News:  October 9-15, 2000

Sunday, October 15, 2000

Hard Truck 2 Review - Mark @ 21:12 EST

PCIGN has posted a review of Hard Truck 2. This game has received average to poor reviews and sound impressions have also been mixed. This one is on the average side with an overall 6.2/10 and 6/10 for sound along with the following comment:

Sadly, engine roar's the primary noisemaker, although a hip selection of hard rock tracks echoes from the radio.

The Blair Witch Project: Rustin Parr Review - Mark @ 21:06 EST

Riva3D has posted a review of The Blair Witch Project: Rustin Parr. They think it's a very good game and that includes sound. Here's a snip:

The overall sound quality in Rustin Parr is excellent. The environmental sounds, situational music, and dialogue combine seamlessly with the graphics to heighten the tension, enhance the mood, and most of all notch up the fear factor. Make no bones about it (no pun intended), Just listening to this game will give you the creeps.

Heavy Metal F.A.K.K. 2 Review - Mark @ 19:39 EST

Game Raiders has posted a review of Heavy Metal F.A.K.K. 2. They think its a good game worthy of 88/100 overall. When it comes to sound they rate it a 90/100 and offer the following:

Sounds are excellent. From the name, I thought the whole game would be riddled with Heavy Metal music---not the case. Introduction and background music is understated and not annoying. Ambient sounds are totally realistic. The cinematic characters are pretty good actors---even though I think cut scenes are a waste.

Combat Flight Sim 2 Reviews - Mark @ 19:21 EST

GameSpy has posted a review of Combat Flight Sim 2 which includes word that the game has support for 3D audio. No further detail on sound quality in the review but they think its a very good overall game. PCIGN has also reviewed the game and also think its quite good. They have a bit more detail on sound noting that it has excellent engine noise and radio chatter but that the weapon sounds could be a bit stronger.
News Source: Blue's News

Montego II Quadzilla Driver Update - Mark @ 16:37 EST

If you have a Voyetra Turtle Beach Montego II Quadzilla and if, and only if, you are running it on a motherboard based on the i815 & i815E Chipsets then you can get a 2046t driver update from Turtle Beach. Thanks to Unipolarboy for the pointer.
News Source: Our Forum

Abit SP-50 Speaker System Review - Mark @ 11:47 EST

Firing Squad has posted a review of the Abit SP-50 Speaker System, a system which I have been using off and on for the past few weeks in preparation for our own review. A couple of minor comments on the review of this system which is priced at $229 including a new Fortemedia FM801 5.1 sound card (Dolby Digtal decoding via the bundled WinDVD 2000 2.2 multichannel version). First, as of the last time I was in contact with Abit, they were not going to use the Emodulator name used in the Firing Squad review. However, it's possible that they have settled on that name after all. Another minor comment is I am not sure how Firing Squad added up the watts RMS but it adds up to 85 watts RMS and not the quoted 45 watts when I look at the 5 channel + subwoofer specifications. It's also worth noting that in 5 channel mode there is no crossover in the speaker system from the satellites to the subwoofer. The quoted specications for the satellites are simply the rated frequency response. Bass management in 5.1 mode is handled completely by the FM801 card that is part of the package. It's worth noting that the new Sound Blaster 5.1 cards work very well with the Abit SP-50 speaker system if you want to mix and match. Overall quite a positive review of the system that results in an 87/100. One thing I did not see mentioned in the review is Abit is also offering some very nice metal speaker stands (two designs) for sale to go with the system. In my view, the SP-50's main weakness is music as you either get compromised imaging with the larger center channel supplementing the front satellites midrange or you get compromised midrange if you take the center channel out of the mix and depend on 2" satellite drivers for the midrange reproduction. I plan to post my early impressions of the SP-50 sometime this week but can say that I also have overall quite positive impressions of the system amd, for the record, I like the look of the subwoofer.

Saturday, October 14, 2000

Rainbow Six: Covert Ops Essentials Review - Mark @ 11:56 EST

Avault has posted a review of Rainbow Six: Covert Ops Essentials. This is a stand alone extension which combines a disk of reference materials and a disk with new training missions. Based on what I have read elsewhere the training missions use the Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear engine which makes good use of DS3D with EAX 2.0. The Avault review complains that the sound effects are mostly reused from RB6: Rouge Spear. Given that they seem to have done a good job in the first place I am not sure why that's a bad thing. In the end they conclude that this offering is a good reference for those wanting to learn more about counter-terrorist practices but in terms of game play is rather lacking. For details on why they feel this way check out the full review.

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn Review - Mark @ 11:45 EST

Happy Puppy has posted a review of Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. They think it's a great game and just love the sound awarding it a perfect 10/10 to go with the following comment:

BG2's sound is magnificent. The voice acting is top-notch, and this is one of the few PC games that will sell its soundtrack separately--something that is far more common in the console market.

DMX Xfire review - Mikael @ 07:36 EST

Game-Revolution has posted a short and very positive review of Terratec's new DMX Xfire. It has nothing common with the original DMX except the name and that both uses the Sensaura 3D sound and reverb engine. The one in DMX should be of a much later date than the one shipping with the original DMX though. One thing worth noting is that the A3D 2.0 support mentioned in the game is just through use of the A2D files and doesn't offer all the features of A3D 2.0, based on my experience with the Sonic Fury/Santa Cruz in Quake3 I think it works rather poorly, a bit better than the Live though. The mentioned MultiDrive, MacroFX and EnvironmentFX features are the same as you find in other recently new Sensaura based soundcards like the Sonic Fury/Santa Cruz and with the next driver upgrade hopefully Maxi Sound MUSE.
News Source: Blue's News

Midtown Madness 2 review - Mikael @ 07:27 EST

Gamepen has posted a quite negative review of Midtown Madness 2 saying nothing has changed since the original and that the NFS series offers much better gameplay. Here's the negative bit on the sound effects:

Sound is marginally better. People screaming, screeching tires, and the throaty engine roar (which really sounds good if you have a bass amp) feel real. However, the announcers are universally annoying, whether it's a surfer "dude" or some prissy Margaret Dumont wannabe, who will invariably make you wish they could be a pedestrian to run over.

New Aliens Vs. Predator Gold Levels - Mikael @ 05:27 EST

Fox Interactive has released 2 new levels (multiplayer only) for Aliens vs. Predator Gold. You can download the new levels (5.5MB) from AvPnews. If you missed the first two release AvPnews offers a "combo pack"(15MB) that includes all 6 levels.

Friday, October 13, 2000

S4 MidiLand 3050M Announced - Mark @ 23:34 EST

MidiLand has announced the latest edition to it's S4 speaker lineup. The new S4 MidiLand 3050M is a 50-watt 3-piece, 2.1 multi-channel system consisting of a 6.5" subwoofer, and two 10-watt, 2.5" satellite speakers that offer convenient mounting options. The unit also features a new color and stereo expansion capability and carries an estimated street price of $69.95 (MSRP $99.95). The release also notes that this past May, the S4 MidiLand 3050M was chosen by Disney Interactive® to be partnered with their new multimedia games. As a result, the S4 Midiland 3050M was showcased playing the sound for Disney Interactive® multimedia games at the E3 electronic convention. For more details you can check out the full press release.

SWAT 3: Elite Edition Upgrade - Mark @ 23:06 EST

This is the patch for SWAT 3 that brings you up to gone gold Elite Edition multiplayer capabilities. The game is supposed to support 3D sound and you can grab the 55 MB patch from 3Dfiles.

Quake III Arena Beta Patch (1.25y) - Mark @ 23:01 EST

Not quite sure why we keep mentioning this game since it's apparent that no one at ID cares enough to try and fix the A3D 2.0 support that has been broken for Vortex 2 cards ever since the game was patched (it sort of works for other cards using the A2D driver that Aureal released). Anyway, ID has released a new patch for Q3A with a number of fixes (I am simply assuming an A3D 2.0 fix is not one of them so if you find out the patch changes that please let me know). You can grab the 17.5 MB patch from 3Dfiles.

Superbike 2001 Reviews - Mark @ 22:48 EST

Two reviews of EA's Superbike 20001 and one for you: For up is a review from Telefragged. When it comes to sound they had the following to offer:

Sound is handled pretty well with each bike sounding different enough. The Ducati has an animal roar featuring pops and crackles. The Honda is a more refinded beast, with a wine that sounds like a jet engine starting up. The commentary is provided by Aussie Leigh Diffey. It's not at all obtrusive and is used sparingly. For those with 3D sound hardware there's a good variety of sound effect. The sounds of a large professional racing event are captured accurately.

Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed Review - Mark @ 22:41 EST

Barry's World has posted a review of Need For Speed: Porsche Unleashed. They call it Porsche 2000 for some reason through out the review, but according to the official NFS site there is no such game. Anyway, it's a nicely written review worth checking out. When it comes to sound they had the following to offer:

Ever wondered what a Porsche sounds like up close? EA have managed to package all the various sounds that make up the sound of a racing car and include them into the game, along with a music sound track that while it can be turned off, is not distracting and in many places is quite suitable. Positional audio is also in place, even for those soundcards that don't support it, with sounds appearing to bounce off walls as you scream through tunnels, and the relative position and volume of the sound changing depending on which viewpoint you use. In car, the sound is all around you, in third person, the sound is most definitely in front of you. Effects are appropriate, and you can hear cars coming up behind you if you don't have your rear-view mirror switched on, and taking a corner slightly too fast will result in your tires squealing as they attempt to maintain their grip on the pavement. Crashing also has a nice crumpy sound to it, although you might want to avoid crashing too often.

Guillemot MaxiSound MUSE Review - Mark @ 22:27 EST

Hardware Central has posted a short review of the Guillemot MaxiSound MUSE Review. A few comments. First to be clear the MUSE does not have any on-board wavetable capabilities. The MIDI that is referred to in the review is 100 percent software based from Yamaha (XG-50) and can be run on any sound card (including the Live). The card it self has no wavetable capabilities. It's also highly debatable IMO that the XG-50 MIDI sounds as good, much less better, than the Live's 8 MB SoundFont and the Live has the options for even larger and better sound fonts. However, it's worth noting that the XG format does allow for some different creative options beyond General MIDI. The other comment is with respect to 4 speaker downmixing of Dolby Digital. The review makes it sound like 4 speaker downmixing is completely missing the other two channels of Dolby Digital 5.1 and in all cases a phantom center channel is generated and depending on the software player (WinDVD for example) the LFE channel is also downmixed. The bottom line is it's quite possible to have a good Dolby Digital experience with 4-speaker downmixing. Last and least is they complain of lack of A3D 2.0 support. Unfortunately, with Aureal out of the picuture A3D 2.0 is going to fade away so IMO it's not much of a con. It's also worth noting that unless you play Q3A unpatched, the A3D 2.0 support is broken on Vortex 2 cards anyway and it is possible to get 3D sound from Q3A (quirky as it might be) from non Vortex 2 cards by using the A2D driver that Aureal developed. Getting back to the MUSE, they thought it was good enought to get 3/5. We plan to have our own review of the MUSE up sometime this month.
News Source: Blue's News

Motorcross Madness 2 review - Mikael @ 18:23 EST

Pan Asia Gaming Network has posted a very short review of MS arcade racer, Motocross Madness 2. The review is overall quite positive but has one complaint, the sound or lack their of:

Unfortunately this game of great variety does come with its downsides. Sound is definitely not a strong factor in this game, so if you are looking for serious ear pleasuring… forget it! There is no music whatsoever, and only a very limited amount of in-game sounds.

Diablo II MP3 of the Week - Mikael @ 18:17 EST

Blizzard has released a new Diablo II MP3 of the week.
News Source: Blue's News

Sharper Image Creates Ultimate Portable Sound Machine - Mark @ 08:06 EST

A bit off topic but quite interesting none the less. Sharper Image Corporation has introduced its exclusive portable CD Radio/Alarm Clock with Sound Soother® 20. This compact stereo CD player offers 20 different and unusual relaxing sound environments, plus a digital AM/FM scan tuner with 20 presets, and even a talking clock with talking barometric weather trend. The part that stands out is the Sound Soother® 20 features 20 digitally recorded sounds. Many are of natural environments, such as ``Everglades'' and ``Yosemite Falls;'' others of familiar, comforting sounds such as ``Wind Chimes'' and ``Fireside;'' and some of manmade sounds, such as ``City'' and ``Roadside,'' for homesick urban dwellers trapped in a quiet countryside. For full details you can check out the press release.

Creative Nomad Jukebox Review - Mark @ 07:43 EST

Hardwaremania has posted a review of the Creative Nomad Jukebox. This unit features a 6 GB hard drive instead of the 64/128MB RAM found on typical MP3 Players and offers a host of other nice features an 8MB DRAM buffer which provides around five minutes of shock protection which according to the review is very effective. Overall a positive review with complaints about ergonomics and the fact that it does not come cheap ($500 in Turkey where the review was done).

European Live 5.1 Product Line - Mark @ 07:36 EST

Just in time for our early impressions of the Live 5.1 card the Creative Labs Europe site has been updated to show that they will be offering the Sound Blaster Live Platinum 5.1 (as we knew) and the Sound Blaster Live Player 5.1. You can get the details from the product page. Thanks to Usama for the pointer.

Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force review - Mikael @ 04:47 EST

ActiveWin has posted a review of Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force which they think is a must buy for any Star Trek fan and a pretty good FPS for the rest of us. Here's a snip on the sound and music in the game:

The sound effects in Elite Force are about average for today's games I would guess. The voice acting (many characters are played by the stars from the series, with the unfortunate exception of Jeri Ryan's Seven Of Nine) is very well done, although occasionally dry in some spots. Consoles beep and machines buzz and whir when you use them. The weapons are nice and loud, and for the more powerful weapons, you get the feeling that you are really firing something powerful, which is reinforced by great visual effects as well.
[snip]
The music does a nearly perfect job of reproducing the music of the TV series, with fully orchestrated suites and sequences that match up with the current scene in the game.

Thursday, October 12, 2000

DTT3500 and Sound Blaster 5.1 Early Impressions! - Mark @ 23:57 EST

Finally something new for you and it's not our long overdue reviews of the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz / VideoLogic Sonic Fury. Those reviews are moving along and we expect to be sending drafts for comment to the respective companies on Monday. In between that testing I have taken some time out to develop some preliminary impressions of the soon to be released Cambridge SoundWorks DTT3500 and the recently released Sound Blaster Live Platinum 5.1. These are not full reviews but they will contain a lot of answers to common questions on both products. When it comes to the DTT3500 I take a quick look at how it compares to the DTT2500 and find out it's a whole lot more than some extra inputs. For the Live 5.1 I focus on the two key new features, one of course being 5.1 output and the other being Dolby Digital decoding. If you have been looking for just what the Dolby Digital feature on the Live 5.1 cards is all about this early impression won't let you down. For all the details you can head to the respective pages:

Cambridge SoundWorks DTT3500 Early Impressions

Sound Blaster Live 5.1 Early Impressions

American McGee's Alice Music Interview and MP3s - Mark @ 19:04 EST

GameSlice has posted a short interview with Chris Vrenna, the one-time drummer for Nine Inch Nails. In the interview they talk about his work composing the music for American McGee's Alice. While I have yet to see any confimation of 3D sound, the fact that they are using Ritual's FAKK2 technology is a good sign since FAKK2 has very good 3D audio support via A3D 1.x, DS3D, EAX 1 and 2 (all via Miles Sound System). The article also features three of the music tracks from the game in .mp3 format.
News Source: Blue's News

SSI Neo 25 MP3 Player Review - Mark @ 18:57 EST

C/Net has posted a review of the SSI Neo 25 MP3 player review. This is an unusual unit somewhat along the lines of Creative Labs' Nomad Jukebox and Remote Solution's Personal Jukebox. The similarity is it is one of the few portable MP3 players that use hard drives for storage. The Neo 25 ships in 6GB, 12GB, or 20GB flavors. Where it differs from those units is it consists of an external hard drive with a USB connection and an operating system that decodes and plays MP3s. Overall they were impressed with the storage space offered by this $499 unit but found it short on extra features and complained about occasional crashes and a chintzy navigation button.

Good Technology SoundsGood AudioPlayer Review - Mark @ 18:48 EST

C/Net has posted a review of the Good Technology SoundsGood AudioPlayer. This $279 unit is a MP3 player module with 64 MB of memory onboard and was designed specifically for the Handspring Visor PDA. Overall they are quite impressed with the unit and award it an 8/10.

Sound Blaster Live Windows Millennium Edition Drivers - Mark @ 18:39 EST

Creative has released Live!Ware 3.0 for Windows Me. You can grab the files from their download page where you will also find install instructions. The site notes that if you have purchased a computer directly from a PC manufacturer (eg. DELL, Compaq, Gateway, Micron etc.) that comes with a Sound Blaster Live! card and has Windows Me pre-installed, you do not require Live!Ware 3.0 for Windows Me. Should you still choose to install Live!Ware 3.0 for Windows Me, they have instructions on what to do. The site also notes that you should not install Live!Ware 3.0 for Windows Me if you own a Sound Blaster Live! Platinum 5.1, Live! X-Gamer 5.1, Live! MP3+ 5.1 or Live! Digital Entertainment 5.1 as the installation CD already contains the latest software. Thanks to Martin Coughlan and Ray Marrero for the pointer.

Micronas' Audio Box II Connects Home Stereo to the Internet - Mark @ 07:40 EST

Micronas has announced its latest Audio Box II product. The Audio Box II is a streaming interface that enables traditional home stereo equipment to be connected to the PC to deliver digital audio from the Internet. Audio Box II is a reference design based on Micronas' USB Audio DAC, UAC 3552A. The announcement comes only a few months after the company introduced its Audio Box platform concept. For lots of details you can check out the full press release.

Wednesday, October 11, 2000

MS SideWinder Game Voice Review - Mark @ 19:20 EST

Gamer's Depot has posted a review of the Microsoft Sidewinder Game Voice, a hardware voice communication, voice command system. Overall a 3.5/5 with their main issues being that the voice recognition is too quirky and it forces you to use MSN Instant messenger for your online contacts.
News Source: Blue's News

Postmortem: Sierra Studios' Gabriel Knight 3 - Mark @ 19:10 EST

Gamasutra (Game Developer Magazine's online site) has posted a new edition of their postmortem series. This one is for the DS3D supporting Gabriel Knight 3. As with all their entire postmortem series, they talk about what went right and what went wrong when making a game. In this case its written by Scott Bilas of Sierra Studiosa. Here's a snip from the what went right section:

Audio designers and engineers rarely get the credit they deserve and often end up taking second place to the people drawing the pretty triangles. But GK3 is an adventure game, and as such it lives and breathes on the ability of its dialogue and supporting audio to immerse the player in the story. Many reviewers picked up on the great audio they found in GK3, often rating it as one of the best parts of the game (that is, those reviewers who didn't have a silly personal issue with Tim Curry cast as Gabriel Knight). From a development point of view, audio content was something we could always rely on. David Henry, GK3's composer and lead sound designer, had it all done long before we actually needed it, and was therefore able to spend time polishing the audio and adding lots of small details to it. And in stark contrast to the other parts of the game, integration and maintenance of the audio content went as smooth as glass.

Carmageddon: TDR 2000 Review - Mark @ 18:27 EST

Speedy 3D has posted a review of Carmageddon TDR 2k. As fans of the series they are disappointed with this sequel and award it only 6/10, which is the same range as the other two reviews I have read (7 and 6.3 out of 10). When it comes to sound they had the following to offer:

The sound effects in Carmageddon are a let down; it feels like all the sound effects are ripped from Carmageddon 1 and 2, giving the game I heard-this-before feel. In addition, Torus has added audio responses from the other drives which makes ramming and abusing them that much fun, imagine my surprise when I got rammed and a voice called, out "you're gonna die" I was deeply offended and momentarily executed the other driver, ah pure bliss. On the musical side, it's much better, Torus Games has hired an actually 2 bands called "Utah Saint" and "Plague" to do the soundtrack. The resulting music fits the game like a glove with some good scores (My favourite being the title theme), the only problem is that it's all very industrial and heavy metal, I know it fits the games environment but they could have changed direction a little, to keep it original and not a mass repeating of music that in essence sounds nearly the same.

Review: Blair Witch Volume 1: Rustin Parr - Mark @ 18:09 EST

GamePro has posted a review of Blair Witch Volume 1: Rustin Parr. Overall they think its a pretty good game, worth a 4/5, with tricky controls being the main knock. When it comes to sound they have the following to say:

The sound in Rustin Parr creates a tension that will keep you on the edge of your seat, particularly in the forest where wind howls through the trees, footsteps crunch through fallen leaves, and the air is filled with the voices of lost children asking you to come and play. Your Spectral Proximity Sensor will send chills down your spine as it crackles - warning you of nearby monsters - and you'll jump when thunder crashes. The only problem stems from some mediocre voice acting that bogs down many of the cut-scenes.

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn Review - Mark @ 17:38 EST

PCIGN has posted a review of Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. Right off the bat they say they think it's destined to be a classic. The positive comments cover the whole game with audio not being excluded. Here's a taste:

Outstanding voice acting has been a hallmark of RPGs produced by Bioware and Black Isle, and of course, Baldur's Gate II is no exception. The characters that join you throughout your journey all have a distinct style and voice, and it’s the phrases, arguments, and battlecries of the party that get you so attached to them. Just as Baldur’s Gate had it’s own famous catch phrases like “Go for the eyes, Boo!,” Baldur's Gate II has many of its own. The only major disappointment is the lack of many more new voices for use with character creation. Although, you are able to import your own sound and voice files if you feel venturesome.

The music is tightly interwoven into gameplay, and it’s obvious that designers wanted to give it high priority and visibility--much more so than in Baldur’s Gate. The songs are dramatic, brooding classical pieces of the style that you’d find in a medieval themed movie. The sound effects are all generally good, though they aren’t as much of a focal point as the music. If you’ve got a sound card that supports Environmental Audio, the echo effects in the cavernous dungeons are quite convincing.

Midiland S4 7100 5.1 Speaker System Review - Mark @ 13:43 EST

Neeoseeker has posted a review of the Midiland S4 7100 5.1 Speaker System. Overall a nicely done review where the think the system deserves 87/100. Just one comments. The review notes that S4-7100 shows of the rear channel of music more than the BA4800s that they have also tested. Given that they did not use the system with a Pro Logic decoder (which could cause this effect) I am not sure why this would occur beyond sound card and speaker front rear fader settings. Overall a nicely done review, typical of Neoseeker. It does have a few somewhat different impressions from what you will find in our own review of the S4-7100, but it's a good one to check out for an alternate view point. One thing I can add is I have tested the S4-7100 with both the Santa Cruz and Live 5.1 (in addtion to the FM801 6 output card I used in the review). The Live 5.1 is currently the better match to the S4-7100's 5.1 input mode and brings out the best of the S4-7100s performance. The Santa Cruz has the same potential but needs a true 5.1 mode for games and better bass management for small speakers for software DVD output in 5.1 mode to match the performance of the Live 5.1 in this respect.

MidiLand's MLi-490 Speaker System review - Mikael @ 03:57 EST

Inside hardware has posted a short and very positive review of MidiLand's $100 4.1 system, MLi-490. The review compares the system mostly to an unamed $50 2.1 System from Cambridge SoundWorks and he thinks the MLi-490 is significantly better. I've not heard the system but I doubt it's quite as good as this review gives the impression of. I know Mark thinks the system is good but he has one major complaint, the same as he had the S4-7100, that is in 4 channel input mode the rear channel inputs of the system don't filter bass to the subwoofer meaning that in games (no impact in movies) explosions behind you will lack bass. How much this is noticable will vary depending on the sound card you use as different 3d audio technologies handle rear field effects and bass positioning in different manners and using the system with a sound card that has a subwoofer output will totally eliminate the flaw.
News Source: Anandtech

Labtec Edge-418 Flat Panel Speakers review - Mikael @ 03:48 EST

Boomgames has posted a short review of Labtec Edge 418 Flat Panel Speaker system. This is a $80 system using a similar concept and offering a similar price as the Sonix S2000 speakers we (Mark) reviewed a while back in that both combine SLAB flat panel technology with a cone based subwoofer. A system Mark wasn't impressed with. If we should believe this review the Edge 418 ships with a much better subwoofer that is even better than the FPS2000 sub while the satellites falls a bit behind the FPS2000 sats.
News Source: Anandtech

Terminal Reality's 4x4 Evolution has gone Gold - Mikael @ 03:40 EST

Terminal Reality's arcade-style off-road racer, 4x4 Evolution, has gone gold. According to a preview the 4x4 Evolution that was posted 2 months the game will support all major 3D sound APIs. At the time for the preview they were 50% done with that aspect. For more info about the game check out the official site that unfortunately does NOT mention any support for 3D sound.
News Source: Avault

Crime Cities demo - Mikael @ 03:20 EST

Betrayed, condemned to death, and now blackmailed by the very people you once honored and trusted with your life, you must venture to an almost forgotten star system. Your task is to destroy the Mafia clans controlling the Pandemia prison colony, and its surrounding moons, or die trying. You can grab the 85 MB demo from Avault. The Techland site mentions that the game will support EAX and A3D 2.0. Hopefully that's still the plan and already included in the demo.

Metal Gear Solid reviews - Mikael @ 03:15 EST

Gamersdepot has posted a review of Metal Gear Solid. Despite some complains about the graphics and camera position they think it's a good but perhaps not excellent game. Here's the sound snip:

The sound effects are well done, and the voice acting is surprisingly very good and very convincing. It has to be, as at least half of the game involves watching the cut-scenes to see the story unfold as you hit certain points in the game. You find that after a while, you can become as interested in finding out what happens next as you are in completing that next objective. The music is also fantastic, as it keeps the game flowing and it even heats up when it comes time for some action, so audibly MGS PC rocks.

Star Trek : Elite Force reviews - Mikael @ 03:04 EST

A couple new Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force have appeared on the net. Both overall positive but not glowing noting it's a great Star Trek game and a good first person shooter, similar impression as other reviews. When it comes to sound they are both very impressed. First up Neoseeker:

Sound design, in all its facets throughout the game, serves to set a new standard. Environmental sounds throughout the levels are creative and detailed. The sounds on the Voyager's bridge are a perfect imitation of those on the show and create a sense of being "in the show". Small organisms, which the player must destroy, sound perfectly disgusting. In large rooms, the sounds are processed in such a manner as to create a sense of the 3-dimensional space and are very effective in doing so. The musical score is consistent with that of the television series but is used quite subtly within the missions. This helps to set a tone that is austere and haunting when necessary.

Midtown/Motocross Madness 2 reviews - Mikael @ 02:57 EST

Avault has posted positive review of Midtown Madness 2 but just like other reviews they complain that it offers only marginal improvements over the original Midtown Madness. Here's the bit about sound which got a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars:

The sound effects are quite interesting and diverse, highly reminiscent of the original release. There are lots of background noises, including yells of terror from frightened bystanders, angry comments from other drivers, and the usual mechanical din of a major metropolis and these add considerably to the immersive quality of the racing environments. When you are in tunnels, the sounds appropriately change and have more echoes. You get to hear often humorous commentary from somewhat bizarre London and San Francisco characters during the racing, but none of this actually helps you much in the competition or adds very much to the gameplay.

Icewind Dale Review - Mikael @ 02:43 EST

Gaming-Unlimited has posted a very positive review of Icewind Dale with hte following comments on the sound and music:

With support for EAX, Icewind Dale's music and sound is beautiful. The music is wonderfully fantasy-esque, and does an excellent job of setting the overall "mood" of the game. Swords clash and mages chant, while NPCs speak to you with some above-average voice acting. Often you'll be ashamed at how close you'll become to certain NPCs, especially the ones in your party, as their accents and dialogue make them seem so... human (or Elven, or Gnomish, or Dwarven).

Tuesday, October 10, 2000

Creative Labs Teams with FairMarket to Make Bidding a Blast! - Mark @ 18:31 EST

FairMarket, Inc., a leading provider of outsourced, online selling solutions, today announced that Creative Labs is using their auction technology to create an exciting and competitive environment for the sale of its PC and digital entertainment products. The new site, www.auction.europe.creative.com, went live today. The new auction will give gamers the challenge of bidding competitively for many items including PC DVD drives, speakers, webcams, communication products, sound and graphics cards and brand new products, many of which won't yet be available through normal channels. One of the featured products up for auction is Creative Labs' new Digital Audio Player (DAP) Jukebox digital audio player. For quite a few more details you can check out the full press release.

InnoGear Ships MiniJam MP3 Player - Mark @ 18:27 EST

InnoGear has announced the shipping of its MiniJam MP3 player. It's the only MP3 player for the Handspring Visor handheld computer to perform multiple functions: an e-Book reader, an image/slide-show viewer, has a flashing LED alarm and plenty of room to store files. MiniJam's large storage capacity -- up to 128 MB -- allows for the storage of PalmOS applications, databases and image files. MiniJam includes what the PR refers to as high quality ear buds, a flexible pouch with belt clip, the full version of MusicMatch Jukebox, DC-IN power jack, and both Visor and desktop file management applications. It also comes pre-loaded with music so users can start enjoying the MiniJam immediately. It supports both Windows and Macintosh operating systems and is available in Ice and Graphite colors. It comes in 32MB ($199) and 64MB ($259) models. For a some additional details you can check out the full press release.

American McGee's Alice Interview - Mark @ 12:45 EST

PC-IGN has posted an interview with American McGee's Alice producer R.J. Berg. The game is using the Q3A engine which shipped with A3D 2.0 (since broken by patches) but I have to see anything definative as yet with respect to advanced audio options for Alice. This interview is no different but it does have an interesting bit on what they are working on with respect to audio. Here's a snip:

R.J. Berg: Right now we're integrating the character voices into the game. The actors were all pros and captured the tone and style we wanted. All the Alices (English, French, German, and Spanish so far) are expressive and fun to listen to. Our sound designers are processing some of the animal voices, and adding sound fx to the mix. This will all play in the deeply textured sonic environments that our composer, Chris Vrenna, created for the game.

jazPiper Digital Audio Player will use PocketZip - Mikael @ 05:49 EST

Iomega has announced another design win for its PocketZip drive, this time it's Richfield Innovations that will use it in its jazPiper CVR40U PocketZip(TM) Digital Audio Player. The jazPiper CVR40U PocketZip(TM) Digital Audio Player has a translucent body with snap-on covers that are available in a wide variety of colors. Key features include compatibility with MP3 and Microsoft® Windows Media(TM) Format; secure, low-cost, durable storage using 40MB PocketZip disks; fast USB connectivity; large backlit display; and customizable DSP settings. The jazPiper CVR40U player will ship with one 40MB PocketZip disk and a version of the popular MusicMatch Jukebox software specially tailored for easy file transfers from the computer to the player. The player will launched at Fall Comdex in Las Vegas this November. You can learn more about PocketZip if you read the press release.

SoF review - Mikael @ 05:44 EST

GamersOrb has posted a 4-page long review of the first person shooter Soldier of Fortune. GamersOrb thinks it's an excellent game and except falling a bit short of Quake and Unreal Tournament when it comes to multiplaying the reviewer had no major complaints and gave the game an A. Here's the sound bit:

The sounds effects are great, the weapons' sounds give you an idea of the their power.. The in game music is fantastic and flows with the situation with fast paced music in times of action and more chilling music in times of suspense, it really sets the atmosphere within the game

Monday, October 09, 2000

Game Commander Review - Mark @ 20:32 EST

Intelegamer has posted a review of Game Commander, which is a software based (with microphone of course) voice command system. Overall they were very impressed with the package awarding it a 95/100.
News Source: Blue's News

New Sound Blaster Vibra128 NT4 Drivers - Mark @ 20:24 EST

Creative Labs has released new Vibra 128 NT4 drivers. No word on what's new or fixed in the drivers.

Microsoft SideWinder GameVoice Review - Mark @ 20:21 EST

The Guru 3D has posted a review of the Microsoft SideWinder GameVoice. Probably the most positive review I have seen of this hardware based voice communication / voice command system. Update: Note that the device won't work with all games in Win2K until Dx8 is released as there are some games that do not share audio with other applications. Because of this, audio will shut out on other applications while playing the game. DirectX 8, which is not yet released, addresses this problem for Windows 2000 users where as for Windows 98 users, there is a DirectSound Update available for download, which patches DirectX 7.0 or 7.0a and fixes the audio-sharing issue. Windows ME users don't need the patch.
News Source: Anandtech

Rune Goes Gold - Mark @ 20:15 EST

Avault reports that the Unreal engine powered Rune has gone gold and is expected in stores by October 30th. The game will most likely take advantage of the A3D and DS3D with EAX support that's available in the Unreal engine. Note that with Aureal out of the picture it's possible A3D won't be in (just guessing). When it comes to use of sound Timothy Gerritsen of Human Head had the following to offer in a recent interview posted at DailyTelefrag:

The sound in this game is used widely to impart a sense of atmosphere on the gamer. We added some simple sound playback tools to assist in this, and our sound director has created far more sounds than any other game I can think of. This game is using every sound channel available at all times. The sound is an aspect we are very proud of.

Blair Witch: Rustin Parr Review - Mark @ 20:08 EST

Game Pig has posted a review of Blair Witch: Rustin Parr. An overall positive review that includes the following bit on sound:

Sound and music were well done, adding atmosphere without being overbearing (except for the installation, where you'll be subjected to 5 minutes of a child gurgling and crying, looping infinitely). The voices and cutscene conversations were also well acted and directed, and the interface was intuitive and easy to use. Controlling the combat and dealing with the fixed camera angles will be probably the only significant headache for most players.

Shuttle 10X DVD-ROM Drive Review - Mark @ 19:46 EST

The Tech Report has posted a review of the Shuttle 10X DVD-ROM drive which they show has a street price of $99. It's a very detailed review with lots of real world tests and benchmarks. In the end they think it's a pretty good drive. For all the details check out the review.
News Source: Anandtech

Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force Reviews - Mark @ 00:53 EST

Two new reviews of this Quake 3 engine based Star Trek game. The first review is from Shrinkweb where they found the game to be very enjoyable and perhaps the best Star Trek game to date. The strongest parts in their view were graphics and sound. Here's a snip on sound:

Elite Force's additional support of .mp3 files was a good move. The music adds great suspense and mood where needed. Furthermore, the sound effects are of such quality, that they often sound like they are right out of the show. Another plus is the voice acting. Most of the characters' voices were recorded for this game by the actors from the UPN television show.

Star Lancer Review - Mark @ 00:43 EST

It's been a while since we have seen a review of Star Lancer. This one is from nurk.com where they thought the game was good enought to earn a perfect score! While I have not seen other perfect scores, reviews have generally agreed that it's a good game. Here's the usual snip on sound:

Firing your guns makes a sound that actually sounds real (like from a modern gun). The lasers have a nice bass to them, with gatling weaponry actually scraping to a halt after a salvo of automatic fire. The enemy ships when flying by you scream, the communications between people are perfect, and you don’t have to strain to understand what they are saying; there is no radio fuzziness.

Metal Gear Solid Review - Mark @ 00:37 EST

Another positive review of Metal Gear Solid. This one is from the 3D Gameforce Network. Like most, if not all, reviews of this game they were impressed with the audio. Here's a snip:

While the graphics were great the sound effects are even more impressive because of the quality that a PC can give you with a good pair of speakers hooked up. A few examples of the sound effects that you might hear can range from something like gunfire too footsteps on the dock. In addition to the sound effects the voice acting still remains as excellent as it was in the PlayStation version and the tense music works very well in setting the mood of the game.

Composer Kevin Manthei on Sacrifice - Mark @ 00:31 EST

GA-Strategy has a copy of a new Sacrifice voise file that was released by Interplay. The file is for the God Charnel. Ga-Strategy has also posted a short blurm by Kevin Manthei, the man behind the music in Sacrifice where Kevin talks about the composition process and music style amoung other things. For the text and a link to the voice file head over to GA-Strategy. The game has been on Creative's EAX list for quite sometime but then so is No Ones Lives Forever (same engine as Sacrifice) which as we have mentioned most likely won't even support 3D sound.

News from October 2-8, 2000

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