10 Reasons Why Gaming May Be Good For You...

Gamers are more often than not, looked down upon as "slackers" or individuals who have nothing better to do with their time and money ("hard-earned" for those "aged" gamers who actually have day jobs). Mothers, wives, girlfriends, and other creatures of the female species (cats sometimes included) often put on "that look" when a guy indulges in his gaming activities. "The Stare" was always there... from the "good old days" of those blocky, pixelated games (like "Pong"), to today's more realistic and immersive (and sometimes equally "as pointless") games like Left 4 Dead (mindless zombie-slaying with barely any storyline), and the like.


But, is it really all that bad? Let's see how we can put things into *positive* perspective. Here's at least 10 reasons why gaming may be good for you!

1. Hand-Eye Co-ordination, Kay? ("HECK") : Probably being more relevant to arcade-style games such as platformers ("Mario Bros", "Little Big Planet", etc) and even simluator-style games ("Gran Turismo") - gaming can greatly improve one's hand-eye co-ordination. Shoot-em-up titles also have a great impact on HECK development, as the gamer's "survival" (in-game, that is) greatly depends on it. HECK is a skill that one could really, really use and bring over into the "real world". It can be applied in driving, playing *real* sports, fixing things, and many others. Rather unfortunately, one can't use HECK in the real world to dodge bullets like in the "Matrix" games (or "Max Payne" or "Stranglehold" for that matter), and there are no "extra lives" if one gets hit in a critical area. But let's just assume here that the percentage of people who actually get shot at, as per the total global population (and actually *require* to bullet-dodge, if they even could in the first place) is near to none, okay? Happy thoughts only please! :)

2. Mental AwareNess Of Surroundings ("MANS") : Notice that little dot moving across the screen? Leaving it unattended to may end your (game) life! What'd be worse, is not noticing it at all... it could actually be an enemy trooper, and alien invader, or a giant monster lurking waaaaay in the background, coming right towards you! Avid gamers normally have a great sense of MANS, and notice little changes on the screen, in time enough for them to react accordingly. These days there are many games which are built around dark environments, with low lighting and poor visibility (such as all those horror games and even some shooters such as "Killzone 2") which will test a gamer's level of MANS. Enough can't be emphasized how MANS would be damn useful in real life. Again, not for bullet-dodging... but for really neat "tricks" like dodging dog poo on the sidewalk while chatting with friends during a brisk walk, or even dodging crow crap from the sky! An interesting experiment would be to pit 2 people against each other... a gamer versus a non-gamer... to cross a busy road in the middle of the night ala the classic game "Frogger"... see who survives longest before being squished! The one with a higher sense of MANS would probably survive longer. I'm putting my money on the gamer!

3. Strategic Mindset and, Uh, Tactical ("SMUT") Development : There's a while host of real-time strategy ("RTS") games out there that test a gamer's SMUT development levels. For many "old-timers", it began with games like "Dune 2", and "Civilization" (and many others of course) - which pitted the gamer against the computer (or other gamers) in war or battle scenarios... requiring quick strategic decision-making processes to be executed (and executed well, that is) to ensure survival and/or victory. For now, concentrate on gathering more resources, or increase the weaponry arsenal for an attack? Since all RTS games are in "real time" (duh?) - multiple gamer-made decisions need to be made on the spot, as every minute (or sometimes even less) could pit the gamer in a different scenario, requiring a different tactical move at any given point in time. Kind of like playing chess, only that more than one piece could (and probably would need to) be moved at the same time. Confusing eh?

4. Managerial and Organisational SkillS ("MOSS") : One's managerial skills can be developed through gaming. No, really! Games like "Sim City" (and Sim-Almost-Everything-Else), particularly focuses on managing resources, which range from products and property, to transportation and utilities, etc, etc - making it kind of like a more "peaceful version of SMUT". Sure beats being the city's Chief Town Planner, and screwing up the entire city for real! Even in strategy games that focus on strategic warfare and domination (like those mentioned in SMUT) - one's managerial and organisation skills are still tested - more so, since there's the additional element of survival (or imminent destruction). Why risk reality when you can gamble (and of course, develop yourself further) in the virtual world, right?

5. Improved Language and Linguistics ("ILL") : Speaking from personal experience, I've actually learned quite a lot of "new" words through gaming. When I was a lot younger, I was introduced to the world of "Ultima" on the PC, starting off with "Ultima IV : Quest of the Avatar". That was my first real exposure to the "medieval world" that Ultima presented - and along with it, all the "strange, new words" I never knew. Terms and labels actually. Hey, don't be surprised if some people still don't know what a halberd is!

 
6. Participativeness as Opposed to Merely Prying ("POMP") - it's YOUR time out! : Watching television and movies (just like gaming, especially when engaged in an overabundance) may also be considered as a vice (yes..."The Stare!"), as continuous viewing turns you into an anti-social couch potato (I'd so love to get me a lazyboy someday!). Also, although it is a known fact that reading is good for you, I personally think that reading for leisure purposes (i.e. fiction) can be as "passive" as watching TV and movies - from the sense that you only engulf youself in things that the writers produce for you. It's almost always about some character's adventures (or misadventures), with you being the "watcher" - drifting contentedly along the plot or storyline that's been fixed for you - unless you read one of those "choose your own adventure" books that provide some degree of choice (...turn to page 291, continue story. Turn to page 320, die). Hey do those things even still exist? Anyway... gaming on the other hand, puts you in the story's leading role. You're the hero (or villain), and you determine whether the princess is rescued or the world succumbs and *pffts* into oblivion. Games with storylines (no, "Pac Man" isn't one of them) are almost always built around certain parameters (no, you can't walk through that wall even if you wanted to) - kind of like stories that are presented in movies or in books. However, you can almost always control the pace, as well as the sub-plots (optional side-missions, for instance?). Not to mention the main plot (good vs evil, fate of the universe, blah blah blah). More and more games are being built in a sandbox, open-world manner, which gives you the ultimate freedom to escape... and call it your very own time-out! What's more enjoyable than that?! :)

7. BrOadening TechnicAl Knowledge ("BOTAK") : Again, speaking from personal experience. Believe it, or leave it.... I had actually broadened my technical knowledge (in computing that is) as a result of gaming. It all started off with the Commodore VIC20 that I received as a reward for doing well in my exams (now that was a looooong time ago! haha!). Subsequently I was "upgraded" to a Cubic 99 Premier, which was an Apple II compatible machine. Next in line (this was over a number of many years okay), it went up to an Intel 80286-based IBM-compatible clone. That's where the fun really began, especially so that during the time - you could tinker around hardware and software configurations, and swap parts and components here and there... upgrading as you went along... and for what purpose? Playing games of course! Back then it was far more challenging to upgrade PCs, since plug-and-play (and a "proper" version of Windows) only came into the picture many years later. The objective was clear... get the latest games up and running. And to do that, upgrading was almost always the only path to take. And the cheapest option back then was to do it yourself. And to do it yourself, you needed the knowledge!


8. A Career in ICT : There you have it. Directly related to BOTAK, gaming can (well... probably...) land you a career somewhere along the ICT spectrum... if you persist enough. When I realized that (at the time), computing skills weren't quite "commonplace" yet, it occured to me that I could actually make use of this knowledge to make me some extra cash. Throughout my college days I did some side jobs fixing up and troubleshooting PCs. Back then, one could make a small fortune from providing such services on a regular basis. I guess I was nowhere close to Michael Dell (although I now regret it!), but it kept me happy for quite a long time. As time progressed, I continued to build up my computing knowledge, which then eventually spilled over into the workplace once I entered the workforce. Although my academic qualifications are nowhere around "Information Technology" or anything of that sort - I made it a personal point to make use of ICT in everything I did at work... and eventually landed myself in a proper "ICT job" in a corporate environment. So I guess being very passionate about gaming isn't all too bad, right? :)

9. Save a Life! : You must think I'm crazy right now, eh? Go and google for "game for good" or more specifically "Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Charity Weekend". Such things do exist! On a personal level, I am proud to have been a part of it!

10. Save a Relationship! : "No dear, I'm not going to the pub. I'm not going to the club either. The "place" I'm going is predominantly populated by men, and you know for a fact that I'm not homosexual. You know exactly where to find me..".


So that's it... at least ten reasons why gaming may be good for you.

Okay I was kinda bored (there is such a thing as "too much gaming"... see... I'm writing this instead of whacking away at my XBOX and PS3), so please don't take it out on me if you felt that you just wasted your time reading all that gibberish. But it does kind of make sense right? Awww come on... you know you want to admit it. Anyway as they say... take what's good and discard the garbage! :)

So husbands and boyfriends (wives and girlfriends too... I'm not a sexist, despite what the opening paragraph may tend to suggest), if this silly article helped you "justify" your addiction / obsession, "you're most welcome". If not, "good luck". In any case, have a good gameful day ahead!

Comparing the Playstation 3 to the XBOX 360 - Which To Get?

Okay - I've been wanting to do this for a long time already, but as usual... "I don't have the time", "I'll do it later", and the usual excuses. But since someone just recently asked for my opinion on which console to get, I thought "what the heck".

My "quick comparison" is based mainly on hardware and network features. I'm not covering hardware aspects such as the PS3's cell microprocessors, the XBOX360's graphic accelerator chipsets, etc. Although hardcore console purists will argue till kingdom come, let's just simply assume that the "general experience" on both consoles is similar.

1. Hardware compatibility - additional joysticks, controllers, etc.

The PS3 is mostly able to use generic (i.e. PC compatible) accessories in addition to officially licensed controllers. On the other hand, the XBOX360 mostly only works with “licensed controllers” i.e. “made for XBOX360”. Generic controllers and devices are largely incompatible. For instance, the Logitech Driving Force EX racing wheel works with both PC, as well as PS3 (and even PS2). It won't work on an XBOX360. You'll need to get an XBOX360-specific racing wheel. Ironically too - I tested an old Microsoft Sidewinder flight stick with my Microsoft XBOX360, and it didn't work. It however, worked right away with my PS3. Little things like this can be quite annoying sometimes, especially if you have both consoles.... you'll almost always need to have "two versions of the same thing". Unless you "designate" your consoles for specific purposes i.e. I have "designated" by PS3 for music games e.g. Rock Band and Guitar Hero.

2. Hardware compatibility - additional or replacement hard disk / storage space

The PS3 uses a standard 2.5” SATA hard disk, which is easily available on the market, hence making it "cheap and easy" to upgrade storage space. The XBOX360 on the other hand only uses “XBOX-specific” hard disks which are not compatible with other devices. These drives are naturally more expensive. Also, you can also easily stick an external USB hard drive into your PS3 USB port and backup all its contents in a breeze (depending of course, on how much you need to backup). You can't quite do this on your XBOX360 in a similarly simple manner.

3. Interoperable with handheld gaming consoles

The PS3 works with the Playstation Portable (PSP) for remote access and control, media streaming, and a number of supported cross-device games (i.e. “Assassin’s Creed 2” for the PS3 and “Assassin’s Creed Bloodlines” for the PSP). The XBOX360 currently doesn't have an equivalent handheld gaming console therefore this may not be relevant.

4. Bluray Compatilibility

With the "death" of HD-DVD, losing out to Bluray in the recent "format war" - the PS3 has the upper hand as its disc drive is Bluray. If watching high-definition movies is important, then the PS3 wins in this department. Again, we're assuming that gaming is pretty much the same (and it is as such, "pretty much") - therefore the Bluray drive may be an overkill of not really used for movies.

5. Game Region Protection

Now this is an area which personally ticks me off. Yes, I bought an NTSC-J region XBOX360 in Asia, and am now having difficulty buying games in the UK since the XBOXes here use the PAL region standard. While the currently limited list of "region free XBOX360 games" is growing, playing older XBOX360 games can be a problem if you have a unit which doesn't correspond the region you're residing in. For most people, this shouldn't be an issue though. But if you're in a situation similar to mine, you can easily find websites that list out game region compatibility. Click here to take a look at one site that I frequently visit (and sometimes update).

The PS3 on the other hand, doesn't quite have regional issues... all disc-based games work on all consoles. One limitation would be downloadable content. I bought me the EU copy of The Force Unleashed... and downloaded extra missions etc from the US Playstation Store (which I use the most)... big mistake! Doesn't work! But "changing" to another regional store online is easy... just create another PSN account (which is free), and use that account for downloading "regional downloadable content".

6. Console "Hackability" and Software Piracy

While there have only been limited news or "wind" of hacked PS3s being able to play pirated games (so far), the XBOX360 has for a long time been a hacker's favourite. The XBOX360 is well-known for being “hackable” to play copied / pirated games. While hacking is not only discouraged but also illegal - hacked XBOXes will almost always result in consoles being banned from the XBOX Live online service. This means that once you hack your XBOX, be prepared to "always play alone". Kind of defeats the purpose, right?

7. Overall console stability

This is probably one of the most important considerations when deciding whether to get an XBOX360 or PS3. Overall console stability has so far been better on the PS3 - while the XBOX360 is famous for its "Red Rings of Death" (RROD). The RROD is as a result of hardware failure due to overheating - which is so far a design flaw in all generations of the XBOX360. Be prepared to either (1) send your XBOX360 back to Microsoft for repair (2) fix your XBOX360 yourself, which is not "too challenging" but at the same time "risky", or (3) buy a replacement XBOX360. I have personally experienced RROD (the "3 lights variant", like in the picture above) but "fortunately" this was due to power supply issues, and not internal hardware failure - and was quickly resolved. I've also bought the necessary bits and pieces (bolts and washers) for a quick "RROD-fix-it-yourself" - should my RROD be of the "more serious" kind in the near future. At the same time, all these bloody Christmas sales are tempting me to get a new/spare PAL region XBOX360!

8. Networking and Internet

Are next-generation consoles... gaming and entertainment devices, or PC equivalents? It seems that both consoles have been adding "more than just gaming and entertainment features" - which includes a built-in web browser (only on the PS3), built-in Twitter and Facebook (only on the XBOX360, but do remember you can still access both on the PS3 through its browser), and a host of other bits and bobs here and there. These are really nothing more than "software enhancements" which can be easily updated in the future through firmware releases and updates.... so what you see now, may pretty well change in the future as new features are added (or removed). So it's not really such a big deal, if you ask me.

For the gamer - what's probably more important, is the online gaming network - which is, based on my own personal experience - far more superior on the XBOX Live network as opposed to the Playstation Network (PSN). But for the cost-conscious, PSN (which isn't "all that bad", really) is FREE of charge. XBOX Live requires a paid subscription, which explains why the XBOX Live network is "superior". During the recent launch of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 on both platforms, PS3 users had to wait a few extra days to slaughter their buddies online, as the PSN servers (which are apparently maintained by 3rd parties) crashed. XBOX Live (which is maintained / managed directly by Microsoft based on the money you pay them for the service) was sailing smoothly.

CONCLUSION?

Hard to say, really. Although my above comments generally point in the direction of the PS3 as opposed to the XBOX360 - both consoles are a bunch of fun (as long as they don't breakdown!). Again, my personal preferences may differ from those of other gamers (especially those hardcore ones out there!) - but I can generally conclude that for FPS (first-person shooter) games like the Call of Duty kind, the XBOX360 has a better "feel". The XBOX360 controller is generally more "solid" and comfortable.

A Malaysian Context

PS3 games are (slightly) more expensive than XBOX360 games (for original copies, that is). They are also a bit harder to come by (simply because PS3 games can't be pirated) but do note that the XBOX360 is not officially supported by Microsoft Malaysia (to date). The PS3 was recently "launched" in Malaysia (albeit about 2 years late!) which means that if you have any problems with your PS3 (not very likely though), you can visit the numerous Sony Centres or certified retailers for a replacement or repairs. XBOXes though, will almost always need to be "sent back to Singapore" for further attention.

My personal advice? If you want to get a console for your son (or daughter), then get him or her a PS3. You will have better "control" over the games they play (since they can't buy or download pirated copies), and at the same time make use of the device as well (for watching movies or browsing the internet for instance). The support for the PS3 is also better (in Malaysia at least), and since Malaysian broadband generally sucks anyway - XBOX Live and Playstation Network connectivity will be horrible anyway.

If you are looking for something for yourself, then get both!

Hope this helps!

Cheap High-Speed Broadband?

If Malaysia is really serious about its "super corridor", how come we can't get cheap high-speed broadband? I used to subscribe to TM's Streamyx for about RM45 per mb per month. Now, over here in London, I'm paying an equivalent of RM4 per mb per month. And for a significantly larger mb block (up to 20mb line)! That's even larger than the pipe at my former office! Hello? Anybody back home need an off-site "data center" in Europe? For a "friend-friend price" we can talk! Haha...

Why? I wonder. I guess the main reason is that there is a lack of competition. With telecommunications being nearly-monopolized, ISPs (or "the only" ISP, pretty much) can charge as it pleases. Sure, there are other providers, but their reach is somewhat limited. The other thing is content. Nearly everything here is "internet-enabled", from buying groceries (delivered to your doorstep) and paying for council taxes and almost everything else you can possibly think of (well, almost). Hey, it's not like we didn't try right? We did have online services like pasarborong.com (is this still alive?) and others, but take-up was less than desirable.

It's probably the Asian mindset of using cold hard cash, which is also hampering the increase in use of the internet for more than just surfing, mailing, and chatting. Take the Touch N Go card for instance... the take up rate isn't all too excellent (cards in distribution -vs- cards in use are 2 different things altogether!), even so - that average top-up amount (as far as I call recall) is on an average of only RM20. People still prefer cash. And with the "good weather" all year round, it makes perfect sense for people to just go out and shop at the nearly-millions of shopping malls that are open until late at night. Over here, forget it. The sucky weather makes you just want to stay in (and hence get things... important things... done online).

Oh well.... anyway I think we'll be far from having cheap high speed broadband back home... whatever the reasons are, they all just too entangled and entrenched all over the place. 20mb broadband at home? Enjoy it while it lasts...*sniff sniff*...