News are coming fast and furious from the front lines of the upcoming Terminator Salvation video game for the PC, Sony Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360. This week sees the release of new footage of the new “Aerial Attacks” gameplay segment of the game:

Also accompanying the new video, are new screenshots:

Terminator Salvation will be released for all three platforms on the 19th of May.

I’m actually typing this post on my least favourite browser, Internet Explorer, in its latest iteration, IE 8. I wouldn’t be using this browser by choice, but since it comes with Windows 7, I might as well give it a spin, or two.

I just finish installing Windows 7 onto my home PC. The specs are that of an average home PC which has seen better days (Athlon 64 XP 3000, 1.5 GB RAM, 256 MB ATI 1600 Pro video card) and i opted fr a clean install onto a 40 GB single partition hard drive.

The installation process was really fast, faster than that of Windows Vista, and is warp speed compared to th 1/4 impulse power during Windows XP’s installation process (regarding the Star Trek analogy, someone better take me to watch the new one, quick!).

The only hiccup that I encountered during installation was the drive  selection. I wanted to delete two partitions to combine into one, but the installer prevented me from doing so. I ended up deleting all the partitions in the drive to create a single partition. Meh.

But like I said, the installation process was fast and it didn’t take long for me to be staring at the Desktop. While it does look like Vista, the desktop and its new icon based bar at the bottom looks as though it got ripped of Ubuntu or something.

Linux comparisons aside, Vista users should feel right at home here. Even the annoying UAC warnings are still around. The Operating System didn’t detect my soundcard at first along with my USB WiFi Adapter. While Windows 7 accepted XP drivers for the motherboard and integrated soundcard, I had to download Vista drivers for my WiFi adapter.

I tried installing Colin McRae 2005 but the installer didn’t budge beyond the splash screen, even after fiddling with the compatibility troubleshooter. Fed up, I then managed to successfully install something more contemporary, Red Alert 3. The game ran  rather smoothly, better than when it was on Vista.

The new version of Paint is almost unrecognisable, with plenty of features that makes the current one look severely anemic. On the other hand, IE 8, is still pretty crappy. It doesn’t even render this page properly. Dang.

Although my main method of testing is a little unorthodox, I find Windows 7 pretty interesting. Next would be to load the OS with the whole shebang (Office 2007, Photoshop and an entire gamut of games). Until then, stay tuned.

What do you call casual gamers who are really good at the games that they play? My girlfriend is really good at PopCap’s Freeding Frenzy 2 and spent pretty much all night blazing through more than half of the 60 levels available in the game.

I wouldn’t hesitate to call that hardcore. I mean, you’ll require the same amount of concentration, patience and ultimately skillz, not unlike a typical gamer stereotype, to get that kind of achievement.

I see the same thing with some friends of mine who are into Window’s Minesweeper game. They want to mark the positions of all the mines but are obsessed with doing it in the shortest time possible. It’s not uncommon to see them trying to lower their times and have practice runs as well.

The only difference I can see though is that while the typical “hardcore” gamer would be reveling in competition with other fellow gamers, casual gamers going down the hardcore route do it more for the self-satisfaction.

This however might chance if more casual games adopt more community like features like online score boards and multiplayer modes, but hey, with casual being the new hardcore, it does make me feel a little old .

Long before Bethesda made the Fallout 3 we know and love today, the now defunct Black Isle Studio (part of Interplay) was hard at work developing the sequel to Fallout 2 and it was codenamed Van Buren.

This original “Fallout 3″ was set in Utah and Colorado, unlike the current one which is in Washington D.C. Featuring a 3D engine presented in an isometric view, the game was unfortunately cancelled about 3/4 way through development in 2003.

There’s a tech demo out there for this game, and I’ve downloaded and played it. Interestingly, it felt like a rough 3D isometric version of Bethesda’s Fallout 3.

Check out the following screenshots I took from the game:

If you have not been drinking the same Kool-Aid as Will Wright and as a consequence, have not jumped on the Spore bandwagon, perhaps this might sway you. Spore Galactic Edition comes with a whole host of exclusive merchandise,among which, two books and 2 DVD extras. But the best part would be that it is on sale now, going for a discounted price of USD 39.90!

The complete list of extras are as follows:

1. Exclusive Spore poster
2. “The Art of Spore”: A 128 page hardback book featuring Spore artwork and stories from Maxis’ artistes.
3. “How to Build a Better Being” DVD. A 50-minute evolution documentary by the National Geographic Channel featuring Will Wright and Spore.
4. “The Making of Spore” DVD. An exclusive behind the scenes documentary on the making of Spore.
5. Exclusive 100-page Galactic Handbook
6. Comes in a collectible ‘Spore Glyphics’ hard plastic box.

Interested? Click here for details!

Yup. That’s right. The end is here for Flight Simulator, at least the series didn’t go crashing through an airport with the last iteration, Flight Simulator X. I heard it was really good.

Read all about it: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7902468.stm?lss

Space, the final frontier, and the Gloptians want you out of their inner system, otherwise you’ll be fired upon by their star cruiser. As the captain of your own starship, you just spent precious fuel and days getting to this star system in the first place. Do you a. leave or b. fight?

I didn’t think that Picard had fuel and a mission timer to worry about on the Enterprise, but here in Space Exploration, the latest PC game from indie developer Metal Beetle Ltd, those are two of the many other factors you have to consider on your mission to the stars.

Space…Again

The premise of the game is pretty simple with the backstory being straightforward about it. Your mission is to chart a wide area of space with various star systems in 200 days with a “sometimes” replenishable store of fuel.

As you probably can guess,  the game is turn-based and plays a bit like Star Control. Travelling from one star system to another takes up fuel and days. Upon arrival, a random scenario will trigger and it’s up to you to choose from the list of response options. This includes bumping into the odd (and hostile) Gloptian star cruiser, digging up artifacts from a planet’s surface, dealing with pirates, escort missions and many more.

It’s all about loot and getting back in time and in one piece

Some of these scenarios will award you with cargo, equipment and precious fuel, while some might leave your ship and crew in a worse state than it already is. The game has some interesting touches, whereby you can trade some of your cargo for other stuff, but these are about as random as the star system encounters.

Your score is calculated based on your success rate and the number of systems explored, but getting your ship blown up, or not reaching the starting point in 200 days will get you a negative score.

The Bottom Line

The game’s graphics are functional if not basic; one thing though, the game seems to run on a weird window size, but I guess it’s due to it being a “pre-alpha” built of the game. If you have the time, and turn-based Star Control type of games are your cup of tea, do check out Space Exploration. It’s a good pick-me-up and play for short bursts kind of game (there’s no save feature anyway).

Pros: Easy, straightforward gameplay, the kind that is hard to master though.
Cons: It’s set in space…again, like many other games before this. Scenarios tend to repeat themselves too often in between games.

You can download Space Exploration here.

Remember that Alicia Silverstone movie Clueless? You do? Good! Now picture the movie as a video game instead. Baffled? Now, I’m sure you would remember Lindsay Lohan’s Mean Girls (that was the movie that got every red-blooded male noticing her). Now, picture that as a movie as well. Heh. I wouldn’t be surprised if you are feeling as baffled about it as with Clueless.

No matter, let the good people at Paramount Digital Entertainment and Legacy Interactive tell you what they are up to these IPs when it comes to creating video games:

PARAMOUNT DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT AND LEGACY INTERACTIVE TEAM UP TO DEVELOP VIDEOGAMES BASED ON PARAMOUNT PICTURES’ FILMS

LOS ANGELES—July 22, 2008—Paramount Digital Entertainment and Legacy Interactive, announced today that they are developing titles based on the popular Paramount Pictures’ films, Clueless, Mean Girls and Pretty in Pink.

In Clueless: The Game, the player takes on the part of Cher trying to find the perfect boyfriends for all her pals.  Players will need to figure out what kind of guy their friends want by noticing what clothes these potential suitors wear and what sort of interests they have.  Once Cher knows what they want, she will have to pick out the right elements to make the perfect man for them.  Players will have to be quick!  Love waits for no one!

Mean Girls: High School Showdown, allows players to take on the role of a student trying to restore balance to the many cliques in their high school and to end the reign of the terrible “Plastic clique,” the prettiest girls and the meanest of the mean.  To do this, players will need to unite the cliques by using a few tricks of their own.  Players can choose to take the high road by using kind words and revealing important truths at the right time, or use the Plastic’s own evil tricks against them, by using rumors, pranks and put downs.  A mix of both might go a long way, too!

The classic 80’s hit movie, Pretty in Pink, is known as a movie that defined a generation, and now players will have the chance to relive the story in an all-new entertaining game format.  Through a series of beautifully rendered scenes, players will need to solve a variety of fun and challenging visual puzzles in order to experience the memorable story about love, friendship, the clash of social cliques and how to rise above them.  Andie, Duckie, Blane, and the rest of the unforgettable characters from both “the wrong side of the tracks” and not, return to play out the romantic fairytale love story, but this time with a dramatic difference…their fate will be put in the hands of the player.

“Paramount is focused on creating quality interactive entertainment based on evergreen motion pictures. With these games, we will not only reach the core casual games audience, but engage new audiences with our properties,” said Sandi Isaacs, Senior Vice President, Interactive & Mobile, Paramount Digital Entertainment.  “We are confident that our collaboration with Legacy Interactive will be a great success.”

“Legacy Interactive’s vision for these fan favorite films is one that seamlessly takes each story into the gaming world,” said Ariella Lehrer, President and CEO of Legacy Interactive.  “Our goal in collaborating with Paramount Digital Entertainment is to create games that longtime fans of the films will appreciate, but also games that challenge and entertain the casual gamer.”

About Paramount Digital Entertainment
Paramount Digital Entertainment (PDE) is a division of Paramount Pictures Corporation. PDE develops and distributes filmed entertainment across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices, videogames, virtual worlds and emerging technologies.

Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands.  The company’s labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, DreamWorks, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies.  PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group, and Worldwide Television Distribution.

About Legacy Interactive
Legacy Interactive (www.legacyinteractive.com) is a leading developer and publisher of casual games. Entertaining customers since 1998, the company has built a reputation for creating intelligent, realistic and engaging games for a broad audience. Located in Los Angeles, Legacy is known for its TV-branded games, such as Law & Order, as well as for its popular simulation games Pet Pals: Animal Doctor, Emergency Room and Zoo Vet.

In 2008, Legacy added movie titles to its growing game roster, including the upcoming animated children’s film Igor. Through Legacy’s popular game network at www.legacygames.com, customers can download and try more than 500 casual games plus read and write reviews and share play lists of their favorite games. Legacy’s games are distributed worldwide, in more than 12 languages, through its partners Ubisoft, Mindscape, 505 Games, and JoWood.

Check out the following screenshots from Clueless: The Game:

It seems like so many games are going for a song these days. Now if only the USD -> Malaysian Ringgit wasn’t so high in the first place..

Anyways, PC shmup Söldner-X: Himmelsstürmer [Limited Edition] is going on sale at a super low price (even for a standard edition, and this is a LE we are talking about) of USD 9.99. Now, what do you get for this price? You get the game, limited edition slip case, original soundtrack, hardcover reference book, manual and online key for high score uploads.

Now, that’s a whole lot of stuff, for, I repeat, USD 9.99. Go get it now, click here for purchase details.

While Bethesda has expressed lessons learnt from the whole Fallout 3 end-game debacle, (link:here) and that there are expansion packs coming the way of the Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game to alleviate this problem, there’s still no news on whether the PS3 version will be seeing the same expansion packs.

Come on Bethesda….some PS3 loving please?

On another note, Gametap’s brilliant sounding service is not available outside the U.S and Canada. So no unlimited play for pennies for me. On the other hand I still can buy and download the Fallout Trilogy (Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics) for a one time payment of USD 14.99. Hmm hmm. Sounds like a good idea.