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This morning IMG held an impromptu question and answer session with Aspyr's Glenda Adams to get some answers for some of the more frequently asked questions readers have been asking via email and in the IMG forum about the upcoming Mac version of Battlefield 1942.

Here's the brief Q&A:

Question: How long has battlefield 1942 been in development for the Mac and who is working on the port?

Answer: We started development in December, so we've been working on it for about 3 or 4 months. It is being done by Aspyr Studios, our internal group. Mark Krenek is the lead programmer, and John Butler is also working on it. We will eventually have up to 5 programmers doing some code on it, and will have someone available for spot maintenance at any time over the next few years. This is the biggest development commitment Aspyr has ever made.

Question: People are asking about PC to Mac networking. Will you be able to play against PC players?

Answer: Yes, that was the main reason for us doing BF1942 Mac- to let Mac users play against the huge number of PC users out there. We actually had the first PC to Mac network game up and running on Monday, so that was a great milestone to hit.

Question: Will there be an OS X Dedicated Server version of BF 1942?

Answer: We're actually researching that right now. We want to build one, but we aren't sure if it will be part of the shipping DVD or released later. Our main goal is to get a good stable client out by June.

Question: Will Mac gamers be able to play popular mods for BF 1942 such as Desert Combat?

Answer: We're going to do our best to make sure the most popular mods all work fine on the Mac. So far we haven't seen any hurdles to get them to work, and we have already planned to do internal testing on Desert Combat to make sure it works as well as the PC. Mods are such a big part of the game we really want to get them right.

Question: Final question: When do you expect the game to be released?

Answer: We are pushing for a June release. It's going to be a hot summer for Mac gamers!

IMG First Look: Battlefield 1942

Aspyr Media

Battlefield 1942: Deluxe Edition

Buy Battlefield 1942: Deluxe Edition

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The monitor may be one of the most important components of a computer, but it is still one of the most overlooked. Today, Johan Hansén brings to you IMG's first (and hopefully not the last) LCD review. He put ViewSonic's VP171b 17" LCD to the test. Here is an excerpt from the review:

After the initial shock I ran around like a maniac wavering my rifle this way and that to see if it could leave any ghosts. And at that speed I can see some ghosting, but nothing that I haven't experienced on my CRT before, so I have to say that it performs excellent. Next, I tried both Unreal Tournament games at resolutions from 640x480 to the display's native resolution of 1280x1024, to see how the scaled up resolutions looked compared to the native resolution. I got my second positive surprise there, since the scaled up resolutions look really good. While they will never look as good as the native resolution, the result was fully acceptable. The worst case is 640x480, where the scaling can become most obvious in 3D games.

IMG Review: ViewSonic VP171b LCD

ViewSonic

VP171b

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The games section at Apple has posted an article featuring Aspyr Media's upcoming fantasy-action game The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. The feature covers a wide variety of in-depth topics, everything from gameplay details to system requirements, including information straight from the EA Games senior producer Tom Arnold. Below is just a sneak peak of what's inside:

Gandalf’s path opens the game, taking you to the Battle of Helm’s Deep, where he joins with the elf Legolas, the dwarf Gimli, and the ranger Aragorn before leaving them again to gather forces for the final battle against Sauron. The second path allows you to choose between Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn as they try to raise a battalion of undead soldiers who will help defeat Sauron’s orc army. The third path puts you in the furry feet of the hobbits Sam and Frodo as they and the vile creature called Gollum make their way to Mordor. Gollum is their guide, but be careful around him; he really wants the Ring for himself.

Apple Feature: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

LOTR: The Return of the King

IMG Preview: Return of the King

Buy LOTR: The Return of the King

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Cosmic Encounter Online, a flash-based, massive multiplayer online game for both Mac and PC, will be going through some changes tomorrow in honor of April Fool's Day. Peter Olotka of Future Pastimes has announced Cosmic April Fools Day, a zany event that will feature tons of glitches in gameplay. Here's the full announcement:

Cosmic Encounter Online designer Peter Olotka at Future Pastimes said "Cosmic players are adept at taking surprise and change in stride, but on April Fools Day they will be blasted to a whole new level. Players will need to be prepared for 'gotcha', 'regotcha' and 'unregotcha'."

With the flexible all Flash design of Cosmic Encounter Online, all bets are off as the lobby, the aliens, and game resources will be in a state of constant flux throughout the day. Cosmic April Fools Day can be enjoyed by both Free Players and as a members alike. Free Players may also join for the day and play with all the aliens using the .99 cent Cosmic Ticket."

Cosmic Encounter Online

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CodeBlender Software has released a small update to their 3D rally game Rally Shift. The update addresses an issue that could abort a championship race at the beginning of the race.

If you have missed out on this game, Rally Shift is a 3D Rally game developed exclusively for the Mac. Here's some more information from the official site:

In Rally Shift you get to drive high performance rally cars on a variety of rally courses. Compete against hard to beat computer drivers on both dirt roads and paved roads through forests, windy mountain passes and desert. Two players can also compete against each other on the same computer.

CodeBlender

Rally Shift

Shareware maker Dark Shadow has recently made full versions of two of its offerings available to the general public. Titled Surrender and Star Conquest, both titles are spacefaring strategy titles that allow for head-to-head matchups.

Surrender puts two players on a 10x10 grid, with the objective being to eliminate either the opponents starbase or all of their ships. In Star Conquest, up to ten players attempt to populate the universe with their own species:

Soon you will encounter other species. Will you choose to conquer all, or perhaps fight as part of an alliance. Each year you can decide what strategy to follow, moving Star Ships or Fleets to attack or defend, colonising Planets and exploring Star Systems. Once every player has issued his or her commands, the year ends and the results are calculated. The game continues until all players are eliminated and only a single player or alliance remains.

Dark Shadow - News

iDevGames has reported that PureBasic is currently in development for OS X. Being spearheaded by main coder Frédéric Laboureur, PureBasic is a visual basic compiler that touts simplicity and portability as some of its key features.

PureBasic is a programming language based on established BASIC rules. The key features of PureBasic are portability (Windows, AmigaOS and Linux are currently fully supported), the production of very fast and highly optimized executables and, of course, the very simple BASIC syntax. PureBasic has been created for the beginner and expert alike. We have put a lot of effort into its realization to produce a fast, reliable and system friendly language.

iDevGames - PureBASIC in Development for Mac OS X

PureBasic

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