The Effects of Violent Video Games

[The Effects of Violent Video Games]

Look, if your child is dressing like a goth, and / or wearing trench coats every day... and you see that OTHER kids are not doing it... then chances are it's not a phase... "there's something wrong". Find out what's wrong...

You're supposing just being part of a certain sub-culture automatically shows "something's wrong"?

[Need some C64 experts here]

In my experience most C64s come already with an 1541 drive... I think barely anybody who had a C64 did not have a floppy drive, so unless it's broken most people who have a C64 to sell also offer the drive with it.

[Need some C64 experts here]

I had very much trouble getting the proper feel for the controls. Start playing it and after 10 minutes or so you'll see what I mean. Or maybe you won't, maybe it's just me

[Need some C64 experts here]

To my knowledge, The Last Ninja is also a good game, but definitely takes time to get used to it. You propably should start reading the manual.

 

If "Labyrinth" is the one I know, it's a game by Lucas Arts. It's kind of an Adventure game, but nothing like Maniac Mansion. You wander through a huge labyrinth or maze of sorts, hence the title, and you directly control your character. And there are "enemies". I have only played it once briefly, didn't know what to do. Maybe reading the manual will help here, too. Don't be fooled: It starts as if it were a text-based adventure, but just keep going, soon you'll get to the real game.

[Should a B/W mode have been standard?]

Mhh, I remember my father had his Amiga 500 hooked up to our color TV once or twice...

[Do you loan out games?]

In the past I lended PC games to friends. But that's how I lost some games, like "Creatures", completely gone, the only person who could have it claims he is sure he gave it back.

 

Also my GDI CD-ROM of C&C Tiberian Sun, and the jewel-case. I guess the only reason I still have the NOD CD is by accident. I couldn't even begin to tell who could have it.

 

 

Yes I agree the problem is, people forget. Even with the best intentions people may forget to return games, or you may forgot whom you lent it in the first place. Also in my teenage years there were some people in my school who made a sport out of intentionally "ripping-off" games that way: Borrow it, and hope / wait until the person you borrowed it from forgets.

 

 

Another example: I've still have the "Shadowrun" rule-book from a once good friend of mine. I don't need it anyway, so I would gladly return it, but I just don't have any contact with the guy anymore. I wouldn't even know how to reach him.

I even thought about selling the book, but decided I can't do that, it's not mine. But this way it'll propably be in my posession for a long time, and I'd never use it.

[Yes, PAL 5200's were on deck at Atari...]

Maybe they would have been succesful with the 5200 in Europe anyway. As you know, Europe wasn't hit nearly as hard as the US by the Crash. (But maybe because there wasn't that much to hit, as Home Computers have been stronger here all along.)

[Should a B/W mode have been standard?]

It's nice to see someone actually tries to figure this stuff out!

 

Anyway there are a number of reasons for video not looking good on a TV, the primary ones would be the dot pitch, phosphor persistance, and beam precision. (of course adjusting the video controls ont eh TV can alter things, like the brightness and black level or contrast -plus the color and hue options for color)

Yes, before I got an S-Video cable for the C64 and still if I'm using the 2600 - I want to do an S-Video mod eventually, but I don't trust my soldering yet - I see that reducing contrast and/or color saturation on the TV will make a clearer picture... However I had no idea if its a technical or rather psychological issue... If the interference really is reduced or if you just don't notice it that much anymore.

Of course unfortunately, both controls make for a dull (or colorless, respectively) picture if reduced too far and even on their lowest setting the picture is far from artifact-free.

[Should a B/W mode have been standard?]

A related anecdote: I found out, when I connect my C64 to the TV via RF instead of using the S-Video cable, and then tune my TV so it is only slightly off from the frequency, just before the picture from the C64 "disappears" into static it suddenly gets to luma only. There's no color and, what's even more remarkable, there's no (visible) interference, the display is crystal clear, as opposed to the "swirly lines" all over the place normally when using the RF output.

Seems to depend on the television, this "trick" wasn't possible with my old one, but with my new one it works consistently (both CRTs, PAL).

 

However, I haven't tested if you'll be able to hear sound that way. It's very possible you can't.

[Is there a multi cart for the C64?]

I can fully understand people not wanting to put down that kind of money for it, as it IS quite expensive, but it really is an amazing device that has done everything I could ever ask of it.

The budget-friendly alternative - especially if you still have lots of old floppies - would be to just get an XM1541 cable or similar to connect your floppy drive to the PC. I can attest, that cable also has "completely revolutionized" the way I use the C64.

Of course the disadvantages are easy to recognize. Floppy disks don't last an eternity (I've started integrity-checking the ones I have, they're from the late80s and early90s. Some of them actually may be older than that, but I've no way to know. Up until now I had approx. one third of the disks I tested turn out to not be good), and they take up room to store, and they require care when handling them if you don't want to ruin them.

[Season 5 Week 5 - Marble Madness (1989)]

Damn, time's almost up again, and I've got no score. Just didn't find the time to play. Well, I guess I could have found plenty of time if I had tried harder but... I don't know, maybe it's just because I don't like the game very much.

[A Couple Questions about DOS]

My first question is pertaining to installing and upgrading MS-DOS on a 386 or later PC.

I want to Install Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 on the same PC, should I be able to do this by installing MS-DOS 5, and then upgrading it to MS-DOS 6 (or later, which is as required to install 3.1) ?

 

First you should install MS-DOS 6 and Windows 3.1 like normal. You can decide whether you will want to install Windows 3.1 to C:\WINDOWS or rather to something like C:\WIN31. Also think about where you want to install Windows 95, if it will be C:\WINDOWS or C:\WIN95. From now on I'll continue this as if you want Windows 3.1 in C:\WIN31 and Windows 95 in C:\WIN95. If you want other directories, replace the corresponding parts in my description.

 

Exit Windows 3.x if it's still running and go back to the DOS prompt.

 

Copy the Windows 3.x directory with this command:

XCOPY C:\WIN31\*.* C:\WIN95\*.* /e /v

 

Backup your DOS directory with this command:

XCOPY C:\DOS\*.* C:\DOSBAK\*.* /e /v

(This is because the Windows 95 installation will delete files from the DOS directory)

 

Now create copies your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS:

COPY C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT C:\AUTOEXEC.3X

COPY C:\CONFIG.SYS C:\CONFIG.3X

(the .3X-Version will be kept for DOS6/Win3)

 

Edit both the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS file (not the .3X !)

EDIT C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT

EDIT C:\CONFIG.SYS

and replace every occurence of C:\WIN31 with C:\WIN95.

If you've got the command to run Windows (WIN) in the AUTOEXEC.BAT, remove it, you won't need that anymore.

 

Now change into the WIN95 directory

CD \WIN95

 

and enter the following command:

FOR %F IN (C:\WIN95\*.INI) DO EDIT %F

This will open every INI-File in the Win95-Directory one at a time. Again, in each file, replace all occurences of C:\WIN31 with C:\WIN95

 

Now reboot the computer, then change again into the WIN95 directory, then run the Windows that's in there.

CD \WIN95

WIN

 

Select Run... from the File menu in Program Manager and enter the command

regedit /v

Now again, replace every occurence of C:\WIN31 with C:\WIN95. Unfortunately you can't use a search&replace feature here, so you'll have to carefully examine each line.

 

After you're done, exit Windows, if necessary reboot your machine again, and install Windows 95 like normal. It will automatically install into your C:\WIN95 directory, updating the Windows 3.x that's in there, while leaving the C:\WIN3X directory untouched.

 

After the installation of Windows 95, use Windows Explorer or the command prompt to delete the C:\DOS directory and to rename C:\DOSBAK to C:\DOS. If you do it via the command prompt, the commands are

DELTREE C:\DOS

MOVE C:\DOSBAK C:\DOS

 

Also, rename the AUTOEXEC.3X and CONFIG.3X files in root directory to AUTOEXEC.DOS and CONFIG.DOS. If there are already AUTOEXEC.DOS/CONFIG.DOS files, delete them. If you do it via the command prompt, the commands are

CD \

COPY AUTOEXEC.3X AUTOEXEC.DOS

COPY CONFIG.3X CONFIG.DOS

DEL *.3X

 

Almost done now. We only have to edit the MSDOS.SYS now and change it, so you'll get the option of booting DOS6/Win3x instead of DOS7/Win95. Use the command prompt:

CD \

ATTRIB -r -s -h MSDOS.SYS

EDIT MSDOS.SYS

This will open the MSDOS.SYS in MS-DOS Editor.

Insert an additional line between "[Options]" and "BootGUI=1":

BootMulti=1

 

Now, the next time you boot up your machine and press F8 at the right moment (when "Starting Windows 95..." appears) you'll have an additional option in the appearing Boot Menu to run the "previous MS-DOS version". If you don't press F8, it will automatically run Windows 95.

If you do not want to have to press F8, but want the Menu to appear automatically, also add this line (e.g. between "BootMulti" and "BootGUI"):

BootMenu=1

 

After you're done editing the MSDOS.SYS, save it and exit the MS-DOS editor, then use this command to restore the write-protect/system/hidden attributes to the file:

ATTRIB +r +s +h MSDOS.SYS

 

 

That's it. You can now reboot your machine and then choose between both versions of Windows.

 

 

Of course there are other ways to do it, but I think you should consider it.

You can of course only use FAT16 for your C: partition this way, so you're limited to 2GB max, but for a 386 machine this isn't that big of a deal, I think.

[Help getting sound/ music working on DOS games running under XP]

I've been downloading the old dos games from various abandonware sites.Its been as simple as dragging the appropriate icon from the downloaded folder to the DOSBOX icon on my desktop where the game starts automatically with no probs,well about 98 % of time anyway.Other than that just a little tweaking and I'm good to go!I don't know how well this will work with anything past Windows 2000 though.

what kind of DOSbox config do you use?

The way you're using it appears quite out-of-the-ordinary. You propably are mounting a root directory, maybe even your C: root directory into DOSbox - which is strongly recommended against!

[The Effects of Violent Video Games]

You get pulled over for playing [...] a portable system while driving

That's just... bizarre.

[The most misleading commercial in the history of the world]

Topic:

Is it known exactly when the commerical aired? If it was anywhere near the game's development period, I wouldn't be so quick to yell shenanigans.

That's an excellent point. How many times has one looked at the "screenshots" in advertisments only to find that the game appearance deviates? Is Donkey Kong 2600 an example? Kong in the 2600 game doesn't look like what is on the back of the box. With PacMan, when marketing a product, I suppose they would assume that the game would have sounded close to the arcade. Maybe they were surprised as well when they actually heard the game? :-)

 

 

That reminds me of the intellivision box for donkey kong, on the box the latters are overlapping loops, and donkey kong was his regular color, but he was green in the game (why the heck was it green?) and the 2600 version didnt sound like the arcade, although i do find it infamus, as every friggin tv show with a video game uses those sound effects, lol.

 

Interestingly, the movie Superman III used the 2600 Pac-Man effects for their mock-up "Video Game" scene (when the bad guy - not Lex Luthor this time - tries to shoot down Superman in the canyon).

[Help getting sound/ music working on DOS games running under XP]

I would recommend D-Fend Reloaded, arguably the best DOSbox Frontend for Windows in existance. It also comes in an all-in-one-pack, you just install D-Fend Reloaded and it has DOSbox already included.

 

All your games and stuff can convenietly be placed inside the "VirtualHD" subdirectory. This will be your "C: drive" inside DOSbox.

[Swordquest by the Angry Video Game Nerd]

That's the first one of his reviews I've seen in which he doesn't use at least one profanity.

He used one during the review. "S**t."

Well that only like... "half a profanity"

[Will this stop piracy or used game sales?]

Well, who is going to buy a game used and pay almost full price? (Not talking rare games, or classic games, just your average, recent used game)

[Will this stop piracy or used game sales?]

CLICKING HERE will feature a story about Sony's and EA's plan to fight piracy and used game sales.

I'm always shocked when game publishers openly admit they try to fight used game sales.

 

I mean, piracy is one thing, and its totally understandable they want to do something against it (although they just don't seem to get it that the approach they're taking doesn't help at all, but makes matters worse).

 

But used game sales, sure, I can understand they don't like it, because they only earn money from the initial sale. But, damn, sheesh, don't openly say so! You only antagonize your customers. And then actually "fighting" it, that crossing the moral line. You are taking away rights from your customers! Also don't be surprised if sooner or later some good lawyer kicks your ass!

 

 

another little thing:

Of course I never heard of sega 'telling' anybody what was going on in advance of purchase

AFAIK if you buy a game that has a copy protection or online activation scheme, but they didn't tell you about that before purchase (like on the box), you can to return it based on that fact, and they have to give you your money back, with the usual excuses like "we only take it back if it's sealed" not counting. From the legal perspective it's the same as returning a defective game - either they have to give you another copy of the game without the "defect" - which they can't, because the "defect" is intentional, so they have no alternative other than giving your money back.

I even heard you also could, instead of returning it, go ahead and "crack" the game, and that would be perfectly legal. However, I'm not actually sure if that's true, sounds a little strange...

[[C64] 5.25 inch floppys -- time-efficient way of integrity check?]

A better way might be to just format each one on an Atari using a 1050 drive. At least then, it's fairly quick and does a write and verify pass of the entire 40 tracks.

Unfortunately I don't have an Atari computer, nor the drive

 

However, that helped me to an idea: I still have some 5.25" PC drives around, as well as systems which could use them, even my current PC could use it. Do you think I can use that? They are, however, high density drives (1.2 MB), also on the PC it used both sides at once, instead of having independent sides and flipping the disk like with the C1541...

 

 

My other idea was creating disk images with WinVICE which contain a disk filled with random data. Maybe even a second disk image, containing the same data, but with the bits reversed.

Then using d64copy to write those to the disk, and afterwars reading them again, and comparing the files. Repeat with the second disk image.

But, well, before I reivent the wheel I wanted some second opinions

[[C64] 5.25 inch floppys -- time-efficient way of integrity check?]

So, I've got a whole bunch of floppies for the C64 (lots of unlabled or poorly labled ones), I've transferred all the contents to my PC using the XM1541 cable and now I basically have all these disks (I haven't counted, around 200) which can all be erased.

 

Of course they're already getting old, so I would really like to check them for integrity, to throw out all that aren't good anymore and also as a kind of curiosity, so I could try and see how well they did up over the years

 

I've already done a "visual examination" of the whole bunch, discarding all with obvious visible damage to the disk shell (like carved in handwriting ). I also thought of maybe discarding all disks, which make unusually much noise when spinning - I think you know what I mean. fffffft ffffffft ffffffft...

 

I already tried the "Check Disk" program from the 1541 test/demo disk, but if I use that I'll be doing that forever, it takes nearly an hour for a disk (only one side)!

 

So, any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

 

Oh, and while we are at it... Some of the disks are labeled as single-sided, but obviously have been used double sided anyway. What are your experiences with that "technique", how reliable are such disks. and is there any danger that writing on one side could damage data on the other?

[Season 5 Week 5 - Marble Madness (1989)]

Two weeks is great, IMO... I wanted to suggest that anyway, as in one week I barely find enough time to play the game and get at least a half-decent score - especially when I didn't play the game ever before, and for me the Highscore Club always is an opportunity to get to know new games, especially as I missed out on a lot of NES "education".

 

 

Now to Marble Madness: When I start the game it asks me for 45 degree or 90 degree controls. Can I select whatever I like or do we have to select one of those specifically to be valid for the HSC? The opening post stated nothing about that.

[The Effects of Violent Video Games]

Before Columbine happened, I was just the kid in HS that loved Doom and wore a trench coat. After Columbine, I was the kid everyone was afraid of. But I never though about killing anyone. Thought it was funny. I love games where I can blow stuff up, damage, or be head it, but it has no effect on me. The only sort of effect from a game I get is being more sucked into it if you are isolated in the game, like system shock 2 or Quake II.

 

Yeah, we had some school shootings in the recent years as well. In the "aftermath" of one of those, there was in the media that he and some friends did recreate their school as FPS level (I don't know if that turned out to be true or not).

Well, suddenly it wasn't such a great idea anymore to recreate our own school in UnrealEd... well it's not like I would have gotten around doing it anyway, with all my laziness

Some time later there were even stories of young people who had their homes searched by the police and were interrogated because they did make a level of their school anyway.

 

Such paranoia... I think it's perfectly reasonable that someone who tries to learn FPS Level Design might choose some big building they know well to practice, but well, no, now you're psychotic if you do that.

[Earlist memory of Atari]

Man that T shirt takes me back.. I had a few just like it..

oh, I first thought it's a pyjama shirt

[Atari Computer Camp]

"They are stealing someone's time and effort to acquire, pay for, scan, upload and present the images."

 

Well, main train of thought would be this:

 

1. Person A tries to find some kind of image online, but fails to find it.

2. Person A then goes ahead and invests the effort "to acquire, pay for, scan" the images.

 

So, now this may be the end of the story.

But it not always is:

 

3. Person A decides all this effort was a lot of trouble and whishes to save others from having to do the same and uploads it.

 

 

Okay, now it depends, what was found in the attempts at point 1.

 

If what Person A found was really absolutely nothing, then I can understand how having watermarks can be compatible with point 3.

However if Person A actually found the images, but only of too poor quality for his taste, then putting watermarks on their own uploads - hence in effect diminishing the image quality - would in my opinion contradict his intention and he may have not put it up at all in the first place.