What is FragBU?
A friendly two night event for UT3 that starts on Friday and continues on until the end of the night on Saturday. It's not a pub server, nor is it a place to be super serious, so just remember to relax and have fun.

What do you do there?
We play all of the stock gametypes plus Greed and Betrayal. At any time people can vote on different mutators so that if a gametype is getting a bit stale, they can change it up a bit. One of the FragBU favorites is a hybrid gametype called Big Game Hunter which is really fun when the server is full. You really need to see this one to believe it!

Where's all the info?
Right here. Each week the page is reposted and will reflect any changes made to the server, rules, time and dates. Please check the thread each month for updates and new maps. The link also provides additional server information (players, map, gametype) and a link to our irc channel.

Presenting the Phase 3 finalists for the “Best Graphics in Map” category in its $1 Million Intel

. Phase 3 winners will be announced next week at SigGraph.

Best Graphics in Map Phase 3 Finalists:
• DM-Chronomancer
• DM-GrandDiablo
• VCTF-RocketForst
• VCTF-HangingGardens
• VCTF-Refuge
• CDOM-Enslaved
• Meudeverre (PlanetStorm)
• Oztoc I (The Ball)
• Forsaken Canyon (The Haunted)
• Death's End

Best Graphics in Map Phase 3 Honorable Mentions:
• CTF-Stratus
• CTF-TownshipRebellion
• DM-Incapacitate
• DM-Conquestor
• DM-Foundry
• DM-Rome
• DM-Cydian
• DM-Haze
• WAR-Industrial
• The Box
• Steel Halo: Imperial League
• WAR-RockPaperSpaceCruiserV2
• The Stronghold (The Haunted)

The finalist lists for the Make Something Unreal Contest Phase 3 roll on...

Best non-FPS Mod Phase 3 Finalists:
• Coda
• Cubes of Serenity
• The Haunted
• Killing Time UT2D
• Legion
• NoonTide
• Project White
• Robofonics
• Snowreal
• Steamracers
• TikiWiki
• Unreal Demolition 2
• UTactics

Best non-FPS Mod Phase 3 Honorable Mentions:
• BiggZ Exterminator
• ToonDoom
• Chalupa
• Project Swing
• Death's End
• UT_SpaceBattle

It's never too late for a new

, and this one comes courtesy of Unreal Tournament 3!

Update: We've been informed that the "Rankin" character is also a finalist

Here are the Phase 3 finalists for the “Best Character” category in its $1 Million Intel

. The Phase 3 winners will be announced next week at SigGraph.

Best Character Phase 3 Finalists:
• Azatoth
• Savior Character Pack
• Goatmen
• Gob-BA
• Polar_and_Dumon - Polar Soldiers
• Polar_and_Dumon - Dumon Soldiers
• Rankin
• Skaarj
• Steam Racers Character
• The Ball Character
• Death's End Character
• The Haunted Character

Best Character Phase 3 Honorable Mentions:
• Obsidian
• Kaos Operations Section
• Namarian Soldier
• Scylla
• SilvansClan
• Tritigon
• General Solkova
• Coda Character
• Nanosuit Character
• Prometheus Character

More finalist fun today from Phase 3 of the Make Something Unreal Contest - announcing:

Best Level for a Mod Phase 3 Finalists:
• Oztoc I (The Ball)
• Oztoc II (The Ball)
• Forsaken Canyon (The Haunted)
• The Stronghold (The Haunted)
• Enslaved (Domination)
• Tutorial (Prometheus)
• Breach (Prometheus)
• UnderWorld (UT2D Killing Time)
• Monolith (UT2D Killing Time)
• Toon Doom

Best Level for a Mod Phase 3 Honorable Mentions:
• Ring Puzzle (Cubes of Serenity)
• Queen Anne's Revenge (Blackbeard's Escape)
• Chalupa
• Sacred Trials (Descent into Quixing)
• Collision Course (Domination)
• Heart of Darkness (TikiWiki)
• Trail of Torment (Steam Racers)
• RoboTestMap (Robofonics)
• Teotl II (The Ball)
• Meudeverre (Planetstorm)

The Wave 1 application page for Killing Floor's Grindhouse Mapping Contest is

.

For all those mappers out there who want a shot at the $5,000 first prize in Wave 1 of Tripwire’s mapping contest for Killing Floor, the application page is now open for map submissions, with the deadline for entries fast approaching (12 Noon EST, 31st July). We have teamed up with the crew at ModDB (www.moddb.com), who are hosting all the maps for us, providing a central location for the fans to check out all of the contest maps. Remember, this is where you get a shot at winning $5,000 in cash, as well as Nvidia graphics cards and Logitech goodies.

For the full details, plus the application form, head for the contest web pages over at www.killingfloorthegame.com. Keep watching the website: there will be more news on Wave 1 soon, plus news on Wave 2, where the Grand Prize is a full $10,000 in cash! If you’ve got skills in level creation, don’t pass up this chance to win $10,000!

Killing Floor is the hit co-op zombie shooter from Tripwire Interactive. It is available for purchase on Steam now (www.steampowered.com) and will be available in stores very soon!

Another day, and more finalists from the Make Something Unreal Contest! Today we have the DM, CTF, VCTF and WAR finalists and honorable mentions.

Here are the Phase 3 finalists for the “Best Deathmatch and CTF” and “Best Warfare and VCTF Level” categories in the $1 Million Intel Make Something Unreal Contest. We'll be announcing Phase 3 winners next week at SigGraph. This competition rewards top mods created for Unreal Tournament 3 with cash and hardware prizes in four preliminary phases and a grand final. Visit

http://www.makesomethingunreal.com for full details.

Beyond Unreal (http://www.beyondunreal.com) has put together download packs of the finalists and honorable mentions.

Without further ado, here are this phase's finalists and honorable mentions.

Best Warfare and VCTF Level Phase 3 Finalists

• VCTF-AggressiveAlley(Hot)
• VCTF-Artemesia
• VCTF-Refuge
• VCTF-HangingGardens
• VCTF-Octopus
• VCTF-RocketForst
• WAR-Araja
• WAR-Industrial
• WAR-FullWormGarden
• WAR-Iscariot

Best Warfare and VCTF Level Phase 3 Honorable Mentions

• VCTF-Strangelove
• VCTF-Bay
• VCTF-HighTides
• VCTF-InfectionForest
• VCTF-Silverpoint
• WAR-AirMars
• WAR-Bittersands
• WAR-Imperia
• WAR-Omikron
• WAR-OrbitalDebris
• WAR-Rizer

Best Deathmatch and CTF Level Phase 3 Finalists

• CTF-Austere
• CTF-Stratus
• CTF-Transcendent
• CTF-Eueus
• DM-Incapacitate
• DM-Rothem
• DM-Chronomancer
• DM-Foundry
• DM-Nimius
• DM-Revelator

Best Deathmatch and CTF Level Phase 3 Honorable Mentions

• CTF-TownshipRebellion
• CTF-Fasader
• DM-BabylonNight
• DM-ChronoFactory
• DM-Conquestor
• DM-Ember
• DM-GrandDiablo
• DM-Haze
• DM-Quatro2B
• DM-Propyl
• DM-Rome

And, as the announcement said, we've put together packs of the finalists and honorable mentions, so you don't have to go hunting for them! You can get all of the maps in one easy bundle, right'chere:

• WAR Finalists and Honorable Mentions (643.81 MB)
• VCTF Finalists and Honorable Mentions (517.08 MB)
• CTF Finalists and Honorable Mentions (218.02 MB)
• DM Finalists and Honorable Mentions (607.29 MB)

Congratulations to all the finalists and honorable mentions! Winners will be announced next week, and more categories will no doubt be coming up soon, so keep it right here for the latest MSUC news!

The next DLC for Gears of War 2 has hit the Xbox Marketplace. For just 1200 Microsoft Points - or $15 - you can get the Dark Corners DLC, which contains 7 multiplayer maps and a new chapter for the single player campaign, "Road to Ruin."

Alternatively, if you're new to Gears of War 2 or simply haven't bought any of the DLCs, you can get the All Fronts DLC pack, which, while costing more (1600 MS Points, or $20), contains all of the multiplayer maps released by all of the previous DLCs, and includes the Dark Corners content as well.

Epic have released the first list of finalists for Phase 3 of the Make Something Unreal Contest. It is important to note that this is not all of the categories, but these are the ones for which the finalists have currently been decided.

Best Use of Physics Phase 3 Finalists

• Snowreal
• Unreal Demolition 2
• Angels Fall First: PlanetStorm
• The Ball – Oztoc
• DM-Phyos SE
• Steam Racers
• Project Swing
• LightToys
• 3D Stacking
• VCTF-HangingGardens
• TickyTicker

Best Use of Physics Phase 3 Honorable Mentions

Fans of Stargate have been on the edge of their seats ever since the UE3-powered Stargate Worlds MMORPG has been on shaky grounds, and now it seems that publisher Firesky has been pushed to the edge of the proverbial cliff.

, a claim which Firesky denies will happen.

Apparently, the publisher has until August 1 to raise the money else MGM will pull the license. To top things off, the whole ordeal relies on a group of doctors who are considering an $8 million investment.

Firesky's Director of New Business Development Shane Hensley said that the company has never considered scrapping the game, nor is there any danger of MGM stepping in and pulling the license. "MGM certainly isn't thrilled with our current situation, but neither do we have any specific indication they're pulling the license on any particular date," he said.

Funds for Stargate Worlds ran dry long ago, but rather than discontinue development, the company decided to hang on and continue working. Many key personnel moved on to other projects, while others chose to continue with the game and remain behind on pay. MMORPG.com said that currently there is only one member on the client team and one member on the server team still on the Stargate project.

The Hardcore Oldskool Low-Poly map packs were a real shot in the arm to UT3 fans early-on and they continue to be favorites online and off. Please join BeyondUnreal in welcoming the team

at their appropriately no-nonsense website! Bring on HOLP 3!

Gamespot has brief recaps of the panels convened at Comic Con 09. Each panel was comprised of any number of industry standouts and charged with exploring a popular game-related subject with questions coming from the audience. Of note are two which featured Epic design director Cliff Bleszinski.

• Gearsiverse Panel Recap: in addition to Cliff, the panel included "Joshua Ortega, Gears of War comic book author and scriptwriter for Gears of War 2; Len Wiseman, director of the upcoming Gears of War; and Chris Morgan, screenwriter for the Gears of War movie"
  
  In addition to talk of Gears, the comic book, and the movie, the new COG and Locust Xbox 360 avatars were revealed.
  
  
• Developing for Xbox 360: other panelists tied to the Unreal Engine include Splinter Cell: Conviction producer Alex Parizeau and Mass Effect 2 project director Casey Hudson of Bioware.
  
  Gamespot sums it up thusly: A pessimist would summarize this panel in two sentences: “How awesome is it developing for Xbox 360? So awesome.”

In other hosted site news, SkinCity and UT Unlimited continue to post loads of goodies for the Unreal Tournament series.

is featuring a trio of new offering for Unreal Tournament 2004, including the very cool Hologram Skin Pack (see POTD). For Unreal Tournament you can grab a pack of popular skins converted from retail UT2004.

is home to three new reviews for UT3/UT2004; notable among them is DM-AnataWa By Rejecht, scoring a 78/100. Also, welcome Pokémen, a new reviewer for UT Unlimited.

G4 serves up the bad news that the standard bearer for the Unreal Engine, Unreal Tournament, has been shelved for "several years". In separate interviews on that same network,

and

drop the bomb.

Sweeney: "Unreal Tournament is certainly a major long-term priority but we're planning not to release a major retail game in the series for several years"

Cliff: Bleszinski also gives word on the fact that not only does it seem like the studio is going to be putting the Unreal Tournament franchise on the shelf for a while, and there most likely will be another Gears title or further Gears of War 2 DLC coming...

It would seem that, instead, there are currently several unannounced games underway at the studio.