LINUXGAMES

AMD has released their monthly Linux ATI Catalyst display driver package for their graphics cards; the requisite release notes include these changes:

• Product support for Ubuntu 8.04 and SLED 10 sp2.
• “Early look” support for Open Suse 11 and Redflag DT 7.0
• The display no longer fails to display an image after the installation of the Linux graphics driver. Further details can be found in topic number 737-35929
  
• Corruption is no longer noticed when switching from the laptop’s display to the external CRT display device. Further details can be found in topic number 737-35953
• SECAM, NTSC or PAL signal changes when using aticonfig or Catalyst Control Center and now gets applied to the TV display output. Further details can be found in topic number 737-34297
• An X segmentation fault no longer occurs when launching SUZI/textured video. Further details can be found in topic number 737-35214
• Ubuntu 7.04: aticonfig –enable-monitor no longer results in X restarting. Further details can be found in topic number 737-35957
• Creating two successive connections no longer results in direct GL context to fail. Further details can be found in topic number 737-35215

Download: [ amd.com ]

A variety of known issues are included after the break:

Read the rest of this entry »

The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo has concluded, and staunch Linux supporter id Software had a few announcements:

• Wolfenstein, previously known to be in development by Raven Software, was formally unveiled (trailer):
  

  Set within a near-fictional, historical WWII setting, players take on the role of the heroic OSA agent BJ Blazkowicz as they are thrust into the unknown and unexpected to battle against combat troops, otherworldly forces, and the dark science created by a supernatural Nazi force hell-bent on world domination. Wolfenstein offers players an action-packed experience as they investigate the powers of a dark parallel dimension, join with resistance forces, and employ an arsenal of conventional and otherworldly weapons in attempts to annihilate the Nazi war machine.

  Also, the latest issue of Game Informer has a cover story on the game, revealing that the game is set in an open city (think Grand Theft Auto).

• id’s next internally developed title, Quake Live, has a new trailer showing the Quake III: Arena-derived action and web-based features. Quake Live will be a free-as-in-beer (in-game ad-supported) browser-based game.
• id’s other game project, Rage, had its own press release:
  

  E3 Expo, Los Angeles - July 14, 2008 - Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced that it has signed an agreement with id Software, award-winning creators of iconic gaming brands and industry defining innovations, to publish RAGE(tm), the studio’s next blockbuster franchise. Built on id Software’s newest game engine, id Tech5, RAGE is an all-new take on the first person shooter being developed for release on the PLAYSTATION(r)3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360(tm) system from Microsoft, PC and Mac.”RAGE represents a new direction for our games,” said Todd Hollenshead, CEO of id Software. “RAGE is a shooter unlike any other, developed on our cutting edge new technology, and built to the exacting standards id is famous for. We’re excited to have the support of EA Partners to launch RAGE on the world.”

  There’s also the requisite video trailer for Rage from the expo, although it’s a camera feed and not direct. It has been previously stated by id lead programmer John Carmack that a Rage Linux port was “very likely”.

• There were also scores of interviews with id staff conducted by various outlets:
  • Maximum PC - on Rage and id Tech 5 (it’s noted that Doom 4 will look significantly better than even Rage due to a lower target framerate)
  • IGN - on Quake Live
  • GameSpy - on Quake Live
  • Shacknews - on Quake Live

  There’s lots there on the technology and advertising models, but I thought the most interesting bit was this exchange on Quake Live’s impact to existing Q3A-based projects (Q3A was open-sourced several years ago, spawning efforts like ioQuake3, World of Padman, Tremulous, and Urban Terror):

  John Carmack: But it’s worth remembering that Quake Arena is not going away. It’s still there, and I can very much see millions of people making Quake Live as their entry into that, and then the mod community will probably have a huge boost from all of this. The people that want to do something different that’s not [supported] in Quake Live, well they’ve still got Quake Arena. It’s open sourced and they can do anything want in there, and build whatever new mods they want, and I would expect this to have a positive effect on that entire community on a lot of different levels.

  Marty Stratton: And because the fundamental engine and really the game hasn’t changed, we can actually take Quake III content, a Quake III map–not so much a full mod–but a Quake III map, and it basically comes into the game in a matter of minutes. It’s very easy, so, you know, it could be something where it just reinvigorates the Quake III mod scene, and we can continue to take a look at that and bring stuff to market that makes sense.

QuakeCon 2008 starts next week, where there will be even more information about all of these titles, and I’ll be there once again to provide hands-on coverage.

Dell’s consumer blog has announced that the PC manufacturer is now shipping systems with the Ubuntu 8.04 Linux distribution pre-installed (thanks Gizmodo):

Hardy Heron has landed on select Dell consumer PCs! As of today consumers can purchase the XPS M1330N and Inspiron 1525N laptops and Inspiron 530N desktop with Ubuntu 8.04 pre-installed at www.dell.com/ubuntu.

So is there anything special about Ubuntu 8.04 on Dell PCs beyond a higher number? You bet! Dell spent months in development and testing to deliver more peripheral support - like ATI Video Graphics, Dell Wireless, Fingerprint Readers, HDMI, Bluetooth and MP3/WMA/WMV - which coincidentally were some of the more popular suggestions on Dell’s IdeaStorm. And of course DVD playback is still there, too.

As these Dell PCs with Ubuntu 8.04 pre-installed are available in a variety of countries, including U.S., Canada, select Latin America (like Mexico and Colombia), France, Germany, Spain and the U.K., we added another feature: the ability to select language during the first boot process. Just a few more steps toward making Linux more accessible by helping to ensure it “just works” right out of the box!

The base models use Intel integrated graphics, so you’ll probably want to opt for an ATI or NVIDIA GPU if you plan on using them for gaming.

The Linux Game Tome mentioned Full Metal Soccer, another game from QuantiCode (developers of ZeroBallistics) which features tank teams battling on a football/soccer pitch. The demo version allows play for two days, after which you must pay to register.

Screenshots: [ View ] Demo Download: [ fullmetalsoccer.com ]

Speaking of open RPG projects, FIFE, a 2D game creation framework featuring an editor and scripting, has had a new milestone release:

We were able to replace the last parts of the problematic code today so now FIFE is officially LGPL’ed software. We’re glad that we were able to make this step after it took us so long and we think that the new license alone is worth a release. Therefore we’re proud to finally present the first FIFE release that is published under LGPL 2.1 or newer (your choice).

Engine and the editor tool made _huge_ steps forward since the last release about 5 months ago. Therefore we decided to release the current status as stable release although it offers not many new aspects on the content side and the content that is in place is very likely to change with the 2008.2 release.

The milestone itself seems to be a very important step into the right direction. You can build your own maps now with the help of the editor tool. Furthermore a basic application structure is in place that should give you an idea how can create your own FIFE-based game; this release is stable enough to start working on your game now :-)

Additional information can be found at the developer blog; there’s also documentation at the project wiki.

Download: [ fifengine.de ]

OpenMW, which aims to create an open source (D and OGRE-based) implementation of the RPG Morrowind (the original data files are required), had a new release recently:

• you no longer have to download Monster separately
• made an alternative for building without DSSS (but DSSS still works)
• renamed main program from ‘morro’ to ‘openmw’
• made the config system more robust
• added -oc switch for showing Ogre config window on startup
• removed some config files, these are auto-generated when missing. Separated plugins.cfg into linux and windows versions.
• updated Makefile and sources for increased portability (thanks to Dmitry Marakasov)
• confirmed to work against OIS 1.0.0 (Ubuntu repository package)

Download: [ snaptoad.com ]

LordsAWar version 0.1.0, a clone of the turn-based strategy game Warlords II, has been released:

• Improved artificial intelligence.
• Improved the default terrain artwork.
• Added a new scenario to play.
• Added ability to drag and drop stacks for movement planning.
• Improved the economic model.
• Fixed many crashing bugs.

The authors also let us know that the project is now hosted on GNU Savannah.

Download: [ gnu.org ]

Guild Software’s John Bergman let us know that MacUpdate will be having a sale on their massive multiplayer space combat game Vendetta Online this weekend (Saturday the 19^th and Sunday the 20^th), offering two months of play for roughly half-price. The game’s news page also has a development update regarding changes to the object-handling system.

Screenshots: [ View ] Download: [ Trial client ]

Introversion Software, the developers of Uplink and Defcon, have launched the official website for Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest, the multiplayer sequel to their real-time strategy game Darwinia. There’s no demo yet, but you can read the game’s backstory and view media for now.

Thanks to nintenduh for letting us know that Eternal Lands, a free massive multiplayer role-playing game, is now at version 1.7.0.

Client changes:

• Sky/better 3rd person view.
• Better minimap (alt+m).
• Improved weather effects.
• Context menu for many GUI elements (right click on windows, bars, etc.)
• Many other smaller improvements and bug fixes.
• New weapon and armor (not available in the game yet).
• New eye candy effects.
• Map bug fixes & a few new additions

Server changes:

• Engineering god.
• Fixed the knowledge list.

Screenshots: [ View ] Download: [ eternal-lands.com ]

Thanks to Ferocious for pointing out that S2Games has launched a new website teasing their next project, Heroes of Newerth. There are currently few details as to what type of game HoN will be, but this forum post implies it’ll be a massive multiplayer title:

Trying to make a “WoW killer” is just insane. Nothing is going to strip away enough players to support something with the kind of budget that WoW has. I think though that an MMO that sets more realistic goals and could sustain itself with a smaller user base than over 10 million people could definitely be successful. It’s like people seem to think the only definition of “successful” is being the undisputed, competition crushing number 1 hit making billions of dollars and anything less is failure.

S2Games released Savage 2: A Tortured Soul for Linux earlier this year, which will also be having a free play (i.e., demo clients will be unlocked) week running from July 21^st through the 28^th.

The developers of Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup, a roguelike game where players seek the Orb of Zot, notified us that the Linley’s Dungeon Crawl variant has reached version 0.4. New features:

• Many interface improvements.
• Greatly improved Tiles.
• Allow all sensible species/class combinations.
• Added Vampire species.
• Overhaul of the good gods.
• Smarter monsters.

Download: [ sourceforge.net ]

The latest and greatest version of Wine has been announced. In this version of the Open Source implementation of the Windows API, the following new items have been announced.

• Fixes for Photoshop CS3 and Office 2007 installers.
• More progress on gdiplus.
• Support for Unicode files in regedit
• Improved video playback.
• Many Richedit fixes and improvements.
• Various bug fixes.

Download: [ Wine 1.1.1. ]

Vulcando Games sent in a new update regarding their upcoming massive multiplayer game Celetania:

We presented you the ship chassis of S.E.C.C.T.S. two weeks ago. To add the “feared” factor to these ships, you will need the weapon systems to go with.

Information about these were released today. In the special you will be able to find videos and descriptions for the weapons: From Laser to Structural Accelerator we will be explaining all weapons in detail. The players that were wondering how the weapons of the S.E.C.C.T.S. differ from the weapons of the Grogg should definitely take a look at this page.

As an additional note, Vulcando Games has set a date for the publishing of the first in-game screenshots: The beginning of August 2008 will be the so far most anticipated date which will yield pictures directly from within the game. This means that you will get a first impression of Celetania and its innovative 24/7 game play!

Phoronix has been investigating the continued absence of the Unreal Tournament 3 Linux client, pointing out forum posts from Epic’s Jeff Morris stating that the port is ongoing:

Hi guys. Work on the UT3 linux client most defintely is progressing, albeit a lot slower than we anticipated. We don’t discuss the status of patches until we know they’re ready to be released. No conspiracy, just challenging work.

Hedgewars, an open source turn-based strategy game like Worms but with hedgehogs, is at version 0.9.5  with a new taunt system, new explosion effects, maps, and a sudden death mode (thanks Linux Game Tome).

Screenshots: [ View ] Download: [ hedgewars.org ]

Kikizo recently interviewed id Software CEO Todd Hollenshead and designer Matt Hooper about the studio’s next game engine iteration, id Tech 5 (Doom 3 was id Tech 4), and its showcase title: Rage. Engine licensing, framerate, the significance of the name, and racing mechanics are discussed.

Also, id has announced the tournaments slated for their QuakeCon 2008 event:

The Intel QUAKE LIVE Championships
QuakeCon 2008 will mark the debut of the first-ever Intel QUAKE LIVE Championships pro tournament.  QUAKE LIVE is id Software’s new game created to deliver the excitement and energy of a first-person multiplayer  game to a broader audience through a free and easily accessible browser-based experience.  The Intel QUAKE LIVE Championships will feature a classic $12,500 One Versus One tournament along with a $12,500 Capture the Flag Team Tournament.

The Activision Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars Team Championships
Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars™ makes its second annual tournament appearance with the Activision Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars Team Championships.  Featuring competitions on both PC and for the first time on Xbox 360, the tournament contests will enlist six-person teams to battle it out in double-elimination bracket-style competitive play, in which each squad will have the chance to attack and defend.  On the Windows PC side, 16 teams will compete for $15,000 in prize money and in the Xbox 360 competition, eight teams will vie for $10,000 in prizes.

The Alienware Quick-Draw Challenge
For anyone who’s dreamed of competing for prize money on the QuakeCon main stage, the Alienware Quick-Draw Challenge offers $10,000 in prize money to randomly selected attendees competing in special QUAKE LIVE competitions throughout the course of the event.

QuakeCon will be held July 31st through August 3rd at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, TX.

The latest (and, after six years of support, probably also the final) patch for Neverwinter Nights has been released yesterday by Bioware. The 1.69 patch brings an impressive amount of changes, bug fixes and new content, the full list of which can be viewed here. It is probably worth noting that in order to be able to play online, you and your favourite server need to have the same patch version installed.
The official 1.69 patch faq also mention the fact that this continued support was only made possible due to the success of the NWN premium modules available from Bioware’s online store:

Without the revenue generated by the premium modules, we would have stopped patch support for NWN a while ago. Due to the success of the premium modules, we were able to still release patches for a four year old game like NWN. All the new content released in the 1.69 update was content that was made for one or more of the Premium Modules and is now available to our entire NWN community.

In slightly unrelated news, Bioware’s next fantasy RPG, Dragon Age, is now subtitled “Origins” and the first trailer is about to air on Friday. Bioware has neither confirmed nor ruled out the possibility of a Linux (and/or MacOS) port yet.

Download: [ Neverwinter Nights 1.69 Patch ]

Two of Linux gamers’ favourite indie developers, Introversion Software and Frictional Games, have recently published first snippets of information on their future game projects.

Chris Delay, the creative force behind past Introversion titles Uplink, Darwinia and Defcon, as well as Darwinia’s upcoming multiplayer sequel, Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest, shared some details about Chronometer over at Introversion’s blog. The game has been in early phases of development for three months now and is co-funded by the UK broadcaster, Channel 4:

It’s one of our more recent ideas, and was first written down during Defcon’s beta phase. I specifically remember the moment I explained it to Mark – in a KFC in London of all places, and he just stopped and stared at me while I was speaking. He genuinely couldn’t continue eating. By the time I’d finished I went back to my food and Mark just sat there silent for a few minutes before uttering “fuck me”, slowly shaking his head in disbelief. [...] Ultimately we don’t know for certain if Chronometer will be going into full production – the conditions would have to be right for Introversion and for Channel 4, although they’ve been fantastic to work with during pre-production.

Introversion hired a new writer, Chris Hastings, to work on the game. With Multiwinia (coming mid 2008) and Subversion (coming 2009) still in the works, the UK-based company is now apparently working on three titles simultaneously.

In the meantime, Frictional Games, an independent game company based in Sweden, while still at work on Penumbra: Requiem (an expansion pack to their horror adventure game Penumbra: Black Plague, coming August 2008), had this to say about their next project, given the working title of Lux Tenebras:

It is for sure a typical Frictional Game - creative, moody and filled with new and bright ideas. It runs on a new inhouse developed game engine, it has been granted a 300,000 DKK from the Nordic Game Program and it is slated for maybe a 2009 release.

Those with fondness for substitution ciphers are recommended to head over to the Lux Tenebras website.

Also released was Unbirth, an early project by one of Frictional Games’ co-founders, Thomas Grip. The project never got past alpha stage, as it was deemed too unstable to run even on its native Windows platform, and was abandoned back in 2003. Daring young men and women with Windows compatibility layers might nevertheless want to give it a shot.

Word War vi, a Defender-style retro shooter inspired by the vi text editor, is at version 0.18 with new difficulty levels.

Video: [ View ] Download: [ sourceforge.net ]