Author: Staff (Page 14 of 20)

Four Computer Gaming Accessories A Serious Gamer Can’t Live Without

November 11, 2013 / Staff

As with most things, the stock hardware in gaming can only take you so far. This is particularly true of the PC’s humble keyboard and mouse. If you consider yourself a core gamer or are simply shopping for someone who fancies himself or herself “hardcore”, here are four accessories that should be staples of any serious PC gamer’s toolbox.

1) A Gaming Mouse

Your standard mouse comes equipped with two buttons, maybe a scroll wheel with a third button if you want to get really fancy. While basically functional for most gaming, it shows its limitations quickly with certain fast-paced and input-heavy genres; namely MMOs, RTS and FPS. Aside from the standard buttons, a gaming mouse generally gives you multiple buttons for programmable commands, keybindings and macros. Gaming mice like the R.A.T. for example, also allow you to lock buttons down to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome when raiding for hours in an MMO or building a fleet of units in an RTS game. Not to mention customizable grips, rests, weight and LED colors, and just the fact that many of them look like miniature Transformers.

2) A Racing Wheel

A racing wheel is a must to get the most out of driving sims and racing games. Modern racing wheels give you not just the wheel, but a shifter and the full complement of pedals. The better ones incorporate motor-driven force feedback, simulation of traction loss, and LED gear shift signals. If you’ve got a big budget you can even spring for a racing seat, or roll one of your own out of an old office chair!

3) A Gamepad

Many games simply aren’t designed to be played with a keyboard and mouse. This is particularly true of the classic retro games for consoles which are now appearing for download on various digital download services. When it comes to game genres like platformers and sports sims, something definitely gets lost in translation without a good pad. The Xbox 360 pad (which also works with Windows when plugged into a computer’s USB port) is the current de facto standard in PC gaming, with games that support gamepads nearly always supporting and auto-configuring it. There are a wide range of other manufacturers and styles, however, as well as USB converters to allow you to use the gamepads of various console systems on the PC. If you’ve got your heart set on simply playing some classic Super Mario Brothers, an analog pad and two buttons might be all you really need.

4) A Headset

A good headset is mandatory equipment for organizing raids, planning approaches with squad mates, or just calling someone a noob after delivering a particularly satisfying coup de grace. A quality headset can also improve the aural experience with high-quality audio and Surround Sound. If you’re interested in making gaming videos with commentary, a headset is also basically required studio equipment.

There are other accessories that are good to have that are genre-specific; for example, if you’re into fighting games, you’ll probably want to look into an arcade joystick, or if you’re into flight sims you’ll want a flight stick. The four accessories listed here will allow you to get the most out of a wide range of gaming genres, however. Have fun and happy gaming!

Accessories

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Return To 2D Consoles

October 31, 2013 / Staff

Free image courtesy of zirconicusso/FreeDigitalImages.net

As gaming technology becomes more and more advanced, and graphics and gameplay become increasingly more complex, there seems to be a subterranean yearning for simpler times – when two dimensional game platforms were the norm, complete with 16 bit sound effects. As someone who grew up in an era when Mario and Bomberman were the top-of-the-line in terms of available video-games, it’s been a slow and difficult shift for some of us to adapt to the supra-realistic gaming realm of today.

The benefit of two dimensional games was the fact that they were limited by their graphics, which meant that they had to work extra hard to supplement the other facets of a quintessentially good game – namely, plot and character development. I don’t want to sound like a movie critic. But at the same time, video games have always fallen into a similar field of media, and they have been judged and lauded accordingly. Some of the best games out there, which have stood the test of time, are ones that have a deep and interesting story to tell, full of imagination and unexpected twists. Halo quickly revolutionized the FPS genre by combining not only great and unprecedented graphics, but also incorporating a fascinating storyline, which lent itself to subsequent sequels.

But in the 90’s, games had to rely on storyline a lot more if they wanted to have any lasting impact. One of the classic SNES games was Chronotrigger, that for all intents and purposes, pretty much defined the RPG genre up until the present day. It followed the temporal adventures of a kid named Chrono as he passed through various time periods, making friends from each era, and striving to uncover the secrets behind an eventual enemy named Lavos who would destroy the world some time far in the future.

But it was, like most SNES games, two dimensional. Nevertheless, the lack of ‘dimension’ was secondary to the worlds that the creators were able to portray, and the story arcs that developed (Chronotrigger was also one of the first games to introduce alternate endings, based on the decisions of the player).

Today this movement back toward two dimensional games can be seen in a number of independent companies, since they are relatively easy to develop – however, their ease of development doesn’t mean that they are any less compelling. Games like Fez (which is at face value 2D but uses a unique 3D ‘shifting’ ability to solve puzzles) and Reus (in which you take on the role of a world deity), as well as a number of other independent games, utilize the two dimensions to their utmost.

Of course, 2D isn’t restricted primarily to independent gaming companies – Sid Meier’s Civilization series is one of the longest standing world empire games, which a number of incarnations (I believe we’re on 5 already?), and many casinos and online gaming websites also employ two-dimensional interfaces into their games. However, both online casinos, independents, and commercial programmers are aware that the graphics of a game always play second fiddle to how playable and entertaining a game is to the buyer. For nostalgia hunters like me, it’s a way to reconcile some of the more vapid “high graphic” games coming out these days. I’ll take fascinating character development over realism any day.

Gaming

Bomberman Chronotrigger Sid Meier’s Civilization

Nintendo versus other gaming companies like Zynga

July 30, 2013 / Staff

The gaming world seems to change faster than most industries these days. Several years ago Nintendo was on fire with the Wii, and now everyone seems down on the company and Wii U. How did things change so fast? Well, it shouldn’t be surprising in a world where cheap apps are flooded onto the scene, offering new options daily for gaming fans, and online gaming options seem to expand exponentially as well, with everything from slot games at Sports Interaction, massive multiplayer games and then games like Minecraft that seem to turn conventional wisdom on its head. The console makers seemed to rule the world just several years ago, and then social gaming companies like Zynga suddenly became powerhouses, but now we’ve seen how quickly things change. Wii also will be facing the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in coming months, so even in its own console space the competition is fierce.

But many still have faith in Nintendo. Oddworld Inhabitants founder Lorne Lanning recently made the bold statement that Nintendo would be around for another 100 years, while Zynga would not. Casual observers might be startled a bit by this statement, but when you look more closely at the history, the man has an excellent point. Nintendo is a 124-year-old company that was founded in 1889 as a producer of playing cards. The concept of innovation has been ingrained in this company and its financials are very healthy. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has made it clear he won’t be laying off development staff to deal with short term problems, as that would destroy the company long term. He understands that the key to long term success involves consistently producing great products. He shouldn’t let the short term analysts distort his thinking.

While this culture is ingrained at Nintendo, a young company like Zynga has less to fall back on in tough times. Their games exploded in popularity off of Facebook, but then reality set in when the landscape was changed a bit. Now who knows how they will react to adversity? I wouldn’t make a long-term bet on them.

So when you look at the landscape out there, it’s clear that games will come and go, and so will gaming companies. But I think a company like Nintendo with a tradition of innovation should be able to ride out the highs and lows.

Apps, Editorial, Gaming, Nintendo Wii, Websites

Lorne Lanning nintendo Oddworld Inhabitants satoru iwata Zynga

Why is there a lack of casino games on the PS3?

July 19, 2013 / Staff

Since the world of gaming has taken off in such a big way, the amount of adults who are now playing console games has risen to an all time high. But this raises the question, why arnt their any adult games for the Playstation 3? There are plenty of games aimed at just children but how about a casino game for adults. Many games offer an insight into the world of casinos offering the odd moment in the game where a character tries his or her hand at a game of blackjack or poker. However there are currently no games that offer the full casino experience for players. So far many games touch upon gambling yet non offer the full casino experience.

It could well prove to be a popular idea to offer a game on the PS3 that gives the gamer the opportunity to control an onscreen character and walk up and down a casino, order some drinks, play some slots, sit down at a poker table or play roulette. The gamer has the opportunity to build up a reputation as a high roller on the Vegas strip, or they could go one step to far and have to build your their fortune again. All of this would allow the gamer to experience the thrill of a casino without actually betting real money. Perhaps seeing the effects of winning and loosing in a virtual world will provide some with those high and low feelings many high rollers have felt before.

Currently one of the only games available that offers a casino experience is ‘High Stakes’, a game that offers the gamer the chance to play 5 variations of poker, but they’re all hold ’em variations: Billabong, Shanghai, Tahoe, super hold ’em, and Texas hold ’em. The lack of classic games such as black jack, roulette and other casino favourites lets this game down. However until somebody commits to creating a new casino game ‘High Stakes’ may be the best bet. Until that day we will have to make do with the odd casino experience we can gain from games such as Red Dead Redemption or online sites such as GamingClub.co.uk.

Apps, Editorial, Gaming, PS3

Billabong black jack casino games Playstation poker games PS3 roulette Shanghai super hold 'em Tahoe Texas hold 'em

The Return Of 2D

June 28, 2013 / Staff

With Sony and Microsoft introducing the newest eighth generation consoles – the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, respectively – some of the highest graphic potential games are imminently poised to enter the market. Video game technology is one of the fastest moving industries, and in order to compete studios are consistently testing the confines and boundaries of what that technology is capable of producing.

Some of the hottest games slated for 2014 include Titanfall and Destiny that immerse a player in a hyper-realistic setting with incredibly detailed character and in-game design. The sheer size of some of these virtual environments is amazing. Additionally, the freedom to be able to create entire worlds has allowed developers to take full advantage of the human imagination, inhabiting these other universes with anything from monsters and mech-robots to protolithic deities and cartoon characters.

But sometimes it’s easy to forget about the precursors to these next generation gaming experiences. The beauty of consoles like the Super Nintendo was that the limitations on their technology, what they were able to display, did not hamper the creative process – quite the contrary, it fostered it. Some of the first role-playing games (RPG) to grace the video-game industry like the initial Final Fantasy and the time-shifting Chrono Trigger were (and are) just as expansive and imaginative as games coming out today, both in terms of their innovation in actual gameplay, their focus on story and character development, and their playability even decades after their release.

That seems to be where a lot of modern games lose their steam – press releases for new games tend to emphasize how many hours of gameplay are to be expected, and this notion of setting a quota often makes the games quite interesting to play, but don’t really imprint any lasting effect. Arcade-style and strategy games, like the original RPGs for the SNES, are iconic not only in their capacity to draw us, but also in their tendency to keep us coming back for more.

Some studios have picked up on this latent nostalgia for simpler formatted games which emphasize 2D interfaces, most notably Klei which brought out Mark of the Ninja for Xbox and continues to release updates to its survival game Don’t Starve. But the beauty inherent in coming back to an older format of video game is being able to look at it through a contemporary lens, and develop novel ways of approaching the gameplay.
Independent studios, which often lack the same sort of funding and manpower, are the guiding forces behind this 2D re-emergence, as well as other businesses that are picking up on the accessibility of gaming. Online casinos and developers of applications for mobile phones and devices are consistently using the 2D style to display their applications and services – think of any Online Poker or Slot Game, or the craze that Angry Birds experienced.

It’s proof that advanced and complex graphics don’t necessarily make for a good game (consider all the heat that subsequent installations in the CoD saga have experienced). What makes a good game is a good idea, and the ability to tell a story in a fun, interesting, or controversial way – the release of Reus from Abbey games is an excellent example, where you take on the role of a god by creating entire eco-systems. The dimension-shifting 2D game Fez takes a meta-approach t by allowing the player to shift the environment 180 degrees on its axis.

Although there is something exciting in the course of video-game evolution, and its endeavour to supply an interactive form of entertainment and adventure, it’s important for developers to recognize that technology is a tool, not a crux. A game can be as flashy and loud as an ambulance, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s appealing. The rise of independent game developers, by virtue of the resources available to them, are beginning to represent a shift in video game culture as more and more people pick up on the creativity afforded by a simple 8 bit graphics card.

Simon is a writer and content specialist who is addicted to being on the front page of anything. A graduate of Dalhousie University, he specializes in using the em dash too often. Currently, Simon rests his typing hands in Vancouver, Canada. Check out his recent thoughts on online gaming.

Editorial, Gaming

Chrono Trigger cod destiny Fez Fez video Titamfall