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Game Managing Application for Desktop, Windows 7?

SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today!Registered User regular
Since uninstalling WoW wiped out my entire Blizzard folder, and I couldn't undo it with System Restore, I've noticed that even replacing the programs hasn't unbroken Game Explorer (a tiny featurette in Vista/7 that I used to organize my games). Can anyone recommend one of the following:

1) A snazzy looking game manager program that's not problematically slow (I love me some snazzy desktop stuff). I think Xfire has one?
2) A neat dock-type deal for Windows 7, that lends itself to games particularly.

I am aware that I could just make a desktop folder called 'Games'--or add my non-Steam games to Steam. I'm not ruling those out as options, but don't bother suggesting them since I'm already aware of them.

Synthesis on

Posts

  • RohanRohan Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    Not really what you're looking for, but Smartlaunch does the job beautifully, giving you an easily customisable front-end. Not free, but still great.

    Rohan on
    ...and I thought of how all those people died, and what a good death that is. That nobody can blame you for it, because everyone else died along with you, and it is the fault of none, save those who did the killing.

    Nothing's forgotten, nothing is ever forgotten
  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    I'll take any suggestions, thanks.

  • StormwatcherStormwatcher Blegh BlughRegistered User regular
    The regular dock programs won't help you? Like Rocket Dock? I just made a folder I manually filled with the shortcuts.
    Also, Steam. You can add shortcuts to any game to it, and you can launch games from the taskbar steam button

    Steam: Stormwatcher | PSN: Stormwatcher33 | Switch: 5961-4777-3491
    camo_sig2.png
  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    Already mentioned Steam. Right now, I'm using Object Dock Plus from Stardock, and it's pretty nice in terms of comprehensive features.

    I'll check out Rocket Dock. Steam is probably my last solution, behind "just make a folder", since it's handling of non-Steam games is rather lackluster and I'd rather not deal with annoying updates/messages/ads distracting me from my games. Pop ups galore.

    Synthesis on
  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEON Registered User regular
    Synthesis wrote: »
    Already mentioned Steam. Right now, I'm using Object Dock Plus from Stardock, and it's pretty nice in terms of comprehensive features.

    I'll check out Rocket Dock. Steam is probably my last solution, behind "just make a folder", since it's handling of non-Steam games is rather lackluster and I'd rather not deal with annoying updates/messages/ads distracting me from my games. Pop ups galore.
    You can turn those off in Steam.

  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    Except I do appreciate having them in certain Steam games (well, not the ads, which I should turn off). It's not as bad so long as I don't have to deal with Steam all the time.

    Plus, that doesn't change the fact that non-Steam game support is pretty featureless.

  • bobreece20bobreece20 Registered User new member
    Here is an alternative, I programmed and its free.

    About
    GameManager is a program that is designed to automate the process of downloading game fan art, front and back box art, banner art, screenshots, game info, official patches, walkthroughs and organise the data in a functional and sleak interface, allowing you to browse, sort, filter, patch, mount game images and run your games.

    Download
    http://photongamemanager.com/GameManagerDownload.php

    Features
    -Downloads fan, front box, back box and banner art, screenshoots and Game Info and showcases the data in the user interface
    -Showcases games in InfoView, CoverFlow or BannerFlow
    -Run games from the interface
    -Take screenshots in games and view them from the interface
    -Download and install official game patches
    -AutoMount image files when you run games, unmount them when done(Requires DAEMON Tools or Alcohol 120% to be installed)
    -Run post-game and pre-game batch files
    -View game Info such as release date, publisher or genre
    -Quickly find your games by filtering by keyword/s you type
    -Organise Games by categories such as release date, publisher or platform
    -Show only games from a certain platform
    -Launch straight from the interface into games of many consoles (requires use of emulators/roms*)

    ScreenShots

    GameManager5.jpg
    GameManager6.jpg

  • AlectharAlecthar Alan Shore We're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered User regular
    edited April 2012
    I just use ObjectDock (you can use RocketDock if you prefer) and some sweet game icon packs that you can find on Deviant Art. The guy is a damned hero, there's box art for over 2500 games (give or take different art/special edition/combo edition type boxes) and he also has a .PSD template you can use to very easily make your own custom boxes, if there isn't one from him. I've had no difficulty using the template in GIMP if you don't have Photoshop. It's not technically a manager, but you can set up a "games only" dock that looks pretty and does what you want.

    Alecthar on
  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    Thanks for the suggestion, Bob. I'd actually taken a look at that, but for some reason, I had trouble getting the application to update information about games listed.
    Alecthar wrote: »
    I just use ObjectDock (you can use RocketDock if you prefer) and some sweet game icon packs that you can find on Deviant Art. The guy is a damned hero, there's box art for over 2500 games (give or take different art/special edition/combo edition type boxes) and he also has a .PSD template you can use to very easily make your own custom boxes, if there isn't one from him. I've had no difficulty using the template in GIMP if you don't have Photoshop. It's not technically a manager, but you can set up a "games only" dock that looks pretty and does what you want.

    I ended up going with this--though I use a different style of icons (though those are quite good, make no mistake). Using the free most recent verison of Object Dock, and I have an invisible dock that usually is hidden behind anything I might have open. It's pretty slick, though the number of games I have listed is less than I had in Game Explorer.

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