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Check out the whole sha-bang
here. Thanks Jerrett [Microsoft will...]I encourage you to read the whole press release, because it has a lot of good information in it.
"* Distribute a new, high-performance OpenGL Installable Client Driver (ICD) developed in cooperation with Silicon Graphics for the Windows 9X and Windows NT environments."
No timeframe was established, and Microsoft has the option to drag their feet indefinitely. What can you do if Microsoft decides not to provide the OGL ICD kit to someone that asks? Or if they just don't return e-mail?
"* Implement a new certification testing and logo branding program for OpenGL drivers as well as Direct3D drivers created with the DDK through the Windows Hardware Quality Labs. Upon final certification from Microsoft, developers will receive one of the following three branded logos for use with their drivers: [rest deleted]"
This is the killer. They could make the WHQL standards so demanding that NO OpenGL driver can pass certification, or only a very few. That would not be cool. Ideally the agreement would tie OGL/D3D together -- in order for a developer to get D3D certification, they have to be certified for OGL, and vice versa. This makes it in Microsoft's best interests to see OGL drivers up and running and conformant quickly. Unfortunately, I don't think this is how this was negotiated, probably because of some other backroom politicking we're not aware of.
Not only that, but there is the chance that they'll claim they're "resource limited" and thus drag their feet on OGL certification while at the same time pushing D3D drivers out the door at superfast pace.
A more formal and complete statement from game developers will likely be forthcoming in the next couple weeks. But the fact remains the same: it's now okay to write OpenGL drivers for Windows, and thus it's now okay to write games using OpenGL.
And we hope that Quake2 is a testament to OpenGL's applicability for games.
HELP WANTED. I'm looking for a dedicated gamer who's involved in the scene, knows what they are talking about, and understands how the whole gaming community works (Quake *AND* other games). Good writing skills (such as product reviews) are a MUST. Good HTML skills are a big bonus.Well, what are you waiting for?!? Give Onethumb an email, and may the best man win!
This is a FULL TIME, PAYING job. You'd get paid to do what you love best: Hang out in the game community, make friends with lots of webmasters, write product reviews, etc. Relocation to warm, sunny California is probably a must, but if you really rule, it's possible we could work around it.
Interested? I hope so! Email me at onethumb@quakecentral.com. Please talk about yourself (brag all you want, it'll help), send an example of your writing skills (or a URL or something), and let me know how you fit into the community.
Source: Embrionic FilesJobe
Url: http://www.qa.com/emb
Quantum Axcess is looking for some talented texture artists to
possibly work on a future commericial add-on/total conversion.
Contact Embrionic for full details.....
====
cheers
Emb
Ps. Tons of level designer applications and even coders, but artists
are the hardest to find... especially ones that just blow ur mind =)
Quake II Official Strategies & Secrets is expected in stores within a few days. Published by Sybex and endorsed by Id Software it includes strategies from Thresh and a complete walk-through of the game's 39 single-player levels. Quake II itself is officially available tomorrow morning.Sheri Dean sent us this press release about the book, in Word 6.0 format.
in the coming days I plan on getting some new benchmark numbers for Quake2 using TIMEDEMO. For those of you interested, TIMEDEMO's semantics have changed, you need to do the following:American McGee updated about deathmatch maps:
]TIMEDEMO 1
]MAP DEMO1.DM2
In other words, TIMEDEMO is a variable now, not a function. Make sure when doing a TIMEDEMO that sound is disabled.
Just finished work on a DM4 type map for Quake2. I built a map called DM4_V2 a while back and was hoping to release it at some point. It contains most of the same elements and features that made DM4 such an enjoyable 2~4 map, but it didn't come off as well. So I started work on something pretty much from scratch and I am happy with the way it turned out. Since one on one play in a small map is my favorite type of DM I had to make sure that there was at least one really good 2 player DM map done. Starting work on a map that is inspired by DM2. I love lava and I really love watching people die in lava, so I felt that doing another map similar to DM2 would be a good idea. Mostly I am going to carry over the central lava pit idea and then work from scratch. Hopefully these two maps will be as well recieved as the original DM2 and DM4.More party coverage
Ahoy Mates!Wow. It must be *ulra* fun to work at id. Looks like we might be seeing some nice DM maps later on...
Arrrgh make ye walk the plank into the shark infested waters below.. arrrrr. Bring out the mead! Smack you over the head with me mug o' ale. May the wenches on board fill yer privates with disease and may they then fall off in a fetid mess of gangrenous jello.
Ok. Enough of the pirate talk.
I just broke our Origin2000. Well, I didn't really break it, it sort of collapsed under the weight of a 10,000 brush map. Ok, well it didn't really do that either. It chugged right along until it hit it's 512 meg o' ram limit.. so John upped it even higher. The map then nursed on all 700+ megs of ram and finally bsp'd.
What is this map? Hmmm.. well it started as a 2 team CTF map, but John came at me with the idea of breaking stuff (How could I resist!?) so, I doubled the map and made it a 4 team battleground. Remember the game 'Warlords' on the Atari 2600? There you go, not quite as blocky and you don't need a stinking paddle to play it. Oh and you don't move a little board around directing a ball at the opposing teams blah blah blah blah blah.
Things I'll be doing now that Q2 is out:
-Running around to every electronics store, skinning the hide off of each and every animatronic Barney
-Playing a bunch of dumb games for about 30-45 minutes each, getting tired of them then returning to Quake2
-Enjoying myself getting PK'd on Ultima Online, so I can die an innocent death only to be ressurected with lowered skill values.
-Staring at Tim while he stares back at me. Repeat.
-Flipping off and spanking my behind at everyone who joins our Quake2 server.
-Making deathmatch maps for 10,000 people!
-Making CTF maps for 5,000 teams!
-Browsing the newsgroups.. (cough)
-Stealing valuable electronics from our office until Tim gets back from Australia.
-Deciding which id/quake2 hat looks best with my day wear.
-Rereading the PCGamer UK Quake2 article.
-Cultivating new life forms in empty miniature coke bottles.
-Sneaking out in the middle of the night to take Cash's car for a spin.
-Sneaking in earlier in the morning hoping that Cash won't see his new dents and dings.
-Hooking up the c-64 and 2600 in the office, attaching them both to Tim's big ass stereo.. M.U.L.E. in surround sound!
-Getting my car tagged.
-Getting my drivers license. Because damnit! I want to be a Texan!
That's about it.
Quake2 is law.
Brandon "KillMe" James
bjames@idsoftware.com
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12-07-97Come on, guys. Let's give id a break. You've waited over a year, can't you wait 2 days more?
Hmm. I checked out the Q2 server that was running, and found it packed at 64 clients, and most of them were not from Denmark =(
The server will resume operation on Tuesday, December 9th.
12-07-97I don't know about you guys, but the thought of fragging 64 of my fellow Quakers on a Quake2 map gives me a rush. Let's see if it lives up to its "Bleeding-Nose-Huge-Capacity-Server" promises :-)
With Quake II due out in stores in the next couple days, I've set
up a Quake II server here at id.
it's on;
satan.idsoftware.com (192.246.40.37)
It's cycling through all the maps with a 30 fraglimit or 10 minute
timelimit. It's set for 64 players right now, but we'll see how things go.
Enjoy.
- "Disrupted" =)
Respawn '98Nigel
-----------
In February 1998, Toronto, Ontario will host one of the largest multiplayer
gaming events ever in Canada -- Respawn '98. Only one week after its initial
announcement, we received well over 200 emails from fellow Canadians, all of
which carried the same message:
IT'S ABOUT TIME!
The four day event will take place at the Regency Hotel in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
Dates for the event are Thursday, February 5th to Sunday, the 8th.
The newly renovated conference center holds 500+ people, and will be the main
center for the event, and a sponsored bar is available for visitors aged 19 and over.
Shuttle service and 24 hour security is provided for your protection.
Respawn is not just geared towards 3D gaming fans. The event will give visitors
the chance to play Real Time Strategy titles such as Ensemble Studio's "Age of Empires"
and Auran Software's "Dark Reign". We plan on holding mini-tournaments during
the event for these games, which will occur randomly, on a first come,
first serve basis.
"Events like QuakeCON and The FRAG are hugely successful and let players around
the world meet face to face in healthy competition. Respawn gives players all over Canada
the chance to have the same experience, without having to fly 1000 miles or more to Texas.
With the large multiplayer gaming fanbase in Toronto, Respawn will definitely be one of the
largest events of its kind to happen in Canada." --Brian Sutton, Co-organizer,
Stomped.com Webmaster.
The headlining title of Respawn '98 is Quake 2, we will be holding a 256 player deathmatch
tournament during the event, culminating with a final one on one battle for an as yet,
unannounced grand prize. Prizes for the event are expected to total over $20,000 Canadian,
as new sponsors continue to join the event on an almost daily basis. Some current sponsors
include such companies as Activision, Epic Megagames, Canopus Corporation, Altec Lansing,
Shaw Cable, and Gamestats.com.
If you would like more information regarding Respawn, or would like to sponsor the event,
visit the Respawn '98 website:
http://www.communicopia.com/respawn
-----------------------------------
Respawn Organizers
Head Organizer:
Co-Organizer\Webmaster:
Brian Kallion - bkallion@communicopia.com
Public Relations:
Brian Sutton - process@stomped.com
OpenQuake, an organization formed roughly a month ago, on the eve of the Quake 2 test release, has completed its FAQ, just in time for Quake 2 to go gold. We'd welcome volunteers, for the decoding/documenting effort, and for the verification effort. Contact the staff of OpenQuake to volunteer or for more information. From the FAQ:Stomped does Quake 2
OpenQuake is an organization with two main goals at present. The first is the documentation of the Quake 2 game logic DLL. The second is the formation of a process by which authors may have their Quake 2 addon DLL's verified as free of malicious programming.
Thanks for your time.
_Quinn
OpenQuake General Manager
http://openquake.geek.net/
mailto:tmiller@haverford.edu
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12-04-97Nigel
We are now taking pre-orders via 1-800-IDGAMES.
We'll have a banner/page up on the id website
soon, but I wanted to go ahead and make the
announcement here. The cost is $49 plus shipping
($5 for domestic packages for normal delivery).
So if you want your own little copy of Quake II
delivered to your doorstep (i.e., no fighting
Christmas crowds, waiting in line at EB, or whatever
else bugs you about retail) give our operators a
call. We'll ship the game as soon as we get our
copies, which will probably be Monday or Tuesday of
next week.
are registered trademarks of id Software, Inc.