Looking at the latest games developed by Frontier Developments (and by latest, I mean in the last decade or so), one might be led to believe that David Braben's studio does nothing but silly tycoons these days - RollerCoaster Tycoon, Thrillville, those kinds of things. But of course these are not what mr. Braben is known - and loved for among older gamers (and by older, I mean old enough to have been playing videogames two decades ago). His most famous creation dates back to 1985, and it was a game called Elite, the ancestor of today's expansive space simulators.

The Elite series flourished once more in the '90s, with Elite Plus (1991), Frontier: Elite II (1993) and Frontier: First Encounters (1995), but for the past ten years, fans have kept on waiting... and waiting, for an elusive fourth installment. Which, as it turns out now, is actually going to be doubled by a fifth, massively-multiplayer online chapter in the Elite saga. Don't hold your breath, though, this is still going to take a while!

In an interview with CVG this week, David Braben revealed that he is currently planning two more Elite games: a single-player one (with limited multiplayer), and an Elite MMO as well. Both will be built using the technology employed by Frontier's current next-gen project - The Outsider - so actual development on the Elite sequels will probably be kept on the back burner until the release of The Outsider, which is still nowhere in sight.

"There are two project designs that we've got now. One is a multiplayer game, the other is a single-player, still allowing multiplayer, but not massive multiplayer, which we do plan to do and that will follow on from The Outsider and use some of the technologies that that employs. That's the way they fit together", Braben told CVG. "Certainly the first Elite incarnation will be a single player game, that supports multiplayer, but we're not talking thousands, we're talking tens of players."

It also turns out that work on the Elite sequel began back in 2000, and at that time it was structured as a mass multiplayer game. But because of technical limitations, the project was put on "indefinite hold", only to be split in two separate projects afterwards. So now we're back to square one, doing what we do best: we wait.

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The upcoming issue of the PC Gamer magazine gives us even more hope that Epic's Gears of War action game will one day be released on the PC. As sighted by IGN, on page 28 of PC Gamer's Holiday 2006 issue (soon to be on store shelves) there is a photograph showing a display stand on the Microsoft campus, and Gears of War is also in it. That alone may not sound like much, but it turns out that the stand in question was full of upcoming PC games. So the natural question is - what would a Xbox 360 exclusive game do side by side with "games for Windows"?

And by the way, the article that included that photo discusses just that: high-profile games for Windows Vista, and Microsoft's efforts to support their operating system. Windows Vista went gold last week, and apparently it has already been cracked and made available for download - although Microsoft says the pirated version is "of limited value" for whoever is desperate enough to download it.

But getting back on topic, rumours about a PC version of Gears of War have been circulating since... forever, and there are sure to be more of them as we enter 2007. After all, the freshly-released Xbox 360 game is expected to hit 1 million in sales before Christmas this year, clearly making it one of Microsoft's top show-off games - the kind that they show-off in display stands on their campus, we figure.

An official announcement is still nowhere in sight, however, according to IGN:

"Microsoft could not confirm that Gears is in fact coming to PC and the company has no current plans for an announcement in the near future."

But that's alright, we got plenty of other exciting gaming stuff going on right about now.

UPDATE: And here is the incriminatory photo, with the Gears of War cover image slapped over a "Games for Windows" box.

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Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars Confirmed For Xbox 360

It was back in June when the first report surfaced, claiming that the new C&C RTS was sure to be coming on the Xbox 360. Even though the statement lacked any kind of official backing at that time, Electronic Arts has confirmed today that Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars is indeed in development for Microsoft's next generation console, and will be released during 2007 - much like the PC version (except that the Xbox 360 version will have "a steady stream of downloadable content on Marketplace").

C&C 3 is currently in the works at EA's Los Angeles studio, where The Battle For Middle-earth II was also developed for the PC and Xbox 360. Having already taken the first step toward bringing real-time strategies to next-gen consoles - and a pretty successful step from what I hear - the team at EALA has designed an intuitive console-specific control scheme, in order to support Tiberium Wars' fast-action strategy gameplay. The game will include a deep single-player campaign, and an immersive multiplayer experience featuring massive battles, where you take control of large armies on the battlefield of the future.

"The year is 2047 and the stakes could not be higher. Tiberium - a self-replicating alien substance that has infected the Earth - is spreading like a radioactive ice age. The Global Defense Initiative, a high-tech alliance of the world's most advanced nations, is fighting to contain Tiberium, but Kane, the megalomaniacal leader of The Brotherhood of Nod has other plans for Earth. Kane's secret society turned superpower is bent on using Tiberium to take control and transform humanity into his twisted vision of the future. All-out war rages over Tiberium and the fate of the planet rests in the balance."

Two screenshots from the Xbox 360 version are already available, and boy do they look... not that great. In fact, this game not only looks worse as more and more media becomes available, but from the only two Xbox 360 screenshots released today, one of them shows a tank halfway stuck in a building. Great job, EA! Whoever handled the release of this media couldn't even pick two screenshots without obvious bugs?! Or is the game still that buggy, that they let tanks run rampart through buildings?

Even if they get it right, I have a slight feeling that Ensemble's Halo Wars is going to be received a lot better by the Xbox community, who isn't necessarily familiar with the classic C&C universe.

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More PlayStation 3 And Wii Madness - The Queues And The Consoles

With less than a day left until the PlayStation 3 launches in North America, the situation is becoming increasingly tensioned, the queues are getting longer, and the stench is getting harder to cope with, in front of the stores that barely receive 10-20 consoles for sale. Similar to what happened when the PS3 launched in Japan last week, some unscrupulous opportunists are paying homeless people to stand in line - not only so they can buy more consoles, but also, we suspect, to spread a foul scent that keeps the "competition" away.

Just so you get an idea about how much it sucks to be in such a place right now, here is how somebody (on GI.biz) describes the crowds formed around retail stores like Best Buy or Toys R Us:

"we have people lighting barbeque pits, people defecating in the parking lot, people that are throwing Frisbees... It's not safe"

Sounds familiar? Maybe for rock festivals it does. And if turning the public space into one big toilet wasn't bad enough (not to mention several altercations already being reported), those poor guys will have to face another lousy news tomorrow morning: there won't be even close to 400,000 PS3 consoles in the US! This was the last official figure announced by Sony some time ago (although it used to be even bigger previously), but the reality will be a lot more harsh. Some say that Sony will only be able to supply 300,000 units on launch day, while other analysts are even more pessimistic, predicting between 150,000 and 200,000 PlayStation 3 units. And keep in mind this is still heaven on earth, compared to what is going on in other parts of the world.

In Taiwan, for instance, Sony announced that they will start selling tomorrow a fabulous total of 500 PS3 consoles. Yes, five lousy hundred, from which 150 will sell like white rice at a special launch event in downtown Taipei. As for the other 350... Buddha have mercy!

And to think that one single individual from Japan got his hands on 100 PlayStation 3 consoles, from which he now hopes to make a little fortune. And that, from a total of less than 90,000 PS3s initially available in Japan. Compared to that, Nintendo announced that they will have 400,000 Wii consoles ready for the Japanese launch in early December, and that they remain determined to distribute 4 million Wiis worldwide by the end of 2006. But first, let's see how they do this Sunday with the North American launch...

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Colin McRae: DIRT Runs On Neon Engine, New Screenshots

Codies would like us to believe that their upcoming off-road racing sequel will be so real, we'll be picking dirt from our teeth. Colin McRae: DIRT will be the first next generation game added to their famed rally series, and at the same time it's also the first game being created using Codemasters' proprietary engine, Neon. The engine itself has already been in production for over 18 months, developed by a team of over 30 tech experts, exclusively for next-generation formats.

That may not say much about what this Neon engine is actually capable of, but today we have the first in-game screenshots from Colin McRae: DIRT, and they should give you a better idea of what to expect from this sixth CMR game. Once again, I can't help but notice that there isn't much of a damage model implemented yet (just a whole bunch of dust and muddy textures applied to the cars). But luckly, today's press release issued by Codemasters does have something to say about Neon's damage system, and it goes like this:

"Impact from damage will see metal crumple, glass smash and everything that you collide with in the environment will be destroyed in a realistic way. Small trees snap and bend, grass can be flattened, wood will splinter and stone will be smashed, it’ll even wrap a car around a tree if the crash is serious enough."

They're also making a pretty big deal about Neon's use of real-time physics to model... *gasp*... air movements. What this means, basically, is that everything will be affected by the wind: exhaust smoke, trees, foliage, trackside flags, rainfall and the vehicles themselves. A car will create an air rush wake that will have an effect on everything it passes and also generate a real-time slipstream.

Gimmicks aside, Colin McRae: DIRT promises to feature "impeccable car handling, incredibly detailed vehicles and fantastic living environments". I have no doubt in my mind about the last two (graphical) features, but I would sure like o see them pull off a perfect control system - something that the CMR series hasn't been excelling at, since Richard Burns Rally came along a couple of years ago (and passed away, sadly).

In any case, Codies have plenty of time to get things right, as Colin McRae: DIRT is only scheduled for release in 2007, for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

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Final Fantasy III Finally Available On Nintendo DS

There was but one Final Fantasy game that was never localized outside of Japan... until now. Final Fantasy III, the old NES (Famicom) classic released in 1990 has been brought back to life by Square Enix, in a 3D remake for the Nintendo DS handheld system. This was the first Final Fantasy game to sell over a million units in Japan, and now it has the chance to reach that performance once more, as Square has just released the DS remake in North America this week.

"Until now, Final Fantasy III has seen no remakes or appearances on other platforms since its original release on the Nintendo Entertainment System in April 1990", said Hiromichi Tanaka, Director and Executive Producer for Final Fantasy III. "Due to the game's age, a direct port might seem a bit dated, but now Final Fantasy III has been made anew on the sensational Nintendo DS platform, including new graphics in 3D, rebalanced jobs, and brand-new characterization for the four young heroes, who are now more dynamic than ever. As the only game in the Final Fantasy series that had not previously been localized, we are very pleased to finally bring Final Fantasy III across the ocean to players in North America. We hope that not only Final Fantasy fans, but a wide variety of players in North America enjoy the new Final Fantasy III."

Final Fantasy III takes players into the next generation of handheld RPGs by delivering an experience that takes full advantage of the Nintendo DS hardware. With an innovative interface that utilizes the DS touch screen along with the advanced Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection capabilities, Final Fantasy III presents an entirely new take on the only Final Fantasy never localized for North America. Users can also experience the title that introduced the popular moogles, summons, and the dynamic job system, which have become some of the most recognized elements of Final Fantasy, and experience them on the road, in the outdoors or in the comfort of their living rooms.

The game bears no age restrictions, of course, and it's priced at $39.99 in the US. More information about Final Fantasy III can be found on the official FF3 website. For the time being, there is no solid date set for the European release.

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Superman Returns Demo, NFS Carbon Cars And Defender On XBLM

Bearing no mind whatsoever to Sony's and Nintendo's last-minute preparations for their American invasion, Microsoft continues to pump new content on the Xbox Live Marketplace. The Superman Returns videogame was the prime star last night, revealing itself in a massive 900+ MB demo version that could even choke the Man of Steel's bandwidth. In it, Electronic Arts gives gamers a taste of "the ultimate open-world super hero experience", as they explore and protect the living city of Metropolis... or at least part of it.

The demo is initially available for download free of charge to Xbox Live Gold members only, but Major Nelson tells XBL Silver members that they too will be able to get it next week, on November 22 - just a couple of days after the final game's release. You might think that this is just another movie-based game (and rightfully so), but EA "warns" us that it's more than that: "this is the Superman game you've always wanted to play". Fabulous! And what if I never wanted to play any Superman game?

Oh well, since I'm at it, I might as well mention that several other Superman Returns downloads are also up on XBLM: a sizzle trailer (free), a video blog (free), and a Man of Steel theme (free 150 points).

Also, there are three new cars for the Xbox 360 version of Need for Speed Carbon, each one costing 80 points ($1). And also from EA, comes a FIFA 07 Pitch Crests pack, allowing players to customize their in-game practice arena with a crest from their favorite team. Well, as long as they find it in the pack, anyway, for which they first have to pay 100 points. Or, if you'd rather spend them on something equally useless, and are having trouble getting past the Corpser in Gears of War, an "Angry Titan Strategy" pack is also available for 100 points.

And finally, Defender is this week's Xbox Live Arcade game. The classic space shooter is back, and so are the invading alien abductors in need of serious ass kicking. So why not go kick some ass, if you're into that sort of activity.

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Halo 3 Public Beta And New Halo 2 Maps In Spring 2007 // UPDATE

They said they would reveal something cool for the fifth anniversary of the original Halo, and they did. According to today's announcement, Bungie plans to kick off a Halo 3 public beta early next year, along with a bunch of new Halo 2 maps. In the meantime, they are teasing us with a new Halo 3 screenshot, and they will also have a Halo 3 commercial on TV, coming this December 4. But first things first: the Halo 3 multiplayer beta.

"Via the Xbox Live multiplayer public beta, a first of its kind for the Halo franchise, gamers will be able to play online via Microsoft's premier online entertainment network and participate in a pre-release version of the multiplayer experience of Halo 3. This beta also represents an opportunity for gamers worldwide to participate in the development of Halo 3. Through the resulting feedback, Bungie Studios will be able to further refine and hone the end result of Halo 3."

If all goes well, the beta should start in Spring 2007. Also around that time, Bungie will release a new set of Halo 2 multiplayer maps via the Xbox Live Marketplace. They will not be free, however, and you will need a hard drive to download them on Xbox 360. Yes, that last part kind of sucks, and the devs admit it as well (though they cleverly pass the blame on to Microsoft).

As for the Halo 3 TV commercial, it's set to air during Monday Night Football on December 4 and it will run for a full minute. A minute full of gameplay footage? Nope, sorry, a minute full of CGI cinematics - done by some third-party agency called Digital Domain. And after the commercial airs on television, it will also be available on Xbox Live Marketplace, "in full 720p glory", followed by the next installment in Bungie's "making of" documentary series. But we'll get to talk about that in a few more weeks.

UPDATE: Even more Halo 3 screenshots are now available on 1UP. [16.11.2006, 14:25]

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You'll have to pardon the misleading title and simply face the fact that there is no World of Warcraft sequel undergoing public testing, if that's what you were hoping for. But there is a major new version being readied for Blizzard's MMORPG, paving the way for the nearing Burning Crusade expansion. This will be the last major content patch released before the expansion, and the blues are calling it "Before the Storm" (patch v2.0).

Among the most prominent changes in version 2.0 will be a revamped PvP Honor System, brand new talents for every class, and some other things currently available in the Burning Crusade beta - such as arena skirmishes, and a "looking for group" system (thus eliminating the option to join dungeon Meeting Stones by talking to Innkeepers). Here is a brief list of changes from the WoW Under Development page:

- Revamped PvP Honor System - This new reward system will allow players to accumulate honor points that can be spent like currency to purchase weapons, armor, and various other items beneficial for player-vs.-player progression.

- New Talents - Each class will now have access to all-new talents in each of their three talent trees.

- Looking For Group Tool - This new tool is designed to assist players in finding groups for instanced dungeons and quests.

- Arena Skirmishes - Players will be able to queue for small-group, gladiatorial combat matches by speaking to the Battlemasters throughout the world.

The patch is currently available on the Public Test Realm only (beware of heavy traffic, the European WoW website is currently down), and WorldOfWar.net has a complete list of details for the v2.0.1 PTR patch. Here are some general changes, before the storm...

- All players will have talent points reimbursed and will have access to new talents throughout their trees; this includes the 41-point talents. Several new abilities have also been added for all classes.

- All pets now receive a percentage of their master's armor, spell damage, spell resistances, attack power, and stamina.

- Low-level spells cast by high-level players will receive smaller bonuses from +healing and +spell damage.

- HoTs, DoTs, and channeled spells have been re balanced to receive a more appropriate (higher) percentage of +spell damage and +healing.

- HoTs from different sources will now stack (i.e. multiple druids can cast the Rejuvenation spell on 1 target).

- New item property "Resilience" has been introduced. Resilience reduces your chance to be the victim of a critical strike, and reduces the amount of damage critical strikes do to you.

- Weapon Skill now does the following:

- Weapon skill will no longer reduce the percentage damage lost due to glancing.

- The player will gain 0.1% to their critical strike rating per weapon skill against monsters above their level.

- When casting a buff on a low level target, the appropriate rank of the buff will be automatically be applied.

- Crowd Control effects in PvP will last no longer than 12 seconds instead of the full duration, with a chance of a heartbeat resist.

- Players will no longer lose faction when under the influence of"Mind Control" or the Gnomish Mind Control Cap.

Finally, a quick note for the Burning Crusade beta testers: today I forgot that my normal WoW subscription expired, but was pleasantly surprised to find that I can still play the beta. Which is obviously beyond great!

P.S. "Linux Users Banned From World of Warcraft" - see if it affects you...

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Foundation 9 Becomes The World's Largest Independent Developer

Or so they say... Mergers in the gaming industry aren't new, but lately they are becoming bigger and bigger, and now one company claims to have risen above every other group of independent developers. They are Foundation 9 Entertainment, and their latest acquisition is Amaze Entertainment. Less than two months ago, Shiny also joined the group, which is now just two studios short of fulfilling its name and becoming a foundation of 9 studios.

The seven game studios currently held by Foundation 9 in the United States and Canada are: The Collective, Backbone Entertainment, Pipeworks, ImaginEngine, Digital Eclipse, Shiny Entertainment, and Amaze Entertainment. The latter has developed nearly 100 titles since its establishment in 1996, including several versions of The Sims, and titles based on popular film franchises such as "The Lord of the Rings", "Harry Potter", "The Chronicles of Narnia", "Pirates of the Caribbean II: Dead Man's Chest", and most recently "Eragon" (Amaze developed the handheld versions of the newly released game).

The final merger between Foundation 9 and all of Amaze's studios (KnowWonder, Griptonite, Monsoon and Fizz Factor) should be completed before the end of 2006, at which time the group expects to become the largest independent game developer in the world, comprising over 725 employees. Although "independent" is a relative term, since Foundation 9 itself is owned by a private equity firm called Francisco Partners (who also funded this transaction).

I wonder what makes them any more "independent" than Electronic Arts of Ubisoft, who surely have a much larger development base.

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