Inside Mac Games Volume 4 #9/IMG 40 Sep 1996.iso/More Goodies/Inside Games Update/Inside Games Update.rsrc/TEXT_132.txt

Text File | 1996-09-03 | 28KB | 510 lines

There are five difficulty levels and you can race a full season or
individual races. More info is available from http://www.microprose.com.



Mitsubishi: SURFING WITH YOUR TV
Convergence--a fancy marketing phrase that applies to the bringing together
of various technologies to accomplish a single goal--entertain you fine
folk. Part of that entertainment paradigm is the Internet and the World
Wide Web. Understanding the need for appliances to assist in broadening
accessibility to the Internet, Mitsubishi Electric Corp. is going to launch
TV sets this fall that'll let you use email and retrieve pages from the
World Wide Web. The controller will be a remote control device that comes
with a special type of trackball that, when moved, will shift a cursor that
appears on the screen. There will also be a keyboard image and you can
click on the characters to write emails. This product will have a monitor
that measures 28 inches, diagonally, and comes bundled with browser
software. You will have to hook this set to a conventional telephone line,
and a 14.4 kbps modem will come with the TV. This unit will go on sale this
October.



MSNBC: ROASTER AIRS ON MSNBC
No--not "roaster" as in "chicken." Radio talk show host Don Imus, well
known for exchanging barbs with notables, will have his radio show
televised as he broadcasts, starting September 3rd from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.
EDT. The show will appear on MSNBC, the 24-hour cable television network
owned by NBC and Microsoft. Imus said he won't change the format of his
Imus in the Morning show or tone down his outspoken political wit. Imus
became know nationally when he caused an outrage after appearing at a
Washington dinner of radio and TV correspondents where he roasted the
President about his controversial love life and delivered other
questionable remarks about the first lady.



NBC: UNAPIX LAUNCHES ADVENTURE SERIES
The NBC television network will launch the Unapix series -- Ushuaia: The
Ultimate Adventure, from Unapix Entertainment Inc., based on the French
hit-TV series, on Saturday, August 31 (8-9) p.m. (ET). There will also be
22, additional one-hour episodes of the real-life adventure series. They
will be shown under the title Ushuaia: The Adventures of Nicholas Hulot.
The series combines the best of adventure, state-of-the-art technology, and
travel to some of the world's most remote regions.



NetObjects: ANIMATION PERCOLATION
Seems as though most folk would really like to incorporate applets into
their WWW sites. However, many of us are so involved in text preparation
and HTML coding that actually learning another scripting language, or the
Java language itself, is not a viable option due to limited resources--such
as bodies and time to get the work done that already faces us. Enter
NetObjects with their Fusion program. This is a new WWW site app that
provides visual support that'll help you incorporate Java applets into your
site(s). Written in Sun Microsystem's Java, Fusion integrates such goodies
without complex programming skills required. You simply select the applet
tool from the NetObjects Fusion tool bar, then specify the location on y
our page where you wish this object to be placed. You can dynamically size
the runtime dimensions and location of the applet, with the program then
automatically querying the appropriate applet, retrieving, and displaying
the applet parameters in a visual interface. You can then edit the
parameters. Included is SiteMapper, a navigation applet.



Netscape and Now: MORE UTILITY WITH NETSCAPE
The ongoing battle for market share between Netscape and Microsoft finds
both companies attempting to bring new and better plug-in technologies to
their services. Chalk another one up for Netscape--they've just signed an
agreement with Now Software to bring AboutTime(TM) and AboutPeople(TM)
Internet and intranet calendars and address books using Now Up-to-Date
Publisher(TM) with access through Netscape Navigator for WWW use. AboutTime
offers a full selection of calendar views without the need to switch pages
in Navigator. And AboutPeople enables high-speed search so you can
instantly find a name within a large contact list. You'll then have that
name displayed, with the address, in a familiar business card format, all
without switching pages. Plus, you'll have a drag-'n-drop capabilities for
the calendars and address books that reside on your personal Now
Up-to-Date(TM) apps on your Macintosh and PC units.



Nintendo: TIMELESS TETRIS
There are millions of us that still game on our Super Nintendo
Entertainment Systems (SNES). Although sales of this particular 16-bit unit
have declined, there are enough players worldwide to continue support of
games released for this unit. One of the newest such titles is TETRIS
ATTACK from Nintendo. This is an 8-megabit puzzle game that may be played
by two, simultaneously. As rows of colorful panels rise from the bottom of
your screen, you must rearrange them into vertical or horizontal groups of
three or more in order to disintegrate them before the stack reaches the
top of the playing field. There are multiple endings as well as hidden
codes. There are five different one-player games and two different
two-player games. The Puzzle mode challenges you to solve more than 60
different puzzles within a predetermined number of moves. The options menu
lets you customize your game play. The game will release early next month.



ORION STARS IN A COMBINED EFFORT
Orion Pictures Corp. and Rank Film Distributors have agreed to work
together for the financing, production and distribution of three major featu
re films, two of which are now in production. The motion pictures, which
will be released in the United States and Canada by Orion and in
international territories by Rank, are Eight Heads In A Duffel Bag, which
stars Joe Pesci; Independence, with Drew Barrymore as the star, and a third
film whose title is to be announced at a later date.



Palladium Interactive: CAREER BUILDING FOR KIDS
More and more software is being created for homes where parents are
becoming more and more involved with their children's education. To give
children a perspective of what awaits them in the work-a-day world,
Palladium Interactive is debuting their Bears At Work. This CD-ROM affords
our younger citizens a real look at the world of careers via an interactive
storybook. There's also a creativity center and a unique,
first-of-its-kind, kid-safe WWW site. Designed for children ages 3 to 8,
the product is based on the children's book by artist/author Gage Taylor.
There are colorful animations, lovable characters, thought-provoking
activities, songs, music, and online sharing with other children from
around the world. Your youngsters can explore fun-filled occupations that
range from Adventurer to Zookeeper. Each of the 26 storybook pages explores
a different career choice and features an original oil painting by Taylor.
Plus, there's all kinds of information on bears, as well, from polar bears
to pandas to teddy bears, and how they live. This title is for Macintosh
and Windows 3.1/95 machines.



Paramount: FORD HAS A BETTER IDEA--STAR IN DARK DEBTS
The much sought after Harrison Ford is being pursued by writer Karen Hall
to star in the movie version of her coming, already-acclaimed first novel,
Dark Debts. The book is described as the supernatural thriller of the
decade. The novel is based on a story about a sexy Jesuit priest with a
talent for exorcisms, and the haunted family he tries to help. The novel,
which hits bookshelves in early August, has a first shipping of 100,000
copies and Paramount paid $800,000 for movie rights, allowing Hall to write
the screenplay as well.



Paramount Pictures: L.A.'S EARTHQUAKE--A 9.6 ON THE RICHTER SCALE
The folks responsible for the special effects of the futuristic,
post-apocalyptic Paramount Pictures' film, Escape from LA, are using
Vertigo Technology Inc.'s 3D software. Over 150 complex computer generated
effects were required to create scenes of Los Angeles underwater and key
landmarks crumbling during an 9.6 Richter-scale earthquake. Director John
Carpenter has created this sequel to the classic sci-fi adventure film
Escape from New York that also stars Kurt Russell.



Philips Media Home: LAUGH AT LIFE
Role-playing games can encompass any number of environments. Most of us are
most familiar with FRPGs, or fantasy role-playing games, wherein you become
part of a magical world replete with all manner of strange creatures and
non-player-characters. Philips Media Home now presents a role-playing game
with a rather different tact--this title takes you to The Improv for a
backstage comedy adventure. For Macintosh and Windows machines, Don't Quit
Your Day Job is an interactive role-playing game that turns you into a
talent scout. Your assignment is to discover the hottest new comic for the
most popular late night show. You must schmooze the characters at The
Improv to get your comic into a prime spot in the Improv showroom. You can
wander throughout the club with full 360-degree panoramas, and you can
check out the phones and even the photos on the walls. But, when is the
right time to talk to the cast of characters in order to secure their help?
One wrong move and you're flushed to "Hell's Basement." The cast of the
game includes Budd Friedman (the club's founder), Mark Lonow, Abe Yoder and
many others. Also, the program offers more than one hour of original,
stand-up performances from more than 30 comics.



PINOCCHIO NOSES ONTO THE WEB
As with almost every new movie that has been launched this summer, The
Adventures of Pinocchio has a website at http://www.pinocchio.com. This
site features a storybook adaptation, games, animation, more than 100 set
illustrations, photos, and production information about the new live-action
film. Academy Award-winner Martin Landau stars as the master puppet maker
Geppetto, while Jonathan Taylor Thomas (The Lion King, Home Improvement) is
the voice of Pinocchio who goes looking for fun and adventure in an
unfamiliar world. Others co-starring are Rob Schneider, Udo Kier and Bebe
Neuwirth. The film was directed by Steve Barron who re-teams with Jim
Henson's Creature Shop (Babe).



MORE TITLES FROM PSYGNOSIS
ATHANOR
Athanor, for PC CD-ROM and PlayStation for release in the winter of '96, is
based on the pit-city of Byzance--the only escape comes in the form of
sports and entertainment. Athanor is a virtual universe inspired by Greek
mythology in which competitors do battle with wild beasts such as the
Minotaur, the Hydra, and the Gorgon Medusa. If you survive, you go on to
become the city hero. You must solve a series of mysterious disappearances.
Over 200 scenes feature real-time 3D backgrounds and characters.

CHRONICLES OF THE SWORD
Chronicles of the Sword takes place in the time of King Arthur's court with
marvelous graphics and movie-style cinematic techniques. The player is
Gawain, a Knight of the Round Table, with Morganan, King Arthur's wicked
half sister, who's determined to see you fail. The player must deal with
the evil within. The game  takes you through 100 beautiful environments for
the PC CD-ROM and for the PlayStation in July.

THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN
This title plays upon the seductively twisted imaginations of French film
makers, Jean-Pierre Junet and Marc Caro. They have created The City of Lost
Children for the PC and PlayStation, which is due this winter. This is a
dark, surreal adventure with an unusual cast of orphans, circus strongman
and Siamese twins.



Quality Education Data: COMPUTERS MAKE FOR SMARTER KIDS
Figuring out ways to help our children become better students and improve
their academic scores is always of concern to parents and teachers. Now,
according to educational market research firm Quality Education Data (QED),
their latest independent survey reveals that educational software improves
the academic performance of K-12 students. More than 93 percent of the
surveyed teachers stated that computer-based instruction improved the
grades and performance of their students. Mathematics was cited by 97
percent of those polled as the area most positively affected by such
software. Reading was the next highest area of improvement. Additionally,
more than 95 percent of the teachers surveyed indicated that student
reaction ranged from favorable to enthusiastic when using this type of
software, with NONE reacting unfavorably. Even the student's general
attitudes toward school improved after using such programs, according to 85
percent of the teachers. QED is located in Denver, Colorado.




ReadySoft: GET READY(SOFT) FOR SHADOAN
In August, ReadySoft is releasing Shadoan, an animated fantasy/adventure
game for the Sony Playstation and Sega Saturn. Shadoan, one in a series of
five Kingdom games, features more than 70,000 hand-painted cells of
animation that took 300 animators nine months of constant work to complete.
There are 30 completely original musical tracks arranged by Hollywood
composers who were responsible for scores from Pochaontas to Beauty and the
Beast, and the detailed writing and scope of this story is likened to that
of J.R.R. Tolkien. The creator of Shadoan, Rick Dyer, was responsible for
another marvelous game, Dragon's Lair. Interplay will release the PC and
Mac versions, and Philips Interactive Media will distribute for the CD-i
players.

Shadoan involves the adventures of the hero, Lathan Kandor, who is
searching for the last two remaining relics in the Kingdom of Shadoan. He
confronts the evil wizard, Torlok, in their final battle. Shadoan demands
that players make their decisions with careful thought. Players can choose
to work in groups, navigating through the game together, making it a game
for the whole family. Shadoan offers a Parental Guidance Option that allows
parents to adjust the level of violence in the game's fight scenes.
Additionally, there is a closed caption option on the PC platform for the
hearing impaired.



San Diego: COME ON DOWN
San Diego is one busy place--it was the site of America's Cup last year,
the Republican National Convention this August, and will be the location
for the Super Bowl in 1998. The San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau has
been working overtime to bring a contest to the Web called the
Star-Spangled Summer of 1996 Win a Free San Diego Vacation. This Internet
sweepstakes offers the winner a trip for two to San Diego from anywhere in
the world that United Airlines flies. Folks enter the sweepstakes by
responding to a brief survey via the Virtually(TM) California website at
http://www.virtually.com/vacation. The winner and a guest will also receive
hotel accommodations for two in San
Diego for two nights at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla, and in Rosarito Beach,
Mexico, for two nights at the Rosarito Beach Hotel. There will be an AVIS
rental car as well, for a total of four days in San Diego and Mexico; fine
dining for two at the Star of the Sea and Cafe Japengo in San Diego;
surfing lessons from the San Diego Surfing Academy; and guest passes to the
San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, Sea World and the Old Globe Theatre.
And, at the end of this trip, a virtual scrapbook will be provided online
by Select Hypermedia, a World Wide Web publishing firm. What a grand
contest!



Sega of America: SILVER SCREEN FOR SEGA
Leveraging intellectual properties into new venues is continually of
interest to game publishers. Such is certainly the case for Sega of
America. That company has signed an agreement with Ideal Entertainment
Inc., giving that company merchandising, motion-picture, and television
rights to VectorMan, a top-selling video game from Sega. Ideal is going to
produce a computer-animated, science-fiction action film that will be
distributed late in 1997. Work will be undertaken with the digital effects
producers of Independence Day, Tribaltek.  The director will be Joseph
Francis, who was the CG supervisor of ID4. The script will be written by
Norma Jenkes and Francis.




Simba Information: ADS ADD UP SAYS SIMBA
Folks are talking about whether money can be made in advertising on the
Web. The answer is YES--according to Simba Information Inc., a leading
market research company. The four largest online services (America Online,
CompuServe, Prodigy, and Microsoft Network) will garner $200.1 million in
1996 and grow to $1.97 billion in 2000. The greatest growth will occur
between 1996 and 1997 when Web advertising revenues are expected to
increase 265.8 percent to $402.4 million. The growth will peak and then
level off between 1998 and 2000 as usage flattens out. Estimates are that
14 leading ad-supported Web sites that include CNN, ZD Net, Yahoo! and
CMP's TechWeb, will account for about 75 percent of the entire Web
advertising revenue market. CNN and ZD Net will generate the highest ad
revenues of about $10.0 million each in 1996, with other big players such
as Procter & Gamble, Nissan, Anheuser-Busch, and Nabisco planning Web ad
campaigns in 1996 and 1997.



Sirtech Software: NET-WORTHY
The rush to bring games to the WWW is in full swing. Company size no longer
seems to have any impact, as game publisher after game publisher believe
net-based games are the key to future success. One company that has been
involved in this industry for years is Sirtech Software, and they have now
signed an agreement with Engineering Animation, Inc. (EAI), to develop a 3D
multiplayer game for the Internet. EAI has been involved with a number of
major clients to produce animations, from 3M and Ford to The Discovery
Channel and NBC's Today show. Based in Salt Lake City, the company will
produce a game that will support as many as 65,000 colors on a full screen
scrolling background with total support for Microsoft's Direct X
technology. (That should give you a hint as to what platforms this game
will support.) New scenarios for the game and different hero sets will all
be downloadable from the net. This new online game project, as of this
writing, has no title.



Spectrum HoloByte: GUNSHIP, HELICOPTER SIM
Gunship, a helicopter sim for the PlayStation from Spectrum HoloByte, Inc.
http://www.microprose,com, is based on U.S. army attack helicopters and
tactics. Simulating  aerial combat gamers get to fly some of the most
advanced and deadly military helicopters including the Apache and
Commanche. Players can choose the arcade mode or an extended campaign that
goes on for hours. The campaign has two theaters of operation, the Persian
Gulf and Central Europe.

Gunship for the PlayStation has had a graphical and audio overhaul, making
it different from its predecessors. From smooth scrolling landscape with
geographical features and realistic colors and textures, to bitmapped skies
with changeable weather conditions and beautiful sunsets, this title also
features a redesigned cockpit that gives gamers an impression of greater
depth.



Starbucks & Turner: TURNER WAKES UP AND SMELLS THE STARBUCKS
Starbucks Coffee Company will team up with Turner Broadcasting Company
Inc.'s first original online entertainment network SPIV to produce  Double
Shot from Starbucks. Double Shot (hyperlinked from the SPIV homepage at
http://www.spiv.com/doubleshot) involves news bytes, on and off the field
reports about superstar athletes as well as the up and comers, reports of
upsets of World Records, and club-hopping celebrities and entertainment
live from Atlanta in a kind of cyberspace cafe.



TEN & Sirtech: DEADLY DEALINGS
Those companies involved in online, multiplayer gaming continue to scramble
for content. Each company is trying to one-up the others, each vying for
the most viable and most pleasing content--and that sure makes a lot of
sense. One of the latest deals to come down the surfway is the one signed
between Total Entertainment Network (TEN) and Sirtech Software. This
agreement will bring the latter company's role-playing game, Deadly Games,
to TEN. Deadly Games is the sequel to Sirtech's Jagged Alliance war strat
game. You become one of 70 mercenaries to lead a team on specific missions.
You'll end up planting bombs, hurling grenades, and trying to outmaneuver
your opponents as you attempt to keep your platoon safe from hostile fire.
Currently, TEN has online rights to more than 25 games, ten of which are
exclusives.



T.J. Maxx: PARENTS PREP WEE PEOPLE
The majority of parents, 84 percent, are committed to starting their
children's education at home--this according to a survey conducted by T.J.
Maxx, the leading off-price retailer in the nation. Parents' commitment to
starting their children's education at home has become much more
mainstream, as they spend approximately $380 per household on children's
educational books and toys. Total projected sales are approximately $11.9
billion, nationwide. Improving their children's performance in school is
the primary reason 67 percent of the parents purchase these items. For 25
percent of parents in this  survey, spending more quality time with their
children is the primary reason for purchasing educational toys and books.



Trilobyte: SCOTTISH SECRETS
A geographical area that's seldom been touched by interactive
entertainments is the land of Scotland, with its mysterious moors and dark
castles. With the success of such films as Braveheart and Rob Roy,
Trilobyte is about to come to market with a new graphic adventure entitled
Clandestiny(TM). This animated interactive game takes place at Castle
MacPhiles and the mystery that might lurk beneath its walls. The game
features nearly 40 minutes of classic, motion-picture quality animation and
combines an original story by renowned author Jahnna N. Malcolm with a dose
of Scottish lore and legend. There are also numerous one-of-a-kind puzzles.
Young Andrew MacPhiles is the unlikely hero. He's accompanied by his
spunky, soon-to-be fiancee, Paula, as he returns to Scotland to claim his
ancestral home--aye, Castle MacPhiles. First, he must fulfill an ancient
prophesy and defeat a deadly curse that has haunted his family for
generations. You'll accompany both Andrew and Paula as they encounter the
castle's odd inhabitants--some friends and some foes. There are long
forgotten rooms and hidden passageways to find that hold the clue to the
castle's mysteries. In conclusion, you'll unveil Andrew's true destiny and
his confrontation with the real Beast Within. The game will be distributed
for PC CD-ROM machines this fall.



Trilobyte: TRUE FILM & CD CONVERGENCE
As we've mentioned before, the marriage of Hollywood and Silicon Valley
seems, in some cases, to be several years away from total fruition. Not so
in the case of Trilobyte who have just completed production of the
company's first full-length motion picture and interactive CD-ROM project.
Tender Loving Care is the name of the film and this is the first time a
motion picture and interactive CD-ROM have been undertaken as a single
project. This is also the first project to be completed under the company's
film and TV production arm, Trilobyte Productions. The film stars John Hurt
(Rob Roy and The Elephant Man) as a psychiatrist caught in a tangled web of
seduction and power with a troubled young couple. Plans call for this film
to be distributed theatrically both in the US and abroad. The CD-ROM
project, called Tender Loving Care Interactive, will include footage not
seen in the movie's director's cut, which will allow you to experience
variations in the same story with alternate endings. You don't solve
puzzles or kill enemies--instead, you collect hidden insights into each
character that can be fully explored. With each discovery, you're forced to
examine your own motives and values as the film reaches a chilling
conclusion. Additionally, the film production arm of the company has signed
a development agreement with Larry Kasonoff of Mortal Combat, Total Recall
and Terminator 2 fame, to create The 7th Guest: The Movie, based upon
Trilobyte's best-selling game.



Ventana Press: SCRIPTING SENTIMENTS
WIth Java and JavaScript totally enveloping the WWW, numerous book
publishers are shimmying into the market with new books about the language,
the scripting environment, the browsers, and the server technologies, the
Shockwaves and Sizzles and more. Ventana, one of the first book publishers
to recognize the technological advancements offered by Macromedia
Shockwave, has now released the Official Netscape JavaScript Book. This is
a non-programmer's guide that'll help you create applets for use on the
WWW. Plus, there are Online Updates for the book via a dedicated WWW site
(http://www.netscapepress.com/support/javascript) that'll help readers stay
informed on this technology as it continues to evolve. You, pretty much,
learn how to write scripts instantly, thereby adding more pizzazz to your
WWW pages. You'll receive instruction in how to use and understand
JavaScript, from functions and comments of scripts, to the advanced areas
of creating customized objects. Data storage, value manipulation, decision
making, script control, troubleshooting, and a number of tricks and tips
are all included.  More info is available at Ventana's WWW site at
http://www.vmedia.com.



Walt Disney Co. MADE IN JAPAN--DISNEY SAYS "WE'LL DISTRIBUTE"
An agreement between Walt Disney Co. and a Japanese publisher to distribute
English-language versions of the animated films of Hayao Miyazaki through
its global network, Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co., has been reached. The
Tokyo-based publisher holds a majority, equity stake in Miyazaki's company,
Studio Ghibli Co. It has long been the wish of Miyazaki to have his movies
seen by children around the world. Miyazaki's animated movie, My Neighbor
TOTORO, has been translated into English and the film is also available on
videotape. Some of the animator's better-known movies include Kiki's
Delivery Service and Laputa, Castle in the Sky. Walt Disney will distribute
the English versions of Miyazaki's animated movies in the United States. A
Japanese subsidiary of Walt Disney will market the animated movies on
videotape in Japan andother countries.



Warner Brothers: WARNER BROTHERS HAVE A LOT
Folks can explore the lots at Warner Brothers studio via their new Virtual
Lot on the World Wide Web and America Online. When users enter the Virtual
Lot, they are greeted by Superman flying into the scene and a limousine
pulling up to the front gate. Clicking on the door of the limo reveals a
different Warner Bros. celebrity profile each week. In addition to
information about the studio's entertainment programming, the Virtual Lot
invites online users to explore the streets of its Burbank studios,
interact with other users and experience an array of multimedia offerings.
World Wide Web users can enter the Virtual Lot at www.warnerbros.com.
America Online members can access the area by typing keyword "wblot."

Modeled after the actual lot in Burbank, users can explore the streets of
the studio and find animated areas dedicated to specific Warner Bros.
programs, regularly scheduled chat events, Quicktime VR virtual tours of
popular show sets, photos, audio and video clips, message boards, links to
the World Wide Web, Warner Bros. news and much more.



Warner Brothers: THE PROPRIETOR
The Proprietor, a movie that Warner Brothers has acquired domestic, U.K.
and French distribution rights to, tells of a revered French expatriate
author (Jeanne Moreau) who, after having spent 30 years in New York, is now
returning to Paris and the home in which she lived with her mother before
the German Occupation separated the two of them forever. The author, in her
60s, is confronted by two cultures, American and French; two time periods,
the past and the present; and relationships with friends and lovers, old
and new, as she attempts to reconcilliate her life and memories.