LINUXGAMES

Michael Simms ofTuxGames, an onlineLinux game retailer, sent in the following:

Tux Games is happy to announce the facility topreorderthe new game from Loki,Mindrover.

No official release date has yet been announced, but our estimateis that December 1st should be pretty close.

As we already briefly mentioned, Loki walked away from this year’s LinuxWorld Conference and Expo with the “Best of Show” award. An official press release has been sent out annoucing it:

Loki Takes It All
Loki Wins “Best of Show” at LinuxWorld Conference and Expo

Tustin, California — August 25, 2000 — Loki Software, Inc., the
leading publisher of best-selling games for the Linux operating system,
accepted the coveted “Best of Show” award from IDG World Expo during the
Show Favorites Awards ceremony at the LinuxWorld Conference & Expo last
week in San Jose, California.

Expo attendees cast their web-based ballots using kiosks on the show
floor. They voted for “Show Favorites” in several categories, and
selected Loki as offering the best overall for-Linux programs available.

“It is a tremendous honor to receive this recognition from the Linux
community,” said Scott Draeker, President of Loki Software. “With this
award, Linux users have confirmed that Loki sets the standard for Linux
games.”

Loki booth visitors enjoyed testing their piloting skills with Descent 3
for Linux on a precision three-axis motion base simulator, and playing
other recent or soon-to-be-released titles from Loki, including Soldier
of Fortune, SimCity 3000 Unlimited, Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri and
MindRover. Paul Nolan was also on-hand to show users the unique features
of the stunning graphics package Photogenics which will soon be published
by Loki.

*snip*

As mentioned earlier, I’ve taken the liberty of posting a few screenshots from Loki’s Linux port of MindRover: The Europa Project, which is currently in beta-testing. MindRoveris a title which involves “wiring” AI-driven roverbots to complete various tasks (combat,racing, etc.); the screenshots depict the various planning stages and some actualgameplay.

MindRover Beta Shots

Cognitoy’s AI-based puzzle gameMindRover(being ported by Loki) has entered beta-testing.Screenshot support won’t be implemented until the next beta build (Windows screenshots, which are for the most part identical to those which would be taken in Linux, can be found here), butin the meantime you can sample the basic gameplay in a Java-based mini-MindRover game(note that MindRover itself is not a Java application, but a 3D OpenGL-based title) whichincludes challenges similar to MindRover’s tutorial puzzles. Thanks to akawaka for pointing thisout.

Cognitoy updated their site last week to request aid in beta-testing the Linux version of Mindrover, a 3D AI puzzle game. Mindrover is being ported to Linux by Loki Entertainment Software; thanks to Stephane de Broche des Combes for the news.

Joseph Elwell forwarded a responsefrom Loki’s Kayt Sorhaindo, whichreiteratesBlizzard’sreticence to commit to the Linux platform:

We would love to port Diablo II and other Blizzardtitles, butBlizzard has taken a “wait and see” approach to Linuxgaming –If we can prove the market for Linux games is therewith the sales numbers for our current titles,then they’ll talk with us.

We hope you’ll be happy with our upcomingannouncements.We plan 16 titles this year, including Heavy Gear II,Soldier of Fortune,SimCity 3000 Unlimited, Descent 3, MindRover and SidMeier’s AlphaCentauri!

Further clarification was provided by Blizzard’s Andrea Pessino during an IRCchat withVoodoo Extreme concerning Warcraft III:

(PhaseBurn) =Incognito= question: has the Linux port status of Warcraft III already been determined (i.e., no port will be considered such as with Diablo 2), or is Blizzard still examining the potential of the Linux gaming market?

(Andrea[BlizzardEnt]) there are no plans for linux versions of any of our games at this time

(PhaseBurn) and if I may add on to that, why doesn’t Blizzard consider the gaming market for linux?

(Andrea[BlizzardEnt]) well.. I am not sure, but I believe the gaming market for linux is still its infancy

(Andrea[BlizzardEnt]) IN its infancy..

• Release 201 of the Q3SDK (essentially beta2) has been released. This version of Q3Radiant is in sync with the Win32 build 201.

  Downloads:
  ftp.lokigames.com
  LinuxGames/3DDownloads

• Version 1.3.0 of Setup, Loki’s graphic game installation program, has been released. This version includes misc improvements and internationalization support (German, Spanish, French, Italian, Swedish included).

  Downloads:
  ftp.lokigames.com
  LinuxGames/3DDownloads

• Gamers Depot has published an interview with Loki president Scott Draeker. The interview covers Loki’s mission, the selection of games ported thus far, the future of Linux third party porters, Loki’s relationships to game developers, and the benefits of gaming under Linux.

• LinuxMall has published an article on Loki, specifically based on the recent announcement that Loki will be porting MindRover: The Europa Project to Linux. The article includes background on MindRover and CogniToy (the games developer), as well as quotes from other sites’ reviews of the game. (Thanks to Linux Today)

• games.tucows.com has published an interview with Loki programmer Sam Lantinga. The interview covers Sam’s past, what he has done for Loki, the birth of SDL, Maelstrom, challenges involved in porting, how it is decided what ports are made, and more.

(Update from Crusader):

• The open-source advocacy site BeOpen conducted a dual interview with Loki president Scott Draeker, and the Crystal Space 3D engine’s Jorrit Tyberghein, concerning the continuing debate over open-source game development. Both interviewees address the issue of artistic involvement in the genesis of a game and how it affects “open” development, and what models of game creation are the most efficient (and profitable)… Scott also makes what can be considered a call to arms to those wanting a larger Linux gaming library (vote with your dollar/pound/yen/deutschmark/etc.):
  

  Building the Linux game market is also the responsibility of Linux users. They have to stop buying Windowsgames. If you buy Windows games, the market will reward you with more Windows games.

  All this is made all the more relevant by Lionhead’s Peter Molyneux stating he intends to open-source his upcoming god game Black & White.

Pretty self-explanatory… programmable robots + strategic conflict:

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Loki and CogniToy Partner to bring MindRover to Linux

Tustin, CA. — June 20, 2000 — Loki Software, Inc. today announces anagreement with CogniToy to bring the highly-acclaimed MindRover: TheEuropa Project to Linux gamers by early fall 2000.

MindRover is an ingenious 3D strategy/programming game that enablesplayers to create autonomous robotic vehicles and compete them in races,battles and sports. Starting with an empty vehicle, gamers add componentssuch as sensors, weapons and engines. Players wire the componentstogether and set their properties using an innovative visual programmingsystem before entering the vehicles in the 3D competitions. Gamers mayalso share their custom robots over email or through website competitions.

Our customers have proven their mettle in other games with fast reflexesand great aim,” said Scott Draeker, president of Loki. “We are nowextremely pleased to present a new challenge. Their creativity andproblem-solving skills will be called to task in this unique andaddictive game.”

About CogniToy

CogniToy was formed in 1997. They are a privately financed independentdeveloper/publisher of “intelligent toys for intelligent minds”.’MindRover: The Europa Project” is their first product, currentlyavailable on Win95/98/NT. For more information visithttp://www.cognitoy.com.

About Loki Software, Inc.

Founded in 1998, CA, Loki works with leading game publishers anddevelopers to port their best-selling PC and Macintosh titles to Linux.Loki meets a pent-up need in the Linux community by providingfully-supported, shrink-wrapped games for sale through traditional retailchannels. Other titles from Loki include Quake III Arena, Civilization:Call to Power and Railroad Tycoon II. For more information visithttp://www.lokigames.com.