includes. Fortunately I do have more information about the bonus scenario released for Ghost Master this week, perhaps one of the most innovative games of the year seeing a 140 MB file released that claims to include a more rounded ending to the retail version of the game.
Mods
I think it must be because the universities and schools have been in session over the last couple of months that progress on mods has slowed down, this week the only news on that front I can bring you is an update to Quake 3 Arena mod Generations. This mod is notable for the fact that it brings together various aspects of Id software's numerous games, so you have characters from classics like DooM and Quake playing against each other. I'm not entirely sure what is in the new version but to download & play it you need the latest version of Quake 3, the 56 MB v0.99c of the mod and the 5 MB v0.99d update.
Special Offers
What with this being the week that the final film in the epic Lord of The Rings trilogy appears on a silver (or IMAX) screen near you it would be remiss of me not to point out some of the LoTR goodies available on our site. On the gaming front we do of course have a wide selection of the various LoTR inspired titles, including the RTS game War of the Ring and the adventure game Return of the King. If you'd rather prefer to do a bit of catching up before you head off to the movies to see the Return of the King then you can still nab the DVD of The Two Towers from our site in either the normal, extended or collectors editions.
All this week we are offering a special Deal of the Day, today's is Fifa 2004 for the PS2 at just £19.99 but the chances are we will sell out by the time you receive this Newsletter. Fear not though as there will be a new deal tomorrow and we will also have some special Christmas Crackers, so make sure you keep an eye out for them. In addition to this our sale will start next week (after the last order date for Christmas) so make sure you check back, from around Wednesday onwards.
Regards,
Dave "BigFoot" Angus
GAME.NET Community Liaison
If you need any help or have any questions, we have a page set up to help you.
Please don't reply to this e-mail - we have all the support you need ready for you elsewhere.
http://www.game.net/
http://www.game.uk.com/
To Unsubscribe from this Community Newsletter simply go to this page, Logon and click the Unsubscribe button.
GAME.NET News
Hiya folks
I know it is a Thursday but I thought I best send out this Newsletter a day earlier than normal, this mainly because if you should see anything below that takes your fancy the last GAME order date to be guaranteed delivery prior to Christmas is Saturday morning. Unfortunately this means that I haven't got any service or server news for you this week, although if you are a Halo player then check the Patches section below as it is quite possible that our servers will be updated on Friday to the new version that came out this week.
What's On
Sunday 21st December 2003
Operation Flashpoint @ 14:00
Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy @ 15:00
Counter-Strike @ 20:00
Monday 22nd December 2003
Call of Duty @ 19:00
Half-Life: Team Fortress Classic @ 21:00
Tuesday 23rd December 2003
Battlefield 1942 @ 20:30
Wednesday 24th December 2003
Natural Selection @ 19:00
Battlefield 1942: Desert Combat @ 21:00
Files and Patches
Trailers
A fairly quiet week this one with the notable exception of another deluge of Patches, meanwhile on the Trailer front we have a trio of war games previewed with the loveliest looking being this 44 MB trailer for the already released Combat Mission: Desert Rats v Afrika Korps. The trailer is really most impressive to look at and if you have yet to pick up this WW2 RTS game it certainly does appear it could be worth the money for eye candy alone. Also fairly decent to look at is Massive Assault, like Combat Mission it is already available in the shops and this 56 MB trailer includes a narrated look at a mission from the turn-based strategy game. If you want to really get down and dirty though BattleField Vietnam will give you close up in your face action, released next year a couple of small and quite grainy looking trailers for the game have been made public and can be downloaded here.
The violence continues in my next trailer for you with a further look at upcoming FPS game Far Cry. This game has been hyped up as something a bit special and it certainly does appear that the AI and physics in it will be amongst the best we have seen from an FPS game for quite some time. Those aspects are exactly what is shown off in a new 38 MB trailer for the game, this time without the annoying German voice-over although a few of the sequences will be recognised by those who have seen previous trailers. Brand new stuff comes in the shape of a scene setting movie for Hitman: Contracts, the third game in the popular Hitman series and one that I am looking forward to having played Hitman 2 to completion, the small movie not including much in-game footage but fairly well put together. My final trailer this week ends the section on a more peaceful note with a fly-thru of some of The Sims 2 environments from the sequel to end all sequels, in my opinion the movie is not hugely impressive but then I've always found The Sims about as stimulating as taking two cyanide tables before bed so I'm probably not the best person to pass judgement on them.
Playable Demos
Just three demos for you this week, all of them having a strategy element involved but even if RTS games are not your thing I would still recommend checking at least one of them out as they all should pass a fair chunk of your time. Starting off with the largest of the trio and that is for Spellforce, the RPG / RTS game that is already out here in the UK and now giving you a chance to get hands-on with a massive 307 MB demo. You can download the demo by clicking here, it contains single player, multiplayer and tutorial missions and the ability to control a couple of races and their heroes. Whilst being less than half the size a 139 MB playable demo for Massive Assault arguably includes far more content with 5 training missions, 3 scenarios, 4 replays and a World War situation. All told there are over 5 hours of gameplay in that demo alone, but should you still not be satisfied then feel free to grab this 141 MB demo for Squad Assault: Western Front, this WW2 RTS game out already in the UK (I think) and the demo allows you to play both as the Nazis and the Allies, whilst also supporting online play. One thing to note though, should you still be stuck in the stone ages and have your PC peddling along on Win 98 or ME then you will need this small patch to get the demo working properly.
Game Patches
With not much to do other than watch their money role in from the massive increase in game sales at Christmas it seems a number of game developers are taking the chance to update their pride & joys this week with a phenomenal amount of patches being made public. I'll start off with the FPS games and a second patch for Halo in as many weeks, taking the game to v1.031 the small update fixes some miscellaneous issues along with improving the server variables to stop those people who find team killing teh funneh. Next up is a patch for Deus Ex: Invisible War, although not released in this country the original had a large fan base so some of you may have imported the sequel and if you do posses a copy then the you should get the tiny v1.1 update, various issues corrected in it with the main thing to note being an improvement in how the mouse responds.
It is around this time of year that the Disney cartoon classics get trotted out as potential Christmas gifts but if you'd rather shoot Bambi than watch it prance about on your TV then you may own a copy of Deer Hunter 2004, the latest incarnation of the hugely popular (in America anyhow) hunting game. If you are one such person then an early Christmas present has come your way from the developers in the shape of a v1.1 patch, whilst small in size there are a host of improvements made with network play and Win 98 / ME compatibility perhaps the most notable. In addition to this you can now create your own wilderness thanks to a 20 MB Map Editor, on the other hand if you would rather kill people than innocent animals then I'd recommend grabbing the latest IGI 2 Beta Patch, the small v1.2 to v1.3 update includes anti-cheat goodness and also claims to improve the FPS you get in the game.
Fancy yourself as the next head of Railtrack? If so then the chances are that you will own a copy of either RailRoad Tycoon 3 or Trainz 2004, just a couple of the numerous railway sims to be released this year. In the case of a former a small new patch has been released and, despite being very small in size, v1.03 includes a couple of major gameplay adjustments with stronger AI and lower passenger / mail numbers later in games making it tougher to win scenarios. With further changes to all aspects of the game and some new user interfaces this is a must have patch for anyone who has a copy installed. The same is also true for those of you running Trainz with the massive Service Pack 1 containing a host of new stuff and general improvements to the retail version of the game. This patch is a little trickier as it comes in two different flavours, you need to pick the one that is right for yourself depending on what version of the retail game you have. If you are running v668 then click here to get the v2035 update, whilst if you are running v690 then click here to get the v2035 update, the first being over 100 MB and the second being just over 90 MB.
Proper RTS games up next with two of the big hitters get a fresh coat of paint this week. The first to mention is C&C Generals expansion pack Zero Hour, this game has been out a while but the patch appears to be worth the wait with the relatively small v1.01 including 11 new maps and also featuring a variety of minor bug fixes that apply mainly to the missions and multiplayer experienced where certain bugs or anomalies have been found. Blizzard hit back immediately with a new patch for Warcraft 3 and the Frozen Throne expansion pack, the new version fixing some balance issues and map bugs but the majority of changes are reserved for the editor of the game with a number of fixes and new features on that front. To get the new version you need to click here for the original game or here for Frozen Throne, both files being around 17 MB in size.
Next up are a couple of RPG games, the first being the relatively unknown Prince of Qin. I have to admit to personally not having followed this game but if you should have a copy the new version is v1.26 and includes a number of key bug fixes, including some that correct a couple of real show-stopping problems. Speaking of show-stoppers, the folks behind NeverWinter Nights made a right balls up this week when they released three new patches for their game and then had to release three more the next day to correct a key issue. Hopefully none of you got caught up in this mess and if you have yet to patch then we have the right versions now on our FTP. Whatever copy of the game you are running the new version is v1.61, to update the original game click here (71 MB), for Shadows of Undrentide click here (65 MB), whilst for Hordes of the Underdark click here (23 MB).
The final three patches I have for you cover a wide variety of genres, first up to bat being Pro Evo Soccer 3 with the small v1.30.100 update fixing a couple of bugs but, most importantly perhaps, improving the performance of the game on lower-end graphics cards. Pro Evo 3 has been out for a while but not out until next Friday is One Must Fall: Battlegrounds, this being an updated version of the classic combat game One Must Fall that I remember playing on one of my old PCs. Should you somehow already have a copy of the game, or perhaps just want to prepare for when you do get it, the v2095 patch is for you, under 10 MB in size I have no details to hand as to what it includes. Fortunately I do have more information about the bonus scenario released for Ghost Master this week, perhaps one of the most innovative games of the year seeing a 140 MB file released that claims to include a more rounded ending to the retail version of the game.
Mods
I think it must be because the universities and schools have been in session over the last couple of months that progress on mods has slowed down, this week the only news on that front I can bring you is an update to Quake 3 Arena mod Generations. This mod is notable for the fact that it brings together various aspects of Id software's numerous games, so you have characters from classics like DooM and Quake playing against each other. I'm not entirely sure what is in the new version but to download & play it you need the latest version of Quake 3, the 56 MB v0.99c of the mod and the 5 MB v0.99d update.
Special Offers
What with this being the week that the final film in the epic Lord of The Rings trilogy appears on a silver (or IMAX) screen near you it would be remiss of me not to point out some of the LoTR goodies available on our site. On the gaming front we do of course have a wide selection of the various LoTR inspired titles, including the RTS game War of the Ring and the adventure game Return of the King. If you'd rather prefer to do a bit of catching up before you head off to the movies to see the Return of the King then you can still nab the DVD of The Two Towers from our site in either the normal, extended or collectors editions.
All this week we are offering a special Deal of the Day, today's is Fifa 2004 for the PS2 at just £19.99 but the chances are we will sell out by the time you receive this Newsletter. Fear not though as there will be a new deal tomorrow and we will also have some special Christmas Crackers, so make sure you keep an eye out for them. In addition to this our sale will start next week (after the last order date for Christmas) so make sure you check back, from around Wednesday onwards.
Regards,
Dave "BigFoot" Angus
GAME.NET Community Liaison
If you need any help or have any questions, we have a page set up to help you.
Please don't reply to this e-mail - we have all the support you need ready for you elsewhere.
http://www.game.net/
http://www.game.uk.com/
To Unsubscribe from this Community Newsletter simply go to this page, Logon and click the Unsubscribe button.