How do you find/play classic games without viruses/malware?

[Foppa]

Maybe this has been brought up, and if so, direct me to the topic as I didn't see one. I like 'simple' action games. Not because they're 'easy' so to speak, but because you don't have to have a $5,000 Alienware computer and be able to push 14 different buttons at the same time just to have a chance to successfully play a PC game.

 

I've had copies of the original Warcraft, Unreal Tournament, SimCity, Quake 3, Age of Empires series, etc. That was ages ago, and I don't have them anymore but are interested in playing games like that again. I have a PS3 for sports games and Call of Duty, but find that there's a great desire for playing the games mentioned. The only problem is...they're very hard to find, and if you try to download them online, it's usually crap or a virus.

 

Any suggestions or knowledge of reputable online sites to download from? I'm not against paying a small bit for the games.

 

Thanks

[AR Husker Fan]

Try gog.com. A LOT of old games that have been "fixed" to play on modern hardware (Windows 7/Vista/XP). Very inexpensive.

[EbylHusker]

Places like Steam and Impulse will have some of the older games. Both run huge sales in the upcoming holiday season. You can check their websites and search for specific titles to see if they carry them, then watch for the sales.

[VectorVictor]

Try gog.com. A LOT of old games that have been "fixed" to play on modern hardware (Windows 7/Vista/XP). Very inexpensive.

Places like Steam and Impulse will have some of the older games. Both run huge sales in the upcoming holiday season. You can check their websites and search for specific titles to see if they carry them, then watch for the sales.

 

Both suggestions are on the mark. Got accounts and purchases for both, and it's well worth it.

 

Especially GOG, who is promoting the sale of new DRM-free games (Witcher 2 is incredible) alongside the classics it sells.

[EbylHusker]

I have no experience with gog.com, so I can't comment on them regarding this bit. But the two I mentioned also carry a large number of independent games. Those often have lower system requirements than the current big studio AAA games, and a good number are intentionally retro style to give that old school gaming feel. And some are extremely good. So you might find some newer games you'd like on places like that, too.

[HuskerThor]

Maybe this has been brought up, and if so, direct me to the topic as I didn't see one. I like 'simple' action games. Not because they're 'easy' so to speak, but because you don't have to have a $5,000 Alienware computer and be able to push 14 different buttons at the same time just to have a chance to successfully play a PC game.

 

I've had copies of the original Warcraft, Unreal Tournament, SimCity, Quake 3, Age of Empires series, etc. That was ages ago, and I don't have them anymore but are interested in playing games like that again. I have a PS3 for sports games and Call of Duty, but find that there's a great desire for playing the games mentioned. The only problem is...they're very hard to find, and if you try to download them online, it's usually crap or a virus.

 

Any suggestions or knowledge of reputable online sites to download from? I'm not against paying a small bit for the games.

 

Thanks

 

You are right, you don't have to have a $5,000 Alienware unit. From Newegg, and for $800, you can build this machine:

 

1 x COOLER MASTER Storm Scout SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

• 1 x ASUS Crosshair IV Formula AM3 AMD 890FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
  

 

 

• 1 x SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card (100314-3L ...
  

 

 

• 1 x SeaSonic S12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
  

 

 

• 1 x AMD Phenom II X4 960T Zosma 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor HD96ZTWFGRBOX
  

 

 

 

• 1 x CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9R
  

 

 

 

When I first turned the machine on, my processor opened up 2 more cores. Took it from quad core to 6 core.

[VectorVictor]

HuskerThor's right on the money--you don't need a $5000 Alienware PC to enjoy PC gaming, and you can build it yourself. It's not that difficult at all.

 

Plus, with advents like Steam's "Big Picture Mode" and 90% of PC games coming with controller support right out of the box, folks can use an XBox 360 controller (wired or wireless) and hook their PC up to their televisions and game in the living room now. That, and wireless keyboards with built-in trackpads (like this Logitech from Amazon for $39.99) can help you run your PC from your couch with no problem.

 

 

Also, if you're so inclined, you could spend a few more dollars and build yourself a Home Theater PC (HTPC) that you can not only use to play PC games on your TV, but use as a multi-media center, Blu-Ray player, and streaming video (e.g. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime) player. There's even excellent freeware (XMBC) that blows away any media center available.

 

---

 

And HuskerThor--good choice in setup. Your own?

[HuskerThor]

Yes it is. I bought all the components and a friend of mine put it together.

Next time I will try to do it my self. It's amazing what you can put together and not over spend.

 

It even has six 120mm fans that light with red led's and its also water cooled.

[VectorVictor]

Yes it is. I bought all the components and a friend of mine put it together.

Next time I will try to do it my self. It's amazing what you can put together and not over spend.

 

It even has six 120mm fans that light with red led's and its also water cooled.

 

Cool. I want to do my next PC with Red and White LED fans...but I can't find any good LED fans that are quiet and move sufficient amounts of air for the Video Card I want to put in it.

 

For my friend in Lexington, NE, I just built him a low end, ~$300 PC with one of the new APUs from AMD. Frankly, it's just a 2.9 GHz Quad Core (OC to 3.2 using stock cooler) with 16 GB DDR 3 RAM, but the APU and the 16GB of RAM lets him get away with pretty good graphics performance w/o a dedicated card. Plus, he's using the Big Picture mode in Steam on his 46" HDTV, and he says it's incredible.

 

If anything, it's a great way for him to dip his toe into PC gaming, and he can put as little or as much as he wants into it.

[EbylHusker]

Foppa is given to posting exaggerations from time to time. I really dont think he believes you need a $5k PC to play games, just as he probably doesn't think you need to push 14 buttons at once to be successful at some modern games. Plenty of people simply don't want to spend any extra money right now upgrading or redoing their comps.