Curious about what all of those blocks of specs on the back of your game box mean? Wondering if your favorite game will display properly on your TV? Our breakdown of the technical specifications listed on game packages will explain exactly why this feature is important to game buyers and will also help guide you to making sure you can take advantage of these features if you are interested.

• HD Video
• Surround Sound
• Multiplayer Features
• Portable Gaming Features
• Hardware Support Features
• Other Features & Specs

HD Video

• 16:9 Support: Also listed as "Widescreen Support", this listed feature lets you know that a game can take advantage of modern widescreen TVs. Whereas old televisions were a squarish 4:3, the new TVs on the market are almost twice as wide as they are tall for a broader picture presentation. Games that offer a 16:9 mode fit the image to the entire widescreen picture without straining or distorting the image, while games without the feature will either stretch the picture or have black bars on the sides of the screen to blank out the space not used.
• 480p Support: Also listed as "Progressive Support," this is the simplest enhanced-definition standard for TVs. Although it does not add more picture width, 480p is huge a step up from the previous 480i TV format, which was over 60 years old before it was finally retired -- the image here with 480p is one smooth image instead of a splintered, interlaced picture, making for much less shimmer and flicker in your picture. When paired with a 16:9 Mode, a game in 480p will take advantage of your widescreen TV, but 480p is not officially labeled "HD."
• 720p Support: One of the most common HD standards (and currently the most common for gaming), 720p offers significantly more picture resolution over 480p -- the screen displays a picture with 720 vertical lines of resolution across a widescreen image (for a combined picture of 720x1280.) The 720p resolution also uses a progressive scanline for a clean picture optimized for modern HDTV sets. Tiny details will be relatively sharp on a large TV and the picture will be smooth even during fast-paced action. Some types of HDTVs unfortunately are not designed for 720p signals -- the picture must either be upscaled to 1080i/p (where available) or else downscaled to 480p.
• 1080i Support: An extremely popular resolution for video players (and increasingly being supported in addition to or instead of 720p), 1080i again ups the resolution of picture for a tremendous 1080x1920 video picture. For gigantic TVs, the increase in resolution may make a difference over smaller TV standards. However, 1080i is an interlaced format, meaning that only every other line is drawn on the screen each time that the TV processes an image -- this switch-off of imaging happens so quickly that humans cannot actually see the "interlacing" effect itself, but viewers can still notice some flickering and aliasing in certain types of images and fast-motion action. Even so, problems with aliasing are much less apparent at 1080i then they were with 480i.Also, some TVs only display 1080i (as well as standard 480i/p), so if your TV set has a problem with 720p and your system cannot upscale the image, you will want to make sure that it carries the 1080i label for the optimal picture quality.
• 1080p Support: The "best of both worlds" video format and currently the gold standard for consumer HDTV, 1080p has all of the advantages of 1080i's step up in lines of resolution with all of the advantages of a progressive scanline. This video format is great for huge TVs, but because of the incredible drain this puts on current game consoles, videogame developers rarely attempt to output this level of picture. Also, despite the fact that 1080p is an impressive figure to see on a game's box, very few gamers actually have TVs big enough for 1080p to make a tremendous difference -- your set may accept the signal, but it takes over two million pixels to display all that picture data! Still, 1080p support is great to have for those who can take advantage of it, and as TVs become more advanced in the coming years, the ability to display 1080p may make your favorite gaming classics look better than those that don't if they display "Full HD."
• Multi-Monitor Support: A unique feature supported by select videogame titles, games that support this feature can show the game across multiple video monitors. This typically is utilized in driving or flight games, where players put typically three TVs (depending on the game) together at an angle to better simulate the experience of being behind the wheel of a real vehicle. Players sit in the "sweet spot" between the screens, with the middle screen operating as your main viewpoint and the two side screens displaying a portion of what would be your side view (as well as peripheral vision) in a real-life situation. This typically requires multiple consoles or PC systems (and often multiple copies of a game) to take advantage of this immersive feature.
• THX Certified: This marking applies to both the video and audio quality, but it is not anything that you will need to buy new equipment to support -- instead, this is a "seal of approval" stamped on a title by the premier profiler of image and audio quality. The THX Certified Games Program is applied throughout the critical stages of game sound and visual image development, ensuring that developers stay within guidelines for aspects such as studio acoustics and background noise and lighting, thus ensuring a consistent experience for discerning game buyers.

Surround Sound

• Stereo Surround: A simple catch-all for early surround sound technologies before today's modern technologies were established as standards (and also for various game systems that occasionally employ surround sound through standard stereo speakers, such as the Nintendo DS,) games that list "Stereo Surround" as a feature provide a surround sound audio experience through an analog connection. See the package for more information on if additional equipment is needed to take advantage of this feature.
• Dolby Pro Logic: This surround sound technology is one of the earliest multichannel audio formats for home use, created for home theaters and also employed in select videogame titles. The technology creates a four-channel surround sound experience. Dolby Pro Logic is an analog audio format, and is also known as Dolby Surround.
• Dolby Pro Logic II: An enhanced version of Dolby Pro Logic and a particularly popular format for videogame use, Dolby Pro Logic II is a matrix surround sound decoding technology that uses an analog audio connection (or digital if available, although the signal is analog stereo) to create a five-channel sound experience.
• Dolby Digital: Games that list Dolby Digital take advantage of discreet sound channels and clean digital signal for optimal sound quality and separation. GameSpy makes a distinction between just "Dolby Digital" and 5.1 or 7.1 Dolby Digital because some games use the Dolby Digital encoding process for digital audio but do not output a full 5.1 or 7.1 audio experience.
• Dolby Digital 5.1: Boasting a cinematic 5.1 sound experience via a discrete multichannel audio stream, Dolby Digital 5.1 audio makes the most of common home theater set-ups. The sound in each of the six channels of a 5.1 signal is unique -- you have your Center Speaker, your Front Left and Front Right speaker, your Left and Right Surround speakers, and then your "LFE" Subwoofer channel for low bass tones.
• Dolby Digital 7.1: A step up over previous Dolby Digital offerings, 7.1 audio plugs in two more audio channels for even stronger surround sound effects. In a 7.1 environment, you have the Center, Fronts, Surrounds and Subwoofer speakers, and then you have two more Rear Surround speakers, enveloping the user in a complete surround sound space.
• DTS: This audio format is an alternative format by DTS, Inc. Games that feature DTS soundtracks utilize distinct high-bandwidth audio streams to deliver clean surround sound that matches the studio master.
• EAX: This audio standard is the technology used in Sound Blaster sound cards. Also known as "Environmental Audio Extensions", EAX is an interactive 3D audio standard for PC gaming, providing a greater sense of realism to the player.

Multiplayer Features

• Online: A simple designation for whether a game offers online features. If a game lists "Online" as a feature, make sure you have yourself connected to an internet connection or a wireless router, as there's more to the game than just the single-player mode. Although many games list "Online Features" as a bullet point, GameSpy will only list the feature if a game offers online gameplay -- games that simply have leaderboards or downloadable content or are online "Aware" are nice, but they don't count for most gamers as making the game "online." Some handheld game platforms also list this as "Infrastructure Mode."
• Broadband Only: A declining issue with today's proliferation of high-speed internet (and also with our bandwidth-hungry next-gen consoles making modem play impossible in most games), "Broadband Only" indicates that the game cannot be played online without the open high-speed signal of a broadband connection. This was an issue for systems such as the PlayStation 2, which included both modem and broadband connections.
• Supports Online Versus Multiplayer: This online gameplay mode pits players against other players. This kind of Versus play sometimes comes in the form of Team Play whereas groups of online players are split up against each other to challenge each other, while others are simply free-for-all contests. Wherever possible, GameSpy will identify how many players can play together in Online Versus mode.
• Supports Online Co-Op Multiplayer: This online gameplay mode allows players to join together for a common goal. Sometimes this means that players can enjoy a game's story experience with other gamers, while other times, players simply take on specific Co-Op challenges to see if they can work together well enough to finish the challenge. Wherever possible, GameSpy will identify how many players can play together in Online Co-Op Multiplayer mode.
• Supports Offline Versus Multiplayer: This local gameplay mode challenges players to play against each other with everybody playing on the same TV (or, in the case of handheld games, with everybody playing on their own game systems in a room.) Sometimes this means split-screen play, or it might mean pass-the-controller play, or it could be that the game is specifically designed for all players to play all at once in the same game environment. No matter how the game works, the bottom line is that winner takes all! Wherever possible, GameSpy will identify how many players can play together in Offline Versus mode.
• Supports Offline Co-Op Multiplayer: This local gameplay mode brings friends together in the same room to work together in a game. Some Online Co-Op games also offer the same game mode offline, but there are also a number of games that offer Co-Op gameplay in totally unique ways, and some of the best Co-Op gaming is done with everybody huddled around one TV set (or connected up with their handheld game systems.) In Super Mario Galaxy, for example, a second player could collect items while the first player controlled Mario. In River City Ransom, players work together (and occasionally smack each other around) as they make their way through rival gangs. In Secret of Mana, gamers could join or quit out of an epic RPG quest. Sometimes Co-Op games still have competition where players are fighting for the most points, but the point of the game is to operate as a team to make it to the end. Wherever possible, GameSpy will identify how many players can play together in Offline Co-Op mode.
• Supports Online Clans: A relatively new feature listed on some online game boxes, Online Clan Support means that gamers can join up with teams of gamers and will be associated with that group in online play.
• Supports Online Spectator Mode: A rarely-used but cool feature for gamers who like to watch other gamers play, Online Spectator Mode lets other players eavesdrop on your gameplay session. This is most often used in Fighting or other competitive games, where watching face-offs between the best players might be even more fun and informative than playing the game itself.
• Supports Online Leaderboards: For those who want to know where they stand as experienced gamers, Online Leaderboards allow players to upload their scores for others to view on regional and sometimes global rankings charts.
• System Link / LAN: Sometimes offered in lieu of online play and sometimes offered as an enhancement not possible via a standard online connection, System Link / LAN features allow players to connect multiple machines together. This is most often for multiplayer gaming, but System Link mode can also be used for Multi-Monitor set-ups in games that support it and for other unique cases.

Portable Gaming Features

• Multi-Cartridge Multiplayer: This designation lets you know that your game allows multiplayer play between handheld systems if each player has a copy of the game. Look to listings of "Offline Versus Multiplayer" and "Offline Co-Op Multiplayer" for more info on what's supported in this mode.
• Single-Cartridge Multiplayer: This is an enhanced version of Multi-Cartridge Multiplayer that cuts out the need for multiple cartridges -- instead, one system simply hosts gameplay for all the rest of the systems! There are sometimes restrictions as to how many modes and number of players are able to enjoy this mode when used, so look for further info on the pages of GameSpy where available.
• GBA Wireless Adapter Multiplayer: This is a specific gameplay feature designed for the Game Boy Advance system -- late in its lifecycle, a "Wireless Adapter" was released that cut out the need for the messy Link Cables in favor of local wireless play. The feature quickly became obsolete when the Nintendo DS was released, and unfortunately games had to be programmed to make use of the hardware, so few games supported the feature.
• Console-To-Handheld Download: One type of connectivity support between consoles and handhelds, the "Console-To-Handheld Download" feature allows the game to transfer data between the two machines. Most often, this is Save Game data transfer, allowing gamers to continue their game in the portable version or unlock hidden content in the alternate version of the game. Sometimes, this is an applet transfer, where the portable system (or console system, if supported) will be able to download a program from the console and play it on the handheld machine. Cross-connectivity is still an emerging concept for game creators, so look for specifics on Console-to-Handheld Download play in coverage of specific games.
• Console-To-Handheld System Link: Another type of connectivity support between consoles and handhelds, System Link allows the portable game system and the console to work together for one complete gameplay experience. Sometimes the handheld game system is used as a key component of the gameplay, such as in The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords where the adventure took place both on players' television sets and on their GBA systems. Other times one of the systems connected simply enhances the gameplay of the other system, such as in Sony's racing concept demo where a PSP serves as the wing mirror for a F1 car.

Hardware Support Features

• Hard Drive Support: A console game feature (this listing will not be shown for PC games, as just about all PC games can use and often need a Hard Drive to run), this feature denotes if a Hard Drive can be used along with a game. Using a Hard Drive can make a game load faster or make use of the expanded storage space of the drive. If a game requires a Hard Drive, this will also be listed in the Minimum Requirements field as well as marked here.
• Keyboard Support: A console game feature (this listing will not be shown for PC games, as a keyboard is considered standard for a home), this feature denotes whether a game can take advantage of a keyboard accessory to enhance the gaming experience. Sometimes the keyboard is used for chat services, while other times the keyboard is used as an alternate control method (such as in FPS games.) There are some titles that even use keyboards as the core play mechanic, such as SEGA's wacky education/action game Typing of the Dead.
• Mouse Support: A console game listing (this feature will not be shown for PC games, as a mouse or other pointing device is common to almost all home PC systems,) this feature denotes whether a game can take advantage of a mouse accessory to enhance the gaming experience. For certain genres of games more commonly found on PCs, such as FPS and RTS games, Mouse Support allows players a more familiar play experience. There are also unique titles that take advantage of a mouse controller, such as the SNES title Mario Paint.
• Mouse Feedback: A special feature for mouse-based games (most often on PC systems), this feature provides a tactile gaming experience through compatible mice. Gamers might be able to feel the impact of bullets in an FPS, for example, or feel the friction of the road in a racing game.
• e-Reader Support: A Game Boy Advance feature, the e-Reader was a card reader accessory sold by Nintendo. The e-Reader allowed players to scan in data for their game machines from cards bought at stores and included in Nintendo promotional services.
• DualShock Support: A feature of PlayStation gaming systems, DualShock Support denotes whether a game takes advantage of the double-stick, double-shocker DualShock controller. This was an important designation for the original PlayStation, as the controller was not released until late in the system's lifecycle; later PlayStation systems included versions of the controller as a standard.
• Gaming Camera Support: Denotes whether a game can take advantage of a game camera (such as the EyeToy or Xbox Live Vision Camera.) Some games are designed to only be playable with these cameras, while other games take advantage of the camera for certain bonus features.
• Mic/Headset Voice Support: Denotes whether a game can take advantage of a microphone or headset for gameplay. This is most often the case with online games, where players can communicate with each other in a game. In music-based games, a microphone may instead be used to play the game as players sing along to the music, and there are even titles that recognize voice commands and translate your speech into game control.
• Arcade Stick Support: Denotes whether a game can take advantage of an arcade stick controller. Since most arcade sticks are universal controllers, this feature listing isn't often uses -- GameSpy will instead list in the Recommended Requirements field if there is a controller custom-built for the game.
• Flight Stick Support: Denotes whether a game can take advantage of a flight stick accessory. There are a wide variety of flight sticks on the market (particularly for PC game systems), so check the package for information on specific requirements or recommendations for flight stick controllers.
• Light Gun Support: Denotes whether a game can take advantage of or requires a light gun accessory. Some systems require specific types of light guns for each game (such as the GunCon controller) while others have common standards for light gun accessories, so check the package for specific requirements.
• Steering Wheel Support: This designation lets you know if a game is compatible with racing wheel controller accessories, allowing for more realistic racing gameplay. Note that some games only work with or are optimized for certain wheels, so check the package for complete support info.
• Tilt Controller Support: This designation lets you know if the game supports motion control features, which allow players to control the game just by moving the controller. (Note that this feature will not be listed for Wii and PlayStation 3 systems since this is a standard feature of the consoles and is included in the majority of the games in some capacity.)
• Vibration Support: This designation lets you know if a game offers vibration effects in gameplay, which significantly enhances the play experience by giving you tactile feedback from your game. Note that some consoles require a "Rumble Pack" to take advantage of this feature.

Other Features & Specs

• Direct Download Release: This simply denotes if a game is available only through an online purchase -- you won't find this game on local store shelves, so if you're looking to buy it, look up the corresponding download service for your console/handheld system (GameSpy will usually specify what console service a game is available through).
• Cartridge Save: Denotes if a gameplay session or set of high scores can be saved directly to the cartridge. This was important in the early days of gaming (when lots of games skimped on costs by cutting out save methods) and is still good to note with some handheld systems, but current games typically save to a Memory Card or internal storage system.
• Password Save: Denotes if a gameplay session or set of high scores can be saved with a password that you can write down. This is rarely used in current games, but older games made use of passwords as a key means of continuing a game. Passwords also allowed gamers to trade secrets or data, and some games still use this method to pass little bits of info between players.
• Memory Unit: Now a common feature for game consoles and handheld systems, a Memory Unit or Memory Card allows players to store progress and sets of high scores for a variety of game titles on one simple and accessible memory unit.
• Memory Blocks: If you need to keep tabs on exactly how big the save file will be for a game (say, for example, you only have a few blocks available for your Memory Card), this info block will tell you how much space a save file will take up on your Memory Unit. Sometimes this is listed in blocks (which are specific to your console or handheld system), while other times this is listed in actual data size.
• Custom Soundtrack: Denotes whether players can play their own music and audio files while playing a game. If you don't like the soundtrack choices of a game, just switch it out for your own tunes!
• Downloadable Content: Denotes whether a game has hooks built in to allow for downloadable content (AKA "DLC".) With available Hard Drives and Memory Units, modern gaming systems can offer the promise of further gaming experiences for your favorite titles via a simple download. Note that "Downloadable Content" markings do not necessarily mean that DLC is available for that game at this time.
• Personal Avatar Support: Denotes whether a game takes advantage of an Avatar system, where gamers can enter themselves into the game. Although "Create A Character" is increasingly becoming a feature for games, this specific feature is labeled on GameSpy only in cases where a character you create can be used across multiple game titles -- a good example of this is the Nintendo "Mii" characters.