Powered-up PC gaming

Tips to boost your gaming experience

By Marc Saltzman

You step out of a musty tavern and wander down a worn pathway until the trail forks into three. The well-hidden cave entrance at the foot of an ominous-looking mountain is not too far away. You could make it before nightfall. But the map shows you can take any path to get there ...

Guess what? The above isn’t from a movie or television show. It’s just one scene in World of Warcraft , an online computer game involving millions of players.

The genre is just one of many available to PC gamers. There’s also role-playing, action, strategy, sports, puzzles and adventure.

And not only teenage boys spend time in these virtual escapes. According to the Entertainment Software Association, today’s average game player is 33 years old, and 38 per cent of all players are women. (In fact, women make up more than 78 per cent of “casual” PC gamers.)

Check the game before you purchase to make sure your computer has the right requirements.

PC games let you step into fantasy worlds, meet fascinating characters and work your way through interactive narratives where you (and only you) decide how the adventures unfold. So whether you’re an alien-popping 3-D shooter fan or a cyber-sleuth out to solve a murder mystery, here are some tips on enhancing your PC gaming experience.

Awesome gaming hardware

You don’t need the latest and greatest computer to enjoy the newest crop of PC games, but a handful of good peripherals helps add to the thrill.

“The first thing every PC gamer needs is an excellent mouse,” says Emmy Award winner Victor Lucas, creator and executive producer of the Electric Playground. The SideWinder mouse, for example, offers incredible accuracy and speed. It’s ideal for heated online multiplayer matches. Other gaming accessories include gamepads, steering wheels and flight sticks.

The Vancouver-based gaming expert also suggests investing in a widescreen monitor. “Not all games support widescreen yet, but most of the new ones coming out will,” says Lucas. “You’ll be amazed by the peripheral vision boost the extra screen real estate provides.”

Lucas also believes audio is often overlooked. “Surround sound is really important, so invest in a good sound card and speaker set-up and you won’t be disappointed.”

Supersize PC gaming with Windows Vista

Microsoft’s latest operating system was built with the PC gamer in mind.

Every copy of Windows Vista includes DirectX 10, a set of software instructions that make photorealistic visuals run incredibly smoothly. And for the first time, PC gamers can engage in online matches against Xbox 360 players. (Games with this cross-platform support include Shadowrun and Halo 2.)

Sign up for a Games for Windows Live Gold account and create a Live ID for playing online. (If you already have an Xbox Live Gold account and Gamertag, then skip this step. You can use the same account on your PC.)
Start your Live-enabled game.
Sign in using your Live ID when prompted.
Access the game’s multiplayer mode to find a match to join or invite friends to play.

The right hardware can improve your gaming experience and make it a lot more enjoyable.

You can also find and launch your games more easily with the Games Explorer, which is accessible from the Start menu. Games Explorer lets you organize your collection, view box cover art and check your system’s technical specifications to ensure it can handle new games. Click Start > All Programs > Games > Games Explorer.

Finally, Windows Vista Parental Controls let Mom and Dad decide which games their kids can play. A game rated Mature, for example, might be password-protected for a 12-year-old.

To set up these restrictions, the administrator (a parent) can click on the Gaming options under Parental Controls and check off installed games unsuitable for kids. Select which ESRB -rated games are okay to play (such as Everyone 10+), or block games with violence or foul language. Children will be prompted for a password if they try to launch a game with questionable content. Parents can even select how much time children are allowed on the computer, even if there’s no one home to supervise.

“I don’t want my girls, who play games on some web sites, to accidentally click and end up somewhere I don’t want them to be,” explains Peter Near from Milton, Ont. “As they grow up and move from online games to computer games on a CD, I intend as a parent to use the Parental Controls in Vista to help with choosing and running appropriate games.”

Online games

In addition to high-profile PC games, such as 2K Games’ BioShock and Electronic Arts’ Spore , computer gamers have the luxury of access to virtually limitless online games (many of which are free), downloadable demos and inexpensive computer game collections available at retail prices. With these “try before you buy” games, players can taste the full game before pulling out their wallets.

The Internet’s many multiplayer gaming experiences include online-only titles, such as Blizzard’s World of Warcraft and the computer-version of Hasbro’s Monopoly , which can involve as few as two people separated by 500 kilometres. Playing with or against human opponents over the Internet is exhilarating, and it’s exciting making new virtual friends while you chat and play.

Get gaming! Viva Pinata is a great choice for the whole family.

Lucas suggests downloading Gamespy Comrade software to gain access to hundreds of multiplayer games from an intuitive matchmaking lobby. And no PC gamer should be without Valve’s Steam service, a download site that provides access to hundreds of single-player and head-to-head Windows games, including classics such as Doom III and Quake .