Video Game Trading Equals Big Business

Video game trading is a matter of taking your old games, be them for old gaming consoles such as the Nintendo classic or first version of the PlayStation to the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, and exchanging them for either cash or more games. This practice has been around for quite some time starting back when we were kids and would take the games in our collections that were older and played a lot and traded them to our friends for the games they no longer required the ownership of. This prevented us from having to spend a small fortune on new games when they came out and if you owned multiple systems it really bolstered our possible selections.Money is very important. It's even more important to big companies.

Corporations thrive on the little guy needing exactly what it is they want. Companies who are in the business of retail operations are left with surplus merchandise, the stock that just doesn't seem to go anywhere. It takes up space on the shelves where other product, product that could very well sell, could be sitting. This is stagnant money flow and keeps it tied up in product instead of being inside the cash register. The gaming stores are tough businesses to be in. There are many avenues that sell video games and video game systems as well as peripherals including Target, Wal-Mart and hundreds of stores in between. But if you walk into any of those stores with a game in your hand and make your way back to the electronics department and ask the guy behind the counter to kindly give you a game in the case in exchange for the game in your hand he'd laugh at you and you'd wind up thrown out of the store. Video game trading isn't much of a science. You have a game or games that you do not want.

Someone you know has a game you do want and, lucky for you, they happen to want the game that you no longer have a use for. So you trade and everyone is happy. This is the same thing that stores like GameStop, EB Games and Game Crazy do. They have all these old games they procured from the inevitable sources such as game store closings, warehouse closings and buying useless back stock. The games are pretty much useless. A lot of them no longer work so they spend a little time cleaning up and deoxidizing the chips inside the plastic. Now they have a veritable license to print money. The games are originally purchased for pennies on the dollar. Old accessories and peripherals round out their used goods. They also carry the usual full line of new games and accessories as trading is only part of their game giving the buyer an opportunity to purchase larger ticket items.Your game isn't worth much really. They usually will allow you to trade in two to five games at a time for store credit, $1.00 or $2.00 a title depending on the system and condition. They've just increased their inventory of trade and sell stock while losing about 1% of the profit off a new item.

You get more money for trade-in value than discounts on new. It's the same principles that the car dealers use. With new cars they make maybe $400.00, but if you've traded in your Cherokee, blue booked at $4,900.00 for roughly $2,500 they'll lose $800.00-$1,000.00 on the new car but will sell the traded-in car for around $6,800.00 making them nearly $5,000.00 and if you decided to finance they make more off of interest.So when you take your old games into a corporate branded store you best be prepared to be saddened by the lack of exchange you'll get for the game. Instead look on-line in message boards or other sites for video game trading. I'm sure you'll do much better not going toward the corporate gaming community. 

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/696000

Paparazzi Game Review- What A Ride

Get Ready To Be Addicted To Paparazzi Game

Paparazzi is an amazingly addictive fun puzzle game Ever since the launch of the Paparazzi game, over 5,000,000 folks just like you have downloaded game Paparazzi. With 3 various and different game modes, such as spot the item, find the difference, and also quick shot.
Download game Paparazzi will have you digging up dirt on celebrities like you've never done before.

Paparazzi Game - The Competition Abounds

The game Paparazzi is even more fun and wildly entertaining. The paparazzi game is also extremely competitive, but one never does hear about the paparazzi getting pounded on by anyone but the celebrities that they harass. The original Paparazzi game was a great success and was also played by almost three million people. The Game Paparazzi allows you play against friends and family members to ascertain who may be the best at avoiding the spotlight or snapping a photo that is worthy of the tabloid's.

Game Paparazzi - Earn Money

This Flash game will allow the player to actually be the Paparazzi and take photos of all kinds of celebrities whether they're being good or bad at the time. The better shots that you take the more money you can earn and the quicker you can advance to the ensuing level.

Paparazzi Game - Hot On The Trail

You will chase the trail to all of the hot gossip and ridiculous news in Game Paparazzi. This game Paparazzi has the It has the capacity to be a great puzzle game, and it is extremely obvious that mountains of work went into the game's development process. I am waiting anxiously to see Paparazzi expand and improve and become an even greater game.

Paparazzi Game Full Version Is A Must Have

The full version of Game Paparazzi offers an unlimited amount of play time. Game Paparazzi full version also offers 10 different photo assignments, and 15 distinct and unique locations. Game Paparazzi is one of those ever enthralling and addictive games where you may find yourself still sitting at the keyboard after several hours of play.
I definitely suggest downloading game Paparazzi or purchasing the full version to ensure plenty of playing time.

Paparazzi Game - Incredible Graphics and Effects

Paparazzi game features incredible graphics, funny characters, and strange and wildly bizarre adventures. Game Paparazzi is a great game for the whole family. In actuality, it is a lot of fun even if you have never thought of being an actual paparazzi.

Paparazzi Game - You Are The Paparazzi

Game Paparazzi allows you to experience the adrenaline occupied existence of a tabloid photographer. The paparazzi game gossip celebrity perspective of Paparazzi game does put a radically cool spin on proven game formats that have already been proven to be highly effective and popular in various games.

Credit to the original author
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/635038

So You Want to Get A Video Game Tester Job

So you want to find out about video game tester jobs. To be able to get a job as a video game beta tester you will need to be persistent. Believe it or not, the competition is high for such lucrative and enjoyable employment. Who wouldn't want to do it. From teenagers to old farts like me. But, I suppose, after thousands of hours of sitting on your butt playing games, it could easily start feeling like a job. Oh but what a job...until that happens.

A great game tester can be the game programmer's worst enemy. The best game tester's will find the bugs and program errors that nobody else can, almost nobody anyway. The job of the video game tester is to scour the game to find bugs and programming errors before the game is released to the public and to assist the programmer's in fixing these bugs.

Most successful video game tester's have worked their way up through the ranks from just game testing to a earning a lucrative position with game designer's. You could also look at being a video game tester as one rung in the ladder toward a career in the game design industry. Who knows where you could go after this.

Video game tester's are a necessity to game manufacturers, these nationwide companies cannot produce and release games to the public that contain programming errors and bugs. Games that customers would return in droves would cost the manufacturers millions in losses, and untold millions in the loss of customer "goodwill".

These multi million dollar game manufacturing companies invest millions of dollars in just the development of one game. All this could be undone with just one unnoticed glitch in the game's programming code. Now you see why there are plenty of opportunities in video game tester jobs.

Video game testing will normally be on a personal computer, a PlayStation with the most current technology, Xbox, etc...
To be a game tester, you need to have a fairly in depth knowledge of the equipment you will be testing with, for example, consoles and operating systems of the platform you will be using for video game testing.

A video game tester's main responsibilities will include reporting, bug testing, game features and game balance. As a video game tester you may be required to work at a local testing center, while some work may be sent in the mail for completion from your location.

If you are a top video game tester, you can expect to earn in excess of $80.00 per hour, which will mean over $200,000.00 per year in salary.

The video gaming industry will continue to grow year after year for decades to come. Every year will require more and more video game tester job's to meet the demand of the video game manufacturers. If you are interested in a video game tester job. Just know that the competition for these positions is fierce, after all who wouldn't want a job as a video game tester. Use your resources wisely in locating
these positions, they are worth their weight in gold. Good Luck.

Credit to the original author
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/635004

Online Games-Fragging On The Net

Online games - spoken casually or formally - normally refer to video games that are played on a computer using an Internet connection. There are video games that are played online using devices such as video consoles (Playstation, X-Box) and mobile phones, but online games generally mean PC games that can be played only when you are connected to the Internet. These games kicked off in the 1980s even as Internet connectivity was slow and expensive. The earliest versions of these games were simple multiplayer text-based games. In the 1990s these games started getting popular, and today they feature high-end graphics, virtual communities, and lots more.

Types Of Online Games

Online games can be of the following types - (1) First-person shooters: Here the players battle with each other head-to-head. In most first-person shooters games, there are online components that allow deathmatch/arena style play. In these games the view you see in the gameplay is the one seen from your character's eyes. (2) Real-time strategy games: These are games where you have to develop a combat strategy or gameplan by building resources and making a strong army so that you are able to fight with other Internet players. (3) Browser games: These are simple, small, and quick pastime games that can be played on your browser. They are developed using the popular Shockwave or Java technologies. (4) Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG): These are online games that can support thousands of players from all over the world simultaneously, playing with or against each other in a giant virtual world and also interacting with each other. Here a person has to keep leveling up till he reaches the maximum possible level written for the game. These games can keep a gamer engaged for months or even years!

How Online Games Make Money

Today, every game is playable online. The question before the company that is making these games is how to make money. Most companies make single-player games that can be played at home. In these games the player has to overcome the artificially intelligent enemies. These games feature an online multiplayer gameplay model, using which a user can play with or against other Internet players. These companies make their money by selling their game CDs/DVDs [Examples: Warcraft 3, Counter Strike]. The browser game companies survive by revenues generated from advertising and promotions. Many MMORPG companies keep adding content by developing new patches in their games and they charge a monthly fee from the players [Example: Everquest 2, World of Warcraft]. Some of them do not, and survive because of their CD/DVD sales [Example: Guild Wars].

One last thing about the title: "Fragging" in game jargon stands for finishing off a player or an artificially intelligent enemy.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/440654

What Makes a Good Game, and Where Will it Lead Us From Here?

Considering the variety of different games available to us, let alone the type of games; flash, Internet, computer, video game, it's really hard to be able to say what makes a good game a good game. However, no matter how hard of a question this is, many people are still asking it. I'm sure I could list a few games I love in the console world such as Need For Speed and the ever popular Tom Clancy trilogies, but just because I may like these games, doesn't mean everyone else does! Examples of good games are out there but, they don't really answer the question at hand. All in all I think for everyone, the question; what is a good game? Comes down to a few major attributes. These attributes are included in the following paragraphs, these are of course generalizations and don't count towards or include game titles, there are merely categorical opinions.

The Game Design - In some instances you may hear people talking about the design of the game, and how it does or doesn't "work" with the game. Usually when people are talking about the design they are speaking in specifics of how the game was set up, and the rules of the game or the rules of engagement so to speak. The phrase is also expended to distinguish both the game design embodied in an actual game as well as software documentation that identifies such a design. Other attributes of the gaming design include; narrative, mechanics, visual arts, programming and audio.

Game Play - This includes all player experience during the interaction with gaming systems, particularly formal games. Appropriate utilization is coupled with acknowledgment to "what the player does". Arising alongside game evolution in the 1980s, game play was applied exclusively within the context of video or computer games, though now its popularity has begun to see use in the description of other more traditional game forms. Broadly Speaking, the phrase game play in video game language is used to identify the overall experience of playing the game omitting factors like artwork and sound!

Graphics - Back in the days of the original Nintendo and even flash based games like Asteroids, the graphics were very "blocky" of course most of didn't even realize it at the time until newer consoles like SNES and particularly XBOX and XBOX 360 came out. I think the important of graphics is more steadily sought after nowadays because people want to the best. It's been argued that the differences between XBOX and XBOX 360 are different or aren't different. Just the same, more people have bought XBOX 360 than XBOX, maybe for this reasoning alone.

Game Engine - This is a software system designed for the creation and development of computer and video games. There are many game engines that are contrived to work on video game consoles and desktop operating systems such as Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows. The core functionality typically provided by a game engine includes a rendering engine ("renderer") for 2D or 3D graphics, a physical science engine or collision detection (and collision reaction), sound, scripting, animation, AI, networking, streaming, memory management, threading, and a scene graph. The procedure of game maturation is oftentimes economised by in large part reusing the same game engine to create different games.

Character Creation - Also known as Character generation is the procedure of defining a pretend character for a game. Usually, a character's individual strengths and weaknesses are presented by a set of stats. Games that have a mostly fictional circumstance may include traits such as race and class. Games with a more contemporary or narrower setting may limit customization to physical and personality traits.

Some people play games because of the attributes listed above, and they simply won't play or won't enjoy a game if the graphics are less than perfect or if the characters are annoying or if the game play is buggy, but others, play games simply because it's a way to take a break from the real world, it's a way to get away from the ordinary humdrum of our regular lives, and some of us though sometimes anal about the specifics of a console game, don't use those same criticism when playing something like an online flash based game because we know they aren't made the same way (not really anyway).

Since Asteroids in the 80s, there have been several million different flash based games released, some of these are by big whig companies and others are developed by individuals that simply enjoy making games. These games have come a long way from Asteroids and the like, and now you have all sorts of categories to choose from.

In reality, flash based games can only get better from here on in, but I think that's the same with any type of games or gaming simply because of the technological innovations that keep being created! In the end, it really depends on the user playing the game, as to what makes a good game. You be the judge!

Credit to the original author
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1774492

How to Pick Video Games Both Parents and Their Kids Will Love

To hear parents tell it, the perfect video game is educational, provides small life lessons, strengthens hand eye coordination, and keeps the kids entertained for roughly 30 minutes at a time. Listening to kids, however, it appears that educational qualities rank far below the needs for speed, action, rad moves, and great weapons. It is hard to believe that there are games which fulfill the requirements hoped for by both parents and kids.

Parents should always make the time to play the games alongside their kids; the only problem with using this approach to picking video games is the fact that the game is already in the house and the money spent. Opened games are rarely returnable and once they are in the house and their hot little hands, kids will not let go of games without a lot of arguing, complaining, and upset. Thus, making an informed decision prior to bringing the games home is a must!

So how does a parent go about picking out a video game for the children to play? Reading the back of the cover is unlikely to present a lot of information whereas the buzz on the Internet can be so forbiddingly filled with insider lingo that it is hard to discern if the game is appropriate, too violent, or perhaps even contains content that is objectionable.

At the same time, simply because a game is very popular and the evening news shows long lines of consumers waiting outside the stores for them to go on sale, does not mean that it offers the kind of game play the parent wants to invite into the home. Fortunately, there are five simple steps to picking video games both parents and their kids will love. These steps are not complicated, require a minimum of effort, and are rather reliable.

1. Check the ESRB Rating

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) developed a rating system that ranks game content according to age appropriateness. The ratings are "EC," "E," "E 10+," "T," "M," "AO," and "RP."

Games designated with an "EC" are educational and fun for preschoolers and young grade-schoolers. An "E" notes that the games are appropriate for all players, and while preschoolers might have more of a learning curve to get the game-play right, there is no objectionable content. Look out for games rated with an "E 10+" since these games are reserved for kids older than 10. Some mild language is usually incorporated into the game.

A game rated "T" is reserved for teens, and parents should know that violence, sexual innuendo, partial nudity, and also curse words are par for the course. "M" for mature indicates games for those over the age of 17 and the blood, guts, gore, and sex are legendary in these games. Upping the ante are games marked "AO" or adults only, as they are "M" squared. An "RP" rating simply means that a rating is pending, and parents should hold off on buying the game until the rating has been apportioned.

2. Read the ESRB Content Descriptors

Since preschoolers and grade-schoolers cannot simply be pigeonholed into age brackets, but should be much further differentiated by their maturity levels, parents will be wise to read the ESRB content descriptions on the backs of the video game packets. They list potentially objectionable content.

For example, "animated blood" refers to purple, green, or other kinds of unrealistic blood that may be shown during game play, while a listing of "blood" is an indicator that realistically depicted blood is part of the game play. Children highly sensitive to blood may not enjoy playing these games, even if they are rated for their age brackets.

3. Understand the Classifications When Shopping For Older Kids

Parents who have braved the age appropriate ratings, and also made it through reading the descriptions may now be stumped by a further classification: the kind of game-play their kids may expect.

Older kids may like "FPS" (First Person Shooter) games that put them into the action from a first person perspective, rather than seeing the character they are controlling doing the actions -- which is the case in "TPS" (Third Person Shooter) games. In addition, some games are classified by the kinds of content that provides the storyline, such as vehicle simulation games, strategy games, or sports and puzzle games.

Shooter games are the most violent while strategy games are perhaps the most educational. Puzzle games require strategic thinking but do not offer a lot of action moves that appeal to teens.

4. Visit the Game Platform Manufacturer Website

Parents may visit the website for the gadget that will ultimately allow the kids to play the video games. This may be the website for PlayStation, GameCube, Nintendo, Xbox, and a host of sub-platforms. The companies list the video games made for them, their ratings, and more often than not also post trailers, screen shots, and brief outlines of the actual game itself.

Although such a website does not offer an in depth and unbiased analysis of the game, it is a rather useful tool for getting a good feel about game play and content without having to rely solely on a rating, the back of a package, or the marketing efforts.

5. Check with Organizations That Offer Independent Game Evaluations

There are various organizations that are not tied in with the video game industry and still offer advice to parents. Some groups focus on the educational aspects while others are faith based and review the games from this angle. Find a group that meets your personal criteria and peruse the reviews on various games you are considering for your kids.

One of the most well known groups is the Entertainment Consumers Association that offers insight into the industry as well as the games. Parents who want more detailed information about the games they are considering will do well to visit the forums and websites of such groups and learn from other parents whose kids might already be playing these games.

Since these are interactive forums, parents have the unique ability to actually ask questions of other parents, and if there is a particular concern about a game, this is the venue where to get more information.

If All Else Fails

Of course, if all else fails, there is the old fallback on the classic games and characters. Crash Bandicoot, Mario, Spyro, and Pokémon are game characters which have been around for a while and in a host of incarnations. Even as the educational value of some of these games is debatable, they do offer rip-roaring fun, rad moves, and most certainly the entertainment value the kids appreciate most. At the same time, they eschew foul language, nudity, and explicit violence parents object to.

Parents in a time crunch or those who simply cannot find a game that meets their standards will usually find a winner in these genres. Moreover, since they are part and parcel of a popular series, parents and kids can make the buying decisions together. For example, the popular Mario games offer offshoots like "Luigi's Mansion" that offers the exploration of a haunted house, while other offshoots are cart racing games.

Completely different game play -- yet the same reassuring characters and the same level of appropriateness -- make this a premier opportunity for parents and children to agree on the game play the kids would like to try out, while staying away from potentially objectionable games that offer similar game play.

Credit to the original author
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1489347

Custom Gaming Laptops - Five Things You Must Consider When Building a Gaming Laptop

Gone are the days when you would have been laughed at if you walked into an all-night LAN party carrying your trusty laptop and expecting to hang with the giant computer towers standing at everyone's feet. The gaming laptop computers of today sport huge, crisp LCD screens, cutting-edge video cards and full-size keyboards. Not only can these gaming laptop computers hang with the standard clunky computer tower, but they can also be ordered fully custom to meet the exact specifications of any gamer.

Since there are so many customizable components in these laptops, a standard practice has been to create what some call a "system builder." This is the page where you get to add and subtract components through drop-down menus in order to create the best gaming laptop computer for your needs and your budget. This type of page can be overwhelming to someone just starting the gaming laptop shopping process, but it is very manageable if you take it just one component at a time.

The Gaming Laptop GPU

This is the heart of a gaming laptop computer. The GPU (graphics processing unit) is a component that will make or break your gaming experience. If your GPU isn't up to snuff, your games won't play.

Without getting into specific models since they change all the time, the key is that the graphics card not share resources with the computer. A gaming laptop video card must have its own memory on board. Generally speaking, standard off-the-shelf laptops will not have this feature. The two current makers of laptop video cards are nVIDIA and ATI.

Without the Screen, You Don't Have Much

What good is a gaming laptop without a screen that can actually render your games? Now certainly, you can connect an external monitor, but if you can't actually play on your gaming laptop without that external monitor, then your laptop isn't all that mobile.

While the technology and terminology for LCDs (liquid crystal displays) could take up an entire article in itself, there are a few key points to keep in mind when choosing from available LCD options for your new gaming laptop computer: native resolution, aspect ratio, rise and fall time, contrast, viewing angle, and size.

Native Resolution. The native resolution is simply the setting at which your screen will render the clearest images. Since games are constantly in motion, slightly soft edges may not bother most gamers, but keep in mind that while this is your gaming laptop, you will likely also use it for other things like surfing the Internet. If the resolution isn't comfortable, you aren't going to enjoy using it.

Aspect Ratio. As you probably know, a movie theater screen and a TV screen have different proportions. Likewise, there are widescreen format gaming laptops and there are laptops that have a standard aspect ratio -- like that of a TV. A widescreen format gaming laptop (a 16:10 ratio) has advantages and disadvantages. Many games today do not have a widescreen mode. This means that the game may stretch across the screen and become distorted or you may run it with black bars that fill in the sides. There are ways to get around this, but if you want an out of the box perfect experience, the widescreen format may not be for you.

That said, a widescreen LCD does offer plenty of screen real estate for web surfing and other type of computer activities, and a game played in a wide format setting offers an expansive field of view. For this reason, there are some very loyal widescreen-loving gamers out there.

Do your best to find a balance between current and future technology and what your computer habits are beyond gaming. Even with its limitations, the widescreen format is found on most of the best gaming laptop computers.

Rise and Fall. The phrase 'rise and fall time' is used to describe how fast the LCD can respond to changes. In the past, LCDs have been plagued with the inability to render images as fast as computer games can spit them out. This presents a major problem for laptop gamers because if they can't see the images properly, they can't play the game properly. This lag can mean the difference between playing to win and barely playing.

Fortunately, gaming laptop LCDs have come a long way and they are only getting better. While once it was impossible to game on a laptop screen, the gaming laptop LCDs of today offer 25 milliseconds or less rise and fall time while generally off-the-shelf laptops have 40 milliseconds or less rise and fall time.

Contrast. If a gaming laptop LCD has poor contrast, that means that the black areas aren't quite as black as they should be and the white areas aren't quite as white. This is important to a laptop gamer because you have to see the game properly -- as it was intended to be seen -- in order to compete effectively. Look for a contrast ratio of 400:1 or higher in a custom gaming laptop computer.

Viewing Angle. This is an often-overlooked LCD feature, but it must be considered if you are building a gaming laptop computer. Many high quality LCDs on the market are difficult to see clearly at any angle other than straight on and at the right height. This can be a big drawback to gaming on a LCD screen because a screen with poor viewing angles won't allow others to watch the screen as you play and also hurts your view when doing something as simple as adjusting your seating, which can require you to then adjust to position of your laptop screen to see it properly again.

But gaming on a laptop does not mean that you are doomed to have poor viewing angles. There are LCDs on the market that have amazing viewing angles -- up to 120 degrees. These screens not only allow gaming onlookers, but they also allow you to use that giant, crisp screen to do things like play movies and even make presentations.

Size. In a gaming laptop computer, size is everything. Most gaming laptops are large, robust pieces of electronics. Having a machine of this stature means you also get to have a large screen. The best gaming laptop computer LCD screens out there are at least 15 inches. A crowd favorite is a 17 inch widescreen (even with the challenges that widescreens present). Largr 19 inch laptop screens are just starting to be talked about with consumers expecting to see 19 inch or even large models on the market in the near future.

The best way to really get a feel for what laptop LCDs are all about is to take a trip to a local box store and play with the LCDs on the display laptops while keeping in mind what you have read here. While these laptops are not custom gaming laptops, you can see what the sizes really look like, what different resolutions look like, and what the viewing angles truly are so you can start to develop your own preferences.

The RAM - What Type and How Much?

The RAM (random access memory) found in laptops is called SODIMM (small outline dual inline memory module). The RAM is responsible for your processing power. If you are shopping for a custom gaming laptop, you will generally be offered DDR2 RAM with the choice of how much you want in your computer. Most high-end games being released today need 1GB of RAM for optimum, lag-free game play. Some people are going with 2GB to ensure that they can run multiple applications along with the game and not experience any slow down in response time. This is a large investment and you want to be able to use this gaming laptop for some time in the future. Most custom laptops are user upgradeable, but this should be left up to professionals.

The CPU - Not Just Mobile Technology

The CPUs (central processing units) found in many custom gaming laptops are identical to those found in desktops. These chips require a great deal of cooling power, which in turn can make your laptop louder than light weight, lower power ultra portables when the fans kick on and it can become somewhat warm to the touch. Don't be alarmed by this -- it is normal. And with these desktop processors comes screaming power! Don't waste your money on the latest CPU release that likely has an inflated price tag (and that price will likely come down before long). Stick with a current CPU speed that is offered by a reputable custom gaming laptop reseller, and you really can't go wrong.

The Gaming Laptop Hard Drive

This is the final component to consider when building a gaming laptop. Laptop hard drives come in a variety of speeds and capacities ranging from 4200 to 7200 RPMs and 40 to over 100 GBs. For the most part, this is user preference. Whenever possible, go for a 7200 RPM hard drive, but if you need a capacity not offered in this speed, it's okay to go for the 5400 RPM drive. Take a look at your current computer, and buy your capacity based on this. Also keep in mind that with many custom gaming laptop manufacturers, you have the ability to upgrade or add another hard drive at a later date.

At the end of the day, gaming laptop computers are all about power. Don't expect a twelve-pound notebook with a desktop processor, numerous fans, a giant heatsink, and independent video card to last on battery power all that long. But do make sure to enjoy the jawdrops that you'll get as you walk into your regular LAN party location with your new, screaming-fast gaming laptop computer. Crack that puppy open, fire it up, and stand clear of the drool as you take on your favorite game with fellow gamers gathered around to take in the action. Gaming is not just for desktops anymore!

Credit to the original author
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/73074

Fun For Everyone and Great Basketball Shooting Drills

Games that employ basketballs and a basketball backboard and rim without the constraints of a time clock are varied and plentiful. The wonderful sense of accomplishment we receive from shooting basketballs through a basket and the friendly competition we experience make these games fun. These contests are more about shooting skill and less about athletic ability which explains, in part, their wide appeal. Whether you see them as basketball shooting drills (like many coaches do) or just plain fun, here are some of the most familiar ones:

• H-O-R-S-E Next to traditional basketball, H-O-R-S-E is probably the best known game played with a basketball hoop system. It can be played by two or more participants with the order of play determined by free throw shooting (or any other method the players prefer). Player #1 decides on the kind of shot he or she is going to take from anywhere on the court, announces it and then takes the shot. There are no rules regarding length or type of shot. Player #2 (and every other player involved) must then duplicate the shot. If the shot is made, the player moves on to the next round without penalty. If Player #2 misses, he or she gets assigned the letter "H." This procedure continues for all players. If a participant misses a second shot, he or she gets an "O", and then an "R", "S", and finally an "E." Once any player gets all five letters, he or she is eliminated from competition. The last player to remain in the game is the winner. Longer or shorter versions of H-O-R-S-E, with names like P-I-G, are also played.


• Around The World In this game, 2 or more players take shots from pre-determined locations on a court (or driveway). In one version, the positions outline the area of the court known popularly as "the paint." It is the zone bordered by the free throw line and out of bounds line and the 2 perpendicular lines that complete the rectangular box. In another version, the shot locations roughly follow the perimeter of the 3-point shooting line. Player #1 starts the game with a right-handed lay-up. If the shot is made, he or she shoots from the far right location. If that shot is made, he or she proceeds clockwise to the far left position "around the world" and then must make a left-handed lay-up before reversing direction back to the initial location. Making a shot from a position allows a player to advance to the next position and he or she keeps advancing until a shot is missed. When a shot is missed, a player must decide whether to save his position and pass the ball to the next player or elect to take another "chance" shot. If the chance shot is made, the player advances as normal. If the player misses, his or her turn ends and he or she pays a penalty. This may involve going back one position and waiting until the next turn or even starting over, which carries an ever higher risk the farther along the player is in the game. When a player makes a successful shot from the final position, the game enters the last stage. Generally, those players who hadn't yet taken their final turn get a chance to tie, which cancels any advantage of going first. There are variations on the rules that make the game more difficult including requiring the shots to bank off the backboard, shooting with the non-dominant arm or shooting with alternating arms.


• Firing Squad This game is very similar to Around The World but there's one significant difference: each player has his or her own ball and no one waits to shoot. All players start shooting from the #1 spot in the far right location, rebound their own shots and continue shooting non-stop. When a shot is made, each player advances to the next spot. If the shot is missed, the player keeps shooting until the shot is made. The first player to make the shot from the #7 spot (far left location) is the winner. While Around The World is purely a shooting game, Firing Squad adds the component of quickness. The player who quickly tracks down a rebound and gets the next shot off as soon as possible gives him or her self an advantage.


• Knockout This game can be played with two or more players. A line is formed, usually at the free throw line, and each player must follow in order the player in front of him or her throughout the game. Two basketballs are needed and are given to Player #1 and Player #2. Player #1 shoots. If Player #1 makes the shot, he or she passes the ball to Player #3 and goes to the end of the line. Player #2 shoots right after Player #1shoots. If Player #1 misses the shot, he or she must immediately get the rebound and try to score from anywhere on the court before Player #2 scores. If Player #2 scores before Player #1, either at the foul line or elsewhere, Player #1 is "knocked-out" of the game. If Player #3 scores before Player #2, then #2 is eliminated and so on. The last player left is the winner.


• Fives Players form a line at the top of the key (or free-throw line for younger kids). Player #1 shoots. If the shot is missed, the player gets the rebound and shoots from where he or she retrieved the ball. He or she keeps shooting until a shot is made up to a maximum of 5 shots. If the player fails to make a basket within those 5 shots, he or she gets 1 point and goes to the end of the line. Then Player #2 shoots. If Player #2 takes more shots to make a basket than Player #1, he or she gets a point. Player #2 could actually incur an additional point if he or she also fails to score within the 5-shot maximum. Player #3 must then score in the same or lower number of shots that Player #2 required or he or she is assessed a point. When a player reaches 5 points, he or she is eliminated. When that happens, the next following player in line has the shot requirement reset to 5. The last player to not get 5 points is the winner.

There are several more basketball shooting games than the 5 I have discussed here but these are some of the most popular ones. They require little more than an ability to shoot basketballs. Some games, like Fives and H-O-R-S-E, are allowed to proceed at a pace chosen by the players. As a result, they are very popular activities for those who like the sport of basketball but don't want the pressure of a time clock or the requirement of having to score quickly. They allow players of varying levels of athletic ability to be competitive with each other. The games also act as basketball shooting drills while masquerading as just plain fun activities. For that reason, they are favorite practice tools of coaches. There are several more games to cover and I hope to do so in (an) upcoming article(s). In the meantime, why not play one on a court near you!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7735596

Keeping Gaming Fun For Everyone

The motto of LiTi-4 is "keeping gaming fun for everyone". While people love to find hints, tips and even cheat codes to help them excel in their favorite games, we often forget the purpose of a game, which is to have fun. We get so caught up in objectives, scoreboards and reputation that we forget the whole point is entertainment.

To understand how to keep gaming fun for everyone, you have to take a closer look at what gaming really is.

The term game is defined as "an amusement or pastime".

The term video game is defined as "A style of game existing as and controlled by software, usually run by a video game console or a computer, and played on a video terminal or television screen."

Gaming has and still continues to evolve daily. More and more people are playing video games and there is not longer a restriction based on age, race or where you come from in life. Whether you play seriously or casually, free games or paid games, it's important to get the most from your experience.

It's easy to get into a game that's very intense and find that your emotions are affected as well. If you've ever sat on the edge of a seat gripping your controller until your fingers turned purple, you know what we mean.

If you've ever smashed a keyboard or yelled at your computer monitor, you also know what we're talking about. But it's not just feelings of anger that can ruin a good game. Sometimes just playing too long at one time, playing the same game too often or playing multi-player games with other people can stress you out. Trying too hard to beat that super-difficult boss or focusing too hard on completing that next puzzle level can be stressful on the body and mind.

This is why in the spirit of keeping gaming fun for everyone, we encourage regular breaks. This means taking a break from gaming altogether, getting up, walking around, doing something else as well as taking a break from specific games that you play all the time. Here are some tips to help:

- Take a break from the computer or console once every hour. Walk around, get a snack, stretch, etc.

- Try a new game you've never played before.

- Try a new genre or style of game.

- If players are getting to you, try a single player game.

- If you normally play solo, try a multiplayer.

- Walk away if you start to get upset.

- Don't take the game too seriously.

- Look up hints, guides and walk-throughs if you get stuck.

With these tips, we encourage you to have more fun in your gaming experiences and remember that's what it's all supposed to be about anyway. If you're not having fun, you're doing something wrong!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2708148

Family Card Games For Fun Time

Family bonding is fair and identical way to have a quality time is to have family card games at home. This card games are for family entertainment period and it's coming in different types of games and it can be played consistent if your children are younger. This is a healthy game and others are even educational games. There might be some issues when you play or buy a family card games today, other games might encourage you or even your children to be involved in gambling. So make sure that when you buy one it will not involve gambling or betting to avoid this unpleasant habit in the future.

These are some few tips in buying; make sure that it does not involve gaming or playing cards like in the casino, read the instruction on how to play the games to know how to engage in betting or close to gambling types game. Check if the cards games are educational and informative, multi-player is also a nice choice, games that involve more than four people. If you probably have a quiz game card or games that engage in knowing your country's history or even the world history for that matter.

You should be very careful in buying a family card games since this involves your children's participation. If you try to check online gaming, most of the games encourage gambling, and this is not a good thing for children. That is why most of the parents should have a parental control on your children's personal computer to keep away from this terrible attraction. These online games are bad influence for the grown ups, much more damaging for the young kids.

Remember this, the child's mind is not yet polluted by the world and make sure to make it as pure as possible and prepare their mind for the different types of games that they might know on how to put themselves in the right position if things go bad. This might be just family card games for others but if not careful, this will cause more trouble than solution. It is not that you are trying to restrict your children from the world; you are just trying to protect them from the bad influence of it. Besides, the best time to train your children in their younger years where they obey and listen to their parent.

Play Car Racing Game for Fun and Frolic

Car racing games are more popular among adults and youngsters because of the reason that they include a lot of special effects and animation which are appreciated by people. Car races are popular among boys mainly as they relate to them and have the same feeling as that of the real car races. The developers of gaming industry are coming up with new and amazing games everyday which players are able to access on the internet. A lot of graphics and stunts are used in these games to make them more exciting. They are mainly popular among boys as they like to fast paced games and have thrill and excitement.

There are thousands of the games on the internet and you can choose the one which give you more fun and enjoyment. You do not have to go anywhere to spend a quality of time. This is because of the fact that you can invite the friends at your home and enjoy the game in front of your computer and at the comfort of your living room. You can also involve your parents and siblings as they are available for all kind of people. This is one of the best ways to have fun without going out and spending money as most of these games are available on the websites that allow free games.

One of the most important factors is that on such websites, you will be able to find an opportunity to interact with people with the help of chat rooms. You can share your ideas and opinions with them and can even learn how to play games. This is the great opportunity to socialize with people from various parts of the world. You will be able to learn about cheats of these games and make your own winning strategies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5400156

Secrets to an Amazing Role-Playing Game

Role-playing games are a very specialist type of game that really need a far greater attention to detail than other less immersive genres. As the computerized version of the genre took off there were a lot of money hungry companies who decided to storm into the genre without really trying to understand what the vital elements of a role-playing game are. In some cases, these companies have actually had the audacity to buy out smaller companies who did know the genre and they destroyed long-held legacies of great traditional games.

Considering that this may have an impact on the future of computerized role-playing games I have felt it to be of importance to educate these gaming giants in an effort to help them understand the only thing that matters to them. In order to sell role-playing games you need an audience willing to buy the product and if a company consistently puts out dodgy shooters in the guise of apparent role-playing games they'll only destroy their reputation and go bankrupt. I know that the word bankrupt is a word that these money hungry companies recognises and so I emphasise one point, try to sell dodgy shooters to role-playing fans and you will go bankrupt!

Personally, I have been a role-playing gamer for about thirty years and I fell in love with only two systems that I probably can't name because of article writing guidelines. What I can say is that very few game producing companies have come even close to the pen and paper versions of the best role-playing games on the market, you know, the ones that people actually enjoy playing. I will say that I rejoiced when role-playing games became computerized as it meant I could do my role-playing without the need to hunt for people with similar tastes and even though some games have risen to become great role-playing games, they are sadly few and far between. On that note, of the styles of role-playing games that include pen and paper, computerized games and online games, there is only one type that can meet the fully immersive needs of a role-player and I'll reveal why later.

Okay, what are the elements of a great role-playing game then? I'll give you one at a time but the very most important piece of advice to keep in mind during this whole discussion is immersion. To be a truly great role-playing game, it has to grab the players attention and not deliver diversions that allow the player to slip back into the reality of the real world. The player must be kept in the fictional world if they are to feel that they have experienced a great role-playing game.

One of the most vital elements of immersion is a storyline; a really believable and yet gripping storyline. A role player doesn't want to load up the newest game and find to their dismay that storyline consists of the flimsy idea that they have to kill heaps of things to get enough experience to kill the apparent bad guy. Who wants to play a game where the bad guy is designated the bad guy without good reason? Have you played a game where you are part of one group of people and you've been chosen to defeat the other group of people but there's no actual evidence that shows why the other group is bad? The worst of these are the recent thug games where one criminal organisation wants to defeat another criminal organisation and you're the hitman. Who is really that stupid to fall for such a terrible storyline? It's certainly not for intelligent role-players.

A good storyline can't be a shallow excuse for a war and it has to be something you'd want to be a part of. The storyline also has to be included in the gameplay itself and delivered in a way that doesn't interrupt the reality of the gameplay either. There's nothing worse than a big cut-scene that drops into the middle of the game and makes you sit idle for more than a minute or two. For role-play gamers, the immersion of the game comes from being the character, not from watching the cut-scenes as if you were watching television. What's next... advertisements?

Another part of a great game play experience is being aware that you have been a part of the fictional world since you were born. This is conveyed by knowing where things are in the world and knowing who the current leaders are, along with knowing current events. This can be done cleverly by feeding snippets of information in a natural manner during conversations with non-player characters. Some extremely vital information can be revealed in otherwise meaningless banter, just like in the world you're immersed in right now.

One thing that will jolt a role player out of a game is a sudden unwanted conversation with a hastily introduced character who explains where the next local town is and that you have to be careful because there's a war on or some such thing. This is only done in games where the maps are updated as you discover places of interest. Making a major city that lies not ten miles from your current position something that you have to discover is ridiculous at best and only suits scenarios where you've been teleported into a new reality or you've lost your memory although the latter should be used sparingly as there are already too many games out there that rely on the character having amnesia. Discovery can be implemented in far more subtle ways by having secret areas within already well-known places and it is this that gives a role-player a sense of discovery.

Another immersion problem is the introduction of a love interest in a game without any participation on your part. You're playing away, minding your own business and then all of a sudden, one of the infatuated characters that you never knew existed, has an impact on gameplay because of a supposed vital role they play in the group you're a part of. They should, at the least, allow a bit of flirting in the conversation paths before a love interest is thrust into the mix. For me, someone suddenly having that kind of interest is an immersion breaker because there was nothing at all that prompted a relationship. If there is a love interest possibility in the game, then it needs to be introduced in a believable way and shouldn't be out of the characters control.

There was one game in which this happened and the involvement of two love interests was the excuse for one of the non-player characters to do worse at being a support while the other became a great support. Sure, the idea was novel but it was also very childish because it assumed that these two love interests were so enamoured with the player that neither could do without him. It was worse than watching Baywatch or Desperate Housewives.

I'm only going to add one more element to the mix because I just wouldn't reach a conclusion if I allowed myself to point out every requirement of the best role-playing games. As I stated before, the important factor is immersion. A real deal breaker for me is the inability to develop the type of character I want. I've encountered this more often than not in games where you have no choice over the skills that you character can develop. Of course, this is the worst scenario and there are many games that allow limited development but there are only a handful of games that allow a real sense of development.

A truly great role-playing game has to allow players to develop in any direction and compensate for this flexibility by incorporating multiple paths through the game. There's no point in creating a computerized role-playing game if the character does the same thing in every single play through of the game. The most annoying of these issues is a game where you can have a spell wielding character but they develop the exact same spells at exactly the same point in every run of the game. It's a little more forgivable for warrior types but even in this case there are many games which allow for dozens of different fighting styles.

Now, if I were to continue with this discussion I'd add other topics like the renaming of attributes with no good cause, allowing for more than one quest to be given at a time, real world purchase requirements during the game and other ridiculous practices.

I did promise to show which game type was the best for role-playing games though so, here it is. Non-online computerized games are the only games that allow for full immersion and I'll explain why.

Unlike table-top games, you aren't interrupted by the requirement to physically reach out and move pieces which takes you out of the role of the piece itself. Compared to pen and paper games, you aren't required to look up tables or enter long boring discussions on how rules should be interpreted. Massively multiplayer online role-playing games don't meet the requirements either and I know some of you will be surprised but when was the last time you were playing a computerized role-playing game and one of the other players had to leave because they had to go to work and they informed you it was a different time in their part of the world.

Computerized role-playing games are the only role-playing game type where the characters stay in the game, you don't have to suddenly work out if something is allowable by the rules and the user interface stays consistent so that the immersion is most efficient.

In conclusion, the best role-playing games are stand-alone home computer based and don't involve interaction with other real world people who will throw a spanner in the immersion works. The storyline must be solid and delivered in a natural manner, a deliverable assumption that your character already knows the fictional world, no instant love interests out of nowhere and the ability to develop your character in any direction seamlessly along with plot paths that allow for these developments.

I only hope that the gaming companies pay attention to this and realise that they are making role-playing games for role-players and if they're not in the market for role-players, then they should call their games by a different genre.

The article was taken from

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7398556

Credit to the author

Benefits of Gaming - PC and Video Games

New PC and video games are not only capable of providing fun and excitement for everyone, but they can also give certain benefits and advantages.

With the help of advanced technology and popularity, the gaming industry has advanced and expanded rapidly over the years.

If we are looking for categorization of videos games, they are broadly divided into eight major categories:

Action

These are fast paced and may contain a large amount of violence due to this. Action games are usually inappropriate for children. Such games fall under the category "M" (mature-rated). Examples are Halo, Star Wars, Jedi Knight and Enter the Matrix.

Adventure and Role Playing

These are normally not as graphic as action games and can take the player into surrealism and fantasy. Though adventure and role-playing games often contain violence, it is not found to be as intense as the violence in action games. Examples of this category are Borderlands 2, Final Fantasy, Legend of Mana and Billy Hatcher.

First Person Shooters

As the name implies, it is a game in which the player sees the action through the eyes of the character he is representing and involves the use of pistols or rifles to kill the enemy. Due to the violence involved in this genre of games, they are not suitable for young children. Examples of these games are "Half-Life, "Half-Life 2", "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare" and so on.

Construction and Management Simulation (CMS)

As the name suggests, in the games belonging to this genre, the players are expected to build, expand and manage imaginary projects and communities with very little resources. Examples of this genre include, "SimCity" and "Harvest Moon".

Strategy

Here the accent is on strategy rather than on violence and these games are slower which gives the player time for strategic thinking, resource management and planning to achieve victory. Most are warfare based and so violence is not completely absent. These games are not suitable for children. Some examples are Advanced Wars I & II, Civilization V and Crusader Kings II.

Simulation

These are video or computer games that simulate real world situations under game settings. In this category, the three well-known games are Racing Simulators, Flight Simulators and Sims. There are lots of games in this class to entertain children. Some examples of simulation games are: Football Manager, Farming Simulator 2013, The Sims and Evil Genius.

Platformer

The Platform Game or Platformer is consists of jumping between suspended platforms of varying heights or obstacles and sometimes both to move forward in the game. Some examples of Platformer are 40 Winks, Abuse, Action 52 and Adventure Island.

PUZZLES

Puzzle video games are a class of games that require puzzle solving. The kinds of puzzles that need to be solved can involve many problem solving skills such as using logic, word completion sequence solving, strategy and pattern recognition. Some examples of Puzzle Video Games are Mario, Bejeweled 3, Cradle of Rome 2 and Hidden Objects.

While on the subject, let's not forget Sports games such as NHL 13, and FIFA Soccer 13 and Arcade games such Chicken Shoot 1, Toy Story Mania and Angry Birds to name a few.

Nowadays, video games are enjoyed by a wide cross-section of our society, from toddlers to grandparents and these have been accepted by everyone as a good manner of entertainment and seen to be better than watching TV as it requires the viewer's participation and interaction.

The general feeling is that video games do not provide any benefits to the player and especially so in the case of children.

Contrary to this belief, there are many benefits in allowing children to play certain types of games. Most important of these benefits is the development of:

· Cognitive thinking skills

· Fine motor skills

· Real-time decision-making abilities

· Hand-eye coordination

· Cooperative playing skills

Keeping video games out of the reach of children can only deprive them of these benefits.

A child's imagination can be stimulated through role-playing and adventure games. Even if some of these games can seem tasteless due to its graphic nature and violence, they can play a positive and important role in a child's development by promoting teamwork, building confidence and improving motor skills. Playing such video games will only provide a child with a healthy means of expression.

Certain video games are believed to teach children high level thinking skills which they would benefit from in the future.

Now that we have looked at the benefits for children, let's look at what benefits video games hold for the rest of us.

Research into the pros and cons of video games are being conducted by various bodies including universities in some parts of the world and the result is that the pros outweigh the cons in respect of benefits.

When playing video games, you would need to react quickly and take split second decisions in order to succeed in the given task. It is believed that this kind of practice would provide benefits in real life where you would be able react with speed and take quick decisions.

Brain scientists have discovered that a certain driving video game, created by a research and development team at the University of California in San Francisco could improve the short-term memory and long-term focus of older adults.

It was found that immersion in a game distracts the mind from pain and discomfort. Due to this reason, some hospitals have started to suggest that children and others undergoing painful treatments play games to reduce their distress and anxiety.

Some video games have provided improvement in "Cognitive Flexibility", which is the ability to switch quickly from one task to another.

Researchers from North Carolina State University found a link between playing video games and mental well-being among the elderly. They found that those citizens who played video games, even occasionally, experienced a state of well- being and happiness.

Gaming can also improve family relationships, as some of these games can and should be played together.

According to some studies conducted at the University of Rochester, people playing certain titles of video games have shown improvements in tests in the following areas:

• Multitasking

• Attention

• Accuracy

• Vision

The only thing a video game player or his or her family needs to ensure is that it does not become addictive in any way. A video game player shouldn't end up spending hours on end playing games and losing track of time and place and while neglecting duties, personal chores and responsibilities.

Another thing that the parents of minors need to ensure is that their kids get access only to educational or similar games which are suitable for their age group and the good news is that there's a huge selection of games available that are appropriate for all ages.

A video game content rating is a system is available in many countries and they are used to classify video games into suitability-related age groups with respect to its contents which, if followed, will help to limit the negative aspects of some of the games.

Finally, if video game players are able to play in moderation, and stick only to the categories of games suitable for their respective ages, they can derive a number of benefits as cited above.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8035122

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. To elaborate, Downloadable Content(DLC) codes are included with new copies of a particular game and only with those codes, can that content be accessed. EA expanded its project to include playing used games online. Gamers would now have to pay $10, in addition to the cost of the used game that they purchased, in order to have access to the online components of their game. Ubisoft has since followed suit, requiring an online pass for its games as well. You can identify the games which require an online pass as they bare the,"Uplay Passport", logo on the box.

Ubisoft decided they'd take things a step further and implement Digital Rights Management, a practice more often associated with DVD or CD anti-piracy efforts. Assassins Creed 2 was the first game to be effected by this practice. In order to play the PC version of Assassins Creed 2, gamers are required to create an account with Ubisoft and remain logged into that account in order to play the game. This means that if you lose your internet connection, the game will automatically pause and try to reestablish the connection. However, if you're unfortunate enough to be unable to reconnect to the internet you'll have to continue from your last saved game; losing any progress you may have made since then. This will be the case for all of Ubisoft's PC titles, regardless of one playing single-player or multi-player. While Digital Rights Management has been used to combat DVD and CD piracy for quite some time now, this will mark the first time it's been used for a video game. In light of Ubisoft's implementation of DRM, Matthew Humphries of Geek.com, cautions that it's feasible that eventually even console games will require online registration in order to play them.

So what's the reason for all of this? According to According to Denis Dyack, the head of Silicon Knights, the sale of used games is cannibalizing the profit of the primary game market. He also claims that the used game market is somehow causing the price of new games to rise. His proposed solution is to move away from physical disks and embrace digital distribution. Essentially he'd like to see services like Steam or EA's Origin replace traditional hard copies. There are even rumors that the X-Box 720 will embrace the exclusive use of digital downloads and not use disks at all. Whether Microsoft will actually follow through with that plan remains to be seen.

One could argue that Sony has already laid the ground work for preventing used games from functioning on their future system. At the very least, they've already made quite an effort to make used games significantly less desirable. Kath Brice, of Gamesindustry.biz, reported that the latest SOCOM game for PSP, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3, will require customers who purchase a used copy to pay an addition $20 dollars to receive a code for online play.

I'd like to see some quantifiable evidence to support the claim that used games are in fact hurting the sales of new games at all. Without some actual facts, it sounds to me like a whole lot to do about nothing. Case in point, within 24 hours Modern Warfare 3 sold 6.5 million copies, grossing $400 million dollars in sales. Correct me if I'm wrong but you haven't heard Infinity Ward complaining about the used game market and it affecting their bottom line. That's likely because they're too busy counting their money earned by creating games that people actually want to play. Imagine that. Maybe the problem isn't that used games have a negative impact on the sale of new games but, the problem is instead that game developers need to make better games that gamers are willing to pay full price for.

In my opinion, not every game is worth $60 simply because it's the suggested retail price. Looking at things objectively, not every game is created equally, therefore not every game is worthy of costing $60. Whether it's because that particular game failed to meet expectations and live up to the hype or because it lacks any sort of replay value. It's ludicrous to argue that gamers should pay top dollar for every game especially when they all too often turn out to be horrible disappointments, like Ninja Gadian 3, or they're riddled with glitches like Skyrim.

I suspect that the War on Used Games is nothing more than a money grab by developers, upset that they're unable to cash in on a very lucrative market. To put it in dollars and cents, in 2009 GameStop reported nearly $2.5 million dollars in revenue from the sale of used consoles and used games. And not one red cent of that profit reaches the pockets of game publishers. Greed as the motivating factor for the declaration of War on Used Games is transparent. Especially when you consider that when GameStop began separating their revenue from new games and used games in their financial statements, EA thereafter instituted their $10 dollar fee for used games.

In the absence of empirical evidence, I'll have to settle for anecdotal. I'll use myself as an example. I'm planning to purchase a used copy of Ninja Gaidan 2. I've never been a huge fan of the series. I didn't play the first one because I didn't have an Xbox and at the time it was an Xbox exclusive. And I never played the original version. Needless to say, I was never clamoring to play Ninja Gaidan 2. However the innovation in the second incarnation of the game, which allows you to disembowel your enemies, is enough of a novelty that I'd like to play through it at some point. I can buy it now, used, for about 10 dollars. If it was only being sold at full price I would more than likely pass on playing it altogether or maybe rent it. My point is that game developers are not losing money because of used games; you can't miss money you weren't going to receive anyway. They're simply not getting money they weren't going to get to begin with.

Unless you have a significant amount of disposable income and a considerable amount of free time, you're probably like me and you prioritize which games you plan to purchase and how much you're willing to pay for them. You decide which games are must haves and which games you'd like to play but are willing to wait for a price drop before getting them. Then there are the games which you're interested in, but they tend to fall through the cracks because they're not all that high on your radar and you'll maybe pick them up several months later, or even years after their release, if you ever pick them up at all.

I find it ironic that the looming death of the used game market could likely spell the demise of GameStop who, ironically, push their customers to pre-order new games and purchase them at full price. One would think that game publishers would be appreciative about this service and not detest GameStop and treat used games with such scorn. Pre-orders not only help promote their games but they function as a forecast of potential sales as well. Even Dave Thier, a contributor for Forbes Online, who describes GameStop as, "a parasitic bloodsucker that doesn't do much besides mark up discs and sit in the mall", recognizes the folly of passing the burden of the used game market onto the consumer.

I've only once pre-ordered a game myself. At the behest of J. Agamemnon, I pre-ordered Battlefield 3, which is ironically a property of EA. I paid full price for this game and was happy to do so. In large part because I was granted access to several weapons and maps that I would have had to wait to download had I not pre-ordered it. I propose that instead of punishing gamers for wanting to save their hard earned cash, the gaming industry needs to learn to incentivize gamers into wanting to pony up to that $60 dollar price tag.

I titled this article The War on Used Games in an effort to be tongue-in-cheek and poke fun at how whenever the government declares war on drugs or terror or whatever it may be, they only succeed in exacerbating the problem. It should come as no surprise seeing as how the government tends to take the most asinine approach possible trying to "solve" problems. The end result is always the same; precious time and resources are wasted, and the issue is that much worse than it was before they intervened. If the gaming industry does indeed go down this path; they'll only hurt themselves in the long run, fail to share in the revenue they so greedily covet and worst of all, hurt their customers, who keep the gaming industry abreast with currency.

It's very ironic and actually very fitting that it's EA who are spearheading the effort to attack the used game market when they themselves are one of the largest beneficiaries of used games. Chipsworld MD Don McCabe, told GamesIndustry.biz that EA has what he referred to as a "franchise software house" in that they "upgrade their titles; FIFA, Madden; all of these are effectively the same title upgraded each year. And people trade in last year's for this year's." He went onto say that those titles are the ones which are most often traded in. Shutting down the used games market effectively destroys a tried and true method in which fans of EA's franchises keep up-to-date with each of EA's annual releases. Aside from nostalgia, what would be the point of holding onto FIFA 11, when FIFA 12 is right around the corner?

Don McCabe, an executive at Chipsworld, explains that, "consumers won't prosper under this new system, as copies of the game will lose their resale value". He goes on to say that retailers will "just readjust [the price] bearing in mind you have to buy the voucher." The CEO of SwapGame cautions that "customers who trade in for cash or credit do so to acquire new games they could otherwise not afford." This means that ultimately it will be the publisher who ends up losing money because when retailers adjust their prices to reflect the increase in cost for used games, the resale value of the game will drop and new games are less likely to be purchased.

I'm a fan of several EA franchises, I enjoy Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed and I'm a die hard Sony PlayStation enthusiast. As their customer, I'm outraged and offended by their current practices. I fear for what future methods they may use to further stifle or even kill the used game market. That said, I'm hopeful that these companies will be receptive to the outcry of their customers and adhere to our wants. I implore them to discontinue punishing their customers in an effort to capture what they perceive as missed profits. They risk not only alienating their customers but they risk finding themselves with significantly fewer customers and substantially less profit. And at the end of the day, that's really the bottom line.

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