Time again for another retrospective of what happened in the Mac game market this past week — our feature called the Week in Games. It’s also an opportunity for us to link to other game-related content around the Web.
Aki Mahjong 1.0.1 released
Ambrosia Software Inc. has updated its Aki Mahjong game to v1.0.1. The new release fixes a bug in practice mode, uses the latest Ambrosia libraries and Xcode 1.1, and supports system-wide registration.
Avernum 3 1.1.4 ready
Spiderweb Software has released Avernum 3 v1.1.4, a new version of their RPG adventure game. The new release fixes small problems, makes the game run better on Mac OS X, and corrects software incompatibilities.
Epic, Scion merge
Unreal Tournament makers Epic Games announced last week plans to merge with Scion Studios, the developers of the America’s Army computer game. The company said the merger will expand their ability to develop games simultaneously.
MacXword v1.2.0 released
Advenio LLC has updated MacXword to v1.2.0. MacXword is a crossword puzzle client for Mac OS X. The new version lets you download puzzles directly, includes a timer, new cell state indicators, and keyboard equivalents for check and reveal functionality.
Rally Shift Garage released
CodeBlender Software’s Rally Shift is a new shareware auto rally racing game. The company has released a new add-on called Rally Shift Garage that lets registered users of the game tune their car’s performance and handling features.
Tesl8 update released
Alien Sands has released Tesl8 v1.1, an update to their puzzle game where you flip lines of adjacent tiles to restore the puzzle. The new version is more accessible to colorblind players, with a new grayscale tile set.
Virtual Grand Prix 2 demo updated
Virtual Programming has released an updated version of its Virtual Grand Prix 2 demo, first released late last year, and available for download from Macgamefiles.com. The new version features performance enhancements and a new interface.
Elsewhere on the Web
MacGamer has posted an interview with Ryan Gordon, the programmer behind Mac OS X versions of Unreal Tournament 2004, 2003 and America’s Army. Inside Mac Games has posted a screenshot gallery from The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, soon coming to the Mac from Aspyr. Apple has posted a look at Unreal Tournament 2004. ” Software Theft is Killing Competition ” is a new editorial posted to iDevGames penned by Aaron Fothergill of Strange Flavour Software, makers of ToySight and Airburst.
Closer to home
On MacCentral this week, we featured details about Feral Interactive’s Worms 3D and an update to Championship Manager 03/04. Pangea Software has added the stereoscopic 3D treatment to Otto Matic and will soon do the same for Bugdom 2. Virtual Programming Ltd. has revamped its Web site and provided updates about its numerous games in development. Aspyr Media noted that Return of the King has gone gold master and will hit store shelves on April 2nd. GarageGames has reworked its Torque Game Engine licensing to be even more affordable for independent and commercial developers to use. MacSoft said that Unreal Tournament 2004 has gone gold master, only about a week or so after its PC counterpart.
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