Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

How To Deploy a Game Console In the Office?

Posted by Soulskill on from the early-and-often dept.

SkydiverFL writes "Does anyone have an idea for a good solution for using a game console (Xbox 360, PS3, etc.) with a laptop and / or external monitor? I am planning to set up each of my developers at the office with a shiny new Xbox 360, surround headphones, and Gold memberships. The only catch is that I have to do it 'gracefully.' I would be grateful for any input on the technical setup and politics (how to get it in and how to work through the politics)." Read on for further details on the situation. SkydiverFL continues, "Long story short, I am the MIS Manager / Lead Architect for a blue collar non-tech company. My team needs to be happy, but the folks in the rest of the office do not really understand what that means for the types of personalities that exist in our department. Even though my team is tucked away in a different part of the building, we do have clients and employees come back here from time to time. I cannot set a monitor on their desk. The console can be here, but it needs to be not so 'in your face.' Each developer currently has a maxed out Dell Latitude D830 laptop, docking station, and a wide screen 20" LCD. The LCD has a dual-input configuration — one for SVGA and one for DVI. The DVI port is in use by the laptop. It would be preferable not to feed the console directly into the monitor. We have employee monitoring software in use and need to track the usage of the console. So, it seems best to use a capture card along with some type of viewer utility. This would allow us to have a record of when and how long the console was used, in case anyone else in management ever has a problem.

1 of 310 comments (clear)

  1. Re:you are wasting company money. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    These devs should be happy they are employed, period. Devs are a dime a dozen. Unless they are directly involved in the video game industry (unlikely since OP said it was a blue-collar joint) they should not receive such perks from an employer.

    Life isn't a fucking video game, neither is a job. Get a clue!

    Just what the fuck kind of employees are these anyways?? Do they think that "work" cuts into their "play" time? So far, that they EACH need to be entitled to shiny and expensive (cost,carbon) gaming consoles at their desks to get paid to do nothing? What the fuck is wrong with America?

    This is precisely why the economy will be in much bigger trouble in the future, when you plan to drive productivity down by encouraging a slack workforce.

    OP, you should be immediately fired as a manager, and your whole department. Outsource the work on-demand.

    I would have to guess that this is the new "Millenial" crop of the work force finally coming around, Generation Y'ne.

    You won't be able to fire this lot either, since they feel that their jobs are entitlements and are programmed to radicalize and fight back if you try and get rid of them, just like they have been taught by people like Bill Ayers in school to do.

    If you are lucky to succeed in firing one...the very next person that walks into your office...and the line stretching down the hall, will carbon-copies of what just walked out...another Generation Y'ner. (whiner)

    ---
    CAPTCHA of IRONY +1: SYNDROME