Gaming

 

Do you need 5.1 surround sound with your game system?

 

I play many type of games, 1^st person shooters, RPG, puzzle games, music all of which have 5.1 sound. I use my console to stream audio and video from my PC Network.

I also use my console as my DVD player. I even have a HD-DVD player, (Thanks again Don!) I know others use their console in the same way. So, do you need surround sound with your game console?  

The music games use the 5.1 mix to make you think you're at a venue with tons of people around cheering or booing. If you play like I do, it's mostly booing. There is no doubt why I ended up behind the knobs and not on stage.

The puzzle games have some cool effects and music while in game play.  One of my favorite puzzle games is Marble Blast Ultra. You have to move your marble around a game space. As with most things that sound simple, it is not. The sound effects are fun, as you roll past things making sound you hear a 3-D image of what is around you.

 

RPG (roll playing games) have sound coming from all around as well. When you find yourself in a cave fighting spiders and such, you hear things all around. You move a stone and hear the echo. You cast a spell and hear it explode in front of you and then get the slap back from the "walls" behind you.

 

My favorite is the 1^st person shooter. In these games surround sound is a must. Being able to hear your opponents around you keeps you alive in the game. You can hear things as you walk past, such as fire burning or others shooting. A tank moving past makes the entire room move. (If you have it cranked)  I have had friends leave in a sort of shell shock from playing for a time. For the most part I keep the volume down low due to playing at night.

 

Volume high or low, game play or movie play, enjoying with friends or alone I have no doubt that everyone needs a surround sound system to get their money worth from today's media. If you don't have a surround sound system and would like more information or guidance on what to get, please contact us. Drop us an Email at support@klipsch.com or call 1-800-klipsch (554-7724). You can always check in with our forum members on the Klipsch Forum.

 

Trey

If anyone knows anything about Indianapolis, they know that the Indy Speedway and Indy 500 race resides here.  Did you know that Klipsch sponsored a car for several years?  In 1997 Klipsch sponsored John Paul Jr’s car. 



PC Gaming video’s for racing also started to become a big thing.  At the time, I was working at Compaq Computer as a design engineer for PC and Laptop speakers.  We were soon to discuss the Klipsch hi-wattage speakers system that later became the first THX approved 4.1.   

Gaming was a breeze while working at Compaq.  We always had the latest and greatest “speeds and feeds,” plus Kick Ass speakers like the Klipsch ProMedia and racing wheels from Logitech.  Simulation of racing was at a new high with all of these advantages.  Who needed Arcade games any more with ProMedia’s thumping audio?

  

I would say I am as “Old As Dirt,” but Jim Hunter has that mug on his desk.  With age hopefully yields experience.  The gaming industry is a big business now, but it didn’t start that way.  Gaming transended from pinball machines to PC's and was counter to the business culture but it has come a long way since then.  You young gamers may have grown up on console gaming but I started out on an Apple IIC (circa 1985). 

The “C” in Apple IIC stood for Color Graphics, Oooooooo.   It was pretty advanced for its time but this computer didn’t even have a hard disk.  It loaded games via a 5 ¼” floppy disk drive.  It even had a MOUSE!   Now that was advanced because PC’s have had GUI (Graphical User Interface) since 1973 with the Xerox ALTO but the PC mouse wasn’t popular until Windows 3.0 GUI in 1990.  I wonder what happened to the GUI for the 17 previous years?  No matter, the Apple IIC had some pretty advanced graphics for its days especially since business PC’s were not commonly color until several years later. 

My favorite game on the IIC was Mario Brothers I believe.  I didn’t play it a lot because I had two young kids and was going to night school, but it was fun to play when I had the time.  The kids, although young, loved the video games.  The Mario Bro’s game has stood the test of time - it is still popular.

Several computers later, when I finally dropped the dollars down for a new PC, I got a one with a spec like this:  

Intel 386 SX/16MHz
2MB RAM  Windows 3.1
42MB hd(84MB using Stacker)
5-1/4" floppy
14" SVGA monitor
Panasonic KPX-1180? Dot-Matrix B/W

Now gaming would take on an new level of performance. 

Next I will talk about some of the original games that became famous.

 

 

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Peace Out!

Over the weekend we hosted a party for my wife. She made another trip around the sun.  In getting ready for the party I made some changes in the HT room. This is where I have one of our game consoles and my largest audio/video system.  I built a better place for the projector and added new surround speakers to my front, center and sub system.  The party went well; we had many friends come over. I cooked some pig, cow and cat. (Fish that is)

 

On Sunday, I rested. While sitting around playing games, I noticed the difference in the new surround speakers. I then noted how much having a good sound system helps me in game play.  I play many first person shooter games, all use multi channel sound. This sound decoding allows gamers to hear all around them. With a two channel system or the TV speakers you just can not get the full effect of the game. It also hampers your game play putting you at a disadvantage to gamers with multi channel sound. Most if not all of the current games are recorded in DTS and / or Dolby Digital Audio as well as stereo sound. Most if not all of the current game consoles have a digital audio out. It can come from the console in a few forms. HDMI is one, this gives audio and video. Optical or Toslink, this is digital audio transmitted over light waves. Another is SPDIF or Coax digital out, this is the same data as Optical but uses different means to transmit the data.

 

If you play video games or just enjoy movies you should have a Multi Channel sound system. Remember, the call it AUDIO/VIDEO for a reason, with out the Audio, its just moving pictures.

 

AOC3

 

Spring break is here and the wife and kids are off all week. We live about 800 miles from our family, so my gang loaded up and went south for spring break. We have made this trip many times in the last 7 years. With kids in the car a 12 hr drive can be challenging - we have to find ways to keep them occupied.  Me being the guy I am, I had to put some gear in the van, with 2 invertors to get enough 120V power to run the gear. This round, I use a 17 inch LCD TV and the Wii, and the laptop connected. This way they can play games and watch DVD's and over the air TV. I ran the sound through the van's audio system from the TV, which allowed for input switching at the TV.

The Wii and the laptop have Wi-Fi, so when they were stopped they could even get online to check messages and emails.

Somehow we always end up with a new game after one of these trips...  I guess I will find out about the new game when they return. I smell a blog topic...

 

AOC3

Over the last year or so I have been playing mainly first person shooter games.

For the most part it's been Call of Duty 4 and World at War.  I play on line using the Xbox 360 and Xbox live. My gamer tag is AOC3. 

The one thing that I have the most problem with in the game is the commutation in the game or "Com". Like most, I still use the basic headset that Xbox offers for $19.99. It is an on ear set with a boom mic. It has a volume and mute control. I guess the mic works fine when gamers place it in the right location. (this is next to the mouth not in front of it) The problem for the most part lies with the headphone. Not wanting to put down others products I will say that I don't like it much.  I find myself turning up the com volume trying to hear through the noise. I have found a way to use my Klipsch headphones but they have such good noise damping that I can't hear the game around me. Hearing the game around you can help a ton...so I don't use them much. I would love to have the game and com in the headset, which would keep the volume of the game down at night and let me hear everything. I am sure there is a way; I just haven't found it yet.

My question for you is: Do you use a headset when you play and if so, which one? What do / don't you like about it? What do you want in a headset? Maybe together we can find a way to get what I want. After all, it's all about me, right?

AOC3

 

Hello world.

            Most of you that have been a part of the Klipsch forum for any time at all know of me. For those that don't here is a bit of background on yours truly.

I am from LA and lived there most of my life. (LA = lower Arkansas) I have always been drawn to music and electronics of most any kind. I found at an early age that I hold little to no talent to make music. Therefore, I found myself "turning the knobs" as my part to making music. In the early 70's my dad gave me one of the latest "toys" on the market. It was called a "Video Game." You connected it to your TV and using the "controller" you could play "ping-pong," or "PONG."  If you want to try it yourself go here. It's just not the same in color. I only was able to play my new game for a short time. All the "grownups" had to show me how to play. Once I had my chance I picked it up quickly.

 

Over the years I have owned or played most every game console there has been. We (me and my kids) have had or still own Atari, Texas Instruments, Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, Sega and PC. On most of these we have had every version, home or handheld.

For the most part now we play the Xbox360 and Wii.

 

In this Blog I plan to touch on many different points of gaming.

Some of the topics I have in mind are:

• Live game play
• Underage gamers playing "M" ratted games
• Family Game Night
• Cheats
• Clan     (With a C not a K)
• Old School Games
• Flash Games

 

I am trying to set up interviews with PRO gamers and others in the gaming world.

 

Someone push the START button and let's get started.

 

I am AOC3.

Don't Forget!
Available April 2009: New Image S4 In-ear headphones - comfort, style & sound at an affordable price. $79.99 plus Free Shipping!

To be notified when it is available, sign up!

Hi, I am Professor Thump and you are looking at the new Klipsch Blog for Gaming.  Trey Cannon and I will be delving into interesting topic centered around gaming and how Klipsch can improve that real to life experience.

So what would you like to hear from us?

Name your topics...Shall it be:

PC VS XBox VS PS VS Nintendo VS Wii
Why we play?What we play?Who we play?
Do you prefer First Person Shooter, Role Playing?
How do you use your Klipsch speakers if you do to your favorite game?
What could we do better to serve your needs?
Recent Game Reviews?
How to optimize sound for your game?
Klipsch Headphones and Headsets and how they are used for audio and com feedback?
iPhone Gaming and Klipsch Headphones with 3 button remotes?

The list goes on...Let the fun begin!



I am Professor Thump and don't for get to...

Stick It In Your Ear!
Klipsch Headphones that is...

This blog is going to be about new video games coming out, how they sound with Klipsch speakers etc.