Category: For the Geeks

It is Diablo III – So the Wait is Over?

Post author By Wilfrid
Post date June 30, 2008
4 Comments on It is Diablo III – So the Wait is Over?

I seldom blog about video gaming but this one is big. The Diablo franchise has a new installment, and from one video I have watched, it’s a quantum leap. The graphic is jaw dropping and we can now realistically interact with the environment such as the collapse of the structures as we battle. The control for the battle seems engaging. Check out one boss fight and I bet you have not quit seen something of that scale before.

I always try to seek a balance when I blog, a little something for everybody. From the business point of view, Blizzard Entertainment – a division of French Vivendi Games – is one gaming company that I admire deeply. Why? They don’t have many games and they only have three major franchises – Starcraft, Warcraft, and Diablo. They are not inventive but they enhance and implement the genre so well that all that they create are legendary, a huge gap for the rest of the companies to close. Starcraft is a 10 years old game and it is still played today. Recently, it is announced that Starcraft II is on its way. Warcraft has gone through a cycle of 3 installments and the MMORPG spin off (massively multi-player online role playing game) is a worldwide success taking the genre to a height that never has seen before. 10 million worldwide subscribers (Cynthia and I included) and it is a four years old game still going strong.

Another great thing I admire about Blizzard Entertainment is that unlike other gaming companies that are pressurized to release games even when the games are not ready for the shelves, Blizzard has the reputation of non-committing release dates. They will only release the games when they are ready. On top of that, they are not hesitate to can a project (like the venturing into the console gaming platform) if it doesn’t turn out right.

There is a pending merge of Vivendi Games (1 billion in revenue) with yet another giant Activision (3 billion in revenue) and the new entity is going to be called Activision Blizzard Inc. Now, I do want to own some of their shares.

Below is the cinematic teaser and if you like what you see, don’t miss the video that demonstrates the actual game play (click here and then click onto “Play Gameplay Vidoe” on the right).

Tags Blizzard Entertainment, Diablo, pc gaming

For the Geeks

My New Toy and a Whirlwind of Technology

Post author By Wilfrid
Post date May 29, 2008
7 Comments on My New Toy and a Whirlwind of Technology

I have promised to post the details of my new toy and here we are. But before we get to that, I wish to share a little story with you all. I used to think that talking about the climate of the technology world bore people. Recently, I have the privilege to meet people who have little passion or knowledge on what goes on behind the press of a button, set aside the companies and driving forces behind. Perhaps it was the way I tell the stories, they did genuinely want to read more after hearing what I said. It was a humbling revelation. If a good singer can sing anything from a phonebook, maybe a good storyteller should be able to tell a story on even the most unglamorous topic?

So here it goes. I mean, here I try.

Click here to read more.

For the Geeks

Omg! It’s 8800GT!

This blog entry will probably lose 99.99% of my regular readers so I am going to be a little bit creative here. It will be as layman as possible and I even have a little game for you. For each paragraph you read, you will collect a certain number of cherries. The heavier the content is, the more cherries it is worth. Simple? Here is what the number of cherries implies (note: I created those cherries myself!).

Number of Cherries	You could be …
< 5	Okay, computer to you is like a hairdryer. You turn it on to use it and turn it off when you are done with it.
6 to 10	You have a lover, or a friend, or a sibling who keeps talking in geek language day in day out. Soon, some of those geek elements get rubbed onto you.
11 to 14	You are the CFO of the household. After seeing all the budget applications for the computer parts and gadgets month in month out, you realize that you can’t really say no without knowing what exactly they are.
15 to 17	You constantly have this desire to upgrade your computer parts. You could be my best friend.
20	You constantly have this desire to tempt others to update their computers. Does it sound like someone you know?

As an analogy, if your regular usage of a computer is to surf the Internet, write some emails, and edit some documents, a simple home cooked food will probably satisfy your taste buds throughout the years. Unfortunately, for the computer gamers – summing up the initial investment, the frequent upgrade cost, and the electricity bills of running those power hungry components – it is everyday at Au Jardin Les Amis for some of the them … 1 x Cherry!

There are quite a number of components I wish to upgrade and I have been hunting for a particular graphic card for ages. When I told my friends what my budget is like (S$400), they jolted thinking that I am so rich to get a high end card. The reality is not. Check out what high end cards really mean below … 1 x Cherry!

Type	Price
Entry Level	Around S$100
Mid Range	Around S$400
Mid Range (Enthusiast)	Around S$400 x 2 = S$800
High End	Around S$1,000
High End (Enthusiast)	Around S$1,000 x 2 = S$2,000
High End (Futurist)	Around S$1,000 x 3 = S$3,000

… 2 x Cherry!

8800GT

In fact, I have “downgraded” from being an enthusiast. If you recall, back in April 2006, I have equipped my computer with two graphic cards. I realized that in most situations, the second graphic card is underutilized. It takes up power and it’s nosier (there is a little fan on top of the card to dissipate heat). For the high end futurist, you’ve read right. Now, we can stuff three graphic cards into the computer rig … 2 x Cherry!

When I first saw the graphic card at my favorite computer shop, I gasped and said, “I have waited for this for so long”. The shop assistance’s eyes glittered and replied with a smile, “Yes, many do.” The second batch of the Asus EN8800GT does look very pretty with a new fan design. But knowing how dumb I am with computer hardware, was I able to install the card myself? Well … 2 x Cherry!

Before installing the card …

First I needed to knocked off my two old cards. That was not that hard though I have broken one of the tiny plaster latches slightly. Brutal force may not be a good idea – for future reference. Then it was time for me to brush off the dust and to literally blow it off. I made a mess on the floor. Luckily, Cynthia was out of town … 3 x Cherry!

… I made a sign of the cross (you have no idea how many times I have seen bad things happen in my computer that were beyond explanation) and switched on my computer. Immediately, I noticed that my computer sounded different. It is a lot quieter and when it does somewhat sound like the aeroplane engine. It worked on first try! Yay? … 3 x Cherry!

I ran some benchmarking tests, happy with the results (click here to view), and then I tried out some games of mine that could not be played well with my old cards. It was awesome. Another cool thing with this new card is that I can now extend my display to another LCD monitor! Imagine, playing games while not missing a single MSN message, writing blogs with reference materials and dictionary on a separate screen, watching YouTube while browsing your friends’ webbies! … 3 x Cherry!

Supreme Commander

I know some of the console gamers may baulk at the effort and cost in constantly upgrading a gaming machine. They may even point out that the cost of my video card is close to buying one console gaming unit such as XBox or Nintendo Wii.

But … can your console gaming unit do this (see image on the right … one game, two screens)? … 3 x Cherry!

For the Geeks Game Reviews

Hellgate London

“London is in ruins and now Asia must respond”, so it says on the pamphlet. I do not hesitate (especially when Cynthia is out-of-town) and am ready for the challenges ahead. I arrive at Russel Square and the garden square is no longer what it used to be – now a piece of wasteland. From afar, I can vaguely see the British Museum in ruin. Or is it my imagination? The year is 2038 and it has been 18 years since The Invasion. Once again, the survivors of mankind are united and determined to stop the demons from altering and assimilating our world into theirs. We have to close the Hellgate fast.

How I love role playing games. It comes with such a compelling storyline that makes people feel as though they are doing something virtually significant. Before you dismiss computing gaming as a total waste of time, you may wish to know that gaming moderately can enhance one’s analytic skill, problem solving skill, reflects, and etc. It is scientifically proven. Military develops games to train the soldiers. I even read that in one hospital, a group of surgeons are asked to play at least a certain number of hours of a I-forgot-which-one-but-certainly-not-a-medically-related-game a week in order to improve their performance.

Though I have the bad reputation of not being able to finish any game (except Sam & Max!), I think I may actually like “Hellgate London” and have a high chance in completing the game (think moderation!). It has the element of a traditional role playing game whereby you can personalise the ability of your characters. You are rewarded by the demons you vanquish in terms of experience points, currency, and items. But it doesn’t have the tedious battle controls like many role playing games do, which is good. And it also has the element of first person shooter but with a slower pace, lesser surprises, and you can actually dodge a fireball coming your way because it is kind of … slow. That is good as well because you can access the situation and take position accordingly to minimise damage upon you. You can virtually blow up anything lying around you – be it as boxes or gas cylinders. The explosion scenes are modeled well. Oh, did I mention that you will never run out of bullets? The graphic is fascinating even with my rather dated machine (AMD X2 4200+ and 6800GTS in SLi). The game play hardly lags in enclosed areas though in open areas (awesome graphics by the way as I can see buildings in smoke, the red phone booth, and abandoned police cars everywhere), my machine struggles to provide me with a smooth game play. Time to consider a new graphic cards I am sure.

And “Hellgate London” plays like some of the Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing Games as well. Kind of reminds me of the World of Warcraft with regards to the quest system. There are also fraction points to gain (each tube station is like a mini-community and you have to gain their trust). The pace of “Hellgate London” is in between tradition role playing games and first person shooter. Most monsters I have seen so far can be easily killed with one shot or two. Except bosses of course. The boss fight can be entertaining especially when you see it charging after you and you have to keep firing at it while retreating (i.e. clear the area before the boss fight). The game is played in real time. Hence no saving and reloading it like many others. I love that because it feels so much more real.

Okay. I shall stop writing such a long blog and ~~go back and save London~~ … sleep. Think moderation!

Tags Hellgate, pc gaming

For the Geeks Game Reviews

Sam & Max Episode 6 – Bright Side Of The Moon (End Of Season 1)

Post author By Wilfrid
Post date May 18, 2007
5 Comments on Sam & Max Episode 6 – Bright Side Of The Moon (End Of Season 1)

How time flies. Back in December last year I chanced upon a new hilarious game called Sam & Max and till today, set aside the fact that I have fun with all the 6 episodes, I still find the business model pretty intriguing.

Traditionally, gaming companies spend months if not years to develop a title and yet even if the title has become a hit, there are still people out there playing the pirated version not willing pay the full price. Online gaming subscription model works well for a particular gaming genre but not for all. What Telltale Games does is to break down this adventure game Sam & Max into monthly installments and to apply a subscription model in order to bring in revenue as the game is developed. Hence, for the end users, instead of getting the entire season 1 that is worth 20 to 30 gaming hours in one go, monthly episodes are downloaded into the users’ computers. Because there is a need to authenticate the electronic copy with the Telltale Games’s server, piracy is minimized. This model makes the cash flow statement looks good too. And meanwhile, game developers can gather the incremental feedback from the public to fine tune the game. That’s why I feel that this business model is intriguing.

As for this episode, I think it is a good round up of the entire season. The 5th episode scores high on originality; the 4th episode scores high on humor; while the 3rd episode scores high on dialogues, the 2nd episode scores high on fun factor. This last episode reminds me of the very 1st episode when I was first exposed to the game (come to think of it, Max did have his body “separated” in both the first and last episode). At one point while playing this last episode I was dead stuck. But I guess perseverance did pay off.

For those who have bought the entire season upfront, we will be receiving the DVD version of the game plus the extras for free (excluding shipping charge). I know at least 3 of my friends have bought the 1st episode after reading my blog. Good news is you will be able to download the entire season for USD 26.

To round up this blog, I would like to quote one of the random conversations between Sam and Max. The humor does seems to come directly from the development team.

Sam: What do you feel like doing once we wrap up this case?
Max: Take a vocation! Seems like we’ve been working for the past seven months straight!

Tags Sam & Max Season One

For the Geeks Game Reviews

Sam & Max Episode 5 – Reality 2.0

Post author By Wilfrid
Post date April 13, 2007
7 Comments on Sam & Max Episode 5 – Reality 2.0

Okay, let’s recall what we have so far. We have Sam and Max solved the case of hypnosis in episode 1. We have Sam and Max on reality TV (episode 2) and then acted as undercover mobs in episode 3. We have Max running as the president of the United State of America in episode 4 and in the fifth installment of season 1, Sam and Max have to battle the Internet.

This episode, I have to admit, is pretty hard. At times I really wanted to give up and search the Internet for clues to proceed. Proud to say, I have survived the 1st season so far without relying on the Internet and have solved all the puzzles on my own. This episode resembled so much like some of the massively multiplayer online role playing games that it put a smile on my face. A +2 sword? Potions for +1 meat tastiness? Loots? Lightning bolts? What has the world of Sam and Max become?

I certainly find Reality 2.0 entertaining. The entire familiar street that Sam and Max have walked for the previous four episode has given a totally new face lift with a click of a button. Wear that virtual reality goggles and you suddenly find Sam and Max in a totally new dimension. To solve the puzzles you will need to traverse across the different realities. There is a big surprise when Reality 1.5 booted up and I am not going to spoil your fun. In Reality 2.0, they have advertisements for two websites – Nauseatinglycute.com and bancolavadero.com. Go click on the links and I bet you would love that nauseatingly cute little creature.

I can’t wait for the last episode – The Bright Side of the Moon – to arrive.

Tags Sam & Max Season One

For the Geeks Game Reviews

Supreme Commander – Boys’ Childhood Dreams Come True

Post author By Wilfrid
Post date March 18, 2007
No Comments on Supreme Commander – Boys’ Childhood Dreams Come True

There was a time when girls wanted to be Barbie and boys fantasied to take control of one of those robots as inspired by the Japanese anime series, fly high and kick some enemy butts (somehow I have this bizarre image of tomatoes and eggs flying towards my ways from the girls). “Supreme Commander” gives us exactly that.

The concept of “Supreme Commander” is unique, pretty like a game of chess. You are one of the Commanders (don’t you love a title like that?!) who take control of this monstrously huge robot of what looks like a 24 storeys high monument, walk into a warping gate, swish your way through space, and with a big bang, the ground cracks, you are landed right into the planet at war. Now, here is what I like about “Supreme Commander” – its sci-fi realism. How can one machine rage war towards another? Wouldn’t it be lame and boring?

Upon landed onto the war zone, you can start utilising the limited mass (something like materials) and energy you carry to build … ta-dah … mass extractors and power generators. How intuitive it is right? As you start gathering mass and energy and building your base, more and more schemata are downloaded onto your computer and before you know it, you have your team of engineers churning out one of the most formidable armed forces in the planet, top it up with a combined force of army, navy, and air force. This is not only boys’ childhood dreams come true but also grown up men like me and you!

Missions are varied (only cleared the first one) and when you manage to bring down the opposing Commander, he does just die but explode in the most spectacular nuclear-mushroom-look-alike’s fashion very much like the picture I have included in this blog. Like chess, once you checkmate your opponent, that is the end of the game.

I have a feeling that I won’t be able to get far into this game, like many from this genre that I have played. The games these days tend to get too hard too soon. Although it is likely to be another white elephant in my storeroom, it always excites me much experiencing yet another captivating game like “Supreme Commander”. For the geeks, this game is first of its kind to be able to utilise Windows Vista’s DirectX 10.0, multicore processing capability, and can be played with 2 wide-screen LCD monitors – one to see your war plan and another one is the actual execution of your commands. Your pocket must be pretty deep to play “Supreme Commander” in its full glory (as of 2 months ago, the machine without the LCD monitors would cost USD 7,000). For the rest of us, dream on!

For the Geeks Game Reviews

Sam & Max Episode 4 – Abe Lincoln Must Die!

Post author By Wilfrid
Post date March 11, 2007
4 Comments on Sam & Max Episode 4 – Abe Lincoln Must Die!

Stay frosty, America!

“People of Earth! Your day of reckoning is at hand!” – believe it or not, this is one of the many speeches our beloved rabbit Max made when he was running for American presidency side-by-side with his freelance police partner – Sam, the dog. This 4th monthly installment of a favourably rated point-and-click Adventure game has many surprises. First, it was pre-released to loyal customers like myself one week before the actual launch. I think that is very nice of Telltale Games. Second, this episode is longer and more challenging than the previous episodes. There is even a mini-musical within the plot of the game. To anticipate that gamers indeed get smarter as they learn the game mechanism through the episodes, the puzzles are relatively more subtle and there are a few parallel plots to the game that the linkages are not at all obvious. Third, Telltale Games has made several subtle changes to how they used to layout the plots. It disorients and confuses seasoned players like me and I found myself exploring the plot rather than following the plot. That, I love.

In “Abe Lincoln Must Die!”, Sam and Max is entering into politics. It is hilarious, they are adorable. I can hardly find anything to complain about except perhaps … it will be a month long wait till the final episode is out.

Telltales Games has even made a dummy website www.MaxForPresident.org for episode 4. I spotted it at the end credits (yes, I love their episodes so much that I read all the credits).

Tags Sam & Max Season One

For the Geeks Game Reviews My YouTube

My 3rd Contribution to YouTube for Sam & Max Episode 3 – The Mole, The Mob, And The Meatball

Post author By Wilfrid
Post date February 15, 2007
5 Comments on My 3rd Contribution to YouTube for Sam & Max Episode 3 – The Mole, The Mob, And The Meatball

Image taken from actual game play

Click onto the video below contributed to YouTube by me and you won’t regret it!

The 3rd monthly installment of this point-and-click adventure game Sam & Max based on two hilarious comic book characters is out and I took no time in completing this episode (for more introduction on this PC game, please visit my previous blogs as linked below). There is one particular cut-scene that is the most hilarious clip I have seen so far. I have made it into a video clip and uploaded it to YouTube for sharing.

Humours aside, this 3rd episode suffers from mid-episode-syndrome. The 1st episode is new to all and the puzzles took a while to solve. For the 2nd episode, most of the tricks are already made known by 1st episode and the main entertainment value comes from the extra contents generated from various reality TV studios that Sam and Max have to go through. As for the 3rd episode, it is the shortest installment so far and lots of contents are recycled from the 1st episode. Most of the puzzles are straightforward and intuitive, which is not necessary a bad thing because I found myself sat back and chuckled through the scenes. Extra effort has been put into the scripting and it shows. It took me about 3 hours to complete the entire episode and I am looking forward to what the last 2 episodes will look like.

Tags Sam & Max Season One

For the Geeks Game Reviews

World Of Warcraft – The Burning Crusade

Post author By Wilfrid
Post date February 15, 2007
2 Comments on World Of Warcraft – The Burning Crusade

Image from actual game play

Friends of mine must have found it odd that despite my passion with the online game World of Warcraft (WoW), I seldom write anything about it. Not even a review on its long awaiting expansion after its January launch. I was asked a number of times if I was one of those who queued up at SunTech on the launch day itself and to tell you the truth, I was not even keen to get the expansion. WoW and I have gone a long way – good and bad.

During the time when Cynthia was studying for her Financial Risk Manager (FRM) exam, she said she would try out WoW after the exam when she did not need to spend hours studying risk management books every evening. FRM must have driven her crazy. Imagine someone who does not play any video games at all and even when she did play Football Manager because she is crazy over football, she never gets hooked onto it wanting to play time after time. For the longest history of time I have tried various different ways to tempt her with my wide spectrum of computer games with no success. Over time I am more and more determined to find out if there is at least one video game somewhere for each of us. I am a computer engineer and scientist by training. Friends of mine know that I don’t buy a game to finish it. I admire how the images are being modelled; I am intrigued by how the artificial intelligence is being implemented; I observe how the user interface is designed; and I study the “fun” factors that the designers are putting into the games.

One evening Cynthia came up to me and said that she wanted to start a character in WoW. Very well, I said and walked her through the initial stage of character creation. Of all the classes that WoW offers, she chose to be a warlock – one of the most complex classes around. I tried suggesting some other easier classes but she wished to stick with warlock. Cynthia took no time in familiarising herself with the user interface and half an hour later, she was on her own exploring the World of Warcraft in her own way. Looking at Cynthia playing an online computer game baffled me. WoW is not exactly a simple game to pick up and definitely not one that I would recommend for first-timer. But the magic of WoW charmed her and till today, she plays the game occasionally when she has the time. Cynthia definitely plays more than I do after the launch of the expansion.

World of Warcraft is one of the modern commercial miracles that I admire. Created by Blizzard based on their award winning Real Time Strategy game Warcraft series, WoW is a MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game where tens and hundreds of players interact with one another within the same “realm”). A genre that is not new but Blizzard managed to turn it into a commercial miracle when the gaming industry was plagued with piracy (still do in a certain extend). For online games, players are required to buy the original game and pay a subscription fees. With the arrival of WoW, the MMORPG community has exploded and passed a recent 7 million mark. What does 7 million subscribers mean commercially? Imagine nearly all subscribers will buy the US$40 expansion pack in the first couple of months and that is a US$280 million sure-win business. For a US$15 monthly subscription fees, that is US$315 million per quarter. If that is not enough, Blizzard offers a paid service to transfer players’ characters from one realm to another realm (mainly to join their real life friends or their realms get too crowded) for US$25 each. Believe me, there are many characters get moved around for various different reasons.

There are many success factors to write about Blizzard. They have an active forum where players exchange and voice out ideas and Blizzard listens making improvements to the game gradually. New contents are being created and pushed out into the game in a regular basis. There are lots of fun things to do within this virtual fantasy world. Blizzard has made a game that pleases both casual as well as hardcore players for all age groups (the youngest I have met is 12 and 60-ish the oldest), different nationalities, and from all walks of life.

That is how some others appreciate the game. As for Cynthia, she loves the look of her character, the beautiful scenery, the vast area for exploration, and new abilities as her character progresses. And for me, well, I have been there done that and am glad that I have gotten detached from this time sink. WoW is a fun game but please exercise self-restrain when you play it. Try not to play more than 2 hours a day and have at least 2 days per week free from WoW. A friendly reminder from someone who has already clocked 3,000 hours in the game.

Related Link: World of Warcraft Official Site.