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Libraries, Reference, Gaming, and pretty much anything else that strikes my fancy…

Archive for the 'Gaming' Category


My New Project…

Posted by buckeyebrarian on November 8, 2008

Okay, so I bought Mass Effect for PC the other day. Don’t ask me if it’s any good, because I don’t know (good reviews though). I installed the game and, after finishing the long install process, found that I had to dial everything down so much and had such appalling load times that it was the next best thing to unplayable.

My ol’ Dell has served me well (Yes, I know, I’m a poet! Har har! Focus please!), but it has reached the end of its upgradeable lifespan (No PCIe slots only AGP, old Pentium 4 CPU). I therefore determined that the time had come to get myself a new gaming rig.

By nature, PC gaming equipment is a moving target and staying bleeding edge is both expensive and time consuming. I therefore decided that I want a system that’s solid (not top of the line) and has enough “head room” to upgrade. I looked around at what was out there on the market and I decided on a rig from Gateway (good reviews, apparently they make decent gaming systems). I showed this to dad (my final authority on hardware) and he said (paraphrase) “Looks good, did you price components to see what it would cost to build it yourself?”

“Well, no…”

“Oh, okay. Looks good.”

“D’you think I could do better going that route?”

“Possibly. Take a look at Extreme Tech. They’ll help you figure out what you need.”

So I, with some trepidation,  looked.

I asked, “This is very interesting, would you help with construction?” (Knowing full well he’s been wanting to scratch build a PC for awhile).

“Sure” (Really had to twist his arm didn’t I? He’s a good Dad!)

So I started shopping (always fun, Newegg is essential for this incidentally). The more I looked at stuff, the more possible it seemed. Armed with Extreme Tech and Wikipedia, I knew enough to compare numbers and match up capabilities. I came up with a list of parts, and Dad and I refined it. Then I pulled out the ol’ Visa…

So I’m kind of geeking out now…

Stuff should arrive by Tuesday at the latest. I am psyched. I’m getting a lot of PC for less money than the Gateway I picked out. I don’t need all the fat associated with pre-made systems (keyboards, cheapo speakers and mice), not to mention all the “bonus” software that Gateway would install…

Here’s what I bought:

Core 2 Duo E8500 3.16GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W

  • More than enough. As it happens, a Quad core processor doesn’t actually add much to most Gaming rigs.

ASUS P5Q Pro

  • Feature rich motherboard without being overkill. Crossfire X support means I can add a second GPU down the road (bwa ha ha).

CORSAIR DOMINATOR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory

  • Sufficiently speedy and commodious for my purposes.

Visiontek 900241 Radeon HD 4850

  • One word. Sweet.

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium 70SB088000004

  • I can’t bring myself to use on board sound, so I got this. Nice card. 7.1 stereo support (I like having the option).

Seagate 7200.01 250 GB

  • Games average 5-7 GB these days. I’m not writing papers on this machine or storing my music, so this should be plenty. If not, then I’ll add more (1 TB drives are getting downright cheap these days).

LITE-ON LH20A1S DVD-Burner

  • A solid optical drive. $27 (Matt, remember our first CD-Rom drive. What was that $300+ bucks?)

COOLER MASTER Centurion 534 RC-534-KKN2-GP

  • A nice roomy Tower size case. Many expansion bays. Blue LEDs in the front (I glows blue when orcs are close! Sorry, I couldn’t stop myself on the Tolkien reference).

PC Power & Cooling S75CF 750W EPS12V

  • Nice Ferrari-Red power supply (Opaque case so no one will ever see it.) More than enough “head room” to do dual GPUs in the future.

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 32-bit English for System Builders

  • Extreme Tech How-to writer actually prefers Vista. Much better for gaming. “System builders” version lower priced (nice).

Overall, it’s a solid machine with room to grow that comes in under $1000 (after mail-in rebates). I’ll try to post updates on how things turn out. I hope to have the build done by the 20th, as my brother will be visiting that week end and I’ll want to show off.

As for Mass Effect? I’ll try to write a review when I get a chance. All I can say now is that its pretty darn expensive!

Posted in Gaming, Hardware, Life, Technology | Tagged: , | No Comments »

Gaming in Libraries - Good Start, Lets do better!

Posted by buckeyebrarian on April 24, 2008

I’ve been reading a lot of articles lately about gaming in libraries. As an avid gamer, I have to say that recent developments in this area are very encouraging. At the same time, I’m afraid I must confess that the articles I’ve been reading have been as frustrating as they are exciting.

On the one hand, the rising of gaming in libraries is an heartening sign that:

  • my hobby of choice is loosing its negative stigma
  • libraries are increasingly open to “non-traditional” (whatever that means) services

However, I the more I read about gaming in libraries the more discouraged I am by:

  • the perception of gaming as a programming alternative, rather than a service libraries provide
  • the intense Teen focus of articles on this topic

Looking through the literature, one can easily find a ton of articles of the “How to put on a Teen Gaming program without really trying” variety. Such articles are very helpful to the vast majority of librarians who’ve never picked up a game controller in their life. However, there seems (so far as I can tell) to be very little literature on how to implement gaming as a service. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to use gaming to get teens in the door, thinking of libraries as “cool”. I guess I’ve just become spoiled. I want more!

In my mind, a program will leave, at best, a short-term impression on library customers. Customers (especially the 12-17 set) will think, “Cool! That was fun!” and promptly forget it ever happened. A series of programs does somewhat better as it stretches over time, but it still falls short in my mind. As a gamer, especially one that has a job, school work, and a personal life (trifles, eh?), I want to be able to partake when I ever have the time and inclination and don’t want to have to schedule it around when the library wants to do it.

This touches on my second concern, the focus on teens. As it turns out, I am not unique among gamers. Many of us are employed, socially mature adults with full lives. The ESA’s industry data shows this:

  • The average age of gamers is 33 (alas, it turns out that we don’t grow out of it).
  • Sixty-nine percent of American heads of households play computer and video games.
  • Fifty-three percent of game players expect to be playing as much or more ten years from now than they do today.

These data indicate that gaming is not a fad (as should be obvious by now without the data) and that grown ups (those of us who first started in the Pong - NES period) are playing them just as much as we always have. So why exactly are all the gaming programs for teens? Well, partly its the youth focus of many libraries. This is understandable, because because of all the “mom and apple pie” and “children are our future” reasons that I support that fully. I just wish we could give adults some time at the controls. It would give them a chance to be social and enjoy themselves. More importantly, it may bring a new group of adults into the library who may not have traditionally have even known where we were. This is, after all, one of the sets of the population most likely to look to Google for their infomation needs. Why not refamiliarize them with our existance?

So the next logical step in public library gaming as far as I am concerned has to be the long-term allocation of space for gaming. Libraries really serious about gaming need to factor it into their space planning. You don’t need a huge amount of space, but it does need to be enclosed (noone will come if you keep shushing them). I think that this approach has considerable advantages.

  • It’s available on the customer’s terms.
  • It will be more of a draw over time, as it will have time to build momentum as a service.
  • It encourages staff familiarity with the medium, so they’re aware of both the good and bad sides to it.
  • It will actually be a boost to the gaming programming, as it will provide a space to advertise the “special events”.

It is worth mentioning that there’s nothing wrong with a library not being serious about gaming in my mind. We have so many confilcting priorities as it is, that I can hardly blame a library for saying that gaming is not one of them. I just wanted to mention it I guess (I seem to have a talent for starting things).

Gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry and it continues to grow despite the current economic slowdown. Gaming is here to stay and the first generation gamers are adults now, so we need to be thinking about how this service will need to mature as the medium matures.

Posted in Gaming, Libraries & Prof., Technology | Tagged: , | No Comments »

Nostalgia Moment

Posted by buckeyebrarian on March 21, 2008

For those who haven’t seen it, check out the new Pontiac commercial shown below. Its inspired by the classic game Spy Hunter. “Classic” in this case means that its as old as I am, and was already a classic when I finally got to play a port of it on original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).

A fun game and a fun commerical. It really shows the shift in advertising emphasis in recent years.

Posted in Gaming, Life | No Comments »

Super Smash Bros. Brawl…

Posted by buckeyebrarian on March 21, 2008

Cover of Super Smash Bros. Brawl…is it really that good?!

Yes!!!

Super Smash Bros.: Brawl is good old fashioned fun. It is in every way an improvement on the previous games. The graphics are crisp and reasonably well detailed without causing the framerate to bog down in the most frantic fights. These fights are ridiculously fun and get downright manic when for characters get involved. There are, of course tons of powerups and special weapons for players to use, and if you really don’t like one, you can turn it off in some cases.

It includes all kinds of “collectables” and things to do, so many that I honestly haven’t done everything there is to do. The solo modes include the “classic” mode and the new Adventure Mode called “Subspace Emmisary”. The classic mode pits players against a series of battles against one or more opponents, throwing in special conditions like battleing a giant version of a foe or “teams” where a swarm of weaker versions of a given character attack the player. This is good old fashioned single player SSB at its best.

The Subspace Emmissary is an attempt to infuse the game with a story and a little mild platforming. To be honest, SE isn’t much to get excited about. The story is a little obtuse. The play is kind of boring for streches and the characteristics of certain characters make them, at best, awkward to use in this platforming style of play. Its not so bad that it takes away from the game (it can be ignored entirely if you want), its just very obviously not the focus.

The focus is on the “multiplayer” options, and boy does Brawl deliver on this count. Why quotes? Well, this is for two reasons. First, the multiplayer set of selections is where you go to set up a standalone brawl and this can be done with only one player against computer opponents. Second, you don’t need multiple players to play against other players. Yes, SSB has joined the internet age and its done so in a big way. With an exchange of friend codes, you can play against all your friends whether they’re on the other side of town or the other side of the planet. Bigger than this (in my humble opinion) is the ability to jump in and play against annonymous opponents on an ad hoc basis. No friend codes, no obnoxious pre play chatting, just brawling. You pick a character, a stage, and then go to a training area where you can practice against a punching bag until the network pairs you up with your opponents then you have a delightful time beating the crap out of eachother. I’ve never been a big fan of online games, but I think Brawl has made a converter out of me. It is a ball to playing with other folks, all without the fuss that so often takes the fun out of it for me.

As I alluded to, there’s all kind of things to collect including the familar trophies and new “stickers”. There’s also a whole slew of hidden characters and stages. You can unlock new music and other stuff as well. I won’t get into all these mechanics, just understand that its fun and a “completionists” dream. There is also a stage builder included that allows the player to make their own stages. I haven’t played with this yet but it looks like it could add a lot to the long term replayability.

Public Libraries (because this is a Librarian’s blog) with teen gaming programs would be well advised to get ahold of this game as it is sure to “pack ‘em in”. Just be sure you have enough consoles and TVs for your probable attendance because noone’s going to want to be on the sidelines for to long with this one.

Enjoy the intro movie:

Posted in Game Reviews, Gaming, Nintendo Wii | No Comments »

Electronic Arts wants to buy Take Two

Posted by buckeyebrarian on February 26, 2008

This should be terrifying to gamers everywhere. It seems that the biggest publisher in the game industry is intent on buying the second biggest. I’m all for capitalism, but EA is getting too big. It seems like the bigger they get the lower the quality of their product. With the notable exception of Maxis, EA seems to be the place where once venerable game franchises and developers go to die.

I have a particular concern in this case. Take 2 owns 2K Games which owns Firaxis (oi!), the current publisher of the Sid Meier’s Civilization Series. I’d hate to see Civilization get the McElectronic Arts treatment…

Posted in Gaming | 1 Comment »

Most Anticipated Games 2008

Posted by buckeyebrarian on January 26, 2008

Just for fun, I thought that I’d share which games I am most excited about in 2008.

Spore (PC)

From the Maker of Sim City and the Sims comes Spore, a game where you evolve a single-celled organism into a complex Space Faring society. Rather ambitious, I’d say. There are pundits who feel that this could be the “Citizen Kane of video games”.

Mario Kart Wii (Wii)

The Mario Kart games are always a blast and the Wii’s motion controls should make it even better. (Video from a press conference in Japanese, so audio is optional if you don’t understand it.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)

Super Smash Bros. Brawl is the third in an insanely fun series of fighting games. It just goes to show that you don’t need blood and gore to have fun.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Various)

This game is going to be incredible. Its being treated as a Star Wars film with the full marketing treatment and everything. It looks like its going to take the cinematic experience in games to a whole new level.

Final Fantasy IV (Nintendo DS)

This is a nostalgic pick for me. Along time ago I played the original American version of this game (Final Fantasy II) on the Super Nintendo and became a video game fan in the process. The story and gameplay are perfect. This is the only game that’s ever made me cry (just a little, don’t look at me that way).

2007 Japanese Release Trailer w/Subtitles - Out in the US this year!

Final Fantasy IV DS TGS 2007 ( Subtitled in English )

Empire: Total War (PC)

There’s very little out about this game. I love strategy games. I love the games in the Total War series, and the era of this installment “the age of sail” is my absolute favorite period of history. I love Naval Warfare and its getting the royal treatment here.

Posted in Game Reviews, Gaming, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, PC, Playstation 3 | No Comments »

This is just to cool…

Posted by buckeyebrarian on January 6, 2008

When I read what follows, I had a good chuckle. Then I thought about it some and laughed some more, but for a different reason. It seems Nintendo’s “gamble” has paid off. After all, the Queen could be thought of as the posterchild for the non-traditional gamer. It’s just another demonstration that broadening one’s audience is only possible when you offer your product or service on the customer’s terms, as Nintendo has with the Wii. As we all know, broadening one’s audience is the surest way of remaining a viable force in any business.

From: www.people.co.uk
6 January 2008

MAKE WAY FOR THE Q Wii N
Elizabeth hogs Wills’ Xmas gift from Kate ROYAL EXCLUSIVE
By Dean Rousewell

The gadget-loving Queen has become HOOKED on Prince William’s new Nintendo Wii games console.

William’s girlfriend Kate Middleton bought him the £200 gift for Christmas - but he now has to share it with his grandma.

A Palace source told The People: “When she saw William playing a game after lunch at Sandringham she thought the Nintendo looked tremendous fun and begged to join in.

“She played a simple ten-pin bowling game and by all accounts was a natural.

“It was hilarious. William was in fits of laughter. He was enormously impressed at having such a cool gran.

“And although she is 81 the Queen’s hand-eye co-ordination was as good as somebody half her age.”

The Wii was this Christmas’s musthave gift. Players can create their own customised on-screen lookalike - just like our jokey Elizabeth pictured above.

Kate, 26 on Wednesday, watched as William, 25, unwrapped the gift at the Royal Family’s festive gathering. Our source said: “He loves his gadgets and boys’ toys. So it was the perfect present for him.

“His only difficulty nowis prising it away from the Queen’s clutches. She showed all the signs of becoming a Nintendo addict.”

It’s not the first time the Queen has joined the hi-tech revolution.

In 2001 she got her first mobile phone and has regularly upgraded to one with the latest features.

Her Majesty set up her own email account years ago.

In 2005 she took delivery of an iPod that stores more than 100,000 tunes.

And last June she added a trendy BlackBerry to her technological armoury - and made sure her senior staff were equipped with them too.

Posted in Gaming, Life, Nintendo Wii | No Comments »

Gamespot and ESRB.org

Posted by buckeyebrarian on March 21, 2007

There’s two sites on the docket for today’s post, something fun and something related, but more sober:

Gamespot - www.gamespot.com - 3.5 Stars

Gamespot is my personal favorite site when it comes to gaming news. The site is a great source for information on games new and old for PC or any major (and most minor) console system in existence, past and present.

Actually, I’d more accurately describe Gamespot as an electronic magazine. It includes many of the same things like feature articles and game reviews, but is usually updated 5-6 days a week. The core of the content are the game reviews in my opinion. Their rating system is on a 10 point scale and is well described on the site. Few games get 10s and fewer get 0s, with most games seeming to fall in the 6-8 range. Gamespots editorial policy is availble though the “about us” page accessible by scrolling to the bottom.

In addition to this more “traditional” content, Gamespot has a lot of multimedia content including downloads, video, screenshots, and podcasts. It also includes many features like fourms and the ability to maintain a “wishlist” and “owned list” which really lend it a sense of community (for good or ill).

The layout of the site is busy, but consistent, so its easy to learn to navigate. The site is more conducive to browsing (read: the searching stinks). Be prepared to play and explore a little bit when you visit the first couple times.

Entertainment Software Rating Board - www.esrb.org - 4 Stars

This is a very well constructed site. For those not in the know, the Entertainment Software Rating Board is the group that decides what rating symbol ends up on the game boxes you buy. Their website is an excellent extension of their mission to help parents keep track of what games their kids are playing.

The site includes resources for parents and children that explain the rating system and define the “content” codes on the ESRB labels among other things. The site also includes a great “webliography”that lists other sites that will be of use to parents.

However, the center of attention is and should be the search interface. It allows the user to search by Publisher or Title keyword, by Rating, by Platform (PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox…), or by content (mild violence, etc.). This lets you print out great lists of titles to refer to while doing christmas shopping, for example. Overall, one of the best intersite search tools I’ve seen.

Posted in Gaming, Reference, Web Site Review, eReference | No Comments »