The release of ET: Quake Wars for the Xbox 360 and the PLAYSTATION 3 is gettin closer and closer. For that reason id Software, Nerve Software and Activision recently held a press even, showing the game to a few of the big online gaming sites. Here are a few reports that we found on the net for you:

• 1UP 

The console versions' multiplayer interface is shaping up to be incredibly user friendly. Taking a page straight out of Halo 3, Quake Wars uses a matchmaking system that looks to make finding games as easy as a single button press."

• Eurogamer        

"As well as being a near-perfect conversion in graphics, AI and feature-set terms, the tweaks introduced for console players look like they're actually going to improve the underlying game."

• GameSpy

"The Bot Guide is sort of the equivalent of a particularly polite drill sergeant. He'll walk you through the basics of capturing objectives and class differences, all the while liberally doling out health packs and advice."

• IGN

"Nerve and id aren't skimping on the small details that can make or break a shooter of this nature. Little things like including a lobby system for players to convene after a game and full stat tracking for each map, both in-game and on a website which will house hundreds of statistics. There are also awards that are handed out after each match so you and your pals can ratchet up the smack talking."

• Team Xbox

"The game comes with a comprehensive Training Mode that gives you a guide bot to step you through everything you need to accomplish and how to compete every part of the objectives. It looks to be a great starter for learning all the aspects of the roles, though if you decide to rough it, the screens that describe each role indicate the abilities in relation to specific objective needs."

Our friends from Eurogamers released a very interesting Article about the Console Version of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars. It looks like there will be a Demo Version for Playstation 3 and XBOX360 available.

Activision plans to release playable demos of team-based multiplayer FPS Enemy Territory: Quake Wars for both PS3 and 360.

That's according to Greg Stone, designer at Nerve Software, the company handling the 360 conversion.

Speaking to Eurogamer at a press event this week to showcase the sexy new PS3 and 360 ports, Stone said that the companies were committed to doing demos.

However, nobody's sure whether they will launch before or after the game appears in shops this summer.

As well as bringing over all the maps, classes and other key features of the PC version of Quake Wars, the upcoming ports refine the interface significantly to address usability issues and hopefully open the game up to a wider audience.

Now Mac users can also join the fight between GDF and Strogg. The Mac Publisher Aspyr announced that ETQW for Mac is shipping in North America since yesterday. Here are the System Requirements:

MAC MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

• Operating System: 10.5.1 (Leopard)
• CPU Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo
• CPU Speed: 2 GHz
• Memory: 1 GB RAM
• Hard Disk Space: 5.5 GB + 1 GB Swap File
• Video Card (ATI): Radeon X1600
• Video Card (NVidia): Geforce 7300
• Video Memory (VRam): 128 MB
• Media Required: DVD-ROM
• Macintosh mouse and keyboard

MULTIPLAYER REQUIREMENTS:

• Internet(TCP/IP) play supported
• Internet play requires broadband connection

RECOMMENDED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

• CPU Speed: 2.4 GHz
• Memory: 2 GB RAM
• Video Memory (VRam): 256 MB

Supported Video cards:

NVIDIA GeForce 7300, 7600, 8600
NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500
ATI Radeon X1600, X1900, HD 2400, HD 2600

NOTICE: This game contains technology intended to prevent copying that may conflict with some disk and virtual disk drives.

NOTICE: Intel integrated video chipsets are not supported.

NOTICE: Apple Intel Chipsets only. Power PC Processors (G4 and G5) are not supported

There is a new map available called "Laboratory Storage":

Themed as a storage area in an underwater laboratory, 3v3 is the recommended game size. Strogg attempt to destroy a GDF relic, while the GDF fight to defend it. This is a final release insomuch as there are unlikely to be any further updates -- however, the map itself is not entirely finalized. Some localization strings will not appear properly, and the level of polish is less than that which should be expected for a full map. It should still, however, be reasonably playable for 2v2, 3v3, and 4v4. No support for bots.

The biggest ETQWPRO update to date has just been released featuring gameplay improvements, game fixes and some additions. The focus of fourth public release is to polish old features, work against full holds on certain maps and make the community rule set as automatic as possible, making it easier to follow.


Major additions/changes in 0.4:

• Fixed a big spread Issue when jumping and shooting, making the extra spread stay for a while
• Added a config, which should make it easier for you guys to create an own one!
• Weapon restrictions are added now
• Removed the scope effect from the strogg HUD
• If vehicles are forbidden on the last Objective stage, players will get ejected by the mod!
• Turret restrictions reworked and should work now
• Added clientside mapscripts!
• Implemented the vehicle rules! If the cvars are set, your team dont have to worry about using too many vehicles at the same time, the mod will either allow or not allow you to enter any vehicle.
• Added cvar for shooting in third person. (Switching positions is still allowed)
• Current ETQWPro version will also be available in the Server Info!
• Added an "announcement" whenever anyone connects on the server. (No sneaky specs anymore)
• g_noTVChat now also available to clients!
• Screenshots are now saved into the review folder
• Added a set timer command which can be your very own stopwatch.
• Made respawnTimer yellow
• Stopwatch is red

During the Games Developer Conference last month, Jim Rossignol from Rock, Paper, Shotgun interviewed Paul Wedgwood and Steve Gaffney from Splash Damage. Topics of the interview are amongst others the new title of Splash Damage, the community managing and the recruiting of co-workers.

twitch__  designed a "No Objective" Mini-Mod for QuakeWars which is doing some simple changes in gameplay:

"Ok so this is some code I was doing for my map. And figured it would work on the stock maps, so here ya go.

• There is no exp for primary or secondary objectives.
  
• There is no exp for defending.
  
• The team with the most exp at the time limit wins.
  
• Completing the last objective does not finish the round.
  

Designed for 2 or 3 people that just want to shoot each other up a bit.
I haven't tested it on all maps, let me know if its bugged.
Area 22 doesn't work."

A new version of Pigmod was released short time ago. 

I was waiting to see what features SD has added to their comp mod, so now that I know what they are planning on adding, I'll start putting some more work into it.

Pigmod is a competition mod for EnemyTerritory Quake Wars. The goal of Pigmod is to implement cvars to control what players are able to do according to the rules of ETQW leagues. It's goal is not to adjust core gameplay elements(run speed, weapon spread, weapon damage, etc). The mod will include some client side features in order to give feedback to the players.

Pigmod features several cvars to adjust the rules to make ETQW enforce common league play rules.

The following limits are available.

• enable/disable radar, 3rd eye camera, 3rd eye radar effect, medic crates, mines, air strikes.
• limit # of APT/AVT/AIT an Engineer/Constructor can deploy.
• limit # of Artillery/Rocket Artillery/Hammers(and strogg equivalents) a Field ops can deploy.
• limit vehicles to outside only.
• limit # of active vehicles players can control.
• limit # of rocket launcher/sniper rifle/GPMG's available.

This map is designed for just a few people.

- no objective.
- no Health Packs
- no Radar
- no Artillery

Just kill each other

The first custom maps for ETQW are comming in. We d like to start our Mapcollection with two maps from Clan LAN.

LNA 1vs1 (Beta): A 1vs1 map from the Clan LNA. Happy fragging!

LNA Trickjump (Beta 1): The legendary trickjump map from the Clan LNA now for ET:QW!