 Caesar III Goes Gold!
Ken Parker of Impressions Software recently stopped by the IMG Forums to answer a poster's question about Caesar III's availability for the Mac. Here's his full response:
The Mac version of Caesar III went gold yesterday (5/25), meaning that we sent it to the replicator for production. Barring unforeseen complications, C3 should hit store shelves around mid-June, a few weeks ahead of schedule.
Ahead of schedule? Now that's good to hear. Way to go, Impressions! You've certainly impressed us. In the interim, Caesar III's demo is available. [Daranciang]
MicroConversions Goes Out of Business!
According to a report by our colleagues at Mac Gamer's Ledge and Mac3D, MicroConversions, makers of the Game Wizard and the sole purveyors of Voodoo 2 cards for the Macintosh, has shut their doors. Calls to their phone number result in a recorded message stating that the company has "ceased operations" after 14 years in the Macintosh market.
This is disturbing for several reasons; not only have we lost our only source of Voodoo 2 cards (note that VillageTronic still makes Voodoo Banshee cards) but a potential source for Voodoo 3 cards. Also, this closing leaves several projects in the lurch, including cash rebates and the MicroConversions iWizard program to add Voodoo 2 to iMacs.
Update! The following information was just posted to the MicroConversions web site:
Micro Conversions, Inc. has ceased operations. All Game Wizard™ products, technology rights and support have been picked-up by iWonder, Inc. As soon as possible, details will be available at www.iwonderinc.com - 817-496-6337 - 817-496-6339 (fax) - toll free sales: 877-237-8622 (877-BestMac).
iWonder is currently developing additional really-cool Mac™ products. The iWizard™ line will be their flagship product until those new products yield.
Other Micro Conversions' products are still in negotiation for ongoing support. More details will become available over the next week or so. In any case, NuBus and PDS cards won't be made in the future and those were the _last_ of their kind. There may be an interruption in Game Wizard availability, so those in the channel should be bought ASAP.
Needless to say, the Micro Conversions' $40 Manufacturer's Mail-in Rebate is gone.
Well, it looks like the iWizard and Game Wizard may survive, so at least we can look forward to continuing Voodoo 2 support on our platform. Our most sincere hope is that iWonder succeeds where Microconversions failed -- and that Voodoo 3 cards are their next product, but that is just wishful thinking on our part... [Eilers]
 Tribes 2 Preview, More Game News
For those of you who have read our E3 coverage, you know that a lot of very exciting games are coming for the Mac. One of the most promising, Tribes 2, is coming soon and is due for a simultaneous release (oh, those sweet, sweet words!) on Mac and PC. Wintel gaming site Sharky's Extreme has posted a preview of this amazing title, a hybrid between real-time strategy and first-person shooter unlike anything else out there. Stop by and check it out, then head over to Blue's News for more info and screenshots. Frankly, I think I have found my new favorite game.
Another game that is almost certainly coming to the Macintosh is Wheel of Time, based on the Unreal engine. They just updated their web site with details and new screenshots, including some harsh words for Jar-Jar Binks. So check that out as well, and check this site for a preview of that exciting title. [Eilers]
 'Core' Website Debuts
Rumors abounded when the Myth Codex closed it's doors that it's team were working on a new site to carry on the legacy of news, inside information and outright lies on Bungie's leading games. Many assumed that they were moving onto Oni - but they were wrong, Onicore still waves that flag in conjunction with bungie.org.
IMG wants to welcome Core to the web, a news and info site dedicated to Bungie's next title after Oni known only as "Blam" - the first of its kind (though certainly not the last). Of course there is very little there at the moment since Bungie isn't even saying what the game is - but we can be assured that the only site to get Blam news before Bungie will be Core (with the possible exception of IMG...well we can always try!). But the layout is nice, the graphics are slick and the promises are great - so check it out! [Simon]
 Interactive Graphics Toy Released
For those of you were intrigued by the effects and visuals exhibited by the 'demos' from the 64k Demo Contest, PixelToy is like having your own demo to design and configure. Here are the details from author Leon McNeill's announcement:
PixelToy isn't a game, nor is it a screen saver, nor a paint program -- but it has aspects of all of these. Think of it as a very interactive lava lamp! With PixelToy you can watch an endless variety of beautiful, mesmerizing moving images. Best of all, if you pop in an audio CD, you can watch PixelToy's patterns dance to the music! PixelToy is a fantastic way to show off the processing power of your new G3-based Mac.
What's changed since 1.0? Too much to mention here, but here's a summary: powerful new text and particle generators, QuickTime movie export capability, more effects (now called filters), "sets", and a color palette editor.
So stop by the author's web page and check out this and his other projects. If you are a fan of old-school adventure games, you might be delighted by what you find... [Eilers]
 'Thrones' RTS Game Released
After a public call for beta testers (which we brought to you here at IMG) some months ago, Rocco Bowling is proud to announce the availability of Thrones, his new real-time strategy and war game. It will be self-published as shareware, going for the price of $10. It can be downloaded now.
Similar to other games in the genre, Thrones places you in sole command of an entire army. Featuring two races (human and skeleton), the game focuses on your ability to outthink your genetically programmed opponent, rather than pure reflexes. The game can go as quickly or as slowly as you like - should you like to think deeply about decisions before making them, you will have ample opportunity. Some built-in scenarios are included, along with a scenario editor and random map generation, ensuring that Thrones will never grow old. [Daranciang]
Software Updates at IMG
The Fishin' Hole 1.5 was released today, after a one-year delay between updates, something rare in this fast-paced Internet world. The new version introduces 16-bit graphics, much faster gameplay, loads of new features, and the promise of a Windows version soon, for those who might want to take this game to work [ed note: we do not endorse video gaming at work, if there is the slightest chance you might get caught, or are better at the game than your boss.] on their Wintel machines. Some screenshots are available at the official Web site.
Also, in a silent update, David's BackGammon 2.8.4 was released by (believe it or not) David Byrum, the author and namesake. This further improves the game, as in all other incremental updates released to date.
As always, your one-stop shop for the latest game updates is IMG's Updaters page. It is updated immediately whenever a new game version hits the streets, including weekends. [Daranciang]
 The Fishin' Hole 1.5 (4.1 MB):
David's BackGammon 2.8.4 (296k):
More ATI Drivers Experiences
I just got through three days of intense troubleshooting with my 400 MHz Blue G3 and the new ATI graphics drivers, and I thought I'd share the results with you in hopes of sparing someone the same agony.
What was the problem? Random freezes, especially when dragging an icon in the Finder or closing a window. If I tried to hit ctrl-command-esc, I would get black lines on the display, but no force quit dialog; this led me to believe I had a problem with my graphics extensions.
After a little investigating, I found I had a mess on my hands. OpenGL 1.0, QuickTime 4.0 Preview, and MacOS 8.6, all of which I had recently installed, each installs its own mix and flavor of the ATI extensions for my Rage 128 card. I'm not joking--the revision numbers and release dates for the extensions differ wildly with each install. Not to mention that fact that several extensions installed (such as the ATI 3D Accelerator, for Rage Pro cards) were totally unnecessary.
How to solve this problem? I did it in three steps: throw away everything that says ATI in your extensions folder. Don't reboot. Install the 'ATI Graphics' extensions from your G3 CD (the one that came with your machine; choose custom install and deselect everything but that option). Don't reboot. Install the 8.6 update. Now reboot.
Not only did this solve all of my crashes, but OpenGL and Quicktime 4.0 still work. Just thought I'd pass this on to those of you lucky enough to be enjoying these new machines... [Eilers]
 Next Issue of IMG Coming Soon!
The next issue of IMG is fast approaching and will be shipping within the next 10 days. IMG Volume 7 - Issue 3 will feature previews of games like Fly! (Quicktime movie included), Caesar III, and reviews of hot new games like Starship Titanic, Imperialism II, Tomb Raider Gold, Civilization II Gold and more.
We're also proud to announce the return of an extremely popular feature, our video interviews. In 7-3 we video interview the folks from Aspyr Media who recently scored Madden 2000 for the Mac. Find out what's in store for Madden 2000 and what we can expect from Aspyr in the near future.
And of course we'll have the hottest new demos on the CD including Caesar III, Railroad Tycoon 2, Gungan Frontier, Freddi Fish 4, Tomb Raider Gold, and much more.
If you haven't signed up for a subscription, now's the perfect time! Subscribe today and you'll be guaranteed to get IMG 7-3. Subscriptions start at just $39 a year.
And get ready for our hardware extravaganza. IMG 7-4 will be shipping in late June and will cover all the latest hardware including USB joysticks, accelerated video cards, and more.
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