The Grid Guide has been updated to v2.0. It now features a FAQ page to answer some common The Grid questions, the Media page has returned with some new images and the new videos as the come in, the Locations page has been updated, some new codes and hidden character information have been added to the Secrets page, and a Links and Credits page have also been added.



Please keep sending Patrick your questions for the FAQ and your The Grid location sightings.

Thanks to Ed Boon and noob.com we got some new news stories for you.


First The Grid is on the cover of the latest Replay Magazine, and coin-op industry magazine, and probably has a feature inside of it. If anyone has this magazine and could scan in a copy of the pages it's featured on for us, that'd be great.


Secondly, a review of The Grid is up at GameFAQS.com. The VERY POSITIVE review can be read here.


And finally, I have neglected to mention the upcoming tournament for The Grid in Chicago because of my busy schedule. The details aren't in stone yet, but look for it probably at a major Chicago arcade sometime late this month or early October.

As mentioned before the latest issue of Coin-Op Trade magazine Replay has The Grid as the cover story. Here is a picture of the cover and The Grid article that it had.

Grappling with The Grid


First-person shooting games like Quake and Doom have been mega-hits in the home market for years, but what would it take to make this type of game successful in a coin-op environment? That was the challenge that intrigued Ed Boon and the rest of Midway's Mortal Kombat design team. The result, shown on this month's RePlay cover, is a unique new game called The Grid.



"I always felt arcade games are unique and different from consumer games," says Ed Boon. "You can't directly port successful home games to the arcade. Coin-op games demand their own faster pacing, special characters, hidden characters, fighting moves, secret moves and other elements to keep players' adrenalin rushing every minute. At the same time, our team was intrigued by the success of first-person shooting games. We took the fun elements from those games and applied them to coin-op's classic multi-player, linked game experience, which has its own appeal."



If anybody knows how to make a coin-op hit, it's the MK team. "Pacing is a key element," Ed Boon explained. "In Quake or Doom, you spend a lot of time looking for people or objects - long stretches of rather passive sequences, punctuated by brief spurts of conflict. Arcade games must constantly provide conflict and excitement. The player must always see someone, if only out of the corner of his eye, that he can attack or who can attack him. In The Grid, you're always either the hunter or the prey...and it switches back and forth every few seconds! This element, coupled with the magic of playing with your friends, has given us over-the-top earnings in every test location. Midway shipped 200 samples and in one location our game earned nearly three times as much as the next-closest title!"



Ed is keenly aware that "Many operators have said factories need to offer new themes beyond fighting, driving and shooting. The Grid was a conscious effort to offer people a different gameplay experience," he advised. "With the hi-tech consoles at home, we thought how to stress the arcade's social environment and multiple players competing. It was a huge team effort by nine guys who put their heart and soul into it. We were very nervous that it was our first game since Mortal Kombat, but now that it's getting such a positive reaction on the street, we feel it's all been worth it!"

You can read the whole Midway related cover story over at the Cover Story page on Replay's Website over here.

We've got yet another great The Grid video from design team for all you Grid fans. This is a video of the progression of a level's design phase. It starts from the early mock up, to adding more detail to the level, to the final product in the finished game. Check it out.

Level Design Video MPG 320x240 (11.40MB) MPG 160x120 (5.24MB)

The Grid Guide has gone thru another update. Not a major update, just added some new codes, new locations, and other small updates to some pages. Among the new codes is the way to invert aim with free look, so all you free look aimers who like the inverted play, like myself, can now invert their aiming to suit their needs.



PS: Keep an eye out later tonite for a big surprise, it's been awhile since what is going to happen has occurred, so we all figured it was about time again. News at 9!

That's right fans! TRMK has a big treat for everyone this week. This Thursday, September 14th at 7:00pm CDT, join the TRMK Staff for an action packed hour of online bedlam with the developers of Midway's hot new arcade arena shooter, The Grid. Here is your chance to have your questions answered by the minds behind this explosively intense arcade game.

We will begin taking questions now via e-mail at mcc@mk.hotweird.com. The majority of the questions asked during this event will come from your e-mails. If time permits, we will also take questions during the chat.

The event's venue will be at the #mortalkombat IRC Network chat room. If you've joined us for previous online chatting events at the chat network (like Fight Night), then you already know how to participate in this one. You can connect to the chat server via your IRC client, or simply launch our java based chat client right from your web browser. No programs to download or setup! Just enter your nickname and hit connect. It's that simple. If you're a more advanced IRC user, here is all of the necessary information to get you there as we hope to see you there!

Date: Thursday, September 14th Time: 7:00pm to 8:00pm CDT Server: irc.webmaster.com Port: 6667 Channel: #mortalkombat

Can you feel the anticipation? The largest arcade-game online chatting event will take place tomorrow at the #mortalkombat Chat Network chat room. Come join the TRMK Staff on Thursday, September 14th at 7:00pm CDT along with the developers of Midway's new arcade shooter, The GRID. If you're interested in who is going to attend this one-night only event, check out this impressive list.




Scheduled Participating Developers

(Subject to change)

Ed Boon Steve Beran John Vogel

Tony Goskie Dan Forden Mike Boon

Nigel Casey Mike Taran Todd Allen

Don't forget to send your questions for tomorrow night's chat in to Patrick McCarron.

Tonight is the night! At 7:00pm CDT (5:00pm Pacific, 8:00pm Eastern), the developers from Midway's The Grid will be chatting at the #mortalkombat IRC Network. Here is the connection information for tonight's event.

The Grid Chat Details Date: Thursday, September 14th (TONIGHT!) Time: 5:00pm Pacific / 7:00pm CDT / 8:00pm Eastern Server: irc.webmaster.com Port: 6667 Channel: #mortalkombat

If you need further help on connecting, visit the chat page, where you can also connect to tonight's chat via your java-compatable web browser.

Again, if you have any questions for tonight's chat, e-mail Patrick McCarron and your question will be one of the first to be answered. Questions can still be posed at the event, but only when all of the e-mailed questions are answered.

We hope to see you there!

The chat has ended. Questions about the game were answered by various members of the design team -- there was even a tidbit about MK5! If you missed it, take a gander at the transcript.

The chat with the MK/Grid Design team has concluded and we walked away with lots of new info on The Grid and MK5. Here it is to sum it all up. Be sure to take a gander at the transcript for more complete details.

^THEGRID News

New Version of The Grid is Coming around Novemeber With:





• At lesst two new characters added to the game (Noob and one other)


• New Secret Moves


• New Deaths (Dismemberments)


• Single Player Tweaks


• New Codes






The Grid Tournament Info






The Grid Chicago Tournament


The Info:

Saturday September 30th

Around 2-4pm (Time not set yet)

Brunswick Gala Lanes West

1515 Aurora Ave

Naperville, IL

(630) 355-7622

MORE DETAILS SOON





Cyberstation Tournament


Possible Cyberstation Nationwide Tournament of The Grid, starting in Chicago and going else where.

MORE DETAILS SOON





Miami Florida The Grid Tournament


Flippers arcade in Miami held a tournament last week. And another one coming up.
Results can be gotten from TheGridGame.com Flipper's Info Page



Any more tournament info contact The Grid Development Team.

MK5 News

Stuff we now know about MK5





• Same design team as The Grid


• Definately a new control layout


• Possible multi-leveled fighting arenas, definately some slanted floors are being thought of.


• Models for Scorpion, Raiden, and Jax are complete. Scorpion is only the definately confirmed characters.


• Luis Mangubat did the models, has a new "style" to the characters. "GROUND BREAKING S#I%" - Mike Teran


• Dynamic animation is being looked at by Todd Allen, including handling some inverse kinematics. This is where someone gets hit in the shoulder the shoulder reacts to that hit dynamically.


• Ed Boon had his usual hints thrown in now and then during the chat, one being W-I-D-E-S-C-R-E-E-N and the other being ORSMAb. They say ORSMAb is Alan Villani, we'll have to wait to see what develops on this one.


• To quote AlanVillani: "Prepare to be blown away when you see MK5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Threshold's newly redesigned MortalKombat.com is going to hold a live video interview with Ed Boon and the rest of The Grid development team sometime next week. Send all questions to be asked to coordinator@mortalkombat.com.

Live in Florida? Want to get your Grid on for big money and fabulous prizes? The Flippers arcade located in Miami, FL is holding a tournament next month for all you Gridders in the area. Prizes haven't been announced, but I'm sure it'll be worth your while.

Date: Monday, October 9th

Sign in: 8:00pm (Day of tournament)

Starts: 9:00pm

Place: Flippers Located In The Town & Country Mall
8364 Millslane. The mall is located on 117 ave. & Kendall Dr. in Miami, FL.

We are also awaiting more details on the Chicago tournament at Brunswick Gala Lanes West in Naperville on September 30th within the next few days. Right now, the format seems to be a single elimination ladder, with a Grand Prize of $500. This is all preliminary information for now. Stay tuned for more information in the coming days.

Part one of the MK Developers video interview answers are now online at MortalKombat.com.

While you're watching the responses, check out the screens behind each developer to see some preliminary development images from the game. We'll have a short recap available sometime later.

Today I treat you with the full details of The Grid Chicagoland Tournament to be held at Brunswick Gala Lanes West in Naperville, IL on Saturday September 30th. Grand Prize of $500 goes to the winner, and smaller amounts of prize money goes to the lower placed players. For the complete official rules, including sign up deadlines and start times, along with prizes click here.


Also we have posted a scan of the most recent GamePro magazine's feature preview of The Grid written by Dan Electro.

The Grid Preview in October's GamePro

by Dan Electro

The tournament is over, and the winners have claimed their prizes. The grand prize winner and Chicago Grid Champion is Jeff, frequent player at from Golf Mill Cyberstation, who took away the $500 prize. Shiny from Gamepl.com's Grid Site got second place and won $100. Congrats to all who competed, it was a blast. We'll have some video footage of the tournament soon courtesy of John Vogel.



Also our The Grid Guide has been updated with some more Secrets including all the developer alternate head codes.