NAT settings and other comms problems

I had the devil's own job of getting my online communications working properly and it took ages to sort out. Here's why.

My home WiFi was set up by a 'proper' network technician who had no idea about playing games. His thing was 'security'. Therefore my WiFi network was locked down tighter than a gnat's chuff. Not an ideal situation when wanting to freely communicate with others over Xbox Live and play games with others etc.

What was happening was I could join in with any type of Call of Duty online match and I could easily play online with others on games such as Left 4 Dead 2 etc. but I could not join anybody’s party or simply 'jump in' on any Gamerdad games in progress etc. It was a total conundrum and I was having a bad time finding a solution. I'd Googled the problem, read countless threads on many gaming websites etc. but to no avail.

I have a Belkin router and I'd read about NAT settings on this website which I found really useful. Unfortunately some of the links are now dead, but this one internet post was enough to point me in the right direction. If you have CoD MW2 and you try to play online it will tell you what your NAT settings are and are either strict, moderate or open. My NAT setting, according to CoD MW2, was set to strict so it was not the situation I was looking for. But even after faffing about with my router (never a good idea as it is really easy to cock all your settings up as I frequently managed to do) I was still stumped.

My last resort was to call Xbox customer service and ask them. Trouble is they can't support NAT settings because it’s to do with which ports you have set to open on your router's settings. What they did though was to recommend a website called PortForward.com and what you have to do is identify your make and model of router (believe me, they will have it listed) and then look up what game you want to set up your router to be able to play. I chose CoD MW2 and followed the easy to understand on screen instructions. Once completed (in five minutes) I popped CoD MW2 into the Xbox and viola! My NAT setting was now set to open and it's been that way ever since.

Now I am able to jump in to anybody's session and have no problems whatsoever regarding connectivity or communications with my Xbox 360.

If you're an Xbox 360 Gamerdad and are still confused about getting online for the first time, look me up on our GD beginners site 'Call of Nooby' and we'll get you going.

Accessing Creed

For some gamers (or potential gamers) using a standard PS3 or XBOX 360 controller is difficult or even impossible. A lack of fine motors skills, the inability to hold a gamepad or the loss of the use of one or both upper limbs can all be reasons why people can't access console games using a standard controller.

There are, however, various options available to get people playing again following an accident (or perhaps even for the first time) using technology which aims to make the inaccessible, accessible. Below is an introduction to a few of them:

One handed controllers, such as the the one above (a replica of the now out of production Dragonplus RPG DuoCon 2 controller by Consoles and Gadgets) offer various configurations of buttons and joysticks which optimise the use of either the left or right hand.  

Enlarged controllers such as the QuasiCON arcade style controllers, allow those without the fine motor skills to interact with a regular gamepad to either choose an existing product from their range or work with them to design there own customised layout to suit their own particular abilities. Options such as joystick extensions can give a larger surface area to grip as well as increasing the sensitivity.

For those who use switches to access computers, the same input method can be applied to consoles using options such as a C-SID or PS3-SAP interface. These allow the user to replicate each button on a standard controller with a switch, controlling the switches with the body movement available to that individual. When teamed with the right game, players can take full control using just a couple of switches or play co-op style by splitting the controls between friends.

By matching users to the right technology or even creating individual solutions, people with disabilties can gain access to games they may have found previously unplayable due to their condition and enjoy the freedom, fun and competition video games should offer us all. Game On for EVERYONE! 

SpecialEffect aims to share the information on these devices with as many people as possible as well as give access to trying the products through their website and various projects. For more information visit http://www.gamebase.info/

Geek control pad appreciation

Well I woke this morning and a quick check on endgadget I saw this;

N-Control Avenger

After tweeting the link to Twitter a discussion began about controllers and which were the best.

In my eyes it has to be the original SNES joy pad.

The Daddy of controllers?

Initially released in 1991, the SNES standard controller added two extra face buttons to the design of the NES pad, and introduced the first appearance of 'shoulder buttons'.

As you can see from the picture the SNES pretty much designed the blueprint for controllers for years to come.

Aside from the number of face buttons, look at the layout, how many pads these days use the same 'diamond' layout.

The shoulder buttons, handy in games like Street Fighter II and Star-wing were never really used to their full potential in other games. Certainly not to the extent that we use them these days.

The main thing I liked from the pad though was the shape of it. It actually felt like it was designed to sit comfortably in the gamers hands, rounded edges and perfect size.

These days though most pads seem to favour the dual shoulder buttons, dual analog sticks as well as wireless capability. But we must not remember the importance of the SNES control pad.

I'm on Twitter

It’s an exciting week for gaming fans but ...........

what happens when your games console is damaged or breaks down?

It’s a great week for gaming fans, with the launch of Microsoft’s hands-free Kinect for Xbox 360 and the biggest game release of the year, Call of Duty: Black Ops.

But technology can go wrong – and all it takes is a rogue drink to ruin the fun.

According to specialist online gadget insurer Protectyourbubble.com, a quarter of all games console claims (24%) are for spilt drinks.

Stephen Ebbett, director, Protectyourbubble.com comments: “Consoles are no longer just for solitary gamers. Families and groups of friends getting together for a karaoke contest on SingStar or a competitive game of tennis on the Wii Sport in the living room with food and drink nearby ups the risk of spillages. Unfortunately, electrics and liquids just don’t mix.”

“Games consoles are expensive to buy and replace, which is why it pays to make sure they are covered against breakdown, accidental damage, loss and theft. Given the high amount of claims we see for spilt drinks, it is worth making sure your policy covers you for liquid spillages as standard.”

Protectyourbubble.com’s list of the top five most common games console claims is dominated by breakdown problems, with software problems, constituting more than a third (35%) of all claims, in poll position.

The Xbox 360’s infamous Red Ring of Death is the cause of 14% of all games console claims. The insurer has spoken to numerous owners of the Xbox who report flashing red lights around the machine’s power button, indicating a technical issue that can cause the console to freeze mid-play and can also affect the game’s graphics.

The age-old problem of being unable to retrieve a game stuck in the machine also made it to the top five, with 5% of claims, while hardware failure outside of the manufacturer’s warranty prompted16% of claims.

Top five most common games console claims:

1. Software problems (33%)
2. Spilt drink (24%)
3. Hardware failure (16%)
4. ‘Red Ring of Death’ (14%)
5. Game stuck in machine (5%)

So drinking and driving is bad and by these figures so is drinking and gaming .

This story was brought to you via a press release .

SpecialEffect - An Introduction

GamerDads kindly offered us the chance to contribute to this blog at the same time that they recently announced their charity partnership with SpecialEffect.

For those who haven't heard of the charity, SpecialEffect was set up a few years ago to help people with even the most severe disabilities to enjoy and play video games. For some people their disability can restrict them from playing the real life version of a game, and in addition, it can also stop them from enjoying the video game version as well. The charity aims to find ways of adapting hardware and software to allow everyone to experience and enjoy the fun of challenge and competition, as well as the resulting therapeutic benefits, friendships, higher levels of self-esteem and motivation, which can be gained as a result of playing games independantly and successfully.

We are aiming to use this opportunity of access to GamerDads members and visitors to raise awareness of the work being done in the area of accessible gaming and we hope that it will provide some interesting reads along the way.

We would like to thank GamerDads for their support of the charity and we look forward to posting a blog soon.