I was never one for the gaming world.. until my work buddies turned me onto temple run.. fun.... but I don't usually follow these types of things because I never quite caught on to the attraction.. I recently did some research and found the following.. a new game entitled BLACK MESA.. and who are these gaming people and what makes them tick.....
Today the gaming world was reintroduced to one of their most beloved places to do battle with a total conversion remaking of Half-Life 2 by development group Valve
Software. After seven full years in development, this release has been not just given away for free on its own, but given away with a full soundtrack as well. This is the fulfilled promise of the Source engine port of Half-Life as made by the developers all those years ago – if you thought Half-Life: Source was awesome, you’re going to have a heart attack today.
This download was made available earlier today through several portals, the most official of these being the
[Black Mesa Source Download Page] as provided by Valve. This page will be your one and only location where tried and true – and trusted – sources for the build can be found. As the game modification is given away for free, you will see some advertisements here and there on the webpage, but the final product will be just as ad-free as your original game was and always has been.
That same page shows you the Black Mesa Trailer that you see here above. This trailer was released earlier this month for those that’ve been following the project for several years – and it’s gotten rave reviews in and of itself. Here with this new product, you’ll see above as well, the game mechanics have remained largely the same (to gamers’ glee) while the storyline and overall scale of the game have been exploded with greatness.
You’ll now be playing as Doctor Gordon Freeman right alongside the original cast of environments and characters you’ve grown fond of from the original Half-Life. What you’ve got here instead of the same product is one made much more visually fantastic and immersive. This full reconstruction of Half-Life uses Source to what the developers describe as its “fullest potential” with enlarged level sizes, art detail, and code features galore.
You’ve also got new maps entirely, new models, new voice actors – save some key heroes, and textures. And again, there’s a whole new soundtrack as well that you can also download for free – be sure to donate to the team though if you’re feeling especially appreciative.
The download of this game does have some requirements, those being:
• Minimum System Requirements
Software : Windows XP, Vista, or 7
Processor : Pentium 4 3.0 GHz, or AMD processor.
RAM : 1GB (1024 MB)
Graphics Card : Shader Model 2.0 capable, ATI 9600, NVidia 6600 or better.
Sound : DirectX 8.1 compatible.
HDD : 8 GB (Not including the Free Source SDK, installed separately)
• Ideal System Requirements
Software : Windows XP, Vista, or 7
Processor :
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz or AMD equivalent.
RAM : 1 GB (1024 MB)
Graphics Card : Shader Model 3.0 capable, ATI X1600, NVidia 7600 or better.
Sound : DirectX 9.0c compatible.
HDD : 8 GB (Not including the Free Source SDK, installed separately)
Fun Fact: the Xbox360 controller is supported for this game – use it!
If you have a Mac, you’re out of luck. It’s not likely that any builds other than what’s listed above will be supported, but we’ll certainly keep you up to date on any developments in the future regarding furtherances of this build. They’ve got Portal on the Mac, maybe we can dream!
Psychologists have found that certain personality characteristics are associated with gaming, and may explain the initial attraction. Online gamers, for instance, score higher on traits of openness, conscientiousness, and extraversion than non-players. These traits drive our motivation to learn and allow for flexibility of “training” (i.e., tolerating trial-and-error in order to master a task). Gamers with these traits are therefore not only eager to learn but operate with resilience and perseverance—characteristics that are certainly necessary for killing those pesky Jedi on Coruscant.
Right: Killing. Research findings about video games that contain violent themes have caused much debate within the mental health community. Without question, violent gameplay is associated with negative psychological traits by today’s sociocultural standards. Child studies, for instance, point to increased hostility and aggressive cognitions among youths who play violent video games. But before we pull the plug and assign a therapist we must take a critical perspective. As consumers of science, we are often thrown a chicken-or-egg dilemma; in this version, we are constantly told that gaming and child aggression are intertwined and yet we’re given little evidence for where or how the cycle began—and if there are any third parties involved (parenting, anyone?). Many American youth are exposed to a lot of television violence, for instance, and do not exhibit abnormal aggression—therefore, mere exposure is not sufficient to explain behavioral effects of violent gaming.
A truly understudied area surrounds initial motivation for violent gameplay. What draws a player toward Halo, Mortal Kombat, or Grand Theft Auto?* Here’s the deal: It is unlikely that any one process or trait fully explains entry into virtual violence. Indeed, scientists are beginning to elucidate the complex systems that may predict a person’s attraction to violent gaming. Preliminary research shows that, even though trait aggression plays a role in predicting some preference for violent content, it was the level of competence and autonomy during gameplay that predicted a person’s desire for violent games overall. This finding may explain the high prevalence of gamers—men and women alike—who are bright, self-directed, and competitive. Anything but hostile.
