The Games People PlayChristmas - that time of year when we're all supposed to be jolly, happy, and generous. Overseas readers who wonder what the holiday season is like in Japan may be surprised to hear that it is probably better than it is in countries where Christmas is an official holiday.by Thomas Caldwell It sometimes seems the nation comes to a virtual halt from mid-December until after the Oshogatsu (New Year) holidays. Taking things easy for a couple of weeks at the end and beginning of the year seems to be the norm in Japan, which makes for plenty of time to play with the computer toys Santa brings, as well as the ones we buy for ourselves. The game's afoot My recent Online Extras feature on the game of Go brought several inquiries about computer games. Frankly, I don't like playing "typical" computer games. Using a significant piece of technology like a 200-MHz Pentium Pro computer with tens of megabytes of memory to play games best suited for hormone-imbalanced teenagers is not my idea of a productive way to spend time. Yet there is one computer game I have indulged in for quite a while, especially around the holidays when I have plenty of downtime: chess. Japan is not a chess-playing country. Go is far more popular here, as is the uniquely Japanese version of chess called shogi. Chess players can find that locating a human opponent in Tokyo is not as easy as in London, Paris, Istanbul, or Bombay. (Although there are a few Japanese chess clubs around; e-mail me for details.) Thus the need for computer chess, and for playing games via the Internet. There are many good chess games on the market, but I strongly recommend Chessmaster 5500. California-based Mindscape (http://www.chessmaster. com/), which has been producing computer chess games since 1986, pretty much sets the standard against which the many others out there are measured. Chessmaster is, in my opinion, the best all-round program for serious students of the game. The other advantage of owning Chessmaster 5500 is that you can use it as a front-end for playing on the Chessmaster Live interactive network (for an additional $39.95 per year). Chessmaster Live connects players from around the world and is a great way to find a human opponent at any time of the day or night. You can also obtain a ranking comparable to that issued by the US Chess Federation. The really serious player of Internet chess should also check out the Internet Chess Club (http://www.chessclub. com/), the largest Net chess server on the planet. Masters, International Masters, and even Grandmasters frequent the site. Tournaments, championships, and special events from around the world are covered live (Kasparov vs. Deep Blue, for example), and workshops and seminars put on by top players are regular fare. ICC has well-written front-end software for most computer platforms, including Unix. If you're looking for something mentally stimulating to do this holiday season besides visiting a shrine, temple, or the in-laws, be sure to check it out. Those in the hormone-imbalanced category who think death and destruction are more fun than chess may want to check out the controversial new game called Postal (see http://www.runningwithscissors.com/) I'll waste as little space as possible here on the topic - just take my word that this is by far the sickest thing to ever crawl off a hard disk. Its plot, in which the player gets to be a homicidal maniac, actually makes Doom look intellectually stimulating. Recommended only for children older than they should be. Buying your toys T-Zone is still my favorite place to buy imported PC gear. Other stores in Tokyo's Akihabara district may offer cheaper prices on foreign computer products, but T-Zone's imported and English software sections are great places to go if you'd rather be playing with your new Christmas toys than looking for them. Or, if you know what you want, and like to get presents in the mail, you may want to consider sending away to the frozen wastes of the North. One of the problems with many foreign mail order companies (especially US-based ones) is their inability to think past a ZIP code. If you're sick of dealing with companies that think it too much of a hassle to deal with people overseas, check out the Cyberian Outpost (http://www.cybout. com) for your holiday shopping or business needs. Cyberian Outpost has what I think is one of the best Internet shopping centers, one that covers every aspect of PC computing. There is even a Kids Center that features all sorts of quality and educational products. Corporate purchasing folks that I have spoken with also tell me they are both reliable and (gasp) honest.
In closing out for the year, I would like to thank all the folks from around the world who have written to me with questions, answers, and ideas. It's been a lot of fun; thanks.
Happy Holidays! See you in 1998.?
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