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Version 7.50 of Laminar Research's flagship product X-Plane has arrived on the scene with a host of new features for fans of the extensible and realistic general-aviation simulator.

New in 7.50 is a fully three-dimensional weather matrix, replacing the simpler "cloud layer" system used in most flight sims. In addition the simulator introduces a turbulence model -- not mere bumps and shakes, but actual simulation of airflow patterns around the aircraft. In addition to these major changes, the new version is replete with other new features, some of which include:

• More detailed ground effect modeling


• More realistic trans- and super-sonic flight for prop aircraft


• Better engine dynamics simulation


• And a host of smaller cockpit and graphics improvements

X-Plane is a long-standing Macintosh civilian flight simulator offering pilots the ability to fly virtually any aircraft from airports around the world, spaceships on Mars, or even bring the Space Shuttle into landing. In addition to offering an advanced physics modeling engine, the game comes with tools to make custom aircraft and scenery.

Laminar Research

X-Plane 7

Download X-Plane 7.50 Demo/Update (211 MB)

Buy X-Plane 7

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Inside Mac Games has posted a review of Aspyr's modern first-person shooter, Delta Force: Black Hawk Down. In the game you are a Delta Force operative who participates in a number of daring and intense raids against the oppressive Somali warlords in and around Mogadish.

Here's a clip from the review:

There are sixteen missions in all, ranging from providing cover fire for a relief convoy to infiltrating a hotel filled with terrorists and extracting key hostages by helicopter. Suffice to say, there is quite a bit of variety in mission objectives, all of it culminating with the famous mission that has your character rushing to provide backup for the two Black Hawk helicopters that are shot down. Many of the missions (including the one I just mentioned) are based on ‘actual events,’ while the rest are fictitious and created by the developer. Of course, there isn’t a mission-by-mission list of what is exactly accurate, but rest assured that for the most part, you are reliving history.

IMG Review: Delta Force: Black Hawk Down

Aspyr Media

Delta Force: Black Hawk Down

Buy Delta Force: Black Hawk Down

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Following up on an update released earlier this week, Freeverse has once again bumped Wingnuts up a number, bringing it to version 1.3.1. The update includes a small fix referred to as an "Egg on face" bug:

Egg-on-face bug causing a crash on level 4 or 5 got past us. It's now squashed and all is right with the world.

Wingnuts Updated to 1.3.1

Freeverse

WingNuts

Aspyr has posted this month's edition of their newsletter online. Included in the newsletter are blurbs on some of their latest titles, including Delta Force, Shrek 2, and Homeworld 2.

Also discussed are the use of PC-centric mods with Mac games, particularly in regards to Battlefield 1942:

Mac gamers often ask us if they can use third party 'mods' that were made on the PC. The answer is generally yes, since we go through extra work to try to keep all game data files in the same format on the Mac as they are on the PC. For games like Battlefield 1942, many of the PC mods out there work great on the Mac. The one trick to installing PC mods is that many are distributed as .exe files, which only install on the PC. Instead of downloading the .exe version, go to a Mac specific game site like MacGameFiles.com and look for .zip or .dmg versions of popular game mods, which will install correctly on the Mac.

Aspyr July 2004 Newsletter

Aspyr Media

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