--Planet AvP | Articles | The Fall of Breakdown

The Fall of Breakdown Well, Christmas is almost here, and you know what that means: somehow at the end of the night, I'll find myself on a couch in some random city with only my underwear. Advertisement But Christmas also marks the best time of the year as a gamer. As you all know, Christmas games start to roll out the factories, and we, the consumers, get swarmed and confused by marketing ads and flashy titles. But do not worry; this is your guide through this year's rush. Looking at the release dates list, the first thing you should do is rip it up! They might as well call it the "Let's hope" list, because nothing will stay the same. Should you have a particular game in mind, and it says it'll come out sometime in November, figure sometime early December; if it says mid-to-late December, you're going to have to wait till next year. And if it says January 1st, 2003, you sadly are going to be waiting till April. So, what's the plan for you while you wait? Well, luckily, smart companies planned ahead. Look around the web and you'll find some site that hasn't updated their release list since July; trust me, they exist. Now look for what should've come out in September, and viola, those are the games coming out right now. Unreal Tournament 2003 Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 Earth and Beyond Battlefield 1942 And so on. Don't faint, but the companies realize there are more games then you can afford. That's what the web is for: do your research. Look around the web, and go and find as much as you can about the game that interests you. If you prefer multi-player over single player, don't get something like Unreal Tournament 2003. Don't go with the crowd either; just because your best friend has all the newest games doesn't make it a competition. Go with what interests you most. Doing your research does not mean going to one site reading a review you agree with. That's moronic. Get as many views as possible. For instance, I happen to be anti-Microsoft (only in console gaming), so if you read me saying, "Don't get an Xbox," you don't have to listen to me, or any one person. Authority or higher-image-people do not know it all. Very few people know everything, and I happen to be one of the few, but my point still stands. a While searching for your perfect game, think about what you have and how to use it. Should you be part of the majority with dial-up, do not get a multi-player game. Yes, send the hate mail, but think of all the people with DSL or higher that are sick of getting lag on their games. Stick with single-player games - and yes, there are a lot of good ones out there. If you are the guy that hasn't bought/made a new PC since 1996, your best bet is to stick with games like Rollercoaster Tycoon 2, which, while not high in graphics, will still keep you up for a few weeks straight. I, of course, cannot forget The Sims. They are up to their twenty-third expansion, so for those that don't have a high bank limit, now's your chance to get The Sims, the first one, because it can probably be found in the five dollar bin at your local old game story. Now, perhaps nothing tickles your fancy. What to do? Hmm? I'm surprised you don't know: upgrade, upgrade, upgrade. RAM is so cheap they might as well put it in cereal boxes. And, of course, we all know what is coming next year. a Doom III. Just look at the words Doom III.... this game will crash your system should you not upgrade or buy a new one this year. Buying a whole new system is not easier either. There are a lot of numbers involved: processor speed, ram, hard drive space, graphics card, and of course price. This is the fastest guide you'll find on the net, man. Want to play the latest games and Doom III? Here's around what a good system is: You'll want a Pentium 4. AMD is good, but not for gaming. At least 2.0 GB or faster. 256 MB of RAM will get you through the first part of next year, but the best bet is 512 MB of RAM. And if you're planning on keeping this one for a while, go for the big time 1024 MB or 1.024 GB of RAM. In terms of hard-drives, and if you're buying a new PC, get a separate one and throw away the one that came with the PC; it's full of unnecessary crap that will only slow your system down. Should you want to play the greatest games, and have a higher bank limit, get "Radeons' ATI 9700 Pro" - performance beats the GeForce4 ti4600 by a long shot. But if you don't have that much dough, an GeForce 4 will suffice. You're going to want at least 128 MB on the graphics card as well. The fastest operating system, although having flaws, is Windows XP, of course. If you're going to be going to the store, and not buying online, remember to be respectful and don't listen to what anyone tells you. These "professional" salesman are exactly what their title is: they are paid to tell you anything they can to get you to buy something you do not need. If they say you need it; you don't. Answer all questions with, "No, thanks anyway!" For a general rule, never talk to the pimple-infested fella that lives in the gaming department. Sure, he might give you facts you don't need, but he is a fan-boy, and only tells you what he thinks is true. Follow this guide, and you might make it to see Aliens vs. Predator 3. Don't stress to the point where the games aren't fun anymore... and don't forget to visit us here at Planet AvP after you get those shinny new games. By AuthorX Comments? Flames? Praise? Mail feedback!