Gaming

It's a Wonderful World...of Warcraft

Steve Majewski — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:28:10 GMT

AKA "My dad's 70th level human warlock can beat up your dad's 70th level night elf rogue!"

Last week, my wife emailed me asking whether or not I was familiar with World of Warcraft. I had heard plenty about it, but never really gave it much thought due to the monthly subscription fee. Well, some of her coworkers were praising the game (as most WoWheads do), and it intrigued her enough to purchase the game on her way home from work. The rest was history.

Within a day we had it installed on 3 different machines for multiple playing options. I found myself digging around online for options to increase my mobile playing experience (keep posted for more on that one) because nobody wants to play on a system that has to be set at the lowest settings and STILL occasionally drops to 15 frames per second (though probably due to lag from hotel connection). Don't get me wrong, it runs quite well most of the time.

Okay, so why on earth would I be writing about a game that came out years ago? Simple, ever since it was released I have managed to withstand the pressure to play. So it's all new to me. And seeing as how this is my blog I'll do what I want. So get off my back already. Geeze. Uhhh...in any case. I did get caught up for a while in the Star Wars Galaxies phenomenon, but kept running into spans where I didn't have time to play thus wasting my money. Also, it puts a strain on the relationship when one is spending hours on end playing a game while the other stews in anger over the lack of "quality" time spent together.

As a HUGE fan of Oblivion (The Elder Scrolls IV), WoW was a no-brainer. It really feels like a less polished but far more versatile and never ending version of Oblivion (though leveling in WoW is much less complicated). It also has the added bonus of letting me play with my wife rather than around her (or worse...holed up in my dungeon office). Plus, since I'm not at home 3 nights a week, it gives us a mechanism through which to get together (and kill things). So instead of tearing a marriage apart, it's allowing us to get together and tear something else apart...if only virtually.

As aforementioned, I did play Star Wars Galaxies for a while (with the original rules and the revamp a year or so later). I must admit that WoW is far superior in performance and overall game playability. It's also nice that they don't start everyone out in the middle of the same gigantic spaceport surrounded by people shouting, fighting, and running around. However, I do wish I didn't have to wait till level 40 to get a horse. Honestly. That world is too damn big to have to run around like that.

My only turn off is the monthly fee. My work tends to be feast or famine, and there are times when I'd be lucky to find an hour a week to dedicate to gaming. I hope someday to see a pay plan that allows me to buy time instead of paying monthly. For example, if the average user spends 40 hours per month online, then 40 hours would cost $15. Then if it took me 6 months to burn through 40 hours that's my prerogative. If it took me 2 weeks then I need to consider switching back to a monthly plan. I think this would attract numerous gamers who have trouble finding time to play and thus can't justify the monthly fee.

If you think you're even mildly interested in the game, you should download the 10-day FREE trial and see if it is your cup of tea. The only thing you have to lose is several hours of download time (or the rest of your waking hours if you become addicted).

For anyone interested, here are the Windows Experience Index numbers for my laptop (Toshiba Tecra M3):

Processor	Pentium M 2Ghz	3.8
Memory	2GB	4.4
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce GO 6600	3.4
Gaming Graphics	128MB Dedicated Memory	3.4
Hard Disk	5400RPM	4.4

Technorati Tags: World of Warcraft,WoW

The Third Time is the Charm - Windows Vista Challenges

Steve Majewski — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 22:31:57 GMT

Well, my luck with Vista has been rather crappy. It took a better part of Friday to download the x64 ISO. Luckily I had started my download before Microsoft pulled the link due to network traffic. After many hours of careful monitoring of a constantly failing connection the entire ISO finished.

Step 1: Burn the ISO to a DVD

This yielded me three DVD coasters and no usable media. I suspected the ISO might be corrupt, so I decided to try using an x86 version of Vista given to me by a co-worker. That kept blue screening on me during the installation. It was complaining about a thread conflict. I had already used the DVD to rebuild my old laptop, so I had no idea why it kept dying. I decided to try burning the x64 version using my old laptop, and finally got a usable disc.

Step 2: Rebuild the Machine

This part went off without a hitch. Vista took a little over an hour to install. Then there was installing all the updated drivers, additional software, and configuring everything. In the end, it was roughly a three to four hour process. Sadly, Vista is still missing the fish tank screensaver from RC1. :(

Step 3: Test Out a Game

I wanted to see how some of my games run on the new system. I always had to play them with the lowest graphical settings, so I was interested to see how they look running without limitations. I installed Knights of the Old Republic, which is not a new game by any means but still one of my favs. I immediately noticed something odd with the sound. IT WAS STEREO!!!

In the settings, I saw the game wasn't recognizing the EAX abilities of my X-Fi card. A quick Google search gave me the answer. This is from Creative Lab's support sight:

The Vista audio architecture disables DirectSound 3D hardware acceleration; resulting in legacy DirectSound based EAX game titles not working as they did in XP.

Issues that may be encountered:
Could range from loss of EAX functionality in EAX enabled games to a complete game incompatibility, depending on how the game title was authored. This would only happen with games that render 3D audio using DirectSound, it should not affect games that render 3D audio using OpenAL.
Status:
These issues cannot be addressed by the Creative audio driver, because the functionality was purposely removed by the operating system. We look forward to game titles moving away from DirectSound and toward OpenAL for fully optimized Creative 3D audio hardware and technology support.

Even though the FAQ entry pertains to EAX, it's actually true for any game that uses the 3D audio component of DirectSound (you know, like virtually every game for the past decade and every game I own). I don't think OpenAL is widespread enough to completely write off DirectSound. I don't want to make assumptions as to why DirectSound was crippled, but this going to make many games seem worse on a PC compared to a console like...say...the Xbox 360.

Conclusion

I've spent way too much money on the audio setup for my system to not be able to play my games the way they were intended to be played. So I've decided to setup my system as a dual boot. However, from what I've read Vista doesn't play well with another OS trying to steal its master boot thunder. So now I have to blow out everything and start over with a clean install of XP then install Vista.

They say the third time is the charm. The whole ordeal reminds me of when Windows went 32-bit, only this time it's software and not hardware that's slapping me in the face. Here's to hoping it works out (clink).

Technorati tags: Windows Vista, X-Fi, EAX

Where are the 5.1 Wireless Headphones for Consoles?

Stephen Majewski — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 16:05:00 GMT

I was recently sent a link for the Tritton Audio Xtreme 360 (AX360) headphones, and they got me to thinking about a headphone option for my XBOX 360 when I'm playing late at night. The AX360 has an impressive set up including a built-in decoder and volume controls for each channel, but I still have issues with them.

First off, the XBOX 360 has the option for wireless controllers. Therefore, headsets should have wireless options too. I realize some people may not like the idea of wireless headphones, which is why I think wireless should be an option. I like the idea of doing as much as I can over wireless and avoid stringing wires across the floor. These particular headphones don't even tell you how long the wires are (I see no mention on the page and the technical spec PDF brings up the specs for a NAS device and not the headphones), so I don't even know if I'd need an extension to use them.

I was digging around on the site for the Turtle Beach Ear Force X2, which are wireless headphones for the XBOX, and found this blurb:

The X2 deliver an amazing stereo experience. Is 5.1 surround possible?
In the future, a 5.1 version of the X2 will be both technically feasible and economical. Until then, the X2 give a more immersive gaming experience than anything else available. Especially when you want to play late at night, or are playing Xbox Live and have to turn down your speakers so that other players don’t hear them through your communicator – the X2 are the only choice. Ever wonder why PC 5.1 speakers cost $60 and Xbox speakers cost $400? The difference in price is due to the cost of the Dolby decoding. Adding this to headphones would make the cost prohibitive. Even if price were no object, multi-channel wireless technology is just not mature enough yet to provide a marketable product.

I guess that puts me in my place, though I don't know enough about multi-channel wireless to comment on the validity of the last statement.

Second, there is no mention of whether or not the base controller has a pass through option. The base unit for these headphones directly connects to the console, which makes me think I have to disconnect my receiver. Do I have to dig around behind my console every time I want to switch the audio or am I expected to always use the headphones? Since headphones are a secondary peripheral, I think they should have a switch on them to route the audio where I need it to go. If this device has such a feature then Tritton doing a poor job of advertising it, which leads me to believe it's an all or nothing deal.

In the end, I'll just have to be patient and wait for the technology to catch up with my desire and wallet (or just get used to stringing cables across my floor). Since the AX360 isn't out yet, I haven't been able to find any estimation on how much it will cost. It has a built-in decoder, which, as Turtle Beach stated, tends to make the price skyrocket.

Portal

Stephen Majewski — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 17:07:00 GMT

An impressing new concept for FPS games. Coming soon to a console near you.

Oblivion (That's Where My Sleep Has Gone)

Stephen Majewski — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 15:26:00 GMT

I've been totally dorking out on The Elder Scrolls IV - Oblivion for a few weeks. I won't be surprised if the federal government outlaws this game because it is like electronic crack. I reached Arch-Mage with my pure mage character in the wee hours of this morning (I just couldn't go to sleep until it was done). Now I have aspirations of being a notorious hitman by performing assassinations for the Dark Brotherhood. This game rocks!

Console Wars

Stephen Majewski — Wed, 17 May 2006 16:33:00 GMT

After hearing about the proposed prices for the PlayStation 3 last week, I was faced with a decision. The Nintendo Wii will be coming out around the same time as the PS3, and there are a few franchises on the Nintendo platform I simply must play. This, of course, means I will be getting a Wii (that just sounds weird). However, when it comes to the PS3, I simply cannot justify the $600 price tag.

What’s really happening is Sony wants to push their new Blu-ray technology on everyone. As a result, the PS3 will have a Blu-ray drive, effectively increasing the cost of the PS3 outside the realm of game console normality. Now, I know these guys like to tout that their consoles are “entertainment devices” and not simply for games, but who are they trying to fool? These things are built for games, plain and simple. Anything else they do will be crap compared to a specialized device.

In any case, back to the subject at hand. The frightening cost of the PS3 forced me to do something I didn’t think I would do; purchase an Xbox 360. I figure I can get by on the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii whilst waiting for the PS3 to get the inevitable overhaul and price reduction. Plus, I’m banking on many software houses relying on ports of games they developed for the 360 (kinda like what’s been going on with the PSP). Sony may not be able to survive on its name alone with a one year delay and much higher price tag. It really depends on how many exclusive deals they can broker.

SETUP ISSUES

As expected, no setup is without its headaches, and I ran into a couple when dealing with my Xbox 360.

MAXIMUM TRANSFER UNIT

First, the maximum transfer unit (MTU) setting on my router was set to automatic. Xbox Live requires a minimum MTU of 1364. The AUTO setting on the router wasn’t auto enough and thusly did not increase the MTU. I can’t say I blame Microsoft for having the requirement, since they’re trying to push a consistent online gaming experience and can’t have people throwing crappy little packets at their servers.

Fixing this wasn’t a huge issue, but the built-in test simply failed on the MTU check and provided no assistance on how to fix it. The details of the failed diagnostic were simply blank, so all I knew was that the MTU check failed. I had to hop online and Google a solution, which is how I learned about the 1364 requirement. Every other check contained details about it, so I’m baffled as to why the MTU test did not.

MEDIA CENTER CONNECTIVITY

My next issue deals more with how Microsoft developed the Media Center Extender (MCX) functionality than the Xbox 360 itself. Out of the box the Xbox 360 acts as an MCX, which enables it to connect to any PC running Microsoft Windows Media Center Edition (MCE) to access music, pictures, and most importantly videos. However, if the PC running MCE is connected to a domain then MCX devices can’t connect to it.

MCX uses a feature of Windows XP called fast-user switching (FUS), which allows multiple users to simultaneously login to the box. However, FUS cannot be enabled if the system is connected to a domain. Can’t say I fully understand why, but basically is means I have to either remove the computer from the domain or give up the MCX functionality.

There are those people who think that MCE boxes shouldn’t be treated as anything more than a glorified PVR, but I disagree. My MCE box is a laptop that happened to have MCE installed on it. It is used for much more than its media capabilities. In fact, it really isn’t used for its MCE capabilities at all (until now). Removing it from the domain creates more issues than many would realize.

Luckily, many of the features available through an MCX are things my TiVos can already do thanks to Galleon. The real limitation is video. In order to watch a video (such as a podcast) on the TiVo, it has to be converted to a gigantic MPEG2 file then transferred to the TiVo. MCX supposedly streams videos directly off the box eliminating the need. This was really what I wanted, but I don’t know if it’s going to be worth the hassle.

EARLY ASSESSMENT

I’ve had the Xbox for a few days now, and I must say it is a slick little device. I went with the standard system so that I would get the component video cable, wireless controller, and hard drive. Without these, the system isn’t useless, just less functional. The system also came with a headset, but I doubt I’ll be playing much online. So unless a game utilizes voice command, it’ll be a peripheral that gathers dust.

I really like the way they setup gamer profiles. With profiles, all save games and other details are associated with an individual. This way, stuff from my games doesn’t get mixed up with stuff from my wife’s games. It’s the same concept as each of use having our own memory card on the PS2, but much nicer.

So far, my issues have been minor and either fixable or something I can work around. Hopefully, I won’t get burned by the Xbox 360 like I did with the Dreamcast. What I can say is: 1) playing games in 1080i is the shiznit, 2) Wireless controllers are the only way to play, and 3) Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is frickin’ awesome.

Datel PSP Ultimate Essentials Accessory Kit Review

Stephen Majewski — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 21:31:00 GMT

About a month ago, I picked up the PSP Ultimate Essentials accessory kit for my PSP. Rather than review the accessory kit immediately, I decided to spend some quality time with each the accessories, getting to know their likes and dislikes. Here is my feedback on each of the items available in the kit.

PowerGrips

These were the main reason I picked up the kit due to some issues I was having with hand cramping during extended sessions playing SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo. I wasn’t interest in the power feature as much as the comfort, and that’s a good thing. About a month after using the grips, they would no longer charge. In fact, plugging them in would short out my PSP power brick; forcing me to unplug the brick for several minutes before it could be used again (I’m happy it didn’t fry the brick).

As grips, the accessory could use some work. The plastic is a tad flimsy and the posts that clip the PSP in place look like they’d break if tossed into a back while traveling. Why Datel bothered to make it slide together so that it would be more compact yet leave the 4 posts remain standing at attention is beyond me. Also, I’ve yet to see a case large enough to accommodate this accessory, so nothing is going to protect those posts outside of leaving it clipped to the PSP at all times.

Charging Station

The charging station leaves little to be desired. It’s more like a poor quality, non-portable stand for watching movies. It offers adjustable angle viewing, but getting the PSP in and out isn’t an easy task as it uses the power jack on the PSP rather than the power contacts next to the jack. Like the PowerGrips, the plastic is cheap; hardly complimentary to the elegance of the PSP.

Protective Cases

The cases are nice, but a bit too small for my needs. The game case holds 5 games in a compact design with a wrist strap, but what’s the use in that? Also, since the PSP games do not list the title on the edge, you really can’t tell which game is which without pulling it out. A rollup design might’ve been more appropriate.

The PSP case is nice if all you want to carry around is the PSP and a couple of UMDs (not counting the one in the PSP). There is neither room for an additional battery nor any dedicated sleeves for memory sticks. There is pouch at the top which can hold something, but about all I put up there was my cloth, since anything in that pouch put an unsettling amount of pressure on the UMDs. Trying to get the PSP in and out often resulted in the UMDs falling out, so don’t try to use it on the go.

USB Synch / Charge Cable

I’ve already got plenty of USB Mini cables, so the selling point to this accessory was the power. Outside of Sony’s poor placement of the power jack in relation to the USD mini jack, I love this cable. It eliminates the need to bring along the power brick when traveling, which is a good thing. Just plug in the USB to a PC/Laptop and connect the other ends to the PSP. My only gripe would be that it doesn’t rollup for easy portability.

Analog Stick Upgrades

Included were a blue and a grey, much larger replacement for the analog stick. These would be perfect if it weren’t for two things: 1) analog stick movement became sticky, making precision aiming a pain, and 2) the stick got in the way of the down arrow on the D-pad, making it almost impossible to use it correctly on some games. I’d love to see an analog replacement made of the same material but a bit smaller.

Retractable Earbuds

I wouldn’t wish these on my worst enemy. The cord is too small. They sound tinny. Just pretend they aren’t even there.

Car Adapter

Well, it’s a 12-volt cigarette lighter adapter (cord and all). I’ve not used it yet, so I hope it doesn’t die like the PowerGrips when I need it. Like the USB cable, I wished it rolled up for portability.

Final Analysis

The quality of the accessories falls right in line with the $20US price tag. I really wanted the grips (which are still quite useful) and the USB cable is a big plus. The rest of the accessories have varying degrees of usefulness depending on your individual needs. So, in all, the kit isn’t too bad of a deal if you’re pinching pennies. Just remember, you get what you pay for.

Why I Won't Be Giving Up My PSP Anytime Soon

Stephen Majewski — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 22:24:00 GMT

This article comparing the Video iPod to the Sony PSP has convinced me to not give up on my PSP anytime soon. My reasons are simple:

The 2 hour battery life of the Video iPod is a joke. You might as well not even bother. Especially since you cannot swap the battery. It's the same reason I never bought a portable a DVD player (thankfully).
The screen size on the iPod is too darn small. Just wait till the magnifying lenses come out. That'll be real pretty. At 320x240 max resolution, widescreen movies will be even smaller.

Maybe I'm just trying to compare apples (no pun intented) to oranges, seeing as how the iPod is a music player first and a video player second and the PSP is a game machine first and a video player second.

Starfox Takes on Hyrule

Stephen Majewski — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 16:39:00 GMT

As a long time fan of the Zelda series (and the only reason I give a hoot about Nintendo), I thought it was amazing someone found out there's a way to unlock the Starfox ship in Ocarina of Time. From what I've read, it seems to be legitimate and not a scam to get people to buy a GameShark. However, it is unclear as to whether or not this applies to the N64 or the GameCube version. The bad news is, from the screenshot it doesn't look like you get to fly the ship...just get attacked by it.

Hat tip to digg.com.

You Say You Want a Revolution

Stephen Majewski — Tue, 20 Sep 2005 19:21:00 GMT

I haven't really spoken much about the coming console war of 2005/2006. The big 3 (Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft) are all preparing to launch a new console system, designed to "revolutionize" the way we play games if not the amount of money we spend for the privilege to sit in front of our televisions for hours at a time collecting coins or seashells or fruit or whatever other form of cyber litter gets conveniently distributed throughout our somewhat limited polygonal worlds (oh, how I love video games).

All 3 manufactures have taken queues from the PC box design craze, where everything glows with clean, futuristic lines. It's pretty obvious this go around that darks are out and lights are in (where are Joan and Melissa Rivers when you need them?). The PlayStation 3 looks sharp. The Xbox 360 (a name that inevitably means we're back where we started) is equally impressive. Then along comes the Nintendo Revolution, and we begin to see a definite trend.

However, Nintendo has, once again, stepped out of the norm when it comes to the controller. Who can forget to creepy design of the Nintendo 64 controller, which implied we must have 3 hands in order to use it. Now, it almost seems like Nintendo thinks that humans have 1 hand too many.The thing looks more like something with which you would control your television or DVD player. Okay, so you can turn is sideways and, in effect, step back in time and end up with a classic Nintendo controller. I'm sorry, but most people didn't like that controller then, why on earth would they bring it back? I mean 2 buttons? Really?

Now, you may have noticed the main controller doesn't even have an analog stick on it, and as we all know some games just don't fly without an analog stick. To solve this little dilemma, they have added an external analog stick you plug into the bottom of the main controller (it adds a few more buttons as well). The reasoning I've heard so far is that other devices will be able to use the expansion port. Yeah, other devices created and used for just one game. Good luck trying to scratch your nose with this dangling mess in your hands.

Supposedly, the main controller is also motion sensitive, allowing you to wave it around in the air. I'm one of those suckers that bought a Power Glove back in the day, and let me tell you that waving your hand around in the air is NOT an effective means of control.

Still, I can't slam on the Revolution too much. The main console looks pretty damn sweet. I'm not too concerned about the games, since Nintendo only has my love for Zelda keeping me interested in what they're doing. I'll just have to see how much waving I end up doing in the next iteration of the series before I finally wave goodbye.

Image courtesy of GameSpot.com.