It’s Meant To Be Played

Issue 05

Ultimate PC gaming with GeForce

One Game To

Rule Them All

NVIDIA Brings

The Battle For Middle-earth

To Life

THE WAY

The way it’s meant to be played

Welcome

Welcome to issue five of The Way

It’s Meant To Be Played magazine.

This edition has a record number of

games featured – over 30 in total –

which is testament to the enduring

success of the “NVIDIA

: The Way

It’s Meant To Be Played

™

”

(TWIMTBP) programme. This

campaign is designed to benefit

both developers and publishers, as

well as games players. By giving

developers access to NVIDIA’s

hardware, and with NVIDIA’s

developer technology engineers on

hand throughout the entire coding

process, programmers can get the

very best graphics and effects into

their latest games.

Then, our intensive testing for

compatibility, stability and reliability

means that the consumer can buy a

PC game with the TWIMTBP logo on

the box, confident that the game will

deliver the ultimate ‘install-and-play’

experience – so long as you have

your NVIDIA GeForce graphics-

based card installed, of course.

New games with TWIMTBP

accreditation are coming out all the

time – this magazine endeavours to

keep track of the major new

releases. In this issue, as well as a

bumper crop of games, we’ve also

included our first news page, with all

the latest from NVIDIA, and a feature

on NVIDIA’s amazing SLI technology

– upgrade your PC at a stroke by

fitting a second graphics card…

I hope you enjoy the magazine,

and if there’s anything you think

should be incorporated into our

pages, please do let me know.

Darryl Still

Head of developer relations,

EMEA

NVIDIA

dstill@nvidia.com

Produced by

Future Plus

30 Monmouth Street, Bath, BA1 2BW

Printed by

Precision Colour Print,

Telford

The Future Network plc is a public company.

Printed in the UK

Cover picture © MMIV New Line Productions, Inc. All Rights

Reserved. The Lord of the Rings and the names of the characters,

items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz

Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises under license to New Line

Productions, Inc. Game Code and Certain Audio Visual Elements ©

GAMES and the EA GAMES logo are trademarks or registered trade-

marks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

NVIDIA® SLI™ pictures © NVIDIA Corporation

NVIDIA news

Gizmondo, GeForce 6200, SLI

TWIMTBP games

The Lord Of The Rings:

The Battle For Middle-earth

Colin McRae Rally 2005

Vivisector: Beast Inside

The Saga Of Ryzom

Vampire: The Masquerade

Bloodlines

Painkiller: Battle Out Of Hell

Dungeon Lords

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow

Of Chernobyl

Medal Of Honor Pacific Assault

Chronicles Of Riddick

Fire Captain: Bay Area Inferno

Sacred Plus

Need For Speed Underground 2

GTR Fia GT Racing

Pitfall 2

Full Spectrum Warrior,

Codename: Panzers

Evil Genius

Nexus: The Jupiter Incident

FlatOut

Call Of Duty: United Offensive

Joint Ops: Escalation

Rome: Total War

Final Fantasy XI

Lineage II

World Of Warcraft

TWIMTBP features

Ubisoft

LucasArts

NVIDIA SLI

Contents

➔

NVIDIA news

➔

ortable games systems

have traditionally been

somewhat primitive and

unable to deliver graphical

complexity beyond that of the

home consoles of a decade

ago. But that’s set to change

with the arrival of Gizmondo

which has been designed to

deliver an arcade-quality

gaming experience – a feat

made possible through the

use of the NVIDIA®

GeForce™ 3D 4500, the

world’s first wireless media

processor (WMP).

Equipped with a 2.8 inch

colour screen, a Samsung

ARM9 400Mhz processor,

Windows CE.net operating

system, and a contract-free

GPRS

network

link for

music and

video downloads, this is a

true next-gen gaming system.

What’s more, the inclusion of

the GoForce 3D 4500, with

its 1280KB of dedicated 128-

bit wide SRAM memory,

enables the Gizmondo to

deliver standard-setting

visuals through the use of

hardware accelerated 3D.

Yet the Gizmondo is

much more than a games

console. It’s a full-blown

mobile device. It also features

an MP3 player, MPEG-4

support, digital still camera

functionality, SD card

accessory compatibility,

multimedia messaging,

Bluetooth, and a GPS chip

for location-based services

and a completely new

direction in gaming.

Already the winner of the

Electronics Industry Design

Awards, the mighty

Gizmondo is due for launch

before the end of 2004,

priced at £229. You can find

out much more about this

multi-faceted device by

pointing your browser at

www.gizmondo.com.

Visit NVIDIA online. UK: www.nvidia.co.uk US: www.nvidia.com

edicated to delivering

graphical bang per buck,

NVIDIA introduces the

GeForce

™

6200. In a nutshell

this takes the acclaimed feature

set of the GeForce 6800 Ultra

GPU and puts it within the

grasp of the entry level user.

The result is a GPU with the

best performance in its class,

and the ability to handle the

advanced visual effects.

With a four rendering pipe

design, fast GDDR1 memory

and a 128-bit interface, the

GeForce 6200 includes support

for Microsoft

Direct X

9.0

Shader Model 3.0, along with

NVIDIA’s own UltraShadow

™

and antialiasing technologies.

It also features the first

programmable video

processing engine, for

incredible playback of high

definition video. And there’s

even support for PCI Express,

with 4GBps of bus bandwidth.

You can find more details

about this high performance,

entry level solution at

www.nvidia.co.uk/

page/geforce_6200.html.

GeForce 6200 brings power to the masses

■

Due for launch later this year, the

Gizmondo mobile gaming device,

harnesses the power of the NVIDIA

GoForce 3D 4500. With a full 3D

geometry processor, 64-bit 2D graphics

engine, multi-texture support, fully

programmable shaders, and battery

life-preserving nPower technology,

the WMP enables the Gizmondo to

deliver a new, more immersive kind

of portable gaming.

DOUBLE THE

POWER WITH

NVIDIA SLI

TECHNOLOGY

NVIDIA has long been

a favourite for PC users

looking to improve

their graphical

performance, but now

there’s something

even better than an

NVIDIA GPU…

two

NVIDIA GPUs! Through

NVIDIA SLI

™

, it’s now

possible to run two

GeForce 6 cards of the

same spec alongside

one another, to

produce a double

whammy of processing

power. We take a

closer look at this

landmark new

technology on page 22.

NFORCE 4

INCREASES

PERFORMANCE

AND SECURITY

Introducing NVIDIA®

nForce™4, the latest

range of dedicated

media and

communications

processors for the PC.

A low latency, single

chip motherboard, the

nForce4 MCP brings

the latest PCI Express

bus technology to

AMD platforms, also

adding NVIDIA’s

ActiveArmor™, for

protection against

spyware and hackers.

nForce4 also offers

support for the new

NVIDIA SLI multi-GPU

technology as well as

storage solutions,

including the new SATA

3Gb/s hard drives. For

more, head to

www.

nvidia. co.uk/ page/

nforce4_family.html

■

The GeForce 6200 utilises the power of the GeForce 6800 Ultra

GPU, but places it firmly in the reach of the entry level user.

A new handheld gaming

device delivering a true

NVIDIA experience

NVIDIA goes portable

with Gizmondo

➔

The way it’s meant to be played

aving already won massive critical

acclaim for its action titles based

The Two Towers

™ and

The Return Of

The King

™, Electronic Arts now returns

to Middle-earth™ in the most ambitious

Lord Of The Rings

title yet. Siding with

either the powers of good or the dark

forces of evil, players can, for the first

time, take part in the large scale

campaigns at the heart of the story.

Controlling legendary heroes,

mythical creatures, and massive armies,

gamers are able to wage all out war in a

3D living, breathing depiction of Middle-

earth. The result is a game that takes

real-time wargaming to a whole other

level, and brings Tolkien’s story to life in

a completely new way. As executive

producer Mark Skaggs says: “What if the

Ents show up at Helm’s Deep? What if

Gandalf doesn’t die and he takes on the

Balrog in Minas Tirith? All these things

are possible, making this a truly

unpredictable and exciting experience.”

Building substantially on the Sage

3D game engine first used in the

Command & Conquer: Generals

™, the

game offers up an astonishing world,

filled with interactive elements and

populated by hundreds of foot soldiers,

riders, creatures, and heroes. It’s also

overflowing with amazing visual effects,

with the game capable of depicting

each individual unit in fine detail. The

result is a glorious TWIMTBP key title.

“NVIDIA has made great strides with

“The way it’s meant to be played” in the

last year,” said Skaggs. “We’ve seen the

benefits that NVIDIA’s commitment to

compatibility and reliability brings to PC

games and we believe such initiatives

are good for the industry as a whole.”

Uniquely, the game also introduces

units blessed with emotional responses.

They will react to every situation,

cowering in the face of a superior

enemy, rallying before a battle, and

celebrating after a victory. And by utilising

the environment, the properties of key

creatures can be radically altered. Trolls

are able to tear up trees and use them

as weapons. Ents can tear rocks from

buildings, or even use water to put out

fire on their bodies. And Fell Beasts have

Tolkien’s epic

tale is faithfully

reproduced on

a massive scale

■

The game utilises an upgraded version of the Sage

3D game engine originally used in

C&C: Generals

■

You can take part in and change the outcome of

key battles in the stunningly ambitious Middle-Earth.

■

You can zoom right into the

heart of any battle, directing the

action and watching the results

from the best seat in the house.

The Lord Of The Rings

The Battle For Middle-earth

Publisher:

Electronic Arts

Developer:

Electronic Arts

Release:

December

You can at last take

control of all the

armies, all the heroes

and all the magic…

© MMIV New Line Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Lord of the Rings and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises under license to New Line Productions,

Inc. Game Code and Certain Audio Visual Elements © 2004 Electronic Arts Inc. All Rights Reserved. Electronic Arts, EA, EA GAMES and the EA GAMES logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

The games

➔

Visit NVIDIA online. UK: www.nvidia.co.uk US: www.nvidia.com

Emotionally charged characters

Every character is imbued with a range of emotions. Troops

prepare for battle with war cries, cower and run in the face

of superior firepower, and rejoice with each victory.

Interactive landscapes and battlefields

Ents can rip stones from buildings and hurl them at

enemies. Trolls can rip trees from the ground and use them

as weapons. Mumakai can ground buildings into dust.

Fully 3D world

The lie of the land plays a crucial role in the fate of armies;

while airborne creatures such as the Fell Beasts navigate

the skies, raining terror from above as they do so.

■

Contextual controls

A new user interface makes it easy for newcomers to get to

grips with the game and enables experienced players to

rapidly hand out commands to individuals and whole armies.

New building and resource gathering rules

Buildings gain in experience. A barracks, for example, is

eventually able to spawn higher level troops. And with many

kinds of resource gathering available, players can alter their

development path through the game’s technologies.

Formation-based combat

It’s possible to fine-tune battalion formations. Different unit

types can even work together, with archers placed safely

within the ranks of foot soldiers, for example.

The powers of good and evil

Each player can tap into the power of the One Ring, using

familiar elements such as the roving Eye Of Sauron to either

improve the morale of their troops or devastate the enemy.

The retelling of Tolkien’s tale

Familiar battles can be played out, with new outcomes

changing the fate of the entire world. Key characters from the

story also feature. Players can even take control of a Balrog!

Perfecting the war machine

■

Take complete control over

individual heroes, creatures,

battalions and armies.

Some of the innovative

features to be found in

The Lord Of The Rings:

The Battle For Middle-earth

the ability to pick up soldiers and drop

them on other enemies! Leading either

the forces of good or evil, players can

take charge of one of

LOTR

’s unique

groups, including the Riders Of Rohan

and the Forces of Sauron. Each prompts

a different playing style, with unique

types of resource management and

base building. And each has its own key

characters and special magical aids.

Because the game makes it possible

to control individual units and heroes as

well as massive armies, the designers

have introduced a new control system.

With intuitive pop-up menus and

minimal mouse movement required,

gamers are able to fight the enemy, not

the interface. Thus micro-management

of resources and unit production is kept

to a minimum, making it possible to

concentrate on orchestrating those

amazing skirmishes and epic campaigns

in fine detail. With

The Lord Of The

Rings: The Battle For Middle-earth

, fans

can at last take control of all the armies,

all the heroes and all the magic,

ultimately taking control of the ultimate

fate of the One Ring itself.

■

The game pushes the RTS

genre into brave new territory,

bringing the spectacular battles

of the movies to your PC screen.

➔

The way it’s meant to be played

his brand new addition to the

Colin McRae

series

further consolidates its position as king of the rally

genre.

Colin McRae Rally 2005

offers 23 individual rally

events, plus a range of new modes, including the multi-

discipline Career Challenge. Carving out a unique career

path, drivers can work from lower-end championships with

two-wheel drive cars and four-wheel classics right through

to the competitions featuring high performance rally

superbeasts. It’s even possible to assume the role of McRae

himself, in the ultimate six stage 4WD challenge.

Featuring more than 30 accurately simulated vehicles (from

the Mini Cooper through to the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII)

and with more than 300 stages stretching across nine

countries, this 2005 edition is dazzlingly comprehensive. It

doesn’t skimp on the multiplayer fun, either, with four Super

Special stages providing single stage, country rallies and

custom rallies for up to eight drivers via LAN or Internet.

This is also the most realistic depiction of the sport yet,

not least in the way it enables players to push their vehicles

to the limits. Capturing the sheer velocity of the sport like

never before, it makes it possible to use the very same edge-

of-control driving techniques employed by real rally drivers.

But make one tiny mistake and the detailed damage

modelling will kick in, showing everything from paintwork

scrapes to complete physics-enhanced bodywork mash-ups.

This is PC rallying faster, muddier and more demanding

than ever before.

Case study:

Colin McRae 2005

■

McRae ’05

is awash with new features and challenges, and

blessed with an even greater clarity than its illustrious predecessors.

Publisher:

Brigades

Developer:

Action Forms

Release:

Out now

Vivisector:

Beast Inside

aking the first-person shooter into strange

new territory is state-of-the-art action horror

Vivisector

. Set on the island of Soreo, its highly

mutated inhabitants (the result of strange experiments

by deranged scientists) are out for human blood.

The game builds on its enticingly bizarre concept

with a strong, fright-filled interactive storyline. Along

the way there are many opportunities for character

development, with the ability to upgrade skills and

weapons through ‘achievement points’ gained when

successfully dealing with creatures, completing tasks,

and exploring the environment.

The game spans an incredible 24 levels, ranging

from steaming hot jungles and vast mountainscapes,

to scientific laboratories, while the hostile population

comprises more than 20 different breeds of beast.

But it’s the AtmosFear game engine that takes

price of place in

Vivisector

. Taking full advantage of

NVIDIA’s GeForce hardware, its advanced rendering

technologies can generate scenes with an incredible

field of view, densely packed with photorealistic

vegetation and complex architecture. "With

experienced engineering staff at NVIDIA providing a

wealth of technical information, we’ve been able to

integrate highly advanced graphics effects into our

technology,” says developer Action Forms.

■

Prepare for uniquely ferocious

gameplay in the beautiful-but-deadly

mutated world of

Vivisector

Publisher:

Codemasters

Developer:

Codemasters

Release:

Out now

The games

➔

Visit NVIDIA online. UK: www.nvidia.co.uk US: www.nvidia.com

mbrace the darkness once more in the second game

based on White Wolf’s acclaimed

World Of Darkness

role-playing universe. Development of this sequel has been

handled by Troika Games, the Californian team founded by

the creators of the award-winning

Fallout

. That the team

have made good use of their RPG expertise should come as

no surprise. But what makes

Bloodlines

a breed apart is the

way it’s been woven into glorious 3D action adventure.

Few titles can claim to possess a game engine on a par

with that of

Half-Life 2

, but that’s exactly what

Bloodlines

has – the very same Source engine used in

Half-Life 2

“With

Vampire

, Troika is proving Source can reach beyond

the world of FPS games," says Gabe Newell, MD and co-

founder of Valve. "The character system, rendering abilities,

and contextual AI features of Source combined with the

veteran RPG design talent at Troika is a great representation

of the innovation we hope to enable with this technology."

blood-soaked story of vampires running wild in modern day

Los Angeles. Here players can journey through a living, non-

linear world, forging their own path as they work for one of

seven different vampire clans. Of course the game delivers

horror in spades, but it’s also rife with close combat against

vampire hunters, enemy vampires, and other creatures of

the night, with battles enhanced by the inclusion of knives,

pistols, machine guns, stake guns, flamethrowers and other

goodies. The

Hammer House Of Horror

this ain’t.

Case study:

Vampire:

The Masquerade – Bloodlines

■

Vampire mythology and modern day Los Angeles clash with

gruesome results in

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines

The Saga Of Ryzom

ith more than 165,000 gamers dipping into its

ambitious online universe via an epic beta test,

The Saga Of Ryzom

has already been hailed as a

masterpiece. Powered by the proprietary RAID engine,

this is a game able to portray massive battles and

dynamic territorial invasions in unprecedented detail,

resulting in an incredibly action-packed take on the

role-playing genre.

And because this is a TWIMTBP title, the game

world is depicted in lavish detail, those large-scale

battles in particular benefit from the muscle afforded

by NVIDIA technology. “When you're working on a

visually stunning product like

The Saga Of Ryzom

, the

great hardware and solid technical support provided

by NVIDIA's team make all the difference,” says Daniel

Miller, CTO of Nevrax.

After learning the ropes via a tutorial section, players

generate their own hero or heroine, with an allegiance

to one of four civilisations. Setting forth through deserts,

forests, jungles, and over water on a series of quests, a

whole series of adventures and missions await in the

game’s non-linear world. This open-ended design

endows the game with a unique degree of flexibility.

The result is an online world where the action never

stops, where gamers can go it alone or form alliances,

and where dynamic battles unfold in spectacular fashion.

■

The Saga Of Ryzom

brings large-scale

combat to the massively multiplayer

online role-playing experience.

Publisher:

Ubisoft

Developer:

Nevrax

Release:

Out now

Publisher:

Activision

Developer:

Troika Games

Release:

November

his winter Ubisoft goes from

strength to strength. Catering for

all tastes – from the arcade fan to the

simulation junkie, from the strategy nut

to the role-playing enthusiast – its latest

line-up is surely its strongest to date.

What’s most remarkable about

Ubisoft is that it has always dared to be

different. Valuing originality,

experimentation and artistry, it has

produced some of the wildest, most

inventive and best-loved videogames

and digital characters around.

The company was formed back in

1986 by five brothers from the

Guillemot family, with a mission to

distribute games created by other

publishers in its native France. By 1990

the brothers were itching to actively

contribute to this bright new video

games market, and so began building a

team of talent artists, designers and

programmers. The fruits of these labours

began to make their first impact in 1994,

not least with the arrival of

Rayman

, the

legendary game character developed by

the hugely talented Michel Ancel.

Moving into the new millennium, the

company released one hit game after

the other, even finding success in the

new online market with games like

EverQuest

. By the end of 2003, with the

launch of such acclaimed titles as

Prince

Of Persia Sands Of Time

, Ubisoft had

become firmly established one of the

biggest and most respected game

publishers and developers in the world.

This is now…

That’s Ubisoft’s past. Now let’s take a

look at the future, with a peak at its latest

classics-in-waiting. First up is the hugely-

anticipated sequel

EverQuest II

opens

up a massive new massively multiplayer

online game world. This must surely be

one of the most visually accomplished

games yet developed for the PC, and it’s

cinematic 3D even has the power to

➔

The way it’s meant to be played

Ubisoft

In Profile

Learn all about this one of a kind

games publisher, including the latest

on its brand new blockbuster games.

■

The Persian hero is back

Prince Of Persia Warrior

Within

, and this time he’s

got a whole new arsenal of

weapons and range of

amazing moves to try out.

■

Depending on whose side you’re on, you can rid the

azure skies of enemy warplanes in

Pacific Fighters.

■

EverQuest II

enhances the massively multiplayer

online experience with incredible 3D visuals.

■

Balancing community building and combat, the

latest

Settlers

is set to become another classic.

■

The soundtrack to

Myst IV: Revelation

is a lavish

affair featuring a contribution from Peter Gabriel.

In profile

Visit NVIDIA online. UK: www.nvidia.co.uk US: www.nvidia.com

➔

ith more than five million copies

already sold, the much-loved

Settlers

franchise is fully embracing the

potential of 3D, putting a whole new

spin on the well-loved construction

and conquest game style. On a

mission to reclaim lands from an evil

despotic ruler, gamers must rise to the

challenge in 20 individual scenarios,

conquering no less than seven

kingdoms, and ultimately recovering

the Orb Of Power.

Along the way there’s the

opportunity to indulge in some finely

wrought real-time strategy and empire-

building, with 70 different types of

inhabitant, the ability to discover

technology breakthroughs that

advance the society, and of course the

opportunity to indulge in skirmishes

and all out warfare.

This effortlessly retains that classic

Settlers

‘ant hill factor’, with the

landscape forever buzzing with activity,

and a wide variety of animals and

plant life adding further colour. In fact

it’s sometimes fun to simply sit back

and watch the minions go about their

assigned tasks, as the weather and

seasons change (altering the

behaviour of units in the process).

With the roaming viewpoint it’s

possible to zoom right out to see the

whole community at work, or to get

so close it’s possible to observe the

actions of a single person occupying a

quarter of the screen. This is facilitated

by an optimised graphics system that

makes use of Criterion’s acclaimed

RenderWare engine.

“We’re utilising the full bandwidth

of conventional animation technology,”

states lead programmer Dietmar

Meschede proudly. “We’re using

special vertex shaders for animating

trees and other landscape elements,

integrating particle effects, and also

using a multi-layer terrain system,

which has been designed to meet our

high detail landscape requirements.”

Fans will have to wait until early next

year to get their hands on the game.

The Settlers: Heritage Of Kings

further enhance the experience as

technologies improve in the future. And

the scale of

EverQuest II

is something

else. Even the process of character

creation is awash with possibilities,

thanks to the inclusion of 16 unique

races, 24 characters classes, and 50

experience levels to work through. Hero

or villain, prince or pauper – there are

no rules or limits in

EverQuest II

Adventuring of a different kind can

also be found in

Myst IV: Revelation

Myst

was the adventure that introduced

millions of people to computing gaming

for the first time. Now the most famous

adventure universe of them all is back,

with Ubisoft’s

Myst IV: Revelation

. Taking

photorealism to a mindbending level,

the game is truly something to behold,

while the integration of live actors adds

a new dimension to the adventure.

Pacifically speaking

It’s not often Ubisoft releases something

as familiar as a combat flight simulation,

so the arrival of

Pacific Fighters

heralds

something special. This spectacular

recreation of WWII combat re-enacts

some of the most dramatic air battles of

all time. Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal and even

Pearl Harbor feature. Boasting both

allied and enemy aircraft carriers, and

more than 40 period aircraft, it’s been

designed to provide an air-to-air and air-

to-ground combat experience more

immersive than any other flight sim.

And then there’s the return of the

Prince in the darkier and edgier,

Prince

Of Persia Warrior Within

. This time

around our hero must defy date itself.

It’s an adventure that places greater

emphasis on the Prince’s combat

prowess, with a brand new freeform

combat system. The original

Prince Of

Persia Sands Of Time

was probably the

most critically acclaimed action game of

2003. The sequel offers even more.

Valuing originality, experimentation and artistry,

Ubisoft has produced some of the wildest, most

innovative and best-loved videogames around.

■

Settlers: Heritage Of Kings

contains a lushly animated

environment that’s teaming with activity and blessed with many cool visual effects and dynamic weather.

If you thought the

property market

was harsh, then try

this classic franchise

out for size.

Publisher:

Ubisoft

Developer:

Ubisoft’s Bluebyte Studio

Release:

early 2005

■

Relive key WWII battles, playing as an

American, Australian or even Japanese

pilot in the stunning

Pacific Fighters

■

Photorealistic 3D environments, cleverly

integrating live footage, and a wealth of

puzzles await in

Myst IV: Revelation

■

The Prince of Persia is back; this time

he’s darker, edgier and ready for a fight.

➔

The way it’s meant to be played

Dungeon Lords

Publisher:

DreamCatcher Games

Developer:

Heuristic Park

Release:

November

reated in association with award-winning games guru

D.W. Bradley,

Dungeon Lords

has been designed to

fuse fighting fantasy role-playing with 3D arcade action. The

result is a work of incredible visual detail, epic scale, and

uncompromising depth.

Optimised for both solo adventuring and eight-way

cooperative multiplayer action,

Dungeon Lords

features an

abundance of missions and quests, along with ample

opportunities to develop character skills, amass treasures

and magical artefacts, and progress through cunning use of

the unique race and character class traits. Because the

game harnesses the power of NVIDIA GeForce technology,

every hard-won step of the journey is depicted in fluid,

glossy, full 3D detail.

“NVIDIA offers technical support, extremely advanced

technologies and a massive consumer reach,” comments

DreamCatcher Europe Marketing Director Simon Vivien.

“When you launch a leader title such as

Dungeon Lords

you

always need to team up with the leader. NVIDIA is all of

this, a leader and a great partner.”

reamCatcher Interactive Inc. is a

fast-growing worldwide publisher

and distributor of interactive

entertainment software for both core

and casual gamers. From its Toronto

headquarters it has since expanded

throughout Europe, the Far East and

even Australasia, its support for third-

party developers and extensive

customer support helping to achieve the

ultimate goal of becoming a world

leading publisher.

DreamCatcher now has two distinct

brands for its highly diverse output. The

main DreamCatcher Games imprint

handles strategy and role-playing, as well

as all-out action titles such as

Painkiller

Then there’s The Adventure Company,

home to titles such as the

Atlantis

series

and a forthcoming range of games

based on the novels of famed crime

writer Agatha Christie. Below we take a

closer look at two of DreamCatcher's

key Christmas titles.

DreamCatcher

Painkiller:

Battle Out Of Hell

Publisher:

DreamCatcher Games

Developer:

People Can Fly

Release:

November

eel the heat once again in this add-on pack for the

critically acclaimed

Painkiller

. In the original, our hero

Daniel Garner found himself fighting through the

underworld, impaling enemies, blasting ghouls, and quite

literally raising hell. Now he’s on a mission to escape the

torment, battling through ten new levels as beautifully

crafted as they are filled with torture and evil.

The developers have excelled themselves in the art

department, crafting levels that never re-use a single

texture, while the improved proprietary PAIN game engine

sports a range of improved visual effects such as heat haze,

light blooms and per pixel mapping, thus ensuring the

combat delivers an even greater graphical punch.

Battle Out Of Hell

also caters for multiplayer fans, with

a range of new multiplayer maps plus two brand new

modes, including a ‘hellish mutation of Capture The Flag’.

It’s definitely one for those with a strong stomach. And just

to up the longevity, a full set of editing and modding tools

are provided, enabling total customisation of both solo and

multiplayer action. The pain need never end…

■

Take our word for it, the fighting fantasy

genre enters the unchartered realms of

arcade-quality 3D in

Dungeon Lords

■

physics-enhanced PAIN game engine,

this

Painkiller

expansion pack features a

host of new graphical tweaks, levels, and

multiplayer options. Spectacular stuff…

In profile

Visit NVIDIA online. UK: www.nvidia.co.uk US: www.nvidia.com

➔

ince news first broke in the press

about

S.T.A.L.K.E.R

., action fans

have been clamouring to get their hands

on the finished product. Set in the Zone,

an area based on the real 30 kilometre

radius area around the Chernobyl

atomic power plant, the action in

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

takes place some 16 years

after the tragic accident at the infamous

facility. It’s a game world rife with

valuable artefacts, but also a place

where there are a million ways to die.

One thing that has earned the game

unanimous praise is graphical quality

afforded by the proprietary X-Ray

engine. Designed specifically for

advanced GPU hardware it renders both

indoor and outdoor environments with

ease, with a motion-capture based

skeletal animation system on hand for

the in-game characters. Other goodies

include dynamic light sources, day-to-

night shifts, IK physics, character

shadowing, interpolated animations,

advanced water rendering, particles

systems, and a whole range of other

complex pixel and vertex shader effects.

“We have been building up on the

main skeleton of the game, filling the

global map with more and more

content,” says Oleg Yavorsky at GSC

Gameworld. “We started with the initial

three levels and tried packing them with

all the gameplay components. The

results were very impressive. Since then

we’ve got all the levels up and running.”

The team has also been working to

further enhance the look of the exterior

environments. Says Yavorsky: “For the

exterior levels, where all the lighting is

processed dynamically, we’ve worked

really hard to balance quality against

frame rate and we’re now very happy

with how it’s going.”

“What’s most valuable about our

relationship with NVIDIA is the timely

advice and replies to questions with

regards to architecture peculiarities,” he

adds. “This knowledge is key for us to

be able to optimise the performance of

the game. And one of the key features

NVIDIA-based hardware has enabled us

to include is High Dynamic Range

rendering pipeline in 64-bit colour.”

Beyond the core single-player

experience, work also continues on the

multiplayer portion of

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

“We

already enjoy playing it with the team.

The focus of our multiplayer designers is

adjusting the weapons, game speed

and all the other little things that make

it even more enjoyable.”

Tantalisingly, Yavorsky says a

multiplayer beta test is planned for the

near future. “We’re naturally really

curious about what other players think

about the game. Their feedback will be

very valuable to us.”

GSC Gameworld offers us an exclusive update on the

development of this gritty, ambitious first-person epic.

“What’s most valuable about our relationship

with NVIDIA is the timely advice and replies to

questions about architecture peculiarities…”

In Profile

Publisher:

THQ

Developer:

GSC Gameworld

Release:

Early 2005

■

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

depicts a seamless environment

modeled on the real-life 30 kilometre zone

around Chernobyl nuclear power station.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

■

In the land of the

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

mutations

and weird anomalies are all too commonplace.

So are life-threatening situations from rival

mercenaries and truly bizarre creatures.

➔

The way it’s meant to be played

his is nothing short of a rebirth for the

Medal Of

Honor

™

series. With new game dynamics, open-ended

design, new AI and squad-based play and a number of new

visual effects that take full advantage of version two

programmable pixel and vertex shaders. Here each level is

filled with realistic detail, including 3D grass, trees and other

fauna, while ambitious lighting effects convey the unique

conditions of the Pacific Islands. The complex character

models are also truly something to behold, while a range of

post-processing tricks simulate shellshock and other

disorientating elements. And with the inclusion of the

Havok

dynamics system, the game also boasts real-world physics.

This new chapter places gamers in the boots of Marine

Private Tommy Conlin, as he witnesses the destruction at

Pearl Harbor and battles his way through 25 levels, each

with multiple pathways, and a mix of solo missions and

squad-based situations – with the ability to hand out orders

in the heat of the battle.

Squad members and enemies will even respond

realistically to a player’s actions. Act too reckless and your

fellow combatants might hang back, fight too timidly and

the enemy will seize the day. The designers have also paid

heed to the needs of multiplayer gamers, providing eight

unique levels, a new game mode called Invader and – for

the first time – a choice of soldier character classes. You may

be a virtual battlefield veteran, but nothing will prepare you

for the bloody intensity of

Medal Of Honor Pacific Assault

Case study:

Medal Of Honor Pacific Assault

■

Take full control of the squad throughout the battle, in a

completely new, graphically pumped up

MOH

adventure.

Publisher:

Vivendi Universal Games

Developer:

Starbreeze

Release:

December

Chronicles Of Riddick:

Escape From Butcher Bay

– Director’s Cut

ovie spin-offs are ten-a-penny, but

Escape From

Butcher Bay

breaks the mould in a number of

ways. This is no simple tie-in. Instead the developers

have worked with Vin Diesel himself to create a new

chapter in the story of the ultimate sci-fi anti-hero,

fleshing out his history before the events of the movie

Pitch Black

. Additionally, developer Starbreeze has set

out to craft an arcade adventure using only state-of-

the-art technologies.

The CGI version of Riddick not only has Diesel’s

voice, he even looks just like the actor. Every other

character benefits from equally lavish 3D modelling

and animation, while the environs of Butcher Bay are

also realised with a combination of highly detailed

model and texture work. Also a range of GeForce-

friendly lighting effects and pixel/shader programming

tricks helps to produce a beautiful game world.

Gameplay has been given equal attention, the

combination of stealthy third-person adventuring, first-

person shooter and close combat action producing a

seamless blend. One word of caution:

Chronicles Of

Riddick

is no walk in the park, designed for more

mature audiences, it carries a PEGI Age Rating of 16.

■

Vin Diesel lends his voice,

likeness, and creative talents to

this lavish next-generation title.

Publisher:

Developer:

Release:

November

Pacific Assault, EA GAMES and the EA GAMES logo are trade-

marks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S.

and/or other countries. Medal of Honor is a trademark or regis-

tered trademark of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other

countries for computer and video game products. All Rights

Reserved.

➔

the games

Visit NVIDIA online. UK: www.nvidia.co.uk US: www.nvidia.com

Publisher:

Electronic Arts

Developer:

Electronic Arts Canada

Release:

November

Fire Captain:

Bay Area Inferno

aking real-time strategy off the battlefield and into frontline of the fire and

rescue scene,

Fire Captain: Bay Area Inferno

creates a scorching new kind of

3D gaming experience. No simple point and clicker, this challenges gamers to manage

a squad of elite firefighters, taking on a deadly and unpredictable enemy: fire.

As players battle to extinguish flames and save helpless victims, they’ll utilise

specialised equipment, realistic strategies, and deal with real-life horror scenarios. What

makes the action so effective is that

Fire Captain

makes use of a new technology

platform capable of realistically modelling the behaviour of smoke and fire. They

thrive and spread dynamically and realistically, while the rendering engine brings

them to life with complex particle effects. The game even realistically depicts how the

flow of water and fire can take their toll on objects within the fragile game world.

■

Smoke and flames take on a life of their own.

he follow-up to the best-selling racing game of 2003

is here and this one packs a whole number of new

ingredients, not least Kelly Brook. Adding a touch of British

class to proceedings, she has the starring role of rebellious

street racer Nikki in a game of effortless cool, dazzling

hi-octane visuals and full-throttled driving action.

Star appeal aside,

Need For Speed Underground 2

cranks up the racing action to a whole new level, with an

expansive, free-roaming city environment composed of five

neighbourhoods providing the arena in which drivers meet

up at racing hotspots and then battle it out for supremacy of

the urban roads. It’s not just a matter of turning up at the

same old locations and joining the race, though, races can

happen anywhere and at any time. It’s only by encountering

rivals out on the streets that players will get clued up about

the hottest events, as well as the latest vehicle upgrades.

Need For Speed Underground 2 delivers dozens of

licensed cars with a five-car garage for gamers to fill, each of

which can be given near infinite visual customisations as

well as extensive handling and performance modifications,

ensuring each driver has their own customised car and

unique driving experience. And this being a TWIMTBP title,

each of the billion or so vehicle variations looks absolutely

beautiful as it tears up the roads, blasting through the city

environments and reacting to the real-time weather effects

and variable road surfaces. Clearly it’s not only Kelly Brook

that provides the glamour in this pumped-up sequel…

Case study:

Need For Speed Underground 2

Sacred Plus

t’s not just the world of movies that benefits from extended and special

editions.

Sacred Plus

applies the same concept to the acclaimed role-playing

action game,

Sacred

. Giving gamers the opportunity to sample a new ‘producer’s cut’,

it features a number of updates to the core game, enhanced and extended RPG

elements, plus a number of new world regions and quests. This edition also benefits

from revised in-game difficulty balancing, an intuitive user interface and an improved

multiplayer component. It also neatly ties up all Internet updates in this new package.

As for the gameplay, innovative features such as the ability to create attack combos,

linking moves, spells and powers together, offer far more control than most arcade-

based RPGs. And through a combination of pre-rendered backdrops and motion-

captured 3D characters, it also possesses more visual smarts than RPG fans are used to.

■

Sacred Plus

refines the gameplay of the original.

Publisher:

Monte Cristo

Developer:

Monte Cristo

Release:

November

Publisher:

Koch Media

Developer:

Ascaron Entertainment

Release:

October

■

With so many improvements,

Need For Speed Underground 2

a more-than-worthy successor to its predecessor.

ounded in 1982 by the one and

only George Lucas, LucasArts has

been around longer than almost any

other games company on the planet.

The original team, then known as

Lucasfilm Games, actually sprang from

the same new computer division that

eventually spawned the company’s

highly acclaimed movie visual effects

division. Lucasfilm’s debut titles

BallBlazer

and

Rescue On Fractalus

were spawned by a love of research and

sheer gaming enthusiasm, rather than

any desire to become a video gaming

superpower – and while that’s exactly

what has happened over the last two

decades, the desire to innovate and

➔

The way it’s meant to be played

ver the years, LucasArts has given

gamers all kinds of illustrious

opportunities to step into the

Star Wars

universe, but there’s never been a way

to take on the role of a soldier fighting

as part of an elite unit in the battle

between the Empire and the Rebel

Alliance. Until now. Finally, with the

arrival of

Star Wars Battlefront

, the

most famous science fiction universe

of all time is given the full 3D combat

simulation treatment, resulting in a

multiplayer troop ‘simulation’ quite

unlike any other.

With

Star Wars Battlefront,

gamers

are able to fight on foot and in vehicles,

in battles that recreate key moments in

the incredible

Star Wars

saga. With

scenarios covering every single

Star

Wars

movie to date, including the

eagerly awaited

Episode III: Revenge

Of The Sith

(released next year), it’s

a one-of-a-kind thrill ride that you’re

never going to want to get off.

Battling across Hoth, Endor,

Tatooine, Kamino and more, players

will fight with and against Tie Fighters,

X-Wings, AT-AT Walkers, speeder bikes,

and even Republic Gunships. And

because this is an online team game,

many of the vehicles can be manned

by two or more soldiers, radically

transforming the combat experience.

Not that

Star Wars Battlefront

has to

be played online. Using AI-driven bot

allies and enemies, it’s possible to play

solo in a ‘multiplayer’ environment.

Star Wars Battlefront

Publisher:

LucasArts

Developer:

Pandemic

Release:

Out now

™

LucasArts

In Profile

We take a closer look at the legendary

games company responsible for

some of the best-selling and most

popular PC games of all time.

■

Familiar places, familiar vehicles,

and even familiar faces make

Star

Wars Battlefront

a real blast for any

self-respecting

Star Wars

fan.

Fight on the frontline

in the most famous

science fiction saga

of them all.

STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT

LucasArts and the LucasArts logo are trademarks of Lucasfilm Ltd.

Star Wars Battlefront

is a trademark of Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.

In profile

Visit NVIDIA online. UK: www.nvidia.co.uk US: www.nvidia.com

➔

entertain has remained with the

company throughout.

Following early days spent focusing

on the Atari computer systems of the

day – a period that saw it set out

blueprints for 3D gaming that have

been widely used ever since – the

company really began to make an

impact on the PC in 1987 with the

arrival of

Maniac Mansion

. Building on a

bold new type of point-and-click game

design used in movie spin-off

Labyrinth

it ushered in a new age of graphic

adventuring. By 1990,

The Secret Of

Monkey Island

, a game with a hilarious

movie-quality script, had established

Lucas’s company as the world’s finest

purveyors of adventure gaming and the

stage was set for a incredibly prosperous

decade. Transforming from Lucasfilm

Games to the LucasArts Entertainment

Company in 1993, it continued to

innovate while also introducing a

new series of games based on the

hugely popular

Star Wars

and

Indiana

Jones

movies.

Now, with the 3D technology

reaching dizzying new heights,

LucasArts continues to push gameplay

into exciting new territory. And, in

parallel to the arrival of a new series

of movies in Lucas’s famous science

fiction saga, the company is finding

new ways to immerse gamers in the

Star Wars

universe.

Check out the milestones in our

history of LucasArts’ games to see how

many classic PC titles it has produced

so far. And then read what’s on offer in

Star Wars Battlefront

, for a tantalising

taste of what’s still to come.

MILESTONES

With more than 20 years in

the business, LucasArts just

keeps on delivering…

1982

Lucasfilm Games is formed.

1984

BallBlazer

Rescue On Fractalus

Koronis Rift,

and

Labyrinth

1987

Maniac Mansion

1988

Zak McKracken And The Alien

Mindbenders

Battlehawks 1942

1989

Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade

Their Finest Hour: The Battle Of Britain,

and

Pipe Dream

1990

Loom

The Secret Of Monkey Island

and

Night Shift

1991

Secret Weapons Of The Luftwaffe

Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge

1992

Indiana Jones And The Fate Of Atlantis

1993

Sam & Max Hit The Road

Rebel Assault

and

X-Wing

1994

Tie Fighter

1995

Full Throttle

The Dig

Rebel Assault II

and

Dark Forces

1997

Outlaws

X-Wing Vs Tie Fighter

Jedi

Knight: Dark Forces II,

and

The Curse

Of Monkey Island

1998

Grim Fandango

Star Wars Rebellion

1999

Star Wars Episode I The Phantom

Menace

Star Wars: Episode I Racer,

and

Indiana Jones And The Infernal

Machine

2000

Star Wars: Force Commander

Escape

From Monkey Island

2001

Star Wars: Episode I Battle For Naboo

2002

Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast

Star Wars

Galactic Battlegrounds.

2003

Indiana Jones And The Emperor’s

Tomb

2004

Star Wars Battlefront.

There’s even a split-screen mode

for more social offline gaming.

3D engine developed in-house at

Pandemic Studios,

Star Wars Battlefront

is as adept at depicting airborne

combat as it is ground level skirmishes.

Ragdoll physics is even incorporated,

making for some suitably spectacular

death sequences and explosions.

Recreating the greatest battles from

the Star Wars universe is no easy feat.

“With NVIDIA hardware, we have been

able to recreate these visually stunning

battles down to the smallest grass

blade and up to the largest explosion.

All this graphics power enables us to

fully live up to our promise to allow

players to play the greatest Star Wars

battles any way they want to,” says

Greg Borrud, executive producer at

Pandemic Studios.

Ever wanted to ride your own

Tauntaun? Or take to the skies as a jet-

pack carrying Dark Trooper? Or simply

crush the enemy underfoot in your very

own AT-ST? Of course you have, and

now all of these and many more are a

distinct possibility. A new life in a galaxy

far away awaits.

■

Battlefront

brings a whole range of classic ground-

based and airborne clashes to life.

■

All the major battles and locations

from every

Star Wars

movie are here.

■

Battlefront

is easily the finest

Star Wars

title yet from LucasArts.

Now, with the 3D technology reaching dizzying

new heights, LucasArts continues to push

dynamic gameplay into exciting new territory…

➔

The way it’s meant to be played

Publisher:

10tacle Studios

Developer:

SimBin Development

Release:

December

ased on the FIA’s GT Championship racing series,

GTR

is a simulation with impeccable credentials. It features

all of the cars and drivers from the 2003 season, adding up

to 60 officially licensed GT and NGT vehicles, plus an

additional 18 that feature in the game’s extra ‘24 Hours Of

Spa’ event. What’s more, it packs in ten officially approved

track recreations, each built using extensive GPS data.

Of course, none of this official approval would be much

use if

GTR

didn’t have the graphical muscle or the depth

demanded by today’s racing simulation fan. An association

with NVIDIA and its TWIMTBP programme ensures the

former. As Ian Bell, development director at SimBin

confirms, “NVIDIA graphics technology proved invaluable in

the development of

GTR

. The GeForce GPU represents the

leading edge of 3D graphics hardware, and NVIDIA’s

cooperation ensures

GTR

takes advantage of the features

and performance on offer to provide an incredibly realistic

visual racing environment. The SimBin Development Team

looks forward to extending this partnership for future titles.”

Up to 56 cars can be seen in a single race, each

rendered with more detail than simulation fans have ever

seen before. And ‘live track technology’ means courses can

be dynamically altered during a race. Here, crashes can leave

debris on the track that may pose a serious hazard on future

laps. And even weather conditions change over the course

of time. The aim is to provide the most realistic driving sim

the world has ever seen. It may well have succeeded.

Case study:

GTR:

FIA GT Racing

Publisher:

THQ

Developer:

Pandemic Studios

Release:

Out now

Pitfall:

The Lost Expedition

tep aside Indiana Jones, Pitfall Harry got there first. The hapless adventurer has

been trekking through jungles for almost 25 years now and he’s still going

strong. In this latest outing he’s tasked with adventuring through the darkest corners

of Peru in search of treasures and glory. Along the way Harry faces a range of perils

from piranhas to human mercenaries, explores jungle terrain, delves deep into

subterranean mines and uncovers the secrets of ancient ruins. There are more than

40 levels in all, each filled with all the staples of a rollicking good adventure.

Now fighting the good fight in full 3D, Harry’s escapades look more sumptuous

than ever. Our hero, his enemies and the environment itself are all rendered so that

the game has a beautifully cartoonish feel. And NVIDIA owners can bask in a range

of exclusive extra visual details, thanks to support for Shader Model 3.0 technology.

■

Harry’s most visually arresting jungle romp yet.

Publisher:

Aspyr

Developer:

Aspyr

Release:

Out now

Full Spectrum Warrior

he game that began life as a training aid for the US Army is finally here.

Needless to say,

Full Spectrum Warrior

’s heritage makes for an ultra-realistic

portrayal of infantry-level warfare, with the emphasis on the kind of urban combat that

today’s soldiers now find themselves embroiled in. This is 21st century war at its most

adrenaline-charged – and its most claustrophobic.

Giving the player command of two squads, the emphasis is on teamwork. The

pressure is constant, the risks too great to contemplate and the need to make good

decisions vital. Controlling a team of eight soldiers via a simple command system,

players get to use real rules of engagement and even call in air strikes and chopper

support. With highly detailed environments and troop animations modelled on the

moves of real US Army Rangers, could a combat simulation boast a finer pedigree?

■

FSW

unleashes urban warfare in unflinching detail.

■

You can race in fully licenced cars such as the BMW Z3 M,

Porsche 996 and the Lamborghini Murcielago. Yeesss!

The games

Visit NVIDIA online. UK: www.nvidia.co.uk US: www.nvidia.com

➔

Publisher:

HD Interactive

Developer:

Mithis Entertainment

Release:

Out now

Codename: Panzers

n the space of a few years CDV has earned itself a reputation as a purveyor of

high quality action wargames.

Codename: Panzers

continues the onslaught,

with an up-close-and-personal recreation of WW2 combat. Its fully animated, physics-

enhanced 3D depiction of the war’s bullet-strewn towns, bleak mountainscapes and

deadly swamps brings new levels of drama and interaction to troop-level combat.

Providing gamers with the ability to build a combat force composed of more than

100 units, from flame-thrower carrying troops to rocket launchers and battle tanks,

Panzers

piles on the carnage with every battle. Yet there’s also genuine subtlety and

depth to the gameplay, not least in the way buildings can be occupied by player or

enemy units – making it vital to hold some key locations to avoid being overrun. And

just wait until you see what happens when bombing support is requested…

■

CDV’s latest all-action real-time wargame. Soaring.

he long-awaited follow-up to science fiction strategy

opus

Imperium Galactica II, Nexus

is every bit as

innovative as its predecessor. The aim of design team Mithis

has been to create a game boasting movie quality visuals,

real-time battles and real-time tactical mission-based action.

Space hardware junkies will love the result. With the ability

to control up to a dozen battleships, players get to explore

unknown solar systems, deal with strange astrophysical

phenomena, and call upon their command skills during

encounters with alien races.

The action takes place at the dawn of the 22nd century,

a time when the conquest of space and colonisation of the

solar system is being monopolised by a select few

megacorporations. Though these companies exist in

harmony a discovery is made at the very edge of the solar

system, one offering massive technological advantages to

whoever harnesses it. Thus the balance of power is set to

shift, creating a conflict into which fabled space captain

Marcus Comwell is unwillingly thrust.

Within its massive 3D game universe and gripping

storyline,

Nexus

offers a truly epic campaign comprising 26

missions. As they progress, gamers will encounter six unique

alien races, 10 solar systems and interact with 50 unique

characters. And thanks to the new Black Sun 3D engine,

absolutely everything is rendered with maximum detail and

governed by realistic laws of physics. With

Nexus

the Tactical

Fleet Simulation has come of age.

Case study:

Nexus:

The Jupiter Incident

Evil Genius

alling all Dr Evil wannabes, Blofelds-in-training, and all-round ruthless despots.

Evil Genius

is the finest way to let off some steam, playing out those world

domination fantasies without any of the tears before bedtime. Forget saving the

world. In

Evil Genius

it’s your job to be mean, mad and very, very bad.

Delivering the whole dastardly package in a deliciously tongue-in-cheek ’60s spy

thriller style,

Evil Genius

challenges gamers to build the ultimate secret island fortress,

carry out crazed missions such as the theft of the Eiffel Tower and even work towards

the construction of a deadly doomsday device. Naturally, do-gooders try to thwart

these plans, so that’s where the army of henchmen and the creation of high-tech

weapons come in. Dispensing cold justice in a 3D world of cartoon lunacy, gamers

will discover

Evil Genius

is that rarest of things: a game that’s actually funny.

■

Are you evil enough to cause this much mayhem?

Publisher:

CDV

Developer:

Stormregion

Release:

Out now

Publisher:

Vivendi Universal Games

Developer:

Elixir Studios

Release:

Out now

■

Sci-fi simulation

Nexus

has been designed to give gamers a

deep experience boasting motion-picture quality visuals.

➔

The way it’s meant to be played

hen it comes to high-speed racing, it’s always the

crashes that send the crowd into a frenzy. Imagine,

then, how much fun a game as obsessively dedicated to

highlighting and simulating the spills, as much as the thrills,

of the car versus car experience could be. Welcome to

FlatOut

“We have strived to make

FlatOut

one of the most

technologically advanced racing games around,” reckons

Jussi Laakkonen from Bugbear. “To this end it was logical for

us to partner with NVIDIA to push the performance and

quality of the game visuals as high as possible.”

Featuring 36 tracks set in five different environments, the

racing action takes in gravel pits, winter routes, town-based

tracks, forest drives, and Tarmac-based circuits – the unique

driving conditions of each posing a different racing challenge.

These are massively detailed and destructible racing

environments, packed with route options and governed by

realistic laws of physics. Buildings collapse, tyre walls scatter,

walls explode all over the place, and mangled car parts are

scattered everywhere. Any carnage created in one race –

including obstacles left on the track – is carried over to the next.

It’s the way the physics modelling is applied to the

vehicles that really makes

FlatOut

a game of bone-crunching

poetry in motion. The 16 different types of car have 40

deformable pieces. And most spectacularly, drivers also feel

the impact, with ragdoll physics even catapulting them out

of the vehicles. Now that’s not something you’re likely to

find in more middle-of-the-road racing offerings…

Case study:

FlatOut

■

FlatOut

you get first-hand experience of the world’s craziest

and best car chases, races, pile-ups and crashes.

Publisher:

Activision

Developer:

Grey Matter Studios

Release:

November

Call Of Duty:

United Offensive

all Of Duty

heralded a new era for first-person

troop combat by employing fantastic storytelling,

superb graphical effects and rock solid gameplay. Now

comes the next chapter, a recreation of some of the

most climactic battles of the war, including the

invasion of Sicily, the Battle Of Kursk, and the Battle Of

The Bulge. There are 13 new single-player missions in

all, with the three campaigns again casting players in

the role of American, Russian and German soldiers.

Vehicles still play a major role in the game, this

time with the inclusion of tanks, jeeps, and motorcycles.

Gamers can even take to the skies in a bomber or call

in artillery strikes.

United Offensive

also has improved

visuals and new special effects to add even greater

realism to the battles. Now units find themselves

fighting through snow and rain, while spectacular new

explosions further enhance the battlefield environments.

The original

Call Of Duty

is, of course, also a

massive online hit, and so

United Offensive

takes great

care to give multiplayer fans exactly what they want,

with the addition of ten new multiplayer maps and

three new multiplayer modes: Domination, Capture

The Flag, and Base Assault. And just wait until you

experience multiplayer tank combat…

■

United Offensive

is an even

more immersive and intense

experience than the original.

Publisher:

Empire

Developer:

Bugbear

Release:

November

The games

➔

Visit NVIDIA online. UK: www.nvidia.co.uk US: www.nvidia.com

aving practically invented the real-time 3D wargame

with

Shogun: Total War

, and then polished it until it

shone with

Medieval: Total War

, The Creative Assembly is

back to show how the battles of the Roman army should be

done. With scenes comparable to those in blockbuster

movies,

Rome: Total War

brings the days of key historical

figures to life with conflicts on the battlefields of the Empire.

Though this is the story of the Roman Empire, it’s not

just the story of the Roman army. There are a dozen playable

nations in all, each with its own unique units, strengths and

weaknesses, and its own style of combat. From Barbarian

hordes to Egyptian warriors in chariots, each enables the

player to experience and rewrite history in a different way.

The game also majors on empire building, with the ability to

construct entire cities and of course train up armies in

preparation for war. You can also micro-manage as much or

as little as desired, through the use of auto-management

tools and special advisors on hand to dispense wisdom.

Best of all, the game engine is now capable of portraying

battles featuring more than 10,000 units. And because each

unit is a complex 3D model benefiting from fluid motion

captured animation, the intelligent camera system is as

adept at getting right into the heart of the battle as it is

pulling right back for a perfect strategic view. From all out

war on the plains of Europe, to assaults against cities with

catapults and war elements, to attacks on fortresses using

siege towers and battering rams, this is really is Total War.

Case study:

Rome: Total War

■

Up to 10,000 soldiers fight it out in the incredible fully-3D

battles of

Rome: Total War

– not all of them survive.

Joint Ops:

Escalation

here some large scale combat games suffer

from sprawling, unfocused multiplayer battles,

the beauty of the original

Joint Operations: Typhoon

Rising

was its ability to keep the action tightly focused

on its massive maps – and the game has rightly been

hailed as a classic. Now comes the very first expansion

pack, building on those excellent foundations with a

whole new South East Asian scenario.

There are 25 new maps in all, each with a radically

different feel and each prompting unique strategies

and playing styles. Battle tanks make their debut, along

with Mobile SAM launchers and even dirt bikes. It’s now

also possible to parachute into hot spots, while a new

third-person view makes vehicle control even more

intuitive. Once again, there’s support for massive battles,

with up to 150 gamers on the battlefield at once.

"The support from NVIDIA during development of

the

Joint Ops

graphics engine has been invaluable to

us,” says Mark Davis, Chief Scientist at Novalogic. “Every

aspect of our rendering pipeline has been optimised,

and

Joint Ops

uses many of the features available on

NVIDIA hardware, and with their robust support of the

programmable pipeline, and the various shader

models, we’ve been able to roll out an engine with

advanced texturing and normal mapping techniques,

and a variety of full-screen post processing effects.”

■

Joint Ops: Escalation

expands

on the original groundbreaking

wargame with 25 new maps.

Publisher:

Novalogic

Developer:

Novalogic

Release:

November

Publisher:

Activision

Developer:

The Creative Assembly

Release:

Out now

ince its inception in 1987,

Final

Fantasy

® has become a legend

in the world of video game role-playing.

Over the years, the format has pushed

ever forwards, widening its appeal

through the use of lavish cinematics and

real-time 3D elements while never

losing its adventuring roots. With

Final

Fantasy XI,

the series ventures into new

territory once again, this time making the

transition to the Internet.

A subscription-based MMORPG,

Final Fantasy

enables gamers to play

alongside one another in the online

world of Vana’diel. Employing the same

epic brand of storytelling that‘s made the

Final Fantasy

series so well loved,

players start off by pledging allegiance to

one of three nations as they set forth to

raise the standing of their homeland and

their online alter ego.

There are more than 100 different

areas in the diverse game world, with

forests, mountain ranges, icy wastes,

desert plains, rivers and oceans all

faithfully recreated, along with castles,

dungeons and other areas ripe for

exploring and questing.

And because this is a persistent

online world it even has its own day and

night cycles, while climate changes can

bring fog, snow and thunderstorms.

“We developed a solid partnership

with NVIDIA during the development of

Final Fantasy XI

,” commented Square

Enix. “The GeForce series has enabled

us to create the world of Vana’diel

successfully on the PC, which allows

us to offer the ultimate

Final Fantasy XI

experience to all our many players.”

Some

Final Fantasy

fans may worry that

the gameplay has been diluted for

online play, but they can rest easy. This

is a true

experience, from the inclusion

of Chocobos, to the use of stately modes

of transport like boats and airships.

And, while the game majors on

combat, there’s also a wide range of

non-battle related skills to pursue,

including alchemy, fishing, and even

leatherworking. And of course there’s

now the ability to form or join parties,

fighting alongside other players, on

quests, mini-adventures and battles

against the more powerful foes. Believe

us, it’s like the ultimate

Final Fantasy

adventure, and then some.

An epic online game world that’s in a league of its own.

FFXI

possesses the exact same visual stylings

and epic brand of storytelling that has made

the

Final Fantasy

series so loved by so many…

The way it’s meant to be played

Final Fantasy XI

■

Final Fantasy XI

gamers can set forth on multiplayer missions that help to build character reputations,

earn useful items and untold riches, and even unlock the secrets of Vana’diel.

Publisher:

Square Enix

Developer:

Square Enix

Release:

Out Now

■

FFXI

has been developed in conjunction with

NVIDIA. The result is a living, breathing gameworld.

➔

the games

Visit NVIDIA online. UK: www.nvidia.co.uk US: www.nvidia.com

➔

Lineage II

n the world of MMORPG,

Lineage

is legendary.

Having sold more than 2.5 million copies, the

original game is officially the most popular MMORPG

ever created. Now the follow-up is set to do the same.

This is actually a prequel to the first title with a

story set in the same kingdom of Aden some 150

years earlier. It’s a far more ambitious online gaming

experience than its predecessor, boasting a dynamic

3D world inhabited by thousands of monsters, beasts

and players in all manner of guises, from human and

elf to orcs and dwarves.

Lineage II

uses a modified

version of the

Unreal

engine – a system that thanks to

collaboration between NVIDIA and its creators at Epic,

can handle highly detailed environments and

character models plus a wide range of special effects

without ever compromising game performance.

It’s a game that’s deceptively easy to get into, yet

blessed with an amazing depth of content. Complex

economic and political systems lie beneath the surface,

while an enhanced character class system brings with

it a wide range of playing styles, skills and special

items. There are also numerous communication tools

to enable gamers to converse as they fight alongside

or even against each other.

Lineage II

even features

siege warfare elements, adding yet another new

dimension to the role-playing genre.

■

Lineage II

adds next generation

graphical appeal to the number one

selling online role-playing franchise.

Publisher:

NCSoft

Developer:

NCSoft

Release:

December

World Of Warcraft

sk any RTS fan to list their all-time favourite

games and you can be sure that

Warcraft

will be

mentioned. Now at last the series is headed online.

World Of Warcraft

takes place in the land of Azeroth,

some four years after the story told in

Warcraft III

. As

the various races and factions begin to rebuild their

shattered and ravaged kingdoms, they soon discover

that the world is once again under threat, with an

ancient evil threatening to engulf everything in chaos

and pain. Azeroth’s fate lies in the actions of heroes of

all races, who must forge fellowships and fight side by

side in order to overcome this new and deadly threat.

The online game world is home to thousands of

players, with fully customisable character classes, a

unique range of

Warcraft

races and creatures.

Thousands of quests and real-time battles also await

in the expansive and highly varied terrain, with new

content added on a regular basis on the online servers.

The development team at Blizzard have worked

closely with NVIDIA to deliver a game with maximum

graphical impact. "NVIDIA GPUs enrich the gaming

experience with faster frame rates and enhanced

visuals," says Blizzard’s Paul Sams. "With a track record

of performance, compatibility and reliability, it's easy to

recommend NVIDIA GPUs for those about to begin

their journey into the

World Of Warcraft

Publisher:

Vivendi Universal Games

Developer:

Blizzard

Release:

Out now

■

Play out your fighting

fantasies in

World Of Warcraft

an online experience supporting

thousands of players at once.

➔

The way it’s meant to be played

What could possibly be better

than a PC equipped with an

NVIDIA-based graphics card?

A PC equipped with two NVIDIA-

based graphics cards.

VIDIA has long been at the

forefront of technology

advancements in the world of PC

graphics processing; its current range of

NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6 Series graphics

processing units (GPUs) offers the most

significant performance breakthroughs

yet. But, of course, it’s

human nature to

crave more power and that goes double

for gamers and PC enthusiasts for

whom the highest possible resolutions,

frame rates, refresh times and detail

levels are of paramount concern. For

these power-hungry users, the

revolutionary new NVIDIA® SLI™

(Scaleable Link Interface) multi-GPU

technology offers the most powerful

graphics solution yet.

With NVIDIA SLI technology it is now

possible to combine two GeForce-based

graphics cards in a single

system, harnessing both high-

powered GPUs. With the graphical

workload dynamically split between two

cards, performance increases of up to 2x

that of a single card can be realised, and

all by expanding upon rather than

replacing the existing installed hardware.

The result is the fastest 3D and 2D

performance available to home PC users

– more than enough power to handle

any gaming or 3D-reliant application

ver wish it was

possible to squeeze

two graphics cards into one

PC, turning it into a graphics

powerhouse? Now you can.

WHAT IS NVIDIA SLI?

■

NVIDIA is a high-

performance technology that

makes it possible to use

two NVIDIA GPUs in a single

PC system

■

NVIDIA SLI intelligently

distributes the workload

between the two GPUs, to

scale both geometry and fill

rate performance

WHAT YOU NEED

■

Two NVIDIA SLI-certified

GeForce 6 Series-based PCI

Express graphics cards

(Cards must be the same

model from the same

vendor). NVIDIA SLI

technology is supported in

the following GeForce 6

Series GPUs: GeForce 6800

Ultra, GeForce 6800 GT, and

GeForce 6600 GT.

■

An NVIDIA SLI-certified

motherboard with two

physical connectors that are

capable of having two

NVIDIA SLI-certified PCI

Express graphics cards

plugged into them.

■

The NVIDIA SLI connector.

■

The latest NVIDIA

ForceWare

™

unified graphics

driver with NVIDIA SLI

support.

WHAT IT DELIVERS

■

Raw graphic performance

is boosted by up to 2x the

performance of a single card.

■

Games and applications

can be run at higher

resolutions than ever before

■

Advanced compositing,

rendering and scanout

technologies ensure

uncompromised image

quality.

■

Patent-pending load

balancing and rendering

algorithms intelligently and

dynamically split the

workload to maximise dual

GPU power.

NVIDIA SLI EXPLAINED

Meet the Ultimate

Performance Boost for

NVIDIA owners…

■

NVIDIA SLI makes use of NVIDIA

SLI-certified motherboards that

are capable of having two NVIDIA

SLI-certified PCI Express graphics

cards plugged into them. Joined

by the NVIDIA SLI connector, the

two graphics cards are able to

power one monitor. It’s an

intelligent hardware and software

solution capable of delivering

earth-shattering PC performance.

Turbocharge Your Graphics

With NVIDIA SLI

The culture

➔

Visit NVIDIA online. UK: www.nvidia.co.uk US: www.nvidia.com

currently on the market, or likely to be

released for some time to come.

The idea of using graphics

processing units in ‘parallel’ is nothing

new. Back in 1993, such solutions

helped make Silicon Graphics’ range of

computers a must for high end visual

work. At the time, such technology could

cost anywhere between a quarter of a

million dollars to a cool million. Then in

1998 came the advent of parallel

graphics for home computer users, with

the Voodoo SLI™ solution from 3dfx.

Enabling users to increase their power

by strapping an extra graphics card

alongside their existing one, it provided a

tantalising glimpse of things to come.

POWER POINT

Fast-forward to 2004 and the idea has

finally come of age. Brushing aside the

architectural and performance limitations

that have previously hindered the

advancement of dual-card solutions,

NVIDIA SLI multi-GPU technology

ushers in a new age of graphics

processing power. While previous multi-

GPU solutions were constrained by

reduced image quality, NVIDIA SLI

completely eliminates this problem,

whether the display is output via an

analogue or digital connection. Best of

all, with NVIDIA’s SLI making maximum

use of PCI Express, innovative inter-GPU

communication protocol, and dynamic

load balancing algorithms, the net result

is a massive speed gain.

Support for NVIDIA SLI technology

can be found in the GeForce 6800

Ultra, the GeForce 6800 GT. Armed with

any one of these cards and a

motherboard offering two PCI Express

buses, it’s then possible to add in a

second, identically specified card from

the same manufacturer, to obtain an

instant performance boost. And because

support for NVIDIA SLI is built right into

the latest update of highly acclaimed

NVIDIA’s ForceWare Unified Driver

Architecture (UDA), there isn’t even any

need for special drivers.

The additional bandwidth of PCI

Express is integral to the NVIDIA SLI

experience. In the past, the connection

between the GPU and the PC’s

input/output created a bottleneck. With

PCI Express offering some 60 times the

bandwidth of the old PCI system, that

bottleneck is finally removed, enabling

not one, but two NVIDIA GPUs to work

at peak performance. Additionally, an

internal bridge provides ‘invisible’

communication between the two cards,

enabling them to communicate quickly

and easily with one another, and without

any of the overheads usually associated

with a bus-only implementation.

The final piece of the puzzle is a set

of software so advanced that patents are

already pending. This software

dynamically splits the multi-rendering

load between the GPUs, adjusting the

split based on what is being displayed at

any moment, and so taking advantage

of the two-card SLI configuration.

Facilitating higher frame rates, more

polygons on screen, more complex

shaders and lighting effects, and best

ever visual quality, NVIDIA SLI is a whole

new way to view the big picture.

NVIDIA SLI facilitates higher frame rates, more

polygons on screen, more complex lighting

effects and all-round best ever visual quality

NVIDIA SLI will initially be available

from PC manufacturers through

certified systems. For those looking

to upgrade, retail versions of

NVIDIA SLI-bundled graphics

boards will follow later this year.

Below is a list of just some of the

NVIDIA partners set to offer SLI-

certified products.

Alienware

www.alienware.com

ASUS Computer

International

www.asus.com

Boxx Technologies

www.boxxtech.com

Gainward

www.gainward.com

Leadtek Research, Inc

www.leadtek.com

Point Of View

www.pointofview-

online.com

Scan Computers Intl Ltd

www.scan.co.uk

HOW TO DOUBLE

YOUR GRAPHICS

MUSCLE

■

While early multi-GPU solutions (such as

the one once offered by 3dfx) were only able

to use two graphics cards to scale texture fill

rate, NVIDIA SLI technology fully scales

geometry performance. What’s more it uses a

fully digital frame-combining method to

ensure maximum image quality.

■

NVIDIA SLI fully exploits the bandwidth available through PCI

Express bus architecture for maximum system performance.

Look for ‘NVIDIA ®: The

way it's meant to be

played ™ (TWIMTBP)’

seal on games and hard-

ware that deliver an awe-

some gaming experience.

Equip yourself with an

NVIDIA GPU so you can

play your game the way it’s

meant to be played. The

power, compatability and

reliability of NVIDIA GPUs

make them the

overwhelming choice of

game developers, which is

why today’s hottest games

are developed on NVIDIA,

to be played on NVIDIA.

NVIDIA Gaming Magazine

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