Video Games

DM Hinman asked:


Popularity has been multiplying with Video Games every since the initial

gaming system was brought forth some time ago and their popularity continues to grow

today. Some of these gaming systems have now reached a third level of

installment, these gaming systems are still achieving mass popularity with

adults as well as youngsters.

These gaming systems have also become very popular all over the world,

with the release of each new system that is introduced upon the marketplace. These

gaming systems have become so popular with buyers due to all of the

exciting games that are offered with their respective systems, which include video games

in the category of horror, action, sports, and many more.

Owning a video game system brings individuals a compelling game experience that brings video

gaming to brand new levels of thrills. Some systems also provide health benefits.

Can you put getting fit and playing Nintendo Wii in the same sentence?

For so many years playing video games and being a sofa surfer went hand in hand.

Also, there is the parents who worry about the kids sitting in front of the TV

playing games instead of enjoying playing outside.

The Nintendo Wii has changed all that. Would you also believe that it has changed the way parents, physicians and personal trainers now think? Well, how could this even be possible? It simply combines the fun and excitement of playing video games with the health benefits of exercise. Even adults are now addicted on playing Nintendo Wii as well as their kids. This could be the coolest thing to ever come out of the video game universe.



HARLAN

lcole asked:


There was a video game (I think) rental commercial where the mom yelled for the kids that they’re games were there. The kids start running down the stairs (on the right side of the screen), and up top you see the dad either run through or jump over the banister and land on a table. He does this so he can beat the kids to the games. I can’t remember for the life of me what it is! GYAH!

MARY

Pius Victor Ephenus asked:


Visit any video game outlet and you are bound to get overwhelmed by the hundreds of choices available especially if you’re new to gaming. Interestingly, children and teens seem to know their way around these places as if they were their second home. But for the adult, the typical video store looks like some sort of color paint explosion and sooner or later, all the games start to look the same. This guide is for the adult who’s buying a game for a younger person perhaps as a birthday gift or as a bribe. Whatever the reason, you’re going to appreciate the following tips.

1. Research this strange phenomenon before setting foot inside a video store. There’s plenty of information available about video games online, so to reduce frustration offline, fire up your web browser and do a little homework. Visit the website of the gaming outlet nearest you and then look for a link to the games section of the system that your youngster plays. Here’s a helpful chart to explain what all those strange letters mean.

Wii = Nintendo’s Wii System

EA Sports = Entertainment Arts System

PS3 = Playstation 3 System

XBOX 360 = Microsoft’s XBOX 360 System

PC = Personal Computer

PS2 = Playstation 2 System

PSP = Playstation Portable System

DS = Nintendo’s DS System

The key is to locate the system on the store’s website first. The system, it’s accessories, and all of the games that work on that system will follow. If not, you may need to use the website’s internal search engine.

2. After locating the appropriate games section for your youngster’s machine, check out the ratings of each game and create a temporary shopping list of age appropriate material. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) gives each game a rating in an effort to inform parents what their children are playing. Here’s a handy reference to what the ratings mean:

C = Appropriate for Early childhood

E = Appropriate for Everyone

E 10+ = Appropriate for Everyone aged 10 and older

T = Appropriate for Teens

M = Appropriate for Mature Adults

3. Within your temporary shopping list, try find a game that’s built from the latest movie release. Little people love the new animated movies put out by Disney and Pixar, and they really enjoy re-living precious moments in the movie in a video game. That’s why when these movies come out on DVD, their producers put a few games in the “Special Features section” of the CDs.

4. If you can’t find a game that’s built from a movie that the child likes, try to find a game that centers around a popular cartoon character or one that attempts to educate.

5. If you still can’t find one that resembles something that you’ve heard this particular person rambling on about, first give yourself a slight slap on the hand. You should pay better attention. Then point your browser to the nearest Blockbuster or Hollywood Video website. Follow the same procedure outlined in steps 1 - 3 only this time, elect to rent 5 or 6 games that look appealing. This will give your tot a chance to play some games and select one to keep forever while you return the others.

6. If on the other hand, you did find a game in step 3 or 4, you can either check out online, or drive up to the store and buy it there.

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but the illustrations on the both video and pc game cases do a pretty good job of representing the game’s content. So if you see an illustration of fighting warriors, chances are the game will be more violent than you prefer. If on the other hand, you see an illustration that resembles what you’d see on the cover of an interesting children’s book, the game should be age appropriate.



JULIO

Victor Epand asked:


Over the past few decades, video games have evolved to become one of the best forms of entertainment. Its popularity has grown immensely among the younger generation. It is regarded as one of the best means for spending one’s time with one’s family and friends. Unlike earlier versions, today, video games are much more entertaining as the graphics and other technologies have improved.

If you are really into video games, it’s not a bad idea to go for some of the used games. This will help you save money while giving you a wider variety of entertainment at an affordable price. It is also a good idea if you want to go back to your childhood days and find used video game systems, although it may be very difficult to track down the old used systems. Still it is possible to find the one you might have been searching for.

If you are about to purchase the used video game, then you will have to check out all the local stores near you. There are very few stores where you will find those used video game systems.

You can also check out the Internet. There are some sites where they sell the older used video games and systems. The internet is probably the easiest place to find these older systems. Another option you might consider is a garage sale or flea market. If you can find a game system you like there, you should be able to find a store where they sell games for that system.

Once you find the game or system that you want, you should definitely test it out to make sure it works properly. There are various sites where you will find a very limited collection of used video games today. The prices are very affordable compared to the new video games. You will even come across many discounts if you search properly. Another important thing is to find out about the history of the game, if possible. That way you can determine how it was maintained and be assured that it will last you a good while without hassles or trouble.

There are numerous types of video games that are available today, and there are frequent changes in the video games and systems. So it won’t be a bad idea to get a used video game just in case you have to dispose of it later on. You won’t have much regret since you haven’t had to pay a fortune for it.



DREW

David Verklin And Bernice Kanner asked:


By David Verklin and Bernice Kanner

Authors of Watch This, Listen up, Click Here

Since the last draftee reported for duty in December 1972, Uncle Sam has had to hustle to staff an all-volunteer armed force. In the case of the U.S. Army, that meant recruiting 80,000 new soldiers every year — essentially replacing more than the entire workforce of BellSouth every 12 months.

Advertising did the trick initially. After “Today’s Army Wants to Join You” fizzled, in January 1981, “Be All You Can Be” became the battle cry. For two decades, wrapped around ads that made this branch look as adventurous as an Outward Bound course, it resonated with 17-to-24-year-olds (of whom the Army is the nation’s largest employer). Then, in 2001, that was scuttled for an “Army of One.” (”Even though there are 1,045,690 soldiers just like me, I am my own force . . .”) Critics scoffed that the new tin slogan was misguided (isn’t conformity more valued than individuality in the barracks?); the Army countered that it was effective.

Then Iraq exploded.

Despite adding thousands of additional recruiters, upping the enlistment bonus and funding for college, fattening the ad budget, and ratcheting up the patriotic appeal, the Army could not fill its boots.

So the Army added more marketing weaponry. It hosted town hall meetings where civilians could meet soldiers and hear about their accomplishments. It tried product placement: Army mechanics on the Discovery Channel’s Monster Garage tricked out a Jeep. And it launched a thoroughly engaging computer video game that quickly became a gold standard of “advergames” for its effectiveness and realism. Gamers take such real military roles as Intelligence (18F), Engineer (18C), Communications (18E), and Combat Medic (18D), and fire the same weapons the Army has. And when they fire on the run, their aim is less accurate.

Before it was released on July 4, 2002, many expected the $7.3 million game would join the ranks of the $436 hammer and $640 toilet seat as a study of excess. Few predicted “America’s Army” would become the artillery’s most effective marketing tool, conveying the authentic military experience in a voice that prospective recruits want to hear.

More than seven million users have registered (anonymously so as to squelch any fear of recruiter harangues) with 10,000 to 50,000 new ones downloading the shoot-em-up daily. In a dozen running and gunning missions, players advance through the stages of soldierhood — drilling in basic training, target practicing with an M-16, learning about basic emergency medicine, and, finally, diving into combat. The game has been downloaded more than 16 million times, 20 percent of entering cadets at West Point have played it, and between 20 and 40 percent of new Army recruits have played it as well.

“They seek it out rather than the other way around,” noted Chris Chambers, deputy director of the Army Game Project within the Army’s Office of Economic and Manpower Analysis. At an average cost of 10 cents per hour versus $5 to $10 per hour for a TV commercial, it delivers immersion rather than mere impression.

“America’s Army” has proven to be such powerful weaponry that an official game store does brisk business selling collectible action figures, clothes, coffee mugs, and other doodads emblazoned with the logo. The Army builds parties and tournaments across the country around it. A wireless version and sequels including “America’s Army: Special Forces,” where players try to earn a Green Beret by completing Special Forces missions, have been released. Apple created a knockoff: Boot Camp. And the Army now even uses it extensively in training.

Uncle Sam Wants You . . . to play . . . and he’s not the only one. Everyone is getting in on the virtual action. Some, like the Army, create a whole game that functions as a sales brochure. Just as the Army promoted its pro-military message through gameplay, the United Nations World Food Program aims to educate about its mission to combat hunger worldwide. In “Food Force,” players steer a helicopter over the war-torn island of Sheylan, (a fictional cross between Sri Lanka and Somalia) and drop relief supplies to a population with little shelter and less food. Or they create food rations, schedule shipments, or take a supply truck through hostile terrain.

In the racing game, “Volvo Drive for Life” (playable on Microsoft’s Xbox), players are rewarded not for finishing first, but for avoiding accidents. Wander in for a test drive at a Volvo dealer and you can try it in the showroom. Dealers can bestow game cartridges on select prospects and customers. After its royal mascot tromped through “Fight Night Round 3″ (on Xbox 360), Burger King created action games around its bizarre king and made them available for just $3.99 to customers who bought a value meal. (Most games sell for at least 12 times that). Nike went beyond athletes wearing its shoes in the video game NBA 2K6: Tournament players are given different pairs of virtual footwear and choose which to put on from their Nike shoe locker depending on the task. They can also personalize the shoes with the same customization feature that’s on Nike’s iD web site.

In other advergames, marketers hitch a ride. In “CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder,” Visa’s fraud-monitoring capabilities shine when a suspicious charge on a victim’s credit card triggers investigation by a forensic-sciences team. In Tom Clancy’s “Splinter Cell Chaos Theory,” the protagonist, secret agent Sam Fisher, scales a bright neon sign for Axe deodorant and quietly enters a lunchroom inhabited by a Diet Sprite Zero vending machine. (Axe also created Mojo Master, an online game about picking up women.) In “Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow,” Fisher retrieves a message from a Sony Ericsson smart phone to learn who the villain is. In “Burnout Revenge,” players drive and crash a Carl’s Jr. delivery-truck. And players in Activision’s ‘True Crime” titles take a break from fighting gangs to recover stolen Puma sneakers.

Some marketers install games on corporate web sites or designated URLs, like “Life Saver Candy Stand,” or FiletoFish.com, the web site where a division of McDonald’s posted “Shark Bait” (in English and Spanish). Players must protect the filet-of-fish sandwich from attacking sharks. For Wachovia, Carat’s Fusion recreated the tricky 17th-hole par 3 at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. Players evaluate distance and wind conditions on this 217-yard hole to pick a club: Crowd noise lets them know if they’ve made a good virtual swing. Wachovia has sponsored the annual PGA championship since 2002: The game was fashioned to promote that, sell tickets, and create viral buzz. H&R Block’s “Deduct-A-Buck” game at the deductabuck.com web site is tax-time seasonal. Players who correctly answer questions about what they can legally write off in this Seventies-TV-quiz-show-style game win prizes.

Hollywood and Nashville hardly launch a movie or song anymore without serving up a side of game. And despite hefty royalty rates for movie titles, an action hit will almost certainly be reincarnated on a console. Turner’s “Witchblade” promoted the TV series, and games built around Men in Black II, Spider-Man, and Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course were meant to promote the new releases. Along with ads for Sprite, the sci-fi game “Planetside” featured ads for the movie Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, and in the free version of “Anarchy Online” a 15-second trailer for V For Vendetta played in a continual loop. Ads for Batman Begins in “Splinter Cell” were timed to its release in local markets.

The Da Vinci Code got its own PS2 game. Paramount Pictures crafted a Mission: Impossible III game for cell phones while Miami Vice had an accompanying game to play on Sony’s handheld PSP.

This is about more than fun and games. Yankee Group estimates that by 2007 a serious gamer will lurk in every fourth home in America. Nielsen says three out of four residences with guys under age 34 have a game system. More people slay orcs in the medieval-style quest for virtual gold and power, “World of Warcraft,” than live in Denmark. In 2006, gamers across the globe owned more than 100 million PlayStation2s and 40 million Xboxes. In the United States, video games already raked in more money than the movie box offices, and Yankee Group says the industry will top $8.3 billion by 2008. PricewaterhouseCoopers says globally it will reach $55 billion by 2009. That explains why a cottage industry in Los Angeles builds game consoles into the backs of Lincoln Navigators.

Collectively, interactive ads embedded in quizzes and games made up more than $1 billion of the $12.5 billion in online ad revenue in 2005, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau. Nielsen (which now measures the industry) expects advertising spending within games will jump from $75 million in 2006 to $1 billon by 2010. Mitch Davis, CEO of Massive, thinks it could be almost twice that — and account for about 3 percent of all media spending, just shy of what advertisers spend on the Internet.

Copyright © 2007 Carat North America, Inc. from the book Watch This, Listen Up, Click Here by David Verklin and Bernice Kanner Published by John Wiley & Sons Inc.; April 2007;$24.95US/$29.99CAN; 978-0-470-05643-1



VANCE

ciel s cantoria asked:


 

Video games have often been criticized as detrimental to our children’s health, mental to be specific. In fact children with learning handicaps attributed to video game addiction are branded as Vidiots. If we really have their best interest in our hearts there are ways we could make this video games work to their advantage. Here are some ground rules you should lay before allowing your kid to while away his time playing with the vidiot box:

 

·         For the little ones who are still in the pre-learning process, make it a point to start them off with educational video games. There are a lot of these in the market nowadays since educators have become aware of the fact that these video games can be a good medium for learning.

 

 ·         Put down a house rule for playing time and playing limits. You can adapt it to your time, either when it is your busiest or during your resting hour. 

 

 ·         From time to time, be there to guide them in the learning process so that they will not lose interest in case things get beyond their comprehension. Once they get the hang of it they will be able to manage the games on their own and you can go back to doing your chores as usual.

 

 ·         You will have much to talk about with your kid during moments when he or she is not playing with the video console. Drill her with what she learned from the game, like alphabets and numbers until she gets to memorize them. Soon enough even at a tender age of three you can start teaching her how to read.

 

 ·         Make them interested about the words that appear on the screen as they play. Word such as: Go, Stop, Play, Level, Round, Win, Lose and many others which frequently appear on the screen. Through a repetitive process they will recognize these words and will learn to read them through visual recognition.

 

 ·         As they progress lay down another ground rule. Impose a study schedule which should be done before they are allowed to play their video boxes. To avoid any resistance, give them enough pep talks on how too much video and too little knowledge can make vidiots out of them.

 

 ·         Focus their study on reading; follow the patterns of the words that they already recognize. An example will be: Go, introduce new words by replacing the letters into No or So then slowly progress by affixing another letter God, cod, nod, sod.  As the child recognizes how words gets to be formed, replace each letter or add another letter with the ones she can already read. As soon as you have tapped their interest in reading they will initiate the reading process on their own.

 

 ·         As they get to advance with their games, they will encounter new words which you will help them to read. Later, make it a point to have them read the game instructions on their own to promote their comprehension skills.

 

 ·         The more words the child learns to read and comprehend, the more fascinated they will be with their reading ability. Words will no longer be limited to the video games but they will begin to explore the words they find on cereal boxes, groceries, detergents and the commercial ads they see on tv.

 

 ·         As they get to discover more things, their interests will expand into something more, to books, to word puzzles and everything that present challenges on their reading ability. In fact they will easily lose interest on games that tend to be repetitive and boring and will seek for something more challenging.

 

As a parent you will reap the benefits of the advantages that they developed through the use of the video boxes. It may entail some form of resistance at first but remember that it is only a matter of your will as a parent or their will as an innocent clashing here. Try not to be soft but don’t be too hard either. Just remember that it is first and primarily for their own good. Soon enough, they will be out of your hair but this time in more productive ways.   

 

 



NICOLAS

Mr. Stokes asked:


I have and idea for a video game that would center around five kids from fictional cities based on Africa and other places where their city is overun by an evil witch and other dark characters. I would put in in the line of games like the Final Fantasy Series and Kingdom Hearts Series. But it will be a little different. I’m having a hard time writng the treatment is there a certain way I approach this. I need to know the whole process of creating a video game.

IRWIN

andy a asked:


With thousands of video games existing today, what is your step by step method and process for choosing which game to pick up, buy, and then play?

Please include what is the weight for any and all deciding factors for each trait. The more detail you include in your game consideration equation will determine the more likely you will get the best answer vote.

ALPHONSE

Mike asked:


Hi,
I was wondering how I could get in touch with a video game developer/designer, so that I can propose a video game idea that I have been thinking about for a long time now. If anyone has any suggestions or any ways that I can get in touch with someone that can give me some suggestions, I would appreciate it so much! Thanks and have a great day!

JASON

Daniel Millions asked:


Those who are interested in video games and online business finally have a way to combine both of their passions. Selling video games online is becoming a popular method of generating revenue, and for some people, it has become their sole source of income. The video game industry is consistently growing, and there is always room for new entrants. Consumers are increasingly turning to the Internet to buy video games, as it is much easier to find low prices online than it is in a retail store.

To compete successfully in the video game industry, it is necessary that you find a reliable, affordable wholesaler to provide you with products. Finding a wholesaler can be more difficult than it first seems. Simply utilizing a search engine and trying to locate video game wholesalers yields few relevant results, and the options that do come up are often not available to the average small business entrepreneur.

When you finally do come upon a wholesaler, they may not respond to your inquiries. In fact, many websites who claim to be wholesalers are actually retailers or resellers themselves, and have climbed their way up the rankings through illegitimate means. Despite all of these seemingly impenetrable inhibitors, there are ways to unveil the cream of the crop of video game wholesalers.

One of the most effective, although somewhat time consuming, ways of gaining contacts is by asking for references. Ask around in a local gaming community for tips, or join a forum and research possible opportunities. By going to a website that is focused on the video game industry, and participating in the community, you will eventually find a perfect connection.

Another effective way to bypass search engines is by going directly to a wholesaler review website. Not only do review websites provide a fantastic list of wholesalers, but you can also read previous experiences buyers have had with specific companies, so you can easily find which businesses are the highest quality and most reliable.

Make sure to invest a fair amount of time in unearthing the best choice, as the wholesaler that you choose ultimately affects the success of your own business. Read as many customer reviews as you can, as the more knowledge you have about particular wholesalers, the more informed your decision will be. You cannot spend enough time doing research; you do not want to decide on a wholesaler prematurely, and then find out later that you made a poor decision.

While the profit ratios are higher if you choose to stock products yourself, you can still make a fair living by employing drop shipping. With this technique, you sell the item, and then the wholesale company ships the product to the customer for you. You do not even have to handle the product at all; the only things you need to worry about are sales and marketing. The only problem is that when it comes to online selling, price is a more important factor than with offline sales, and if you cannot compete price wise, it is much more difficult to sell, especially when people can find lower prices easily.

Once you have found a reliable wholesale company, you need to choose a selling method. The form most used by sellers today is an auction site, usually eBay. With an auction website, you can set up a store for a low monthly fee and stock as many products as you want. After a few months, when you have established yourself as a brand, your sales will skyrocket and you can expand to your own, personalized domain.



CLAIR