Even if you aren't the crazy, self-sacrificing DIY programmer type, any ETQW fan can appreciate that a full SDK means new, full maps and mods are on their way. Now if only those crazy, self-sacrificing DIY programmer types would get off their asses and do some coding...

Final ETQW Software Development Kit Released [etqw]

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)
Control Link with your stylus as he sets sail for a new adventure in this follow up to Wind Waker.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (PC)
Take out the Strogg online.

NBA Live 08 (X360, PS3, PS2, WII, PSP)
The latest NBA game from EA.

NBA 2K8 (X360, PS3, PS2)
Ever notice these things always come in pairs?

Project Gotham Racing 4 (X360)
PGR returns for a fourth round of racing action.

RACE 07 - The WTCC Game (PC)
A racing game for the PC. See, I told you they come in pairs.

MLB Power Pros (WII, PS2)
Little big headed people playing baseball imported from Japan.

Spider-Man: Friend or Foe (X360, PC, PS2, WII, PSP, DS)
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Crash of the Titans (X360, PS2, WII, DS)
Crash Bandicoot spins his way on to the 360 and a possible new career.

Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow (PSP)
Gabe Logan comes out the other side of a Dark Mirror and finds his own Shadow.

Hour of Victory (PC)
World War II gets another workout in this FPS.

FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage (X360)
We like the cars, the cars that go boom.

The Chosen - Well of Souls (PC)
Defeat the evil wizard and his hordes of monsters. The classics never die.

Anyone who completes the download, hit the comments and let us know the size, experience, etc. Because we want details. And we want you to do our job for us. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Download it here

The Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars PC demo is now available from the game's official site: http://www.enemyterritory.com/. Head to the "download demo" tab for a list of local mirrors. You can also view a list of available mirrors at this site:http://community.enemyterritory.com/index.php?q=node/130.

The Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars PC Demo (Multiplayer & Single-Player) comes with the final version of Valley, one of the larger battlegrounds in the game. Set in Yosemite, California, Valley has the Global Defense Force on the attack, as they attempt to foil a Strogg contamination plot centering on a water treatment facility. Valley features a great blend of close quarters infantry action, vehicle battles and aircraft dogfights, and the varied terrain combining mountains, waterways, tunnels and industrial structures allows for many different playing styles. To top it all off, there's a multitude of optional side missions and plenty of opportunities to try out the various defense turrets, artillery and radar deployables - Valley is a prime example of the frantic and diverse action you'll find in Enemy
Territory: QUAKE Wars.

If you want to learn more about Valley, read our Valley Map Guide
(http://community.enemyterritory.com/index.php?q=node/91) for a full run-down of the team objectives, secondary missions and a host of tactical tips for getting the most out of the various GDF and Strogg weapons, items, deployables and vehicles.

The Demo also features ETQW's bots, so you can explore the map and gameplay in single-player mode with computer-controlled opponents...

Gamers can play online multiplayer against humans or offline against bots as well as host their own online games or LAN shindigs via the Enemy Territory: Quake Wars demo. And speaking of shindigs, it won't get much more happenin' than the IRC party scheduled for Monday's kick off, which will be attended by members of id, Splash Damage and Activision.

The PC system requirements have also been finalized, so check them out, just in case you find yourself in need of a quick weekend hardware upgrade.

Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars PC Demo Soon - Details Inside! [ET:QW Community]

And it makes sense, after all Splash Damage started out as a mod group, one that landed the multiplayer aspect of Return to Castle Wolfenstein. After completing the game, which was released for free, they landed the full triple-A retail build of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars.

"When Wolfenstein Enemy Territory was released it proved there was a market for a pure multiplayer combat game," Wedgewood said. " Enemy Territory: Quake Wars tried to break down boundaries."

Wedgewood said the current office remains to their modding roots despite their triple-A aspirations.

"The office is still essentially a mode team culturally, though we are more efficient now," he said.

For instance, the team spent nine months "screwing up the technology " for this new game, as Wedgewood described it, before they went to John Carmack, hat in hand, to tell him they had screwed up the technology.

"He fixed it in about nine minutes," Wedgewood said.

He said that while both Quake Wars and Wolfenstein have a lot of core similarities, one is not simply a mod of the other.

The biggest difference is that Quake Wars is a much deeper game one that, while multiplayer, is still very story driven. Specifically, the map creation is all based on a pre-Quake storyline. The game will ship with 12 maps spread over four campaigns located each on different continents. Each of those maps will be based on key battles central to the storyline.

Wedgewood said he also hoped to create a game, with Quake Wars, that gave gamers an experience that was deeper than the typical shooter.

"The typical gamers' experience was that they would run around and shoot at people, and hope to hit them and then they stand by a flag for awhile," he said. "I always wanted to give experiences to games that matched what the outside of game boxes said."

In Quake Wars you can play the game and have fun without firing a bullet. You can build turrets, you can parachute from cliffs, you can drive helicopters and yes.. you can still shoot each other.

The entire is based on a strong infantry combat system, one that stripped away the complexity of the game by relying on a subtly deep interface that relied on a point and click command system.

The system automatically follows along with what's happening in the multiplayer matches to create missions for the right types of units. Telling them, for instance, when they need to take out specific targets, construct things like radar or anti-aircraft artillery or help transport someone.

But it's also not a game that nerfs the controls to the point that it isn't worth playing for serious gamers. Afterall, all of the design team, up to and including the president of the company, are hardcore gamers. Wedgewood himself was one of the original members of one of the original Quake Clans. And the team, all of the team, are constantly play-testing the game.

"They're obsessive," he said. "They'll count the number of footsteps between different points in the game."

Wedgewood showed off different maps in the game, playing, perhaps a bit more than necessary, through different classes to show that you can have fun in the game without even firing a gun. He also demonstrates, out of hand, how effortlessly good he is at wailing in the game with a gun. Wedgewood stops his play only once, after Mark and I get a little too obsessed with a mosquito buzzing the room and another Splash Damage team member flattens it with his palm.

"Hey, don't kill it, that's bad Karma. I'm a vegetarian," he explains, seemingly unaware of the irony.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars will be hitting the PC on October 2, id Software announced today during their keynote at Quake Con 2007.

Now word yet on when the title will be shipping for the PS3 and Xbox 360. One more reason to save up your money for this fall.

ID SOFTWARE CONFIRMS LAUNCH DATE FOR
ENEMY TERRITORY: QUAKE WARS (WINDOWS PC) AT QUAKECON 2007

Santa Monica, CA - Aug. 3, 2007 - Gamers in attendance at QuakeCon 2007 were rewarded with a special announcement when id Software and Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) unveiled that Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars™ Windows PC will be on EU store shelves on September 28, 2007 and North American store shelves beginning October 2, 2007. The game, which is in development by Splash Damage, pits the armies of Earth's Global Defense Force (GDF) against the invading alien Strogg in the multiplayer strategic shooter that transports players to the front lines of an epic new war for Earth.

Offering the ultimate in objective-based multiplayer action either online or offline with bots, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars is set within the expansive QUAKE® universe in the year 2065. Gamers choose to play as the human GDF or alien Strogg in one of five unique character classes. Employing an arsenal of weapons, vehicles and deployable armaments, players engage in an action-packed test of skill and coordinated teamwork through a series of combat objectives. Persistent character growth and achievements reward players for teamwork, while clearly defined mission and class objectives guide new players to meaningful contributions on the battlefield.

Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars is also in development for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft (Nerve Software) and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system (Activision Foster City).

Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars has been rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB.

Beta 2.0 for Enemy Territories: Quake Wars is going live today. The new beta will include a new map, wider access and plenty of extra features:

• New Map: Valley (temperate climate, GDF-offensive map)
• Wider Access: All current ETQW Fileplanet Beta participants, plus an additional first-come/first-serve 20K participants will be eligible to join
• Offline play against the computer mode added
• Improvements to bots, game physics, audio and game interface
• Punkbuster added
• LAN game support added
• Player statistics tracking and leaderboards added at http://stats.enemyterritory.com
• Unranked server support included

Get it while it's hot over at File Planet.

File Planet

Activision was one of the many companies showing off their E3 wares at last month's gathering of Game Critic judges in Santa Monica. While typically the stuff we saw out there is under embargo until next week, Activision made an exception for Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, lifting the embargo on the short demonstration today.

From what I saw of the playthrough, the game is at its heart, of course, Enemy Territory. That is to say, it doesn't appear that Splash Damage reinvented the wheel when they decided to make an Enemy Territory game set in the world of Quake. Which is a good thing.

Instead of Germans versus Americans or the British, the game pits Allied troops versus the Strogg. And, thankfully, that doesn't just mean that the two look differently, they play differently as well. Each side has different bases, character, vehicles and weapons. This is true of everything from the sort of large weapon attacks you can call in (a Hammer Missile Launcher for the GDF or an orbital Plasma Mortar attack for the Strogg) to the way you might play a character class.

While they didn't show a medic in action, the GDF uses them in a traditional sense, healing up character, while the Strogg Technician can use a GDF corpse as a host body for a future Strogg spawn point. Each side has five different character classes.

As with the previous Enemy Territory, Quake Wars is a a strategic game that has you fighting over territories while you fight to hold your front line.

The two most impressive things I noticed in the gameplay demo was the interesting weapon selection, from the hand weapons to the vehicles and deployables the game includes, (any game that has mech walkers can't help but be fun) and the graphics.

The graphics were really impressive. Splash Damage used id Software's new MegaTexture rendering technology to create impressively large outdoor environments. The one we saw took place in a wilderness setting with a clearing surrounded by forested hill and you could actually run around in those trees. The game also allows for day and night battles and includes weather, we're told.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars certainly doesn't reinvent the Enemy Territory franchise but it puts one hell of a luster on it and gives it a setting that allows the new look and feel to shine.

Maybe this is the year I should finally make my way to QuakeCon to check out all of the coolness going on in my old stomping grounds. (Texas, not Quake).

This year's QuakeCon will be home to the first ever sanctioned tournament of upcoming shooter Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars. It will also host a Quad Damage tourney that will see pro PC gamers playing against one another in all four Quake games.

More than 6,000 gamers are expected at the four-day event which takes place in Mesquite, Texas from Aug. 2 through Aug. 5. The total purse for this year's QuakeCon will be $100,000, thanks to sponsor NVIDIA. Hit the jump for the press release. Brian Crecente

ALL-NEW COMPETITIONS IN NVIDIA CHAMPIONSHIPS AT QUAKECON 2007

MESQUITE, Texas - June 26, 2007 - The NVIDIA Championships at QuakeCon 2007 will be ground zero for never-before-seen gaming competitions with the first sanctioned tournament of id Software's new landmark game, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars; and the first ever "Quad Damage" tournament spanning all four QUAKE games. The tournaments will take place during the 12th annual QuakeCon which is being held at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas from August 2-5. More than 6,000 gamers from around the world are expected to attend the four-day event. The total QuakeCon Championship Tournament purse will be $100,000, courtesy of title sponsor NVIDIA.

"This years QuakeCon is shaping up to be the best one yet," said Roy Taylor, vice president of developer relations at NVIDIA. "With the first ever 'Quad Damage' tournament, more attendees than ever before and the best gaming hardware on display, QuakeCon 2007 is guaranteed to be the gaming event of the year!"

"For over 10 years gamers have debated who the best overall QUAKE player is, and this year we're giving our competitors the chance to stake that claim in our world exclusive Quad Damage tournament," said Todd Hollenshead, CEO, id Software. "We're also giving teams the chance to be crowned the first ever Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars champions, and thanks to NVIDIA's $100,000 total prize purse, the competition will be more intense than ever."

Following is the tournament line up:

Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars
Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars makes its tournament debut at QuakeCon 2007. 32 teams will compete in the incredible battles between Earth's Global Defense Force (GDF) and the invading alien Strogg. Each 6-person team will battle it out in a double-elimination bracket-style tournament, with each team having the opportunity to both attack and defend. With a focus on objective and class-based gameplay, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars will test each team's ability to combine skill, strategy, and teamwork in tournament play like never before.

QUAKE Quad-Damage Tournament
This year brings a new twist to QuakeCon's classic 1 vs. 1 competition with the inaugural Quad Damage Tournament. Spanning all four QUAKE games, this year's champion will need to be a master of a variety of weapons, maps, and play-styles - from QUAKE's lightening fast action and dominating rocket launcher, to the more strategic gameplay and precision weapons found in the later QUAKE games. 256 contestants will be divided into 4 man groups with each player battling the others in a set of round-robin 1 vs 1 matches. Two phases of round robin play will reduce the competition down to the top 32 players, who will then battle it out in a single-elimination, best of 3 bracket to determine who is truly the QUAKE Master.

More information, including map names, prize money distribution, detailed format and rules, and sign-ups for both tournaments will be available very shortly at www.quakecon.org.

As previously stated, you need not be a FilePlanet subscriber to take part in the public beta. However, if you're desperate to join and want to ensure that you're one of the lucky 60,000 a membership will certainly help your chances. Michael McWhertor

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Beta [FilePlanet]

When the team-based first person shooter does ship, it will have one feature that will supposedly help pay for the half-decade of development—in-game ads. Neil Postlethwaite of Splash Damage says it's not all bad:

ETQW will feature appropriate advertisements in select locations of our levels. The ads aren't intrusive and you won't have to interact with them; they'll just be part of the normal environment. In fact, there are some places it's quite odd not to have an advertisement - the sides of container trucks, for example. Great care is being taken to ensure that all our ads are appropriate for the game world and we have absolute approval rights in this area. If it's not appropriate or it's distracting, it won't go in.

I feel ever so slightly soothed. It's better than swapping out gun meshes for tacos, that's for damn sure. Michael McWhertor

A Word About In-Game Ads [Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Community]

FilePlanet subscribers have first dibs on the beta, as they're given priority in the queue, but the ET:QW public beta is open to all.

While the beta should in no way be confused for a proper demo, anyone with an interest should read on for more details. This is the kind of thing that looks great on a résumé. Michael McWhertor

Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars Public Beta First Details [ETQW Community via 1UP]

id Software today confirmed that PC shooter Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is heading to both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

The Playstation 3 version will be developed by Z-Axis while the 360 version will be developed by Nerve Software.

Z-Axis Games' last, and I believe only title, was X-Men: The Official Game, while Nerve Software worked on Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War and developed the multiplayer for the original RTCW with id and Gray Matter Interactive.

I'm not sure why id went with two different companies on this instead of just farming them both out to one. A sign of things to come perhaps? Brian Crecente

Santa Monica, CA - Feb. 13, 2007 - The war between the GDF and Strogg will soon be igniting on next-generation consoles as id Software and Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today confirmed that Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars , the team-based first person action title, and already one of the most anticipated new properties of 2007 is coming to next-gen platforms. In this epic multiplayer-focused game, players can choose to defend humanity as a part of the Global Defense Force (GDF) or destroy it as a merciless Strogg alien invader. Under the executive production of id Software, Nerve Software is developing Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, while Z-Axis is the developer for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system.

"We're pleased to be working with Nerve and Z-Axis to bring the highly-anticipated gameplay from Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars to the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system," said Todd Hollenshead, CEO, id Software.

Winner of more than 15 awards in 2006 and already selected as one of the most anticipated new titles in 2007 by more than eight publications, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars is being developed for the Windows PC by Splash Damage - the Nerve Software and Z-Axis console versions will also feature strategic team play, persistent character promotions and online stats tracking. Players choose to battle as one of five unique classes in either the conventionally armed GDF army or the futuristic Strogg invasion force, each outfitted with specialist weapons and combat hardware. In this adrenaline pumping fight for survival, warring forces utilize a variety of different vehicles, deployable structures, and defense systems including quad-bikes, tanks, and alien walkers for epic ground assaults; or helicopters and anti-gravity ships to unleash airborne attacks. Throughout each battle, teams establish bases, deploy defense structures, artillery, radar, and advanced forward-command systems into enemy territory while constructing and demolishing obstacles to speed progress and gain a tactical advantage over the opponent. Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars features 16-player battles on the console systems, delivering the ultimate team-and objective-based multiplayer experience.

Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

These Enemy Territory: Quake Wars screens just landed on my desktop. While they're not completely new (they've been used for other marketing and PR purposes), I don't recall seeing them before, so here you go. Some of these have to be art, not screenshots, despite what the email said. Brian Crecente

It's just the two, but I'm excited enough about Enemy Territory: Quake Wars for it still to matter for me. I'm sure there must be others of my kind out there. Brian Crecente

Two spanky new screenshots for Enemy Territory: Quake Wars found there way to me last night. Hit the jump for the second. Brian Crecente

I'm an Unreal Tournament man. I like the speed, I like the weapons, I like playing an extraterrestrial bovine with a bazooka on my back. I haven't like Quake style deathmatch since Quake 2 ruined it and never looked back.

Still, early impressions of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars have been very positive, so I've been looking forward to giving it a spin later this year. Alas, Babylon. It is not to be, says Lead Game Designer Paul Wedgwood. The title has been pushed back to 2007, giving Unreal Tournament 2007 a bit of a leg-up on its most obvious competitor. Florian Eckhardt

Paul Wedgwood's Developer Diary [Gamespy]

IGN got their grubby little paws on some new exclusive screens of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars. The images are amazing, and now almost certain I'm going to be running out to upgrade my computer around when this bad boy hits.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars [IGN]