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Thursday, March 7, 2013
Top Stories from the last 24 hours
The Complete Guide to Turning Your Video Game Console Into a Living Room Media Center
March 7th, 2013Top StoryThe Complete Guide to Turning Your Video Game Console Into a Living Room Media CenterBy Thorin Klosowski
The PS3 and the Xbox 360 both have media center capabilities built right in, so they're easy to set up. The Wii (and Wii U) don't have as much built-in, but have workarounds that can turn them into media boxes as well. In this post, we'll break down how to set up each console, as well as the best practices for getting the best quality out of your stream. What You'll NeedFor the Xbox and PS3, we'll use PS3 Media Server (despite it's name it works great on the Xbox 360) because it's simple, free, and cross-platform, but you have plenty of other options. With the PS3 and Xbox 360 you can also copy videos directly to the hard drive (or play via a USB stick). It's cumbersome compared to streaming wirelessly, but we'll talk a little bit about that at the end. For now, let's stick to the power of wireless streaming. We've talked about plenty of custom home theater builds, including a powerful $500 one and even a $35 one made from a Raspberry Pi. But the best part about using a game console as a media center is the fact it's already in your living room. Provided you already own a console, you don't really need much to get started:
When you're all set up, you're able to stream videos, audio, and photos to your TV and home entertainment center wirelessly with just a couple clicks. Ready to go? Jump to the console of your choice: How to Stream to Your Xbox 360While the media center capabilities are a little hidden on the Xbox 360, they're easy to set up. Here's how to do it. Set Up PS3 Media Server for the Xbox 360
It's also worth clicking over to the "Transcoding" tab to make sure you have the video codecs needed to play videos on the Xbox. Transcoding is how PS3 Media Server makes it so your Xbox can play more formats than the Xbox 360 allows. Essentially, your PC changes the video format on the fly so it's readable by the Xbox. For the most part, you can leave these settings as is and not worry about them. If you do experience some trouble with video playback, you might need to look into the codecs you have installed on your computer so you have everything you need to play videos. If you struggle to get something to play, the PS3 Media Server Forums have a ton of settings for different formats, as well as tips for getting subtitles and everything working properly. Set Up Your Xbox 360
That's really it, once your video is playing you're good to go. Sometimes pausing, fast forwarding, and rewinding doesn't work as well as it should, but for the most part it's as seamless as playing video right on your computer. How to Stream to Your PS3The PS3 is a powerhouse of a media center. Since it supports more video formats than the Xbox 360, you don't need to transcode the video as often (which means youl get a clearer picture and put less stress on your computer). If you have a choice, we recommend using the PS3 instead of the other consoles. Set Up PS3 Media Server for the PS3
It's also worth clicking over to the "Transcoding" tab to make sure you have the video codecs needed to play videos on the PS3. Transcoding is how PS3 Media Server makes it so your PS3 plays more video formats than the PS3 allows. This isn't as much of a necessity on the PS3 as it is on the Xbox, but you still may experience problems with certain video types so it's worth knowing where to look. If you do experience some trouble with video playback, you might need to look into codecs to ensure you have everything you need to play videos. If you do have problems, the PS3 Media Server Forums have a ton of different settings for different formats. Set Up Your PS3
That's it, from here on out, you just need to start PS3 Media Server on your computer and you can stream videos to your PS3 instantly. How to Stream to Your WiiThe process of using your Wii as a media center is a little more complicated than the PS3 or Xbox because it's not directly supported. It's still really easy to set up by tapping into your home computer through the Wii's browser. If you want to make the experience a little more fluid, MakeUseOf has media center guide that requires setting up your Wii for homebrew. It's not complicated, but we're going to stick to a simpler method we outlined a few years ago. Set Up Orb Caster
Once that's all set up it's time to head over to your Wii to gain access. Set Up Your WiiNext, load up your computer's media library from your Wii's browser:
That's it. The process is a little convoluted, but it's surprisingly easy once you're all set up. How to Stream to Your Wii USince the Wii U still relatively new, there isn't a really solid streaming option yet. VidiiuStreamer, which is currently in beta, works well enough. You can also stream MP4 videos directly through your Wii U's browser if you prefer. Set Up VidiiuStreamerVidiiuStreamer is incredibly easy to use, and while it only supports MP4 video files right now, transcoding is on the way. Here's what you need to do on your computer:
Once VidiuuStreamer is running, it's time to move over to your Wii U. Set Up Your Wii U
That's it. The whole process is very simple, and it works pretty seamlessly. Other Tricks to Turn Your Game Console Into a Media Powerhouse
Additionally, if you don't want to deal with wirelessly transfering your videos, you can transfer video using a USB stick or play it directly from the stick itself. USB support is limited to just formats the consoles recognize (and you can't transcode), but it's useful if you need to just bring a clip over to a friend's house and it's in the right format. You can always convert it to the right format with Handbrake first, too. Photo by Jorge Glez. Title photo remixed from Evan-Amos, Cornischong, and Evan-Amos.  |
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SimCity: The Kotaku Review
March 7th, 2013Top StorySimCity: The Kotaku ReviewBy Mike Fahey
It's also a disaster. The weekend before the game's March 5 launch, I had a chance to experience SimCity the way everyone is supposed to be experiencing it right now. The handful of press participating barely put a dent on the special servers EA set up for the event. The game played (for the most part) flawlessly, giving early reviewers an exquisite taste of the collaborative multiplayer that defines the release. I saw what the developers no doubt wanted every player to see post-launch — a new SimCity capable of bringing together people from across the planet to strive towards a common goal. It was glorious. I collected that early experience in an article titled "SimCity Won (and Broke) My Heart in Just Three Days." I had no idea how apropos that headline would become. That first, teasing taste was followed by a nightmare for everyone involved. There were problems downloading the game. Problems connecting to servers. Problems getting together with friends to play during the brief moments when everything seemed to be working perfectly. While EA and Maxis work aggressively on a solution to these issues, player frustration and outrage continues to build.  WHY: One of the most compelling entries in the esteemed city building simulation series, SimCity's substantial connectivity problems aren't exactly giving players a choice in the matter. SimCityDeveloper: Maxis Type of game: City Building Simulation. What I played: Built, maintained and destroyed multiple cities during the press early start event. Once the game launched I attempted to collaborate with other members of the Kotaku staff on our own private region, but only two of us (myself included) managed to successfully play long enough to build anything of lasting value. My Two Favorite Things
My Two Least-Favorite Things
Made-to-Order Back-of-Box Quotes
I am not filled with outrage; only disappointment, fueled by the knowledge that somewhere beyond these technical issues there's an outstanding game waiting to be played. The original SimCity is one of the greatest computer games of all time. When now-legendary game designer Will Wright realized that using the map editor he'd created for the game Raid on Bungling Bay was more entertaining than the game itself, he gave that editor to the world, creating an entirely new genre in the process. The creative freedom SimCity allowed was intoxicating. I couldn't tell you how long I played when I first launched the game — the days ran together. I would fall asleep in my computer chair, wake up and continue playing. Over the years, freedom and I have had a falling out. Giving me a sandbox to play in with little supervision is a surefire way to ensure I wander away from the sandbox, possibly into busy traffic. So much of my time is not my own these days that I need a more directed experience. I require more than my own devices. This brave new multiplayer SimCity grants me the focus I need to once again lose myself in the minutiae of running a virtual town. The success of my creation is intricately tied to the prosperity of other players'. They depend on me to foster a community of wealthy citizens that will flock to their shops to spend their simoleons. I depend on them to provide sewage treatment and medical services so that the wealthy citizens drawn to my tourist mecca don't die of cholera. The SimCity series has always been a balancing act, with players struggling to maintain the right ratio of residential to industrial to commercial, all the while ensuring that enough funds are invested in services to make sure the whole thing doesn't go up in flames. It's just now there are multiple performers in every region, taking turns walking the tightrope while the others hold the safety net (or drop it, as the case may be). The multiplayer aspect also allows for excellent opportunities to show off your city-planning skills. The creative gamer thrives in the new SimCity, thanks in no small part to the addition of curved and free-form road placement and the ability of residential, commercial and industrial zones to conform to these wild lines. These color-coded areas are painted more than placed, fresh buildings sprouting like architectural flowers that blow in the breeze of every little change the player makes. The GlassBox engine is a remarkable machine, transforming a technical process into something organic and beautiful. It's a joy to watch its work unfold, both from the sky above and at street level.
Players more interested in straight lines and statistics will find plenty to love in SimCity as well. The game is filled with color-coded maps that communicate a wealth of complex information in the most efficient way possible. The interface, aside from the odd obtuse bits, is amazingly intuitive without feeling dumbed-down. Micro-management is an option, but not a necessity. It's one of the game's greatest strengths — catering to multiplayer play styles while remaining completely accessible (I'm talking mechanics, not connection) to all. Of course there are downsides. I wish the individual city plots were larger or expandable, giving my city room to stretch out, perhaps link up with other players' creations. I wish I understood how trade depots work, one of a few obtuse mechanics in an otherwise intuitive game. And I wish I could play consistently. That would be nice. Team Kotaku had big plans for the SimCity launch. We set up a private region so we could further explore the symbiotic relationship between cities. I staked out my claim, a circular piece of land I decided to dedicate to tourism and travel. Stephen Totilo grabbed a plot, his city feeding mine with waste and sewage disposal. Between the two of us we managed to unlock two Great Works — the Arcology and the International Airport — massive undertakings built in special spots on the regional map, requiring cities to work together to harvest the resources necessary for their completion. None of the others made it into the game. Chris Person was able to claim two plots, but both bugged out before he could lay a single road. He can't access them, and we can't delete them. Jason Schreier hasn't been able to connect. Neither has Kirk Hamilton, who received my invitation to join the region yesterday — two days after I sent it. Our grand plan will never be realized. I understand the frustration and anger that players are feeling. Over the past three days I've slept maybe seven hours total, waking from shorts naps taken while waiting for server queues, maintenance downtime, server disconnects and the like. Each of those seven hours was spent in my computer chair, fearing I might miss an opportunity if I wandered off to the bedroom. I feel like I did when I played the original SimCity, only now I'm much older and a lot less happy. SimCity's launch is more than just a disaster — it's a tragedy, because somewhere beyond the rage, pain and technical issues there's an amazing game that I'm dying to play. We'll revisit that Not Yet once EA gets the servers to a point where not playing is no longer mandatory.  SimCity Won (and Broke) My Heart in Just Three DaysThis is the story of how the new SimCity hooked me in three days. This is also the story of a bustling city on the banks of the Chickville river. A place filled with hard-working folk not afraid to get their hands dirty, plucking riches from the depths of the Earth and sharing them with the world. More »  Tips for Playing SimCityThe latest iteration of the world's oldest and most-beloved city building game has arrived, incorporating strong social elements and cutting-edge technology to drag the franchise kicking-and-screaming into the modern age. More »  |
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Women's College Students Will Pay in Blood for Throwing the Lamest Party Ever
March 7th, 2013Top StoryWomen's College Students Will Pay in Blood for Throwing the Lamest Party EverBy Caity Weaver
Yesterday, the school's Undergraduate Dean sent out a blistering email describing a series of infractions recently committed by the residents of one campus dormitory, and outlining the corresponding punishments. Here is the list of—"violations" seems too small a word, so we'll just go ahead and call them "war crimes"—cited by the dean in her email:
The controversy centers around an optional, school-sanctioned Bryn Mawr tradition called "Hell Week," in which participating freshman are lightly teased by participating sophomores and then thrown a party by participating juniors. An example of a typical Hell Week activity is "dorm breakfast," in which a dorm's freshmen must wear a silly costume to breakfast (if they want to). It truly is designed by Satan. This year, on Valentine's Day (or, as it is almost certainly known at Bryn Mawr, "Anna Howard Shaw Day"), the residents of the school's smallest dorm-Radnor—took hell too far. Pause for a minute and imagine this hellscape. A normally pristine common room, strewn with two varieties of items. Sophomores shouting at freshmen with bull horns and without bullhorns, creating a multidimensional cacophony of shouts. Freshman being sent outside for a class-photo, and then having water dumped on them—UNCLEAR IF PHOTO WAS TAKEN. College students listening to a speech about their dorm, then drinking fermented beverages—to excess. Fortunately, the madmen(/women/womyns) behind these acts will soon be brought to justice. Every single upperclassmen resident of Radnor has been ordered to write a letter of apology to the dorm's freshmen, due by 5 p.m. March 18. ("Put 'Radnor Apology' in subject line.") Parties with alcohol have been banned from the dorm for the rest of the year. The dorm presidents have resigned. The dorm "customs people" (sophomores who volunteer to help freshmen with the college transition because they love college) have been fired. The seniors who helped organize the activities will face a Dean's Panel. Imagine what would happen if the dean knew the sophomores had murdered a girl as a sacrifice to Pallas Athena, slit her skin from nose to navel, rouged their cheeks with smears of her blood, cut out her tongue to symbolize the secrets of sisterhood, used her brain to play wiffle brain (essentially baseball with someone's brain and a wiffle bat), and then smoked indoors. Sounds like a fun place. Here's the full letter from the dean:   [Photo by Perosha/flickr]  |
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