by Simon Aridej
Would you like to download unlimited games , movies , music , videos & much more to your PSP? If your answer is Yes, Please read every word of this letter now!Today I am going to tell you a bit about the choices you have. There are 4 websites that are good for you. PSP Blender Unlimited PSP Games All PSP Games My PSP Downloads
Would you like to download unlimited games , movies , music , videos & much more to your PSP? If your answer is Yes, Please read every word of this letter now! Today I am going to tell you a bit about the choices you have. There are 4 websites that are good for you.
PSP Blender
This club has the largest variety of PSP games and movies with the fastest download speeds. Over 20 million items and growing! Download PSP movies, music, software, backgrounds, and themes. Play and watch them on your PSP! Membership also includes FREE DVD to PSP movie software. PSP Blender was the only reviewed site that offered a ticket based support system which was very useful when it came to getting support. Highly Recommended !!!
Unlimited PSP Games
Brand new club and growing at rapid rates. Extensive variety of PSP games but also movies, music, and software are continuously added. Search and download as many PSP games as you want! PSP Upgrades & Downgrades, Homebrews, Software, and many movies, Hacks and cheats. Best choice for games and movies. Fairly new on the PSP scene and rapidly growing
All PSP Games
After I got everything installed and configured (which took a surprisingly short time), the first impression I got was of an enormous selection. I took the website for a test drive, and I found almost everything I could think of, in very short order. Needless to say, were seriously impressed. I've never seen this much variety before, and while the website navigation leaves a bit to be desired, the program certainly merits my praise.
My PSP Downloads
This is the new guy in the block and a lot of people are falling for this. I usually don't post negative reviews so this is a first for us. This club offers a generic version of what other sites offer, probably because they rip their content from other sites. I received many complaint from people that signed up for this site. It appears that they are in the business of ripping off unsuspecting visitors and ignoring their requests for refunds.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Download Xbox 360 Games
by Patrick Kaa
Theres no allot of places on the net where you can find xbox 360 and sofware downloads either zipped or in ISO image ready to burn on the fly aye!! In the article I will tell you where to download xbox 360 games unlimited and get heaps of other software for it too.
Buying games for your xbox 360 can be a costly task and when you do buy them you run the risk of scratching or damaging your games meaning you either have to buy another one or borrow it from your friend next door!! but there is one other option thats has become very popular amongst the gaming community (thats if you dont have a moral conscience).
Gamers or Hackers as they are more commonly known have been able to develop software to download xbox 360 games!! What this means is that people can now for a small fee download games for their xbox 360 using a program like napster. However these games need special thrid party software to run them. This software is called firmware or customised firmware that can play Xbox 360 games that are burned to a disc or downloaded from the internet into hard drive. They can come in .iso or .zip format depending on what you prefer. The Xbox 360 is usually flashed (reprogrammed) so it can play these backup xbox 360 games on the fly as they describe it.
There are many sources the internet today that provide services like this for other consoles like the PSP or PS2 where you can download games and burn them onto disc. The providers allow unlimited access and fast downloading too for exclusive memberships. Updates are available and users can get all the latest games.
Theres no allot of places on the net where you can find xbox 360 and sofware downloads either zipped or in ISO image ready to burn on the fly aye!! In the article I will tell you where to download xbox 360 games unlimited and get heaps of other software for it too.
Buying games for your xbox 360 can be a costly task and when you do buy them you run the risk of scratching or damaging your games meaning you either have to buy another one or borrow it from your friend next door!! but there is one other option thats has become very popular amongst the gaming community (thats if you dont have a moral conscience).
Gamers or Hackers as they are more commonly known have been able to develop software to download xbox 360 games!! What this means is that people can now for a small fee download games for their xbox 360 using a program like napster. However these games need special thrid party software to run them. This software is called firmware or customised firmware that can play Xbox 360 games that are burned to a disc or downloaded from the internet into hard drive. They can come in .iso or .zip format depending on what you prefer. The Xbox 360 is usually flashed (reprogrammed) so it can play these backup xbox 360 games on the fly as they describe it.
There are many sources the internet today that provide services like this for other consoles like the PSP or PS2 where you can download games and burn them onto disc. The providers allow unlimited access and fast downloading too for exclusive memberships. Updates are available and users can get all the latest games.
Tips To Maximising Your Online Game And Music Downloading
by Rachel King
85% of the download sites fail to deliver on what they advertise. Make the most of your downloading site. There are endless exciting opportunities out there to maximise your usage and experience. This article focuses on the key area's to be aware of.
85% of the download sites fail to deliver on what they advertise. Make the most of your downloading site.
The internet provides a wealth of information on downloading programs. If you haven't already subscribed to a downloading program logon to Music & Games Download Reviews to view my independent reviews of the best download programs.
There are endless exciting opportunities out there to maximise your usage and experience. This article focuses on the key area's to be aware of.
Maximise Download Speed
When you perform a search for a file to download you will normally have the choice of a number of different ones. They may all be links to download the same file however be careful to look at the quality rating first. Selecting the file with the highest quality or health rating will ensure a much faster download time without interruptions. The higher the rating the larger the number of users that are sharing / have access to the file you are after and thus different parts of the file will download from different users all at the same time.
Maximise Downloads Available
The speed of downloading a file will depend on a number of things. You have already ensured that you pick the file with the highest quality rating however the download speed will also vary depending on the speed of your computer, the type of internet connection you have and also the number of other programs you have running at the same time.
Downloading files takes up a large amount of your computer's memory. So to eliminate your computer freezing due to too many programs running at once and to maximise how many files you can download I recommend that you select all the files (place them in a queue) you want to download before you go to bed or when you have finished using your computer for the day and let them run during the night. Don't forget to turn off your screen saver or standby mode to ensure that all files download.
Maximise Quality
As a general rule the higher the file size the better the quality and the closer it will be to the original. Smaller file sizes may download quicker however they are usually fragmented, and blurry.
When looking at quality you should look for the file with the highest quality / health rating as well as the largest file size.
Maximise the Extra Downloads Available
As well as movies and games most programs also allow you to download ROMS, TV shows, pictures, art, CD cover images and sleeves as well.
85% of the download sites fail to deliver on what they advertise. Make the most of your downloading site. There are endless exciting opportunities out there to maximise your usage and experience. This article focuses on the key area's to be aware of.
85% of the download sites fail to deliver on what they advertise. Make the most of your downloading site.
The internet provides a wealth of information on downloading programs. If you haven't already subscribed to a downloading program logon to Music & Games Download Reviews to view my independent reviews of the best download programs.
There are endless exciting opportunities out there to maximise your usage and experience. This article focuses on the key area's to be aware of.
Maximise Download Speed
When you perform a search for a file to download you will normally have the choice of a number of different ones. They may all be links to download the same file however be careful to look at the quality rating first. Selecting the file with the highest quality or health rating will ensure a much faster download time without interruptions. The higher the rating the larger the number of users that are sharing / have access to the file you are after and thus different parts of the file will download from different users all at the same time.
Maximise Downloads Available
The speed of downloading a file will depend on a number of things. You have already ensured that you pick the file with the highest quality rating however the download speed will also vary depending on the speed of your computer, the type of internet connection you have and also the number of other programs you have running at the same time.
Downloading files takes up a large amount of your computer's memory. So to eliminate your computer freezing due to too many programs running at once and to maximise how many files you can download I recommend that you select all the files (place them in a queue) you want to download before you go to bed or when you have finished using your computer for the day and let them run during the night. Don't forget to turn off your screen saver or standby mode to ensure that all files download.
Maximise Quality
As a general rule the higher the file size the better the quality and the closer it will be to the original. Smaller file sizes may download quicker however they are usually fragmented, and blurry.
When looking at quality you should look for the file with the highest quality / health rating as well as the largest file size.
Maximise the Extra Downloads Available
As well as movies and games most programs also allow you to download ROMS, TV shows, pictures, art, CD cover images and sleeves as well.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Flash Games - 10 Ways To Make Money From Creating Them!
by A Dubbaka
If you like creating flash games for fun or as a hobby, why not make money out of it? I have made a few flash games and I thought why not make money out of them. So I did! I will tell you 10 ways to make money out of them in this article.
If you like creating flash games for fun or as a hobby, why not make money out of it? I have made a few flash games and I thought why not make money out of them. So I did! I will tell you 10 ways to make money out of them in this article.
First of all, the software you use to make games is Adobe Flash. It does cost quite a bit but is worth every penny if you know how to maximise it to its full extent. You can look for tutorials on other websites to learn how to make games such as Flashkit. On my website, I release video tutorials on how to do something in flash, every once in a while so check that out sometimes.
All right now to get down to business, the scenario is you have made a great flash game that you want to make money from.
1. You could get the game sponsored by another games website. This means that the other website will pay you money in exchange for putting their logos and links in the game. You might be thinking why would they do that, well it's because people who played the game might go on their website through a link and so the other website could earn money from ad revenue or other means. The amount you get paid depends on how good the game is so it could range from $50 - $2000+. Different websites pay different sums of money, their website usually contains information on how much they pay. Some sponsors are ArmorGames, CrazyMonkeyGames and FlashRage. This way is a definite way of getting some money for your hard work.
2. If you have your own website, then in your game, link to your website so you get traffic to your website after you have submitted to some game portals like Newgrounds. On your own website put some advertisements on so when visitors come from through the game, they might click on ads earning you more money.
3. On your game you can put advertisements from Mochi ads in so each time a player plays the game, you earn ad revenue. Mochi ads are The World's First Ad Network for Casual Games and right now they are accepting only some developers so you can apply now and get in line. Even, if your game is placed on other websites, the ads still show so you still get money.
4. Some games websites offer contests and prizes for the best submitted games such as Newgrounds. Check them out every once in a while for new contests. This way usually offers a higher amount of money (depends on the contest hosting by the website) than sponsoring a game, however, if you don't win you might not get any money.
5. Some websites also offer some of the ad revenue from their website if you submit the game to them. This is a great way to get some cash for your game. Some websites that offer this are GameGum.
6. If the game is played a lot by many players, then some websites will pay you quite a lot of money for a non-exclusive license, which means they put their logo on the game but unlike sponsoring, the copy of the game is only allowed to display on their website so you can sell a lot of non-exclusive licenses if the game is good enough.
7. If the game is extremely brilliant and is played a lot, then you could win some awards for the game and get some cash with the awards. If you win one award then your game will be taken into account for other awards as well.
8. If you win some awards, then people will notice especially big game companies and they might ask you to make games for them on a contract basis or getting paid for every game you create. You might even be asked to make console games!
9. The game, if it gets enough awards and lots of people notice it, it could be turned into a console game and you would earn a lot of money through that, however this can only be turned into a reality with an extremely good game that has the potential to be turned into a console game.
10. You could make a demo version of the game and if people want to play the full version, they have to buy it. This could make a lot of money as if players like the game, they will buy it and you can sell the game as many times as you want making a lot of money.
If you like creating flash games for fun or as a hobby, why not make money out of it? I have made a few flash games and I thought why not make money out of them. So I did! I will tell you 10 ways to make money out of them in this article.
If you like creating flash games for fun or as a hobby, why not make money out of it? I have made a few flash games and I thought why not make money out of them. So I did! I will tell you 10 ways to make money out of them in this article.
First of all, the software you use to make games is Adobe Flash. It does cost quite a bit but is worth every penny if you know how to maximise it to its full extent. You can look for tutorials on other websites to learn how to make games such as Flashkit. On my website, I release video tutorials on how to do something in flash, every once in a while so check that out sometimes.
All right now to get down to business, the scenario is you have made a great flash game that you want to make money from.
1. You could get the game sponsored by another games website. This means that the other website will pay you money in exchange for putting their logos and links in the game. You might be thinking why would they do that, well it's because people who played the game might go on their website through a link and so the other website could earn money from ad revenue or other means. The amount you get paid depends on how good the game is so it could range from $50 - $2000+. Different websites pay different sums of money, their website usually contains information on how much they pay. Some sponsors are ArmorGames, CrazyMonkeyGames and FlashRage. This way is a definite way of getting some money for your hard work.
2. If you have your own website, then in your game, link to your website so you get traffic to your website after you have submitted to some game portals like Newgrounds. On your own website put some advertisements on so when visitors come from through the game, they might click on ads earning you more money.
3. On your game you can put advertisements from Mochi ads in so each time a player plays the game, you earn ad revenue. Mochi ads are The World's First Ad Network for Casual Games and right now they are accepting only some developers so you can apply now and get in line. Even, if your game is placed on other websites, the ads still show so you still get money.
4. Some games websites offer contests and prizes for the best submitted games such as Newgrounds. Check them out every once in a while for new contests. This way usually offers a higher amount of money (depends on the contest hosting by the website) than sponsoring a game, however, if you don't win you might not get any money.
5. Some websites also offer some of the ad revenue from their website if you submit the game to them. This is a great way to get some cash for your game. Some websites that offer this are GameGum.
6. If the game is played a lot by many players, then some websites will pay you quite a lot of money for a non-exclusive license, which means they put their logo on the game but unlike sponsoring, the copy of the game is only allowed to display on their website so you can sell a lot of non-exclusive licenses if the game is good enough.
7. If the game is extremely brilliant and is played a lot, then you could win some awards for the game and get some cash with the awards. If you win one award then your game will be taken into account for other awards as well.
8. If you win some awards, then people will notice especially big game companies and they might ask you to make games for them on a contract basis or getting paid for every game you create. You might even be asked to make console games!
9. The game, if it gets enough awards and lots of people notice it, it could be turned into a console game and you would earn a lot of money through that, however this can only be turned into a reality with an extremely good game that has the potential to be turned into a console game.
10. You could make a demo version of the game and if people want to play the full version, they have to buy it. This could make a lot of money as if players like the game, they will buy it and you can sell the game as many times as you want making a lot of money.
World of Warcraft Guides - Are They Really Cheats?
by Rae Lee
If you want to know the secrets of how to conquer the World of Warcraft in much less time than ever before, then this is for you. If you have the game but are stuck on a certain level if you want to know the easiest way to make it through the various lands, if you want to know the quickest way to make gold, then read on to learn how.
If you’re interested in using World of Warcraft Guides to help you through the game play, you can find these in many places throughout the internet. Some will be free, while others will cost a small fee, but all will have one thing in common – they are written by keen gaming enthusiasts eager to share their knowledge of the game with you.
So are these World of Warcraft Guides considered Cheats? Not everyone believes so. In general terms, World of Warcraft Guides provide detailed descriptions of how to get through various parts of the game, how to get the most out of a character, or how to improve on a skill. The purpose of a World of Warcraft Guide is to help you through the many lands, quests and towns of Warcraft in a legitimate way without having to resort to blatant cheats like hacks, mods, exploits or external software.
Because these World of Warcraft Guides are written by experienced practitioners of the game, you get to take advantage of their first hand experience and knowledge. If you are stuck on a certain level, or struggling to get the most out of your character, chances are there is a gamer out there who has been through the same and is now willing to share what they know with you. If you really want to get ahead in the game then using the advice in the World of Warcraft Guides will help you to progress much easier than you ever thought possible.
You can find World of Warcraft Guides for almost any area of the game you can imagine. Some will concentrate on a specific topic like how to get gold, or how to master a specific character or profession. Others will provide detail on a variety of general topics such as tips and tricks for beginners, the easiest way to make it through the lands, why guilds can be your secret weapons, how to level up faster and so on. There are so many to choose from, and they are so easy to find – you are spoilt for choice.
The easiest way to find World of Warcraft Guides is simply by searching on the term “World of Warcraft Guides”. This will bring up a variety of sites for you to browse through until you find the type of guide or subject that you are interested in. Some people may also call these guides walkthroughs, so if you are having trouble finding what you want then try searching on the term World of Warcraft Walkthrough.
So, when it really comes down to it, are these World of Warcraft Guides cheats, or are they just one enthusiastic player sharing their knowledge with another!
If you want to know the secrets of how to conquer the World of Warcraft in much less time than ever before, then this is for you. If you have the game but are stuck on a certain level if you want to know the easiest way to make it through the various lands, if you want to know the quickest way to make gold, then read on to learn how.
If you’re interested in using World of Warcraft Guides to help you through the game play, you can find these in many places throughout the internet. Some will be free, while others will cost a small fee, but all will have one thing in common – they are written by keen gaming enthusiasts eager to share their knowledge of the game with you.
So are these World of Warcraft Guides considered Cheats? Not everyone believes so. In general terms, World of Warcraft Guides provide detailed descriptions of how to get through various parts of the game, how to get the most out of a character, or how to improve on a skill. The purpose of a World of Warcraft Guide is to help you through the many lands, quests and towns of Warcraft in a legitimate way without having to resort to blatant cheats like hacks, mods, exploits or external software.
Because these World of Warcraft Guides are written by experienced practitioners of the game, you get to take advantage of their first hand experience and knowledge. If you are stuck on a certain level, or struggling to get the most out of your character, chances are there is a gamer out there who has been through the same and is now willing to share what they know with you. If you really want to get ahead in the game then using the advice in the World of Warcraft Guides will help you to progress much easier than you ever thought possible.
You can find World of Warcraft Guides for almost any area of the game you can imagine. Some will concentrate on a specific topic like how to get gold, or how to master a specific character or profession. Others will provide detail on a variety of general topics such as tips and tricks for beginners, the easiest way to make it through the lands, why guilds can be your secret weapons, how to level up faster and so on. There are so many to choose from, and they are so easy to find – you are spoilt for choice.
The easiest way to find World of Warcraft Guides is simply by searching on the term “World of Warcraft Guides”. This will bring up a variety of sites for you to browse through until you find the type of guide or subject that you are interested in. Some people may also call these guides walkthroughs, so if you are having trouble finding what you want then try searching on the term World of Warcraft Walkthrough.
So, when it really comes down to it, are these World of Warcraft Guides cheats, or are they just one enthusiastic player sharing their knowledge with another!
The PSP Guide - How To Download Music and Video's to Your PSP
by Neil Gerstein
This article is a step-by-step guide on downloading your music-mp3 and music video files to your PSP. This easy to follow guide makes downloading your all of your favorite music to your PSP child's play.
Congratulations on buying that new PSP. You bought some great games with your new PSP and to play them, all you need do is slip a cartridge in the slot and your good to go. Sweet, isn't life great. Hey, how about playing some of your favorite songs or watching one of your music videos on your new favorite toy. Oh! Oh! The store didn't have a cartridge for that! Now what? Don't panic, just follow the step-by-step instructions below and life will be sweet again.
To download music to your PSP you will need to follow these steps.
*Note* Please jump ahead to step #4 if you already have Music - MP3 files located on your computer.
Definitions
CD Ripper Software - Software that extracts (rips) music/mp3 files from your CD and puts them in another file on your computer's hard drive.
PSP Video Converter - Converts your personal computers (PC) video/movie format files into Sony's PSP video/movie format so that you can view them on your PSP.
USB Cable - Cable used to connect peripheral equipment such as camera's, external hard drives and PSP's to your computer's USB port.
1) Put your music CD (the one with the songs you want converted) into your PC's CD drive. Start-up your CD Ripper software or PSP Video Converter.
2) Choose the songs you want to extract to your PSP and select "Extract & Encode". This will convert the selected songs PSP format and transfer them to a file on your PC's hard drive.
*Note* If you have music and/or video files already on your computer's hard drive then all you need to do is select "ADD" from your PSP Video Converter or CD Ripper software.
3) Using the USB Cable, connect your PSP to your computer.
4) Turn on your PSP and select "USB Connection" on your PSP. Your computer will automatically detect the new USB device connected to it and designate a new drive letter, usually E:, but not always. You can check in "My Computer" to be sure.
5) Create a new Folder (name it Music or Videos) under the E: drive or whatever letter your PSP was designated. This new folder will actually be your PSP.
6) It's time to start downloading your music and/or video files from your computer to your PSP.
7) That's all there is to it. After you have downloaded all of your favorite video's and music, disconnect the USB cable and you're good to go.
This article is a step-by-step guide on downloading your music-mp3 and music video files to your PSP. This easy to follow guide makes downloading your all of your favorite music to your PSP child's play.
Congratulations on buying that new PSP. You bought some great games with your new PSP and to play them, all you need do is slip a cartridge in the slot and your good to go. Sweet, isn't life great. Hey, how about playing some of your favorite songs or watching one of your music videos on your new favorite toy. Oh! Oh! The store didn't have a cartridge for that! Now what? Don't panic, just follow the step-by-step instructions below and life will be sweet again.
To download music to your PSP you will need to follow these steps.
*Note* Please jump ahead to step #4 if you already have Music - MP3 files located on your computer.
Definitions
CD Ripper Software - Software that extracts (rips) music/mp3 files from your CD and puts them in another file on your computer's hard drive.
PSP Video Converter - Converts your personal computers (PC) video/movie format files into Sony's PSP video/movie format so that you can view them on your PSP.
USB Cable - Cable used to connect peripheral equipment such as camera's, external hard drives and PSP's to your computer's USB port.
1) Put your music CD (the one with the songs you want converted) into your PC's CD drive. Start-up your CD Ripper software or PSP Video Converter.
2) Choose the songs you want to extract to your PSP and select "Extract & Encode". This will convert the selected songs PSP format and transfer them to a file on your PC's hard drive.
*Note* If you have music and/or video files already on your computer's hard drive then all you need to do is select "ADD" from your PSP Video Converter or CD Ripper software.
3) Using the USB Cable, connect your PSP to your computer.
4) Turn on your PSP and select "USB Connection" on your PSP. Your computer will automatically detect the new USB device connected to it and designate a new drive letter, usually E:, but not always. You can check in "My Computer" to be sure.
5) Create a new Folder (name it Music or Videos) under the E: drive or whatever letter your PSP was designated. This new folder will actually be your PSP.
6) It's time to start downloading your music and/or video files from your computer to your PSP.
7) That's all there is to it. After you have downloaded all of your favorite video's and music, disconnect the USB cable and you're good to go.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Video Game Rentals
by Ajeet Kumar Roy
Video game rental services are boon for gamers. Read why one should choose online video game rental services.
With the introduction of new gaming consoles like Xbox 360, PS3, and Nintendo Wii, video game rental industry has really reached new heights. People can now rent favorite games from the comfort of their homes. Gone are the days when we had to spend a lot of time to find the game of our choice from store to store. We can now sit at our homes, look at the details of the games. If the game meets our interest, we can order it online and get it delivered at our doorstep.
It is really not possible for all of us to purchase every game that’s released. We can enjoy the game at a fraction of the real price. When we get bored with the game we can return it back. The best part is we do not have to pay any late fee and keep it as long as we want.
Why are video game rentals becoming famous?
There are few titles that are over hyped. However, when you get it, you end of finishing the game in few hours or in few days. Imagine you could have spent few hundred dollars for this game. This is why video game rentals are becoming more and more famous. It saves your money and time. You can get unlimited games shipped at your doorstep, that too only for a fraction of real cost of a game.
The charges of video game rental service vary from $5.00 and more depending on the number of games you want to rent in a month. It also depends on the time period you want to keep them. There might be some games that you want to keep longer so that you can really get acquainted to all the features. When you are done, you can simply put the game back in the return package and drop it in mailbox.
You can also order the games in the sequence you want. As soon as the video game rental company receives the game back, they will ship you the new one.
Why rent video games online?
There are many reasons to rent games online. It’s very convenient; you now can sit at your home and order the games online. The game will be shipped directly to your doorstep. You no longer have to spend whole day in search of a game from one store to another. They come with a return package. When you are done with a game, you can simply put the game back in the return package and send it back.
You can keep the game as long as you want. There is no late fee. This gives you ample time to get acquainted with all the features of the game.
It is very pocket friendly. If you go to a store to purchase a game, you can easily spend $50 or more. You will pay $50 for a game which you are not sure will satisfy your gaming needs. However, you can rent the same game online for very less.
They also provide free trial. So, if you are a new gamer and would like to test the services, go ahead and grab it.
All in all video game rental services are pocket friendly, very convenient and a dream come true for a game addict.
Video game rental services are boon for gamers. Read why one should choose online video game rental services.
With the introduction of new gaming consoles like Xbox 360, PS3, and Nintendo Wii, video game rental industry has really reached new heights. People can now rent favorite games from the comfort of their homes. Gone are the days when we had to spend a lot of time to find the game of our choice from store to store. We can now sit at our homes, look at the details of the games. If the game meets our interest, we can order it online and get it delivered at our doorstep.
It is really not possible for all of us to purchase every game that’s released. We can enjoy the game at a fraction of the real price. When we get bored with the game we can return it back. The best part is we do not have to pay any late fee and keep it as long as we want.
Why are video game rentals becoming famous?
There are few titles that are over hyped. However, when you get it, you end of finishing the game in few hours or in few days. Imagine you could have spent few hundred dollars for this game. This is why video game rentals are becoming more and more famous. It saves your money and time. You can get unlimited games shipped at your doorstep, that too only for a fraction of real cost of a game.
The charges of video game rental service vary from $5.00 and more depending on the number of games you want to rent in a month. It also depends on the time period you want to keep them. There might be some games that you want to keep longer so that you can really get acquainted to all the features. When you are done, you can simply put the game back in the return package and drop it in mailbox.
You can also order the games in the sequence you want. As soon as the video game rental company receives the game back, they will ship you the new one.
Why rent video games online?
There are many reasons to rent games online. It’s very convenient; you now can sit at your home and order the games online. The game will be shipped directly to your doorstep. You no longer have to spend whole day in search of a game from one store to another. They come with a return package. When you are done with a game, you can simply put the game back in the return package and send it back.
You can keep the game as long as you want. There is no late fee. This gives you ample time to get acquainted with all the features of the game.
It is very pocket friendly. If you go to a store to purchase a game, you can easily spend $50 or more. You will pay $50 for a game which you are not sure will satisfy your gaming needs. However, you can rent the same game online for very less.
They also provide free trial. So, if you are a new gamer and would like to test the services, go ahead and grab it.
All in all video game rental services are pocket friendly, very convenient and a dream come true for a game addict.
Who Will Win The Hi-Def Games War?
by David M E Taylor
A look at the state of the next-gen videogames market as it gets ready for the first Christmas with both PS3 and Xbox 360 launched globally and the big guns games franchises starting to come out. Which format is looking likely to dominate?
With Sony's PlayStation 3 finally launched across the globe, the next-gen videogames wars can start in earnest. Microsoft already has a reasonable installed base for Xbox 360, but not enough to guarantee dominance, while Sony's consumers' brand loyalty is being tested to the limits by the PS3's high price point.
Nintendo, meanwhile, has carved out a nice niche for itself by making next-gen not about hi-def, with its humorously named, but extremely popular Wii.
Within the industry though, most pundits are expecting a much more level playing field this time around, with Microsoft and Sony battling it out, but neither gaining significant domination over the other. This is, frankly put, a disaster for Sony whose PlayStation 2 console defined a generation, and not just of consoles.
What is the reason for this shift? One word: exclusivity. In the good old days, games publishers were convinced to launch their game on a single console, and then perhaps later allow it to grace the competitors' machines, and so Lara boosted the original PlayStation and GTA helped the PS2 explode. With the next-gen, exclusivity is all but gone. GTA will launch on both the Xbox 360 and PS3 and Lara is two-timing the PlayStation all over the place. There are even rumours that Snake will turn tail and that Metal Gear Solid 4 will not be a PlayStation 3 exclusive. In fact, the only games that remain exclusive to a format tend to be those developed by the console manufacturers themselves, first party games as they are known.
So, what do Microsoft and Sony have up their sleeve? Sony has a game called Heavenly Sword, which has games journalists very excited, but apart from this its near-future release schedule is quite embarrassing.
Microsoft on the other hand has a machine mature enough to be expecting its second-wave of titles, games which should really be starting to take advantage of the next-gen hardware (to date, only Gears of War has really shown its next-gen credentials to gamers). And its line up is looking OK, and not just first party: Bioshock, from 2K, Mass Effect, a highly anticipated game from Bioware, who can do no wrong, Halo 3 to arrive one month after GTA IV on both platforms - you don't have a bucket big enough to describe how many bucketloads this game will sell, Fable 2, from the well-liked Lionhead Studio and then later more Project Gotham Racing and Halo action.
Essentially, this year Xbox 360 has some good triple A games, with 2 tent pole releases in GTA IV and Halo 3. Sony has GTA IV and Heavenly Sword and then many more third party, multi-platform games.
So, expect Microsoft to shift some units with their line up, but Sony will also be hoping for a GTA effect on its console. This pinkish, if not rosy, outlook for Microsoft could change next year though. Sony has more development staff than anyone else, and while it might be taking its time, you have to expect its first party games to start coming through.
All of this, of course, is only considering the games consoles as just that, and it remains to be seen what effect, if any, the Blu-Ray (PS3) vs HD-DVD (Xbox 360) hi-definition formats for videos have on sales.
A look at the state of the next-gen videogames market as it gets ready for the first Christmas with both PS3 and Xbox 360 launched globally and the big guns games franchises starting to come out. Which format is looking likely to dominate?
With Sony's PlayStation 3 finally launched across the globe, the next-gen videogames wars can start in earnest. Microsoft already has a reasonable installed base for Xbox 360, but not enough to guarantee dominance, while Sony's consumers' brand loyalty is being tested to the limits by the PS3's high price point.
Nintendo, meanwhile, has carved out a nice niche for itself by making next-gen not about hi-def, with its humorously named, but extremely popular Wii.
Within the industry though, most pundits are expecting a much more level playing field this time around, with Microsoft and Sony battling it out, but neither gaining significant domination over the other. This is, frankly put, a disaster for Sony whose PlayStation 2 console defined a generation, and not just of consoles.
What is the reason for this shift? One word: exclusivity. In the good old days, games publishers were convinced to launch their game on a single console, and then perhaps later allow it to grace the competitors' machines, and so Lara boosted the original PlayStation and GTA helped the PS2 explode. With the next-gen, exclusivity is all but gone. GTA will launch on both the Xbox 360 and PS3 and Lara is two-timing the PlayStation all over the place. There are even rumours that Snake will turn tail and that Metal Gear Solid 4 will not be a PlayStation 3 exclusive. In fact, the only games that remain exclusive to a format tend to be those developed by the console manufacturers themselves, first party games as they are known.
So, what do Microsoft and Sony have up their sleeve? Sony has a game called Heavenly Sword, which has games journalists very excited, but apart from this its near-future release schedule is quite embarrassing.
Microsoft on the other hand has a machine mature enough to be expecting its second-wave of titles, games which should really be starting to take advantage of the next-gen hardware (to date, only Gears of War has really shown its next-gen credentials to gamers). And its line up is looking OK, and not just first party: Bioshock, from 2K, Mass Effect, a highly anticipated game from Bioware, who can do no wrong, Halo 3 to arrive one month after GTA IV on both platforms - you don't have a bucket big enough to describe how many bucketloads this game will sell, Fable 2, from the well-liked Lionhead Studio and then later more Project Gotham Racing and Halo action.
Essentially, this year Xbox 360 has some good triple A games, with 2 tent pole releases in GTA IV and Halo 3. Sony has GTA IV and Heavenly Sword and then many more third party, multi-platform games.
So, expect Microsoft to shift some units with their line up, but Sony will also be hoping for a GTA effect on its console. This pinkish, if not rosy, outlook for Microsoft could change next year though. Sony has more development staff than anyone else, and while it might be taking its time, you have to expect its first party games to start coming through.
All of this, of course, is only considering the games consoles as just that, and it remains to be seen what effect, if any, the Blu-Ray (PS3) vs HD-DVD (Xbox 360) hi-definition formats for videos have on sales.
A Quick Guide to Playing the Shaman in World of Warcraft
by Paul E. Web
World of Warcraft shamans are a balanced class, with a assortment of skills. Those who master the shaman skills will be well rewarded in WoW game play.
This is a quick overview on playing a Shaman. Shamans are spiritual leaders of the orcs, trolls and Tauren. Being a very balanced class, a shaman has many skills, although they may not be as specialized as other classes. Shamans can not only fight well in combat, they can heal themselves and others, cause direct or damage over time.
Shamans can not only melee and cast spells, they also have something unique only to them. Totems are something only the shaman’s can use but everyone can benefit from them so long as they are in the party. Totems give an AoE buff around them ranging from reduced damage to mana regen to even extra attacks!
Shamans must quest to obtain their totem, each representing one of the elements of nature. Earth, Fire, Wind and Water each give their own benefit to the Shaman and his party. Shamans are the only healers that can wear mail, the only other with such strong armor is the Paladin.
Shamans not only make good healers, but if spaced correctly and having the right items they can easily destroy many enemies in PvP. With their healing capabilities they last much longer in PvP and can kill more people before being taken down. Several of their abilities can crush other players and totem buffs only help make them stronger.
Shamans make one of the best back up healers in the game due to the paladin wearing plate and the ability to take more damage, but none the less shamans can heal very well. Along with their totems Shaman make excellent party members when grouping.
For end game, most shamans have to respect to Restoration, called “resto” for short by players, such as “are you a resto spaced shaman?” Shamans who are not resto spaced are not allowed to join end-game guilds for the fact that they cannot heal as well as a full resto shaman. Also resto spaced shaman’s totems are much more effective. Their mana spring totem can regen a lot of mana over time and help give people a few more spells to work with. Now just because they are resto speced, doesn’t mean that they lose anything, it just means that they are better at healing than a non-resto spaced shaman.
Shamans also get “Ghost Wolf” which allows only the shaman class at level 20 to get a 40% movement speed increase. Which is a lot, because when you hit level 40 you can pay 80 gold to train in mounts which give you a 60% increase. “Ghost wolf” is a great talent only comparable to the druid’s travel form, which can only be learned at level 30.
All in all shamans in World Of Warcraft are an awesome class, you can call them a very balanced class. Shamans are now available to both factions in WoW, due to a new race being added.
World of Warcraft shamans are a balanced class, with a assortment of skills. Those who master the shaman skills will be well rewarded in WoW game play.
This is a quick overview on playing a Shaman. Shamans are spiritual leaders of the orcs, trolls and Tauren. Being a very balanced class, a shaman has many skills, although they may not be as specialized as other classes. Shamans can not only fight well in combat, they can heal themselves and others, cause direct or damage over time.
Shamans can not only melee and cast spells, they also have something unique only to them. Totems are something only the shaman’s can use but everyone can benefit from them so long as they are in the party. Totems give an AoE buff around them ranging from reduced damage to mana regen to even extra attacks!
Shamans must quest to obtain their totem, each representing one of the elements of nature. Earth, Fire, Wind and Water each give their own benefit to the Shaman and his party. Shamans are the only healers that can wear mail, the only other with such strong armor is the Paladin.
Shamans not only make good healers, but if spaced correctly and having the right items they can easily destroy many enemies in PvP. With their healing capabilities they last much longer in PvP and can kill more people before being taken down. Several of their abilities can crush other players and totem buffs only help make them stronger.
Shamans make one of the best back up healers in the game due to the paladin wearing plate and the ability to take more damage, but none the less shamans can heal very well. Along with their totems Shaman make excellent party members when grouping.
For end game, most shamans have to respect to Restoration, called “resto” for short by players, such as “are you a resto spaced shaman?” Shamans who are not resto spaced are not allowed to join end-game guilds for the fact that they cannot heal as well as a full resto shaman. Also resto spaced shaman’s totems are much more effective. Their mana spring totem can regen a lot of mana over time and help give people a few more spells to work with. Now just because they are resto speced, doesn’t mean that they lose anything, it just means that they are better at healing than a non-resto spaced shaman.
Shamans also get “Ghost Wolf” which allows only the shaman class at level 20 to get a 40% movement speed increase. Which is a lot, because when you hit level 40 you can pay 80 gold to train in mounts which give you a 60% increase. “Ghost wolf” is a great talent only comparable to the druid’s travel form, which can only be learned at level 30.
All in all shamans in World Of Warcraft are an awesome class, you can call them a very balanced class. Shamans are now available to both factions in WoW, due to a new race being added.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Creating Games-How to Get Started
By Peter Dobra
Many people dream of being on the development team of a game. This article will give you a quick how-to on making the jump between casual player and game developer.
Everyone loves games. There is a magic about them that captures the heart. It could be the brilliant plot, majestic graphics or even the sheer stupidity of the game. I admit, I have spent many an hour playing strange, pointless flash games, and not regretted a minute of it. Except for one game...
Do you know why we love games? Hidden away inside of us is a thirst to understand how they are made. A wonder as to how you might one day be a part of a games creation. I have spent four years off and on working on games, the largest game I was a part of now boasts more than 100,000 downloads. It really isn’t hard to break into the world of gaming; the difficulty comes when you have no idea how to proceed. I am going to list a couple easy to follow tips that will get you started on the road of game development. Before I give the list, you need to know who is involved. On most small, independent game development teams there are between ten and twenty people assisting in the creation of the game, sometimes with small groups of assistants working with a few of the core team members. I am talking about online crews. I have never met any of the people I have worked with. The internet is a wonderful thing.
1. Become involved. There are always games being developed that are offered online for Beta testing. For those that don’t know what Beta testing is, that is when the game is offered to either a large or small group of people that play the game, while actively searching for glitches and reporting any that are found. Typically the game will have forums set up for bugs and suggestions to be posted at. Visit those on a daily basis. Before you post, read every previous post to understand what has been suggested and what has been rejected. This way you don’t leave a first impression of being another regular forum poster. You leave the impression that you are an intelligent, well composed individual. Yes, even online first impressions count.
2. Stick around. Team members WILL be reading and posting on the forums. They will notice you if you can provide help to new members, or create powerful arguments in favor or in opposition to a new idea for the game. Sometimes, just because of your obvious dedication you will be approached and offered a chance to join the team. If you have any skills that may be helpful, feel free to mention them in a few of your posts. In my experience, the most valued members are ones who can crunch numbers, communicate in a polite, clear manner to other members, know any kind of code or are a walking encyclopedia. It all depends on what sort of game you have become involved in.
3. You have joined the team! Congratulations! You will be given assignments and your skills will be put to good use. Just don’t expect to get paid. Most independent game developers work on the game with their spare time, creating teams of volunteers around the world. Really, there isn’t much to getting involved, it is just knowing how and breaking past the first barrier of player to team member that is the most difficult.
Many people dream of being on the development team of a game. This article will give you a quick how-to on making the jump between casual player and game developer.
Everyone loves games. There is a magic about them that captures the heart. It could be the brilliant plot, majestic graphics or even the sheer stupidity of the game. I admit, I have spent many an hour playing strange, pointless flash games, and not regretted a minute of it. Except for one game...
Do you know why we love games? Hidden away inside of us is a thirst to understand how they are made. A wonder as to how you might one day be a part of a games creation. I have spent four years off and on working on games, the largest game I was a part of now boasts more than 100,000 downloads. It really isn’t hard to break into the world of gaming; the difficulty comes when you have no idea how to proceed. I am going to list a couple easy to follow tips that will get you started on the road of game development. Before I give the list, you need to know who is involved. On most small, independent game development teams there are between ten and twenty people assisting in the creation of the game, sometimes with small groups of assistants working with a few of the core team members. I am talking about online crews. I have never met any of the people I have worked with. The internet is a wonderful thing.
1. Become involved. There are always games being developed that are offered online for Beta testing. For those that don’t know what Beta testing is, that is when the game is offered to either a large or small group of people that play the game, while actively searching for glitches and reporting any that are found. Typically the game will have forums set up for bugs and suggestions to be posted at. Visit those on a daily basis. Before you post, read every previous post to understand what has been suggested and what has been rejected. This way you don’t leave a first impression of being another regular forum poster. You leave the impression that you are an intelligent, well composed individual. Yes, even online first impressions count.
2. Stick around. Team members WILL be reading and posting on the forums. They will notice you if you can provide help to new members, or create powerful arguments in favor or in opposition to a new idea for the game. Sometimes, just because of your obvious dedication you will be approached and offered a chance to join the team. If you have any skills that may be helpful, feel free to mention them in a few of your posts. In my experience, the most valued members are ones who can crunch numbers, communicate in a polite, clear manner to other members, know any kind of code or are a walking encyclopedia. It all depends on what sort of game you have become involved in.
3. You have joined the team! Congratulations! You will be given assignments and your skills will be put to good use. Just don’t expect to get paid. Most independent game developers work on the game with their spare time, creating teams of volunteers around the world. Really, there isn’t much to getting involved, it is just knowing how and breaking past the first barrier of player to team member that is the most difficult.
Free Downloads for PSP - What Aren't They Telling You?
by Andrew Perry
Are you looking for Free Downloads for PSP? This article shows you what to look for and how find the best PSP download sites and not get scammed! If you want quality PSP Games and Movies free from viruses and spyware, then you need to read this now!
The Sony Playstation Portable, or PSP is the hottest and most amazing portable gaming device around, with stunning three dimensional graphics and the ability get unlimited free downloads for PSP, such as PSP movies, PSP games and PSP music it stands alone as the king of portable gaming, or so many sites would have you believe. But how do you know which sites are for real?
For years people have put up with inferior quality gaming compared to TV based consoles. With the Sony PSP you really do get a super high quality portable entertainment center, with no short comings in exchange for portability.
Thanks to the Internet, it is possible to download PSP games, PSP format movies, and even home made PSP videos and Movies. The most amazing part is that you can find free PSP downloads that are totally legal and have huge databases of files, some have more than 10 million, can you believe that!
There are a large number of sites that offer free downloads for PSP, but many of them are not worth your time and effort since they are cheap clones that can be riddled with viruses and spyware. If you are interested in finding free PSP game downloads and free PSP video downloads, you must make sure that you use a site that is well researched and reviewed with all the features spelled out here. These are some of the things to look for to make sure you are using a free PSP download site that is not going to waste your time with junk games, movies and other files that you will never watch or use.
What To Look For in a Free PSP Download Site
One of the first things that you should do is to look for a free PSP downloads site that offers you a private membership with no recurring fees. You will most likely have to pay a one time membership fee, but this is extremely beneficial because having a private membership with the quality free PSP download sites ensures you get quality files to download on an unlimited basis.
Look for a Private Membership
With the free PSP download sites that have a private membership, members will tend to check the files for viruses and spy ware, also these membership sites take time to check that there are no dead links and files are working. This will save you a lot of time since you don't have to wade through many of the dead links or download broken files that many of the inferior PSP download sites have. The one time signup fee is really nothing compared to the amount of time you will save and frustration you will avoid by getting excellent quality files and avoiding viruses and spyware.
Be Aware of The Data Transfer Speeds
The second thing to look for is a fast file download. Some PSP download sites are so slow that you find it hard to download a full game or movie in any reasonable amount of time. This can be a real killer when you find the game or movie you want and have to wait for hours and hours to download the file, sometimes it can take all night.
The next most important thing to look for is a prompt and professional customer support team. Customer support can help you with questions about downloading or using your software, and help get rid of broken links and bad files quickly. This is super important especially if you are not an experienced computer user and even if you are, the support at the other end can make or break the value of these sites.
How To Download Your PSP Files
It really is quite easy to use the free downloads for PSP sites. Firstly once you have selected the file you wish to download you simply save to your computer, once that is done you connect your PSP (PlayStation portable) to your computer using the USB cable. The next step is to transfer the file from your computer to your PSP making sure to save it in the appropriate location.
When the file has transferred from your computer to your PSP you simply navigate to the appropriate category, for example if you downloaded and transferred a game, you would select the game category on your PSP and choose the new file from there and run it.
Are you looking for Free Downloads for PSP? This article shows you what to look for and how find the best PSP download sites and not get scammed! If you want quality PSP Games and Movies free from viruses and spyware, then you need to read this now!
The Sony Playstation Portable, or PSP is the hottest and most amazing portable gaming device around, with stunning three dimensional graphics and the ability get unlimited free downloads for PSP, such as PSP movies, PSP games and PSP music it stands alone as the king of portable gaming, or so many sites would have you believe. But how do you know which sites are for real?
For years people have put up with inferior quality gaming compared to TV based consoles. With the Sony PSP you really do get a super high quality portable entertainment center, with no short comings in exchange for portability.
Thanks to the Internet, it is possible to download PSP games, PSP format movies, and even home made PSP videos and Movies. The most amazing part is that you can find free PSP downloads that are totally legal and have huge databases of files, some have more than 10 million, can you believe that!
There are a large number of sites that offer free downloads for PSP, but many of them are not worth your time and effort since they are cheap clones that can be riddled with viruses and spyware. If you are interested in finding free PSP game downloads and free PSP video downloads, you must make sure that you use a site that is well researched and reviewed with all the features spelled out here. These are some of the things to look for to make sure you are using a free PSP download site that is not going to waste your time with junk games, movies and other files that you will never watch or use.
What To Look For in a Free PSP Download Site
One of the first things that you should do is to look for a free PSP downloads site that offers you a private membership with no recurring fees. You will most likely have to pay a one time membership fee, but this is extremely beneficial because having a private membership with the quality free PSP download sites ensures you get quality files to download on an unlimited basis.
Look for a Private Membership
With the free PSP download sites that have a private membership, members will tend to check the files for viruses and spy ware, also these membership sites take time to check that there are no dead links and files are working. This will save you a lot of time since you don't have to wade through many of the dead links or download broken files that many of the inferior PSP download sites have. The one time signup fee is really nothing compared to the amount of time you will save and frustration you will avoid by getting excellent quality files and avoiding viruses and spyware.
Be Aware of The Data Transfer Speeds
The second thing to look for is a fast file download. Some PSP download sites are so slow that you find it hard to download a full game or movie in any reasonable amount of time. This can be a real killer when you find the game or movie you want and have to wait for hours and hours to download the file, sometimes it can take all night.
The next most important thing to look for is a prompt and professional customer support team. Customer support can help you with questions about downloading or using your software, and help get rid of broken links and bad files quickly. This is super important especially if you are not an experienced computer user and even if you are, the support at the other end can make or break the value of these sites.
How To Download Your PSP Files
It really is quite easy to use the free downloads for PSP sites. Firstly once you have selected the file you wish to download you simply save to your computer, once that is done you connect your PSP (PlayStation portable) to your computer using the USB cable. The next step is to transfer the file from your computer to your PSP making sure to save it in the appropriate location.
When the file has transferred from your computer to your PSP you simply navigate to the appropriate category, for example if you downloaded and transferred a game, you would select the game category on your PSP and choose the new file from there and run it.
How To Beat The PS3 Delay
by Eugene Koong
Is the PS3 launching in your country only this March? No worries, prepare to buck the system by importing one
Is the PS3 launching in your country only this March? No worries, prepare to buck the system by importing one.
Some of the question you may be thinking of :
* Where do I get one ? PS3 actually launched in Japan on 11 Nov 06 and in America on 17 Nov 06. Unless you have a friend in this two country the best is to order from an imported site such as ebay.com.
* Sony will be releasing two million PS3s by the end of the year and six million by the end of March 2007. given that PS2 sold a million units its first weekend in Japan, getting one will still be a challenge.
*How much should I pay ? With the decent exchange rate you could save a few bucks, the American price are USD 500 for the 20GB model and USD 600 for the 60GB model, in Japan the 20GB model cost about 49,980 yen.
* Will our games play on it ? PS3 is meant to be region free for gaming,so your game should work just fine. For Blu-Ray movies , it still maybe be region coded.
* How about NTSC and PAL ?
NTSC and PAL are broadcast standard, while Japan and US use NTSC, you will need a NTSC compatible TV.According to AV guru Sam Kieldsen, “nearly all modern flat-panel displays will work with an NTSC PS3.
* What about warranty ? It’s unlikely Sony will honour foreign warranties, if it blows, you will need to pay for the repairs.
Is the PS3 launching in your country only this March? No worries, prepare to buck the system by importing one
Is the PS3 launching in your country only this March? No worries, prepare to buck the system by importing one.
Some of the question you may be thinking of :
* Where do I get one ? PS3 actually launched in Japan on 11 Nov 06 and in America on 17 Nov 06. Unless you have a friend in this two country the best is to order from an imported site such as ebay.com.
* Sony will be releasing two million PS3s by the end of the year and six million by the end of March 2007. given that PS2 sold a million units its first weekend in Japan, getting one will still be a challenge.
*How much should I pay ? With the decent exchange rate you could save a few bucks, the American price are USD 500 for the 20GB model and USD 600 for the 60GB model, in Japan the 20GB model cost about 49,980 yen.
* Will our games play on it ? PS3 is meant to be region free for gaming,so your game should work just fine. For Blu-Ray movies , it still maybe be region coded.
* How about NTSC and PAL ?
NTSC and PAL are broadcast standard, while Japan and US use NTSC, you will need a NTSC compatible TV.According to AV guru Sam Kieldsen, “nearly all modern flat-panel displays will work with an NTSC PS3.
* What about warranty ? It’s unlikely Sony will honour foreign warranties, if it blows, you will need to pay for the repairs.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Increase Your Enjoyment of World of Warcraft by Power Leveling
by Jason Ryan
The massively-multiplayer online role playing game World of Warcraft is unquestionably immersive and entertaining, but some beginners find themselves at a loss when it comes to most effectively developing their online characters. Fortunately, there have been a number of excellent guides released on the Internet that show you tried-and-true pathways that can significantly cut the required playtime to reach the maximum level of 70.
The massively-multiplayer online role playing game World of Warcraft, or WoW as it is affectionately known, is a gaming experience that transcends boundaries and nations. Worldwide, there are over 8 million subscribers playing this game at this time, with player from almost every continent sharing adventures in the magical realm of Azeroth.
WoW is unquestionably an immersive and entertaining game, but with literally thousands of decisions to be made regarding various topics like servers, factions, races and classes, and specialization of characters, it's no wonders that some beginners find themselves at a loss when it comes to most effectively developing their online alter egos.
These days, WoW is increasingly gearing content toward the top level characters who range in the 60-70 levels, addressing some dissatisfaction expressed in the past that high level characters "had nothing to do." This new material includes brand new quests, dungeons, weapons and armor introduced expressly for these high level characters.
Nowadays it's very advantageous to have a powerful, established character in order to enjoy this new content, as well as to better enjoy player vs. player duels and, on a more pragmatic level, earn significant amounts of gold on an ongoing basis. Having a high level character will also help you tackle the toughest dungeons and gain membership to the most selective guilds.
There are a number of options when it comes to leveling your characters quickly, but if you are thinking of using a professional powerleveling service, forget it! These companies promise to take your character to level 70 at a significant cost ranging anywhere from 300 to 1000 dollars, and to do it safely and legally. However, in actuality, these services violate the World of Warcraft end user agreement, which states that you cannot relinquish control of your account to any third party for any reason.
So if you don't want to risk getting your account terminated and your credit card blacklisted by Blizzard, you only really have one option when it comes to powerleveling your character -- do it yourself! But don't worry, it's not as daunting as it may sound. It's actually much more fun this way (as long as you are aware of the right quests and are not simply grinding), and you get to keep all the loot you collect on your way to level 70.
Still, it does take significant time to raise your character's level to the maximum, unless you know the exact right steps to follow. Fortunately, there have been a number of excellent guides released on the Internet that show you the tried-and-true pathways that can cut the required playtime to reach level 70 to just a few weeks. They show you exactly where to go and which quests to undertake in order to take your character to level 70 in the smoothest manner possible.
Whether you decide to take your character to level 70 in the absolutely shortest time possible, or whether you choose to take your time and enjoy the leisurely route, WoW is a truly compelling experience that every computer game player should take the time to try out.
The massively-multiplayer online role playing game World of Warcraft is unquestionably immersive and entertaining, but some beginners find themselves at a loss when it comes to most effectively developing their online characters. Fortunately, there have been a number of excellent guides released on the Internet that show you tried-and-true pathways that can significantly cut the required playtime to reach the maximum level of 70.
The massively-multiplayer online role playing game World of Warcraft, or WoW as it is affectionately known, is a gaming experience that transcends boundaries and nations. Worldwide, there are over 8 million subscribers playing this game at this time, with player from almost every continent sharing adventures in the magical realm of Azeroth.
WoW is unquestionably an immersive and entertaining game, but with literally thousands of decisions to be made regarding various topics like servers, factions, races and classes, and specialization of characters, it's no wonders that some beginners find themselves at a loss when it comes to most effectively developing their online alter egos.
These days, WoW is increasingly gearing content toward the top level characters who range in the 60-70 levels, addressing some dissatisfaction expressed in the past that high level characters "had nothing to do." This new material includes brand new quests, dungeons, weapons and armor introduced expressly for these high level characters.
Nowadays it's very advantageous to have a powerful, established character in order to enjoy this new content, as well as to better enjoy player vs. player duels and, on a more pragmatic level, earn significant amounts of gold on an ongoing basis. Having a high level character will also help you tackle the toughest dungeons and gain membership to the most selective guilds.
There are a number of options when it comes to leveling your characters quickly, but if you are thinking of using a professional powerleveling service, forget it! These companies promise to take your character to level 70 at a significant cost ranging anywhere from 300 to 1000 dollars, and to do it safely and legally. However, in actuality, these services violate the World of Warcraft end user agreement, which states that you cannot relinquish control of your account to any third party for any reason.
So if you don't want to risk getting your account terminated and your credit card blacklisted by Blizzard, you only really have one option when it comes to powerleveling your character -- do it yourself! But don't worry, it's not as daunting as it may sound. It's actually much more fun this way (as long as you are aware of the right quests and are not simply grinding), and you get to keep all the loot you collect on your way to level 70.
Still, it does take significant time to raise your character's level to the maximum, unless you know the exact right steps to follow. Fortunately, there have been a number of excellent guides released on the Internet that show you the tried-and-true pathways that can cut the required playtime to reach level 70 to just a few weeks. They show you exactly where to go and which quests to undertake in order to take your character to level 70 in the smoothest manner possible.
Whether you decide to take your character to level 70 in the absolutely shortest time possible, or whether you choose to take your time and enjoy the leisurely route, WoW is a truly compelling experience that every computer game player should take the time to try out.
Nintendo Wii Accessories
by Gregory Hepburn
Nintendo Wii brings to the gaming industry a product that will be popular with all members of the family, is reasonably priced, and is technologically sound. With the release of the Wii, Nintendo will be able to maintain its market presence and at the same time give its customers great value for money.
Over the years, the development of accessories has taken gaming to new levels of sophistication.
Nintendo Wii is no exception and brings to the gaming industry a product that will be popular with all members of the family, is reasonably priced, and is technologically sound. With the Wii, Nintendo has created an interactive experience. You will be left wondering how Nintendo did it. With the release of the Wii, Nintendo will be able to maintain it's market presence and at the same time give its customers great value for money.
The Nintendo Wii has a set of accessories designed to provide more capabilities when playing games. Some of these accessories are as follows:
The Wii remote is a single-handed remote control device and is responsive to pointing, movements, as well as being user friendly. It has wireless functions and works using a short-range Bluetooth radio. You can use a maximum of four controllers at a distance of up to five meters from the Wii sensor. It is multi-functional and allows nimble use, can be used horizontally, as well as like a steering wheel. According to experts, the design will enable experienced players to hold a remote in each hand, or a Nunchuk in one and a remote in the other. Technically advanced, it can sense movement and orientation. The remote can identify linear motion along three axes. The optical sensor can determine the direction. According to CNET the pointer can get jerky or twitchy. And, the tilt control requires a light touch. The remote controls are not changeable and players have to stay with Wii’s calibrations.
The Nunchuk is a device that can be plugged into the Wii remote. It has an analog stick and two buttons and can be used in games such as Red Steel and Twilight Princess. The Nunchuk also has motion sensors and allows gamers to perform specific character actions, like a spinning slash attack. According to popular opinion, the Nunchuk will become a very popular accessory.
The Nintendo Classic Controller is the classic-style expansion controller which can be used with the Wii remote slotted in to play games by using a traditional game pad. It is to be used to play existing games, virtual console games, and multiplatform games. It connects to the Wii remote through a cord.
Targeted at the gaming market, the Nintendo Wii may not be popular if buyers are looking for graphics and special effects. The main features of the Wii are it's motion-sensing, remote , pseudo-reality controls, and internet capabilities. The whole family can enjoy playing with a Wii. You may need to buy a second controller for your family once you all have spent hours playing golf, bowling, and even boxing. You may not need to buy any other games than the ones which come packaged with the system. Some people only play the sports games that came with the Wii package. Playing Wii games may require you to bend your knees and step into the flow of things.
Nintendo Wii brings to the gaming industry a product that will be popular with all members of the family, is reasonably priced, and is technologically sound. With the release of the Wii, Nintendo will be able to maintain its market presence and at the same time give its customers great value for money.
Over the years, the development of accessories has taken gaming to new levels of sophistication.
Nintendo Wii is no exception and brings to the gaming industry a product that will be popular with all members of the family, is reasonably priced, and is technologically sound. With the Wii, Nintendo has created an interactive experience. You will be left wondering how Nintendo did it. With the release of the Wii, Nintendo will be able to maintain it's market presence and at the same time give its customers great value for money.
The Nintendo Wii has a set of accessories designed to provide more capabilities when playing games. Some of these accessories are as follows:
The Wii remote is a single-handed remote control device and is responsive to pointing, movements, as well as being user friendly. It has wireless functions and works using a short-range Bluetooth radio. You can use a maximum of four controllers at a distance of up to five meters from the Wii sensor. It is multi-functional and allows nimble use, can be used horizontally, as well as like a steering wheel. According to experts, the design will enable experienced players to hold a remote in each hand, or a Nunchuk in one and a remote in the other. Technically advanced, it can sense movement and orientation. The remote can identify linear motion along three axes. The optical sensor can determine the direction. According to CNET the pointer can get jerky or twitchy. And, the tilt control requires a light touch. The remote controls are not changeable and players have to stay with Wii’s calibrations.
The Nunchuk is a device that can be plugged into the Wii remote. It has an analog stick and two buttons and can be used in games such as Red Steel and Twilight Princess. The Nunchuk also has motion sensors and allows gamers to perform specific character actions, like a spinning slash attack. According to popular opinion, the Nunchuk will become a very popular accessory.
The Nintendo Classic Controller is the classic-style expansion controller which can be used with the Wii remote slotted in to play games by using a traditional game pad. It is to be used to play existing games, virtual console games, and multiplatform games. It connects to the Wii remote through a cord.
Targeted at the gaming market, the Nintendo Wii may not be popular if buyers are looking for graphics and special effects. The main features of the Wii are it's motion-sensing, remote , pseudo-reality controls, and internet capabilities. The whole family can enjoy playing with a Wii. You may need to buy a second controller for your family once you all have spent hours playing golf, bowling, and even boxing. You may not need to buy any other games than the ones which come packaged with the system. Some people only play the sports games that came with the Wii package. Playing Wii games may require you to bend your knees and step into the flow of things.
How To Get Online With the PSP Using a Wireless Router In 7 Simple Steps
by Ade Lamidi
7 Simple Steps you require to connect your Playstation Portable (PSP) to the internet using a wireless router.
The Wi-Fi connectivity of the PSP holds many exciting features from allowing you to play games online and with your buddies, exchanging pictures, and even browsing the internet, which just proves that the PSP is more than just a simple handheld games console. Setting up the PSP to browse the internet is a lot easier if you have a wireless router connected. Once connected you can follow the 7 simple steps outlined below to get connected.
Step1 – Go to Settings and then select Network settings
Step2 – Select Infrastructure Mode and start a [New Connection]. By setting up in Infrastructure Mode, you will be able to take advantage of the more exciting features of the PSP, such as browsing the Internet and playing games online with your friends.
Step3 – Access the WLAN Settings and select scan to search for an SSID of nearby access points. If you find more than one access point, simply connect to the one with the strongest signal.
Step4 – Once an SSID is found, select it (make sure you don’t rename it) and move to the WLAN Security Settings. You should note that if the access point is using WEP encryption, you will need to enter the WEP key manually (when the access point is detected, it will display the type of encryption it is running. WEP key should be displayed on your router. If it displays none, simply move onto the next step.
Step5 – Now you have a couple of choices of either Easy or Custom in Address Settings menu. I suggest you selecting the Easy option which will complete the Infrastructure Mode set-up automatically.
Step6 – Choose your Connection Name and enter it. A Setting List will be displayed. Press x button to save settings.
Step7 – Test Connection to make sure everything works. If all is okay, Network Settings will display Connection Name, Signal Strength, SSID, BSSID, Channel, Security and IP Address.
In a nutshell there we are, 7 simple steps to connect your PSP to the internet using a wireless router to enable you to start surfing the internet, playing games online with friends, exchanging pictures and downloading your favourite RSS channels
7 Simple Steps you require to connect your Playstation Portable (PSP) to the internet using a wireless router.
The Wi-Fi connectivity of the PSP holds many exciting features from allowing you to play games online and with your buddies, exchanging pictures, and even browsing the internet, which just proves that the PSP is more than just a simple handheld games console. Setting up the PSP to browse the internet is a lot easier if you have a wireless router connected. Once connected you can follow the 7 simple steps outlined below to get connected.
Step1 – Go to Settings and then select Network settings
Step2 – Select Infrastructure Mode and start a [New Connection]. By setting up in Infrastructure Mode, you will be able to take advantage of the more exciting features of the PSP, such as browsing the Internet and playing games online with your friends.
Step3 – Access the WLAN Settings and select scan to search for an SSID of nearby access points. If you find more than one access point, simply connect to the one with the strongest signal.
Step4 – Once an SSID is found, select it (make sure you don’t rename it) and move to the WLAN Security Settings. You should note that if the access point is using WEP encryption, you will need to enter the WEP key manually (when the access point is detected, it will display the type of encryption it is running. WEP key should be displayed on your router. If it displays none, simply move onto the next step.
Step5 – Now you have a couple of choices of either Easy or Custom in Address Settings menu. I suggest you selecting the Easy option which will complete the Infrastructure Mode set-up automatically.
Step6 – Choose your Connection Name and enter it. A Setting List will be displayed. Press x button to save settings.
Step7 – Test Connection to make sure everything works. If all is okay, Network Settings will display Connection Name, Signal Strength, SSID, BSSID, Channel, Security and IP Address.
In a nutshell there we are, 7 simple steps to connect your PSP to the internet using a wireless router to enable you to start surfing the internet, playing games online with friends, exchanging pictures and downloading your favourite RSS channels
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Game Copy Software 101 - Top 3 Game Copy Software Programs
by Richard Seng
Have you ever had one of your DVD's become scratched. Why not save yourself some money and copy your game DVD's.
The Important Features of Game Copy Software
What is Game Copy Software? This type of software allows you to create a backup of your favorite game systems or personal computer games. It is an expensive venture to collect games. So by purchasing game copy software you will have the added peace of mind just knowing that you have backups in case of fire, theft, or the accidental misplacement of a game.
Game copy programs offer high quality copies. These software programs go above and beyond just copying your games. You can take away elements that game manufacturers include with games to thwart privacy.
Of course the type of game copy software you choose is vital to your game copy success.
Top 3 Game Copy Software Programs
1. 1Click DVD Copy
2. CloneDVD
3. DVD Cloner 4
What Features of Game Copy Software are Important:
Step number one is to decide how you want to utilize your game copy software.
How Easy is it to Use?
Step number two is that someone who is not that savy on the computer should be able to implement and use the game copy software with absolutely no help at all.
Easy to Setup:
Do not choose, a software that requires additional downloads or multiple restarts to use. Shop for a program that is easy, to install and set up.
Important Features:
A highly rated game copy software should come with several useful features such as virtual drive, this will allow you to play your games directly from your hard drive without the game disc. This feature is important because it lowers everyday wear and tear on your games. Do not settle for a software program that only does one to one copying. Choose a game copy software that is flexible and one that meets your needs.
High Quality Copies:
A flexible game copy software that accepts a variety of formats CD’s or DVD’s is a must! The software you choose should make a full working copy the first time. This copy must be an exact of the original one. If you are copying a game which will be split between two different discs, the software program you choose should be able to decide on the best place to start on the second disc.
Protection Removal:
Check for the number of protections types the software you choose can remove. This removable process need not be difficult. The number of input variables that must have manual adjustments should be minimal, when changing from one type of protection form to another. This is referring to burning speed, flies to eliminate, time etc.
Documentation, Support and Help:
Game copying can be complicated considering the many types of protection, and the large number of media formats to choose from. The language of the program you choose should be simple to interpret. Look for help information that is set up in an organized fashion so the answers to your questions can be found quickly. The available help flies, need to provide clearly stated step by step instructions and offer troubleshooting tips.
Have fun with your collection of games with the added piece of mind that you have them all copied and safely set aside in the event that something happens to your originals. Once again high tech fun at its best!
Have you ever had one of your DVD's become scratched. Why not save yourself some money and copy your game DVD's.
The Important Features of Game Copy Software
What is Game Copy Software? This type of software allows you to create a backup of your favorite game systems or personal computer games. It is an expensive venture to collect games. So by purchasing game copy software you will have the added peace of mind just knowing that you have backups in case of fire, theft, or the accidental misplacement of a game.
Game copy programs offer high quality copies. These software programs go above and beyond just copying your games. You can take away elements that game manufacturers include with games to thwart privacy.
Of course the type of game copy software you choose is vital to your game copy success.
Top 3 Game Copy Software Programs
1. 1Click DVD Copy
2. CloneDVD
3. DVD Cloner 4
What Features of Game Copy Software are Important:
Step number one is to decide how you want to utilize your game copy software.
How Easy is it to Use?
Step number two is that someone who is not that savy on the computer should be able to implement and use the game copy software with absolutely no help at all.
Easy to Setup:
Do not choose, a software that requires additional downloads or multiple restarts to use. Shop for a program that is easy, to install and set up.
Important Features:
A highly rated game copy software should come with several useful features such as virtual drive, this will allow you to play your games directly from your hard drive without the game disc. This feature is important because it lowers everyday wear and tear on your games. Do not settle for a software program that only does one to one copying. Choose a game copy software that is flexible and one that meets your needs.
High Quality Copies:
A flexible game copy software that accepts a variety of formats CD’s or DVD’s is a must! The software you choose should make a full working copy the first time. This copy must be an exact of the original one. If you are copying a game which will be split between two different discs, the software program you choose should be able to decide on the best place to start on the second disc.
Protection Removal:
Check for the number of protections types the software you choose can remove. This removable process need not be difficult. The number of input variables that must have manual adjustments should be minimal, when changing from one type of protection form to another. This is referring to burning speed, flies to eliminate, time etc.
Documentation, Support and Help:
Game copying can be complicated considering the many types of protection, and the large number of media formats to choose from. The language of the program you choose should be simple to interpret. Look for help information that is set up in an organized fashion so the answers to your questions can be found quickly. The available help flies, need to provide clearly stated step by step instructions and offer troubleshooting tips.
Have fun with your collection of games with the added piece of mind that you have them all copied and safely set aside in the event that something happens to your originals. Once again high tech fun at its best!
The New Age of Video Game Rentals
by John Hinkley
Rent Video Games Online and Save Hundreds on the Hard Costs of Buying Ever spent your hard earned cash on a game that just didn't perform and entertain you as much as it should? Did you get caught up in the hype of a popular new release, and it just failed to deliver the quality you were looking for? In the world of gaming, the new reigning consoles Xbox 360, PS3, and Nintendo Wii have captured the attention of video gamers across the world. The fame of these new consoles has formed a new trend in video game rentals across our nation.
Ever spent your hard earned cash on a game that just didn't perform and entertain you as much as it should? Did you get caught up in the hype of a popular new release, and it just failed to deliver the quality you were looking for? In the world of gaming, the new reigning consoles Xbox 360, PS3, and Nintendo Wii have captured the attention of video gamers across the world. The fame of these new consoles has formed a new trend in video game rentals across our nation.
There are some titles that you end up finishing within a few hours to a few days worth of play and never receive any true sense of enjoyment or accomplishment from the game. For this reason alone, video game rental is becoming an increasingly popular way for gamers to test out their most sought after game before shelling out hundreds of dollars on a game that doesn't make it past its first few hours.
To rent a video game, some major rental chains like Blockbuster allow users to rent titles for a few days with charges that are usually $5 and more depending on if you need to keep the game longer. But nowadays, there are many different places that provide cheaper rentals offering a vast array of games within their selection for just $1 per customer.
The best part is that you can keep the game as long as you want. So, if you need a little more time to get acquainted with certain levels, accomplish different goals, or just don't have the time to hammer away at a particular game for too long, you now have more options.
Why Rent Video Games Online?
Being a gamer can be expensive at times if you are paying full price for multiple games a month. Some games cost more than $50 and if it is a highly anticipated release, some will pay inflated amounts of money just to be part of the first to play this specific title. The biggest disappointment is when the game is a complete flop. You can always resell it for a few dollars, but you never recoup the loss of the first purchase.
Online video game rentals allow you to spend the least amount of money on a game without giving a full commitment of cash upfront. Plus, you can always return the title the next day if it ends up being a dud.
When it seems like you've found a great game that allows you to be entertained for hours on end, you end up spending less than a few dollars to find it. If the thrill of a game has gone once you've defeated all levels, then online video game rentals are the best approach to take.
With the new release of the PS3 console and Xbox 360 games, there will be plenty of gamers out there looking for their new release titles for these great video game consoles. Another great aspect of online video game rentals is that you pay the same price for newer video games rentals compared to older video game rentals. It's all the same price across the board.
With the new consoles being released almost every other year, you may also compare the graphics and presentation of your favorite games on a wide-range of consoles for the low membership costs of $5.95 on up to $14.99 per month. Rent as many games and portable video games for Nintendo DS and PSP as well. Portable games are just as popular on the rental scene as their counterpart console games.
With so many video game consoles and portable games on the rise every year, its hard to stay away from some playing your favorite games. Nowadays, with online video game rental companies like GameFly and Gottaplay, you can maintain your video game habit without it effecting your wallet.
Rent Video Games Online and Save Hundreds on the Hard Costs of Buying Ever spent your hard earned cash on a game that just didn't perform and entertain you as much as it should? Did you get caught up in the hype of a popular new release, and it just failed to deliver the quality you were looking for? In the world of gaming, the new reigning consoles Xbox 360, PS3, and Nintendo Wii have captured the attention of video gamers across the world. The fame of these new consoles has formed a new trend in video game rentals across our nation.
Ever spent your hard earned cash on a game that just didn't perform and entertain you as much as it should? Did you get caught up in the hype of a popular new release, and it just failed to deliver the quality you were looking for? In the world of gaming, the new reigning consoles Xbox 360, PS3, and Nintendo Wii have captured the attention of video gamers across the world. The fame of these new consoles has formed a new trend in video game rentals across our nation.
There are some titles that you end up finishing within a few hours to a few days worth of play and never receive any true sense of enjoyment or accomplishment from the game. For this reason alone, video game rental is becoming an increasingly popular way for gamers to test out their most sought after game before shelling out hundreds of dollars on a game that doesn't make it past its first few hours.
To rent a video game, some major rental chains like Blockbuster allow users to rent titles for a few days with charges that are usually $5 and more depending on if you need to keep the game longer. But nowadays, there are many different places that provide cheaper rentals offering a vast array of games within their selection for just $1 per customer.
The best part is that you can keep the game as long as you want. So, if you need a little more time to get acquainted with certain levels, accomplish different goals, or just don't have the time to hammer away at a particular game for too long, you now have more options.
Why Rent Video Games Online?
Being a gamer can be expensive at times if you are paying full price for multiple games a month. Some games cost more than $50 and if it is a highly anticipated release, some will pay inflated amounts of money just to be part of the first to play this specific title. The biggest disappointment is when the game is a complete flop. You can always resell it for a few dollars, but you never recoup the loss of the first purchase.
Online video game rentals allow you to spend the least amount of money on a game without giving a full commitment of cash upfront. Plus, you can always return the title the next day if it ends up being a dud.
When it seems like you've found a great game that allows you to be entertained for hours on end, you end up spending less than a few dollars to find it. If the thrill of a game has gone once you've defeated all levels, then online video game rentals are the best approach to take.
With the new release of the PS3 console and Xbox 360 games, there will be plenty of gamers out there looking for their new release titles for these great video game consoles. Another great aspect of online video game rentals is that you pay the same price for newer video games rentals compared to older video game rentals. It's all the same price across the board.
With the new consoles being released almost every other year, you may also compare the graphics and presentation of your favorite games on a wide-range of consoles for the low membership costs of $5.95 on up to $14.99 per month. Rent as many games and portable video games for Nintendo DS and PSP as well. Portable games are just as popular on the rental scene as their counterpart console games.
With so many video game consoles and portable games on the rise every year, its hard to stay away from some playing your favorite games. Nowadays, with online video game rental companies like GameFly and Gottaplay, you can maintain your video game habit without it effecting your wallet.
Regulated Video Game Designers Find A New Home On The Internet
by Michael Connelly
A discussion about video games with sexual content and how the Internet is playing a major part in their future. With recent movements to regulate the content in the games that are played on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PSP and Nintendo Wii consoles some video game designers are turning to the Internet as their venue of choice.
There used to be a time when sexual content was just a gimmick that was added to video games to spice them up a little. It was used mostly to advance the game, bring down an opponent or merely as a diversion. The sex was implied, but not really seen. Game characters would get together but they did not really have sex. It was the kind that we see in television sitcoms. After all, when most people think of video games they think of kids as the primary players. But when game designers realized that adult players are more than half of their business they started to listen to feedback about what they wanted in their video games. Of course, they wanted more sex in their Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PSP and Nintendo Wii games. The game makers then began to give the game players what they wanted and that was when they ran into the reality of regulation. Rather than conform to new restrictions on content, some video game designers took their act to the Internet.
When the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was recently given an Adults only 18+ rating a controversy was immediately created over sex in video games. The game was pulled from the shelves of retailers who do not sell sexually explicit content in their stores. Take Two Interactive Software Inc., the company that makes the game lost millions of dollars and a stern message was sent out to those who would try to market sexually explicit games to minors.
Gamers were outraged as conservative groups went even further and lobbied for new laws regarding explicit sex and violence in video games. The long arm of government regulation had finally put its heavy hand on the shoulder of the video game industry and they did not like it at all. They were not used to being told what kind of content they could and could not put in their games.
One of the responses by some video game designers to the recent laws regarding sex in video games was to take their games to the Internet where they would be free from any kind of restrictions or regulations. On the worldwide web the potential customer base is huge and there is no viable way to regulate the content. The Internet belongs to the World, and unless there comes a time when there is one World government that decides how everyone on the planet must behave, I do not see regulation ever becoming a reality. It is much like the Wild West out there in cyberspace, and there will not be a Sheriff showing up any time soon.
Sony Corp., Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo Co. Ltd , the companies that make the hardware for Playstation 3, PSP, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii games will not grant licensing to any software development companies who use sexually explicit material in their game content or titles. Critics have blasted them for allowing extremely violent content in their games for years while prohibiting graphic sex.
While sexual content has always been regulated on television and in films, with the Internet there is absolutely no oversight. If video games with sexual content are available for anyone to see at any time then the obvious concern would be that children will be accessing these games using their home computers. This means that parents must monitor their children more closely when they are on their computer
The real question is how well can the video game designers regulate themselves so as not to fall too far down into the seedy world of online pornography. The bottom of the moral barrel is pretty low in that industry and it would be a shame to see the online video game industry turn away from creative characters, graphics and storyline in favor of sex as its primary purpose.
A discussion about video games with sexual content and how the Internet is playing a major part in their future. With recent movements to regulate the content in the games that are played on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PSP and Nintendo Wii consoles some video game designers are turning to the Internet as their venue of choice.
There used to be a time when sexual content was just a gimmick that was added to video games to spice them up a little. It was used mostly to advance the game, bring down an opponent or merely as a diversion. The sex was implied, but not really seen. Game characters would get together but they did not really have sex. It was the kind that we see in television sitcoms. After all, when most people think of video games they think of kids as the primary players. But when game designers realized that adult players are more than half of their business they started to listen to feedback about what they wanted in their video games. Of course, they wanted more sex in their Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PSP and Nintendo Wii games. The game makers then began to give the game players what they wanted and that was when they ran into the reality of regulation. Rather than conform to new restrictions on content, some video game designers took their act to the Internet.
When the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was recently given an Adults only 18+ rating a controversy was immediately created over sex in video games. The game was pulled from the shelves of retailers who do not sell sexually explicit content in their stores. Take Two Interactive Software Inc., the company that makes the game lost millions of dollars and a stern message was sent out to those who would try to market sexually explicit games to minors.
Gamers were outraged as conservative groups went even further and lobbied for new laws regarding explicit sex and violence in video games. The long arm of government regulation had finally put its heavy hand on the shoulder of the video game industry and they did not like it at all. They were not used to being told what kind of content they could and could not put in their games.
One of the responses by some video game designers to the recent laws regarding sex in video games was to take their games to the Internet where they would be free from any kind of restrictions or regulations. On the worldwide web the potential customer base is huge and there is no viable way to regulate the content. The Internet belongs to the World, and unless there comes a time when there is one World government that decides how everyone on the planet must behave, I do not see regulation ever becoming a reality. It is much like the Wild West out there in cyberspace, and there will not be a Sheriff showing up any time soon.
Sony Corp., Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo Co. Ltd , the companies that make the hardware for Playstation 3, PSP, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii games will not grant licensing to any software development companies who use sexually explicit material in their game content or titles. Critics have blasted them for allowing extremely violent content in their games for years while prohibiting graphic sex.
While sexual content has always been regulated on television and in films, with the Internet there is absolutely no oversight. If video games with sexual content are available for anyone to see at any time then the obvious concern would be that children will be accessing these games using their home computers. This means that parents must monitor their children more closely when they are on their computer
The real question is how well can the video game designers regulate themselves so as not to fall too far down into the seedy world of online pornography. The bottom of the moral barrel is pretty low in that industry and it would be a shame to see the online video game industry turn away from creative characters, graphics and storyline in favor of sex as its primary purpose.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Flash Game Programming for Actionscript 2.0
by Ashley Peach
I have written this article as a basic primer to flash game programming. In this article I will cover how basic programming can be applied to creating flash games. This article will not cover graphic design or drawing.
I have written this article as a basic primer to flash game programming. In this article I will cover how basic programming can be applied to creating flash games. This article will not cover graphic design or drawing. If you are already proficient in another programming language this article will certainly help in the transition to flash game programming.
This article is aimed at people will very basic programming knowledge. An interest in flash games is certainly a bonus when learning to program them. Programming languages of any king will help you to understand this article and its terminology relating to flash game programming. I will be using very general programming terminology.
The very first thing I am going to cover is variables. A variable is a place where either a number, string(text) or a Boolean(true or false) can be stored. Variables can be changed at run time this means during game play. For example number of ammo in a weapon can be stored as a variable. As the user shoots the weapon the variable is degreased. A very symbol way in programming syntax would be: On press decrease the ammo variable by one.
The next thing I’m going to discuss is hit tests. A hit test is performed to detect when two symbols make contact. When these symbols make contact a true value is returned while the objects are not in contact a false value is returned. As you can imagine this very simple function has many uses where game programming is covered. An example of this could be when bullet hits its target play an animation of the enemy’s death and remove them from the screen. So the basic in programming terms to this would be: if bullet and enemy’s hit test is equal to ‘true’ then activate function enemy death that takes the value of the enemy’s unique identifier. Inside the function would be syntax to display the animation and remove the symbol from the screen.
Displaying a life car can be achieved by first creating a small rectangle graphic. Next make the rectangle a movie clip and sets its identifier to a name of your choice. After this create a variable and set the variables values to ‘100’ and strict data style it to a number. Once you have done this, open action script and set the rectangles .length property to the variable you just created and set to ‘100’. This way when the variable is increased or decreased the bar will change lengths. So when the variable is high the bar is longer and when the variable is low the bar will become shorter. Remember variables can be changed at run time there for so can the bar. Using a simple hit test to increase and decrease the variable which in turn changes the bars length. Producing a working bar that shows how much value the variable contains. This can easily be added into a game where the length of the bar resents the amount of life a player has remaining.
I hope this article showed you just how simple the elements that make up a flash game can be. Games may look daunting but once you break down there elements they become a lot simpler than they may first appear. If you have no yet tried making a game using flash then I strongly suggest you give it ago. The best way to learn flash is by experimenting and creating working scripts.
I have written this article as a basic primer to flash game programming. In this article I will cover how basic programming can be applied to creating flash games. This article will not cover graphic design or drawing.
I have written this article as a basic primer to flash game programming. In this article I will cover how basic programming can be applied to creating flash games. This article will not cover graphic design or drawing. If you are already proficient in another programming language this article will certainly help in the transition to flash game programming.
This article is aimed at people will very basic programming knowledge. An interest in flash games is certainly a bonus when learning to program them. Programming languages of any king will help you to understand this article and its terminology relating to flash game programming. I will be using very general programming terminology.
The very first thing I am going to cover is variables. A variable is a place where either a number, string(text) or a Boolean(true or false) can be stored. Variables can be changed at run time this means during game play. For example number of ammo in a weapon can be stored as a variable. As the user shoots the weapon the variable is degreased. A very symbol way in programming syntax would be: On press decrease the ammo variable by one.
The next thing I’m going to discuss is hit tests. A hit test is performed to detect when two symbols make contact. When these symbols make contact a true value is returned while the objects are not in contact a false value is returned. As you can imagine this very simple function has many uses where game programming is covered. An example of this could be when bullet hits its target play an animation of the enemy’s death and remove them from the screen. So the basic in programming terms to this would be: if bullet and enemy’s hit test is equal to ‘true’ then activate function enemy death that takes the value of the enemy’s unique identifier. Inside the function would be syntax to display the animation and remove the symbol from the screen.
Displaying a life car can be achieved by first creating a small rectangle graphic. Next make the rectangle a movie clip and sets its identifier to a name of your choice. After this create a variable and set the variables values to ‘100’ and strict data style it to a number. Once you have done this, open action script and set the rectangles .length property to the variable you just created and set to ‘100’. This way when the variable is increased or decreased the bar will change lengths. So when the variable is high the bar is longer and when the variable is low the bar will become shorter. Remember variables can be changed at run time there for so can the bar. Using a simple hit test to increase and decrease the variable which in turn changes the bars length. Producing a working bar that shows how much value the variable contains. This can easily be added into a game where the length of the bar resents the amount of life a player has remaining.
I hope this article showed you just how simple the elements that make up a flash game can be. Games may look daunting but once you break down there elements they become a lot simpler than they may first appear. If you have no yet tried making a game using flash then I strongly suggest you give it ago. The best way to learn flash is by experimenting and creating working scripts.
What You Need To Know About Becoming A Video Game Tester
by Dave Francis
Game testing can be a lot of fun, and in many cases can be a Full-Time "Quit your Day Job" kind of income. This is an overview of what you can expect during the process of Becoming a Game Tester.
While it might be very easy to imagine getting payed big bucks to play video games, did you ever imagine that it was anything more than just a wistful fantasy? Your dreams might be closer than you think as game developers expand and refine their merchandise for a wider audience; becoming a game tester is an occupation that can give you looks at the newest releases months before they hit the shelves, insight and contacts in a rapidly developing industry and some cash, all at once.
There's more to becoming a game tester than you might think. Of course, a certain amount of skill regarding basic game play is necessary; so are good documentation abilities! The job is to spot errors, and while some are fairly straightforward ("hey, if you go too far to the left here, parts of the scenery disappears!") others are more complex, requiring several paragraphs of explanation. As a tester, you will usually receive the game when it is anywhere from 50 to 75 percent done, and one thing that the programmers and your employers will expect is a a steady stream of feedback.
Game testing can be a lot of fun, but keep in mind that it can also be very demanding. You'll be working under tough deadlines, just like the rest of the company, and you'll be expected to provide feedback to make sure that the game itself runs smoothly. Spoken and written communication skills cannot be emphasized enough in this kind of work.
Of course, the easiest way to get involved in game testing is to know someone in the industry. While it's not all about who you know, it certainly doesn't hurt. The nice thing is that it's not that hard to get to know people. Check the forums of your favorite game designers, be polite and jump on any hint of an offer of game testing, because, face it, that's exactly what a hundred other people will be doing as soon as they see that offer.
Game testing can be a lot of fun, and in many cases can be a Full-Time "Quit your Day Job" kind of income. This is an overview of what you can expect during the process of Becoming a Game Tester.
While it might be very easy to imagine getting payed big bucks to play video games, did you ever imagine that it was anything more than just a wistful fantasy? Your dreams might be closer than you think as game developers expand and refine their merchandise for a wider audience; becoming a game tester is an occupation that can give you looks at the newest releases months before they hit the shelves, insight and contacts in a rapidly developing industry and some cash, all at once.
There's more to becoming a game tester than you might think. Of course, a certain amount of skill regarding basic game play is necessary; so are good documentation abilities! The job is to spot errors, and while some are fairly straightforward ("hey, if you go too far to the left here, parts of the scenery disappears!") others are more complex, requiring several paragraphs of explanation. As a tester, you will usually receive the game when it is anywhere from 50 to 75 percent done, and one thing that the programmers and your employers will expect is a a steady stream of feedback.
Game testing can be a lot of fun, but keep in mind that it can also be very demanding. You'll be working under tough deadlines, just like the rest of the company, and you'll be expected to provide feedback to make sure that the game itself runs smoothly. Spoken and written communication skills cannot be emphasized enough in this kind of work.
Of course, the easiest way to get involved in game testing is to know someone in the industry. While it's not all about who you know, it certainly doesn't hurt. The nice thing is that it's not that hard to get to know people. Check the forums of your favorite game designers, be polite and jump on any hint of an offer of game testing, because, face it, that's exactly what a hundred other people will be doing as soon as they see that offer.
World of Warcraft Accessories
by Miles Tyler
In World of Warcraft there are many ways of going about attaining the various accessories that are needed for your particular character class. Other factors that can aide you in your quest for better World of Warcraft accessories are the professions that you choose for your character. You also have the obvious options of buying, selling, and trading with other WoW players as well as collecting dropped items and loot rewards.
In World of Warcraft there are many ways of going about attaining the various accessories that are needed for your particular character class. Other factors that can aide you in your quest for better World of Warcraft accessories are the professions that you choose for your character. You also have the obvious options of buying, selling, and trading with other WoW players as well as collecting dropped items and loot rewards.
Drops are the most obvious way of collecting accessories and if your profession is Enchanting then you can greatly benefit from drops by using them to create the reagents that you need for your profession. Enchanting allows you to enchant weapons and armor thereby permanently enhancing them. Enchanting is by no means the creation of new items. The process requires that you first obtain items that are not yet enchanted. You will also need to obtain magical items that you can then disenchant in order to create the reagents that are required to enchant other items. You can also use Enchanting to make oils that can be applied to weapons that will temporarily enhance them.
Another means of creating items in World of Warcraft is through the profession of Blacksmithing. Blacksmiths forge metal bars along with other reagents into useful weapons and armor. This makes this profession the perfect choice for the Warrior and Paladin classes. Having the ability to forge your own weapons and armor can be highly useful. Blacksmiths can make items for other professions as well, including the Enchanter's Rod for the Profession of Enchanting. Mining is the perfect choice for a profession to accompany Blacksmithing due to the overwhelming need for raw materials.
Now available to those with the World of Warcraft Burning Crusade expansion, Jewelcrafting is the ultimate profession for creating accessories in World of Warcraft. With Jewelcrafting you are given the ability to craft accessories that were only available previously as loot rewards and dropped items such as necklaces, trinkets, crowns, and rings. As a Master Jewelcrafter you will be able to cut socketable gems that can be used to enhance particular characteristics of new types of armor by placing them into their slots. All of the character classes in World of Warcraft can benefit from the profession of Jewelcrafting because the accessories that can be created through this profession can be used by any of them. There is a piece of jewelry for every need that can be imagined. There are trinkets that can supply mana regeneration, necklaces that grant the wearer high attack power, rings that provide defense and armor, etc. Obviously, the advantages that Jewelcrafting has to offer are not concentrated upon any one role or character class.
So there you have just a few of the ways of acquiring accessories in World of Warcraft. Whether it is buying, selling, and trading with other WoW players, creating your own through your various professions, or simply collecting drops and loot rewards along the way. There are many options for accessorizing to choose from in World of Warcraft.
In World of Warcraft there are many ways of going about attaining the various accessories that are needed for your particular character class. Other factors that can aide you in your quest for better World of Warcraft accessories are the professions that you choose for your character. You also have the obvious options of buying, selling, and trading with other WoW players as well as collecting dropped items and loot rewards.
In World of Warcraft there are many ways of going about attaining the various accessories that are needed for your particular character class. Other factors that can aide you in your quest for better World of Warcraft accessories are the professions that you choose for your character. You also have the obvious options of buying, selling, and trading with other WoW players as well as collecting dropped items and loot rewards.
Drops are the most obvious way of collecting accessories and if your profession is Enchanting then you can greatly benefit from drops by using them to create the reagents that you need for your profession. Enchanting allows you to enchant weapons and armor thereby permanently enhancing them. Enchanting is by no means the creation of new items. The process requires that you first obtain items that are not yet enchanted. You will also need to obtain magical items that you can then disenchant in order to create the reagents that are required to enchant other items. You can also use Enchanting to make oils that can be applied to weapons that will temporarily enhance them.
Another means of creating items in World of Warcraft is through the profession of Blacksmithing. Blacksmiths forge metal bars along with other reagents into useful weapons and armor. This makes this profession the perfect choice for the Warrior and Paladin classes. Having the ability to forge your own weapons and armor can be highly useful. Blacksmiths can make items for other professions as well, including the Enchanter's Rod for the Profession of Enchanting. Mining is the perfect choice for a profession to accompany Blacksmithing due to the overwhelming need for raw materials.
Now available to those with the World of Warcraft Burning Crusade expansion, Jewelcrafting is the ultimate profession for creating accessories in World of Warcraft. With Jewelcrafting you are given the ability to craft accessories that were only available previously as loot rewards and dropped items such as necklaces, trinkets, crowns, and rings. As a Master Jewelcrafter you will be able to cut socketable gems that can be used to enhance particular characteristics of new types of armor by placing them into their slots. All of the character classes in World of Warcraft can benefit from the profession of Jewelcrafting because the accessories that can be created through this profession can be used by any of them. There is a piece of jewelry for every need that can be imagined. There are trinkets that can supply mana regeneration, necklaces that grant the wearer high attack power, rings that provide defense and armor, etc. Obviously, the advantages that Jewelcrafting has to offer are not concentrated upon any one role or character class.
So there you have just a few of the ways of acquiring accessories in World of Warcraft. Whether it is buying, selling, and trading with other WoW players, creating your own through your various professions, or simply collecting drops and loot rewards along the way. There are many options for accessorizing to choose from in World of Warcraft.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Playstation 3 Downloadable Games Review - Lemmings
by Cedric Phillips
This is a game review of Lemmings, which I think is one of the best Playstation 3 downloadable games that is currently available through the Playstation 3's online store service.
(>) Start
This is a game review of Lemmings, which I think is one of the best Playstation 3 downloadable games that is currently available through the Playstation 3's online store service.
(X) Reviews
Lemmings : 9/10
My Overview
Lemings is by far the most amusing and mentally challenging title out for the PS3 via online download.
To complete a level in Lemmings, you must lead a certain number of lemmings to a goal given a certain number of 'costumes' that you can put them in. Each 'costume' gives the lemming a particular duty, or power. You can dress them in these to make them become a digger, a roadblock to stop the other lemmings, a climber to scale walls, a bridge builder, and more.
The game is amazingly entertaining, and a great game to play as a group. The online scoreboard also lends a certain degree of competitiveness that adds to the overall impression of the game.
My Complaints
1. Some of the levels are EXTREMELY challenging, this is not a game for your four year old, so don't expect a lot of gameplay for the younger gamers in the family.
2. On my particular brand of 1080i LCD television (Westinghouse 37"), I have to adjust the screen width every time I start the game, it cuts off maybe five percent of the screen on both the left and right, which is not much, but you really need to see the whole screen for this game. Watch out for this, this is the only PS3 title that I've had a problem with. You can adjust this from the game's menu easily.
My Tip
Use the 'zoom' and the 'speed up' feature (both are controller buttons) to be more accurate and to speed up gameplay. Also, just restart the level if you fail, and you will, it's actually full of many amusing death animations. (Poor lil' guys!)
This is a game review of Lemmings, which I think is one of the best Playstation 3 downloadable games that is currently available through the Playstation 3's online store service.
(>) Start
This is a game review of Lemmings, which I think is one of the best Playstation 3 downloadable games that is currently available through the Playstation 3's online store service.
(X) Reviews
Lemmings : 9/10
My Overview
Lemings is by far the most amusing and mentally challenging title out for the PS3 via online download.
To complete a level in Lemmings, you must lead a certain number of lemmings to a goal given a certain number of 'costumes' that you can put them in. Each 'costume' gives the lemming a particular duty, or power. You can dress them in these to make them become a digger, a roadblock to stop the other lemmings, a climber to scale walls, a bridge builder, and more.
The game is amazingly entertaining, and a great game to play as a group. The online scoreboard also lends a certain degree of competitiveness that adds to the overall impression of the game.
My Complaints
1. Some of the levels are EXTREMELY challenging, this is not a game for your four year old, so don't expect a lot of gameplay for the younger gamers in the family.
2. On my particular brand of 1080i LCD television (Westinghouse 37"), I have to adjust the screen width every time I start the game, it cuts off maybe five percent of the screen on both the left and right, which is not much, but you really need to see the whole screen for this game. Watch out for this, this is the only PS3 title that I've had a problem with. You can adjust this from the game's menu easily.
My Tip
Use the 'zoom' and the 'speed up' feature (both are controller buttons) to be more accurate and to speed up gameplay. Also, just restart the level if you fail, and you will, it's actually full of many amusing death animations. (Poor lil' guys!)
Command & Conquer 3 Multiplayer Strategy Guide
by Tony James
The purpose of this guide is to provide some general and race specific strategies for Command & Conquer 3. This guide assumes you have a basic understanding of the game.
Table of Contents
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.0 Introduction
2.0 General Stategy
3.0 GDI tips
4.0 NOD tips
5.0 Scrin tips
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.0 – Introduction
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The purpose of this guide is to provide some general and race specific strategies for Command & Conquer 3. This guide assumes you have a basic understanding of the game. The first thing you should do before playing online is to go through a few missions in the campaign and try a few games vs the computer in skirmish mode. You can find the latest version of this guide at this address:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.0 – General Strategy
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are a few basic things every player should be aware of if they expect to be competitive in multiplayer matches.
-Keep in mind that it costs the same to build a refinery and sell it to keep the harvester as it does to build a harvester from a factory. Most good players use this to their advantage early in the game. Sell your first factory and replace it with another one. Do the same at your expansion if you expand early.
-Blue tiberium is worth twice as much as green, so ALWAYS expand first if there is blue tiberium on the map
-Counter infantry rushes easily with your anti infantry turret
-First of all, memorize as many hotkeys as possible, hotkeys save a lot of time and make a huge difference.
-Learn to use control groups if you dont already, you can find out how in the manual
-Keep in mind which units detect stealth, when you are faced with stealth units such as NOD Shadow Teams, you need to be aware of your races stealth detection units. For example With GDI you can use a Pitbull.
-Build at least two harvesters for each refinery and build at least two refineries early of the game
-Dont forget to use your special abilities
-Build your structures so that you are moving towards tiberium patches so you can set up a refinery there when your build radius reaches far enough
-It is generally always a good idea to build a crane first before anything else
-Learn how to power down buildings using "x" hotkey
-Dont lose unnecessary units, remember you can heal tanks at the factory
-Use reverse move "D" to move your tanks back when you are retreating so their stronger front armor is facing the enemy
-What a lot of people forget is that if you have units that leave husks on the battlefield like the Avatar Walker with the Scrin, an engineer can enter the dead husk and revive the unit with half health, always use this to your advantage
-If you are outnumbered pull your units back and queue up defense structures to cover your retreat if you think the enemy will follow
-If your opponent is not attacking and is giving you too much time, spam some harvesters and refineries, you will be able to tech up and pump out your late game units much sooner
-Build Order tips: there are many different build orders, but my build orders generally consist of something like this:
1. crane (and surveyor if there is blue tiberuim) (set rally point of base to expansion spot)
2. (build queue 1)refinery, (build queue 2)power plant,
3. place power plant, queue another refinery, place first
4. refinery, sell the refinery I just placed, then queue a factory
5. place the second refinery in the spot where I sold the first refinery
6. queue refinery
now you have two harvesters 1 refinery, 1 factory building and a refinery building from here you should build another refinery at your expansion and sell the first one, or you could just send a harvester from your factory as soon as it is built to meet up with your new refinery. Dont forget about power plants as well. But no matter what, start pumping out some units. Use your newly built units to harass the enemy, preferably destroying his expansion.
From here you can build another factory, refinery, or barracks depending on your opponent and your play style.
If you feel confident in your ability to defend yourself against a rush with few units you can build more refineries early and spam a few harvesters to give your economy a huge boost. Remember economy is key.
With scrin you could have built a barracks instead of a factory first and produced some disintegrators to go harass the enemy. Or used disintegrators as cheap defense while you build up your economy.
With NOD you could have built a barracks and a secret shrine early to go for a Shadow Team rush.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.0 – GDI tips
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some general tips when using GDI:
When using GDI you should focus on building predator tanks. Infantry is ok, but is easily countered. Your best bet if you expect to encounter mainly tank type units is to spam predator tanks and maybe mix in rocket troopers. Once you have a decent size group of predator tanks use them to harass the enemy, focus on disrupting the economy. Rocket troopers are great against air units as well, especially with the composite armor upgrade.
Predators are your bread and butter, but you should be teching up to mammoths as soon as possible while you are still spamming predators. The railgun upgrade for tanks is essential to gaining the edge.
Orcas are good as a mobile support unit, but dont rely on them to be your main attack force, they are easily countered.
If you are against a good NOD opponent, expect some Shadow Teams, which in groups are stealthed and can destroy buildings easily. You can counter these easily if you build a pitbull to detect stealth and an APC to help finish them.
Against scrin, you may be faced with an early disintegrator rush which you can easily counter with anti infantry turrets and APCs. Counter Scrin air superiority with rocket infantry with composite armor upgrade, they will rip through any air units.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.0 – NOD tips
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some general tips when using NOD:
NOD relies more on harassment than direct attacks, use their strengths to your advantage. Use your fast scorpion tanks to do hit and run attacks on the opponent. You should also use your shadow teams to blow up your enemies structures. Try to avoid units that detect stealth.
NOD excels at the early game, try to prevent GDI and Scrin from getting to their elite units by destroying the prerequisite buildings as you see them. If GDI gets mammoths with railguns you will have a hard time surviving.
The laser upgrade for the scorpions is very important to gain an early edge.
Against Scrin, like with GDI, your rocket infantry is very effective.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.0 – Scrin tips
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some general tips when using Scrin:
The Scrin are most effective with a mix of units. Early on, Disintegrators and Seekers are effective against tanks. Once you get a nerve center, your Devourer tanks will be your main unit. They have a special ability that allows them to absorb tiberium from the field giving them much stronger weapons for a limited number of shots, always use this ability.
Scrin's air units are very strong when mixed into the army. Do not rely entirely on air units, as they are easily countered by units such as armor upgraded rocket infantry. Avatar walkers are great late game units but use them wisely as they can be taken over by enemy engineers after they fall. The shield upgrade is very useful, get it as soon as possible.
Use your lightning spike ability if you go for an early attack, you can place this turret type structure anywhere on the map.
The purpose of this guide is to provide some general and race specific strategies for Command & Conquer 3. This guide assumes you have a basic understanding of the game.
Table of Contents
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.0 Introduction
2.0 General Stategy
3.0 GDI tips
4.0 NOD tips
5.0 Scrin tips
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.0 – Introduction
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The purpose of this guide is to provide some general and race specific strategies for Command & Conquer 3. This guide assumes you have a basic understanding of the game. The first thing you should do before playing online is to go through a few missions in the campaign and try a few games vs the computer in skirmish mode. You can find the latest version of this guide at this address:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.0 – General Strategy
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are a few basic things every player should be aware of if they expect to be competitive in multiplayer matches.
-Keep in mind that it costs the same to build a refinery and sell it to keep the harvester as it does to build a harvester from a factory. Most good players use this to their advantage early in the game. Sell your first factory and replace it with another one. Do the same at your expansion if you expand early.
-Blue tiberium is worth twice as much as green, so ALWAYS expand first if there is blue tiberium on the map
-Counter infantry rushes easily with your anti infantry turret
-First of all, memorize as many hotkeys as possible, hotkeys save a lot of time and make a huge difference.
-Learn to use control groups if you dont already, you can find out how in the manual
-Keep in mind which units detect stealth, when you are faced with stealth units such as NOD Shadow Teams, you need to be aware of your races stealth detection units. For example With GDI you can use a Pitbull.
-Build at least two harvesters for each refinery and build at least two refineries early of the game
-Dont forget to use your special abilities
-Build your structures so that you are moving towards tiberium patches so you can set up a refinery there when your build radius reaches far enough
-It is generally always a good idea to build a crane first before anything else
-Learn how to power down buildings using "x" hotkey
-Dont lose unnecessary units, remember you can heal tanks at the factory
-Use reverse move "D" to move your tanks back when you are retreating so their stronger front armor is facing the enemy
-What a lot of people forget is that if you have units that leave husks on the battlefield like the Avatar Walker with the Scrin, an engineer can enter the dead husk and revive the unit with half health, always use this to your advantage
-If you are outnumbered pull your units back and queue up defense structures to cover your retreat if you think the enemy will follow
-If your opponent is not attacking and is giving you too much time, spam some harvesters and refineries, you will be able to tech up and pump out your late game units much sooner
-Build Order tips: there are many different build orders, but my build orders generally consist of something like this:
1. crane (and surveyor if there is blue tiberuim) (set rally point of base to expansion spot)
2. (build queue 1)refinery, (build queue 2)power plant,
3. place power plant, queue another refinery, place first
4. refinery, sell the refinery I just placed, then queue a factory
5. place the second refinery in the spot where I sold the first refinery
6. queue refinery
now you have two harvesters 1 refinery, 1 factory building and a refinery building from here you should build another refinery at your expansion and sell the first one, or you could just send a harvester from your factory as soon as it is built to meet up with your new refinery. Dont forget about power plants as well. But no matter what, start pumping out some units. Use your newly built units to harass the enemy, preferably destroying his expansion.
From here you can build another factory, refinery, or barracks depending on your opponent and your play style.
If you feel confident in your ability to defend yourself against a rush with few units you can build more refineries early and spam a few harvesters to give your economy a huge boost. Remember economy is key.
With scrin you could have built a barracks instead of a factory first and produced some disintegrators to go harass the enemy. Or used disintegrators as cheap defense while you build up your economy.
With NOD you could have built a barracks and a secret shrine early to go for a Shadow Team rush.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.0 – GDI tips
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some general tips when using GDI:
When using GDI you should focus on building predator tanks. Infantry is ok, but is easily countered. Your best bet if you expect to encounter mainly tank type units is to spam predator tanks and maybe mix in rocket troopers. Once you have a decent size group of predator tanks use them to harass the enemy, focus on disrupting the economy. Rocket troopers are great against air units as well, especially with the composite armor upgrade.
Predators are your bread and butter, but you should be teching up to mammoths as soon as possible while you are still spamming predators. The railgun upgrade for tanks is essential to gaining the edge.
Orcas are good as a mobile support unit, but dont rely on them to be your main attack force, they are easily countered.
If you are against a good NOD opponent, expect some Shadow Teams, which in groups are stealthed and can destroy buildings easily. You can counter these easily if you build a pitbull to detect stealth and an APC to help finish them.
Against scrin, you may be faced with an early disintegrator rush which you can easily counter with anti infantry turrets and APCs. Counter Scrin air superiority with rocket infantry with composite armor upgrade, they will rip through any air units.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.0 – NOD tips
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some general tips when using NOD:
NOD relies more on harassment than direct attacks, use their strengths to your advantage. Use your fast scorpion tanks to do hit and run attacks on the opponent. You should also use your shadow teams to blow up your enemies structures. Try to avoid units that detect stealth.
NOD excels at the early game, try to prevent GDI and Scrin from getting to their elite units by destroying the prerequisite buildings as you see them. If GDI gets mammoths with railguns you will have a hard time surviving.
The laser upgrade for the scorpions is very important to gain an early edge.
Against Scrin, like with GDI, your rocket infantry is very effective.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.0 – Scrin tips
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some general tips when using Scrin:
The Scrin are most effective with a mix of units. Early on, Disintegrators and Seekers are effective against tanks. Once you get a nerve center, your Devourer tanks will be your main unit. They have a special ability that allows them to absorb tiberium from the field giving them much stronger weapons for a limited number of shots, always use this ability.
Scrin's air units are very strong when mixed into the army. Do not rely entirely on air units, as they are easily countered by units such as armor upgraded rocket infantry. Avatar walkers are great late game units but use them wisely as they can be taken over by enemy engineers after they fall. The shield upgrade is very useful, get it as soon as possible.
Use your lightning spike ability if you go for an early attack, you can place this turret type structure anywhere on the map.
World of Warcraft Jewelcrafting Guide
by James J. Jones
With the Burning Crusade expansion, World of Warcraft players have the ability to use Jewelcrafting to create rings, necklaces, crowns, and other items which were previously only available as quest rewards or loot drops. Read this article to learn how to take advantage of this new ability.
With the Burning Crusade expansion, World of Warcraft players have the ability to use Jewelcrafting to create rings, necklaces, crowns, and other items which were previously only available as quest rewards or loot drops. You can also use item socketing in much the same way as it is used in Diablo II to create new armor. Members of the Jewelcrafting profession, or Jewelcrafters, carve gems to prepare them for insertion into socketed items. The addition of these jewels creates bonus enhancements to armor, based on the type of jewel used. While Jewelcrafters are the primary source of usable jewels in these items, some dangerous monsters also drop gems that can be used in this way.
Socketed items can have gems installed by any character, but they cannot be altered aside from putting the gems into them. Sockets cannot be added to, changed, or removed from any item. Once a jewel has been obtained from a Jewelcrafter, it can be socketed by shift-right-clicking the desired item and dropping the jewel into the socket in the window that pops up. After placing the jewel, simply click the “Socket Gems” button to create the new item. While you can replace an old jewel with a new one, this destroys the old jewel completely.
Jewelcrafters should pair their primary profession of Jewelcrafting with Mining to enable them to acquire raw materials more easily. With these materials, such as metal ores, a Jewelcrafter can create rings and other jewelry for sale. At low levels, these are simply Copper Rings, but other items are quickly available. A Jeweler’s Kit is also required initially, but this can be acquired for 8 silver at the Jewelcrafting supply vendor. Making items available to your Jewelcrafting characters will improve their skills by a point per item as well as earning experience. Items that are displayed in green test in the Jewelcrafting menu are worth less experience and you may have to make several of them to acquire a skill point. Yellow or orange text items are more difficult and worth correspondingly more in skill development. At a certain level, particular items will stop bringing experience when made, and more difficult items will have to be created to produce the same effect. A common strategy is to find an item which uses a small amount of readily available materials and grind up skills by making many of it. This way, you can stockpile component items such as Delicate Copper Wire and Bronze Settings for later use while improving your skill. Until the higher levels, Jewelcrafting is mostly about creating jewelry and small trinkets.
At skill level 20, you can learn Prospecting from the Jewelcrafting trainer. In addition to your Mining skill, this will allow you to extract gems from the ore you have mined. This is advantageous, since other Miners don’t have this ability. It also increases the chance of obtaining gems for jewelry. Prospecting can be taken without having the Mining skill, but your Jewelcrafting skill must be the same as the minimum skill level for mining particular piece of ore in order to prospect it. You will need 5 of any type of ore in order to use Prospecting on it. After reaching skill level 300 in Jewelcrafting, you will be able to cut special gems found in the Outland. This requires the use of a Simple Grinder, again purchased from the Jewelcrafting supplies vendor. The Grinder costs 2 gold and fifty silver. Cutting these gems permits them to be used in socketed armor. Anyone can socket already cut gems, so if you don’t need them for your personal gear, you can sell them to other players.
Each type of gem in World of Warcraft is categorized by color. Different colors of gem provide different abilities when used in socketed items. Any colored gem will fit into any colored socket, but if you match the colors of the gem and socket, a bonus is activated. Primary colored gems, such as red, yellow, and blue will only match the socket for their specific color. Secondary colored gems – green, orange, and purple – will match either of the two colored sockets that make up their color. A purple gem would thus be matchable with a red or blue colored socket. Meta gems come with an additional bonus, but have special color requirements for activation, so players may choose to forfeit a socket bonus in order to obtain the meta bonus instead.
The cut of a gem affects what bonus it gives. Cutting a Blood Garnet into a Teardrop Blood Garnet gives +13 to Healing Spells, whereas creating a Bright Blood Garnet gives +12 to Attack Power. Each color of gem has uncommon and rare forms that can be cut according to different patterns learned from vendors. Uncommon patterns can be learned at Jewelcrafting skill level 300 to 325, and rare patterns are learnable at skill level 350. Cuts for meta gems are learnable at a higher skill level than those for regular gems, around skill level 365. They will only fit into meta sockets that are available only on high level items. Some meta gems will also be dropped by bosses or created by alchemists. Boss drop meta slot jewels can't be crafted.
For many Jewelcrafters, the goal is to grind their skill up to 300 as quickly as possible. This is best done by creating many of the items made from easy, readily available materials. What path you use to reach this goal will depend on what materials you have on hand, and how much space you have in your inventory. In many cases, making more of an item with yellow text will provide “free” skill points since it is a required component for other items. Doing these early in the game allows you to use them later as well as to get the skill points for making them.
With the Burning Crusade expansion, World of Warcraft players have the ability to use Jewelcrafting to create rings, necklaces, crowns, and other items which were previously only available as quest rewards or loot drops. Read this article to learn how to take advantage of this new ability.
With the Burning Crusade expansion, World of Warcraft players have the ability to use Jewelcrafting to create rings, necklaces, crowns, and other items which were previously only available as quest rewards or loot drops. You can also use item socketing in much the same way as it is used in Diablo II to create new armor. Members of the Jewelcrafting profession, or Jewelcrafters, carve gems to prepare them for insertion into socketed items. The addition of these jewels creates bonus enhancements to armor, based on the type of jewel used. While Jewelcrafters are the primary source of usable jewels in these items, some dangerous monsters also drop gems that can be used in this way.
Socketed items can have gems installed by any character, but they cannot be altered aside from putting the gems into them. Sockets cannot be added to, changed, or removed from any item. Once a jewel has been obtained from a Jewelcrafter, it can be socketed by shift-right-clicking the desired item and dropping the jewel into the socket in the window that pops up. After placing the jewel, simply click the “Socket Gems” button to create the new item. While you can replace an old jewel with a new one, this destroys the old jewel completely.
Jewelcrafters should pair their primary profession of Jewelcrafting with Mining to enable them to acquire raw materials more easily. With these materials, such as metal ores, a Jewelcrafter can create rings and other jewelry for sale. At low levels, these are simply Copper Rings, but other items are quickly available. A Jeweler’s Kit is also required initially, but this can be acquired for 8 silver at the Jewelcrafting supply vendor. Making items available to your Jewelcrafting characters will improve their skills by a point per item as well as earning experience. Items that are displayed in green test in the Jewelcrafting menu are worth less experience and you may have to make several of them to acquire a skill point. Yellow or orange text items are more difficult and worth correspondingly more in skill development. At a certain level, particular items will stop bringing experience when made, and more difficult items will have to be created to produce the same effect. A common strategy is to find an item which uses a small amount of readily available materials and grind up skills by making many of it. This way, you can stockpile component items such as Delicate Copper Wire and Bronze Settings for later use while improving your skill. Until the higher levels, Jewelcrafting is mostly about creating jewelry and small trinkets.
At skill level 20, you can learn Prospecting from the Jewelcrafting trainer. In addition to your Mining skill, this will allow you to extract gems from the ore you have mined. This is advantageous, since other Miners don’t have this ability. It also increases the chance of obtaining gems for jewelry. Prospecting can be taken without having the Mining skill, but your Jewelcrafting skill must be the same as the minimum skill level for mining particular piece of ore in order to prospect it. You will need 5 of any type of ore in order to use Prospecting on it. After reaching skill level 300 in Jewelcrafting, you will be able to cut special gems found in the Outland. This requires the use of a Simple Grinder, again purchased from the Jewelcrafting supplies vendor. The Grinder costs 2 gold and fifty silver. Cutting these gems permits them to be used in socketed armor. Anyone can socket already cut gems, so if you don’t need them for your personal gear, you can sell them to other players.
Each type of gem in World of Warcraft is categorized by color. Different colors of gem provide different abilities when used in socketed items. Any colored gem will fit into any colored socket, but if you match the colors of the gem and socket, a bonus is activated. Primary colored gems, such as red, yellow, and blue will only match the socket for their specific color. Secondary colored gems – green, orange, and purple – will match either of the two colored sockets that make up their color. A purple gem would thus be matchable with a red or blue colored socket. Meta gems come with an additional bonus, but have special color requirements for activation, so players may choose to forfeit a socket bonus in order to obtain the meta bonus instead.
The cut of a gem affects what bonus it gives. Cutting a Blood Garnet into a Teardrop Blood Garnet gives +13 to Healing Spells, whereas creating a Bright Blood Garnet gives +12 to Attack Power. Each color of gem has uncommon and rare forms that can be cut according to different patterns learned from vendors. Uncommon patterns can be learned at Jewelcrafting skill level 300 to 325, and rare patterns are learnable at skill level 350. Cuts for meta gems are learnable at a higher skill level than those for regular gems, around skill level 365. They will only fit into meta sockets that are available only on high level items. Some meta gems will also be dropped by bosses or created by alchemists. Boss drop meta slot jewels can't be crafted.
For many Jewelcrafters, the goal is to grind their skill up to 300 as quickly as possible. This is best done by creating many of the items made from easy, readily available materials. What path you use to reach this goal will depend on what materials you have on hand, and how much space you have in your inventory. In many cases, making more of an item with yellow text will provide “free” skill points since it is a required component for other items. Doing these early in the game allows you to use them later as well as to get the skill points for making them.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Online Casual Games - Who Are The Real Gamers?
by Sammy D.
According to popular belief males or teens rule the online market. But is this true? The demographic that spends the most time online playing these games just might surprise you.
The term casual game is a way to refer to a category of games that have evolved around the wants of the non-hardcore gamer. They commonly have characteristics of early arcade games; extremely simple game play, can play in short bursts, and typically no plot. But the demographic that spends the most time online playing these games might be surprising to some.
Just to put things into the proper prospective and why this is important consider the following figures. According to a recent Nielson NetRatings report over 46 million people a month visit online game sites. This works out to be over one third of all Americans who have online access. The estimated annual sales of casual games is reported at $281 million and projected to reach over a billion dollars by 2011 according to DFC Intelligence. This represents a large and growing market.
According to popular belief you may believe that males or teens rule the online market. In this case you would be wrong. Middle-aged women (35-49) in fact hold this honor. For example approximately 66% of MSN gamers are female, RealNetworks reports between 60-70%, other portals also report similar percentages. They not only represent the largest demographic they also spend the most time playing. A study conducted for AOL showed female gamers over 40 spent approximately 41% of their online time gaming vs. 26% for men.
With this information at hand companies have gone about to try to satisfy this core audience. Some of the first wildly successful casual games were very gender neutral. Think of Tetris, Bejeweled or Zuma. Some recent games you would assume were developed specifically targeted for women. For example, titles like Cake Mania, Carrie the Caregiver, or Dream Day Wedding come to mind. Microsoft has also stated this demographic as one of the driving forces for developing Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360. They understand if they want to reach this audience they needed to bring this type of game to their platform.
So what is the motivation of these gaming gals? One recent study may give us some indication. Over 60% of casual game players say they play as a way to relax, 53% say they play to relieve stress, and 42% cite them as a way to keep mentally sharp. Of course let’s not forget one other possible obvious reason; they’re simply fun to play!
According to popular belief males or teens rule the online market. But is this true? The demographic that spends the most time online playing these games just might surprise you.
The term casual game is a way to refer to a category of games that have evolved around the wants of the non-hardcore gamer. They commonly have characteristics of early arcade games; extremely simple game play, can play in short bursts, and typically no plot. But the demographic that spends the most time online playing these games might be surprising to some.
Just to put things into the proper prospective and why this is important consider the following figures. According to a recent Nielson NetRatings report over 46 million people a month visit online game sites. This works out to be over one third of all Americans who have online access. The estimated annual sales of casual games is reported at $281 million and projected to reach over a billion dollars by 2011 according to DFC Intelligence. This represents a large and growing market.
According to popular belief you may believe that males or teens rule the online market. In this case you would be wrong. Middle-aged women (35-49) in fact hold this honor. For example approximately 66% of MSN gamers are female, RealNetworks reports between 60-70%, other portals also report similar percentages. They not only represent the largest demographic they also spend the most time playing. A study conducted for AOL showed female gamers over 40 spent approximately 41% of their online time gaming vs. 26% for men.
With this information at hand companies have gone about to try to satisfy this core audience. Some of the first wildly successful casual games were very gender neutral. Think of Tetris, Bejeweled or Zuma. Some recent games you would assume were developed specifically targeted for women. For example, titles like Cake Mania, Carrie the Caregiver, or Dream Day Wedding come to mind. Microsoft has also stated this demographic as one of the driving forces for developing Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360. They understand if they want to reach this audience they needed to bring this type of game to their platform.
So what is the motivation of these gaming gals? One recent study may give us some indication. Over 60% of casual game players say they play as a way to relax, 53% say they play to relieve stress, and 42% cite them as a way to keep mentally sharp. Of course let’s not forget one other possible obvious reason; they’re simply fun to play!
What You Need To Know About Becoming A Video Game Tester
by Dave Francis
Game testing can be a lot of fun, and in many cases can be a Full-Time "Quit your Day Job" kind of income. This is an overview of what you can expect during the process of Becoming a Game Tester.
While it might be very easy to imagine getting payed big bucks to play video games, did you ever imagine that it was anything more than just a wistful fantasy? Your dreams might be closer than you think as game developers expand and refine their merchandise for a wider audience; becoming a game tester is an occupation that can give you looks at the newest releases months before they hit the shelves, insight and contacts in a rapidly developing industry and some cash, all at once.
There's more to becoming a game tester than you might think. Of course, a certain amount of skill regarding basic game play is necessary; so are good documentation abilities! The job is to spot errors, and while some are fairly straightforward ("hey, if you go too far to the left here, parts of the scenery disappears!") others are more complex, requiring several paragraphs of explanation. As a tester, you will usually receive the game when it is anywhere from 50 to 75 percent done, and one thing that the programmers and your employers will expect is a a steady stream of feedback.
Game testing can be a lot of fun, but keep in mind that it can also be very demanding. You'll be working under tough deadlines, just like the rest of the company, and you'll be expected to provide feedback to make sure that the game itself runs smoothly. Spoken and written communication skills cannot be emphasized enough in this kind of work.
Of course, the easiest way to get involved in game testing is to know someone in the industry. While it's not all about who you know, it certainly doesn't hurt. The nice thing is that it's not that hard to get to know people. Check the forums of your favorite game designers, be polite and jump on any hint of an offer of game testing, because, face it, that's exactly what a hundred other people will be doing as soon as they see that offer.
Game testing can be a lot of fun, and in many cases can be a Full-Time "Quit your Day Job" kind of income. This is an overview of what you can expect during the process of Becoming a Game Tester.
While it might be very easy to imagine getting payed big bucks to play video games, did you ever imagine that it was anything more than just a wistful fantasy? Your dreams might be closer than you think as game developers expand and refine their merchandise for a wider audience; becoming a game tester is an occupation that can give you looks at the newest releases months before they hit the shelves, insight and contacts in a rapidly developing industry and some cash, all at once.
There's more to becoming a game tester than you might think. Of course, a certain amount of skill regarding basic game play is necessary; so are good documentation abilities! The job is to spot errors, and while some are fairly straightforward ("hey, if you go too far to the left here, parts of the scenery disappears!") others are more complex, requiring several paragraphs of explanation. As a tester, you will usually receive the game when it is anywhere from 50 to 75 percent done, and one thing that the programmers and your employers will expect is a a steady stream of feedback.
Game testing can be a lot of fun, but keep in mind that it can also be very demanding. You'll be working under tough deadlines, just like the rest of the company, and you'll be expected to provide feedback to make sure that the game itself runs smoothly. Spoken and written communication skills cannot be emphasized enough in this kind of work.
Of course, the easiest way to get involved in game testing is to know someone in the industry. While it's not all about who you know, it certainly doesn't hurt. The nice thing is that it's not that hard to get to know people. Check the forums of your favorite game designers, be polite and jump on any hint of an offer of game testing, because, face it, that's exactly what a hundred other people will be doing as soon as they see that offer.
The Growing World of Online Gaming?
by Alastair Harris
A look at the world of online gaming and why it impacts on you.
What is a MMORPG? In short it is a massive multi-player online role playing game.
Online gaming has continued to increase in popularity. So much so that gaming income is now greater than the income earned by Hollywood. The future of entertainment is no longer in the hands of the pretty people from Hollywood but is more likely to be determine at the hands of the geeks and nerds working on the next big computer game.
MMORPG's are played online, 24 hours a day throughout the world and now have millions of players - massive is the only correct word for them.
Many people would have become aware of the world of online gaming through parodies in tradition forms of media, newspaper, television and movies. Perhaps one of the most popular was South Parks take on World of Warcraft which poked fun at the addictive nature of world of warcarf and MMORPG's, yet also paid homage to the power in the world of entertainment.
World of Warcraft or WoW is a complete online fantasy world - a bit like the old dungeons and dragons on steroids. You can take on the character of one of eight races and even within that there is further choices like a wizard/mage, warrior, paladin and the list go on. So popular has these games become that their is a demand for provision of some of the supplies in the game - namely Gold. So much so that people in China are making a living playing online 12 hours a day and selling the 'earned' Gold to Gold hungry players in the US, Japan and Europe. How much money potential is there in online games - well WoW has 8.5 million players each paying a monthly fee of $9.95 a month to play means someone or some company is a billionaire.
The addictive nature of these games is so dangerous that people have died as a result of playing for too long. In S.Korea they estimate 10 deaths a year - mainly for a person playing online for 80 hours straight and developing deep vein thrombosis - i.e. dying from blood clots. A word of caution if you love playing online games, in fact if you love the internet, get up every hours and go for a walk or do a short set of exercises.
The are numerous companies willing to jump on the bandwagon with so much money at stake. Another popular program is second life. Second life is literally that - it offers you a second life. Some people find their own real life so suckie that they get online where there life can be as they imagine they want it. Second life is interesting in that it has even created an online currency - Linden dollars - which exchange with real currency - $L 270 to $1 USD. Some people are so successful at there online fantasy businesses 'malls, casinos, shops, nightclubs' that they are earning thousands in REAL money. Where these fantasy economies will lead the real financial system has yet to be determine.
These online worlds are only likely to multiple as the graphics and experience becomes more realistic. Where this will lead only time will tell. Maybe your child's future job will be in a fantasy world? Maybe your next partner will be meet online? Maybe your television will become a unused out of date piece of entertainment?
A look at the world of online gaming and why it impacts on you.
What is a MMORPG? In short it is a massive multi-player online role playing game.
Online gaming has continued to increase in popularity. So much so that gaming income is now greater than the income earned by Hollywood. The future of entertainment is no longer in the hands of the pretty people from Hollywood but is more likely to be determine at the hands of the geeks and nerds working on the next big computer game.
MMORPG's are played online, 24 hours a day throughout the world and now have millions of players - massive is the only correct word for them.
Many people would have become aware of the world of online gaming through parodies in tradition forms of media, newspaper, television and movies. Perhaps one of the most popular was South Parks take on World of Warcraft which poked fun at the addictive nature of world of warcarf and MMORPG's, yet also paid homage to the power in the world of entertainment.
World of Warcraft or WoW is a complete online fantasy world - a bit like the old dungeons and dragons on steroids. You can take on the character of one of eight races and even within that there is further choices like a wizard/mage, warrior, paladin and the list go on. So popular has these games become that their is a demand for provision of some of the supplies in the game - namely Gold. So much so that people in China are making a living playing online 12 hours a day and selling the 'earned' Gold to Gold hungry players in the US, Japan and Europe. How much money potential is there in online games - well WoW has 8.5 million players each paying a monthly fee of $9.95 a month to play means someone or some company is a billionaire.
The addictive nature of these games is so dangerous that people have died as a result of playing for too long. In S.Korea they estimate 10 deaths a year - mainly for a person playing online for 80 hours straight and developing deep vein thrombosis - i.e. dying from blood clots. A word of caution if you love playing online games, in fact if you love the internet, get up every hours and go for a walk or do a short set of exercises.
The are numerous companies willing to jump on the bandwagon with so much money at stake. Another popular program is second life. Second life is literally that - it offers you a second life. Some people find their own real life so suckie that they get online where there life can be as they imagine they want it. Second life is interesting in that it has even created an online currency - Linden dollars - which exchange with real currency - $L 270 to $1 USD. Some people are so successful at there online fantasy businesses 'malls, casinos, shops, nightclubs' that they are earning thousands in REAL money. Where these fantasy economies will lead the real financial system has yet to be determine.
These online worlds are only likely to multiple as the graphics and experience becomes more realistic. Where this will lead only time will tell. Maybe your child's future job will be in a fantasy world? Maybe your next partner will be meet online? Maybe your television will become a unused out of date piece of entertainment?
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Downgrade PSP
by Terry Dunn
"Downgrade Psp?" you ask, what the heck is that? Well if you have had your Psp for a little while now you might have heard of a downgrade or downgrading you Psp. When referring to a downgrade you are talking about returning your PSP firmware to an earlier version which has exploits that certain smart people could take advantage of, in this case we are talking about firmware version 1.50.
When Sony found out that there were exploits that could enable people to play games that weren't released by Sony themselves they released Firmware Updates (this was known as Upgrading your PSP) in the hope that this would make PSP users only purchase Sony UMD Games and Sony UMD Movies. Much to the annoyance of Sony once they started releasing firmware updates people started to try and find ways to hack the firmware so they could return the PSP back to a 1.50 which would once again allow them to play other games.
These other games and applications are known as "Homebrew" and are developed by programmers who want to release these games and applications free of charge to other PSP users around the world. This is the big attraction of a PSP Downgrade and is why people take the risk of downgrading their PSP. Currently there are 100's if not 1000's of homebrew games and applications available to download for free. Not only are there homebrew games available for the PSP user who has gone through the PSP Downgrade process but there are also 1000's of "old school" games that you can play on you downgraded PSP, games like Donkey Kong, Mario Brothers and more.
"So can you downgrade any PSP?", well at the time of writing you can downgrade any PSP that is firmware version 3.03 and below, this includes PSP's with the TA-082 motherboards which up until a short time ago were not able to be downgraded with ease. Unfortunately those with a PSP that is higher than 3.03 cannot downgrade as of yet but it is only expected to be a matter of time before a downgrader is made for those particular models.
All you have to do if you have one of the PSP's that can be downgraded is find the correct downgrader. You must make sure that you use the correct downgrader or you risk bricking (rendering inoperable) your PSP. Once you have found the appropriate software to downgrade it, make sure you follow the instructions exactly as they are printed. If you do not follow those instructions exactly you will again brick your PSP. Once you brick your PSP your only option is to get it Mod-Chipped which would cost you around $100 or use it as a rather expensive paperweight.
The benefits of doing a PSP downgrade are numerous, the free games and applications, the DVD collection that you can back up and watch on you PSP all make the risk worth the reward.
We suggest you find out how to downgrade your PSP today!
"Downgrade Psp?" you ask, what the heck is that? Well if you have had your Psp for a little while now you might have heard of a downgrade or downgrading you Psp. When referring to a downgrade you are talking about returning your PSP firmware to an earlier version which has exploits that certain smart people could take advantage of, in this case we are talking about firmware version 1.50.
When Sony found out that there were exploits that could enable people to play games that weren't released by Sony themselves they released Firmware Updates (this was known as Upgrading your PSP) in the hope that this would make PSP users only purchase Sony UMD Games and Sony UMD Movies. Much to the annoyance of Sony once they started releasing firmware updates people started to try and find ways to hack the firmware so they could return the PSP back to a 1.50 which would once again allow them to play other games.
These other games and applications are known as "Homebrew" and are developed by programmers who want to release these games and applications free of charge to other PSP users around the world. This is the big attraction of a PSP Downgrade and is why people take the risk of downgrading their PSP. Currently there are 100's if not 1000's of homebrew games and applications available to download for free. Not only are there homebrew games available for the PSP user who has gone through the PSP Downgrade process but there are also 1000's of "old school" games that you can play on you downgraded PSP, games like Donkey Kong, Mario Brothers and more.
"So can you downgrade any PSP?", well at the time of writing you can downgrade any PSP that is firmware version 3.03 and below, this includes PSP's with the TA-082 motherboards which up until a short time ago were not able to be downgraded with ease. Unfortunately those with a PSP that is higher than 3.03 cannot downgrade as of yet but it is only expected to be a matter of time before a downgrader is made for those particular models.
All you have to do if you have one of the PSP's that can be downgraded is find the correct downgrader. You must make sure that you use the correct downgrader or you risk bricking (rendering inoperable) your PSP. Once you have found the appropriate software to downgrade it, make sure you follow the instructions exactly as they are printed. If you do not follow those instructions exactly you will again brick your PSP. Once you brick your PSP your only option is to get it Mod-Chipped which would cost you around $100 or use it as a rather expensive paperweight.
The benefits of doing a PSP downgrade are numerous, the free games and applications, the DVD collection that you can back up and watch on you PSP all make the risk worth the reward.
We suggest you find out how to downgrade your PSP today!
Copying Xbox Games
By Terry Dunn
There really is no shortcut to copying XBOX games. In fact, this is a mightily complicated process and has stumped some really techie people. This is evident with the prevalence of the question on copying XBOX games in Internet message boards and tech chat rooms. But why does one need to be going about there and copying XBOX games? Is this not legal?
If you have an XBOX and you have purchased original games to play on it, chances are you must have ran through a huge chunk of your savings. Original games are very expensive and because CDs are not exactly immortal, you can eventually wear out a game especially if you use it every minute of the day.
To give value to consumers, most countries allow original CD buyers to make back-up copies of their XBOX games in case their original got damaged or got lost provided that they are aware of the law against pirated software and that they actually own an original cd and are only copying XBOX games for their personal use only.
While it is relatively easy to do the copying of XBOX games, the same cannot be said in actually using the XBOX games that you have copied. Most software contain an encryption that must be met when inserted in an XBOX. Copying an XBOX game, however, does not copy this encryption. This is a protection system that most XBOX consoles have as protection against flagrant copying of XBOX games.
To be able to run XBOX games that you have copied, you need to modify your XBOX. This can be a daunting task especially to beginners who are afraid of destroying their XBOXes with their tinkering.
According to most tech experts, there are a lot of ways to modifying your XBOX in order to accommodate the practice of copying of XBOX games. Some are quite complicated and only a tech expert could do while other ways can be expensive but easy.
One is to buy and install a MOD-chip. This will allow your console to play XBOX games that you have copied as well as play imported games from other countries with perfect sound and video with no problem at all. While it may seem that all you have to do is purchase a MOD-Chip and then voila, you have another think coming. There are actually a lot of things that you should consider when buying a MOD-Chip. Most recommend the Divineo Modchips, which are purported to be really reliable. Some of the popular brands are the Xecuter 2 and 3, Xenium, SmartXX, X-bit, Alladin, Chameleon and Xchip.
Another way in copying and using XBOX games is to change the BIOS of the XBOX so that it will no longer read the requirements of the digitally-signed software. This is basically reprogramming the whole BIOS.
You might also consider purchasing a bigger hard drive and just save all your games inside the XBOX. This way, you already have copy of your favorite games inside and would no longer need to swap CDs.
The third way is to do the game swapping technique, wherein you will first boot the original CD and then swap the copy once it has already booted up. This might be very complicated and will not actually serve your purpose in copying your XBOX games… that is to preserve your original CDs.
There really is no shortcut to copying XBOX games. In fact, this is a mightily complicated process and has stumped some really techie people. This is evident with the prevalence of the question on copying XBOX games in Internet message boards and tech chat rooms. But why does one need to be going about there and copying XBOX games? Is this not legal?
If you have an XBOX and you have purchased original games to play on it, chances are you must have ran through a huge chunk of your savings. Original games are very expensive and because CDs are not exactly immortal, you can eventually wear out a game especially if you use it every minute of the day.
To give value to consumers, most countries allow original CD buyers to make back-up copies of their XBOX games in case their original got damaged or got lost provided that they are aware of the law against pirated software and that they actually own an original cd and are only copying XBOX games for their personal use only.
While it is relatively easy to do the copying of XBOX games, the same cannot be said in actually using the XBOX games that you have copied. Most software contain an encryption that must be met when inserted in an XBOX. Copying an XBOX game, however, does not copy this encryption. This is a protection system that most XBOX consoles have as protection against flagrant copying of XBOX games.
To be able to run XBOX games that you have copied, you need to modify your XBOX. This can be a daunting task especially to beginners who are afraid of destroying their XBOXes with their tinkering.
According to most tech experts, there are a lot of ways to modifying your XBOX in order to accommodate the practice of copying of XBOX games. Some are quite complicated and only a tech expert could do while other ways can be expensive but easy.
One is to buy and install a MOD-chip. This will allow your console to play XBOX games that you have copied as well as play imported games from other countries with perfect sound and video with no problem at all. While it may seem that all you have to do is purchase a MOD-Chip and then voila, you have another think coming. There are actually a lot of things that you should consider when buying a MOD-Chip. Most recommend the Divineo Modchips, which are purported to be really reliable. Some of the popular brands are the Xecuter 2 and 3, Xenium, SmartXX, X-bit, Alladin, Chameleon and Xchip.
Another way in copying and using XBOX games is to change the BIOS of the XBOX so that it will no longer read the requirements of the digitally-signed software. This is basically reprogramming the whole BIOS.
You might also consider purchasing a bigger hard drive and just save all your games inside the XBOX. This way, you already have copy of your favorite games inside and would no longer need to swap CDs.
The third way is to do the game swapping technique, wherein you will first boot the original CD and then swap the copy once it has already booted up. This might be very complicated and will not actually serve your purpose in copying your XBOX games… that is to preserve your original CDs.
How to Access Wi-Fi Service on Your PSP
by Kelvin Ho Wee Min
Now that you have your PSP, dont you wish you could change up your music files while on the go? Wouldn't you love to be able to access your iTunes library from anywhere, at any time without having to rely on a dedicated computer set-up.
Well, for a minimal cost (just under $25 USD) and a little tweaking, you will be well on your way to attaining the freedom of listening to whatever music you choose anywhere, anytime via your PSP WiFi internet connection.
These instructions are for MAC users and require the following three components:
1. A MAC using a minimum OS X 10.3,
2. Software (shareware) called Dot Tunes,
3. A PSP with the 2.0 firmware upgrade on board.
The simplicity and innovativeness of Dot Tunes provides you with the capability to peruse your own iTunes library where you can then generate a webpage that shows listings by album and/or artist and then access them over an internet connection. After generation, this webpage can be bookmarked and synced to the web browser on your PSP. Utilizing the Dot Tunes web-based interface, you can then simply browse to your desired song on the PSP screen and finally, download your choice to the Music directory on your PSP.
One thing that should be noted here is that the PSP is very particular about where various media is located and in which directories it can be placed. In order to listen to the song you are downloading, it must first be saved in the MUSIC directory, in a play list folder that already exists. To accommodate this restriction, you need to scroll through your music folder, go into an existing play list folder and save your selection there. Incidentally, you must also re-name the file extension (.m4u) to MP4 before your PSP will recognize it as a legitimate file.
Once you have accomplished the above, you are now ready to add/delete songs to your hearts content, anywhere there may be WiFi access (Increasingly WiFi connections are being made more readily available in coffee shops and other areas), and provided you have a WiFi connection on your PSP.
Because your MAC will be effectively acting as a web-server, it is essential that you set it up so that it will wake up for Ethernet network admin access in the Energy saving preferences on your computer.
Additionally, the port that the Dot Tunes page being served is accessible through must be an open port and not blocked by your Internet Service Provider. Plus, your router or computer firewall must not be engaged.
It is also a good idea to add password protection to the PSP connection so that you have the security in place that prevents others from accessing any iTunes libraries not DRM protected.
Now that you have your PSP, dont you wish you could change up your music files while on the go? Wouldn't you love to be able to access your iTunes library from anywhere, at any time without having to rely on a dedicated computer set-up.
Well, for a minimal cost (just under $25 USD) and a little tweaking, you will be well on your way to attaining the freedom of listening to whatever music you choose anywhere, anytime via your PSP WiFi internet connection.
These instructions are for MAC users and require the following three components:
1. A MAC using a minimum OS X 10.3,
2. Software (shareware) called Dot Tunes,
3. A PSP with the 2.0 firmware upgrade on board.
The simplicity and innovativeness of Dot Tunes provides you with the capability to peruse your own iTunes library where you can then generate a webpage that shows listings by album and/or artist and then access them over an internet connection. After generation, this webpage can be bookmarked and synced to the web browser on your PSP. Utilizing the Dot Tunes web-based interface, you can then simply browse to your desired song on the PSP screen and finally, download your choice to the Music directory on your PSP.
One thing that should be noted here is that the PSP is very particular about where various media is located and in which directories it can be placed. In order to listen to the song you are downloading, it must first be saved in the MUSIC directory, in a play list folder that already exists. To accommodate this restriction, you need to scroll through your music folder, go into an existing play list folder and save your selection there. Incidentally, you must also re-name the file extension (.m4u) to MP4 before your PSP will recognize it as a legitimate file.
Once you have accomplished the above, you are now ready to add/delete songs to your hearts content, anywhere there may be WiFi access (Increasingly WiFi connections are being made more readily available in coffee shops and other areas), and provided you have a WiFi connection on your PSP.
Because your MAC will be effectively acting as a web-server, it is essential that you set it up so that it will wake up for Ethernet network admin access in the Energy saving preferences on your computer.
Additionally, the port that the Dot Tunes page being served is accessible through must be an open port and not blocked by your Internet Service Provider. Plus, your router or computer firewall must not be engaged.
It is also a good idea to add password protection to the PSP connection so that you have the security in place that prevents others from accessing any iTunes libraries not DRM protected.
Monday, April 16, 2007
'GTA IV' Details: Who's Niko Bellic? And Where's Staten Island?
Magazine article, pictures shed more light on October game.
By Stephen Totilo
"Grand Theft Auto IV," a game designed to please millions of series fans, may not have been built to please the Wu-Tang Clan.
That's one detail that became a little more clear today as the clouds above Liberty City parted just a little bit thanks to an article in the May issue of Game Informer magazine.
Just two weeks after a teaser trailer for Rockstar Games' "GTA IV" brought several major gaming Web sites to a crawl (see " 'GTA IV' Revealed: Game Returning To City That Made It Famous"), Game Informer has published 10 pages of big screenshots and a story about the new game. Online images from the magazine show the same New York City-inspired landscape that was glimpsed in the trailer and serves as the bedrock for the fictional Liberty City. The only major new visual was the lead character holding a machine gun.
It's Game Informer's story that has the news about the highly anticipated October PS3 and Xbox 360 game. The new Liberty City includes regions inspired by four of the Big Apple's five boroughs — Wu-Tang home base Staten Island not included. Manhattan is called Algonquin, Queens is Dukes, the Bronx is Bohan and Brooklyn is Broker. A bit of New Jersey will make it in as a land called Alderney.
The magazine reports that the game's lead character, seen in the trailer, is an Eastern European immigrant named Niko Bellic. He comes to Liberty City to see his cousin, a man named Roman, who brags about cars, women and living the American Dream. But the real main character isn't really Bellic — it's Liberty City, a.k.a. New York.
"We live here," Dan Houser, vice president of Rockstar Games told Game Informer. "We've been here for a number of years. Even the guys [at 'GTA' development house Rockstar North] in Scotland spend lots of time here with us. It was an environment we felt had never been done to the level we were envisioning it in a video game."
Houser works in Rockstar's New York offices, where the "GTA" games are partially developed. The game's actual coding, and a large portion of its design, is driven by Scotland-based Rockstar North.
So what's the character of New York? "A big part of New York life is walking around the streets and meeting lunatics," Houser told the magazine. "That's something that we definitely tried to put into the game. We are trying to give it that life and difference between the neighborhoods and the difference between the kinds of people. We are trying to capture that 'capital of the world' aspect of New York. There are lots of non-American characters in the game."
The magazine also reports that there were no planes in the current build of the game and likely won't be in the finished product. The overall game territory is reported to be smaller than that of the tri-city "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas." Little details — like varied walking animations for a character depending on the type of terrain — are revealed, while Houser stayed quiet when asked how the game's oft-criticized targeting system will be refined. Houser confirmed that the game can be multiplayer but said it won't be as vast a massively multiplayer game as some fans had speculated.
"GTA IV" is set to ship on the PS3 and Xbox 360 on October 16.
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