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by eddie

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I don't see anything really video game related here. Video games, arcade gaming, etc. Anyone else want to see something like this?

54 replies

by why me worry?

I spend the majority of my time improving my skills and reading about new technologies. I don't have time for video games.

by jmgarvin

Yup, if you play WoW, there is a guild on Duskwood made up of mostly TR members...

As for other games, Madden stinks ;-)

by user.booted

It's a generic experience grinding, waste of time MMORPG that you have to pay every month for. Once I'm finished, Fantasy Realm will pwn it.

by tink!

It's been mentioned several times that many TR members [b]are also gamers.[/b] Myself included.

Unfortunately I'm not in Warquest, but I still enjoy PS2, Gamecube, Gameboy and now DS games as well as other PC games...currently Puzzle Pirates.

And actually, as a working mom, I find that playing vid games is a nice way to get the kids to snuggle up with you while they watch you play.
Tink :)

by jonathan h

Some of my favorite times with my wife and daughters are when I get to teach them how to play a new game.
Neverwinter Nights
Final Fantasy 7, 10
Any Mario or Zelda game

by jonathan h

So there is no time for relaxation. Is there no activity to help unwind after a heavy day of being "professional"?
For many of us video games are the hobby of choice. This seems to me a natural extension of the choice of profession.

by apotheon

For me, working with computers is (mostly) fun. I don't really need to unwind most of the time. On the rare occasion that I do, I prefer to get away from the computer entirely. Video games are just boring.

Besides, most of the popular video games are created for Windows, and it's usually Windows that increases my stress level when I have a bad day working with computers. Why would I want to compound the problem by placing myself in front of a Windows machine again?

by user.booted

I play video games a LOT, hell, I make them. I'm not really a professional, the closest thing I ever had to a job is making computer games. I'd much rather get a Wii than learn about Linux.

by ontheropes

Watch your language young man. :0

Okay... what's a Wii? Don't make me look it up. I'll admit that I don't know everything (everything aka jacksh!t) [b]and[/b] I'm an old fart and a charter(?) member of the Explorers Club.

What software do you program with and how long have you been doing it?

Oh yeah... you said you're the youngest member of TR. How the f... err... heck old are you?

by tink!

like to see more discussions on video games. Helps weed out the ones not to buy...when you're buying for 3 kids and a mom, that's significant money saved.

by jdclyde

When your looking to buy a few games, start a discussion asking for reviews on the specific games your interested in.

Another option is to describe the style of games you are interested in and the platform, and ask for advice.

I would show up.

by leee

http://www.gamespot.com for everything you ever wanted to know about the latest video games - ratings, cheats, news, the works.

At TechRepublic our focus is on techs, with video games as an occasional diversion. At GameSpot, that's their life!

by leee

It's all under the CNET Networks banner. News.com is another one of our prominent brands; hence the frequent cross-pollination between TR and News.com.

Look at the bottom of most any page and you'll see:

BNET | CNET.com | CNET Channel | CNET Download.com | CNET News.com | CNET Reviews | CNET Shopper.com
GameSpot | International Media | MP3.com | mySimon | Release 1.0 | Search.com | TechRepublic | TV.com | Webshots | ZDNet

Have fun!

by galraen

What subscribe to a site that fires a long time employee for making an honest review of a bad game? Just because it upsets an advertiser. Have anything to do with a site that allows its advertising department to dictate content. Unfortunately thats the way game reviews have gone in recent years, making them totally valueless. I came very close to un-subscribing from CNET when I found out that they were the parent company of GameSpot.

by nicknielsen

Actually, I think my bro-in-law is planning a Halo party this week: 4 consoles & TVs, 16 uncles, cousins, & friends blasting the h3ll out of each other in the pole barn. Beer & grill on the side. Now that's bonding.

My 6-year-old nephew will walk all over all comers...again. That boy can [b]play[/b] Halo. :)

Edit: major change in direction. Better read it again :D

by jdclyde

There is a local shop that has 24 computer setup for internet gaming and you go in and pay and play by the hour.

I rented the whole place out, from 10 pm until 8 am.

14 kids, a few of my buds and a few other dads hung around.

When we teamed up, no one could touch me and my boys! B-)

by nicknielsen

that my nephew won't pick me for his team; the only time he ever lost, I was his teammate. When it comes to shooters, I'm the poor kid who is always the last one picked... :_|

But it's still fun, and I'm learning.

Besides, [b]nobody[/b] can touch me at head-to-head Tetris. ]:)

Edit: Post 999 here. Funny, it took me 5 years to get to 500, and less than two years later I'm at 1000. You guys are a bad influence. :)

by jdclyde

sitting around playing a VIDEO game of a sport!

If you like the sport, go out and play it! :D

Excuse me now, got a video game of soccer to play..... :p

by user.booted

Besides that, sports games get boring REALLY quickly and aren't NEARLY as good as the real thing.

by blackcurrant

I am an avid gamer, but when I started gaming two years ago I knew nothing about it and did not understand the technical side. This led to quite a few frustrating moments.

It would be great to see technical discussions of essential hardware and configuration aimed at gamers - which really would also encompass anyone using a high-end PC.

I also do a lot of game recording and have had to learn the hard way how best to achieve good results. It all takes power... and it must be configured correctly.

Mind you - discussing games in general is also good fun - many games forums are populated by pre-pubescent angsty teenagers whose hormones are in such a muddled state that it is impossible to discuss anything with them. Disagree with them and they will inevitably explode into an indomitable rage and splurge their anger across the threads....

It would make a pleasant change to be able to discuss these things with mature people.

by user.booted

But I never explode into an "indomitable rage", the only time I have really gotten angry on forums was when mods locked my topics for no reason. (Hyrule_Boy and DSRR|Steve do that ALL the time, that's what they're known for)

by blackcurrant

Well, I can sympathise with you. I visit the planethalflife forums which have some very strict rules about thread posting. They will lock posts for no reason that I can see.

What I was referring was some poster's inablility to respond in an adult fashion. Take a look at dreamcatchergames.com/forums and look at the Painkiller for PC section - you will see that many threads from about 6-8 months ago contain incredibly vitriolic posts. The worst offenders were a 15 year old and two people in their early 20's. Thankfully, the offenders have since been banned.

by user.booted

His username is "bounty hunter"(I'm not sure if it has anything to do with Metroid) and every other word he says is "fuck".

by johnny bee

No monthly fees and new storyline upgrades every 6-8 months. Sure it's experience grinding, and not very high end at that, but you buy the software, play the game, and hang out with your buds on line. The fact that we all live in cities across Canada and the US makes this perfect for us old time Dungeons and Dragons gamers.

As to seeing more video game related stuff - if it's just blogging about your game, no. If it involved problem-solving issues, then I'm all for it. Nothing tests a hig-performance system more than some high-tech video gaming, and nothing creates more problems for PC afficianados than video games. A forum for problem-solving would be a welcome "techie" thing to have access to.

by justin james

C|Net properties owns Gamespot, which is a top notch game site (except for their wretched white text/black background color scheme). TechRepublic does not need any video game information, unless it is something that touches the lifes of IT professionals. Let's not dilute TechRepublic's brand. The motto for this site is "Real World. Real Time. Real IT." As it is, this site is littered with stuff that has nothing to do with my job as an IT professional. Do you go into a punk rock club to hear smooth jazz? I bet not. So let's not turn a site for helping IT pros do their jobs into a site for "everything that IT pros like." If we did that, we might as well start putting up pictures of scantily clad women and have discussions about whether or not Bards are the ultimate class choice or just too weak at everything to be worth playing...

I hate to be harsh, but there are tons of great sites for video games out there. There are very few even OK sites for IT professionals. Stick to the core competancy folks, and everything will be OK. :)

J.Ja

by apotheon

I'm with you on that one. In fact, I was going to post something very like what you said, until I saw what you had posted.

As a matter of fact, I'd like to see more of the technical articles and less of the fluffy stuff, like SQL Server image galleries that provide no additional information.

by justin james

... but my blog has been getting very technical lately. I know that you are not a .Net guy, but the principles and information (it is about multithreading) are very applicable to any language, not just .Net languages. I'm even putting up sample code. Expect this type of "new direction" on my end to continue for a while. Will I still be doing the industry analysis stuff? Sure, but less and less so.

I agree with you wholeheartedly. A site full of image galleries or opinions is a crowded field. But well written, in depth technical information is still extraordinarily hard to find. It is sad that when I find the answer to a tough tech question, it is usually in the Web archive of a mailing list.

J.Ja

by foulere

I don't understand how anyone has time (or desire for that matter) to play games. Sure, games were fun when we were kids, and maybe even taught us a thing or two, but we're working adults now. Isn't TR about supporting working adults?

I have a couple of questions for gamers:

1/ where do you find the time
2/ how do you justify spending so much time with no tangible payoff?
3/ don't you feel like you're subsituting real life with a simulated one?

Am I the only one that thinks the majority of gaming is bogus mindlessness?

It's hard enough to keep up with real life much less a virtual one, imo.

by deb

Wow, I grew up before the "home computer" was common place, if you had an Atari, you were king of the neighborhood and Pong totally p*wned.

I grew up reading science fiction novels, watching Sci-Fi TV (star trek, battlestar galactica, etc) and movies and developing a fascination with all things technical. We played Dungeons and Dragons to interact with our fantasy worlds and it was hardly mindless. LOL, I'm under 40.

My oldest son starts college this month majoring in Video Game Design and Development. I've very proud of him and will probably spend more time playing video games as he's actually working on them.

What hobby isn't bogus mindlessness. Admit it, nearly all of us have watched reality TV (don't you sit there and say "I could do that"). Entertainment is never without a tangible payoff. We shouldn't force ourselves to be productive every minute of the day. Whether it's golf, tv, video games, or batting cages.

I love to watch my kids play video games. I'm impressed with their problem solving, accuracy, memory (I can't remember how to get through one level of Sonic the Hedgehog, let along beat a time of any sort ROFL). There are tremendous benefits in hand to eye cordination and memory building in my opinion. We could all use a little time off to play a game :)

by foulere

Your point is well taken - I wholeheartedly support play and hobby time. I guess I take more issue with this specific type of play. Especially the types of games that are propagated today that promote false realities and, at the same, mindless violence. Especially when we're talking about professional adults who should know better. I'm sure I'll be called a snob for this, but I take the same issue with reality tv, as you mentioned, as well as a lot of areas of our ingrained american culture (or lack thereof). I never watch it - no time, no desire. Playtime can be mind-diverting and instructive/beneficial in some way at the same time.

by alsat

There are enough Game sites, blogs, aetc. Keep this It/tech focused.

by los0463los

I for one am against it. I believe there are too many video game sites and honestly it would kill the whole point of this site. This site is really helpful and insightful.

by lando56

Plenty of sites for 'gamers'. Hardly need to muck up important IT stuff with junk!

by justin james

... load up X Eyes and wave your mouse around a lot! ;)

Video games do not seem to relax me much any more. As you've mentioned, they involve using a device which is the cause of most of my stress to begin with, and when I am done playing them, my problems are still there, but I have lost 2 hours of my time that could have been spent fixing the problems.

J.Ja

by apotheon

Unfortunately, I find it very difficult to keep up with TR blogs in their current incarnation -- in part because there's no way to subscribe to comments, and in part because there's no direct way to aggregate blog post notifications for TR blogs of my choosing. As such, I tend to let that sort of thing slide a lot. Yours is one of the TR blogs that I actually do check out from time to time, though (usually when Sterling mentions something about your TR blog in his off-site weblog).

I like well-written, thoughtful industry analysis, though, as well as technical stuff. It's just the superficially technical stuff that turns into ra-ra cheerleading or fails to include any information I couldn't get from clicking around a GUI for five minutes that I find particularly annoying. Galleries can be interesting, but more often than not I find them a complete waste of time.

So . . . good technical writing and industry analysis is great. I'll check out your threads stuff soon.

by justin james

Yeah, the TR blog system is in desparate need of a technological revamp. As you said, it is basically impossible to follow individual blogs. They have that "blog posts from my contacts" system, but you have to take a deep walk through the navigation system to find it, and it does not display many items.

I also know what you mean about the blogs/articles where you're like, "I could have figured that out myself." That's what I am trying to get more in-depth with my writing. It costs me a few readers, I'm sure, but the readers are of a higher level of knowledge & feedback.

What's the URL to Sterling's blog? I would be interested in reading that.

J.Ja

by tink!

Now that I know there is a sister site where it's all Games.

However, I do think that the link to it should be more prominently displayed somewhere since many of techies do choose to unwind with our PS2, Gamecube or Xbox.

by wow > work

I'm a fan of video games (does the name give it away?) and am one of those that fight the want to ban video games (but that's something for another topic.)

Personally, I think it's best to leave TR the way it is. Sure there is the occasional coverage of some game thing or another, but there are plenty of other sites that deal with video games. There aren't too many sites I go to for IT related articles.

Of course, we do have the mindless fun things with YouTube videos and random funny images, so to say completely "No" to *any* coverage of games, because they aren't "IT related" is a tad hypocritical (besides, games are still technology, right?)

by justin james

So I went to do the subscribe to you & Sterling. I do not use RSS, so I tried using the RMail subscribe system. Wow, I got confused! The confirmation screen drew my attention to the information box, not the "Subscription Activated" message so I kept clicking the "Subscribe" button with no apparent effect! After the initial page load from the link in the email, it gave me zero feedback that it was doing anything at all.

I know it isn't you fault, just something I noticed. But now I am subscribed. Thanks!

J.Ja

by apotheon

I'll direct Randy (the creator of Rmail) to your post here so he can make adjustments for more useful feedback on the Rmail site. Thanks for mentioning the problem.

by apotheon

I let Randy know about your post here. Here's his reply:

[i]I changed the screen, so that after you subscribe, there's a brief message
(3 seconds) before you move on. I'm making more changes like that in other
areas to make subscribing obvious.
Thanks for sending me that feedback,

Randy Charles Morin
http://www.r-mail.org[/i]

Overall, the interface of r-mail.org is much prettier than it was. It was quite usable before, but even that has been enhanced (as mentioned in Randy's reply, quoted above). He does good work.

by justin james

"Overall, the interface of r-mail.org is much prettier than it was. It was quite usable before, but even that has been enhanced (as mentioned in Randy's reply, quoted above). He does good work."

Yes, it looks much, much better there now! I am really impressed with his response time to bugs. A few days ago, I notified him of a bug and within an hour or two he responded.

Speaking of bugs, your blog's "subscribe to comments" system does *not* work (otherwise I would have responded to the piracy thread, when it was still alive).

Cut me a private message or an email or something, I may be able to help you with your hosting issue. I have a server on a UPS with a static IP, you just need to provide DNS lookups at that point (only one static IP = violation of DNS rules for me to do my DNS servers). Running on FreeBSD and I install whatever people want me to install within reason. :)

J.Ja

by jecarts143

some of people a just staying infront of the computer just playing video games whole day 24\7 without considering that time had passed...

by dwrandolph

TR seems to have enough difficulty already generating content for working professionals. Please go to a game site for game reviews.

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