Sunday, October 30, 2011

Online Plane Simulator

Now a Flight Simulator Online Game can really serve the purpose of teaching and not just playing. This has revolutionized the way that people are getting familiar with and learning how to fly planes now days. These flight simulator games have cutting edge technology and graphics that make them very realistic, including real-time control detection and more.
The truth is that there is nothing better than actually going through pilot classes and getting your hands on the physical instruments and controls in airplane. But the cost of these classes are sky high, and are not really priced for the average middle aged American, unless you have over averaged saving skills for price tags at $6,000-$10,000 for a basic private pilot license approximately from most flight training institutes.
After you've been through that you can then go through an instrument rating, adding about $6,000 to $8,000, yeah, wow! You will need super over averaged saving skills for this added price tag.
Then the next step you can take after getting your private pilots license and instrument rating is to get your commercial pilot license certification that is even more expensive. I'm not sure if there is any financial aid available for commercial pilot license certification but if I were you I would highly recommend looking into it and researching the FAA programs and other private financial sponsors for pilot financial assistance.
From some research of my own, I've learned that there are some programs out there that will let you pay a fixed fee and guarantee you passing, well at least giving you continual support until all the information you've learned sticks and you pass the pre-test to be ready for the actual test. This cost is a whopping $30,000-$40,000 which believe it or not is pretty reasonable considering that some courses make you pay about a third of that and there is not guarantee that you will pass, so If you fail, you have to pay the fee again and go through the whole course again.
I've found, in my opinion, the best, most realistic Flight Simulator game, and have "7 Reasons" why you just might want to consider getting it, listed below:
1. pilot classes are expensive $10,000 - $25,000 which is only the first level of a pilot certification
2. getting you familiar with pilot knowledge- like never before with so many tools and extended knowledge
3. getting familiar with real time control interaction- to prepare you for how it really is in timing of pressing a button on the instrument panel
4. getting familiar with 20,000 real world airports- pretty much every airport in the world, which is just so cool. Where do you want to visit?
5. getting familiar with 120+planes, helicopters, jets and fighter jets also, their real controls and gauges
6. And real world, world mapping, thanks to Google earth. This feature I believe adds the most realistic feature to the game
7. PLUS, 5 Bonuses
* Easy Flight Planner - Do what real pilots do
* Interactive Scenery Builder - Customize
* Flight Combat Sim Game - Fly your choice of the coolest fighter planes from back in the day to the best of today's newest and coolest.
* Airplane Flying Handbook - From real expert pilots
* Useful Video Tutorials - self explanatory
If you're serious about learning to fly, don't have $10,000 dollars to take actually pilot training classes and want the most realistic experience that you can possibly get then, you definitely want to head to http://www.FlightSimulatorOnlineGame.net to began your fun and affordable at home training today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6651708

Gaming: Computer Games Article Category

The other day I was skimming through one of my game forum watering holes, and I was struck by a post that was titled something along the lines of "Do you think you will still be gaming in 10 years?"
Wondering if this was a post about the death of all games or the coming of the end of the world in 2012, Mayan style, I clicked on it to find out.
It turned out to be a post about gaming when you "grow up".
The poster was a college kid and he was writing how he could not see himself still playing games in 10 years.
It just didn't seem "appropriate" to him that a 30 year old, probably with a family and job, would be playing video games.
This got me thinking about video games and their place in the culture of our modern day society (Because my brain likes to over think things like that).
Video games today are around 35-40 years old as a mainstream thing that people play in their homes.
It's old enough that we have at least one or two generations that have grown up with video games being a part of pop culture and are old enough to have kids of their own.
This means that a large chunk of the population should have at least a vague idea about what video games are, and that there is more to video games than Doom or Mario.
The video game industry has become extremely large and now brings in more revenue than the movie or music industry.
So by sheer economical weight you could also argue that video games should be taken at least as serious as music or a movie.
Both these points should mean that video games could take its place as accepted media, and as acceptable for adults to spend time on, as watching a movie or listening to an album.
But posts such as the one I found in this popular game forum seem to indicate that there is still a considerable issue with the image of games as something that is okay for adult people to spend time on.
This makes me wonder, if video games are bound for an eternal life of derision by non-gamers, who will likely always make up the majority of the population.
The simple fact that video games require actual user interaction limits the appeal it is going to have, as there are always going to be a lot of people that simply do not wish to spend time engaging with a medium, but prefer the passive consumption that is provided by books, movies, music and so on.
Perhaps video games will end up being lumped into the "childish" pile that it seems comic books are also trapped in.
While the modern comic book has been around for pretty much as long as movies, it is still considered very much a "kids" or "nerd" interest and not really accepted as a medium that can be used for telling "mature" stories as well as stories for younger audiences.
My hope is that the proliferation of games in our society, which we see in the success of Facebook games and games for smart phones, will gradually open the eyes of the general public and make them realize that gaming can be fun, no matter what age you are.
And that there are as many different types of games as there are types of music or movies, and some are more deep and well thought out than others.
Perhaps more "artistic" games such as Flower and Journey will also help non-gamers see that games also exist that are not about killing monsters or earning the biggest high score.
We can only hope that this is the way that the public opinion is moving.
But no matter what, I know for certain that as I pass onto the other side of the big three-zero, I will continue to game as enthusiastically as ever and I don't think I'll ever stop being a Gamer.
I'm a passionate gamer and lover of science fiction.
With more than 25 years of gaming and consuming sci-fi in every media form, I consider myself something of an expert.
I write reviews, impressions, opinion pieces and things that are just meant to make you smile.
If you like this article, then you'll probably like my site, which you can find here:

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Will Onlive and Cloud Gaming Change the Video Game Market?

With the recent release of OnLive cloud gaming in the UK, the questions has to be asked, will cloud computing change the video games industry?
The concept of cloud gaming is having the ability to play your favourite video games without the need of a games console or an expensive computer. By using the internet the user can stream game play from a remote server hundreds of miles away without the need of having your own hardware to run the games, only a stable internet connection. The user can buy or rent games from the company's site without the need to ever have the game physically. The concept seems simple and effective however in practice there can be a few problems. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of cloud gaming.
Advantages
  • With the price of games consoles and high performance computers begin so high, one the advantages of the on live is the cost of the package. It is a one of payment for the receiver with monthly payments for using the service. They also claim their prices for purchasing games are competitive and are similar to the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii retail versions
  • OnLive has a large range of the newest games available for the service featuring the same games your can play on your games console or on your PC. 100+ games are currently available for the service and new ones are added most weeks.The receiver is easy to use and quick to set up.
  • The device used to stream the games from the internet is a small box that can plugs into a monitor, TV and even tablet devices. Users that prefer to play on the PC will just need to download the program for their website.
Disadvantages
  • The main disadvantage of the OnLive package at the moment is the internet. OnLive requires a reliable and fast internet connection to stream the game play to your TV or monitor at home. Without a decent connection, it can make games look slow and unplayable
  • Another thing that may cause a problem is the Internet Service Providers. With most of the ISP in the UK capping the amount of data your can download, playing OnLive for long periods of time may rack up a large bill at the end of the month. Make sure you have no restrictions on downloads if considering purchasing the service
  • In the UK (and other countries) there is a large amount of people who buy second-hand games. Once you completed your title, people generally trade in their old game for a new one. With Cloud gaming and OnLive, you never own a physical copy making the whole process of trading in your old game for a new one redundant.
Conclusion
As mentioned about the OnLive package is a very good product with a great concept, bringing high quality, detailed games to people without the access of a games console or the money to afford one. However the fact that most peoples internet connections may not be fast enough and that ISPs enforce download limits, might hold this product back. While the concept is brilliant, the product is well delivered, i don't think the majority of the world is ready. Until that time, i doubt the big three (Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo) have anything to worry about.
For more information on computers please visit our blog at http://blog.jackalcomputers.co.uk
Liam Miller

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6650301

Quality Poker Bankroll Management Advice

So what is Bankroll Management (BRM)?
In simple language it is basically keeping to the limits that your bankroll allows you to.
Say for example you had $100 on Poker Stars. Playing a $0.25/$0.50 cash game would not be good bankroll management because you will not win enough to prevent you going bankrupt when the inevitable bad run of cards comes.
Bankroll management is one of, if not the, most important factors of becoming a winning poker player. Many players under estimate the importance and then end up bankrupt. The majority will never understand and will continue to lose their money. But that's OK right? As that is one of the areas where our profit comes from.
How does BRM work?
It is usually recommended that you only stake a maximum of 5% of your entire bankroll in any one game. So if your bankroll was at $100, you should be playing cash games with a maximum buy-in of $5 as that is obviously 5%. If you grew your bankroll to $200 then you could move up to the next limit with a maximum buy-in of $10, as again, that is 5% of your entire bankroll. On the other hand, if you were to lose $50 then you would be exceeding 10% and should, therefore, swallow your pride and drop down a level until you have rebuilt your bankroll.
What limits should we play at?
Cash Games
PL & NL Hold'em If you are playing PL or NL poker, the recommended size of your bankroll is 20 times the maximum buy-in of the limit that you want to play. This means that if you want to have the best chance of making money at a $0.50/$1 cash game which would have a typical buy-in of $100, you should have a bankroll of at least $2000.
(2000/100 = 20)
Another way of applying bankroll management is by only putting a maximum 5% of your entire bankroll on the table at any one time, which works out the same as having 20 times the buy-in for the game.
(100/2000 * 100 = 5%)
Limit Hold'em. If you like to play Limit Holdem however, you should have at least 300 Big Bets as a minimum for the limit you wish to play. Therefore if you were to play $0.50/$1 Limit Holdem, you would need a bankroll of at least $300.
Tournament Games
It is recommended that you have a bankroll that will give you 40 buy-ins to the level of tournaments that you wish to play at. Therefore if you want to play at the $5+$0.50 SnGs you would be looking to have a bankroll of $220.
(220/40 = 5.5)
Richard Couch
Poker Strategy Bible
http://www.pokerstrategybible.co.uk
Get quality poker strategy advice today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6649863

World of Warcraft Horde Guide

The Basics
The WoW Horde guide is made for World of Warcraft or better known in the realm as WoW is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, or 'MMORPG' created by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth edition of this type of game. It is a game that is set in the fantasy realm of Warcraft universe. The first Warcraft was introduced in Nineteen ninety four. This World of Warcraft expansion takes place in the world of Azeroth. With over eleven million Hordes, shaman, warlocks and the rest of the creatures that live on Azeroth, World of Warcraft is the world's most-subscribed online role-playing game available today.
One of the factions in WoW is the Hordes. Once you make your decision on which race to play as, you are going to want to use the WoW Horde guide to get through each of the levels as quickly as possible. It's sometimes very easy to get bogged down as you progress through the initial levels. The best way to sped up the process is to grind. Grinding is the nice way of saying slaughtering everybody. The fact is, if you want to get experience points and more importantly, gold for your Horde character, you're going to have to grind. The problem, however for many players, is which mobs to grind and where to find them. That's where the WoW Horde guide comes in. The WoW Horde guide contains leveling strategies, questing patterns, techniques, and many secrets to getting some of the highest scores online. Here is a look at some of the races and their strengths.
The Bloody Elves possess the mystical knowledge and magic. They are known as the black sheep of the High elves. Because they fight with magic, these characters are best played by the players who like to use their wits and brains in winning WoW. One of the most dangerous skills of the Bloody elves is the arcane torrent. Another skill is the Mana Tap which slows down the use of other players magic.
The Unbeatable Orcs race is a favorite because of their brutality. They also possess the adaptability to alter any situation or battle. Among their skills is the Bloody Fury which will increase their attacks and will slow down their enemies. They have a specialization with axes that increases their weapon damage and skills.
The Big Tauren is the best at head-to-head fighting. For those that don't really like pressing lots of magic and skill buttons, the Taurens are the best melee fighters. Their weapons and aggressive skills lend themselves to be very formidable foes in WoW. The big Tauren is probably the easiest and best race to start your WoW career with.
The Scary Undead is just what the name implies, the undead. They are good at casting spells and wreaking havoc and chaos wherever they go. If you like the combination of melee with magic skills, then you definitely want to be this race. They have the most promising skill called the will of forsaken which protects them and brings fear to other players. They also possess underwater breathing.
The Mischievous Trolls are the only available race of the Darkspear. They possess great power and actually most of the players online prefer them because they are big and mean and nasty fighters. They have ability to heal themselves with the regeneration skill.
If you desperately want to level up your character, then check out the WoW Horde guide.
For more info, go to http://www.highlandwarcraft.com/world-of-warcraft-horde-guide.php
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_K_Hutchings

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The How To's of a Rogue in WoW Cataclysm

World of Warcraft offers many profession choices for each class. But what is the best Rogue profession in Cataclysm? Let's see the best options, and how you can benefit from each one of them.
1st Choice Professions: Leatherworking and Skinning
Since Rogues wear leather suits, it is easy to figure out why Leatherworking and Skinning are good professions for them. Leatherworking will help you craft your own armor and armor kits as well. Both of them will be very helpful as you level up in the game and you can even sell your kits on the Auction House to make extra gold. Here are two armor examples to give you an idea: the Icescale Leg Armor can improve your attack power and strike rating, while the Earthen Leg Armor will give you a 40 Resilience rating and a 28 Stamina rating! Try to combine Leatherworking with Skinning. These two professions together will help you level up even faster. Skinning also comes with the Master of Anatomy buff that increases the critical strike by 32!
2nd Choice Professions: Engineering and Mining
If you want to make your leveling an easy and faster process, try to combine Engineering and Mining. A nice buff will come along with Mining in this case. It is called Toughness and it increases the Stamina rating by 50. Now let's see what Engineering has to offer you: Weakness Spectralizers, Healing Injector kits and the wonderful Gnomish Army Knife. With this last one you will be able to return a dead player back to life! A very useful skill that your fellow raiders will surely appreciate!
3rd Choice Professions: Herbalism and Alchemy
Herbalism and Alchemy come as third choices. However, they can be very useful if you choose to do instances or raids, since you will definitely need elixirs and potions to heal you. Herbalism will also give you a valuable buff known as Life Blood. This goody can heal you for 2000 over 5 seconds, even when you are invisible or stealthed. This is extremely helpful, especially if you think that a Rogue can only use bandages to regain health! Blacksmithing suits Rogues on higher levels and only if you choose to become a Weapon Master. So, be careful with this one. Jewelcrafting on the other hand, is another option to consider if you are interested in using gems to boost your gear with nice stats.
So, what will it be? How can you become one of the best Rogues in Cataclysm? The final decision is yours to make. However, I would recommend the first option for an easier leveling. But, as soon as you reach the higher levels, you will realize that the other professions can also provide extra benefits for you and your group.
If you need more information on professions, visit this short guide on Cataclysm Professions. For a complete guide on how to be a Rogue in WoW Cataclysm, visit CosmoS-Ale at: www.cosmosale.com to find tips and tricks on raiding, leveling, making gold, tools and useful addons.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rose_Crackervine

Guide for the Best Shaman in World of Warcraft and Cataclysm

There is a major benefit in being a Shaman. It is a hybrid class and can work as both a healer and DPSer. No matter which spec you choose, the right profession will help you become what we call "best Shaman" in Cataclysm:
1st Choice Professions: Leatherworking & Skinning
The easier professional choice for a shaman is Leatherworking and Skinning. No matter what spec they are, they will be able to make special gear for themselves. But the best part is this: they can craft leather pieces of gear for Hunters or Rogues and Druids and earn extra gold by selling it. Finally, if a Shaman combines Leatherworking with Skinning, he may become Master of Anatomy and can increase his critical strike rating by 32!
2nd Choice Professions: Jewelcrafting & Mining
If you are a Draenei, then you have a +10 default on Jewelcrafting and this is a great choice when playing a Shaman on the Alliance side. Choosing Jewelcrafting has major benefits, for example stone statues will be able to heal you and you could even place valuable gems, necklaces and rings that you craft, in the sockets of your gear. Think about combining Mining with Jewelcrafting. Why? Because you will get Prospecting, a skill that allows you to extract valuable gems from ores that you gather while Mining. Needless to say how many ways there are to use these gems! There is also an extra plus with Mining, a buff called Toughness that increases your Stamina by 50.
3rd Choice Professions
What about the rest of the professions? What can they offer to a Shaman? First of all, don't forget that Herbalism and Alchemy enable all classes to level faster and also give you a bonus buff, known as Life Blood, capable to heal your character for 2000 over 5 sec. If you can pair Herbalism and Inscription, you will have the ability to make a variety of Glyphs depending on your spec, totems or spells. Shamans often stay behind and get no damage, so armor is not all that important to them. So, wearing the highest gear that you can craft with Leatherworking and enchant with Enchanting is always good but not necessary when raiding with a group.
Knowing the benefits each profession has to offer to your class is extremely useful in order to make the right choice. Risky or not, you can take advantage of these attributes and become best Shaman in Cataclysm.
If you need more information on professions, visit this short guide on Cataclysm Professions. If you want to learn more about being a Shaman visit CosmoS-Ale at: www.cosmosale.com to find tips, tricks on raiding, leveling, making gold and much more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6637282

Farm Games Online

You should seriously think about playing farm games online if you are looking for game genre that is different then the usual beat em up, action or adventure type games that are flooding the internet today. When dealing with farm games, we look at a game where you are to grow crops, plant and raise livestock as a means of income and economic growth. This is very similar to how real farms operate.
In most farm type games, your objective is to create a farm in a virtual world while you compete with other farmers to see if you can build up the biggest farm. Most of these types of games are very addictive and competitive, so gamers will play them regularly. You need to take into consideration is whether or not you are playing this type of game purely for entertainment purposes or if you really are serious about the competitive aspect to the game. If you are serious about the competitive aspect, then you need to focus a fair amount of time on learning as much as you can about the strategy so that you will be in a position to do well and ensure your farm grows and your crops don't get destroyed.
One strategy that you can use is to set aside some time every single day to play. This might be after school, after work, or after you are done doing other things that need to get done. If you set a schedule and stick to it, you are more likely to be able to play Farm games online in a more consistent and regular manner.
With the recent growth in popularity of Facebook and it's integrated apps and games we have seen the availability of farm games online grow over several months. Much of this growth is due to the a game titled FarmVille. Most flash games available online today are tailored after this popular game. The concepts are very similar and that is to grow a farm, raise crops and animals by building, purchasing and selling objects. This really does give the gamer a realistic experience. These days, games in this niche are widely available, let them be from Facebook, or from a leading web site that offers them. All you need to play farm games online is a internet connection, and a browser that supports flash.
In the final analysis, people who play farm games online often have a lot of fun. You should certainly consider this type of game yourself if you are somebody who would like the opportunity to play a game that different from a lot of the other games that are out there. You will find this type of Farm games to be really fun.
If you want to Play Farm Games Online, please visit Online Farm Games to play a huge collection of fun online games.

The Tough Process of Selecting Your Class for The Old Republic

Christmas is going to be December 20 this year for me (or whenever the early access for The Old Republic preorders starts).
I am looking immensely forward to this game and, like many other fans I'm sure, have already started thinking long and hard about what class I am going to play, when I finally get my grubby hands on it.
So far I have narrowed the choices down a bit by method of elimination:
Round 1:
I usually play a caster or ranged class.
I prefer to stand back from the fight and let loose with devastating volleys of firepower or aiding my party members with heals or buffs.
Getting up and personal is for the rabble, right?
So I will probably not roll a Jedi Knight or Sith Warrior as my first class.
Round 2:
I tend to play the "evil" side.
There is something very satisfying with the way that you can wield incredible power with no humility or concern for consequences as evil characters (unlimited power, eh Palpie?).
And although I hardly consider myself an emo kid, I do find the dark color schemes of the Sith classes very appealing.
That means that I'll probably go with the Empire faction.
That cuts out the Jedi Sage, Trooper and Smuggler as well.
Round 3:
Generally sneaky classes are not really a thing that I do.
I never played a rogue in WoW, despite playing it for 6 years and playing all other classes to at least level 40-60.
Creeping around in the shadows and stabbing people in the back is not that appealing to me.
When I kill my opponent I prefer to do it from the front, with the blast from my fireball casting a beautiful orange reflection off the eyeballs of my doomed victim.
Therefore I think I will not go with the Agent.
Round 4:
That leaves us with the Bounty Hunter and the Sith Inquisitor.
That is tough.
My gut says the Inquisitor.
The Emperor was one of my favorite characters in the old Star Wars movies, with his manipulating ways and his awesome lightning (not so much with his getting thrown into a thermal shaft by a cripple with one hand).
The Inquisitor also simply looks nice and imposing in his "dark wizard" type getup so it really should be an easy choice.
Buuuut... the Bounty Hunter is simply so frigging cool!
I am not a big fan of the new movies and I'm not even the biggest fan of Jango Fett, but I still think that a few of his scenes really nails the badass attitude of the Bounty Hunter, like his fight with Obi-Wan on Kamino.
I love the jet packs and the flame throwers.
The sense that whatever move you make, the Bounty Hunter will already have you figured out and have a counter measure ready (Just stay away from Sarlacc pits).
Decision time:
In the end I think the power of the Dark Side will probably win out and I will go ahead and make a Sith Inquisitor.
The chance to throw around force lightning in an MMO is simply too good for me to pass up on.
The Inquisitor has it. Now to practice going: "Power!...Unlimited...Power!"
Of course, that does lead to the next grueling question... What race?!... Ugh...
What are your thoughts on class picks for launch?
I'm a passionate gamer and lover of science fiction. With more than 25 years of gaming and consuming sci-fi in every media form, I consider myself something of an expert. I write reviews, impressions, opinion pieces and things that are just meant to make you smile. If you like this article, then you'll probably like my site, which you can find here:
http://www.lightspeed-gaming.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6649644

Friday, October 28, 2011

The Proposition Behind Crazy Taxi Online

CRAZY TAXI
Crazy Taxi is a racing game that was developed by Hitmaker and published by sega.The first version of the game came out in 1999 and it was a huge success on the dreamcast.The game is now available on all the famous platforms such as the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, PC, the Xbox, Game Boy Advance, and PlayStation Portable systems.
The gameplay is fairly simple: The player has to pick up passengers in a Crazy Taxi. The user is supposed to drop the passenger to its destination within a certain time limit. For assistance, the user is provided with arrows on the hud indicating the directions to reach the destination.
The fact that makes this game crazy is due to the 'crazy stunt' moves that the player can perform during the trip, such as drifts, near-misses and jumps to make extra money. The player is rewarded on the basis of the distance covered to reach the destination and on how quickly the destination was reached.
ONLINE VERSION OF CRAZY TAXI
The online version of the game is a flash based game, having a few restrictions as compared to the console game, but is nevertheless very entertaining. In this version of the game the user has to drive as fast as he can, ceaselessly jumping over other cars to reach the checkpoints on time, thereby extending the length and the jest of the game. The level of the game amusingly keeps increasing as per the number of checkpoints reached.
The controls of the game are also fairly simple. The up and down arrow keys are used for acceleration and deceleration, whereas the left and right arrow key is used for briskly changing lanes in the left and right directions respectively. The spacebar key enables the car to jump over other cars and obstacles without a hitch.
The game requires swift reactions and is integrated by wacky sounds, which makes the overall experience of the gameplay very enjoyable and amusing.
Crazy taxi, due to its increasing popularity, became a benchmark in the bracket of online racing games and led to the development of many taxi driving games online. The current online versions of the car, taxi and bike games contain better sound and graphics quality and are richly enjoyable.
BROWSER GAMES
Due to the rising popularity of Flash and Java, browser games have got a huge boost and millions of users are playing flash games online. These games are easy to develop and fun to play. These games basically use the web browser as a client with limited muliplayer play. In such games, most often, a player plays as a single player but the games have a list of top scores which is shared amongst the players.
Many websites today contain a collection of browser games that are available to the online users for free. These flash games take very little time to load and once loaded, their speed is then independent of the speed of the internet connection of the user. The idea of these websites is to provide the user with a large number of games at one place where they can experience instant fun without having to wait for too long.
These games, although played by users of all age groups, are made to primarily attract the younger generation of online gamers. This due to the fact that these games are usually do not contain any violence and constitute flash based graphics which seems attractive to the young gamers.
A number of Browser Games: Crazy Taxi

Online Gaming - Soothing Your Nerves

The computer has now become a necessity in every walk of life; be it business, communication, entertainment, fun or work. This has resulted in the house being turned into a work station, or a gaming zone at will. This added to unlimited internet access at home as well as work, means that many people can now spend their free time on a Flash or Java website playing their favorite game. The best part is the vast choice available to every gamer out there. Latest titles are stacked up on every website separately where anyone can take their pick and get going. The number of games on offer, therefore, is no longer limited to a few key titles at all. Thousands of popular titles under many genres are now available for online access.
Not only do they have great entertainment value for a person who's been working for long hours before turning a game on to give themselves a break, it also helps relax their minds and disentangle them from the worries of their lives. Moreover, if the right kinds of games are chosen by the individual, they can be helpful in developing and fine-tuning reflexes, they can help a person become social by interacting with other online gamers and competing with them, they can even help sharpen the memory because a person involuntarily applies simple methods to keep key features of each game in their mind. All one needs to do is to be wise enough to choose a game that can bring all these benefits on top of being highly entertaining, instead of going for one that provides mere entertainment.
Once they do that, the game is going to become productive pastime for them. The only problem is, not many people bother reading the advantages of each game that are listed with the game in any major online gaming portal. All they do is take the one they're most used to playing and get going. Not many can blame them either; after all, all they have is limited break time, who would like to spend even that in reading the instructions rather than moving on to the real thing? But it is still best to go through them quickly and choose suitable titles; and it has to be done only once. And once you do this, you have your perfect stress reliever within easy access whenever you have a bit of time and are tired of your monotonous routine.
To actually make them beneficial for children, however, is a different story entirely. This is because they tend to become obsessed with a game that interests them, and wish to play it all the time. This is where the parents' role has to come in. The parents should bring the children up in such a way that they should be able to go by the limits that their parents set for them. If the parents do that, they can go on to decide how many hours a day can the child spend on the computer, and they'll most probably comply with what Mom or Dad tells them to do. Just make sure you set the limit in such a way that the kids get maximum enjoyment without actually getting obsessed with the game.
Be it on consoles or on the web, such games can be beneficial as well as hazardous; it depends on what we choose them to be. Flash games have the added advantage of being accessible to even that audience who can't afford handhelds and consoles but have internet access, but this can smell hazard for people (and their kids) that tend to choose games that would eat into their productive work time as well as become a stress themselves. Caution is required and recommended.
As mentioned above, there is a variety of online games. Friv games are very famous amongst kids. You should also try Friv for School.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6649048

Rift Cleric Guide - A Guide to the Most Versatile Class in Rift

This short Rift Cleric Guide aims to give you an introduction to what is, probably, the most versatile class in Rift.
The Cleric is, first of all, a healer class - and the best healer in the game. The Cleric has not less than three different cleric souls from which to choose, and they all differ depending whether you want to be raid healer or tank healer. If you want to roll a healer, Cleric should be your first choice.
But it doesn't stop there.
Clerics are very, very good at DPS (Damage Per Second). They have both ranged and melee damage and even a soul with a pet (a very ugly, but very useful fairy) if needed. They can heal as they hit.
As well as this, Clerics make reasonable tanks. The Justicar soul is a tanking soul.
To be honest, Mages generally have better DPS than Clerics, whilst Warriors make better tanks. And these two factors may be the only weakness of the Cleric... If you can call that a weakness.
When you're going to build your Cleric, you'll have the choice between different statistics:
Wisdom: This is to regenerate your mana. If your preference is a healer, by all means make this your choice, and obtain as much as you can. If you decide on DPS or tank, wisdom isn't important to you. You will prefer other statistics.
Intelligence: You are going to need a large amount. There are two main reasons for this: Firstly, intelligence increases your mana and you will have need for a large amount as it is the "fuel" of your spells.
Secondly, it will increase in proportion as to how much you heal or damage at a particular time. Even the melee DPS build has a talent to convert Spell Power to Attack Power, so you'll definitely need it in this instance. The only reason you wouldn't choose Intelligence is if you select tank.
Endurance: Endurance increases your maximum health. Tanking Clerics will need this. After 12 points spent in the Justicar soul, you will have an ability (Mien of Leadership) that will increase your Endurance by 90%, so you will very quickly obtain benefit from stacking endurance.
Spell Power: Unless you are a tank, you should have as much of this as you can. It increases your damage or healing capabilities.
Critical Hit: A Cleric already has a high crit in their talents, so you can take it if offered by the gear, but this is not a must.
Hit Rating: This means, in short, how often you hit and miss. You want a high Hit Rating because there is no point in hitting as hard as hell if you miss.
Depending on how you plan to play, you will mix the souls accordingly. You can easily mix only healing souls if you want to heal in dungeons or raid. You won't need much DPS or resilience, since the group will be here to do that.
Or, you can mix dps, tank and heal to quest, so you have resistance to hits, with possibilities to hit your way through the mobs, together with a small amount of healing (this will be just for you, so no need to overdo it).
If you want to PvP, you will also have to find your place first: Do you want to be in the attacking or in the healing part? Choose between a mix of defense with heal, or dps with heal.
Furthermore, you can mix these different souls:
Warden: A Healer soul which focuses on healing over time spells, including Area of Effect (AoE) spells that also heal over time. Also has many good dispel abilities, but few full instant cast heals and no real "big heal".
Sentinel: A Healer soul too, similar to Warden, but has more AoE heals.
Purifier: A Single target heal. This would be the tank heal soul. It heals at a fantastic rate, has big heals and also shielding abilities. As you would expect, it lacks in the AoE and Healing over Time.
Justicar: This is the tanking soul. It is weaker than the rogue's or warrior's soul but can still form a decent tank. The big advantage is that it has a battle resurrection, which is a worthwhile bonus.
Inquisitor: This is the 1v1 soul. It is very hard to defend against, has a lot of instant Damage over Time abilities, debuffs of your enemy and crowd control. No need to add that this soul excels at PvP.
Cabalist: This is a DPS caster soul. Not very good for survivability. Would be more suitable if you want to do heavy damage in raid or dungeon.
Shaman: At the opposite end of most other Shamans I have played in similar MMO's, the Shaman in Rift doesn't really have any healing of note. On the other hand, it's a very tough melee DPS, and is capable of many very fast and deadly attacks and a multitude of buffs.
Druid: This is also a melee DPS. It has the pet that can be used to heal you, or to do damage when required. The pet isn't very resilient and quickly goes down.
Templar: This is the PvP soul. It operates in different ways: better heal; higher DPS and better resilience.
Everything depends on your other souls and what you prefer. Do you want to keep on stacking resilience to a tank/melee PvP soul? Or do you want to add healing to the same soul? Perhaps you want to stack resilience to your PvP healer?
There is no "best mix" or "best healer specs".
Everything depends on you.
What is your style? Where do your strengths and weaknesses lie? Do you tend to stay too long in a fight (then place points in tanking and self-healing)? Do you prefer to be at a distance?
Find your style and grow with your Cleric. Change the soul trees until you find the mix that will suit you best. You are the one in control of your character.
As you can see, if you choose a good mix (which is extremely easy to do with Cleric) then you can quickly have a very viable, strong and fun character with which to play.
Hopefully, this Rift Cleric guide will help you get started on the right footing.
Looking for the best information and secrets to get the most out of your Rift membership? What about information on Rift Builds? Just click on the link and you'll be given not 1, not 2 but 3 FREE BUILDS that will have you leveling in no time at all. For more useful articles such as this one go over to Rift Leveling Guide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6648187

Mage PvP Guide - Have Fun by Using a Mage PvP Build

If you want to have fun with your mage, this mage PvP guide will help by starting you off in the right direction.
The PvP mage is played on two levels: Control and damage.
The good news is that they are both good in these regards, and can kill a player in no time at all.
The bad news is that their adversaries have discovered this, and therefore you will become the center of attention very quickly. So watch out for the rogue, who is your natural enemy.
A very easy build to play is a mix of Necromancer and Warlock. As your third soul, you can use Chloromancer (with zero points) or the PvP soul, Archmage. Put 34 points in Necromancer and 32 in Warlock.
The advantage of this build is that it is very resilient, hits hard and can be used in Warfronts, 1v1 PvP or questing - all with the same excellent results.
You have a pet who can deal damage; you have a debuff to remove bubbles or other buffs, together with a great deal of self-healing that can also cause damage your enemy. I would suggest this is a fairly easy build with which to start.
One of the most - if not THE most - PvP oriented soul (except Archmage, which is a PvP soul) is the Dominator. It's definitely worth having and the gain is at least a few points for PvP. You can also use it as a main soul.
If you are a control freak, you will walk the path of the Dominator. This build is very interesting, great fun to play, but also possesses a large degree of difficulty. Nevertheless, if you learn it correctly, you will indeed dominate the situation.
Dominators can silence; root; disorient; exhaust and transmogrify their enemy whilst dealing damage.
Place 31 points in Dominator and choose a damaging soul like Pyromancer to join with it. This hits extremely hard and deals a great deal of damage. Put 20 points into Pyromancer, and then take Archmage (PvP soul) and put 15 points in it. You cannot, however, do this before level 50. In the meantime, after gaining enough favor to level up, put the extra points into Pyromancer (for more damage).
With this spec, in 1v1, almost no one will be able to reach or hurt you to any degree, before turning themselves to ashes. This will mean control (eventually transmogrify - the time to heal - if you have been taken by surprise); root; move away and then burn them.
In a warfront, and against more than a single enemy, you will prefer to be amongst friends. In this case, your PvP mage will fulfill a support role instead.
Another possibility is to mix the Dominator with the Stormcaller instead of Pyromancer. The Stormcaller will especially shine in warfronts, because it is definitely the multi-targeting-master.
Nothing beats the Stormcaller when we are talking about Area of Effect (AoE). From a distance, you can protect a flag by using your AoE to interrupt the enemy when they are attempting this, whilst supporting several of your friends at the one time.
Since the Stormcaller also has great single target damage, you can use it in 1v1 as well. There is still some controversy about whether Pyromancer or Stormcaller is the better, has the greater burst etc. Don't buy into these discussions: Try them both and see which one you prefer.
Mages are ranged damage dealers. You can enhance your survivability with some souls more than with others, but you are not built to melee fight. You are built to hold your distance.
How you do this mostly depends on your style and what tactics you prefer. Whether to slow down the enemy and gain help from your pet, or to control the other and burst with Stormcaller or Pyromancer, is a question only you can answer.
Try them both and, if necessary, make changes so they are more adapted to your particular style.
There is no "best PvP mage build". It all comes down to how you prefer to play.
Use this short Mage PvP Guide as inspiration.
Looking for the best information and secrets to get the most out of your Rift membership? What about information on Rift Builds? Just click on the link and you'll be given not 1, not 2 but 3 FREE BUILDS that will have you leveling in no time at all. For more useful articles such as this one go over to Rift Leveling Guide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6648178

Rift Crafting - How to Choose the Best Trade Skills in Rift

Rift crafting will help you improve your game-play in Rift in more ways than one.
Each of your characters can learn three different professions. They are not dependent on each other, nor on class or race. They don't offer you any special abilities.
There are three gathering professions and six crafting professions. Some of these trade skills support each other.
If, for example, you select armorsmithing, you will need mining to obtain metal in order to create chain and plate armor.
Butchery is a good idea, too, because some hides are needed to make chain armor. Foraging can be a good idea as well (wood is needed to make some shields).
Of course, you can naturally hold it to one gathering profession i.e. mining, and buy the remainder from the auctioneer or have another character gathering for you.
The professions available in Rift are:
Gathering Professions:
* Butchery obtains hides, bones and teeth from animal corpses.
* Foraging collects plants and wood logs.
* Mining extracts ore from nodes.
Crafting Professions:
* Apothecary creates Flasks, Potions, Philtres, Tonics and Vials.
* Armorsmithing creates chain, plate armor and shields.
* Artificing creates jewelry and caster weaponry.
* Outfitting creates cloth, leather items and bags.
* Runecrafting creates runes, used to augment weapons and gear.
* Weaponsmithing creates all types of weapons.
You learn your specific profession from a trainer. If you have a gathering profession, you level it up by gathering and transforming products (by gathering ores and smelting them, or by gathering wood and manufacturing planks from them).
If you have a crafting profession, you level it up by crafting items.
Most crafting professions level up 10 points at a time. For example, if you make 10 daggers, this will take you to level 10 in weaponsmithing. Then you go to your teacher and learn the next recipe. Then you make 10 more swords, and this will bring you up to level 20.
The crafting professions give you the possibility to salvage items. If you have Armorsmithing, you can salvage armors; if you are weaponsmithing, you can salvage weapons. If you are runecrafter, you can runebreak almost anything.
When salvaging, you can break down an item and obtain materials from it. Sometimes it will be "salvaged leather" or other things used to make augments for your weapons or armor. At other times you will obtain planks, leather or bars which can be used to make a new item. This saves you both money and gathering time.
It is best is to have a profession that enables you to make things which your character may need, but this is not a must.
And you can very easily select one of the many Rift crafting professions available that you feel you'll enjoy the most.
Looking for the best information and secrets so you can get the most out of your Rift membership? And can use information on Rift Builds? When you click on the link you'll get not 1, not 2 but 3 FREE BUILDS that will have you leveling in no time at all.
For more useful information such as this go over to Rift Leveling Guide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6648201

Rift Level Guide - Stop Wasting Money on Buying the Wrong Rift Level Guide

In Rift, as in most other games of this type (MMO), you will need to level, so a Rift level guide will be of assistance as you go through this process.
Your character starts naked (almost) at level 1, and the aim is to get it to the highest possible level. In Rift, at the moment, this level is 50.
You might want (or need) a guide to level up to 50 as easily, quickly and efficiently as possible.
You will find there are many different guides available. Some are free; others will cost you money. So, what should you expect of the latter? And to what should you pay attention when making a choice?
Most of the guides available will offer you more than just a leveling guide. They'll give you different bonuses: A platinum guide (the currency in Rift is platinum); a builds guide; some pvp guides; dungeon guides or warfront guides etc.
Check out how many bonuses you obtain for your money, and how valuable they seem to be to you. Don't hesitate to take your time and compare them all.
Another important thing: MMO's are constantly patched, and Rift follows this rule. Patches are applied for several reasons. They can be used to correct bugs, or to start or finish particular updates (add new temporary content or withdraw it when the time has passed). They can also be used to add new dungeons or zones, or to change something regarding the classes.
In Player vs. Player, in particular, the classes (or callings) need readjustment. Possibilities range from being removed, changed or made stronger. Statistics about attack power, spell power, endurance or any other statistic are continually changing, so there is as much balance as possible between the classes.
This is why, when your Rift level guide offers you builds for rogues, mages, clerics or warriors, you have to initially see when it was originally sent. Was it prior or posterior to a patch - and which patch? There is absolutely no reason to follow a build for patch 1.2, when the latest patch is 1.5. Too many things might have changed in the meantime.
So you will need to keep an eye on Rift's homepage to see the latest patch number before you follow a build, or whatever guide to which you're referring. Even a platinum guide doesn't have the same value after a patch update. There may have been changes in certain drops, or other possibilities that might radically change part of the economy.
For the same reason, check if the guide offers you free updates, and for how long they will continue. Is the offer for lifetime updates, or only until a new version of the game comes on the market?
Most of the guides offer you a money-back guarantee. The big advantage of this is that, if you purchase a product that isn't satisfactory, you can always ask for a refund.
Make sure that the Rift level guide you are looking at buying offers you a money-back guarantee, in case you receive outdated or incorrect information.
Looking for the best information and secrets so you can get the most out of your Rift membership? And can use information on Rift Builds? When you click on the link you'll get not 1, not 2 but 3 FREE BUILDS that will have you leveling in no time at all.
For more useful information such as this go over to Rift Leveling Guide

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6648206

Rift Crafting - How to Choose the Best Trade Skills in Rift

Rift crafting will help you improve your game-play in Rift in more ways than one.
Each of your characters can learn three different professions. They are not dependent on each other, nor on class or race. They don't offer you any special abilities.
There are three gathering professions and six crafting professions. Some of these trade skills support each other.
If, for example, you select armorsmithing, you will need mining to obtain metal in order to create chain and plate armor.
Butchery is a good idea, too, because some hides are needed to make chain armor. Foraging can be a good idea as well (wood is needed to make some shields).
Of course, you can naturally hold it to one gathering profession i.e. mining, and buy the remainder from the auctioneer or have another character gathering for you.
The professions available in Rift are:
Gathering Professions:
* Butchery obtains hides, bones and teeth from animal corpses.
* Foraging collects plants and wood logs.
* Mining extracts ore from nodes.
Crafting Professions:
* Apothecary creates Flasks, Potions, Philtres, Tonics and Vials.
* Armorsmithing creates chain, plate armor and shields.
* Artificing creates jewelry and caster weaponry.
* Outfitting creates cloth, leather items and bags.
* Runecrafting creates runes, used to augment weapons and gear.
* Weaponsmithing creates all types of weapons.
You learn your specific profession from a trainer. If you have a gathering profession, you level it up by gathering and transforming products (by gathering ores and smelting them, or by gathering wood and manufacturing planks from them).
If you have a crafting profession, you level it up by crafting items.
Most crafting professions level up 10 points at a time. For example, if you make 10 daggers, this will take you to level 10 in weaponsmithing. Then you go to your teacher and learn the next recipe. Then you make 10 more swords, and this will bring you up to level 20.
The crafting professions give you the possibility to salvage items. If you have Armorsmithing, you can salvage armors; if you are weaponsmithing, you can salvage weapons. If you are runecrafter, you can runebreak almost anything.
When salvaging, you can break down an item and obtain materials from it. Sometimes it will be "salvaged leather" or other things used to make augments for your weapons or armor. At other times you will obtain planks, leather or bars which can be used to make a new item. This saves you both money and gathering time.
It is best is to have a profession that enables you to make things which your character may need, but this is not a must.
And you can very easily select one of the many Rift crafting professions available that you feel you'll enjoy the most.
Looking for the best information and secrets so you can get the most out of your Rift membership? And can use information on Rift Builds? When you click on the link you'll get not 1, not 2 but 3 FREE BUILDS that will have you leveling in no time at all.
For more useful information such as this go over to Rift Leveling Guide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6648201

Rift Leveling Guide - How to Move Your Character From Level 1 to Level 50 Quickly

Use this Rift leveling guide to start off running, and fully enjoy your game play in Rift.
The point in Rift, as in any other MMO, is that you start a character at level 1, and subsequently level it up to the maximum. In Rift, the highest level possible is 50.
You can see your level beside the picture of your character. There is an experience bar over your toolbars on the User Interface. It shows your progress towards the next level and, when this experience bar is filled, you gain one level and then begin to fill the next bar.
There are different ways to quickly level up in Rift:
* Quests
Throughout the game, you will meet quest givers. You can recognize them because there is a big exclamation mark (!) over their head. They will give you quests to do.
A quest can be to talk to someone; to gather different things; to kill monsters; to acquire a unique loot from special monsters - and many other varying tasks.
The quests can be handed back to the original quest giver, or to another quest giver somewhere else (generally this is to guide you into another zone of the game). When you hand in the loot, you receive a reward. Your prize will be money and experience points (XP), and sometimes even a piece of equipment.
* Kill, kill, kill!
Endeavor to kill as many mobs as possible on your way to and from your quests.
Mobs drop money and sometimes even awesome pieces of equipment. Even other items such as clothes (or skin if you have butchery and kill a skinable animal) can later be sold to the Auctioneer.
* Potions and Rest
When you go into an inn situated in the main or smaller cities, you can see you that are "resting".
Check the top right corner of your screen, where you should be able to see a little black and green icon indicating this.
When you are sufficiently rested, you will notice that your XP-bar has changed color and there is a little vertical bar on it (unless you have rested for a long period of time, in which case it might be on the "next" XP-bar).
Each time you kill a mob, he will count for 200% XP and you will move towards this little vertical bar. When you hand in a quest, you "only" get 100% XP, and this will be similarly indicated.
Therefore, it's a good idea that, before you finally log off, to initially log off in an inn or city where you can rest. This is especially important if you want to take a break with a particular character.
When you buy Rift for 1, 3, 6, 12, 18 or 24 months, you accrue "veteran rewards".
These include XP-potions, which last 2 hours (even through death) and give you 100% extra of every kill you make. If you only have a few, keep them for the last levels, which can sometimes seem to go on forever
* Rifts
All through the game, you will meet Rifts. These will give you attractive rewards, called planataries, enabling you to buy better gear and obtain XPs. Take as many as you can while questing.
* Dungeons
Commencing from level 15, you can click on the Looking for Group icon (bottom left part of your screen) and join a random dungeon. This will be a cross-server, so you can be with people from other shards. Dungeons give interesting rewards, such as gold and XP. Take at least a couple each day so you can acquire these valuable items and XPs.
* Warfronts
Warfronts are PvP (Player versus Player) battlegrounds where a team of Defiants and a team of Guardians are opposed to each other.
You can take your first warfront, The Black Garden, at level 10 (but you generally don't survive very long as the actual bracket is 10 - 19).
In each main city, Sanctum and Meridian, there are quest givers that will offer you special warfront quests. You can recognize them because of the color of the quest icon over their head. The exclamation mark (!) is of a different color than the standard one: The icon is blue for Guardians and red for Defiants.
Most of the warfront quests are daily, repeatable quests, so you can begin your day by picking them up. They give desirable rewards; they give you favor, which are special points you can use to buy PvP gear with and then, of course, XPs.
So, unless you are with a faction, or on a shard that always loses (which obviously then is a waste of time continuing), then doing the daily warfronts is a very good move for your XPs.
Looking for the best information and secrets so you can get the most out of your Rift membership? And can use information on Rift Builds? When you click on the link you'll get not 1, not 2 but 3 FREE BUILDS that will have you leveling in no time at all.
For more useful information such as this go over to Rift Leveling Guide.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sidney_Shannon

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6648217

The Combination Impact Through Gamification and E-Learning

Gamification has been a popular buzz word of late among media practitioners. It refers to the use of game design mind sets for non-game applications or "fun wares" meant to engage audiences. Considered by many experts as one of the important trends in technology, Gamification capitalizes on people's predisposition to play and have fun. Using a gaming design to encourage engagement, people are made to accomplish chores which many considered as boring. Gamification has been used in various industries for varied purposes such as completing surveys, reading web sites, and shopping. Gamification is now being utilized to enhance E-learning systems.
Our Outmoded Educational System
Patterned after 19th century models, our educational system is deemed to be outmoded and out dated. Some quarters believe it is stifling and discourages creativity which is one goal of educating people. Focusing mainly on academics, our educational system's traditional approach to transferring knowledge simply bores our younger generation which has grown up and has been accustomed to interactive entertainment.
In school, these young students who regularly engage in interactive media at home (such as playing video games or updating social network profiles) are made to sit still and learn - an environment that has now turned unfamiliar to them. As a result boredom sets in as students start to feel disengaged with the classroom activity. Worst, their learning curves grind into a halt.
With E-Learning and Gamification Learning becomes fun
With E-Learning, the learning environment becomes more conducive and engaging. Inject it with Gamification and engagements are brought to new heights. With the incorporation of game play designs into the learning and teaching process, students become more actively engaged with school work. And just as with any challenging game, students even perform up to the edge of their abilities.
There are studies that shows that actively engaged students perform better in school. Students who have profound interests on their lessons retain more and recall their lessons better. They are also not much of a problem when it comes to discipline!
I remember reading a complaint of a mother of a 6 year old child who could name all 493 Pokemon characters complete with their powers and their weaknesses and transitions. Yet the same boy can not memorize anything in school complains the mother!
This is basically what our educators have neglected to look into - the fact that we now have a more engaging breed of students who have grown accustomed to an interactive environment at home who'd be more than willing to actively pursue learning processes for so long as they are fun and interesting.
Knowledge resource for the online learning system with different online learning category.

Teenagers and Video Games: A Love Story

It is a common scene in most households with teenagers that parents will observe their adolescents glued to the latest video game for hours on end, at the detriment of chores, homework or social interaction. Many parents assume that video games are unproductive and that their kids spend too much time playing them and not on other things. It seems that digital entertainment may have some effects on teenagers that are not bad at all. In fact, research shows that digital games might help teenagers develop great skills that will come handy on day to day life. This is a subject definitely worth looking more into.
Society has even gone so far in its controversial view of video games as to suggest that games are responsible for violent behavior in young people. No matter what your stance on this type of entertainment is, there is little data to substantiate the claims that video games are responsible for violent youth. If anything youth who were already violent to begin with are attracted to violent materials, TV, media, or other violent activities.
For many parents it is hard to see the appeal or the benefits of their kids playing digital games. But research shows that certain kinds of games may be educational and actually stimulate the prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain responsible for what is called executive function. Executive function refers to the ability to integrate multiple stimuli, organize and analyze them, and determine an appropriate response or course of action, taking into account the probable consequences of the action taken. Most parents would be ecstatic if their teenager possessed those seemingly rare abilities. And parents are correct in assuming that this behavior does not happen as frequently in adolescents as in adults, because the adolescent brain has not fully developed this region yet.
Not all video games offer the benefits of prefrontal cortex development, and there certainly are video games that offer little to no benefits whatsoever. But, if you have a teen who is a gamer, and you want to determine if his games are worthwhile or not, ask to play with him. Have him teach you how the game works and what is involved. You might even find it challenging and engaging yourself. If certain video games can actually enhance brain development, maybe then parents will be more accepting of the hours glued to the "Executive Function Machine".
Matt Keck, MFT, is the Clinical Director at Cielo House located in Belmont and San Jose, California. Cielo House offers intensive, professional eating disorder treatment in a comfortable home-like setting. Cielo House is a special kind of treatment program, offering a unique combination of professional treatment delivery in a welcoming, personal environment. http://www.CieloHouse.com

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Minecraft for Xbox 360 pushed to spring 2012

At Microsoft's Electronic Entertainment Expo media briefing in June, the company announced a Kinect-enabled version of Mojang's PC indie hit Minecraft would be released for the Xbox 360 this winter. However, construction on the world-building Xbox Live Arcade title is taking longer than anticipated.
Microsoft producer Stuart Platt posted on his Twitter account yesterday that the game is now slated for a spring 2012 release. As for a specific release date, Platt said that likely would not be revealed until next year.
The console version of Minecraft will be exclusive to the Xbox 360, with development of the port being handled by 4J Studios. The outfit has specialized in ports to Microsoft's console in recent years, having produced Xbox 360 editions of Rare's Nintendo 64 games, including Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, and Perfect Dark. 4J Studios also worked on 2007's well-received PlayStation 3 port of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
Gamers hoping to try a playable Xbox 360 version of Minecraft should get a chance to do so next month at the inaugural MineCon convention. Held at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas from November 18-19, MineCon will coincide with the full launch of the PC version of Minecraft, which is technically still in beta.

DICE addresses disappearance of PS3 Battlefield 3 bonus


At Sony's Electronic Entertainment Expo media briefing in June, SCEA president Jack Tretton announced PlayStation 3-exclusive bonuses for a trio of multiplatform Electronic Arts games. One such enticement was that every PS3 copy of the DICE-developed first-person shooter Battlefield 3 would include a copy of 2009's downloadable Battlefield 1943 on the Blu-ray disc.
Battlefield 3 officially launched yesterday, and as observant PS3 owners might have noticed, that bonus is nowhere to be found. DICE explained the absence yesterday with a post on the game's official Twitter feed, saying, "In lieu of 1943 being available on disk for PS3 customers, EA has made all BF3 expansions available early to PS3 customers."
Last month, EA announced that all Battlefield 3 add-ons and map packs would launch on Sony's hardware one week before appearing on the Xbox 360 or PC. That includes the Back to Karkand expansion, expected to launch later this year. The pack features multiplayer environments from the PC-exclusive Battlefield 2, such as Strike at Karkand, Gulf of Oman, and the Sharqi Peninsula, all updated for the Frostbite 2 engine.

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