Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with video and game

Too niche for the hive mind?

Baldons — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:52:11 -0800

Recommendations for "let's play videogame X" videos? I'm enjoying some of the "let's play" videos on youtube - it's like movie commentaries on dvd, but for videogame playthroughs. It can be fun! This is good, for example - first timers doing Gunstar Heroes, not knowing one thing about it, discovering things. Do you have recommendations about interesting, funny, outrageous, surprising "let's play videogame X" videos?

Are there any games out there like these?

biochemist — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:57:32 -0800

I'm looking for PC/Mac (have both) games similar to Indigo Prophecy and Shadow of Destiny. I loved the games because of the way your previous choices influence later ones, as well as the surreal and psychological aspects present. Both of the games have a similar 'feel' that I'm looking for. Any suggestion is great as long as it's not a point and click adventure game.

Find me a sandbox to dig in

rikschell — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:51:36 -0800

I love Sid Meier's Pirates! I loved the original back in the '80s, and I love the remake even more. What other games might I love? I like sandbox games in general, but this one has a lot of action and adventure, and the historical setting is very atmospheric. The violence is minimized/stylized (I'm not interested in GTA-type gangbanging), but there are plenty of choices on how to play and what to do.

I find myself wishing there was a game where I could be an explorer (a remake of Seven Cities of Gold!) or a knight or something. No RTS or God games.

I haven't been up on gaming in about 20 years, though I've played various Dooms and Quakes and stuff. I spent a long time having only Macs, which didn't help. Now I have a netbook, which means I can run older PC games pretty well. New, not so much. I don't care about vintage. Story is not what I'm looking for (I started Deus Ex once, but didn't feel like I could give it its due). Free play, like the classic games I've already mentioned, plus maybe Elite (but faster paced) and Wasteland (though that gets a little too RPG-y). I've tried just playing the old games emulated, but they don't always work too well, and after seeing how great the Pirates! remake came out, I want more like this...

think outside the xbox?

thinkingwoman — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:51:22 -0800

recommend an xbox game for me! not a lifelong gamer, so i don't have the highly developed hand-eye coordination to enjoy a shooter (or the personality to enjoy one, either), but have enjoyed fable 2 and mass effect. definitely enjoy the rpg/puzzle aspect more than battles--they are an inevitable part of any game, but i lose interest after dying seven or eight times in a row.

what should i play?

Old-time gamers - need a recommendation for an out-of-date video game system for 5-year-old

notcomputersavvy06 — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:35:18 -0800

Recommendations for an obsolete video game system for a 5-year-old So, my 5-year-old is interested in video games. We've been using the newly manufactured games that simply plug into the TV and have old-timey (my era) games - frogger, pac man, etc.
I'd like to give him some variety on the cheap. Local craigslist postings are replete with old-time video game systems like playstation and nintendo ds but I know nothing about these video game systems (or any others for that matter). I'm looking for one that is somewhat simplistic (not too many buttons, paddles or sticks) and, although now obsolete, during its time, had games that were young kid oriented.

What is it called when a video game gives you a preview of all powers in the first level?

MostHolyPorcine — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 10:47:31 -0800

VideoGameDesignFilter: What is it called when, in the first level or sequence of a game, the player is given all the available powers, only to have those powers taken away and rebuilt up? I came across the term a long while ago and can't seem to find it again. Some examples of what I'm talking about- God of War 2, before Zeus takes your God powers, SW: The Force Unleashed, The Vadar Level, Prototype, a bunch of others...

Thanks!

Finding a Video Game from My Past

xdeliriumx — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 08:33:04 -0800

Find This Video Game Filter: Arcade machine, may not exist on a console, reminiscent of Pitfall with better graphics, approximately 12-15 years ago, played it at a local drugstore. More Details inside. Please help a video game guy! I am trying to locate a video game and I will outline everything I can possibly remember about it.

-It was an arcade cabinet
-The setting reminds me of Pitfall (looking back now) but it had much better graphics I would say maybe SNES or Genesis type graphics (thought I have never seen it on a console). Definitely NOT Pitfall or Pitfall 2. You were a guy going through a jungleish setting. I remember you could swing on vines and I remember you could go through a top path or a bottom path. I also remember there being bats.
-I THINK it was 12-15 years ago
-The exact machine I played was at a drug store in Williamsport, PA. (In Giant Plaza) The drugstore is not there anymore, I think it might have been a Rite Aid or maybe not a chain drugstore. (Here is the exact location - The Giant Plaza)

I realize that probably the only thing to work off of here is the description of the game and maybe the time period but this has been driving me crazy as an avid video game player. Please help me Hive!

P.S. If you think of anything else that could be assistance let me know and I will try to help.

What is this video game theme

neustile — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:46:55 -0800

What is the video game theme played at 0:43 (during the spy hunter bit) of this video? Only plays for five seconds until. I know I played this game endlessly as but I cannot remember what it was and it is driving me insane right now.

Video game "playing cars" is fun!

BaxterG4 — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:08:16 -0800

My son and I love playing in the cars on Lego Batman: The Video Game (Wii). What other "vehicle toy" games are there? It's a lot of fun to have your characters jump into the cars on Lego Batman and just drive around, running amok, especially 2 players. Smashing into things, people, and each other. Trying to tip over or bounce as high as we can, etc! Just "play", not racing or trying to get anywhere, though that could potentially be fun too as long as fairly low on the competitive/difficulty ladder. Easy controls (at least for the basics) a must.

Split-screen/"second-person" perspective a la Mario Kart isn't necessarily a dealbreaker but definitely isn't preferred. That sort of game is fun, but "play" really needs a shared context where both players can be about equally seen in a single view. Likewise, not having a timer/other "arbitrary" interruptions is a plus. It's really cool and funny when you on occasion run into something that blows up, so destruction/EXCITEment would be good.

Have a Wii, so Wii or GameCube (including VC or WiiWare) would be preferred; might be talked into a PS2 since I already "need" one and it's always nice to have an excuse.

Should have stuck to eating paste.

Ambrosia Voyeur — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:30:09 -0800

Help name the first computer game I ever played. In preschool. Circa 1985. A few sketchy memories inside. I think it was in color.

I think it was played on a computer whose form factor featured the disk drive situated beneath the monitor.

I know it featured canals, as in those of Venice. Waterways surrounding buildings.

I think the objective was to either situate your crocodile in the canal below a window from which a hippopotamus would jump, or maybe to avoid this happening. Maybe it was a gondola and I thought gondolas were crocodiles.

It's entirely possible that there were other stages and I just never got to them. I don't recall being too adept at the gameplay.

That's it.

what the name of this early first-person shooter?

mnnrm — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 10:12:40 -0800

what is the name of an early first-person shooter where in one stage you must race against the clock and a good way to save time is by crossing a huge grass field, only, when you cross it you get killed by a huge serpent monster?

My +100 Aggression Face Looks Like Taking a Shit

By The Grace of God — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:31:42 -0800

Is anyone doing real-time emotion detection in video games? I have been playing a lot of Fallout 3, and Fable 2 and Mass Effect before that, and I think that a lot of these branching NPC interactions could be enhanced by real-time emotion detection.

I know of a few precursors to this idea, such as the EyeToy, but that's sort of like using the camera consciously as an input device. Is anybody in video games doing anything with emotion recognition, either from facial expression or voice input? If not, why not?

Help me identify an obscure video game from the early 90s!

Tachoh — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:09:27 -0800

An old RTS game from the early 90s, took place in space. Controlled mother ship, collected blobs of stuff. More info inside. Anyone know the name of a game that was released around... well 1994 - 1996. (I think, give or take 2 years. Sorry.)

I'll list what I can remember about it.

It was a RTS, 4 playable races and took place in space.

You had to gather globs of coloured stuff using a mother ship. The mother ship was directly controllable, and had some kind of detached arm or probe thing that would do the gathering. The thing would basically roam out, attach on a glob and pull it back. The globs were purple, blue, red and something else. The blue blobs looked like 2 fused orbs (I think) and the purple blobs were spiky star like things (I think).

The races would either control drones, take over other units or do something else I couldn't remember. The colour of the races were red, purple, blue (I think) and something else. (yellow, maybe?)

You could built turrets and I think some drones would take over other players turrets.

This was not a 3d game, played well in SVGA. I remember it came out as a demo on an old PC gamer demo CD.

Any hints? This has been bugging me for literally 10 years. Thanks MF!

Help me break my Video Game Addiction and get back to work!

Anonymous — Sat, 31 May 2008 08:51:35 -0800

Help me break my Video Game Addiction and get back to work! Hi guys. I just finished my freshman year in college and am on summer vacation right now. The whole year I was mostly able to keep on task, and have gotten ok grades. However, I did play some games back then as well, often at the worst moments (day before exam etc.) Right now i regret doing this, since i know i could have gotten better grades if i could just stop booting up those .exes

Now that I am on summer break, I promised myself that I would get to work learning extra things for my major (computer science) such as python. However now the urge to play is so much greater since I dont have deadlines or a strict schedule. If im reading a book, I let my mind wander and start thinking about games again, and usually just think that ill play for an hour, why not?...which always turns to more than just one hour. Same thing if im having a problem understanding something or im just having other random problems. I boot up my favorite games to just get away from it all.

Here are some reasons why I think im addicted (in my opinion):

1. Im just really good at basically every video game
I'm not bragging here, since i wish I actually was not. Im usually in the top three of every game I play, and its fun. Sadly this fun just makes me want to play more and more, since i keep getting more kills, points etc. Most of my friends have given up on video games, or play them very rarely, but they arent very good at them. My guess is if your always losing, your not really having much fun so you would play less.

2. I dont really have to think to play games, while looking at a technical book or dealing with problems does. Plus it seems there is only so much i can read before i just get bored. It also kind of helps me get away from the world if things are going on.

I know i have a problem, im just having a hard time fighting it. I've tried uninstalling the games, but I always end up installing them again later thinking ill control myself more this time or when I have friends come over and they want to play some. Ive tried setting notes around my computer reminding me not to play, or play for only a limited amount of time but they always seem to be ignored. Even when im writing this its 2 am, and I just finished playing for four hours...in short i need help. I need methods to make sure I do my work with hopefully no more playing video games ever (except those few times when friends might come over). I also need help just getting my stupid work done. I know im wasting summer like I have always done but i want to stop doing so. I want to actually get ahead for once, and I know im as close as ever if i could just break this stupid addiction.

Thanks hive mind :)

Like the Nerd crossed with Charlie Brooker.

By The Grace of God — Sat, 10 May 2008 14:59:09 -0800

What's the name of that guy who does videos of game reviews; whose visuals are made entirely of stick cartoons, and who is hilariously funny? He has done a series of these, and generally pans the shit out of everything, like the Angry Video Game Nerd but slightly funnier and snarkier. I think but am not sure that he is from the UK.

My other half has suggested that he has never seen these, but I clearly recall him dying in a fit of mirth when he saw one once..

wii repair!

quseio — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:35:35 -0800

i am searching for a video game console repair preferably in or around ephrata/denver (pennsylvannia)area but within lancaster will do (specificly repair for a nintendo wii) uh nothing much else to say other than lower prices is better ) and the closer to ephrata/denver the better

Movies from video game footage?

snowjoe — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:52:25 -0800

Help me find this NPR story about making movies from video game footage. I think it was two days ago (April 14, 2008) I heard part of a radio article or show on KPCC (NPR) about making feature length movies using video game "footage". I would like to find the entire article and listen to it but my googlefu isn't working. I would also like find a website or some other venue where I can view some of these movies and learn some of the technology used to make them. Ideas?

Which software application is best suited for an interactive video project?

itchi23 — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:20:14 -0800

Please help me determine the best software (windows) for an interactive video/video game art project. I'd like to have participants use a video game controller to create a realtime animation by cycling through different sprites and "drawing" their paths on a single scene. Or better yet - where can I find someone skilled in programming who might want to collaborate on such a project? I can't seem to determine whether to look at game-construction apps or interactive video apps (vvvv, Processing, etc.) I'm envisioning an interface where the participants can cycle through a small number of different, pre-rendered sprites, "draw" their movement paths on a scene, and when the participant triggers a certain button on the game controller, the sprites begin their movement. Each individual sprite would also have their own unique movements (ie: a butterfly sprite might flap its wings while moving along the path drawn by the participants.)
I can't seem to determine which application would do this the best, and be easiest to program - a game-construction app or an interactive video app, such as vvvv, Processing, etc.
Better yet - is there an online community where artists with little-to-none programming experience can connect with people with a lot of programming experience and cross-collaborate on projects like this?

Wii game recommendation?

aquafiend — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 08:26:30 -0800

What is the perfect wii (or maybe ps2) game to play with my lady? We need a game to play together. Controller-handoff is fine (and actually preferred) - two player mode is not important. An adventure game with at least some story, some puzzles, and some run-and-jump action would probably be ideal. Wii is preferred but PS2 is an option as well.

We played (and she loved) Mario Galaxy.

We also played (and she loved) Okami. I thought the obvious next step would be to play Zelda, but she hated it: "too complicated", "not pretty enough", "boring story", "why can't I jump". This description broke my brain.

Any ideas?

What games are set in Los Angeles?

serial_consign — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 13:30:05 -0800

What video games feature Los Angeles as the setting? I'm looking to do a research project on simulations of Los Angeles.. I'm not so much interested in flight and driving sims but games with some kind of narrative, or if possible god games. The only two that I can think of off the top of my head are GTA's Los Santos and an old PC title called Terminator. In fact, I'm probably more interested in older 90s (and 80s if possible) digital versions of Los Angeles. Console, PC.. anything goes. So, I'd love to hear your (collective) wisdom.

Can unpaid XBox Live hurt my credit score?

nickerbocker — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:15:15 -0800

Can Microsoft put anything negative on my credit history if I owe them $8.30 for a month of unpaid Xbox Live Gold membership? Can MS hurt my credit for unpaid service charges of their XBox Live service? I've given them my full name, phone number, address, and credit card number (now expired). My SSN was not used when I signed up for the service, although I'm sure MS can find it as I use them as an ISP.

It was my understanding that XBox Live Gold was a pre-paid membership and not anything they can bill for. In fact, I have received no physically mailed bills. All that I have received as of now are in console messages, and a service rep that I called who has told me 'I owe them money and that I have received email notifications'. I do not have any email notifications of this in that particular inbox, maybe a spam filter ate it.

Long story short:

* Credit card expired in the beginning of July. MS could not charge me for my Live account in July. Account works fine throughout July and I receive no in game messages that action must be taken.

* In August I cancel my membership and ask the service rep to move my account to Silver level membership before the next billing cycle takes place. No problems from service rep. Everything should be fine, and is throughout August.

* In September I had to move. After moving, I did not have Internet hooked up at home so my XBox 360 was not hooked up to the Internet. I played my games with my profile offline.

* In November, I reconnected the XBox. The XBox persistently asks for a credit card number or else I can't login with my xbox live account. I didn't enter a CC# and did not want to as I thought I was on Silver membership.

* Call support rep. I have an unpaid balance of $8.30 cents. I beg with her to just credit the account, she is persistent at saying no. I get upgraded to Tier 2 support. Again persistent about not crediting my account the $8.30.

* Ok, so I tell her I'll pay the $8.30 if they will re-enable my account in XBox Silver Membership. She tells me I can pay my balance, but my account is no longer available, has been deleted, and can not be restored due to the outstanding balance.

* All my XBox Live Arcade purchases are reverted back into trial. All my Live Marketplace purchases are no longer valid. None of my saved games for any game under my live account are accessible.

* I don't plan to pay them the $8.30.

Can MS hurt my credit at all because of all of this? Should I just pay the $8.30?

I'm trying to find the title of an old PC game

meggie78 — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:53:33 -0800

I want to say I played this game around age 12 or 13, so that would be right around 1990 or so. It was a computer game where you played a character in charge of a group of people who are sent back through time to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy. It came with a pretty extensive "manual" about the major (and in some cases) minor people involved, from Salinger on down to Oswald's wife and Kennedy's secretary.
You and your teammates had to score interviews or meetings with people connected to Kennedy and/or Oswald. The strategy was to start with very minor players and work your way up (hopefully) to a meeting with Kennedy himself, to somehow keep him away from Dallas on that day.
I never did beat the game; I do remember "meeting" Oswald and it turned out to be an imposter who killed me....
I'm just curious because somehow the subject of this game came up the other night and I have Googled the hell out of it and can't come up with anything.
Help! And thanks!

Do you remember this two-joystick arcade game?

allkindsoftime — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 08:12:20 -0800

Help me remember that arcade-game-name filter... Not sure if this one ever made it to any kind of home console, but I do remember pumping endless quarters into it at the local laundromat as a kid. For the life of me, I can't remember the name...

Details:

- This particular game had 2 (count em) joysticks, instead of a joystick and buttons. One joystick determined the direction your dude ran, the other determined the direction he fired his weapon in.

- The premise of the game was that you were a contestant in some futuristic game show where you ran around different rooms facing different obstacles (enemies) in a fight to stay alive and win cash (and prizes?).

- The aspect was that you were looking directly down at (i.e. from overhead) the given room your little dude was in at the time.

That's about all I got. Oh, except for that this had to be sometime in the 1985-1992 range, I'm guessing.

Super bonus points if you can find somewhere online that I can play it...

Where can I get Leisure Suit Larry scripts?

mdbell79 — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 09:38:54 -0800

Is there anywhere online (or in book form, if necessary) that I could get the scripts for the Leisure Suit Larry games, specifically the first one?

How to best archive gameplay?

underwater — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:04:18 -0800

What's the best way to record and archive videogame play? I want to record and archive console videogame play and I need to know the cheapest, most reliable, and easiest method (I know, pick two). I'm talking about a lot of gameplay--hundreds of hours. I am not talking about PC games, so FRAPS won't do. The quality doesn't have to be great. I need to be able to pull stills and clips from the recordings fairly easily, and it must be in a format that I can visually scan through quickly (i.e. must faster than real-time playback).

Should I just go with a stand-alone DVD recorder and change discs every 2 or 4 hours? Should I use a capture card and a hard drive? If so, do I need a hardware encoder, and what format would I want it to record to? If I capture it, do I dump it to DVD or set up a hard drive? In terms of reliability, say that I want a backup of the whole thing. 2 copies of each DVD? RAID hard drives?

Let's say that I want to have 500 hours of footage recorded. What is the lowest price tag for a system that would work for me?