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The Mac Shareware legend Ambrosia Software has updated their epic top down space shooter/RPG Escape Velocity: Nova to v1.07. The new version mainly fixes some issues with Apple's current operating system OS X 10.3 "Panther", but adds some other things to the game as well.

Changes in v1.07:

Engine Changes:

corrected compatability problems with MacOS X 10.3 Panther

adjusted Mxxx and Nxxx operators to work when not landed

Scenario Changes:

Fixed Bounty Hunter to Auroran crossover mission availability

Fixed a bug with the Wild Geese story that affected the Auroran storyline later

Fixed a number of typos

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MGF: EV: Nova v1.07 patch (23 MB)

MGF: Escape Velocity: Nova v1.07 (77 MB)

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IMG writer Dustin Smith has penned a three page preview for Aspyr Media's upcoming release of Wakeboarding Unleashed Featuring Shaun Murray.

The watersports game, the third extreme sports franchise developed under the Activision O2 brand to come to the Mac, gives players the chance to strut their wakeboarding skills in several different locations. The game features both single player and multiplayer modes, including co-operative gameplay:

There are three levels each with increasing difficulty in objectives and challenges. One player drives the boat while another is the wakeboarder, forcing you to talk with each other about where to go. Albeit there are only three levels, the difficulty of objectives and challenges will keep you playing. Another nice aspect of co-op mode is that you have the option of either playing it full screen or split screen, either horizontal or vertical. Trick attack has you competing for the best score, and horse has you competing with each other to top your opponent’s tricks. If you don’t you get an “H”. If you spell H-O-R-S-E, you lose.

IMG's Wakeboarding Unleashed Preview

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Buy Wakeboarding Unleashed

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Further to last week's news on the upcoming Mac version of The Sims' most recent expansion pack, Apple's Quicktime website is now hosting the official trailer of The Sims: Makin' Magic.

The expansion pack, the latest in a long line of popular The Sims add-ons, introduces magic and wizardry to the Sims universe. Featuring over 175 new items, the expansion allows players to draw on mystical powers for their benefit or amusement.

The expansion pack, the first to be ported internally by the newly-formed Aspyr development team, is expected to be available by the end of January. Sims fans eager to get their hands on the new title should head over to the Aspyr online store, where they can pre-order the title for $29.99 USD. In the meantime, check out the short trailer from Apple's Game Trailers website:

Makin' Magic Trailer

The Sims: Makin' Magic (add to watch list)

Pre-Order the Makin' Magic Expansion

Buy The Sims: Makin' Magic

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Destineer's Mac game publisher arm MacSoft announced today that pre-order and first day sales figures for their long-awaited first person shooter Halo: Combat Evolved were the highest the company has seen in four years.

Short of releasing sales figures, a press statement from the company confirmed the heavy sales that Mac retailers reported from this weekend. From MacSoft president Peter Tamte:

Even though many resellers have stocked their shelves with far more units of Halo than any other recent Mac game, we’re still frequently hearing from stores who’ve said they’ve sold out of Halo in just a couple of hours.

Halo: Combat Evolved is now available and shipping from MacSoft and our very own IMG Store. Click on the link below to order your copy.

IMG's Halo: Combat Evolved Review

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Westlake Interactive (add to watch list)

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Following last week's technical problems with their server, Shadowbane publishers Ubisoft have announced that they will be compensating players in good standing of their popular MMORPG for their troubles.

The problems, tracked back to faults in the Rise Of Chaos patch, resulted in server downtime and character rollbacks. From the Ubisoft website -

Due to the technical difficulties relating to yesterday’s Rise of Chaos patch and the resulting server down time and character roll backs, Ubisoft will be crediting all active Shadowbane accounts in good standing with two full days of free game time. Again we sincerely apologize to all our players for the problems we faced yesterday. The Shadowbane Development team was able to correct these issues early this morning so we look forward to resuming our normal service and development schedule today. We truly appreciate all of your patience during this ordeal.

Ubisoft - Shadowbane Gametime Compensation

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Seattle-based software developers Spiderweb Software have recently confirmed that their upcoming fantasy role-playing game Blades Of Avernum will be coming to the Mac early in the new year.

The fourth addition to their popular Avernum series, the fantasy role playing game will contain a powerful scenario editor, allowing users to create their own adventures, and share them on the internet. The Mac version of the game is currently listed as being in Beta, with a planned release date of March of next year. The PC version of the game is expected to be avaiable 2-3 months after that.

Spiderweb also took the opportunity last week to announce several updates to their current fantasy RPG, Geneforce 2. First off, a Windows version of the game has been released, and a large demo of a game is available. Secondly, the Mac version of the game has released a minor patch of the game, updating the game to version 1.0.2. The patch repairs a handful of bugs and corrects a number of spelling errors.

The 1MB update is available from Spiderweb's website - click on the links below to grab the update or try out the game's demo.

Geneforce 2 1.0.2 Update

Blades Of Avernum

Geneforge 2 (add to watch list)

Spiderweb Software (add to watch list)

Mac gamers who also happen to be fans of the Myst series may want to check out a survey recently made available online. Posted by the development team behind Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, the survey seeks to garner information regarding what marks the first multiplayer online game in the series.

Interestingly enough, if one indicates that a purchase of Uru has not been made, the survey inquires as to why. One of the selectable answers is "waiting for a Mac version of Uru."

While this hardly means a version is in the works, it may be used as an outlet for Mac gamers to let the folks behind Uru know that there is interest in a Mac version. Cyan developer Rand Miller has expressed his interest in a Mac version in the past as well.

As always, IMG will keep its collective ears to the ground for any further news on this one.

Uru Survey

Ubisoft (add to watch list)

Myst Online: Uru Live (add to watch list)

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On tonight’s broadcast of The Gamesome Mac, the Mac gaming radio program, hosts Sean Smith and Omaha Sternberg talk with Peter Tamte, founder and president of Destineer and former Bungie executive, and with composer Marty O’Donnell, audio director of Bungie Studios.

Peter Tamte’s career in Mac gaming is the stuff of legend: he founded Mac game publishing giant MacSoft, served as director of worldwide consumer marketing at Apple and then as an executive at Bungie (where he helped engineer their sale to Microsoft), founded Destineer, and then bought MacSoft, the company he founded years earlier.

Now, four and a half years after Bungie announced Halo on the stage of the 1999 Macworld Expo New York keynote address, Tamte’s MacSoft has brought Bungie’s acclaimed shooter home to the Mac.

Marty O’Donnell composed the superb soundtrack to Halo, as well as the scores to several other Bungie games, along with Mike Salvatori, and serves as audio director for Bungie Studios.

Sean and Omaha will also offer Mac gaming news, reviews, and commentary, and together with their guests will take questions live from listeners in The Gamesome Mac’s chat room and give away a copy of Halo for the Mac and an autographed copy of the Halo soundtrack CD and the Making of Halo DVD.

The Gamesome Mac can be heard live on MacRadio from 6 to 8 pm Pacific Time, 9 to 11 pm Eastern (Tuesday from 0200 to 0400 UTC), and on demand thereafter. Listeners can tune in at The Gamesome Mac’s web page, where they’ll also find archives of past broadcasts. QuickTime 5 or 6 and a 28 kbps or faster Internet connection are required.

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