SimHQ.com

September 30,=20 1997

- Changed the look of the nav = bar. Let=20 me know what you think. I'll be modifying the page soon to = reflect=20 what you are in. Check back soon.

- Noticed that Eidos=20 Interactive has put up new screenshots for Flying Nightmares 2. These were added on = Sept 22/97.=20 I must say that they look really good. I like the smoke and = fire=20 from the explosion. The snow looks also convincing.

- = The=20 "Release List" has been updated due to date changes for the=20 following products: Janes' Longbow 2, NovaLogic's F-22 = Raptor and=20 Armoured Fist 2, SSI's Buccaneer, Sierra's Earthsiege 3 and=20 X-Fighters.

September 29,=20 1997

- There are some = new=20 screenshots from Janes' Longbow 2 over at OGR. They've = been up=20 since the 17th of Sept. but I never noticed them. Special = Thanks to=20 T1000=99 for the info.

- Updated links to show SSI's = Buccaneer.=20 Updated "Release List". I also noticed they had a demo available, although it's = non-interactive.=20

- Good news for Naval fans! I got this bit of news = from OGR about a = possible=20 naval sim developed by Sonalysts, Inc. These are the same = people who=20 developed 688i Hunter Killer from Janes Combat Simulations. = Here's=20 part of the Virtual Pilot column:

Rumor = also has it=20 that Sonalysts, Inc., the makers of 688(I) = Hunter/Killer are=20 submitting the final design specs to Electronic = Arts/Janes=20 Combat Simulations for another contemporary naval = simulation,=20 this time centered around the US Navy's Aegis cruiser. = According to unnamed sources, players will be able to = control=20 every aspect of the ultra-modern cruiser, even going = so far as=20 to order up and monitor aircraft flying off the deck = of a=20 nearby Nimitz class aircraft carrier. Considering = their wealth=20 of expertise, previous DoD-related experience and the = first=20 class effort put forth in the production of 688(I), = I'm sure=20 their upcoming Aegis sim will go down as one of the = most=20 accurate and faithful portrayals of contemporary naval = combat=20 this industry has ever = seen.

They also talk about a new = pirate sailing=20 sim from SSI called Buccaneer.

- PCME has a = review of Fighters Anthology by Janes Combat = Simulations.

- Combat SImulations has a hands-on=20 preview of Flying Corps Gold from Empire = Software.=20 Some of the screenshots look really impressive.

- NovaLogic's=20 Armoured Fist 2 should be in stores Oct=20 9/97.

- At this moment, Sept 21/97 = to Sept=20 27/97 archive is lost!..... Sorry. =20 :(

September 20,=20 1997

- No news! =20 :-(

September 19,=20 1997

- The "Release List" has been=20 updated.

- Fighters Anthology from Janes Combat = Simulations is apparently out in=20 stores.

September 18,=20 1997

- Here some tank sim news. Combat = Simulation=20 has a preview of M1 Tank Platoon2 from Microprose. One=20 interesting quote I noticed was "This will be the first = installment=20 of a modular "virtual battlefield" series."

- PCME has a = first of a 2=20 two part preview of Joint Strike Fighter from Eidos=20 Interactive. Big thanks to Rod White from PCME for = telling me=20 that this sim WILL be 3Dfx accelerated. With hat news, this = sim just=20 went up a few notches on my most wanted list.=20 :-)

September 17,=20 1997

- Updated the = "Release=20 List".

- Received an email from LucasArts = saying:

"LucasArts is very=20 pleased to announce that Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II = has been=20 approved for manufacturing and is expected to be in = stores=20 October 9."

- Mission=20 Studios will be releasing another JetFighter 3. It will = be the=20 Platinum Edition. This will contain new = features but=20 the one that stands out is a mission editor. Go check it for = more=20 info.
I also noticed in the "Platinum Edition / Rendition Announcement" = that they=20 mention a JetFighter IV. I'm going to guess that it will be = based=20 the new Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. This will be the = trend in=20 1998 IMO. Same as the F-22 was the trend this year.

- = Parsoft, = which is=20 developing Fighter Squadron: The Screamin' Demons over = Europe,=20 has updated their web site for this WW2 flight sim and they = also=20 added new screenshots. This sim will be distributed by Activision. All I=20 can say about the pix is, OUCH! This one is definitely on = top of my=20 list.

September 16,=20 1997

- Computer Games Online has a preview of = Eidos=20 Interactive's Joint Strike=20 Fighter.

September 15,=20 1997

- Here's something to read. Computer = Gaming World=20 has a a column entitled "Building the Perfect Sim".

- Saw at = PCGamer = that Jedi=20 Knight should be release October 9/97. It's about time! = ;-)

-=20 There's a review of DID's EF2000 at Computer Games Online.

- The = "Release List"=20 has been = updated.

September 14,=20 1997

- iF-16 from Interactive Magic will be released on = Monday Sept=20 15. This is according to Combat Simulations. They also have a = review on=20 if based on the UK version, not that there's any difference = with the=20 North American version. BTW, I have heard of this = release date=20 somewhere else....I just don't remember where.=20 :-)

September 13,=20 1997

- There's a review of MS Flight Simulator 98 at Microwings. A=20 special thanks goes out to my good friend, Robert = Litchfield, for=20 letting me know about it. My apologies Rob! He gave me this = info=20 yesterday and I just forgot about it.

- For you = submarine=20 and naval sim fans out there, Here's something I cut out of = the=20 Flight sim column at OGR called "Virtual Pilot". Here's the quote talking = about=20 SSI:

"Rumors=20 continue to circulate that SSI is prepared to sign an=20 exclusive deal with a major author to produce a = contemporary=20 naval combat simulation. Unnamed sources have also = indicated=20 that the company plans on ramping up their simulation = arm in a=20 big way come 1998. Purportedly, a series of World War = II=20 combat simulations are in the works as well as a = sequel to=20 Silent Hunter, this time around focusing on undersea = action in=20 the cold North Atlantic. Supposedly both titles will = encompass=20 the entire war from start to finish, perhaps including = some of=20 the venerable experimental aircraft and submarines = that never=20 got a chance to muster=20 out."

I added 2 titles from SSI in = the "Release=20 List", untitled of course. I also updated the "naval"=20 section.

- Just something to make you think. Ever = notice that=20 why you first start a Janes Combat Sim product, there's that = animation at the beginning, you know, the sub, the F-15, and = Apache.=20 Have any of you noticed that, so far, most of the vehicles = in that=20 animation have come out or are soon to be released in the = next few=20 months. I looked closely at the opening anim. on a few = products and=20 noticed it changed. With 688i Hunter Killer, they have now = added a=20 prop. plane flying by. Then, they annouced they were working = on a=20 WWII flight sim. Hmmmm! Now look closely, in all of Janes' = products,=20 there are 2 soldiers in black coming down from the lamp. A = possible=20 Seal Team 2. I think so. As a matter of fact, I happened to = get info=20 from someone in Janes=20 Combat Sim that it was in the planning stages. This was = almost a=20 year ago.It seems like this project (if it exists!) is very=20 secretive. Guess we'll have to wait and see.

- I went = looking=20 around ay Zombie=20 VR's web site and found a little text that seems very=20 encouraging....depending if you like this sort of stuff like = Spec=20 Ops. It said "Spec Ops - US Army Rangers(tm) - the first in = a series=20 of hyper-realistic custom 3D military titles". OHH! Does = that mean=20 they might do a Navy Seal type sim eventually. Let's hope = so, I=20 liked Seal Team from EA so I wouldn't mind seeing another = version=20 with the same quality visuals as Spec Ops.

- Geez, = more Combat = Simulations,=20 they have an interview with the Lead Producer at Zombie VR. = They talk=20 about Spec Ops: US Army Ranger and there are = also some=20 really incredible screenshots, 3Dfx enhanced of = course.

- On=20 of the editors at Combat Simulations gives a small=20 review of Sabre Ace. He tried it out at the ECTS show. = He didn't=20 seem too impressed, calling it a ATF type sim. Ouch, I have = a=20 feeling quite a few people will be disappointed.

- = There is=20 an interview over at Combat = Simulations=20 with one of the programmers at Innerloop. These guys are developing Joint = Strike=20 Fighter which is being distributed by Eidos=20 Interactive. It's hard to believe, judging by the = screenshots,=20 that this sim is NOT 3D accelerated. Very impressive=20 graphics!

- Also at Combat Simulations, there is an update on = Flying=20 Nightmares by Eidos Interactive. I'm starting to find = there are=20 too many sims out there.....Nah! :-)

- I noticed on = Voodoo = Extreme=20 that there is an AVI=20 of Flight Simulator 98 at Microsoft. It's almost 11MB and = lasts=20 about a minute.

- For you 3Dfx card owners, there is = a new=20 Glide 2.42 driver as well as a new miniGL driver for GLQuake = over at=20 3Dfx. = Here's the link=20 to go to the driver section. This link will take you to = the Download GLQuake Patch page. They also = have a new=20 reference Direct3D 2.13 driver that supports DirectX 5 but I = would=20 recommend waiting for your card manufacturer to bring out a = new=20 driver specifically for your card. This is why they state at = the top=20 of the page, "3Dfx Interactive reference drivers are = unsupported.=20 Supported drivers can be obtained from your board=20 = manufacturer."

September 12,=20 1997

- Once again, the good folks = at PCME have an = update=20 (These guys are really on the ball when it comes to flight=20 sims).This time it's on Virgin's Sabre Ace. Click here for = the update. Seems like it will be released = sometime=20 mid-October. I also updated the "Release List" showing the=20 15th.

- I just thought i'd mention this new = equipment. Here's=20 the latest from CH=20 Products for racing sims, It's their new CH Racing=20 System.

- Serious about your sims? Then check = this page=20 out, Desk = Top=20 Simulators. Better make some room in your house or = apartment,=20 just don't tell your wife or girlfriend what you making room = for.=20 BTW, I'm taking donations, I'm trying to get that = Thunderseat F-16D=20 at $59,000.... maybe I'll be able to get it when I retire.=20 ;-)

September 11,=20 1997

- On off on off, and now it's = on! Seems=20 like Sierra can't=20 decide if Red Baron II will be 3Dfx accelerated. At http://hyperactive.com/index2.html, they = said that=20 it will be in a form of a patch that will be released later. = Here's=20 the complete story and preview.

- A few = online=20 magazines have stated that Flight Simulator 98 from Microsoft will be=20 available next week. We'll see if the upgrade, I mean new = product=20 really does ship. ;-)

- PCME has loads of screenshots and info on a few of Eidos=20 Interactive flight sims due out soon or in the next few = months.=20 Most of the shots are from Joint Strike Fighter and Flying=20 Nightmares 2.

- Just updated the "Release List". = Most Eidos=20 titles were changed. =

September 10,=20 1997

- This is kind of late but = Gamecenter=20 has a "sneak peek" of Virgin's Sabre Ace. Click here to go take a look.

- Saw on Gamepower that they=20 have a preview of CART Precision Racing from Microsoft. They = also=20 have a Vivio video of the sim in action, just look for it in = the=20 Video Multiplex section.

- Updated most of the = links.
-=20 added the "Racing" section in the nav bar.
- Added the = "Release=20 List" in the nav bar.
- I am also working on adding = pictures for=20 each section as well as for the top. Should be done by this = weekend,=20 I hope. :-)

September 9,=20 1997

- Holy helicopters, PCME has = some new=20 screenshots of Janes' Longbow 2. These shots are = incredible and=20 are using the = 3Dfx.

September 8,=20 1997

- Saw that PMCE had a = screenshot of F-16 Aggressors. Let's hope = that=20 Virgin will finally get some pages up about it and also = Sabre Ace.=20 Hell, why not their whole "Virgin Ace" line which also = includes=20 Phantom Ace and possibly an Eagle Ace. Come on=20 guys!

September 7,=20 1997

- Going to spend more time = working on=20 this site... I promise.=20 :-)

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