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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 03 Issue 20
Volume 3, Issue 20 Atari Online News, Etc. May 18, 2001
Published and Copyright (c) 1999 - 2001
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Rob Mahlert, Associate Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
Albert Dayes -- "CC: Classic Chips"
Rob Mahlert -- Web site
Thomas J. Andrews -- "Keeper of the Flame"
With Contributions by:
Pascal Ricard
Ken Gagne
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Visit the Atari Advantage Forum on Delphi!
http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=atari
=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0320 05/18/01
~ Can Spam Be Stopped?! ~ People Are Talking! ~ E3 Highlights!
~ Sony, AOL Join Forces! ~ MS Rivals Turn Up Heat ~ PhotoTip 3.0 Out!
~ 1GHz Mobile Athlon 4! ~ GameCube In November! ~ Keeper of the Flame!
~ Xbox Debuts In Fall! ~ .Biz, .Info Approved! ~ 3-D Monitor Screens!
-* AOL, Microsoft - All Out War *-
-* New Worm Spreads Political Message! *-
-* Gamebits! New Online Gaming Forum Opens Up *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Okay, I'm officially on vacation! Time to sit back, feet up, and just
take in a deep breath and relax! I have lots of plans for the next couple
of weeks - plenty of yard work (16 more yards of loam to lay down to finish
off putting in the lawn, get the pool opened, gardening, and more. I hope
to get in some golfing, some work inside the house, and plenty of relaxing!
I can taste those cold beers now!
Not much else going on here lately. Most of the work-related stress is
over, at least for the present. The new budget has been finished and turned
in to our VP. Might have some changes to make later on, but for now that
monster is done. Just anticipating this time off has helped get me in a
better frame of mind! Who can blame me, other than Joe!
So, I'll be brief this week - I won't rub it in too much. I'm hoping that
the weather stays about the same as it has this week, but with more sun.
I'll take the temperature in the 60's and 70's any time!
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
PhotoTip 3.0
Hi all,
PhotoTip 3.0 is available.
The first goal of this program to manage digital cameras as best as
possible. It is now also a very good images manager (listing, small
retouching...). Therefore it become an indispensable tool for all Atari
users.
PhotoTip webpage (in French):
http://www.europe-shareware.org/atari/logiciels/phototip.html
Bye,
P. Ricard (ES)
--
Europe Shareware http://www.europe-shareware.org
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@portone.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. I'm kind of under the weather this week.
I've got an ear infection that's making me kind of woosie.... Is that a
word?... Well, anyway, I don't feel well. But you know how it is.
At any rate, I don't feel exactly up to snuff. My telescope mirror
grinding project is at a stand-still, I missed half a day of work, and
I keep getting the seasick kind of feeling when I turn around too
fast. All because I've got an ear infection.
Luckily, computer work with a laptop doesn't require too much acrobatic
ability. Heck, if that was the case I wouldn't be able to use a
computer at all.
Well, since my ear hasn't healed up in the past fifteen minutes, let's
get on with the news and STuff from the UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================
Chris Martin asks a question about an OS that is near and dear to my
heart... Linux:
"I was wondering if there was anyone out there who has installed Debian
Linux 2.2 on an Atari TT030, and who has managed to get Xwindows working
on the stock Atari video hardware. If so, can you let me know how to do
this?
Since I have installed Linux on my TT, several people have asked how did
I get Xwindows working. Well, I didn't, and after messing with it for a
few days, it doesn't seem like it is too easy to do. If anyone has
modelines for the XF86Config file that work, that would also be
helpful."
Dr. Uwe Seimet tells Chris:
"You don't need any modelines for the Atari because the frame buffer
device is used. Most of the data in XF86Config that deals with monitor
settings is not relevant for the TT."
Last week there was a discussion about how to get a 1040 STf to display
on a television. This week Geoff Phillips posts:
"Just in case someone wants to know, I managed to get the beast wired
to the television, using the RGB. The details are:-
1) The SCART needs sync on the composite input.
2) The horizontal and vertical sync from the ST connect to each other
with a pair of 330 Ohm resistors, and the point at which those meet is
tapped off to pretend to be a composite sync, and off to pin 20 of the
SCART, the red green and blue and grounds going directly from the
appropriate pins.
[If you just use horizontal sync, you get a rolling picture, but
otherwise ok.]
So..
ST vert sync - |--330R-|---|||SCART composite In |||-330R--ST horiz
sync.
Gives a sharp image, no glitches. Don't blame me if it doesn't work!
(but does for me).
Thanks to those who offered assistance, feel free to add it to FAQs. I
can't recall now where I gleamed the bit of information about the 330Rs,
perhaps nestled inside a Dejanews posting."
Hallvard Tangeraas tells Geoff:
"How about making a simple circuit diagram picture (or ASCII drawing) as
it's all too easy to misunderstand textual explanations when it comes to
stuff like this (or maybe I'm just too lazy to study stuff like
this... ;-)
In any case it would be very useful for people who just quickly want the
thing made.
I seem to recall something about resistors in a discussion regarding use
of PC type VGA monitors - could you have taken it from there?"
Iggy Drougge tells Hallvard:
"They're certainly present in ST SCART cables. 150 Ohm."
Mike Freeman asks for help with Spin!, the CD-ROM driver:
"I just thought I would try out Spin! for curiosity sake. However, I
can't get it to recognize my CD-RW drive (Yamaha). CD-Lab doesn't seem
to recognize it, either. Both act as if the drive doesn't even exist in
the SCSI chain. CBHD seems to see that it's there, though, so my guess
is that it isn't supported by Spin or CD-Lab. Can anyone confirm this?
I have ExtenDOS, so it's not a big deal. I just thought I'd try it out."
Robert Schaffner tells Mike:
"Maybe a problem on your scsi chain or trouble with some drivers.
Any scsi device should send a message while boot up sequence.
Yamaha Recorders supported by ExtenDOS.
SPIN is an driver for CD-ROM devices.
ExtenDOS is the ONE and ONLY driver i used since 3 years for Toshibx
XM53xx CD-ROM devices and an YAMAHA CDRW 4260. Any other are not need.
CONFIG.SYS from CD-TOOLs / SPIN:
(Use SPIN for read only from Yamaha device!)
(Also works with .xfs for MagiC)
; CD-Tool / SPIN Configurationsfile BEGIN
; Note that everything up to `; CD-Tool END' will be erased by
; CD-Tool's configuration tool!
;
; created by CD-Tool 2.08, Sat Jul 12 13:47:20 1997
;
; devices
;
; SCSI 6: `TOSHIBA CD-ROM XM-4101TA' -> P
; SCSI 3: `YAMAHA CDRW 4260' -> V
;
; BOS drivers
;Load CD-TOOLS device driver hs-cdrom.bos
*BOS, c:\auto\spin_sd.bos, P:14
*BOS, c:\auto\spin_sd.bos, V:11
;
;Load SPIN device driver spin_sd.bos
; DOS drivers+
;
;Load .BOS device driver for SPIN and CD-TOOLs
*DOS, c:\auto\hs-iso.dos -c16, P:P
*DOS, c:\auto\hs-iso.dos -c16, V:V
;
;
; Config.sys An ascii file that describes the system
configuration.
;
; Physical Basic operating system format
;*BOS, [Physical Bos driver][Arguments], [Physical id]:[DMA channel],
..
; Device # meaning
; 0 - 7 ACSI device 0 - 7
; 8 - 15 SCSI device 0 - 7
;
;The next line installs FALCON.BOS for SCSI device 6 (14 = 8 + 6).
;
; Logical DOS format.
;*DOS [Logical DOS] [Arguments], [Logical id]:[physical id],...
;
;The High Sierra driver won't be needed in most cases
;*DOS, C:\AUTO\cd_boot\HSMAY86.DOS, Q:Y
;
;The next line installs ISO9660F.DOS for MetaDOS drive letter Y
;(which has been assigned to SCSI 5 above) as GEMDOS drive R:. Note
;that a lot of applications can't access drive letters beyond P:, so
;you might have to change the drive letter.
Try to toggle "Use SCSIDRV routines" on "Advanced options for SCSI" on
ExtenDOS 3.3. SPIN and ExtenDOS works fine here since years with
different Toshiba CD-ROM and Yamaha Recorders. SPIN is read only!
Different is the hard disc driver. I used HDDriver and not CHBD.
I kicked CHBD, AHDI and some other stuff with no support, if i changed
from 520 st to falcon."
Lyndon Amsdon tells Mike:
"Hmm, it should work. Have you set all the Config.sys up to right ID
and drive letter? I use it on an IDE drive (even though it strictly
says that it won't work!)."
Mark Friedman asks about hacking a power supply for his Falcon:
"can anyone give me some info about how to adapt a PS2 or AT
power supply so that it will work in a Falcon? My plan is to cut off the
connector from the original power supply and connect the wires to the
PS2 PSU. But which wires go where? Has any body done this?"
Robert Schaffner tells Mark:
"DOITF030 contains the schematic
http://www.doitarchive.de
http://home.t-online.de/home/rsmac/ "
Mike Freeman tells Mark:
"Yes, I recently did this when my Falcon PSU blew. I use an AT power
supply. It's pretty simple, actually. First, de-solder or clip the
Falcon's power connector from its power supply, and clip the leads from
the AT power supply cable. Solder the red and black leads on the Falcon
connector to the red and black leads on the AT unit. The next part is
crucial!!! I made a mistake with this one, and ended up blowing a
transistor on the motherboard! The colors of the 12v line are different
on the Atari and PC power supplies. DO NOT CONNECT BLUE TO BLUE!
Connect the blue wire on the Falcon connector to the yellow wire from
the AT supply cable. The blue wire on the AT supply cable has the
opposite polarity as the Falcon's. Once all the Falcon's connector
wires are soldered on, plug it all in, switch it on, and all should
work fine!
You should be aware that you will need to re-case the Falcon unless you
want the power supply dangling off the back end. Desktoppers and C-Lab
MK-X cases aren't even big enough. You'd need to get a PC case and do
some hacking. It took some doing, but I (with the help of a couple
other Atarians here in town) got my Falcon into a very nice looking
mid-tower case. I like it a lot better than the other various case
designs I've had, as it's got way more than enough room than I'll ever
need, and it's much easier to get into for upgrading, as it's a
"screwless" case. It basically just pops open with a firm tug."
Kelly Reed asks about PC emulation:
"I was referred to this newsgroup from the Notator newsgroup.
I'm looking for software that will help me resolve a theory.
The software needs to run DOS on my Atari. There are
many emulators out there to run Atari on PC.. but not many
that run PC/DOS on an Atari. If you have this software
please let me know, and provide an *.ftp where I may
download this.
The reason for needing this is a theory I have.
I have an EMAX II which can upload and download
sample banks from PC using a program called EMX.
However I run Win 2000 and EMX needs to run
from DOS prompt. EMX also uses DS,DD floppy disks
only. My PC has an LS 120/HD floppy drive.
So my theory is if I can get my Atari to think like a
PC and run Dos every once in a while I will have access
to hundreds of sample banks designed specifically for my
EMAX."
Lonny Pursell tells Kelly:
"I use SoftPC, you can find it on the net. Never could get
serial ports to work, that might be a problem if you try it.
It's also painfully slow on my TT."
Bob Retelle adds:
"Well, there WAS a software-only IBM emulator which ran on unmodified
STs and which would allow you to boot MS-DOS and run PC applications.
It was a commercial product called "PC-DITTO", and I have no idea what
the copyright status may be today, but I doubt it's available freely
for download.
If you could locate someone with the original PC-DITTO package for
sale, it might be worth a try.
The biggest problem was that the Atari ST is SO SLOW that software
emulation is exceptionally painful to watch. However, for your
application the speed might be acceptable.
(Later emulation efforts on the ST were hardware based, essentially
requiring you to install a circuit board with an 80286 based PC on it
inside the ST. The ST turned control over to the PC inside it and
became nothing more than a "dumb terminal" offering keyboard and
monitor support. These were very expensive and attained only marginal
success.)
Does the LS 120 not allow you to use DD floppy disks?
Wouldn't it be possible to boot your PC from an MS-DOS boot disk just
to run the EMX utility, then reboot into W2K?
Another thought might be to see if a native Atari patch librarian
might be able to access the EMAX directly. I know absolutely nothing
about MIDI applications though, so maybe that's a bad idea."
Kelly replies:
"The LS120 reads and writes and formats 720 K floppy but it doesn't
except the conversion needed for EMAX ... EMX for some reason. My
assumption is that it is too new of a floppy and has some added bonus
stuff that gets in the way.
Someone has sent me a version of Sound Designer which I will try and
work with directly from my Atari to the EMAX II. As you mentioned use
a native program designed for that sort of thing."
Fredric Fouche posts this very interesting (to me) bit of info:
"Ok, here is the deal.
I have:
Strong knowledge of Unix, MiNT, Sparemint, GEM, TOS, a cdrom burner and
fast internet access.
Here is what I would like to see:
A cdrom MiNT installation (100% self sufficient), probably to be sold to
you guys for a minimum fee. (at least to cover my ass).
Would it be worth it? (especially my time).
I can have a fully functional sparemint install for myself, I am
thinking hat it is a shame that only 5% of atari users are able to use
this kind of setup, probably because they were the only ones to have
anything > than a 520STF, or they just got lucky during the install.
Anyway, I would like to see more people enjoying an advanced
configuration.
I would like to see a few things in order to make this possible:
1) bootup floppy (containing a cdrom driver (SPIN? Julian Reschke?), an
XHDI hd driver (cbhd? hddriver?) and minimum tools to start the
installation from the cdrom then.
2) some tech doc writers (2 for english, 1 for french, 1 for german and
the more the merrier)
3) some consensus, agreement, e-meetings (irc, email whatever) to keep a
strong focus on the project.
4) depending on the price of the cd (to be decided), the real authors
(such as F. Naumann, Thomas Binder, Draco etc etc) would be rewarded
with money. NOTE: the distribution would be available for free on the
web as an ISO image, so if you have time OR fast internet access, it
would be 100% free. (reminder, I do NOT do that for the money, i
already have a job that pays really well).
5) some artists (graphics, music, etc) and different developers to help
in this project are welcome.
6) some beta testers would be needed as well. (MiNT newbies preferred, or
magic fanatics would even be better).
This is a BIG project, i totally realize that, big in effort, not in
time as we practically have all the pieces of this puzzle, it is just a
matter of gathering all that neatly and logically.
Anyway, feel free to post your comments in this very newsgroup. It could
be a very interesting project."
Janka Gerhard tells Fredric:
"I got the impression that that's exactly what one needs to be :
lucky during the installation. First I had N.AES 1.2, Mint 1.9 ? and
GCC 2.8.1. and some thing worked and some won't. When I upgraded to
N.AES 2.0 and Mint 1.15.5 I also tried to install GCC 2.95.2 but
except for 'hello world' type of program it never worked. rpm I also
never got to work. After some weeks of trying I threw everything away
and installed the old KGMD and GCC 2.8.1 and somehow I've hit a
combination where for the first time everything works really well.
The only drawback is that sometimes I look at the sparemint pages
and see all the new things that I'm not able to try. So any attempt
to create a new package is highly welcome and I'll surely give it
a try. "
David Ormand adds:
"YES!!!!
A RedHat-style easy installation for MiNT is Long Overdue.
Well, maybe not THAT easy, but something that has a sufficiently
friendly blend between good instruction and automation that MiNT
dummies can handle. And an up-to-date selection of kernel and
utilities. That work on most/all setups (e.g. my STfm).
I'd buy it. 'Course, I'd rather buy it from ChroMagic or
Systems For Tomorrow or some such in the U.S.!"
Well folks, that's it for this week. Tune in again next week, same
time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying
when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
=~=~=~=
Keeper of the Flame
by Thomas J. Andrews
tj@atarinews.org
I've spent the last couple of weeks stepping through the portal leading to
the Dark Side. Yes, I now have a PC. Worse yet, it's a Windows PC. I take
this step with a great deal of regret. It feels like I'm selling out, but
sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
I blame the Internet. I really do. When Delphi gave up its old dialup
access I had to go to the Internet or go offline. My Mega ST (and later
Mega STE) works great for email, newsgroups, and telnet, but the Crystal
Atari Browser (CAB) comes up short, mostly due to its inability to handle
Javascript. I was able to use just enough of the World Wide Web to get a
good taste for it, but not enough to fully enjoy it. So, when my brother
decided he needed something faster than his IBM Pentium 166, his old
machine passed on to me.
I'm now deep in the throes of learning Windows 98. It's a struggle, but I'm
getting there. On the plus side, I have two browsers that seem to be able
to do about everything, including crash. I'll be able to explore the
Wonderful World of Emulators, something I've wondered about for some time.
On the minus side, it's not an Atari system. I've already had the thing
lock up, only to chastise me when I rebooted for not shutting down
properly. My Atari's never did that. Crash, yes, but when I reboot they go
on as if nothing had happened.
I haven't given up on Atari yet. Both my Mega STE and 800 are still up and
operational, and will remain so for the foreseeable future. In fact, I'm
typing this on the Mega STE, because I like the keyboard better than the
PC.
8-Bit News
Word is out about a .JPG file viewer for the 8-bit, available for download
at http://rjespino.atari.org or http://rjespino.webhop.org. By all reports
it's a great program, well designed and easy to use. It uses the HIP format
for display.
I find it very interesting that there's now a jpeg viewer for the Classic
Atari. Several years ago I was a beta tester for Jeff Potter's JVIEW, which
displays GIF files using his Colrview system. Toward the end of the
testing, I asked him at a GEnie Real Time Conference about a jpeg viewer.
He looked into it and concluded that the translation algorithms required
more processor power than was practical for the 8-bit. Well. so much
for that. Once again, the hidden power of the 8-bit confounds even the
experts.
Those of us who used our Classic Ataris online years ago have fond memories
of hours spent on bbs's. With the development of the Internet, those days
are gone forever. Or are they? If you're lucky enough to have an ISP that
supports a text shell account, you can use a VT100 program like ICE-T or
FlickerTerm to telnet to bbs's that are much like those of old.
Everyone even mildly interested in Ataris, 8-bit, TOS/GEM, AtariPC,
Portfolio, Lynx, Jaguar - has-beens, still-ares, wannabes - all are welcome
to attend the Atarinews Chat, Tuesdays starting at 9:00 pm Eastern US time.
The url is telnet://atarinews.org. To logon, use "bbs" for both site userid
and password. Once in the bbs, new users have to select a bbs userid and
password. Then, use "T" (RETURN) and "C" (RETURN). Give yourself a chat id,
and you're there! So far, only the chat portion of the bbs is active, but,
if enough interest is expressed, the rest of the bbs might be activated.
Other URLs to check out are telnet://jybolac.dyndns.org:520 and
telnet://shadow.skeleton.org. The first is brand new and running on an
Atari TT030. The second has been around for a while, and the owner has
threatened to take it offline if he doesn't get more users.
Now that you know, you have no excuse. Check 'em out!
Atari 8-bit Docs, Hints, and Solutions
http://www.crestviewfl.com/~richard/atari-docs.htm
Do you have an 8-bit game you haven't played in a while because you forgot
how? Lost the instructions? Stuck somewhere in a text adventure? Find a
cartridge or disk at a garage sale/flea market/swap meet but no docs? If
so, this site may be just what you need.
With over 125 manuals and/or quick references, chances are the docs for
your treasure might be right here, ready for download. Most docs are for
games, like Castle Wolfenstein, Archon, Bruce Lee, and River Rescue, but
there are also non-game docs for programs like AtariWriter, Dos 2.5,
Visicalc, and Mac/65. If you're really stuck in an adventure game, the
solutions for nearly 50 of them are here. Beware, though. Having a solution
can easily ruin the enjoyment of a good adventure.
This a simple site, with little flash. Most of the effort seems to have
gone into providing content. Of course, content is what you're looking for
at a site like this. I found two docs I was missing, Montezuma's Revenge
and Necromancer. Back in the days when I was dabbling in assembly
programming, the Mac/65 docs would have been invaluable.
Unfortunately, the site hasn't been updated since October 1999. There's a
link to owner Larry Richardson on the page. Perhaps, if he were offered
encouragement and/or doc contributions, he would continue his excellent and
valuable 8-bit service.
Well, that's about it for this time. Time to get back to Windows 98. What
the heck is that ominous-looking blue screen about? Grumble, grumble...
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - E3 Highlights! New Resident Evil!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Xbox and GameCube in November!
Gamebits Online Gaming Forum!
And much much more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Video Game Makers to Vie for Top Billing at Expo
The fiercest video game battle this year won't be a 3-D wrestling match or
a samurai face-off, but the struggle for dominance as new, high-powered
consoles hit the market.
Three corporate camps are rallying their troops ahead of the industry's
major exposition here this week, to win the hearts and souls of game
fanatics and to persuade them that their side has the hottest technology
and snazziest games at the best price.
Just a year ago, the two leaders of the video game console market were
largely unchallenged. Sony had most older gamers under its wing with its
best-selling PlayStation system while Nintendo attracted a younger crowd to
the Nintendo 64.
But this year, tech heavyweight Microsoft Corp. is throwing its hat in the
ring with the Xbox, the No. 1 software company's first foray into the world
of consoles.
The stakes are rising, as video game and hardware sales have grown to a
$6.5 billion industry. Already one player has dropped out of the fray --
Sega Corp., which said earlier this year it would stop making the
slow-selling Dreamcast console to focus on game software.
So the challenge for the Xbox is to prove it's a worthy foe for the
industry's old-timer Nintendo Co. and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation series.
``Sony has high customer loyalty. Nintendo has brands kids recognize. The
Xbox is pretty much an X-factor because they've never published console
games," said Richard Oh, research firm NPD TRSTS video games account
manager. ``They're new and jumping into a console war that someone really
good had to drop out of."
All the new consoles are 128-bit systems, offering double the power of the
former 64-bit systems. Microsoft comes with a broadband Internet
connection, while the other two platforms can access the Internet through
separate devices.
Experts say Microsoft's biggest challenge lies in drawing
adrenaline-pumping game titles. Nintendo has tried-and-true Mario, Pokemon
and Zelda franchises and the PlayStation 2's one-year advance release has
lured many of the top titles.
``Xbox has more momentum in terms of excitement and hype, but they have not
shown anything that has really excited the early adopters," Electronic
Gaming editor-in-chief Ken Hsu said. He gets the ``buzz" from hardcore
gamers through letters and e-mails from the magazine's half-million
readers.
Microsoft has signed up the large game publishing houses -- Electronic Arts
Inc., THQ Inc., Activision Inc. and Sega -- to make games for the Xbox. It
has also signed up some smaller Japanese developers.
While its $500 million marketing budget has focused so far on the console's
graphics muscle and technological advances, experts say they need to show a
line-up of unique games.
``The technology is great, but they need to have exclusive games to make
people buy the hardware. They have John Madden and Tony Hawk converted for
the Xbox and others, but none of these are exclusive," said UBS Warburg
analyst Mike Wallace, referring to two of the top sports game titles.
Microsoft is expecting to launch with 15 to 20 games.
Video gamers are eager to see what the consoles can do at this week's E3
conference, but are more driven by the games that are available for it, Hsu
said. ``In terms of power, all are about equal and it really comes down to
what games (players) are going to get excited about," he said.
In contrast, Nintendo's well-known brands sell themselves, Hsu said.
``Nintendo has the best games in the world, most gamers will tell you. They
have really strong franchises, so they don't even have to show the games
and people are excited."
Experts say the Nintendo has a strong hold on the younger players, leaving
the Xbox and PlayStation 2 fighting over the 18-and-over demographic.
Gamers are eager to see the GameCube, as Nintendo has been very
close-mouthed about the system's details.
Launched last March in Japan and in October in the United States,
PlayStation 2 has shipped more than 10 million units worldwide, and offers
game developers a wider audience than the Xbox and GameCube, due for
release this fall.
``I think Sony is certainly going to be a leader because its installed base
will be close to 30 million (units) worldwide by March 2002, and by then
Nintendo and Microsoft will have sold a couple million each," UBS
Warburg's Wallace said.
Unlike movies, sequels of hot video games are usually sure-fire
blockbusters, and the PlayStation 2 will feature some of the most
anticipated titles before its rivals even unveil their platforms. Coming
this summer are sequels to the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series, Final Fantasy,
Gran Turismo and Metal Gear Solid.
While analysts say the PlayStation 2 is sitting pretty with its line-up of
games and its 18-month headstart, they say the console leader is
vulnerable.
Developers have criticized the difficulty of developing games for the
system, saying that the logistics developing for the Xbox and GameCube
systems have proven easier.
The PlayStation 2 has also been criticized for not having better games at
its launch and needs to show off better titles at E3, says Schelley Olhava,
senior analyst with market research firm International Data Corp. (IDC).
Sony's hardware shortage problems at the PlayStation 2 U.S. and European
launches have continued to plague its roll-out.
``As far as I know, you still can't go out and buy a PlayStation 2 in any
store, and I'm not sure when that situation will clear up," Olhava said.
``If Nintendo and Xbox have compelling enough games and are available, that
could take sales from Sony," she said.
Some insiders say Sony will likely lower its price once the Xbox and
Nintendo GameCube enter the market from its current manufacturer's
suggested retail price of $299. Xbox and GameCube are expected to price
similarly, although rumors have circulated that Nintendo could set a price
below its rivals.
Microsoft Lays Xbox Launch Plans
Microsoft will launch its Xbox video game console on Nov. 8 for $299, the
software giant said on Wednesday, using the crucial holiday season to
challenge sector leaders Sony and Nintendo for dominance in the $6.5
billion industry.
The launch date gives Microsoft just a few weeks to build a buzz around the
Xbox before the holiday season, when it needs to make a big splash in the
race to catch up to Sony Corp.'s popular PlayStation 2.
Spicing up the race is Nintendo Co. Ltd., which is launching its
next-generation GameCube console on November 5.
The PlayStation 2 is also priced at $299, but some analysts think Sony
might lower that soon to better compete with Xbox. Nintendo has not
announced GameCube pricing yet, but many in the industry say the machine
could be priced at around $200.
But despite the competition, Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft said it
expected to sell from 1 million to 1.5 million Xbox consoles through the
holidays.
``Neither one of us (Microsoft and Nintendo) are going to have any trouble
selling hardware this holiday season," Robbie Bach, Microsoft's ``Chief
Xbox Officer", said in an interview at the Electronic Entertainment Expo
(E3), the video game industry's annual trade show.
The Xbox's price tag is in line what analysts had expected. Console makers
sell the hardware at a loss, hoping to build a user base quickly and then
make profits on the games. A lower price makes the machine a more
attractive buy, but means a bigger upfront loss for the company.
Conversely, a higher price cuts initial losses but could put off
cost-conscious consumers.
The Xbox entry is controversial because analysts wonder if the market can
support three different platforms, pointing to the failure this year of
Sega Enterprises Ltd.'s Dreamcast machine.
Microsoft plans to back the Xbox with $500 million in marketing over the
first 18 months, making it the company's biggest product launch ever. It
expects to have 600,000 to 800,000 units on store shelves for the Nov. 8
launch, Bach said.
Microsoft, which has done virtually no advertising for the Xbox yet, will
ramp up marketing for the console over the next few months, and is striking
promotional deals with other companies like restaurant chain Taco Bell,
Bach said.
Bach touted the game's high-powered hardware, which is based on PC
technology, and will let players compete and talk to one another other
online.
Microsoft boasts the Xbox hardware will outperform both the PlayStation 2
and the GameCube, but analysts said all that power won't do any good unless
software developers make great games that are fun to play.
Bach said Microsoft will have about 15 to 20 game titles for the Xbox
launch, and it has dozens more lined up for launch in the following months.
Bach demonstrated several games that are expected to be flagship titles for
the Xbox.
Featuring realistic water effects, complex shadows and intricate detail,
the games include the science fiction action title ``Halo", ``Munch's
Oddysee", the sequel to the popular ``Abe's Oddysee" fantasy adventure
series, and ``Dead or Alive 3", the latest installment in a series of
fighting games.
Microsoft has also lined up exclusive high-profile games, such as ones
based on director Steven Spielberg's upcoming summer movie ``A.I." about
artificial intelligence.
Trying to ensure the Xbox will be a hit in Japan, Microsoft has courted
Japanese gamemakers. Among them are Sega and Capcom Co. Ltd., which promised
to bring its popular samurai adventure ``Onimusha" and dinosaur rampage
``Dino Crisis" titles to the Xbox.
Bach said he did not expect the kind of production delays that plagued the
PlayStation 2 launch last year.
``The components are all there. We don't expect any bottlenecks. Everything
is going really well," Bach said.
Bach also highlighted Microsoft's plans to develop online games for the
Xbox, promising players will be able to join an online game with a single
click and will be able to talk to each other while playing.
Microsoft's online plans contrast with those of Sony, which on Tuesday
announced a deal with AOL Time Warner Inc. to let PlayStation 2 users
access the Web, chat and send e-mail using the AOL service.
``All you have to do is ask game players what they want. People don't want
to send e-mail from their couch, they don't want to browse from their
couch, they want to play games," Bach said in an interview on Tuesday.
``Our online environment is about games, it's not about e-mail, it's not
about other things, it's completely and totally focused on games," Bach
said.
Nintendo to Launch GameCube on Nov. 5 in U.S.
Ask Nintendo Co. what makes a popular video game and they'll point to their
own super stars, Mario, Zelda and Pokemon.
Now the Japanese video game giant intends to add new luster to its all-star
line-up, announcing on Wednesday that it will launch its new GameCube video
game console in the United States on November 5.
That date sets up a showdown with the new Xbox console to be launched three
days later by software giant Microsoft Corp., which is a fresh entrant into
the $6.5 billion gaming industry.
Earlier on Wednesday, Microsoft said the Xbox will go on sale on November 8
for $299, using the holiday season to challenge industry leaders Nintendo
and Sony Corp., whose PlayStation 2 has become the system to beat.
Nintendo announced in April it had postponed the Japanese launch of the
GameCube until September 14 to make sure the company had lined up enough
hardware and strong software titles. At that time, the company said it was
planning a mid-November U.S. launch for its next-generation console which
has been in development for two years.
The old-timer in the three-way video game console war, Nintendo showed off
a boxy purple GameCube at the annual video game trade show, the Electronic
Entertainment Expo, or E3 on Wednesday.
GameCube is scheduled to be launched in Japan on September 14, and at an
unspecified date in Europe early next year.
Nintendo actually played only two games on the machine at E3, promising
more details at its own show on August 24 in Japan. They said they would
announce pricing details and a complete game line-up at an investor meeting
on May 24.
But a preview of GameCube's games and characters, and the thunderous
applause after each, signaled Nintendo's intent to capitalize on the
popular cartoon characters it is known for.
``If you want our world-known names, you can't have them unless you own the
Nintendo machine," said Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's director and general
manager of corporate planning.
``We believe we know more about what makes a good game than anyone else,"
Iwata said.
Although Nintendo's device has the same 128-bit capacity as its rivals, the
PlayStation 2 and the Xbox, Iwata played down the GameCube technology,
saying 3-D graphics are already of TV-quality and will soon reach their
limits.
Games Nintendo showed included ``Luigi's Mansion" featuring the
lesser-known brother of the popular Mario character, ``Super Smash Bros.",
``Metroid Prime" and a new game called ``Pikmin" in which the player
controls ant-like creatures.
``We work with design partners to design the GameCube to, above all,
eliminate troublesome bottlenecks. The result is a more efficient and
gamer-friendly device for E3," Iwata said.
The event was riddled with jokes and gamer humor, in contrast to the Xbox
show, which focused on technology and testosterone-fueled games.
But both companies highlighted the ease with which developers can write
games for their consoles. Some developers have complained of difficulties
in creating games for the PlayStation 2.
Sony is holding its event later on Wednesday. So far, its E3 announcements
have centered on how it plans to turn the PlayStation 2 into a home
entertainment hub through deals with AOL Time Warner Inc. to provide
Internet access, e-mail and chat, and with RealNetworks Inc. to make it
capable of receiving video and audio over the Web.
Nintendo executives also said that the Game Boy Advance, its update to its
popular handheld gameplayer, had sold 1.6 million units in its past five
weeks on sale in Japan and 3.1 million units of software.
The device, which sports a bigger and sharper screen than the Game Boy
Color it replaces, is scheduled to go on sale in the United States on June
11.
Peter Main, executive vice president of Nintendo, said that the initial
U.S. supply probably won't meet full demand at first but that the game
company plans to produce 24 million units for sale in the first 12 months
of release.
Sony and AOL Join Forces on the Video Game Front
Moving to create a strategic alliance against Microsoft, Sony Computer
Entertainment and America Online plan to announce a new relationship on
Tuesday aimed at blending the video game and online Internet experience.
The new relationship comes as the video game industry prepares for its
annual trade show, where the three major entrants Sony, Nintendo and
Microsoft are jostling to capture mind-share from both software developers
and consumers. The show begins on Wednesday in Los Angeles.
Underlying the alliance between Sony and AOL Time Warner is a coming
collision among the personal computer, online and video game industries
that will tend to blur the lines between the different markets in the
home.
"Both of these technologies are running into each other pretty hard," said
Rob Enderle, a vice president at the Giga Information Group, a market
research firm based in Cambridge, Mass. "Sony dominates the game market,
but Microsoft has the channel to take it in the future."
In addition to its alliance with AOL, Sony will announce on Tuesday a
series of peripherals for the Play Station 2, including an add-on hard
disk, network connection, mouse and liquid crystal display that will
narrow the gap between its video game machine and the Xbox from Microsoft.
Many analysts have commented on how the Xbox is closely based on the
current design of the home PC, with the exception that it has been
intentionally crippled so that it will not run the Windows operating
system or PC programs written for Windows.
Moving in the opposite direction, the new Sony peripherals for the
PlayStation 2 will give it more PC features, meaning that the video game
machine will be capable of being moved away from the living room
television and into a teenager's bedroom.
"We wanted to expand the market," said Kazuo Hirai, president and chief
operating officer of Sony Computer Entertainment.
The two systems are set to go head to head in the United States and Japan
this Christmas as Microsoft tries to build a beachhead in the video game
business. In addition to its Xbox game machine which is the first entrance
by Microsoft into a major computer hardware market the company has been
spending heavily to buy video game developers in an effort to ensure that
software will be available for its new system this year.
Now Sony and AOL will embark on a competing effort to add AOL features
like electronic mail and Instant Messenger chat features to the Sony
PlayStation.
At the coming Electronic Entertainment Exposition in Los Angeles, the two
companies plan to demonstrate an AOL software program running on the
PlayStation. AOL, which owns Netscape, is also developing a version of the
Netscape Communicator browser for the PlayStation 2.
"This will be a whole new experience," said Peter Ashkin, chief technology
officer of AOL. "Clearly the PlayStation 2 is the premier game platform
and we want to focus on broadband networking and entertainment."
There are currently 29 million AOL subscribers and 30 million owners of
PlayStation 1 and 2 video game machines, but industry analysts said that
Sony and AOL as well as Microsoft were entering uncharted territory in
their efforts to force a convergence of the various PC, Internet and video
game technologies.
"The biggest thing that's going on in the video game market is there are
no new people coming into it," said Nick Donatiello, president of Odyssey,
a San Francisco-based consumer market research firm. "Penetration has been
unchanged for years and years."
The video game market has reached a plateau at 36 percent of United States
households, he said, and it is unclear if new features and improved game
play will make a significant difference this Christmas.
In contrast, 43 percent of home PC's are used in some fashion for playing
games, he said.
Moreover, Sony and Microsoft must also battle Nintendo, which is planning
to bring its own new gaming system into the market this Christmas, while
confronting the advent of new consumer technologies like personal video
recorders that will compete for consumer dollars at the end of the year.
Capcom's Award-Winning Resident Evil Comes To
PlayStation 2 Computer Entertainment System In,
Resident Evil Code: Veronica X
Five Year Anniversary Edition Features the
``Wesker's Report"
Celebrating five years of publishing Resident Evil products, Capcom, today
announced plans to release Resident Evil Code: Veronica X for the
PlayStation2 computer entertainment system this August. Designed by
award-winning Capcom Executive Producer, Shinji Mikami, this special five
year anniversary edition will include the ``Wesker's Report" and include
never-before-seen footage that sheds new light on the mysterious character,
Wesker, and reveals insight into the Resident Evil plot line. The product
will be a special two DVD set. As an added bonus, consumers will have an
opportunity at select retailers to get a playable demo of the highly
anticipated upcoming release, Devil May Cry, another Mikami designed
masterpiece. The most visually stunning chapter of the Resident Evil saga,
Resident Evil Code: Veronica X is an enhanced version of the chart-topping
Sega Dreamcast blockbuster, Resident Evil Code: Veronica. The entire
blockbuster, multi-platform Resident Evil series has sold more than 18
million units worldwide making the franchise worth more than $600 million.
Resident Evil Code: Veronica X will carry an ``M" rating by the
Entertainment Software Rating Board.
``Not only is Resident Evil Code: Veronica X the best of the series, the
game now returns to its original roots on PlayStation 2, and is further
enhanced with the incredible series retrospective in the "Wesker's
Report,`` said Todd Thorson, director of marketing, Capcom Entertainment.
"Brand new footage explains some of the mysteries and insidious plots
surrounding the character, Wesker, from the original Resident Evil. If all
this weren't enough, the icing on the cake is the playable demo of Capcom's
upcoming Devil May Cry, an entirely new gothic thriller from the creator
of Resident Evil. Devil May Cry is already one of the most highly
anticipated titles for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system.``
Resident Evil Code: Veronica X begins as Claire Redfield leaves Raccoon
City for Europe, headquarters of Umbrella Corporation, in search of her
brother Chris and to solve the mystery surrounding Umbrella Corporation's
secretive activities. In her search she is captured and sent to an isolated
prison on a desolate Island. While it remains unexplained how Chris, one of
the original S.T.A.R.S. team members, appears in Resident Evil Code:
Veronica X, players will be reacquainted with his iron will and munitions
expertise to seek the truth behind the dreaded Umbrella biotoxins. Resident
Evil Code: Veronica X contains never-before-seen footage that focuses on
battles between Chris and the enigmatic character, Wesker, and sheds new
insight into the ominous Resident Evil story line.
The additional DVD called the 'Wesker's Report' which includes three
different sections. The first section is a narrated retrospective of the
entire Resident Evil series through the eyes of the infamous super villain,
Wesker. Consumers will uncover secret plots that explain various details of
Wesker's involvement in the Resident Evil storyline. The second section is
a highlight video of the amazing footage from Resident Evil Code Veronica
X, setting up the storyline. The final section is an interview with the
director and producer of the Resident Evil series as they reveal behind the
scene details regarding the creation of the blockbuster series.
In Resident Evil: Code Veronica X players control Claire at the beginning
of the game and later assume the role of Chris Redfield in their efforts to
stop Umbrella's devious plans. One of the many features that makes Code
Veronica different from previous Resident Evil games is the Real World
System (R.W.S.). Now when Claire opens doors, solves puzzles, stores items
or ammunition, they remain in the same spot when playing the second half of
the game as Chris.
``This five year mark is an important milestone in the history of Resident
Evil and we are pleased to celebrate it by releasing the best of the series
on the PlayStation 2," continued Thorson. ``Resident Evil fans continue to
hunger for more story information and the Wesker's Report will answer many
questions."
In March 1996, Capcom released the original Resident Evil which quickly
rose to the top of the charts and established the Survival Horror genre. In
1997, it was honored with the ``Consumer's Choice Best PlayStation Game
Overall" award from Sony Computer Entertainment America. In January 1998,
Capcom released Resident Evil 2 which received top honors from consumers
who voted it ``Best Overall Title" and ``Best Action/Adventure Game" in
Sony Computer Entertainment Consumer's Choice Awards. In March 2000,
Resident Evil Code: Veronica released and in November 2000, Resident Evil 3
was launched. Personal computer versions of Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2
and Resident Evil 3 are also available.
Capcom Presents, Devil May Cry an Astonishing
Mikami Masterpiece for the PlayStation 2
Capcom presented Devil May Cry, a new ``gothic action" game for the
PlayStation2 computer entertainment system. Designed by Resident Evil
creator and mastermind, Shinji Mikami, Devil May Cry tells the story of
Dante, the descendent of a legendary swordsman who has waged a one-man
battle against the demon world in order to carry out a 2000 year-old
revenge. Scheduled to release in November, Devil May Cry is already the
most anticipated PlayStation 2 game for fall 2001 in the trade, press and
consumer communities, described as a destined-to-be blockbuster release. A
playable demo of Devil May Cry will be distributed with the highly
anticipated September release of Resident Evil Code: Veronica X. Devil May
Cry will carry an ``M" rating by the Entertainment Software Rating Board
rating.
Devil May Cry boasts the following features:
* The quality of game graphics and animation are instantly recognized as
far and above all other PlayStation 2 titles.
* Shinji Mikami, the original producer and Hideki Kamiya, the original
director of Resident Evil 2 are reunited for the first time since the
creation of the massive original and Resident Evil 2 blockbuster.
* Possesses an incredibly dark and gothic tone with an artistically
crafted art style.
* Unsurpassed particle effects and light-sourcing set a new standard in
video game realism.
* Introduces an all-new level of character control allowing amazing
depth of character movement.
As the lead character in Devil May Cry, Dante is a dark figure shrouded in
mystery. Legend has it that 2000 years ago, in the depths of hell, a demon
swordsman, awoke to justice and rebelled against the devil, waging a
one-man war in support of the human world. 2000 years later, Dante, a
private investigator of the supernatural, realizes that the devil is
rallying to rise again against mankind. How does Dante fit into this gothic
puzzle? Deep within Dante's blood lies the power of ancient demons and as
his power builds he transforms into a demon state where he can inflict
unearthly powers on the retched souls he encounters. As Dante continues his
adventure he will find powerful weaponry including his dual-pistols and
shotguns. Dante will discover powerful swords, each possessing various
elemental powers. This devil hunter will lead players into the fantastic
dark world as Dante's destiny is played out in a gothic battle of good
against evil. If Dante is successful, the Devil May Cry.
As he seeks revenge for the past, Dante will face many evil beings,
including:
* Demonic marionettes - These low-class demons put their souls into
emotionless marionettes. These creatures normally are slow but can
move surprisingly fast when attacking humans.
* Death - These beings encompass death and are similar to grim reapers.
Death beings can hover in the air and travel through walls. They use
over-sized scissors or a scythe as their weapons of choice.
* Phantom - These high level demons rule all other demons in the old
castle. They are huge, ugly creatures that resemble spiders with a
dark aura. These creatures are more intelligent than humans and are
capable of fierce magic using fire or ground-shaking power.
``Devil May Cry is simply amazing. It will certainly raise the bar in the
world of PlayStation 2 games," says Todd Thorson, director of marketing,
Capcom Entertainment. ``Devil May Cry takes full advantage of the technical
advancements of the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system by
delivering stunning graphics and gameplay that immerses gamers into a dark
fantasy world. Capcom Executive Producer, Shinji Mikami has created another
masterpiece."
Sega Celebrates a Decade of Sonic Mania With the
Launch of Sonic Adventure 2 for Dreamcast
The True Blue Hero Commemorates His 10th
Anniversary as Pop-Culture and Video Game Icon
Break out the cake! This June, Sega of America will celebrate the 10th
Anniversary of one of the most beloved and recognized video game characters
of all time, Sonic The Hedgehog. In honor of the occasion, Sega will bring
Sonic back to the Sega Dreamcast video game console with the worldwide
launch of ``Sonic Adventure 2," sequel to the top-selling ``Sonic
Adventure." More than an icon, Sonic The Hedgehog has starred in Sega's
hugely popular ongoing video game series with upwards of 20 million copies
in cumulative units sold worldwide over the last ten years. Additionally,
Sonic has helped to shape an industry, a culture and to become a mainstream
part of family life.
``Over the past 10 years, Sonic has become a household name," said Peter
Moore, president and COO, Sega of America. ``Sonic titles have consistently
been top-sellers for Sega making this a critical property as we move
forward to becoming a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment. We
expect `Sonic mania' to continue, especially as he gets additional exposure
on new game platforms this year."
In 1991, gamers first met Sonic The Hedgehog when he was introduced on the
Sega Genesis video game console. ``Sonic The Hedgehog" was universally
applauded as the first significant contender to Nintendo's ``Mario." The
game went on to sell more than 2 million units worldwide that year alone.
The next year, its sequel, ``Sonic 2," hit shelves and quickly became a
hit, selling 400,000 units in its first five days of availability and
earned the status of the top-selling 16-bit video game of all time.
Over the years, Sonic has been featured in more than 11 titles for
different Sega gaming platforms, including the massive 60 level ``Sonic
3" for Genesis, ``Sonic 3D Blast" for Sega Saturn, ``Sonic's Schoolhouse"
for the PC and the smash hit ``Sonic Adventure" for Dreamcast.
Sega has seen Sonic escalate to celebrity status, with the blue wonder
starring in two simultaneous TV animated series, his own comic book (still
published today) and as a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade --
making Sonic the first video game character to have that honor. In
addition, Sonic's image has appeared on everything from lunch boxes,
wristwatches and sneakers to Franco-American Pasta.
This year Sonic returns with all-new friends and foes with the release of
``Sonic Adventure 2" for Dreamcast. Created by the highly acclaimed video
game developer Yuji Naka, ``Sonic Adventure 2" delivers an all-new ``Hero
vs. Villain" theme. The game features visually fresh gameplay
environments, including over 30 fast-action gamplay stages, and has a new
2-player mode to compete head-to-head.
This winter, ``Sonic mania" will continue when Sonic The Hedgehog makes
his debut on Game Boy Advance with the release of ``Sonic The Hedgehog
Advance" (working title).
THQ Announces MotoGP for Game Boy Advance
THQ Inc. announced MotoGP for Nintendo's highly anticipated Game Boy
Advance system.
MotoGP, based on Dorna's FIM motorcycle Road Racing World Championship
Grand Prix, enjoys a 51-year history and more than 1.5 million trackside
spectators. Scheduled for release in fall 2001, MotoGP for Game Boy Advance
will offer gamers the latest in biking technology and renowned riders from
more than 21 countries.
``Given the capabilities of the Game Boy Advance, we're thrilled to bring
the most powerful motorcycles and the world's best riders of MotoGP to the
new handheld system," stated Tim Walsh, senior vice president of
International publishing, THQ. ``We look forward to building an extensive
Game Boy Advance library with a wide array of quality games for gamers of
all ages."
``We are very pleased with the agreement reached with THQ," commented
Carmelo Ezpeleta, chief executive officer, Dorna. ``We are proud of having
THQ as a partner for a project like this where high technology and quality
is imperative."
MotoGP for Game Boy Advance will offer a four-player mode, three classes of
races including 125cc, 250cc, 500cc and the excitement of competing against
the world's best riders in the most demanding circuits. With 20 real tracks
to choose from and five challenging modes of gameplay, MotoGP offers gamers
the opportunity to prove their skill on the track through fog, rain and
nightfall. Gamers can choose up to 12 customized bikes from manufacturers
including Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and more to create their own racing style.
Dorna, based in Madrid, Spain, controls the world's top motorcycle sports,
including Motocross, Supercross and MotoGP. The Dorna Web site is located
at http://www.motograndprix.com.
3DO Announces Dragon Wars of
Might and Magic for PlayStation2
The 3DO Company announced the planned release of the Dragon Wars of Might
and Magic game this fall, exclusively for the PlayStation®2 computer
entertainment system. The first aerial-based adventure game in the Might
and Magic universe will immerse gamers into the exhilarating and
awe-inspiring fantasyland of a new hero and dragon character, Cael. The
Dragon Wars of Might and Magic game brings to life a compelling story with
intriguing character development that takes players to the skies in a world
of monsters and magical beings.
The Dragon Wars of Might and Magic game is a heroic story of revenge and
redemption. For centuries, the Orcs have enslaved the dragon race in order
to extract a powerful substance called Zeenium. This element provides
dragons with their primary strength and fire breathing ability. Now the
destiny of the entire dragon race hangs in the balance as they edge toward
unequivocal extinction. A young shackled Cael is in the grips of death as
he approaches extermination above a molten pit. Fate intervenes as a sprite
named Adara helps Cael break free from bondage, allowing him to seek
vengeance against the villainous Orc bureaucracy and to fight for the
freedom of his brethren.
Utilizing the PlayStation 2 technology, an all-new game engine will create
16 unique and stunningly photo-realistic environments. Addictive and
visually spectacular aerial gameplay will provide a rich and entertaining
experience for players. Cinema quality FMV (Full Motion Video) sequences
seamlessly blend the storyline and missions. To crush his enslavers, Cael
can use 32 unique dragon attacks and magical powers to strike against the
Orcs. Additionally, Cael can swoop down and grab enemies in his mighty
claws, ram objects with his powerful head, or use his crushing jaws to
devour foes.
``Dragon Wars creates a sense of empowerment and accomplishment as the
gamer explores this compelling new fantasy adventure," says Trip Hawkins,
chairman and CEO of The 3DO Company. ``The gripping tale of an underdog
hero conquering overwhelming odds will propel the player from one crusade
to the next."
The Dragon Wars of Might and Magic game will deliver nonstop excitement
with 16 action packed single player and cooperative campaign levels. Giving
great depth and variety to the game is its full 3D flight controls with
over 20 specialized dragon maneuvers including barrel rolls, loops and
other dragon tricks. Six head-to-head multiplayer levels, such as ``Dragon
Duel" and ``Feeding Frenzy," offer the consumer unlimited hours of
entertainment.
THQ Unveils "Dark Summit" for PlayStation 2 and
Xbox at Electronic Entertainment Expo
THQ Inc. announced ``Dark Summit", the first ever mission-based
snowboarding title, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los
Angeles.
The game is scheduled to ship winter 2001 for the PlayStation2 computer
entertainment system and be among the first wave of titles for the Xbox
video game system from Microsoft in fall 2001. ``Dark Summit" will be
available for live demonstrations during show hours at THQ's booth, located
at #4001, Petree Hall.
Currently in development by Radical Entertainment, Ltd., ``Dark Summit"
will allow gamers a completely unique experience, as the only action
adventure snowboarding video game with an in-depth story line and
mission-based objectives.
``Dark Summit" features a plethora of tactical challenges, from Half Pipe
Hero to Backcountry Helicopter. More than 45 mountain-based challenges
await on massively sized runs, as players must earn reputation points on
the mysterious Mt. Garrick. However, it's going to take every bit of
strategy and skill to defeat the formidable Chief O'Leary and reach the
summit.
``'Dark Summit' is a revolutionary game design in that it's the first
snowboarding game to incorporate mission-based objectives and a compelling
story line," said Michael Rubinelli, vice president, product development,
THQ. ``It combines high-flying, crazy, big air tricks with tactical
challenges and a compelling story line to keep gamers hooked from beginning
to end, yet it never loses sight of the tight physics and gorgeous graphics
you'd expect from a ground breaking Xbox title."
``Dark Summit" takes place on Mt. Garrick, a once quiet and peaceful ski
resort where snowboarders have never felt welcome. Chief O'Leary, the
resident ranger, has always led the charge against boarders and limited
their access to certain sections of the mountain. Now he has mysteriously
closed the summit to all boarders and is trying desperately to drive them
off the mountain altogether. Gamers will shred, jib and stomp their way
toward earning reputation
points and unlocking restricted areas of the
mountain in order to discover the true secret behind ``Dark Summit."
Capcom Announces Maximo: Ghosts to Glory
Humorous Tale Offers Intense Action and Classic
Game Play
Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of console video games,
announced Maximo: Ghosts to Glory, an all new 3-D action adventure game for
the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system. In this original creation
from Capcom, players control the fate of the gallant hero Maximo who
returns home to find his kingdom in shambles. Not only is the countryside
filled with hordes of the roaming undead thanks to his once trusted advisor
Achille, but the scoundrel has imprisoned four beautiful sorceresses and
forced Maximo's beloved, Sophia to marry him. Maximo must even confront the
Grim Reaper himself as Achille's actions create havoc resounding throughout
the underworld. Presented in a playful setting, Maximo must rescue the four
sorceresses, restore good to the kingdom, kick Achille's butt and get back
his girl. Maximo: Ghosts to Glory is planned to release for Christmas. It
has not yet been rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board.
Players in Maximo: Ghosts to Glory will enjoy:
* More than 40 special abilities, moves and
power-ups to discover!
* Dynamic Changing Environments -- With
Achille's drill breaking up the land, the
game playfields rise, fall, and collapse
creating skill based challenges and
obstacles.
* Progressive Character Customization -- Each
player can customize his character with new
skills and abilities. A wide variety of
skill and weapon upgrades are available as
Maximo progresses through the game.
* Unique Continue System -- Players must
collect spirits to earn 'death coins' that
can be used to pay off the Grim Reaper and
gain continues.
* Full 3D Worlds -- Maximo lives and fights
in an expansive, fully realized 3D
polygonal world. Level design allows for
true 3D movement and interaction.
* Art Developed by Famed Artist -- All of the game characters were
designed by Susumu Matsushita, one of Japan's leading artists.
* Classic Game Play -- Maximo is a return to the classic thinking in
game play design. It's simple, fun and highly addictive and can be
enjoyed by players of all ages.
* Challenge Stages -- Advanced players can gain additional challenge
stages, rewarding the player with new game play and added abilities.
* Tutorial System -- The action doesn't stop in order to teach new
players how to play. Players will be instructed as the game
progresses.
Maximo: Ghosts to Glory's dynamically changing and beautifully constructed
3D environment all loaded with creativity and interactivity. The hero's
abilities and skills develop as the game advances. Over 40 power ups
andspecial abilities can be found throughout the game. Maximo can use his
shield to defend himself or throw it like a weapon. His shield can also be
powered up in many ways including everything from attracting lightning to
creating tornados. His sword can also be powered up, from a simple increase
in size, to calling a meteor storm from the sky, to transforming it into a
flaming blade to slice through enemies.
A unique character progression system enables players to customize and
upgrade their character with new skills, abilities, and weapons based on
player preferences. As Maximo ventures out on his quest, his appearance
changes as the game progresses. At different times, Maximo may be outfitted
to wear a helmet or earn new armor, be magically transformed into ``old man
Maximo," ``baby Maximo," or even find himself stripped down to his
underwear after losing his armor. Inspired by one of Capcom's most heralded
series ever, Ghosts'N Goblins, Maximo: Ghosts to Glory players will
recognize many features from the classic games. As Maximo progresses
through his journey he will encounter familiar looking bone towers, red
gargoyles, and if he's not careful, Maximo can even lose his armor as he
tries to complete an area with nothing but stylish boxer shorts to keep him
warm. The game features intense game play, and also injects a clever sense
of humor keeping the game entertaining and light-hearted.
``Maximo: Ghosts to Glory marks true gaming playability at its best in an
amazing 3D world. The intent was to create a game that's all about fun,"
says Todd Thorson, director of marketing, Capcom Entertainment. ``It's not
often a game comes along with such massive appeal. This is due to a unique
combination of amazing development talent, a brilliant musical score,
incredible graphics and artwork design from one of Japan's most popular
artists. Capcom has spared no expense to create this blockbuster."
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr!
"""""""""""""""""""
New Gaming Forum!
All,
Gamebits, a new online gaming forum, opened today on the online service
Syndicomm - just in time for E3! I, the chief sysop, will be posting live
reports from the show to Gamebits while sysop Larry Tipton handles the home
front. A live chat will be held Sunday night at 9:00 PM EDT (6:00 PM PDT)
at which all your E3 questions will be answered.
Larry and I both either are or were sysops of video game forums on
CompuServe, and are webmasters of our own video game review Internet sites.
These years of experience will produce what is sure to be an exciting arena
for video game discussions.
Gamebits is a message board, conference area, and file libraries with ASCII
interface, in the old tradition of CompuServe, GEnie, and Delphi. A web
interface will be available within the coming months. The message board is
structured to hold conversations on hundreds of different topics, while
still being logically organized so you can read and post on what topics
interest you. It will be the first place where you can read reviews later
posted to http://www.gamebits.net and http://www.tiptonium.com.
The conference rooms will soon play host to a variety of live games,
including not only the Hangman and Mad Libs games that used to be active
here (3+ years ago), but also some classic console-based games.
Syndicomm.com is currently available by telnet only, and offers a free
ten-day trial. Subscriptions are as little as $25/quarter ($8/month) for
unlimited access. Subscribe with a credit card and get your first month
free with no obligation. See http://www.syndicomm.com for more details.
When subscribing, please use the signup code GAME.
Don't Bet Your Cybersavings on Video-Game Spinoffs
Movies have been made from as little as a song title, and some of them
were even successful. So why not video games?
In 1938, Johan Huizinga, the Dutch medieval historian, published a
speculative essay called "Homo Ludens" literally, "game playing man."
In it, Huizinga examined the generally unquestioned labeling of our
species as "Homo sapiens" "intelligent man." Several alternative labels
have been put forth by anthropologists and historians: "man the tool
maker," "man the builder" and so on. But none of those he had read before
quite captured our essential quality, Huizinga maintained. What really
distinguishes man from other species, he concluded, is that we spend so
much time playing games. And so he characterized our species as "Homo
ludens" man the game player. We do seem to enjoy it.
How much time does it take to earn our daily bread? And what do we do with
the rest of the time? I recall talking to an anthropologist at the Field
Museum in Chicago many years ago, and he estimated that early man spent no
more than three or four hours a day satisfying his basic requirements.
Judging by the people I've worked with, it's about the same today. Even
lions hunt but a few hours, and not every day. What is to be done with the
rest of the time? Lions sleep and scratch; we play games. These days we
play a lot of video games.
The video game industry has been on the threshold of seizing dominance in
entertainment for several years. Ultimately it will. It's inevitable: we
play games. For the last couple of years, sales of movie tickets and video
games have been in a virtual dead heat (no pun intended). Only books are
holding their own, and that's because most books are nonfiction and not
published for entertainment. Looked at from the entertainment aspect:
about two decades ago, at the height of the craze, revenues from the
Pac-Man game roughly equaled book sales from all United States publishers.
The handwriting was on the wall, but it was in the form of zeroes and
ones, and some people couldn't read it.
In the 20 years I have been writing about computers and software, I have
read numerous articles and editorials predicting the imminent demise of
video games. At one point in the early days of personal computing, when
games accounted for an overwhelming majority of all software sales, the
denunciation rose to a roar. There were critical editorials and articles
in all the best places. A fad, they concluded. Continuing strength in game
sales has proved to be an irksome reality, and subsequent critical
commentary has declined.
Hollywood is moving to the position of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
This strategy will fail, and movies will move on into obscurity, a future
entertainment category subsidized by taxes and private charity and viewed
by a select audience, much like opera and ballet today. They, too, once
dominated the entertainment world. There is a fundamental difference
between movies and video games: the games are interactive, movies are
passive. I don't see any way out of this. There have been several efforts
to produce interactive movies, and they have failed miserably. No
joystick, no joy. A movie is not a game.
Still, they keep trying; don't go quietly into that good night and all
that. Or as Satchel Paige put it: "Don't look back, something might be
gaining on you."
In an effort to change the reality that a movie is not a game, on June 15
the hit computer game Tomb Raider will appear as a movie, also called
"Tomb Raider." This will be followed on July 11 by the game- based "Final
Fantasy: The Spirits Within," which in turn will be followed by "Resident
Evil," with more to come.
Best of luck to everyone concerned. So far, only one of the previous six
movies based on computer games has ever made a profit. That was "Mortal
Kombat," in 1995, which rode the kung fu craze to $70 million in box
office receipts and $37 million in video rentals. The production cost was
about $20 million, leaving a very respectable profit, even by Hollywood
accounting practices.
What is it that prompts movie companies to make films with a track record
of one success in six tries? We could say it's stupidity, but it's really
the hope of selling tickets. In fact, the numbers must have started
dancing through some heads from the first moment: Let's see . . . there
were 17 million copies of "Tomb Raider" sold. All the buyers were young
guys. If everybody who bought a copy goes to the movie, that'll be 17
million tickets. If they take a date, that'll be 34 million tickets. If
they invite a buddy . . . And so on into the daydream world. Before you
know it, you've calculated the biggest box office hit of all time and you
haven't even finished lunch. What an easy business.
Some movies are made from original scripts, but most are made from other
movies, old and new, and then from books and plays. Movies have been made
from as little as song titles or paintings, and some of them were even
successful. And of course movies have been made from comic books. So why
not video games?
Games come with big numbers. Eidos, the British company that produced Tomb
Raider, boasts that Tomb Raider is the most successful computer game in
history. Though I asked a couple of company representatives, no numbers
were forthcoming. The 17 million number for Tomb Raider came from
Square-Soft, the maker of Final Fantasy, which says Eidos is living in a,
well, fantasy. The most successful computer game in history, Square-Soft
says, is its own Final Fantasy, which has sold 30 million copies.
Just how big a video game can be can be seen with a look at the scorecard.
At an average price of $35 a game, the sales for the nine adventures of
Final Fantasy come to more than $1 billion. Version 10 is about to come
out and will add more sales. Tomb Raider, even if the lower number is
true, works out to well over a half-billion.
A billion dollars is the kind of number that gets attention. At least it
gets attention in the front office where the bankers meet. Though a movie
ticket admittedly costs less than a video game, no movie has ever come
close to a billion dollars in box office sales, and only "Titanic" has
topped a half- billion dollars. Of course, if you look at movie series and
after all, the games are a series the four episodes of "Star Wars" have
taken in $1.5 billion.
The production cost on "Tomb Raider" is said to be about $80 million. In
addition, it stars Angelina Jolie, the hot item of the moment. If puffed
lips, high breasts and lots of attitude can sell tickets to men and
there's no reason to believe they can't she will make it or break it. In
fact, she does look a bit like the exaggerated cartoon figure of Lara
Croft, which made Tomb Raider, the game, a big hit among guys. I've heard
that sex sells and who knows? it might be true.
The presence of stars has not made previous video game movies into hits.
"Super Mario Brothers," using characters originally created for the Donkey
Kong arcade game, starred Bob Hoskins and Dennis Hopper but bombed. The
film, which cost $50 million, barely managed $21 million at the box
office. "Mortal Kombat" starred Christopher Lambert of "Immortal" fame,
but it was the chop-sockey action that was the attraction, not Lambert.
"Street Fighter," hot off the video game shelves and into theaters in
1994, starred Jean-Claude Van Damme and Raul Julia but had miserable
receipts. Of course, none of those guys had Angelina Jolie's talents.
As for "Final Fantasy," Sony Pictures and Square Productions say the
budget is more than $100 million. I think that's a fantasy, given that
there are no locations, no sets and no acting costs other than
voice-overs, but I'm not privy to the books.
"Final Fantasy" is animation, which puts it under the gun. No animated
film, except those aimed at young children, has ever scored big money.
This one will put that record to the test. The animation is so realistic
that for the first moment you don't realize it's animation. A kind of
quirky motion, however, soon clues you in, and hints of its heritage in
Japanese cartoons.
Certainly the film has the most realistic animation to date. And famous
actors Donald Sutherland, James Woods and Alec Baldwin are the lead
voices. I can't help thinking how much better the movie would have been if
they had also done the acting. There is a widespread belief that we are
nearing a stage in the development of computer-generated figures and
motion where live actors will become superfluous. "Final Fantasy" is close
to that level now, and viewing the 17- minute preview convinces me that
live actors have nothing to worry about. They can not only do it better;
if it really cost more than $100 million to put this film together, they
can do it cheaper.
Ultimately, the success or failure of films based on video games has had
little or nothing to do with actors or production costs and everything to
do with timing and story.
In that view, "Tomb Raider" could be a winner. It's Indiana Jones with
breasts. "Final Fantasy" looks less certain, unless it finds a cult
audience. The story is based on the kind of nebulous New Age science in
which the world is controlled by spirits and supernatural forces. It's
best appreciated by those who have had a frontal lobotomy. The story has
no relation to the "Final Fantasy" video game, by the way.
In fact, this story split has been common to almost all video games that
were turned into movies. The movie that hewed closest to the original
story and action of the game was "Mortal Kombat," and perhaps it is no
accident that it is the most successful to date. Video games don't have
much of a story, of course, but then again they don't need it: you play
them. Homo Ludens.
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
AOL, Microsoft Brace for All-Out War
One is the irresistible force of computer software, while the other is the
immovable object of Internet connectivity and content. Now, Microsoft and
AOL, the two giants that stand astride cyberspace, are about to clash in a
virtually inevitable war for control over the way you use the Internet.
The winner will earn untold billions of dollars of revenue and will likely
determine what your Internet experience will be for at least a decade. The
loser, over time, will become marginalized -- a footnote in the history of
21st century Internet development.
For years, AOL and Microsoft shared an uneasy partnership in a deal that
allowed the AOL icon to occupy valuable Windows real estate, while Windows
came pre-loaded with AOL's client software.
That partnership expired in January, however, and the threat of the advent
of Windows XP and of Hailstorm, Microsoft's code name for its new
user-centric Web architecture, has turned what was once peaceful
coexistence into two enemy camps arming for nothing less than an all-out
battle for dominance.
According to Microsoft, Hailstorm technology will allow people to
synchronize multiple devices to store information, access the Internet and
conduct e-commerce.
Part of the software giant's larger .Net effort, Hailstorm is Microsoft's
strategy to make competing Internet service and content providers, like
AOL, obsolete.
"Hailstorm pits Microsoft and AOL right up against each other," Gartner
Group analyst David Smith told NewsFactor Network. "The relationship
between the two companies is very much at stake. I believe Hailstorm has
very much to do with that contract expiring."
But even before Hailstorm becomes available to the public in 2002, the
October release of Windows XP, the newest version of Microsoft's dominant
operating system, will give AOL a taste of what the competition could be
like.
Already embedded in XP are an instant messaging application and an
improved media player, which strike at the heart of AOL's
industry-dominating status, especially with respect to instant messaging.
Windows XP will also sport what Microsoft has called a cleaned-up desktop
with few icons. Instead, applications will be found in a reactive menu by
accessing the familiar Start button.
Thus, there will be little or no room for other companies to pre-load
their applications in Windows XP, complete with a default desktop icon, as
AOL has had in earlier Windows versions.
"Microsoft is very much into placement on the desktop as a key asset. It's
something that they're using as an opportunity for revenue generation
through partnerships and the like," Smith told NewsFactor.
But the issue of the XP desktop may not be as bad for AOL as it first
appears, for two reasons.
First, many analysts believe that Internet penetration in the U.S. has
reached a saturation point. Thus, most new PCs will typically be
replacement machines, and buyers will probably already have accounts with
their own Internet service providers.
Second, many of the computers already owned by AOL customers are legacy
machines, and will not have the resources to handle an XP upgrade even if
people are inclined to install it -- and analysts think that most people
will not be.
Both Microsoft and AOL decline to comment on their respective strategies,
but neither is keeping its intentions toward the other very secret. For
AOL's part, its public response thus far has been to hint about potential
illegalities inherent in Microsoft's strategy.
"AOL sees this as a great threat, and they're acting accordingly," Smith
said. "For one thing, they're trying to get antitrust regulators all riled
up about it."
Privately, however, AOL is considering a number of alternative strategies
to combat Microsoft. According to published reports, a document recently
circulated among high-level AOL executives laid out several potential
action plans, ranging from full cooperation with Microsoft to developing
its own alternative operating system.
While the latter possibility seems unlikely, AOL is reportedly close to
completing work on a new version of its software, code-named "Taz." Some
analysts think it is possible that Taz will override some Windows XP
functions, such as substituting Netscape for Internet Explorer as the
default Web browser and replacing Microsoft Messenger with AOL's Instant
Messenger client.
In any event, the fight to control the next generation of Internet
interactivity promises to be more a software war than a marketing battle.
Without external intervention, such as antitrust action, that would seem
to give the advantage to Microsoft.
Microsoft Rivals Turn Up Political Heat
Rivals of software giant Microsoft are turning up the political heat,
accusing the company of plotting to monopolize the Internet through its new
.Net strategy in the same way that it came to dominate desktops through its
software.
ProComp, a group funded by Microsoft competitors, is charging that the
Redmond, Washington-based company is planning to use its new Windows XP
operating system and .Net strategy to dominate the Web.
The group claims that Microsoft will use its dominant Windows operating
system and Internet Explorer browser to force consumers to adopt its .Net
Internet platform.
"This is happening under the nose of the Bush administration," Procomp
president Mike Pettit told NewsFactor Network.
Pettit said a federal appeals court is still reviewing a landmark
antitrust ruling against Microsoft. His group wants the government to seek
tough penalties -- more than the "wrist-slap" settlement they fear is in
the works.
"Microsoft is continuing in its predatory ways, despite the ruling against
its software business," Pettit said.
Antitrust attorneys expect the federal appeals court to overturn a large
part of a sweeping lower court ruling against Microsoft, including an
order splitting the company in two.
It appears likely that the Justice Department will settle the case, with
Microsoft agreeing to a set of restrictions on its future business
behavior.
Microsoft is committing much of its resources to the strategy. Chairman
Bill Gates on March 19th said the future of the company depends on the
outcome of .Net, dubbed Hailstorm by the company.
The company plans to convert its consumer software and some other
services, such as online calendars and instant messaging, into fee-based
Web services.
Microsoft spokesman Jim Cullinan dismissed ProComp's charges, saying the
group is recycling old allegations.
Analysts who cover Microsoft are not very concerned by the group's
accusations.
"Microsoft is moving quickly to get in front of the competition," analyst
Melissa Eisenstat of CIBC World Markets Corporation told NewsFactor.
"The company is working as hard on this project as it has on anything else
in its past."
Rick Sherlun, an analyst with Goldman Sachs, told NewsFactor: "Microsoft
will be able to take advantage of 160 million Passport users to launch its
initiative, and that is its competitive edge."
Investors also appear to be happy with Microsoft's direction. Its stock is
nearing a 52-week high of US$83 a share, after hitting a low of $40 at the
beginning of the year.
But Procomp persists, saying, "When consumers start Windows XP, they will
have one browser, one e-mail product, one media player, one
instant-messaging program."
"All of these are tied every which way you can imagine, like a big
eight-headed Siamese twin," Pettit said.
Most industry observers think the war of words against Microsoft is being
fueled mainly by AOL Time Warner, which is preparing for a battle with the
software giant for leadership in Internet services.
Earlier this week, Sony announced a partnership with AOL to provide Net
access for its PlayStation 2 game console. The alliance was established in
part to help the companies fight their battle against Microsoft's upcoming
Xbox game console, and against the .Net initiative.
The Sony-AOL deal will incorporate AOL's Instant Messenger, Netscape
Navigator and Net access software into PlayStation 2 in time for holiday
shopping.
Can Spam Ever Be Stopped?
Few things are more annoying than opening your inbox and finding dozens of
solicitations for credit cards, weight loss products and other goods and
services.
Unfortunately, no national law exists outlawing or regulating spam.
Instead, spam is regulated by "a patchwork of state laws of varying
degrees of effectiveness," according to Allen Hile, assistant director of
the division of marketing practices for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
Hile told the E-Commerce Times, "It's difficult for people operating on
the Net to follow 50 sets of rules."
The good news is that bills are currently pending in both the U.S. House
of Representatives and the U.S. Senate that would require companies that
send unsolicited, commercial e-mail solicitations to label their spam as
such. In addition, the proposed laws would require spammers to provide a
valid return e-mail address and a way for consumers to "opt-out" of
receiving future mailings.
The proposed laws also would allow the FTC to levy fines against spammers
who violate the law and would allow state attorneys general to take legal
action against spammers on behalf of citizens.
Although it appears that progress is being made in the quest for federal
anti-spam legislation, as recently as last week several U.S. lawmakers
said they were reconsidering their support of the bill sponsored by
Heather Wilson (R-New Mexico) because it supposedly will limit the sending
of legitimate business correspondence via e-mail.
The spam laws on the books in various U.S. states are "pretty
ineffective," John Mozena, co-founder and vice president of the Coalition
Against Unsolicited Commercial E-Mail (CAUCE), told the E-Commerce Times.
The reason why state laws are so limited is that they have to walk a fine
line to avoid violating the interstate commerce clause of the U.S.
Constitution, which bars the states from enacting laws that unduly burden
business conducted across state lines.
For example, last year, a Washington State Superior Court threw out a
spamming case filed by the Washington state attorney general's office
against an Oregon man. The state prosecutors had accused Jason Heckel of
spamming Washington residents. In the ruling, King County Superior Court
Judge Palmer Robinson held that the state's tough anti-spamming law was
"unduly restrictive and burdensome" of interstate commerce because it
would require Heckel to determine the state in which each e-mail recipient
resides.
According to Elaine Rose, senior assistant attorney general for government
relations in Washington state, the state has filed an appeal and the
appellate court's opinion is expected sometime this summer.
Although state laws have not proven effective against spammers, a sweeping
federal law could stop spam, according to experts, because it would allow
federal prosecution of spammers and would create a single set of rules.
Even if few spammers are actually prosecuted under a federal anti-spamming
law, many believe that simply having the law in place would serve as a
deterrent.
Jason Catlett, president and chief executive officer of Junkbusters.com,
compared the proposed U.S. anti-spam laws to a federal junk-fax law
already on the books. The junk-fax law prohibits the sending of
unsolicited faxes and authorizes US$500 penalties for each unsolicited fax
sent across state lines.
Mozena said most fax spammers "stopped pretty quickly" after the junk-fax
law was passed. The activist also said that spammers -- whom he called the
"bottom feeders of the marketing world" -- will only stop sending spam
when they have "a hammer over their head."
Effective federal spam legislation, according to Mozena, will send a lot
of spammers "looking for a new job right quick."
Unfortunately, the proposed U.S. legislation is not strong enough,
according to Mozena and Catlett. Both point to loopholes in the bills that
would allow each spammer to send one unsolicited e-mail before an Internet
service provider could take action against the spammer.
"A opt-out policy that allows each spammer one free spam is like
permitting shoplifters to steal items until each store requests that they
cease thieving. It imposes unfair burdens: In both cases, even people who
are not directly victimized incur costs through higher prices," Catlett
said in written testimony provided to a U.S. Senate subcommittee last
month.
Even the FTC's Hile acknowledged that the pending bills would allow
spammers to "take one bite at the apple." However, he said the FTC
supports the pending legislation because it is "the best thing we've seen
so far."
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) -- which favors both of the
proposed U.S. anti-spamming laws -- says it generally supports measures to
crack down on spam e-mails that either provide false information or fail
to give consumers a valid way to opt-out of future mailings.
"However, if you send mail to consumers that provides a real opt-out,
that's something very different (than spam)," Christina Duffney, the DMA's
director of media relations, told the E-Commerce Times. "Legitimate
marketers providing a service are falling into the pigeonhole of spam."
Duffney pointed out that the DMA does provide consumers with an easy way
to opt-out of receiving mailings from all of DMA's approximately 5,000
members through its e-Mail Preference Service (e-MPS).
Another fatal flaw in the proposed anti-spamming laws, according to many
observers, is that they do not allow consumers to sue spammers directly.
Instead, if the laws are passed, consumers who have complaints against a
spammer will have to rely on government agencies or ISPs to take legal
action.
Moreover, Rose said, most law enforcement agencies do not have the
resources to handle what could be an avalanche of spam cases.
According to Mozena, law enforcement agencies have "no time to deal with
spam" because they are too busy looking for tech-savvy people who can deal
with "serious issues like pornography and cyberstalking."
However, Mozena said, many consumers who have received spam would be "more
than happy to go after [spammers]" if they had the right to bring a
private lawsuit.
New Worm Spreads Political Message
The 'Mawanella' e-mail virus-a Kournikova derivant-hits companies
worldwide as it draws attention to the cause of Sri Lankan Muslims. But a
long-term outbreak looks unlikely.
Hundreds of companies worldwide have fallen prey to another mass-mailing
worm created by the virus toolkit that unleashed the AnnaKournikova worm,
antivirus companies said Thursday.
Called Mawanella--the name of a Sri Lankan village--the worm carries a Sri
Lankan political message, but does no real damage besides clogging
networks with e-mail.
The worm has mainly affected companies in Australia and Europe, said
Vincent Gullotto, director of the antivirus emergency response team at
security company Network Associates.
"We got lots of reports coming in throughout Europe within a two- or
three-hour period," he said. "While it's blasted Europe, it's been spotty
in the U.S."
In total, Network Associates received more than 100 reports of virus
infections from companies worldwide. Clients of Network Associates rival
Symantec, the antivirus software maker, submitted a similar number of
reports, Symantec said.
The worm comes attached to an e-mail message disguised as a note from a
friend or colleague. When opened on a system with Microsoft Outlook
installed, the attachment--Mawanella.vbs--sends a copy of itself to every
entry in the address book.
After the mass mailing, the virus will bring up a dialog box with the
message:
"Mawanella is one of the Sri Lanka's Muslim Village. This brutal incident
happened here 2 Moslem Mosques & 100 Shops are burnt. I hat this incident,
What about you? I can destroy your computer. I didn't do that because I am
a peace-loving citizen."
The message appears on every Windows 9x, NT and 2000 machine infected by
the virus, even if Outlook is not installed.
"It's one of the ones that is sociopolitical; I'm not sure if there has
ever been one from Sri Lanka, but it's typical," said Vincent Weafer,
director of Symantec's antivirus research center. "It is someone who wants
to get a message out."
Though the worm has evaded detection through encryption, major antivirus
companies now have new definitions available to update customers'
antivirus software, and the worm is seemingly already on the ropes.
U.K.-based MessageLabs, which provides e-mail hosting services to more
than 500,000 corporate customers, has detected nearly 1,000 copies of the
Mawanella worm--far fewer than the almost 23,000 e-mails that hit the
system in the first 24 hours when the Homepage worm struck.
"I do expect that this one will have a fairly short life," said Symantec's
Weafer.
Computer Users May Soon Get 3-D Screens
Computer users may soon be able to work on screens with displays that give
the appearance of being three dimensional.
The DVI actualdepth monitors, developed by a private New Zealand-based
research company Deep Video Imaging, displays images on two physical planes
to create a depth of field.
``People have tried like crazy to get the illusion of depth and the closest
you can have is wearing (3-D) goggles and standing at a particular
position," DVI director Lim Soon Hock said on the sidelines of a news
conference to launch the product.
The monitor, which uses multiple layers of liquid crystal display (LCD)
screens to create depth, allows users to work across what appears to be a
foreground and background seamlessly, without the need for 3-D glasses or
specialized software.
``We have not come across anything which comes close to a DVI monitor,"
Fong Yew Chan, an engineer and business development director for the
Singapore government-funded Institute of High Performance Computing told
Reuters.
The institute, focused on high-end simulation research, is collaborating
with DVI on applications for the monitor.
``There are technological challenges to be overcome before you can have
this kind of display (which) not even the LCD manufacturers could overcome
so easily," Fong said.
A rainbow effect called moire interference, which occurs when two LCD
screens are placed one behind the other, was one problem.
The ``window box" effect where the side portion between the two planes can
been seen had to be eliminated, along with the reflection of the screens
off each other, DVI executive chairman David Hancock said.
The monitors, which are thinner than conventional cathode ray tube
displays, are compatible with all operating systems.
DVI has filed for several worldwide patents and spent about US$3.5 million
in research and development.
The company, funded by New Zealand and Singapore capital, will not
manufacture the monitors itself, but hopes to license the technology to
others.
The company plans to make prototypes for desktop computers by next year.
The monitors are currently available as manufacturing modules in different
screen sizes.
AMD Unleashes 1GHz Mobile Athlon 4
Advanced Micro Devices takes the wraps off its cheekily named Athlon 4
chip-at 850 MHz, 900MHz, 950MHz and 1GHz--and unveils its new mobile Duron
processor too. AMD's No. 4 chip makes its PC debut this month in a Compaq
Presario laptop. It's a thumb in the eye for Intel, which won't squeeze a
Pentium 4 into notebooks until 2002.
Forget the Athlon 2 or 3. Advanced Micro Devices on Monday announced its
new 1GHz mobile chip, the Athlon 4.
Presumably, the name change, as earlier reported, comes as a way to better
market the chip against Intel's Pentium 4. However, AMD says the name is
steeped in Athlon history and is the fourth iteration of the chip.
"This is the fourth Athlon," said Mark de Frere, product-marketing manager
in AMD's Computational Products Group.
As to whether it helps AMD compete with Intel, "I'll leave you to make up
your own mind," he said.
Athlon 4 will come in four flavors: 850MHz, 900MHz, 950MHz and 1GHz.
Compaq Computer will be the first PC maker to offer the Athlon 4, in a
Presario notebook, according to AMD.
There will be no Athlon 2 or 3. However, AMD is expected to begin branding
new chips under its Athlon banner with new names, possibly just letters.
The company previously bandied about the term Athlon Pro or Professional
for Athlon chips aimed at high-performance corporate computers. It later
abandoned that name.
"We will tell you what we're going to call the others when we launch
them," de Frere said.
The naming scheme will also let AMD claim a partial marketing victory in
that its No. 4 chip will appear in notebooks in May. Intel won't squeeze a
Pentium 4 into notebooks until the first half of 2002.
Code-named Palomino, the Athlon 4 contains a number of improvements. Most
importantly, the chip will consume far less power than current Athlon
chips. Though the Athlon 4 is slightly bigger than previous versions of
this chip, it consumes 20 percent less power, de Frere said. Desktop
Athlon chips right now consume about 60 watts of power, more than the
Pentium III or 4. The Athlon 4 chip was designed to consume 24 watts or
less, he said.
The chip is similar to a desktop Athlon in that it shares the same Socket
A packaging system and cache sizes as well as a 200MHz front-side bus--the
data pathway from the chip to system components such as memory. The Athlon
4 also packs AMD's PowerNow technology and 52 new multimedia instructions
in the form of Intel's Streaming SIMD Extensions, or SSE1. Those
instructions were introduced with the first Pentium III chips to help the
chip handle multimedia by breaking data into smaller chunks, which can be
processed in parallel.
PowerNow serves to increase notebook battery life by lowering the clock
speed and the voltage of the Athlon 4. The technology features an
"automatic" mode that continuously varies the chip's clock speed and
voltages based on the demands placed on it by applications. The 1GHz
Athlon 4 will be able to scale from 500MHz to 1GHz and run at voltages of
1.2V to 1.4V.
Thanks to the enhancements, AMD says Athlon 4 and other Palomino-based
chips offer a 15 percent performance gain over previous Athlons running at
the same clock speed. This additional gain also gives AMD a wider
performance margin over Intel's Pentium 4 chip, the company said.
Much of this extra performance will come from a new Palomino feature:
look-ahead cache. A cache serves as a repository for frequently used data.
The look-ahead feature allows the cache to recognize patterns and
automatically fetch the data needed by the processor. This way, the chip
does not have to wait for the data to perform an operation. AMD says this
will juice the chip's performance, especially in workstation and server
settings.
By ratcheting down the power consumption, AMD will be able to slip the
chip into notebooks. The chip will appear in notebooks first, then servers
and desktops. Palomino-based Athlons will appear shortly in dual-processor
server and workstation configurations.
AMD also announced on Monday a new version of its mobile Duron chip, based
on a similar new processor core, code-named Morgan. The new Duron will
offer speeds of 800MHz and 850MHz and feature all of the same enhancements
as the Athlon 4, but it will have a smaller cache size and therefore will
run about 10 percent to 15 percent slower than the Athlon 4.
Processor brand names are a slippery science. Although in the past, Intel
and AMD changed brand names when they changed micro architectures, both
companies began to more rapidly change brand names to fit different market
segments in the late 1990s.
The same basic micro architecture, for instance, was used in the Pentium
Pro, Pentium II, Pentium III, Celeron and Xeon. The chips differ in terms
of packaging, speed, cache size, bus speed and other features, but share a
common computing unit.
Similarly, the K6-2 and K6-III from AMD shared the same core. More often
than not, AMD has followed Intel's branding campaigns. AMD, for example,
followed Intel in coming out with a budget brand. AMD's Duron chip is a
lower cost Athlon and serves a similar purpose as Intel's Celeron.
The Greco-Romanesque Athlon name also echoed the gladiatorial splendor of
Celeron and Xeon. Until the name appeared, many expected the chip to be
called the K-7.
ICANN Approves '.Biz,' '.Info' Domain Plans
The Internet's governing body approved plans on Tuesday to make two new
Internet suffixes available, giving Web site owners an alternative to the
crowded ".com" top-level domain space.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, known as ICANN,
said it had finalized agreements to integrate the domains ``.biz" and
``.info" into its addressing system.
NeuLevel Inc., of Sterling, Virginia, will restrict .biz addresses to
commercial businesses, while Afilias, a consortium of 18 domain registrars,
will make .info available to the general public for any purpose.
ICANN selected seven new domain names to join the likes of .com, .org and
.net last November. Agreements with the operators of the remaining five
domains -- .aero, .coop, .museum, .name and .pro -- are expected shortly,
ICANN said.
ICANN's accreditation means both NeuLevel and Afilias can begin the process
of making addresses available.
Over 1 million .biz addresses have already been "pre-registered," said
NeuLevel CEO Doug Armentrout.
``We're really seeing some tremendous demand," he said.
The announcement came one day after ICANN officials met with the Department
of Commerce to answer questions about a separate deal with top registrar
VeriSign Inc. that would allow VeriSign to maintain control of the
lucrative .com domain in exchange for surrendering control of the .net and
.org domains.
The Commerce Department, which has authority to oversee ICANN under its
1988 charter, did not reject or approve the deal, which some lawmakers had
criticized as anticompetitive.
But Tuesday's announcement seemed to ease some of the concerns of General
Counsel Ted Kassinger, who released a statement praising the deal.
``We congratulate ICANN on this latest progress in introducing competition
consistent with maintaining Internet stability," he said.
Both NeuLevel and Afilias will give trademark holders a chance to
discourage ``cybersquatting," or the practice of snapping up addresses
with the intention of reselling them.
Afilias will allow trademark holders to reserve their addresses before the
registration process begins. NeuLevel will allow trademark holders to file
claims on their names and notify applicants if any conflicts emerge.
Disputed addresses would be held for 30 days.
Afilias plans to make its addresses active starting in early August, ICANN
said, while NeuLevel's .biz address will be active in October.
=~=~=~=
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