Phoronix has pointed out that AMD has released open source drivers for Radeon HD6800 series, and that TransGaming, creators of the Wine-derived Cedega, is starting a new subscription-less Linux gameservice.
Notch has posted the results of the most recent Minecraft strategy meeting at his blog.
Thanks to the Linux Game Cast for pointing out JVGS, a platforming game with a stick-figure-inspired visual theme:
This game takes place in a world much like ours, which has started fading away. At a point where nearly everything has gone, a poet finds himself, alone in a strange world of danger. He starts a journey along the broken stream of thoughts that’s left.
Previously, due to mainly technical limitations we didn’t plan beyond Windows, but seeing the capabilities of Unigine we really wanted to dive more into the Linux gaming and provide a quality Co-Op Multiplayer / Single Player Fantasy RPG for those that prefer Linux over Windows. Flexibility is key.
Version 1.5.0 of Chocolate Doom was released recently; the project aims to replicate the behavior of the original DOS DOOM releases. Changes include the importing of the DOSbox OPL emulator for better MIDI playback.
Wolfire, developers of the upcoming rabbit fighting game Overgrowth (sequel to the open-sourced Lugaru), have posted their first weekly alpha update for the new year:
Activated all weapons
Items have shadows and physics interpolation
Added Blender weapon animation and attachment posing
Weapon collision events with sounds pitched based on mass
Custom convex hulls and centers of mass for weapons
Expanding convex hulls based on speed to avoid penetration
Weapons can override character animations
Fixed plant shader bug
“No_collision” flag (for collidable plant trunks and non-collidable leaves)
Graphic overhaul: New Ambient method, Interaction Shader and HDR-Lite Post-Processing
Various code changes with regards to AI, physics, sound, location system, inventory
New textures (lilies, skyboxes, metal, roof and brick textures)
New female AI including two new vocal sets “Wench” and “Lady”
A couple of new models, fixed a few fixed issues with existing models
Built-in Mission Downloader, plus some changes to the settings GUI
Added Werebeast and Horse AI, spiders upgraded
New update system supporting differential downloads
A couple of new systems are still in preparation, so expect more goodness to come in TDM 1.04 (Overhauled Level of Detail system, AI pathing upgrades and more)
All of the finalists announced today will be playable on the Expo show floor at the historic 25th Game Developers Conference, to be held in San Francisco starting February 28th, 2011. In addition, nearly $50,000 of prizes in various categories, including the $20,000 Seumas McNally Grand Prize will be awarded to these games at the Independent Games Festival Awards on the evening of March 2nd.
The space combat MMORPG Vendetta Online has a new website, and some recent updates for the Linux version of the client (there’s an Android client now also, but that’s not too relevant here). In a recent newsletter, Guild Software also mentioned they intend to implement player capital ships this month.
During the holiday break, I came across two great essays on Minecraft’s appeal and implications. The first, at Gearfuse, examines the loneliness of the long-distance (single-player) miner:
Obviously, for makers and DIYer types, the world of Minecraft is a fantasy land of possibilities. But for someone like me — who doesn’t even understand the base physical principle that allows a hammer to drive in a nail — Minecraft is instead steeped into a broad genre of fiction about both loneliness, immortality and the ironic futility of great works.
Then at Rock, Paper, Shotgun, the site’s editors heap praise on the game, especially regarding it’s implications for indie game development:
How could they be missing covering this enormous, generational, life-affirming THING?
Well, because to paraphrase the immortal words of Huggy Bear, it was happening without their permission. It didn’t come with a press release. It didn’t come on a corporate-approved console-DRM-box. It just existed, was inspired, allowed people to prove their own inspiration, and everyone who got it profited from the experience. It broke every single rule, and showed how nonsense those rules were. William Goldman’s line about Hollywood applies as much to games: NO-ONE KNOWS ANYTHING. It burns down civilization and revealed what an untamed landscape gaming really is.
We can build anything from here. And with luck, we will.
The author of the maze game BOH sent notice of his 14th update, which ups the total number of missions to 50 (!):
reworks the advanced automapper (the realistic mode has been replaced with the fullscreen view, which allows to see more; the controls have been made more comfortable);
