Time again for MacCentral’s weekly retrospective of game happenings that we didn’t get to in our regular news coverage, along with links to other Mac game coverage on the Web.
Blades of Avernum 1.0.1 released
Spiderweb Software has released an updated version of their RPG game Blades of Avernum. The new version, 1.0.1, fixes some graphical glitches in the latest version of Mac OS X and corrects some other minor problems.
Dark Castle 3 demo beta released
Z Sculpt Entertainment released a new beta demo version of Dark Castle 3, the new version of the classic Mac game which seems to have been in development forever. It’s been updated for Mac OS X v10.3.3 compatibility.
Delta Force: Black Hawk Down hits beta
Aspyr Media Inc. announced that its Mac conversion of Delta Force: Black Hawk Down has hit its beta development milestone. The game is anticipated for release next month. It is a first-person action game that puts you in the role of a U.S. Delta Force operative in Mogadishu, Somalia, circa 1993.
Diversity Empires coming
Waterfall Games and Diversity Games announced Diverse Empires, which they bill as a massively multiplayer online role playing game for Mac OS, Linux and Windows. It’s 2D and has a very old-school flavor. The developers expect to release it by the end of 2004, but a public beta should be released before then.
Galactica A.D. 2.1.4 released
VendorNation and Sacred Tree Software have released an update to Galactica A.D., the spacefaring strategy game. The new release, 2.1.4, sports improved networking code, some gameplay adjustments, bug fixes and more.
GameSmith hits 50,000 user mark
Freeverse Software noted that its GameSmith game matching service has reached 50,000 users. GameSmith provides users of Freeverse Software’s casual games the ability to find each other online, chat and play. It’s free to download and use.
MacGames DVD ships
Inside Mac Games announced that the first issue of its MacGames DVD shipped. The MacGames DVD is chock-full of demos, shareware, updates, add-ons, trailers, cheaters and other stuff that you might otherwise overlook because of bandwidth limitations or lack of time to download it all. A subscription costs $49 a year and includes a free game.
Postal 2 beta testers now sought
Ryan Gordon — the programmer who developed Mac versions of Unreal Tournament 2003 and 2004, as well as America’s Army — is using his powers for evil now by porting the hyper-violent, offensive-to-many Postal 2 to the Macintosh. He recently put out a call for beta testers for the forthcoming version.
Sims Superstar updated to 2.8.1
Aspyr Media updated its Superstar expansion pack for The Sims to v2.8.1, fixing a sound booth crash and making other enhancements. The new version of Superstar is available for download from Macgamefiles.com.
Elsewhere on the Web
Inside Mac Games has posted its review of No Limits, a roller coaster simulator. The Gamesome Mac radio show interviewed MacPlay about Tron 2.0 and other titles.
Closer to home
At MacCentral this week, we reported on Aspyr’s plans to get Call of Duty on store shelves by mid-May. The company also reported that 007: Nightfire is now at beta. It’s not directly game-related, but Mac game publisher Freeverse has entered the browser market with BumperCar, a browser for kids. GarageGames is offering game developers its cross-platform Torque Network Library. Virtual Programming Ltd. said that it will publish a Mac version of X2 The Threat, a 3D space action/trading game reminiscent of Elite or Escape Velocity.
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