Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Releases Game Advisor For Windows
av_2_0 writes "Microsoft has released a web accessible Game Advisor for Windows. This will check your system's configuration, compare it with a knowledge base of around 360 games and tell you if your system is compatible." Requires the use of IE and the install of an ActiveX thingie. My system is apparently faster than 58% of systems checked.
Well, that was exciting. And no, this wasn't the Slashdot effect as it loaded the ActiveX garbage just fine. It's just once it was here it died a horrible, "browser renders entire surface as white" death.
I guess this is the start of the "Microsoft is serious about PC games" initiative. Frankly, I could give a flying frootloop about the PC games scene these days: for the $500 the top end video cards go for I can pick up *two* console systems and a smattering of games, or one console and go freaking insane with games. Yeah, you can't do RTS or FPS as cleanly on consoles as on PC, but both genre's are in such serious ruts that it doesn't matter. And yes, I am aware how "pretty" PC graphics can be... but I'm there for the game play not the sparklies. I'm perfectly happy to watch the technology trickle down into consoles.
The last straws were the copy protection that demands I stop performing my job as a software developer to play a lousy game (quick hint, the debugger *ins't* so I can hack your freaking game) and the "your DVD isn't a CD, thus you are screwed out of your cash" crap.
Sig under construction since 1998.
This thing is at least three months old. I don't know if they changed something since then, but I'm not willing to fire up IE to install the control to find out.
have you seen the gauge thing on the left side?
according to microsoft my system's performance is "WWOW!!!", i wonder how this translates into bogomips. or does that just mean "able to run Windows + WoW"?
[i have an opinion and i am not afraid to use it]
Internet Explorer 6 required
Windows XP Game Advisor requires the use of the Windows 98/ME/2000/XP operating system and the Internet Explorer 6 browser
This game sucks.
I have found there are just two ways to go.
It all comes down to livin' fast or dyin' slow. -REK, Jr.
First blue screen I've seen on this 3-month old system... some complaint about sbp2port.sys. Two in a row as I thought the first time might have been a freak occurrence.
Oh well, now I'll never know if I pass or fail.
I'll have something intelligent to add one of these days...
Just to give you guys an idea of the performance spread:
System 1: (Game Box)
Processor AMD Athlon(tm) 64 2549MHz
Display Card NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX
Memory 2048MB
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP
Free Disk Space 102.48GB
Display Card Memory 256MB
Display Driver Version 7.8.0.3
DirectX Version 9.0c
Optical Drive CD/DVD
Sound Card Realtek AC97 Audio
Your system is among the top 2% of all systems scanned by the Game Advisor.
System 2: (File Box)
Processor AMD Athlon(tm) 64 1809MHz
Display Card ATI RADEON 9500
Memory 512MB
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP
Free Disk Space 219.49GB
Display Card Memory 128MB
Display Driver Version 6.14.10.6505
DirectX Version 9.0c
Optical Drive CD/DVD
Sound Card Realtek AC97 Audio
Your system is among the top 14% of all systems scanned by the Game Advisor.
System 3: (Bittorrent Box)
Processor Intel Pentium M 1000MHz
Display Card Intel(R) 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV
Memory 512MB
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP
Free Disk Space 94.6GB
Display Card Memory 1MB
Display Driver Version 6.14.10.3762
DirectX Version 9.0c
Optical Drive CD/DVD
Sound Card Realtek AC97 Audio
93% of the systems scanned by the Game Advisor rank higher in performance than your system.
Price is still lower but you get less but lets not forget to check the price of the games. I don't know if this is true around the world but in holland games like Kotor and morrowind (released both for console AND pc) typically cost a full 10 euro's more for the console version. Wich is kinda sad since for both games the PC version was clearly better. Kotor because it came with extra content and Morrowind because of the whole user made content bit that is exclusive to the PC. Not to forget that the expansion packs for Morrowind were PC only.
Show me Counterstrike for console please. No not counterstrike itself but usermade modifications for your console. Sure 99% of usermade content probably sucks but the remaining 1% consist of some pure gems wich either are brilliant games in their own right or take an existing game to new levels. That is not including games like MS own flightsimulator wich ofcourse are all about user made content. Or Neverwinter Nights.
Their are of course prices to pay but you paint an extremely one sided picture and fail to completly analyze the costs.
A 1000 dollar gaming machine does not compare to a 300 dollar console. You should compare it to a 300 dollar console + accesories + tv + cheapo internet pc. Wanna bet that all that together comes pretty close to the cost of a full gaming pc? Anyway not everyone is a kid living on his mothers allowance. 500 dollars is all relative. If you think that is a lot never ever look at bills for your gf/wifes clothing.
The games are also different. Good luck finding an EQ2 or WoW on the console. Good luck with usermade games like Flightsim or NWN too. Then again good luck finding pure arcade titles on the PC.
Console games are easier to get running. Then again if you got troubles getting games to run on your pc what are you doing on slashdot?
Copy protection is a bitch at times but there is always away around it. Perhaps I have just been lucky.
I wonder what exactly the reason for this "test" is by MS. It is MS so there must be a motive. Could it be that they are trying to figure out exactly what kinda hardware is the norm for gamers? So that future games by them can be better tailored to the hardware available?
Both MS and Sony have a clear interest in making people game on their own propietary systems rather then the far more open PC. MS and Sony get paid when a game gets developed for their respective consoles. They get 0 for a game developed for pc. Yet both got really big titles that are exclusive to the PC, think MMO games wich MS is trying once again. Is Everquest just sony's way of testing the water until a future console is ready to run a MMO like and they will then drop the PC? EQ2 and SWG both like 1gig of memory so unless the new PS3 can perform some kind of miracle it will not be able to run the games as is. It used to be true that consoles needed less ram because they ran at far lower resolutions but with HD-tv this is becoming less true.
At the moment PC vs Console is not a matter of price. Yes a console alone is cheaper but you would still need the costs of a pc to be able to rant on /. on how much cheaper your console is. While I don't need a console to rant on how much bull that is.
It is a matter of different types of gaming. Sure I am tempted to the darkside by reviews of Jade empire and some other titles but am not willing to give up high resultions and user mods. My games also tend to need more buttons then a console has available. Then
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
"Your system is among the top 4% of all systems scanned by the Game Advisor."
Atleast I can show my wife this when she see's next months credit card bill and there is another $1600 added to it....
Friedmud