Latest Articles (Page 3509)

It's over six years since Duke Nukem 3D was released, and while we're still waiting for the true sequel to the game, any number of (mostly very bad) spin-offs have been released since then. The latest such sideshow for the Duke is The Manhattan Project, developed by Sunstorm of Deer Hunter infamy. But we'll try not to hold that against them.

Microsoft has cut the price of Xbox in North America to $199 this morning, confirming the suspicions of industry observers and analysts. The price cut puts the console at a rough £137 / €219. Further to the hardware price drop, several of the console's software titles have been moved to a lower price bracket of $29.99, and memory cards will now run to $29.99 each. With Controller S now on the US market, the Xbox is a very attractive proposition. American gamers have never had it so good, and with the consoles now on a level playing field, the future for all three is very bright. Microsoft typically does not release sales figures by territory, as it told us after the Japanese and European launches, but in the case of the US where the console is now outstripping sales of the Cube, we expect that they will make an exception. Microsoft has so far addressed two of the console's major criticisms; controller size and price, and we understand that the company may be designing a smaller revision of the console (rather like a PlayStation-to-PSone transition), to address the third, size. Obviously the software is not in doubt, and at $199 a lot of the console's games may start to sell it to an even greater extent. Rumours yesterday indicated that Microsoft was replacing a few components in the console, and that another manufacturer had won the contract to supply DVD drives. This is thought to be a cost-cutting measure, but it is also expected to help the company curb piracy by changing the way vaunted mod chips will need to work. All in all, the only thing standing between Xbox and real success now is the public's perception of the console and the company which makes it. And I'm sure Microsoft can afford some competent spin doctors. Related Feature - SCEA drops prices

According to a report from Reuters, the attorney representing a 13 year old Texan boy who shot his friend dead is blaming violent videogames for the attack. Apparently the two teenagers had skipped school to play games all day, but the bout ended in tragedy when one boy grabbed a real gun and shot the other in the head and chest. The boy is now on trial for murder, with police arguing that he knew the difference between games and reality, while his mother is (quite rightly) being chased through the civil courts by the victim's parents, who are accusing her of negligence for leaving a loaded gun lying around the house. You have to wonder about some people...

As if the promise of new He-Man cartoons and action figures wasn't enough to get children of the 80's excited (or at least those of them with no taste in saturday morning entertainment), TDK have snapped up videogame licensing rights to the property. Yes, we can now look forward to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe appearing on PC and next-generation consoles. "Masters of the Universe is a retro-brand that is still tremendously popular", according to TDK CEO Vincent Bitetti. Certainly this news has our illustrious assistant editor dusting off his Castle Greyskull playset in anticipation.

IGI2: Covert Strike has been officially delayed until September. Those of you lucky enough to get onto the beta list received the email this lunchtime. Publisher Codemasters cites ongoing net code development as the cause for the delay, specifically QA issues with server code. Codemasters claims to have complete confidence in Innerloop's abilities, and from our perspective it's refreshing to see a publisher throw its hands up and say 'it's not ready, let's get it right'. All that remains is to see that they do. Related Feature - Project IGI review

UK developer Sports Interactive's management team has been nominated for Ernst and Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2002. Sports Interactive has been developing the Championship Manager football management simulation since the late 1980s, when it was just Paul and Oliver Collyer trying to entertain their friends. Along with the company's recently installed managing director Miles Jacobson, they are being recognised for their achievements. The threesome of finalists will be attending the Awards ceremony, to be held at The Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on 27th June, and confess to being humbled and honoured by the nomination, although Miles is still busy talking about ITV Digital's Monkey. Related Feature - Chimpionship Manager

SCEE is cutting the price of PSone to £49.99 from Friday, MCV is reporting. Speaking to the trade paper, SCEE marketing director Darren Carter described the move as to "true entry level pricing". "People new to gaming or else not ready to get into PS2 just yet will find the PSone experience much more accessible," he explained. Exact pricing outside of the UK has not yet been determined. Expect to see a price of around €79.99. Recently, SCEE president Chris Deering openly denied plans for a PS2 price cut in Europe. Having witnessed similar denials across the pond, and the subsequent 'surprise' price cut this morning though, we are disinclined to believe him. PlayStation 2 will drop in price soon. Ish. Update - we have since learnt that the European price will actually end up at €89.99. Quite why mainlanders are being forced to pay more than atypically fortunate Brits is a mystery. Related Feature - SCEA drops prices

Diminutive American celebrity Gary Coleman is set to star in Running With Scissors' POSTAL 2 on the PC later this year. "Evil hath no wrath like a lactose-dependant man scorned," Coleman explains in the press release. The game is already stirring up controversy, but apparently that's the idea. (Hint: usually points to a bad game!) "I've joined forces with the guerrilla army of Running With Scissors," Coleman continues, "to unleash the ultimate abomination for all to enjoy: POSTAL 2! Pull the pin and let me in! I'll help you take the game world by storm by getting rid of those daily 'politically correct' headaches with hand grenades and shotgun blasts!" Finally, a PR campaign we can relate to.

Sold Out has added six more titles to its range of budget releases. For the pauperly sum of £4.99 gamers can now pick up a modern classic, a modern turkey and a few modern also-rans. Homeworld, Daikatana, Urban Chaos, Nomad Soul, Excessive Speed and Akimbo. Homeworld, released in the tail end of 1999, is a refreshing take on the real time strategy genre. Hang on, that doesn't sound right. Meanwhile, Daikatana [insert cheap joke about lengthy development, substandard release, poor sales and studio folding] and [swipe at Eidos]. The pair can be had for £4.99 apiece. Or you could go for one of the other new titles in the range. Urban Chaos is fairly good, if a little dated, and Nomad Soul is one of the few games my chum from up the road bothered to complete on his PC. Related Feature - Garry Williams of Sold Out interview

Nintendo has cautiously entered the world of online gaming this morning. Announcing its online gaming strategy, slated to begin later this year, the company once again echoed the sentiment that it is "compelling and highly affordable" gameplay which will endear people to the concept of online gaming. Towards the backend of the year, the company will launch a v.90 Modem Adapter and a Broadband Adapter, both retailing for a suggested retail price of $34.95, and the GameCube's first online games will be Phantasy Star Online Episodes I and II. Episode I is the equivalent of PSO V2 on the Dreamcast, while Episode II is believed to be a proper sequel. While Microsoft and Sony have both attacked online gaming with all of their respective might, Nintendo has not created an enormous server farm and multiplayer hub system to rival Xbox Live. Nintendo will also not be taking a royalty cut from revenue generated by a publisher's online games. Some will label this softly-softly approach too soft, but others still will point to Nintendo's previous assertion, that widespread broadband uptake is conducive to a dedicated online gaming business model, and that we won't see that for another few years. In essence, this online gaming plan allows developers and publishers to do what they want without too much restriction. If they want to make an online game which only works with broadband connections, they can do that. If they want to make a game for everybody, they can do that too. But it's their lookout. What Nintendo will do with it however, remains to be seen. (Metroid Prime Online, please.) The company's press release says only that the facility for online play will be used to tempt big name developers and publishers to the format. Related Feature - E3 to showcase Nintendo's online plans

Last month Mindscape announced that they had signed a deal with Cryo to distribute fifteen of the French publisher's games here in the UK, and the first of these is expected to hit the shelves on Friday. Heading up the list is Jerusalem, the second episode of the Adrian Blake trilogy, which started with Pompeii. As the title suggests, this new game whisks Mr Blake off to medieval Jerusalem, where he will be trying to uncover a plot to break the peace that has been achieved between the city's Jews, Muslims and Christians. Ah, those were the days. Moving swiftly on we find Secret of the Nautilus, an adventure game inspired by the Jules Verne novel 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. Set some time in the not-so-distant future, it puts you in the role of a young archaeologist carrying out a deep sea survey aboard a nuclear submarine. You get more than you bargained for though when you stumble on the Nautilus, ending up trapped aboard the Victorian sub with a psychotic AI. Now where have we heard that one before. Sadly it's not exactly Cryo's finest hour, and from what we've seen of the game so far your biggest challenge is finding tiny objects and hot spots, most of which are indistinguishable from the murky backgrounds, as you try to work out which of the twenty drawers in the room is the one that you can actually open. Frustrating, linear and a bit simple. And finally, how about something completely different? Due out in late June, Stealth Combat is a futuristic vehicular action game which gives you the chance to pilot everything from tanks and jeeps to helicopters and amphibious units. Playing as one of two unfortunately named agents - a bloke called Streak and a woman known as Moon - you will be carrying out a range of infiltration and recon missions as well as all out assaults, with scenery varying from dusty deserts to snow covered valleys and the obligatory big yard full of crates. The graphics aren't exactly cutting edge, but it does look quite nice, and hopefully we'll have some idea soon of whether the gameplay can match. Related Feature - Cryo games defrosted

Sending the excitable US press into a pre-E3 frenzy, Sony Computer Entertainment America has reduced the price of PlayStation 2 from $299 to $199, and PSone from $99 to $49, returning the US to the position of one of the best places to buy either console. The PlayStation 2's $199 price tag roughly translates as £137 or €219 at the time of writing, while the $49 PSone represents £33 or €54. Furthermore, Sony has reduced the price of peripherals. Both the PlayStation 2's official memory card and Dual Shock II controller have been reduced from $34.99 to $24.99, while the PSone's Dual Shock is now at $19.99. If you buy the official PSone / LCD panel bundle, it will cost $149 (down from $199). With SCEA having denied this pre-emptive price drop to the ends of the earth over the last week, speculation is now rife that Sony will announce something similar for Europe and Australia.

Sony Online Entertainment has joined the headlong rush to announce the games they will be showing off at E3 next week, with Everquest featuring prominently. Heading up the list is Star Wars Galaxies, the new massively multiplayer game set in a galaxy far, far away, but developed closer to home by some of the brains behind Everquest. With a heady mixture of "combat, exploration, social interaction, specialized missions and daring quests" being promised, it could just be the game that makes massively multiplayer games truly massive. Getting back to Everquest proper, SOE will be showing off no less than three new titles in the franchise. Planes Of Power is the latest add-on pack for the original game, once again adding new items to hoard, new quests to carry out and new zones to camp, but with a more story-led approach being promised for its autumn launch. Following that next spring is Everquest Online Adventures, a PlayStation 2 version of the game to take advantage of the console's new found online capabilities. Although it's obviously based on the original game, Online Adventures is apparently being redesigned from the ground up to be more console friendly. And then there's the big one, due out in the autumn of 2003 - Everquest II. Featuring a much improved new 3D engine, a combination of all-new areas and revamped versions of zones from the original game, and new features such as animals to ride and real-estate to buy, it's sure to prove a massive hit with the 400,000 or so Everquest players out there. Rounding out the line-up is PlanetSide, the world's first massively multiplayer first person shooter, now due out in spring 2003. That's about a year later than when it was due out this time last year, which is never a good sign. With hundreds of square kilometers of terrain to roam over spread across several continents, support for thousands of players to battle it out in a single game world, and a mixture of on-foot and in-vehicle action on the ground and in the air, it certainly sounds promising. Our only worry is that it will slip yet again, and we'll back this time next year reporting on the game being shown at E3 2003, with a spring 2004 release on the cards... Related Feature - PlanetSide screenshots

Eidos has joined the M25-scale tailback of publishers announcing the games they will be announcing at E3. Topping the list is naturally Tomb Raider : Angel Of Darkness, the latest Lara Croft adventure, which is due out on PC and PlayStation 2 this November. Of course, no E3 would be complete without a contingent of scantily clad totty, and accordingly the new face of Lara Croft, Dutch model Jill de Jong, will be putting in regular appearances at the Eidos stand to pout at passing geeks and have her photo taken with fat embarrassed looking Americans. Oh, and for those of you who were wondering, the magic numbers are 34-26-38. With that out of the way... Eidos will be showing a range of PC and PlayStation 2 games at the show, including Republic from Demis Hassabis and the boys at Elixir, which is either the most hotly anticipated or simply the most delayed game of the year. After all the talk of being able to render unlimited numbers of polygons in real time and modelling buildings down to the last screwhead and flower petal, it will be interesting to see if there's actually a game there yet underneath the mindless hype and techno-babble, or if we're heading into Black & White territory again. Other highlights include Praetorians, a new Roman strategy game from the brains behind the Commandos series. This one has been taking a long time to see the light of day as well, but hopefully it will have been worth the wait, with the opportunity to lead a group of crack Roman soldiers against the Gauls, Egyptians and rival Roman factions. Then there's stealth action follow-up Hitman 2, featuring the most famous bald guy in video game history, and first person shooter sequel TimeSplitters 2, appearing on PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox. Rounding out the line-up is a Japanese turn-based role-playing game called Legaia 2 which is being brought to the west on the Fresh Games label, and zany PC management game Beach Life, which seems to be a kind of Sim Ibiza, or maybe Tropico with less cigar-toting dictators and more sex. Eidos can be found lurking in the South Hall at stand 1300. Please try to pay attention to the games instead of just ogling Jill. Related Feature - Eidos reveals E3 line-up (for 2001, that is, but starring many of the same games oddly enough)

Rebellion and Novalogic's Delta Force : Urban Warfare is one of the finest remaining PSone prospects, but its big brother on the PlayStation 2 is perhaps even more exciting. Unfortunately, while it was originally pencilled in for a November 2002 release, the publisher today informed us that the PS2 game has been put back until April 2003 due to development delays.

It's almost a year now since THQ picked up the licensing rights to Games Workshop's classic table-top game Warhammer 40k, but today the first fruits of that deal have finally been plucked from the overladen branches of THQ's release schedule by a horde of strange PR people making bad jokes about hammering the opposition. The cringe inducing puns were a result of British developer Kuju apparently fighting off tough competition from as many as thirty other companies who went to THQ pleading for a chance to develop the first game for them. Business director Ian Baverstock reported that "the whole company's thrilled to be working with the licence". As they should be. For their part, the Games Workshop was said to be "very impressed with the originality, quality and raw ability behind their design vision", and will be working closely with them on the title, which bodes well. Actual firm details on exactly what it is that Kuju are developing for THQ are fairly thin on the ground at this stage, but we do know that the game will be appearing on the PlayStation 2 in the not-so-distant future. No doubt more information will emerge soon, possibly at the ubiquitous E3 trade show in Los Angeles next week. Related Feature - THQ snags Warhammer 40k license

Sierra is the latest publisher to reveal it's E3 line-up, spoiling any surprise that attendees of the show may have expected. Covering all of the major platforms (and the PC), Sierra modestly claim that their five headlining games "really offer a glimpse into the future of this industry". Hyperbole aside, it's not a bad line-up. Top of the pile is undoubtedly Malice, the oddball ex-Xbox exclusive from British developer Argonaut, which is also on its way to PlayStation 2 now. It looks great and features a girl with a bloody big hammer, but hopefully this year's E3 will tell us a little more about the actual gameplay. Another game being transferred to the PS2 is Tribes, the fairly popular online shooter franchise. Tribes Aerial Assault will use Sony's new network adapter to let players battle it out over the internet, with the traditional Tribes mixture of on-foot and in-vehicle action across vast outdoors levels. Meanwhile GameCube fans can look forward to The Hobbit, following Bilbo and the boys there and back again. Due out next year, Sierra are promising to "set new standards for fantasy video games" with it. PC owners can look forward to seeing Sierra's new tactical action game SWAT : Urban Justice, not to be confused with the more sci-fi tinged Xbox offering SWAT : Global Strike Team. Due out in September, Urban Justice pits players against brutal LA street gangs across sixteen missions in "stunningly realistic locations". Also on PC is NASCAR Racing 2002, the latest in the peculiarly American motor racing series which sees players trying to avoid getting dizzy while driving round and round in circles at high velocity. Related Feature - Malice heading for PS2

Development of a GameCube port of Medal of Honor: Frontline is underway, an Electronic Arts spokesperson has told IGN. Typically, the publisher refused to comment further. Frontline is due out on the PlayStation 2 sometime this year, but slippage has hit the title regularly. The Cube version should be on show at E3. Rumours are now abound of an Xbox version. Related Feature - Medal of Honor: Frontline preview

THQ has saddled a horse and ridden G1 Jockey style over our hearts with its E3 line-up announcement. Of course, in reality it hasn't, but we're running out of stupid metaphors, puns and analogies and the bloody thing hasn't even started yet. We're reaching; let's leave it at that. Anyway, the games. Leading the way are fast-paced aerial combat game Yager (PC, Xbox), the follow-up to the rather tedious Summoner (PS2), a martial arts fighter called Pride FC (PS2), the once-conflictingly-named-now-stupidly-named Moto GP: Ultimate Racing Technology (PC, Xbox), bike whatsit MX Superfly (PS2, Cube) and first person shooter sequel Red Faction 2 (PS2), which might save the day. Not to mention the usual slew of WWF WWE titles for every format under the sun, and another string of licensed titles from Nickelodeon and Matchbox. THQ is also promising to announce a few more strategic partnerships at the show. Related Feature - Get the F out!

[A game show announcer writes] Hey kids! Do you like PlayStation 2? Now you can carry it around with you! Thanks to InterAct Accessories' amazing 5.6-inch portable LCD screen, you can play PS2 outdoors. Great for showing off your brick-shaped console and getting it wet! And we know that's what the ladies go for, right? Wahey! Mobile Monitor 5.6 was made exclusively for PlayStation 2, with custom fitted clips which fasten securely to the PS2's tough exterior. The backlit display fully exploits the graphical prowess of the game system, although it is not suitable for people who like to discern detail, and features speaker and headphone outputs along with an AC adapter, completely useless for people who actually want to take it outside! And although InterAct has released a Mobile Power adapter for up to 90 minutes of play, this only works with Mobile Monitor 5.4 and the Nintendo GameCube! So, if you want to take your PlayStation 2 out of the front room, to a place with two power sockets and no television, and you want to be completely unable to pick anything out on the screen (including but not limited to: menu text, menu buttons, facial expressions, HUD information, enemy positions, tactical details, background animations and much much more) then buy Mobile Monitor 5.6! A snip at $149.99! That's right! It's not even out in Europe! Get down to your local importer's car boot right now! Don't forget that step-down!

It's doing well, then. More than 50,000 units sold in Germany, more than 75,000 units sold in the United Kingdom, and it seems to be virtually sold out everywhere to boot. But then, who cares if that's more than the you-know-what sold, and if you-know-who's press release extolling the virtues of third place in a harsh market read like an obituary? I'm just amazed by the attach rate. What I want to know is, what the hell were you chaps buying?

Eidos has once again become a take-over target, with Ubi Soft the latest company to be linked to the British publisher. In an interview with French business paper Les Echos, Ubi Soft chairman Yves Guillemot confirmed that "we are certainly going to grow by acquisitions this year", going on to say that "Eidos could be a target for us". The French company, until recently best known for their Rayman series, has grown rapidly over the last couple of years, snapping up Rainbow Six developers Red Storm, the remnants of Mattel Interactive, and German publisher Blue Byte along the way. Whether Eidos will be the latest name to join Ubi Soft's lengthy acquisitions list remains to be seen though. Despite Yves Guillemot's belief that Eidos will be bought out this year, whether or not his own company has anything to do with it, they aren't likely to give up without a struggle. Eidos turned down a substantial offer from Infogrames two years ago, and although their recent sales have been disappointing, with Championship Manager 4 due out later this year and Lara Croft arriving on PlayStation 2 for the first time in November, the publisher is presumably feeling fairly optimistic about its immediate future.

Rage announced this weekend that their online-focused action game Mobile Forces has gone gold, and will be going into full production in the next few days. As a result the game is now expected to hit shelves across Europe on Friday May 31st, with a recommended UK price of just £24.99. While it's certainly not the best looking online shooter due out this year, the pre-release versions we've been playing with for the last couple of months certainly showed promise in the gameplay department, as you might expect from a development team that includes veterans of Grand Theft Auto and Wild Metal Country. With any luck we'll have final review code for the game soon and be able to tell you whether it lives up to its promise, but in the meantime we'll be posting more exclusive screenshots snapped from the latest beta version, so keep an eye on our Mobile Forces gallery. Related Feature - Mobile Forces preview

Klonoa and his imp compatriot Huepow are in a spot of bother. Emperor Jillius is suffering from a terrible illness that prevents him from sleeping, and having been deprived of that sweet embrace, he has unreasonably forbidden his subjects to dream. To Klonoa's surprise he has been hauled in front of the Emperor, whose pompous advisor Bagoo decides that if Klonoa can defeat the four monsters ravaging the Empire, his execution will be cancelled.

No Turok game would be complete without an array of over-the-top weapons to blow stuff up with, and Turok Evolution is no exception. From simple axes and shotguns to devastating miniguns and a tactical nuclear device, your arsenal is certainly varied.

Hot on the heels of Metal Gear Solid Substance and ZOE 2, Konami's latest big announcement is .. er .. Disney All-Star Sports. Coming exclusively to GameCube and GameBoy Advance this autumn (see, Konami do love you), the game will feature six sports ranging from football (both American and the real kind) to snowboarding and skateboarding. As the title suggests, the twist is that the action centers around popular Disney characters such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy, but with "a hip new attitude" being promised for these staples of childhood entertainment. Rumours that they are being 10% Rasta-fied have yet to be confirmed. "Disney's all-star cast of beloved characters combined with arcade-style sports games will yield incredible success for this new series", Konami of America president Tomofumi Gotsubo declared. Either that or you'll get lynched for turning Mickey Mouse into a skate punk... Related Feature - Metal Gear and ZOE return

Raven have finally released a demo version of their hit first person shooter Jedi Outcast, featuring an exclusive new single player map which was shown at E3 last year but later cut from the retail version of the game. The revamped map comes with an intro movie to get you in the mood, five of the game's rather feeble firearms, the all-important lightsaber (any self-respecting Jedi's weapon of choice), and a selection of force powers to unleash on unwitting (or simply witless) Stormtroopers. Weighing in at around 65Mb, you can download it from any of the following sites -

The Barbican Gallery in London has lifted the lid on the educational side of its GameOn exhibition, which will be celebrating 40 years of gaming history this summer. Teachers will be able to attend a special private viewing at the gallery on the evening of Wednesday 22nd May, where they can collect a teachers' pack containing a project aimed at getting eight to thirteen year old pupils to design their own computer game. Included in the pack is a video about the creative process behind Lionhead's hit god game Black & White, which presumably consists of Peter Molyneux running around for four hours punching monkeys and coming up with bizarre new ideas like integrating Radio 4's shipping forecast into the game or making your creature sing along to Britney Spears songs. The Barbican will also be hosting a pair of seminars about the gaming industry, kicking off on May 18th with "The State Of Play", looking at the impact of video games on history, politics and culture, followed by a closing seminar imaginatively titled "The End of Play" on September 7th, exploring the future of computer games and new technology. Speakers include Charles Cecil from Broken Sword developers Revolution and Cannon Fodder 2 designer turned journalist Stuart Campbell. Other events include a series of family workshops for five to eleven year olds at the beginning of August, tasking your little 'uns with designing a story, characters and sounds for a new game. Which should be .. er .. interesting. More details can be found on the GameOn Education page, along with an HTML version of the teachers' pack (minus video, sadly). Related Feature - GameOn interview

Granada are planning to produce a major new videogames show for ITV, labouring under the working title of Games Stars. Expected to screen on a Saturday evening some time in November, the project is being supported by industry magazine MCV (from whence came the first details of the show this week), with additional backing reportedly coming from the likes of Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft. A "major retail chain" (that'll be GAME / Electronics Boutique then) will promote nominated games, while Future Publishing (surprise surprise) provides the official magazine. Granada licensing director Martin Lowed modestly describes it as "the biggest event the games industry has ever seen", while MCV compare the show to Pop Idol and the Brit Awards. We're cringing already. "The games industry has always wanted its own entertainment event to sit alongside the music industry's Brits, and that's what we very much intend to deliver", Martin added. Unfortunately this means that we will be enforced to endure self-proclaimed comedians Ant & Dec presenting the show, with an all-star cast of bland chart topping musicians inexplicably being roped in to play during the event. Presumably because actually showing the games and gamers being honoured by the awards would be a bit boring. Kylie, Travis and Gorillaz are all apparently on the short list for inclusion, showing just what an edgy zeitgeisty synergistic youth entertainment landmark event this is going to be. Or not, as the case may be.

Since its birth, Turok has been firmly caged up on the N64, with only a couple of GameBoy spin-offs and a lacklustre PC port breaking out of this captivity. September 2002 should mark the rebirth of Turok though, as the dinosaur laden action series gets its first outing on the latest generation of consoles in the guise of Turok Evolution. We took a trip down to the wilds of London (a penthouse suite round the back of Kings Cross, to be precise) to chat with Turok's creator and see how the latest installment in the series is shaping up...