• Tag Archives Microsoft

  • Edge (December 2004)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Edge – Issue Number 143 – December 2004

    Edge is a multi-format gaming magazine that was sort of a sister publication to Next Generation. At least, much of the content that was published in Edge was republished in Next Generation. the December 2004 issue includes:

    This Month

    • Dual Fuel – A look at the hardware and first software of the new Nintendo DS. It had a number of innovative features for the time, including dual screens, touch screen, 3D, and more.
    • Driving Ambition – A talk with the the man behind Gran Turismo 4: Prologue.
    • Oddworld’s Odyssey – The story behind Oddworld: Stranger. I only ever played the first Oddworld which was a completely different kind of game but it was an interesting and intensely atmospheric game.
    • But It Is Art – A look at some recent video game inspired art exhibits.
    • Activisionaries – The story of Activision, the company that invented the concept of third party publisher, and how it has changed over teh last 25 years.

    Every Month

    • Start
      • Nintendo unveils DS support – The premiere of the Nintendo DS and the first 3rd party developers.
      • Tokyo Game Show 2004 report – The PSP debuts and much more.
      • PS2 slims down for Christmas – A smaller version of the PS2 including ethernet and a now external power supply.
      • Jim Merrick talks Nintendo online – A brief interview with Nintendo’s head of marketing.
      • Japan catches retro fever – Tokyo’s National Museum of Science hosts exhibition dedicated to videogaming history.
      • How The Sims killed themselves – The convoluted history of The Sims. An interview with Will Wright, head of Maxis and the man behind The Sims.
      • At a store near you – New this month: Donkey Konga (Game Cube), Mario Vs. Donkey Kong (Game Boy Advance), Gradius V (PS2), and Metal Slug 3 (Xbox).
      • A developer’s diary – The story of Kun Fu Chaos.
      • Incoming – New games coming soon: Cold Fear (PC, PS2, Xbox), Tsukiyoni Saraba (PS2), Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (Game Boy Advance), Ace Combat 5 (PS2), Imperator (PC), and King Kong (GameCube, Xbox, PS2).

    • Something About Japan – A look at the Tokyo Game Show through the eyes of Kaji Aizawa, editor in chief of Famitsu PS2 magazine.
    • Time Extend – A detailed look back at The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.
    • Studio Profile – A look at Swordfish Studios, developers of games such as Jonah Lamu Rugby, UEFA Striker, Hostile Waters: Antaeus Rising, and World Championship Rugby.
    • Codeshop – GameShadow, a game patching service to simplify keeping all of your games up to date.
    • Mightier Than The Sword – the origins of Grand Theft Auto.
    • Trigger Happy – The appeal of Myst IV and the Myst series in general.
    • The Guest Column – The most successful player in Lineage II.
    • Biffovision – The Complete History of Videogaming, Chapter 24, The Age of Television: A look at Joymasters (1992-1996).
    • Inbox – Letters about game ratings, Game Stars Live, Nintendo re-releases, Ghost in the Shell and GTA, and more.
    • Hype – Previews of new and upcoming games including Resident Evil 4 (GameCube), Ico 2 (PS2), The Bard’s Tale (PS2, Xbox), Devil May Cry 3 (PS2), Jak 3 (PS2), Metal Gear Acid (PSP), Rengogu (PSP), Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (GameCube, PC, PS2, Xbox), Disaster Report 2 (PS2), Kagero 2 (PS2), Shining Tears (PS2), Radiata Stories (PS2), and Demento (PS2).
    • Review – Reviews of the latest games including Half-Life 2 (PC), Rome: Total War (PC), Tribes: Vengeance (PC), Monster Hunter (PS2), Blood Will Tell (PS2), Final Fantasy XI (PC, PS2), Sly 2: Band of Thieves (Xbox), Sega Superstars (PS2), Eyetoy: Play 2 (PS2), Flatout (PC, PS2, Xbox), Super Mario Pinball (GBA), Pro Evolution Soccer 4 (PS2, Xbox), ADV Guardian Heroes (GBA), and Gametrak: Dark Wind (PS2).

    …and more!


    📂This entry was posted in Retro Games 📎and tagged

  • EDGE (November 2007)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: EDGE – Issue Number 181 – November 2007

    Edge was is a magazine that was published in the U.K. that was sort of the sister magazine to Next Generation in the states. At least, they shared some of the same content. If you liked one, you would probably like the other and I really liked Next Generation. Now 2007 really isn’t all that retro to me. Games like Halo 3 and RockBand just seem a little old. However, 13 years is a long time and if you were playing these games when you were 13 there is no doubt they will be retro to you. The November 2007 issue of Edge includes:

    This Month

    • Conflict Of Interest – A jaunt through the English countryside to talk with Pivotal about its twoplayer spin on the Conflict series.
    • Our Benefactors – Polymaths, prodigies and Portal: we drop by Valve’s Seattle offices to find out how it plays with gaming’s rules.
    • Arcadia – Though only a shadow of its former self, the arcade industry is showing signs of getting back on its feet
    • Time Extend: Metal Arms – Chaos, sadism and comedy German accents: Swingin’ Ape’s thirdperson shooter was an ode to expression

    Every Month

    • Start – News, interviews and more
    • Something About Japan – Koji Aizawa will have his medication now
    • The Making Of… – NES isometric-3D legend, Solstice
    • Edge Moves – Your chance to work in the videogame industry
    • Codeshop – Autodesk’s 2008 interations
    • Gaming in the dark – With new columnist N’Gai Croal
    • Biffovision – Mr Biffo looks for the soul, man
    • Inbox – Your letters, plus Crashlander

    Hype

    • Far Cry 2 (PC)
    • Spore (PC)
    • Hellgate: London (PC)
    • Kayne And Lynch: Dead Men (360, PC, PS3)
    • Alone in the Dark (360, PC, PS3)
    • Nights: Journey of Dreams (Wii)
    • Mario and Sonic (DS, Wii)
    • Viking: Battle for Asgard (360, PS3)
    • Rise of the Argonauts (360, PC, PS3)
    • Speedball 2 (PC)
    • Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground (360, PS3)
    • Borderlands (360, PC, PS3)
    • Wet (360, PS3)
    • Civilization: Revolution (360, DS, PS3, Wii)
    • Race Driver One (360, PC, PS3)
    • Guilty Gear Overture (360)
    • Rachet & Clank Future (PS3)

    Review

    • Halo 3 (360)
    • Quake Wars (360, PC)
    • Skate (360, PS3)
    • Grimgrimoire (PS2)
    • Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)
    • Project Gotham Racing 4 (360)
    • Sega Rally (360, PS3)
    • Lair (PS3)
    • Stranglehold (360, PC, PS3)
    • Persona 3 (PS2)
    • Singstar (PS3)
    • Two Worlds (360, PC)
    • Jam Sessions (DS)
    • Final Fantasy Tactics (PSP)
    • World in Conflict (360, PC)
    • Eternal Sonata (360)
    • Phoenix Wright 3 (DS)
    • Sonic Rush Adventure (DS)

    Start

    • One for all and all for one – How Sony’s multimedia strategy is shaping the PlayStation family
    • The view from Germany – Game Convention shows how to put on a videogame event
    • Judgement calls – The thinking behind PlayStation Eye’s game of decks and effects
    • City slickers – Nottingham’s GameCity festival offers up some treats for October
    • On the move – More from Nokia on the revamp of the N-Gage mobile platform
    • Myth and legend – We talk to the man behind Folklore about mixing Irish myth into gaming
    • Still silent – The producer of Silent Hill Origins on fear, intensity and playing alone

    …and more!


    📂This entry was posted in Retro Games 📎and tagged

  • Microsoft Multiplan

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Microsoft Multiplan

    Multiplan was an early spreadsheet program developed by Microsoft. Known initially by the code name “EP” (for “Electronic Paper”), it was introduced in 1982 as a competitor for VisiCalc.

    Multiplan was released first for computers running CP/M; it was developed using a Microsoft proprietary p-code C compiler as part of a portability strategy that facilitated ports to systems such as MS-DOS, Xenix, Commodore 64 and 128, Texas Instruments TI-99/4A (on four 6K GROMs and a single 8K ROM), Radio Shack TRS-80 Model II, TRS-80 Model 4, TRS-80 Model 100 (on ROM), Apple II, and Burroughs B-20 series.

    Despite the release of Microsoft Chart, a graphics companion program, Multiplan continued to be outsold by Lotus 1-2-3. It was replaced by Microsoft Excel, which followed some years later on both the Apple Macintosh (1985) and Microsoft Windows (1987).

    Around 1983, during the development of the first release of Windows, Microsoft had plans to make a Windows version. However the plans changed a year later.

    Multiplan for the Macintosh, available the month Apple released the computer, was the first third-party Macintosh software and the only spreadsheet for the Macintosh for its first year. Bill Gates was repeatedly heard in 1985 saying that Microsoft made more money on Multiplan for the Macintosh than any other platform. It was proficient at making graphs and charts and was often bundled with some Macs. However, Multiplan only lasted for about a year before being overtaken by the more successful Excel.

    A fundamental difference between Multiplan and its competitors was Microsoft’s decision to use R1C1 addressing instead of the A1 addressing introduced by VisiCalc. Although R1C1-style formulae are more straighforward than A1-style formulae[4] — for instance, “RC[-1]” (meaning “current row, previous column”) is expressed as “A1” in cell B1, then “A2” in cell B2, etc. — most spreadsheet users prefer the A1 addressing style introduced by VisiCalc.

    Microsoft carried Multiplan’s R1C1 legacy forward into Microsoft Excel, which offers both addressing modes; although A1 is MS Excel’s default addressing mode.

    http://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/166771901946/vintagecomputers-microsoft-multiplan-multiplan


    📂This entry was posted in Computer Arcana 📎and tagged