Video Game Graphics Invigorate Computer, Microchip Sales

By Brian Monroe

Kung-fu-wielding, bullet-dodging savior of the universe. Gritty, fearless machine-gun-toting 1942 war hero. Super Bowl champion, NBA slam-dunk king and NASCAR paint-trading Winston Cup champion.

Why bother with the real world when the cyber-reality of video gaming — whether on a personal computer, Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox or Nintendo GameCube — offers so much more?

If you find yourself musing about your latest "frag" or kill, or some other virtual accomplishment, you're among millions who helped video-game sales more than double during the past seven years — from $3.2 billion in 1995 to $6.9 billion last year.

But video-game manufacturers aren't the only ones benefiting.

Personal-computer sales in the second quarter grew at its highest rate since 2000.

Companies that make graphics cards — processing units that increase the computing speed and efficiency of state-of-the-art video games — posted better quarterly revenues, profits and higher stock prices.

There is little doubt Americans hunger for some kind of game experience, according to the Entertainment Software Association, a Washington, D.C.,-based trade group dedicated to serving companies that publish titles for video-game consoles, personal computers and the Internet.

The association's research says that 50% of Americans ages 6 and older play video games. And the notion that men are the ones hogging the joystick is untrue. According to the association, men and women are roughly equal when it comes to video game play.

More women than men — 57% to 43% — prefer personal-computer games, according to the trade group, while more men than women — 53% to 47% — prefer platform games for console systems that plug into a television.

Processing power

Graphics cards that sport processing power to make video games play faster and look better are helping to fuel the growth in video-game sales.

Increases in speed and memory are helping graphics cards and graphics-processing units display game images faster and with greater resolution, smoother edges and more special effects, such as shadows that snake over computer characters as they walk past a light source.

A fast graphics card is essential to play many of today's most popular games. Otherwise, playing the game can be like trying to compete in a drag race with a lawn-mower engine.

Better video cards are prompting some computer companies to design PCs especially for playing video games.

In April, Dell introduced the Dimension XPS, which includes a powerful 3-D graphics card.

Compaq and Gateway also have announced plans for systems with 3-D game graphics.

"You are seeing the signs of a maturing PC market," said P.J. McNealy, an analyst at American Technology Research, an independent research firm that covers technology sectors with offices in Denver, San Francisco and Greenwich, Conn. "The PC manufacturers are now creating gamer-based PCs, marketing to that gamer crowd."

Souped-up systems

To get the maximum experience out of soon-to-be-released games such as Half-Life 2 or Doom III, players need a souped-up computer system as well as powerful graphics.

A top-of-the-line computer built to support video games requires a lot of memory, often as much as 512 megabytes. It also should have a large hard drive, between 60 and 80 gigabytes. Finally, it should include a faster processor that operates in the 2- to 3-gigahertz range. Such a system usually costs between $1,500 and $2,000 or more.

While game developers want to "make a game that can appeal to the broadest range of PCs out there," McNealy said, some older computers aren't powerful enough to run them, and consumers who want to play are forced to upgrade.

Some titles are "scalable." Players can turn off some features for the game or lower the computer's video resolution so less processing power and memory are required.

But less resolution and a slower process translate to less detailed game play.

"If I am running Windows 95, and you are running Windows XP, and there are 40 people on the screen, your gaming experience will be a lot smoother than mine," McNealy said.

'Incredible' upgrade

Graphics-card technology improves every 18 months, according to McNealy, adding more colors and precision to video games, McNealy said.

"That's why this holiday season will be a bigger PC-gaming season" than ever before, he said.

Palm Bay, Fla., resident Tony Waller found out what a difference a state-of-the-art graphics card can make when his old one "blew up" a few months ago.

A video game fan for more than six years, Waller paid about $150 for a powerful Nvidia graphics card, which came bundled with the popular Splinter Cell spay game.

How do his games look with the new video card?

"The graphics and shadowing are just incredible," he said. "You wouldn't believe it."

He describes the difference in what he sees as similar to a film.

"If you see a film rolling at eight frames per second, things will look choppier. But, if you see the same film at 20 frames per second, things become clearer and smoother," Waller said.

Waller says that makes a big difference in game play.

"When things are blowing up and there are pieces of people flying everywhere, it helps to not get choppy."