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Summer Games

So far summer in Whistler has been a nice mix of rain and sun. Last summer’s drought, though nice and warm, made it impossible to get any work done.

So far summer in Whistler has been a nice mix of rain and sun.

Last summer’s drought, though nice and warm, made it impossible to get any work done. I’m one of those people who feel compelled to make the most of every nice day, soaking up every minute of daylight like it was the last day on earth. The only problem is that when you spend every waking moment outdoors, laundry doesn’t get done, letters don’t get written, bills don’t get sorted, dishes don’t get washed, bathrooms don’t get clean, and your computer gets lonely.

Obviously somebody spends their summer indoors because, like the movie industry, a lot of the top games get introduced while the kids are on vacation.

Here’s a look at some of the most recent developments in computer gaming.

City of Heroes – www.cityofheroes.com

Although no date has been set for release, it’s clear that the release of City of Heroes for PC is going to be massive, with fictional Paragon City growing in size and depth almost by the day.

If you’ve never heard of it, City of Heroes is an advanced role-playing game where you will be able to create your own superhero based on a wide selection of archetypes, arming them with powers and secret identities. You are given a family, a home base and training to use your powers.

You are then turned loose on the city, which is full of non player characters, hidden missions, and interactive items.

Some of the non-player characters will ask for your help, and can reward you with information and other bonuses if you come through.

In the course of your wanderings, you’ll run into hundreds, even thousands of other Heroes, which are being controlled remotely by other users. Some Heroes are good, some are bad and some are unaffiliated – some of them you’ll fight, and others you’ll team up with for missions and battles.

There are also groups of bad guys overrunning the city that the Heroes will be called upon to fight on a regular basis.

The beauty of this game is that it will never end. New story lines and missions are constantly added. At last count there were more than a hundred different powers out there, all which take a little bit of mastering.

And Paragon City is huge. It’s absolutely the biggest world that has ever been created for the gaming world, and it will take you some time to explore it, discovering new places, new arenas, and new missions.

If you do get bored, you can just create another character for yourself and get back into Paragon City. Each character will have different contacts, different missions, and different powers.

To stay on top of City of Heroes developments, including the elusive release date, visit www.cityofheroes.com.

DooM III – www.idsoftware.com / www.doomworld.com

In the first-person shooter genre, DooM is still the king. Created by iD software, the original doom broke new ground in first-person shooters in terms of playability, graphics, and technology. It set a golden standard that hundreds of other games had to live up to, pushing the gaming world to a new height.

DooM II continued this trend, employing even newer technology to make better use of faster machines and improved 3D engines to take the genre to the next level. Once again other companies had a new standard to follow.

In between the two DooM’s, iD Software released Quake, the first game to use polygons instead of textured surfaces to create a 3D environment. Not only did this allow for incredibly realistic worlds, it also took the gaming world to a new level by introducing another capability – light and shadow. Quake II took things up a notch, allowing interactive 3D objects to spin, open and close, turn, and light up with the light and shadows in perfect balance.

It’s been about four years, and with the imminent release of DooM III (like City of Heroes, no official release date yet), the entire gaming world is watching developments pretty closely. If previous releases are any indication, a new standard is about to be set.

Although the release is pretty secretive, DooM World (www.doomworld.com) has done a little digging into the matter.

DooM III will attempt to set a new standard, based on the top graphics chip, the as yet unreleased GeForce3, and the latest modeling engines available.

One of the new capabilities to be introduced is dynamic lighting, with engines calculating the light value of every pixel on the screen for each frame in real time. It’s hard on the graphics processor, but it actually runs smoother and faster than the old technologies. Expect moody lighting, reflections on surfaces like water and metal, and more realistic colours.

Another capability is bumpmaps, which is a new way to render the surface of 3D objects that allows for greater detail. Every pixel acts and reacts to light conditions, creating a richer playing experience.

The playability is also expected to change. While the other games were well-received as shoot ‘em up adventures, the latest DooM is expected to be darker, taking advantage of the latest Artificial Intelligence to create enemies that think and are harder to eliminate. John Carmack, the main developer for the DooM and Quake series, is going for more of a horror movie approach, rather than a run and gun.

You Play Games – www.youplaygames.com

If you’re into first person shooters and think you’re pretty good, you might want to put your money where your mouth is and take on the world at You Play Games.

The idea is that players can enter an online multiplayer arena for games like Castle Wolfenstein, establish an identity, and start to play. Every kill you make earns you money, and every time you are killed you lose money. A portion of the pot goes to You Play Games for hosting the contest, but it’s really up to you.

Different games are worth different stakes, from a nickel a death to a dollar. Each game is timed, and tournaments are held regularly with special prizes and different stakes. You can even set up a tournament with your friends and gamble with one another.

The money you make will be credited to your account and the money you lose will be subtracted. You set your own account size using a credit card, so you’re not going to lose more than you have. It’s kind of like the old days when you would pump quarter after quarter into a video game to be able to keep going.

For more information, visit www.youplaygames.com and take the tour.