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.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
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.
Gay Gamers Push For More Player Choice, Like Same-Sex Smooching In 'Bully'
'Giving players more permutations is good for both gay and straight players,' says Chris Grant of Joystiq.com.
By Bernard Lumpkin, with additional reporting by Stephen Totilo
Get a group of gay gamers (a.k.a. "gaymers") together, and the conversation will eventually turn to bullying. Not the schoolyard kind, but the gaming kind — as in Rockstar's "Bully."
The hero of the wildly popular sandbox game can kiss boys as well as girls, depending on how each player chooses to play the game. "The interesting thing about 'Bully' is you've got the choice," said Flynn DeMarco, 39, founder of the popular gaymer Web site GayGamer.net. "And to be able to have that option makes the game more realistic."
But you don't have to be a gay gamer to see the advantage of same-sex smooching in "Bully." "I heard about being able to kiss boys as well as girls," said Melvin Lasky, a gamer who happens to be straight. "And I thought it was a great way to gain more strength, no matter how you look at it."
Gay or straight, every gamer can appreciate the importance of player choice in video games. "Gay gamers are looking for the same things that everyone else is looking for in a game — it's just the concept of inclusion," said Alexander Sliwinski, contributing editor of the blog Joystiq.com. "It's having options. It's playing the game the way you want to play it. Because in a game, you are the star."
Regardless of the type of game being played — from first-person shooters to sports games to open-world games — many gamers feel that the more options a player has in terms of how he or she plays, the better the overall gaming experience will be. "Giving players more permutations is good for both gay and straight players," said Chris Grant, managing editor of Joystiq.com.
Character customization and player choice allow gamers to role-play and experiment with their own identities in ways that would be impossible in their own lives and, in some cases, to better understand how sexual roles are defined in the real world. According to straight gamer Eric Monacelli, "Tomb Raider" made the stereotypically macho adventure-game genre accessible to any gender, from the standpoint of both character and player. "Even a macho guy can enjoy playing as Lara Croft," he said.
Gay and straight gamers are loud and clear when it comes to the advantages of player choice, and the people who make the games are getting the message. "When people play video games, they look for a reflection of their own values and their own experiences, because that's how they connect to the game," said Jeb Havens, lead designer at 1st Playable Productions and one of the few openly gay designers in the industry. "It's our job as developers to make that connection. Players don't want to feel like the game is treating them like an outsider."
Havens would be happy to know that industry legend Peter Molyneux — the mind behind "Fable," a game that allows for gay marriage — shares his philosophy of inclusion.
"I want to allow people to be who they want to be," Molyneux told MTV News at the recent Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. "The point is that the game's about you. It's about what you want, what you like, and if the world reacts to that, it gets me excited." When asked about the development of themes in the popular series, Molyneux cited a poll in Germany asking players what feature they were most looking forward to in the game. "At the top of the list was same-sex relationships, because I think it represented a freedom in a game that actually was bigger than just what that one feature was."
Will Wright, creator of "The Sims," sees freedom of choice as a creative challenge that developers ought to embrace. "How do we give the players as much freedom as possible without getting too distracted by the graphics involved?" he asked. "For me, that's the uncharted territory." In this respect, programming greater freedom of choice into games could be just as important to the future of game development as technical innovation.
As more and more developers join the ranks of Molyneux and Wright in advocating for games with more choice, gaymers and gamers alike will reap the benefits. "To allow the player to be whatever he wants in his 'virtual reality' can be the key to a game's success," said Lasky. "It will help sell a game, and the more a game sells, the more the developers publish — and the more developers publish, the more high-quality games they can afford to produce."
Multiplayer: Is 'God Of War II' Too Much Fun?
Our gamer ponders if having fun is really important in games.
It may sound like a subject for a brainy day, but when you cover video games for a living you wind up having a lot of conversations about the meaning of "fun." Who talks about stuff like this?
On Monday I sat in on a video game theory class at New York University, and a student talked about her desire to make an emotionally powerful game. Would it be fun? She wasn't sure that fun was a requirement.
The next day, I got into an argument with a fellow game reporter about a scathing review of "God of War II" on the new review site ActionButton.net. The review had generated some fire in the site's comments section, at one point burning through the question of whether the game was too fun for its players' good — a sort of video game cotton candy rather than a video game steak. Sound ludicrous? People were arguing.
A couple of weeks ago, I met with David Simmonds, an executive who works on the massively multiplayer online game "Entropia Universe." He told me about "Entropia" and explained that every object in the sci-fi game has real financial value. A gun costs a certain amount. A pair of boots costs something else. Every time an item is used, the value goes down, making it tougher to resell. This kind of thing doesn't happen in "World of Warcraft," which is enjoyed by millions rather than the thousands who play "Entropia." I wondered if Simmonds' world was as much fun. Who wants to worry that every time they use their sword it loses its worth and will cost real money to restore? He said, naturally, that the "Entropia" way is great. "What people want in life is emotion," he told me. "I want to stand on top of a building and look down and go, 'Whoa.' It's why people parachute out of planes. If you go into any game and shoot a gun a million times each month, so what? In "Entropia Universe," everything you do can affect you financially." Certainly that adds a rush, knowing that one shot you fired today had a dollar riding on it, or that an errant volley cost you cash. Does added risk bring added fun?
Would you play a game that wasn't fun? Could that game even be any good? Musicians make blues songs and sad ballads. Pablo Picasso spent a phase of his career painting somber work — his Blue Period. Other forms of entertainment have taken that break from entertaining. But games? I've asked developers about this, and most tell me that games need to be fun and, at that, not get players down. The only taker on making a downer game so far has been critically acclaimed indie developer Introversion.
"There aren't that many games that give you a feeling of melancholy," Introversion producer Thomas Arundel told MTV News in September (see "Developer Hopes Nuclear-War Game 'Defcon' Leaves Its Mark "). He thought "Defcon" struck that somber chord nicely, thanks to a soft, sad soundtrack and its ice-cold depiction of thermonuclear war. He said the idea of sad games energized his colleagues.
I spent a good portion of the three-hour NYU class trying to think of a game — or even a game moment — that I liked even though it wasn't fun or happy. Near the end, I got one ... I think. The Nintendo DS rhythm games "Elite Beat Agents" and "Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan" mostly required players to tap and strum the system's stylus to the beat of peppy music, all in the service of improving the lives of the game's frustrated characters. But one mission in each of the games was set to a sad song and had me tapping and strumming just to help a character cope with the loss of a loved one. You're not helping a guy win the love of a cheerleader or guiding a dog back to its owner. You're helping a little girl deal with spending Christmas without her dad. I wouldn't have described it as fun, however I recommend the moment.
What's fun? You could hold long classes on that question and write books about it, and people do. Sometimes you just know what's fun. For example, I understand that "Halo 3" will include an unfortunately named mode of transport called the "man cannon" that will launch players across a map. And then, in a recent video clip showing this feature, the game's makers at Bungie Studios said opposing players could shoot their cannon jumping friends out of the sky. They said it's great fun. I believe them.
But the question buzzing around me these days seems to be less "What is fun?" than "How important is fun?" If I have time to think about this, I may need more games to play. More fun games?
Sunday, April 15, 2007
How to Make a Fortune in Gold Playing World of Warcraft
by Chris Yarbrough
Tired of gold farmers making all the cash in World of Warcraft? Turn the tables on them and unlock the secrets others want you to pay for.
Ever play World of Warcraft and find yourself short on cash the second the first decent epic gets listed on the AH? You’re not alone. Gold sellers are making hundreds of millions per year selling to players just like you. Do you really want to trade real cash for fake gold? I don’t, which is why I make my fellow players buy me anything I want. How? I use the AH to line my pockets 24 hours a day.
Using my simple strategy, anyone can make a few hundred gold per week, if not per day. Here’s how I did it: First I created a mule/twink and sent her to Org. I then sent her some cash from my main, which was 100 gold to start with. Since I didn’t have much, I needed to make money on small fry stuff. Most people who play the market buy up greens, blues, and purples and then reprice them. Sure, you can make some money, but only if someone who wants the exact item you have happens to be looking for it at the exact time you have it listed, and, if no one else has undercut you. Do you really want to tie up all your cash in Troll's Bane Leggings or a Zealot Blade hoping a twinker will buy it?
The easier way is to corner the market on things people have to have. For this example we’ll use cloth. Linen and wool are easy targets. At lower levels, most of it is consumed with bandage making, and even more of it is sitting in player’s inventories waiting to be vendored. What’s left is listed on the AH. Here’s where your cash comes in; you run the market buying everything up below a certain price, which in this example will be one gold. Keep soaking it up until the cheap stuff is gone and you have a decent supply. Don’t blow all your cash, as you’ll need it to defend your position when other sellers try and undercut you.
Now that you have a few bags full of wool, it’s time to list on the AH. You paid one gold and below for your supply, so taking into account listing fees and the auction house cut, you need to price it at a point which will help you make a decent profit. I like trying for a double on wool, which is two gold per stack. I buy everything in sight for one gold, and then list it at two. Every time some gets listed at one, I buy it. When buyers come in looking for wool stacks, they can’t get any cheap stuff, as I am buying it all. This forces them to start taking out all the stacks between where I am buying and where I am selling. Once that is gone, they have to buy mine.
While is seems like you can just list it and walk away, to make serious money you need to constantly check your positions in the AH. If there is a seller who seems to have an unlimited supply, keep buying it up. Stacks of wool take time to collect. He’ll run out of stacks long before you run out of cash. Most likely, the sellers who are dumping it cheap will start to sell for a higher price out of sheer greed. This helps drive up prices, which helps get them closer to your supply of two gold stacks.
After I doubled my money on wool, and forced the market up so the cheap stuff was no longer available for me to re-supply, I moved up to silk, mageweave, runecloth, and then netherweave cloth. Over the course of a month I was able to take my main from 60-70 and make right around 5,000 gold on my market twink. By this time, my twink actually was a twink due to my snapping up level 19 twink gear cheap.
This is a really simple strategy which can be employed to almost anything on the AH that is in constant demand. Primals, essences, enchanting dusts, leather, etc. Just make sure you pick something easy to start with. Lastly, treat the AH like you would a BG. You are there to make money, not friends. Don’t tell people who your twink is if you don’t want them hitting you up for loans or items. You’re just setting yourself up for constant /w from people, or worse, making yourself a target to get hacked.
Tired of gold farmers making all the cash in World of Warcraft? Turn the tables on them and unlock the secrets others want you to pay for.
Ever play World of Warcraft and find yourself short on cash the second the first decent epic gets listed on the AH? You’re not alone. Gold sellers are making hundreds of millions per year selling to players just like you. Do you really want to trade real cash for fake gold? I don’t, which is why I make my fellow players buy me anything I want. How? I use the AH to line my pockets 24 hours a day.
Using my simple strategy, anyone can make a few hundred gold per week, if not per day. Here’s how I did it: First I created a mule/twink and sent her to Org. I then sent her some cash from my main, which was 100 gold to start with. Since I didn’t have much, I needed to make money on small fry stuff. Most people who play the market buy up greens, blues, and purples and then reprice them. Sure, you can make some money, but only if someone who wants the exact item you have happens to be looking for it at the exact time you have it listed, and, if no one else has undercut you. Do you really want to tie up all your cash in Troll's Bane Leggings or a Zealot Blade hoping a twinker will buy it?
The easier way is to corner the market on things people have to have. For this example we’ll use cloth. Linen and wool are easy targets. At lower levels, most of it is consumed with bandage making, and even more of it is sitting in player’s inventories waiting to be vendored. What’s left is listed on the AH. Here’s where your cash comes in; you run the market buying everything up below a certain price, which in this example will be one gold. Keep soaking it up until the cheap stuff is gone and you have a decent supply. Don’t blow all your cash, as you’ll need it to defend your position when other sellers try and undercut you.
Now that you have a few bags full of wool, it’s time to list on the AH. You paid one gold and below for your supply, so taking into account listing fees and the auction house cut, you need to price it at a point which will help you make a decent profit. I like trying for a double on wool, which is two gold per stack. I buy everything in sight for one gold, and then list it at two. Every time some gets listed at one, I buy it. When buyers come in looking for wool stacks, they can’t get any cheap stuff, as I am buying it all. This forces them to start taking out all the stacks between where I am buying and where I am selling. Once that is gone, they have to buy mine.
While is seems like you can just list it and walk away, to make serious money you need to constantly check your positions in the AH. If there is a seller who seems to have an unlimited supply, keep buying it up. Stacks of wool take time to collect. He’ll run out of stacks long before you run out of cash. Most likely, the sellers who are dumping it cheap will start to sell for a higher price out of sheer greed. This helps drive up prices, which helps get them closer to your supply of two gold stacks.
After I doubled my money on wool, and forced the market up so the cheap stuff was no longer available for me to re-supply, I moved up to silk, mageweave, runecloth, and then netherweave cloth. Over the course of a month I was able to take my main from 60-70 and make right around 5,000 gold on my market twink. By this time, my twink actually was a twink due to my snapping up level 19 twink gear cheap.
This is a really simple strategy which can be employed to almost anything on the AH that is in constant demand. Primals, essences, enchanting dusts, leather, etc. Just make sure you pick something easy to start with. Lastly, treat the AH like you would a BG. You are there to make money, not friends. Don’t tell people who your twink is if you don’t want them hitting you up for loans or items. You’re just setting yourself up for constant /w from people, or worse, making yourself a target to get hacked.
Top Ten Strategy 1 for Chaos Warrior - Magic
by Dipak Dravid
There's not many games so new that you can develop a top 10 strategy for them just like that. Chaos Warrior is one of them.
Chaos Warrior is a new Web-based game that is currently undergoing testing. However the people it has gathered already are very competitive and basically enjoying pummelling the heck out of each other. This constant change of acres makes it quite easy to build a strategy that involves **sneaking** into the top 10.
Many people think Chaos Warrior, and similar games, are military based games. This is simply not true. They are economy based games. The goal is to grow, and you need to build a province capable of maintaining and supporting your growth. You can't usually get away with neglecting the military side, but if you concerntrate on economy you will understand the game and it's workings faster.
There's basically 3 aspects to take care of - growth, building and Defense. Growth is easy, anyone can gain land, it's keeping land that is the long term challenge. In this strategy we are going to look at those issues in reverse order.
Defense should be based on elites if at all possible. but elites are expensive, so you need lots of cash. There is another form of defense though - and that is called 'being a bad target'. To know a what a bad target is you need to know what a good target is, and the simple answer is - it's anyone you can hit who can't hit you back. But if people don't KNOW they can hit you, they usually won't bother to try. Enter thieves and wizards. With high enough thieves and wizards nobody can get your intel, and without your intel, most people won't attack. So, all you need is high enough defense in these areas and you are fine.
To get the necessary thief defense - multiply your land by 4 - and train that many thieves. To get the necessary wizard defense - build lots of guilds(Guilds train wizards). Your draft rate should be above 55% - so you train 4 thieves for every acre you have and the remainder as whatever defense you can afford(Remember - elites are best).
Your thieves can also be used to finance your income, because there's a heap of people with rubbish thieves who log in once a day.
Now your build. We've already touched on guilds. You want about 30% of your land as guilds. You need 10% to get simple spells, and the more you add the faster your wizards grow. To cast spells you need runes, and to get runes you need towers(you can also steal them). 15% of your land as towers is a good start. 20-30% is even better. You'll find the level that supports your spell use quickly. You also need 10% farms unless you are undead or plan to steal all your food(Easy enough to do, but could backfire in war times). The rest of your land goes into training your military so you need either gold prodcing buildings(mines and banks) or cost reducing buildings(Training halls).
My build strat looks like this, and at the time of writing I am #2 in the world.
10% farms
20% training Halls
30% Guilds
20% towers
10% Houses
10% Mines
Finally there is acquiring land. You could comfortably explore for it, but the kingdom explore pool is limited, and I prefer to leave it to my kingdom-mates. The answer is the 'Create land' spell. It will bring you between 1 and 9 acres per cast. With all the runes you are producing and stealing, you can easily cast all your mana away with this spell(Saving your last cast for protection). This way you can grow 50-100 acres safely and unchallenged per day. Good Luck.
There's not many games so new that you can develop a top 10 strategy for them just like that. Chaos Warrior is one of them.
Chaos Warrior is a new Web-based game that is currently undergoing testing. However the people it has gathered already are very competitive and basically enjoying pummelling the heck out of each other. This constant change of acres makes it quite easy to build a strategy that involves **sneaking** into the top 10.
Many people think Chaos Warrior, and similar games, are military based games. This is simply not true. They are economy based games. The goal is to grow, and you need to build a province capable of maintaining and supporting your growth. You can't usually get away with neglecting the military side, but if you concerntrate on economy you will understand the game and it's workings faster.
There's basically 3 aspects to take care of - growth, building and Defense. Growth is easy, anyone can gain land, it's keeping land that is the long term challenge. In this strategy we are going to look at those issues in reverse order.
Defense should be based on elites if at all possible. but elites are expensive, so you need lots of cash. There is another form of defense though - and that is called 'being a bad target'. To know a what a bad target is you need to know what a good target is, and the simple answer is - it's anyone you can hit who can't hit you back. But if people don't KNOW they can hit you, they usually won't bother to try. Enter thieves and wizards. With high enough thieves and wizards nobody can get your intel, and without your intel, most people won't attack. So, all you need is high enough defense in these areas and you are fine.
To get the necessary thief defense - multiply your land by 4 - and train that many thieves. To get the necessary wizard defense - build lots of guilds(Guilds train wizards). Your draft rate should be above 55% - so you train 4 thieves for every acre you have and the remainder as whatever defense you can afford(Remember - elites are best).
Your thieves can also be used to finance your income, because there's a heap of people with rubbish thieves who log in once a day.
Now your build. We've already touched on guilds. You want about 30% of your land as guilds. You need 10% to get simple spells, and the more you add the faster your wizards grow. To cast spells you need runes, and to get runes you need towers(you can also steal them). 15% of your land as towers is a good start. 20-30% is even better. You'll find the level that supports your spell use quickly. You also need 10% farms unless you are undead or plan to steal all your food(Easy enough to do, but could backfire in war times). The rest of your land goes into training your military so you need either gold prodcing buildings(mines and banks) or cost reducing buildings(Training halls).
My build strat looks like this, and at the time of writing I am #2 in the world.
10% farms
20% training Halls
30% Guilds
20% towers
10% Houses
10% Mines
Finally there is acquiring land. You could comfortably explore for it, but the kingdom explore pool is limited, and I prefer to leave it to my kingdom-mates. The answer is the 'Create land' spell. It will bring you between 1 and 9 acres per cast. With all the runes you are producing and stealing, you can easily cast all your mana away with this spell(Saving your last cast for protection). This way you can grow 50-100 acres safely and unchallenged per day. Good Luck.
How to Download Music to Your PSP
by Kelvin Ho Wee Min
So, you've purchased a brand new Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) and are a little confused as to how to listen to your favorite tunes. With the latest audio technology, your PSP can read and play all familiar music files such as MP3, MP4 and others. All you need to do is make sure the file format you use is compatible with the PSP.
So, you have purchased a brand new Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) and are a little confused as to how to listen to your favorite tunes. With the latest audio technology, your PSP can read and play all familiar music files such as MP3, MP4 and others. All you need to do is make sure the file format you use is compatible with the PSP.
This article will give you a step-by-step process to get you going and to allow you to enjoy your music wherever you go.
Downloading music to your PSP is a relatively simple matter. The following steps will make your task a little easier.
How to download music files from your PC to a PSP:
1.Ensure that your PSP has a Memory Stick Duo. Format by going to Home/ Settings/System Settings/Select option (X button)/format memory stick/select. This is a one-time only procedure.
2.Attach USB cable into PSP on top middle edge and in available slot on PC.
3.On Settings menu, select USB Connect. This allows your PC to recognize the PSP as a removable drive.
4.Reboot system after drivers have loaded.
5.After reboot, PSP will show up as Removable disk.
6.Double click on this drive; highlight folder called PSP, double click and you will see four individual folders already set up: Game, Music, Photos & Save Data.
7.Drag your MP3 files into MUSIC folder.
What if I Need to Convert my music files?
1.If conversion is necessary, you may need to use an audio conversion program. Check out the internet for an abundant supply of various programs designed for this regardless of whether you operate in a MAC or a WINDOWS environment.
2.When you begin the Switch Program, it will take you to a blank window.
3.Click Add Folder, search My documents and then My Music, select your music files.
4.Select the output format you want.
5.Now you can copy all the files you want to the relative folders.
6.When finished, scroll list to Devices with removable storage, click on PSP removable disk and select Eject.
7.If you get an error message from windows regarding ejection failure, you can just ignore it. Once you unplug the PSP, the message will go away and everything will work fine.
So, you've purchased a brand new Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) and are a little confused as to how to listen to your favorite tunes. With the latest audio technology, your PSP can read and play all familiar music files such as MP3, MP4 and others. All you need to do is make sure the file format you use is compatible with the PSP.
So, you have purchased a brand new Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) and are a little confused as to how to listen to your favorite tunes. With the latest audio technology, your PSP can read and play all familiar music files such as MP3, MP4 and others. All you need to do is make sure the file format you use is compatible with the PSP.
This article will give you a step-by-step process to get you going and to allow you to enjoy your music wherever you go.
Downloading music to your PSP is a relatively simple matter. The following steps will make your task a little easier.
How to download music files from your PC to a PSP:
1.Ensure that your PSP has a Memory Stick Duo. Format by going to Home/ Settings/System Settings/Select option (X button)/format memory stick/select. This is a one-time only procedure.
2.Attach USB cable into PSP on top middle edge and in available slot on PC.
3.On Settings menu, select USB Connect. This allows your PC to recognize the PSP as a removable drive.
4.Reboot system after drivers have loaded.
5.After reboot, PSP will show up as Removable disk.
6.Double click on this drive; highlight folder called PSP, double click and you will see four individual folders already set up: Game, Music, Photos & Save Data.
7.Drag your MP3 files into MUSIC folder.
What if I Need to Convert my music files?
1.If conversion is necessary, you may need to use an audio conversion program. Check out the internet for an abundant supply of various programs designed for this regardless of whether you operate in a MAC or a WINDOWS environment.
2.When you begin the Switch Program, it will take you to a blank window.
3.Click Add Folder, search My documents and then My Music, select your music files.
4.Select the output format you want.
5.Now you can copy all the files you want to the relative folders.
6.When finished, scroll list to Devices with removable storage, click on PSP removable disk and select Eject.
7.If you get an error message from windows regarding ejection failure, you can just ignore it. Once you unplug the PSP, the message will go away and everything will work fine.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Choose Your PSP Accessory
by Candice Sabrina
The Sony PSP is capable of delivering photos, videos, Internet, music, and gaming to its users. To do so, the standard PSP system has a widescreen high resolution LCD display and stereo speakers built in. To enhance the delivery of these mediums, the PSP offers several accessories.
Although the PSP (PlayStation Portable) was only recently released in the U.S. in early 2005, Sony has not skimped on the PSP accessory packages available to protect, carry, and enhance the experience of this fascinating handheld entertainment device. There are more than enough available to oblige the most discerning buyer.
The Sony PSP is capable of delivering photos, videos, Internet, music, and gaming to its users. To do so, the standard PSP system has a widescreen high resolution LCD display and stereo speakers built in. To enhance the delivery of these mediums, the PSP offers several accessories including an extended life lithium ion battery to extend the battery life 20% longer than the default battery. Of course, a battery charger is available to recharge the battery for future use.
An AC adapter is a standard PSP accessory, allowing its user to plug directly into any electrical outlet for unlimited play. The foundation of the PSP is being portable. To foster this, a car adapter is available for enjoying movies, music, or gaming while on the road. Headphones with a remote control allow the user to enjoy their movies, music, or gaming without distracting others - and with the remote control gaining even more control over their entertainment.
To keep all these fantastic items together, a PSP accessory pouch is available, as well as a PSP carrying case and system pouch with wrist strap. And for maintaining the clarity of the display and the device, Sony offers a cleaning cloth for the PSP.
With so many on the market, PSP accessory bundles are available to package the most popular items. The basic PSP Core Pack includes simply the PSP System with an AC adapter and a Battery Pack. One step up brings you to the Value Pack which includes headphones with a remote, the carrying pouch with wrist strap, cleaning cloth and 1 GB memory stick in addition to the Core Pack contents.
The Entertainment Pack offers a 1 GB memory stick, ATV Off-Road Fury UMD (Universal Media Disk) game, and Lord of Dogtown UMG movie in addition to the Core Pack. Over 430 UMD video titles are available as well as over 135 games to add to the user's cache of media.
The PSP is a multimedia device – not satisfied with just delivering video games. Users are able to connect to the Internet via wireless networks to download additional updates, movies, music, and television shows. Another great PSP accessory to manage all these files is the Media Manager. This allows users to transfer music and videos to or from their PSP.
TiVo ToGo is available for a one-time flat fee. This allows television shows to be recorded, saved to the memory stick, and then played back through the PSP in full length.
The PSP is a powerful entertainment device offering all media forms to be accessed easily in a small handheld device. With so much to offer, it's no wonder there are so many PSP accessory options available to enhance user's experience with their PSP device.
The Sony PSP is capable of delivering photos, videos, Internet, music, and gaming to its users. To do so, the standard PSP system has a widescreen high resolution LCD display and stereo speakers built in. To enhance the delivery of these mediums, the PSP offers several accessories.
Although the PSP (PlayStation Portable) was only recently released in the U.S. in early 2005, Sony has not skimped on the PSP accessory packages available to protect, carry, and enhance the experience of this fascinating handheld entertainment device. There are more than enough available to oblige the most discerning buyer.
The Sony PSP is capable of delivering photos, videos, Internet, music, and gaming to its users. To do so, the standard PSP system has a widescreen high resolution LCD display and stereo speakers built in. To enhance the delivery of these mediums, the PSP offers several accessories including an extended life lithium ion battery to extend the battery life 20% longer than the default battery. Of course, a battery charger is available to recharge the battery for future use.
An AC adapter is a standard PSP accessory, allowing its user to plug directly into any electrical outlet for unlimited play. The foundation of the PSP is being portable. To foster this, a car adapter is available for enjoying movies, music, or gaming while on the road. Headphones with a remote control allow the user to enjoy their movies, music, or gaming without distracting others - and with the remote control gaining even more control over their entertainment.
To keep all these fantastic items together, a PSP accessory pouch is available, as well as a PSP carrying case and system pouch with wrist strap. And for maintaining the clarity of the display and the device, Sony offers a cleaning cloth for the PSP.
With so many on the market, PSP accessory bundles are available to package the most popular items. The basic PSP Core Pack includes simply the PSP System with an AC adapter and a Battery Pack. One step up brings you to the Value Pack which includes headphones with a remote, the carrying pouch with wrist strap, cleaning cloth and 1 GB memory stick in addition to the Core Pack contents.
The Entertainment Pack offers a 1 GB memory stick, ATV Off-Road Fury UMD (Universal Media Disk) game, and Lord of Dogtown UMG movie in addition to the Core Pack. Over 430 UMD video titles are available as well as over 135 games to add to the user's cache of media.
The PSP is a multimedia device – not satisfied with just delivering video games. Users are able to connect to the Internet via wireless networks to download additional updates, movies, music, and television shows. Another great PSP accessory to manage all these files is the Media Manager. This allows users to transfer music and videos to or from their PSP.
TiVo ToGo is available for a one-time flat fee. This allows television shows to be recorded, saved to the memory stick, and then played back through the PSP in full length.
The PSP is a powerful entertainment device offering all media forms to be accessed easily in a small handheld device. With so much to offer, it's no wonder there are so many PSP accessory options available to enhance user's experience with their PSP device.
A PSP Movie Is Fun For Everyone
by Sammy Kay
A PSP movie is just a regular old movie that has been formatted in a certain way. Sony, the manufacturer of the PSP system has been encouraging people to purchase special versions of movies that have been formatted in the Universal Media Disc (also known as UMD). The disks are about 3 inches by 3 inches in diameter and cost about the same or just slightly more than their DVD counterparts.
You finally broke down and bought your teenager a PlayStation Portable (also known as PSP) for his birthday. There was a lot of coaxing and pleading from your teenager about all of the benefits of the PSP since it was much more than just a hand-held game system. You could also watch movies on it, but what exactly is a PSP movie?
A PSP movie is just a regular old movie that has been formatted in a certain way. Sony, the manufacturer of the PSP system has been encouraging people to purchase special versions of movies that have been formatted in the Universal Media Disc (also known as UMD). The disks are about 3 inches by 3 inches in diameter and cost about the same or just slightly more than their DVD counterparts.
You can have the excitement of seeing a movie any time and any where with the PSP system. It is now small enough to take anywhere and a vivid widescreen LCD making it perfect for movies and videos while you are on the go. And, you can watch full-length movies on a prerecorded UMD that has designed especially for the PSP. The UMD is a high-capacity storage system that is capable of delivering great graphics in a very small sized disk. There are currently more than 430 UMD movies that can be purchased.
Sounds good, right? Probably yes, if you are looking for something to amuse your children on a long car trip or while they are waiting for medical appointments. The PSP movie can keep them occupied and quiet when you need them to be.
If you are looking for a PSP movie for the family to watch, the answer is probably no. While a PSP movie is great to watch on the PSP player, you must remember that the screen is only a few inches wide. How many people really want to watch a movie on such a small screen? Actually, a lot of them do, especially since the system is so portable!
The UMD version of PSP movies can not be played on a standard DVD player in the home, but if you have the 'know-how' you can connect your PSP to your DVD. The bad part is that if the PSP breaks or some day is no longer made, you are stuck with tiny UMD movies that can not be played on a regular DVD system.
The PSP movie still has a long way to go to become a household name. However, if your goal is for a gift for your children, they will probably be absolutely thrilled with the PSP system and the ability to watch PSP movies any time and any where they go. So, if you want to make your children happy and for them to have the same up-to-date system that all of their friends have, consider giving them the PSP system and movies for their enjoyment.
They will be happy, and everyone knows that an unhappy child can make everyone miserable. So, what are a few extra dollars going to mean when it comes to keeping your child happy with PSP movies.
A PSP movie is just a regular old movie that has been formatted in a certain way. Sony, the manufacturer of the PSP system has been encouraging people to purchase special versions of movies that have been formatted in the Universal Media Disc (also known as UMD). The disks are about 3 inches by 3 inches in diameter and cost about the same or just slightly more than their DVD counterparts.
You finally broke down and bought your teenager a PlayStation Portable (also known as PSP) for his birthday. There was a lot of coaxing and pleading from your teenager about all of the benefits of the PSP since it was much more than just a hand-held game system. You could also watch movies on it, but what exactly is a PSP movie?
A PSP movie is just a regular old movie that has been formatted in a certain way. Sony, the manufacturer of the PSP system has been encouraging people to purchase special versions of movies that have been formatted in the Universal Media Disc (also known as UMD). The disks are about 3 inches by 3 inches in diameter and cost about the same or just slightly more than their DVD counterparts.
You can have the excitement of seeing a movie any time and any where with the PSP system. It is now small enough to take anywhere and a vivid widescreen LCD making it perfect for movies and videos while you are on the go. And, you can watch full-length movies on a prerecorded UMD that has designed especially for the PSP. The UMD is a high-capacity storage system that is capable of delivering great graphics in a very small sized disk. There are currently more than 430 UMD movies that can be purchased.
Sounds good, right? Probably yes, if you are looking for something to amuse your children on a long car trip or while they are waiting for medical appointments. The PSP movie can keep them occupied and quiet when you need them to be.
If you are looking for a PSP movie for the family to watch, the answer is probably no. While a PSP movie is great to watch on the PSP player, you must remember that the screen is only a few inches wide. How many people really want to watch a movie on such a small screen? Actually, a lot of them do, especially since the system is so portable!
The UMD version of PSP movies can not be played on a standard DVD player in the home, but if you have the 'know-how' you can connect your PSP to your DVD. The bad part is that if the PSP breaks or some day is no longer made, you are stuck with tiny UMD movies that can not be played on a regular DVD system.
The PSP movie still has a long way to go to become a household name. However, if your goal is for a gift for your children, they will probably be absolutely thrilled with the PSP system and the ability to watch PSP movies any time and any where they go. So, if you want to make your children happy and for them to have the same up-to-date system that all of their friends have, consider giving them the PSP system and movies for their enjoyment.
They will be happy, and everyone knows that an unhappy child can make everyone miserable. So, what are a few extra dollars going to mean when it comes to keeping your child happy with PSP movies.
Playstation 3 "Flow" Game Review
by Carolyn Bassett
I will be reviewing the downloadable game Flow available from the Playstation 3 website. Flow is one of the best Playstation 3 downloadable games that is currently available through the Playstation 3 online store service.
(>) Start
I will be reviewing the downloadable game Flow available from the Playstation 3 website. Flow is one of the best Playstation 3 downloadable games that is currently available through the Playstation 3 online store service.
(X) Reviews
Flow : 10/10
My Overview
Flow is certainly the most innovative game on the market today. Finally, a title to take full advantage of the Saxxis controller, and perfectly!
Gameplay is simple, satisfying, and beautiful. The graphics are flawless, pure 1080i delight, and the detail is meticulously entrancing.
At the most abstract level, the game is Pac-Man 2007, as you gobble up pretty little power pellets, as well as your enemies. The big difference (besides the completely different graphical elements) is that in Flow, you evolve your creature as you progress.
Progression through levels is achieved via diving deeper and deeper into a 3 dimensional abyss. The deeper you get, the more difficult the enemies become.
Once you finish a set of levels as one particular species of creature, you reach an egg for the next creature. It is important to note that, at this point only, the game automatically saves so that the next time that you play, you can choose to play as the new species, or any other previous species that you had gotten as deep with.
My Complaints
It's not obvious as to what you should do when you begin. A respect for Flow's simplicity and the awe of discovery fade quickly when you just want to go to bed, can't figure out how to save the game, and become concerned about loosing your last hour's worth of gameplay.
It turns out that if you quit before you complete a set of levels, you will have to start from the beginning with that creature.
Do not let this slow you from getting the game, it's uniqueness and detailed beauty far outweigh this one complaint.
Also, finishing any particular level only takes about fifteen minutes to one half hour to complete.
My Tip
To change creatures during gameplay (After you have gotten through the first creature) press start, then find the blue-up, ring to choose a different creature.
I will be reviewing the downloadable game Flow available from the Playstation 3 website. Flow is one of the best Playstation 3 downloadable games that is currently available through the Playstation 3 online store service.
(>) Start
I will be reviewing the downloadable game Flow available from the Playstation 3 website. Flow is one of the best Playstation 3 downloadable games that is currently available through the Playstation 3 online store service.
(X) Reviews
Flow : 10/10
My Overview
Flow is certainly the most innovative game on the market today. Finally, a title to take full advantage of the Saxxis controller, and perfectly!
Gameplay is simple, satisfying, and beautiful. The graphics are flawless, pure 1080i delight, and the detail is meticulously entrancing.
At the most abstract level, the game is Pac-Man 2007, as you gobble up pretty little power pellets, as well as your enemies. The big difference (besides the completely different graphical elements) is that in Flow, you evolve your creature as you progress.
Progression through levels is achieved via diving deeper and deeper into a 3 dimensional abyss. The deeper you get, the more difficult the enemies become.
Once you finish a set of levels as one particular species of creature, you reach an egg for the next creature. It is important to note that, at this point only, the game automatically saves so that the next time that you play, you can choose to play as the new species, or any other previous species that you had gotten as deep with.
My Complaints
It's not obvious as to what you should do when you begin. A respect for Flow's simplicity and the awe of discovery fade quickly when you just want to go to bed, can't figure out how to save the game, and become concerned about loosing your last hour's worth of gameplay.
It turns out that if you quit before you complete a set of levels, you will have to start from the beginning with that creature.
Do not let this slow you from getting the game, it's uniqueness and detailed beauty far outweigh this one complaint.
Also, finishing any particular level only takes about fifteen minutes to one half hour to complete.
My Tip
To change creatures during gameplay (After you have gotten through the first creature) press start, then find the blue-up, ring to choose a different creature.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Barebones Gamer - Is This the Answer to High Gaming PC Prices?
by Michael Quarles
A top of the line gamer can cost as much as a used car. One alternative to the high prices is a "barebones gamer". Here's how much you can save, and what's involved.
This is an unfinished PC. With the barest of the barebones you get a motherboard and CPU, mounted in a case, with a power supply. You buy the rest, and assemble it. Barebones units aimed at the gamer will usually be a notch above this. They’ll have some RAM installed, though perhaps not as much as you’d like. A few I’ve seen lately have dual core CPU’s. The motherboard may be SLI ready, and on rare occasions you’ll find a Crossfire board.
For just about every barebones, you buy your own hard drive, CD/DVD, and most important for game play, the graphics card (or cards). Since you’ll want maximum speed, get extra RAM, particularly if you intend to run Vista. Both Premium and Ultimate versions require 1GB.
By bargain hunting for parts, and assembling it yourself, you can shave $300 to $500 off the price by going the barebones route. To do this, you’ll have to be patient, always looking for sales and rebates. Scour the internet on a daily basis, if necessary, because the real bargains on hard drives and such can sell out in a matter of hours.
Also, don’t forget the “big box” stores when parts hunting. Only days ago, I was surprised to find an 80GB hard drive selling for $20 cheaper at Walmart than any place else.
With all this talk of money to be saved, you’re probably asking yourself “Okay, what’s the catch? Are they really hard to put together? And just what kind of quality can I expect?”
Assembling a PC is relatively easy. Anyone with a good how-to manual can do it in an afternoon. As to quality, you may actually come out ahead of the mass produced factory machines.
What you must look for in a barebones is a good motherboard, and a big enough power supply to handle the job. Since your CPU will be an AMD or Intel, you know you’ll be getting quality. Some merchants will try to get rid of off-brand boards, or too small power supplies by selling them in barebones units, so check carefully.
Look for features like PCI Express slots, and SATA on your unit’s motherboard to get maximum speed. Require your power supply to be at least 500 watts to handle the demands of a fast processor and GPU.
A top of the line gamer can cost as much as a used car. One alternative to the high prices is a "barebones gamer". Here's how much you can save, and what's involved.
This is an unfinished PC. With the barest of the barebones you get a motherboard and CPU, mounted in a case, with a power supply. You buy the rest, and assemble it. Barebones units aimed at the gamer will usually be a notch above this. They’ll have some RAM installed, though perhaps not as much as you’d like. A few I’ve seen lately have dual core CPU’s. The motherboard may be SLI ready, and on rare occasions you’ll find a Crossfire board.
For just about every barebones, you buy your own hard drive, CD/DVD, and most important for game play, the graphics card (or cards). Since you’ll want maximum speed, get extra RAM, particularly if you intend to run Vista. Both Premium and Ultimate versions require 1GB.
By bargain hunting for parts, and assembling it yourself, you can shave $300 to $500 off the price by going the barebones route. To do this, you’ll have to be patient, always looking for sales and rebates. Scour the internet on a daily basis, if necessary, because the real bargains on hard drives and such can sell out in a matter of hours.
Also, don’t forget the “big box” stores when parts hunting. Only days ago, I was surprised to find an 80GB hard drive selling for $20 cheaper at Walmart than any place else.
With all this talk of money to be saved, you’re probably asking yourself “Okay, what’s the catch? Are they really hard to put together? And just what kind of quality can I expect?”
Assembling a PC is relatively easy. Anyone with a good how-to manual can do it in an afternoon. As to quality, you may actually come out ahead of the mass produced factory machines.
What you must look for in a barebones is a good motherboard, and a big enough power supply to handle the job. Since your CPU will be an AMD or Intel, you know you’ll be getting quality. Some merchants will try to get rid of off-brand boards, or too small power supplies by selling them in barebones units, so check carefully.
Look for features like PCI Express slots, and SATA on your unit’s motherboard to get maximum speed. Require your power supply to be at least 500 watts to handle the demands of a fast processor and GPU.
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