Chesterfield

Val, I know what Im about to say will be somewhat controversial, but you can be wrong you know. PC's are not built for gaming, to do so requires an immense investment compared to that of a console. By the time a developer has finished building a game for a PC, its already behind the hardware. Thats why continual hardware improvements are a drawback for PC games development, they have to scale back their work in order to make it compatible with a massive number of different hardware set ups. How exactly will PC gamers be able to "ass whoop" console gamers? If a keyboard wa the best tool for playing games with, why did console developers go to the expense of creating joypads? Why do they sell joypads for PC's? I wouldnt even like to think of how immensely complex a control setup for games such as Ghost Recon or GOW would be on a PC, where as on a console it is very simple and one hell of a lot more ergonomic. Its also easier to get into the games in the first place, I havent got to make sure that my xbox has the latest drivers installed for the graphics card, DirectX 2.9876549 because 2.965207 wont work with my Nvidia 6547b when I have pixel shading turned on. Then just when I think its all set up right a patch comes out because the game wouldnt work some yugoslavian hardware manufacturers gfx cards. Install the update and then find that it now enables pixel shading plus in the game so I now need to change my driver to 2.564bx and mak sure that I turn on anti alias etc. Then I fire up the game and find that my mouse speed is all to **** because it doesnt like my microsoft intellipoint driver. I simply take the game out of the case, open the drive, put it in, and play. I gave up on PC games because they are just far too much hastle, I couldn't be bothered to keep upgrading my PC, and I am inherrently a lazy ar$e. So a console is just fine by me. Gears of War is not the only example of what a console can do when apps are coded specifically for it, but its the first one that came to mind when you stated FPS games on a console are crap. What you actually meant was that you arent very good at them unless you can use a mouse pointer to aim - how much skill does that take? People click on icons all day long, no wonder its easier with a mouse. As you say some games do not play as well on a console as they do on a PC, strategy games like Command and Conquer for example, games that inherently use a mouse. FPS games on a console can be every bit as good as a PC, and in many cases, better. Plus I havent got to sit in my study glued to a monitor mouse and keyboard to play them. Then of course there's the fact that on the xbox, unlike the PC I havent got to put up with some nerd who has hacked his game so he can see/shoot through walls. Sorry Val, but PCs should stick to excel and limit themselves to minesweeper for games. I know its hard, and probably somewhat of a strange concept, but you can be wrong you know, and on this occasion, you are.

OH MY GOD. That is absolutely amazing. I think your PM inbox will be full in a couple of days. As we will all want to know exactly how to get the same thing in ours! That is just ICE Nirvana!

Its no effort - I do it for fun Hopefully the time over Christmas can be used to get this issue sorted an finally finish our little present to you all.

Ive gone for the chrome, not fitted yet, but with the chrome grill Im hoping it matches well.

Val, You are just wrong on this issue. My telly actualy doesnt support 1080p, only 1080i, but the second one will support 1080p. As far as development for consoles go, the games push the hardware further then any PC game pushes the physics or graphics hardware. The simple answer as to why this is a fact, is because the hardware specification remains static. For example, a decent game can take anything up to one year to develop. By the time developers have finished the project, its not even pushing the current hardware anywhere near its limits. In short, the developers are always many steps behind the hardware, and the owners are always behind the hardware too. With static hardware, the developers hav time to compile new ways of using hardware, and push the hardware further. Yes GOW runs on the unreal 3 engine, well the basics of the unreal 3 engine anyway - but I defy you to point to a game on the PC platform that builds on that engine anywhere near as well as GOW. Then there is another major consideration to take into account, which is the operating system. A PC may have specs above and beyond a console on paper, but by the time its finished starting up the OS and all affiliated drivers, its on the backfoot before its asked to run major physics. Developers for PC games have to hold back on development in order to ensure the game works on the vast majority of PC's, any fine detail of coding for processors, will result in the game no working correctly on anything other than that particular processor. Yes, the xbox360 hardware is over 1 year old, but thats just how long it can take to fully develop a game that can take advantage of specific hardware. At this point in time I would pitch the latest 360 games against any PC game. I actually speak from experience, until recently I used to take part in PC lan sessions, where a group would get together and play PC games networked, yes they are impressive, and having played on some major games rigs that the people brought with them (Im talking watercooled graphics cards, never mind CPU's) I can honestly say the xbox is more fun, and the quality is every bit as good if not superior in many circustances. You make a lot of posts on this subject, littered with smilies as if you find it funny that people could think a puny little white box could be as good as a PC, but have you actually played a 360 on a 42inch HD telly? Have you played gears of war? Have you any actual experience of the 360? I'll give you this though, I cant get on this forum through my xbox, so I wont be confining my PC to the loft just yet

Val, GTR2 is by no means anything special. If you want physics in a driving game, try Forza 2 on the 360. Good luck getting a pc to reproduce these at 60+fps without spending a good grand or so.... Oh and then to race a bunch of other people online, they all need £1000 pc's too... http://uk.media.xbox360.ign.com/media/7 ... mgs_2.html

Val - Xbox 360 runs 1080p over HDMI. To get a PC to run that sort of quality at 60+fps, you are looking well over a grand, and then youve got a keyboard and mouse to stick in your front room. As for the complexity of games for a console - have you ever compared the specs of a gaming PC to that of a next gen console like the Xbox 360? The processing power of a 360 is immense compared. Have you actually played an xbox 360 running on a HD telly? Id like to see anyone keep pace with the fast action of Gears of War using PC controls and a mouse. It simply wont happen. Active reload of a sniper rifle whilst sidestepping a boomshot, and having your finger over the "switch to smoke grenade" button at the same time (for those who have played gears of war) - would be quite frankly impossible on a PC. As above the fact that a consoles hardware is fixe is a MAJOR advantage for developers. They can pump out games that they know they havent got to test on a myriad of different platforms and continually release patches for the next 12 months. They can put all that manpower into developing more complex games. Sony Playstation and Xbox (both versions of each so far) are the biggest games market on the face of the earth. If they were so much inferior to PC's, why are they so popular? Sorry Val, but you are wrong.

Yes but PC games are just that - PC games, I like startegy games on the PC, red alert, command and conquer etc.. You play PC games sat at a desk with a monitor and headphones or speakers. I play Gears of War, Splinter Cell etc on my plasma in the front room lounging on the sofa with a wireless controller. VOice interaction with all the players through a wireless headset, and graphics that blow away any PC graphics, well that is, any PC that you can buy with the same money as an Xbox 360 costs. I do like my PC for single player strategy, but online multiplayer with really playable games, its got to be consoles for me.

Halo and Halo 2 are just fantastic - Halo 3 should be great. I agree - certain FPS on the 360 would be awful, counterstrike or Tac Ops would be a bit arkward, but others are just plain great - Ghost Recon was the first game I played on my 360, and the first to be finished, and I think it is excellent - the controls and gameplay are very good indeed. Currently adicted to Gears of War and Zuma off the xblive arcade.

I know - almost a year, its certainly been eventful. Im sure we can come up with something

Youve not played Gears of War then.

Not to sound condescending, but we already implement both of those options. We have randomly generated code/text image confirmation, and we have always required email confirmation of accounts. The problem is, the programmers behind these spam registrations have programmed their "bots" to work round these measures. Indeed we have added extra options like "are you human" questions, in which the user must select yes, and we have also made the "website" field invisible on the registrations form (can be filled in by legitimate users after they have completed regsitration). The field is still there, its just invisible to a human filing in the registration form, and robot trying to fill the form in will not realise it is invisible and try to fill it in, if it does, the registration is unsuccessful. Or at least that's the theory. As I say, most of the countermeasures have been noted by the programmers and their bots have been given even more complex coding to work round them. Im currently working on a bespoke solution which will involve bespoke questions and answers, so should have the desired effect - but asits not an "off the shelf" solution, its taking some time.

I play quite a lot of Gears of War, completed the single player on easy, but have now taken to trying it on "insane" which does exactly what it says on the tin. Ive got Ghost Recon, and may be getting COD3 for crimbo. Perhaps those of us with similar games can organise some sessions where we can shoot each other in our virtual heads!

Hi, As you are no doubt aware, we are currently experiencing issus of spam registrations, and spam posts (links to adult sites/spam sites etc). We are working to fix this, indeed to modifications have already been made to the registration page in an attempt to stop this, however the hackers/spammers have programmed the automatic registrations to work around these fixes (well documented fixes will attract well documented workarounds I suppose). There are several modifications/additions to the forums planned, however stopping these spam registrations is the highest priority right now. Can I please suggest that if anyone spots one of these posts, instead of replying to it, which will bump it back up the page, simply post a link to the post below - one of the mods/admins will check it out, and delete the offending post and user. Sorry for the hastle and these constant spammers spoiling the forum, I am working hard to try and fix it for you. Regards, Chris.

Sarnie, Please engage brain before doing stuff like that. As Mike said - its 100x100 max, and please try to bear in mind this forum if viewable by any audience, and several members log on from work. No disrespect to anyone who reads it, but this site is not Max Power, and I was hoping we could keep this forum above "chav" level. Ta, Chris.

You could also try placing the base station for the phones as far away from the router as possible, that may help too.

Its the radio frequency. I think the Dlink and the phones either both run at 5ghz or 2.4ghz. Thats the top and bottom of it. You could try switching the channels on the phone, or altering the channel number of the wireless router - it may help, but chances are it will still persist in some form. Your best bet is a different phone set with a ghz frequency different to that of the wireless router

Ill always remember following behind Val into Donnington in the summer, I had the window down so culd hear the comments from people stood next to their tents watching the cars drive in.. There was one couple stood to our right and the chap said to his missus, look at that 350, pointing to Val's. She replied with "yeah, thats nice". The bloke then said "wow, a convertible, bet you'd like one of those" to his missus, "to which she replied, "Thats a Nissan, I'm not having a Nissan!".. The bloke then informed his bint that it was 350z convertible, made by the same people as the one that had drivn past just seconds ago (Vals). She then says, "I dont want a 350z anymore". Said it all really. Mind you, I do wonder what she would have said if I had offered her a swap for the rusty Rover Vitesse she was standing next to?

Wise words. Remember "just the none" if driving.

I paid £990 for a second hand set with very new tyres on (still had the little pimple bits on). But they were very local to me so I didn't mind paying the extra as it saved me hastle in delivery etc.

Nah - Im just not modding mine, as every other blue one is being modded, by doing nothing to mine, it will become unique by default! Ive seen that spoiler (the one on the link to ebay) on a few Z's I think. Looks a bit OTT for my liking.

Because it looks a shared IP handed out from Easynet on a dynamic basis?... Steady on Sherlock. Welcome to the forum Oggy, hope you enjoy it

Isn't it more a case of blue ones NEED to be modded to stand out from the other 1 billion blue ones!

If they are going to go ahead with that bulge, then this is great news for us, as its ruddy hideous. Nissan do know how to keep the buyers of one of their flagship cars happy dont they, replace it every few months with a new model. Doubt Ill buy nissan again after this, they depreciate bad enough as it is without releasing newer models every six months.

1) Sarnie 2) sl114 3) charlied 4) TheMinel 5) Digsy 6) Beavis 7) Chesterfield