Weird Park

All Games : Hidden Object Games : Weird Park

A haunted amusement park is the backdrop for a twisted tale of terror in Weird Park: Broken Tune! Take the role of a private detective hired to investigate a rash of "accidental" deaths that befell those who worked at the park before city officials shut it down.

Search for clues as you explore creepy carnival environments, solve puzzles as you pursue a mysterious joker down shadowy paths, and find hidden objects that can help you solve the mystery of a portal that leads to a realm beyond insanity. With its gripping story, intense atmosphere, and challenging puzzles, Weird Park: Broken Tune is a game no hidden object fan should miss!

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How Kids Learn To Cooperate In Video Games -- A Guide for Parents and Teachers

A great many parents are concerned that the electronic games their kids play are teaching the kids "negative" messages such as aggression, violence, and isolation from real people. I want to illustrate here how computer and video game playing, can have positive effects on kids. This includes even the "addictive" game playing associated with many of these games. The learning from these games is well worth the effort the kids put in playing them, and kids typically sense this at some level, which is one reason they fight so hard for their games.

One key lesson many of their games is teaching them is the value of people working together and helping each other. To illustrate how this occurs, I will use one particular game, Toontown, as an example.

Toontown (www.toontown.com) is the Walt Disney Company's entry into the Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) category. For the non-initiated, that means a computer game that supports thousands of players online simultaneously, all of whom can see and interact with each other. A key feature of these worlds is that they are "persistent," meaning that the worlds continue to exist and change whether or not you are there, just any other place in the real world.

[Note: There are two types of multiplayer online games, both of which have their advantages. One type, the "multiplayer" game, lets you interact with a limited group of people, such as those on your team or squad, in a game world that typically exists for only the time you are playing. The game America's Army is a good example of this. The second type, the "massively multiplayer" game, lets you interact with everyone you meet in the ongoing world. Massively multiplayer games like EverQuest, Asheron's Call, and Dark Age of Camelot have captured the time and imaginations of hundreds of thousands of US teenage and older players. The Korean massively multiplayer game Lineage has over 4 million registered users, often with up to half a million players on-line at once. The players typically meet in relatively thinly-populated areas of very large and often interconnected virtual worlds, so even with these huge numbers, it is not like pushing your way through Times Square on New Year's Eve.]

Toontown is the first massively multiplayer game designed specifically designed for younger kids (pre-teens, I think, though they don't specifically say.) In addition, many older kids and even adults enjoy playing it. In the game you create, name and dress a character, and then you take it out to play in the virtual world. Your character is the representation ("avatar") of you playing in the world - it is the "you" that other players know.

Although if you wanted to you could spend your entire time in Toontown merely running around the virtual world, the "object" of the game is to defeat "Cogs," members of the evil gang that wants to take over the town. The Cogs to fight come in many varieties and strengths. To defeat a Cog you employ "gags"- such as squirt bottles or pies in the face - that you purchase with jelly bean currency that you earn in a number of ways.

In your early days in Toontown, when you have earned relatively few gags, you typically run around alone, deciding when to confront a low-level Cog you pass in the street. (You do this by running into it.) You and the Cog then square off and do battle, taking turns throwing gags at each other. If you defeat the Cog, he explodes and you are rewarded with points towards additional gags. If the Cog defeats you, you "die," which means you lose all your gags (although, importantly, you do not lose the "experience" you attained - i.e. the types and levels of gags you are allowed to purchase and use.)

There are a lot of other twists, but that's essentially the game: Earn and buy gags, use them to fight Cogs.

But here's where the cooperative part comes in. As you move to higher experience levels, the tasks you are required to accomplish become more and more difficult. You often have to "rescue" buildings that the Cogs have taken over, buildings that have multiple floors filled with high-level, hard-to-defeat Cogs.

And you can't do this alone, no matter how much experience you have. So you begin to learn to play the game with others. The game encourages this, with "friends lists" and built in "speed chat" menus consisting, for kids' protection, of a limited number of phrases you can use. For example, you can invite your friends to help you defeat a building (or, if you prefer, you can just wait outside for others to show up.)

But it gets subtle. Just because someone is your friend (or wants to be) or happens to show up, doesn't mean he or she has the experience to defeat the higher-level Cogs. You can check out someone's gags when they are in range to help you decide whom to work with, but success depends not only on the level and number of gags one has, but also on knowing how to use them in battle. You learn over time what players you want on your team to achieve success in particular situations. Sometimes, to be sure all of you survive, you have to reject players who ask to work with you on a certain task. One of the things you can say through the speed chat is "I think this is too risky for you." Just as in the real world, such advice is not always well-received, and the game gives you the opportunity to learn to deal with this.

In the midst of any battle - players typically fight higher-level Cogs in groups of four - a player can choose, rather than to throw a gag at the Cogs, to instead give his or her fellow players additional "laff points" (i.e. health). Doing this helps prevent them from "dying" and dropping out of the battle. One skill typically gained from frequent play is knowing when to help your teammates versus when to attack the Cogs. This is not trivial. One adult player described her first battle with ultra-high-level Cogs as "extremely nerve wracking," and characterized the strategies she had to employ to work successfully with the other players as "the most emotional experience I've ever had in a game." And this is the version for kids!

And there is yet another way Toontown players learn there is value in cooperation. Some of the tasks available to higher-level players allow them to earn jelly beans by helping out new players. When these experienced players see a Newbie fighting a Cog on the street, they can join in and assist. When the Cog is defeated, both the experienced player and the Newbie get rewarded game at their own level.

Is it Boring?

Still, while the tasks at the start of the game involve defeating only one Cog at a time and the tasks at higher levels require players to defeat hundreds of Cogs on their way to liberate bigger and bigger buildings, the battles are very similar. "Isn't that boring?" I asked one "addicted" player. "After all it's basically the same thing over and over - fighting Cogs."

"I like going up the levels," she replied. And of course the only way she can do this is by learning to cooperate well with real people, in real time - while sitting at her own computer.

I encourage readers of this article to try Toontown, both with your kids, and even on your own. (You can go to www.toontown.com to get started.) See how far you can get. If you happen to enjoy the experience, you can go on to the aforementioned "older players'" games, where the enemies are fantasy monsters and the buildings castles to storm, yet where the principles of cooperation are basically the same. If you actually get addicted to cooperative play, don't blame me - these games are designed to reel you in.

But even if you don't get hooked yourself - and the more you are from the "Digital Immigrant" generation the less likely it is that you will - hopefully you will have learned this important and generally-overlooked lesson:

What keeps the kids playing these games is not the violence (that's all fake and the kids know it), but rather the ability to work together with others to achieve more and more difficult goals.

Can you think of any skill more useful for children to spend their time learning? I can't.

Different Types of Card Games

There are limitless types of card games to be played. People think because two games use the same deck of 52-cards that they are similar games, but nothing could be more different than Barbu and Speed, or Pai Gow and Pinochle.

Here's a list of twenty different kinds of card games, and some facts about them.

1.Bridge

Bridge is a popular contract bidding game. Bridge has a culture -- there are websites, newspaper columns, and even radio shows devoted to bridge strategy. There is a world-wide obsession with bridge, even though it has been called the hardest card game in the world. With a complicated strategy and steep learning curve, to many bridge is not just a game, it is a lifestyle. I wish I were exaggerating.

2. Whist

Whist could be called "Bridge, Jr" -- and though it is not as big a game as it once was, and is dwarfed in popularity by big-brother Bridge, Whist has never really died out. Card gamers love trick-taking games -- beating out your opponent in such a visual way is one of the more exciting part of any card game. Whist has some of the complexity of Bridge without any bidding.

3. Texas Hold'em

Texas Hold'em is something of a legend -- a poker variation with a story as rich as a Spaghetti western. This version of poker, a drawing and betting game, was invented and then made popular by old time poker sharks in Texas, hence the name. This is easily the most popular poker variant right now, and is bringing more new people to card gaming than any other game.

4. Hearts

It is said that most of the professional poker tour players are hardcore Hearts players and that they bet big money on cutthroat games of Hearts in dark mysterious rooms during tournaments. Romantic as that may sound, it would make sense for these card sharks to love the game of Hearts - an otherwise childlike game of matching cards (and no bidding) usually turns into a competitive nightmare. Because of the game play, there are lots of ways to screw your opponents in Hearts. Trick-winning and passing card are big elements of Hearts.

5. Spades

People don't realize it, but spades is a variation of bridge that simplifies the game even more than Whist and changes the outcome of the game as well. Spades is really popular in large groups, on college campuses, and in tournaments around the world. There may be as many variations of Spades as there are groups playing it -- thanks to "jailhouse rules" which penalize tactics like point sandbagging and the existence of multiple versions of "house rules". A strategic game you can play without paying much attention if you want.

6. Go-fish

This is the simple children's card matching game we all remember from our childhood. You can play Go-fish with as many players as you have cards. Some people claim Go-Fish is a variation of Rummy but the simplicity of the game and the children's game gimmick make it likely just some toy company's creation. Strangely enough, Go-fish is known as Literature in some parts of the world. Write in if you understand that one.

7. War

Another children's game (or time-killing game) War is a straight luck based game. Depending on the flop of the card, you either win or lose a war. Most people under the age of 30 learned War before they learned any other card game. You'll see War played a lot in lines at airports.

8. Oh Hell!

Substitute your own dirty word for "Hell!" and you know this party game. Most of the fun is the fact that you get to cuss a lot and people laugh at you. What keeps this game popular is that it is a strict betting game. The object of Oh Hell! is to bid the precise number of tricks you will win. You have to take only the number that you bid, no more and no less. Play is precise, and because of the structure of the game, one player always blows it big time. There. That's what's fun. Screwing your opponent.

9. Blackjack

A skill game that in some casinos is the best bet you can make, if you can play a perfect hand. This is one of the most popular casino card game, and has a place in popular culture as THE "Vegas" game. The point is to build a hand that adds up to a total of 21 points without going over, and ending up with a higher number than the dealer. Players compete against the House directly, adding to the fun. Little known fact -- there exists somewhere in this world a blackjack player's hall of fame. Safe to say that this game's got a cult following

10. Baccarat

James Bond's favorite game (don't believe the hype -- it wasn't poker or blackjack -- read the books) Baccarat is a basic betting game. Players bet on who will win a given hand - the player, the banker, or if there will be a tie. Sure it looks easy, but Baccarat is a skill game. A small sidenote about Baccarat -- the name comes from the name of the worst possible hand. This would be like calling your video poker machine "High Card Poker". Just doesn't have the same ring as "Royal Flush".

11. Solitaire

The most varied card game in the world. In England, they call this game Patience, and for good reason. Solitaire requires little set up beyond putting cards in specific places, and is usually played by yourself. Solitaire is another popular airport line waiting game.

12. Rummy and variations

There are lots of different kinds of Rummy, more than are probably written down on any list. I've written for a website that had me list 500 variations or other names for Rummy, so I'll spare you the reading and just say there's lots of kinds of Rummy. The more popular versions are called Gin Rummy, Liverpool Rummy, and Contract Rummy. The feature that makes a game a Rummy is a player matching identical cards into pairs and other groups. Some experts believe the Chinese game of Mahjong is part of the Rummy family, though I'd bet the Chinese are just fine with Mahjong as it is.

13. Pai Gow

This is an old Chinese domino game that has been passed down through the years as a poker variation. You'll see Pai Gow at casinos in both as a poker and a domino game -- it is probably the casino game that the least number of people understand. This is a game of fast bets, player versus dealer. Pai Gow strategy is just as rich as any other poker betting game, and the culture of Pai Gow is similar to the Blackjack culture -- super-fast bets and edgy behavior at the margins.

14. Spoons

A silly card game probably invented to keep kids out of trouble, Spoons is a bluffing game (with some elements of matching) that uses simple kitchen utensils as an added play element. The first player in the group to draw a poker style four of a kind reaches to a pile of spoons in the middle of the table, signalling the other players to grab for one. Since there's one less spoon than players, one player will be left out every time. So its a social interaction game, and not a game chock full of card strategy. its still fun. Great date night game.

15. Speed

Speed (sometimes called Spit) is a matching game that is unique because both players play simultaneously and as fast as they can. In Speed, a player tries to 'get rid' of his or her cards by matching them to cards placed face-up on the table. This is a face to face game, though there's actually little interaction between the two opponents. The last few moments of any game of Speed reminds me of solitaire on fast-forward, with hands and cards flying around and rows forming and draining like water pipes. Strange game, Speed.

16. Crazy 8s

This is another children's matching game, you could say it is cousin to the popular game Uno. The 8s in the deck of standard cards are considered "crazy" not because they need to be medicated but to indicate they are wild cards. In some variations of Crazy 8s, not just Wild Cards but other "rule cards" exist, making the game more complex for older players.

17. Slapjack

If you want to teach more complex card games to younger kids, Slapjack is the perfect vehicle. The object of Slapjack is to acquire the whole deck of cards by matching and slapping pairs. Kids like to slap stuff, and the game can be played over and over again.

18. Old Maid

You don't need an "Old Maid" deck to play this kid's card game -- any standard 52 card deck will do. Just remove one of the Queens. Old Maid is a matching game where players find pairs You trade cards with your opponent until that player is left with the unmatched Queen. Matching games are popular, and the novelty "Old Maid" packs are fun for kids.

19. Cribbage

This is a hybrid board and card game with complicated rules that generally intimidates people, even hardcore card gamers. You play cribbage by forming groups of cards that are worth different point values, and moving a peg on a board that represents your progress accordingly. Requiring a specific board (or a quick hand with a pen and paper) cribbage isn't the best travel game, but as fans of cribbage will tell you, no two games are alike. There are solitaire versions of cribbage, and other varieties of cribbage game play to choose from if you're bored with the standard version.

20. Pinochle

Pinochle is popular because it is a trick-taking game that you play with a 48 card deck. In Pinochle, you try to make melds or tricks, much like in Gin, but there's a really complex scoring system making the game fun to learn and to master. To be good at pinochle, you have to play for a number of years, and lose plenty of hands. Though it is less popular year after year, Pinochle is one of those "heritage games".

To learn more about playing card games in general, visit that link and/or this site: card games.

Mountain Crime

All Games : Hidden Object Games : Mountain Crime

Someone is killing the guests at a mountain resort, and you could be next if you don't solve the mystery at the heart of this chilling thriller! Take the role of a doctor who's summoned to a remote hotel to tend to a patient, and hold on to your sanity as you discover the first victim moments upon arriving at the retreat.

As you search for clues, crack brain-bending puzzles and read newspaper clippings that reveal the hotel's horrific past, two questions will take shape in your mind: What ties do you have to the hotel? And why did one of the victims claim you are the killer? The answer will shock you! Play Mountain Crime today to discover the truth!

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Drawn: Trail of Shadows Nominated for AIAS Downloadable Game of the Year

We want to send out a huge congratulations to our Studios team for the recognition of Drawn: Trail of Shadows which has been nominated for the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' (AIAS) Downloadable Game of the Year.

Other nominees (and publisher) include: Bastion (Supergiant Games), Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet (Fuel Cell), Ms. Splosion Man (Twisted Pixel Games), and Orcs Must Die! (Robot Entertainment).

Drawn team members, Brian Thompson (Art Director) and Chris Campbell (Senior Producer), had this to say, "We're incredibly excited that Drawn: Trail of Shadows is a finalist for downloadable game of the year! We're especially honored and humbled to be considered alongside so many talented teams!"

AIAS award winners will be announced and awards will be handed out Thursday, February 9 at the D.I.C.E. Summit in Las Vegas.

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Video Game Designer Jobs - 3 Techniques to Stand Out and Get Hired

Is there a secret to getting a video game designer job? Is it attending the right game design schools? Hobnobbing at game industry networking events? Camping outside the offices of your favorite video game company? Getting incriminating blackmail photos of the Creative Director from the holiday Christmas Party?

Well, any of those methods might work but if you want a more reliable path to getting a game design job, first ask yourself a tough question - do you really want a job in game design? Are you willing to work - on your own time - to make your game designer dreams come true? Will you put in the blood, sweat and tears to stand out from the crowd and make an impression with a game industry manager?

If you can honestly answer "yes", then continue reading.

Because, speaking from the other side of the hiring desk, I'll tell you exactly what gets my attention. And isn't how well formatted your resume is or how sparkling the prose of your cover letter. A professional resume and good letter are just assumed if you want to play this game. The real way you get a video game designer job is by showing me you are actually good at designing games.

Write a video game design document

Take a game you love (and preferably one I know) and write up a game design doc for it. Pretend you're proposing something for an update or downloadable content. Document either a level or scenario.

Don't write the game designer equivalent of War and Peace - you are not getting paid by the pound. The thicker your design document, the less useful it's actually going to be. I'm looking for concise - but accurate - documentation of what you're envisioning as the game designer. You'll want to include a short summary sentence and then an outline of what you're proposing. You want to talk about things like important game mechanics, key locations and starting points, enemies and monsters, points of interest and enemy placement. You might want to include some information about characters, dialogue style and background. Do this in something I can digest - say, two to four pages, and to a professional level of quality and I'll be highly motivated to put you on my team.

If you get a job as a video game designer, you're going to spend a lot of time writing. If you can't write a good design document - you'll have your work cut out for you in the game industry. You don't need to be Shakespeare but you need to be able to communicate an idea clearly and relatively free of eye-melting grammar and spelling mistakes. If the idea of writing lots of game design docs fills you with dread, take a hard look at your future career as a game designer.

Design a game level or mod

Take an established game engine like Epic's Unreal and build a level I can actually play. Demonstrate you have an understanding of guiding a player through an interesting play space, taking them from a beginning to end. Don't design a giant maze - I'm not a lab rat. Don't create a vast open plain - I've already visited Kansas. I'm interested to see you understand how the player interacts with the environment and the game systems. And if you're a smart game designer, you'll built in an engine my company uses in game development (for a company like BioWare, portfolios require a submission using the Aurora toolset).

You might even take that level and mod it. Impress me with your ingenuity in re-inventing an existing game. Depending on what you do, you'll me a lot about the kind of video game designer you are. Do you care more about atmosphere and aesthetics? Innovative gameplay? There's no right or wrong answer here - I just want to see your work.

Make your own video game

The best calling card for a video game designer job is to actually make a game. Watch how fast I run to HR if that's what's in your portfolio. And it's probably not as difficult as you think. Investing now in technical skills makes you vastly more marketable as a game designer (even if you're not the ultimate technical expert). Adobe's Flash puts powerful tools to create video games in the hands of almost anyone. A more technically inclined prospective game designer might try their hand with the Unity engine or learn programming languages like Python, Perl or even C++. Heck, there's even game building engines like Gamemaker that are practically point-and-click.

Your game doesn't have to be an epic like GTA or Mass Effect - I'm just looking for a game that shows you understand how to create a game mechanic and engage a player. I'm not looking for super technical skills or amazing artwork - I'm looking for promise. Something that shows me you think like a video game designer.

Because coming up with the game idea is just the first step in a long journey for a game designer. If you take the initiative like this, you'll convince me you're serious about your career as a game designer.

So there it is - the secret for getting a video game design job.

Now all you have to do is actually do it.

Sean Dugan is a game designer and writer. He has worked on a variety of game and media IP including Lord of the Rings, Battlefield, Ultima, Stargate, Earth & Beyond and others. He is currently the design lead on an undisclosed project and is largely powered by coffee.

Check out his blog The Boss Monster to read more about the video game industry and game design

Really Good News About Your Children's Video Games

Research published by University of Rochester neuroscientists C. Shawn Green and Daphne Bavelier has grabbed national attention for suggesting that playing "action" video and computer games has positive effects - enhancing student's visual selective attention. But that finding is just one small part of a more important message that all parents and educators need to hear: video games are not the enemy, but the best opportunity we have to engage our kids in real learning.

Any observer knows that the attitude of today's children to video and computer games is the very opposite of the attitude that most of them have toward school. The amount of time they spend playing computer and video games - estimated at 10,000 hours by the time they are twenty-one, often in multi-hour bursts - belies the "short attention span" criticism of educators. And while years ago the group attracted to video and computer games was almost entirely adolescent boys, it is now increasingly girls and all children of all ages and social groups. One would be hard-pressed today to find a kid in America who doesn't play computer or video games of one sort or another.

The evidence is quickly mounting that our "Digital Native" children's brains are changing to accommodate these new technologies with which they spend so much time. Not only are they better at spreading their attention over a wide range of events, as Green and Bavelier report, but they are better at parallel processing, taking in information more quickly (at "twitchspeed"), understanding multimedia, and collaborating over networks.

What attracts and "glues" kids to today's video and computer games is neither the violence, or even the surface subject matter, but rather the learning the games provide. Kids, like and all humans, love to learn when it isn't forced on them. Modern computer and video games provide learning opportunities every second, or fraction thereof.

On the surface, kids learn to do things - to fly airplanes, to drive fast cars, to be theme park operators, war fighters, civilization builders and veterinarians. But on deeper levels they learn infinitely more: to take in information from many sources and make decisions quickly; to deduce a game's rules from playing rather than by being told; to create strategies for overcoming obstacles; to understand complex systems through experimentation. And, increasingly, they learn to collaborate with others. Many adults are not aware that games have long ago passed out of the single-player isolation shell imposed by lack of networking, and have gone back to being the social medium they have always been - on a worldwide scale. Massively Multiplayer games such as EverQuest now have hundreds of thousands of people playing simultaneously, collaborating nightly in clans and guilds.

Today's game-playing kid enters the first grade able to do and understand so many complex things - from building, to flying, to reasoning - that the curriculum they are given feel like they are being handed depressants. And it gets worse as the students progress. Their "Digital Immigrant" teachers know so little about the digital world of their charges - from online gaming to exchanging, sharing, meeting, evaluating, coordinating, programming, searching, customizing and socializing, that it is often impossible for them to design learning in the language and speed their students need and relish, despite their best efforts.

An emerging coalition of academics, writers, foundations, game designers, companies like Microsoft and, increasingly, the U.S. Military is working to make parents and educators aware of the enormous potential for learning contained in the gaming medium. While "edutainment," may work for pre-schoolers, it is primitive when it comes to the enormous sophistication of today's games. We need new and better learning games, and these are finally beginning to appear. Microsoft has sponsored a "Games-to-Teach" project at MIT which is building games for learning difficult concepts in physics and environmental science on the X-Box and Pocket PC. Lucas Games has lesson plans to help teachers integrate its games into curricula to teach critical thinking. A UK study by TEEM (Teachers Evaluating Educational Multimedia) has shown that certain games can help youngsters to learn logical thinking and computer literacy. Given the almost perfect overlap between the profiles of gamers and military recruits, the US Military uses over 50 different video and computer games to teach everything from doctrine, to strategy and tactics. "America's Army, Operations," a recruiting game released for free in 2002, now has almost 2 million registered users, with almost a million having completed virtual basic training.

Academic research into the positive effects of games on learning, which not so long ago sat unread on the shelf, is being noticed by national media. Theoretical and practical guides such as "What Video Games Have To Teach Us About Learning And Literacy" by Professor of Education James Paul Gee, and my own "Digital Game-Based Learning," are now on bookshelves. Experts, such as former Stanford CFO William Massey, who created the learning game "Virtual U." are working with game designers to build games that communicate their knowledge and experience. Foundations like Sloan, Markle and others are funding these efforts. The Woodrow Wilson school has begun a project called "Serious Games" to increase the use of gaming in public policy debates, picking up an effort that begin 10 years ago with "Sim Health" from Maxis.

Yet despite all the findings, research, and cries for help from the kids in school, many parents and educators still tend to think of video and computer games as frivolous at best and harmful at worst. The press often encourages this with headlines about "killing games" when in fact two thirds of the games are rated "E (everybody)," and sixteen of the top 20 sellers are rated either "E" or "T (teen)". To counteract this "name prejudice," users and funders of today's "new" educational games often refer to them by "code" names, such as "Desktop Simulators," "Synthetic Environments," or "Immersive Interactive Experiences."

Yet what these new, highly effective learning tools really are a combination of the most compelling and interactive design elements of the best video and computer games with specific curricular content. The tricky part is doing this in ways that capture, rather than lose, the learner's interest and attention. We are now becoming much better at this. The money and will is there to do it, and our students are crying for it.

Gamers in the Game

Sometimes at night, while I sleep, I dream that I am the point guard on Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. Other nights, I bat cleanup for the Chicago White Sox. If that isn't busy enough, I still often find time to quarterback Jimmy Johnson's Dallas Cowboys.

The bad thing about my dreams: they end.

By no means am I a professional athlete. Yet almost every night, I watch myself on TV draining three pointers, hitting towering home runs, and throwing sky scraping touchdown passes with the best in the game.

I realize all my sports dreams are make believe. I live for life's little pleasures.

The tiny light at the end of my tunnel is thanks to today's digital technology. I can become a professional athlete by creating myself in a video game.

I'm not the only person to do it, or to have ever done it.

Joffrey Lupul is a winger for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. In addition, he is also a featured athlete in EA Sports' NHL 2004.

"I used to create my own player and try to make it look as much like me as possible," said Lupul in an interview with John Gaudiosi of ESPN Gamer. "I guess now I won't have to do that."

Sports video games have been evolving since "Pong," a tennis-like game where two players use long bars to defend their end of the screen from what vaguely resembles a ball. It debuted on the Atari game system in 1976. In 2003, the top-selling game of the year was EA Sports' Madden NFL 2004, which sold over 1.3 million copies in its first week.

Unlike me, many athletes today do not need to create a digital image of themselves to be featured in a game. Today's popular sports video games have the characteristics of all active players. Professionally licensed games even have players' accurate height, weight, and hometown. The best games even feature individual trademarks of certain players, like Vince Carter's classic double-handed sky point after a furious dunk, or Ichiro's bailout first step as he swings at an inside pitch.

"When I was a little kid, everybody could do the same dunks and lay-ups," said Jay Williams in an interview with Patrick Hruby of ESPN Gamer. Williams, formerly an NBA point guard, plays video games daily as a diversion from the rigors of rehabilitating his left leg following a 2003 motorcycle accident. "I remember last year, the game version of me was doing the same hand gestures I do."

The NCAA prohibits endorsement by its amateur athletes, but that doesn't mean collegiate athletes are less fortunate. All the player attributes are there, only the names are deleted to protect the unpaid.

Jason Colson is a 6'1", 215 pound, sophomore tailback who proudly wears No. 24 at West Virginia University (WVU). In EA Sports' NCAA Football 2005, his name has been changed to "HB #24," but the height, weight, and class rank are all the same. When No. 24 steps into the backfield, the game player knows they are about to hand off to Mr. Colson.

"As a youngster, I never pictured myself being in a video game," said Colson. "It's cool playing as yourself."

Today's younger athletes have grown up in the video game generation. All of them have memories of playing games as kids and teens. Many still play.

"One of my favorite game players growing up was Terrell Davis in the Madden games," remembers Kay-Jay Harris, another WVU tailback you can find in NCAA Football '05, starring as "HB #1." "[Davis] never looked like he was running that fast, yet no one could catch him. Our running styles are similar."

Most athletes play video games the way most gamers play: as entertainment, for fun. In WVU's football player lounge, a PlayStation2 (PS2) is plugged in next to the team TV. Several players take the games they play on the screen as serious as the games they play on the field.

Ray Lewis, whose spastic pre-game dances and primal, near death-causing hits on the field make him one of the most intimidating players in the NFL, is also known to be one of the most competitive video game players in the league. Lewis hates to lose at anything he does. Thanks to his competitiveness on the field and in front of the screen, Lewis became the first defensive player to be chosen as cover man for the 2005 installment of EA's Madden NFL series in August.

Video game popularity with athletes has soared because of the free time they have in the off-season.

"[Games are] relaxing. It's pure entertainment. This is the way you kill four, five hours," Lewis said in an interview with Matt Wong of ESPN Gamer. "You have your boys over, you have your kids over, and you have a big tournament. We might have three TVs going."

"I played [EA Sports'] MVP Baseball 2004 all summer long, and Rasheed Marshall and I played MarioKart on [Ninetendo] Gamecube for a week straight," said Harris. "I could play games like that all day, 10 straight."

Games are clearly the best cure for the off-season blues, but many athletes see the benefits video games have as recruiting tools.

"Video games can be a positive influence for younger kids, who might not have started skating yet," said Minnesota Wild center Pierre-Marc Bouchard, in an interview with Gaudiosi. "If you get into the realism of the video games, kids might try street hockey and eventually graduate to the rink."

The National Hockey League has been entrenched in a lockout since Sept. 16. With no end in sight, holding the interest of young fans will be crucial to its future. While it seems possible that the entire 2004-2005 season could be cancelled, fans can still find excitement by turning on their PS2.

"It's tough to replicate the battles along the boards in video games," said Eric Staal in an interview with Gaudiosi. Staal plays center for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes. "But if kids don't know anything about hockey, [video games] are fun to play because it's up and down action and scoring goals."

Microsoft's Xbox, PS2, and GameCube allow sports to be played year round. Fans can get their fix at any time of the year with a simple flip switch. Indeed, they are simulated, but the World Series can go on in the dead of winter, and hockey games can hit the ice in the scorch of summer.

For athletes, video games can help them stay entertained, or distracted, when they aren't on the field.

For future athletes, gaming consoles provide the ultimate first step to falling in love with a sport.

Video games allow all who play to live outside themselves. Armchair quarterbacks become heroes. On the field quarterbacks get the opportunity to dominate their most hated rivals. Everyone can live out dreams in cyber world they never could on the field.

Jonathan is a starving, struggling writer who aspires to work in public relations when he graduates from West Virginia University (http://www.wvu.edu). He is a marketing intern with Advanced Internet (http://www.advancedtele.com) and a stringer for John Raby of the Associated Press.

Best Tips for Stress Free Child Party Games

When planning a child birthday party, just a little bit of organisation will go a long way. A good selection of child party games will keep the group interested and the party running smoothly. Always keep in mind that during the course of the day the weather may turn against you so be prepared to move the party (and games) indoors if necessary!

Have an idea of how you would like the party to flow- a typical choice would be: some games or a party craft to start, a break for food and cake, and then some more games or free play to wind up the party. Depending on the location for your party it may be only indoor games or outdoor games that you need to focus on. Either way a mix of games with present opening and food dispersed between should maintain a good flow.

In selecting the child party games it is wise to have a few more games prepared than you think you will need. Some games may finish quickly or if the children are not showing interest, a couple of back-ups can save you from any embarrassment. Prepare all of the music, props and prizes before the party and make sure that you are clear on the rules. If you do not want to give out prizes after every game then choose games that do not have clear 'winner' and are less competitive.

A mix of active games, those that allow the children to wind-down, and perhaps a craft activity should be plenty for a party that is lasting roughly two hours. Two hours is generally long enough for kids aged from between 3 and 6 years old.

A party craft is often a good way to start a party, allowing the kids to mingle with each other while making a party hat, loot bag or something similar. Active games give them a chance to burn off some of that party excitement and some quieter, cool-down games can help to settle kids who might have had a bit much red cordial!

Utilise other parents or older kids to help out with games if required. If younger children are attending then many of their parents will stay anyway and won't mind acting as timekeeper or judge for a game. If you are preparing food and drinks and trying to run the games all on your own then you are going to be stretched to the limit, so ask for help if you feel you need it.

When selecting the actual party games keep in mind the ages of the children attending. Younger children prefer simple, short games, nothing that requires too much explaining or has numerous rules. Think of the games that you enjoyed at parties that you attended as a child. Traditional games like Pass the Parcel, Musical Chairs or quieter games like Charades or Dead Lions are all favourites that most kids understand and have played before. Many of these games can be renamed to suit the particular theme of your party, don't feel like you have to reinvent the wheel

For older children you can be more adventurous with games and the party child will no doubt aid you in selecting games that he/she feels are appropriate to the theme of the party. If you have a mix of ages present be sure that the younger children are not being caught up in the boisterous activity of older children.

Whatever games you choose be flexible, and willing to improvise. Allow the children to set the pace in regards to the length of the games. If they are all enjoying a game then let it continue, if not move on. Remember that FUN is the aim of the day, if the kids see you relaxed and having fun then they will too!

The place to go for all your games needs for 0-6 year olds is Kids Fun and Games. Educational baby and toddler games, party games, crafts, indoor and outdoor games, festivals and more.

Computer Games Are Now Increasingly Plagued

If beforehand game only became the monopoly on the small child, it is different from what happens now. Now it is not unusual anymore when a father can sit for hours with his son in a speed contest of a game. And this is what happened today, gaming is not the monopoly of a small child again.

The name of a game at this time could have been considered to be the universal toy. Beginning with pre-schoolers, the young child up to the adult already did not feel foreign again with the name game. formerly, peoples perhaps only knew Game Watch or Game Boy, now people can choose a variety of media play. To play games, now we can just choose, just wanted to use a desktop computer (PC) or through a laptop computer, or can also be through the manufacturer of gaming equipment such as PlayStation or Xbox. Even today the PlayStation game also has issued its equipment is in the personal version, called the PSP. At first glance, the PSP itself may remind us of the Game Boy era, where a game can be played anywhere via an online tool that its size is only slightly larger than a cell phone. Supporting equipment of the game that is offered now very heterogeneous, beginning with mouse & keyboard standard, Quick Cam, headset, joystick, Game Pad, Racing Wheel, Play Gear, and others.

Seem like want to increasingly could be absorbed well by all ages, the game was made with different levels of difficulty. Starting from level 'Beginner' to 'Advance'-made to suit the player's skill level. If already like this, then the game was probably already can be played by toddlers to adults. Each has been created for the portion of their game. Still about the portion of the game, not only the levels of difficulty are provided in a variety. Own game type is also provided in various ways. Starting from the 'career' or that is personal career, so the competition is played with a lot of competitors or enemies are also there. And a more interesting game development is more of a personalized nature. Whether it's the kind of racing game, a war to football, every player is possible to dress the car, or set the tactics of war, or the team or the squad also set up in accordance with their own desires. It is very unusual, because the players are allowed to personalize themselves in every game they play. This is closer to the player's imagination in a virtual form of real gaming.

Then how far the category game developing? Categorization game itself growing very large. Currently available a variety of game categories. Starting from the category of racing games such as Moto GP, F1, Need For Speed, Colin McRae Rally; category battle or war games such as Counter Strike, Sniper Elite, Black Hawk Down, Mercenaries; also the category of sports games like FIFA game, Championship Manager, Football Manager, Winning Eleven, NBA, Street Ball; and many other game categories that also circulate in the market. Everything is made to indulge in consumer preferences as far as possible, in this case are gamers.

It is then perhaps the question is what benefits can we received from playing games? Initial idea of a game is definitely as entertainment media. And certainly almost all games made for entertainment. About how someone actually becomes continuously less stress because when playing games, that's another matter. But should like also in competitive sports, the game should also help the players to learn sportsmanship. Sportsmanship is itself a positive value expected from a game contained. As well as in everyday life, not forever we 'win', but also we are not forever 'losing'. Everything must work well as in the game. Another benefit that may be less aware of is the aspect of intelligence and neural reflexes are actually also a bit more refined in a game, especially games that are very competitive. That is why now also developed many educational games for children, because by learning through visualization interesting expected to learn the spirit of the child will be more encouraged. Besides the basic nature of human beings also have a faster learning everything visual-verbal. That's why the game is actually also good if you are involved in the process of education (educational games).

But make no mistake, the game also has some unfavorable influence in the development of young children, therefore spare him from the game as much as possible that are damaging or destructive. For small children remains the best educational games, but if you want to add another category in the 'menu of cuisine ", it is sufficient to provide the categories of sports or racing alone.

Realizing the business opportunities of this industry more and more potential, it is not surprising that many companies began to create an online concept for capturing more dollars into their pockets. And then this is what happened today, a game played not only in personal and network computers, but also can be played with a mass of people around the world who access it. We can even play with people we do not know though. There's even a company that did not hesitate to provide features 'transaction' for this online game. Yup, buying and selling has penetrated even in an online game. This is evidence that humans and imagination is indispensable.

In smart companies have succeeded in this game makes people who play do things to support realistic virtual imagination. Not only transact in the online game, or battle online, even lie to their parents for several hours in the game center also may be performed. It is morally these companies not to blame, all back to how we receive this technology development. Because every technological advancement will always carry the impact and consequences of each.

A Parent's Guide to Online Gaming, Part 1

The internet touches every aspect of your children's lives. Where you might look up an unknown word in a dictionary, your kids are more likely to use dictionary.com. Where you use the telephone, they use instant messenger. An even greater difference can be found in how they play games. Where the games of their parent's generation may have involved a board, cards, or at their most sophisticated a console system, the games your children play on the net can be far more complex. They mine gold, spread empires, fight dragons and aliens alone or with tens, hundreds, even thousands of their fellow gamers. All of this makes for a confusing mish mash of names, places, jargon and lingo that can leave you with no idea what your kids are actually doing and a vague feeling of uneasiness that some part of it might not be good for them.

What's appropriate for your kids is a decision only you can make. How much violence they are exposed to, how much time they spend in front of a screen and how much contact they have with the faceless strangers so common to the net are all questions you must grapple with and, in the end, decide for your family. While we can't help you make these rough decisions, we can certainly help you get the information you need to understand your children's hobbies better, both to make informed judgments about what they should and should not be doing, and to help you reach into another part of their lives that may have previously seemed like something of a puzzle box.

The Easy Stuff

The simplest type of online game is the sort of Flash or Java driven game that you generally see running inside your web browser. This type of game tends to be relatively simple compared to the stand alone games discussed later. Common examples include Bejeweled, Zuma, and Diner Dash. These games are almost universally single player and have none of the sort of violent or mature content that keeps parents up at night. Were they movies, they would be G Rated, with perhaps the occasional game stretching to PG. If this is the type of game your kids are into then first, be relieved. Then, try the game out. Many of these games can be very enjoyable for even the most casual of players. Some, such as Bookworm, even have genuine educational content. These games can be as much an opportunity for bonding and learning as throwing around a baseball in the backyard, and have the added bonus of being much easier to get your kids to sit down with you and play.

FPSs: Finding Something to Shoot.

FPS stands for First Person Shooter. They are First Person in the same since that a story might be. That is, the player sees the world through the eyes of a single character and interacts with the game environment as though he were that character. Shooter comes from the primary goal of most such games, the shooting of whatever happens to be the bad guy. FPS games are among some of the most popular online. Common examples include Doom, Battlefield:1942, and the X-Box game Halo. From a parental perspective, these games can be cause for concern. They vary widely in the amount of realism, degree of violence, language, and general attitude. The only way to get a good idea of the content issues is to watch the particular game. If your kids don't want you watching while they play, then fire up the game yourself sometime when they aren't around. There is a sizeable variation in how violent and how personal FPS content can be from game to game. The single player portion of Halo, for example, has players fighting against alien invaders with largely energy weapons and a minimum of realistic human suffering. In contrast, WWII themed games tend to go out of their way to show realistic violence. Given the subject matter, this is appropriate for the game, but may not be for your kids. Online play presents a potentially greater concern. The goal of online FPS games is almost always killing other players.

While some games do have various modes where this is a secondary goal, all of them give the player a gun and encourage him to use it on characters representing other people. Simulated gore and the use of violence against others to achieve goals may be things you don't want your kids exposed to. Again, these are your decisions to make, but we encourage you to make them with as much information as possible. Talk to your kids. Find out what they think, in their words, is going on in the game. Make sure they see the line between what happens in the game and what happens in the real world, between what it's okay to simulate and what it's okay to do. The answers may surprise you. If your children understand the differences, see real violence as deplorable and simulated violence as part of the game then FPS games, even online ones, can be a perfectly healthy way to have fun and let off steam. In the end, it falls on you to make sure that what your child gets out of the game is good for him or her.

Next time, we'll talk about RTS and MMORPG, the two other common types of commercial online game and touch on the twin demons of addiction and predation.

Steve is a member of the GrandMatrix team. They provide a broad range of games and puzzle articles and reviews. Read more articles and play the latest PC games for free plus thousands of user submitted puzzles, quizzes and word games at: Free Online Games

Introduction to Designing Open Source Games for the Google Smart Phones

Google has offered the open source tools and the education but it is up to you to learn and develop your own apps for smart phones to prove how competent you are at developing and designing open source games and to what value you will be able to offer in future developments online. Google I imagine are a great company to work for and as big as they are with the smart phones they realise they do not have the time or resources to single handily develop new gaming software nor for that matter have the time to exactly mirror working documents for the hand-held phones, it's just not plausible. However, they have reportedly come to some agreement with certain apps available for the Android, I suppose to challenge the growing presence of Apple's power. So, with that in mind lets get into the details of online gaming design.

People who make games through Java script for mobile phones especially arcade games users of Java. Now Java has, like most software its own script, script means a language in which a program can understand if you do not have the right software or do not know which software to use, then refer to an expert, these gaming experts are called C++ Engineers because this is the type of language Java operates with. Those already experienced in the language of C++ can use Java, and Java is gaming industry standard, Java is also known for its Flash integration, audio software, texts and cloud based open source development. This is usually done in Linux rather than Unix and the imagery in these new media tools can be surprisingly refreshing. This has reduced the amount of work needed to learn these skills. Open software is a great place to start.

Before you design the game there are a few things you need to understand when designing games for the phone. Like an I-Pad and other touch screen devices the Teflon screen creates a motion and by controlling your game from the screen can alter the response time of your game, these have been my main concerns about games for the Android - they are clunky and the controls unless scroll button enabled are very annoying. Similarly the tilt sensor in the phone is very advanced. Learning how to program a game like this is well beyond the scope of this introductory post. All you need to know with these problems or if you wish to learn more about these high end problems of designing games for the Android phone are GLSurfaceView ATITC compression, VBO's and there buffers (which are responsible and great for giving feedback when a game crashes because you can trackback the results of the crash when you report it to Google.

Some interesting terminology which will boost your understanding and help you educate yourself about games designing for Android phones are listed in this short glo2D side-scroller - Parallax layers, tile-based worlds, animated sprites the right hardware buttons: input systems, OpenGL, ES Writing Java code for Android phones.

Is this game for kids? If so make what's known as the gaming objects so, is the game for adults, if yes then go ahead, add swear words and grotesque violence; but otherwise keep it simple, the best bet is to avoid anything like this because most smart phones are restricted and changing these restrictions can be as equally complicated as designing the games so please for the users avoid any adult content.

To understand the layers and graphics of any game you need to understand how the Architecture and layers of the game are made. On screen you have main loops. This is where the game has its main contents. Sub graphs are what the characters are in any game, these have to be designed beforehand and using the right software to improve the code of these moving images, especially if you wish to convey your games product originally and efficiently. A good place to start focusing on is the colours in the background of the game, as the games flash between screens you want these colours to have some sort of continuity in the way that the transitions occur.

The objects of any game will have to include the player integrated to control the game to give some sort of gravity to the game, this gives it a narrative and will make the game more interesting. How the characters or objects move in the game is very important. The crash icons are known as collision component, you will need to think carefully when making these and linking them with the size and appropriate colour of the destruction of each individual character. Then you must understand the physics of how these characters all blends. You can improve your animation skills by understanding the codes of Java and know about capabilities within these software companies that help you design your mobile phone game. The players in the game and the objectives of the game and how these characters move are included in the game-designing world with useful terminology like Sprite and Rendor components are also related to Player Game Object.

In -order to convert your games design from the appropriate language to the code equivalent that can then be uploaded to these smart phones is equally very important when designing Andriod games, this is called bootstrapping a game. Bootstrapping helps the games update correctly by forging reciprocal input events.

Next you have to thread all the games technical graphics together at this level you are at the Game Thread part mentioned earlier about the games physics, the way in which destruction and collisions and other explosions you wish to re -create. At this point this is also where you embed your signature as designer of your mobile phone games.

So how do you get involved with software shared on Google phones? Firstly the integration and design is found in forum threads particularly when games are being designed, you can subscribe to these groups on Forums, many of these forums are free, and the great thing about the 100 or so thousand developers throughout the world is they are interested in you learning the skills. When you learn these skills from them, the hope is you will share your frustrations with playing around with language on loading time it takes for, accessibility for your host as Java specific optimization is said to: 'improve the compatibility with software' and fortunately this code is very easy to use. The problem is troubleshooting the mistakes; this is where experts in the Language become helpful. If you wish to work with others, this app building will not happen over night you will need to forge relationships with other C++ Java Script users.

One of the growing problems when using C++ and Javascript is the size of memory used, when designing a game. You should always first consider whether you game can be realistically designed within the data limitations, generally about 100 -300 ms. Once you know the size you can begin to invoke your code into the GC (Gaming code).

Ways around this problem of high Java scripted codes and low restricted space for games to be made within are to ignore what's known as enums they are to heavy, delete read only strings (which you will have to do at the end of the game anyway when the game is done. Look for string in the frameworks of your Java code. Also avoid JNI functions especially within the inner loop for your Java code. For example things that say gl.gl ()Functions should be double checked.

By creating layers in the games art be it sky land or background you always need to intergate, this is part of any good arcade games style. Some key terms you need to consider when expanding your glossary in order to understand the micro designing backgrounds is found in the design (vertex) of Meta tiles. Meta tiles are an important part of the mapping of most games for Google Apps and Google games on the Android HTC and other Google versions. Nokia is slightly different and their gaming markets are slightly more varied. You can test your backgrounds in what is known as SpriteMethodTest by checking the basic vert quads are in-line with your orthographic projections. You also have to watch the time it takes for these commands to bind with all the various tiles in the frame, this can take anything between 3- 5 ms when submitted to the games layers and the came itself to convert into an image takes an extra 16ms to show. You will also want to understand about the texture of your backgrounds map and be sure it is not to sparse. Sparse is a great word to submit to your terminology when communicating about designing games for handheld devices.

Here are some ways of troubleshooting your games tiled background. First you must understand about VRAM and how much is available on each game when you design games anything above will mean you have to pre render the tile map of the background of your game or app. This can also be predicted by knowing level size restrictions within the VRAM and the dynamics within the different textures of your layered background. When you get close to 60 Hz then stop and by doing this you should be enough for you to avoid any complications. According to research done in a collection of case studies Android has decided to improve the Android's interface in the phones driver; which means these solutions of timing may now be obsolete although on my Andriod HTC this transition has not yet taken place. The App said to do this is called Froyo and is according to Google TV an app that speeds up not only the browsers response time and help integrate through Cloud servers from Google Chrome Browser extensions, to mobile phones and direct links between the two.

This correspondence is not blue tooth or e-mail activated it is a direction link done within Froyo on the browser and the mobile phone, you can find out more by searching Froyo on the net. Froyo also increases the speed of the phones games response, in the Google video on YouTube a red flashing screen shows when the phone without Froyo was slowing in response to the increase of the games characters moving on the screen. That response was not related to the background although to many layers designed in your game will cause a similar reaction. The way to avoid this is tile your image background from smaller images so it looks equal across the screen.

Some of the pitfalls of designing games online through open source and brainstorming through forums is that your code can be easily cloned reproduced and then rereleased under a different name, one example of Google Apps currently that are showing this surprisingly is Google Chromes new Browser. The real browser is not available yet but three apps this week show Google Chrome Fakes, where you click the Icon but still are using the same Android browser. For now you are better of avoiding these Apps, in fact one of them is nothing to do with the browser it just simply adds the Google Chrome Icon as a screensaver. With this in mind, any security you can carry out when developing Open Source software will make sure your withhold your original ideas. If you can call them original then that will hold strong and hopefully you will now have a new skill that can earn you money in today's modern craving society.

For more information about computer Apps go Download free Apps for Mac please subscribe if you wish to have further information about internet marketing by going to Internet marketing and Developments by Robert Bridge.

Choosing the Right Game System

1. Xbox 360

Xbox's most recent system is the Xbox 360 Elite, which is smaller than the Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 is preceded by the Xbox. Many older Xbox games can be played on the Xbox 360. Although there is a wide variety of games for the Xbox 360 for many age groups, Xbox games seem to target more mature gamers, such as teens and adults. The typical Xbox games are "war-like" games such as the extremely popular Halo series. You can also make friends online and play games in groups, such as raids on each others bases or working as a team to help out on quests. You have to buy Xbox Live to use these features. Xbox live can be purchased monthly for about $9 a month or annually for a little more than $200 a year. You can use your card on the console or buy Xbox Points to pay for them. You can also watch Netflix Instant Watch movies (if you have a Netflix membership,) Zune new releases, connect it to your music on your pc (if you have the correct version of Windows), Facebook and many others. Accessories such as a headset and camera allow you to talk to and see your competitors. Newly released games for the Xbox 360 typically range from $50 to $60. New games, that are not new releases can often be found for $30 to $40. Used games can be found for as low as $10.

2. Nintendo Wii

Nintendo's most recent system is the Nintendo Wii which is designed with a "Wii Remote" and a "Nunchuck." Many games require only these two pieces. There are lots of add-ons to the Wii remote, such as a motion sensor which is required for some games, a balance board which is required for some games, and straps to attach the remote and nunchuck to you for games the monitor your movement. the new controllers are designed to be intuitive to use even for more mature gamers who typically disdain video games ('...back when I was a kid...") Recently, games have been aimed at getting kids up and moving with games like Wii Resorts, where player participate in sports like throwing a Frisbee, jousting (which my kids just loved), bow and arrow, jet ski, etc. Most newer consoles come with Wii Sports that include games such as bowling and tennis and monitors your progress each day. Many of the games are designed with a family theme, but there are just as many teen and adult games. Additionally, you can buy add-ons that attach to your controller. One of our favorite was the light saber controllers that glowed and had sound effects. There are tennis rackets for tennis, guns for shooting games, golf clubs, etc. I found some of these add-ons for a dollar at the Dollar Tree, and Big Lots sells a pack of controllers which are very inexpensive. One game we don't have, but a saw some siblings playing, is boxing. You but the controller in boxing gloves and you punch at (but don't actually hit it please) the screen to score points and knock out your opponent (your sibling.) There are a number of exercise "games" where you exercise with the controllers and the "game" monitors your progress and offers tips and support. It's not all exercise. Many games, such as Raymon Raving Rabbids, has you sit on the Wii Balance Board and Skii. The balance board also turns into a Skate Board and is used for monitoring jogging, jumping, etc. The game price range is similar to that of the Xbox 360, but used games tends to cost a little more, and finding a used balance board, or camera is nearly impossible. Although we have had our Wii for only a very short time and have only a few games (and not balance board or other cool things) I rate this console the highest for families looking to enjoy time together without running all over town to various activities. You can find consoles for less on ebay.com and shopgoodwill.com (just read carefully about functionality and always check shipping). GameStop offers used consoles too, and they have been refurbished, checked, and come with a warranty with an optional extended warranty. The Wii also plays Netflix instant watch games, but you have to ask Netflix for a special disk (which is free.)

3. PlayStation 2 or 3

Ok, I don't know a lot about the PlayStation 3, but we've had the PlayStation 2 for a very long time and it's games are great for the "almost a teen" age group. Our first games was Rachet and Clank, which we got when my son was 6. He really enjoyed it then and picked up the controls pretty quickly. The controls for the PlayStation 2 are more similar to the "legacy" (legacy means old like Atari controllers and joysticks.) I believe the PlayStation 3 features controllers that are very similar to the Xbox 360 controllers. You have to buy the upgraded PlayStation 3 in order for it to be backwards compatible with PlayStation 2 games. PlayStation 3 is also trying to pick-up more of the mature market and offers more mature games. There are cameras for this game and you have the ability to interact with other players.

4. Handheld games: Nintendo DS/DSI vs. PSP (PlayStation Portable)

If you travel a lot, then a handheld system is best for you. Both the PSP, and Nintendo DSI will connect to local Wireless networks and play games. The Nintendo DSI is the latest release of handhelds by Nintendo and preceded by the DS, Game Boy Advance, and just Game Boy. Each of the systems used little "cartridge" type games that plug-into the the console and the DSI is backwards compatible with all of it's predecessors. These cartridges are very sturdy which makes them excellent for children. We actually found one that had been dropeed by my cousin, rained on and driven on and it still worked! Also, the Nintendo DSI is much bigger than the Nintedo DS. The PSP uses tiny CD-like disks which require responsible care. I think both the PSP and Nintendo DSI have similar lines of games and movies available, and both will connect to a wireless network. The Nintendo DS/DSI can download games from stations at places like Walmart. I haven't used this feature yet, and it is unclear as to whether you have to pay a fee. I will update you the first time I try it out!

Summary:

A game system for family fun: Nintendo Wii A game system for teen agers and more mature players: Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 A game system that encourages exercise: Nintendo Wii A game system for older children, around 6 and older: PlayStation 3 A game system for watching movies on the go: Nintendo DSI or PSP A portable video game system: Nintendo DS/DSI or PSP A game system for younger children: Nintendo Wii or PlayStation 2 (or the upgraded PlayStation 3). For young children, you may also want to consider less expensive options like Nintendo 64 and PlayStation 1.

One more note, each of the systems have Band and Singing games, such as Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Sing it!, etc. and have accessories for them such as microphones, guitars, and drum sets. The accessories, although the same vary in price depending on the system.

Lisa Baird

Visit http://www.samsvideogames.com for discount video games and video game reviews. Find games the whole family will love!

Funny Games for Non-Gamers

For game fanatics, almost any games could catch their interests as they are fond of motion graphics and playing via computer devices. But, for non-gamers they could hardly appreciate a game. Funny games online are suitable for these non-gamers, who can just play during their spare time. Since most of these non-gamers are busy persons who have no time in playing level-up games, or those games that require more time before they will end. These individuals are more interested in short-term games, of which they can just play in a matter of minutes only.

They prefer games that are attractive to them and not that intense. Action games that have various levels are not suitable for them, as they could not commit more of their time in playing. These individuals usually considered as busy persons. But, there are some people who have fewer interests in graphical forms since they were born. No one can blame these individuals as it is innate to them. Despite of their lack of interest with regards to gaming, the will surely find funny games attractive. These types of games will not just offer competitive situations, but more of fun and excitement. In fact, the competition it offers is for the sake of fun and excitement only, not as serious as other competitive games.

Gamers can play funny games for short periods only. They can win a game in just in few minutes only, and can already judge themselves regarding their performance levels. Funny games are creative, innovative, interesting, and exciting games. Thus, they garnered most people's interests, including non-gamers. There are also non-gamers who become addicted to some of these play-offs as they realized how games can bring remarkable fun to them.

Having loads of tasks at home, in the office or in schools truly bring stress to any person. The pressure of being stressed can make life miserable. The essence of living is to appreciate what life brings; hence it is a right for every individual to have a break. You can have a break from work without wasting an ample of time. You can just pause in working for a few minutes, and play short games for a while. Doing this definitely lessens stress. It can make you forget pressure and stress. It will suddenly free your mind from problems, making your mind pre-occupied with fun thoughts brought by playing. It is good to be stress-free even for a while, so that you will be able to start working again nicely. Much better outcomes can be produced if you are happy while you are working. Playing also can lightens mood and can enhance your optimism towards things.

There are indeed several benefits of playing. Making this as a habit is not bad at all, because it can make you happy. The negative part of frequent playing is addiction. Being addicted to games is different from making play as a habit, because addiction disrupts daily routines. Playing games as a plain recreational activity is certainly beneficial. Fun game-plays can be found in various internet sites. Many of them are available for free. Some can be played anytime as long as you have access to the World Wide Web. These are game-plays that are down-loadable, so that they can be played without internet connection.

Mostly computer devices are being used in playing games nowadays. Personal computers, computer tablets, and mobile phones are among the most popular gaming devices. Computers are truly innovative tools that enable almost all kinds of fun and entertainment. One of the uses of these devices is for entertaining. Thus, they are most valued by people. Great advancements are made from to time to time to bring extraordinary enjoyment to people. When you go outside, you can certainly see several people who are using computers and mobile phones, and many of them are into playing.

Funny games are well-programmed to be played on computer devices. Their fantastic features were designed creatively by skilled programmers and game designers. The good thing is that, they are so generous to share their crafts to the public. Game owners are the only ones who can play their crafts. They usually share their games to others to gain enormous appreciation, and to entertain people as well. With the advancements of the Internet, games can be shared easier and faster compared before. Game makers can upload their crafts to various gaming sites, so that their games will become popular. The more popular a certain game is, the more it will gain positive feedback from people. Game owners can also benefit when their crafts are already popular. They can earn profits through game promotions and by selling them to public. Popular games have higher cost values than less popular ones.

Free games gained high demands most of the time, as there are lots of people who are seeking for these. There are just few who can spend money to buy plays. Hence, free ones are more popular. There are high valued games that can be played for free, however you can just access their trial versions. Offering trial versions is helpful for those who are interested to buy, but not yet sure if they will really pay to access a particular game. Playing trial versions can help them decide if they will avail the game or not.

Many of these funny games online are considered as arcade games; therefore they can be played via PC's and mobile phones. Playing can be done anywhere and anytime if you have access to these fun play-offs. Even when you are not at home, you can still play if you have mobile phones and computer tablets. Actually, you do not need to spend great amount of money to play these games. You just have to search for them in the Internet, as there are lots of gaming sites that offer creative and exciting games that even non-gamers will definitely enjoy them.

Bring the entertainment world of games with you anywhere, anytime with the magnificent funny games offered by Fun Fast Game, of which you can experience memorable game play experience on your PC and mobile phone.

This article is written by Kevin Nguyen, from Fun Fast Game. Let your mind and body works in motion by playing with these remarkably programmed funny games online.

The Golden Years

All Games : Strategy Games : The Golden Years

Tame the Wild West in The Golden Years, a charming city building sim from the creators of Hotel Mogul! As you use your business savvy to squeeze every ounce of profit from your investments, you'll help an iron-willed woman and her young son overcome the sleazy maneuvers of a greedy ol' rip and save her guiltless husband from a life behind bars.

With easy point-and-click controls, eye-catching visuals that bring the Wild West to dazzling life, and an epic story worthy of its famous setting, The Golden Years will provide hours of casual gaming thrills for the whole family!

Play Now - Free Download
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PC/Windows  
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Get The Golden Years Full Version
Get the full version now. Why not? You'll enjoy the following...
Full deluxe version with unlimited play and all levels.
Get your full version fast, own it forever.
Family safe, many hours of great fun.
Risk free 60 day money-back guarantee.
Safe & secure ordering by credit card, PayPal, and more.
Optional CD order, packed with bonus free trials.

Get Full Version

As Low As $7.95 with Club Arcadetown! more info
Unlimited Play With All Levels
100% Safe Ordering / No Adware or Spyware
Not In Stores

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Tales from the Dragon Mountain

All Games : Hidden Object Games : Tales from the Dragon Mountain

Mina Lockheart's dreams became unbearable nightmares. She dreamt about her grandmother Kate and their old family house being eaten by flames. One day, Mina decided to travel back to their family estate to make peace with her own memories and feelings of loss and loneliness.

But after she arrived, not even in her wildest dreams she could imagine what will happen and where the events will take her. What started as a simple trip of search for inner peace, turned out to be the greatest, unimaginable adventure of her life!

Play Now - Free Download
Play the deluxe download of Tales from the Dragon Mountain with enhanced game play. Play the free trial offline when you want..
PC/Windows  
Free Download

Play Now
100% Safe / No Adware or Spyware!

Get Tales from the Dragon Mountain Full Version
Get the full version now. Why not? You'll enjoy the following...
Full deluxe version with unlimited play and all levels.
Get your full version fast, own it forever.
Family safe, many hours of great fun.
Risk free 60 day money-back guarantee.
Safe & secure ordering by credit card, PayPal, and more.
Optional CD order, packed with bonus free trials.

Get Full Version

As Low As $7.95 with Club Arcadetown! more info
Unlimited Play With All Levels
100% Safe Ordering / No Adware or Spyware
Not In Stores

User Comments for Tales from the Dragon Mountain

Be the first to put your comment here. Your opinion counts, let the world know.Add Your Comment - Put Your Comment HerePeople who like this game also like...

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Funny Game Arcade Vaults for Online Players

A whole subculture has developed fans who keep track of sites providing cool, funny games online. Providers of flash games as entertainment have taken notice. These sites gained fantastic worldwide presence that has sought to deliver a humongous platform for arcade and related gaming to satisfy the most rapacious player. If you like humorous game play of any type, you will be very pleased at the variety of programs and apps available on the site.

There are many free games online that are playable at the site, and most of them conform to the demand of the market for programmers to provide visually arresting, simple to interface and cool games. Gaming sites deliver fronts to satisfy the craving people globally to enjoy funny games during idle moments at home, commuting, or even taking a break at the office. This is similar to the popularity gaining has acquired among tablet PC consumers and other mobile device users, the main difference being the huge amount of no-cost games available.

Gaming has progressed far beyond the simple Pac-Man and Mario Brothers fare of times past, to some truly dynamic, visually dazzling, and at times intellectually challenging funny games of today. Programmers have proven they can come up with a cool variation on the most traditional of games, such as chess with weird character sets as the depicted pieces, as well as innovate new kinds of puzzle games, or even first shooter type of applications.

Most gaming sites attract and retain visitors and turn them into devotees to offer gaming experiences above and beyond your normal expectations given all the other choices in the marketplace. Anyone visiting these types of sites will notice staggering variety and volume of different games that can be played through these web portals, and the clean and attractive visual interface provided for the game plays. Most of the flash games can be entered into these sites quickly and simply, and may be instantly attractive due to celebrity or other famous image brands associated with gaming.

The coders of the games are very adept at the uses of flash programming to create vibrant and quick loading funny games. The fact that webmasters are becoming more adept at developing interesting and media rich experiences in flash between the major influences permitting the creation of so many different products displayed on sites.

Another element to the funny games and other game programs is how programmers incorporate the latest ideas in game design, with visualizations to implement those designs. The flash programming utilized provides a very sound platform in producing good games with a nice graphic look. Users strongly report positively about: the cool look and feel of the programs, and also the element of interactivity. Games that are visually and interactively engrossing without being addictive in the negative sense of that word, will be more and more popular on the gaming scene.

Cool games and free games online, in fact, are paving the way to building audiences away from the heavy duty commitments people have put into bloated, and at times expensive games that are too time intensive, or brain numbing to be of much good to average users. The best games wake people up and avoid taxing them too much, while being nonetheless diverting and captivating.

Visitors have submitted a large number of glowing testimonials about the high quality of the flash games, the superb visual look of the site, and the value of the recreational experience provided by so many games concentrated in one archive. Users have also uploaded their own funny games in order to take advantage of the video trend, and also to give back to the gaming portals providing so much value to their playing experience. They have also complimented the programs for being a stress or tension reliever, that once played sweep away the tensions built up by everyday living.

There are so many creative games on gaming sites indeed, a player can spend all their time on the funny games sections without even going to other categories. If you have not yet entertained yourself by accessing the staggering vault of sharp looking games, you are missing out on a marvelous playing experience.

Bring the entertainment world of games with you anywhere, anytime with the magnificent funny games offered by Fun Fast Game, of which you can experience memorable game play experience on your PC and mobile phone.

This article is written by Kevin Nguyen, from Fun Fast Game. Let your mind and body works in motion by playing with these remarkably programmed funny games online.

2012 AIAS Awards Announced

We're happy to bring you The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences 2012 list of nominees for the Interactive Achievement Awards. Drawn: Trail of Shadows has been recognized as one of the five finalists for Downloadable Game of the Year along with Bastion (Supergiant Games), Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet (Fuel Cell), Ms. Splosion Man (Twisted Pixel Games), and Orcs Must Die! (Robot Entertainment).

Other titles receiving nominations included Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog) outdistancing the field with a dozen nominations over 11 categories, Portal 2 (EA) with 10 nominations, and L.A. Noire with nine. Other games nominated for multiple categories included Battlefield 3, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and Skyrim, each with six nominations.

The top three publishers receiving nominations were Electronic Arts with 21 nominations, Sony with 18 nominations, and Microsoft with 13 nominations.
Uncharted 3 was well appreciated by the AIAS.

The 15th annual Interactive Achievement Awards will be handed out Thursday, February 9 at the D.I.C.E. Summit in Las Vegas. See the complete list of categories, nominees, and publishers below.

Game of the Year

Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios)
Portal 2 (Valve)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog)

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

L.A. Noire (Team Bondi)
Little Big Planet 2 (Media Molecule)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog)
InFamous 2 (Sucker Punch)
Portal 2 (Valve)

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design

Battlefield 3 (DICE)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Infinity Ward/Sledgehammer Games)
L.A. Noire (Team Bondi)
Need for Speed: The Run (EA Black Box)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog)

Outstanding Achievement in Story

Bastion (Supergiant Games)
L.A. Noire (Team Bondi)
Portal 2 (Valve)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog)

Outstanding Character Performance

Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Adam Jensen) (Eidos Montreal)
L.A. Noire (Cole Phelps) (Team Bondi)
Portal 2 (Wheatley) (Valve)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Nathan Drake) (Naughty Dog)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Victor Sullivan) (Naughty Dog)

Downloadable Game of the Year

Bastion (Supergiant Games)
Drawn: Trail of Shadows (Big Fish Games)
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet (Fuel Cell)
Ms. Splosion Man (Twisted Pixel Games)
Orcs Must Die! (Robot Entertainment)

Casual Game of the Year

Fruit Ninja Kinect (Halfbrick Studios)
Tiny Wings (Andreas Illiger)
Jetpack Joyride (Halfbrick Studios)
Monsters Ate My Condo (Adult Swim/PikPok)
Where's My Water? (Creature Feep)

Social Networking Game of the Year

Army Attack (Digital Chocolate)
CastleVille (Zynga)
Gardens of Time (Playdom)
The Sims Social (Playfish)
Triple Town (Spry Fox)

Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year

Dark Souls (From Software)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos Montreal)
Star Wars: The Old Republic (BioWare Austin)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (CD Projekt)

Outstanding Innovation in Gaming

Bastion (Supergiant Games)
L.A. Noire (Team Bondi)
Portal 2 (Valve)
Skylanders Spyro's Adventure (Toys for Bob)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)

Sports Game of the Year

FIFA 12 (EA Canada)
Madden NFL 12 (Tiburon)
MLB 11: The Show (SCE San Diego)
NBA 2K12 (Visual Concepts)
NBA Jam: On Fire Edition (Firemint)

Racing Game of the Year

Forza Motorsport 4 (Turn 10 Studios)
Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo)
Real Racing 2 HD (Firemint)

Fighting Game of the Year

Fight Night Champion (EA Canada)
King of Fighters XIII (SNK Playmore)
Mortal Kombat (NetherRealm Studios)
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition (Capcom)
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (Capcom)

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

Iron Brigade (Double Fine)
Orcs Must Die! (Robot Entertainment)
Total War: Shogun 2 (The Creative Assembly)
Toy Soldiers: Cold War (Signal Studios)
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Retribution (Relic Entertainment)

Family Game of the Year

Dance Central 2 (Harmonix)
Just Dance 3 (Ubisoft Paris)
Kinect Disneyland Adventure (Frontier Developments)
Little Big Planet 2 (Media Molecule)
Skylanders Spyro's Adventure (Toys for Bob)

Mobile Game of the Year

Contre Jour (Chillingo)
Dead Space (EA Mobile)
Infinity Blade II (Chair Entertainment)
Tentacles (Press Play)
The Dark Meadow (Phosphor Games Studio)

Handheld Game of the Year

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (Capcom)
Kirby Mass Attack (Hal Laboratory)
Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo)
Professor Layton and the Last Specter (Level 5)
Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo)

Adventure Game of the Year

Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios)
L.A. Noire (Team Bondi)
Portal 2 (Valve)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog)

Outstanding Achievement in Online Game Play

Battlefield 3 (DICE)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Infinity Ward/Sledgehammer Games)
Gears of War 3 (Epic Games)
Little Big Planet 2 (Media Molecule)
Star Wars: The Old Republic (BioWare Austin)

Outstanding Achievement in Online Game Play

Battlefield 3 (DICE)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Infinity Ward/Sledgehammer Games)
Dragon Age II (BioWare Edmonton)
Portal 2 (Valve)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog)

Action Game of the Year

Battlefield 3 (DICE)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Infinity Ward/Sledgehammer Games)
Dead Space 2 (Visceral Games)
Gears of War 3 (Epic Games)
Saints Row: The Third (Volition)

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

Assassin's Creed: Revelations (Ubisoft Montreal)
Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios)
L.A. Noire (Team Bondi)
Rayman Origins (UbiArt Montpellier)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog)

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios)
Battlefield 3 (DICE)
Portal 2 (Valve)
Rayman Origins (UbiArt Montpellier)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog)

Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering

Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios)
Crysis 2 (Crytek GmbH)
L.A. Noire (Team Bondi)
Rage (id Software)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog)

Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering

Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios)
Portal 2 (Valve)
Skylanders Spyro's Adventure (Toys for Bob)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo)

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios)
L.A. Noire (Team Bondi)
Portal 2 (Valve)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog)

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