The X-Files
Australian Conne-X-ion
Australian Media
August 1999

Playing By Heart **** (m)
Warm and uplifting, this is a kind of yuppie soap about a number of dysfunctional people gradually coming to terms with life, love and themselves. There's The X-Files' Gillian Anderson as a woman so wary of men she keeps a mastiff to keep them away. There's Sean Connery as a dying man whose wife - Gena Rowlands - suddenly discovers a past betrayal. And Ellen Burstyn plays a mum struggling to know her AIDS-fading son. An upbeat affirmation of life.

X-Files fans, rejoice! Fox Interactive has brought one of television's most popular sci-fi shows, the X-Files, to the PlayStation. Aren't you just bursting with all sorts of alien excitement?

Assuming the role of field agent Craig Wilmore, who assists Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), players unlock a series of mysteries, while fighting against an armada of bizarre forces, taking the forms of unsuspecting "friends," unanswered accidents, and shady characters. The X-Files game is a live-action adventure that puts your alien-sniffing abilities to the test as you unlock the secrets behind alien beings living among us. What does "live-action" mean? It means digital video gameplay, much like the early titles from the dawn of the 32-bit age, but much better quality. And hopefully, much better gameplay.

"We're pleased to incorporate new technologies which allow us to successfully immerse these gamers into solving an 'X-Files' mystery with the best video ever seen on the PlayStation," said Jon Richmond, president of Fox Interactive.

The game utilizes a new game engine titled VirtualCinema. This new engine enables the highest quality video footage ever to grace the PlayStation, and since the X-Files adventure spans across four discs, you can bet that there's going to be a lot to look at. To see some of this footage in play, click on Fox Interactive's Web site, which shows modified QuickTimes (for the Web). Of course, the FMV on the PlayStation game is far superior, but it does illuminate the emotional impact that's so powerfully presented on TV and on the silver screen. VirtualCinema also brings multiple plot lines into the title with features that enable branching story possibilities. Depending on what you so, the story changes in response to your actions, behavior and attitude toward others.

During the many interviews players conduct, they'll learn to sift through a litter of clues to solve a troublesome mystery. With multiple paths and storylines to investigate, players will be challenged beytond the standard mystery game. With several items in your inventory, players are likely to be able to use a few guns, a badge, cell phone, handcuffs, flashlight, personal files, possibly a lockpicking kit, a Thinkpad, and a digital camera. The standard issue digital camera plays a large part in investigations. Useable any time, players can take pictures of other-worldly events and then download them via workstations in the field office and the apartment.

Through your adventures, you'll run across some familiar faces, including such stars as FBI Assistant Director Skinner, the Lone Gunmen, and the Cigarette Smoking Man. Many of the cast members make real appearances, including series Steven Williams, Dean Haglund, Brenden Beiser, Tom Braidwood, and other regulars. The story, not surprisingly, is created by the brilliantly creative (and slightly paranoid) creator of the show, Chris Carter.

In addition to the cast, gamers will also recognize some familiar areas from the show as well -- 30 to be exact. The areas include places such as morgues, FBI offices, motels, labs, warehouses, businesses and residents. All of this original footage was filmed entirely on location in the Pacific Northwest, before the series moved to Los Angeles last season.

Not much else is known about the title, but rest assured, as soon as more information is released, we'll leak it to you.

Jay Boor and Doug Perry

London, Tuesday.

The CIA has released a secret history of its investigations into UFO sightings, revealing that there was more truth in the popular television series The X-Files than is often believed.

The highly critical report describes the often-bitter debates between real-life X-Files investigators who believed "the truth is out there" and their sceptical bosses.

It records tales of bumbling undercover agents whose activities fuelled a widespread belief that governments were covering up what the agency described as "extra-terrestrial visitations by intelligent beings".

The problem was eventually passed to the agency's physics and electronics division where in true X-Files style just one analyst investigated UFO phenomena.

But the 1950's equivalent of Fox Mulder (of The X-Files) was constantly undermined by his boss, described by the CIA history as "a non-believer in UFO's, who tried but failed to declare the project inactive.

While the CIA investigations eventually concluded that all the sightings could be explained, the report concludes that misguided attempts to keep them secret led to widespread belief of a government cover-up.

The report, written by Gerald Haines, the official CIA historian, was commissioned by the then CIA director, James Woolsey, in 1993 after renewed claims of a CIA-led cover-up.

It calls for the first time on documents that the agency hid from UFO enthusiasts who obtained thousands of more mundane files under the Freedom of Information Act. The report, completed in 1997, has been released at the request of the British academic journal Intelligence and National Security.

US intelligence began investigating UFO sightings in 1947 when a pilot claimed to have seen nine discs travelling at more than 1600 kmh in Washington state. The claim was backed up by additional sightings, including reports from military and civilian pilots and air-traffic controllers.
By Michael Smith

David Duchovny says he's been victim of a real live conspiracy. The star of "The X-Files" sued 20th Century Fox Thursday, alleging that the studio has cheated him out of millions in profits. He also believes that show creator Chris Carter schemed with Fox and was paid $4 million to keep quiet—though the executive producer isn't named in the suit. Duchovny, 39, says he's been entitled to a share of the series's revenues since his 1995 contract renewal. The actor alleges in the suit that Fox sold various "X-Files" rights to associated companies, such as Fox broadcast network and FX cable channel, at intentionally discounted prices. This decreased the show's revenues. Sources say that after six months of negotiations between Fox and the actor, discussions hit a standstill—and Duchovny decided to sue. He plans to continue with the series, which just began shooting its seventh season.

Attached to the complaint was a copy of a Fox memo that, like an episode of the series, further complicated the story. It said that Carter, the former magazine editor who grew to be a multimillionaire after creating the program, would be paid $4 million and get a commitment to an additional show from the network. This was "hush money," the suit alleges. Still, Duchovny "feels no animosity toward Chris," the actor's attorney, Peter Nelson, told Newsweek.com. "Chris has been an effective creator and executive producer of the show and David feels loyalty to him in that capacity... But financially, to David, Chris' dealings with Fox have been very harmful to him." 20th Century Fox issued a three-sentence statement on Thursday and had not altered it by Friday afternoon. "It is the policy of this company not to comment on potential or actual litigation," it read in part. "It is regrettable that Mr. Duchovny and his representatives have opted to communicate this matter through the press rather than directly with Fox." Carter has also yet to make a personal statement. If the truth is out there, it may take a bunch of lawyers to find it.

B. J. Sigesmund