Pages

An Accessible Virtual World for the Totally Blind? Could It Really Happen?

Virtual worlds have been around for many years and have become a staple in the gaming community. Some of the more popular titles of virtual worlds include Second life, World of Warcraft and Planet Calypso just to name a few. These virtual environments, however are not accessible for the blind at all because they lack the proper kinds of extra audio information needed for someone to navigate the world and interact with it.

For example, in Second life, if a resident wants to build themselves a virtual home on a piece of land and they cannot see the screen, the implementers could include audio voice prompts that would allow the resident to choose the kinds of flooring to go in their home for example, or whether they wished to include a porch or a deck on their home to entertain guests. If they wanted to purchase some items to go into their new home, this same voice prompt could give them a browsable list of items that the shop has for sale, and then the person could press enter on their chosen item and thereby make the purchase, placing the item in their inventory.

The Nature Of Bike Games

Bike games are sure to give you an adrenalin rush due to their thrilling nature. In these games you are required to control a bike. This can be done using the arrow keys. The rules of bike games are very simple and can be mastered by anyone.

Various bike games are available and each game has a different theme. Some games allow you to ride a power bike and pull daring stunts, while other bike games are racing games and you need to compete against a group of bikers and finish first to win.

These games also allow you to choose from different bikes. You can select the required power of your bike and also select the terrain in which you wish to ride. Always select an engine that allows you to ride your bike perfectly in the selected terrain. It can be very enjoyable to play such games as you can design your bike based on your preference and then test its power on different terrains.

Bubble Games: Pop Them!

The classic bubble game was developed based on a game called Bubbles which was a very popular game. These games are very easy to play, and all you need to do is burst as many bubbles as you can. The more bubbles you pop the more you score. Although this game may sound simple, it is extremely addicting as the player aims to break his own high score each time he/she plays. Individuals of all age groups find this game extremely entertaining and challenging. You can play this game by yourself or compete with a friend to see who scores the most points.

These games do not require CDs nor do they require any special download. You just need to have the flash player software installed, and you can load this game in your web browser and start playing it within seconds.

There are many bubble games available. Bubble shooter games for example, require you to connect identically colored bubbles before you can remove them.

Checkers: A Game Of Strategy

Checkers is a strategic board game that requires a square board with 64 slots. The board is usually patterned red and black, but it may also be of a combination of black and white.

Checkers is believed to have originated in the Egyptian lands. Written accounts of the game can be found dating back to 1600 BC. It is said that this game was modified by the French such that it could be played on a chess board much later. This helped in popularizing the game even further.

For those who love strategic games but don't have the patience for a 'boring' game of Chess, Checkers is the best alternative. This game is fast moving and does not overwhelm its players with rules.

Tower Defense Games Require Strategic Thinking

Tower defense games are an exciting sub-category of the games involving strategy.

The aim of the player is to protect himself from enemies and prevent them from reaching him/her by building towers. These towers may be used as barricades and some of them may even shoot at the enemies trying to cross them.

Each game becomes more exciting as a player advances because the enemies get fiercer. The player is endowed additional powers each time he crosses a level. The player can collect points and buy more complex tools to help build sturdier towers.

These games can easily be learnt and it involves the simple strategy-positioning of towers in important locations that will stop the enemies and not let them reach you.

Top Free iPod/iPhone Games

Fun games can be hard to find on the App Store because there are so many that are simply not worth the time it takes to download them. But for the sake of game lovers everywhere I will share with you a few of my favorite games on my iPod so that you can enjoy them as I do.

Fall Down - Fall Down is a fun game where there is a several lines and a ball. You tilt your device back and forth to move the ball through the lines quickly so you don't get squished by the top. It's challenging. It's one of those games where it's easy to learn how to play, but very hard to master.

Angry Birds Lite - OK, you have probably heard of this one if you haven't already played it! It is largely popular. In Angry Birds Lite you aim birds in slingshots to kill pigs, the pigs are surrounded by wood, ice, and rock. 

Details On The Newest Wii Headset For Voice Chat

For several reasons the hyped Wii Speak was bit by bit dropped from use and fewer video games use it. On the positive side of this is the launch of games having the new voice chat technology. Just about all upcoming games will be employing this new service instead of the obsolete Wii Speak. This means that Nintendo has encouraged the creation of a totally new Wii Headset to function with the new chat technology. In the following paragraphs we're going to take a look at several of the good and bad points relating to the new chat headset.

Slowly Does It: From Modest Beginnings:

So far there are only three games that support the new design, but they are all major titles. Two Call of duty titles and Conduit 2 have mounted the offensive on the live chat front and more publishers should be adding their games to the lineup in the future. Still, even without the addition of extra titles the voice chat is worth it just for the Call of Duty games.

Help! My Teen Is Glued To The Video Console

How bad is incessant video gaming? It's all about duration and intensity. There are studies out that talk about medium and long term changes to the brain from these actions. More so, when combined with multi-tasking (texting, bbm-ing, facebook, watching a movie at the same time) the grey-matter in your child's noggin is being trained to be three miles wide and one inch deep.

What do we do about it? One of my clients calls it the cereal factor. He has noticed that during school time his brain is crispy, like new cereal that is ready to eat (mmmm, cereal) but when break-time comes the brain ends up looking and acting like cereal that has been in the milk or soy-based substitute way too long. We get mushy-brain.

The holidays are one thing, now it's school time!!! In a previous article, I did make some suggestions on how to get your kids through the holidays mush-free but now they are in school and every moment that they are not at school, they are at their video games. How do you approach this?

The Best Outdoor Games For Children

If you're like most parents, you probably remember that much of your youth was spent outside. While there are exceptions, most parents today grew up playing outside at parks, in their backyards, or elsewhere. Today's kids are too often glued to the television, but you can help them get some fresh air, exercise, and even learn a few things by helping show them cool games to play outside. There are a variety of different fun outdoor games for kids, whether you've only got a single child or an entire classroom full of them. And they're normally inexpensive or outright free to play, which is a major consideration in today's world.

Schools often rely on cool games for kids to play outside. Something as simple as educational field trips can help them stay active and learn, but games on the playground can be great choices too. Kids outdoor relay games offer a way for kids to get active, challenge themselves, and learn to work together. They'll teach teamwork, good sportsmanship, and much more. They're essentially little more than stick games, too, since they let kids use little more than a stick as a baton. This is a far cry from online stick games, which are simply stick figure flash games.

Go: A 4,000 Year Old Chinese Strategy Game

Go is an ancient board game invented in China almost 4,000 years ago, and is played by millions of players all across the world. Go goes by many names. It is called "Baduk" in Korea and "Weiqi" in China. It is a national sport in many Asian countries, where professional players face off against one another in highly competitive tournaments where the winner takes home large cash prizes.

Go is one of the world's most popular board games, with millions of players in Asia of all ages. While Go has been known in the West since the late 1800's, when a German chemist named Oscar Korschelt wrote about the game in the German magazine "The German Society of East Asian Art and Culture" after visiting Japan, the game has stayed under the radar until recently.

Most people have seen glimpses of Go in popular media. The Chinese President, Hu Jintao, presented President Obama with a Go board specially crafted by American woodworker, Frank Salantrie. Go also appears in movies like A Beautiful Mind and in a Domino's Pizza commercial.

Are You A Sports Gamer?

Do you play sports video games? For a lot of us sports fans the answer is yes, and we don't even have to hide the fact that we do. We all have our own little man cave area where we play, or should I say waste, untold hours with that game pad in our hands. Whether it be PS3, XBOX,Wii, or Nintendo we all have our favorite games, some of which we have played since childhood. Some would say we never left stage to begin with.

According to Wiki Answers, 65% of all males say they have played at least 1 video game in the last 3 years. I don't know how scientific that survey is but it sounds about right.

My top 5 favorite sports video games franchises of all time are:

1) Madden NFL Football. Wow what a shock, right? It's not that I have liked each release but as a whole Madden pretty much set the standard for sports gaming. I am not a guy who can just stick a game in the machine and play it. 

How To Get a Job As A Video Game Tester

In all of my years of professional experience, probably the one job I get asked most about is my time as a Video Game Tester for SEGA of America. I spent several years with SEGA, and people, especially children, are always fascinated by the opportunity to make good money by doing what they love, namely playing games! Here is some advice for those looking to obtain one of these highly-desired positions.

For those looking to get a foot in the door of the Video Game Industry in any capacity, there is no more tried and truer method than the Video Game Tester position. This job brings you into the fold of the development world where you can see how the games are made, make vital contacts, and get critical game company experience on your resume. I cannot tell you how many people I have worked with who used this entry-level opening to springboard into positions in programming, game production, design, marketing, etc. Plus, there are worse ways to make anywhere from $10-15 dollars an hour (starting pay) than playing games for a living!

Fun Holiday Games With Educational Attributes

The holidays are about spending time with friends and family, enjoying some traditions, and simply having a good time. Depending on your plans or the holiday in question, adding a few holiday games to your celebrations can certainly improve spirits and create memories that will last a lifetime. Whether you want to add some online Christmas games for kids to your day or are looking for some ideas for Halloween games to add to your Halloween party, there are plenty of traditional and video game options available for you to choose from. It only takes a few minutes to find the best games for any holiday occasion.

If you're having a Halloween get together, there are plenty of Halloween kids' games or adult themed Halloween games you can play. Bobbing for apples is an obvious one, as is the old game of blindfolding a player and having them feel different 'body parts' - grapes as eyes, spaghetti as brains, and so on. You can also have a spooky scavenger hunt, but if you're trying to plan out Halloween games for kids be sure that you don't make them too scary. Of course, there are often online themed video games based on Halloween that you can add to your party as well.

Classic Kids Games - Some Of The Best Classic Games Ever

Today, video and computer games are big business. Billions of dollars are made by video game companies each year, and more kids than ever are playing them. Board games are also still highly popular, but either of these options can be surprisingly expensive - a good board game can cost up to forty dollars or more. For many people, getting back to basics can bring a family together, teach your kids skills and lessons, and cost very little. Numerous classic games based on pencils and paper are available, and these retro games can be surprisingly fun for anyone who wants to play them.

For the most retro of all retro games, you'll need to dig way back into your own childhood and maybe even beyond. Classic games like tic tac toe or hangman are very easy to setup, fast to play, and don't really cost a dime. Hangman can actually teach your kids vocabulary and spelling skills, and while they don't have the pizzazz of most modern board games they're still fun for a couple of hours, especially with younger kids.

The Best Fairy Games For Girls

It is no surprise that little girls are absolutely crazy about fairy games. It is really tough to find a little girl that does not enjoy almost anything to do with fairies. This is what makes it such an easy choice to play fairy games at any kind of together for young girls. There are many fairy games to choose from, but it makes sense to play the most popular ones. Here are the best fairy games for girls.

Pin the Wings on the Fairy

This game is a fanciful take on the tradition Pin the Tail on the Donkey party game. Draw a fairy on a large piece of cardboard, poster board or butcher paper. It will obviously need to be a rear view of the fairy, since the girls will be trying to pin the fairy wings on it. The fairy wings should be covered in glitter. Remember that glitter is the fairy dust that puts the wonder in fairy games for girls.

Review - FEAR 3

If you have ever played a F.E.A.R game before, you will know what to expect when you open up a copy of F.E.A.R 3. A dark, generic, corridor shooter with occasional jump scares and a tacked on slow motion mechanic. While the first in the series set the standard on the next-gen series of consoles, it has since been overshadowed in its genre superior survival horror games.The only problem is, the developers of Fear 3 seem not to know this. They rely on the tired and overused "monster closets" and occasional Alma sighting to scare you. These scares work the first few times, but quickly grow tired as you travel through the short campaign.

Speaking of which, this game has one of the shortest campaigns that i have played in a while. 8 missions long, one could easily finish this game in about five hours, and that's on the harder difficulties.

5 AoE Leveling Tips You Don't Want to Miss

Area of Effect (AoE) Leveling is a leveling style that is very popular leveling style in games like World of Warcraft and Everquest. Unfortunately, Blizzard has increased its efforts to prevent its subscribers from using AoE leveling in World of Warcraft due to the inequality it created in leveling speeds.

There were some spots in game that were overlooked during development phase which players were using to farm experience at a rate far faster than they had designed the game for. Therefore, these places were removed and reworked through the patch system.

With the release of the Cataclysm expansion AoE Leveling was virtually eliminated from the game. It wasn't removed in the sense that it no longer exists, instead, it was removed in the sense that they made it harder to do. The game was changed to make it generally faster to level by completing quests which took away the appeal of AoE Grinding.

3 Important Things to Remember Concerning Upgrading Gaming Platforms

Computer gaming is a highly mainstream way of having fun these days. At the same time, it is quite an activity that favors those who constantly update themselves in the realm of computer gaming. Updates in the form of new consoles and upgraded computer specifications characterize the advancing nature of computer gaming. Thus, it is just proper to say that you have to update yourself constantly with the latest software and hardware updates concerning the games you love playing if you want to heighten your gaming experience to higher levels. Here are 3 easy things that you must consider when updating computer gaming platforms towards supporting new games.

Latest Consoles: Upgrading Entertainment

Some gaming companies release sequels of their popular titles to newer game consoles. In observance of that trend, gamers these days make it a point to get new types of consoles just so they could get to play the sequels of their favorite game series. 

Super Mario Crossover 2, A Remarkable Twist On An Old Classic

Are you ready for a version of Super Mario Brothers that you've never played before? If you're into the world of Mario like millions of other people around the world then Super Mario Crossover is a must play game for you.

Super Mario Brothers is one of the most popular video games of all time and there are so many gamers out there that can't seem to get enough. Nowadays you will even find a lot of the gamers playing this game are adults. This is because Mario came out in the 80's and that's when they were kids.

Today the new programmer minds of the day are resurrecting these old classics and adding a new feel to them. Once they have their latest version available we then find access to it online for our enjoyment.

Setting The Stage For Your Live Action RPG

Introduction

There are a lot of elements that go into a successful LARP: well-crafted plots, intriguing characters, exciting NPCs. But one aspect that's often overlooked is the one of ambiance - atmosphere, for those of you who prefer plain language.

Suppose you're running a Cthulhu Live game set in a mysterious abandoned manor house. Which setting is going to get your players in the mood? A brightly lit cafeteria at the Booster's Club, or a cold and gloomy room with boarded over windows and strange noises emanating from the walls? Set the right ambiance, and you're halfway to a successful game.

Ambiance doesn't have to be expensive, nor does it have to be all-consuming. There are several ways in which a game-master - and the players - can ratchet up the atmosphere in a game. Those can be broken down into lighting, sound f/x, set dressing, props and costuming. Let's go over them one at a time...

Pub Trivia - The Rules

Having a pub quiz is one of the best ways to bring people together. A Trivia Night will pack people into pubs. It is a great incentive for friends to take the time to meet up and enjoy each other's company. However, in order to keep people happy with the pub quiz, the rules need to be clearly stated at the beginning of the night and fairly enforced for the duration of the night. Check out this easy guide to simple rules to run a fair Pub Trivia Night.

Team Members

The teams should be composed of six members or less. Any more than that and things just don't seem to work smoothly. Only team members should be allowed to sit at the table to avoid outside help from people that aren't part of the team. There doesn't need to be a minimum number of team members. There are plenty of people that have enough trivia crammed in their heads to give a fair fight in a one-on-six battle.

The Scourge of Technology

Best World Of Warcraft Leveling Guides

World of Warcraft is a hugely popular multi-player online role-playing game. It was introduced by Blizzard Entertainment and is the fourth game in the series, Warcraft universe. The game holds the pride of having more than 12 million subscribers a month and it has also obtained the Guinness world record of, massive multi player online role playing game (MMORPG) Massively multiplayer online role-playing game by subscribers. In the game, the players assume the identity of heroic, fantasy characters and explore world full of magic, mystery and adventure. To play the game the player has to be connected to the net. Each character has a specific set of skills and abilities.

The game involves completion of quests. These quests are called missions or tasks. Completion of quests results in gaining of new skills and abilities. The game is set in the same universe as Warcraft series. It contains elements of fantasy and science fiction. Certain subscription amount has to be paid to play the game online.

SCX Slot Car Racing Entertainment

SCX Slot Cars are manufactured by a company called Tecnitoys. The brand SCX was first started in Spain in the mid 1960's. Current cars are built to a 1/32nd scale and incorporate all the latest technologies such as, real scale modelling, the latest electronic devices and modern tampo printing. This means that the current crop of cars are realistic copies of the real race cars they represent.

Todays cars are produced in China, using ultra modern production facilities. The current range of cars include models that represent the following categories of racing;

American Nascar

GT Sports Car

German DTM Touring Car

Ear Force X12 Headset Review - The Ultimate Audio Experience

The Ear Force X12 Xbox and PC gaming headset by Turtle Beach is a great set of headphones for almost anyone. Are you looking to replace your old Xbox headset? Maybe you're a PC guy and looking for a good set of PC headphones? Did you get angry and throw your old headset into a wall and break it? Trust me... I've been there. Either way, the X12 is the definitive headset for all gamers alike, looking for stunning sound and amazing comfort. You will find numerous Turtle Beach headsets out there, almost certain in finding one that suits your specific needs. I'll try and provide you with enough information so you can decide on whether or not the Ear Force X12 is what you're looking for.

Is Turtle Beach Your Gaming Headset Solution?

One of the major things I find interesting about the X12 headset is that it's quite cost effective. You're getting a lot of bang for your buck as most run right around 50 bucks. There are a lot of features included that really make this set worth the money.

A Quick And Dirty Guide To Having A Kick-Ass Time In A Live Action RPG

The first thing you should do: get into trouble. Trouble is interesting and rarely is it boring.

Tell the truth as much as possible - people never expect it. If you can't tell the truth, refuse to answer, be evasive or be somewhere else, but keep the flat-out lying to a minimum. Besides, keeping track of which lies you've spread where can quickly become confusing.

When wheeling and dealing with other characters, ask yourself: What's in it for them? You might not get far appealing to their altruism, but an appeal to self-interest almost always works. Remember, they'll be thinking the same thing about you.

Don't commit to anything until or unless you absolutely have to. This is valid for politicians in real life, and it works for LARPers, too. As the game progresses, it might be worth your time to take a stand, but in the first half of the event, be wary of putting yourself into a corner.

The World Of Gaming Consoles

Gaming becomes an important phenomenon of any child's life as they grow up. By definition gaming is basically the act of playing games primarily on electronic devices such as computers, laptops and electronic consoles. However, this action cannot be restricted to just children. Nowadays, adults are much more involved in this activity than children. There are competitions held all over the world, in which people of all ages come in from all over the world to compete and show their skills.

Gaming is of varying types; primarily video games, but also card ones and tabletop too. Every act of playing a game, even role playing is considered to fall in this category. People indulge in such behaviors for purposes of leisure and people of all ages can find one that is appropriate for them. The gaming industry is the biggest industry in the world and console designers and manufacturers are amongst the most successful businesses in the world nowadays. 

The War on Used Games

As we prepare for the coming wave of next generation systems, we should be anticipating improvements on all the good things we associate with the current crop of systems. Moving forward we expect: better graphics, faster processors, more engaging games, you get the idea. But not everything that we're anticipating will be a progressive movement for gaming. At least, as far as Sony and Microsoft are concerned, you can wave goodbye to playing used games on their systems. Although these are just rumors at this point, it wouldn't be surprising if they came to fruition. It's very plausible, especially when taking into consideration that several game publishers have already fired shots at the used game market.

Most notable is Electronic Arts(EA), who became the first publisher to institute the practice of charging gamers, who bought used games, a fee to access codes that come with the game. 

Drifting Games Are Risky, Thrilling and Fun

Drifting games are a variety of car racing games that are defined by drift racing. The competing cars race on streets crammed with all sorts of obstacles. Players are supposed to execute smooth curves around the obstacles without hitting the accelerator. Only the steering on the wheels is allowed, and the cars are propelled by the speed power.

These games began as a spot on the streets. People would gather, and derive pleasure in competing to see who executed the perfect drift. This was a dangerous sport until it was converted into games, providing a fun-filled, thrilling and safe sport.

Drifting is still done, but mostly by highly skilled drivers. The drift is determined by the distribution of the car weight, and the separation of the torque compared to the read part. 

What You Need To Know Before Playing A Tank Game

Tank games are one of the online games that people might enjoy playing. When playing, there are different weapons to use. Each round you play, you advance your flexibility, purchase more weapons, and also get repair kits. All new achievements increase the chances of winning the game.

There are different terrains on the game, and these are the forest, mountain and desert. They all have their challenges, which you need to overcome in order to advance to the next level. If you enjoy a challenge, go for the hard levels to make the game more interesting.

Before beginning the game, choose a unique colour of the tank you will be playing with. The number of rival tanks to pick always depends on you. To know how to play, choose a computer controlled tank, and note how they do things. It is possible to get more than four tanks to play in the game.

Choosing The Best Family Games For Family Game Night

The modern world is hectic, filled with obligations and activities. And while everyone loves a little downtime with their favorite movie or TV show, the fact that most households have multiple computers and televisions means that fewer families than ever are actually spending time together. Whether you just want to reconnect with your immediate family or have a family reunion coming up and want to make it special, adding some family games to your schedule can really help. These can be games you play online or those that you play through more traditional means, but no matter what they'll be pivotal in helping your family interact again.

If you're getting together with your family for the holidays, few things can be as entertaining as spending some time playing family Christmas games. These may be themed towards the holidays or could work just as well as general family reunion games, but no matter what they'll involve the entire family and allow them to have fun with each other.