Arcade Machine

In this blog post I will be writing about an arcade machine. So in this post I will be writing about a game called Time Crisis 2, this particular game is set up for two people which you can see from the picture to the right. This arcade machine features large Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) screen this has minimal input lag and has fantastic quality in the picture. This arcade machine was released in 1998 and at the time its graphics were quite state of the art and it exceeded other graphics which games at that time had. The control it had was where you would hold a plastic model gun which you would point at the screen and shoot. The metal pedal next to your feet can be pressed down which would allow the player to take cover to avoid damage and when the player released the pedal your character was free to shoot again. This method of using cover to aid your character was good as it gave the player a proper feel in how to defend against enemies. There are a number of ways that can cause the game to be over (Game Over) one could be that you get hit to many times which would result in you losing a life, but the game features a time limit for each area in which you kill enemies, if the time limit. This could also be replenished by killing enemies and then moving onto the next area. If you do end up losing all your lives then the game gives you the opportunity to insert more money in order to keep playing. 

Setting up a games console

In this blog post i will be writing about how to set up your console. First off you will want to set your console either landscape or portrait. After you've done this you will want to connect the power brick to a plug socket and the connect the other end of the wire into the slot you can see from the picture to the right. This will allow you to switch you Xbox on, once you connected the power cable you will want to connect the composite lead to your Xbox by connecting one end to your tv and then the other end into the Xbox. Most console in the present day mainly use a HDMI cable, but they still include the normal Scart lead which most tv's still have so all players can still play and enjoy their games console.

If you look at the pictures to the right you will see how I've set my console up, it includes how to set up by using a HDMI cable and then once this is finished you might want to set up a local game with a friend on a different Xbox. To do this all you would need to do is have an Ethernet cable and connect one end to your Xbox and then the other end to your friends Xbox. For example if you wanted to set up a local games on Gears of War then the pictures to the right should help you and guide you to completing this. Once you've loaded up Gears of War you should click on "Multi-player" and then click on "Local" and then finally click on "Host a Match" to obviously host your own game lobby or if you wanted to join a friend then you would need to click where it says "Join a Match"

Hopefully if you've done all of this correctly then you should have a working Xbox that allows you to either host a game or join a friends game.

Standalone Toy or Educational Gaming Device

In this blog post i will be writing about a standalone toy or an educational gaming device, these might include the LeapPad 2 or the VTech and then explaining some of the key features about one of them, this could include interface, power supply and usability.

•          Interface: Considering this device was designed for children the interface Isn't that complex, if it was then it wouldn't appeal to its target audience. This device’s interface design is quite simple as it has nine different icons which let the user access, this includes one that is labelled “Game” which obviously lets the user play whatever game he/she has inserted, it also has an icon labelled “Camera” which lets the user take pictures with the built in camera on the device. Also in the top left corner of the interface it has a picture of the user so sort of a profile picture.

•          Power Supply: The power supply for this device is also quite a simple design, all it is, is one long cable which connects the device to a plug socket which then obviously charges the device. Unlike other gaming devices such as an Xbox 360 power cable which has two parts to it which are the cable that connects from the console to the power brick which then connects to a plug socket, the LeapPad 2’s power cable is much simpler and easy to transport if needs be.

•          Usability: Similar to hand-held devices such as an iPhone or and tablet devices, the LeapPad 2 is portable which means it can be transported for example on long car journeys or just generally trips in the car to the local shops.

What is DirectX

Microsoft DirectX is a collection of API’s which is for handling tasks which are related to multimedia, especially game programming and video which are on Microsoft Platforms. From the start the names of the API’s examples are Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay and DirectSound. When Microsoft decided to create a gaming’s console the X was used as the basis name for the Xbox so that it would indicate the Xbox would use DirectX technology.

DirectX is an API (Application Programming Interfaces) This handles task that are related to multi-media, but mostly for game programming and video which are on Microsoft Platforms. API's are used to speed up development of commonly used functions. Companies such as Sony, Microsoft and Apple have their own API's. Some of the companies charge for their API's which is Sony and then other companies don't charge for their API's this would be either Apple or Microsoft.

One of the most commonly AI's that is used in games is DirectX.

• DirectDraw - Which is for raster 2D graphics.
• Direct 3D - Which is for realtime 3D graphics.
• DirectInput - Which is for processing input devices.
• DirectPlay - Which is for networking or online play.
• DirectSpund - Which is for playing and manipulating sound files.