LINUXGAMES

Version 1.2.6 of the Simple DirectMedia Layer has been released by Sam Lantinga. Changes include:

• Added MMX and 3DNow! optimized alpha blitters
• Turned dynamic loading of ESD and aRts on by default
• Added SDL_GL_MULTISAMPLEBUFFERS and SDL_GL_MULTISAMPLESAMPLES for FSAA support
• Added SDL_LoadObject(), SDL_LoadFunction(), and SDL_UnloadObject()
• Fixed compile problem in SDL_stretch.c with gcc 3.3
• Added m68k assembly routines for audio mixing
• Fixed video intitialization problem on Qtopia
• Fixed refresh rate issue with XFree86 4.3.0
• Enable the glXGetProcAddressARB code on X11
• Added support for SDL_WM_GrabInput and SDL_WM_IconifyWindow on Qtopia
• Fixed invalid memory access in DGA video driver
• Updated Atari port for new system headers
• Open ALSA devices in non-blocking mode
• Updated for DirectDB 0.9.15
• Support 1-bit alpha on surfaces passed to SDL_WM_SetIcon()
• Greatly improved X11 DGA video speed
• Added MMX audio mixing code for gcc and VC++
• Fixed a crash blitting RLE surfaces to RLE surfaces

Download: [libsdl.org]

S2 Games has announced that Savage, their upcoming real-time strategy shooter, has gone gold. The release date is now set for September 9th.

It’s a little unfortunate that the Linux client isn’t mentioned in this press release, but as previously reported, there will be a Linux client released at the same time as the Windows client. On the other hand, perhaps we should be thankful that we’re getting a client at all and that it’s coming at the same time as the main release.

[preorder Savage @ TG]

Bioware has launched the official site for Hordes of the Underdark , the second Neverwinter Nights expansion. The site includes screenshots, information on three of the 40 new spells, and other details of what will be included in the expansion.

[preorder NWN: HotU @ TuxGames]

An updated version of the Linux port of America’s Army has been released.This release contains both the client and dedicated server releases.
Download:

• 3DDownloads
• guinness.devrandom.net
• 2dollar.unixwhore.com

Bioware has released a patch for Neverwinter Nights bringing it up to version 1.31.Changes include mostly bugfixes and new scripting commands.

Thanks to Joe Gasiorek for being the first to point the news out.

NWN 1.31 downloads and instructions: @ nwn.bioware.com

The latest release of Xmame/Xmess-0.72.1 has been released with the following changes:

Everything from MAME 0.72 and MESS 0.72. - The various effects enabled by -effect now work with rotation enabled.
- The Xv target supports more effects.
- The rc parsing code displays more compact and readable error messages.
- Xv windowed mode is now enabled with “-x11-mode 2″ or “-x11 2″, and Xv fullscreen mode is enabled with “-x11-mode 3″ or “-x11 3″. The “-[no]xv” and “-fullscreen” switches are no longer available for X11 builds. - Networking should work again. I’d forgotten to change instances of MAME_NET in src/unix to XMAME_NET in the 0.70.1 release. - Added hotkey switching for Xv windowed mode via ALT + DEL and Xv fullscreen mode via ALT + END.
- The xfx target should build again.
- Added -widescreen for Xv. This shrinks the width of the output for display on a widescreen TV.

Download: Full TarBall
Patch against 0.71.1

Brandon Barker wrote in to announce that he has built Linux (x86) binaries for RealmWars (screenshots: 1,2), a free fantasy team combat game based on GarageGames‘ Torque engine.Additional information can be found on the GG RW site.

RealmWars download: @ sweb.uky.edu

As reported by several people, the Medal of Honor for Linux beta 1 has been released. The game is playable currently with known sound issues and other issues. Grab the beta here

Several readers wrote in to announce that Urban Terror (screenshots)3.0 has been released. UT is a Quake 3 realism mod/total conversion. This version is a malted milkball at 322MB and can bedownloaded from one of the mirrors listed on the main UT site.

“Freedom’s just another word for…”

• Alien Flux 1.4, a Java-based arcade shoot-em-up: download
• ALSA 0.9.6, the Advanced Linux Sound Architecture: download
• Armagetron 0.2.5.1, a 3d Tron clone / lightcycle game: changelog, screenshots, download
• Crimson Fields 0.3.5, a tactical war game similar to Battle Isle: changelog, screenshots
• DirectFB 0.9.19, a thin graphics library: changelog, screenshots, download
• Enrapture Demo 0.4 beta, an Elite-inspired space/roleplaying game: screenshots, download
• ePSXe 1.6.0, a Playstation emulator: download (thanks Adam D. Moss)
• Exult 1.1Beta1, an Ultima 7 engine re-implementation: changelog, screenshots, downloads
• GCompris 3.2, : changelog, screenshots, downloads
• IVAN 0.430, a graphical roguelike game: screenshot, download
• LibKSD 0.1.0-pre2, a cross-platform game framework: changelog, screenshots, downloads
• Mupen64 0.2, an N64 emulator: screenshot, downloads
• noeGNUd 0.8.0, an alternate ascii/2D/3D UI for nethack: changelog, screenshots, downloads
• NVClock 0.7, an NVIDIA overclocking utility: screenshot, download
• Open Sound System 3.9.7l, the commercial implementation of the OSS/Free kernel sound drivers: changelog, download
• Powermanga 0.78, a 2D shooter: screenshots, download
• pydance 0.7.4, a Dance Dance Revolution clone (formerly pyDDR): screenshots, download
• QuakeForge 0.5.4, a Quake source port/improvement : screenshots, download
• Simutrans 0.82.5exp, an economic and transport sim: changelog, screenshots, download
• Snes9X 1.40, a SNES emulator: screenshots, downloads
• SolarWolf 1.2, a frantic 2D arcade game (written in Python): screenshot, download
• Tickletankle 0.8, a two-player real-time tank game: changelog, screenshot, download
• xmame/xmess 0.71.1, arcade and virtual machine emulators: changelog, download

GarageGames sent out news announcing that version 1.1 ofThinkTanks(screenshots) from BraveTree has been released; changes include:

• Target Range
• Adjust Tanks to make heavy more useful
• Make Aiming easier
• Ammo reload doesn’t delete powerups
• Scrumball hops toward center of map
• Added an option to cycle between all maps from a dedicated server.
• Increase time that low ammo message is on the screen.
• Increase range of radar
• Change transparency of radar
• Health powerup shows up on radar when health is low
• Lifting finger off mouse for an extended period reloads ammo burst(no more one shot bursts)
• Pause for solo play (ESC key)
• Remove the ability to make a Demo name in registered version.

Owners of ThinkTanks can download the update from their “My Garage” page.

ThinkTanks 1.1 demo: ThinkTanksDemo_v1.1.sh.bin

According to the yesterday’s Gentoo Weekly Newsletter, TransGaming, developers of WineX, requested that Gentoo remove their WineX ebuilds from Portage, Gentoo’s software distribution system. An ebuild is an autobuild script that Portage uses to build packages from source. Previously, Portage pulled and built the WineX source from TG’s public CVS tree, but apparently thisis “seriously discouraged” by the WineXlicense in the CVS tree. Thenewsletter summarizes TG’s argument as this:

the public CVS tree’s purpose is not to provide a free version of WineX, but to enable people to assist with their developmentefforts

The newsletter also cites an excerpt of the WineX license that addresses this issue:

Note that while this license does permit certain kinds of non-commercial distribution of pre-compiled binary packages of WineX,doing so on a large scale is discouraged, as it affects TransGaming’s ability to continue to improve and develop the code.

So, folks, what are your impressions? Isn’t this a rather fine line for people to have to walk. Has this “large-scale” distribution by Gentoo has already affected “TransGaming’s ability to continue to improve and develop thecode” or was this a preemptive strike?

Thanks to Paul Everingham for the tip on this news.

ScummVM, the classic adventure game interpreter, has been updated to version 0.5.0 Changes in this release include:

Extensive overhaul of the music subsystem, more games now support music
- Support for the Enhanced (V2) versions of Maniac Mansion and ZakMcKracken
- Support for Beneath a Steel Sky, made possible thanks to RevolutionSoftware supplying us with the original assembly source code!
- Aspect Ratio correction added, by popular request