Video Game Rental A Real Money Saver

Writen by Christopher Luck

What is my best option if I like video games, but don't find it cost effective to buy all the expensive games? The answer depends a little bit on what kind of game system you are using, but the truth is there is only one answer: video game rental. Home video game systems can be a lot of fun, but the games can be very expensive. That can be a real problem if you don't have the time to play them or if the game you are playing has a definitive end. No matter the reason, video game rental will prevent you from spending too much on your home video game entertainment.

Video games, though becoming more affordable and more exciting, are very expensive. Even after you have purchased your home gaming system, you still need to purchase the actual game to play on that system. That can be expensive since games can be as much as $60, $70, or even more. By using video game rental, you can curb that cost. Generally you can rent a game for just a few dollars and keep it for a few days. If you don't play your system very often, then you have saved a lot of money you would have spent on purchasing the game. Video game rental can definitely be a real money saver.

Another reason to consider video game rental is for testing a game you are considering purchasing. If, for instance, you enjoy playing games and are willing to put down the money to purchase a certain game, you want to be sure you actually like it. What you can do is go out and get a video game rental of the game you are considering. For a few dollars you can play it for a day or so. If you don't like it, then you are only out the cost of the video game rental. On the other hand, had you bought it and then found out you don't like it, you may not be able to return it for the full purchase price

A final reason for considering a video game rental for games that may have a distinct ending. Some games, like adventuring games, have an end point. Once you have figured out how to win the game, it is useless to you. If you are good at adventure games and can win them quickly than you may find that you are forking out a lot of money for a game that is useless to you in a few days. A video game rental can save you that money.

If you love video games and playing them on your home system, you know how expensive that can be. The cost of the system is a lot, but then you have to buy games for your system, which is quite an added expense. However, one way to curb that cost is through video game rentals. By renting games instead of buying them you can save yourself money in a couple of ways. You can play a game to its end, you can test a game for purchase, or just play a game you know you wouldn't play enough to justify the cost. No matter what, you can save yourself hassle and money with a video game rental.

If you would like the latest information on game rental , or find more of my personal articles like the one you just read, visit my video game site!

7 Simple Steps To Avoid Being A Newbie In Online Games

Writen by Tayman Hur

It doesn't matter if you are new to online roleplaying games. The road to becoming elite isn't easily traveled. Some will never reach the top of the hill, but you don't have to remain a newbie forever.

• Learn everything there is to learn about your chosen game - Head to google or your favorite search engine and type "mymmorpg tips" or "mymmorpg strategies" (substitute mymmorpg for the mmorpg you are currently playing). Surf the various websites and look for the best characters to start with, the best way to make money/gain equipment, and the best pvp/pk tactics.
• As soon as you load the game for the first time, find out all there is to know about the user Interface and the controls.
• Don't be afraid to ask people in the general area how to do something in game.
• Speak to people and create a network of friends - Don't spend too much time with people who don't know anything about the game. The best case scenario would be to find an "elite mentor" that can show you all the ropes. Once you have a large enough network of friends, you can join any game you please and have the best of the best as soon as you start.
• Don't be afraid to die in player versus player combat or player versus environment- Fear will only halt your progress. Find out if you will drop items or not in your chosen game if you die. If you don't, make sure you embrace every pvp encounter you can.
• Make sure you have a fast computer and internet connection- If you truly want to compete, you simply can't allow your machine to get in the way. If you constantly lag from a slow internet connection or poor hardware, your just asking to be killed. 56k isn't an option. It's 2005...
• Don't make excuses! - If there is something you don't know, ask someone. If there is something you are not good at, practice until you master it. Are the controls getting in the way? Customize your controls if you can or buy new hardware that will help(4 button optical mice and various peripherals is a start). Make sure you find out the fastest, most efficient way to make currency in your MMORPG. Making money makes all MMORPGs easier; some more than others.

Using powerleveling services or buying currency is just a shortcut. It's the equivalent of going to college and paying someone to take all of your classes for you. You may have a degree, but you don't know anything. Some people may use this to play a game that they don't have time to play, which is understandable...but don't expect ANY respect for your actions. Don't bother trying to claim to be an elite veteran either. It will only make you look ignorant. In the mean time, keep grinding, keep killing, and do whatever it takes to remove your "newb" status. Make sure you read more articles like these at: http://www.karashur.net/lineage-2-articles/articles.php

Tayman is the webmaster of http://www.karashur.net. He has extensive experience in the IT field and playing various online video games.

Sony Delays Playstation 3

Writen by Geoff Gannon

As a result of problems related to the mass production of a key component of its Blu-ray DVD player, Sony (SNE) will delay the European launch of its next generation video game console, the PlayStation 3 (PS3). Sony will also reduce the number of PS3 units immediately available in both the U.S. and Japan.

In the U.S., the PS3 will launch on November 17th, with approximately 400,000 consoles available for sale. The U.S. launch will come almost a week after the Japanese launch which will consist of merely 100,000 units.

Sony's PlayStation 3 is the successor to the PlayStation 2, the world's most popular (and as recently as July, the world's best selling) video game console.

The Number That Really Matters

The fact that there will only be 400,000 PS3 units available for sale in the United States on November 17th is totally unimportant. The launch date itself is unimportant. What matters is how many units will be available for sale in mid to late December.

Sony claims it will have 1 million to 1.2 million consoles available for sale by December 31st. So, let's assume there will be at least a million PS3 consoles available for sale in the U.S. by Christmas.

Will that be enough to put a PlayStation in the living room of every household that wants one?

No. There will almost certainly be many people who have to go without a PS3 for Christmas, despite being willing to pay the very high price Sony is asking. But, that's nothing new. Other consoles (including the Xbox 360) have been launched without an adequate number of units immediately available for sale.

A delay is much worse than a mere shortage. There's a promise (and a tangible product) behind a console that has already launched. So, very few people in the U.S. or Japan who planned to buy a PS3 are likely to change their minds because of a Christmas shortage – no matter how severe.

The Things That Really Matter

The success of any gaming platform is largely based on five factors:

Available Titles

Relative Launch Date

Price

Predecessor's Installed Base

Technology

Of these five, technology is by far the least important factor. The four most important factors (available titles, relative launch date, price, and predecessor's installed base) are difficult to separate. Clearly, having a predecessor with a large installed base (such as the PS2) can be tremendously beneficial, if you get satisfactory marks in the other three areas (titles, launch date, and price).

Predecessor's Installed Base

The PlayStation 3 dominates when it comes to having a predecessor with a large installed base. So, how does it score in the other three areas?

In terms of available titles, the PS3 scores as well as any of its competitors, if not better. However, none of the three consoles (Xbox 360, PS3, or Wii) does very well in this regard. Unfortunately, the titles are likely to be somewhat segregated by console. There will be quality games on each system; but, almost no one will buy all three. Simply put, there will be some games exclusive to each console that a lot of people would really love to play – but can't.

Relative Launch Date

Returning to the list of factors that determine a console's success, let's consider the launch date issue. Sony clearly has a bit of a problem in Europe, because it will have one less Christmas season than both the Xbox 360 and the Wii. Some analysts think Sony will lose no more than a few hundred thousand console sales to substitutions. If that's true, lost revenue might be in the hundreds of millions rather than the billions.

Three Separate Markets

The U.S., Japan, and Europe are really three very different markets. It's quite possible you could have a console that is very successful in one market and yet unable to get any real momentum in another.

Before this delay, I felt strongly that Europe was the market where the PS3 could come closest to duplicating the performance of the PS2 in terms of market share. There's a long-term danger that Microsoft will gain market share in the U.S. and Nintendo will gain market share in both the U.S. and Japan.

Obviously, Europe isn't as well defined a market as either the U.S. or Japan. So, it's much harder to predict how a certain type of console or a certain type of game will go over there. The U.S. and Japan are very clearly defined game markets, largely because they have very clearly defined consumer cultures in general and entertainment cultures in particular.

So, what does the PS3 delay mean for Sony's future in Europe? It's hard to say. I'm more interested in seeing what the installed base of each next generation console will look like in the American and Japanese markets after Christmas 2007, when we'll have the first real chance to predict how this round of the console wars will play out.

Although I do think Sony is doing serious harm to its PlayStation line by insisting upon including Blu-ray and charging a ridiculous price, I don't think any amount of managerial ineptitude is likely to cause the catastrophic failure of a successor to such a dominant console as the PS2.

Price

If price isn't the elephant in the room, it should be. Most of the articles I read about the recently announced PS3 delay / production scale-down didn't say much about the pricing of the PS3. That's a mistake – especially, because several articles mentioned the laptop battery recall, which has nothing to do with the PS3 and very little to do with Sony (it has everything to do with lithium-ion batteries irrespective of their manufacturer).

The PS3's price is a big problem. One that might have manifested itself in poor Christmas sales, if the number of units available for sale had approached the expected demand. For now, Sony is planning on having so few units available in the U.S. by Christmas that the launch will go well even if the PS3 is ultimately a failure. Sony claims it will have 6 million units by the end of its fiscal year. A few analysts are skeptical, but Sony is sticking to that line.

In the weeks ahead, expect Sony to make a big deal about the fact that it will actually make more PS3 units available by the end of December than the number of Xbox 360s Microsoft had made available by the same time the year before. It's a valid point. But, it omits two key facts. The PS3 is launching after the Xbox 360 and there are more PS2 owners out there who will want to trade up for the new system.

Since the PS3 is launching after the Xbox 360, no one is waiting around to see what the alternative will look like. They already know what the Xbox 360 is, what it can do, and what (some of) the games available for it are. As soon as the PS3 launches, the comparisons can begin. That wasn't possible when the Xbox 360 launched and everybody knew the PS3 was on its way.

The second reason why no parallel exists between the demand for Xbox 360s at launch and the demand for PS3s at launch is simply that there are more PS2s out there. As a result, Sony having as many units available by Christmas as Microsoft had the year before would be a lot like Gillette having as many new razors available as Schick had produced the year before. The difference in market share obliterates any possible comparison.

So, even though I think the PS3 is far too expensive going into the Christmas season, I'm quite sure that fact won't be evident in the sales numbers, because there will be a severe PS3 shortage throughout 2006. Even if the PlayStation 3 is too expensive, it will look like it's selling well, because there simply won't be enough of them produced in 2006.

Why am I so convinced the PS3 is priced too high?

The PS3 is too expensive to be a Christmas gift. Around Christmas, a lot of these consoles are bought by parents as gifts for their kids. Parents are willing to pay a lot for them, because they're a huge one-time item for the kid (and the parents have been hearing about it since well before the launch). But, the prices likely to be charged in 2006 for the PS3 are simply beyond what parents are willing to spend.

It's not an issue of how much consumers have to spend versus the value they're getting. It's an issue of being psychologically unprepared for paying this kind of price for any gift.

It may be a price older gamers are willing to pay to get a PS3 for themselves. But, it's not a price parents will be willing to spend on their kids.

Copyright 2006 Geoff Gannon

Geoff Gannon writes a daily value investing blog and produces a twice weekly (half hour) value investing podcast at: http://www.gannononinvesting.com

Sony Playstation 3 Vs Microsoft Xbox 360

Writen by Victor Vargo

Regardless of the interest you have at heart or the business you are in there is always a rivalry between the best in anything. Pepsi vs. Coke. Wal-Mart vs. Target. Coors vs. Budweiser. You get the point, when it comes to being the best it doesn't matter who you are, there is always a rival and there is always somebody ready to take up the argument of the "other guys".

The video game industry is no different than any other so when it comes to being a hardcore video gamer in the present day there are two choices for you in which to choose your alliance, Microsoft or Sony. More specifically, you need to choose between their golden children, the PlayStation and Xbox empires. For those of you incapable of making the decision yourself, read the following to understand what both have to offer.

• Xbox was released over a year ago with no competitor as Sony had yet to release its new PlayStation 3, delaying it over a year to make it competitive. PlayStation 3 seems to have done so with a Cell Broadband Engine to power its newest entry into the video gaming arms race. Whether you know which is better without playing both is solely based on if you are a computer genius or not. If not, which most of us are not, understand that both are based on having multiple processors running at the same time.
• Just as you would expect, both manufacturers offer different packages for buyers in retail outlets across the country. Generally, each is offered in a "core" package and a "premium" package with names varying at different retail outlets. Basically, what you have to choose from is a basic system with no hard drive, but everything else. A system that provides you with 20GB of hard drive and a different system that offers 60GB of hard drive. Xbox 360 is generally around $100 cheaper in all categories at the moment, but it has also been around for a year longer.
• Where PlayStation 3 is separating itself from Xbox 360 at the time being is in the game discs or capability with Blu-Ray technology. Blu-Ray technology allows for more space on each disc which means that developers and designers can go deeper and more sophisticated with game play in each game. This is exclusive to PlayStation 3 at the moment, but you can bet that all systems will have it in the coming years.
• Both video gaming giants offer an online gaming service to allow gamers to be able to compete with each other across the world. Xbox Live is currently the more well known of the two services, but it does cost money in the form of a monthly subscription to be able to use it. PlayStation 3 is preparing to have a massive online community along with the launch of the system itself, with the difference between them and Xbox being that PS3's online service will be offered without charge.

Victor Vargo is the editor of the PS3 Price Shopper Resource Guide which provides the latest Play Station 3 news as well as in-depth comparisons of the PlayStation 3 vs. Nintendo Wii and the Playstation 3 vs Xbox 360. Learn more at PS3PriceShopper.com.

Simulation Games

Writen by Elizabeth Morgan

Simulation games create a whole new world to explore, one that is virtually realistic. They represent a virtual environment, with virtual characters having interesting and life-like interactions between the various components of a virtual world. The graphics and sounds are often amazingly close to reality. Everything seems real, from the weather conditions over the Pacific in air combat games to the geography of lands in strategy games.

They are a new, higher pedestal of gaming, often combining elements of skill, chance and strategy, (like for a civilization building game), wherein real as well as fictional worlds may be simulated and often you see the world through the eyes of a fictitious character.

There is a whole colorful range of simulation games to pick from. Some games allow you to act as a creator and manage a world, like the Sim City series that include virtual city planning and building with varied levels of infrastructure. Another is the Tycoon games, which give you the opportunity to own, build, manage and upgrade your own theme park, restaurant, or even a zoo. Perhaps the most popular simulation games are the driving and racing games, such as Motoracer, Need for Speed, and Monster Madness. Also, providing an adrenalin rush are the Air Combat Flight Games, where you can pick your mission, and be equipped with a supply of ammunition to carry it out. Other fighters may also be simulated to give the game a further realistic touch. In a few of the flight simulator games, you could look into are Microsoft Combat Flight Sim 3, Lock on: Modern Air Combat, Flight Deck 2, Falcon 4.0, and Strike Fighters, Project 1.

Life games are like living in a game, only in the skin of your fictitious character that interacts with the different components of the virtual world. Adventure games like Tomb Raider, Role Play and Dating Games to name a few, are popular, and reside at top of the gaming entertainment charts.

Simulation games offer a virtual environment that allows players to discover, create, destroy, improvise, upgrade, and imagine.

Simulation provides detailed information on Simulation, Simulation Games, Simulation Software, Flight Simulation and more. Simulation is affiliated with Free Spyware Removal Software.

Do Video Games Cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome In Children

Writen by Jeff Anliker

The explosion of popularity in video game systems and computer usage has also led to the problem of carpal tunnel syndrome coming to the forefront of society in general. As carpal tunnel syndrome and other similar injuries continue to increase, and afflict younger and younger individuals, questions arise as to how relevant a link exists between carpal tunnel syndrome and video games. While the general assumption is made that a correlation does exist, and that kids who play a lot of video games will be at increased risk for carpal tunnel syndrome than those who do not, but surprisingly few studies have been done at his point to confirm or deny that. The most recent studies seem to have some unexpected and startling results.

Several recent studies funded by the federal government suggest that there actually is no connection between carpal tunnel syndrome and office work, carpal tunnel syndrome and computer use, or carpal tunnel syndrome and playing video games. While each of these things may affect certain individuals negatively, most of the studies that have actually been done recently seem to suggest that individuals who play a lot of video games or do a lot of computer work have the same percentage rate of carpal tunnel syndrome per capita than those who do not. Though, touting this study may not be the end all, be all, of an argument, because there are many injuries that are similar to carpal tunnel syndrome in nature, and many of these are believed to be a result of increased video game playing.

Though carpel tunnel syndrome is usually an affliction that affects individuals over the age of thirty, though some children have been known to have it. Injuries such as tendonitis, bursitis, and other injuries are becoming more and more common among young kids. Bitingly called Nintendonitis or Nintendo thumb by a lot of parents, the constant use of video games is the cause of many repetitive strain injuries, of which carpal tunnel syndrome is included. Not only is the problem because of the home video game systems and computer video games, but also portable video games and game boy-like systems have only worsened the problem.

Doctors say that hours of sitting in the same exact position using the thumb and finger muscles over and over again is what causes muscle imbalance, leading to pain and other functional problems. Like in any activity, some exercise is good, but if you continually use the same muscle or groups of muscles without exercising their counterpart in order to maintain balance, the end results are going to be injury and pain. While most likely a six or seven year old child will not get carpal tunnel syndrome no matter how much he/she plays, they will have other injuries that can make them more susceptible to carpal tunnel in the future. Playing video games for long periods of time can be okay, as long as they take breaks, avoid positioning their hands and wrists awkwardly, and don't play for more than several hours at any one time.

The rise of computer use and flat, light-touch keyboards that permit high speed typing have resulted in an epidemic of injuries of the hands, arms, and shoulders. The use of pointing devices like mice and trackballs are as much a cause in the development of carpal tunnel syndrome, if not more. The constant uninterrupted use of video game controls does the exact same thing. Whether or not an injury starts out as carpal tunnel syndrome, any time video gaming is involved a lack of adequate rest and breaks is pretty much a promise of trouble.

While studies suggest there is not a large difference between the number of people who get carpal tunnel who play video games and those who do not, there is no question that the prolonged playing of video games does lead to an increase in hand injuries. While a lot of evidence suggests that carpal tunnel syndrome tends to affect people who are older, each individual should still take the proper steps to protect themselves. Long periods of playing video games without rest are not healthy, for reasons that go beyond carpal tunnel syndrome. And regardless of which study says what, why take the chance?

The explosion of popularity in video game systems and computer usage has also led to the problem of carpal tunnel syndrome coming to the forefront of society in general. As carpal tunnel syndrome and other similar injuries continue to increase, and afflict younger and younger individuals, questions arise as to how relevant a link exists between carpal tunnel syndrome and video games. While the general assumption is made that a correlation does exist, and that kids who play a lot of video games will be at increased risk for carpal tunnel syndrome than those who do not, but surprisingly few studies have been done at his point to confirm or deny that. The most recent studies seem to have some unexpected and startling results.

Several recent studies funded by the federal government suggest that there actually is no connection between carpal tunnel syndrome and office work, carpal tunnel syndrome and computer use, or carpal tunnel syndrome and playing video games. While each of these things may affect certain individuals negatively, some of the studies that have been done seem to suggest that individuals who play a lot of video games or do a lot of computer work have the same percentage rate of carpal tunnel syndrome per capita than those who do not. Though, touting this study may not be the end all, be all, of an argument, because there are many injuries that are similar to carpal tunnel syndrome in nature, and many of these are believed to be a result of increased video game playing. (NOTE: The problem with many of these studies is that they fail to divulge all criteria utilized in the study. For example, the Bureau of Labor in the state of Oregon released a statement saying that "lost work time" had gone down, but when looking at the same chart, it showed that the number of those on "light duty" restrictions had actually increased. So in reality, the problem had not gotten better, instead new categories were developed to make it look like things were better and that carpal tunnel and repetitive strain injuries had reduced. This is often the case in many government and privately funded studies. In the case of video games and repetitive strain injuries: Who did the study? Were they associated with the video game companies? These are all serious issues to be considered when reviewing such literature.)

Though carpel tunnel syndrome is usually an affliction that affects individuals over the age of thirty, though some children have been known to have it. Injuries such as tendonitis, bursitis, and other injuries are becoming more and more common among young kids. Bitingly called Nintendonitis or Nintendo thumb by a lot of parents, the constant use of video games is the cause of many repetitive strain injuries, of which carpal tunnel syndrome is included. Not only is the problem because of the home video game systems and computer video games, but also portable video games, blackberries and game boy-like systems have only worsened the problem.

Doctors say that hours of sitting in the same exact position using the thumb and finger muscles over and over again is what causes muscle imbalance, leading to pain and other functional problems. Like in any activity, some exercise is good, but if you continually use the same muscle or groups of muscles without exercising their counterpart in order to maintain balance, the end results are going to be injury and pain. While most likely a six or seven year old child will not get carpal tunnel syndrome no matter how much he/she plays, they will have other injuries that can make them more susceptible to carpal tunnel in the future. Playing video games for long periods of time can be okay, as long as they take breaks, avoid positioning their hands and wrists awkwardly, and don't play for more than several hours at any one time.

The rise of computer use and flat, light-touch keyboards that permit high speed typing have resulted in an epidemic of injuries of the hands, arms, and shoulders. The use of pointing devices like mice and trackballs are as much a cause in the development of carpal tunnel syndrome, if not more. The constant uninterrupted use of video game controls does the exact same thing. Whether or not an injury starts out as carpal tunnel syndrome, any time video gaming is involved a lack of adequate rest and breaks is pretty much a promise of trouble.

While studies suggest there is not a large difference between the number of people who get carpal tunnel who play video games and those who do not, there is no question that the prolonged playing of video games does lead to an increase in hand injuries. While a lot of evidence suggests that carpal tunnel syndrome tends to affect people who are older, each individual should still take the proper steps to protect themselves. Long periods of playing video games without rest are not healthy, for reasons that go beyond carpal tunnel syndrome. And regardless of which study says what, why take the chance?

Jeff P. Anliker, LMT & BSI Staff: Includes Therapists, Inventors and Researchers that work together to provide information to Corporations, Consumers and Medical Facilities around the world for the treatment of muscle imbalances affecting the upper extremity. Balance Systems, Inc.

Counter Strike The Beginner Of Broad Band Pc Gaming

Writen by Fahad Ahmed

This is the world of 21st century, the century of technologies. Every thing is fast now a days and as far as the Computers and games are concerned, they are at the top of all. Every one these days like playing games and some of them love it. Well few years ago PC gaming was not so advance and usually was single user based and if any one wanted to play with any other player then one must have an extra input or any compatible playing device .

An era of new technology began after the entrance of Network gaming or Multiplayer gaming which revolutionized the PC gaming world.

The term of multiplayer gaming was that from now on if a person wants to play a certain game with any other person the he can easily connect to the other person's computer using broad band internet connection .

Usually before the arrival of Broad Band, games were played thorough Modem. This was perfect in those days as the games were not too heavy and only few packets of data are sent and received. However over the years this scene has changed greatly.

SWITCHING TO BROADBAND:

Now a days multiplayer games send and receive more data and therefore need faster protocol for sending and receiving data items. Amongst those of course is COUNTER STRIKE.

Few years ago when there was no concept of Broad Band, one would really be able to get anything faster than the ISDN connection. But today as compared to the past we have much greater availability and much greater broad band technology like DSL and Cable Modem as compare to normal dialup modem. So PC gaming has become very much advance and high quality games can be played at a very high speeds. Counter Strike is the most popular multiplayer game using Broad Band Connection. THE GAME :

Without any doubt it is the most popular game played over the years and is the modification of half life developed by Valve. It is FPS (First Person Shooter) type game and is totally action packed. The game is divided into two teams The Terrorist Forces and The Counter Terrorist Forces. The game is played on some Maps which have different locations and objectives. According to these Maps the Counter Terrorists and the Terrorist Forces assassinate/ Escapes, Hostages/ Rescues and diffuse bomb etc..

WEAPONS AND OTHER EQUIPMENTS:

Weapons armors and other equipment are very important parts of the game. There is a wide variety of different equipments like night vision, hand grenades and other pistols and guns. The player have to buy those stuff. In order to buy ammos and other equipments, player must be in a shopping cart area and more importantly have funds in his account.

There are a lot of small and big, simple and advance equipments available in Counter Strike pistols and sub machine guns are the main features of the game. Each Weapon is different from other. Thus all the Weapons and equipment gives a realistic touch to the game. Money management is one of the most important part of the game. Therefore by buying a particular equipment or weapon and using at the time when it is needed will take the player at the top of the game without any involvement of difficulty.

PLAYING THE GAME:

As there are two teams i-e Counter Terrorists and Terrorists. The player has option of either joining either of the team. A server is created by any player usually by the host and every player must join that server in order to play the game.

The Counter Terrorist look to eliminate the Terrorists completely or fulfill the map objectives while the Terrorist forces look to completely destroy the Counter Terrorists. Thus different Map have different challenges and strategies for each team.

When a player dies he is unable to continue playing until the whole round ends until the ending of the round the player enters a spectator mode which they are free to roam around throughout the map and check out all the remaining actions.

CONCLUSION:

It can be concluded in a way that Counter Strike will always have this privilege that it is the starter of the prefect broad band PC gaming which will lead to revolutionize the PC gaming world.

Hello

I m Fahad Ahmed Bashir the student of Software Engineering in department of computer science karachi university.

Sega Dreamcasts Cause Of Death

Writen by Edwin Lee

What ever happened to that game console we used to call the Sega Dreamcast? Why did it suddenly disappear after 2 years of production? Was the government involved in brainwashing our minds like in George Orwell's 1984? All these questions will be answered as I investigate the Dreamcast's devastating decline.

Introduction

In the beginning it was good. Sega released a solid piece of hardware called the Dreamcast that was easy to develop games for and kicked the competition's rear ends in terms of graphics and sound. It entered the market with a strong start, selling quite well upon its release. Although the Dreamcast lacked 3rd party support, Sega's games were aplenty and the very best in quality. Sega seemed to be heading in the right direction, but two years later the company abruptly discontinued the Dreamcast.

There were 3 main causes to the downfall of the Dreamcast.

1. Piracy Issues

The Dreamcast had a serious hardware flaw which gave it the ability to play copied games and downloaded ones from the internet. Many people chose to play the pirated versions of the games rather than shell out $40-$50 at a local gaming store for the real thing. As a result, Sega was losing money on the games that its developers had spent hours designing. I call that a sad waste of talent.

2. Loss of Faith in Sega Brand

Before the Dreamcast, there was the Sega Saturn, an absolute failure. At that time, Sega was releasing new add-ons and consoles so often that nobody wanted to buy the Saturn because they feared Sega would introduce a new console and cut off game development with the current one. They were right. Sega soon released the Dreamcast and rather than gain customers, it gained a bad reputation. The media attacked Sega and denounced the Dreamcast with suspicions and doubts. The trust that Sega had once set up was now broken and people lost faith in Sega's ability to produce game systems.

3. Overhype of the PS2

The #1 selling game console in 1999 was the Sony PSOne, so naturally people were hyped up about PS2. I definitely was. PS2 was the buzz in the gaming industry. It was said to have more superior graphics, sound, and games than any of the consoles at the time. Meanwhile, the Dreamcast was already out in stores and shared similar hardware specs as the PS2, which would not be released until one year later. People overlooked the Dreamcast because they were all so overhyped about PS2 when really the two had many similarities.

Edwin Lee is the chief editor/owner of the Gimme Cheats E-zine at http://www.gimmecheats.net

Video Game Rentals The Future Of Video Game Renting

Writen by John Hinkley

Video game rentals have always been a great way for gamers to enjoy a variety of games without forking out major cash to do so. For many years, video game fanatics have enjoyed the ability to test out their reputable games before they make that commitment to purchase. With new developments emerging within the online video game rental arena, such online services like GameFly and Gottaplay have been providing even more trouble-free way of testing out a variety of video games. We'll take a closer look at these services below.

GameFly - The First Video Game Rental Company Emerges

GameFly is the very first online video game renting provider to step out on the scene as of early 2003. This company established its presence due to the lack of classic and newer release video game titles that were absent from many of the brick-and-mortar type companies (Blockbuster & Hollywood Video) found within your local area. The founders of GameFly Sean Spector and Jung Suh were very frustrated with the lack of choice, quality, and selection displayed from these video establishments. This led them to search online where they could not find anyone serving the online video game market. Shortly thereafter, both founders decided to leave their full time jobs to pursue their dreams with their very own web based video game rental service. This innovation has changed video game rentals as we know it today.

Renting Video Games Made Easy

GameFly has always followed the beliefs of the majority of video gamers around the world. This belief system was formed during the inception of GameFly and still stands strong today as the backbone structure for all other online video game renting services. This structure is contains the following:

· Gamers need easy access to both classic and newer titles within one company.

· Gamers want to have the choice of keeping a game for as long as they want for a reasonable rate.

· Gamers do not want to spend their money on bad games and should have the choice to send these games back without spending more money.

· Gamers like the ability to receive their favorite video games to their home address without making another trip to the local rental store.

· Gamers should have the option to view other gamer reviews, ratings, and comments as to avoid wasting their time on bad games.

· Gamers should be able to purchase high-quality used games with significant discounts off the retain pricing.

Setting the Standard for Online Video Game Rental Companies

Ever since the GameFly established its presence within the online game rental marketplace, many have followed in their footsteps. Countless game rental companies have come and gone with the trends of the industry, but there are a few that plan to stay. Gottaplay Interactive Inc. is one of these companies. Gottaplay seems to be the only company in 2006 that has gained a lot of credibility and market share within this industry in such a short amount of time. This company is currently giving GameFly a run for its money, with over 2,500 visitors subscribing to the service monthly. They have spent over 18 months developing their premiere game distribution software and currently launching 1 distribution center a month at the beginning of 2006. Even though Gottaplay Interactive has not launched their commercial advertising yet, they plan to focus primarily on their word-of-mouth referrals and online presense for the next year.

Other video game rental businesses are following close behind with Intelliflix trailing a close third. This company has established their own genre within the rental realm by dabbling within the movie rental, game rental, and mature movie rental arena. Even though Intelliflix does not plan to take over the game rental industry, they do plan to offer families the ability to rent for all their household member entertainment needs within one established group. Customers will enjoy a wide variety of entertaining media from this company for years to come.

Video game rentals will always exist as long as there is a market for the industr, which we all know won't be going away for at least the next century. Crack your fingers, grab a soda, and get situated in your favorite chair because there are a lot of video games to be played out there and with so many choices to choose from, the only hard part is…where to go.

For the most comprehensive video game rentals overview, reviews, articles, and rebates, come visit us at: GameRentalGuide.com

Online Game Cheats

Writen by Omar Vega

Many traditional board games are now being played online, and many people want the skills necessary to win. Play Buddy offers interactive software which assists players with online game cheats.

Each game has its own specific type of software. For example, when playing Checkers you can use the Checkers Buddy software. When you have tokens you want to protect, and you can't afford to lose them, Checkers Buddy will plot the best moves for you to take.

This will give you a much better chance at winning, even if you are faced with strong competition. The software will not be able to be detected, and you can play with ease. Hearts and Spades have similar programs which plot moves and give you an idea of the best strategy you should use.

Often, people are discouraged when trying to play games online. They meet opponents who play on a regular basis, and are very skilled. When they are beaten by these advanced players, many people give up. Interactive programs from Play Buddy make it easier for you to dominate any game you want.

It will provide you with online game cheats which will make playing games easier. Most of the traditional board games played online will have Play Buddy software which supports them. Some of the software will help you by giving you hints and clues as to the best decisions to make.

Free technical support is offered if you need any help with your software. You can upgrade for up to a year after buying it, and this will give you the latest programs which will allow you to be a stronger player. The programs are reliable, and you can depend on them in any gaming situation.

The last thing you want is to be playing in a tournament when your software fails. One error like this can cost you the game. You want to rely on a software that will work when you need it to. Whether you want to master the game of Chess, Checkers, or Pool, Play Buddy software will give you the online game cheats you need to compete.

Having access to game cheats and backdoors will allow you to enter any room you choose and beat your opponents. The most important thing is that you will become a better player with the software, and over time will be able to challenge anyone. Play Buddy makes playing games on the internet easier, and fun.

The writer of this article is the owner of the http://www.totalgamecheats.com Total Game Cheats Website. On this website you will be able to find a great viriety of cheat software for the most popular online games. You can try free most of the software before you decide if you want to buy.

Online Video Game Rentals How Do They Work

Writen by Jay Moncliff

Tired of going to the video store with the kids to rent those ever-popular video games? Many new services have cropped up in the last few years that make this parental ritual, and the late fees that go along with it, a thing of the past.

Going online to rent a video game is a great way to eliminate another errand and keep the kids happy. You never have to go any further than your mailbox, and you can keep the games until the kids are tired of them or beat them (whichever comes first).

Several services like Gamefly, Numbthumb and RentZero have begun serving this lucrative market, and the number of companies joining them is growing monthly. The concept is simple and convenient.

The services work more like a subscription than a video rental store. You select several games (up to 50 at Gamefly) that you would like to rent sometime in the future. These are placed in a lineup, or queue, that you will receive. Then, you'll consult the kids and see how many at a time they want to receive. With this information, you'll choose the subscription plan that you want. You can choose to receive one, two or three games at a time, with monthly fees that depend on the number selected. Most range from about $15.00 per month to $35.00 per month.

Your service will send the game(s) out to you along with prepaid envelopes for their return. They'll arrive in your mailbox and you'll need to carry them into the house. That's it! No arguments at the video store, no chasing kids up and down the halls, no "out of stock" problems.

Once the kids (or significant other) has enjoyed the game, you simply drop it into the postage paid envelope and put it in a mailbox. When the company receives it, they send out the next game on the list. You keep the game as long as you want.

The queue is flexible as well. Game selection can be updated on the internet, and changes to the list take effect right away. The kids can make as many modifications as they want.

All of the plans have options to purchase a game that the kids just can't seem to get enough of, and most charge pre-played game prices. However, most folks seem to enjoy trying as many games as possible each month, and you can always re-queue a game that you love.

Turnaround time is a factor, so consider where the game rental company is located. The closer you are to the mailing center, the sooner they'll receive your returns and you'll get your new games. Most of the plans average about 6-7 days from the time you mail your game back to when the new one is received, but that means you could try 4 games a month for each game subscription you get.

If you don't like investing hundreds of dollars on games that you haven't tried, or if you're just too lazy to trudge to the video store each week, online video game rental services may be for you.

Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.videogamescenter.info a website specialized on Video Game, resources and articles. This site provides updated information on Video Game. For more info visit his site: Video Game

Its Arriving Soon The Playstation 3 And The Difficult Task Of Trying To Get One

Writen by Tim Gorman

There are plenty of people who play video games out there. Some people only have enough money to buy one system and stick with it, like the Playstation 2 or XBOX. Then there are others that will buy and play every console system on the market, as well as any game they can get their hands on. Well, the time has come for a new next-gen system to hit the market. The only current next-gen system out is the XBOX 360, but in a few weeks that will all change with the arrival of the long awaited Playstation 3. Even if you don't like to play video games, there is still a large chance you have heard about this upcoming gaming system, as it is said to be the Holy Grail of consoles; which is probably why it costs as much as it does.

Before you can go out and just get a Playstation 3, you need to find out some info on the Playstation 3. The good news is that this video gaming console system has the operating power of a "super" computer and will play movies, CDs, DVDs, and of course Playstation 3 games, with an outstanding quality and performance. The bad news, which was the same basic bad news with the XBOX 360, is that its a bit pricey and many people will be eager to get their hands on one. So what exactly does that mean for you? Well, as you can already imagine, a very large dent in you wallet, as well as a very long waiting time. The dent will equal around $500-$700. Yeah, thats right half a grand on a gaming system. For some, thats not a problem. However, most people can not afford to drop that type of cash on a video game console. If you don't have the money, you're basically out of luck and you are going to need to wait a few years for the prices to drop. However, if money is not an issue, your one step closer to getting one of these next-gen systems.

OK, you got the money, now what? Well, the simple thing would be to just buy the system, right? Yeah, thats true, but the system won't be coming out for a few weeks, so there goes that plan. If you have waited this long and you suddenly realize you want a Playstation 3, there's not a whole lot you can do in order to get it immediately. Unfortunately, there will probably not be stores offering a pre-order option anymore, as the lists will have already been filled to the brim long before. Thats not to say you won't get a Playstation 3, when it launches on November 17, 2006, but considering that Christmas is just around the corner, its going to be very difficult.

Getting a Playstation 3, without a pre-order and before Christmas is going to be one tough challenge, but it can be done. Call around to different stores and try and collect some information. You will usually get the same general info from most stores, such as "You need to get on a list" and "Its going to be hard to get one this time of year". No matter what answers you get, be sure to ask about shipping dates and getting on the stores list. Most stores will give this information out freely, giving you a bit of a head start on the other consumers who aren't quite as smart as yourself. Remember to keep searching stores and see what turns up.

If you don't need the Playstation 3 as soon as it launches and you have some measure of patience, then don't sweat it. Just wait a month or two and there should be an abundance of Playstation 3 consoles to buy from several locations. Either way, your getting a remarkable game system, but how you get it is entirely up to you.

For more up-to-date information on the release of the Playstation 3 try visiting Ultimate-Video-Game-Systems.com where you will find information on the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Playstation Portable and information on the release date of the Nintendo WII.

Reviving Old Computer Games

Writen by Daniel Punch

Remember the good old days of gaming, when there were only 5 pixels in the protagonist and your imagination could turn them into a heroic figure of Schwarzenegger proportions? When the enemies and the heroes were distinguished by colour and you only needed one button on the joystick? Well times have changed and technology has moved on. Pulling my old Commodore 64 or Atari out of the back of the cupboard and setting them up often takes more time than the nostalgic pang lasts. I've also noticed that some of my old disks are starting to age and become corrupted. Enter the Internet.

The wonderfully technologically gifted and giving Internet populace is out in force in their attempts to preserve the older side of gaming. Remakes and Emulators for almost any old machine can be found around the Internet. Emulators act as a layer between old software and new hardware allowing modern PCs to run programs that such hardware was never meant to see. Commodore 64, Amiga, NES, Master System, Arcade Machines and more have all been emulated and the necessary programs placed online for download, usually for free.

Emulation is not a new idea. I had a hardware emulator for the VIC20 that plugged into the back of my Commodore 64 and allowed the use of the older VIC20 cartridges with the new hardware (I never actually owned a VIC20 or any programs for it but that's another issue). Emulator popularity has been fading in and out for many years, only coming into many people's attention with the release of Bleem!, a Playstation emulator for PC that was released while the PSOne still held a dominant share of the video game market. Bleemcast (a Playstation emulator for the Sega Dreamcast) soon followed causing one of the more interesting video game legal battles as Sony fought to have the emulator shut down. However, the emulators have a strong following and very active user base.

Emulators are easy to find and download. Simply search for the system you want and add the word emulator to the end (e.g. "SNES Emulator") and you'll probably come up with a lot of hits. Be slightly wary as some emulator sites will either be false links or may contain pornographic ads. Setting the emulators up to run is usually fairly straightforward and there's a fair chance that you'll be able to find some documentation and help. Some of the newer systems require a BIOS image to be installed with the emulator. This is to get around the legal issues raised by Sony in the Bleem! legal battles by requiring you to be in possession of a Playstation BIOS (and hence, presumably, a Playstation) in order to play the games on your computer. Making a BIOS image to load into your computer will most likely be beyond your technical expertise, but a quick check of your console's case will reveal the file you need to get and then it's as simple as searching the internet for a BIOS image that matches the BIOS you already own.

Of interest are the PC emulators now available. Windows no longer has very good support for older DOS-based games so there are a few emulators out there now to emulate the DOS environment. DOSBox (http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/) is probably the best known of the crop. There are also game-specific emulators such as ScummVM (www.scummvm.org) or DOOM Legacy (http://legacy.newdoom.com/) that focus specifically on certain games and hence are able to improve the experience for those particular titles.

Once you have yourself an emulator you'll need to get yourself some programs to run with it. These programs are called 'ROMs' and are images of the original storage device that the program came on (be it a cartridge, tape, floppy or other). The process of creating a ROM is probably far too technical for the vast majority of computer users so you're probably going to have to find a 'backup' from somewhere to download. This is where the venture gets slightly foggy. Basically the deal is that you can only have a program ROM if you own the original program. So if you have boxes of old Amiga disks, NES cartridges, or other old gaming programs stored away somewhere, you're in luck, otherwise you're treading on legally shifty ground. While it can easily be argued that the downloading of a 1987 computer game is of no real consequence to the company that has in all likelihood closed down, copyright doesn't actually expire for 50 years and computer games just haven't been around that long.

Online 'emulation' is a new area now being explored. The idea is that you simply play the game in your browser through a Java applet or Flash application. These might not always strictly be emulated programs but many remakes are feature perfect with the originals. The graphics, sounds, and game play remain intact. One excellent place to look for online games is Every Video Game (http://www.everyvideogame.com). While the site does not in fact contain 'every video game' it does have a very large list of old games from the arcades, GameBoy, NES, and Master System all playable through your browser. Many remakes can also be found at Shockwave's site (http://www.shockwave.com/sw/actiongames/arcade_classics/).

Some of the old games have even been remade and updated for this modern world we now live in. Try doing a search for remakes of a game title you particularly enjoyed and you may be surprised at what you find. There are games that have been updated to be 3D, such as some old favourites of mine: Pac man (http://www.caiman.us/scripts/fw/f1292.html) and Barbarian (http://www.dgdevteam.tk/), and while these might not always be brilliant games or remakes in their own right, the thought and effort put in often leads to an enjoyable diversion. There are also more traditional versions of games that have just updated the code as well as possibly the graphics so that they can still be run.

So if you're feeling nostalgic or just can't get the hang of these new-fangled games that require you to push fifty buttons in a precise configuration just to jump, you may like to check out the emulation and remake scene. It's surprisingly entertaining to go back in time to when games were simple yet fun.

Daniel Punch M6.Net Web Helpers http://www.m6.net

What Is Xbox360

Writen by Anil Kumar Pammidimukkala

Xbox 360 is the successor to Xbox video game console from Microsoft. It was referred to in the past as Xbox Next or Xbox 2 or simply Project Xenon. Microsoft has scheduled its launch just before Christmas of 2005, the biggest shopping season although it was unveiled on 12.05.2005 on MTV. Xbox 360 is an answer to Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Revolution game consoles. Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system as it is fully known as would usher a totally new era of high definition digital entertainment which is personalized and connected always.

Who designed the Xbox 360?

Xbox 360 is designed by the very innovative Astro studios, San Francisco, USA in collaboration with Hers Experimental Design Laboratory, Osaka, Japan, resulting in sleek and stylish exterior packed with powerful hardware, software and services.

The Xbox 360 comes with:

Xbox Gamer Guide: An entertainment gateway that connects to your games, movie, friends, music and available downloadable content. The Xbox Guide Button, a one touch interface gives you instant access to content you want, be it the gamer card of the player who just invited you to play, or to new downloadable content for the game you are currently running.

Personalized interface:

Xbox 360 lets you create your own customised system for a unique experience. With changeable facia plates, it is very easy to change the make up of your console. Power on your system and you can customize the look and feel of the System Guide and Gamer Guide with various unique skins. The faces and skins can form a unique combination to reflect your personality.

Ring of Light:

The Xbox 360 console is divided into four glowing quadrants which are also collectively called the Ring of Light. This Ring of Light, along with the Xbox Guide button controls the entire system. The guide button visually connects you to your games. The Guide button apart from connecting and controlling your experience also controls the startup and shutdown of the system. . The Xbox 360 supports both wired and wireless controllers and accessories by the virtue of which all operations can be controlled from the comfort of your couch.

Xbox Live:

Xbox 360's Xbox Live is where games and entertainment come alive. This is a unified interface where you can play with anyone, anytime anywhere. By connecting your Xbox 360 to a broadband internet connection, you can instantly access Xbox Live Silver, to announce your digital identity via your gamer tag or gamer card. You can talk to others using voice chat, and access the Xbox Live Marketplace — all right out of the box, at no extra cost. When you upgrade to Xbox Live Gold, you get access to the ever exciting world of online multiplayer gaming. By using intelligent matchmaking, and accessing all your achievements and statistics, Xbox Live Gold brings you nearer to your competition at your terms.

Games:

Xbox 360 redefines the whole gaming experience in terms of what they look like, sound like, feel like, and play like in order to engage you like never before. All Xbox 360 titles have resolutions of 1080i and 720p resolution in 16:9 widescreen formats, anti-aliasing support for movie-like graphics and of course, multi-channel surround sound. Not to mention you can amplify your music, photos, video, and TV. You can watch DVD movies in the comfort of your couch. Xbox 360 also supports progressive-scan DVD's. The Xbox 360 hard drive can be used to rip music and share your latest albums and pictures with friends and family.

Xbox 360 Accessories Fact Sheet

A successor of the Xbox gaming system, Microsoft's new Xbox 360 and its unique line of Xbox 360 system accessories extend your digital entertainment experience beyond the console.

Xbox 360 Faceplates

A never before feature – Xbox 360 is centralized around gamers. As a fully customizable design, Xbox 360 gives you the freedom of changing the look of the console to reflect your tastes and personality. The face plates like most Nokia Cellular phones can be changed with extreme ease to express your moods or your sense of style.

* Interchangeable faceplates allow you to create a unique system.

* Find cool, swappable and changeable cutting-edge designs.

* Faceplates come in a lot of varieties and designs.

* Regardless of chosen faceplates, the system remains fully functional.

Xbox 360 Memory Unit

Xbox 360 comes with a 64MB memory unit to further enhance your gaming experience. This memory unit facilitates you to save the in-game achievements and gamer profiles. These units are portable and enable you to start off from where you left quickly and easily. You can easily carry around the Memory Unit in a carrying case which is extremely portable and can fit on a keychain. This memory unit is absolute plug'n'play. Xbox 360 can hold up to two memory units, thus making it upgradeable.

Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote

The Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote is designed in such a way that it becomes an integrated control center for the entire Xbox 360 system. The Media Remote facilitates your entry into the world of digital entertainment by the touch of a single button. Play DVD's, music, control your TV and your PC with a single integrated controller. This option is to let you kick back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

Accessories Designed for Xbox Live

Xbox Live Camera

The Xbox Live Camera for Xbox 360 lets you video chat and message with your friends and gives up the true gaming and entertainment experience. As an integrated part of Xbox 360's Xbox Live experience you can connect and communicate with friends while playing, listening to music or watching movies. When you play motion-detection-enabled games online the Xbox live camera inserts you into the game and helps you control the characters.

Xbox 360 Headset

The Xbox 360 Headset enlivens the online gaming experience beyond your imagination helping you to talk to friends, your team mates to finalize strategies or trash talk your opponents out of the game through Xbox Live, all this during play time. Xbox Live also comes with a message service which you can use to leave short vocal messages for your family or friends.

Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter

The Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter takes your Xbox 360 experience way beyond your home, synchronizing with the Xbox 360 main system seamlessly. You can transfer videos and music to your Xbox 360 system from your PC with ease, chat up your colleagues and friends, play games using Xbox Live, and more without wiring it all up.

Xbox 360 Wireless Controller

Xbox 360 through the optimized wireless technology offers the ultimate in wireless gaming within a 30 ft range for 40 hours with the help of 2 AA batteries. With warning systems in place you can plug & charge with ample notice for uninterrupted playing. The wireless controller also supports the Xbox 360 headset for voice communication. The wireless controller has all the functionality of the standard controller enabling you to use all the gaming and entertainment features from your couch. The wired controller comes with a 9 ft cable.

XBox 360 Modchips will be available shortly after the release of the XBox 360 at www.cheapmodchips.net, who guarantee the lowest prices and quickest service on the web! These will allow your XBox 360 to host even more features and the ability to backup games!

Nintendo Ds Beats Sony Psp In Japan

Writen by Ron Swerdfiger

Recently, video game sales stats in Japan have been released that show unlike the week before, the Nintendo DS was able to out sell the Sony PSP. Nintendo may struggle in the competitive market in North American, but in Japan, Nintendo is still the king of the land.

Media Create, a leading analyst firm in Japan, shows that in the week of January 16th-22nd, Nintendo held nine out of the top ten spots in software sales. Among these popular games in Japan are Animal Crossing 2, Super Mario Strikers, Brain Training and Brain Training 2, Mario Kart DS, and Monster Hunter portable, amongst others. Also, in the same time period, the Nintendo DS was #1 amongst system sales with 64,515, which was 26,244 more than the Sony PSP

Comparatively, the Xbox 360 continues to struggle in Japan. The week before, Microsoft sold 6,107 consoles, while this week, only 3,616 were sold.

It will be interesting to compare this date once the Sony PS3 and the Nintendo Revolution are released. Most likely, the now popular handhelds will have to make way for the hugely anticipated consoles. The question remains though; who will win the console war in Japan?

When Nintendo released market share data for the handheld video game industry it revealed that Game Boy Advance holds 41% of the market, the Nintendo DS at 31% and the PSP at a close 28% though it released just four months after the DS launch in North America and has been overshadowed by a DS sales surge thanks to the large list of well liked first-party games.

however, for the time being, these statistics show that Nintendo is still holding strong in the video gaming market in Japan due in part to great games and Wi-Fi connection

Console sales In Japan from January 16th-22nd

1. DS: 64,515 (210,177)
2. PSP: 38,271 (228,714)
3. PS2: 26,271 (146,097)
4. GBASP: 7,912 (35,338)
5. GBM: 4,653 (22,813)
6. GC: 4,490 (23,378)
7. X360: 3,616 (17,200
8. GBA: 236 (1,033)
9. Xbox: 83 (358

For more news, check out our Xbox 360 site or our Nintendo Revolution site.

Nintendo Taking Market Share

Writen by John Bravo

5: Shifting Media Man
Nintendo needs to ditch mini-disks and cartridges and publish games on full size compact disks. It will help get rid of your "cute, fuzzy, little kid image."

4: Deadline Driving for 8 Billion Red Coins
Don't hype up a game until you're sure you can release it on time. You get me all worked up about a game like Twilight Princess and then push it back, and back, and back until you've pushed back into another console! It gets old! Stop doing it. Finish the game then tell people about it six month before you release it. Problem solved.

3: Footrace with Sony the Quick
It's a little late for this one Nintendo, but you need to beat Sony to the market if you can. Get your Revolution hardware out and in our hands and take our dollars as soon as possible because after we buy an X-Box 360, 4 controllers, and a hard drive we're probably going to have enough money for just one Next Gen system. If you can beat Sony to the market and suck up $250 bucks plus the cost of controllers, games, and memory cards people won't be willing to shell out the $600 bucks plus games and accessory money for Play Station III.

2. Nintendo's Image Lost
You need to fix your image, you have the 3-9 year old market cornered, and nobody can touch you, but now its time to graduate to the big leagues. If you want to survive and latch onto the adult audience I suggest buying a well-known franchise like Grand Theft Auto or create one and make it a Nintendo exclusive. Remind people Nintendo started the age of multiplayer console shooters with Goldeneye.

1. To the Top of the Mountain
Last, but not least, you seriously need to get a better shell for your controller. I personally like it and think it's brilliant, but people aren't ready for it yet. You need to have a more traditional controller for your next gen system. I'm NOT SAYING YOU SHOULD GET RID OF THE MOTION SENSOR, but definitely scrap the remote control look.

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How Powerful Is The Nintendo Revolution

Writen by Ron Swerdfiger

Game developer Midway revealed in a recent job posting that they were looking for a designer for a next-gen first person shooter using the powerful Unreal Engine 3. In the job posting, Midway accidently mentioned some news on a next-gen First Person Shooter in the works.

Midway will release the game for each new next gen console, the Xbox360, the Playstation 3, and the Nintendo Revolution. As well the game will play based on Unreal Engine 3 technology.

Could the Nintendo Revolution be more powerful than previously expected? Nintendo has admitted that the Revolution will most likely not be as powerful as the Xbox 360 or the Sony PS3, but by how much? If the Nintendo Revolution can handle the Unreal Engine 3 technology, Nintendo just might be holding back on us.

Historically, Nintendo has been known to be very tight lipped about release dates for their new, highly anticipated products. The Revolution, is following the same trend. However, despite Nintendo's steadfast policy of keeping the information on the down-low, many sources are hinting that Nintendo is planning on releasing their "revolutionary" new system this fall, near Thanksgiving to be precise.

By May at the E3, all of the the answers regarding the Nintendo Revolution shouls be answered.

For more news, check out our Xbox 360 site or our PS3 site.

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Pc Game Review Telltale Texas Hold Em

Writen by Konstantinos Dimopoulos

Poker Ladies. The sinuous ladies, that haunted my early youth. A sexy coin-op money-sink, that forced me to (illegally, according to my age at the time) enter seedy arcades in order to see badly-drawn manga-styled nude ladies doing naughty stuff. I did learn to play the American 52-card version of poker though, and I was only 13. Now, that's something I call a good start in my life. And I owe it all to Poker Ladies. I could have of course waited for something more than a decade and enjoy their dancing for free in MAME, but that would have been too late. No one can pull through high school and university without decent poker skills, just like nowadays nobody can avoid stupidly watching Texas Hold'em tournaments on TV.

Telltale Texas Hold'Em is not on TV, it's on the PC instead. It was actually the first game released by the (hopefully) adventure maestros of Telltale, and has been around for quite some time. It is apparently a poker game. Of the Texas Hold'Em variety. This of course is neither a serious gambler's tutoring software instructor, nor a hardcore/ultra-powerful simulation. Even though Telltale Texas Hold'em does play a decent and varied poker game, its great appeal is the atmosphere and the characters. Characters and atmosphere in a poker game I hear you say? Well, yes. You'll be playing against four lovingly animated and fully 3d characters, each sporting a unique personality and thus a unique playing style. Their mid-game banter is excellent, amusing and at times downright funny, their facial expressions are great, and the whole thing is well directed. The camera pans, cuts and zooms correctly, the players look suspiciously around, move their chips, Grandma talks about her dead husbands and Boris tries to be a quite desperate bully. Voice acting is superb, and really helps flesh out those four quirky characters you'll be gambling against. Characters that are a testimony to Telltale's origins: none other than the 90s Lucasarts adventures.

The most impressive part of this game is the variety and quantity of the dialog included. You'll need to play for quite some time before some expressions start feeling overused and even after 25 hours of poker action you'll still hear the odd unexpected line and/or joke. Great writing and smart programming make all this possible in a download that's less than 20 megas. Unfortunately not much else is included in those less-than-20- megas. There is only one mode of play, only 4 characters to play against, one room to gamble in, one possible screen resolution and a too simple tutorial/introduction text.

On the other hand, Telltale Texas Hold 'Em only costs $12.99,and will definitely provide you with hours and hours of mindless entertainment. After all, you will quickly learn when to fold, when to raise your bet, when to bluff or when to call the other characters' bluff.

Visit the official website (at http://www.telltalegames.com) and have a look. Download the demo; it's the least you can offer yourselves.

That's a (seven) out of (ten)

the Gnome... a specialist time waster, trying to save a little time for his phd...

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How To Bridge Halo 2

Writen by Brendan McCaffery

Well, I've figured out how to bridge Halo 2. Please, only use it to kick out modders. Don't abuse it. Don't be a poopface.

Well anyways, this is how you bridge Halo 2.

First, connect your router to your PC, which it should be already.

Next, connect your PC to your Xbox. You need to have two ethernet ports in your computer to connect it. Remember to use a crossover cable(a system link cable) to connect the PC to the Xbox.

If you want to force host, you will want to get ZoneAlarm, which is a security program. If you want to force host, you'll probably need Commview, which is a program that monitors your LAN connections(it gives you their IP address). Make sure to turn all of your internet security settings to low on ZoneAlarm and everything else.

To give host to someone, get their IP address from Commview. Go into a party where they(whoever you want to have host)is the only person and get their IP address. Enter it into Zonealarm's trusted section along with Xbox Live's IP address. Then turn the security settings to high and your trusted zone to medium. This will force host to the trusted IP address(the trusted IP address can be your own).

To boot someone, you must have host and go to ZoneAlarm. Get the IP address of whomever you want to boot from Commview and enter it into the Blocked section of Zonealarm.

Continue to start up your Xbox then unplug your ethernet cable to get to the troubleshooter. Copy down your DNS server codes.

Then, go to My Computer> View Network Connections> Highlight both Connections with the shift key(hold shift and click on both items).

Right click and select bridge connections.

Note: make sure to enter your DNS codes when it is asked for in the troubleshooter.

This will bridge the game and will either lag players out or force host.

Remember, only bridge Halo 2 to get rid of modders. If you bridge against me, I will hXc cyber punch you in the face.

Brendan McCaffery is an avid fan of Halo 2. He runs his own fan site, Halo Insider, which offers free tips, cheats, and strategies.

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