Who said what? We heard that Rob Taylor, NVIDIA's vice president in charge of content relations, let loose some brash words that would cleave a PC gamer's heart in two. Well, at least we think it would have, if we already didn't consider the idea that game developers need to make money, too. We know that NVIDIA is one of the major players of the PC Gaming Alliance, so why drive the knife to the hilt? Read more to find out what point the rather outspoken VP is trying to drive at.

If you've already seen hints of EA's long awaited Red Alert sequel on the cover of PC Gamer magazine, then you'll be glad to know that we were able to scrounge up more details of what's to come in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3. A lot of interesting new features were revealed, as well as a new time travelling hi-jinx plot in the upcoming game. If you're a staunch believer of Mother Russia, you won't pass up the chance to read more about it in the full article.

The results are in: chosen as this year's Ultimate Game of the Year in the Annual Golden Joystick Awards is (dun dun dun) Gears of War! Gears of War also won the All-Nighter Award, Editor's Choice Award and is the Xbox Game of the Year.

Other winners of the 25th Annual Golden Joystick Awards are the Nintendo Wii, which won Innovation of the Year, World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade as the Online Game of the Year, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess as the Nintendo Game of the Year, and God of War II as the PlayStation Game of the Year.

Here are the other winners of the Golden Joystick Awards:

• Girls' Choice Game of the Year 2007: Guitar Hero II
• Family Game of the Year 2007: Wii Sports
• Handheld Game of the Year 2007: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
• Mobile Game of the Year 2007: Final Fantasy
• Soundtrack of the Year 2007: Guitar Hero II
• Developer of the Year 2007: Codemasters
• The Total Film One to Watch 2007: Assassin's Creed
• Retailer of the Year 2007: Game
• Publisher of the Year 2007: Nintendo
• PC Game of the Year 2007: The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar

Here's to another year of great games!

Back in the day, abundant bloom was the coolest thing in the block. Now that developers have access to more powerful hardware, some gamers will call them lazy if a next-gen title doesn't have parallax mapping, high resolution rendering, and all that. Free Radical co-founder Dave Doak, however, would rather be creative than make generic eye-candy.

"A typical next-gen look has often got all the next-gen stuff like specular highlights and normal mapping turned up to the max... But if it's not turned up to 11, people think it's not next-gen enough," he said in a recent interview with PC Gamer in its issue # 180. Yet, the TimeSplitters series took a more cartoony approach over super-realistic graphics, and Doak seems to favor that style.

Even with powerful tools around, it looks like TimeSplitters will stay true to its roots. After giving Valve's Team Fortress 2 props for standing out, noting how developers are starting to ponder if they really have to do realistic rendering or go for a distinct look, he said:

TimeSplitters has always had that [distinct look] and it's something we want to go back and look at again, specifically taking that cartoon look and doing it with the interesting rendering you can do now [with next-gen].

We haven't heard much about TimeSplitters 4, but if Doak's words hold true, then we're getting more of the quirky first-person shooter that offered hours of fun. Who cares about complex physics engines and extremely detailed character models? Give us rocket launcher-wielding monkeys and we're sold.

 

While attention is fixed at grav-gun intensity towards the Orange Box's upcoming release this October 10, details are beginning to emerge for Half-Life 2's (PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) probable finale, Episode Three. Keep in mind that this is a possible plot spoiler - move along if you think it might ruin your game.

According to the info snippet posted for PC Gamer's November article, Episode Two's ending will have Gordon and Alyx receiving a video recording from a Dr. Mossman regarding the discovery of the mystery cargo ship, Borealis. The ship supposedly contains technology developed by Aperture Science, a rival of Black Messa, which could prove dangerous if captured by the Combine. The magazine further hints that Episode Three may take place onboard the Borealis, where your job as Gordon is to ensure that the Combine never get their hands on this said technology.

We're not sure of the validity of this data at this point, though you guys may want to keep it in mind when you get your copy of the Orange Box come launch day. We'll let you know if we pick any further information backing up this possibility for Episode Three.

Despite hitting some snags in the form of Sega, SCEA, Capcom, and Microsoft backouts, it appears E for All is gaining steam after getting big boosts from dozens of other movers in the gaming industry who have confirmed participation. To prove that E for All is going smoothly as planned, IDG World Expo is now announcing that Future US, Inc. will be publishing the official show magazine for the said event.

This is big news especially for those who are familiar in the ins and outs of attending conventions like this. Why? Event magazines not only provide attendees with a good source of show floor guide, exhibitor and product information, special features and interviews, it's also a great souvenir - it goes right beside event press IDs and pictures with booth babes. Anyway, IDG World Expo CEO Mary Dolaher expressed the same enthusiasm after saying:

We're thrilled to team up with Future to create "E for All Magazine," the event’s official show publication. Given Future’s experience producing publications such as Official Xbox Magazine, PSM: Independent PlayStation Magazine, PC Gamer, Maximum PC and Next Gen, we’re greatly anticipating the creation of a top-notch magazine and commemorative keepsake for this inaugural event.

The magazine will be a 64-page collector's edition in support of the inaugural E for All. Contents will include feature stories, game reviews, product highlights, a full expo schedule, floor plan and exclusive features, interviews with acclaimed game developers, and a user-generated car art from Forza 2. E for All magazine will also carry a commemorative cover to give spice to the said event which will take place October 18-21 at the Los Angeles Convention Center - told you it's a keeper.

While the 3D portrait recently released by Infinity Ward for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PS3, 360, PC) was interesting enough, we know you are getting more curious and excited about developments for the video game itself. The latest issue of PC Gamer Magazine just happens to have exactly what you want.

In a recent interview with PC Gamer, Infinity Ward President Grant Collier dished out the difference between the multiplayer and single player modes of Modern Warfare. Collier noted that there's one mission in the latter that will require players to be a gunner in a Cobra assault helicopter and inflict some serious damage on the enemy below them, but vehicles will not appear in multiplayer mode.

Collier mentioned that it was Infinity Ward's intention to focus on infantry combat during multiplayer battles so no vehicles will be available for that mode. He explained, "We want to keep the maps small, so there will be always intense action. If we made maps bigger so they could include vehicles, they'd become less interesting for infantry combat, and that's what we want to focus on."

Well, we have to say that the reasoning behind that is quite logical and it wouldn't be as much fun if multiplayer battles can be concluded by weapon-laden vehicles. The same interview also included a look at some of the game's features. The following are quoted from the aforementioned magazine:

• In multiplayer, you get experience points for your persistent character stats. A kill gets you 2 points, a head shot gets you 3 and an assist (wound them but someone else kills them) 1. You'll unlock new ranks, skins for your character and new weapons. The system is implemented so they can add additional unlocks that come with patches.
• In both single and multiplayer, there are hard points. Points on the map that give you a specific advantage over the enemy. An example that was given: A radio that calls in an air strike, capture it and a helicopter will appear and attack the enemy with its rockets and machine guns. After the attack the hard point goes neutral again.
• A new game type, Realism-Mode. Grant Collier says the mod community had implemented this into the previous titles and now they'll add one themselves. In this realism mode you die from one shot.

 

It appears that Valve has jumped the gun and set to work on Half-Life 2 Episode Three at the end stages of Episode Two (for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3), following a check up by EuroGamer on Valve Software. Apparently Doug Lombardi, marketing director, mentioned that they were on the pre-production stages for Episode Three.

"Pre-production is definitely going, and it'll be ramping up rather quickly now that they're ramping down on Episode Two," Lombardi told EuroGamer. But before someone yells out "Finish Episode Two first, Valve!" at the top of their lungs, Lombardi added that pre-production is currently in the hands of a "skeleton" production crew.

Valve estimates an October release for Episode Two, although they alternate their time and focus on both episodes. If you've followed PC Gamer UK's speculations of an Artic end-game for Episode Three, Valve will neither confirm or deny the rumors, says the report.

But for certain, Valve reassures that fans won't be heading back to City 17 soon. "I don't think you'll head back to City 17, for sure. Not in Episode Three, anyway," Lombardi said.

As director of product management at Havok, Jeff Yates explained the intricate details of the Havok physics simulation tool that they delivered to titles such as Half-Life 2, Dead Rising, and MotorStorm, including the insight of how the gears turn for the technical side of the game industry.

 

For two and a half years, Havok has been developing software development kits for use in physics engine and animation development in games. With the official launching of the SDK back in mid-2004, they've had seen a lot of progress with their animation and physics features as the years rolled by.

So it wouldn't be surprising that in an exclusive interview with game dev's haven Gamasutra, Yates got a little bit technical about next-gen console technology and competition against PhysX">AGEIA's PhysX hardware physics accelerator for the titan PC.

Havok, as you must know, delivers software solutions to physics simulation, which is something that next-gen consoles require as of this moment. Many other game developers license the use of the physics SDK to simulate real in-game physics in the most complex and hardware hungry of titles (Half-Life 2 for example).

Software physics is handled by the CPU and its cores, although new solutions have GPUs taking the processing load off the CPU. Havok delivers their physics engine solutions as customers require of them, often catering to the different hardware slapped into the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. After all, they've built their solutions with cross-platform features and consoles in mind.

Click on Full Article to read more on Jeff Yates opinions on next-gen console tech and development, plus PhysX on PCs.

 

In pursuit of expanding global sales and expanding band with to support multiple game formats, Mastertronic acquires Redback Sales, a specialist sales agency. Mastertronic Group's MD, Andy Payne, said about the acquisition of Redback that,

we're very pleased to add an established and successful sales agency to our portfolio. We already have a mix of products and services and a reputation forged on the principle that our customers come first. This move will be the foundation stone upon which we will expand ours and our customers' sales further overseas and also allow us the bandwidth to support multiple formats.

Redback focuses on worldwide sales, licensing and distribution agreements. James Cato, who has worked for Eidos Interactive and GT interactive prior to establishing Redback, will now head up the sales team as Group Sales Director. Andy Hoskin will join him in the sales team as Key Account Manager.

Mastertronic's new sales team will be responsible for sales of all of the games publishing labels namely Sold Out, PC Gamer Presents, MAD, Just Flight and Blast! Entertainment Ltd. James Cato further comments that he is looking forward to leading the sales team, and that "Mastertronic have impressed me with their strategic plans and it was an offer I simply could not refuse."