Mike Doolittle's blog

I couldn't help but notice that with the release of Orange Box, critics have been going pretty easy on Half-Life 2: Episode 2. According to MetaCritic, it's averaging a 91%, which is pretty darn exceptional. But it's not the score that bugs me.

This fall is looking like it's going to be one of the best seasons for gaming since.... well, since ever. There are a lot of big sequels on their way as well as some hotly anticipated new IPs that have everyone talking. The demos for these games have begun trickling out, and I've gotten my hands on a number of them to get an idea of where my money is going to be spent this fall.

At one time or another, most of us have experienced some frustration with our PCs. Programs might seem to inexplicably freeze, crash, or simply perform poorly. How do we make Windows run as quickly and trouble-free as possible? How do we get the best performance from our games and other applications? Most importantly, how do we do all that without a Ph.D in computer science?

The long-awaited Halo 3 reviews are in, and—just like Bioshock—there were tons of hands-on impressions, detailed previews, and fever-pitch hype. So it didn't surprise me that it received ubiquitously raving reviews, with 9s and 10s littering the field.

According to at least one source, the Nintendo Wii has already surpassed the XBox 360 in worldwide sales, despite the 360's early launch. Not only is the Wii a really fast-selling console, it's the fastest selling console ever.

BioShock has undoubtedly been one of the most hotly anticipated titles of the year, and its release to unanimous critical acclaim is certainly helping to solidify its place as a soon-to-be-classic.

Okay, I certainly don't think Crysis is actually going to be vaporware. It'll come out eventually. When, though, is anybody's guess.

I've seen hundreds of movies in my lifetime, but it seems quite dubious whether Ebert has played even a single videogame in his. Until he takes the time to experience what the interactive medium has to offer and can construct a more coherent and substantive argument, his criticisms will lack the validity to be taken seriously by his contemporaries, gamers or not.

I've been asked a lot of questions about how anti-aliasing works, what the best modes are, etc. etc. So, I've decided to publish a guide on the subject to help you become more familiar with some of your video card's advanced features.

Remember when the XBox and PlayStation 2 were fairly new, and a lot of pundits speculated that due to the power of the new consoles, PC gaming was on its way out? And remember how just a couple of years later, the PC was home to marquee titles including Rome: Total War, Half-Life 2, and Doom 3?