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GAME.NET News
Those of you who have been with us for a while will know that GAME.NET Multiplayer originates from the BarrysWorld service and that since GAME.NET was launched earlier this year we have been gradually moving across all remaining aspects of the service that were still hosted on BarrysWorld. This process is now entering its final stages with the launch of the new Clan Servers and as such most of the old BarrysWorld site has been closed off now and will redirect you to GAME.NET. The majority of you will not notice any difference as things such as Bookables, Web Hosting and Teams were moved across a while back but if you did happen to use the old site for anything, or perhaps still used the old forums to login, then you will have to find the appropriate sections on the GAME.NET site, or in the case of the forums start using http://forums.game.net.
This migration does not effect those of you with @barrysworld.com email addys, they should remain active for some time yet. If you do have any kind of problem because of this change feel free to use the Help section of the website, if you are still experiencing issues or just have a question about the migration then you can contact me through the Support Form, or by replying to this email.
The recently released WW2 FPS game Call of Duty properly arrives at GAME.NET this week with our game page now up and our Clan Servers fully supporting the game with already over 20 clans having purchased their own CoD server via us. We've also appointed a pair of Head GAME Masters with JBP and MikeC taking charge of our growing CoD community, they having already sorted out some useful information for you in the Call of Duty Forum. Not only this but they have organised two recurring community events for you, one for Subscribers Only on Mondays with a Preview game on the Thursdays helping to give you a chance to play with your fellow Subscribers against the public on what is already becoming one of the most popular games here @ GAME.NET. More details of these events can be found by clicking their links in the What's On section below.
As I've already mentioned our new Clan Server service has been running for about a week now and is already proving a great success, well worth a look if you haven't yet checked it out. If you've already purchased a Clan Server and would like to give us some feedback feel free to use the Clan Server forum, we've seen a rapid take up in the new servers but are of course always striving to improve it. I should also take this chance to mention that we are looking at the possibility of sponsoring a couple of clans or sites by way of further publicising the new service, if you think you have a team or a website that is a suitable candidate for sponsorship then reply back to this mail with some appropriate details.
Server Updates this week are as follows, links to files where needed can be found in the Files & Patches section below:
Vietcong updated to v1.40
Half-Life MetaMod plug-in updated to v1.17
Unreal Tournament 2003 mutator AntiTCC updated to v1.10
What's On
Sunday 23rd November 2003
Operation Flashpoint @ 14:00
Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy @ 15:00
Counter-Strike @ 20:00
Monday 24th November 2003
Elite Force II @ 19:00
*New Event* Call of Duty @ 19:00 *New Event*
Half-Life: Team Fortress Classic @ 21:00
Tuesday 25th November 2003
Battlefield 1942 @ 20:30
Vietcong @ 21:00
Wednesday 26th November 2003
Medal of Honor @ 19:00
Natural Selection @ 19:00
Battlefield 1942: Desert Combat @ 21:00
Thursday 27th November 2003
*New Event* Call of Duty @ 19:00 *New Event*
Half-Life: Day of Defeat @ 20:30
Half Life: Team Fortress Classic (TFC) @ 21:00
Files and Patches
Trailers
One of this year's most successful films has been Pirates of the Caribbean and perhaps it might inspire a few of you to look into forthcoming MMORPG game Pirates of the Burning Sea where you can take control of your own ship and pursue a career as a merchant or, as the name suggests, a cutthroat pirate. There's not been that much publicity for this game so far but a 37 MB trailer has been released this week showing off some of the basic graphics likely in the game, including the ship movements. If you'd rather not have your time cruising around the oceans interrupted by someone trying to steal your gold then the gorgeous looking Virtual Skipper 3 might be more up your street, this 39 MB trailer looks pretty impressive with various aspects of the game showcased. A demo for VS3 is also available this week, more details in the Demo section below.
Right that's enough of the pleasantries, now on to some proper carnage and a quite decent 52 MB trailer for the delayed Unreal Tournament 2004. I've been amongst the critics of the franchise idea that the game is trying to introduce but I have to admit to being impressed by this trailer. That said I'm not entirely sure it will appeal to FPS purists but the sheer manic nature that the gameplay looks to possess suggests to me that it could well be the sort of game that those of you who liked the idea (if not the execution) of C&C Renegades will be into, certainly it appearing to try and strike a balance between UT 2004's combat and something more "long-range" like Tribes 2. You can judge for yourself by clicking that trailer link, whilst more vehicle-based goodness can be viewed by downloading the 40 MB Manhattan Chase trailer. This driving / combat game sort of like UT2004 but set in the real world, more a story-based adventure game using the island for its map with you being able to play as either the cops or the bad guys, worth a look perhaps if you like games in the mould of Carmageddon.
Taking the vehicle theme one step forward is Universal Combat, a game with truly epic scope giving you the chance to play in space, on sea and on land either in vehicles or as a marine, all this in both third and first person perspectives. You can get an idea of what is involved in the space section of the game by downloading this 90 MB trailer that features a few clips of in-game footage, looks quite interesting although not really mind-blowing stuff. Of more interest to myself is Far Cry, this multi-platform FPS game has been getting rave previews with its engine especially being praised, a 28 MB German trailer has been released this week but is still worth grabbing with it featuring some nice segments of in-game footage. Quite a bit of in-game footage is included in this small trailer for upcoming 3rd-person action adventure game Alias, based of course on the hugely popular TV series of the same name starring the future Mrs. Angus aka Jennifer Garner. The 1st Season DVD Box-Set on my Christmas list but I'll have to wait until next year to get my hands on the game, I can't say the trailer is that great but it does look like the game will not cut corners as far as the violence is concerned.
Violence is certainly a theme that Lords of EverQuest likes to emphasise in its latest trailer, basically an updated version of the previous one but larger in size it is worth getting if you haven't looked into this game yet. I'd say exactly the same is true of the updated Prince of Persia trailer, you can grab it here but effectively it is just a larger version of the one I had for you in last week's Newsletter. I should mention that if you are considering getting the game for your console rather than your PC then we have a great deal in the Special Offers section below, whilst on a similar consoley-theme my final trailer is for Kao the Kangaroo 2, a very colourful platformer that will be available on the PC but is mainly aimed at the young console user. Having said that the trailer does look like the game will be a good laugh so if I ever get my GameCube I'll maybe have a look at getting this one when it is released.
Playable Demos
Loads of demos for you this week, in fact I think this is one of the busiest weeks of the year in terms of demos which is probably due to the impending Christmas rush for games to go under the tree as gifts. If you do happen to go out shopping rather than ordering from the comfort of your armchair then be careful what Taxi's you get into as you might find yourselves thrown into a real life version of Taxi Racer, two sequels to this driving game having demos released this week. The first to mention is Taxi Racer London 2, the 69 MB demo allowing you to play four missions and one multiplayer mode from the full game that sees you speeding, crashing and jumping around England's capital city. Taxi Racer New York 2 has a similar demo out, coming in at 89 MB this one allows you to play the same sort of missions from the Americanised version of the game. If however you'd rather build your own track than be confined to real-world environments then Track Mania is the game for you and a 55 MB updated demo for this game has been released, giving you two pre-built maps but also the chance to create your own and play either on your own or against other players. We'll be looking to support this game on the GAME.NET service hopefully so I definitely recommend having a look, the full release of the game scheduled for next Friday.
If cars aren't your thing then how about a trio of air-combat demos? I'll start off with the pair from World War II, the first being a budget title called Dogfight: Battle of the Pacific (aka Pacific Warriors II), the 97 MB demo allowing you to play three missions from the full game with two aircraft to chose from. Moving across to the European conflict from that war and Secret Weapons Over Normandy, the full game available next Friday and featuring 20 aircraft spread across 30 missions. The game actually does have a wider scope than just fighting over France, if you'd like to have a look for yourself click here to download the 160 MB demo that includes a tutorial and one mission from the game. If modern-day aircraft are more your thing then JetFighter 5 will be more your cup of tea and a 127 MB demo for this story-driven flight-sim has been released this week, an extensive demo at that with a tutorial, three missions and a campaign mission all included.
Moving at Mach 2 isn't for everyone though and if you prefer cruising the ocean waves then a playable demo for Virtual Skipper 3 will appeal, nice to see that the 61 MB demo takes us UK residents into consideration with the single / multiplayer race featured being around Wight Island in England. If even the thought of doing any kind of racing makes you ill then how about a nice relaxing game of snooker? World Championship Snooker 2003 is released next Friday and features all the international stars of the game playing across 11 different arenas, the 90 MB demo allowing you to play some practice games of snooker / pool as Ronnie O'Sullivan and also make an attempt at some trick-shots.
Next up we have a couple of demos inspired by film and a third that perhaps may one day see a film version of it made. I'm talking of course about the heavily story-driven 3rd-person phenomenon that is Max Payne 2, a 245 MB demo being released this week with the first three scenes from the full game included, along with an un-lockable section in DMW mode. A similar sized demo is available for the starkly contrasting Harry Potter Quidditch World Cup, there have been some pretty decent reviews of this game that suggest it isn't just a game for the kids and you can see for yourself by grabbing the demo which features the intro from the game, a trailer and also a chance to test your skill in a practice arena. Back to the carnage for the third demo of this section and your chance to play as Arnie in Terminator 3: War of the Machines, due out next Friday this 168 MB beta demo is aimed at the network/online gamer in you with it being multiplayer only, modes available including DeathMatch, Mission and Termination.
More leisurely pursuits can be found in Traitors Gate 2: Cypher, a Tomb-Raider style adventure game for which a 64 MB demo has been released this week. I'm not entirely sure what you can expect to find in the demo but the game does look fairly decent, one game that certainly I'd recommend getting is Combat Mission: Afrika Korps for which a gorgeous looking trailer was released a couple of months ago. Now comes your chance to get your hands on a playable version of the game in the shape of this 95 MB demo that includes two scenarios from the full game that are playable in single or multiplayer modes.
Game Patches
The main patch news this week as far as our services are concerned is an update to Vietcong, taking the game to v1.40 the 8 MB update includes a range of anti-cheat features and bug-fixes, all our servers having been updated to support this latest release. Whilst not specifically a service update I know a lot of you have been getting into Call of Duty but perhaps not as much as you would like to due to some issues with the latest ATI Radeon drivers. Good news this week on that front though with a pair of Hot-fixes that you can apply, both around 22 MB in size but you should make sure you download the correct OS version for your PC - 98/ME or 2K/XP.
A bunch of patches for "empire building" games this week, not quite sure why they have all come out at once but if you are into such games in the strategy genre then listen up because there is a good chance that your game of choice will have a new patch. First up is Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic, this game getting a small update to v1.2 which includes a bonus scenario, AI / gameplay tweaks and various bug fixes. Next is Rise of Nations, v1.03 is pretty small but includes a long list of changes with the usual bug fixes etc but an emphasis mainly on the multiplayer side with improvements there and support for mods, saving multiplayer games & custom scenarios. On that note some freebie multiplayer scenarios have been released for the game, coming in at under 1 MB they are a must-have for anyone who plays this game. You'll have to seek out a copy of Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun but should you own a copy then the tiny v1.01 patch will come in handy, no details are available on what the patch contains.
The empire building continues in a different sense with these other three patches, the first being for the recently released cartoon-style Space Colony with the tiny v1.1 featuring the usual bug fixes but also including enhancements to various missions, improvements to the gameplay and some useful additional features that include an MP3 player to keep you singing along whilst you play. Back on earth and RailRoad Tycoon 3 has been patched this week, v1.02 addressing various single & multiplayer issues to make the game more stable. The final patch I have for you this week is perhaps the most important if you are a fan of football (don't mention the Holland game grr!) with the released-today Championship Manager 03/04 having a patch made available that you should apply as soon as you have installed the game. The 12 MB v4.1.2 fixes various issues that have been found in the Gold Demo that has been circulating over the past week, also tweaking the gameplay a little to correct some unfairness in a few aspects of the game. I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on the full game today which is why I'm writing this Newsletter at 5am, before my postman drops it through the letterbox
.
Mods
Just the one mod update for you this week with FragOps, the recently released mod for Unreal Tournament 2003, being updated to 25MB with v1.25. This new version is subtitled as the "Clan War Edition" with some improved weapon / ammo binds and a lot of server alterations / additions.
If you'd rather create your own mod then two games have seen tools released this week. First up is the Battle Craft tool for BattleField 1942 which has been updated to v2.0, this map editor getting some new tools, editor options and fixes to allow you to create your very own maps for the game. Perhaps more interestingly the Map / Mod tools for Call of Duty have been released, these tools coming in at 6MB and allowing you to create your very own custom version of the increasingly popular WW2 game. It'll certainly be interesting to see what happens as a result of this release, given the vast array of sizeable BF1942 mods available it will take something a bit special to really make a CoD mod stand out but perhaps these tools will be useful in other areas, such as creating proper anti-cheat software for the game.
Special Offers
Our Deal of the Day is heading into the last week or so of offers, if you've been following them you will have seen Commandos 3 and Call of Duty both available for under £20, great bargains if you were able to get your hands on the limited stock. Most of what is coming up in the next few days is for consoles but there is a Lord of the Rings bargain in there, and a bit of hardware, so definitely worth keeping an eye out for.
On a further consoley note we have a Prince of Persia PS2 Pack that features the PS2 console and a copy of Prince of Persia, one of the best games to be released this year going on the reviews I've seen around the internet. If you do go for the pack then I'd recommend pre-ordering Medal of Honor: Rising Sun for the PS2, due out next week if you get your order in quickly you'll receive a free collectable Ammo Tin.
If you'd rather have a new portable gaming system then we've got a new offer for the Game Boy Advance SP with Crash Bandicoot XP, Sypro Adventure & an SP Silver for under £110. Could be a perfect Christmas gift for a teenage brother, further gift ideas available here if you are stuck for what to get a relative.
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.
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GAME.NET News
Those of you who have been with us for a while will know that GAME.NET Multiplayer originates from the BarrysWorld service and that since GAME.NET was launched earlier this year we have been gradually moving across all remaining aspects of the service that were still hosted on BarrysWorld. This process is now entering its final stages with the launch of the new Clan Servers and as such most of the old BarrysWorld site has been closed off now and will redirect you to GAME.NET. The majority of you will not notice any difference as things such as Bookables, Web Hosting and Teams were moved across a while back but if you did happen to use the old site for anything, or perhaps still used the old forums to login, then you will have to find the appropriate sections on the GAME.NET site, or in the case of the forums start using http://forums.game.net.
This migration does not effect those of you with @barrysworld.com email addys, they should remain active for some time yet. If you do have any kind of problem because of this change feel free to use the Help section of the website, if you are still experiencing issues or just have a question about the migration then you can contact me through the Support Form, or by replying to this email.
The recently released WW2 FPS game Call of Duty properly arrives at GAME.NET this week with our game page now up and our Clan Servers fully supporting the game with already over 20 clans having purchased their own CoD server via us. We've also appointed a pair of Head GAME Masters with JBP and MikeC taking charge of our growing CoD community, they having already sorted out some useful information for you in the Call of Duty Forum. Not only this but they have organised two recurring community events for you, one for Subscribers Only on Mondays with a Preview game on the Thursdays helping to give you a chance to play with your fellow Subscribers against the public on what is already becoming one of the most popular games here @ GAME.NET. More details of these events can be found by clicking their links in the What's On section below.
As I've already mentioned our new Clan Server service has been running for about a week now and is already proving a great success, well worth a look if you haven't yet checked it out. If you've already purchased a Clan Server and would like to give us some feedback feel free to use the Clan Server forum, we've seen a rapid take up in the new servers but are of course always striving to improve it. I should also take this chance to mention that we are looking at the possibility of sponsoring a couple of clans or sites by way of further publicising the new service, if you think you have a team or a website that is a suitable candidate for sponsorship then reply back to this mail with some appropriate details.
Server Updates this week are as follows, links to files where needed can be found in the Files & Patches section below:
Vietcong updated to v1.40
Half-Life MetaMod plug-in updated to v1.17
Unreal Tournament 2003 mutator AntiTCC updated to v1.10
What's On
Sunday 23rd November 2003
Operation Flashpoint @ 14:00
Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy @ 15:00
Counter-Strike @ 20:00
Monday 24th November 2003
Elite Force II @ 19:00
*New Event* Call of Duty @ 19:00 *New Event*
Half-Life: Team Fortress Classic @ 21:00
Tuesday 25th November 2003
Battlefield 1942 @ 20:30
Vietcong @ 21:00
Wednesday 26th November 2003
Medal of Honor @ 19:00
Natural Selection @ 19:00
Battlefield 1942: Desert Combat @ 21:00
Thursday 27th November 2003
*New Event* Call of Duty @ 19:00 *New Event*
Half-Life: Day of Defeat @ 20:30
Half Life: Team Fortress Classic (TFC) @ 21:00
Files and Patches
Trailers
One of this year's most successful films has been Pirates of the Caribbean and perhaps it might inspire a few of you to look into forthcoming MMORPG game Pirates of the Burning Sea where you can take control of your own ship and pursue a career as a merchant or, as the name suggests, a cutthroat pirate. There's not been that much publicity for this game so far but a 37 MB trailer has been released this week showing off some of the basic graphics likely in the game, including the ship movements. If you'd rather not have your time cruising around the oceans interrupted by someone trying to steal your gold then the gorgeous looking Virtual Skipper 3 might be more up your street, this 39 MB trailer looks pretty impressive with various aspects of the game showcased. A demo for VS3 is also available this week, more details in the Demo section below.
Right that's enough of the pleasantries, now on to some proper carnage and a quite decent 52 MB trailer for the delayed Unreal Tournament 2004. I've been amongst the critics of the franchise idea that the game is trying to introduce but I have to admit to being impressed by this trailer. That said I'm not entirely sure it will appeal to FPS purists but the sheer manic nature that the gameplay looks to possess suggests to me that it could well be the sort of game that those of you who liked the idea (if not the execution) of C&C Renegades will be into, certainly it appearing to try and strike a balance between UT 2004's combat and something more "long-range" like Tribes 2. You can judge for yourself by clicking that trailer link, whilst more vehicle-based goodness can be viewed by downloading the 40 MB Manhattan Chase trailer. This driving / combat game sort of like UT2004 but set in the real world, more a story-based adventure game using the island for its map with you being able to play as either the cops or the bad guys, worth a look perhaps if you like games in the mould of Carmageddon.
Taking the vehicle theme one step forward is Universal Combat, a game with truly epic scope giving you the chance to play in space, on sea and on land either in vehicles or as a marine, all this in both third and first person perspectives. You can get an idea of what is involved in the space section of the game by downloading this 90 MB trailer that features a few clips of in-game footage, looks quite interesting although not really mind-blowing stuff. Of more interest to myself is Far Cry, this multi-platform FPS game has been getting rave previews with its engine especially being praised, a 28 MB German trailer has been released this week but is still worth grabbing with it featuring some nice segments of in-game footage. Quite a bit of in-game footage is included in this small trailer for upcoming 3rd-person action adventure game Alias, based of course on the hugely popular TV series of the same name starring the future Mrs. Angus aka Jennifer Garner. The 1st Season DVD Box-Set on my Christmas list but I'll have to wait until next year to get my hands on the game, I can't say the trailer is that great but it does look like the game will not cut corners as far as the violence is concerned.
Violence is certainly a theme that Lords of EverQuest likes to emphasise in its latest trailer, basically an updated version of the previous one but larger in size it is worth getting if you haven't looked into this game yet. I'd say exactly the same is true of the updated Prince of Persia trailer, you can grab it here but effectively it is just a larger version of the one I had for you in last week's Newsletter. I should mention that if you are considering getting the game for your console rather than your PC then we have a great deal in the Special Offers section below, whilst on a similar consoley-theme my final trailer is for Kao the Kangaroo 2, a very colourful platformer that will be available on the PC but is mainly aimed at the young console user. Having said that the trailer does look like the game will be a good laugh so if I ever get my GameCube I'll maybe have a look at getting this one when it is released.
Playable Demos
Loads of demos for you this week, in fact I think this is one of the busiest weeks of the year in terms of demos which is probably due to the impending Christmas rush for games to go under the tree as gifts. If you do happen to go out shopping rather than ordering from the comfort of your armchair then be careful what Taxi's you get into as you might find yourselves thrown into a real life version of Taxi Racer, two sequels to this driving game having demos released this week. The first to mention is Taxi Racer London 2, the 69 MB demo allowing you to play four missions and one multiplayer mode from the full game that sees you speeding, crashing and jumping around England's capital city. Taxi Racer New York 2 has a similar demo out, coming in at 89 MB this one allows you to play the same sort of missions from the Americanised version of the game. If however you'd rather build your own track than be confined to real-world environments then Track Mania is the game for you and a 55 MB updated demo for this game has been released, giving you two pre-built maps but also the chance to create your own and play either on your own or against other players. We'll be looking to support this game on the GAME.NET service hopefully so I definitely recommend having a look, the full release of the game scheduled for next Friday.
If cars aren't your thing then how about a trio of air-combat demos? I'll start off with the pair from World War II, the first being a budget title called Dogfight: Battle of the Pacific (aka Pacific Warriors II), the 97 MB demo allowing you to play three missions from the full game with two aircraft to chose from. Moving across to the European conflict from that war and Secret Weapons Over Normandy, the full game available next Friday and featuring 20 aircraft spread across 30 missions. The game actually does have a wider scope than just fighting over France, if you'd like to have a look for yourself click here to download the 160 MB demo that includes a tutorial and one mission from the game. If modern-day aircraft are more your thing then JetFighter 5 will be more your cup of tea and a 127 MB demo for this story-driven flight-sim has been released this week, an extensive demo at that with a tutorial, three missions and a campaign mission all included.
Moving at Mach 2 isn't for everyone though and if you prefer cruising the ocean waves then a playable demo for Virtual Skipper 3 will appeal, nice to see that the 61 MB demo takes us UK residents into consideration with the single / multiplayer race featured being around Wight Island in England. If even the thought of doing any kind of racing makes you ill then how about a nice relaxing game of snooker? World Championship Snooker 2003 is released next Friday and features all the international stars of the game playing across 11 different arenas, the 90 MB demo allowing you to play some practice games of snooker / pool as Ronnie O'Sullivan and also make an attempt at some trick-shots.
Next up we have a couple of demos inspired by film and a third that perhaps may one day see a film version of it made. I'm talking of course about the heavily story-driven 3rd-person phenomenon that is Max Payne 2, a 245 MB demo being released this week with the first three scenes from the full game included, along with an un-lockable section in DMW mode. A similar sized demo is available for the starkly contrasting Harry Potter Quidditch World Cup, there have been some pretty decent reviews of this game that suggest it isn't just a game for the kids and you can see for yourself by grabbing the demo which features the intro from the game, a trailer and also a chance to test your skill in a practice arena. Back to the carnage for the third demo of this section and your chance to play as Arnie in Terminator 3: War of the Machines, due out next Friday this 168 MB beta demo is aimed at the network/online gamer in you with it being multiplayer only, modes available including DeathMatch, Mission and Termination.
More leisurely pursuits can be found in Traitors Gate 2: Cypher, a Tomb-Raider style adventure game for which a 64 MB demo has been released this week. I'm not entirely sure what you can expect to find in the demo but the game does look fairly decent, one game that certainly I'd recommend getting is Combat Mission: Afrika Korps for which a gorgeous looking trailer was released a couple of months ago. Now comes your chance to get your hands on a playable version of the game in the shape of this 95 MB demo that includes two scenarios from the full game that are playable in single or multiplayer modes.
Game Patches
The main patch news this week as far as our services are concerned is an update to Vietcong, taking the game to v1.40 the 8 MB update includes a range of anti-cheat features and bug-fixes, all our servers having been updated to support this latest release. Whilst not specifically a service update I know a lot of you have been getting into Call of Duty but perhaps not as much as you would like to due to some issues with the latest ATI Radeon drivers. Good news this week on that front though with a pair of Hot-fixes that you can apply, both around 22 MB in size but you should make sure you download the correct OS version for your PC - 98/ME or 2K/XP.
A bunch of patches for "empire building" games this week, not quite sure why they have all come out at once but if you are into such games in the strategy genre then listen up because there is a good chance that your game of choice will have a new patch. First up is Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic, this game getting a small update to v1.2 which includes a bonus scenario, AI / gameplay tweaks and various bug fixes. Next is Rise of Nations, v1.03 is pretty small but includes a long list of changes with the usual bug fixes etc but an emphasis mainly on the multiplayer side with improvements there and support for mods, saving multiplayer games & custom scenarios. On that note some freebie multiplayer scenarios have been released for the game, coming in at under 1 MB they are a must-have for anyone who plays this game. You'll have to seek out a copy of Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun but should you own a copy then the tiny v1.01 patch will come in handy, no details are available on what the patch contains.
The empire building continues in a different sense with these other three patches, the first being for the recently released cartoon-style Space Colony with the tiny v1.1 featuring the usual bug fixes but also including enhancements to various missions, improvements to the gameplay and some useful additional features that include an MP3 player to keep you singing along whilst you play. Back on earth and RailRoad Tycoon 3 has been patched this week, v1.02 addressing various single & multiplayer issues to make the game more stable. The final patch I have for you this week is perhaps the most important if you are a fan of football (don't mention the Holland game grr!) with the released-today Championship Manager 03/04 having a patch made available that you should apply as soon as you have installed the game. The 12 MB v4.1.2 fixes various issues that have been found in the Gold Demo that has been circulating over the past week, also tweaking the gameplay a little to correct some unfairness in a few aspects of the game. I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on the full game today which is why I'm writing this Newsletter at 5am, before my postman drops it through the letterbox
.Mods
Just the one mod update for you this week with FragOps, the recently released mod for Unreal Tournament 2003, being updated to 25MB with v1.25. This new version is subtitled as the "Clan War Edition" with some improved weapon / ammo binds and a lot of server alterations / additions.
If you'd rather create your own mod then two games have seen tools released this week. First up is the Battle Craft tool for BattleField 1942 which has been updated to v2.0, this map editor getting some new tools, editor options and fixes to allow you to create your very own maps for the game. Perhaps more interestingly the Map / Mod tools for Call of Duty have been released, these tools coming in at 6MB and allowing you to create your very own custom version of the increasingly popular WW2 game. It'll certainly be interesting to see what happens as a result of this release, given the vast array of sizeable BF1942 mods available it will take something a bit special to really make a CoD mod stand out but perhaps these tools will be useful in other areas, such as creating proper anti-cheat software for the game.
Special Offers
Our Deal of the Day is heading into the last week or so of offers, if you've been following them you will have seen Commandos 3 and Call of Duty both available for under £20, great bargains if you were able to get your hands on the limited stock. Most of what is coming up in the next few days is for consoles but there is a Lord of the Rings bargain in there, and a bit of hardware, so definitely worth keeping an eye out for.
On a further consoley note we have a Prince of Persia PS2 Pack that features the PS2 console and a copy of Prince of Persia, one of the best games to be released this year going on the reviews I've seen around the internet. If you do go for the pack then I'd recommend pre-ordering Medal of Honor: Rising Sun for the PS2, due out next week if you get your order in quickly you'll receive a free collectable Ammo Tin.
If you'd rather have a new portable gaming system then we've got a new offer for the Game Boy Advance SP with Crash Bandicoot XP, Sypro Adventure & an SP Silver for under £110. Could be a perfect Christmas gift for a teenage brother, further gift ideas available here if you are stuck for what to get a relative.
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.
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