Supersize PC gaming with Windows Vista
Microsoft’s latest operating system was built with the PC gamer in mind.
Every copy of Windows Vista includes DirectX 10, a set of software instructions that make photorealistic visuals run incredibly smoothly. And for the first time, PC gamers can engage in online matches against Xbox 360 players.
- Sign up for a Games for Windows Live Gold account and create a Live ID for playing online. (If you already have an Xbox Live Gold account and Gamertag, then skip this step. You can use the same account on your PC.)
- Start your Live-enabled game.
- Sign in using your Live ID when prompted.
- Access the game’s multiplayer mode to find a match to join or invite friends to play.
You can also find and launch your games more easily with the Games Explorer, which is accessible from the Start menu. Games Explorer lets you organize your collection, view box cover art and check your system’s technical specifications to ensure it can handle new games. Click Start > All Programs > Games > Games Explorer.
Finally, Windows Vista Parental Controls let Mom and Dad decide which games their kids can play. A game rated Mature, for example, might be password-protected for a 12-year-old.
To set up these restrictions, the administrator (a parent) can click on the Gaming options under Parental Controls and check off installed games unsuitable for kids. Select which ESRB -rated games are okay to play (such as Everyone 10+), or block games with violence or foul language. Children will be prompted for a password if they try to launch a game with questionable content. Parents can even select how much time children are allowed on the computer, even if there’s no one home to supervise.
I don’t want my girls, who play games on some web sites, to accidentally click and end up somewhere I don’t want them to be,” explains Peter Near from Milton, Ont. “As they grow up and move from online games to computer games on a CD, I intend as a parent to use the Parental Controls in Vista to help with choosing and running appropriate games.
Tags: Computer, directx, DirectX 10, Game, gamer, games, gaming, Live, Microsoft, Operating system, pc gamer, tips, tricks, Windows, windows vista, Xbox, xbox 360, xbox live, xperience
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