Here I am back again. I got Tesla Effect to run beautifully on my Windows 8.1 so I downloaded Tex Murphy Overseer from Steam.

When I launch the game, I get an MPEG2 driver error message. I've set my Nividia to the high processor level; but I still get the MPEG2 ERROR.

Does anyone running Windows 8.1 64-bit have a solution for this? Of course, the game tells me to contact Access - we all know THAT's not possible .... I've checked the internet, and I have seen some download suggestions; but I am VERY WARY about downloading anything that isn't safe.

I was given wonderful suggestions for Tesla; now I hope I can get equally good help for Overseer.

I'm wondering if this is because Windows 8.1 does not include a media player any more. Most of us use the free VLC Media Player. For instance, you can't play movies on Windows 8.1 without something like VLC. You might try downloading and installing it.

You can download from the official VLC.org website here... http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html

Thank you for your response. I did download VLC media player a month or so ago. It works really well; however, it doesn't, apparently, have anything to do with the MPEG2 error message I'm receiving when trying to launch Overseer.

I just tried launching the game again. I get "unable to activate MPEG2 DRIVER. PLEASE MAKE SURE THE CORRECT VIDEO CARD IS SELECTED". There is a pull-down menu of various video card options there. I've tried almost all of them, with the same results.

What video card do you have? I wonder if you have Optimus since it's telling you to select the correct video card. This is something you'll have to wait for Jenny or Inland to figure out. It will help if you can tell us more about your computer.

Asus Windows 8.1
2.60 gigahertz Intel Core i7-4510U
128 kilobyte primary memory cache
512 kilobyte secondary memory cache
4096 kilobyte tertiary memory cache
64-bit ready
Multi-core (2 total)
Hyper-threaded (4 total)
Intel(R) HD Graphics Family [Display adapter]
NVIDIA GeForce 840M [Display adapter]

I got this through Belarc - does this offer all the information?

Thanks much

I can use 3 options for running games - NVIDIA High Performance processor
Use global setting
Integrated Graphics

In the Overseer configuration tab within Overseer, under the MPEG2 II Device, there is a pull-down menu with all types of video options - none of which works for me. When I chose ZoranSoft DVD w/intel express 3D, the game will actually launch - I can then BEGIN to navigate in the game and pick up objects, for about a minute or two, and then get "Overseer.exe has stopped working" with the "green bar of death" that occurs in Windows 8.1

Some advice is posted here on the Steam forums. The first two paragraphs have the information relevant to your problem, I believe.

The GOG forums have some posts giving the same advice.

The 840M is indeed an Optimus graphics card. I'm not sure those solutions Marian pointed you to will work, but give them a try. I will look for a recent thread concerning Optimus where Jenny posted a couple of possible solutions.

EDIT: I found this in a thread from last summer.

Optimus Graphics

Jenny's comments on Optimus graphics are on page 1.

What you're describing sure sounds like Optimus being bossy and deciding what you need - even when it's wrong.

Here's the other thread where Jenny talked about Optimus and offered some suggestions for you:

Optimus

I can now easily change any game to NVIDIA High-Performance thanks to your wonderful website. This option, however, does not help with Overseer. I looked at the web site that Steam talked about. Unfortunately, there are many, many options for downloading, and I don't want to download anything that might potentially harm my computer. I'm not computer savvy enough to start downloading, and installing, things I don't understand.

I hear that there is a possible remake of Overseer in the works. I'm praying it comes to fruition and will work on more modern computers like mine.

When I had my XP, most of the old games worked; but Windows 8.1 is like an alien to me. Add to that that this is a laptop after having a desktop since 1985, and I am quite lost.

Thanks to everyone for trying to help. I so appreciate this Gameboomers site. I don't know what I would do without it as I still love the adventure games above all else!

Windows 7 and then Windows 8.1 have done amazingly well at playing our old games, but there are always exceptions. Overseer is available at GOG for $10. Sometimes that's the best option.

If mpeg2 decoding isn't working, it won't matter whether you have Optimus or not. Optimus may or may not introduce additional complications by switching chipsets "on the fly" but people without Optimus have still reported having problems with the mpeg-2 error.

The original boxed version of Overseer from 1997 or 1998 (the box says 1997, the discs say 1998) came with both CD's and a DVD, The DVD version had much better graphics, but required hardware mpeg-2 decoding -- which meant either a separate mpeg-2 decoder card like this
http://www.digivision.it/docs/hollywoodplus.html
or a video card which had "semi-hardware decoding" (as long as you'd installed the right drivers and configured the software to give it the capability). Unless a gamer watched movies on their computer back in 1997 or 1998, they were unlikely to have hardware decoding capability, and had to be content with the lower resolution of the CD version. But there was good reason why the DVD version was not sold separately -- in most cases the DVD version simply didn't work.

Computers that are anything close to recent have to use software mpeg-2 decoding for Overseer. From what I've read, the GOG version of Overseer uses ffdshow for mpeg-2 decoding. Gamers have reported success installing ffdshow before installing Overseer, both with GOG and Steam versions.
http://steamcommunity.com/app/302370
http://www.gog.com/forum/tex_murphy_series/overseer_mpeg2_error

The reason may be that ffdshow offers more options when you install it separately.

Steam lists Windows XP, Vista, and 7 as compatible, but not 8.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/302370/

GOG only lists XP and Vista.
http://www.gog.com/game/tex_murphy_overseer

I'm dubious about GOG's decision to change from the CD version to the DVD version. People who haven't played the game before would probably choose compatibility over high resolution. Even if the CD version of Overseer "looks worse" than either UAKM or Pandora Directive, using the CD version would at least allow people to play it without so much fuss on their Windows 7 or 8 computers.

If you want to play more Tex games after Tesla, UAKM and Pandora Directive will both run with much less fuss than Overseer.

Jenny 100 you are an amazing wealth of information. One last question, can you tell me where, and what, I can SAFELY download to run Overseer? Where would I install it - in the Steam Overseer folder? I printing out your information for reference because it is most helpful.

Judy

Forget the message above, Jenny -- I bit the bullet and downloaded the file suggested on Steam. IT WORKED. As soon as I downloaded, and installed it (it installed in my programs), I could launch - AND PLAY - OVERSEER.

What would I ever do with the support of Gameboomers. Your expert advice gave me the nerve to download the program.

I'm going to have FUN (I hope) playing Overseer after a zillion years. THANK YOU ALL for sticking with me.

Have fun and although I'm glad you downloaded what Steam suggested, I'm also glad you are cautious! I just finished cleaning up a computer for an individual who wasn't as cautions and removed 847 pieces of malware!

Glad to hear it worked.
Enjoy the game.

Oh for heaven's sake. Why can't I just play Overseer without a zillion problems. Thanks to everyone's help at Gameboomers, I am able to load the game, and play it just fine. I can move in the environment, look at things, pick them up, add to inventory, etc. HOWEVER, a few minutes into beginning the game, I suddenly get the message "Overseer.exe has stopped working - microsoft is looking for a solution to this problem". Sure they are - LOL ...

This may, sadly, be unfixable. However, I don't know where else to turn for help. I'm hoping that maybe one of the Gameboomers might have experienced this issue using Windows 8.1 and MIGHT have a solution.

Desperately trying to play Tex Murphy Overseer ....