James Croft, a Western Oregon University student in town for the Prefontaine Classic, just wanted to go to bed when he saw his buddy’s van had been rear ended by a small, four-door sedan in front of the Hilyard House on the corner of 14th Avenue and Hilyard Street.

Croft and his pal, Drew Larson, were at Pegasus Pizza when a reckless driver crashed into Larson’s white van. Eugene Police officer Travis Cooper saw the suspect, who has not yet been apprehended or named by the police department, driving erratically around the 14th and Hilyard area when he decided to give chase. It was then that the driver of the four-door sedan began to panic and Cooper intentionally rammed the car so it would crash and come to a stop in front of Hilyard House.

Croft had decided to call it a night when he left Larson and a few other friends at Pegasus Pizza. The group intended to spend the night in Larson’s van, which is the vehicle the suspect crashed into after Cooper gave chase.

“All I know is that I could have been asleep when it happened,” Croft said.

Cooper said EPD can’t release specifics about the suspect, whose license plate he ran through the system after the chase. He did, however, say the suspect was driving as though possibly frightened or under the influence of alcohol but he couldn’t say for sure what caused the suspect to drive so suspiciously prior to the crash.

Check back with the Emerald for continuing coverage.

At long last, we know the name of every one of the big three, next-generation video game consoles — WiiU, Playstation 4 and, after an event in Redmond, Wash., one week ago, Xbox One.

What will follow for the next five or six months is speculation after speculation regarding what the latter two unreleased consoles are capable of and, I’m sure, a steady stream of denigrating remarks aimed toward Nintendo’s underpowered machine.

But I don’t care about any of that. Why? Because I’m sitting out this console generation.

If there’s anything I gleaned from Sony’s and Microsoft’s presentations, it’s that the next Playstation and Xbox will stress fancier visuals and a greater breadth of social sharing. Not much on the gameplay front. Sure, Remedy Games revealed “Quantum Break” for the new Xbox, a title the company boasts is a mix of traditional gameplay and live-action footage, but we should all be past the point where a flashy, prerendered video is enough to convince us a game is worth playing.

As gamers, we need to be smarter. We need to demand more of developers. And, we need to reassess what we desire from the media we shell out hundreds of dollars for the mere ability to experience — not to mention the $60 we pay for every individual piece of software.

What rubs me the wrong way about AAA games these days is they’re mired in tired and unsustainable development practices threatening to upend a hobby I’ve held dear for more than 20 years.

When Capcom announces new entries in titles such as its “Resident Evil” franchise, it boasts of development teams that employ more than 200 people. At the same time, mass layoffs and closures plague plenty of other developers, with Capcom itself finding it difficult to do much more than rehash old properties with tried and true gameplay formulas, innovation be damned (I’m still furious about the cancellation of “Mega Man Legends 3”).

Do we really want nothing from big-budget games built on the backs of overworked designers to which companies overcharge us for? The sales figures for such blockbusters as “Call of Duty: Black Ops 2” — $1 billion in 15 days — certainly say so.

Nintendo, much as the Kyoto-based company tries to differentiate itself, makes many of the same mistakes. Interviews with folks who are hard at work on the next “Zelda” title also brag about how the next game is the biggest and best yet — all the while implementing business strategies alienating third-party developers and introducing online capabilities that were standardized back in 2006.

What we need is a console built by a company that doesn’t just understand the dire economic landscape of game development — everyone knows the system is in trouble — but one focusing on architecture conducive to original gameplay first and has a firm grasp on the ways in which people consume media, not just games.

Console gaming has long had a Walt Disney-esque figure in Shigeru Miyamoto. What it needs now is a Steve Jobs.

Or maybe we just let the consoles’ race end with this generation, allowing specialized PC builds to take over our living rooms. Either way, I’m finding it harder and harder to shell out more cash for another bland box that’ll sit under my TV.

Nextbox. Durango. Infinity.

Throughout the last year, these names have all been tied to Microsoft’s next gaming console, whether it was by fans or developers. On Tuesday morning, the Xbox One was unveiled at an event in Redmond, Wash., and although no release date was set for the machine, Microsoft said it would be available by the year’s end. Rather than live-tweet and live-blog the occasion as it happened, we present you the following: Everything you need to know about the Xbox One in one handy post.

The hardware

The next Xbox looks pretty bulky. It’s definitely a departure from the sleek, streamlined design of the current Xbox 360 Slim — but it’s definitely going to pack a greater punch. While the new console features a Blu-ray optical drive, the games won’t run off the discs themselves. Instead, they’ll be downloaded directly onto the One’s hard drive. An always-on Internet connection won’t necessarily be required, but games will be tied to an Xbox LIVE account.

The box will also ship with an upgraded version of Kinect (2.0) featuring a 1080p camera and can capture RGB video at 30 frames per second. Here’s the rest of the tech specs that were revealed:

– USB 3.0
– 500 GB hard drive
– 8 GB RAM
– 64-bit architecture
– HDMI

Infinity Ward also showed off what the hardware did for its next Call of Duty game.@ More on that later.

The controller

Although there’s no integrated touch interface like the WiiU’s or the Playstation 4’s, the Xbox One controller features more than 40 design tweaks from the 360’s — most notably in button placement and aesthetic. The unit will also feature what Microsoft is calling HD rumble.

The user interface

Snap mode is the new interface that will guide Xbox users through the new system. Most notably, the UI will allow for multiple applications to run at once. With a simple voice command, users will be able to switch between apps through the Kinect sensor. When Microsoft debuted Twitter and Facebook on the 360, they required players to exit whatever game they were playing in order to post about it on social media.

A new achievements system was also mentioned, although details remain scarce. Microsoft did, however, say achievements will be cross-platform, which will allow tasks performed on smart phones and the Internet to affect your Gamerscore. Most importantly, developers will be allowed to release downloadable content without piling on another set of achievements on the player.

The games

The success of any given console depends largely on the library of games it hosts, and the Xbox One event was rife with new software. The event promised 15 Xbox One exclusive titles within the first year of launch, eight of those being new franchises. One such title revealed at the event was Quantum Break, developed by Remedy. The game was said to be a mix of traditional gameplay and cinematic storytelling, but the only footage shown was one prerendered video that featured a short, live-action scene between a mother and daughter and a CGI shipwreck.

Electronic Arts announced FIFA, Madden, NBA and UFC games, developed on the new Ignite engine, which promised for a more dynamic experience across the four franchises.

After the initial announcement of Call of Duty: Ghosts earlier this month, Infinity Ward followed up with trailers, screenshots and more. Like the protagonists in Fable and Fallout, Call of Duty players will finally get a four-legged companion to help them along. Few details regarding other features were revealed.

Microsoft Studios, one of the company’s first-party publishers, also revealed Forza Motorsport 5, which featured more detailed graphics than its predecessor and an improved engine. You can check out the trailer here.

The other media

As with the 360, Microsoft is using its next console to deliver a multimedia experience. The event announced a live-action Halo TV series headed by Steven Spielberg, who dabbled in game production when he backed Boom Blox on the Wii in 2007. Nothing much was revealed regarding the series, other than the fact that it will someday air on Xbox One.

Microsoft also also announced a partnership with the NFL, a move that makes sense given Microsoft’s current partnership with ESPN to live-stream games and matches across several sports.

The next Xbox will also allow users to use it as a set-top cable box, allowing users to watch live television through the console.

Skype is slated to return, so it’s likely safe to assume Netflix and Hulu (in addition to ESPN) streaming will also appear on the Xbox One.

Although Microsoft revealed quite a bit about its new console during Tuesday’s event, there will be another press briefing prior to E3 on June 10.

Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight attended the University of Oregon before founding Nike and revolutionizing the athletic shoe trade. Ann Curry was a journalism major here before she went on to cover wars and work with journalists the likes of Brian Williams. And before Ty Burrell was part of an Emmy award-winning ensemble cast on ”Modern Family,” he called Oregon home.

Earlier this year we posed a simple question: Who among us will change the world after life at the University of Oregon?

You replied. And from those responses came the 25 Ducks contained in the pages that follow. They express the gamut of interests and specializations the university is known for, from music to business, journalism to human services. These folks have already made a noticeable impact on their respective and overlapping communities and were nominated by the people whose lives they touched.

They’ve travelled the world. They’ve created clubs and other organizations. They’ve raised money for charities, social services, fraternities and sororities, and proven that one person can make a difference. These are the movers and the shakers, the future leaders of the world. They embody the mission of not just the UO but of any educational institution, from preschools to middle schools, high schools to colleges and universities: They are the future.

These people come from a variety of backgrounds. Some of them attended the university for all four years of their academic careers while the number of months others have been with us can be counted on two hands. Arsalan Kazemi, Oregon basketball standout and Iran native joined us fall term 2012. But his ambition to strengthen ties between his home country and the U.S. make him worthy of these pages.

Brandi Freeman has been here just as long and made an impression on programs such as Alpha Phi Omega and Ducks After Dark. After struggling with an alcohol addiction for years, she decided to go through a 12-step program and make her way down to Eugene.

Jason Irrgang also struggled with drug addiction for a time before he decided to enroll at Lane Community College then transfer to the UO. Now he’s helping at-risk youth avoid the same vices and subsequent consequences he faced before deciding to turn his life around.

And Lindy Mabuya has made it her life mission to help others. Hailing from South Africa, Mabuya has spent four years at the UO and intends to attend law school upon graduating in 2014 with her sights set on issues of poverty and inclusion on a local and international scale.

So who will be the next Ken Kesey? The next Steve Prefontaine? Five former Oregon governors — John Kitzhaber included — walked away from this campus, degree in hand. Just how far will these 25 Ducks go?

I’ll never forget the first time I popped a couple of AAA batteries into a gray plastic block and inserted it into my Nintendo 64 controller. I plugged it into the console, fired up Star Fox 64 and felt something during a video game for the first time.

Don’t get me wrong: I’d run the gamut of emotion while I played games before. I was once so beset by the challenges in the original Donkey Kong Country that I refused to play for an entire day. I felt true triumph the day I slayed Ganon in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

But this was the first time I physically interacted with a piece of software. When I skimmed the water on my way into Corneria City, the Rumble Pak on my controller quivered ever so slightly. The first explosion rocked my 10-year-old hands so much I thought I would drop the three-pronged piece of plastic. I finally felt like I was living these experiences rather than simply bearing witness to the results of myriad button presses on the screen.

In the 16 years — think about that for a second — since regular force feedback debuted, it’s been integrated into controller design and is a standard aspect of most any console game.

But it’s often taken for granted.

Just because forced feedback is a perceived standard of game design doesn’t necessarily mean it should be. Consider this: When was the last time rumble made a cutscene more engaging? Narrative full motion video (FMV) should be a passive experience. A shaking controller has often removed me from what should be an engaging cutscene.

Of course, in certain contexts forced feedback in a scripted sequence makes sense — the God of War series’ interactive cutscenes immediately come to mind — but when you’re faced with a dialogue-heavy FMV, what’s the sense in making a controller shake?

The worst offender in recent memory is the Tomb Raider reboot. There’s a particular area where the wind is blowing so fiercely it rattles the walls of the room you’re in. The way the wind is incorporated into gameplay is well executed. But I couldn’t help but turn off the rumble feature on my DualShock 3 after the third attempt at the puzzle. The constant vibrating of the controller made me feel as though it may lead to permanent nerve dysfunctions. No credible study has proven that rumbling video game controllers affect our health negatively, but try to solve a puzzle when your Wii U Gamepad is leaping out of your hands.

Instead, the conversation within studios should be whether rumble enhances the player experience. That answer should largely impact the feature’s implementation.

What if we got a game where rumble served a purely mechanical purpose? I tingle with excitement at the prospect of the folks at thatgamecompany designing an experience centered on force-feedback gameplay. There should be a new standard for the use of this mechanic in games. Let’s start that conversation — let’s rethink rumble.

Extended Play is Eder Campuzano’s weekly column on video game trends and culture. He is the Emerald’s managing editor for print.

If there’s one thing this console generation will be remembered for, it’s pushing narrative and world building as a pillar in video games. Just as titles like “Resident Evil 4″ and “Final Fantasy XII” pushed the limits of game design for the Nintendo GameCube and Sony’s PlayStation 2, “Bioshock Infinite” is the culmination of a refinement in storytelling seen since the release of the Xbox 360 in 2005, from platforms like “Braid” to first-person shooters like “Portal.”

Just as in the original “Bioshock,” it all starts with a lighthouse. You play as Booker DeWitt, a former private investigator who has been given a job to erase his gambling debts. His task? To travel to the floating city of Columbia and deliver one of its residents to New York City.

“Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt.”

That’s the MacGuffin that moves the plot forward for the first few hours of the game. Of course, once you meet Elizabeth, the game’s deuteragonist and the “girl” in question, things get a bit trickier. Much of what makes Elizabeth unique as a resident of Columbia, a former U.S. colony that seceded once it became too American for America, is what makes her valuable to the game’s story and as your ally.

But the less said about Elizabeth’s abilities the better. Much of the plot of “Infinite” revolves around her role in the fate of Columbia and its citizens.

While the gameplay in “Infinite” doesn’t revolutionize the action game genre, it’s totally functional. It controls much like any other first-person shooter, with the right triggers controlling weapons like handguns and shotguns and the left triggers activating powers called Vigors – “Infinite’s” version of the original “Bioshock’s” Plasmids – which grant DeWitt powers like the ability to shoot lightning out of his hands Sith-style, or sic a murder of crows on an enemy.

It’s the story in “Bioshock Infinite” that takes center stage and the reason why it’s garnering universal acclaim among the gaming community. The social commentary that series creator Ken Levine and his writers have sprinkled throughout the adventure – from critiques of American exceptionalism to populist movements – is well-structured and Elizabeth is one of the most compelling companion characters in the history of video games.

“Bioshock Infinite” will likely take home several game of the year honors and is worth the 12-16 hours it will demand of you.

When you’ve been a renter for eight years, you pick up a thing or two when it comes to fixing common household issues. There are plenty of instances in which it’s best to call your landlord and request a work order (you’re not going to be doing any plumbing work in an apartment complex.) But there are times when it’s faster for you to take matters into your own hands. Here are just a few fixes for some common household problems.

Broken light bulbs (Gloves, potato, knife)

Sometimes a pillow fight gets out of hand and, wouldn’t you know it, somebody’s gone and broken a light bulb on your favorite lamp or from a hanging fixture. Before you deal with the bulb, make sure there’s no power going to it. Either unplug your lamp or go to the circuit breaker and shut off all the fixtures in the room where the broken bulb is. Next, slice a potato in half. Get those gloves on and affix the exposed side of the potato firmly onto the broken bulb. Don’t cram it in too enthusiastically or you’ll have a laceration to deal with, too. Once the potato is on the broken bulb, twist it until it’s off. Now all that’s left is to replace and dispose of the broken bulb and clean up.

Dented appliances (plunger)

Let’s say you somehow slammed into your dryer or dishwasher and dented it. All you need to fix a light dent is a toilet plunger. Just press the plunger directly onto the area that’s dented and pull to create suction. With enough pressure, the plunger will pull the metal back into place and you’ll get to keep more of your security deposit. This also works with smaller dents on your car.

Miscellaneous (WD-40 and Magic Erasers)

You know how they say that with enough duct tape you can fix almost anything? Well, add WD-40 and Magic Erasers to the same list. If you’ve ever lived in an apartment or house more than a couple of decades old, you’re likely familiar with that ear-splitting screech that your cupboards give off whenever you feel like a midnight snack. WD-40 gets rid of that banshee-like noise in addition to helping you rid your walls and floors of stickers that somehow wound up in your place. Magic Erasers are incredibly abrasive sponges that can tackle the toughest stains. Did somebody leave scuff marks on your wall? I’ve taken care of plenty of ‘em with a handy Magic Eraser.

Just because you’ve moved out of your parents’ place doesn’t mean your days of building awesome pillow and blanket forts are numbered.

Ardent fans of NBC’s “Community” may remember not one, but two episodes in which proverbial BFFs Troy Barnes and Abed Nadir completely take over the dormitories at Greendale Community College by constructing a series of maze-like tunnels out of chairs, blankets, pillows and everything else they can find. Although a fort city sounds like an amazing, juvenile escape from the pressures of college life, what are the odds you’ll have the same resources as the students of Greendale?

Something as simple as a pair of blankets draped over a dining room table will provide refuge enough for a rainy day (and, let’s face it, Oregon springs provide plenty of drizzly afternoons that lend themselves to lounging around.) Take the pillows off your couch — or the mattress from a futon — and pad the floor so you have a comfy place to set your laptop and marathon all three seasons of “Arrested Development” with a friend or significant other.

Maybe you can set a couple of chairs in front of the table and drape a thin blanket from the table top over the backs of the chairs and create an incredibly short entrance to your comfy little lair. As long as you have standalone furniture to cloak with a blanket, the possibilities for your home fort are endless. And you thought you’d never have a need for those old “Toy Story” blankets your parents bought you in third grade.

If you’re in need of more ideas, take a cue from the r/forts community on Reddit. It’s the little touches, such as stringing Christmas lights around your blankety getaway or placing a rotating rainbow glow light in the center, that make your fort attractive for friends and potential love interests alike. Freshman year lends itself well to consistent blanket fort construction. Some of the older dorms may seem like prison cells or dungeons, but there’s no denying how incredibly easy it is to build a quality blanket fort in close quarters.