2008/05/17

Chess Tactics That Will Make You Win Games

By Muna wa Wanjiru

For amateur and professional players alike, chess tactics are incredibly important in developing strategies and actually coming to win games; they are not achieved from the very beginning and sometimes it takes a lot of time and practice to perfect the game style. Though many people study chess tactics to improve their games, true mastery only comes when one has to actually face some crisis cases on the game board. The efficiency or the futility of a move is more relevant and obvious when analyzed in retrospection, hence, it is highly important that you always keep an eye on the game quality after you conclude it.

From this point of view, computer software that enable the user to see the weak and strong points of his or her chess tactics are an immense help. For instance, poor chess tactics may give rise to awkward situations when some bad moves that you make end up by blocking your own pieces. One simple example of a frequent chess tactics mistake many players make is that of moving the bishop in front of the pawn during the game opening stage. In the future development of the game you'll have to retreat with the bishop in order to be able to move the pawn freely. Keep in mind that every move needs to have a finality, otherwise it's simply wasted!

We cannot speak of chess tactics without a certain strategy in mind, therefore, every move you take needs to fit in the overall context of a general application or approach. To put it in other words it needs to have a purpose. There are players who try to built their chess tactics on the mistakes the opponent makes; but waiting as long as that is definitely a bad choice. Of course you may speculate and use any breach in the other's defenses for your advantage, but to actually rely on that completely for building your chess tactics, is definitely wrong.

Those who get to learn the secrets of chess, are aware of how important it is to develop all the primary pieces during the game opening. If at the time when you reach the middle of the game, you still have important pieces lying at the back rank, then you're chess tactics are definitely faulty and chances that you win the game are pretty low. If a bishop is kept away from the action, in game economy we could say that you are playing with one piece less than your opponent, and he or she will not hesitate to use that advantage against you.

2008/05/16

Chess Tables That Are Conceived In Such A Way So As To Ensure A High Quality Standard

By Muna wa Wanjiru

People buy chess tables for various reasons: some really need a great spot to display a more special chess set, some others want the kids to have a corner where to try their skills and many others merely look for a nice piece of furniture that would match their hobby.

Some chess tables are entirely made of wood, and manufacturers usually have to perform a whole range of technical processes to make sure there are no modifications due to temperature or humidity. If there is a flaw in the design, wood-made chess tables could get cracked or scorched.

Consequently, the use of a veneer inlay in the structure of the chess tables guarantees there are no expansion problems whatsoever. Don't imagine veneer to be some synthetic material; we are actually talking about pure essence wood sliced in the thinnest manner possible. So don't be surprised if chess tables with veneer inlays are a bit more expensive than solid wood ones.

Most chess tables are conceived in such a way so as to ensure a high quality standard; game pieces are included in the structure together with special game boards. Thus, chess tables are very often used for other games as well, and backgammon, checkers and dice are among the most common ones.

Besides wood, stone is sometimes included in the manufacturing of the chess tables as well; warm colors and matching materials make the happiest of combinations. Some models are even designed according to the client's specifications so that they are unique in both materials and decorations.

The stone part of such chess tables is usually to be found in the structure of the boards, and marble is among the most common choices. Black and white marble squares are considered both stylish and classic, but they definitely don't match any type of interior. Before ordering a chess table for a room, make sure it fits well in the background particularly in terms of color and materials.

Chess tables come in a variety of models and designs, so that it is almost impossible not to find one that matches the rest of the interior of your house. From the most modern, to the very classical carved ones, the prices of chess tables vary accordingly. To get an idea of how much you'd have to pay for one, take a look on Internet sites that promote and sell such items.

2008/05/15

Great And Innovative Ways of Creating a Great Chess Strategy

By Muna wa Wanjiru

All chess players whether beginners or experienced players attempt to create a valid chess strategy that would make them victorious. Regardless of age, people who love this sport of the mind give lots of time and dedication to learning how to create defenses and organize attacks on the chess board. One basic strategy involves the attempt to castle right at the beginning of the game, this means you are trying to create good defenses for the king; after all this is actually the key to ensuring a correct and successful game development. Such a chess strategy will use at least three pawns in front of the king, a rook on the side and the edge of the board on the other.

It is not uncommon for two players to apply the same king-castling chess strategy; under such circumstances you may have to try and break the opponent's defenses by using pieces more powerful than his or her defenses. Sometimes, a chess strategy also involves compromise solutions that require the sacrifice of one of your attack pieces in order to create a breach in the opponent's protection of the king. Nevertheless, careful thinking is necessary in order to weigh the pros and cons of losing one of your “soldiers”.

Castling within the first fifteen moves of the game is the attempt most players aim at, yet, this is not always possible. This chess strategy cannot be well applied if you approach it on the queen's side; keep your troops close to the king where the knight and the bishop are extremely important. Furthermore, by the presence of very powerful pieces in the king's proximity, you make the possible opponent's advance pretty difficult. Therefore, most books that provide solutions for the creation of a chess strategy advise you not to keep the very important pieces stung out on the board.

A chess strategy where you castle with the help of a knight and a bishop also needs to rely on the protection of the pawns maintained in the front line. Why all these efforts? Because, the king is the essence of any chess game and the most vulnerable piece on the board, hence, the function of all the other pieces gravitates around this crucial item. A rule of the thumb in the creation of a valid chess strategy is to keep your mind open for trap detection; there are tempting opportunities when you can take out important adverse pieces, but that could be exactly what you're opponent wants you to do. A good strategy is an open one!

2008/05/10

How To Judge Whether Chess Sets Are Worth Their Price: Quality, Material, Theme And Size

By Muna wa Wanjiru

Regardless of whether you need a chess set for professional playing or you simply want it for your own pleasure, the choice can very demanding if you want to buy a quality product. There are several coordinates on which to judge whether chess sets are worth the price: quality, material, theme and size. Regular chess sets are pre-selected, meaning that the pieces and the chessboard are already coupled together in the set when you go to purchase it. Or there is another possibility here: that you get to pick the pieces individually and the matching chessboard in order to create personalized chess sets.

If classical chess sets may seem a little bit dull to you, there are always theme chess sets to choose from; such models work great for children as they stimulate imagination and make the game even more entertaining and challenging. Mythological figures for pieces would work great for the matter or if you buy the gift for someone older you could choose from historical representations of various warlike nations in the history. There are even chess sets with the Civil War figures represented on the chessboard; so, you'll stimulate your child's intelligence and also give him / her a history lesson as well.

In terms of quality materials used in the manufacturing of chess sets, wood items are the most appreciated. In the top of the list we need to mention the chess sets made of mahogany as being the most exquisite, but also the most expensive ones too, being closely followed by ebony and rosewood items. As for boards, the preference goes for those made of quality materials, since not only do they look great but they also meet high quality standards too. Furthermore, personalized chess sets are usually ordered by chess clubs and institutions that organize competitions on a regional, national or even international level.

It is not uncommon to come across chess sets that use mix materials for pieces and boards: for instance wood matches with metal pieces as well, without the least unaesthetic risk. Leatherette boards can be matched with metal pieces in some more special chess sets as well. Moreover, the material is not the only one to influence the price of chess sets; size also has an important word to say; the standard way of determining the diameter of the board is by multiplying the size of the king by 1.33. Sometimes, chessboards may be a bit larger but the dimension is never set below this value.

2008/05/09

A Chess Set Glass Distinguishes Itself By Creating A More Classy Picture

By Muna wa Wanjiru

The materials and the design of chess sets vary from the most simple and modest ones to very elaborate and sophisticated others, and we can also imagine that the price climbs up accordingly. There is a huge cost difference from the cardboard and plastic chest set you can buy in toy shops to the chess set glass made that could be found in special stores or ordered on the Internet.

With the usage of glass for the manufacturing of chess sets, once again we have the proof of what a versatile material glass is. It adds up to the quality and the design of the game items, even allowing for artistic decorations; such exquisite elements can only be to the liking of a big chess fan or collector.

Some designers had very interesting, yet unusual, ideas; this is the case of the chess set glass made that is used for shots drinking. All the pieces consist of glasses of various sizes half-filled with alcohol; all the rules of chess are applicable here as well, with the additional one that every time you capture an opponent’s piece you have to drink its content.

You may choose the color of such a chess set glass made and offer it as an excellent and funny gift to someone who loves chess. It is both an original and very interesting way of congratulating a friend of a dear one in your family: father, brother and so on.

Furthermore, if you search the market for an even more special chess set glass made, bright colored ones may easily get your attention. There are models designed in the rainbow colors, the only difference in the players' pieces is that some are made of clear glass and others of frosted glass.

It is not uncommon to use a chess set glass made as a decorative object as well; the most exquisite models in the field are actually true masterpieces of ingenuity and execution. There are even auctions where some of the oldest and most valuable glass chess sets are sold for impressive sums of money only to be kept on display afterwards.

Consequently, we could definitely say that a chess set glass made distinguishes itself by creating a more classy picture than any other regular items in the categories. The chessboard is usually made of glass too, and the most popular model is the one with clear and frosted squares that is also transparent enough to let the light go through. The aesthetic effect is really amazing!

2008/05/08

Chess Rules Are Usually Discovered In Practice And Get More Complex With Experience

By Muna wa Wanjiru

Regardless of whether you play traditional chess or an advanced interactive online variant, you'll still have to do with the same validity of chess rules that remain unchanged no matter the circumstances. This very general character of the chess rules makes them so appealing all over the world; there is actually no limitation in terms of strategy or approach to the game as long as the function of the pieces is respected. Besides the chess rules that any beginner has to learn, there are some more complex principles that need to be followed by anyone who wants to be competitive, such truths are usually discovered in practice and they get more complex with experience.

Let's consider for a moment the chess rules that apply to the pawns; they can be moved ahead one square at a time and diagonally when you capture one of the opponent's pieces. Pawns make the first line of defense and are usually given a very low value in chess economy; the main issue rises when you want to defend your pawns against the opponent's attacks. Chess rules allow you all sorts of captures using pawns, but what may seem like a good move at the time could afterwards end in isolated pieces on the board which are very difficult to defend altogether.

One very unpleasant situation occurs when you get two pawns in a vertical line, they are actually two pieces that can hardly be used independently; this is usually known as doubling, and it is among the most frequent mistakes beginners do. Chess rules allow a very rewarding level of freedom in piece movement, and you should develop attacks and capture the adverse troops by means of more powerful primary pieces than pawns. The latter should create the defense wall and not be used as a way to breach your enemy's protection.

The unwritten chess rules include one concerning the promoting role a pawn can play; the main question that arises here is: when should one try to capture that pawn? Typically players will wait until there is no risk in eliminating the potential threat of a pawn. A good idea here is to try and create a good defensive position that allows the capturing of the promoted piece with the lowest risk level. Carefully planning every move is probably the best solution for winning a chess game, and a good anticipation capacity comes with intense practice.

2008/05/07

How Safe And Advisable Is It To Memorize Chess Openings?

By Muna wa Wanjiru

The practice of memorizing chess openings is well-known particularly in the case of beginners who make efforts to improve tactics by experiencing new moves. But how safe and advisable is it to memorize chess openings? This could definitely be a waste of time since the main mistake is to focus on the pattern you have developed and ignore the rest of the board. For instance, many pieces could remain unavailable if you use an opening that doesn't involve crucial elements in the battle. Unfortunately, there is even a tendency to repeat the same chess openings and make the same mistake, and the best advice here is to keep an open eye on game behavior as such.

There are certain general coordinates that have to be applied for all chess openings regardless of how many different moves you may learn. A rule of the thumb says that you have to move every piece at least once, before you get to move one twice; it is actually unacceptable that you get to the middle game moves without having involved the rooks in the game. Sometimes, one doesn't need to actually be familiar with all the theories and trends in the field, common sense reasoning and perception of the chess openings could actually be enough for a high quality game.

Self-criticism and close analysis of the game quality and chess openings should be part of a player's routine; if you were to repeat the game experience in the same conditions, which moves would be different? This is really the capital question for successful chess playing since it saves you from making the same tactical mistakes again. Successful chess openings are those that make use of all the primary pieces before reaching the middle-of-the-game phase. Without the proper development of your “soldiers”, there is little chance of getting considerable tactical advantages. Hence, don't leave any important piece sitting safely in the back ranks!

In order to ensure a high game quality, chess openings need to be innovative and to gain the player some advantages over the opponent. A conservative style will reverse the situation enabling the other player to dominate the game and set a defensive game evolution for you. Chess openings should involve developing king defense, and this needs to take less than fifteen moves as a general rule. Therefore, don't act on the queen's side, but on that of the king, and advance all pieces in battle positions that allow further possibilities to enter the adverse half of the board. In order to win, chess openings need to bring the opportunity to gain advantages before the opponent does the same.

2008/05/06

All The Chess Pieces Create A Complex Puzzle That You Design

By Muna wa Wanjiru

Players who achieve the most impressive results know that chess pieces work in a specific relationship, they rely on each other for protection and only together they can bring victory. Chess pieces are like troops, they go where you command and the victory or the failure depends on your skills and ability to coordinate and build strategies. From the very simple paws to the harmless, yet most important king, all the chess pieces create a complex puzzle that you design. The very basic organization principle is a pyramidal one: the king is the center of the game and its weak spot too: get the king and the game is over!

The pawns make the first line of defense, they are the chess pieces primarily used in the opening of the game when the players are trying to create a defense as strong as possible for the king, an action which is basically known as castling. Pawns are essential during the first part of the game when the main defense or offense is settled; however, don't rely exclusively on pawns for the protection of the king as they are chess pieces with limited functions on the board and they can be easily eliminated. Most books, Internet sites or chess manuals recommend that pawns in combination with rooks and bishops be used in the immediate vicinity of the king.

The queen is probably the most valuable of the active chess pieces, it is both powerful and easy to move on the board; hence, it is widely used for both offense and defense depending on the strategy you imagine. There are players who create treacherous situations using their queen in association with some other chess pieces so that the opponent be tempted to eliminate this top element, while exposing one of their own strategic pieces. Therefore, always check well before making any move against a queen, you've got to be sure that it is defenseless or that the sacrifice you make is worth it.

A very special position among the chess pieces is also occupied by rooks that play a distinguished role in the castling move together with the king. They are considered very influential pieces in the battle to checkmate, being just as useful for attack as they are for defense. The main goal one may achieve with the help of this piece is that of having control over a wide range of squares related perpendicularly or horizontally to the rook. Together with the knights and the bishops, the rooks remain top pieces in the chess challenge.

2008/05/05

How You Can Produce The Best Chess Moves

By Muna wa Wanjiru

People who share chess as a hobby very often realize that there are not just good chess moves, since sometimes the only acceptable is the best move. This means that practice and dedication to this sport of the mind make one avoid jumping to take a move, even when he or she sees it as an advantageous one. Chess players have the great gift of being anticipative and able to think way ahead; after the change of the piece position, they can see a whole series of possible chess moves depending on the decision of the opponent. Thus, we could say that each player develops several possible strategies that he or she chooses from afterwards.

Many manuals mention the general tendency specific to beginners to choose the most direct path and the easiest for them: that of making chess moves to eliminate the opponent's pieces. As one advances on the path to learning more about this game, she or he will be surprised that the true beauty and mastery of the game lies in the possibility of checkmate in two chess moves. Presently, you can find a variety of sites, books and even special software to help you improve tactical chess moves and choose the best option, instead of the easiest one.

Practicing chess moves requires time and patience until it becomes part of the way the player actually thinks and plans the game ahead. There are two major coordinates that influence the choice of chess moves: attack and defense; both are equally important, and more inexperienced players need to find out how to maintain a certain balance between the two. From a certain perspective, you should imagine chess moves as the real battle attempts to defend the castle – represented by the king under the circumstances. Launching an offensive against the opponent pieces needs more that bravery.

Whether you choose offensive or defensive chess moves, it's important to maintain a balanced type of game, since the offensive strategy is good to apply only when you keep your king well protected too. Or you may simply wait for the other player to launch the attack and then spot the flaws in his or her chess moves that could actually help you win. Let the other make the mistakes! Don't be surprised to find out from most books and chess materials that the chess moves most likely to lead you to victory are the defensive ones since a direct attack has many flaws the other may spot and use for his or her advantage. Good luck!

2008/05/04

Tips For Making The Best Chess Games Ever But Avoid Judgment Errors

By Muna wa Wanjiru

The success of chess games relies on the strategies you are able to develop starting from some principles that are applied on a more or less regular basis. Here are some tips for making the best chess games ever on the condition that you also avoid judgment errors. The most important element to start with is the king, and in the opening part of the game players usually feel compelled to castle in order to create a good defense. However, what you need to keep in mind about the castling is that sometimes this move actually exposes your king to even more danger from attack than otherwise. Pawns are not reliable to build solid defenses, and the use of more powerful pieces in the king's proximity is more advisable.

In most chess games protection relies on pawn formations, they are the first to be sacrificed in a battle and they can be moved ahead in attack as well. Sometimes, exchanges with your opponent may be possible, however, it is essential that you don't rely on them unless you get some advantage out of it, like freeing some of your pieces for instance from a very cramped situation. Most people who want to improve their chess games study openings beforehand and even memorize them; though, this may seem like a good idea for a beginner it is definitely a no-no for a pro.

Knowing all sorts of beginnings can definitely help one develop all sorts of strategies, without feeling limited or trapped within a certain scheme. The study of professional chess games enable beginners to feel comfortable with personal approaches, and once the patterns are created, the mind can freely adopt and adjust along the way, as the confrontation progresses. For those interested in practicing chess games, it is a good exercise to use special computer software that shows one the errors and the successful strategies one makes. Thorough analyses of the moves enable one to avoid making the same erroneous judgment twice.

Tactics and combinations are in a continuous progress during all chess games; when it is not your turn to move, you should try to anticipate the possible advantages or disadvantages of an attack or defense for each of your pieces. The way you pair your troops together is relevant for the chances of success or failure you may have; for instance a knight is always best used in combination with a bishop, and not with the other knight as you may suspect. Then, the queen is probably the only piece with a huge level of autonomy on the chess board, it can be the leader in a fierce attack or the basis of a successful defense, it's entirely up to you!

2008/05/03

Online Chess for kids are Great For Teaching Children How to Fight Challenges

By Muna wa Wanjiru

From the wide range of activities that can occupy your child's time, why would you help him / her choose chess? Studies indicate that chess for kids could be more than proper an activity to develop advanced intellectual functions in young children; this game actually enables the formation of skills such as analytic thinking, complex associations and so on. Chess for kids is very often included in the many free-time workshops organized by educational centers and schools; or you can choose to teach your children and play together at home. Online chess for kids or computer assisted learning programs are other great means of rising the children's interest in this perspicacity challenge.

Very few people are taught as children how to plan and act in order to succeed in a specific activity; individual learning is actually empirical in this first part of life and the trial-error pattern is the most common one. Hence, the use of chess for kids ensures the possibility to set and achieve objectives by an advanced thinking and planning. Don't feel guilty that you are trying to make your child a little “genius”, kids take up to things they like naturally without the smallest effort; chess becomes just a chance to become more flexible and adaptable in reasoning, and thus be better prepared for life.

With the world-wide recognition as one great exercise for the mind, chess for kids is not just challenging – as children love competitions – but it is also creative and beautiful. How can you get your child to learn chess? The first thing you may do is to buy a nice set of chess and explain your kid the way it is played: this of course implies that you know the rules of the game yourself and that you make enough time for playing chess several times a week. From a psychological point of view, chess for children taught by parents strengthens the bonds within the family.

If you cannot teach chess for the children yourself, then you may find either a chess class or a tutor to show them all the secrets of the game. It is advisable that the child attend large groups where chess is played: workshops, clubs and so on; such circles actually enable children not only to have a great time but also to make friends and relate to other kids of various ages. We could definitely say that it is both a social and intellectual environment with the best of effects on the development of the mind.

2008/05/02

Why The History Of Chess Boards And Pieces Exites Me

By Muna wa Wanjiru

According to history sources chess is one of the oldest games to have survived to our modern days. First designed in the Far East, chess boards were present in the Chinese culture in the 2nd century BC, though some specialists claim that the game was already known in India long before that. Incontestable proofs of the chess existence are dating back only to the 7th century AD, when it was very popular in the Middle East, particularly today's Iran. Chess boards function and the rules to use each piece were inscribed in Persian poems and other literary forms. After it spread throughout the Muslim world, chess came to Europe via Spain during the Moor invasion.

The popularity of the game is easy to explain in the military context that one way or another has dominated the history of mankind ever since its beginnings. Chess boards are the figurative battlefields where kings and queens face each other in conflicts that rely on strategy, shrewdness and incredible intelligence. For the ancient Chinese, who worshiped their emperor, or for the wary Persians, chess boards made possible life representations at a smaller scale. Though there is no physical contest as such on historic chess boards, the game is appealing to even the most peace-loving person. Chess is definitely the great mind challenger!

Furthermore, with the upsurge of the Internet and the importance gained by the virtual world, chess boards become true mined fields online. If card playing is about luck, fate has absolutely no word to say in the creation of a chess strategy: there are head-on attacks and troop maneuvers, bluffing and trap setting all imagined by the player's intelligence. Sometimes players have to sacrifice their pieces in order to successfully end an ambush and finally capture the king, and colors, animations and sounds make interactive chess playing a lot more fun than traditional game forms.

Getting to be represented on chess boards in world tournaments could be a great honor and a true distinction for many chess lovers all over the world. There are zonal, inter-zonal, continental and finally world challenges for anyone who takes chess playing to a professional level. Though, in the past chess may have been considered as a sport of the aristocracy, our modern society no longer leaves room for such limitations. Chess continues a tradition and a link with the past, extending over centuries and nations all alike; when you're a chess lover you're beyond nationality.

Shooting games – Probably dearest to everyone!

By Peter rodrick

It is inevitable that when you are on the WorldWideWeb, you encounter the term 'shooting games' many times. These are the games that are liked by almost all the people irrespective of their ages. Such games that available on the Internet are interactive and animated to offer realistic flair. Generally, these games require either the use of "Java" or "Flash" applications or some similar version of software tool. There is a great collection of shooting games to choose from.

With the computers gaining skyrocketing popularity all across the world, computer games have played major role in this. There are billions of people in all age groups have been mesmerized to the land of online game, especially shooting game. Older people and children alike just go crazy for online games. This is the reason that the companies that manufacture or produce shooting games put out one product right after the other in international markets to hold their customers.

Like other video games, shooting games have also turned more realistic because of rapid betterment and advancement in gaming technology. Computer shooting games are now powered with latest graphics and extraordinary effects that leaves one speechless. Such shooting games are available in the market in the form of game CD and if your pocket does not permit it, just go online! Genre like MMORPG has redefined the excitement of shooting games where you meet millions of players and can select your own team to accomplish the mission.

Such shooting games are developed by global gaming companies and many of them have their own devices. Gaming player like Xbox, PlayStation etc have rocked the world and within short period have gained great popularity, especially among the children. Powered with superb graphics and extravaganza sound effects, shooting games take their players into another world where there is no place for any hurries and buries! All you need to do is put a game CD into the player and get started with joysticks. In many games/drivers, you also have a ‘gun’ to make shooting experience live.

Apart from playing games with devices and/or players, there are innumerable online shooting games that you can play. You just need computer, keyboard and the internet connection. There are many shooting games that do not require joysticks and can be played with just mouse and keyboard. Such games can be instantly played without installing any specific software or drivers. Shooting games are action packed games and are for those people who carry "never say die" attitude!

There are so many kinds of games available online. For example, you could play sports games, like soccer, or opt for strategy games. Also, online army games are more popular nowadays than they have been. Many of these games are available free of charge, so you can get your video game fix without spending a dime. With the Internet, you can go online and play games now.

Shooting games either require you to accomplish one particular mission or in some cases, just allows you to kill enemies without any proper mission. There you just clear the stages. Shooting games also include space related games wherein your spaceship or airplane just goes on shooting meteorites and other targets.

2008/05/01

Cheap PSP Games: Most popular video games

By Jacob Marshal

The Sony PSP games are amazing handheld video gaming devices. Downloading these games is easy. There is one time membership fee. You can find a variety of PSP software emulators online which allow you to play old console games. Some of the popular songs include Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, Game Boy Advance, etc. The PSP has cool graphics allowing you to enjoy sport games. If you have a reliable internet site, it becomes easy to get PSP games.

The popularity of PSP games is soaring day by day. There are various websites that let you download free games and other PSP stuff like wallpapers, movies, themes and music. Once you start to download free PSP games, you will get a variety of options. Browse for different websites that offer free PSP game downloads. To get free downloads, you need to pay the monthly membership and download fee. The PSP console is undoubtedly the best gaming device because of its astounding gaming abilities. If you are looking forward to saving money, find a website by searching on the internet and download free PSP games. Though you will have to pay upfront, you would get a big selection of games at a much faster download speed. Moreover, you can also save your hard earned money. These websites give you access to various PSP files like movies, themes, musicals and much more.

Take the membership of a website and download good quality games online which can be cheap. You can get thousands of free music download websites over the internet. If you are not sure that they are safe or really free, you can check for the pop ups which can be adwares. You can get many websites that offer free games to download. But they allow you to download a number of games per week, month or year. The PSP games are well-known for being able to play video games, music and lots more. There are websites that offer free games downloads and have tons of pop-ups. So you need to take care that your computer does not get infected by spywares and adwares.

The amazing gadget, PSP gaming device offers an enjoyable gaming experience. You need to know where you can get cheap PSP video games. Of course, you would like to buy and play the latest PSP games. If you purchase those games online, you may have to spend a fortune to download the latest games. But with just a minimal one time fee, you can get access to unlimited download of games. So, it is true that you can buy cheap PSP games online. Find action games, sports games, puzzles games in addition to movies, music, TV shows, themes, etc. It has become the best selling gaming device and people are appreciating it all over the world. The “free PSP downloads" would sound good but there are few things you need to keep in mind before you click on the "download" button. You need to be careful before you download something as there are websites that spread viruses and spywares which may damage your computer.

Keep your PSP loaded with the newest games so that you don’t have to get bored anytime. After signing up a website for getting free downloads, you can download music movies, free PSP video games with high download speed.

The Sony PlayStation Portable gaming system has become well accepted by the people. The advanced gaming capabilities give you an exciting gaming experience. The best part is you can easily access the newly released games and movies. The ease of use and fast download speed makes it easy to download PSP games. The popular games include Sims, Harry Porter, Armored Core, etc. Always check that you have chosen full money back guarantee option with the PSP download service. So if you are not fully satisfied, you can quickly have your money refunded.

2008/04/30

Feel the Difference Playing Shooting Games

By Peter rodrick

Online or computer gaming has brought in skyrocketing popularity among the masses. From puzzles to races and from there to actions, there are hundreds of computer and video games that are played worldwide with a variety of platforms like PlayStation III, PlayStation II, Xbox, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS.

Out of all, if one is looking some great and different experience, the shooting games are ready to serve their best everywhere on the Internet. You may get what you have been looking for. One can search different types of shooting games on gaming websites and also on game CDs. Depending upon the type (CD or Internet), one can feel million dollars while gunning down the enemies and achieving the topnotch success. Shooting games are action games and many times, they are based on famous movies. Some of the games like The Medal of The Honor have been designed based upon some wars.

These can also include shooting the meteorites and other targets in the space. StarWars Game is one of the best examples for popular space games. Despite all the controversies, psychiatrists do agree that action games can induce alertness in the players. These games also improve hand-to-brain coordination and can make player lively. Shooting game belongs to the genre of games that involves exotic games like wars, fighting, space travels, SpaceWars, fictional adventures and mission based games. Nowadays, the shooting games have been made more advanced and they are now powered with heart-throbbing effects (live-like graphics) and ultimate sound effects. Many of the game-makers, oftentimes, add a storyline to make game more interesting.

The shooting games of the modern era are more interactive and they can be played as single-player or in multi-player mode. Another genre of shooting or action games known as MMORPG –massively multi-player online role playing game, has brought revolution in online Internet gaming zone and has gained great success within short period of its invention.

Many of the game player makers provide players with different attractive joysticks and guns that bring realistic flair in these types of games. Such devices also come with infrared technology that does not require any cords/wires. Such cordless joysticks and guns are very sensitive and make shooting experiencing more virtual. Such type of games are available on the game CDs and if your pocket does not permit it, you can even play them online. Again, online gaming also offers you to download some software and then to play the game or if you don’t want to provide space in the computer, you can play online. However, playing online may not meet your satisfaction in graphics and sounds.

Shooting game is the best way to show the soldier within you who always seek some mission and likes to mess with enemies without any fear. All you need is a computer, a device (like keyboard with mouse or joystick) and Internet (in case of online game) or a player (in case of offline game) and most importantly, the enthusiasm and a spirit to gun-down the enemies and a robust attitude.

2008/04/29

PS3- Lets experience the difference

By andrena markley

Do you want to unveil a new version of advanced play station? PS3 is just the right option. Its advanced features comprising of superior graphic quality is sure to hook the electronic users. The PlayStation 3 that is commonly abbreviated as PS3 is regarded as the third home video game console. It has been produced by the Sony Computer Entertainment .It is bundled with features that is going to mesmerise you. The gaming freaks are sure to experience a thrilling trip throughout the gaming process.

It is a gaming console that comes with next-gen primary storage media, Blu-ray Disc and also supports the DVDs, CDs. It has the capability of playing the contents from Blu –ray Disc supporting a bit rate of multiplex 48Mbps.

The gaming console is enriched with a 40-gigabyte hard drive. The console would enable us to unleash an exciting gaming experience by providing excellent graphics and user-friendly menu system. It is a great entertainment system that has the ability to deliver advanced gaming features.

The console comes with a striking shiny black colour and enables you to access the latest technological capabilities. It has an inbuilt digital media storage that is a unique feature in itself. You can now enjoy the Blu-ray movies, the online services and your favourite music on the console.

It has been loaded with refined microprocessor, thus improving its capacity and activity. It has certain technological capabilities like the Blu-ray DVD player, HDMI, key frame animation, optical outputs, WiFi connection, two USB sockets and ragdoll physics. The graphics with impressive backgrounds are the unique attraction of this gaming console.

The gaming console has the capability to cater the different needs of the people. The users can take the advantage of its storage space, backward compatibilities and wonderful graphics. You can now enjoy the flexibility of playing your favourite games with more enemies and explosions.

2008/04/28

Video Game Consoles: Changing the World of Games

By Jacob Marshal

Life becomes dull if there is no enthusiasm and excitement in it. It becomes boring when there is nothing interesting to do. To tackle this boring phase of life, a number of entertainment sources have been invented. Some people find pleasure in reading books; some feel elated while watching movies and some play video games very passionately. The latest games introduced by the leading gaming companies have generated a new passion and enthusiasm in the gamers worldwide. The video games are now equipped with amazing graphics, wonderful sound quality and attractive interface. The gamers are now enjoying the games in a better manner.

The advancement in Science and technology can be seen in the video gaming industry. It has made an amazing progress in the recent times. One can play games sitting at one’s home with the help of gaming consoles. Basically, the consoles are the interactive electronic devices that manipulate the video display signals of a monitor to display a game. The monitor can be of any electronic devices such as televisions and computers. Some of the popular consoles are Sony PlayStation Portable, Nintendo Gameboy Advance SP and Xbox Elite.

The latest consoles are capable of giving perfect entertainment to the users. They can be carried to anywhere since they are light in weight and have compact sizes. Moreover, these devices are useful for many other purposes such as playing back the digital photographs, surfing on the internet and controlling DVD players. The video game consoles are used for playing video games on a PC or any other monitor. The major components of a good quality console are the following.

* Controllers: These enable the gamers to interact with the characters and other objects on the display. In fact, these are the controlling systems of the game.

* Core Unit: This is the junction where all the components of a gaming console are connected.

* Power Supply: The console requires DC current and the “Power Supply” converts the AC utility power into direct electric current. It plays a major role in providing the required voltage to the device.

* Game Media: This is the external storage media where the games are saved.

There are some other innovative components being added in the modern consoles. One can find Wireless controller, hard drive, headset and HDMI cable in the latest devices. These applications provide a real life experience while playing the games. These days, video games are not only about just pressing movement keys rather these are much more than that. One can play online games on the internet and participate in the contests. There are many multi player games available on the websites that provide the opportunity to play the games with other players.

The video game consoles industry is having a huge market today. One can find the consoles to play the video games at many places. The supermarkets, electronic stores and the video game shops are the most common places from where such consoles can be purchased. The online websites are the preferred choices for many of the buyers today. These provide a wide range of products with the required information about them. One can easily select one’s favourite games from the list given on the portals. The products are delivered to the buyer’s place within the specified time period. There are many schemes and deals available on these online shops. They give certain discounts on the products and sometimes even offer free gifts to the customers.

The prices of gaming consoles have decreased significantly in the recent times. Since the demand of these devices has increased in the global markets, so the companies are able to offer the consolidated products at better prices. The upcoming consoles are equipped with 16 GB hard drive, powerful wireless controller, 700 MHz GDDR VRAM, Blu-ray disc supporting DVDs, etc. Now, playing games on a computer or a television monitor by connecting these controlling devices gives an amazing experience to the players.

2008/04/27

Nintendo DS – The impeccable gaming console

By Jacob Marshal

The advanced gaming consoles attract not only the children but also the grown ups. As these electronic games come to the gamers with both the audio and video features they enthrall the gamers throughout the gaming process. The graphics and the animations are really very enticing. They keep the gamers gripped throughout the gaming process. Another interesting feature of these electronic consoles enable them to get easily connected to other compatible devices. These electronic games have become the primary source of entertainment nowadays as they come with various attractive game features.

These gaming devices have seriously revolutionized the portable gaming process. Enhanced with touch screen display, 3D graphics and wireless communication feature, these electronic games would enable you to challenge your contenders. Equipped with the multi features, these games are designed to satisfy the gamers of every genre. You can easily test your skills and strategies against other contenders residing on other part of the world very comfortably.

The Nintendo DS is a very light weight gaming console that weighs around 275 GMS and comes with a dimension of 148.7 x 84.7 x 28.9 mm. This exquisite gadget comes equipped with two separate TFT LCD displays and bears the capability to display the games at a resolution of 256 x 192 pixels. To operate this electronic gaming console the required voltage is about 1.65 volts. Further it comes in built with 256KB of serial flash memory.

The impeccable battery performance of this gaming gadget ensures that the gamers enjoy awesome and thrilling games for hours without any interruption. The Nintendo DS comes with the highly efficient and durable Lithium –Ion battery which can be charged over and over again. After a full charge of about four hours the gaming console can be used for nearly 10 hours. This may be affected by the various factors like Lighting intensity, dual screen usage and speaker volume. The sensible use of back lighting and other facilities can enhance the battery performance.

The Nintendo features an innovative facility for chatting with different users. The PictoChat facility allows the various Nintendo gamers to chat and interact with various users within their local wireless range. The text messages can be scripted with the help of screen keyboard. Pictures can also be drawn with the help of the stylus on the touch screen interface. There is provision for four chat rooms namely A, B, C, D through which the users can connect and chat with other gamers. Sixteen users can chat in the same room at a time.

The Nintedo’s efficient firmware offers some highly usable features like alarm clock etc. The users can store important information like names, favorite colours, important dates, birthdays, anniversaries etc.

The video game consoles are those electronic gaming devices that come incorporated with advanced hardware and software. These gadgets come to the gamers with various other striking features like DVD movie playback applications and online connectivity features. However these electronic games are very interactive in nature as they enable the users to enhance their skills and knowledge.

The main target consumers of the electronic gaming gadgets are the children but with the passage of time they are attracting people of every age group. Ranging from trilling to adventurous, suspense to racing, every category of games is available to enthrall the gamers. Nintendo DS is one of the most popular platform of gaming consoles in market.

These games are designed in such a manner that they enable the gamer to play those games with his or her friends. To find the latest available games the gamers can easily log themselves to any online shopping stores. These stores would enable them to have access to the various latest gaming consoles and also various electronic games. However the latest launched games are Chicken Hunter, FIFA Street3, and Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney etc. This type of online shopping process would enable you to compare the features of the various portable gaming devices. Start searching your favorite gaming device to experience the difference.

The manufacturers of these gaming devices are also striving commendably to come up with advanced consoles. They come up with in built features of WiFi. This unique feature enables the gamers to play online with their friends.

2008/04/26

Casual Games: Reinventing the Old Love for Computer Gaming

By Synapse India

Online casual games have always been a part of our life. While growing up as children, we have come across many easy games to counter different varieties of logical games that will clear our understating and help in learning some of the great lessons of the life after wards.

A whole new generation has been grown up by using computers with simple logics to be developed as a part of these first computers. Such uncomplicated and easy games progressively became complexes as development moved on. New and better things have been added to get in the way and there is little time to enjoy these games and enjoy it to the fullest.

Features of Best Casual Game:

First of all, these games are very simple in nature. Their logics and way of playing is really common and can be understood without putting a great deal of brain into it. Above all, you do not have to go through a manual comprises of thousand pages to understand and try your hands into it. In fact, in few lines you can get its proper meaning and nuances. There is no as such limitation is defines for play time, you can play until you became too exhausted to play it further. Such casual games provide you a great deal of comfort level and enjoyment by providing the best pass time anyone can have. You do not need a specific reason to play casual games online, all you have to find out a good website and start playing your moves and applying brain to restore your lost logic and fun.

Today’s modern casual games come with attractive images and techniques. There are many games which can be downloaded easily and can be played throughout the day. Above all, they are not really expansive and can be a real fun.

2008/04/25

Technology and Market Structure of Virtual Network Games

By Steven ZHAO

We cannot see the future, of course, but there are a number of technological innovations that are relevant to gaming, that are also fairly easy to see coming. Currently, access to gaming involves some sort of access to computing technology, and access to gaming that can earn money involves access to a shared, persistent, physical computing environment, specifically a virtual world . The technology supporting virtual worlds is advancing so quickly that it would be foolish to describe the next generation in any detail. Suffice it to say that there are large, lucrative industries working energetically on different dimensions of the environment that virtual worlds thrive in.
These industries produce three items of interest, namely, connections, interface and content. Developments in connections include the internet and, increasingly, wireless communications. Development of interfaces includes voice command, head-up displays and body motion detection (computer-controlling gloves, gaze readers). Developments in content include the supply side of the market for games, where annual revenues have grown beyond Hollywood box office revenues. All three industries are expanding at a rapid rate. Whatever emotional experiences people seek, it may become possible, in the near future, to effortlessly connect to a virtual world that provides that experience at fairly low cost. Kurzweil argues that the explosion of computing power alone may be sufficient to change the daily course of life.
Since these developments all involve networks, they may seem to suggest a monopolistic market structure. If economic life online involves getting your email and hanging around with friends, there will be positive externalities with respect to the sheer size of the virtual world one visits. If I spend my time on Rubi-Ka, while you spend your time in Albion, we cannot talk to one another, and we cannot do things together. Thus, our time in virtual worlds is more valuable if everyone we know is in the same world. Moreover, if two worlds compete and one has more players than another, wouldn't everyone have an incentive to join the larger world, so as to enjoy the larger network of society, communication and entertainment that it affords? Might such network externalities lead to a domination of this market by one player?For example,some network games such as lotro gold,runescape gold,guild wars gold etc.
There are reasons to expect, however, that this market is not likely to be monopolized. First, there seems to be a great diversity of tastes for the different features of a world. Mr. Bird may want to be on Pluto, while Mr. Castronova prefers medieval Britain. One of the major attractions of life mediated by avatars is the anonymity it affords, and anonymity requires a person to have exit options: other worlds to escape to if one's reputation in this one gets unpleasant. Perhaps a savvy game developer could make a world so large and varied as to provide the essential minimum level of entertainment and anonymity to a sufficiently large number of people, so that membership in that one world becomes optimal for all. This seems unlikely, however, given that there is a marginal cost to creating and maintaining game content. Moreover, there are no economies of scale on the supply side to match the increasing returns on the demand side (Liebowitz and Margolis, 1994). Production of game content and its maintenance are both labour-intensive activities. One could perhaps increase production of content by allowing other producers (say, by opening game code to the public), but continued control of the world being created would be problematic. On the whole, it seems very unlikely that one developer could produce a world big enough to monopolize the market.
A second reason involves congestion. Virtual worlds are virtual because they are online, but they are worlds because there is some physicality to them. Avatars take up space. If a world has a certain amount of entertaining content in it, that content will almost always be subject to some kind of congestion effect. The cool monsters are in the Dungeon of Befallen, but if tens of thousands of us go there to hunt them, none of us will have a good time. Sometimes the only way to reduce congestion is to add content, but this, again, is labour intensive. There will also be congestion effects related to connection speeds and bandwidth.
A third reason that the market will probably not be dominated by a few companies can be found in the many competitive strategies that are available even now, but have not yet been exploited by new entrants. For example, the current set of developers have managed to impose huge switching costs on players by structuring gameplay around the time-intensive development of avatar capital. A player starts the game with a weak avatar, but gameplay gives the avatar ever-increasing powers. As power increases, the avatar is able to take more advantage of the game world, to travel farther, do more things, see more people. A person with a high-level avatar then faces a high hurdle in switching games, because in the new game he will start out poor, defenceless and alone again. This situation definitely locks in the game's player base, but it is also open to defeat by any number of schemes to reduce the switching costs. Surprisingly, no competitor to a current game has offered new players the opportunity to start their avatars at a higher level of wealth and ability if they can provide evidence of a high level avatar in another game. On the other hand, two games (Ultima Online and Dark Ages of Camelot) now offer methods to effectively start out ahead: in Ultima, you can directly buy your levels; in Camelot, you can start a new avatar at level 20 if you have already gotten one to level 50. These strategies help companies discourage the buying and selling of avatars outside the game, perhaps at a cost to the atmosphere within the world. In sum, what appear to be strong lock-ins and switching costs in the game market today may not be as strong as they seem; when savvy competitors appear, the player bases will generally be at risk. For example,some network games such as lotro gold,runescape gold,guild wars gold etc.
A final argument against a monopolization tendency comes from the nature of the content itself. Games are art, for the most part, and markets for artistic output exhibit a great deal of churn due to herding effects and the star phenomenon (MacDonald, 1988). If a company designs a better game, it will attract players. And while it is true that development costs can be significant, it will always be possible to produce a fun virtual world for a tiny amount of money and then scale it up as it becomes more popular.Whatever network externalities, supply-side returns to scale, and barriers to entry may exist in the market for virtual worlds, they seem insufficient to produce domination by a single company. The distribution of populations in virtual worlds is perhaps less like a natural monopoly market than a club goods market. Populations will sort according to the services, ambience, and fees of the various worlds. Virtual worlds will compete, as clubs do, but their size will be limited by congestion effects and by the marginal cost of increasing the scale of the world.
This analysis allows a tentative answer to the first question of the study: in the medium-term future, the online multiplayer gaming market will probably consist of a number of large, densely populated worlds, with varying degrees of portability between them. The worlds will generate large revenue streams and will occupy many hours of human time, some of it considered play, some of it considered work. The hours that people devote to games will result in the accumulation of stocks of digital capital goods. These objects will have considerable economic value. Given the expected growth in connectivity, interface technologies and content, there is reason to believe that this digital capital stock may eventually become quite large.
These considerations then lead to the next set of questions: If virtual worlds do become more important, how will this affect the real Earth economy?

2008/04/24

Latest Pc Games: Get Ready for Entertainment and Thrill

By Alden Jerry

Today people love to pass their free time and entertain themselves with these exciting games. PC games provide entertainment and thrill with great excitement. We often get bored and fed up with our monotonous lives. We spend a lot of time sitting in front of computers for hours researching and creating important documents etc. However we can also get great fun and frolic on the same personal computer with exciting games. PC Games have gained immense popularity over past few years.

There has been a considerable change in terms of technology and sophistication of these games. From the plain graphics to 3 dimensional simulations, the video and PC games have come a long way. From kids to adults everybody seems to have a great craze for the games. These games provide immense thrill and excitement. People love to take on the challenges and win over their competitors in these games. These PC games are created with high end technology that provides a real time experience to the users.

These latest personal computer games have set the gaming world on fire. "Need for speed" is one of the most successful PC game series of all times. The latest edition of this racing game is titled "Carbon." The Need for Speed Carbon is the most exciting racing games with the highly specialized effects. This innovative game features the Canadian model and actress Emmanuelle Vaugier as the main protagonist character NIKKI who helps the player throughout the game. Highly exciting and truly mesmerizing, this game is actually worth playing.

"Pirates of the Burning Sea" is another innovative and exciting game. The game offers an interesting journey full of thrill and danger with some wonderful characters who can take six avatars. Swashbuckling is the name of the avatar that fights against the pirates. Players can select various fighting styles during the course of the game.

"World in Conflict" is a unique game that simulates the situation where Russia has captivated the US and declared the Third World War against America. The characters Caption Bannon and the Wolf come together to help the US. They join the US Army to save America from the danger of world war.

Hell Gate: London is one of the most exciting adult PC games of the recent times. Its is a fantasy game that involves action role play. The game is set in London with the simulation of the future in 2038. In this game the player can join up with the battle demons and play the game. The game is available in various options like single and multi players. Players can take on the challenge against the other player. The Hell Gate is a complete dose of thrill and entertainment. The Hell Gate happens in London, the city is invaded by the demons and the humans try to safeguard it. The plot of the game is extremely interesting and involves the glimpses of various real events and occurrences.

Combat Mission : Shock Force is the innovative game that is a simulation of the military war caused by a hypothetical conflict in the country called Syria. There are several battles featured in the game and each battle shows a detailed briefing of a certain mission. The game has various players and battles. The players are featured in the red and blue colours. There are various battles and war games depicted with Red V/s Blue, Red v/s Red and Blue V/s Blue war games.

Mass Effect is the latest Science Fiction Games that will simply make the players feel elated and exhilarated, With its amazing twist and turns and dramatic plots this game will simply woo the players.

Puzzle Quest Galactrix is the latest version of the famous Puzzle quest. This innovative kids PC game is set in outer space and showcases the fight between four mammoth corporations in distant future. The war between the different spaceships takes place in the space or the planets’ orbit, the gravity affects the puzzle pieces and the way they slide on the hexagonal board. These games are truly awesome and offer players a great entertainment.

2008/04/23

How to judge which computer games are better for kids

By Synapse India

Most computer games are sadistic and violent and do modest to boost ethical values. Researches show that gaming causes violent and aggressiveness activities in youngsters.

Here are some briefs which will help you to know which games are perfect for your loving kid.

Download a game and play it yourself. First hand knowledge will serve you well.

Talk with other parents. You will collect the trends, know the popularity.

Play the online games with your kid. Know their feedbacks and learn their responses.

Set up an open relationship where your kid becomes happy even talking about what is unsuitable or worrying. Establish softly what is correct and mistaken. Harassment does not help.

Set up the PC and gaming console in a family room. Every game will then be out in the open. You will be in a situation to judge and watch.

Cooperate with your child at all levels.

Be a cautious buyer -question claims of advancing mind growth.

Learn in detail the advantage and minus points of computer usage.

Introduce an outdoor activity interwoven with computer associated activities.

Focus on public and emotional development. The child must be curious, confident and forthright; display self control; be talented to relate linearly, be caring and cooperative, and be communicative.

Prefer games that are pleasurable and have a degree of effective learning.

Introduce games that need two or more players-this fosters social communication.

Playing games should be an advantage not a right. Highlight that parental approval is a must.

Use games to make best use of your child's happiness. If the youngster is mechanical minded purchase games that give confidence this talent.

Prefer games that require decisions and strategies. Games should be more than shoot, blow up, destroy, and kill. Avoid killer machine games.

Give details why a game is not to be played. Never just take away a game. A youngster needs to recognize why you are not in favor of playing certain games.

Gaming is a part of life. It establishes computer technology, problem solving, and logic. It improves intelligence. Games are not just for amusing, they can be beneficial too. Select sensibly and guide your youngster.

2008/04/22

Technology and Market Structure of Virtual Network Games

By Steven ZHAO

We cannot see the future, of course, but there are a number of technological innovations that are relevant to gaming, that are also fairly easy to see coming. Currently, access to gaming involves some sort of access to computing technology, and access to gaming that can earn money involves access to a shared, persistent, physical computing environment, specifically a virtual world . The technology supporting virtual worlds is advancing so quickly that it would be foolish to describe the next generation in any detail. Suffice it to say that there are large, lucrative industries working energetically on different dimensions of the environment that virtual worlds thrive in.
These industries produce three items of interest, namely, connections, interface and content. Developments in connections include the internet and, increasingly, wireless communications. Development of interfaces includes voice command, head-up displays and body motion detection (computer-controlling gloves, gaze readers). Developments in content include the supply side of the market for games, where annual revenues have grown beyond Hollywood box office revenues. All three industries are expanding at a rapid rate. Whatever emotional experiences people seek, it may become possible, in the near future, to effortlessly connect to a virtual world that provides that experience at fairly low cost. Kurzweil argues that the explosion of computing power alone may be sufficient to change the daily course of life.
Since these developments all involve networks, they may seem to suggest a monopolistic market structure. If economic life online involves getting your email and hanging around with friends, there will be positive externalities with respect to the sheer size of the virtual world one visits. If I spend my time on Rubi-Ka, while you spend your time in Albion, we cannot talk to one another, and we cannot do things together. Thus, our time in virtual worlds is more valuable if everyone we know is in the same world. Moreover, if two worlds compete and one has more players than another, wouldn't everyone have an incentive to join the larger world, so as to enjoy the larger network of society, communication and entertainment that it affords? Might such network externalities lead to a domination of this market by one player?For example,some network games such as lotro gold,runescape gold,guild wars gold etc.
There are reasons to expect, however, that this market is not likely to be monopolized. First, there seems to be a great diversity of tastes for the different features of a world. Mr. Bird may want to be on Pluto, while Mr. Castronova prefers medieval Britain. One of the major attractions of life mediated by avatars is the anonymity it affords, and anonymity requires a person to have exit options: other worlds to escape to if one's reputation in this one gets unpleasant. Perhaps a savvy game developer could make a world so large and varied as to provide the essential minimum level of entertainment and anonymity to a sufficiently large number of people, so that membership in that one world becomes optimal for all. This seems unlikely, however, given that there is a marginal cost to creating and maintaining game content. Moreover, there are no economies of scale on the supply side to match the increasing returns on the demand side (Liebowitz and Margolis, 1994). Production of game content and its maintenance are both labour-intensive activities. One could perhaps increase production of content by allowing other producers (say, by opening game code to the public), but continued control of the world being created would be problematic. On the whole, it seems very unlikely that one developer could produce a world big enough to monopolize the market.
A second reason involves congestion. Virtual worlds are virtual because they are online, but they are worlds because there is some physicality to them. Avatars take up space. If a world has a certain amount of entertaining content in it, that content will almost always be subject to some kind of congestion effect. The cool monsters are in the Dungeon of Befallen, but if tens of thousands of us go there to hunt them, none of us will have a good time. Sometimes the only way to reduce congestion is to add content, but this, again, is labour intensive. There will also be congestion effects related to connection speeds and bandwidth.
A third reason that the market will probably not be dominated by a few companies can be found in the many competitive strategies that are available even now, but have not yet been exploited by new entrants. For example, the current set of developers have managed to impose huge switching costs on players by structuring gameplay around the time-intensive development of avatar capital. A player starts the game with a weak avatar, but gameplay gives the avatar ever-increasing powers. As power increases, the avatar is able to take more advantage of the game world, to travel farther, do more things, see more people. A person with a high-level avatar then faces a high hurdle in switching games, because in the new game he will start out poor, defenceless and alone again. This situation definitely locks in the game's player base, but it is also open to defeat by any number of schemes to reduce the switching costs. Surprisingly, no competitor to a current game has offered new players the opportunity to start their avatars at a higher level of wealth and ability if they can provide evidence of a high level avatar in another game. On the other hand, two games (Ultima Online and Dark Ages of Camelot) now offer methods to effectively start out ahead: in Ultima, you can directly buy your levels; in Camelot, you can start a new avatar at level 20 if you have already gotten one to level 50. These strategies help companies discourage the buying and selling of avatars outside the game, perhaps at a cost to the atmosphere within the world. In sum, what appear to be strong lock-ins and switching costs in the game market today may not be as strong as they seem; when savvy competitors appear, the player bases will generally be at risk. For example,some network games such as lotro gold,runescape gold,guild wars gold etc.
A final argument against a monopolization tendency comes from the nature of the content itself. Games are art, for the most part, and markets for artistic output exhibit a great deal of churn due to herding effects and the star phenomenon (MacDonald, 1988). If a company designs a better game, it will attract players. And while it is true that development costs can be significant, it will always be possible to produce a fun virtual world for a tiny amount of money and then scale it up as it becomes more popular.Whatever network externalities, supply-side returns to scale, and barriers to entry may exist in the market for virtual worlds, they seem insufficient to produce domination by a single company. The distribution of populations in virtual worlds is perhaps less like a natural monopoly market than a club goods market. Populations will sort according to the services, ambience, and fees of the various worlds. Virtual worlds will compete, as clubs do, but their size will be limited by congestion effects and by the marginal cost of increasing the scale of the world.
This analysis allows a tentative answer to the first question of the study: in the medium-term future, the online multiplayer gaming market will probably consist of a number of large, densely populated worlds, with varying degrees of portability between them. The worlds will generate large revenue streams and will occupy many hours of human time, some of it considered play, some of it considered work. The hours that people devote to games will result in the accumulation of stocks of digital capital goods. These objects will have considerable economic value. Given the expected growth in connectivity, interface technologies and content, there is reason to believe that this digital capital stock may eventually become quite large.
These considerations then lead to the next set of questions: If virtual worlds do become more important, how will this affect the real Earth economy?

2008/04/21

A Guide to Online poker

By Remy Na

The meteoric rise in popularity of online poker play might be heavily attributed to the convenience of playing from the comfort of home, but in fact there are a number of other advantages to choosing online play. In addition to the complete absence of a dress code, online players have access to a wider variety of game play and the ability to join a table at just about any time they like. The continually growing number of online establishments offer poker rooms 24/7, all inclusive game selection and a wider range of wager options to fit every budget.

Since online poker rooms lack the same exorbitant operating costs as their land based counterparts, the result is lowered betting minimums and smaller rake fees for the player so that the range of wager is enormously widened to include all types of bettors. Coupled with the vast amount of games readily available at all times, online players have no trouble finding the right game, at the right wager limit at all times. All kinds of tournament play, including the popular Sit and Go tournaments, are constantly available with all stakes and sizes. Multiple-tabling is another feature that allows the player to sit in on several games at once. Players are to get in many more hands in the same amount of time by moving from screen to screen. Keeping focus on each game is key, however, as this option can become a liability if you don´t.

Ease and Availability aside, the benefits of online poker expand to encompass the game play itself. Players are able to sharpen their skills in practice mode, or by using a free promotional balance supplied by many online poker sites. This is an especially attractive feature for those who are new to the game, but even seasoned pros need to practice or test out strategies sometime. With this option, all players stand to gain invaluable knowledge and experience, while risking little or no real money wagers.

In an online poker room, physical actions and emotions are not going to betray you as they might in a live game, and intimidation is a considerably lesser factor. The anonymous play is particularly advantageous to the novice, and can be very important when playing with a with a card shark who has a sharply honed ability to read other players´ tells (behavior). While there are subtle telling actions in online poker that can be picked up on, these are much more easily controlled and circumvented. With a little effort, they can be learned and used instead against your opponent. Detailed notes regarding your opponent’s style and previous play can be kept close at hand in a notebook - something you cannot do in a live game, and can be referenced and utilized at any time. Online players also have access to their own securely stored history, making it easy to examine and continually improve upon their game from past experience. Other tools at the online poker players´ disposal include easily accessible odds information and statistics, and the ability to use charts and calculators during game play.

Money matters, so it bears mentioning that online players save money (and time and effort) on what could be considered unnecessary extras - like travel, hotel accommodations, etc., when they opt to play the massive selection of online poker games from home. In addition, while playing online, it´s never necessary to tip the dealer - whereas in a live game, it is customary, even expected, that you tip the dealer when you win, in addition to the rake. If you spend much time at all playing poker, this small amount can really add up.

There are a few disadvantages to playing online poker as well, but for many the advantages far outweigh them. Ease, Availability, Game play, and Money saved are consistent factors, but online play can´t provide the thrill of face to face action or the buxom waitress supplying complimentary drinks. Fortunately, online poker play doesn´t preclude live play and many poker enthusiasts are able to find a balance that satisfies both their gaming preferences and entertainment needs.

2008/04/20

Online poker rooms that offer games for US residents

By Remy Na

When the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was brought into US law, it changed the way online poker was played. Many of the online poker sites that offered gaming to the US residents stopped doing so. The US residents can still play the free online poker but are unable to go on and play the ‘real money’ games.
Some of the major online poker websites such as Titan Poker, Pacific Poker, Party Poker and many others stopped doing business with US residents.
There is some hope for the US residents wanting to play online poker as here are the top rated poker rooms and the poker sites accepting US players to this day.
Poker Stars – This online poker website still accepts US players and it is among the favorites around the globe. It is renowned for major poker players playing here. Some of the finalists of the World Poker Series play regularly here. So unless you are truly talented at online poker then this is the site for you. This is known to be one of the world most competitive and top rated poker rooms so watch out if you are only a beginner!
Full Tilt Poker – This online poker website is actually endorsed by some of the world’s best and most recognizable poker players today. You don’t have to play here if you feel you are not good enough yet, you can watch and learn tips from some of the professionals that use this website. The software that they use for the poker and the customer service is among the best available.
Absolute Poker – To play online poker here you will have to download their software which has had some improvements as of late. This makes the playing experience more comfortable for users and they are one of the few poker sites accepting US players. This site has been around quite some time now and they have recently made a push towards the American market.
Bodog Poker – this poker site accepting US players is becoming extremely popular. This website offers some great tournaments for US players and the software that has to be downloaded is of a top quality and is extremely easy to use.
Ultimate Bet – This is considered to have the top rated poker rooms around today on the internet. Not only is this poker sites accepting US players but it is also endorsed by the poker player Phil Hellmuth, otherwise known as ‘The Poker Brat’. It has been around for some time on the internet and is extremely popular among the players.
The UIGEA doesn’t actually make playing online poker illegal but in some states or tribal laws it may do for some US players. Make sure you always know the laws when you are playing online poker for real money and keep up to date with your rights.
You can still have a great time playing poker for money even if you are a US resident; you just have to know where to go!

2008/04/19

How to network, play free online poker and make money

By Remy Na

If you are looking for free online poker then you have certainly come to right place. There are many websites on the internet that are offering free play for online poker. You can play these poker games with people all over the globe, you can meet new friends or poker buddies and you will have a whole community of people you can play free online poker with before you know it!
Another great advantage of playing free online poker is that you get to hone your skills before diving into the paid poker. You can learn from others who are also playing for fun and get tips of people who consider them to be professionals. You will be able to practice while you enjoy socializing with others who love to play free online poker as well.
Here are a few of the best online poker reviews so you can decide which is best for you!
Party Poker – If you want to play free online poker here you have to first download the software they offer and then go on to set up an account. You can then log in with your new account and start playing the free online poker. You can of course play for real money if you so wish but you can just play for free and enjoy meeting and chatting with people instead.
Sky Poker - There are so many free online poker sites that will allow both UK and US citizens to join and enjoy. Not only that but they allow people all over the world to connect with other and learn from each other. Many of these are the top rated online poker rooms around and you will certainly enjoy playing within them and meeting all of the interesting people as well.
Betfair Poker – Betfair poker has tournaments and great frequent competitions for you to join in with. All you have to download the software and register your account with them. Once you have done that you can start playing your favorite game of poker! See all the different tables and pick which one you think is lucky. Then you join in with all the other people having a great time just like you!
As these sites offer free online poker for you to play you will also have no deposit poker as well. This works well when you decide to move over from the free play to the paid play.
Practice in the free online poker rooms and you will soon be playing for money and playing for the big bucks and hopefully winning!

2008/04/18

Online Gaming is Positive

By Synapse India

In this growing virtual world, online gaming has added lots of spice and freshness in our normal day-to-day lifestyle. These simple logic games represent high level of expression technology and cultural sense to transcend the existing boundaries of the world.

Benefits of Casual Gaming:

Online games promote literacy and information about many current events and happenings in today’s life. In some games, a player has to download text files, make notes; they also take "screen shots" of the game and upload it with their comments. The game provider then examines the provided suggestions and brings changes as per desires. Also, suggestions lead to discussions that also help in making positive changes in games. People of all ages and ethnicities from around the world pool their understanding and resources to solve problems.

Online games develop curiosity and encourage a player to find out more and put efforts in right direction. This process of curiosity search will help a player to learn many new concepts and things, essential for the day-to-day life. Young people have to gather their thoughts and resources to make things function.

Online games require well developed research skills and huge application of mind so that you can attain positive results.

The online games lead to social interaction and passing of ideas & thoughts. It boasts you historical knowledge and understanding as few games are history oriented. Such games include different developmental stages of the world with the creation of cities, temples, libraries, granaries, railroads and more.

Majority of online download games evolve interpretation of data and lateral thinking. Concerned players spend a lot of time absorbed in researching information, searching high.

Some online gaming is a matter of collective team work, co-ordination, and collective problem solving strategies to get the target comfortably. By way of online games, children develop their self-esteem and get motivated.

So, why wait? Buy a game and encourage your kid to apply his or her logic in the world casual games.

2008/04/10

Shooting Games – Sharp Shooters are not Always Bad!

By Peter rodrick

Someone was assassinated in a downtown area of the city last morning! The INTERPOL thinks of some sharp shooters involved for this sinful act, who probably used the new bolt-action Centerfire Rifle from Remington with a Bushnell 3-9X scope! Do not fall from your seat…this is nothing other than the bruit we wrote!!! But now, we need some sharp shooters who take over the mission and complete it restless with flawless performance.

Not putting a reader in mystery further, let us talk clearly that shooting games are the genre of video or computer games that are gaining skyrocketing popularity. No one on this planet would hate it; irrespective of the gender and age. However, shooting style or type may differ since someone would like to be on hardcore mission where they see deserts around with no water or a battlefield with no mercy and others may like to be thousands of miles away from the earth, targeting meteorites and all the space objects from their supersonic spaceships.

This type of games cover a fairly broad spectrum of genres, which have the commonness of controlling some character or an object (like vehicle or spaceship) that is generally armed with a firearm that can be freely aimed at target or enemy to destroy or to gun down respectively. The shooters in the games that attempt to emulate life-like ballistics and characters that damage the target are often called as tactical shooters. Those that use more lenient arms are usually labeled as arcade shooters. However, whatever the type of shooter you require for shooting games, it is for sure that once you start your computer or TV with this game, you get lost in another world where you don’t feel hunger or thirst!

Such type of action games includes adventure and thrill. There are several option to play these games, like many games would be solo ventures where as others may offer the players the opportunity to order a squad of characters, generally directly controlling one, the head or the chief. This chief would be giving orders to computer-controlled allies. Games that feature non-player characters that fight alongside the player but that are not directly controlled (either by switching player control or by ordering to the other characters) are not categorized under the squad-based games.

Shooting games can be played through the game CD that is readily available in the market that can be put onto the computers and played or the generation-next players who look for game players like PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo player platforms are latest devices that have different quality of sound and system that add realistic flairs to shooting games. If your pocket does not permit such type of shooting games, you can go online for free! There are plenty of websites offering online shooting games free of cost. All you need is to logon to the website, select the game and get started with your mission. Another genre – MMORPG is also a revolutionary game that rocks the net nowadays.

2008/04/09

Creating effective arcade machine platforms

By Ralph Ramah

If you are a fan of the arcade games, you may have probably heard about MAME. MAME stands for Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator. An emulator can be described as an application that runs on an operating system such as Windows or Linux that has the ability to play games designed for older systems. MAME can emulate old arcade machine games that you can effectively play on your computer.

A gaming community has set to develop arcade machine cabinets that can be used to contain the computer system running the MAME application. With this, you may be able to play arcade machine games at very affordable prices. The Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator is a relatively new application as it had been released during the year 1997 by a man known as Nicola Salmoria. As from this moment, the support increased to 3688 arcade machine games that can now be readily played.

However, to be able to create effective arcade machine platforms, many resources to guide you are available. As such, arcade machine cabinets are built using plywood and are painted to give a good look to the playing area. Another thing needed after the building of arcade machine cabinets is a computer. A high end computer may not be required to play old games. A computer which can support the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator with fine output of graphics and sound would be enough. A monitor and speakers are also necessary for better gaming experience.

Moreover, with the building of arcade machine platforms also comes the necessity of a control panel. Pre-made control panels for arcade machine platforms may be readily available for purchase online. On the other hand, many people opt to build their own control panels. These are mostly built in wood with holes cut to place joysticks and buttons. If you are building your own arcade machine cabinet, a lot of wiring can make the task become somehow complicated. But, with a little research on the Internet, you may be able to come across arcade machine wiring guides to help you out with your task.

Furthermore, on an arcade machine, display can be considered as one of the most important aspects. Good vision of the game can lead to better experience and satisfaction. Therefore, arcade machine cabinets can be equipped with an old CRT or an LCD display. It depends on how much you want to spend on your arcade machine. If it’s just for mere relaxation during your free time, then an old CRT could be a good choice. Picking an appropriate display for your arcade machine can be as important as it has to fit to the cabinet. As a measure of precaution, you may have to purchase all your equipments before you start building your arcade machine. At this point if you have a big screen, then you would know how big to build your arcade machine cabinet.

Playing arcade machine games had been entertaining for one and many and will be bound to remain this way for years to come.

2008/04/08

Home made arcade machine

By Ralph Ramah

Home made arcade machine cabinets are cabinets that house less powerful computers. These arcade machine cabinets are most of the times painted and given a good look. If looked at the exterior of the arcade machine, the computer is camouflaged inside the cabinet. A lock and a key may be needed to open the arcade machine cabinet to retrieve the computer for maintenance purposes. A joystick and a game pad are the elements that can be found on most arcade machine platforms. Also, the monitor is set at an upward angle in the arcade machine cabinet frame for easy viewing.

As said, a low end computer may be used inside an arcade machine. Any second hand computer that actually works may be enough to set an arcade machine up and running. Therefore, to be able to build a good arcade machine, a normal monitor can be used provided it fits in the cabinet. You may even use an old television. Besides, a keyboard and mouse as well as an old processor would be suitable. A CD-ROM drive will be necessary to install the operating system. Other elements needed to build an arcade machine could be USB ports, a set of speakers and of course a hard drive to store the OS and all the games.

Moreover, arcade machines may not require an Internet connection or any on the air connection such as Bluetooth or WiFi. Now, on low end computers, ancient operating systems such as Windows 98 and Windows ME may be sufficient. Other people can even choose to install Linux on such computers. Microsoft may no longer sell Windows 98 or ME. So, you may be able to get an old or unused copy on Ebay. But if you want to make more savings, Linux is available free to download on the Internet. With some research over the web, you may be able to come across a good flavour of Linux that will adapt to your arcade machine system. Still, to ensure the good running of your arcade machine, Windows remains a vital software.

Furthermore, after the installation of the operating system has been completed you have to load it with Emulators. Emulators are applications that are used to run the arcade games which are not compatible with the type of operating system. A famous emulator is the MAME which has a good compatibility with both Windows and Linux. ROMS for arcade machine games for this emulator can be searched on the Internet. Other arcade machine games may require other emulators. For instance, DAPHNE may be used to play games such as Dragon’s Lair and Space Ace. It can also be important to know that ROM game files on laser discs for arcade machine platforms can take up a lot of memory and space. As a matter of fact, be sure to keep an eye on your disc space so that the entire system does not freeze or crash.

To build a good arcade machine cabinet, wooden materials and appropriate tools may be needed to assemble and create the platform. Some companies specialise in the building of arcade machine cabinets. So, if you want one, be sure to contact them and it will just be a matter of time before your product is delivered to you.

2008/04/07

Attractive offers of WoW accounts for WoW players

By Ken Wilson

Playing online games is one of the favorite activities of Internet users. It seems like there is nothing more attractive than playing fascinating games with people from some other part of the world. Because players are fascinated by complicated games, in which their efforts have to be every day bigger, strategy games become more and more popular. One of the most popular strategy games is World of Warcraft and its success and popularity can be noticed owing to the number of people who pay for playing this game. The possibility to buy WoW accounts increases this level of popularity.

The majority of good quality strategy games are not free. The investments and the costs for creating these games are important in most of the situation and that is why the players have to pay for playing them. Besides, most of these games offer different prizes to the best players – prizes that usually can be won after an auction – and this is another reason for which these games are not free. The same thing happens with World of Warcraft, so players need WoW accounts for having access to this game. At the beginning, when a player buys this game, he or she can play 30 days thanks to the initial package. After this time interval has expired, players have to pay for their WoW accounts if they are interested in continuing the game.

Buymmoaccounts.com is a Canadian company that has discovered the passion of the WoW players for this attractive game of strategy and they have developed a successful business from this. The company offers WoW accounts that were previously purchased from players who renounced to play this game at an attractive price. For those clients who are afraid that they can lose their WoW accounts because they are not the original users, the company offers a guarantee through their service of World of Warcraft Guarantee.

After you have become a member of the official site of the company, you will have access to many services. Being registered, you can buy WoW accounts, you can search the WoW character you prefer and then order its account and you can benefit of support through phone every time you need. In case that you are interested in buying a specific character, but that character is not available, you can ask the company to e-mail you when the requested WoW account becomes available. Excepting the first order when the company needs your approval by phone and only after your approval the team from sales support can approve your order, the company quickly approves orders to buy WoW accounts and as soon as the payment is registered, the client receives by e-mail all the necessary information requested by his or her new WoW account.

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