Republicans attack Clinton, US attacks Iraq. But the big battles - at least for us - took place in the world of gaming. From 3Dfx taking control of STB, Starcraft: Brood War finally going gold, Dune 2000 getting a downloadable boost, and Mattel gobbling up The Learning Company, there were battles galore right in our very own back yard. Here's what happened during the week:

　　Monday is normally the day when we can expect little gaming news, but the announcement concerning 3Dfx's motion to take over graphics-card maker STB has everybody talking. Why? 3Dfx is taking a big risk. GameSpot readers are more of the hard-core persuasion and know of 3Dfx's ability to tap into new realms of gaming. But up to this point, the company has received very little recognition in the OEM world.

　　This is a big deal because 3Dfx will be the only company producing Voodoo3 boards. Yes, this means that there will not be a next-generation Voodoo3-enabled board from the likes of Diamond Multimedia or Creative Labs. When we spoke to each company about the deal, they had some surprising things to say about the Voodoo3. Most shockingly, both companies stated that they were having trouble figuring out how to position the Voodoo3 in their product lineups.

　　NVidia apparently is becoming an increasingly attractive option for users, and now that 3Dfx may be out of the retail market, nVidia could easily take the position at the top of the pile. But 3Dfx shouldn't be put out so easily; it made its bread in the retail sector, and we can safely assume that its business plans have to include a retail strategy. In the meantime, Diamond and Creative are hard at work getting set for giving nVidia-based boards extra coverage.

　　We also spoke to NEC about the deal. Remember how 3Dfx lost a contract to supply 3D chips with Sega to NEC? NEC shelled out some serious cash in the impending suit from 3Dfx, and it's hoping that 3Dfx's leaving the independent 3D-chip developer sector will only mean more support from board manufacturers. This is going to be a long, long ride, and everyone has a theory on how it will turn out.

　　Electronic Arts' military simulation division, Jane's, may be the first game company to help out during an on-going military campaign. Two of its titles, Fleet Command and F-15, helped NBC news with its coverage of US attacks on Iraq by showing wartime scenarios - culled from gameplay - of air-to-ground combat and ship-to-target strikes. You just can't pay for press like that. No word on if Fleet Command will be swapped out and become the official title of this sea/air campaign. (We certainly like it more than Desert Fox. What about you?)

　　As news of the military strike was announced, it was just a little odd to see what looked like a computer game being played on NBC News. Comments like "Where's the action?" "Does anyone know where the fire button is?" and "This really could use a 3D card" were heard in many a living room. We're aware that we have to get out more often.

　　Starcraft fans have been waiting - and not so patiently - for Blizzard's first expansion pack Brood Wars. Well, Blizzard announced that the title is on its way to stores nationwide (and we actually received box copies Friday morning to prove it). Adding six new units, some modifications to current units, 26 new scenarios, and over 100 new battlefields, we're unofficially calling this the weekend killer.

　　And in what some would call a reply to Blizzard's release of Brood War, Westwood added some new units and multiplayer levels to its current top seller, Dune 2000. Dune 2000 had some troublesome problems, which Westwood fixed. But after fixing those problems, Internet players asked for more Dune 2000 to play. Westwood took up the task of building three new units, ten new multiplayer maps, and some new terrain enhancements. Weighing in at only 1.5MB, every Dune 2000 owner really has no excuse for not going up to Westwood Online and getting the free upgrade.

　　Hasbro took the gaming world by storm with acquisitions of companies like MicroProse and Avalon Hill. Now, Hasbro competitor Mattel decided to get into the gaming business by acquiring The Learning Company for a reported $43.8 billion (yes that doesn't say million, it says billion). Reports on the Web yesterday said that The Learning Company shareholders have moved to halt the acquisition and have accused Mattel of not paying enough for the company. Could this hold back the deal? It just could. In the meantime, Hasbro can sit and watch from a distance.