Technically Speaking
April 28, 2005

With a deluge of new A-list games coming out lately and the excitement building over the new consoles from Sony and Microsoft it is indeed a great time to be a gamer. Both the console and PC gaming world is growing by leaps and bounds and the quality of the games is amazing.

Microsoft and Sony continue to battle over who will show and release their new consoles first. The hype machine is in full gear and Microsoft has even started a website. http://www.ourcolony.net/, that if you play their online game offers sneak peeks at parts of the console. Microsoft will be showing the new console on MTV on May 12th. Both consoles will be on display in mid May at this years’ Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles. While the one-upmanship continues between Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo is being very quiet about their new console and seems to want to avoid fighting in the hype wars.

God of War (PlayStation 2) shows how much life there is still left in the Playstation 2. It is a fabulous game and technical achievement. It is one of the few games where you really feel in control of the character, it is that intuitive. While there are some puzzles they do not get in the way of the action. The fixed camera works well, and presents a cinematic view of the action. While the game is a bit short, it is well worth it. God of War is an outstanding action game that delights in a visceral way. Reviews of the game are very complimentary and it garners an average score of 98%.

Last week, for the Xbox, Unreal Championship: The Liandri Conflict came out. This is a great game that puts a whole new spin on the Unreal Universe. Much better than the UC1, the graphics are very crisp, and the play is fluid and intuitive. The online play is satisfying also. Garnering an average score in the 90% range it is defiantly a must buy. I don’t just say that because a personal friend of mine Ryan Brucks is one of the level designers.This edition’s question regards you next Personal Computer purchase. Are you brave enough to build your own, will you buy it from a store, or buy it online? Send your answers to mat@muw.edu.

As always send your tech questions or comments to mat@muw.edu. They will be answered in a future column or with a personal reply.

Mark Taylor, a senior in communication at MUW, was previously an information systems trainer for the US Air Force and a technical support technician for an internet service provider. A game and consumer electronics reporter during the Dot Com boom, he now owns Fanfare Media Services in Columbus.