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"The Art of Buying Video Games"
December 4, 1999
Darcy Sage
Did you know that in December of this year more than 100 video games will be released for your computer?
Of these, perhaps 15 or 20 will be worth your money. So you might be asking yourself: "How do you separate the good from the bad?"
I suppose you could go into your local computer store and by a game based on the pretty pictures and extravagant claims on the box. But we all know not to judge a book, or a computer game, by its cover. So what's a parent to do when buying a video game for his or her child?
That's where http://www.gamespot.com and http://www.gamecenter.com come in. They separate the good games form the not so good, and the just plain awful.
Wondering what game your son or daughter NEEDS this year? Log on to the Internet and point your browser to one of those sites or dozens of others like it and read professional and in-depth reviews of all the latest games.
There you'll learn what games are suitable for younger children, how much violence is present in them, how fast your computer needs to be to run the game, and, most importantly, whether it's worth your hard earned money to purchase. These two sites, and many others like it, are invaluable resources for anybody who enjoys playing computer video games.
But now that you know where to go, how do you go about choosing which game to buy?
The easiest way is, of course, to ask for a list to Santa listing a few specific games that the person you're buying for is interested in. Then go to a video game review site, clickon the Review section, and there you can read a review of each game on he list.
Then you can make an informed decision that both you and your child can live with.
If you want to make you game gift a complete surprise, why not check out one of the many buyers guides available on the Internet.
These guides take a look at all the games released over the last year and make recommendations as to which ones deserve your hard-earned dollars.
One of the better video game buyers guides right no is located at http://www.zdnet.com/holiday/family/giftguide/index.html and is definitely worth a look if you don't know what game that special someone would like to play.
So, wondering what games I'm playing and how they stack up at these two sites?
Wheel of time, a first-person action game based on the books by Robert Jordan, is given an 8.7 out of 10 rating at Gamespot and described as "an extremely solid action game built on an excellent story and dressed up with stunning graphics."
I've also been playing, when I can find the time in my hectic schedule, System Shock 2, given a 9 out of 10 at Gamecenter and described as a game with a 'great story, detailed game play, and effective use of fear and tension."
Either of these two games, or many others like them, would be a very welcome gift under the Christmas tree. Happy gaming, and have a great holiday!
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