[710] in comp.os.os2.announce archive
BETA, GAME: Rhintek's Bug-Eyed Monsters (Internet multiplayer)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Mick Brown)
Thu Feb 22 20:19:15 1996
To: os2ann.DISCUSS@bloom-picayune.MIT.EDU
Date: 19 Feb 1996 23:04:42 GMT
From: lfirrantello@BIX.com (Mick Brown)
Reply-To: 76533.1740@compuserve.com
Reply-To: 76533.1740@compuserve.com
Submitted by: Mariya Pearl
Source: Rhintek, Inc.
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Beta Testers Needed for Bug-Eyed Monsters from Outer Space
Columbia, MD- The year is 2153. Mankind's peaceful exploration of space has
brought Earth into contact with an evil alien empire from another galaxy.
Horrible bug-eyed aliens are coming to abduct physically attractive civilians.
Strap on your atomic blaster! Power-up your Acme communicator! Join the
Space Marines and combat this terror from beyond.
Rhintek announces that it is looking for beta testers for a new
Internet-aware, multi-player game. Computer game developer, Grinning Lizard,
will use Rhintek's extremely powerful OS/2 communications engine, RhinoCom, to
create "Bug-Eyed Monsters from Outer Space (BEM)." BEM is a high-action,
multi-player OS/2 strategy game reminiscent of 1950's science fiction movies
and comics played directly over phone lines or through TCP/IP on networks or
the Internet.
"So many games are taking the difficult route and trying to develop their own
communication interface," stated Lee Thomason, President of Grinning Lizard.
"RhinoCom takes care of the connection details so we are able to concentrate
on making the game enjoyable, complete with an AI that doesn't cheat, NPCs
that evolve through use of genetic algorithms, high-intensity graphics, and
mind-melting sounds."
In order to provide Internet capabilities for BEM, Rhintek has added Telnet,
both client and server, to the RhinoCom engine. As these features are not yet
released, the RhinoCom version available with the BEM alpha will be a beta of
the new version of RhinoCom Home. The public BEM release will include a
stripped-down RhinoCom engine, code-named Yak, as part of its package.
"Yak is designed to be an OEM communications back-end targeted at vendors who
wish to easily add connectivity to their own products," added Rainer McCown,
President of Rhintek, Inc. "This way, vendors treat our package as an
input/output source and let us worry about making the connection, handling
phone lines and modems, and dealing with network versus asynchronous packeting
structures."
The alpha BEM product will be widely available beginning March 1 with the
first beta release appearing late April. Participation in the beta program is
limited, costs $50, and includes a copy of the final game (MSRP $69). Contact
Rhintek at their web page at http://www.rhintek.com/rhintek, via email at
heeth@rhintek.com, or via Rhintek's BBS (running RhinoCom Standard Host Mode)
at (301) 596-5618. For a complete RhinoCom press kit, contact Mariya Pearl at
847/253-6600.
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