Since the creation of video-games, parents, and children alike have been wondering about the usefulness, and disadvantages of playing these technology-based diversions. If moderated, games can be a great medium for social bonding, and an outlet for a well deserved break. Recently many studies have been released showing many effects of playing video-games, and many times, their data is misinterpreted. Instead of taking the radical approach to denying the advantages of playing video-games, or even proclaiming them as the savior for today’s youth, it is necessary to take the middle road, and adjust it according to your own values.
On one social aspect, video-games are a great way to enhance friendship, or even make new relationships. By sitting down to a nice game of Madden 06 (A football game) or even playing co-op mode on Halo 2 (a first person shooter), you can develop bonds between you and your partner. By playing these games you are working on your teamwork, it being necessary to be corporative and work out a game plan to win. However you can also play on opposite teams in Madden 06, or even fight against each other in Halo 2. If taken too seriously, this can prove to be harmful to a relationship. Nonetheless, usually these games provide a light healthy competition, and hopefully allow the loser (and winner) to practice sportsmanship skills.
Unfortunately there are also negative effects on social behavior, almost directly linked to playing too many video-games. Many times, if gamers become too obsessed, playing some single-player games could cause social-isolation. These games (if abused) could take time away from being with friends and plant gamers in front of a screen. At an early age this could prove very harmful as kids are still learning better social behavior and skills. Becoming “addicted” to video-games could cause a child to grow up as an introvert, shy, and/or anti-social.
Another ill-affect of video-games besides the social health of gamers is there physical health. Many conditions and injuries have been linked to repetitive use of video games. Some of them include: Eye Strains, Wrist/ Neck/ injuries, Back Pain, Photosensitive Epilepsy, Headaches, nerve and muscle damage, and even hallucinations! Currently researchers are examining the effect of video-games on obesity, and whether it is a factor. Even though these alone sound like a reason enough to eradicate video-games you must look at the conditions of the studies performed to come to these conclusions. Many of these injuries are very rare, and you also must examine the word repetitively. Most of the cases of an injury or disease as a result of playing video-games happened because the person was playing too much. Therefore with moderation, one can enjoy video-games with a much lower risk of besetting one of these injuries.
Even though there are negative risks to playing video-games, there are also many positive effects on physical health brought upon by playing these games. Many studies show, including one by Stanford University, that video games have a great effect on player’s problem solving skills and alertness ([http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/spotlight/2001-01-19-video.htm]). The US Governments National Institute of Heath also recently released a study showing amazing increases in visual skills and attentiveness after playing video-games (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2943280.stm). Among these increased skills is also the better ability to follow directions. Teachers for centuries have been trying to instill the educational ideal of following directions upon students. Now with the advances in video-games player’s skills in directional following will also hopefully rise.
In additional to the capability to follow directions, come many other educational benefits to playing video-games. It is proven that many strategy games such as Age of Empires and Rome: Total War, increase logic and thinking skills. In these games, players are required to engage in critical thinking and decision making that will influence there gaming experience. In order to win, you need to think through a decision before you do it. For example in Age of Empires, choosing whether to build an archery range or a stable could influence the result of your next battle. Many role-playing games (such as Final Fantasy X) also require you to read great amounts of text scrolling fast through the screen. In fact, many American teachers have been noting improvement in spelling, reading, and even mathematics due to video-games (http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/2-27-2004-51038.asp). Many readers may now be thinking that it is obviously more beneficial to reading skills to read a book, but how much easier is it to ask a child if they want to read a novel, or play the latest blockbuster game to hit shelves?
The content of games is also important. Today the array of genre and content of games has increased ten-fold. There are games designed for pre-teen girls, violent teenagers, sports lovers, history aficionados, anybody you name, and there is probably a game that was designed with them as demographic. The same study by the US Institute of Health also used different games as variables (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2943280.stm). They had some children play modern games, just released in the last few years (such as Medal of Honor), and grievously released games (such as Tetris). The Medal of Honor players improved there visual and attention skills significantly, whereas the Tetris players had almost nil improvement.
Regrettably, many of today’s youth are using video-games to escape the stresses of daily life. It is also ultimately one of the best tools for procrastinators. This can have a negative effect on daily life. Children will play video-games instead of doing there homework, instead of studying for tests, even instead of conversing with their own family! In addition, many video-games are understandably “addicting” and cause many “hard-core” players to lose jobs, fail school, and even lose a relationship. These qualities of video-games make them seem almost drug-like possessing some of the same social negatives as alcohol. However just like red-wine (which appear to be positive to your health (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1719675.stm)) video-games are great in moderation.
Ultimately if a player practices self control video games can be positive for them. As long as they keep track of time, choose good games, and balance their life, gamers around the world can all feel these productive effects. Fantasy is an essential part of a kids growing imagination. So as long as they do so wisely, let them play, let them have fun.
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Parent's Guide to Video Games
10:43 AM
Video games are growing in popularity for people of all ages and backgrounds. This means that more children are playing video games as well. However, some parents have concerns about whether or not they should allow their children to play video games. And if they should, which ones are safe and appropriate?
The video game industry can be a confusing scene to a parent, especially those who don't play themselves. However, it seems that games are really the wave of the future and it will difficult to avoid them completely. Instead, you should learn about them so you can teach your child how to use them safely.
While you always reserve the right as a parent to forbid your child from playing games, there are some things you should know about them. Video games have gotten a bad rep in the media over the years but the technology of games is becoming a big part of our culture.
Games are being developed into learning devices in schools and universities. They are even used to train the military and astronauts. They have been used as a therapy tool for sick or injured people as well. With games becoming such an important part of our future, it will be important that you help your child become familiar with them. You can do this in a safe and healthy way. Teaching your child positive video game habits today can stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Know the Games
Before you can know what is right for your children to play, you need to know what games are out there. There are different platforms in which your child can play games. These include:
· PC (computer)
· Wii
· Xbox 360
· PS3
· DS
· PSP
· iPhone
· older versions of the above consoles such as the Playstation, Nintendo and more
Game systems are becoming more and more complex with their features and abilities. This means each new system that comes out has more that it can do. Consoles can be used to play DVDs and music CDs and even to connect to the Internet and allow online play. With technology changing so quickly, it can seem hard to keep up with video games but if you can stay one step ahead of your child, you will always know about what they want to play and what is safe for them to play.
Tips for Video Games
One of the most important things you can learn about video games as a parent is the rating system and what it means. Video games have a rating system similar to that of movies. When you learn to read and understand this rating system, it will give you a general idea of which games are safe for your child to play.
The next thing you need to learn is how to get reviews of previews of the games. Many games allow you to preview or sample them before buying. This gives you a chance to check out the game for yourself before allowing your child to play.
Here are some additional basic tips for video games:
· talk to your child about the games they play
· participate with your child in game playing
· talk as a family about your video gaming rules
· put time limits on how long your child can play in sessions- then be sure to stick with them
· encourage breaks during video game time
· encourage your child to do physical activities on a regular basis, too
Video Games for Younger Children
There are many games being created for younger children. You will be surprised how great a learning tool as video games can be to even a young child. Just like anything else, when used properly and in a safe manner, video games can be great for young children. They should not, of course, be a babysitter for your child.
Here are some sample game titles for various platforms that are good for younger children:
· Zoombinis Logical Journey (PC, Mac)
· Lego Creator (PC)
· Bookworm (PC)
· The Wonder Pets Save the Animals (Nintendo DS)
· Dinosaur Adventure 3D (PC)
Video Games for Older Children
Don't mistakenly believe that older children can only be entertained by shoot-'em-up games. There are many great video games for older children that come with ratings you can approve of. There are also great games to stimulate their minds and those to help them stay in shape. More games are being designed to get them off the couch and up and moving than ever before.
Here are some samples (These titles are rated T for Teen):
· InFamous (PS3)
· The Sims 3 (PC)
· World of Warcraft and expansions (PC)
· Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
· The Conduit (Wii)
· Final Fantasy VIII (PlayStation)
· Tales of Vesperia (Xbox 360)
· Guitar Hero 3 (Xbox 360)
· Mount and Blade (PC)
Remember that games which are rated for teen may contain content that is not suitable to younger children or young teens. You may want to preview these games before allowing your child to play them. The rating label should also list why a particular game has the ratings that is has with terms such as "blood and gore", "Violence", "adult language", "drinking", "Suggestive themes", etc.
Video Games for Whole Family
Video games can be an entire family affair. You don't have to live with the stereotype of the child sitting for hours in front of the TV playing a video game alone. Games can be a family event and this allows you the chance to be a part of something that your loves as well.
Here are some games rated E for Everyone that you might enjoy with your child:
· Wii Sports Resort (Wii)
· Wii Fit (Wii)
· Virtua Tennis (Wii)
· Little Big Planet (PS3)
· Mario Cart Wii (Wii)
· Mario Kart (Nintendo DS)
· NCAA Football (PS3)
· Pokemon Platinum (Nintendo DS)
· Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
· Brain Age (Nintendo DS)
· Lego Indiana Jones (Wii and PC)
Video games don't have to lead to violence, obesity or other negative influences on your child. They can be a positive experience, a learning tool and they can even help you exercise (think Wii Fit). However, just like anything else in your child's life, you have to be the one to begin teaching them healthy habits. Allow your healthy family gaming habits to begin today!
Lisa Mason is a freelance writer and mother of four who enjoys writing on baby and child-related topics. She is committed to help overcome the important but sometimes overwhelming role as parents and the many issues that they are faced with. Lisa is also a staff writer for CuddleMeCutie.com - a company offering baby products of all types including strollers, diaper bags [http://www.cuddlemecutie.com/Diaper-Bags-and-Purses/departments/138/], baby furniture, crib bedding and kids' books.
Video Gaming in Our Lives
2:38 AM
Video games have become a big part of nearly all family's lives, whether it is the children playing, or the parents. There are all kinds of video games, children's, adults, violence, adventure, first shooter, online, etc.... I could mention more, but I think you get the point; there are video games for just about any personality.
Even though there were video games before Pong, a computerized version of ping pong, or as some call it, table tennis, it has been touted as the first video game to come out. Without a doubt, it was the first to become "red hot" among the first gamers. Since its inception, the gaming world literally exploded. Video gaming has become a very lucrative business among young and old alike. It has even been made into a popular genre with the entertainment world. Several major motion pictures have been made using video game themes, such as several versions of Resident Evil and Doom. On the other hand, video games have been derived from major motion pictures, such as Transformers. Television has also had its hand in helping the video game industry with such favorites as Transformers, which was a cartoon long before it was a movie.
VIDEO GAMING PROS AND CONS
Video gaming has become one of the most successful industries, but, as with most successes, come doubts, fears, and even dismay. Many feel its effects in the society, particularly on the younger generation; have both positive and negative consequences. Studies have found that, used in moderation, they have positive effects on the mental and physical development of children. Some of the positive aspects of video gaming are hand and eye coordination, mental acuity, educational value and a means for otherwise shy, introverted children to interact with others. One negative aspect is becoming so involved, one tends to neglect the rest of the world. Another is that some individuals tend to confuse fantasy with reality. Video games have been named in cases where individual(s) stray from reality, and in extreme cases, used as a crutch for wrong-doing.
Violence in video games has become a major issue, particularly in children. Some have expressed concerns that the violence can bring out violent behavior in individuals, young and old alike. While it has been proven that video games have a healing effect, they also have an effect on weak minds.
VIDEO GAMING RATING SYSTEM
If you are concerned with whether the games you kids are playing are appropriate, consider checking the ratings. E rated games are for everyone. They include games such as sports video games, Mario Brothers, SpongeBob Squarepants. Consider age appropriate games created from movies, such as Madagascar, to fall in this category.
T rated games are for teens. They offer graphics that are a bit more detailed, and could have some violence and sexual graphics, but with no graphic gore.
M games are rated mature. These would be for adults only, with more gore, sexual context and graphical killing. Grand Theft Auto is a fine example of an M rated video game. Other M rated video games would include war games where there is a lot of killing and gore.
Even with this rating system listed above, children still choose the ones that are rated as not suitable for them. They can always find ways to play with those types of video games rather than the ones which are more age-appropriate.
Bottom Line
Video games are here to stay, whether they are played on Nintendo's, WII's, the PC or in arcades. Our children will be constantly subjected to video games, so "parental responsibility" should be a key phrase in all parents vocabulary. As for adults, to each his own.
On the market today there is now available some crazy and zany video games that can enhance the video gaming experience for gamers. These incredible video games have the ability to cause the villains within a video game to begin dancing to disco music.
The most bizarre of these newly bizarre video games are produced by Insomniac Games, who also produced the Ratchet And Clank Future - Tools Of Destruction video game. Within this video game was the introduction of the Transformer that had the ability to turn enemies into tiny, little penguins and the Gelanator that could trap its enemies in ice cubes that were made of lime gelatin. Their whimsical look on video games has enabled the majority of their video games to become top titles on the bestseller charts by the gaming industry.
The magical and advanced technology that is used in creating special effects in many movies are the same ones that are used to create the realistic graphics and life like animation within many video games produced by Insomniac Games. Insomniac Games is one of the few independent video game developers that are still battle for their place among the big league names of Activision and Electronic Arts Incorporated. Already two top independent video game developers, Pandemic Studios and BioWare Corporation, have sold out to Electronic Arts Incorporated.
Insomniac Games is a company that has reserved the rights to keep to their roots as a goofy and informal company that can focus on creativity and fun. This company was founded in 1994 and has been going strong ever since they released their very first video game demo entitled, Disruptor. However, it only sold close to two hundred thousand copies, which is not great, but for a first time video game it is not too shabby either.
The second video game that they released was Spyro the Dragon, which featured a friendly purple dragon and it was a runaway hit. This video game was so incredible that between 1998 and 2000 there were three more video games created that were based on the Dragon Spyro. The sales of these video games reached close to twelve million copies actually being sold.
Then in 2002, they created Ratchet And Clank, which was about a furry yellow creature and his robot sidekick. This video game was such a huge hit that it sold more than twelve million copies. The major video game they released was a more mature type of video game known as, Resistance - Fall Of Man. This video game became one of the best selling video games for Sony and its Playstation 3 video game system.
Insomniac Games develops video games for only Sony, and since the Playstation 3 video gaming system has fallen way behind the sales of the Wii and Xbox-360 they have truly been affected. However, they are not considering selling out to the larger video game developing companies. In fact, they will consider developing video games for other video game system manufactures first.
They have created such fabulous video games as Spyro the Dragon in 1998, Spyro 2 - Ripto's Rage in 1999, Spryo - Year of the Dragon in 2000, Ratchet & Clank in 2002, Ratchet & Clank - Going Commando in 2003, Ratchet & Clank - Up Your Arsenal in 2004, Ratchet Deadlocked in 2005, Ratchet & Clank Future - Tools of Destruction in 2006, and Resistance - Fall of Man in 2007.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant about kids toys, dolls, and video games. You will find the best marketplace for kids toys, dolls, and used video games at these sites for kids toys, dolls.
What is it like to work as a video game programmer? It is considered by many game-playing children to be a dream job. Is it actually as good as it sounds? It certainly is an interesting life. However, as with anything else on this planet, there are both positive and negative sides to working as a video game programmer.
For the last 7 years I have worked as a video game programmer at three development studios: Activision/Treyarch, Visual Concepts and DiscoPixel. I have published titles for the Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo consoles. This article is a summary of some of the perks and pitfalls that I have experienced through my work at these companies.
Perk #1 - Make Games!
This one is pretty obvious, but the biggest perk of working at a video game studio is that you will be MAKING games. You will be helping build the next great game that potentially millions of people will play and enjoy. There's an amazing satisfaction that stems from knowing that you helped make something big.
Perk #2 - Play Games!
In addition to testing and improving your current game every day, you'll also be playing games made by other companies. There are few jobs out there where sitting down and playing a newly released console title is considered research. Companies definitely want you to stay on top of the technology and features of new games, and the only way to do this is by playing lots of games. At the companies I've worked at, I've never seen anyone get reprimanded for playing video games during the day.
Perk #3 - Independence
A great aspect of working as a video game programmer is the independence you are given. It is rare that you'll have a manager breathing down your neck or double checking everything you do. To get hired into a development studio you need to already have excellent programming skills, so you are given a lot of freedom to make many decisions yourself. You may be assigned a general task to complete, but how that actually should be done, as well as how long it should take, are often up to you.
Provided that you can get your work done, the companies I have worked for generally seemed to be very willing to let me work on my terms. When I was tired or bored or lazy I could go play a game or relax somewhere without anyone complaining. Happy employees with improved morale make better games.
Perk #4 - Fun Office Environment
Everybody that works at a video game studio has one thing in common: they love games. If they didn't love playing games they would never have been hired to make them. Because of this, the office setting often has fun or quirky things anywhere you look. Many people bring strange new objects to show off or play with during the day.
Most video game studios have lots of games and toys lying around to keep its employees entertained. A few things that I have come across at various studios: Arcades with free coin-op games, foosball tables, ping pong tables, razor scooters, board games, action figures, puzzles, daytime basketball games and giant stuffed animals.
Coming to the office still means you're going to work, but there's no reason why it can't also be fun.
Perk #5 - Free Soda + Snacks
This perk is maybe not important to everyone, but it's nice to know that you won't go hungry working at a video game studio. I've never met a video game company that hasn't offered free soda and snacks as part of the benefits of working there. I suppose being loaded up on caffeine and sugar helps boost productivity. During long days at the office, companies will typically provide free dinner as a thank-you for staying late. One company I worked for served fully catered meals from assorted restaurants every night for many weeks.
Pitfall #1 - Long Work Hours
Making video games is a lot of work. The amount of time needed to make the latest game seems to be growing exponentially. Development teams continue to get bigger and bigger every year, yet somehow the amount of work per person doesn't seem to get any smaller. Games are very complicated. Also, the nature of games is that they must be fun, which is not always so easy to accurately pencil into a schedule. A lot of experimentation is needed, especially with new game concepts.
Before a milestone and especially a few months before a game is released, the work day will be very intense. The work has a way of very quickly piling up. New features and old bugs suck away all of your time. Working long nights or weekends is not uncommon. Fortunately, employees generally care about the games that they are making, and their passion helps energize them through these occasional long shifts.
The stress can get overwhelming, too. At one company I had a giant stack of bug reports waiting for me on my chair when I came into the office. I would work all day, scrambling to fix the bugs as quickly as possible, working on full blast all day and night. I'd go home for a couple hours of sleep, but when I'd return to work there would be a new, even larger stack of bug reports waiting for me.
Typically after a project has shipped there will be a period of downtime where the employees can get a chance to relax and recover. The work load will suddenly significantly reduce. One company gave bonus vacation time after a project shipped, and another put employees "on call" for about a month, in which they only had to come to the office if there was some kind of problem. It's nice to know that your long work hours do not go unnoticed.
Pitfall #2 -Choosing What to Work On
Working on your own video games in your free time is a lot of fun. You get to choose exactly what game and tasks you want to work on, focusing only on the fun stuff. Anything boring can be safely ignored since the only audience is you. Unfortunately, this is not the case for large video game studios. There are many tasks to be completed, some of which are not too glamorous. Fixing console manufacturer standards violations or building data tools is not very exciting, but it still needs to be done by someone in order to ship the final product.
These tasks typically are given to people who are just starting out in the video game industry, perhaps as a rite of passage, but probably just because nobody else wants to do them.
In addition to the possibility of working on less glamorous tasks, you could be assigned a project that you are not fully interested in. Typically the company will let you work projects that interest you, but this is not always possible. A particular project could be falling behind schedule and it needs a few more employees to fix some bugs or add some new features. Or, the project you are interested in already has enough workers.
I think that the passion of the employees working at a video game studio is crucial to the success of that game. If you are not excited about what you're working on, it will show up in the game you're creating. To avoid any misunderstandings or letdowns, before deciding to work at a particular company, it's important to find out what game you will be working on in addition to what tasks you will be assigned.
Pitfall #3 -Pay Not as Good (Maybe?)
I've heard from a few people that the pay working as a video game programmer is not as good as the pay working at more conventional companies. Business database programmers, for example, could be earning more money. This could be true. However, choosing your profession is not just about the pay. You spend a large percentage of your life at your job. Money is not everything. Choosing something that you enjoy is important, too.
I thought the pay at the companies I have worked at was very reasonable. There is also a large potential upside from royalty checks coming from a game that sells well, which has sometimes turned out to be significant. You will definitely not be living as a pauper if you get a programmer job at a video game company.
Conclusion
I hope that this article has been helpful towards learning a little bit about working as a video game programmer. As with everything in life, there are pros and cons to this profession. If what you have read sounds good to you, I hope you find that dream job making the next great bestselling game.
About The Author
Tom Bak is a professional software developer with over ten years of programming experience on diverse projects, including seven years of video game experience with numerous published console game titles. He is currently working on a free charity word puzzle and a free word game.
The entertainment division of Microsoft is riding high as their much anticipated and publicized video game Halo 3 set a record for first day sales with a take of 170 million dollars. The previous record was set by Halo 2 in 2004 at 125 million dollars in the first 24 hours. Microsoft was expecting Halo 3 to make 150 million dollars on September 25, 2007 the day it was released. But this ambitious figure was met and surpassed much to the delight of the people at Microsoft and Bungie Studios, their company owned animation studio.
When the first Halo video game Combat Evolved was released on November 9, 2001 it immediately captured the attention of the people who play video games. It then went on to much greater success. Several more video games like Halo 2 and a list of merchandising products like action figures and comic books were created. They were immediately embraced by a legion of loyal fans known as the Halo Nation. A cultural Icon and a very large following were created with this futuristic video game, much like the Star Trek and Star Wars franchises. Xbox 360 was the king of video game consoles and the Halo video game franchise was number one for the longest time.
But things have changed for Microsoft since Playstation 3, PSP and Nintendo Wii came out on the market. They offer a variety of great games like Call of Duty, Madden NFL 07, Twilight Princess and Tony Hawks Project 8 to name only a few. The latest video game consoles by Sony and Nintendo also offer great technological advances, and this has caught the attention of the video game customers who love innovation with their video games and electronics. Especially the kind of innovations that make it seem like you are actually in the game.
When Nintendo Wii was released about a year ago it offered an exiting new technology with the Wii remote. It is called the motion sensitive feature and it allows one to be right there in the game interacting with 3D characters and special effects. It revolutionized the way people play video games.
The Wii console also sells for less than the Xbox 360 console at about 250 dollars compared to 500. This fact has made Nintendo Wii video game consoles more attractive than the Xbox 360 to the middle class parents whose Christmas funds for presents this year may be a little low.
Nintendo Wii and Playstation 3 by Sony have both been on top of the video game market for the past year. Suddenly Xbox 360 was no longer number 1 in sales of video game consoles and the Halo video game franchise was no longer the best in the world of video games. Prior to September 25, 2007 things were not so merry at the entertainment division of Microsoft.
A few years back Microsoft and Bungie Studios hired a group of talented computer programmers and 3D animation artists that was large enough to fill a high school auditorium. These people were the cream of the crop in the business of making video games. They worked very hard for over 3 years on the production of Halo 3 at an overall cost of about 50 million dollars. The result is a first person shooter video game with sound and graphics that are a feast to the eyes and ears and a storyline that is quite engaging with several twists and turns.
The Halo Nation has shown up in full force at the retail stores to buy Halo 3. There is also a very large following for the online video game version of the Halo franchise. Microsoft has reported that over 1 million online players battled it out in the first 24 hours on Xbox Live playing Halo 3. This version of the game pits online members against each in a fight to the death.
Now they are dancing in their corporate offices back at Microsoft and Bungie studios. Their video game Halo 3 made 170 million dollars in the first day on the market and they are projecting that it will make over 560 million dollars overall. If this turns out to be true for Halo 3, which is well on its way to making it so, it will give Microsoft a 90 percent profit for this project. In an industry where most video games lose money this is quite an astounding statistic.
The recent release of Halo 3 has put Xbox 360 games and Xbox 360 video game consoles back in the spotlight and primed to be back on top of the video game industry. It is a testament to the creativity and marketing skills of Microsoft and its employees who have been known to do a few things right in their remarkable history.
Michael P. Connelly is an Author, Artist and award-winning Filmmaker who writes on a variety of topics that effect people in their every day lives.
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Do you think that most video game players are kids sitting bleary eyed in front of television sets with fingers and thumbs tapping away in a staccato like manner on the control buttons of a remote control or keyboard? Well, there are plenty of those kinds of kids for sure, but they are not the most prevalent number in the demographics of video game players. That would be the grown ups, or people over the age of 18 to be more specific.
The Entertainment Software Association, a top demographics and research company did a survey recently and found that adults make up 92 percent of the people who purchase video games these days and 80 percent who purchase video game consoles.
The average age of video game players is now up to 33, and getting higher every year it seems. This recent survey found that 67 percent of the Heads of Households play video games as a form of recreation, according to the Entertainment Software Association, or ESA. The average age of the most frequent video game buyers is 38 years old.
The evidence of how old video game players have become was quite evident recently when the release of Halo 3 was getting a lot of media attention. Every news story showed footage of die-hard Halo 3 fans waiting in line for the release of this latest Halo video game. Most of these fans were adults who have followed the Halo video game franchise for many years. Many television reporters showed up at these events and when they conducted interviews you could see that the zeal and fanaticism of these fans was second to none. Some even had costumes that would have made any serious Star Trek or Star Wars fan quite jealous.
There are a lot of parents playing video games these days. Even more interesting is the fact that 80 percent of parents who play video games said they play them with their children, and that this experience has brought them much closer together as a family. In the early days of the video games parents often dismissed them as nothing more than a diversion. The parents of today recognize the value of playing video games.
The grown ups of today are the first generation to be raised on video games. They were the first kids to play Tron, Pong, and Donkey Kong and they have never lost their interest in this kind of activity. They have matured along with video games, made them part of their everyday lives and used them as an escape from reality.
Some of the video games that are currently on the market are quite amazing in their technical and creative achievements. Corporations like Microsoft spend millions of dollars to create games like Halo 3 which offer an experience that is much more than a game. First person shooter video games like Halo 3 and Far Cry by Ubisoft put the players in the game and provide them with choices that determine the outcome. A person can play alone on their PC or with many other people online.
There are now games that offer the sense of touch through the use of special hardware that can be purchased. The hardware involves attaching sensors and transmitters to your skin. The result is a virtual experience that is so realistic you can literally feel it. This kind of interaction can be far more rewarding than simply watching a movie or listening to music. The adult entertainment industry sees the obvious value of this technology and they have seized upon the opportunity with great interest.
Video game developers have known for years that adults are their main customers. They are designing more and more games these days like Grand Theft Auto, San Andreas that are strictly for players over the age of eighteen.
More and more middle aged adults are playing video games these days. Back in 1999 only 9 percent of people over the age of 50 played video games. Now, in 2007 that number has increased to 24 percent.
The video game industry generates 80 billion dollars worldwide annually. Most of that money is made from the sales of video games and Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii video game consoles that are purchased by adults for themselves. That is, after they have purchased one for their kids, of course.
Michael P. Connelly is an Author, Artist and award-winning Filmmaker who writes on a variety of topics that effect people in their every day lives.
Click here [http://www.video-games-giant.com] for more information on the topic of this article
Video Games Tester Jobs
4:29 AM
The job of the video game tester is very lucrative these days. It is seldom that the passion is transformed into a job. While working as a video game tester one gets to play the video games, which are not even released. Moreover they are paid to have fun. The video game testers have to play the game and post their reviews on that particular game. They also have to come up with the ideas of making the video games more popular. The video game testers can work from home and make all the necessary interaction with the manufacturers through the Internet.
How to approach
The video games industry is expanding heavily these days. Thus the opportunities for a video game tester are also increasing. The only criterion for the video game tester job is experience. Applying for a video game tester job though is an easy task but is time consuming. The first step is to post a profile on the Internet. The profile must be updated regularly regarding the various recent experiences with the video games. The video game manufacturers do not directly appoint the video game tester. First one has to buy membership of their online gaming websites. Then they get to play many of the video games already been released by the manufactures. After a certain time the manufactures assess the quality of the gamer. Then only the video game tester is officially appointed. Landing a job for the video game tester requires immense amount of patience.
Benefits of the job
The video game tester job does not require any educational qualification. So anyone armed with ample amount of experience in gaming can apply. The job is lucrative for more than one reason. The prime reason is that one can pursue their passion for gaming. It is like having fun at the workplace. Due to the nature of the work one can even continue with his other regular occupations. Another value added feature to this job is that the tester gets access to the unreleased games. Sometimes they get the full version of the unreleased games. The job of the video game tester is also monetarily promising. It often happens that the testers sell the full versions of the game they receive from the manufacturers.
The job of a video game tester is gaining popularity among the gamers with each passing day. Thus with growth in the video games industry the openings for the job is also widening.
Rick West is an experienced video game tester teaching thousands of people around the world how to get video game testing jobs
Video game systems have been gaining popularity since the very first system was introduced decades ago and their popularity continues to grow today. Now with many of these video game systems being in their third installment, these video game systems are still continuing to gain popularity with not only children but adults as well.
These video game systems have gained growing popularity around the world with the release of each new system being introduced onto the market. These video game systems have become so popular with consumers due to all of the wonderful games that they offer with their systems, which include video games in the category of sports, action, adventure, and many more. Owning a video game system brings individuals a compelling game experience that brings video gaming to brand new levels of excitement.
The video game systems that are on the market today are known as the next generation of gaming consoles. They come with a variety of hard drive capacity, which allows the individual gamer to select the video game system that is the best for gaming needs. Some gamers may need more storage space than others, which depends on the type of video games they play to enhance their entertainment needs. The hard drive a video game system has the larger the ability to download game and to be able to play these video games with other gamers on-line as well.
The operation of these video game systems create an advantage for gamers that enables them the ability to play games on a high quality definition system that gives the gamers easy interface capabilities. Some of these video game systems are now coming equipped with the incredible Blu-ray technology that gives the video games an even high definition, which is another reason their popularity is continuing to increase world-wide.
Some of the new versions of these video game systems even enables gamers the ability to play older versions of versions of video games on these new systems. This is just another factor why these video game systems are growing in popularity with so many individuals around the world. Individuals have been known to wait in long lines for hours upon hours outside of retail stores in hopes that when their doors open they get the chance to get their hands on one of these incredible video game systems when they are first released onto the market.
With the introduction of each new installment comes new technological advancements such as memory capacity, which gives the gamer the ability to download a variety of games and play an unlimited amount of on-line games as well. When a new video game system is introduced onto the market the market becomes engulfed with the overwhelming popularity of the individuals reaching out for these new systems. The main reason is due to each video game system being manufactured is an improvement over the previous version. There are a variety of manufactures producing these amazing video game systems today with some of the most incredible accessories available as well.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant about kids toys, dolls, and video games. You will find the best marketplace for kids toys, dolls, and used video games at these sites for kids toys, dolls.
There are many choices in the games that kids can play. Some are educational, fun and extra entertaining for many kids to enjoy. Because of our new innovative technology and progress, even changes in the way children games have also transformed to a more realistic and virtual game playing with contents unacceptable for many kids to view.
Before, video games were invented for educational and entertainment purposes that kids have enjoyed playing even today. Most likely, parents did not have to worry about what their kids are playing because game content was safe and fairly protected from harmful contents. Like the Atari video game system, offering wholesome games such as Pac-Man or Space Invaders, kids are open to have a fun and be entertained without any explicit content and away from corruption that could influence the children's behavior. Unfortunately, changes in technology have altered the way video games are today. Games of today are more realistic and are in stilled with adult content that many game manufacturers have included in their games. Therefore, parents are now concerned on the typical game system that they want their kids to have. In fact, many parents are opting to find the best video game system that is best for their kids but away from adult contents and other threatening factors that could influence the kids.
Unlike before, Atari game system was the best video games made available to kids. Now, video game system has increased due to so many selections available to consumers especially to parents. Large selections of different types of game system such as Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo's GameCube, and Microsoft's Xbox and Xbox 360 video games from Microsoft are some of the selections that parents consider purchasing for their kids.
The best selling game console in the market is the Sony PlayStation 2 (or often referred to as PS2), it caters to all ages while providing about 600 different types of games. These games have been rated for every age bracket to enjoy and specifically for preference of age limitation allowed for each game and level usage. For example, games rated with E are allowed for ages from six and up. Other games at this rating, however, are complicated for younger children to play therefore, rating with E10+ are advisable for children above ten years old to play. Likewise, other games for younger children below 10 are rated with EC or in other words, Early Childhood.
A popular video game system that children basically love is the Nintendo GameCube console. This game system has about 263 games that are based on children's favorite titles like the Sega's Sonic GEMS Collections, Mario Party 6 and Mario Tennis from Nintendo, and other game titles particularly for GameCube console that are also rated E.
Another video game system rated E is the Xbox and Xbox 360 video game with a built-in parental control. The Xbox has about 270 available games while the Xbox 360 has about 12 games and increasing with other popular releases. Although, some of these games may not only be available on the Xbox but as well, be available to GameCube and PS2 or all three video game systems mentioned. In such, the Xbox games with E rating like Astropop and Feeding Frenzy can have crossover titles that many publishers have also released and made possible to other video game system. For instance, rated E games like Eidos InteractiveLEGO Star Wars are available to GameCube, PS2 and even Xbox whereas other rated E10+ are also available to other game systems, while other games like the rated EC Global Star Software's Dora the Explorer are solely for Xbox and PS2 only.
Choosing the best video game system for the kids is important especially if parents are very concerned in their kid's preference in video game playing. The abovementioned video game system can help parents understand the kinds of video game system available to kids while assisting parents in finding the best video game system to give to them. Parents should keep in mind that video game systems for their kids should have parental control options on the game system to lock functions or set limits to the kind of games or titles allowed for playing or viewing. From the abovementioned video game systems, the most advisable for parents to purchase is the Xbox and Xbox 360 because it comes with a built-in parental control.
Mohd Fairuz runs a website on video game systems [http://www.netinfo4all.com/videogame/]. Visit his website to learn more how to determine which video game system is right for your kids at the following URL: [http://www.netinfo4all.com/videogame/]
I get a lot of criticism for playing video games. "What is a 29 year old doing playing video games?" Aren't you too old to be playing X-box? I've heard it all and quite honestly I'm getting tired of it. Video games have been a part of my life since I was six years old. That's 23 years, so in my eyes this is more than a hobby it's more like a passion. As I have gotten older I play less but video games are still a big part of my life. So that raises the question, "should adults play video games or leave them to the kids?"
First of all there are different ratings for video games just like movies are rated. You have rated "E" for everyone, "T" for teens and "M" for mature. The fact that there is a rating system for video games lets you know that they are made for different age groups. So with that being said would you let a 5 year old kid go see a rated R movie? Chances are you would not because there is going to be adult language and violence. Well, the same principles apply to video games. Some games are designed for children, while others are designed for mature gamers ages 18 and up. Take for example Grand Theft Auto IV by Rockstar Games. This is a wonderful video game, however I would not let my children play it. The main reason being the game has a M rating. There is more violence and graphic language in this game than a Terrantino film. The graphics and the game play are awesome, not to mention the game has a great story line to it but this is meant for a mature audience. My point is, some video games were created specifically for older gamers.
So my answer to the question is no. There is no age limit for someone who enjoys video games. I will still be a gamer when I reach age 50. It's just a part of my life that I don' t plan on changing. Now, let's discuss the adults who have a video game addiction. I am a recovering video game addict. I used to play at least four hours every day. Weekends, forget about it seven or eight hours easy! Listen, if you are playing that much and it is not your profession then you too are a video game addict. It wasn't until I started my online business that I was ready to do something about it. I always knew I had an addiction for video games but I never took that next step to do something about it. I can still remember playing Mario Bros. on my Nintendo for nine hours straight until the ac adapter blew out. A big part of running an online business is personal development. I realized that in order for me to develop into the man I want to be, some things had to take the back seat.
It's as simple as this, older gamers like myself have to get their priorities in order. If you don't have a job, you should not be playing video games all day. If you have kids, you should be spending much more time with them than on the video game. If you have a significant other, he or she should not feel like the video game is more important than they are. If you haven't been outside or seen another human in days because of video games, you need to evaluate your life. You can't expect different results if you don't take a different approach.
I can understand the argument from people who are against adults playing video games. Like drugs and alcohol, video games can ruin lives and destroy families. By no means am I putting video games in the same boat as heroin but it is an addiction. Before I started getting my life in order and prioritizing, my wife and I would argue three to four times a week. 95 percent of those arguments were due to me playing the video game excessively. She had no problem with me playing x-box, she had a problem with me playing for 5 hours a day. She had a problem with me being tired to get up for work. She had a problem with me not coming to bed because I was online with my buddies playing Gears of War. I honestly believe if I didn't slow down on my gaming she would have left me.
So where does a video game addict start when they decide it's time to grow up? Do what I did and listen when someone is telling you that you play too much. You have to admit to yourself and be ready to make a change. Next, you have to find another hobby to replace the gaming. You don't have to quit cold turkey, the point is to learn how to play for a reasonable amount of time. So instead of playing 6 hours a day, you only play 2 to 3 hours daily. Find something else to fill in that time that you would have been gaming. Personally, I started my online business and now this takes up more time than my gaming. Sure I miss playing as much as I used to but when I do play I enjoy it much more now. Not to mention, once my business takes off I will have the freedom to play when ever I want.
We know that us adult gamers have a negative stereotype. They think we are all lazy, burnouts who still live at home playing video games in our parents basement. You have to take responsibility for your actions and one by one we can give the gaming community a new image. I know the World of Warcraft(WoW) has a huge following. Some even go as far as to call it a cult. I'm not big into computer gaming but I can relate to them. There was one guy I read about who lost everything because of WoW. He would play for hours until it affected his job performance. Next thing you know he got fired, then the snowball effect came into play. A few months later his wife left him, then his home was foreclosed. The guy had literally allowed WoW to destroy his life. So to sum it all up, I am still going to side with my gamers and say that there is no age limit for video games. If a 30 year old wants to play Gears of War I feel that he has the right to do that. However, if that person's life is not in order they should not let video game interfere with their personal development. There is one question I want to ask all of those who criticize adult gamers, "how many hours of television do you watch a day?"
Discover how a laid off, video game addict turned his life around and now generates income online. The Paid Gamer
Would you have guessed that video games could improve your mind, or your life? Some people may scoff at the idea that video games may be helpful or beneficial in any way, other than provide a little diversion. However, there are quite a few benefits from playing video games!
Let's face it. Video games are primarily entertainment. They are enjoyed by millions of gamers all around the world for their cool graphics, great music, and interesting plots. To understand how these games can improve the minds of those that play them, we need to take a closer look.
1. Video games improve hand and eye coordination. This is easy to understand if you try to maneuver a character around using a game controller. Manipulating the game controller uses the same skills that it takes to maneuver a mouse around a computer screen, and is often more challenging since there are usually more buttons used in game play.
2. They feed the imagination. Of course, you can find some people claiming that while using television, videos, and gaming systems, people's imaginations are not engaged because an entire virtual environment is supplied for them. They say that video games hurt the imagination because games supply the mind with complete imagery instead of encouraging the mind to fill in the details of the environment for you. I really disagree with that view. Instead, I find that the imagery in the games actually fuels the imagination and drives it to consider new possibilities that might not have arisen otherwise.
3. Video games improve strategic thinking. Most of these games require players to think ahead and make decisions two or three steps ahead of a current situation. Players quickly learn the advantage of strategic thinking and they start to apply it to game play and to real-world situations and opportunities.
4. They teach patience and perseverance. No great game can be conquered in a day. Gaming teaches dedication and endurance, as some of the best and most popular games take weeks or even months to finish.
5. Video games enhance memorization. Playing these games can have a strong influence on memorization. In some games, characters are outfitted with a wide array or weapons or skills, and the player is most effective when these features are remembered instead of having to be looked up. Also, the terrain portrayed in many games (the "maps") represents a huge area, but accessing the maps can be disruptive to the game and cumbersome. To compensate, gamers will memorize a large portion of the terrain, and they'll remember the tasks required to get to specific areas.
6. They teach consequences. Video and computer games operate off of an "action - reaction" principle, with the player's actions determining next steps in the game play. This is a great opportunity to learn about consequences. Do something, and the game environment will be changed in a specific way.
7. Video games facilitate quick decision-making. The games often present the player with quick-changing situations. Game developers use the element of surprise to hold the interest and attention of gamers, and it's what makes games exciting to play. The challenge of many games is that to win, players must be able to make fast and smart decisions to cope with the many impromptu situations.
8. They encourage exploration. Players must explore the unknown and venture off the beaten path in role-playing games. They have to interact with characters that they've never met before. They have to enter areas of the game without knowing the consequence. And they have to open doors without knowing what's behind them. When playing these kinds of games, using courage to explore the unknown is not just an option, it's required.
9. Video games improve problem solving. It could be said that any game can hone problem-solving skills. However, video games are especially able to improve problem-solving ability, because most (if not all) of them are centered on challenging a player to solve a problem. In just one game, a player may solve anywhere from one to several hundred different problems.
These are only a few of the benefits of playing video games. I'm sure you could discover even more educational opportunities that are hidden inside video and computer games, once you start playing! And you are sure to enjoy hours of fun and amazement in the process.
For more gaming information, advice, tips, links, and tactics, visit http://OnlineWarStrategyGame.com.
If you’re trying to outdo the biggest commercial success in videogame history, you need to step your marketing game up. Regular ol’ trailers just aren’t going to cut it. The campaign calls for a new level of trailer: trailers that tease the trailers.
That’s what Activision’s rolled out with this Call of Duty: Black Ops teaser. It reveals that the “world premiere” of its single-player mode will be shown on ESPN during the Monday Night Football match-up between the NY Jets and Minnesota Vikings. It offers a little taste via some quick cuts, but we’ll need to tune in on Monday to get the full tease.
For all the latest video content, visit our Trailers & Videos section.
As gamers we usually assume a few things about the fantasy setting in terms of gameplay. After all, most titles making use of the setting are RPGs, usually tactic heavy, and slow to play, something that isn’t appealing to a huge amount of people. Looking at Hunted: The Demon’s Forge, you may well draw the same assumptions but you really shouldn’t. Instead of Dragon Age, game director Maxx Kaufman thinks you should be more looking towards Call of Duty for this 3rd person action game.
We asked Kaufman what holes he thought the game was filling at the Eurogamer Expo this year, to which he replied: “For me it scratches that itch for people who love fast-paced action and like fantasy. It’s kind of in between those two areas and I just think there’s a tremendous audience for it. Look at the FPS genre; 25 million people buy Call of Duty right? So of those 25 million, I’m sure a lot like fantasy, I mean The Lord of the Rings is a huge movie.”
This puts Hunted in an interesting position indeed, mixing one of the biggest movie franchises with one of the biggest game franchises? Why has no one thought of that before? ”We thought there was a bridge there, something that we could do that was a unique take on both genres and bringing them together. That’s how we’re looking to appeal to players.”
We’ll find out if Hunted has been successful on its quest early next year. Check out our full interview with Kaufman here.
NaturalMotion Games, the folks who brought you the enjoyable but slightly borked Backbreaker, are now working on Icebreaker, according to a BBC video profile.
If you watch the video profile (right here), you can see developers motion-capping hockey players, as well as the Icebreaker logo, projected very clearly on a developer’s work station.
Unfortunately, no official word has been passed on as to whether or not the game is real…but c’mon!
I’m all for realism in sports titles, and that’s why Backbreaker was pretty darn compelling. But, as a northerner, my love for hockey runs deep…and my $$ will follow.
It’s a sad day to be a PC gamer.
2K Marin, developer of BioShock 2, has announced that the PC community will not ever, ever get its hands on the Minerva’s Den downloadable content already available on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
A post on the game’s forums pretty much says it all.
“We will not be offering Protector Trials and Minerva’s Den on the PC in the future – and I want to say that I’m sorry for the disappointment this will cause to PC players out there,” reads the statement.
But the pain doesn’t end there.
“We will not be adding vending machine sounds into any version of BioShock 2 and we will not be adding playlists for the multiplayer DLC maps,” the post explains.
“We are planning patches for the 360 and PS3 to fix some functionality issues, but they will not drastically change gameplay.”
Looks like the next chance PC Bioshock fans will have to play fully will be when BioShock Infinite releases. Ouch.
The MMO Round-Up / Oct 10
7:03 PM
The MMO Round-up captures the genre’s most notable happenings of the week in easy to consume, bite-sized portions.
World of Warcraft hit 12 million users this week while the movie got shelved. Oh yea, and the next WoW expansion got dated for Dec 7.
EVE Online is getting new avatars with its next expansion and CCP showed off the corresponding character creation this week.
Turbine proves that going free-to-play works as they reported this week that Lord of the Rings Online revenue has doubled since the transition.
Details on Everquest II’s GU58 patch emerged this week.
Aion’s 2.1 patch is set to increase the drop rates which has long time coming.
A Mac version of the very popular family friendly MMO Free Realms is due out sometime this fall.
A box version of Fallen Earth is now available for $9.99 and it gets you a unique mount.
The much anticipated changes to Warhammer Online’s ORvR system can been tested via the game’s public test servers.
The 19th major content patch Alpha Strike! for City of Heroes was previewed this week.
The next adventure pack for Champions Online named Demonflame is due to come out later this month.
Spacetime Studios talked mobile MMO design during GDC Online this week.
Guild Wars: Eye of the North became available to purchase this week on Steam.
Global Agenda is now offering a discount service called Friends with Benefits which gets you and newly signed up friend some extra perks.
Final Fantasy XIV is still going through some launching pains as the game got another update this week to tweak a few things.
The mobile MMO Pocket Legends increased the level cap and added in new content this week.
The first details on the Undead Labs zombie MMO came to the light this week.
Age of Conan’s 2.0.7 patch released this week after a session of extended server downtime.
Those that pre-order Lego Universe will be getting an early start when the game launches.
Some layoffs recently hit the City of Heroes dev Paragon Studios.
After missing its projected launch date of Oct. 1, H.A.W.X. 2 has been cleared for a PC landing on Nov. 12. Eurogamer reports that Ubi has locked on to the date for both PC and Wii versions.
This comes about two months after H.A.W.X. 2 has been available on PS3 and Xbox 360. It’s also a few days ahead of the Nov. 16 PC date that Ubisoft forum writers cited back in late Sept. Better late (or a few days early) than never.
OnLive drops subscription fee
12:54 AM
In an inauspicious move following its launch, OnLive has dropped its subscription fee for the first year. By dropping their monthly fee, the company stated that they could focus on providing fast, meaningful content to gamers. Quoth a company official, “We’re excited because this opens the door for the OnLive Game Service to be used by everyone whenever they feel like it, whether for playing a full game on OnLive, or for just instantly playing a demo before buying a game for a console or a PC. Or, even for people just wanting to spectate games in the Arena or friend other gamers. Whatever interests you in gaming, OnLive provides it instantly, without complexity or hassle.”
So, is this a legitimate business decision or damage control for low subscription numbers?
Monday morning is going to be a tough one for those planning an all day Steam gaming marathon, as the service is scheduled to be down for about four hours. Starting at 4 am Pacific time until 8 am Pacific, Valve says that “some” of the services will be unavailable while they perform software maintenance.
According to the announcement the affected areas will be the online portions of the service, including: the Steam community, in-game matchmaking or lobbies, downloading games content servers, and making purchases from the Steam store. Basically, anything having to do with the servers is out of the question during that time. However, any games that don’t need matchmaking, or any sort of online connections, should still remain playable while the service is down.
The epic tale of Duke Nukem Forever continues to be the golden goose for videogame journalists the world over, and while the story will have a hopefully happy ending when the game releases sometime next year, not everyone is coming out a winner. In a recent interview, Gearbox head honcho Randy Pitchford estimated that former 3D Realms CEO George Broussard spent “20 to 30 million dollars of his own money on Duke Nukem Forever.”
“You all saw the stories; 3D Realms was shutting down, Duke was dead. That sucked. It was tough being in Dallas, many of my friends lost their jobs,” said Pitchford when asked about 3D Realms closing their doors.
“I spoke to George Broussard and he said, ‘Randy, this is the worst day of my life’ but you could hear in his voice there was more. This was 12 years of his life… try and imagine what you’ve achieved in 12 years, Gearbox has made 15 games in that time.”
The crazy thing to remember here is that Broussard’s $30 million is presumably on top of the pile of money 2K dumped into the project. Hopefully someday a 500-page book will come out explaining in great detail the sheer insanity of the Duke Nukem Forever development cycle, and I’m going to be first in line to read it.
There are some shakeups taking place in Microsoft’s interactive tech space. After the departure of Microsoft veteran Robbie Bach, Don Mattrick was appointed president of Interactive Entertainment. His duties will include overseeing lots of important Xbox stuff, including Xbox Live, Kinect, and Mediaroom.
Mattrick’s no stranger to the gaming business – he built his career at Electronic Arts, the company he left in 2005 to work at Microsoft.
on Oct 10th 2010 1:30PM
"It's been ten years since the last Mega Man Legends game," Inafune reminded the captive New York Comic Con audience, before unveiling a new teaser trailer for the upcoming Mega Man Legends 3 Project for Nintendo 3DS. Why the "Project" in the title? Inafune clarified that this "project" would be a collaborative experience -- but not in the Mega Man Universe kind of way. Instead, the community will be able to actively participate in the development of the game. The Capcom-Unity website will be updated with a "Dev Room," where fans will be able to submit their gameplay ideas, boss ideas, character ideas, and more. In the future, fans will be able to vie for a position in the game's voice cast.
The first challenge for fans is to pick the next heroine in the Legends series. Nine different artists, including Inafune himself, are offering designs. The fan-driven vote will determine the female star of Legends 3. Keep an eye on the Dev Room for your chance to decide the future of the long-dormant Legends series. Update: Now with first video, after the break!
on Oct 9th 2010 2:50PM
While you can simply watch these two videos introducing MODOK and Magneto to the Marvel vs Capcom 3 cast, we wanted to simulate the experience of being at New York Comic Con. The Marvel Games panel was bursting with energy, with fans cheering on their favorite characters. Who would you want to play as? The obscure, but awesomely named and shaped "Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing" -- or fan-favorite Magneto? Let us know. on Oct 9th 2010 10:00PM
Director David O. Russell has had a very on-and-off relationship with the film adaptation of Naughty Dog's Uncharted series -- in that he was once on the film, and then he was off of it. According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Russell has signed back on to the film as director, temporarily sidelining his other upcoming project, a film remake of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Dude's got taste when it comes to his choice of projects, we'll give him that. The report doesn't mention whether or not Russell's rejoining of the crew means the film will make its initial 2011 release window. Nor does it mention whether our heart's wish will come true, and get Charlie Sheen to star as the series' ill-tucked protagonist, Nathan Drake. Think about it! He's perfect.
on Oct 10th 2010 4:00PM
If it wasn't fairly evident before than PopCap has a very personal vendetta against your work ethic, it should be now -- in celebration of the 10th birthday of the developer's flagship, gem-swapping casual series, its offering a free download of Bejeweled 2 for PC and Mac. The deal only lasts until 10 p.m. PST tonight, so don't hesitate -- unless, of course, you're too busy playing Plants vs. Zombies, Peggle, Zuma or Bookworm Adventures to read this very article. If that's the case, then we can say that your entire family smells bad, and there's nothing you can do about it. Booyah.
[Thanks, Justin!]
on Oct 10th 2010 10:00PM
As most of our numerologically inclined readers have likely noticed, today is 10/10/10 -- a once-in-a-century phenomenon which some have deemed "binary day." We're not sure how one celebrates "binary day," though we imagine speaking in binary is part of the proceedings. If that's you're cup of tea, here's a special message from us to you: 01100111 01100101 01110100 00100000 01100001 00100000 01101100 01101001 01100110 01100101 00101100 00100000 01100100 01110101 01100100 01100101 00101110. Us? We'll be spending the day -- and the next 13 months, for that matter -- waiting for 11:11 on 11/11/11, at which point even our most outlandish wishes will almost certainly be granted.
[Image credit: VisualParadox]
- PSP: 37,088 [DOWN] 488 (1.30%)
- DSi: 24,937 [DOWN] 24,474 (49.53%)
- DSi LL: 24,246 [DOWN] 8,531 (26.03%)
- PS3: 20,363 [DOWN] 331 (1.60%)
- Wii: 13,360 [DOWN] 3,548 (20.98%)
- DS Lite: 5,707 [DOWN] 1,304 (18.60%)
- Xbox 360: 2,769 [UP] 170 (6.54%)
- PS2: 1,247 [DOWN] 267 (17.64)
- PSP Go: 754 [DOWN] 146 (16.22%)
on Oct 8th 2010 11:33PM
Balance is an important issue in any RTS, and it appears that Blizzard has been paying attention to online game stats for StarCraft 2. Overall, the Protoss faction seems to have an unusually high win percentage against Terrans in certain leagues of play. Furthermore, while Zerg statistics don't indicate any huge disadvantages, Blizzard notes in the Battle.Net blog that "the feedback from the community as well as our own play experience tells us that improvements are necessary to make Zerg matchups feel and play better." The studio states that it is currently "working on solutions" for the Protoss vs. Terran issues. In the meantime, the next patch will make adjustments that should benefit Zerg players. See the planned changes after the break.
• We're increasing roach range. This will allow roaches to be more effective in large groups, giving the zerg more options in the mid to end game.• Fungal Growth will now prevent Blink, which will give zerg a way to stop endlessly Blinking stalkers which can be very challenging to deal with in large numbers.
• The Barracks are going to require a Supply Depot, which will impact a lot of early terran reaper pushes.
• The reaper speed upgrade will require the Factory, which is meant to weaken a lot of the early terran reaper attacks that dominate so many matches, especially in team games.
• We're making a number of increases to the health of zerg buildings, which will make the very vulnerable zerg technology structures more resistant to raids. We don't expect these hit point changes to have a super significant impact on the game, but the current numbers felt way too low.
on Oct 10th 2010 6:00PM
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom is the kind of game you want to love. It has a winning premise, made all the more charming by the immediately likable Majin -- a towering beast that forges a strange friendship with a thief, Tepeu. The two characters balance each other surprisingly well, with Tepeu's cunning and speed matched by the Majin's adorable dimwittedness and hulking force. Namco Bandai calls it "partnership gaming," and it's seemingly the latest trend in games -- if Enslaved and The Last Guardian are any indication. Coupled with some beautiful art, and some interesting gameplay mechanics, Majin should be a winner. But perhaps developer Game Republic isn't up to the task. While Majin is unlikely to be the train wreck that was their last project, Clash of the Titans, it's likely to find a similar fate as its (arguably) greatest hit so far -- Folklore. Like Majin, Folklore also had a rather original and intriguing concept. Yet, in spite of great art and some fun gameplay, it didn't have the polish expected of a genuine blockbuster title. Like its predecessor, Majin stumbles around greatness, but doesn't always hit the mark.
I loved the various implementations of "partnership gaming" in my preview demo. You control Tepeu, but never the beast. Tepeu is a rather capable bloke, able to reach places the beast (obviously) can't. He's quite skilled with his staff, but the enemies they face have a power that renders Tepeu powerless: seeming immortality. Outside of a few stealth attacks, only the beast has the force to finish off the inky creatures, meaning Tepeu will have to use his wit to lure enemies into traps, and gain the upper hand on his foes.
We've already seen some of the game's puzzle mechanics in action, and it's always refreshing when you and your AI-controlled partner successfully work in tandem. For example, by commanding the Majin to stand near a breakable wall, you can then lure enemies to chase after you. Take them to underneath the wall, and at your command, the beast will crash through, smashing anything that happens to be below. These moments of cooperative play make the Majin experience feel magical.
Fighting alongside the Majin is a lot of fun. While the beast is generally able to take care of himself, there are times enemies will manage to circle around him and attack his vulnerable back. You'll want to fight them off, whilst being careful to avoid enemy and accidental Majin attacks. (Friendly fire is on, so beware!) When enemies get weak, you'll be able to team up with your partner to perform flashy and devastating finishing attacks.
These moments of greatness shine through multiple points of my hands-on demo. However, there's still a general lack of polish that drags down the overall experience. While the art looks terrific, the graphics still look muddled, with lackluster textures and uninspired level design. The controls leave a bit to be desired, especially during the game's stealth segments. Moving through the environment feels stiff, especially in contrast to the organic controls of a game like Uncharted.
While Majin suffers from some technical shortcomings, it's still a game I'm looking forward to. It's hard not to fall in love with the beast, and I'm already drawn into the journey the game's two characters will share. I don't know if Game Republic is capable of making a great game, but Majin already has all the trappings to be, at the very least, a very good one.
on Oct 10th 2010 7:00PM
It's been a while since we've seen any media from the Fabula Nova Crystallis series' other two-thirds -- actually, scratch that. We saw a trailer for Final Fantasy Versus XIII and Agito XIII during TGS last month. Now, thanks to Square Enix's unswerving kindness, you can watch it too. 
If this Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time trailer is to be believed, then Christopher Columbus didn't find America on his own. He had the help of two dim-witted rabbids and their washing machine/time travel device.