The Technology Game

The need for speed inspires faster processors, faster network connections, faster graphics cards, and faster software.

We want it yesterday -- if not sooner -- and developers are struggling every day to meet that need. But aside from this general desire for things to happen quickly, what is it that drives technology to ever-greater speeds? That’s simple; it's games.

Yes, it's true that the graphic-design industry creates a big incentive for faster machines. If you've ever worked with large image files, you know the agony of the progress bar crawling across the screen better than anyone. And it's true that video, whether for professional or home use, puts huge demands on a computer, practically bringing the slower ones to a screeching halt.

But gaming, that seemingly innocuous pastime famous for captivating the imaginations of teenagers and the teenager within, is probably one of the strongest forces that drives technological development on all fronts. Games, which seek to saturate the senses, often combine cutting-edge graphics, sound, interaction, and movement in dynamic, pyrotechnic displays that push computers to their very limits. Consider Aspyr's Deus Ex, which requires a 266MHz processor, a 3D accelerator, and 150MB of free hard disk space, and recommends 128MB of RAM. It's no wonder that Apple is fond of using the opening sequence of Unreal Tournament in keynote demonstrations of Mac performance.

Games, as they evolve, continue to push the envelope of what's possible in technology. The need for more realistic graphics that maintain their integrity even in the heat of blazingly fast motion has spawned the development of ever-more-capable graphics cards, which handle all the visual special effects and take the burden off the shoulders of your main processor. And the need for fancy moves -- such as ducking, spinning, and jumping -- has brought on a proliferation of joysticks and other extraordinary input devices.

And so, we present our annual entertainment issue. In addition to our usual fare of tips, news, and reviews, we'll present to you the world of Mac games. How to make sense of this phantasmagoric assortment of titles? How to know which ones might be right for your kids? With "Get in the Game," we’ll give an overview of games, covering the main categories and genres. And in our Entertainment section, we'll provide a roundup of game gear, including joysticks, gamepads, and gaming mice.

So fasten your seatbelts, and get ready for our annual entertainment issue!

-- David Weiss, Editor