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All quiet on the gaming front

© Sean Weiser

The past couple of weeks haven¹t featured much news. I¹ve even had to reach way back to April to find any events newsworthy enough. So, here¹s the short, but sweet, list of important events that have occurred in the gaming industry.

MicroProse announced two new games/add-ons based on the ³Mech² license will be released this year. The ³big robots that blow stuff up² franchise will continue with: Mech Commander Compilation, in stores sometime in November; and the official MechWarrior 3 expansion set, hopefully out in time for the holidaysŠ

There¹s a chance a new product from Intel will revolutionize the multi-player platform. They released a line of AnyPoint Home Network products. This piece of hardware, designed for the less techno-literate person, allows up to 5 PCs to be plugged into phone jacks in your house without interrupting regular phone calls. These computers would then be able to communicate with each other at the speed of a standard 1mpbs network. This method is less expensive than any other on the marketplace that allows speeds this great. Imagine no lag in your multi-player games, plus being able to share files and connect to the Internet through just one computer. This product sounds promisingŠ

Fans of South Park, either from television or the PC, will be glad to know Acclaim has announced that they¹ve begun development on a new South Park game: Chef's Luv Shack. The game will pit up to four players, each represented by a character from the South Park world, in a series of trivia and mini-gamesŠ

Not only was Star Wars: The Phantom Menace knocked from the top of the box office, but also from the top of the best-selling computer game list. In the week ending June 12, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was replaced by MechWarrior III in the number one spot. But don¹t feel sorry for LucasArts; both number two and three spots are held by their Star Wars games ­ The Phantom Menace and RacerŠ

Old news that never was reported: In April author Michael Crichton entered the computer game industry. His company, Timeline Studios, will develop 3D games that feature more interaction on the part of the gamer. Crichton is the author of many bestsellers, including Jurassic Park, plus is creator of the top rated show on television in the United States, ER. His entrance in the gaming industry follows that of another best-selling author, Tom ClancyŠ

Two weeks from now, the Computer Gaming News column will hold its first contest. Look for more details to follow.

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