SimonB writes "gbadev.org is hosting its yearly game development competition (for the GameBoy Advance), with a deadline in just under a month from now. What is different (and exciting!) about this competition is the fact that the winning entries will be made into a multi-game compilation and 500 cartridges will be manufactured complete with cartridge label, full color box, and manual. The finalized game will be sold to break-even and the aim is for the game to cost just under $14US with shipping included. Visit 2004mbit.gbadev.org for more information."

gnoos writes "The BBC is reporting that this month gamers will get the chance to compete in a $1M tournament. The CPL World Tour will stage a 'Pop Idol type competition' to find competitors for the world's most lucrative tournament, and signups end on Friday." We've previously reported on this tournament and the decision on a game.

mjxg writes "Halo 2 has finally hit the shelves for hardcore fans. VNUnet speaks about the long lines and the 12:01am release that many stores participated in. Many people obtained the Limited Collector's Edition. Eventually we'll get word of the final first day sales to see if Halo 2 can top the sales charts for the year, or possibly become the most popular console game in history. It is already estimated to top the all-time opening day entertainment sales charts."

Thanks to Gamemethod, who writes "We took a few days last week to go to the Nintendo Enthusiast Summit , to check out the hot newness. In the lineup were some DS final impressions along with a host of game previews and galleries."

Rogerpq3 writes "id Software animator Fred Nilsson has decided to leave the company and head back to Hollywood to work for Dreamworks. Fred joined id Software during the development of the Quake III mission pack "Team Arena", but his main work at id concentrated around the animation for their blockbuster hit DOOM III. Unlike the rest of the id crew, Fred could regularly be found on Quake3 game servers and he always hangs on IRC. In 1995 he moved out to Northern California to work at a company called PDI/Dreamworks. He worked on such films as The Arrival, Antz and Shrek. "Fredo", as he's known online, was a prominent figure at the QuakeCon 2003 and 2004 events. In 2003 he was one of the id Software employees taking part in the Quake3 id challenge tourney and in 2004 he participated in a Doom3 id challenge contest. In a interview with PlanetQuake3.net a few years back, Fred discussed how he went about getting his job at id. The entire id Software fan base wishes Fred the best with his new job and thanks him for all his hard work."

Everyone and their brother wrote in to mention to us that the World of Warcraft Open Beta has begun, breaking Fileplanet in the process. The WoW community site has also been hammered into a whimpering ball, and the normal version is down in favour of a simple black page of text. The torrent to download the game is still up but if you're looking to join you'd best be signing up soon. The Open Beta is a first-come first-serve affair. For our friends across the pond, IGN has details on the European Beta Test, which sounds like it will be a profitable venture for Blizzard. From my experience, if you are at all interested in fantasy gaming this one will knock your socks off.

Though it's being drowned out by the Halo 2 news, Everquest 2 officially launches today. RPG Vault has a review available for perusal, GamerFeed has a hands on look, and if you're looking for crunchy, low fat coverage Gamespy has an interview with Heather Graham about her role in the game. If you're already tripping the light fantastic in Qeynos check out GamerGod's Qeynos Quest feature, or just cut out the middle man and look forward to the first content on Allakhazam. Finally, F13 provides usefully cynical commentary about the beta and launch of the game.

Gamespot has the story that after months in limbo, Warren Spector has left his role as Studio Director at Ion Storm. Despite his disconnection from Ion Storm, he will apparently still have ties to Eidos. From the Article: "Warren has chosen to pursue personal interests outside the company, but he will continue to work for Eidos as an IP consultant."

GamesIndustry.biz has the story that Microsoft Game Studios will be porting games to the Gizmondo handheld device. The "handheld console" is set to recieve some of the Microsoft greats, such as Age of Empires and Mechwarrior. From the article: "The system runs Microsoft's Windows CE operating system, which may explain in part the software giant's willingness to support it."

Courthold writes "After a very long period of downtime, Adventuredevelopers.com has returned, filling the void for all amateur adventure game creators out there. It returns fully equipped with many new articles, and a forum to share your ideas and work with others in the community. Adventuredevelopers is part of the Lucasfan Network (lfnetwork.com) along with other sites such as AdventureGamers and Mixnmojo. Hopefully this site along with others will help revive the long lost genre that is adventure games."

Ryan Barrett writes "Credits have been posted for the I Love Bees alternate reality game. As many suspected, its puppetmasters included Sean Stewart, Jordan Weisman, and Elan Lee, who created the game The Beast for the movie AI. Many of the principle members of Cloudmakers also participated, one of whom was the voice of Melissa. Sean, Jordan, and Elan have founded a company, 4orty2wo Entertainment, to continue producing ARGs. I don't know about you, but I'm very excited."

Timmeh writes "bit-tech.net has the worklog from a Half-Life 2 inspired case mod, as comissioned by Gabe Newell. The PC mod was done by the same guy that did the original Blackmesa case mod."

SilentChris writes "As of 3 PM EST, major websites were finally 'permitted' to release their reviews of Halo 2. The verdict: near perfect scores. Check out reviews by Gamespot, IGN, and GameSpy. Bungie has done it again!"

An article on Blue's News brings the happy news that a third game in the Dragon's Lair franchise is in the works. There are screens, a press release, and a demo of the game to be had. From the press release: "Dirk the Daring, the brave yet bumbling knight, is ready to venture back into the Lair in this adventure! The Evil Wizard Mordroc has again kidnapped the fair Princess Daphne and Dirk is her only hope. Save the princess, defeat Mordroc, and watch out for the treachery that lies at every step!" Good to know the genre hasn't changed since the last game.

wolrahnaes writes "It's finally available to the public. According to a post on The Valve ERC Collective, the tools needed to create maps and mods for Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike: Source, and other Source engine based titles are now available on Steam. Some documentation is available here."

larsoncc writes "Emulation is a great way to preserve past game systems, but what if you could keep these digital dinosaurs running for decades? Well, you can, and some of us do. It's not easy for me to 'let go' of that vintage (circa 1978) Magnavox Odyssey2, or toss my Atari 7800 in the closet because I don't have a power supply. Here's my article to help you solve common problems with 15 different systems, and general tips for the others. Viva la TI-99/4a!!"

commiesubverter writes "Slate.com has an article up about humor in games. It's a decent summary of where the gaming industry has been and is going with its humor. From the article: 'Comedy is typically marginalized into background sight gags and interstitial cut scenes. Even games that generally strive to be funny incorporate humor into window dressing: In Grand Theft Auto, you can sow mayhem while listening to a mock-NPR that's broadcasting a roundtable discussion on violence.'"

The drive to be an evil genius is an easily understandable one. Riches, power, eventual fame, and plenty of minions to order around are just some of the perks of the vocation. Vivendi's Evil Genius (flash required) gives you the opportunity to exercise your lust for worldly power in a seriously stylish way. A rich musical score, tons of polish, and enough dastardly deeds to keep even Dr. Claw happy are the game's high points. An overabundance of micromanagement and a lack of proper GUI interaction marrs what have could been a classic in the strategy genre. Read on for a more in-depth examination of the first real-time strategy game whose tag line could have been "Mwahahahahahahahaha!"

I spent several hours this week poring through Gordon Laing's beautiful book Digital Retro , and it's one I'm sure to return to at odd moments, the same way I like to flip through old copies of The Whole Earth Catalog. Digital Retro represents years of research into a 14-year stretch of personal computing history, distilling that effort into a work that is graphically appealing, but also an informative, informal historical look at the machines it celebrates (all 40 of them). Depending in part on what year you were born (and at what age computers entered the picture) you may recognize most of these machines, or only a few -- it's an equally fun read either way. Read on for the rest of my review.

GamesIndustry.biz editor Rob Fahey has an editorial discussing how the games industry is beginning to find its own voice alongside the move and music businesses. He uses the hype and launch of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas as an example of the increasing popular culture acceptance of games and gaming. From the Article: "The videogames industry is fond of comparing itself with the movie and music industries - as long as the figures show it in a positive light, of course. For years, a host of slightly dodgy statistics have been dragged out at the drop of a hat to prove that videogames generate more revenue than rival mediums, usually missing such crucial points as the fact that movies generate both box office and DVD/video revenues."