There is a section of the American populace that is slowly slithering into the spotlight
after nearly two decades in clandestine. Armed with their odd netspeak, mouses, glowing
monitors, and immediate access to a world of information, both serious and amateur
Hackers alike have at last come out of the computer lab and into mainstream pop culture.
Since I despise pleading ignorant about anything, I chose to read Mr. McDonalds article
because of its minutia concerning the future of the more amusing aspect of computing: the
game. This article is relevant because whether we like it or not, the PC (personal
computer) is only going to grow in popularity and use, and the best weapon against the
abuse of this new gee-whiz technology is to be educated about it.
It is simply amazing how far gaming has come in the past decade. We have gone from
stick figures on a blank screen to interactive movies. The PC is the newest way to play
because it has the capability to process and display much more complex games than
anything by Nintendo or Sega. Some problems with this, however, are the enormous cost of
s descent system and software and the technology that moves at lightning speed. The
computer you buy tomorrow will not be able to handle any of the new software two years
from now. Owners must not only keep up with the new trends but must also be well aware
of what their own system can sustain so that they do not overload it and cause it to
crash. This article focuses on interactive video, which is a relatively new field in the
gaming industry. The games that have been on the market have not lived up to the
bombardment of advertising gamers have been subjected to. The video itself is often
choppy and blurry, it rarely enhances the plot of the game, and has yet to be truely
interactive. This is because it is not part of a movies nature to mingle with the
audience. New software consumers should be aware of this before shelling out $60-$80 for
an over-hyped game.
This article offers the titles of the few good interactive games that have hit the
shelves this year as well as a list of ones to avoid. It also describes several of the
video cards (special flat chips that can be inserted into the back of your machine to
help it process data) that you would have to purchase to play these games. It does a
wonderful job of informing the readers about the games and hardware in terms that even a
new gamer (a newbie) would be able to grasp. Often, many computing magazines will use
Hacker lingo (netspeak) so frequently that the meaning and fact are lost. The article
suggests that avoiding the whole genre for a few years until the industry polishes its
product is the best move. From the experiences I have had with computer games of all
kinds, I would have to agree.
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