Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Spirits Within

``I think that it's extraordinarily important that we in computer science keep fun in computing. When it started out, it was an awful lot of fun. Of course, the paying customers got shafted every now and then, and after a while we began to take their complaints seriously. We began to feel as if we really were responsible for the successful, error-free perfect use of these machines. I don't think we are. I think we're responsible for stretching them, setting them off in new directions, and keeping fun in the house. I hope the field of computer science never loses its sense of fun. Above all, I hope we don't become missionaries. Don't feel as if you're Bible salesmen. The world has too many of those already. What you know about computing other people will learn. Don't feel as if the key to successful computing is only in your hands. What's in your hands, I think and hope, is intelligence: the ability to see the machine as more than when you were first led up to it, that you can make it more.''

Alan J. Perlis

Friday, November 03, 2006

X-Box 360 < $100

Ok you don't even have to pimp ringtones on your web site for this one. Just get a wired X-Box 360 controller and a copy of Marvel Ultimate Alliance for the PC and you are there! Ultimate Alliance is one of the 1st titles we have played that integrates the X-Box 360 controller into the PC version of the game completely. All menus can be controlled with it and the buttons are displayed in the on screen hints. Also there is a CG movie with Galactus which is worth the cost of all by itself.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

DirectX 9.0b to 9.0c

So I get Marvel Ultimate Alliance and it says it requires Direct X 9.0c. Of course 9.0c will not install and dxdiag keeps reporting that I have 9.0b. So I coppied the d3dx9_30.dll and d3dx9_31.dll files out of the .cab files and put them into windows system32 and then changed the following reg key:

From:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ DirectX\ Version\4.09.00.0902

To:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ DirectX\ Version\ 4.09.00.0904

Let me know if this helps any PC gamers out there. Alliance is a fun game, very X-Boxish and it is good to see it works well with the wired XBox 360 controller on the PC.

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Auto Assault = Car Wars

For those who long for Steve Jackson's excellent Car Wars, check out Auto Assault! MMORPG all on one server with a car and character to customize. ZenStrike is my test Alter Ego. Another great feature is that it work with the wired XBox 360 controller with rumble!!

Friday, October 06, 2006

Oblivion

Speaking of today's greate CRPGs, let's look at one of the greatest today: Oblivion. It is hard to believe that a single player action oriented CRPG would be better than Wizardy Crusader's of the Dark Savant, but it is! It is even better than my fond memories of Ultima ][ on the Apple! It is that good, do check it out. While you are at it get a new GeForce 7600 or 7800 card to run it on, they have them in AGP goodness at newegg.com ...