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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 1997)
LUUnl tbY rrlUlU With vastly superior sound, graphics, story and play control. Final Fantasy VII' torches its competition The final word in video games University students try to wean themselves off the world's greatest video game, Final Fantasy Ml' By Evan A. Denbaum Entertain merit Editor It has three CD-Rom discs, ap proximately 200 hours of game play and enough multi-million dollar computer-generated imag ing sequences to make a Spielberg feature film. It has been the single most-anticipated video game ever. Now it has arrived, and when Uni versity students play “Final Fanta sy VII,” grades start to suffer, social lives are squelched and daylight hours disappear. The sophisticated ad campaign for the game, which has spanned television, newspapers and maga zines, uses the catch phrase that when you play, “you can hear your pupils dilate.” When Univer sity students Alex Rajeff and Eric Freel play, you can not only hear their pupils dilate, but you can see their eyes bulge and their mouths drool. “This game,” says Alex, pausing mid-sentence to push the Playsta tion video console’s power button, “is epic.” He then reclines back into his seat with a deep breath as if he’s just taken a hit of a drug. “Don’t start!” he warns. "It’ll pull you in. It’s habit-forming.” This is a realization he’s come to only af ter combining with Eric for more than seventy hours ofgameplay. Eric and Alex are definitely not the only ones waging war and casting spells. Game sales are booming. Even the Sony Playsta tion’s sales are up, apparently be cause people want to play Final Fantasy so bad they’ll buy a new $150 dollar video game console to get the chance. (“Final Fantasy VII” is produced and marketed solely for tire Playstation). This enormous success, in a large part, is because Final Fanta sy can boast the most sophisticat ed graphics in the video game market without achieving them at the expense of game playability and fun. “Most games with great graph ics you get sick of as soon as the mystique of it wears off,” Eric says. “Quickly you’ll realize that the play control is terrible or the plot is one-dimensional. But Final Fantasy has so much substance, so many * nuances, sto rylines, games within games and such an attention to detail that I could play it forever.” At the same time, it is Eric’s atti tude that makes Final Fantasy great for vacations or down-time, but potentially dangerous to stu dents here at the University who have just started classes this week. "I almost missed my first math lab of the year because I was so en thralled in the game,” Eric admits. "I know I’d better start weaning myself away from playing before it gets me into trouble grade-wise.” Alex, the skeptic of the two, doesn’t believe they have the willpower to stay away from the game and concentrate on classes. "It s already meant a lifestyle change. Eric plays until 3 a.m., goes to sleep, wakes up and plays before classes, then comes back and plays before work and after work plays until 3 a.m. again!” Alex says. “The ® only way to make it through this term is to win the thing! Well, if it takes them as long to win as "the average gamer,” then they only have 130 more hours of gameplay to go. WENDY FULLERY/Emerald Obssesionfor men: University students Eric FreeI and Alex Rajeeflog even more hours playing Squaresoft's multi-million dollar game. Horb Icrbnck Clicatrc Co. im'srnts Dracula Ili< .Stephen Dietz StK &1*C j ,V /'-it'K 4 cell October 2 — flouem&er 1 Tix: 465-1506 Recommended for mature audiences SiacS^ Hlfortm LIVE MUSIC NO COVER EVER! 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The cost ol housing in the University area are rising, which means the cost ol renting is on the rise as well. Interested in checking out these classes and more? Call Charlotte O'Ryan, professor emeritus ot houses 684-6432. “34 years of Quality Service” Mercedes • BMW Volkswagen • Audi German Auto Service • MERCEDES • BMW • VOLKSWAGEN • 342-2912 2025 Franklin Blvd. Eugene, Oregon, 97402 New Undergraduates: To activate your account on GLADSTONE (the UO's student computer) and to get your dial-in modem account, you need to pick up your Student Computing Account Information sheet at the Help Desk in the Computing Center's south entryway. This sheet includes your GLADSTONE and modem account usernames (which can't be changed) and your pre-assigned passwords. You must change your GLADSTONE password If you have questions: - go to the Computing Center Help Desk - check the Computing Center website at http://cc.uoregon.edu - call 346-1758 - GLADSTONE accounts 346-4412 - Modem accounts Faculty, staff, and graduate students can get help in setting up an account at the Help Desk or http://cc.uoregon.edu (U+Jvi Student Computing Account Information Sheet Pickup Dates: Beginning September 22 Place: Computing Center Hours during the week of 9/22: Mon-Fri, 8 am - 5 pm Regular Hours: Mon-Fri, 9 am - 4:30 pm You must present a photo ID or driver's license
