Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Backgammon early game strategy

In backgammon you need to be able to alter your play in a blink. Occasionally you will have to restrain yourself from attacking and build your game, other times you'll need to attack full steam. In the very beginning of the game you need to be aggressive, fast and straightforward. If you can reach your early game targets it'll help you a lot later.

The early game targets

1. Make points in the homeboard
There are two reasons why this is important. First, it will mess your upponent's game by limiting his chances to enter from the bar if you hit his checker. If you make to additional points his chances are much worse to get back to the game than if you would have only the six-point. Second, by making points in your home board also means that you those checkers are already ready for bearing off when the time comes.

Please remember that some points are more important than others. If you maneuver your checkers to the edge of the board or very close to it you limit yourself as to which checkers you can move. On your home board the most important points are the 5-point, then 6 and 4-point and then the 3-point in this order.

If you are unable to make points in your homeboard, make points as near to the homeboard as possible. If you manage to block points 7 through 12 you'll see how difficult it is for your opponent to escape his back checkers. In addition, making any points between 7 and 12 are excellent storage points for bringing the checkers in to your home board.

2. Escape your back men
While you are attacking and building points in and near your home board you shouldn't forget about your back men. If you do, a few turns later they might've got blocked or the distance to the rest of your checkers could be very long and therefore the escape can become a very risky one and could easily cost you the game. Therefore, from the beginning, move your back checkers up slowly towards your home board. Try to keep them in relative proximity to the rest of the checkers.

Doubles are very good for bringing the back men towards your home board. Use half of the roll for that purpose and use the other half making points somewhere else. Sometimes you will be rolling combinations that doesn't allow you to move both of your checkers well. In that case split your back men. This can be a little risky but if you play safe you'll never be a real backgammon winner. As soon as you can, bring your back men again together.

Conculsion
You are doing yourself a big favour if you maintain your focus and work hard towards your early game goals. If you don't you'll soon find yourself firefighting problems after one another and that's the type of game you most certainly will lose. So stay calm, and don't let things distract you from what matters in the early phases of the game.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Baccarat for beginners

Baccarat is sometimes known as the cousin of blackjack. The reason for the comparison is due to the basic game rules. In blackjack, you need to achieve a hand closer to 21 than the dealer’s. In baccarat, the hand closer to 9 is the winner. Baccarat is also known as the king of casino games and is one of the oldest card games still played at casinos today.

Unlike blackjack, in baccarat a player can bet on whether his/her hand or the dealer’s will win. The three betting options in baccarat are player, banker, or tie. Betting on the player will play even money. Wagering on the banker is the most popular bet but it is important to know that casinos charge a 5 percent commission when the player bets for the house. Players shouldn’t let this discourage them, though, the reason the house charges this fee is due to the fact that the banker wins, statistically, more times than the player.

The least common of the wagers is the tie, which pays eight to one. This is one of the least-profitable wagers a person can place at a casino, the house edge is extremely high.

The card values are easy to remember, face cards and ten are worth zero, ace cards are worth one and number cards are face value. A player receives two cards and can only receive one more hand during the game play.

Similar to blackjack, baccarat is a game where a single player faces off against the dealer. Baccarat, even with its glamorous image, is primarily a game of chance. Also unlike blackjack, a solid strategy still does not make this a ‘beatable’ game.

Baccarat is considered one of the most glamorous of the casino games. Due, in part, to the fact that for centuries this was a game played by the French royalty and to the fact that it was featured prominently in many of the 007 films as James Bond’s game of choice.

Even though the game is fairly simple to learn and master, it is one of the more popular choices for high-rolling, VIP players. Online casinos offer an array of baccarat betting limits but many land-based casinos only offer baccarat in high-minimum limits and, oftentimes, in a separated area from the main casino to offer the VIP players privacy.

There is an array of online tutorials available for beginning baccarat players.

Some other good resources online for beginning players are Ildado’s (http://www.ildado.com/baccarat_glossary.html) baccarat glossary and Online-Casino’s (http://www.online-casino.com) free practice game play.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Avatarbook - Facebook Meets Online Gaming.

For those of you who don’t know, the Sims Online is undergoing a revolution. Having been left standing for the last few years with little to no input, EA are at last re-shaping the game, and the world of multiplayer gaming as we know it. Sound like hyperbole? Perhaps, perhaps not; check out their latest addition to the online gaming experience: AvatarBook.

Facebook made flesh

So what is Avatarbook? Well, the clue is in the name. What is one of the largest social networking websites on the planet at the moment? That’s right -– Facebook. With over 58 million users, Facebook is the primary reason that many of us log on in the morning. But, as we all know, it has its limitations. As do online games.

One problem with online games is that they can be too divorced from reality -– you have your online friends, and your real-world friends, and the two remain firmly divided. Ditto Facebook -– your user-circle is limited by who you already know, and it’s hard to get to know people outside of that circle on a one-to-one basis without sharing all your private data or being introduced by a friend of a friend.

All that is set to change, with a new application that could change our networking community forever. When Linden Labs made Linden Dollars (the currency of the hugely popular game Second Life) exchangeable for real-world currency, they opened up the world of online gaming by bringing it into the real world. Now EA want to do the same thing, by allowing users of the Sims Online to link their Avatars' accounts to their Facebook profiles.


Sharing Information

Avatarbook has two faces -- the in-game version and the Facebook version. In-game you can use it much like Facebook, in that you can find other Avatars and view their limited profiles. For friends the full profiles are visible, with walls for people to write on and updatable status. Your profile will also show if your lot is open or not, and the application an be used to quickly make your way around EA Land as you jump from friend to friend.

In Facebook, the application shows your Avatar's details (unless you have chosen a private setting) and picture, and whether or not you are logged on to the game. This is a useful way for players to find out who is online without having to log in themselves. You can also invite other users of Facebook who are not already Sims Online players to download the application and see your Avatar profile -- a move that EA hopes will attract more people to the game.

For the time being, then, the bulk of information that can be shared is Avatar-related. Their skills, properties and friends can all be viewed, and their Wall. The identity of the real-life person behind the Avatar is kept private, at least for now.

Privacy

Privacy is a major issue as far as EA are concerned, so at the moment Avatarbook is fairly limited in how much information can be shared. In the Sims game you can add people to your friends list, which will provide them with a link to your Facebook profile rather than making a direct link, though that is set to change as the application grows. Also, nobody in EA Land (the Sims Online world where the application will be available) will have access to your real name - you will be searchable only by your Avatar's name. EA have stated that they intend to allow players to lower their privacy settings so that more information can be shared, but at the moment they're playing it safe.

The Future

This application obviously shows great potential, and it is something that EA are going to continue to develop as they gain feedback from users. The Sims Online game is going through a revolution at the moment, with their free trial set to become permanent free play in the very near future (with limited gameplay for non-payers, much like in Second Life). For years now Second Life has been leading the pack in terms of innovation and social interactivity, but if EA keeps this up then we could be looking at a new contender for the crown. After all, they did come up with the two most popular games of all time (Sims and Sims 2), so some would say that this is less of a surprise than a belated homecoming. Certainly one to watch, at any rate.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Are Traditional Family Games a thing of the past?

Board games have evolved massively over the years. As a child my memories of board games were Monopoly, Draughts, Cluedo, Guess Who and many many more. All games that we could play as a family to pass the time away. Hours of fun was had by all.

My favorite game was Monopoly a game that give me an insight to Real Estate (ironically enough, I now have a career as an Estate Agent). Is that a coincidence or did my childhood obsession with Monopoly play on by subconscious?

Many Sunday afternoons were spent with my four sisters playing, or should I say rowing over this fabulous game. The first row would normally be about who would like to be the iron, shoe, car etc (these were the items that you had to chose from to represent you on the board as you played). My favourite was always the dog!

The next row would be about who went first, and then the next would be about who would play the role of the Banker.

Finally the game would begin, and how much fun we had. Hours and hours of fun week after week.

How things have changed? Today, whilst we still have the old traditional Board games, and I guess we always will, Games are far more advanced, and are often played on computers, or via DVD Players using your Television sets.

You can now play a board game on your own against a Computer (who will act as your opponent) as opposed to playing with friends and/or family. I find this quite sad, especially knowing how much fun we had as children interacting with each other, and observing each other as we rowed over such meaningless but then important issues.

I now see my own nephews spending hours on their own in front of a computer playing games without any physical human interaction, whilst their parents get on with other things. I guess one advantage is that if you are an only child you don’t miss out on not playing games just because you had no-one else to play it with you. The Traditional games such as monopoly can now be played on a computer and the Computer can act as your opponent. You can even set what level of difficulty you want to play at.

The disadvantage to this, in my opinion is that the family getting together and interacting with each other seems to be a thing of the past.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Arcade Game Downloads: Download And Play Arcade Games At Home

Playing arcade games can be a lot of fun. It has varieties from simple games, such as ping-pong to more intense games like shooting. You can play all these games in your local arcade or at the mall.

A trip to the mall to play arcade games is worth it if you want to have fun. However, you can also play arcade games right in the comforts of your own home. There are many choices on the internet of websites that provide arcade game downloads.

You can even look for the game variety you are most interested in and you can download them right to your computer. You can download puzzle games, sports arcade games, old arcade games and even the most realistic shooting game right to your personal computer.

This means no more wasted time waiting in lines to play a single game and no more lines to change your bills into coins. Many websites offer arcade games for download. Some are free and some will charge you a little fee for their download services.

Arcade games can take your imagination anywhere. You can be in an X-Games tournament where you can compete against the best X-Games athletes. Visit the time of World War II where you can get the feel of being bombed, shot at, and experience interactive artificial intelligence where you can command what to do; or you can play simple word game puzzles to let time pass.

Downloading arcade games can also be a form of family entertainment. You can compete with one another and have fun with your family. You can invite friends to come over to your house to hang out and play arcade games.

You can even access long forgotten Arcade games that you feel are still good. For instance, you missed playing a particular arcade game that is not available anymore in arcade game establishment and you really want to play it again. You can have access of these old arcade games on the internet and download it to your computer.

However, downloading arcade games will not be as realistic as what arcade game establishments offer. They have joysticks for airplane games, guns for shooting games and steering wheel for racing games.

You can also have all of these by buying joysticks at your local computer store. It can provide more realism on whatever arcade games you are playing. You can even hook up your home entertainment system such as your wide screen TV and your stereo system to get a more realistic feel and excitement in your game.

Downloading arcade games is also more convenient than going to the mall. You can also play all you want, whenever you want and free. You can also save a lot of time.

Just count the number of minutes required to go to the mall and include the number of minutes or even hours waiting in line for a popular arcade game. Playing arcade games at home eliminates these inconveniences.

Downloading arcade games can provide fun and excitement to you, your family and friends right in your own home. All of you can play whenever you want and what games you want. However, you should also be careful on what website you download your arcade games.

Many websites offer arcade game downloads that might contain viruses and other malicious programs included in the installation. Be sure that you know and trust the website you are downloading your game from. This can ensure you of a great time with your friends and family.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Anime Online Transforms

Online anime has seen some amazing transformations in recent years. Due to the decreasing cost of anime production software, individuals are now able to develop amazingly creative stories and art. The anime community now has multiple outlets from which they can get a quick anime fix, anytime they want. This enormous consumption of new anime content has allowed the anime audience to interact with creators on a level never before possible. Feedback from viewers allows creators to develop plots and characters that the audience expresses an interest in. Creators can move away from traditional anime subject matter and move into more serious, thought provoking anime story lines using the medium. Or they can choose to tell stories that are more mundane with anime art, they need not stick with fanciful tales any longer. Distribution through the Internet will allow all types of new anime content to be accepted by a worldwide community.

While there will undoubtedly be anime creations that are solely out to shock and awe people to make money from online advertising, there will be new, truly creative works of genius that come from one or two person anime teams. Smaller anime outfits will be able to cater to hungry niches that exist on the Internet. And there is nothing wrong with paying these people for there time and creative output. This will truly allow anime to flourish and use its stunning visual imagery to attract potential viewers from all over the globe. While a niche may seem small on a local basis, compounded over a global audience, it can soon become relatively large. And this global reach will allow many new, small anime creators to show their work to the world. Because of the economics of distributing media online today, creators need not wait for a sizable demand before beginning work on an anime piece. They can create something, quite inexpensively, and release it to the world immediately. If there is demand, they can progress with the story line, if there is no audience interest, they can move onto something else.

And importantly, because anime is such a visual medium, there is no need for speech. An anime piece can convey its message with masterful facial expressions and drawings. That is what made anime popular in the first place, and is what will allow anime to thrive in a global environment. For instance, an anime about a child's first day at school need not have words to tell a story. The ability of anime to tell stories that are full of emotion is well known, and is one of the reasons why it is so loved. Anime transcends language. Its visual nature can speak to an audience on any continent. The language of the creator can always be translated by the audience, if need be, and then what was once a piece of art that could only be understood by one people can be understood by another. And the translation can continue until the piece is capable of being globally recognized. This translation becomes a labor of love for anime fans and is no longer figured into the production expenses of a Japanese production company. Anime can now become the work of everyone.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

An Overview of Online Games

Online games are becoming more popular with each passing year. As more people connect to the internet and install Shockwave or Java on their computers, a huge market will open up for free online games. The prices on computers are dropping, and this means that more people with have access to independent games. Many seasoned gamers are annoyed by the politics which often exist in large video game companies.

Many gamers are also looking for games which allow them to interact with other players. Even with the success of online fighting games, many developers have not bothered to create them. MMORPGs are becoming more popular than ever before. Players want to interact with each other and create their own identities in the digital world. This is the direction in which I believe free online games are headed today. As the internet becomes more widely used, people want interaction more than graphics.

Because the video game market of today is so saturated, the cost of these games have dramatically decreased. It doesn't cost much money to develope a quality game if you know where to look. This will open the door for many independent game companies to design games which are an alternative to the mainstream console games which currently dominate the market. Shockwave and Java are tools that have allowed many people to cost effectively produce free online games.

As the graphics, gameplay, and storylines of these games continue to improve, more people will play them. While the PC game market declined at the end of the 1990s, it is expected that independent online games will fill this void. Multiplayer online games should be free or very cheap to play. Because the cost to produce them is so low, there is no reason why players should have pay $60 to buy one game. The low cost trend for online games can be seen at the Shockwave website, where they charge as littles as $9.95 for a game.

Many online games can be downloaded directly onto your computer. There is no need to go out to the store or order them through the mail. The games are available to play as soon as you download them. In addition to interactivity, people want things quickly. We live in a society in which virtually everything moves fast. When people want to play games, they want them as soon as possible. This is a demand that free online games can meet.

Monday, November 22, 2010

An Introduction To Video Poker Games

Many players go in for various video poker games for their high technology graphics, innovative animations and wild sounds. There are various video poker games available now in casinos. The list includes jacks or better, deuces wild, all American, joker poker, bonus poker, joker’s wild and king of the decks. Though all the video poker games involve standard cards to play with, the difference lies in the payout strategy and the number of decks each game uses for its play.

Every video poker game has an individual payout table in which it lists the payout for a full house and for a royal flush. According to the website poker-king.com, “jacks or better” is the most popular amongst the video poker games and has a payout of 99.5%. This game is comparatively simple to play and gives an experience that helps to play other complicated video poker games.

Jacks or better has a good payout table making it a good paying machine and it has good full house and flush payouts. For example, for a 9/6 payout table on full house the player gets 9 counts and on a royal flush, he gets 6 counts. This video poker game involves five cards and uses a single standard deck of 52 cards. The player starts with inserting a coin and pressing the play key. A set of five cards appear on the monitor .The player can hold any card and any number of cards. After he holds the desired cards he presses deal button, all the cards tend to shuffle except the held cards. When the whole set of cards make a deal the player wins and collects his coins or points. The maximum win is obtained when you play all five coins and royal flush.

Deuces wild uses the standard single set of 52 cards. In this video poker game, all the 2’s, that is all four deuces are considered as wild cards. This becomes a bonus to the players and increases the probability to make a full house. The minimum rank for a winning hand is three of a kind. The key rule here is that one should never discard a deuce.

Joker’s wild involves a complete set of standard 52 card deck. Here joker is taken as a wild card. That is this joker can be used to substitute any other card. This becomes a bonus to the players and the chances of a winning hand are increased. The minimum rank for a winning hand becomes two pair.

Another type of video poker games is the king of the decks. It uses 5 decks of a standard set of 52 cards. The game here is to collect 5 kinds of clubs. Since this video poker game involves a large number of cards the probability of a win comparatively is less. But on the complete collection of all 5 kinds of clubs the game is over and you win the jackpot. The three most popular video poker games according to the poker-king.com website are 9/6 jack’s or better, 10/7 double bonus, and full pay deuces wild.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Bookworm

Bookworm is a very good alternative to some of the violent action games popular today. The goal is simple: spell words by linking letters found on the board. When you form a valid word, it will disappear and the letters above will go down. There are never empty spaces as new letters fill up the gaps on top of the board. The longer the word you form, the higher the score and the better off you will be. If all you can come up with are short words, then red tiles will appear. These red tiles are very undesirable as they burn up letters below them and will eventually burn up your board if they reach the bottom. You can get rid of them by using them to spell words. There are special tiles – green and gold - which give you more points. You can also get bonuses by forming the word that is shown on the lower left hand corner of the screen.

Bookworm is not very difficult as it is normally a turn-based game. This means you have all the time in the world to think of your next move. It is up to you whether you want to form words as fast as you can or to think long and hard to come up with the best possible combination. The important thing to bear in mind is to avoid the red tiles and getting rid of them so as not to let them reach the bottom.

After accumulating a certain number of points, you get promoted to different levels. It is quite geeky as you can progress to titles such as Senior Librarian. I would take that as a compliment though!

You can either play the online game or download a free time-limited trial version. You can play the online game as long as you want although this version has limited features. It also has interruptions as pop ups may come out from time to time.

If you get the full version, you have the option of playing either the turn-based classic mode or the speedy Action mode. You also have more bonuses – gold, sapphire, and diamond! Another plus is that you can learn more with the on-screen definition of some not so common words.

So if you are in the market for a fun, relaxing, worthwhile game, Bookworm just might be what you are looking for.

An Introduction To The EVE Online Game - What Are The Essentials

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Even If you have just gotten started playing EVE Online, you are already probably aware of the existence of EVE Online ore. Mining for ore is one of the best ways to get ahead in this complicated, versatile game, and you'll find that with just a little bit of work and some basic information under your belt that you'll be in good shape to understand ore, it's place in EVE Online, and how you can make the ore you mine work the best for you!

As several awards and more than 220,000 active accounts, it is easily seen that the EVE Online game is one massive multiuser online role playing game that you want to get into! This game, created by the Icelandic company CCP, has been active and popular for the past five years, and continues to grow at an impressive rate. You'll find that with a little bit of knowledge about this game and brief idea of the game play, you'll be ready to get started and see what this fascinating game world has to offer.

The general premise of the EVE Online game is one where the Earth as we know it has been depleted of usable resources, and due to this, people were leaving the planet to colonize space. In the EVE Online game, people spread throughout the Milky Way and through out the galaxy, until resources were once again contested and wars broke out. The solution to this problem was a natural wormhole, through which another galaxy could be found. The EVE Gate, an artificial wormhole was constructed to link the galaxies when it was discovered that the natural wormhole was unstable.

The first thing to be aware of is that ore is a basic material that can be found in the asteroid fields that you will encounter in EVE. There are various types of ores, but they are unusable until they have been refined into the minerals that compose them, much like mining in real life. The minerals that result can be very valuable when it comes to things like the manufacture of ships and weapons, and this is how you can get a lot of money through this endeavor.

When you go looking for ore, remember that you want to start off in an area that has fewer than 60 pilots using it. You'll find that competition can be fierce, and when you are starting out, you might need to in a quieter area to make the most of your opportunity. Try to make sure that you are mining in an area that has a refinery nearby; as soon as your hold is full, make sure that you get the ore refined and taken in for ISK, the game's currency, as soon as possible!

When you are looking at ore, the best rule to keep in mind regarding whether the ore you've found is valuable is that the closer it is to A in the alphabet, the more valuable it will be. There are exceptions to this rule, but you'll find that it generally holds true. Also remember that the more valuable the ore, the less you will need of it to refine an amount of mineral that will net you a good profit. It is also fair to say the the more exotic and valuable ore will require some traveling to get to.

The first and most advanced race that can be played are the Amarr, who were the first of the colonies to rediscover space travel. They were on a crusade to spread their thoughts and ideals to the rest of the galaxy and in this, they were aided by the Minmatar, who were more primitive and not so advanced when it came to interstellar travel. After a confrontation with the Gallente and the Jove (the later being the non-playable race), the entire Imperial Navy of Amarr was destroyed. The Gallante were at war for almost a century with the Caldari empire, and tensions between them continue to this day.

This is the general layout for the world of the EVE Online game and into this world, you create a character who can become a miner, a trader, a messenger or even a pirate. These are only some of the options, and you'll find that there are many different things that you can do to make your gameplay enjoyable. There are many different worlds to explore, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

An Introduction To Suduko And Suduko Game Information Sites

Sudoku is the latest puzzle craze to sweep the nation. If you search through various blogs and Sudoku game information sites, you will find that many people refer to this challenging game as the new Rubix Cube. If you grew up in the 80’s it would be difficult to forget the six-sided and six colored square, but Sudoku is doing just that.

If you think that Sudoku is a new game you would be incorrect. In fact, it was created in 1979 and published in an American puzzle magazine. The game was created by Howard Garns, a former architect. The craze hit Japan in 1986 but did not take the center stage until 2005 when websites, puzzle books and even significant media coverage made Sudoku game a worldwide sensation.

If you conduct a web search for Sudoku game you will find it has a massive following. The Internet has become a perfect haven for those logically inspired sleuths dedicated to filling in the boxes and solving puzzles. There are tons of websites dedicated to the game. There are also contests where contestants can actually win money or prizes. Contests, however, usually have to be done in person because there are computer programs available that can solve Sudoku game puzzles in a snap.

Sudoku is actually an abbreviation of the Japanese phrase suuji wa dokushin ni kagiru. Translated, it means the digits remain single. Normally, an ordinary Sudoku game puzzle is a 9 x 9 grid divided into nine 3x3 subgroups. Some of the cells have numbers and clues in them. Others are empty. The goal of the game is to pencil in the missing numbers in a logical fashion, but remember, each number one through nine can be used only once.

The difficulty levels of Sudoku game are varied. Puzzles can be crafted to fit highly experienced players or pure novices. Even the very young can get in on playing Sudoku game. If you found yourself a fan of the Rubix Cube back in the 1980s there is a good chance the Sudoku game craze would be right up your analytical alley. Give it a try and who knows, you might get hooked!

Friday, November 19, 2010

An Insider Look At MMORPG

Title:
An Insider Look At MMORPG

Word Count:
393

Summary:
In one particular instance in World of Warcraft, an event occurred where a spell effect which lowered the players health slowly over time was spread from player to player. The disease effect got out of hand and as players ran back to towns and cities the virus spread and became an epidemic. Later, a patch was released to remedy the problem, but the community was shocked at how closely the behaviour seen in the game resembled real life.


Keywords:
mmorpg


Article Body:
MMORPG stands for Massive(ly) Mutliplayer Online Role Play(ing) Game and an MMORPG is simply a genre of computer game in which there are hundreds (usually thousands or even millions) of players from all across the world.

In most MMORPGs the player takes the role of his or her own character and must navigate some sort of world or realm in order to complete quests and tasks. Usually these worlds will be persistent, hosted on a permanent server, and actions taken by the players will have an affect on the realm or world. Thus making it interactive, even when the player is not playing the game. This is known as being "real time" and is how MMORPGs emulate the real world. In one particular instance in World of Warcraft, an event occurred where a spell effect which lowered the players health slowly over time was spread from player to player. The disease effect got out of hand and as players ran back to towns and cities the virus spread and became an epidemic. Later, a patch was released to remedy the problem, but the community was shocked at how closely the behaviour seen in the game resembled real life.

Most MMORPGs, such as World of Warcraft and Guildwars, are based in fantasy and myth and involve magic and spells. Some are based in space, where you must command a spacecraft or your own planet. Some are even based on the real world, and with the invention of Google maps it may well be possible to have an MMORPG world which closely emulates the real world, perhaps even being able to visit your own home!

MUDs, or Multi-User Dungeons, were the first MMORPGs. They are usually simple text based programs where the players use commands to control and interact with their character, the world, and other players. Although simple 2D graphical versions and even 3D MUDs do exist. Similar to MUDs are browser based MMORPGs, like RuneScape, which are played entirely in the users browser. They can be simple pages of text or complex 3D renderings and offer similar functionality of more developed MMORPGs, usually for free.

MMORPGs were virtually unknown a few years ago and now they are commonplace for most gamers. In fact worldwide revenues for MMORPGs exceeded half a billion dollars in 2005, and Western revenues exceeded one billion USD in 2006.

An All You Can Eat Buffet

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It is not hard to find free online games. You even have a large array of options depending on what your particular tastes are. While the Internet can be great for news and sports updates, there are plenty of people who just want to have fun and find a fun way to burn off a couple hours after work or in the evening. For these types of web surfers, there are many different options, all depending on preference.

There are hundreds of free arcade type games that can be found on Yahoo, and on other web sites specifically designed for gamers. RealPlayer has an arcade site with over sixty games to download and counting, all of them for free. Many of these are individual arcade games, but there are plenty of ways to play someone else over the web if you prefer some type of interaction. You can find online chess, checkers, backgammon, blackjack, and dozens of other games. Whatever you want to play, you can find it somewhere . . . and with many of these games you don’t even have to dig very deeply to find them.

Is poker your game? Or Black Jack? Most online casinos offer “practice money” that gets renewed once a day if you bust. As long as you sign up for an account you can use practice money to play Texas Hold ‘Em, five card draw, black jack, Caribbean poker, or any of a wide variety of games for free. Best part is if you win extra play money, usually it rolls over and you get to keep it. If you bust, the next day you are back to your original amount. This is a great way to learn to play games that you might otherwise not be able to pick up on. Hold ‘Em and blackjack are pretty basic, but Omaha Hi-Lo and Caribbean Poker might be new ones to the average player.

There is also the option of demo downloads. Some web sites will offer a limited demo version of a game released for PC in the hopes that the free, limited version will be enough fun and pique enough interest to cause you to buy the actual game at full price. This is a good deal, as often even very limited demo games still have enough strategy and challenge to them to stay entertaining for several hours on end.

Your choices online are just about limitless. Just look around for the specific game you are looking for, find your free game, and have fun. There are hundreds of options, so surf around for one you will enjoy and have fun!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

All You Need To Know About The Cheats Of Video Games Part 1.

Terms, definitions and other information about cheats and their use
Playing with video games is one of the most widespread forms of entertainment nowadays. Children from the age of 5 or 8 and even the older generations can find a video game to their taste that can help them escape to another world for a few hours. You can experience virtual adventures, wonder in the worlds of long forgotten empires, lead space battles, play the last week’s game with your favourite basketball team, control airplanes and submarines with the help of simulators and you can also be a part of the most blood dripping scenes in a matter of minutes.

There are limitless opportunities that are only bounded by the minds of the video game developers. Fortunately, nowadays PC’s are not the only possibilities to enjoy video games but you can also enjoy the benefits of other game systems like Sony PSP, PS2, Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo which operate with the help of a digital disk and can be plugged into your TV set providing you with the special experience of playing your game on a huge TV screen.

Not only are there an immense variety of video games on the market but they have also become more and more difficult and time consuming recently. Many game enthusiasts do not have enough patience and time for such games because they are only playing for the sheer enjoyment of the game and for killing some time. It is also often the case that during your playing you get stuck at an unsolvable point of the game with which you end up in losing your interest in the continuation of the game.

But what can be the solution in the above-mentioned cases?
The answer is very simple: cheat or the use of some other kind of help. Many people, in general, consider cheating a sinful act but cheating in a videogame is not considered illegal, at all. Of course when you play online with the multiplayer mode on, it is not ethical to cheat because it spoils the fun of other players. Consequently, cheaters will not only be excluded from the particular game but they will also receive strong resentment from the online players’ community.

But when sitting alone at home in front of one’s favourite video game, after many unsuccessful attempts, who on earth would not like to see the next level of the game? And who would not like to skip the most challenging parts of a game when someone wants to play their favourite games again?

Let’s not worry about certain moral issues and if you feel like it then just try to make use of those cheats or loopholes that are even built in the game. Since game developers has built most of the cheats in the game software for test purposes.

All this sounds nice, but how can you cheat?
Video game cheats has many different forms and many of them are freely available on the Internet. You will find a detailed description of the different cheat types and their use below.

Cheats, cheat codes:
These are the simplest ones of all cheat types. These are sometimes available from the menu options or you can simply type in a certain combination of keyboard or a gamepad buttons and with the help of these secret codes you can reach some hidden features that make the game easier for you. These cheats can give eternal life, invulnerability, the constant restoring of someone’s health, unlimited ammunition, money codes, etc.

Game developers used to hide these features, but nowadays they offer these cheats as extras of video games.

Command line cheats:
In case of some games you can only initiate cheats if you give so-called command line parameters. When you use command line parameter cheats you start the game with a special command. Click on the start menu and find the starting icon of the installed video game. Click on the game’s icon with the right mouse button and select the features option. A new window pops up. You can find the exe. file and its route in the target box. (E.g. "C:\Program Files\Installedgame\Game.exe")

This is the line you have to modify. Write the appropriate shortcut after it. (E.g. "C:\Program Files\Installedgame\Game.exe" -console)

You can notice that it is separated with a space and a hyphen. Save the changes by clicking on the OK button.

Important. The reason why the ‘exe file’ in the target box is in quotation marks is that the route contains a space. In this case you always have to place the parameters outside the quotation.

The following examples are bad and won’t work:
"C:\Program Files\Installedgame\game.exe - console" // inside the quotation
"C:\Program Files\Installedgame\game.exe- console " // no space and inside the quotation
"C:\Program Files\Installedgame\game.exe"-console // outside the quotation, but there is no space

Passwords:
Passwords are used for jumping levels and for other types of cheats and they usually have to be typed in on a special screen such as “Password Entry" screen or "Name Entry" screen or „Stage password” screen. With the help of these passwords, we can choose from the different levels of the game, open new features or activate new cheat functions.

Unlockables:
These are characters, ranks, stages, items, weapons, costumes, hidden features that usually become available for you if you complete the different missions assigned at the different levels of the game. These tasks are assigned in the following forms: defeat ‘X’ main enemy and then you can play with character ‘Y’, or if you complete stage ‘Z’, you will get object ‘Y’. These are not considered cheats, they simply help you understand the goals of the game. They often give you the opportunity to try out new things that would be only available for you if you played the whole game again and again.

Easter-eggs:
They mean those extras that are independent of the story of the game and the discovery of such items do not give you any advantage in the progress of the game, these are only built-in just for fun. It is extremely complicated to find them and they require an unusual way of thinking. These can be, for example, the pictures of the game writers, jokes or funny objects.

Glitch:
They are meant to bring about a certain trick or anomaly in the game that can produce an effect that was not intended by the creators of the game. With the help of these you can double certain objects or you can opt for some characters that are originally not offered by the game.

Hints/tips:
These give you hints or tips on how to accomplish certain tasks in a video game, which facilitate playing. For example, what movements are needed to defeat the main enemy, or general hits and tips and they are not considered cheats.

Secrets:
Tricks belonging to this category do not seem so obvious during the game. They can be hidden objects, weapons, tricky exits, the weak points of your main enemies and with the help of them you can easily go on to the next level or get more money depending on the game’s profile. Usually not found in the normal way, while you playing with the game.

(Continued in Part 2.)

Monday, November 15, 2010

Israeli-Hezbollah Conflict Moves To Center Stage; Insurgents In Iraq Strike Back

Pity the neglected insurgents in Iraq. Since the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict has taken center stage in the ongoing tragedy called The Triumph Over Terrorism, the war in Iraq has been relegated, even if briefly, to the wings.

Obviously, the insurgents in what was once, perhaps, a nation, though subjugated by murderous tyranny, had grown used to their starring role on the world’s overly troubled stage, as the leading villains in the unfortunate tale.

Malcontent with their lot, they’ve been doing all they can to call our attention back to them – stomping around on the dusty boards, waving red hankies, and setting off more explosions than ever. For instance, the insulted tragedians are now inflicting a daily toll at death’s door of over 100 shot and exploded innocents.

Too bad they won't just go to their dressing rooms, where they can cool down and touch up their blood stains. Their current role, unwelcome as it may be to them, is to sit out the Israeli excision of Hezbollah and Hamas from the body politic of the Middle East.

While they may be nettled by the backhand of neglect, the scene currently commanding the stage is of greater magnitude than their own petulant urgency, because one of the players, Israel, has an indisputable hold on, in the eyes of most of the world’s audience, the moral high ground. There’s actually someone there whose general moral rectitude and righteous plight make a player to care about and root for.

There is also the undeniable reality that the bloody scene of the insurgency in Iraq has gone on far too long. The audience now views it as a boring comment on its own counterproductive stupidity and longs for a respite from the usual events at center stage.

Even more, the weary audience just wants to know when the dolts who have been shunted offstage will slap themselves in the forehead in recognition of their own deadly idiocy and join in rebuilding the fractured remnant of what never was but may yet be a free and prosperous nation, where the citizens can enjoy life while they sit by with the rest of us and watch yet another determinedly retro part of the world become as self-destructively moronic as they once were.

But now we’re getting a bit ahead of ourselves. We’re sure if the insurgents will simply bide their time, the world will be forced to endure their lumbering and ludicrous return to villainous stardom.

All New Puzzling Games

The adventure and puzzle genres of video gaming dates back to the early days of video gaming and was quite popular. The main reasons for this to happen were two-fold: they were not graphically very demanding and they needed lot of time to complete. Adventure games kept the player interested by making them solving the riddles within. With a puzzle game, there were chances for the challenges to get revamped up slowly and endlessly.

As you might be aware of, the early champion of adventure games was Sierra Entertainment. They created smash hits on the PC like King’s Quest, Police Quest and, Space Quest. They also managed to release early adult-themed games, like the infamous Leisure Suit Larry series. These games were able to offer players a chance to go on a journey in mythical lands or gritty urban streets. Quite often they were filled up with serious and humorous moments that would delight players for many hours continuously.

Although, the adventure genre of video gaming has experienced a serious downturn with the advent of RPG games and FPS games, there’s still hope for the adventure fanatic.

And on console, most of these adventure games have mainly lived on in the form of horror games. For instance, Resident Evil series has managed to receive two major picture productions and three sequels. Many of these console adventure games add in a bit of action so as to help maintain interest in the video game player.

The puzzle genre is a unique category of games because of the fact that they never really utilize the full power of modern technology. Instead their focus is mainly on timed challenges or difficult problem solving that requires extreme reflexes and quick reaction. The most famous puzzle game of all, Tetris, was insanely popular on the omnipresent Gameboy handheld system by Nintendo. In fact, Nintendo continues to heir the puzzle genre of video gaming with smash-hit titles like Mario Party, Mario Pinball Land and Wario World etc. Today, games are much more user friendly than games of the past. Games are so user friendly and attractive to the eye that in most cases, adults enjoy the games as much as if not more than the younger generations. To find out further information about video games, log onto the internet today there is a plethora of information available video gamers.

All About Warhammer Fantasy

You have probably heard of Warhammer and Warhammer 40k, and if you have not then chances are you have seen the excellent computer game Dawn of War.

Games Workshop are the masterminds behind these epic franchises. As the largest tabletop battle games company in the world, Games Workshop are also responsible for the more recent games based on the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

A Little History
Warhammer Fantasy Battle was the first game to be set in Warhammers alternate middle earth realm. Since its release in 1983 Warhammer has inspired generations of table top gamers, introducing them to painting and collecting the miniature models that represent battlefield units.

Warhammer 40k is Games Workshops futuristic version of the original game, set in the far future. Post apocalyptic societies struggle to control the galaxy, finding strange alien races and evil around every corner. This franchise was brought to wide media attention with the release of Dawn of War on the PC in 2004.


The Warhammer Fantasy Franchise
The Warhammer fantasy franchise encompasses table top games, role-playing games, card games, computer games, books, magazines and comics. Games Workshop is famous for the hard line it takes against impersonators and those who try and sell fake versions of their products, specifically the miniatures needed to play the table top games.

25 years of game development has produced an amazingly rich and detailed world. The official website lists over 200 written resources for Warhammer Fantasy. Additionally many older products are no longer in print or are unavailable.

The depth of information is staggering. Historical, religious and political histories are available for each of the 15 major armies used in the game.

Warhammer Fantasy inspires amazing artwork. Books produced as part of the worlds background feature stunning illustrations. Fans of the franchise also produce spectacular artwork of their own – often rivalling the official artists.


An Expensive Hobby
Warhammer has come a long way from those early days. Games Workshops commercial attitude to the franchise has turned many unsuspecting people into serious hobbyists who are almost addicted to the system.

Miniatures are supplied unpainted and unassembled, much like an airfix model. To collect, build and paint armies consisting of hundreds of models is not for the faint hearted! Add to this the need to create scenery and model buildings and you begin to appreciate the time, effort and money that fans invest into Warhammer.


Warhammer And The Future
The Warhammer franchise appears to be eternal. Games Workshop are clearly willing to move with the times as demonstrated by the release of several computer games in the past decade.

The impending release of a Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) – Warhammer: Age of Reckoning - based in the Warhammer fantasy world is adding to the reputation of this gaming giant. Nearly 600,000 people have signed up hoping to get a sneak preview of the game, providing solid evidence that Warhammer is now firmly in the mainstream.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Iraq Opens Suicide Bomber Range; Calls It Twice-Blessed Paradise Express

In an effort to reduce the loss of life and limb by suicide bombers, the Iraqi government has opened a suicide bomber range. The government's intention is to encourage all those who are determined to carry out such an explosive termination to execute the insane plan in a way that is being hailed as twice-blessed.

The government maintains that it will be blessed because, one, the bombers will be carrying out their hope of putting themselves on the expressway to the paradise of their dreams and, two, they will accomplish their mission without blasting off with anyone else.

As Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki stated, "We have established a way for the suicide bombers to achieve their highest goal in a far more considerate way; now, they can blow themselves up in sanctimonious privacy.”

A suicide bomber, who had arrived to take advantage of the new opportunity, said, “I think the government did a great thing. Just think! Now, I get to blow myself up, which I long to do so much I can't express the intensity of my need. But now, while the end will be the same for me, I won’t have to kill anybody else to get to paradise.”

The government also touted the range as an ideal opportunity for suicide bombers to execute their plans while they provided themselves with some insurance against the misfortune that, should they meet Allah and discover He actually disapproves of anyone blowing other human beings, they might escape the severe condemnation attendant to detonating others.

A suicide bomber commented, "I like that it comes with an insurance policy against any possible disapproval by Allah. If by some chance He disapproves of one human being blowing up himself and other human beings, at least, I'll only be punished for blowing up myself. It removes a lot of concerns."

Prime Minister al-Maliki went on to say, “In an effort to achieve reconciliation, we must stop the murder of Iraqi by Iraqi, as well as, come to think of it, the murder of anybody by an Iraqi, including the murder of coalition troops, who are here to help us make a smooth transition to a peaceful and prosperous nation, not to mention protecting me and the government from coming to a premature end due to the various activities of insurgents, including their suicide bombers.”

Another suicide bomber who decided to take advantage of the new opportunity said, “I think this approach is wonderful. I get to blow myself up, which I long to do so much, and I can go to paradise as soon as my timer reaches zero. At the same time I won’t inconvenience anyone else with my detonation. It really makes the most sense; the end will be the same for me, and, just think, I won’t have to kill anybody else to head for heavenly bliss.” He seemed about to say something else, but, unfortunately, his timer hit zero.

President Bush told reporters, “I think a private detonation range for suicide bombers is a real breakthrough in the peace process. I encourage all would-be bombers to take advantage of this considerate opportunity. In fact, I encourage every country that has experienced the tragedy inflicted by suicide bombers to immediately establish its own suicide bomber range.”

Donald Rumsfeld stated, “Oh, I consider the suicide bomber range a wonderful solution to one of the thorniest and intractable problems we face in Iraq. I have instructed General Casey to cooperate fully and, if necessary, to provide assistance in terms of dynamite and timers. I just hope the practice catches on enough to get the SB’s off the street. I can’t tell you how it upsets me to see people being blown up every day.”

While the bomber range is certainly a regrettable development in terms of the more promising sensibilities of civilization, it may at least be seen, in the dismal brutality of its context, as an intensely rational response to inexcusably irrational behavior.

All About Warhammer Fantasy

You have probably heard of Warhammer and Warhammer 40k, and if you have not then chances are you have seen the excellent computer game Dawn of War.

Games Workshop are the masterminds behind these epic franchises. As the largest tabletop battle games company in the world, Games Workshop are also responsible for the more recent games based on the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

A Little History
Warhammer Fantasy Battle was the first game to be set in Warhammers alternate middle earth realm. Since its release in 1983 Warhammer has inspired generations of table top gamers, introducing them to painting and collecting the miniature models that represent battlefield units.

Warhammer 40k is Games Workshops futuristic version of the original game, set in the far future. Post apocalyptic societies struggle to control the galaxy, finding strange alien races and evil around every corner. This franchise was brought to wide media attention with the release of Dawn of War on the PC in 2004.


The Warhammer Fantasy Franchise
The Warhammer fantasy franchise encompasses table top games, role-playing games, card games, computer games, books, magazines and comics. Games Workshop is famous for the hard line it takes against impersonators and those who try and sell fake versions of their products, specifically the miniatures needed to play the table top games.

25 years of game development has produced an amazingly rich and detailed world. The official website lists over 200 written resources for Warhammer Fantasy. Additionally many older products are no longer in print or are unavailable.

The depth of information is staggering. Historical, religious and political histories are available for each of the 15 major armies used in the game.

Warhammer Fantasy inspires amazing artwork. Books produced as part of the worlds background feature stunning illustrations. Fans of the franchise also produce spectacular artwork of their own – often rivalling the official artists.


An Expensive Hobby
Warhammer has come a long way from those early days. Games Workshops commercial attitude to the franchise has turned many unsuspecting people into serious hobbyists who are almost addicted to the system.

Miniatures are supplied unpainted and unassembled, much like an airfix model. To collect, build and paint armies consisting of hundreds of models is not for the faint hearted! Add to this the need to create scenery and model buildings and you begin to appreciate the time, effort and money that fans invest into Warhammer.


Warhammer And The Future
The Warhammer franchise appears to be eternal. Games Workshop are clearly willing to move with the times as demonstrated by the release of several computer games in the past decade.

The impending release of a Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) – Warhammer: Age of Reckoning - based in the Warhammer fantasy world is adding to the reputation of this gaming giant. Nearly 600,000 people have signed up hoping to get a sneak preview of the game, providing solid evidence that Warhammer is now firmly in the mainstream.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

All About Full Tilt Poker

The term "full tilt poker" basically means online poker. Access to an online site is easy, one such site is fulltiltpoker, and the site introduces you to online poker to the max. Instructions on how to play, an introduction to the team, you can even bet real money. They have an online poker forum where you can read FAQ on the game itself. They have poker tournaments which include 'sig & go tournament poker', 'multi-table tournament poker' and 'private tournaments'. They have a players' lounge where in you can have discussions on everything from tournaments to how much you love poker.

The full tilt poker bonus code is the bonus code offered on site in cooperation with a poker site and is not case sensitive or does it expire. The bonus is a first time deposit up to $600 and is used by numerous players and has been verified to work. So for each dollar raked from the pot, every player who was dealt cards for that hand will earn one point. You can earn partial points if less than one dollar is raked, and you can earn up to three points per hand. Each point is worth $.06, so you can earn up to $18 per hundred hands.

Full tilt poker is a poker room that advertises chats with the pros, playing with the pros and learning from them. Full tilt poker has accumulated a team of professional poker players to promote the poker room. These professionals actually take part in some of the tournaments and ring games offered by Full Tilt Poker. It offers a wide variety of poker games including no limit, pot limit, and fixed limit hold?em as well as Omaha. Play money games are also available.

Full Tilt Poker is the best poker room currently open to US players. A European player may as well choose Titan Poker to play at, it features all the same but does not accept US players.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Advice On Buying Video Games

Is the local retailer's game testing system becoming your primary console? Have you resorted to subscribing to game magazines just to play the included demos? Are you having to go on a forced Ready Rice diet because you can not afford to buy the latest games? Now you don't have to, in this article we will examine ways for consumers to save money when purchasing video games.

Avoid Buying From Offline Retailers

One of the most worst things you can do as a consumer is to buy games, especially if they are not new, from a local retail outlet. Most of the games within these stores are overpriced even after you factor in the discount that you will get from the advertised sale price or the savings through the store's discount card. If you have too, then its best to buy a game from the pre-owned section. Pre-owned games are generally in good condition and cost 20 % less then their counterparts, just remember to inspect the game box for any missing game manuals and the game disc for scratches.

Search For Online Deals

As a consumer your first choice should be eBay. Generally used games on eBay are much cheaper than the major retailer's pre-owned selection and occasionally you do find good deals. Instead of bidding on a single title you should instead try to win a lot of 10 to 50 games. Keep the games that you need from the lot and auction off the rest. Lots are generally more cheaper, on a per game bases, and in my experience these sellers do not gouge buyers on shipping costs. Also when using eBay be sure to use Paypal as the payment option. Paypal issues, several times during the year, coupons which can be used when paying for eBay items, these coupons offer an additional saving of 5 – 10% and are usually found in eBay's monthly newsletters. There are also online sites such as pricegrabber.com and dealrush.com that display weekly deals from all the major video game retailers. An advantage to using these sites is that they are updated daily meaning you can stop having to rely on the Sunday flyers to find deals. Apart from these sites you can also save money by purchasing used games from members on the various gaming forums (such as cheapassgamer.com) that you may participate in. Just be sure that the forum members that you trade with have a high iTrader rating.

Have Patience

Game prices fall dramatically within a span of four months. Therefore, you should consider waiting a couple of months before buying a new game. Apart from saving you money this approach also allows you to get a better idea of how good the game is and if its worth owning.

Rent If Broke

So why should you rent games? Because its cheap and it provides you the ability to test new games. Most of the latest games appear on the renting shelves within the first two weeks of the initial release date, and given that most major retailers charge only $4-$8 for a game rental, this is the perfect opportunity to test, review and hopefully finish the game. Renting works especially well if you just need to play the latest games without caring too much about owning a personal copy. Remember, you can always buy your favorite rented games later on in the year when they cost a fraction of the original price.

Sell Your Games After You Finish Them

As a broke gamer the worst thing you could is start a collection, especially with new releases. Most new games fall dramatically in price within the first few months, so its vital that you sell your new games as soon as possible. Remember, you can always rent games, either when company comes over or at times when you are bored. This method will not only provide you with additional revenue but will also insure that you are able to play the latest releases.

Advice On Buying Video Games

Is the local retailer's game testing system becoming your primary console? Have you resorted to subscribing to game magazines just to play the included demos? Are you having to go on a forced Ready Rice diet because you can not afford to buy the latest games? Now you don't have to, in this article we will examine ways for consumers to save money when purchasing video games.

Avoid Buying From Offline Retailers

One of the most worst things you can do as a consumer is to buy games, especially if they are not new, from a local retail outlet. Most of the games within these stores are overpriced even after you factor in the discount that you will get from the advertised sale price or the savings through the store's discount card. If you have too, then its best to buy a game from the pre-owned section. Pre-owned games are generally in good condition and cost 20 % less then their counterparts, just remember to inspect the game box for any missing game manuals and the game disc for scratches.

Search For Online Deals

As a consumer your first choice should be eBay. Generally used games on eBay are much cheaper than the major retailer's pre-owned selection and occasionally you do find good deals. Instead of bidding on a single title you should instead try to win a lot of 10 to 50 games. Keep the games that you need from the lot and auction off the rest. Lots are generally more cheaper, on a per game bases, and in my experience these sellers do not gouge buyers on shipping costs. Also when using eBay be sure to use Paypal as the payment option. Paypal issues, several times during the year, coupons which can be used when paying for eBay items, these coupons offer an additional saving of 5 – 10% and are usually found in eBay's monthly newsletters. There are also online sites such as pricegrabber.com and dealrush.com that display weekly deals from all the major video game retailers. An advantage to using these sites is that they are updated daily meaning you can stop having to rely on the Sunday flyers to find deals. Apart from these sites you can also save money by purchasing used games from members on the various gaming forums (such as cheapassgamer.com) that you may participate in. Just be sure that the forum members that you trade with have a high iTrader rating.

Have Patience

Game prices fall dramatically within a span of four months. Therefore, you should consider waiting a couple of months before buying a new game. Apart from saving you money this approach also allows you to get a better idea of how good the game is and if its worth owning.

Rent If Broke

So why should you rent games? Because its cheap and it provides you the ability to test new games. Most of the latest games appear on the renting shelves within the first two weeks of the initial release date, and given that most major retailers charge only $4-$8 for a game rental, this is the perfect opportunity to test, review and hopefully finish the game. Renting works especially well if you just need to play the latest games without caring too much about owning a personal copy. Remember, you can always buy your favorite rented games later on in the year when they cost a fraction of the original price.

Sell Your Games After You Finish Them

As a broke gamer the worst thing you could is start a collection, especially with new releases. Most new games fall dramatically in price within the first few months, so its vital that you sell your new games as soon as possible. Remember, you can always rent games, either when company comes over or at times when you are bored. This method will not only provide you with additional revenue but will also insure that you are able to play the latest releases.

JazzFest In New Orleans Kicks Off Without Jazz

The Jazzfest in New Orleans, intended to revive the sodden spirits of the land of legendary jazz greats, went off, oddly enough, with comparatively little jazz. There was, in conspicuous unlikelihood, Bruce Springsteen, who did manage a soulful rendition of When the Saints Go Marching In. Also on hand was the legendary jazz performer Elvis Costello.

While all the misplaced rockers do come as a wakeup call to the people who expect the Jazzfest to feature jazz, the sad truth is that jazz hasn’t been the leading act in New Orleans, or anywhere else in the lower 48, since Bill Haley and the Comets strolled around Preservation Hall, thumping out Rock Around the Clock, ratcheting up that old backbeat rhythm in the first verifiable intrusion of rock and roll into the sensibilities of the former comparatively civilized ears of now extensively deaf humanity.

Of course, there were some performers with a tad of credibility toward the appellation of jazz artist, such as verifiable regulars Dr. John and Allan Toussaint.

It’s time deal with the indisputable encumbrance that we’re living in an age when the big music stars are not, despite their passing pretensions, exponents of the jazz mode, except perhaps in the persona of the skillful New Yorker trumpeter, Wynton Marsalis. The giants of jazz, from raspy voiced trumpeter Louis Armstrong to smoothly elegant pianist Bill Evans, have long been sleeping in the arms of time.

The truth of music in New Orleans has for many years been in the sound of music one hears when he or she strolls through the fabled French Quarter. They have been, not the lilting lines of jazz, but the raucous thumps of rock.

Since popular music is unlikely to return to those golden days of yore, it seems that the least irritating way to return consonance to the Jazzfest is simply to rename it the Musicfest.

Then, while our ears might be just as troubled, at least our minds could ease off the incongruity that persists in troubling them.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Advanced Backgammon Strategies - Using the Doubling Cube

Although, the Doubling Cube is unknown to most of the backgammon casual players, it is an essential tool in advanced backgammon strategies and in money matches and tournaments.

This cube is designated for raising the stakes of the match and its introduction to the backgammon world is one of the main reasons for the rise of popularity of backgammon.

The cube has 6 faces and the numbers written on it- 2, 4, 8,16,32,64.

At the beginning of the match, the doubling cube is placed beside the board or on the Bar between the players.

Any player, who feels at any stage of the match, that he is leading sufficiently in the match, before throwing his dice, may suggest to double the stakes by placing the doubling cube with the number 2 facing up.

For example player A decided to raise the stakes.

Player B, his opponent, the player the offer is given to, after reviewing his situation, has two options:

He may refuse the offer and thus lose the game and one unit.

He may agree to double the stakes, and in this case the match continues with higher stakes.

Player B, who agreed to the offer, is now the owner of the doubling cube, meaning only him (player B) has the option to double the stakes again at any stage of the game.

If player B decides to do so, he has to do it on his turn before throwing his dice.

Now he takes the dice and places it so that the number 4 is facing up.

Player A, has now the same two options, only this time if he declines the offer he will lose two units, and if he agrees the stakes will rise to 4 times the original and the doubling cube returns to his control.

The cube can pass from player to player, each time raising the stakes.


The Crawford rule-

If you are playing a game until N- points, and your opponent is leading and reaches N-1 points, meaning he is short one point from winning the game, you are not allowed to use the Doubling cube in the following game, however, you can use the dice in the following matches if the game continues.

The reason is the weaker player will always want to raise the stakes because he has nothing to lose anymore and we want keep the use of the dice in fairness of both sides.


The Jacoby rule-

This rule is used in money games and never in match games. It decides that a backgammon or gammon may not be scored as such only if the cube has been passed and accepted. The reason behind this rule is speeding up.



The Holland rule-

The Holland rule is used in match games and decides that in post-Crawford games, the trailer can only double after both sides have played two rolls. The rule makes the free drop more valuable to the leading player but generally just confuses the issue.

Unlike the Crawford rule, this rule isn't popular, and is rarely used today.

The beavers, raccoons, otters and any other animals in the backgammon game-

These animals appear only, if wanted by both sides, in money games and never in match games.

If player A, doubles the stakes, and player B believes A is wrong and he (player B) has the advantage, B can double the stakes and keep the doubling cube on his side. For example, if A makes the initial double and puts the doubling cube on 2, B can say "Beaver", turn the cube to 4 and keep the cube at his side. If A believes B is wrong he can say "Raccoon" and turn the cube to 8. All this time, B remains the owner of the doubling cube. If B wishes to raise the stakes once more, he only needs to say another silly name (the animal's name is a controversy among players) and so on.



The Chouette-

Chouette is a version of backgammon for more than 2 players. One of the players is the "Box" and plays against the rest of the group on a single board.

Another player is the "Captain" of the group, who throws the dice and makes the moves for the group playing against the box.

If the Box wins, the Captain goes to the back of the line and the next player becomes the Captain of the team. If the Captain wins, he becomes the new Box, and the old Box goes to the end of the line.

The rules regarding the ability of the group to consult with the Captain changes from

version to version. In some versions of the Chouette the group can freely give advice to the Captain, and in other versions, consulting is strictly forbidden.

The compromised version is the most popular- consulting is legitimate only after the dice have been thrown.

Originally, Chouette was played with a single die .The only decisions that players other than the Captain were allowed to make on their own was concerning the takes: If the Box had doubled, each player on the team could take or drop independently. Today, a multiple-cube Chouette is more popular; each player on the team has his own cube, and all doubling, dropping, and taking decisions are made independently by all players.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Activision Weaves Its Web Into New Spider-Man 2 Video Game

How would it feel to be Spider-Man? What would it be like to fight crime as a superhero in one of the most captivating cities in the world - New York City?

Picture yourself sending your super web powers into the air to disarm one of Spidey's extraordinary nemeses like Doc Ock, Mysterio, Shocker or Rhino, then with a quick flick of the wrist, wrapping them up rodeo style - all without breaking a sweat.

While you may never get to live out these fantasies in the real world, Activision's video game allows you to experience the next best thing.

Based on Columbia Pictures' motion picture release of "Spider-Man 2," the Spider-Man 2 video game takes ordinary gaming to a whole new level. Spider-Man 2 is the first game that puts players in the role of Marvel's legendary web slinger, Spider-Man, and drops them into the heart of a living, breathing cityscape teeming with common criminals, super-villains, pesky pedestrians, trains and even helicopters.

While players can recapture the movie experience by following the gaming plotline, they can also deter from the story to chase down a stolen purse for a helpless older woman or simply take in the sights of New York City by swinging from building to building.

The only free-roaming game of its kind, Spider-Man 2 offers some of the most realistic depictions of the Big Apple - featuring key landmarks such as Queensboro Bridge, Central Park and the Statue of Liberty.

Aficionados of the film will immediately recognize the voices of its blockbuster stars: Kirsten Dunst (Mary Jane), Bruce Campbell, (Snooty Usher), Alfred Molina (Doc Ock), and of course, everyone's favorite photographer turned superhero - Tobey McGuire.

Key movie locations, storylines and hi-res, lifelike cinematics combined with unique swinging mechanics that allow players to soar through the air as Spider-Man, make this one gaming experience you can relive over and over again from the comfort - and safety - of your own home.

When you pop in this game, you truly go where no Spider-Man game has gone before, complete of course, with all of the necessary Spidey senses to guide you along.

Spider-Man 2 is available for the PlayStation 2, XBOX and Nintendo Game Cube for $49.99. - NU

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Action Games- The Thrill Is Addictive

When you watch live action on movie screens, you get excited. Combined with sound effects the action can be a real thrill. Some actions that we watch takes the breath away. How about Action games on computers?

Some of the makers of action games make great animations and may include a story line. Stories always attract us. Tell a story and everybody will listen. The action games on computers use this very well to produce games that can take your breath away thinking of the imagination and artistry applied by the maker.

Adventures, space fights, planes colliding in mid air, think of any action and you will find it used in a game. Most of these games are free online. Action games give great thrill and despite called for teenagers they are for the family to enjoy them together. Action games test the response of the player and sharpen the judgment. Such games are not pure fun. They can help as training tools if used properly.

Other free online games that are currently becoming very popular are- Arcade Games, Board Games, Card Games, Casino Games, Strategy Games, Sports Games, Shooting Games and, Puzzle Games. Most of the online games are free. Look for a good website and play the games. They are a fabulous way of enjoyment. As I said in the heading these games can become addictive. Take small doses and life will be a joy.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Action Figures Bridge the Gap between the Present and the Past

As a child I spent countless hours collecting and playing with action figures of all shapes, sizes, and characters. My favorite by far were my Star Wars action figures but I spent many hours playing with G. I. Joe, Transformers, Masters of the Universe. There are so many of them, and they were such a vital part of my childhood experience that I couldn’t really begrudge my sons love of those very same things.

His current collection is of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle™ action figures. He is also starting a nice collection of matchbox cars, but he really loves his Ninja Turtles. For a while he was seriously interested in light sabers from Star Wars. I was so excited hoping I could share my old love for my Star Wars action figures with him, but his interest stopped at the light sabers and he never really got into those action figures that were once so special to me.

Ah well, I still have two daughters; perhaps one of them will love those as much as I once did. The real beauty of action figures is that you can keep them and share them with your children, you can sell them, or you can consider them as an investment. However you look at your action figure collection, don’t underestimate the many hours of fun they can provide your children. The right set of action figures can ignite their imaginations and keep them occupied for endless hours on those rainy summer days.

If you wonder about whether or not action figures are good toys for children to have, think back to your childhood and how these action figures enabled you to use your imagination and creativity. Think of the endless hours of fun you had with these awesome toys and how you could share these toys with your friends and double the fun. I know that I feel any toy that helps children use their imaginations is a good toy for them to have.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

About Playing Cards

There are a wide variety of playing cards. Some card decks are game specific particularly Pinochle cards, Bridge Decks, and Poker decks. Other card games are King’s Corner, Solitaire, Gin Rummy, War, Old Maid and Slap Jack.

There are various categories of games that can be played using playing cards. There are fortune telling cards such as Tarot cards, Author cards, and book cards. There are historical fact games, special interest games and a wizard card game.

There are educational card decks such as Arithmetic flash cards, Trivia fact cards, and many more. There are self help card decks such as blessing cards, affirmation cards, conversation cards, and corporate training card decks.

While it is not a game strictly speaking, building a house of cards is fun. The foundation is two card placed facing each other on the short end of the card and a card is place on either side of the two cards. As you move out you can also move up in height. Sounds easy right...NOT!!!! The slightest breath of air can tumble your card castle in seconds. The secret is to not breathe, have a window open, or anyone in the room with you. Since that isn’t possible, you need to be extremely light handed while building your card house.

Card decks have the number and the suit imprinted on the front with some kind of a design on the back. They are printed with a plain matte finish, a glossy finish or no real finishing at all. Laminated card decks are best because they will last much longer than other types of decks.

A Look Back At Video Game History – Do You Remember Pac Man, Space Invaders And Super Mario Brothers?

Of all the things that the 1970’s produced, there are few that made as big of a cultural impact as video games. There’s no question about it: video games have been a significant force in society and one of the most popular leisure pursuits. Chances are if you’re under the age of 40, you played them, some of us a lot. There was Atari, Intellivision and Colecovision. Don’t forget Sega and Nintendo. Today there are web sites that allow you to download free online games.

And if you remember those days of the late ‘70’s and early 80’s, you recall that the games relied on graphic improvements and better ways of shooting the enemy. It was more or less a solitary pursuit. With the rise of the Internet and online games however, lots of things changed, including the ability to download games and playing online games, making games a more social activity, with lots of players, or opponents playing each other from different countries. This may be the biggest change – and the latest benefit that games have offered the world.

But what about the early days? How did it all start and what were the video games that defined the era?

The Innovators

Many people think that Pong was the home game that started it all, but really it was Magnavox and their "Odyssey" system in 1972. Although it was very simple, it was still the first. It had twelve simple games with graphic overlays. However, there was lots of room for improvement, and that’s where Pong came into play.

Nolan Bushnell created Pong, along with Al Alcorn, the founder of Atari. Rumor has it that when the prototype was tested at a California bar, the machine broke down after two days, because it was so popular. The next logical step was to create a home version. So, one year later, Atari released Pong, complete with built in paddles, and a speaker. Of course, Pong was a huge success and represented a new stage in the evolution of gaming. Over sixty Pong knock-offs would be produced, but Atari dominated the market.

Next was the implementation of the microprocessor, which the entire industry adopted. As a result of this, more complicated systems could be developed. These systems produced groundbreaking and innovative graphical and auditory effects that had never been seen before. Consumers were eating it up. The industry was on fire. In 1981 alone, five billion dollars were spent on video arcade machines and another billion dollars was spent on home video game systems. Atari’s VCS/2600 system remained the dominant player through 1982, when the gaming market experienced a crash.

What were some of the great games? How about Pac Man? Pac Man, the yellow blob that ate up dots and avoided squid-like ghosts, was a worldwide sensation and probably the biggest game of all time.

Space Invaders was another incredibly popular game. In fact, it really marked a turning point for arcade games, bringing them out of bars and into family friendly places like shops and restaurants. The premise of Space Invaders was to stop an alien invasion. This simple formula went on to become the most successful arcade game of all time.

Then there was Super Mario, which was huge as well. It involved an Italian anti-hero who was deliberately designed as a character that everyone could relate to. Soon thereafter came Zelda, Metroid, and other classics.

Rise and Fall of Atari

Atari was the hottest thing in the gaming world in the early ‘80’s. Today, they are a relic of past glory. So what happened? Atari made some bad decisions, and although it’s a little complicated, it’s helpful to understand the situation. At that time in the computing world, magnetic mediums were implemented in the data storage used in Arcade machines. These mediums allowed for a higher memory capacity than ROM cartridges.

In 1982, Atari had the option to include a disk drive in their systems. The price difference would have been nominal, and the memory capacity would have been significant. Atari, however, thought that magnetic media was too “fragile” for the consumer to adequately handle. Atari's "concern" for the customer backfired on them. In the previous years, there had been a very fine line separating arcade game quality from home game quality. With arcades utilizing storage capacities ten to forty-five times larger than home systems that fine line became a chasm. Arcade games seemed to be evolving exponentially, while home systems seemed "stuck in a time warp.”

The public quickly became uninterested in video game specific consoles, and sales plummeted.
This would mark the end of Atari's reign of the video game market.

The Rise of the New

In 1984, everything changed. The reason? Two innovations: The reduction in cost of Dynamic RAM (DRAM) chips which allowed more memory, and the production of higher power 8-bit processors, which lowered the prices of the previous chips. Sega, a new player in home gaming systems, entered the console market with their Master System 2. The Sega Master system would sell very well, but its success would be limited.

The other key player was Nintendo of Japan. The genius of Nintendo was their marketing prowess, as they poured millions into advertisements. These advertisements hit consumers at the perfect time, as evidenced in their sales. In fact, Nintendo couldn’t manufacture enough systems to keep up with demand. After all was said and done, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) would become the highest selling system in history. They would also become the most notorious, as they were involved in the intimidation of retailers, competing companies, and other suppliers and partners.

Over the next five years Sega and Nintendo would battle for dominance, going back and forth. The consumer definitely benefited from this rivalry.

Today, it’s between PlayStation 2, the Xbox and the GameCube. Xbox has taken the step to merge the past and present, where Xbox "Live Arcade" is a console system that has a "download-like" characteristic where you can buy games via the console itself. One thing in the video game industry will always remain: the classic games of yesterday were great games, helped define an era, and will always be fun.

A Guide to Gambling on Online Poker Rooms

So, what is your hobby? Do you like playing cards? Have you yet discovered the amazing world of online poker rooms? In truth, there is nothing more wonderful to card players than online poker. This has become a hobby to many poker players.

Online poker room gambling popularity emanates from the ease and convenience of this type of gambling. It is way much easier to gamble in an online casino than in an actual brick and mortar one. The gambling software creates an almost effortless game. You are assured that you won’t even miss your turn. You would be prompted when you need to place a bet, even suggests the amount that you should bet. You would even be asked if you want to fold, which you could do so if you feel like your hand is not good enough. This is why a lot of people are getting addicted to online poker gambling.

The Benefits of Online Poker Gambling

Poker software are being constantly developed and improved to meet customers demand and satisfaction. You can choose your games and play only those that you love. You can play with a limit, no limit or within pot limit. If you are confident with your game, you can for high stakes. You can even switch from one game to another. It doesn’t even matter when you log on to play, there are games 24/7 and there are seats available.

What Should You Remember When Playing Poker Online?

The hitch on online gambling is that you can’t see your opponents; such that it would be difficult to gauge their reactions. You won’t be able to see their body language. You won’t see them fidget, get excited or frown. This makes winning a little bit difficult. To ensure your chances of winning, there are some things that you have to remember when gambling and playing poker online.

1. Play free poker games first. Before jumping into a poker game, be sure to sit out a few hands to get a feel for the online poker room gambling site. You would also get used to the game. This is especially important since online poker is faster than your traditional poker game.
2. Start with low-staked gambling. Unless you are pretty sure that you’d fare well in a high-staked poker game, do not risk your money in one. Again, feel your way through online poker and online betting by starting with small bets.
3. Earmark your fund. Before you jump into a game or a tournament, determine first what you can afford to lose. If at some point in the game you lost that amount of money, do not go any further.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

A Winning Strategy For The Game Of Freecell Solitaire

FreeCell Solitaire is an extremely addictive solitaire card game invented by Paul Alfille. It is fun and very skill-dependent. Nearly every game of FreeCell Solitaire can be won with perfect play. Only several FreeCell deals are known to be unsolvable. This makes FreeCell card game much more interesting and popular than solitaire variations like Klondike, where luck is a large factor in the game. With FreeCell, winning depends mostly on skill.

You have a better chance of winning if you plan your strategy carefully. Below you will find several simple rules that can help you to win FreeCell Solitaire on more regular basis.

1. Examine the tableau carefully before making any moves. It is very important to plan several moves ahead. The obvious moves are not always the best.

2. Make it a priority to free up all the Aces, especially if they are deeply buried behind the higher cards. Move them to the home cells as early as possible.

3. Try to keep as many free cells empty as possible. Be cautious! Once all free cells are filled, you have almost no space to maneuver. And your ability to maneuver is the key to this game. Make sure you have no alternative before placing any cards in the free cells.

4. Try to create an empty tableau pile as soon as possible. Empty tableau piles are more important than free cells. Each empty tableau can be used to store an entire sequence instead of a single card. And it doubles the length of an ordered sequence of cards that can be moved from one tableau to another. (If the long sequence move involves both empty tableaus and free cells, it is often called supermove.)

5. If it is possible, fill an empty tableau space with a long descending sequence that begins with a King.

6. Do not to move cards to the home cells too quickly. You may need these cards later to maneuver lower cards of other suits.

Some FreeCell Solitaire deals are solvable very quickly, while others take more time to solve. Replaying the same shuffles in a number of different ways will allow completing the most difficult ones. The more you play the more games you are able to complete. Continue to practice using the strategy above and soon you will find yourself achieving better results and enhancing your enjoyment of playing FreeCell Solitaire.

A New Level in Gaming

Those of us of a certain age can remember a time when computer gaming signified all the excitement inherent in a game of Pong, that toe-curlingly breathtaking game where one or two players hit a computerized ball against a computerized wall or between tow, you guessed it, computerized paddles. While those early days of gaming were exciting enough for a generation to whom all this technology was new, today’s gamers are merely bemused by what used to pass for a good time. But then they’re used to so much more, a fact exemplified perfectly by the 2005 pre-Christmas release of Microsoft’s Xbox 360.

Computer gaming has come a long way in the last twenty years. From iconic Atari Pac-man who chomped through a screen of varying two-dimensional foes, gaming today is now barely recognizable as the same species of fun. Today an enormous variety of games include graphics that are startlingly life-life and storylines complex enough to sustain film versions of the same plot, creating a leisure activity so immediate and thrilling that it satisfies the urges of the most dedicated adrenaline junkie.

The Xbox 360 exemplifies all that is possible in today’s gaming world. With powerful graphic and audio capabilities, this console offers a gaming experience that is second to none. And as developments in the world of technology allow functional lines to be easily crossed, the Xbox 360 also offers much more than those old Atari games ever could.

With the release of the Xbox 360, Microsoft also revamped their Xbox live, the service that allows gamers to connect to the Internet and thereby to one another, creating their own personal profile and gaming history and buddy lists that allow communication between fellow gamers. As well as this high quality gaming experience, and the ability to share it with others, the Xbox 360 also acts as a larger media center, allowing users to download movies, music and pictures, on top of playing movies on DVD and music CDs.

With the release of the Xbox 360, many reviewers argue that Microsoft has set a new standard for gaming. And with a variety of functions and an enormous array of games to choose from, there is little doubt that this new standard will not disappoint.

A Great Learning Experience When Playing Video Games

While many people believe that online video games can increase anti-social behaviors, violence, loss of communication skills, and even health issues, such as obesity, some critics seem to agree that online video games can help the game players increase hand eye coordination. In this sense, it seems to be that most critics have already recognized the beneficial effects of video games in their mind.

Online educational games provide game players brain training that can help them become even more intelligent. These games work by testing the cognitive functions of your brain, such as memory, reasoning, logical decision making, and so fort .Let’s visualize yourself working out at a local health club to get your body in shape, playing educational video games is just like taking your brain to the same gym to get mentally in shape.

Educational games are often viewed as boring, un-cool, and primitive, but the truth is that educational games could be as much fun as any other types of game. Often, those educational game player could have a lot more fun because they feel rewarded from the game. Think back to that game of trivia you played with friends a few years ago, do you remember how good you felt when getting the right answer? That's a type of feeling the game player could get from education games. The more people play these games, the greater confidence they have and which could bring them a better chance of succeeding at whatever they set their mind to achieve.

The best place to play free educational video games is on the internet. The internet could provide you a platform for educational learning which never happens before. Educational games have become an interesting and useful for the users. One of significant interests for many users is learning skills that can be applied in their workplace. One example of where this occurs is in the dental field. Many dental websites include online educational games that are both fun, informative, and catered towards user interests. Games could be, for example, Wordsearch, Matching Pair, and Crossword Puzzle. Each game will be fun and interactive for the user to learn real vocational terms that they can also use in their office.

The internet has transcended the traditional boundaries of online games by offering useful, and beneficial and educational contents for the user. After you play a few on line games, ask yourself if you've learned anything new and you will be probably surprised with the answer.