__ Just Outta Beta __
__ 100 Percent Pure Adrenaline __
Release: Late Summer
Adaptations of books are almost always doomed to failure. Odds are 10 to-1 you walk away thinking the novel was better left unadulterated. However, there are exceptions. Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash may be one of them.
In this best-selling sci-fi thriller, Stephenson describes a future in which computer hackers have created an online world called "the Metaverse" and must battle the deadly Snow Crash virus. (Stephenson himself originally visualized Snow Crash as a graphic novel, but you may have to wait a while longer for that.)
In late summer Viacom New Media will release Snow Crash, the CD-ROM action-adventure game that takes place in the Metaverse. The disc features four possible endings and more than 30 missions 10 of which are hidden or secret. As you stomp your way through this virtual world, you're forced to make choices that will either spread or stop the virus. But not every aspect of the game has a purpose according to producer Jake Smith, the game features "kill zones" (just like the book) in which the idea is simply to "thrash everyone else. There's really no purpose to this part, just pure fun."
Smith says Viacom attempted to retain the book's flavor by keeping core elements of the Metaverse such as the Black Sun, a virtual bar and club. The soundtrack will be a kind of "industrial pop," he says, "somewhat like early Ministry." Personal taste will determine whether or not you see this as an improvement on the speed metal that Stephenson used as a soundtrack while writing the novel.
Kristin Lowe
Viacom New Media: +1 (212) 258 6000, on the Web at www.viacomnewmedia.com/.
__ WingMan Warrior __
Release: Late June
On the heels of the release of Final Doom, the last of the series, Logitech offers WingMan Warrior, a two-handed joystick with a supplementary 360-degree spinner knob designed for fast-action, Doom style, computer-generated butt-kicking.
Logitech Inc.: +1 (510) 795 8500, www.logitech.com/.
__ Sonic PC & Bug! __
Release: July
If Sega's sights on playstations and networked gaming weren't enough, now it's got a bead on the lucrative PC CD-ROM market. Sonic PC makes its debut along with Bug! this month, injecting a little more action into the PC arcade-action category.
Sega Entertainment Inc.: +1 (415) 508 2800, www.sega.com/.
__ ZDTV __
Release: July
Seems "new media" doesn't just mean the Web. As Ziff Davis's ZDTV pops up on developer and co-producer MSNBC's cable channel, the paradigm shifts. ZDTV, an hour-long Internet show, airs weekdays, and like its forebears c|net and PCTV it aims for media synergy with a companion Web site. It's becoming clear that for splash, you do TV; for hype, you do Web. Combine them, and you may just make money.
Ziff-Davis: +1 (415) 243 3610, email zdtvhome@zd.com.
__ Voyeur II __
Release: July
In the ultracompetitive CD-ROM gaming market, it's difficult to leave well enough alone. While the ambitious Voyeur made a splash three years ago, can Voyeur II leave as great a mark? One can hope.
Philips Media Inc.: +1 (310) 444 6500.
__ The Fortunate Fall __
Release: July
By the looks of its prepress response, Rafael Carter's book, The Fortunate Fall, should be a solid SF hit. It's a tale of love and betrayal in the virtual realm with a dense historical backdrop.
Tor Books: +1 (212) 388 0100. To order: (800) 288 2131.
__ Wonder Tools Keyboard __
Release: Summer
The kids are all right Š now that they're banging away on the Wonder Tools Keyboard from Compaq and Fisher-Price. It offers oversized keys and a finger mouse just what the little ones need for their trips on the digital plane.
Compaq: (800) 345 1518, +1 (713) 370 0670.
__ Robert De Niro? __
Release: Summer Aerosmith's gone Siliwood with Robert De Niro? It's true. 9, Tribeca Interactive's first interactive CD-ROM, features the voices of Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, James Belushi, and Cher. Painter Mark Ryden fashioned the distinctive look of this adventure in an old resort hotel.
GT Interactive: +1 (212) 726 6500, www.gtinteractive.com/.
