Open the Registry Editor. 2.

Part VII ✦ Adding to Your Home Network Microsoft worked with many game manufacturers, including SEGA, LucasArts, and Capcom, to create games for the Xbox. Microsoft’s Xbox uses a 733 MHz Intel Pentium III processor with custom 3D graphics processing by nVidia. There are 64 audio channels, 256 stereo voices, and the ability to encode Dolby digital audio in real time. The Xbox costs around 200. You can only play games made for the Xbox. Games for Xbox include Soul Calibur II, NFL Fever 2004, Voodoo Vince, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Halo, and RalliSport Challenge. To set up an Xbox to your home network for multiple players, you need a System Link explained in the next paragraph, an Ethernet hub, and one network cable for every console you connect. The game you choose must support System Link play. Many games support split-screen multiplayers by plugging two or more controllers into one Xbox. However, if you want to play with multiple Xbox consoles, you can do that as well. You need one TV per Xbox. Check the game box to see how many players are supported. If a game has the System Link icon, it means you can connect it to other Xboxes to multiply the numbers of players who can play. You can use a System Link cable to connect the consoles to your TV; then connect the consoles from the Ethernet port on the back with the System Link cable. To connect more than two Xbox consoles, use Ethernet cables and an Ethernet hub prefer- ably 100 Mbps. Connect the consoles to the TVs and then connect the console to the hub through the Ethernet port using an Ethernet cable. Plug in the hub and follow the game instructions for multiplayer gaming. PlayStation 2 PS2 PlayStation is another console you can use to play online multiplayer games. Some popular PlayStation 2 games include SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Midnight Club, and Amplitude. With PlayStation, you must have a broadband connection to the Internet; a dial-up connec- tion will not work. To connect PlayStation 2 to the Internet, you need the PlayStation console, a memory card, and an Ethernet adapter made specifically for PlayStation. The Ethernet adapter fits directly on the back of the console. You then use an Ethernet cable to connect the PlayStation to the DSL or cable modem. For more information about online gaming, see Chapter 20. Online gaming You can expand your local area network gaming to the Internet and play games with thousands of people around the world. Often, games you play at home on your local network can also be taken to the Internet to play with multiple people. You can thus join an online game or even host a game on your computer and invite others to play with you. Some online games have communities in which you can set up challenges and compete for prizes. One of the newest online game types is called the Massively Multiplayer Online Game MMOG. Some of the most popular MMOGs bring together over 300,000 players. MMOGs are subscription-based games; generally you pay a monthly fee. Your characters con- tinue to live on, whether you’re playing or not. The most popular MMOGs are fantasy role- playing with such games as Asheron’s Call. In MMOGs, you and your friends can band Cross- Reference Chapter 25 ✦ Understanding Multimedia together to conquer another community or storm a castle. MMOG games include spaceships, superheroes, knights, drag racing, historical figures, and many other characters and worlds. Understanding high-performance gaming Most online and multiplayer computer games have fast and furious action. Action is continu- ous. Game delays or slow-running games can really ruin the gaming experience. You need high performance in both the network and your computer. Network performance relates to how fast the network connection is to both other gamers and the network server. Computer performance relates to how fast your computer is and how the computer is configured. To improve game performance, follow this advice: ✦ Disable any programs that might take up your extra bandwidth, such as chat programs, messaging systems, and file sharing software. ✦ Don’t download files while playing games, even from other computers on your LAN. ✦ Ask your Internet service provider how much bandwidth they provide and if the ISP can increase the bandwidth to your computer. Many ISPs will sell a larger Internet ser- vice subscription package that provides greater bandwidth. ✦ On your computer, check the minimum system requirements for the game. If your com- puter has only the minimum requirements, consider upgrading memory or processor, a new video card, and such. ✦ Anytime you install a game, use the full installation option; using all of the game’s files often makes the game run faster than using some files off of the CD or DVD drive. ✦ Make sure you turn off any applications that run in the background while playing the game. ✦ Install any and all Windows updates, patches, DirectX drivers, or other performance- and security-enhancing features to your operating system. ✦ Make sure you have the latest updates for video and sound cards in your system. ✦ You can also adjust the video settings in the game itself. Screen resolution, color depth, and texture size can all affect game performance. Lower graphic settings might give you more power for playing online. Sound quality might also affect performance. Strike a balance between the very best and the very lowest settings so play is enhanced. Creating games You can also use different programs to create your own multiplayer games. Many of these programs are expensive and for professionals; however, you might want to look into them. ✦ Softimage XSI is a 3D program that enables you to create content and pipeline deploy- ment needs. You use modeling and character animation tools in a dotXSI file format. Building the pipeline is done in C++ programming. www.softimage.com ✦ 3D Developer Studio Pro is a shareware program that adds 3D capabilities to any of these compilers: Microsoft Visual C++2, Microsoft Visual C, Borland C++ Builder 4, Borland Delphi 5, Visual Basic 6, and Visual Basic .NET. www.tucows.com