there goes the neighbourhood. On Mon, Jan 12, 2009 at 10:50 AM, Ace <[email protected]> wrote:
> http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/01/05/hands-on-quake-live/ > > > <http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/01/05/hands-on-quake-live/www.quakelive.com> > > Let's face it: id Software could charge for Quake > Live<http://www.quakelive.com/>if they wanted to. For a game that was first > released in the now-fossilized > year of 1999, Quake III: Arena is still the crux of many competitions, > user-created mods, and casual LAN parties. Yes, id could charge $20, $50, or > even a monthly subscription fee, and most Quake-aholics would gladly > submit their dollars into John Carmack's overflowing bank account. > > They could make you pay -- but they won't. After Quake Live wraps up its > beta phase, the browser-based re-release of id's 1999 multiplayer opus will > be available free of charge for anyone with a web browser and an itchy > trigger clicker. Big Download recently delved into the Quake Live beta to > sift out the new from the classic, and to relive a cherished FPS that the > world will continue to enjoy for years to come. > > After creating a free account, Quake Live requires the installation of a > simple plug-in. Once it has been installed, the game can be launched from > most available web browsers. From there, the core game installs in the > background while you're given time to choose your character skin -- I still > prefer the Hell slime-coated boots of the DOOM space marine -- and tweak > other settings such as controls, audio, and the color of your railgun beams. > > > > The screen resolution options are plentiful, and offer many more options > than the original Quake III. Those who simply wish to run the game in a > browser window may do so, but bordering Quake Live's frenetic fragging with > Start buttons, taskbars, and Firefox bookmarks doesn't exactly provide > stellar ambiance. My gaming PC is connected to a 50-inch plasma HDTV, so > 1920x1280 was my resolution of choice, and it did not disappoint. > > Once your key bindings, character name, skin, and other settings are set to > your liking, you're given the option to partake in a training session while > the game continues its rather laborious installation. Quake III veterans > will find themselves face-to-face with crash, the original game's first > opponent. The opening tutorial, in which Crash introduces you to mysterious > items such as weapons, health, ammo and armor, will be quite dull for anyone > who has ever so much as touched an FPS. But what else are you going to do > while the installation finishes? Run around, frag Crash, and wallow in your > shallowness as your marvel at how sexy Quake Live looks. > > > > Rather than deviate too far from Quake III's original aesthetics, > everything has been buffed and waxed to give the game a fresh-off-the-lot > shine. Environments, character models, weapons, and the scars left by wildly > lightning gun emissions are still distinctly 1999, but have the polish of > any acceptable re-release. > > Once I had put Crash in her place, I was taken to the Quake Live main > page. Acting as the game's main hub, the main page is where players can > tweak any settings, browse for multiplayer sessions, connect with friends, > and post on forums via tabs lining the top of the page. > -- things left unsaid, http://ryosaeba.wordpress.com maxgain scams, http://maxgain.wordpress.com
