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DS Daily: How did you get started?
Once upon a time when we were smaller than we are now, there was a movie theater nearby that had an arcade, and it was there that we got started gaming. Many an afternoon (and a fortune in quarters) disappeared in those dark corners. Later, when we got our original NES, that same joy moved to the living room, and it was a family affair. Some of that continues even to this day, as the mother unit keeps trying to jack the Wii since she can't find her own. But we didn't always game. There were lapses in our interest and years when we did other things. Only now, in adulthood, has a true love of gaming flowered, a love that was born (for this blogger) with the N64 and the Playstation. But how has it been for you? Where (and how) did you get started? What's influenced your taste and habits as a gamer?
Wii Warm Up: How much do you play?
Here's one we haven't discussed yet -- how often do you play? Are you truly hardcore, using gaming as a catch-all for all your hobbies and spare time, or do you work to fit it in amidst a busy schedule? How much time a person has to dedicate to gaming often influences the types of games they play. Do you find yourself playing minigames more than anything else, or do you have the time to dedicate to mastering every challenge you can find in Twilight Princess? Tell us all about it.[We just love the clock.]
DS Daily: Is it 'okay' to be a gamer?
There was an interesting question posted yesterday over on big daddy Joystiq and we're bringing it over because we want to know what you think. These days, it is completely acceptable, generally, to be a gamer? Are certain levels of gaming preferable? And if we have experienced a major shift in attitudes, then what's caused it? Is it now "okay" to be a fanboy because geek is the new cool ... or because gaming has simply become more accessible for all types of people?We feel this is a particularly interesting question to pose to handheld enthusiasts, because of the widespread success of the DS. So let us know what you think![Image, and shirt, from ThinkGeek.]
Team Xtender's XFPS 360 in action
While product announcements are certainly thrilling at times, there's really nothing better than getting some live action video to spy before you buy. We've seen Wowwee's FlyTech Dragonfly buzzing around T3's headquarters, and we've witnessed Doom being played on an OLPC XO, but now we've got several videos showing Team Xtender's XFPS 360 doing its thang. The handy converter box allows gamers who dig the Xbox 360's high definition visuals -- but prefer to input commands via Sony's dual-shock controller or the tried and true keyboard / mouse tandem -- to have their wildest wishes granted. Moreover, it reportedly plays nice with the PS2 light gun, racing wheel, dance mat, and guitar (huzzah!). So if you're still fence-bound trying to decide whether or not this thing's worth your $79.99 come the first week of January, be sure to click on for a YouTube demonstration, and hit the read link for some more in-depth coverage.
Shuttle XPC goes 1337 with custom-painted SDXi gaming rig
Flame jobs on a PC most certainly aren't new, but we fear it's a fad that will always burn on in some regard, and its companies like Shuttle that keep on fanning it. While the rectangular-shaped box has made its way into a many of homes, gamers looking for some serious horsepower in a mobile rig can find a quite a potent system in the firm's forthcoming 1337 SDXi series desktops. While all the specifics aren't nailed down quite yet, the machine will boast an Intel X8600 or QX6700 quad-core processor, liquid-cooling system, unmistakable custom-paint job on the case, keyboard, and mouse, ATIs X1950 Pro CrossFire graphics cards, support for up to 8GB of DDR2 RAM, gigabit Ethernet, and a hint of that early 90s vibe to boot. Unfortunately, such a flashy rig sports an equally stunning pricetag, as these bad boys will be "starting" at $4,999 when they land later this month.[Thanks, Marshall W.]
DosPara offers up mid-range Prime Note Chronos laptop, with or without OS
If you're interested in picking a svelte new Merom-powered lappie, but just aren't down with the traditional Windows XP approach that essentially every manufacturer in the world forces upon you, DosPara feels your pain. Hot on the heels of its 13-inch NW2 and 15.4-inch Prime Note Chronos NR2, the forthcoming (and yet-to-be-named) successor sports a typical black / silver enclosure and gives you the choice of having an operating system pre-installed or not. Beneath the hood lies a 1.66GHz Intel T5500 Core 2 Duo processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 100GB SATA hard drive, NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 256MB graphics card, dual-layer DVD burner, built-in 802.11a/b/g, and a 4-in-1 flash card reader. Additionally, the unit boasts a WSXGA+ widescreen LCD and a bevy of ports including PCMCIA, 4-pin FireWire, VGA / S-Video output, Ethernet, 56k modem, audio in / out, and four USB 2.0 ports to boot. The 6.4-pound machine will reportedly only last "three hours" on a single charge, but it's not like we expected a gaming-centric laptop to carry you through the workday anyway. Nevertheless, the impending Chronos should be available soon for around €1,000 ($1,282).
WidowPC offers up Core 2 Duo-powered Sting 517D gaming laptop
As we count our blessings today, we can't help but give thanks for something gadget heads couldn't do without: old fashioned competition. Calling out Dell's XPS M1710 (and similar) as overpriced and packaged with subpar technical support (aw snap), WidowPC is giving hardcore mobile gamers a choice in their purchasing decisions by offering up the Sting 517D. Touting a nearly limitless list of component selections, this 17-inch beast houses your choice of Intel's 1.66GHz to 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA's GeForce Go 7950 512MB graphics card, up to 200GB of SATA goodness, a WUXGA display, dual-layer DVD burner, up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, built-in WiFi / Bluetooth, TV tuner, 4-in-1 flash card reader, "$400 in free software," and a lifetime's worth of free, American-based phone support. The fleshed-out machine also boasts an army of ports, including 4-pin FireWire, IrDA, serial, ExpressCard slot, DVI / S-Video outputs, S-Video input, audio in / out, 56k modem, gigabit Ethernet, and four USB 2.0 connectors. Thankfully, WidowPC found a way to shave three full pounds from its 917X2, bringing the LAN-ready machine in at a fairly respectable 8.3 pounds. While pricing for the Sting 517D starts at just under $2,200, upping the innards to 1337 status could put your credit limit in serious turmoil, but the wicked spider logo across the lid definitely makes it worthwhile.
Gamer apparel: the king of games
Ready for some overpriced clothing that'll let the world know you're a gamer? Of course you are! The self-proclaimed "King of Games" in Japan has some threads for you. These suckers are roughly $50 a pop, and feature some really bizarre artwork. Check out the series dedicated to Nintendo's Game & Watch handhelds.It looks like their "Sweat Parka" hoodie has a pocket made just for your DS, but since we can't read Japanese, and their English site is "beta only" right now, we don't know. The Zelda designs on it are pretty nifty though. Our favorite shirt is the "80s Videogamer" model. Simple with a message.Although right now if forced to choose between a new Wii game and the shirt, we gotta go with the game.[Thanks, Jeff]
Asus officially unveils its G1 and G2 gaming notebooks
If you've been holding off on picking up a mobile gaming machine, Asus has officially launched two gamer-focused designs that should pack the power those FPS freaks want need. The 15.4-inch G1 and 17-inch G2 sport common innards and unique styling cues, as the G1 rocks green outer LEDs while the G2 is complimented in red. Beneath the hood of these beasts is your choice of Intel's T7600/T7400/T7200/T5600/T5500 Core 2 Duo processor, up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, up to 160GB SATA hard drive, LightScribe-compatible dual-layer DVD burner, built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam, Bluetooth, and 802.11a/b/g. The G1 sports WXGA / WSXGA Color Shine LCD options and a 512MB NVIDIA GeForce Go7700 graphics set, while the G2 gets a WXGA display and the 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon X1700 card. You'll also find a fair assortment of ports, including video output, an ExpressCard slot, a flash card reader, and a few USB 2.0 ports to boot; additionally, the outer casing is built to withstand the less-than-gentle travels a mobile LAN machine is bound to endure, and the customizable "OLED instant display" can presumably showcase battery life, performance statistics, or available updates on the fly. While concrete pricing hasn't quite been nailed down yet, both notebooks will supposedly come with the pictured backpack and mouse combination, but we're sure this fairly well-loaded laptop will demand a hefty premium when it hits the market.[Via Electronista, thanks Jonathan]
Vadim Computers unveils $8,800 quad-core gaming rig in the UK
Just moments ago, we're sure a hoard of you rushed off to purchase the newest OMEN PC from VoodooPC in order to have the most intense gaming rig in your neck of the woods, but we've got news for you: it's already been outdone. Vadim Computers is offering a custom-built machine that packs the latest and greatest computing hardware the world has to (currently) offer, outdoing even VoodooPC's latest offering. Inside the liquid-cooled case, you'll find Intel's quad-core 2.66GHz Core 2 Extreme QX6700 processor nestled in an Asus P5N32-SLI Premium motherboard, surrounded by such niceties as 2GB of DDR2 RAM, dual nVidia 8800GTX 768Mb PCI-e graphics cards, twin 150GB Raptor 10000 drives (and a 750GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 just for storage), dual-layer DVD burner, CD-burning combo drive, and a Creative 7.1 X-Fi ExtremeMusic sound card -- and that's just the bottom-of-the-line configuration. The "3-to-20 percent variable overclocking," as well as the system itself, is backed by a two-year warranty, but similar to the Mac Mini, you'll be providing your own mouse, keyboard, and monitor. The tally on this incredulous beast comes to £4,622.23 ($8,818) -- which isn't quite what Dell demanded for its all-inclusive Renegade 600 -- but that's before the government even takes its share. Pony up, fellas.[Via The Inquirer]
Wiimote, sensor bar, and Spore info oh my!
Supposedly, this N Gamer magazine had much more info than we previously reported on. A large supply of information from the magazine apart from what we've reported has apparently been confirmed to be true over at Go Nintendo. This information deals with the Wiimote, sensor bar, and Will Wright's Spore respectively.The Wiimote is to take 2 AA batteries and turn them into 60 hours of gameplay. Should the player be using the sensor bar, however, then the time is cut in half to 30 hours. Either way, that's incredible. Also, the 6kb of internal memory confirmed to be included in the Wiimote is going to be used to "personalize your remote," which we assume is code for "store profile settings." As for the sensor bar, the magazine states that the previous version that was seen at E3 has been made smaller. The magazine compares the size to that of a "couple of pencils glued together." The magazine also confirms that Will Wright's foray into playing God through his game Spore is going to be possible on the Wii. Apparently, the Wii version will interact with the DS version by allowing the player to transmit data from one to the other seamlessly. This will allow players to "deform species on the fly." They also speak some on the use of SD cards, reiterating that they will be used to house Virtual Console titles. The problem is that you may not play them on another Wii. They refer to this as "Digital Rights Management."
Categorizing gamers, from hardcore to casual
It's always been extremely convenient to categorize the wide spectrum of gamers into the two distinct, warring camps of "hardcore" and "casual" (especially for journalists, who love condensing difficult ideas into single words) . But that dichotomy isn't too useful for accurately describing most gamers, who fall somewhere in between the guys from Penny Arcade and your grandpa who played Tetris that one time. Enter Parks Associates, a market research firm that recently issued a report on online gamers that divides them into six distinct groups based on their time and motivational commitments. Parks' categories include: "Power gamers" who spend the most money on games. "Social gamers" who use games mainly to socialize (duh!) "Leisure gamers" who spend lots of time playing mainly challenging, casual titles. "Dormant gamers" who like playing games but just don't have the time. "Incidental gamers" who play games because there's nothing better to do. "Occasional gamers," who will occasionally play a puzzle, word, or board game. This division isn't perfect (where's the space for people who buy one game and play it exclusively for months?) but it's definitely an interesting new way to think about and discuss the incredibly wide array of people who play. What kind of gamer are you?
NY Times: Game stigma is industry's fault
New York Times reporter Seth Schiesel was one of a select few to attend Ziff Davis' Electronic Game Summit in the wine country of California. He used the opportunity to reflect on the "look at all the freaks" mainstream coverage of E3 and the game industry's image problemSchiesel argues that games are not yet something that most adults will admit to spending time on and that game companies have to market themselves differently to get over this stigma. He noted Nintendo's marketing strategy as a hopeful step, but warned the rest of the industry that they may end up like the comic book industry -- marginalized for decades as a childish diversion.Do you still notice a stigma about your video game playing, or do people treat playing games as just another form of entertainment now?
Aspyr announces upcoming Gamerhood application
Aspyr has announced a new application in the works for Mac gamers that will allow them to purchase and download games directly to their Mac over the internet. A wide range of games will apparently be available, from casual titles to the AAA big-hitters. Other features of this new application and system include: Play games without physical CD/DVD media Check user compatibility by comparing machine's hardware against a game's minimum system requirements before purchase Alert users to current Aspyr projects and new games Allow users to register games online Alert users to game updates and provide installs for updates Provide a user-friendly interface and convenient way to organize personal gaming catalog Allow parents to restrict game play and online game store material based on ESRB ratings Provide users opportunity to take advantage of special offers The Gamerhood app itself will be free but only available to North American customers at launch (ETA pending).
