This just in. The Beta Tech demo of Unreal Tournament 2003 will be released at 5 PM Central Time. The demo will be available on Macgamefiles.com.

The demo weighs in at 131 MB. Expect extremely slow downloads as there will be huge demand for this demo. For those of you in a rush, the demo is available for IMG Pro subscribers on a speedy server just for IMG Pro users. If you're interested in signing up for IMG Pro, follow the link below.

If you have a high speed server (no cable modems, please) and are interested in mirroring the demo, please contact tuncer@insidemacgames.com.

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Gamespot recently reported that Activision has a sequel to the hit game Vampire: The Masquerade in the works. Entitled Bloodlines, the game will apparently be created using Valve's Source Engine, which is also being used to create Half-Life 2. Unlike the first game, the action in the sequel will be first person-based, making it sound like the game will be a mix of first-person-shooter and RPG.

Here's a preview of the article:

Though Bloodlines will feature numerous role-playing elements, it will also include action-packed first-person combat, and it will let players use a variety of conventional weapons, such as sniper rifles, submachine guns, and flamethrowers--though they may also need more-unusual weapons, like stake guns, to deal with their supernatural foes. Players can expect to do battle with human vampire hunters and supernatural creatures such as ghouls, werewolves, and rival vampires. "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines blends the best parts of an RPG and a first-person action game, allowing players to explore a sophisticated character development system in an open, nonlinear realm while experiencing intense action sequences," said Larry Goldberg, executive vice president of Activision Worldwide Studios. "We are going to take full advantage of Valve's Source technology to send you deep into a dark and intriguing vampire underworld filled with haunting images."

Vampire: The Masquerade Sequel announced

MacSoft

Vampire: The Masquerade

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Electronic Arts today announced an expansion pack for SimCity 4, entitled SimCity 4 Rush Hour. It is being developed by Maxis and will allow payers to control their city's transportation network by taking charge of roads, rail, air, waterways, and vehincles. The expansion pack will be making its debut at E3 next week and will be released on the PC in the Fall of 2003.

Here's more from the official press release:

Players will put their Sims on the road to happiness as they take control of their city's transportation. Players can accelerate their Sims on their way to work or play with a wide variety of new transportation options. They can create the elevated train networks of Boston, the wide avenues of New York, or the winding one-way streets of San Francisco. Players also will be able to develop a seamless mass-transit system including rail, subway, or even a scenic ferry service that connects to a greater regional travel network. With all-new problem-solving maps and tracking tools, players will be able to see the pulsing flow of traffic, map out the most efficient routes, and quickly get Sims from one city to another.

For the first time, players will take charge of vehicles in their cities. Is the fire department stuck in traffic on its way to a four-alarm fire? Players will take direct control of the "hook and ladder" and pursue the quickest route to the blazing inferno. Players will also solve missions such as catching car-jackers and thwarting bank robbers to earn reward buildings and other vehicles. As players gain traction by fixing transportation problems and solving missions, they will watch their mayor approval rating soar and their Sim population grow! They will also be able to put their Sims on the move in new cars, ferries, helicopters, and zeppelins.

New to SimCity 4 Rush Hour are a variety of new bridge options and the ability to create a city based on a modern European building set. Players will also be able to add popular structures to their cities such as historic train stations, classic Americana road marks, or European tourist attractions. They can make their final mark as mayor and personalize their city by labeling street names, mountains, neighborhoods, and points of interest.

True to the SimCity series, the expansion pack will also feature new disasters. Car accidents and train derailments can wreak havoc throughout the city and snarl traffic. Players may test their nerve and stop a car at the intersection of a rail road and watch what happens next. Players also will be able to start a UFO alien invasion and watch the abduction of Sims, the destruction of buildings, and the creation of crop circles. Others may want to take control of their own flying saucer and create mayhem. Players can now put their foot on the gas and get their Sims on the go in SimCity 4 with SimCity 4 Rush Hour.

IMG Preview: SimCity 4

Maxis

Aspyr Media

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Ritual Entertainment's Jon Galloway, Producer and Creative Director for the Star Trek based first-person shooter Star Trek: Elite Force 2, has posted a status update of the PC version of the game over at the fan site Ritualistic. In the long update, he talks about how well the recent pre-release Demo for PC has been received as well as on the current status of the game. For those that are going to the E3 Expo in Los Angeles next week, there will be a near complete build of the game running at the show.

From the update:

Specifically regarding EF2, we are quickly nearing product release and plan to have a near complete (over 90%) to show this year at E3. We feel you?ll be pleasantly surprised with what we have been able to accomplish. The game looks GREAT and better yet is that the gameplay is good, solid, and we feel that this is a FUN game that will surpass most people?s expectations.

The PC version of Star Trek: Elite Force II is set for release at June 24th. A Macintosh version of the game has already been announced and will be publsihed by Aspyr Media. The port is being done by Westlake Interactive, which recently announced that the Macintosh version has reached First Playable. We will keep you informed as more information about Star Trek: Elite Force II is revealed.

Ritual Entertainment

Aspyr Media

Star Trek Elite Force II

Star Trek: Elite Force II Status Update

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According to an announcement by PlayMyth, community web site and online gaming service for the Myth series, the release of the 1.4 update patch for Myth II, currently under development by Myth Developers and Project Magma, has been delayed to May 30 due to a few minor bugs and some issues with the implementation of OpenGL rendering.

Far from being a simple compilation of bug fixes, the 1.4 update will add several features to this title, some of which can be read about in this quote from the Project Magma web site:

Myth v1.4 will add over 100 enhancements, bug fixes and new features to Myth II: Soulblighter, in the areas of: graphics; interface improvements; elimination of plugin lag; elimination of chat lag; elimination of the 'walking bug', new mapmaking features; AI improvements and bug fixes; optional vTFL (virtual TFL) gameplay, which effectively brings both games and communities to the same program; and much, much more.

The 1.4 update for Myth II will be released for both Mac and PC and will allow cross-platform networking through either TCP/IP or the standard Myth II online gaming services, PlayMyth and Marius.net.

For more information on this update, check the Myth Developers and Project Magma web sites through the links provided below.

Myth II: Soulblighter

PlayMyth

Myth Developers

Project Magma

Apple recently dedicated two pages of their web site to a hands-on preview of NASCAR Racing 2003 Season, the long-awaited racing game by Aspyr Media.

Here are some of the new features of this 2003 edition of the NASCAR series, as quoted from Aspyr's web site:

• First with 2003 Drivers, Teams, Sponsors and all 23 NASCAR® tracks including the newly renovated Infineon Raceway and New Hampshire International Speedway
  
• 3D graphics immerse drivers in a dynamic race environment where dirt and oil accumulate on your windshield and sun glare creates a new driving challenge
  
• Technical partnerships with Goodyear and Jasper Motorsports improve the physics model accuracy giving drivers an unparalleled racing experience
  
• Adaptive AI allows even rookies to experience fender to fender racing as the field adjusts to the driver's skill level automatically
  
• Detailed track surface mapping allows you to feel every bump, dip and rumble strip like never before

For more information on this impressive racing title, check Apple's hands-on preview through the link below. Also, don't forget visiting Aspyr Media for the game's official mini-site.

NASCAR Racing 2003 Season is available for pre-order at both the Aspyr Online Store and the Inside Mac Games store.

Aspyr Media

Nascar Racing 2003

Apple Previews NASCAR 2003

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Sacred Tree Software has released a new beta version of their turn-based space strategy game Galactica: anno Dominari. The new version addresses a bug that made the game crash on start on some computers.

The new version is available for download at macgamefiles.com. To get more information about Galactica A.D., head over to it's gamespace at VendorNation, where it is also possible to purchase the full game.

VendorNation: Galactica A:D.

Monkey Byte

MGF: Galactica: Anno Dominari 2.11r5

Apple has just released another incremental update to Mac OS X 10.2. Most notable to Mac gamers is the improved compatbility with NVIDIA GeForce2 MX and GeForce4 MX graphics cards in MacSoft 's Unreal Tournament 2003 . The update is available for download through Software Update.

Below is the full list of changes:

• Addresses an issue for Mac OS X 10.2.5 in which a kernel panic message may appear if certain USB hubs or devices are connected.
  
• Improves printing compatibility for PostScript OpenType fonts.
  
• Improves compatibility for Maya Auto Paint and Paint Effects features.
  
• Addresses an issue for Mac OS X 10.2.5 in which English is the default language and Asian language scripts are not available in the International preference pane if a script's font is not available.
  
• Improves compatibility for MacSoft Unreal Tournament 2003 on computers with GeForce 2MX and GeForce4MX graphic accelerator chipsets.
  
• Address Book now supports the Sony Ericsson T610 phone.

Apple

Digital Extremes

MacSoft

Unreal Tournament 2003

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