Video Games

Updates about video-games, design, game reviews and the industry.

The Truth About Video Game Violence

The Truth About Video Game Violence

Video Games

Computer Games

At the season of this written work, I am a 31-year-old man who loves to play computer games. I got on board the computer game development not long after its origin I missed the pontoon on the old highly contrasting Ping frameworks, yet got pace rapidly after the presentation of the Atari 2600. So I’ve been gaming on and off for as far back as 20+ years.

Do I think there is any measure of truth to the proposal that viciousness in computer games is terrible for little children? The short answer: obviously!

Video game savagery

It doesn’t take a Harvard graduate to realize that 8-year-olds ought not to spend their days doing demonstrations of outrageously advanced savagery. What’s more, anybody with a cerebrum that checks in for obligation would mull over giving their children a chance to play an amusement that portrays to a great degree distinctive scenes of commotion and slaughtering, isn’t that so?

As evident as this would appear to be, a few people plainly don’t get it.

However, we should stop ideal here so I can reveal to you what really matters to this article. It’s total, emphatically, beyond question not about blue penciling computer games or forcing laws that require amusement makers to make the majority of their substance ‘family benevolent’.

I’m a grown-up. I made that reasonable in the main line of this article.

On the off chance that I need to turn on my diversion comfort and inundate myself in a three-hour computerized shoot-out that includes hatchet employing zombies, protected strike bots, and all way of decimation and gut, that is my privilege.

I ate my vegetables, went to bed on time, and viewed my dialect for about 18 years. My days of acting in a way that suits the ethical motivation of others are over.

Having said all that let me return to my unique line of reasoning. To a great degree, rough computer games are not reasonable for youthful kids.

ESRB framework

What’s more, that is the reason the computer game industry has received the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board) evaluations framework. These framework capacities similarly as the appraisals framework utilized by the film business.

A legitimately concerned parent require just flip an amusement case over to check the rating and figure out if or not it is fitting for their kid.

The ESRB rating framework comprises of two easy to use parts. These are the genuine rating, and a short portrayal of the substance.

Standard appraisals utilized by the ESRB are:

EC: Early Childhood

E: Everyone

T: Teen

M: Mature 17+

AO: Adults Only 18+

Numerous retailers have rules set up that oblige workers to check the ID of people acquiring recreations with higher appraisals.

The substance depictions put forward by the ESRB serve to clarify the evaluations. Cases of substance portrayals are Blood and Gore, Language, Nudity, Mature Humor, and so forth.

So there is the honestly little reason for the offspring of America getting their hands on wrong computer game substance, the length of their folks are in any event fairly inspired by the sorts of amusements they are playing. It’s sufficiently unmistakable that youngsters are best left unexposed to specific sorts of substance, so as opposed to indicating a finger at the amusement makers and attempting disregard the duty of being guardians/parental figures, I’d jump at the chance to see more individuals utilize the appraisals framework accurately and dispense with potential issues before they begin.

PCs vs. Gaming Consoles, the great debate

PCs vs. Gaming Consoles: The Great Debate

Video Games

Video Games

Digital games from the basic of Tetris, Super Mario, ping-pong and other flash-based games to massively multiplayer online role-playing games can be played for free or after paying some membership fees on both specialized consoles and on your good old PC. Since gaming consoles have developed web capabilities between August and December of 2002, the debate on which option is better has gained steam.

Given the enormous popularity of gaming consoles such as PlayStation and Xbox, some industry analysts have suggested that PC gaming has seen its day and that consoles will be dominating force in future. But PC gamers have seen such claims biting dust since the days of Nintendo. This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of gaming consoles.

Console Advantages

Cost Advantage: Good PCs cost much more than the consoles. The Xbox currently sells for around $200, often with a couple of games in the bundle, while it’s easy to spend that much or more on a quality PC video card alone.

No Fuss: With consoles, just plug it in and start playing. No operating systems, drivers to deal with and to top it all, there is no more heartburn of finding a game incompatible with your system after buying it with much anticipation.

Multiplayer gaming made easy: Just connect your console to the Internet through a DSL or Cable Internet connection and get into a multiplayer game.

Play where you want to: Play it on the couch, your bedroom, even bathroom with a gaming console. No more sitting on the dedicated table.

Easily get games: since consoles don’t have copying ability, the console games are more readily rented and returned to the retailer than PC games which are easy to copy.

Easy learning: Console games tend to have a relatively low learning curve. You might need fast thumbs, but you certainly won’t need to spend hours in a tutorial trying to learn how to operate basic game functions.

Console Disadvantages

Difficult upgrading: If some of the components inside the box become dated, the whole console needs to be replaced to keep playing newer games. No remedies for that. This way you need to invest quite a hefty amount with each turn in technology. No such problems with PCs.

Lack of versatility: Computers can do the whole lot of things besides supporting online games. On the other hand, consoles perform only one task really well. Some console manufacturers may try to make them a little more flexible, but it’s unlikely they will ever support near the selection of applications that is available for PCs.

Lack of inter-connectivity: It is the biggest grouse against gaming consoles. There is a clear lack of inter-connectivity between the different console brands because of commercial compulsions.

When it comes to the online play of flash-based games or multiplayer strategy games for free, players can pit against each other only on a specific network of people playing on same types of consoles. There is no way for console gamers to jump into a fray on one of the countless servers available. The PS2 has made some progress in this area, forging the way for cross-platform gaming between PS2 and PC users, but only one or two titles support this now.

Of course, there are many things to consider before deciding on a gaming platform. Foremost among these is deciding which games you want to play, how much money you want to spend, and whether or not you need a PC for other purposes. Go for a good computer if you want to do multitasking, but for a die-hard gamer nothing less than the latest console would do, would it?

Employment in Video Games

Employment in Video Games

Video Games

5 simple ideas for video game jobs

In another article, we described a great number of educational opportunities that lay hidden in video gaming. This time, we’re going to introduce a few employment opportunities as well.

1. Working as a Video Game Clerk.

Working at video game store or rental place – either permanently or temporarily – has to be a teen gamer’s dream. In a single place, employees have access to the first games and game systems hot off the market and they’re privy to peek inside magazines hot off the press before anyone else. If that wasn’t enough, gaming clerks get a discount on what would otherwise be too expensive (games, game systems, and game accessories) to even think about buying. Sweet!

2. Working as a Game Tester.

Before a game hits the market, it has to go through extensive testing and if you think the programmers behind the game test their own material, think again. The gaming industry is extremely sensitive about what it puts out into the public. In an effort to remain competitive, it must make sure that the games it produces work as intended. This is where testers enter the picture. But it isn’t easy to become a game tester. Becoming a game tester requires a little inside help but once you’re in there, you’ll not only have access to games that no one else knows about, you’ll also have an opportunity to shape the game into an experience that you and your comrades prefer.

3. Working as a Game Designer.

Do you have good artistic skills? Can you whip out a character faster than you can say, “I drew that”? If so, you may be able to get a career designing video games. Today’s video games exude some of the most beautiful graphics ever seen and if you have a good imagination, are able to use some of the most advanced graphics software programs available, and can follow instructions, you could see your own artwork in the next popular video game.

4. Working as a Game Critic.

The gaming industry is always looking for good content and if you have a flair for writing combined with a love for games, you could write for game magazines like Game Informer or you could write content for a highly popular gaming website.

5. Working as a Game Programmer.

Not a career for everyone, a good game programmer is always in demand. As player preferences change and new technology is developed, someone with the right programming skills has to be there to fill the gap between what players want, and what the gaming industry can supply. Becoming a game programmer requires extensive training in several different development languages – so if you don’t have a clue as to what we just said, skip this profession and look into some of the others.

The great news about all of this is that the gaming industry shows no sign of disappearing anytime soon. Even colleges are getting in on the gaming craze as they fill their course books with game programming classes and game design curriculum. There will always be an opportunity for you to blend your love for games with a steady paycheck as long as you remain dedicated to looking for these opportunities, and you make an effort to stay abreast of what’s happening in the gaming world.

Check the employment section of your local paper for more, or visit the nearest college to find out what classes and training are available.

Online Gaming

Video Games

online-games

For Mom and Dad…

Have you ever wondered what your child was rambling on about at the dinner table when he or she started saying things like “VR” or “RPG”? If so, you’re not alone. “VR” and “RPG” aren’t new text messaging acronyms – they’re acronyms for gaming and this article is going to introduce you to some of the more common forms.

If you at least thought of the Internet when you heard “VR” or “RPG” however, you’re on the right track. Exclusive to the online environment, “VR” or “RPG” – which consequently stands for virtual reality gaming and role playing games – are just two aspects of a gaming world gone wild. The days of playing scrabble in front of the fireplace are over in today’s generation, but we don’t believe you’ll hear too many people complaining about it. Today’s generation is fascinated with online gaming – an opportunity to play games over the Internet with hundreds of people at a time.

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Going Broke Playing Games

Video Games

Going Broke Playing Video Games

You Don’t Have To And Here’s How

If you haven’t looked at the cost of new computer or video games and gaming systems as a whole recently, you might be in for a shock. Today’s games and gaming systems can run from a meager $30 all the way to a whopping four hundred dollars or more. To a loving mother of a game obsessed teenager, the costs can be astronomical and nothing short of frightening. Fortunately the cost of buying quality computer or video games (including the systems that they run on) can be significantly reduced once you know what to do and where to look.

One alternative to funding a gaming pursuit with a second mortgage is to “go old.” By “going old,” we mean buying last month’s or year’s games and game systems. If you could admit the one truth that we all know, but never readily face, you could literally save hundreds of dollars in an instant. This truth is that unless you’re a millionaire, none of us can afford to buy the latest toy on the market. The ugly fact behind that truth is that within a relatively short amount of time (say, 60-90 days?), that latest toy will be replaced with a new and improved system, which consequently, grants access to what was wanted in the first place – at half the price! So go old and have a little patience. Within about three to four months, you will have made a tremendous saving.

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Education Opportunities in Video Games

Video Games

Education Opportunities in Video Games

There’s Lessons in Them Thar Games!

Who would have ever thought that video games  – a form of entertainment – could improve the minds of those that play them! The truth is that amid all the cool graphics, the fantastic music, and the intriguing plots, educational opportunities are abound – and to find them, one only needs to look at them a little closer.

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What Makes A Great Game

Video Games

what makes a great game

What Makes A Great Game: A Gentle Reminder for Programmers

It’s easy to get lost in all the details of building a great video or computer game – so easy in fact, that we can forget the parts of a game that make them fun to play. The following serves as a gentle reminder of what prompts players to play games in the first place. Refer to this reminder in the event that you get bogged down or distracted with confusing C++ syntax, or lines and lines of Visual Basic statements and DLL structures.

1. Remember the player is the main character. Here’s a secret between you and me: People play games to gain a sense of control. If you can manage to program your game in a way that puts the player in control, then you’ve already won half the battle. This doesn’t mean to suggest that the game should be easy. It simply means that when a gamer runs home from school or drives home from work to play a video game, she wants to feel the control that she didn’t have during the hours between nine and five. The outcome of a game – whether it’s a win or a loss – should never be random, but the result of a good, controlled game play instead.

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Online Games The Evolution

Video Games

online games

The late 1970′s saw the start of video game craze with more and more households getting computer savvy. As a natural corollary, people started writing their own games for the home computers. These programming hobbyists traded and sold these home-grown games in local markets.

Other changes in the 1970′s were home gaming consoles which used game cartridges. That meant the people could collect games cartridges for one base unit instead of having bulky game console systems.

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Noob PC Gamer Starter Kit

Video Games

Noob PC Gamer Starter Kit

Recently a colleague/friend was generous enough to donate his superb custom desktop PC gaming machine to me after many discussion on how my quirky MacBook Pro couldn’t handle intensive graphical games such as Assassin’s Creed. What do you expect for a 4-year-old MacBook? Is what I would say.

When I finally setup the super machine, I felt like a kid in a candy store on Steam and GOG. I felt like buying everything and anything not concerning myself with reviews/metacritic scores.

After further discussions with colleague/friend, he explained to me that your time is short when comes to play video games. Ain’t that the truth when you’ve got to concern yourself things like work. So he compiled a list of video games that I should play before I die (not necessarily in order).

The two lists are divided mostly by graphical fidelity. older 8/16 bit graphic games are relegated by default to the second list. It’s not a question of whether they are good games, but just that to “get into” them is a bit harder since the graphics are no longer immerse by today’s standards.

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