Paradox Interactive announces TRAINZ: The Complete Collection is now on track for purchase in North American stores. The original shipping announcement, and the Trainz Product Section each mention GamersGate, but the bundle is not actually being sold there, just in stores. Word is:

New York, USA (June 10, 2008) Next stop North America! Paradox Interactive is delighted to confirm that TRAINZ: The Complete Collection has begun shipping to stores across North America.

The most comprehensive railroad simulation compels you to take on the role of driver aboard coal, electric, diesel or Maglev propelled trains. Experience a myriad of scenic routes from around globe. Create, customize and define all route elements from: mission objectives, tracks layouts, scenery, train deployments, consist configurations, automated train journeys and much, much more.

Buy a ticket to the most engaging virtual journey you'll ever take. Immerse yourself in the magic of rail!

Shacknews has posted system requirements for Spore, EA Maxis' upcoming evolution game. They offer further details, but here's the overview, which seems pretty modest:

FOR WINDOWS XP
• 2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent
• 512 MB RAM
• A 128 MB Video Card, with support for Pixel Shader 2.0
• At least 6 GB of hard drive space

FOR WINDOWS VISTA
• 2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent
• 768 MB RAM
• A 128 MB Video Card, with support for Pixel Shader 2.0
• At least 6 GB of hard drive space

Joystiq reports an upcoming Q&A with Chris Easton will feature a small backtrack from indications that the new Prince of Persia game will not include cooperative multiplayer support, in spite of the inclusion of second main character. Word is: "There are no plans for co-op as of now, but we may explore the possibility." While that sounds hopeful, the number of games that drop co-op support after firmly committing to it makes it difficult to be optimistic about this.

PCGH has video from the Game Developer's Conference earlier this year, showing off ray tracing in Quake III Arena, Quake 4, and Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars using specially modified versions of each game. This is an academic exercise, but offers a nice primer on the benefits of ray tracing.

The TrackMania Forums have the release of a pair of "optional" patches for TrackMania Nations Forever and TrackMania United Forever (thanks Frans). Here's word on the update to the racing games straight from Nadeo:

Here is a fix (optional patch) for the game about various things like:
-improved checkpoint time deltas
-closing of application in laps mode
-hide to close modified in cam 3
-force opponent visible keep hide to close and set number
-very high shadow problems on some graphic boards
-reflections in desert water in more configurations
-259 to 260 medals crash removed
-fixed map browsing of personal campaign
-stereoscopic additional modes
-spectator cam fixes
-maniacode play_track on same track working
-update custom challenge score at download
-various small interface glitches

A new version 0.955 of Mount&Blade is now available, fixing a problem in the last patch that failed to update the game, so in some sense the version 0.955 offers version 0.954, which mostly consists of bug fixes. Thanks Gamer's Hell.

• Space Siege
  The Space Siege Q&A on GameSpot chats up Mike Marr about Gas Powered Games' upcoming science fiction action/RPG. Remember, in space no one can hear you scream, even if it's crunch time: "At this point in development we're putting the final touches on the game: incorporating feedback from beta testers, finalizing the game's balance, and making sure we've covered all the bases."
• Alone In The Dark
  Alone In The Dark's Polloni On Emergent Gameplay on Gamasutra is a conversation about the new installment in the series, learning about some of the steps taken to break free of some of the survival game conventions that the original Alone in the Dark helped to introduce.
• Armageddon Empires
  The Armageddon Empires Q&A on Big Download talks with Vic Davis about this card-collecting turn-based strategy game. they discuss the transition he's made to full-time developer, the game's rise to prominence, and even some gameplay tips.

• 4x4 Hummer on Big Download and GameZone.
• Cryostasis on Big Download and GameSpy.
• Death Track: Resurrection on Big Download and GameZone.
• Far Cry 2 on Eurogamer.
• King's Bounty: The Legend on RPG Vault.
• Men of War on Big Download.
• Necrovision on Big Download.
• Spider-Man: Web of Shadows on GameSpot.

• Silkroad Online on RPG Vault.

Golden Joystick Awards 2008 Nominees.

• The Golden Joystick Awards 2008 Home has this year's nominees.
• New give-away contest for Eagle Consus I-Series JBOD - RAID Enclosure on Top Review Shop.

• Dark Sector Xbox 360 Demo Available for Download.
• Don King Presents Prizefighter is now available for the Xbox 360.
• Break out of the Stadiums and onto the Streets in Activision's Upcoming Monster Jam Urban Assault. Thanks Mike Martinez.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Intel launches visual content, game site.
• Voodoo reveals the new Omen dream machine.
• Gates legacy filled with good, bad and ugly.
• Siriux, XM blast C3SR, defend lack of radio interoperability. Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Intel, others announce WiMAX patent alliance; Qualcomm absent.
• New PSP bundle announced.
• Japan's NEC offers to repair defective computers.
• God Of War studio quits PSP.
• Ubisoft still 'strongly supports' PSP.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Viacom flips YouTube the bird, sends Daily Show to Hulu.
• Is a New Digital Video Service Derailing Amazon.com?
• YouTube prank victim: Video apology insufficient.
• Disney to stream full-length films this summer.

• Microsoft patches 10 flaws with seven bulletins.
• Apple fixes security issues with QuickTime 7.5.
• Can computer scientist dream team clean up e-voting?
• Don't pump up the volume: Australian research. How about researching something that hasn't been clearly understood for decades?

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• A Swiss court rules Stranglehold video game not sufficiently violent to be banned.
• Chuck Norris drops lawsuit against university student. Thanks Mike Martinez and Slashdot.
• NY Pressures ISPs Into Blocking Child Porn Websites, News Groups.
• Microsoft hits 21 U.S. resellers with piracy lawsuits.
• Study: Data theft notification laws not stopping data theft.
• Copyright Has Stretched So Far That It Has Broken.
• TSA bans ID-less flight. Thanks Boing Boing.

• Transgaming Launches Mac Games Distribution Portal. Thanks Mike Martinez…
• The Lord of the Rings Online Forums have word on the release of the soundtrack from Turbine's MMORPG, as they test their new download manager…
• New Battlefield machinima film. "Al Fadshr The Break of Dawn." Thanks Ant…

Sizzling Links:	Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez.
Play:	Darkness Springs Chapter 2.
Link:	The 25 Worst Sitcoms Ever. Thanks Digg.
Stories:	Sudoku Addicts Halt Australian Drugs Trial. Thanks Neutronbeam. Bomb found inside chicken. Thanks Devicer. I.E.C.? New Airships Are More Than Just Hot Air.
Science:	Mars lander struggles to get dirt into onboard lab. Scientists find monkeys who know how to fish.
Image:	Infinity Ward to LucasArts: We're hiring. Ouch.
Media:	How to launch a Product like Apple. Skater didn't watch where he was going. Owie.

Basilisk Games announces Eschalon: Book II, a sequel to their cross-platform RPG planned for release in the middle of next year:

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – June 10, 2008 – Basilisk Games, an independent computer game developer specializing in role-playing games, today announced that Eschalon: Book II has entered full production and is expected to be released Q2 2009 for Windows, Macintosh and Linux-based computers.

The sequel to the 2007 acclaimed role-playing game Eschalon: Book I, Book II will continue the storyline from where it ended in the previous game and feature more than 60 gameplay enhancements.

"Basilisk Games is very excited to announce that we will be releasing Book II early next year. Classic, old-school computer role-playing is very much a viable market and we have been happy with the consumer response to Book I." commented Thomas Riegsecker, Lead Developer of the Eschalon series. "Book II will be an exciting step forward for the series."

No previous experience with Book I will be needed to enjoy Book II as the in-game narrative will guide unfamiliar players into the realm of Eschalon- a medieval fantasy world on the brink of war. The game will take players across multiple regions as they seek to further uncover the mystery surrounding their character's past. With an updated graphic engine, interface enhancements and gameplay improvements taken directly from fan suggestions, Book II will be an adventure no RPG enthusiast will want to miss!

NVIDIA's Roy Taylor Interview on Eurogamer talks with the NVIDIA VP of Content Business Development in a conversation where he opines that the heyday of PC exclusive game development is coming to a close:

I think that we're going to see more digital authentication, and we're going to see more of an approach that says that PC games aren't products - they're a service. You're going to start out with a basic service, which is the game, and then increase the value of that service through patches, mod packs, expansions, maps and so on. That's the direction it's going to go, because the pirates are just killing the developers - and I think it's really unfair what they're doing.

In terms of your other point, which you're right, is related - in terms of where PC development sits relative to consoles, I think we have to face the facts - the value of consoles is such that no-one is going to make a PC-exclusive game in the future. Why would they? Why would they ignore consoles? That said, PC gaming is changing - and consoles don't threaten PC gaming. They're just different. Adapting to that and understanding that is what I think is really, really important. Most PC gamers also own consoles - not all of them, but a lot of them. What we're seeing happen is that, yes, people are developing for Xbox 360, for PS3 - but they're also developing for PC.

The console is now a baseline. If you look at Gears of War or Assassin's Creed, they came out on console and they were great experiences - but the PC versions had additional aspects to them that also made them attractive, whether you owned the console version or not. The PC version was better. That's something that people need to get their heads around - the console is a baseline, the PC is going to be an improved version. That's an exciting future, and that's why I don't see anything threatening about console at all.

The other aspect is that in the past, PC gaming development meant pandering to the lowest common denominator - which meant some poor integrated graphics. Today, developing a PC game means starting at a console, and console graphics are way above integrated graphics. That means the baseline is getting better. Now we're going to add to that version additional features, additional content, to make the PC version even better.

Codemasters now offers an "eBay Motors Demo" for Race Driver: GRID, a second sample of the latest installment in this racing series. Word on the content of the 689 MB demo is: "Free playable two track demo exclusively provided by eBay Motors featuring the eBay Motors Muscle Series." The download is mirrored on ActionTrip, AtomicGamer, ComputerGames.ro, FileFront, FileShack, Gamer's Hell, and Internode Games Network, PixelRage, and VGPRO.

Lighthouse Interactive and dtp Entertainment announce that Belief & Betrayal is now available in North America. A playable demo for the mystery/adventure game came out last week (story), and here's the announcement:

Toronto, Canada – June 10, 2008 – Leading Publishers Lighthouse Interactive and dtp Entertainment AG today announced that their enthralling conspiracy Adventure game Belief & Betrayal has begun shipping to retail stores across Canada and the U.S. The highly anticipated Windows® compatible game on CD-ROM will be available at major retailers including: Amazon, Fred Meyer, Fry’s Electronics, J & R Music World, Micro Center, EB Games Canada, Wal-Mart Canada, and other major retailers.

Lighthouse CEO Erik Schreuder said, “We are extremely proud to announce that Belief & Betrayal will soon be hitting store shelves. Belief & Betrayal is a game that can be thoroughly enjoyed by Adventure gamers. They will be dedicated to leading a remarkable cold case murder investigation to reveal the World’s oldest and greatest conspiracy.”

To find out more about ‘Belief & Betrayal’ and to keep up with the latest news on the game, visit www.beliefandbetrayal-game.com and www.lighthouse-interactive.com.

Vivendi Games/Sierra Online recently announced the release of Aces of the Galaxy for Windows and Xbox 360, but while console edition made its promised appearance, a problem resulted in the Windows edition of this arcade space combat game not being released at that time. The PC edition is now being offered for online purchase from the Aces of the Galaxy Website, where a playable trial version is also available. The console edition of the space combat game is available via Xbox LIVE. Here's word:

Los Angeles – June 4, 2008 – Sierra Online, a division of Vivendi Games, has released Aces of the Galaxy™, a high octane, retro-arcade 3D space shooter for Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and for PC via download. Aces of the Galaxy thrusts players into the midst of an epic kill or be killed space battle. Set in stunning, fast-moving environments the chaotic, take-on-all comers action redefines the old-school shooter.

“Players will love how fast and frantic the action gets and the fantastic visuals will really set the game apart from the pack,” said Nicole Perez, vice president of marketing, Sierra Online. “The overall intensity of Aces of the Galaxy, including some wild multiplayer action offer players some of the best arcade-style gameplay on Xbox LIVE Arcade.”

In the Aces of the Galaxy game, players quickly navigate vast, colorful space environments while blasting through onslaughts of enemy ships, dodging asteroids and other terrestrial hazards, avoiding too many damaging hits to their space ship in a frenetic fight for survival. Players take control of the powerful gun turret on an AI-driven spaceship, utilizing the reticule and a fast trigger finger to vaporize wave after wave of enemies. The game features dramatic and strategic effects, including an intense bullet-time feature that slows down the oncoming hordes of enemy ships and dazzling warp zones that propel players through space at the speed of light.

Aces of the Galaxy features many different levels and multiple crossroads that enable players to choose among branching paths, providing a choice of experiences while progressing through the game. Players can take on a mass of enemies in a single-player game or team up with a buddy in the co-operative multiplayer mode both online and off.

The Aces of the Galaxy game is rated E10+ and is available on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft for 800 Microsoft points. For more information visit Acesofthegalaxy.com. The game is also available for PC via download at Acesofthegalaxy.com

Matrix Games now offers a new patch for Harpoon 3: Advanced Naval Warfare to update the naval combat simulator to version 3.9.3. Word is: "The release comes as the third update in just a few months, with more improvements and fixes in subsequent updates on the way. As was mentioned in our 3.9.2 release, the 3.9.x series of updates are aimed at improving game stability and increasing responsiveness to customer feedback, with the goal of improving the entire game experience for the Harpoon community. Matrix Games and Advanced Gaming Systems encourage Harpoon 3 fans to head to the official forums to become a part of this new initiative."

Kotaku has a casting call for Portal 2 purported to be from a subscriber-only website. If you are interested in speculation on what the action/puzzle sequel will be about then this is for you, while if you are not into spoilers it's probably best avoided, as it gives away a bit about the possible direction the game will take. Thanks nin.

Crispy Gamer's Gearbox Software Q&A talks with Randy Pitchford of Gearbox about Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway, the upcoming World War II shooter sequel. Various new aspects of the project are discussed, like the presentation of the story: "We've also invested way more into the story. I think people are really going to get sucked into the story and we've also found ways to entwine the cinematic language into the gameplay. We have this action camera that -- let's say you get a headshot, one that goes under the helmet, what we'll do is move the camera in close, cut to slow motion, and show it very cinematically. It's kind of like what they do with the crashes in Burnout. It actually started because when we'd play the game and something cool would happen, we would pause the game so we could look at it in slow motion."

• PopMatters - Zarathustran Analytics in Video Games, Part 10: The Value of Player Experience. The final installment.
• OnlineHealth.com - Video Game Ratings - Should They Be Believed or Ignored?

• Prince of Persia on bit-tech.net.

Thanks Gamer's Hell.

• Earthrise on the Official website.
• GTR Evolution on SimRacingWorld.
• Moscow Racer on the Official Website.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Microsoft pins Japan hopes on new RPGs.
• Rumor: Turbine to bring Dungeons & Dragons Online to consoles...maybe.
• Rumor: Ironside no longer voicing Splinter Cell's Sam Fisher.
• Evolution: Pacific Rift offers better AI, more tracks, the works.
• GameStop to Host Metal Gear Solid 4 Launch Events Nationwide.
• Rock Band DLA MTV2 Pack on Xbox LIVE.
• (RIP Soul Calibur 1998-2008) Yoda, Vader Make SCIV Cover.
• Xbox 360 Infinite Undiscovery Dated For North America, Europe, Japan, Asia.
• Tales Of Vesperia A Look At The Tales Of Vesperia 360 Bundle.
• Far Cry 2 PlayStation 3 Screenshots.
• NBA Live 09 Xbox 360 Screenshots.

• Devil May Cry 4 Graphics Card Performance on Legion Hardware.
• Intel says video encoding belongs on the CPU.
• E.U. Snubs Microsoft on Office Systems. Thanks Mike Martinez.

• LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures on TrustedReviews.

• ASUS Rampage Formula Motherboard on Overclockers Club.
• Asus Striker II Extreme Motherboard on Overclockers Club.
• Gigabyte 6-QUAD GA-X48-DQ6 Motherboard on Neoseeker.
• Inno3D GeForce 9600GT iChill Hurricane Graphics Card on TweakTown.
• Kingwin ABT-1000MA1S Mach 1 1,000W PSU on OCIA.net and XSReviews.co.uk
• Logitech MX Air Cordless Mouse on TheTechLounge.
• MSI P45 Diamond Motherboard on t-break.
• MSI RX3870-T2D512E OC Graphics Card on Hardware Logic.
• NEC MultiSync LCD3090WQXi 30" Monitor on TrustedReviews.
• Sapphire Radeon HD3870 Ultimate Graphics Card on Boot Daily.
• Sigma Unicorn Case on Hardware Secrets.
• Thermaltake ProWater 850i Liquid Cooler on TweakTown.
• Zalman Reserator XT External Water Cooling System on ThinkComputers.org.

• The Rooster Teeth Website has Red versus Blue: Reconstruction Chapter 3. Thanks Gamer's Hell and Bungie.net…

Okay, so this is kind of weird. Yesterday Ken Griffey Jr. became only the sixth player in Major League Baseball history to hit 600 career home runs. The weird part? Dusty Baker has been the manager for the last three (Bond, Sosa, and now Griffey), for three different teams. Wacky.

Steroidal Links:	Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez.
Play:	Mind Impulse.
Link of the Morning:	Misleading Ads From The Golden Age of Video Games. Thanks Digg. Read This Post. Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect $200.
Stories:	In a Sweltering City, Any Sliver of Shade Will Do. Retailers giving vinyl records another spin.
Science:	New Type of Paper Won’t Let You Just Rip It Apart. Last minute work for shuttle before hatches close. Pass the duct tape. Is It Good to Put Ice on a Skin Burn? No.
Auctions:	Scientific Treasures on the Auction Block at Christie’s.
Media:	'Warcraft' Sequel Lets Gamers Play A Character Playing 'Warcraft. StarCraft 3 CGI Film Clip (Fanmade). MSCE Cat Iz Fixin Ur Computers.