Monday, January 31, 2011

Download free ipod game

Do you want to try to download a free Ipod game? Ipods seem to have really taken off in this high tech age, and virtually everybody seems to have one. Although your Ipod may well have come loaded with quite a few games when you bought it, you'll probably find that you can never have too many games. In this article there are some tips to show you what you need to know if you are trying to download a free game for your Ipod.

The primary consideration for you if you've chosen to download a free Ipod game is caution- there are HUNDREDs of websites on the internet that only want to take your money. As if that was not enough, there are also many that want to give your computer a virus infection and use their downloads to ruin your IPod. Although it is not easy to tell which sites are like this, you would do well to avoid any site with popups. No one like popups, so any site using them is best avoided..

You are also going to have to be careful that what you are doing is legal-if you download free ipod games, and it is later proven that they were under copyright, you will become a lawbreaker. We are seeing an ongoing tightening of the laws on downloads, and although it can be just too tempting with the high speeds of modern day internet, it is ever more likely that a law breaker will be found out. If anyone using the internet can locate your IP address, and with it your name and home address, don't you think the government can do the same?

If you want to download a free Ipod game, you will need to be smart. Remember, things which seem too good to be true, usually are too good to be true. It can be annoying when you find a site which offers to let you download many of the most recent games, as well as music and movies, all for your Ipod and without any charge, but it is almost certainly a scam of some sort. You need to take care with this kind of site, as they can charge a fee for every download, or even a fee every month for membership. It is an obvious recommendation to avoid these kind of sites, but if you do join one make sure you know what you will get for your money.

There is a good side to all of this. The best method for downloading a free Ipod game is by using a genuine download site. Some of these sites are on the level and allow you free downloads, often at high speed. The one problem with these sites is that they usually need a one off payment to join the site. This is often around $20 to $50, and when you have registered you will be able to download virtually any game for your Ipod-as well as a lot of television broadcasts and films, and a huge amount of music. It will be easy with a site like this to get good value for the money.

So there are the tips-if you want to download a free Ipod game, be very careful not to fall foul of a scam, or even worse find yourself in legal trouble! Have fun!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Download free Iphone games

In order to download some free games for your iphone, there will be a few things you need. Number one is an Iphone, obviously, so congratulations if you managed to get your hands on one. On top of the Iphone, you will also need a computer, and an internet connection. The computer doesn't have to be the most hi tech in the world, anything in the last 5 or 6 years should be fine.

Having said that, a five or six year old internet connection will probably not cut the mustard here. The slower your connection, the longer your downloads will take. That's not to say it won't work-if you are stuck with a dial up connection, you can still download things just fine, it will take a little longer is all.

Something else you will need is a hard drive large enough to take the downloads, and don't forget the game will be ending up on your Iphone, so you'll need enough space on that too. Once you're sure you have all the required stuff, you are about ready to start downloading free Ipod games.

The hardest thing about this is knowing where to find the games. Over the last few years it seems like the whole world has gone crazy for torrent or P2P sites-it seemed like everyone I knew was downloading everything from there. True, you could get free stuff like that, but it's pretty dangerous, and is it worth getting into trouble with the law just for a free game or whatever? The other main problem with the torrent sites is that a lot of hackers etc, upload files there under false names, so you may think you're downloading sonic the hedgehog only to find that you are downloading some kind of virus or trojan which will give the hacker access to your computer. Not too cool huh?

For some reason, a few people still do access the torrent sites for their downloads, even though there are some pretty cool safe alternatives around these days. The way these new kinds of sites work is that you pay a one of joining fee, say $35 or $50, and then you get access to their downloads. The downloads are super fast, and you usually get unlimited downloads too.

As you've seen, there's more than meets the eye if you are looking to download games to Iphone, but hopefully this article has given you some ideas.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Download free game pc video on your personal computer

Download free game pc video is a computer controlled game. It’s an action game based on dream work and animation movie which attract kids to give their more attention on games. It’s a interactive personalized game played for entertainment on your computer.

A pc video game is a computer game where a video display such as monitor or television is required as its an primary feedback device. The pc video game also includes sound and vibration but very few new games in this category.

You can software in the market or else the software can be easily downloaded from net.
Many website allow you free download of software. Without any registration you can download free pc video game.

In video games you can get many different types of game, you can go for the game which you have liked most and wants to play it again and again. Once you have downloaded you favorite game you can play it according to your convenience.

If you are confused between games you can test with demo which is provided on every website and download it afterwards.

Free download game allows you to enjoy your game without any disturbance as if you are playing it online it may happen you may loss your internet connection which spoils your mood and you may be not interested to play it again. Today only get your favorite game downloaded on your pc and enjoy fullest.

I am Free Lance writer and currently for this website Free PC Download Game . I have just started to write article and press releases which are related to this mentioned site. This article is prepared on the basis of reliable sources. If you find any error or mistake in this article please email us immediately at this email address annajosephs@gmail.com so that we can take immediate action.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Download Free Full Game, PSP Style

Download free full game, PSP format. A lot of people get their first PSP, and this is what they want to do. Huge numbers of people spend a lot of time, often without much success, searching for a source of online games they can trust. Here in this article you will find the information you need to understand the system, and get the free full PSP game downloads you are looking for.

Download Free Full Game, PSP Format Tip 1-
You need to find a trustworthy site-
Anyone who has any experience of a PSP related site will have bad memories of the popups and ads on the very poor sites claiming to offer free PSP game downloads. Maybe you have suspended your judgement and clicked through. If you have, you were probably disappointed to find that there were no full games available, or there was only one download of a very old game, or you even found that when you did download a game, it was not what you thought you were downloading. These sites are totally useless, and are a complete waste of time. At least if you have found one, you can guarantee that matters can only improve!

Download Free Full Game, PSP Format Tip 2-
Use your intelligence!
Although you may not be one of them, there are a lot of gullible people out there, and a lot of sites which take advantage of them. These scam sites are of a much higher standard – on the face of it. They are professionally presented, and often appear to have quite a few games available. Everything looks as it should be, but when you try to get involved you will run into problems. Click on the download button, and these sites will expect you to submit your credit card details! As if that was not bad enough, a good number of these sites will expect you to pay a monthly fee, not just a fixed charge up front! Under the guise of being a membership site, these dishonest sites will then claim that the games are free. It is never a good idea to give your credit card information to a site which cannot even state up front what the charges are, and what they are for!

Download Free Full Game, PSP Format Tip 3-
Get the best service you can.
As with so many things in this world, if you want real quality, you have to be prepared to spend more money. There are a very few sites out there which will allow you a superfast download of all of the new games and movies as soon as they come out, and the downloads will be in full working order, and of high quality. To provide this sort of quality service, the sites do need to make a one time charge, which goes towards the upkeep of the servers, and obtaining the downloads.. The charges are often very reasonable, around $30 or $40, which is often what you would expect to pay for one new game. For that, you get full access to all of the downloads. Once you have paid to join, and got used to the unlimited access to what you want, you will see what a good deal you've got.

This article should have simplified the process for you. It is not easy to download free full game, PSP format if you don’t understand how the system works, or know the right sites to use, but now you do!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Download Free Chess Game Software

If you are a mind player then chess game is the best game. Want free chess software to practice your bidding chess skill now its possible to get download free chess software. Playing chess on your pc with free download chess game software is the best way to test your skill and practice tactics and strategies.

Number of online sites gives you the facility of getting free download of chess game which is helpful for the new player to understand it properly and get all the hints to win the game.

While studying online can be a quick way to improve your chess game playing knowledge. Though you can not play against this chess software, it is essential for studying games. The download free chess game software allows no limit to save, print, copy, convert, search, analyze, merge and classify game. Moats game is much more like a war game than tradition 2-player chess moats game is faster and more aggressive.

Before you start to free downloading one can check out with the demo, every online site provides you free demo before getting the actual game loaded on your pc. While downloading any game software make sure it is not an infected or having virus in it which will corrupt your pc. One can easily download these games.

Make sure your in your computer to run the program required software is already installed. If not then the downloaded software will not run and you will not be able to play the game.

Anna Josephs is a freelance journalist having experience of many years writing articles and news releases on various topics such as pet health, automobile and social issues. She also has great interest in poetry and paintings, hence she likes to write on these subjects as well. Currently writing for this website Free PC download game .For more details please contact at annajosephs@gmail.com

Download Computer Games - Before Deciding To Buy One

The Internet is not only a good source of information on about every subject. You will also find many sites that allow you to download new programs and other useful software that you can copy directly to your computer. It also offers files that contain videos, music and games. Before you can use these files, they first have to be copied to your hard disk. This process is called downloading. Webpages usually have links to downloadable files.

If you click on one of these download links, your browser immediately copies the files onto your computer's hard disk drive.

Today, there is a very wide range of different kinds of computer games that you can download. Very often big gaming software companies allow you to download a trial version of a game that they have just released. They call these either trialware or shareware.

Typically, the companies provide shareware so you can download the games and try before buying it. The games usually are demo versions with limited features.

A shareware is accompanied by a request for payment that the person who downloaded the computer game is required to pay after a certain amount of time has past.

Free trial software is one of the main reasons for the rapid growth of the gaming industry. Today the industry is worth more than $10 billion. With games costing an average of $40, it's a wise decision to download computer games for trial first. Most new video games released have their own dedicated website, so players can be updated on latest news and sequels. Many of the computer games offering a free trial have a specific mission that the player can try out. In this way he can get a feeling for the scenarios and the overall design of the game.

If you want a new gaming software, there are thousands of downloadable games available on the internet including classic games that you may not find in a regular software store.

Nevertheless there are disadvantages downloading shareware. The main drawback when downloading computer games is that the bigger the file size, the longer it will take your computer to write the information on its hard disk drive. This often can be a tedious process that can tie up your phone line for a long time.

Another factor that may affect the time it takes your computer to download the game is when there are a lot of other users that are trying to download the same file as you.

Then there is the virus worry. Many users worry that downloading a file could result in their computer being infected by a virus. However, times have changed and what was a problem in 2004 is no longer a problem in 2006. Big companies have their websites scanned for viruses on a regular basis and files offered for download are also scanned.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Dont Ever Waste Your Money By Buying WoW Gold Again

Buyer beware. Buying gold in World of Warcraft can cause you problems, in game and in real life. If you are considering buying gold in World of Warcraft, it is because the great gear and mounts cost alot of gold and it is difficult to make it if you don't know how. But the fact of the matter is that it is easy to make gold in World of Warcraft with the right strategy, and you do not have to subject yourself to the scams and dangers of buying gold. I hope that this article makes you think about you and your characters well being.

Farming for gold is the most basic and common ways to make gold in World of Warcraft. Because of this, it gets quite a bit of attention from all types of players. Most players that farm for gold do not do so efficiently, so they are leaving money on the table.

In a word Yes, Knowing how to farm gold in World of Warcraft is very important and you will probably find it easier if you find yourself a good World of Warcraft Gold Farming Guide

There's enough of World of Warcraft Farming Guides around on the World Wide Web and they'll show you the most effective and fastest way to get immense quantities of gold in the shortest time imaginable. The reason there are alot of World of Warcraft Farming guides around is merely because there are so many places to farm for gold, silver and bronze in WOW! The intention of an effective World of Warcraft Farming Guide is to show you all the points you need to be in to attain the most gold and as well show you some secrets along the way!

One of the major mistakes is not knowing the correct spots to farm gold in. There are many good ones throughout the World of Warcraft, and I'm not going to go through all of them here, but you should do some article research to find the best World of Warcraft gold farming spots.

Some other good things about World of Warcraft Farming guides is they can help you acquire adequate gold and silver to buy very much required advances for your fictional character and as you likely guessed the more gold you've got the more adept gear and arms you can buy!

Another major mistake players make when farming for gold is too much downtime. Downtime is the amount of time spent doing anything other than killing mobs (drinking, sitting, walking to the next mob, etc.). Of these, sitting and drinking is one area where you can definitely eliminate unwanted downtime from your routine.

For example if you are a Hunter you'll in all probability use a World of Warcraft Farming Guide to pay for coaching for your pet to advance it quicker. Likewise if you are a Warrior you're more likely to use a World of Warcraft Gold Farming Guide to acquire gold for arms and armour.

The fact of the matter is, there are many companies out there catering to players looking at buying gold in World of Warcraft. Many of these companies are very shady. It is against Blizzard's terms of service (TOS) to sell game property, including gold, and these companies have built an entire business doing just that. If these companies are willing to treat Blizzard unfairly, what makes you think that they would treat you fairly? Well, a lot of them would not. When buying gold in World of Warcraft, players do not realize that most of this gold comes from hacks and exploits that steal from other players. This could be anyone in the game, including you. Also, players that do business with these companies are also targeted for future hacks. Unfortunately, that's not the worst of it. Players have also reported having their identities or credit card numbers stolen when buying gold in World of Warcraft.

Looking further into the situation of buy gold in World of Warcraft, right now company X is selling 5000 gold for the bargain price of $207.34, with a delivery time of 30 minutes to 24 hours. So you could plunk down over $200 to have to wait an entire day to get your gold and go buy your epic flying mount. Then, when you want to create another character you have to buy more gold. Is this really worth it? When there are strategies that can get you as much gold as you need pretty quickly, the answer is no. Even if you bought a good guide to show you how, you could save yourself a ton of money and not risk being the victim of an in-game or real life crime. It's simple; if you are considering buying gold in World of Warcraft, look into developing a strategy instead.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Discover How To Feel Great And Powerful In WoW By Getting Rich

In order to expand your World of warcraft character to its greatest potential, you are going to need plenty of gold. There is no getting away from the fact that leveling up your character, their professions and their equipment costs an awful lot of gold and for the vast majority of wow players this involves investing a great deal of time. Not only does this reap small rewards but it also costs a great deal of money because time spent in game means money spent on subscriptions. It is possible to purchase gold online but this is not only costly but you also risk having your account shut by Blizzard for breaking their terms and conditions.

Anyone who plays World of Warcraft will know that the best way to improve your character is through the use of gold. Whether you are trying to level up your profession, collect the best armor or create the strongest weapon you are going to need vast amounts of gold. This has created a booming online business for gold sellers who offer to sell gold for astronomical prices knowing full well that people simply do not have the time or the knowledge to farm gold for themselves. Even those that do have time are only able to farm small amounts at a time and can spend an entire day farming with less than 50 gold to show for their trouble. It is also a high risk purchasing gold online due to the fact that it is against the World of Warcraft terms and conditions and will get your account banned.

Gold in World of Warcraft can be difficult to come by if you don't know the right tricks of the gold farming trade; however, there are a few simple things you can do in order to make easy gold in World of Warcraft.

Gathering Skills. Don't underestimate the value of having a gathering skill. Sure, they're never going to bring in the bursts of gold that other skills will, but gathering skills bring in a constant flow of gold, rather than just bursts of gold every so often. Unlike other trades, gathering skills - such as mining, herbalism, and skinning - can be done as you travel across Azeroth; however, there are a few things you need to keep in mind about gathering skills:

Gathering trades are all about opportunity: you need to take advantage of them once you find a spot to use them. If there is a metal vein, plant, or skinnable corpse you need to take advantage of the situation, otherwise a more experience player will - and you'll be out several gold.

Mining and herbalism are all about memorization: if you remember where veins and plants spawn, you'll have an edge over other players who are competing for the same resources; however, if you're one step behind another miner or herablist, you're going to lose out on some valuable gathering opportunities.

You can create opportunities for skinning, but you need to know where. While you can be an opportunist by skinning corpses other players leave behind, you can also create opportunities for skinning by killing your own skinnable beasts - just remember that only certain types of non-humanoid beasts can be skinned.

Questing. Quests are always looked at as a valuable way to get experience points, but questing can also lead to some great equipment, and even if you can't use the rewards, you can always sell them for a decent profit, especially at the auction house.

Treasure Hunting. Hunting for the various treasure chests scattered around the World of Warcraft is another great way to make easy gold as you can simply open a chest and grab some great gear; however, keep in mind that these chests are often guarded by several enemies, and if you're not in a group, or you're not strong enough to solo multiple enemies, you're going to be in a world of hurt.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Diner Dash

Diner Dash is all about a young burnt out corporate employee named Flo. She gets tired of running the rat race and so opens up her own restaurant. You can play the game in two modes – Flo’s Career and Endless Shift.

For the first mode, you will start out with a rundown diner. You play as Flo and your ultimate goal is to open the restaurant of your dreams. You need to attract and serve as many customers as needed to reach the financial goal for the day. If you make your goal then you will move on to the next level with some incentives – maybe a few new tables, or a new door, or even a coffee machine. The further you get into the game, the more upgrades you get. After reaching a certain level you can open a new restaurant. The Endless Shift mode will let you serve customers until you cannot keep up with the demand. When a certain number of customers leave without being served properly, then your shift ends.

The game does not ask much in terms of system requirements. All you need is a Pentium III 600MHz processor, at least Windows 98, at least 128MB of RAM, and 12 MB of your hard disk space.

The graphics are pleasing to the eyes, very family friendly. It is a refreshing alternative to the violent games which are rampant today. There are a lot of funny animations and even funnier sound effects.

The little upgrades and bonuses you get after each level entices you to do a much better job next time in order to improve the restaurant even more. Earning a certain amount beyond your daily goal will give you even more perks.

Playing the game does not require much thinking – though you need to do a bit of brain work in order to figure out the best possible seating arrangement based on color bonuses. Skill and fast hands are your best bet in beating the game. To be honest, I got frustrated with this game because I couldn’t get past a certain level and thus couldn’t open up the last restaurant.

If you are not sure you want to buy the game yet, try downloading the free one-hour trial version on Yahoo Games. I am quite sure though, that when the game window closes after 60 minutes, you will be left wanting for more.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Different types of Online Arcade Games

Title:
Different types of Online Arcade Games

Word Count:
539

Summary:
Online arcade games give you a lot of choices to choose from. It’s as simple as it can be and can be so mind boggling you would not be able to finish it as fast as you thought. It provides you a straight up in your face game that you can always access with just a computer. There are many online arcade sites you can visit and play in. Some games need some money for you to play it and some are free.


Keywords:
Games, Arcade, Online Games


Article Body:
Online arcade games give you a lot of choices to choose from. It’s as simple as it can be and can be so mind boggling you would not be able to finish it as fast as you thought. It provides you a straight up in your face game that you can always access with just a computer. There are many online arcade sites you can visit and play in. Some games need some money for you to play it and some are free.

Usually, the kinds of online arcade games are racing, shooting, exclusive, puzzle and brain, adventure, sport, action, RPG and strategy, dress up, card and board, and casino. There are now different kinds of games for you so you don’t have to get bored with the same genre of game.

Racing games offer you the different styles of racing. You can race in the streets or you can speed down the tracks with a professional formula 1 race car. You can also race in dirt rallies or in mountain slopes, whatever you fancy. The racing games are definitely for the computer fanatics who constantly seek sites that offer a variety of ways of racing.

The shooting games offer the in your face shooting in different ways. You can be playing a game where you are shooting people while going down in parachutes or shooting aliens to save the world. It practices your hand and eyes coordination and reaction since the targets in the games move fast that would require a lot of concentration.

The RPG and strategy games are for the gamers who love playing a certain character in a game with a story. You can be a king of an army and find a way to defeat the enemy’s army by coming up with strategies that would crush your enemies. You can be a vampire slayer and kill all the vampires that are havocking your city. As you go along this kind of game, it becomes harder and harder and you might have to use your brain for you to finish the game. Unlike any other online arcade games, this kind of game would take a long time to finish. If you are new to this type of game, it would take you a little while longer to finish a game like this than those who have been playing the RPG and strategy game.

The Casino kind of game offers you almost everything that is played in a real casino. You can play poker and other card game and play slot machines. It offers a somewhat casino feeling where you are not sure if you could win or not. Most of the time, this kind of game would need actual money so you can play them. It also offers a lot of kinds of the games offered. Armor slots, Crazy fruit slots, and birds of the same feather slots machines are just some of the offered games.

Playing online arcade games still give you that same feeling you have when you play in the arcade or in a game platform. Maybe these online arcade games have a less appealing graphic design but it rest assured; it is enjoyable like other games in other platforms.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Different Types of MMOGs

Massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) have been growing in popularity in recent years. These are the computer games that allow huge numbers of players to interact with each other through the Internet. Recent popular MMOG titles include Everquest 2 and World of Warcraft.

Underneath the huge overarching genre of MMOG, there are subgenres that branch off and are gaining popularity in and of themselves. A few of them are listed below.

MMORPG

This stands for “massively multiplayer online role-playing games.” MMORPGs are probably the most popular type of MMOG. They are huge online computer role-playing games that allow large populations of players to interact with each other in a cooperative or competitive manner, or both at the same time. Each player’s character wears an avatar, or a visual representation of what their character looks like. Players roam vast virtual worlds that are always changing, where they can meet old and new virtual characters as friends or foes and act out a number of actions, including killing, purchasing items, and carrying conversations with other characters.

Most MMORPGs require players to either buy client software for a one-time payment or pay a monthly subscription fee in order to have access to the game’s virtual worlds.

MMOFPS

This stands for “massively multiplayer online first-person shooter.” These are computer games that allow players to engage in individual or team combat. They also utilize experience points in order to keep the games more engaging on a long-term basis for players who want to see their character develop. Due to the demanding requirements of these games, players with slower computers may lag on their server, slowing down their gameplay and making it difficult to enjoy the full gamut of the game’s entertainment experience. These games also require monthly fees in order to pay for server upkeep and troubleshooting staff.

MMORTS

This stands for “massively multiplayer online real-time strategy.” These games combine real-time strategy with the ability to play with huge numbers of players online at the same time. They allow the players to control their forces overhead.

BBMMORPG

This lengthy series of letters stands for “browser-based massive multiplayer online role-playing games.” These are played through Internet browsers, which allow both developers and players to avoid the costs and hassles of creating and downloading clients. They have 2D graphics or are text-based, and utilize browser plugins and extensions.

MMMOG

These “mobile massive multiplayer online games” are games that are played using mobile devices such as cellular phones or pocket PCs.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Customizable Flash Games: Be A Monkey

Flash game designers are looking for new, innovative ways to draw attention to their creations these days. Free flash games are being played by millions of people online daily, but some designers are making their games customizable to put a new twist into an already popular internet arcade.

Many people got a chance to play the very popular elf game during Christmas 2006, created by Office Max, where a user could upload any face image, which would replace the elf’s default face. The result was about a thirty-second elf song and dance that provided hours of fun and laughs. Some of these creations can still be viewed by searching for the terms ‘elf yourself’ on Youtube.

Does anyone remember how bad we treated substitute teachers in school? Honestly, it seems pretty cruel to think of how students act when there is a sub in the classroom. Spitballs slapped the chalkboard, pencils stuck down from the acoustic ceiling tiles, and even disgusting sounds were made behind the teacher’s back. These are just a few of the classroom assault tactics that we are familiar with. I mean, think about it. Your boss or teacher is driving you nuts. In fact, they are annoying just about everyone. What better way to have some fun at their expense than by pasting their faces on a dancing elf? Now that we are armed with free weapons of ridicule on our PC that give us a harmless, yet hilarious platform for hours of endless fun, we can put down the erasers and let everyone in on the joke.

These types of flash games are fun for a small audience. But why stop there? We can now feature a bald Britney Spears, or a jailed Paris Hilton in our spoofs, for the entire world to see on sites such as Youtube. Why limit the viewing audience to a small handful? It is much more fun for millions of people to see our creations. Isn’t having your productions seen by the world, the new wave of the internet?

What is yet to come in flash media? 3d flash games are just around the corner. There’ll be nothing like being ‘in the game’. While sporting a nifty pair of 3d glasses and experiencing animation like never before, the PC gamer will get to see quite an improvement since the Jaws 3d movie debuted. Hopefully with the purchase of a PC Gamer magazine, we’ll get to play shorts created by the likes of Halo and Starcraft animation teams. These companies, who are already leading the pack in the design of action console games, will give you a 3d glimpse of their games in flash format to reach out to new online customers.

What is already here? Current technology has recently been responsible for design of a powerful development library, which allows creation of Macromedia Flash and Java based flash games and applications with advanced motion detection capability. In simple terms, this means users can play 80s classic Breakout, using only their hands to bat the ball and hit the blocks. Other games let you play simply by waving your hand in front of a webcam, such as an Air Drums game.

Flash game designers are ready and willing to try anything that gamers desire. Companies like Animated Marketing, are asking flash gamers to send their ideas for consideration to be created into flash media animation and free games. Apparently no idea is too outlandish. They want to provide more of what people are looking for in flash games and media.

Whether you want to see your boss dancing around in a monkey’s body, or play classic Breakout without a keyboard or mouse, flash programmers are giving online users hours of free, addictive fun.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Custom Designed Playing Cards

Playing cards are not just for playing cards any more. The backs of the decks are no longer just designs or pictures. People have figured out that they can use them for getting messages across or sales pitches. There is a variety of uses for the space on the back of playing cards.

Custom designs are used to personalize the cards on a variety of occasions. There are photo decks that are created for birthdays, weddings (small decks make great wedding favors), and holiday scenes. You can put a picture of your child, your pet, your parents, your spouse. You can send pictures of your new car, new home, or retirement on the cards as well.

Announcements of births, a move to a new home, or any other special event that you want to let people know about can be added to the backs of the cards. You can use your own graphics, business logos
(with written consent from your company), and geometric designs. There is no limit to what you can do.

There are various uses for custom designed playing cards. They can be used as wedding or party favors, greeting cards, and announcements of special events. They can be as advertising using company logos. They can be used in corporate training providing positive statements for employees. They can be used as business cards, as souvenirs for a family reunion or a bazaar. They can be personalized for individuals creating a unique way to give them your best wishes.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Cruel Solitaire Strategy Guide

Cruel Solitaire is an unusual solitaire game, that many people think has a low success rate. Careful planning will allow the advanced solitaire player to win more than 50% of the games they play though.

The trick to winning cruel solitaire is to know when to deal from the talon. When you first start playing cruel solitaire, it seems like dealing from the talon randomly shuffles the cards, but this is not the case. A deal from the talon just redeals the cards in the same order they currently appear.

This allows an advanced player to have some knowledge of what will happen when the talon deal is done... which vastly improves the chances of winning every game of cruel solitaire that you play.

There are certain easy-to-learn patterns that help with this.

If all the stacks to the left of a stack have 4 cards in them before the redeal, then after the redeal, the card that is on top will stay on top.

For example, suppose the first 3 stacks appear like this:

Stack-A: 4 Cards
Stack-B: 4 Cards
Stack-C: 5 Cards with a 5 of Diamonds on top.

All the stacks before Stack-C have 4 cards in them, so after a redeal, the 5 of Diamonds will still be at the top of Stack-C.

This is the same no matter how many cards are in Stack-C. So if the stacks are like this:
Stack-A: 4 Cards
Stack-B: 4 Cards
Stack-C: 2 Cards with a 5 of Diamonds on top.

Then the 5 of Diamonds will still be on top of Stack-C after a talon redeal.

But if an earlier stack does not have 4 cards in it, then the card will NOT stay on top after a redeal.

So if the stacks are like this:
Stack-A: 5 Cards
Stack-B: 4 Cards
Stack-C: 2 Cards with a 5 of Diamonds on top.

Then the 5 of Diamonds will NOT be on top of Stack-C after a redeal.

Knowing this pattern will give you much greater control over cruel solitaire, and allows for some powerful strategies that will vastly increase your chances of winning.

DON'T ALWAYS MOVE CARDS TO THE FOUNDATION...

Because of the above pattern, it does not always make sense to move a card to the talon at the first opportunity. Instead, you can keep the card, and just make sure that you don't put any extra cards in the stacks to the left of it.

This way, you can keep redealing, to expose new cards, and you will KNOW that the card will always remain in play. Only when you can't make any more moves should you then move the card to the foundation.

This gives you the most opportunity to keep playing, without blocking play. And it leads to a general procedure, that you can follow to win a lot more games of cruel solitaire...

A GENERAL PROCEDURE TO WIN CRUEL SOLITAIRE...

Here is a procedure that will help you to win cruel solitaire. It isn't perfect, and you'll probably make your own alterations to it as you get better at the game, but it shows how to carefully play cruel solitaire to avoid blockages.

A - Find the rightmost card that can go onto the talon.
B - Do all the moves to the right of that card that you can, starting with highest rank ones
C - Redeal
D - Go back to A

Once there are no more moves that can be made to the right of the card, then move the card in the stack to the foundation, and then redeal, and go back to A.

If no cards can play, then order all the cards you can, starting with the highest rank ones, and then redeal.

That's it!

You can definitely tweak this procedure to make it better, but I've tried to keep it simple here, and it should allow you to play cruel solitaire a lot better than before. Have fun!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Creep Towering

I strongly prefer faq to be in HTML, so people can move around the internal navigation easily. However, that is not required.

Creep Towering

In some maps, you can quickly build tower to kill the best creep. In fact, some creeps are so close together you can creep them all with 3-4 towers.

Your hero will gain huge experience. I usually follow this with a safe strategy like mass trolls.

Opening
Build Altar and burrow.
Build a mill.
Build a tower.
Build a tower close to the creep.

Tower creep the enemies while towers are being built. For example, 1 tower can kill the smaller creep. More towers for more creeps.

Start building your trolls.

When you kill creeps you often get items that'll help in your fight.

The key here is when you fight your enemies the first time, quickly kill those items. You want to win in your first battle. An item is an added surprise that your enemies do not take into account. Usually, such surprises will lead him to more loss.

Surprise is important. If he knows you'll win, he'll run away. It's because he doesn't know he keeps fighting a losing battle.

If you have earthquake, you can always follow up their loss with earthquake. Earthquake the farms. They are the easiest to destroy. You can destroy the rest later.

Tips and Tricks

In some map, you need to go this quickly. Also check out if the enemies do that first.

This strategy works better in some maps than on others. Please check my replays to ensure of it.

Replay

The replay is in http://LegendaryGamesForum.com

Copyright

You can post this guide anywhere without modification as long as you put the notice and reference to
http://legendarygamesforum.com where this guide is originally available made.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Create an Elite Level in Runescape

Runescape is very different than real life (obviously). In runescape, you will find that whatever you say will not be taken seriously at first. If you ask someone to be your runescape friend, they might assume you’re a moocher and only talking because you’re after their runescape items.

But having a network of friends in runescape is part of the game. Somehow training is less boring, fighting runescape dragons is less scary and PKing is ten times as fun whenever you have runescape friends nearby keeping company in runescape. But making a runescape friend in runeScape is very different than making one in real life.

One of the best ways to make a good, lasting runescape friend in runescape is PKing. If you like to PK then find someone in runescape around your level. Ask them to team up (make sure they don’t backstab you!) and after you get your first kill together you’ll have a Runescape friend for life in runescape.

Another thing: if you’re selling an item to a runescape player and it’s a fair price (it should be), then don’t hesitate to chat about stuff outside of the trade about runescape. You might find that you’ll make a lasting runescape friend this way not to mention a reliable buyer in the long run in runescape.

Make sure, however, that you don’t expect anything from them. Sure, Runescape friends do favors for each other, but make sure you don’t require them to. The most common mistake that screws up Runescape friendships is one person demanding something from the other just because he’s a friend in Runescape. This is a serious no-no: don’t act desperate and don’t be a leech, and you’ll have your friends list filled up in no time in Runescape.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Craps for beginners

Craps is one of the most exciting and social casino games in the world today. But the loud crowd and complicated-looking table can sometimes scare beginning players away.

Craps, at its core, is actually a simple game. There is only one main bet that players need to learn before heading over to the table or checking out a virtual table online.

After this one main wager, the other bets will come in time. Luckily, for the players, this one main bet has better odds than any of the other possible wagers in craps.

More money is played at craps today than at any other casino game. The game is also one of the oldest of all the casino games and the only popular dice game at American casinos today. Its popularity isn’t it doubt and after a player learns the one basic bet in the game, its simplicity will not be questioned either.

Before starting to play craps, a player needs to learn the basic etiquette and vocabulary of the game. Craps players have a language all their own. The terminology is also rivaled by the etiquette and politeness rules. This game is ancient and many of the players’ superstitions date back to its historic origins. Most players claim that learning the terms and etiquette is actually more complicated than learning the game rules and strategies.

There are two rounds in craps. The first round is called the Come Out Round and the second is called the Point. Even though there are two rounds, there is really only one basic bet.

The bet is this: the shooter – the person throwing the dice – needs to throw a 7 or 11 in the Come Out Round. These numbers mean an automatic win. A 2, 3, or 12 being rolled means an automatic loss. Any other number: 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 will become the Point and the game moves to the second round.

The objective in the Point round is to roll the Point number before rolling a 7. If the shooter rolls a seven before the Point this is an automatic loss and a new game will begin.

Beginners can find some great resources online at sites like the CrapsWizard (http://www.crapswizard.com/tutorials.asp) and Online-Casino (http://www.online-casino.com), where players can brush up their rules and game tips then head over to the free practice play version of craps. It is important to keep in mind that the online version of craps is significantly different than its land-based counterpart.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

CrafRunecrafting in Runescapeting and

Runecrafting allows you to make your own runes, a useful skill considering that spells use quite a lot of them. The first necessary step to take is to mine Rune Essence from the Essence Mine. The Abyss comes highly recommended by a number of players. However, getting to these mines is no easy task. Finding the mine can be quite challenging and very few sources can teleport you to it. Those who can include the Wizard Distentor of the Yanille Magic Guild, the Wizard Cromperty, found Northeast of the Ardougne Market, and Brimstail Gnome, found in a cave in the southwest corner of the Tree Gnome Stronghold.

Mining is a practical way for newcomers to fund later adventures. After a few days of mining, you can sell your bulk essence. Since the price you get for it greatly depends upon the quantity, you should have at least 1,000 essence. There are two types of essence, normal essence and pure essence. You can mine pure essence if you are a member with at least level 30. Pure essence can then be used to craft any rune while normal essence can only be used to craft fire, earth, air, water, mind and body runes.

With the right know-how, runecrafting can be an excellent way to make fast money. While finding lucrative and convenient altars can be challenging, a mid to high level player can benefit from heading out into the wild, as the best altars are found far from the banks. In order to runecraft, the player must have reached at least level 35. Up until that point, one can make air runes with 4,482 rune essence. From level 35 up to level 44, you can make chaos runes with 3,911 rune essence. Once above level 44, you can make nature runes and sell them for anywhere between 300 and 500 gp a piece. These runes yield the highest profit.

When runecrafting, it is advisable to wear boots of lightness and wear minimal armor and weaponry. Only a pickaxe is needed. It is recommended to have pouches with you to allow you to carry more essence. Remember to use your pouches if you have them. They will save you time and money.

To make nature runes quickly, you must:

Convert all rune essence into bank notes.
Take 4 times the amount of gp as you have essence.
Take notes to the shop near the village.
Sell your notes to the shop and buy them back in real form.
Go to the Altar to craft nature runes.
Return to the shop and repeat as many times as you wish.
There a lot of ways to runecraft. These are just a few pointers to get you started. The true secret lies in experience and practice.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Title: Should Know To Be Sure You Pick Right

Choosing Video Games For Your Family. Tips For Parents About The Video Games Your Kids Want, And What You
Word Count:
383

Summary:
Computer and video games are a favorite pastime among people of all ages, expecially kids. But many of the video games of today are quite different from classics like "Pac-Man" and "Asteroid."


Keywords:
Choosing Video Games For Your Family. Tips For Parents About The Video Games Your Kids Want, And What You Should Know To Be Sure You Pick Right
aq
Article Body:
Computer and video games are a favorite pastime among people of all ages, especially kids. But many of the video games of today are quite different from classics like "Pac-Man" and "Asteroid." The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), which assigns video game content ratings, offers the following tips for parents to help them choose the games they consider appropriate for their families, as well as to be prepared for the realities of playing games online.

• Check the ESRB ratings for each game you purchase. The rating symbol on the front of the package indicates age appropriateness, and content descriptors on the back provide additional information about game content that may be of interest or concern.

• Talk to other parents and older children about their own experiences with video games.

• Monitor your child's video game play, just as you would with TV, movies and the Internet.

• Exercise caution with online-enabled games. Some games let users play online with other players, and can contain live chat features or other user-generated content that may not be reflected in the ESRB rating. Many of these games carry the warning: "Game Experience May Change During Online Play." Newer game consoles offer the ability to disable the online game play feature as part of parental control settings.

• Be aware that most PC games can be altered by downloading "mods" on the Internet, which are created by other players and can change or add to the content in a game that may be inconsistent with the rating assigned.

• Learn about and use parental controls. Newer video game console and handheld hardware devices let parents limit the content their children can access. By activating parental controls, you can ensure that your kids play only games that carry ratings you deem appropriate.

• Consider your child's unique personality and abilities. Nobody knows your child better than you do; consider that knowledge when selecting computer and video games.

• Play computer and video games with your children. This is not only a good way to have fun together, but also to get to know which games your child finds interesting and exciting, and why.

• Read more than the ratings. Game reviews, trailers and "demos" that let you sample games are available online and in game enthusiast magazines, and can provide additional detail about game content.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Titl
Bingo!e:rd Count:
373

Summary:
Bingo is a popular game of chance using cards with a grid of numbers, a row of five which constitutes a win


Keywords:
bingo


Article Body:
Bingo is a popular game of chance using cards with a grid of numbers, a row of five which constitutes a win. The numbers are chosen at random until a player makes a line, which is also called a bingo. Bingo is one of the most popular forms of low-priced gambling in the world.

To play bingo each player purchases one or more cards divided into numbered and blank squares. Randomly chosen numbers, usually from a pool of up to 75 or 90, are called out by a “banker.” The first player to achieve a line in which all of the numbers have been called shouts “bingo” or “house” and collects the entire stake money, usually minus a small, specified percentage. In another popular variation, the central square on the card is free, and the first player on whose card five of the called numbers appear in a row—vertically, horizontally, or diagonally—is the winner. The prize may amount to thousands of dollars. Bingo is legal in the far majority of U.S. states that prohibit other forms of gambling, and is even associated with church fundraisers.

The earliest form of bingo was first recorded in 1778. The original American form, called keno, kino, or po-keno (depending on location), dates from the early 19th century. At the height of its popularity during the Great Depression of the 1930s, a variant (often called screeno) was played in motion-picture theatres, with one night in the week designated bank night, when patrons received free bingo cards with their admission tickets. Prizes often amounted to hundreds of dollars in cash or merchandise.
Bingo is a game that hasn’t diminished in popularity at all. There are non-gambling versions in board game format for children, special bingos at church basements and American Legions across the United States, and bingo is even beginning to make a strong appearance as a favored game of chance in online casinos right along with blackjack and poker. The simplicity of the game, and the random luck, is what makes it so popular. There aren’t skilled experts or complex rules to create professionals with an unfair advantage. The game is about luck, and it remains as popular now as it did two hundred years ago.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

A Few Money Making Tips with RuneScape

Collect Feathers

A great way for new members with combat below 30 to make good money is to kill chickens and collect their feathers. Once you collect around 500 feathers, you can go to world one and sell them just to the East of the West Bank in Varrock if you’re a Free to Play member. If you’re a Pay to Play member, the best place to sell them is just North of the East Falador Bank. You can usually get about 10-20 gp each in member’s worlds. If you’re looking to buy feathers, head to fishing shops and go for larger quantities. If you buy groups of at least 1,000, you can make a substantial profit. It’s a good idea to sell to people, not stores.

Merchanting

Another way to earn money is by merchanting. There are several ways to do this. You can buy overstocked items in one store and then sell them at a higher price in a store where they are not stocked. You can also buy commodities that are being sold at less than market value and then sell them to other players who are willing to pay higher prices. In order to do this, though, it is necessary that you are aware of current market prices.

You can buy sharks for around 800 gp and later sell them for around 1000 gp. Similarly, you can buy lobsters for 100 to 130 gp and sell them for 200 gp. Rumor has it that in Edgeville they are desperate for food and selling there can be quite lucrative. You can buy coal for 130 gp and sell it for around 200 gp near Falador’s east bank. Also consider Rune Essence, which can be bought for 20 gp and sold for 40 at Varrock’s east bank.

Skills

The higher level you have, the more money you can make in these areas. Mining, fishing and woodcutting are considered the big three moneymakers. However, there are people that find their fortunes in thieving. For example, in mining you can earn 13k for each reunite ore that you mine. For the woodcutter, magic logs are worth 1k each. Fishermen can get up to 1k for each shark and if the thief can get his hands on blood runes, he can get at least 400 gp.

Treasure Hunting

Treasure hunting is actually a mini-game for members. There are three different levels, which yield different treasure possibilities. In level one, you can get gold trimmed, black armour worth 300k a set. In the second level, you can get ranger boots worth 700k. In the last level, you can get gold trimmed rune armor, god armor, gilded armor and a Robin Hood hat. Each of these items can be worth over one million gp each.

Dueling

Dueling can win you a fortune, or you can lose everything you have. It’s only worth the risk if you are absolutely certain that you can’t lose.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

¿Vale la esperar 50 aƱos por un amor?

Hay amores que siempre se llevan en el corazĆ³n pero no siempre se puede esperar 50 aƱos para estar con ellos. La pelĆ­cula El Amor en los tiempos del cĆ³lera trata sobre una pareja que espera mĆ”s de 50 aƱos para poder estar juntos de nuevo.

¿Serias capaz de esperar mas de 50 aƱos por un amor?, en esta historia el protagonista espera a la mujer que ama cincuenta y un aƱos, nueve meses y cuatro dĆ­as exactamente, vive pensando en ella dĆ­a y noche a pesar que ella ha decidido tomar otro rumbo en su vida.

Me refiero al famoso libro "El Amor en los tiempos del cĆ³lera" escrito por el Colombiano Gabriel GarcĆ­a MĆ”rquez, del cual se realizo una pelĆ­cula que ha sido famosa por su bella historia de amor, reparto, localizaciĆ³n etc.

La pelĆ­cula El Amor en los tiempos del cĆ³lera, en la cual los personajes Fermina Daza y Florentino Ariza se aman pero por diferentes razones no pueden estar juntos y luchan para que su amor triunfe ante todo pero otra vez el destino les juega una mala jugada y no les permite estar juntos hasta que pasan muchos aƱos, tragedias y desamores.

¿Cuantos de Uds. serian capaces de esperar tanto tiempo por un amor? ¿Aun existe esta clase de amor? Estas y otras mas son preguntas que Uds. se deben hacer para saber si pueden serle fiel a un amor que se les escapo de las manos pero que hay una posibilidad de recuperarlo de alguna forma. El dinero se puede recuperar en  Casino online  pero el amor... no se sabe.

Tienen que ver la pelĆ­cula para que puedan saber que es lo que pasa y que clase de acontecimientos causan que Florentino Ariza ame a esta mujer por tantos aƱos. Algunas veces es difĆ­cil sacarse a alguien del corazĆ³n y este es el caso de este hombre que ama con todo su corazĆ³n.

La pelĆ­cula El amor en los tiempos del cĆ³lera fue dirigida por Mike Newell y protagonizada por Javier Bardem en el 2007. La pelĆ­cula fue rodada en la hermosa ciudad de Cartagena de Indias Colombia. Entre las personas que actĆŗan en la pelĆ­cula se encuentran muchos actores y actrices colombianos y espaƱoles.

Si preguntan que tiene que ver el amor con los tiempos del cĆ³lera pues seria bueno que leyeran el libro o vieran la pelĆ­cula para que el contexto de estas les conteste a su pregunta, lo que si se puede decir es que en esa Ć©poca, en las ciudades costeras se genera en la poblaciĆ³n la epidemia de cĆ³lera y se dice que los sĆ­ntomas de amor se confundĆ­an con los sĆ­ntomas del cĆ³lera.

La pelĆ­cula fue rodada en el idioma ingles, Shakira, una cantautora colombiana colaboro con la mĆŗsica, para la cual compuso dos canciones, una llamada "Hay Amores" y el otro "Despedida", la canciĆ³n "Despedida" recibiĆ³ nominaciĆ³n al Globo de Oro a la mejor canciĆ³n original 2008.

Lastimosamente esta pelĆ­cula no recibiĆ³ muchas entradas en los Estados Unidos pero por lo contrario, recibiĆ³ muchas entradas en LatinoamĆ©rica y la mayorĆ­a en Colombiana cual recibiĆ³ diferentes comentarios. Por supuesto se esperaba que la pelĆ­cula fuera en espaƱol pero para que pudiera ingresar con mas facilidad a los Estados Unidos tuvo que ser en ingles.

Este artƭculo no es en vano ya que yo personalmente me siento involucrada con este amor y de los cincuenta y un aƱos, nueve meses y cuatro dƭas llevo ya 4 aƱos. Espero que me tome menos tiempo poder regresar a los brazos de ese hombre que siente lo mismo y que tambiƩn esta dispuesta a esperarme.




Article Body:
¿Serias capaz de esperar mas de 50 aƱos por un amor?, en esta historia el protagonista espera a la mujer que ama cincuenta y un aƱos, nueve meses y cuatro dĆ­as exactamente, vive pensando en ella dĆ­a y noche a pesar que ella ha decidido tomar otro rumbo en su vida.

Me refiero al famoso libro "El Amor en los tiempos del cĆ³lera" escrito por el Colombiano Gabriel GarcĆ­a MĆ”rquez, del cual se realizo una pelĆ­cula que ha sido famosa por su bella historia de amor, reparto, localizaciĆ³n etc.

La pelĆ­cula El Amor en los tiempos del cĆ³lera, en la cual los personajes Fermina Daza y Florentino Ariza se aman pero por diferentes razones no pueden estar juntos y luchan para que su amor triunfe ante todo pero otra vez el destino les juega una mala jugada y no les permite estar juntos hasta que pasan muchos aƱos, tragedias y desamores.

¿Cuantos de Uds. serian capaces de esperar tanto tiempo por un amor? ¿Aun existe esta clase de amor? Estas y otras mas son preguntas que Uds. se deben hacer para saber si pueden serle fiel a un amor que se les escapo de las manos pero que hay una posibilidad de recuperarlo de alguna forma. El dinero se puede recuperar en  Casino online  pero el amor... no se sabe.

Tienen que ver la pelĆ­cula para que puedan saber que es lo que pasa y que clase de acontecimientos causan que Florentino Ariza ame a esta mujer por tantos aƱos. Algunas veces es difĆ­cil sacarse a alguien del corazĆ³n y este es el caso de este hombre que ama con todo su corazĆ³n.

La pelĆ­cula El amor en los tiempos del cĆ³lera fue dirigida por Mike Newell y protagonizada por Javier Bardem en el 2007. La pelĆ­cula fue rodada en la hermosa ciudad de Cartagena de Indias Colombia. Entre las personas que actĆŗan en la pelĆ­cula se encuentran muchos actores y actrices colombianos y espaƱoles.

Si preguntan que tiene que ver el amor con los tiempos del cĆ³lera pues seria bueno que leyeran el libro o vieran la pelĆ­cula para que el contexto de estas les conteste a su pregunta, lo que si se puede decir es que en esa Ć©poca, en las ciudades costeras se genera en la poblaciĆ³n la epidemia de cĆ³lera y se dice que los sĆ­ntomas de amor se confundĆ­an con los sĆ­ntomas del cĆ³lera.

La pelĆ­cula fue rodada en el idioma ingles, Shakira, una cantautora colombiana colaboro con la mĆŗsica, para la cual compuso dos canciones, una llamada "Hay Amores" y el otro "Despedida", la canciĆ³n "Despedida" recibiĆ³ nominaciĆ³n al Globo de Oro a la mejor canciĆ³n original 2008.

Lastimosamente esta pelĆ­cula no recibiĆ³ muchas entradas en los Estados Unidos pero por lo contrario, recibiĆ³ muchas entradas en LatinoamĆ©rica y la mayorĆ­a en Colombiana cual recibiĆ³ diferentes comentarios. Por supuesto se esperaba que la pelĆ­cula fuera en espaƱol pero para que pudiera ingresar con mas facilidad a los Estados Unidos tuvo que ser en ingles.

Este artƭculo no es en vano ya que yo personalmente me siento involucrada con este amor y de los cincuenta y un aƱos, nueve meses y cuatro dƭas llevo ya 4 aƱos. Espero que me tome menos tiempo poder regresar a los brazos de ese hombre que siente lo mismo y que tambiƩn esta dispuesta a esperarme.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Computer Games in the Child’s Life

Computer games have a large army of opponents who is never tired of blaming the gaming industry with all the mortal sins. I cannot say that I do support them and their accusations. Surely they are not groundless. But I want to find out: are games the only ones to blame? Do you remember the winter tragedy of 1997 in provincial American town of Paducah? On a bright winter morning of the first of December, a 14 –year-old Michael Carneal’s took six guns to school with him. After that he hid in the trees and waited till school prayer ended. When the pupils started going out from the chapel he fired rapidly and killed three schoolchildren and another five were seriously wounded. The journalists informed the whole world of the tragedy without any delay. I consider it to be the first mistake. Why? Some people may think: “Why can’t I try such a trick myself and become known all over the world?” Believe me, there are enough people who would think just like that. Media should not provoke their ill imagination with such scandals. It is my personal belief. But we are living in a free society, with a guarantee of freedom of speech and concealing this fact from public would prove quite the opposite.

Unfortunately, my misgivings came true. The tragedy echoed in Colorado in a small town of Littleton after a while. Two youngsters Eric Harris (18) and Dylan Klebold (17) took into account their predecessor’s experience and brought to school about forty hands- made radio-controlled mines. Then they started to blow up the mines and in the panic they fired their hunting rifles at their school mates. Twenty innocent people were killed. When the police arrived these two “heroes” shot themselves in the school library. Like in the case with the first teenager the two guys were vehement fans of DOOM and Quake. The trio spent all their time in net battles, had their own web pages devoted to their favourite games and built the levels. Analysing the reasons of the outrageous conduct the specialists were stumped with the question who was at fault? The parents of the killed children knew exactly who was to blame. They sued the entertaining industry with $ 130 million dollars. They brought a charge against three owners of porno sites, a few companies developing the computer games and film company Warner Brothers for their film “Basketball Diaries”, where the main character kills his teacher and his school mates. However the main stress was on the cruel games. The prosecution insists that the games produced by these companies “present violence in especially attractive and pleasant manner”.

May I ask, why are games the first to blame? Thousands of new games come up every year and thousands of people play them. The contents of the games can not be compared with the abundance of informational dirt in the movies. My personal opinion is that films have no competitors in violence. Films demonstrate really scary things: how the crimes should be prepared and what fun it can be to kill people like you. In this aspect games are underachievers. Besides the movies we also have TV where every criminal report shows the different types of murders with anything available. Don’t you worry about it? The court unconditionally acknowledged the negative influence of games on Michael’s immature psyche. However, the examination proved him to be quite adequate! After this he was sentenced to a life imprisonment without being eligible for ticket of leave during the first 25 years of his term. Harris and Klebold will be judged by quite the other court.

Poker Betting Limit: How to Pick One 4 U

Before you head for the nearest empty chair at an open poker table, hold on. There is one very important factor that you must check and verify before you start playing.

What? Check the betting limit of that particular table.
Why? This is what determines the professional skills of the poker players you will face and will also help you calculate approximately how much cash you need for this particular round of betting.

For the Casual Poker Fan:
You should try and begin by selecting a table with a low limit. Here, you will enjoy the relatively casual ambience and friendly opponents, who will not have a lot of experience playing and thus you stand a fair chance of winning. The slight problem with such games is that such kinds of tables are difficult to locate. In addition, those playing at such tables tend to play in a very conservative manner and this slows down the flow of the game. If you are still interested in looking for such tables you will be able to find them at the downtown casinos and gambling halls or at poker rooms not located on the Las Vegas strip itself such as the Palace Station.

Wish to Play Texas Holdem Instead?
Here too, select the lower limit games such as the 4/8 version. In this game, you will be allowed to increase only by four dollars and hence the name. Then, when you come to the last two betting rounds, you will have to double it to eight dollars. Likewise, you can also find the following limits: two and then four, three and then six, four and then eight, eight and then sixteen, fifteen and then thirty, thirty and then sixty and the last one which is pretty different to find (and which unless you are prepared to dish out large sums, you should avoid.) forty and then eight during the last two rounds of betting.

How Many Chips Should You Purchase In Such Games?
What you can do is multiply the end limit by about twenty and then make sure you have that amount. For example, if you wanted to join a table where the limit is two and then four. Multiply four into twenty and you get eighty. So, this is the sum of chips you must bring in to the game by buying them from the cash counters in the casino.

Another option is playing Texas holdem with no limits whatsoever, but beware. Such games pull pros and then you will find yourself at a big disadvantage.

For the Experienced Poker Player:
Most pros prefer playing Texas holdem than other poker games. And such professionals opt for games with no limit or that have a high limit of at least fifteen dollars. Beware, these tables (You can find them in the top casinos such as the Bellagio and others on the strip.) are places where you can lose hundreds of dollars in minutes so unless you are aware of this or unless you want to swim with the sharks because you consider yourself a shark too, stay away.

Conclusion:
Note that sometimes the tables might be occupied and it might take you a while to get a seat. Remember that this is not an online casino where tables are always open. Have patience and wait and do not leave and just join a higher or lower limit table than the one you have decided on. Remember that the outcome of your casino experience depends on this decision.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Computer Game Review - Innovations And Developments

The continuing advances in graphics technology, platform gaming infrastructure, processor technology and innovations in design will see more aggressive developments in computer games this 2006.

Gaming has traveled a long way today from the baby steps of the video games about thirty years ago. The square and jagged edged figures that used to dominate and entertain gamers on the screen is now more video-movie like if not life like that people today finds computer games more challenging and exciting.

The constant improvements made in computer technology exceeded expectations in the sales of computer games soft ware and has turned it into one big business in a very short span of time. The biggest impact on these games coming form the role playing games and the first person shooters.

The development of broadband had contributed very substantially to online gaming that in countries like South Korea, online gaming (Starcraft Gozu) has gathered a lot of followers dubbing the game fondly as its national sport. Online gaming has gained a popularity never seen before (or possible before), that international tournament are waged and battled online. Always trying to outwit and outplay the competition, world wide, online gaming has become very challenging and intense.

Where computer game designs used to be a simpler affair, today teams of artists, musicians, producers and gaming industries are working together to make the best and offer their best to the public that has patronized the games very well. The industry however has not, in marketing parlance, reached the peak. In my opinion, it is nowhere near it. The constant innovations that are shaping the computer games industry is so vast varied exciting and rewarding, enough material to motivate the designers and gamers to move on, that who knows what surprises are in store for the gaming public in the future.

What make computer games very popular are the regular releases of good computer game software. If you have not yet tried out the following, find a demo and find out for yourself.

1) Backyard Baseball 2005
2) Battlefield 2
3) Civilization IV
4) Dance Dance Revolution ULTRAMIX3
5) FEAR
6) Fifa 06
7) Food Fight!
8) Grand Theft Auto
9) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
10) Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
11) Mario Kant DS
12) Need for Speed
13) Ninja Gaiden Black
14) Peter Jackson's King Kong
15) Resident Evil 4
16) Sid Meier's Pirates!
17) Sly 3: Honor Amongst Thieves
18) The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
19) The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer
20) We Love Katamari

Console Gaming
The technology race in the computer games category will be heavily participated by Microsoft with their Xbox 360 - powered by a multi core processing unit, Sony's Playstation 3 by a cell processor technology, and Revolution by Nintendo will allow player interaction through a wireless motion sensing controller.

The popularity of the computer and video games has been a big business that it has surpassed the revenues of the film industry excluding the films ancillary revenues. However additional business for the computer games also comes in the form of trading cards, T-shirt prints of popular characters in video games and game titles and television shows that features reviews and gaming competitions. Judging from continuing developments and innovations in the game designs and computer technology, the year 2006 will even be more exciting.

Notebook Computer Memory - Upgrading Your Laptop

With the proliferation of laptop computers, choosing to upgrade or implement notebook computer memory is not as straight forward as it may seem at first.

There is a variety of different types of memory, and it is important that you choose memory that is compatible with your notebook computer. Memory is also a little delicate, so you need to be very careful when handling it.

Adding Computer Memory - Some Tips

You should ensure that the Notebook is turned of and disconnected from any exterior power supply. No lights should be visible, and if they are, stop and double check for any live power sources.

Notebook computers are a little different to desktop PC’s in that there is no need to take them apart in order to add memory. Access to the memory slots is via a panel located (usually) in the bottom of the laptop. Once you have found this panel, it should be a small matter of using a screwdriver to open up the panel and view the existing memory. In fact, you can do this to check the exact type of memory that your Notebook currently uses, because it is usually shown on the front of the memory strips and should be visible when you open up the memory panel.

The memory strips are usually locked in with small clips on the ends of the strips. To remove existing memory, simply flip the clips and then pull the memory strips gently from their holding place. If you are simply adding memory of course, and there is space available, just add the new memory, gently pushing it in to ensure it is fully seated in the slots, and then close the clips to hold the new memory in place.

Once you have replaced or added your Notebook computer memory, it is simply a case of replacing the access panel, and then screwing the panel back in place.

Finally, power up the Notebook, and ensure that the memory has been read by the Notebook. When the PC starts up, it should count the memory and tell you how much it thinks it has access to.

If any problems occur, repeat the whole procedure, checking very carefully that the memory is properly seated in the notebook.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Computer Game Review - Innovations And Developments

Title:

The continuing advances in graphics technology, platform gaming infrastructure, processor technology and innovations in design will see more aggressive developments in computer games this 2006.

Gaming has traveled a long way today from the baby steps of the video games about thirty years ago. The square and jagged edged figures that used to dominate and entertain gamers on the screen is now more video-movie like if not life like that people today finds computer games more challenging and exciting.

The constant improvements made in computer technology exceeded expectations in the sales of computer games soft ware and has turned it into one big business in a very short span of time. The biggest impact on these games coming form the role playing games and the first person shooters.

The development of broadband had contributed very substantially to online gaming that in countries like South Korea, online gaming (Starcraft Gozu) has gathered a lot of followers dubbing the game fondly as its national sport. Online gaming has gained a popularity never seen before (or possible before), that international tournament are waged and battled online. Always trying to outwit and outplay the competition, world wide, online gaming has become very challenging and intense.

Where computer game designs used to be a simpler affair, today teams of artists, musicians, producers and gaming industries are working together to make the best and offer their best to the public that has patronized the games very well. The industry however has not, in marketing parlance, reached the peak. In my opinion, it is nowhere near it. The constant innovations that are shaping the computer games industry is so vast varied exciting and rewarding, enough material to motivate the designers and gamers to move on, that who knows what surprises are in store for the gaming public in the future.

What make computer games very popular are the regular releases of good computer game software. If you have not yet tried out the following, find a demo and find out for yourself.

1) Backyard Baseball 2005
2) Battlefield 2
3) Civilization IV
4) Dance Dance Revolution ULTRAMIX3
5) FEAR
6) Fifa 06
7) Food Fight!
8) Grand Theft Auto
9) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
10) Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
11) Mario Kant DS
12) Need for Speed
13) Ninja Gaiden Black
14) Peter Jackson's King Kong
15) Resident Evil 4
16) Sid Meier's Pirates!
17) Sly 3: Honor Amongst Thieves
18) The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
19) The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer
20) We Love Katamari

Console Gaming
The technology race in the computer games category will be heavily participated by Microsoft with their Xbox 360 - powered by a multi core processing unit, Sony's Playstation 3 by a cell processor technology, and Revolution by Nintendo will allow player interaction through a wireless motion sensing controller.

The popularity of the computer and video games has been a big business that it has surpassed the revenues of the film industry excluding the films ancillary revenues. However additional business for the computer games also comes in the form of trading cards, T-shirt prints of popular characters in video games and game titles and television shows that features reviews and gaming competitions. Judging from continuing developments and innovations in the game designs and computer technology, the year 2006 will even be more exciting.

Laser Toner Cartridges:Your Questions Answered

Long an essential tool for businesses, laser printers are becoming more and more popular with home users because of their speed, accuracy and precision. Laser printers are increasingly affordable, too. If you're contemplating buying a laser printer, here are the answers to the common questions about the all-important subject of laser toner cartridges.

How Long Do Laser Toner Cartridges Last?

Laser printer toner cartridge life is measured in terms of yield. This measurement has two numbers, the first is the number of pages that can be printed with that cartridge. The second is a percentage which refers to the ratio of the page that is printed on. For example, a yield of "35000 pages, 5%", indicates that the cartridge will print 3500 average quality pages with text that covers five percent of each page.

One good thing about laser printers is that not using the machine doesn't result in reduced cartridge life. This is because laser toner is powder. So unlike the liquid ink in inkjet cartridges, it doesn't dry up if unused for a long time.

What Are My Options For Replacement Cartridges?

Your first option is to get what are called OEM cartridges. These are made by the printer manufacturer and tend to be very expensive. This is because the printers themselves are sold as loss leaders. So the manufacturers need to make up their profit on the sale of replacement toner cartridges. With your laser printer having a life of around five years, you'll probably spend up to seven times the cost of the unit on replacement OEM cartridges.

An alternative is to get what are called "compatible cartridges". These are new toner cartridges but manufactured by a third party. As they are made to the specification of the manufacturer, the quality is generally very high, especially with the application of ISO 9001 in recent years. However, they are much cheaper. The price of these compatible cartridges are usually less than half that the OEM item. These are your best option.

You can also find what are called remanufactured cartridges. These are different from compatible cartridges in that they are used OEM cartridges that have been refilled. Good remanufactured cartridges consist of more than simply filling a used cartridge with ink or toner, though. Reputable manufacturers also clean and quality check the cartridges, too.

One good thing about remanufactured laser toner cartridges is that they're environmentally-friendly. Just think, UK users alone throw away over two million printer cartridges each year. In fact, many organizations now pay you for returning used laser cartridges.

Where's The Best Place To Buy Replacement Cartridges?

You have a number of options here. Your high street discount chain will have a wide selection but prices tend to be very high. Likewise for the office supply chains. Then there's ordering from an online supplier which offers many benefits. For one thing, as these online dealers don't have the expense of maintaining a shop or showroom, they can offer you very attractive prices.
(Better still, they're not caught in the loss leader trap so they don't need to mark up their prices so much). What's more, reputable suppliers will have online catalogues so you can browse conveniently and order from the comfort of your home. Plus, delivery is very fast. Orders are usually shipped within 48 hours.

But not all online suppliers are created equal so there are a number of caveats. Firstly, you should be wary of companies that offer their laser toner cartridges at well below market prices. Check, too, to make sure that the supplier guarantees that their compatible cartridges match the life and print quality of the OEM items.

Laser printing is becoming increasingly popular and by judicious shopping you can make it very affordable. By shopping online for your laser toner cartridges, you can get the fastest, quality printing done at prices that don't break the bank.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Classic Puzzle Games Online

Some of the best puzzles games of our time are now available for free online. Some of them are just old classics that have made the transition to the Internet, while others focus on upgrading the old puzzle games to offer new challenges to a new generation of gamers. The great thing is that these are all games which can be played by just about anyone. The concepts involved are kindergarten level, but they require a swift mind to actually master. Anyone with some time to kill should take a few minutes and look online for a puzzle game or two.

There are plenty of old classics available online in one of many new flash arcades. This means that you can play your favorites whenever you want without shelling out any cash. That’s pretty nice, especially since I have deep issues with paying money for something that challenges my mind. Tetris is one of the many puzzle games that has jumped online. Everyone should at least have a basic knowledge of Tetris. You line the blocks up as they fall. If you make a neat row it disappears. This beautiful concept has been in our minds since we first knew about shapes, but it isn’t as easy to do as one might think. Try organizing somewhat random shapes when they’re falling really fast. It can be a lot of fun to properly plan out all of your blocks so that your neat stacks don’t fall into chaos.

There are new versions of these puzzles games online too though. New additions, such as Bejeweled, have actually gotten enough interest to warrant retail releases. The online versions are good enough though. These games take some of the basics of old Tetris-based games and upgrade them for a new generation. In general, they focus more on forming patterns out of random assortments. Line up similar objects, colors, shapes, etc. and they’ll disappear. This changes things considerably though, as the pace starts off at full speed. One has to start thinking and clicking as quickly as possible to keep the board under control. One mistake can cost you a lot of points or even the game. I will admit that this style of puzzle game may be too annoying or fast-paced for some people. It is definitely something different though, and the focus on mental and physical reflexes adds a new level to puzzle gaming. Any gamer should at least give this developing genre a chance.

That’s really the beauty of it too. Just about any gamer can pick up a puzzle game and understand the concept. It’s just matching up shapes or colors, which you probably learned back in kindergarten or first grade. The nice factor is that you end up with a standard “minutes to learn, a lifetime to master” setup, where you may understand the rules but not all the nuances. This leaves something good to come back for later.

If you want to introduce a friend to online gaming, puzzle games may be the best step. They can usually be pretty forgiving and easy to learn, so they’ll act as a good way to get a new gamer’s feet wet. In the end, it does come down to preference though. If you like to play puzzle games, then you should definitely look for your old favorites online while keeping an eye out for a new game to add to the lineup. They’re just a good way for a person to give their mind a little bit of exercise in those spare minutes of the day.

How to replace a power supply

The power supply is the component that powers your devices in your computer. It powers things like the hard drive, CDROM and CPU. There may come a time when you have to replace it.

Symptoms of a power supply going bad can include random reboots, random crashes the computer not starting at all.

When replacing your power supply there are a couple of thing to take into consideration. The most important thing to do is to get the right one for your computer. Your computer will most likely use the ATX form factor. You also need to make sure you get a power supply with enough power for your computer's hardware. 300-400 watts is sufficient for most computers. Make sure the power supply has enough power connections and the right types of connections.

Replacing the power supply is a pretty easy job. Make sure you unplug the power cord first! Then you can open the case and take the power connections off of the devices and motherboard. Then you can take out the four screws on the outside back of the case and pull the power supply out from the inside. To install the new one just do the opposite.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Classic Arcade Games Emulation On New Technology

You might wonder what an emulator is. Emulators allow your computer to act like a console system such as the Apple IIe or the Atari 2600, which are used to emulate the hardware of a variety of classic arcade games.

Are all classic arcade games emulated? No, but those games made before 1992 are. Not all systems are easy to emulate.

Why is there a need to emulate classic arcade games? There are three major reasons why:

1. Popularity – if the system is popular, even if it is classic, the more effort is pushed to emulate it.

2. Availability of the Information – if the system contains a lot of information, it will be easier to emulate. If a game has never been emulated before, it will require a lot of reverse engineering, which could at times be frustrating.

3. Technical Hurdles – the hardware limits restrictions that are hard to avoid. For example, it took quite some time before the Atari 7800 was emulated, due to the encryption algorithm which prohibited games from being loaded. In addition, newer systems may lack the absolute horsepower to have the game run at a playable, and faster speed.

Although emulators are difficult to run, especially if it is your first time, you must download an emulator and unzip it. If you are not familiar with the procedures, you must read the documentation carefully.

Emulators are compound pieces of software. Most emulators may not perfectly emulate the capability of the system it is trying to copy. The imperfections in some emulators may be minor, sometimes timing problems may occur. Some emulators won’t run games at all, or worse have some display problems. Some emulators may be deficient in joystick support, sound, and other significant features.

In writing an emulator, you will undergo a difficult process which requires attaining the precise system information, and figuring out how to emulate it with the software code.

There are two different types of emulators. The first one is the single-system or the single-game emulator. Examples of these are an Atari 2600 emulator, NES emulator, and an Apple II emulator. These emulators can only emulate one kind of game or system. The second type of emulators is the multi-emulators. The best example of this is the Multi-Arcade Machine Emulator or the MAME. MAME can emulate hundreds of arcade games, although not all arcade games can run on the same kind of system. That is a huge generalization, but the reason multi-emulators require more resources compared to single system emulators, in most cases.

The start of emulation has opened a lot of opportunities for companies to take advantage of their resources. Why spend a lot of time reprogramming or porting the classic arcade games to a new console when you can easily write an upright emulator. Emulation is the solution to these problems, and gives the gamers an exact replica of the classic games they love and want to acquire.

Hard Disk Failures Cause Bankruptcy - Is Your Home Office Computer Protected?

Computers are wonderful inventions, until they go wrong. Every company stores data on its computers, instead of in filing cabinets. That data includes invoices payable, customer details, debts, etc. If something goes wrong with the computer hard drive the data could be lost. Every day, companies go out of business because of catastrophic data loss caused by computer crashes.

Large companies do back up their data, but what about the one-man company where the paperwork is done on a Sunday morning? More and more people are working from home on personal computers that have zero protection against data loss caused by hard disk failure or power surges.

Every company, large or small should back up their data, preferably to an alternative location, yet most one-man businesses fail to follow this basic survival strategy because of the time it takes to back up the data each day.

Even these companies need to develop the habit of backing up all customer information to a removable hard disk, pen-drive or similar, or to a CD/DVD. Another alternative is to buy a RAID hard drive for your PC. These drives save your data to more than one hard disk, and check for inconsistencies between the two or more data sets. If there are differences then this can be a sign that one of the hard disks will fail soon, enabling you to avoid losing the data in the first place.

Hard drive disks spin at up to 8,000 revolutions a minute, They are highly engineered, but, because they have moving parts, wear occurs, and disks stop working.

There are many companies who will attempt to retrieve your data from a non-functional hard drive. The service is not cheap, and if you employ a contractor to do this who is not using the correct software, you have a 50% chance of your data being totally destroyed.

If your company depends on that data for its survival, and it does, the high cost is worth it. Much better though, to get into the habit of backing up your data every night

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Choosing Video Games For Your Family. Tips For Parents About The Video Games Your Kids Want, And What You Should Know To Be Sure You Pick Right

Computer and video games are a favorite pastime among people of all ages, especially kids. But many of the video games of today are quite different from classics like "Pac-Man" and "Asteroid." The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), which assigns video game content ratings, offers the following tips for parents to help them choose the games they consider appropriate for their families, as well as to be prepared for the realities of playing games online.

• Check the ESRB ratings for each game you purchase. The rating symbol on the front of the package indicates age appropriateness, and content descriptors on the back provide additional information about game content that may be of interest or concern.

• Talk to other parents and older children about their own experiences with video games.

• Monitor your child's video game play, just as you would with TV, movies and the Internet.

• Exercise caution with online-enabled games. Some games let users play online with other players, and can contain live chat features or other user-generated content that may not be reflected in the ESRB rating. Many of these games carry the warning: "Game Experience May Change During Online Play." Newer game consoles offer the ability to disable the online game play feature as part of parental control settings.

• Be aware that most PC games can be altered by downloading "mods" on the Internet, which are created by other players and can change or add to the content in a game that may be inconsistent with the rating assigned.

• Learn about and use parental controls. Newer video game console and handheld hardware devices let parents limit the content their children can access. By activating parental controls, you can ensure that your kids play only games that carry ratings you deem appropriate.

• Consider your child's unique personality and abilities. Nobody knows your child better than you do; consider that knowledge when selecting computer and video games.

• Play computer and video games with your children. This is not only a good way to have fun together, but also to get to know which games your child finds interesting and exciting, and why.

• Read more than the ratings. Game reviews, trailers and "demos" that let you sample games are available online and in game enthusiast magazines, and can provide additional detail about game content.

The kind of fax paper to use in a plain paper fax machine.

Super Fax Paper offers the look, feel and performance of plain paper! No need to photocopy 10 years image preservation is guaranteed; reducing duplication costs and increases savings. About 30% thicker than regular fax paper, there will be no page curling and makes it easier to handle and re-transmit.

Fax cartridges and fax rolls of paper are very common in the workplace today. We hardly even think about it before we tell someone to "fax that over to me". Faxes make life so much easier for us than in the past when things had to be mailed back and forth through the postal system.

The fax machine was actually invented long ago. Alexander Bain invented the fax machine in 1843 and received a patent. He was a Scottish mechanic and his idea was an off-shoot of Samuel Morse's invention of the telegraph. In 1902, Dr. Arthur Korn made improvements to the machine adding the photoelectric system to the idea. AT&T worked to improve the technology and in 1924 created a means of transmitting pictures for newspapers over long distances. In 1955, the first fax transmission across the continent occurred. Since then, there has been amazing progress.

Today's fax machines, fax cartridges and fax rolls are inexpensive enough that just about every office and many homes have this capability. These automated machines are small, easy to use and affordable to purchase and operate.

To Best describe the kind of paper to use in a plain paper fax machine lets "Look At the Fax" and alternately exactly what the fax machine is for that is what level of professionalism does the fax owner he/she require to get the job done. If said fax owner deals in law, real-estate or any other type of professional capacity then a high grade, top of the line, manufacturer suggested paper should work very well. This paper works equally as well if the fax is also used as a convenience copier. However if the plain paper fax is used more on a personal level lets say exchanging recipes, sending stuff that needs a signature, personal credit applications, resumes, maps to where the parties are etc. Then just do what I do grab all the one-side used fax paper that comes from your work, they just use it for scrap paper anyhow and put that in your fax and send it.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Choosing a Video Game System: Which One Is Best for Kids?

In the old days, choosing a video game system for children wasn't all that hard. After all, parents didn't have to worry about games carried by systems like Atari (there was nothing threatening about Pac-Man or Space Invaders). Today, however, with the proliferation of games with mature content available on games supported by the major system manufacturers, parents want to know which system carries the most kid-friendly games, ones that the young ones will enjoy and one that parents will not regret spending money on.

Let's start with the Sony PlayStation 2, the best-selling game console on the market today. There are literally thousands of titles available for this system, which cater to every age range. There are approximately 600 games for the PS2 that have the "E" rating, meaning that it is suitable for players ages six and above. However, many of these games are too complicated for young children to play. Games that children ten years old and above can enjoy are rated E10+, while those that are rated EC (Early Childhood) are of course, suitable for the very young. The PS2 carries about a dozen E10+ games, including movie-based titles like Shrek Super Slam for PlayStation 2 and Chicken Little. EC titles that little ones can enjoy include Dora the Explorer: Journey to the Purple Planet, Eggo Mania and At the Races Presents Gallop Racer.

Nintendo's GameCube console continues to be popular because it carries titles that are popular with children. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) lists 263 video game titles rated E for the GameCube, and these include some of the most popular and beloved among the children of today and years past, such as Sega's Sonic GEMS Collection, Nintendo's own Mario Party 6 and Mario Tennis. The Legend of Zelda series and several Pokemon titles are available exclusively on the GameCube as well.

Microsoft's Xbox and Xbox 360 video game consoles likewise have many, many titles that are rated E; the Xbox with approximately 270 games and the Xbox 360 with so far about a dozen -- but count on the number of Xbox 360 titles to increase since it's a new release. Some games published by Microsoft exclusively for the Xbox and the Xbox 360 and which have the E rating are Astropop and Feeding Frenzy. However, remember that most game publishers release crossover titles, or games that are available on multiple platforms. For instance, Eidos Interactive's LEGO Star Wars (rated E) is available for the GameCube, PS2 and Xbox; Activision's Madagascar (rated E10+) is available on the same platforms, while Global Star Software's Dora the Explorer (rated EC) is available on the PS2 and Xbox, but not on the GameCube.

What about parental control options? Among the four systems, the Xbox and the Xbox 360 have the most efficient parental lock functions. Parents are able to set limits on the games and films to be played on the systems. If you set the system to play only E-rated games, kids won't be able to play DVD's or games that have Teen, Mature, or Adults Only ratings. The GameCube also has a parental lock feature, albeit a less effective one. Users note that all it does is tone down certain effects that might be troubling for children (for example, the amount of blood seen in games) but do not block the playing of games at all. It doesn't even screen or bleep offensive language. The parental control function of the PlayStation 2 is even worse -- it doesn't allow parents or anyone to restrict access to video games at all. The most parents can do is to set the PS2 to prevent their kids from watching DVD movies with inappropriate content.

When it comes to price, the GameCube comes out tops. Available for only $99, it's significantly cheaper than the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, whose prices range from $150 to $199 (or more if bundled with game titles). The Xbox 360, being the newest of the bunch, is the highest-priced. For $299, you get the system and a wired controller. For $399, you get a wireless controller, a headset that players can use to talk to other people online, a 20 GB hard drive that is loaded with game-related videos and music, and a remote.

Parents should go out and try each system personally as well as look at the different titles available for them before deciding which one to buy. Factors such as number and age of users at home, game title availability, and budget should also be considered. Each system has its own pros and cons, and families will differ in their preferences: some will be content with the limited but popular games of the GameCube; some might prefer the wider offering of the PlayStation 2 or the Xbox; others might opt for the high-tech features of the Xbox 360. But all things considered, making the right choice will provide hours of wholesome, fun, and worry-free entertainment for the little ones and for their parents as well.