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Games on a PC? What will they think of next?!


Skip to the games
Yes, games have come to the PC. Well, actually they came to PCs a long time ago, but the level of sophistication now as opposed to then is just simply incredible. While consoles games have the benefits of inexpensive hardware and no imcompatibility problems because it is a fixed platform(universal hardware), PC games offer more sophistication and complexities over consoles due to the greater choice of options available.

Take any console system into consideration. Since I own a Nintendo64, let's just use that as the example. It has a rather powerful CPU and a powerful graphics chipset. Also, games are on cartridges. If you want to play N64 games, all you need is an N64. From a development point of view, this is a very efficient way to do things. From a marketing and sales point of view, you can sell fixed inexpensive hardware at a good profit margin. End result: Lots of games can be developed relatively easily and consumers get a fairly low priced system. Given than this system will only do ONE thing, playing video games, it really isn't that bad of a price. The same argument can be used in favor of CD or disc based systems, just substitute the names of the company and "disc" for "cartridge" and you're done.

When I talk about PCs, I generally mean "personal computers", which includes Apple Macintoshes, Mac clones, and Intel-architecture machines designed for home and single-user business usage. Note that I do not support AMD or Cyrix processors for Windows-platform machines. Why? Sure, better price comparison over Intel, but higher fail rate. Also, I do not support overclocking, so if you want to shorten your CPU life and fry out your system, then by all means, go for it, but don't blame me.

For the time being, when I say the word "PC", I mean Intel-based platforms, including Windows machines. The main focus of this page and section will be PC games due to the wider availability, larger title selection and of course, this is where the bulk of my games for personal computers are. When I am talking about Macintoshes, I will refer to them as such.

PC's bring a whole new level of complications to the gaming table. Attempts to make things more universal are in the works. Such things include OpenGL and DirectX, the goals of which are to provide a universal software layer that hardware communicates with. This means that as long as the card and driver for the card properly support DirectX and OpenGL instructions, then the hardware companies can develop their software and hardware without worrying about incompatibilities. This sounds good on paper, but in all actuality, it is not working so hot right now. It is improving as more and more companies get with the programs.

Because there is no "de-facto" standard for a PC and so many pre-built options to choose from, it is hard enough for game designers to tkae all things into consideration. Each company comes out with a line of computers in various configurations. Such variables include default RAM configuration, operating system, NIC card, sound card, modems, graphics, CPU, CPU speeds, DVD/CD-ROM drives, ZIP, USB, 1934(Firewire), SCSI, type of parallel port, BIOS, chipsets and other variables. To complicate matters, each computer maker has their own little software bundles that often cause problems. Finding these out can be time consuming and very frustrating.

This lack of a standards platform leads to many other problems when it comes to those who do systems integration and system design. There is a huge variety of available PC hardware available on the open and retail market. As I'm sure many of you are aware, you can design a system of your very own from the ground up, specifying anything and everything you want INSIDE the case, including choosing the case to meet your requirements, color scheme, looks, whatever. There are of course some limitations, which all revolve around compatibility issues. Common issues are matching the logic board to the CPU and if you are planning on upgrading. Another issue these days is AGP, and what flavor of AGP and matching your video card to it. I strongly suggest that if you are serious about gaming to go with an AGP video card. Even if you are a casual gamer or maybe not even all that serious of a computer user in general, I still suggest an AGP video card. RAM must be the appropriate type for the logic board and the CPU. To a lesser degree is the PCI/ISA issues these days. It is getting harder and harder to find main boards with multiple ISA slots and I have seen more than just a few boards with no ISA slots at all. This should not be a major consideration these days since PCI is more dominant and whatever you're looking for will most likely be available in a PCI configuration anyways. The last big decision is a SCSI card, which can affect your whole design philosophy in some cases should you go with a SCSI-based system. Note: a SCSI based system is NOT a bad thing, but it is more expensive.

The options are nearly endless. Once you get over hardware hurdles, the rest is relatively easy. Find a good PCI sound card. Attaching to a network? Why not get a quality 10/100 NIC card so you can upgrade. Modems these days are kind of optional for me, but lots of folks still need them. Modems are still standard in my configurations. I recommend USRobotics, but I am going to tell you to avoid "WinModems" Get a fast CD-ROM drive or maybe even a DVD drive. 3.5" floppy? Yes. ZIP, JAZ and other large removable media? Optional based on your needs. Get a nice keyboard of your choosing, a nice comfy mouse and get a quality gaming controller. BUy a large capacity hard drive, perferable a 7200RPM model with a big buffer and you're almost done. There are too many other variables, so it is time to move on.

With all these options and variable available, the software developers have a HUGE nightmare in store for them when they develop. This is the reason behind software technologies such as OpenGL and DirectX were developed, as discussed earlier. In some cases, you might have the latest and greatest super-fast butt-kicking super beast of a machine, but the way-awesome hot title of the moment you just purchased won't run on your computer. The solution? Make sure your sound drivers and video drivers are the latest, and your chipset drivers(mainly VIA) are at a known STABLE release, not necessarily latest and greatest, but at the same time fairly recent. It is quite possible that you might never play that game on that computer, or wait months before updated drivers are available or even patches for the game provided by the maker. Always think of product support when you buy your hardware, which is why you should avoid cheap hardware.

Macs are catching up with PCs in some areas, and ahead of PCs in other areas, while lagging behind in other areas. I'm not here to push one platform or knock another. I use both, I like both. Apple has generally put fairly good video chipsets into their computers. With the support of adaptors, Macs can use PC monitors. This feature is declining as Macs are defaulting to having PC-style video connectors(HD-DB15), which is a smart way to save money in hardware design as well as giving users more options. Macs have evolved a lot since their inception and with PCI slots being included on nearly all real desktop Macs(excluding Imacs), Macintosh owners have more choices than ever before. Macs that have PCI slots can share the same hardware with PCs provided that there are Mac drivers inclued or downloadable. While Macs RISC architecture out-performs PCs Intel CISC architecture, if you don't have software that properly utilized it, what difference does it make? Macs aren't perfect, PCs aren't perfect. Both have unique strengths and weaknesses, but this isn't a system shoot-out page.

Coming Soon: My gaming PC

Full specs and pictures via my digital camera coming soon. I want to clean up some cables and install a final case fan into it first. Might shove some other things in there but it's pretty darn full as it is right now. Here's something to look at for the time being:
Gaming Computer, Windows 98 SE, Full Retail 
Antec SX1030 SOHO ATX File server case:
    300 Watt Power Supply
    2 Included 80mm Case Fans(back, included)
    4 5.25" Bays
    2 3.5" External Bays
    4 3.5" Internal Bays
    2 Antec 80mm Case Fans(front, added)
    2Cool PC Plus Case Cooling assembly
  Picture

Tyan Trinity S1857-B ATX Logic board, Revision F
Intel Pentium 3 Coppermine, 800Mhz, 100Mhz FSB, with fan/heatsink(Intel Boxed)
IWill Slocket II PC-PGA to Slot 1 Adaptor
128MB PC-100 3.3V 8NS 440BX Chipset, unbuffered with EPROM, 16-chip DMM
128MB PC-100 3.3V 8NS 440BX Chipset, unbuffered with EPROM, 16-chip DMM
  Picture

1.44 MB Floppy ALPS Electronics
Quantum Ultra DMA/66 20GIG IDE Hard Drive(Primary Master)
Seagate Ultra DMA/66 20GIG IDE Hard Drive(Primary Slave)
Creative Labs Ovation 12X DVD Drive(Secondary Master)
Creative Labs 52X CD-ROM CD5230(Secondary Slave)
Toshiba 1401S 8X SCSI DVD Drive(SCSI ID 5)
ZIP SCSI Insider(SCSI ID 6)
  Picture

ATI Rage Fury 32MB 2X AGP Video Card
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live: XGamer 5.1
ATI TV-Wonder TV Tuner/AV input board.
3Com 3C905BC-TXM PCI NIC
3Com/USRobotics Sportster PCI Internet Gaming FaxModem, Model: 3CP5613
Iomega BUZ Video Editing System Includes SCSI-II
    Iomega BUZ Break-out cable
SIIG 3-Port 1394 Firewire card DV Kit
  Picture

Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro Stick
Kingston Mouse-In-A-Box Scroll, PS/2
PC Accessories 104-key Keyboard, PS/2
Interact DEX Drive for Nintendo64

Belkin 4-port USB Hub
  Logitech QuickCam Pro USB
  UMax Astra 2200 USB/SCSI Flatbed Scanner
  SanDisc Imagemate SmartMedia Reader

Sony CPD-120VS 15" Multi-Media Display

Here it is, the list of games

PC Games
  1. Mech Warrior 2 ATI3DRage Edition (For Sony PCV-70/90 systems in default configurations)
  2. F3600 Anti-Gravity Racing League (For Sony PCV-70/90 systems in default configurations)
  3. Mech Warrior2: The Titanium Trilogy
  4. Mech Commander Gold
  5. Mech Warrior 3 (Bundled with Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro stick)
  6. Mech Warrior 3 Expansion Pack: Pirate's Moon (Requires Mech Warrior 3)
  7. Mech Warrior 4: Vengeance
  8. Ultimate SIM Series
  9. Microshaft Winblows 98, Mac/PC CD-ROM
  10. Lunatic, ATI bundle
  11. World League Soccer 98, ATI Bundle
  12. Heavy Gear II, 3Com Internet Gaming Modem Bundle
  13. Civilization: Call to Power, 3Com Internet Gaming Modem Bundle
  14. Heretic II, 3Com Internet Gaming Modem, Free Game selection
  15. Quake III Arena: 3Com Internet Gaming Modem, Special Discount Offer
  16. Scrabble, Mac/PC CD-ROM
  17. Descent 3, Sound Blaster Live X-Gamer bundle
  18. Need for Speed 4: High Stakes, Sound Blaster Live X-Gamer bundle
  19. Thief: The Dark Project, Sound Blaster Live X-Gamer bundle
  20. MKD2 , Sound Blaster Live X-Gamer 5.1 bundle
  21. Thief II: The Metal Age , Sound Blaster Live X-Gamer 5.1 bundle
  22. Duex Ex , Sound Blaster Live X-Gamer 5.1 bundle
  23. Unreal Tournament , Sound Blaster Live X-Gamer 5.1 bundle
Mac Games Sorry, gotta sort through my archives to dig these out.
Got Betacam SP or UMatic SP tapes? We can transfer those for you!