Game Recording

Quick and Dirty Guide to Game Recording

Note: For the Let's Play assignment you do not have to record footage. The following is optional if you feel that you need to show footage in order to get your point across. You may do an all-text Let's Play and link to existing videos on the Let's Play Archive or YouTube if you wish.

Also note that most of these solutions work for Windows PCs. I am not familiar with Macs and so cannot speak to how effective any of these will be for your Apple technology. If you have an Apple PC, let me know some of your solutions and I will post them here.

Remember: I am grading based on the thoroughness of  your analysis, not your production values. Don't take on a project that you won't be able to complete by the end of the semester. If you wish to stay in the field of games theory, you might want to eventually invest in some of the solutions below.

Overview of the Goals of Recording Gameplay Footage

In general, the steps you want to take when recording are as follows:

1. Record game footage and get footage from the game onto a computer

2. Store and make notations on the footage

3. Edit and use the footage for various projects

This can get complicated based on what console you are using, what era of gaming the game in question comes from, and how this game runs on your PC. The following are the more common methods that I have found work for most games along with the more common errors I have run into for each method.

Methods for Consoles

Consoles can be tricky depending on their connections, the quality of the video output from the system, and their interactions with not only different types of TVs but different types of recording devices.

Recording to DVD

The easiest method by far for consoles is to record footage to DVD-R via a DVD recorder which will run at least $88 dollars if purchased new. The problem is when you run a console through the DVD to the TV you will often encounter lag from your button presses to the actions onscreen. 

This button lag is especially problematic for fast-paced platformers. When I played through Earthbound - a JRPG for the Super Nintendo - I found the lag annoying but not difficult to deal with. Playing through Super Meat Boy, on the other hand, was impossible.

My brother fixed the lag problem by using splitters/adapters to make consoles send data to both the TV and the DVD recorder. Video splitters tend to run very cheap; traditional RCA cables are about $1 on Amazon and RGB ones run about $10. You will also need to buy an extra set of wires: one to run from the console to the TV and one to run from the console to the DVD recorder.

You could also use this technique to record the video and audio output of your computer; simply link the computer to the DVD recorder and the monitor/speakers using splitters. You may need to buy splitters as well as converters that change VGA monitor outputs and computer sounds depending on what inputs your DVD recorder has.

PROTIP: Make sure to check product reviews and read product details thoroughly to make sure you are buying quality items. Check specifically for reviewers that discuss their use of a product with your specific gaming device.

So how do you use that DVD of footage? See Recording Footage From Games On the PC below.

Recording To Computer From a Console: Using An HD PVR

Capture cards have traditionally been hit-or-miss items primarily because before HD and digital signals computers and traditional TV signals have not been very compatible. With the invention of the PVR, however, recording digital footage directly to your computer is rather easy though can be expensive. This option is only if you wish to stay in the field and regularly record game footage.

My personal device of choice is the Hauppauge HD PVR which has traditional RCA and HD RGB cable connections. There is no input lag, no loss of image quality, and the software is fairly easy to use so long as you have decent memory in your computer.

The downside is two-fold: firstly your computer needs to be near your TV and consoles and secondly the Hauppauge does not record in widescreen. The second issue can be fixed either in the editing process or simply by not recording in widescreen on your consoles. For the first issue, if you plan on recording footage often you might consider either having your computer setup by the TV or invest in an extended USB wire that will reach from your TV to your computer. 

Recording PC Games

Recording Footage From Games On the PC

Fraps. Seriously. Fraps. This software will work 99.9% of the time when dealing with game footage. In fact, you can record most video you play on your computer as well. Fraps can record footage playing through Windows Movie Maker; play your recorded footage on your DVD recorder on your computer's DVD player and run it through WMM and Fraps can turn the footage into digital video files.

The free version of Fraps only records for a short time, but the registered version will record for a full gaming session for only $37. Plus all future updates will be free of charge. The price is amazing for how versatile and useful the software is.

The only problem I have run across with Fraps is that recording games coded in Adobe Flash or games that take an above-average amount of memory through Steam tend to lag. This means that Super Meat Boy and Civilization V tend to run super slow, resulting in terrible gameplay and footage. This can be fixed by recording them at half quality resulting in non-HD but usable footage.

For recording games that are played off of the desktop - browser games, flash games, etc - I use ZD Soft which will capture your whole computer screen or a selected area depending on your settings. I have heard good things about several bits of software that are used by bloggers to broadcast livestreams but I have not personally used any of them. If you have used any sort of broadcasting software, let me know in the comments.

Recording Using In-Game Features

Some games have in-game recording options to help foster the growing let's play community. Most Valve games have built-in replay functions that will record to files. I have not played around with all of these types of in-game recorders so you might want to Google your game of choice if it is a PC game and see what options might be available to you.

Emulation

Because emulation is of... lets say problematic legal status, I cannot openly condone the use of emulation for recording or any other purpose. I can however say that as far as emulation has come, it is far from perfect. However, if you own the original game and console, emulation could be a simplistic shortcut to all the wires and connections mentioned above. Plus, Fraps will work with many emulators and several emulators even have built-in recording options.

There are also several older games re-released for the PC (several of Sega's older catalog for example) and there are several retro-style games for the PC including Cave Story and the Bit Trip series.

The major obstacle to emulation and old school gaming experiences other than the software is finding a controller that will replicate the original controller. For most games I use the Gamestop Xbox 360 controller which can be plugged in and used on a Windows 7 PC. There are also several converters on the market that will convert older controllers to USB. I have personally used Playstation 2 to USB converters and Super Nintendo to USB converters with much success. RetroZone  has several adapters for the NES, SNES, Sega Genesis and Nintendo 64 controllers as well as other great products and reproductions of older hardware for your retro gaming needs.

Editing Footage

So you have all this footage, but  now what? There are two main options: video editing software or referring to time stamps in your text documents.

Simply referring to time stamps is fine for this class, but for those wishing to stay in the field you need to invest in video editing software. This can get pricey as most free editing products are mediocre at best. Windows Movie Maker, which comes free with all Windows PCs has gotten better over the years but is still prone to crashes. I highly recommend only making short clips using Windows Movie Maker; do not rely on making anything more than 10 minutes long without running into technical issues.

If you are looking to buy video editing software price will be your biggest obstacle. 

PROTIP: You usually do not need the latest version of video recording software, and often older versions are much, much cheaper. For example, Sony Vegas Pro 11 is a whopping $599 (US dollars), whereas Vegas 9 (the version I use) runs $275 new, and odds are you can get it for much cheaper if you look to buy used.

UPDATE: The new Technology Commons located in Computer Center II has computers available that have Production Suite, which should be adequate for your needs in this class.

Closing Thoughts

Again, this is only if you want to stay in the field of game theory and analysis. Do not feel obligated to spend money on this class other than buying the game you plan to study.

If you have any other methods for recording, let me know in the comments and I will include them here in this document. Good Luck!