Gaming Communities: 2009

Swapping Video Games As a Route to Cheap Gaming

Video gaming is an expensive hobby, but, as this article will demonstrate, it need not be! Most of the expense is due to the price tag of new video games and the fact that many video games have a short life span - be it a great but quick to complete Xbox 360 title or a PlayStation 3 game that simply loses its appeal quickly. This article will consider video game swapping as an alternative to purchasing new video games out right.

When you think of swapping video games, you might think of temporarily swapping your video games with friends. But, there are online communities which consist of like minded gamers who want to swap their games with other members, for keeps. A community forum enables gamers to talk with one another other to decide which games will be swapped. Once an agreement is made, the postal service is used to send the video games.

Video game swapping has several advantages over simply selling your current completed game to a local game store or via a sale such as on eBay. A brand new game will cost you up to around £40, but after a week (you could complete a game in that time!), a game store might only offer you £20 for that game and sell it on for £35! Or if sold on eBay, they will take an 8.5% cut (an additional 4% cut for taking payments via PayPal) on the final sale price. You're not even guaranteed a price on eBay and your game may actually go for significantly less than you would like. By swapping your video game, you avoid the loss in value of that game and you don't have to contribute any more money to get a new game. You get a game, for a game (or several depending on what was agreed!) After all, your game is in mint condition and some other gamer will be happy to make the swap with you. It's a great way to get new games without costing a fortune!

John Dunne has been an avid gamer for over 20 years and has setup the video game swapping website TheGameCollective.co.uk to help gamers swap and sell their video games free of charge to help us get the most out of gaming.

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Online Backgammon For Everyone

Backgammon is one of the most exciting ancient games in the history of mankind that is still actively being played today. With the dawn of the internet, the popular board game has reached almost epidemic proportions around the world. This phenomenon is understandable to anyone who has played backgammon online. Online gaming providers offer to the public a safe, reliable and an up-to-date platform. Playing online backgammon with family and friends can be great fun with endless hours of entertainment. If you want to broaden your horizons and play with countless people then playing Backgammon online is the way to go. You can be of any standard to play and you get the opportunity to play backgammon with thousands of people all over the world at any given time for fun or money.

Online backgammon is played worldwide by all sorts of people. You can play from the comforts of your own home or even at work and discover the joys of this exciting game. This game dates back to the time of the Romans and is played pretty much the same way today with just a few minor variations. In the course of the thousands of years that the game has been played, a number of variations have developed, for the most part associated with specific regions, for example, Turkish backgammon.

Backgammon games are fun and easy to learn. The goal of this game is to move your checkers round the board into your home, keeping them safe all the while from your opponent. The game is played with two dice, and a third dice which is the doubling or gambling cube, can be added to make things more interesting. Although a player who is used to playing the backgammon known in the western world may need a little time to familiarize themselves on how to play backgammon in a particular locality, there are still some similarities between the backgammon variations. It should not take long for a player who has learned how to play one version of the game to learn how to play another version.

Although there varied ways in which backgammon is played in different corners of the world, the standard rules of backgammon that is followed in international competitions are still what most people consider as providing the instructions they wish to follow in their games. These international rules govern the conduct of the majority of today's backgammon software as online backgammon has become very popular over recent years.

Unless you are specifically searching for a regional variety of backgammon, your backgammon game will give you a tournament conducted according to these internationally accepted backgammon rules. In addition to the dice throw, the devising of a sound backgammon strategy also forms an essential element in a winning performance and this develops as you gain experience. The best way to develop your playing strategy is through practice by using a free backgammon software online.

Freddie King is a freelance content writer specialising in gambling-related matters. He focuses his writings on playing backgammon and backgammon online games. Read his other articles at http://www.gammon-fortune.com

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Habbo Hotel and Online Virtual Worlds

Habbo Hotel

No longer is the internet the enclave of the academic and business user, now leisure users probably outnumber both, the popularity of online worlds like Habbo reflect this trend.

What are 3D Virtual Worlds?

3D virtual worlds are online websites created to visually represent a real environment where users can interact with each other and chat, one such online virtual world is Habbo Hotel.

More About Habbo

Habbo Hotel is a world where anything goes, users have access to a virtual world that they can personalize and invite others to join them in. As Habbo is a 3d virtual world and is visual in its make up users can even look anyway they please. Habbo users each get a room which is there starting point in the world, they can invite other users to their room to chat and socialize with everyone in their room. Many habbo users embellish their basic rooms to encourage visitors to hang out with them, Habbo furniture and other Habbo products can be purchased using credits and coins that can be bought with money or won in competitions, there are even opportunities to buy these credits and products on sites such as Amazon.com and eBay.com.

Habbo Activities

The main activities in online virtual worlds id chatting and trading with other users, with endless chat categories represented by rooms there is never a shortage of places to go and chat or trade. Endless competitions are available, some that involve furnishing a room to the best and most wildly impressive effect, offering Habbo based prizes to allow users to improve their virtual world at no cost.

Habbo Credits

Habbo coins and credits can also be used to purchase collectibles, special offer virtual items that are offered as limited editions, and can be sold on - as can all Habbo items to other users, to make money using virtual products. Buying and selling collectibles on Habbo is as addictive as collecting in the real world, and can also be lucrative. A range of accessories is also available, odd items that can be used to decorate rooms or traded among users, with some free and others paid for by Habbo coins. Habbo club is a premium paid for service that allows club members access to virtual items only available to members and also access to exclusive rooms without queuing..

Fun and Games

There are many games and activities available to the Habbo community, ranging from multiplayer to single player games, competing against friends or strangers and possibly winning cool prizes. Interest in Habbo is wide from people looking for a social network to those just looking to relax in an online virtual environment; the individuality of Habbo compared to other social networks is represented by the ability to create your own individual room and avatar. The prime users of Habbo are teenagers, there are in excess of 100 million users registered across the world, with worldwide appeal new users are joining every day from countries all over the world expanding the Habbo community continually.

Habboscene is at the forefront of what is happening at Habbo, we provide information for users and parents of users and a one stop resource for all things Habbo, including the purchase of credits, coins and furniture.

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Should We Still Be Gaming Past Our 30th Birthdays?

I am 34 years old. Still a young man you would say. So why is it that when I speak to my nephew about video games he always looks at me in a funny way and suggests I should have better things to do at my age?

Video games have, over the years, always been aimed at a younger audience. However as product sophistication has grown, and revenue potentials been realized, so has the target audience at which games are targeted. A good example of this would be the Grand Theft Auto series. Given an 18 rating certificate by the board of classification surely this game is targeted towards a more mature audience?

In some respects this is true. However, much like the 'alcopop' drinks are clearly targeted at an under age audience, so are many video games. Now, I like Grand Theft Auto - a bit. Its a good game and I can see how it has done so well. But I believe the reason is has done so well isn't so much in spite of its 18 certificate but because of it. As a teenager is is seen a highly cool to be seen with anything which has an 18 certificate attached to it. Lots of violence, swearing, nudity and prostitution - these are all super cool things to a teenager!

However, for a man in his early thirties, running around shooting people and having sex with virtual prostitutes isn't really my cup of tea. I prefer to indulge my gaming urges with something which requires rather more thought and strategy.

Some of my favorite all time titles include the Football Manager and Total War series of games. Both require serious time and thought to really gain their full potential. That's not to say they are a hard slog, if that were so then obviously they wouldn't get played - but rather they are enormous fun, just not in the urgent 'shoot em up kind of way.

You can read more about this topic and see more of my favorite titles at Over 30's Gaming.

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Productivity Purgatory - Broken Picture Telephone

Need a convenient scapegoat for the current economic crisis? Blame this highly addictive game that will manage to cripple the world's workforce for at least the rest of time.

Everyone remembers the ostensible classic game of "Telephone," or as we called it in our youth, "When Camp Counselors Give Up: The Game." Get a dozen or so youth in a circle, have them whisper things in one another's ears, and (in theory), humor spills forth like punches at a Metro City wedding. This model sounds good and fun, but the stark reality of the situation comes clear when the horde of children realize that there is immediate gratification in just saying stupid crap out loud instead of waiting for a turn. The potential for amusement is there, but it's ruined by execution. Besides, who really wants to sit around in a big circle when we can all spout out Burroughsian nuggets of madness from the comfort of a computer? Enter Broken Picture Telephone, which solves all these problems through the power of sub-MS Paint art. Or to have the creator Alishah Novan describe it:

Just what is Broken Picture Telephone, you ask? Why is it the game of miscommunication?

Broken Picture Telephone is a game similar to the childhood game of Broken Telephone - the game in which children sit in a circle, and whisper a sentence or phrase in a circle.

If you've ever played the game, you know that very quickly hilarity ensues. Broken Picture Telephone is the web-incarnation of that old children's game, with a slight variation in how it's played. Rather than whispering words to strangers around the internet, the game alternates between words and drawings.

That's it really. Games begin and end with a short blurb written on a virtual Post-It note, and someone draws what they see on another Post-It. Given how limited the player is artistically (Just six sizes of brushes and eleven colors to work with,) even the best artists can only render so much of the original idea. A third person is picked randomly to write what they see, which (hopefully) diverges slightly from the first note, and a fourth person draws what they read, and so on until the preset amount of posts have been achieved. Then the game is archived and available for the general populace to read, comment on, and rank. This has lead to some hilarious games (a word of warning: Most games get at least slightly inappropriate, so it's best not to browse with a parent, boss, rabbi, or community leader over your shoulder.) where an unassuming original post slowly unfolds into an epic tale of misanthropy and stick figures.

The only problem is it's hardly unique, as the same issue plagues any online game: people set up dummy accounts and draw wildly inappropriate things that completely ruin the flow of the game. Thankfully, the community is generally good spirited enough to just ignore the troll in question and have fun with their response, setting up another surreal misadventure before long. The game has a wonderful community, and the best games have tons of supportive comments pointing out the hilarity that lies within. All of these factors come together in an absolutely astounding browser game that can (and will) consume your time, free or otherwise. The game even features a "boss mode" so you can pretend to be productive if an authority figure happens to blunder by.

Have you found any hilarious games that need to be shared with the world? Set up an account and want to run an OLC-centric game? Let us know in the comments section.

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Role-Playing Werewolves

The werewolf is a powerful symbol of the primitive animal that still lurks within the polished façade of the modern human. It is an idea of the fierce and wild monster within finally escaping the boundaries of the mind, and in so doing, transforming the body, the soul, and the spirit of the person into something more fierce and terrifying than any man or beast alone.

The art of role-playing is one of the oldest games in human history, and is built into the very essence of our being. While modern role-playing with dice and boards and such as relatively new, children have been pretending to be someone else since humans first started to imagine. It is this creative endeavor that has allowed us as a people to think creatively, and to stretch the boundaries of our empathic compassion.

When role-playing a werewolf it is important to note the dual nature of the character. Most werewolves are human beings that have been somehow infected with whatever it is that makes them a werewolf. While this infection can be voluntary, it is often something that happens against their will.

This sets up an internal conflict which allows you to add depth to the character as you play it. The human nature of the creature will represent weakness on the one hand, but reason on the other. While the animal side is a stronger opponent in battle, this strength comes at the cost of logic, and self control.

It is important that you do not forget this psychological conflict when interacting with the world. If you just wanted to be a shape shifter that could turn into a monster, then that is the character that you should be. A werewolf is inherently strengthened and weakened by his condition, and it is that which makes them so fascinating.

When you get into more complex concepts of the werewolf or the were-being, you start to have a lot more freedom in how you structure your character and their back story. For instance, a tribal shaman can take on the characteristics of his village's totem animal when he goes into a trance. This may allow him to be a completely different kind of were-beast.

Basically any character that can talk to animals or commune with nature has the ability to become a were-beast of some sort. This is because that connection with animals can be strengthened over time, allowing them to take on the powers and abilities of those they interact with, over time. This was done especially well in the fantasy series "the Wheel of Time" by Robert Jordan, where the character Perrin started out by talking to wolves, but slowly started to see his physical characteristic, such as his eyes, change to match that of the wolves he was communing with.

The werewolf is a complex character to try and control in a role-playing session. There is an inherent conflict between the civilized and the primitive world, which can give this character a depth and complexity which other creatures do not share. There is also an aspect of connection to nature, and communion with animals, that allows you to get really creative with your were-beasts back story, if you so choose.

This article was written by Joseph Gambit on behalf of http://TrueLore.com - a social network for vampire and werewolf role playing. On TrueLore you don't sign up as your self, but instead take on a role as a supernatural creature, which then interacts with other fantastic beings through a forum, chat room, groups, and more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_Gambit

You and other like minded gamers can join a group, or a clan, and team up to play against other clans. Different clans and Online Tournaments will hav

First please note that this article is not saying that all women are one way, and that all men are another way. This is just an attempt to understand some of the statistical differences in the trends between the type of imagination games that women prefer as opposed to those that men prefer.

In order to understand the difference between men and women in role playing, all you have to do is watch a group of children play make-believe. If you watch closely you will notice that the boys are usually engaged in some activity in which something has to be accomplished. This can be a fight they have to win, a princess they have to save, or something similar. By contrast, the girls are usually engaged in a very social experience, in which the interactions between themselves and others, as well as the feelings of everyone involved, are more important than the goals being accomplished.

This carries through to the types of games that men like as opposed to those that women prefer. For instance, statistics show that there are 5 males for every 1 female that are signed up as members of the popular online role playing game World of Warcraft. That is probably because this game is a very mission oriented experience, in which players go around killing monsters for points to make themselves stronger, and gold, which they can use to buy better weapons, which allows them to kill stronger monsters and get more points and gold. There are social aspects, in that you can talk to other players from around the world, but these conversations tend to be mostly about how to accomplish the goal at hand.

By contrast, games which are marketed at women tend to be more social in their dynamics. One example would be the huge hit "The Sims", a game in which you control the everyday lives of a normal group of people. You can have them make friends, form relationships, break up, have fights, get jobs or any normal activity you would expect from an average person. In the game, there is no clearly stated goal. Instead the appeal is that you get to create and control social interactions between virtual characters.

The general consensus is that girls don't like role playing games. However this is more due to the fact that the term "role playing" was co-opted by Dungeons and Dragons, and turned into a largely goal based activity, i.e. kill the dragon, save the castle, etc. However this ignores the social aspect of the game, which is actually much more to the liking of most females.

In recent years the internet has made it possible for so many different types of role playing communities to flourish, that social based games are starting to become more prominent. Aside from character based forum role playing, you now also have fictional social networks, where members sign up as made-up characters, and interact with one another in a MySpace style website.

This article was written by Joseph Gambit on behalf of http://www.FiCTR.com - the world's first role playing social network, where you actually sign up as a made up character, and then interact with other members to create storylines through forums, blogs, chat rooms, and a variety of group options.

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Why You Should Join an Online Gaming Tournament

This is not promo - the author removed the promo sentence in the article. Be sure to read and see if the author made the changes before copying the previous PA notes.Online Gaming Tournaments are ideal if you enjoy playing games either on your computer on a games console, and want to take you game playing to a different level. Perhaps you've always wondered how you'd manage against other real opponents, or maybe you and your friends want to take on the world at your favourite games.

Whether you use the latest high-spec PC that is designed to run the latest games in all their glory, or a games console, you are sure to be able to find other people to play against. As long as your PC or console can run the game, you'll be able to play against others.

You and other like minded gamers can join a group, or a clan, and team up to play against other clans. Different clans and Online Tournaments will have their own favourite games. If your favourite games aren't listed, you might be able to suggest them.

If you're worried that you won't last very long in a clan, then you should join a beginners' clan. There will be other players with similar skills and abilities, and you will play against other beginners' clans until you gain in confidence and want to play against a better clan, or until your clan improves.

You can test your gaming skills by joining an online tournament. If you think that you're great a certain game, why not prove it? Perhaps you enjoy driving games, or blasting enemies more.

Playing with and against other people will help you become better. In the same way that if you play sport with people who are better than you, you will improve, the same applies to gaming. Also, the more you play, the better your reflexes and tactics will be.

By taking your game playing online, you'll be able to get more out of your games, and make them last longer, even if you've completed the single player game, a multi player mode makes a great game even better.

One of the benefits of an online tournament is that team members don't have to be in the same room, or same country to play with or against each other. Imagine how much fun you could have playing against, or with family members in different locations, or friends around the country. You might find that your new gaming friends live on the next street, or the next continent!

Online Tournaments are a great way of making new friends with the same interests as yours. With a love of computer gaming and technology, you're bound to make new friends that you'll want to talk to even when you're not playing.

Why not join an Online Gaming Tournament or an Online Gaming League and play your favourite games, with and against people from all over the world?

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What Group of Gamer Are You?

Earlier a typical gamer used to be a male typically in the age group 16-19 years. But today there are older gamers in the gaming community. According to some surveys the average age of the male video gamer in US is 35 years and in UK is 23 years who have been playing video game for over a decade. Also it is estimated that nearly 40 percent of the video gamers are women.

There are many subgroups of gamers:

* Casual gamers: They do not spend much time on playing games and prefer to play simple game rather than complex ones.
* Hardcore gamers: They spend most of their leisure time on game and are quite dedicated to the cult of video gaming. They are usually quite proficient.
* Retro gamer: They only collect and play classic old games from the earlier gaming period.
* Professional gamer: They play for money. They are experts in the games of their choice and seldom play any other game.

A number of video games are released every year. A few games like the "Need For Speed" series and "Prince of Persia" series have been well received by the gamers. Strategy games like the "Age of Empires" as well as "World of Warcraft" have quite a fan following of their own. In the online multiplayer arena, "Counter Strike" and "Halo" series have been quite successful.

The gamer of today is interested in challenging games whether it is a strategy game or a violent gore filled game. The profile of the gamer has changed and it has become older with a strong female presence. The demand of the current gamers is that the developers understand the change in the gamer attitude and develop games accordingly.

The gamers are also on the lookout for games that show creativity of the developer and not simply present the old game, with a few minor modifications, under a new name.

Thanate Tan is a Blogaholic and also like to help our Earth with going green campaign.

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A Few Tips on Etiquette in Gaming

I'm not Polite Polly, and I'm not Ms. Manners, but I'd like to help you anyway with your game etiquette. Playing games can be frustrating at times and you can become angry, but that doesn't mean that you should express your anger in the game. What you read here should give you the chance to still have fun, while not ruining the mood of others during a multiplayer game.

1. Make sure you encourage the other players. Even in a game where you compete against each other, like in a car race or a fighting game, make sure you invest some time and give the other players congratulations when they do something cool, like a great move or taking a smooth curve. I'm not saying you should kiss up to him, but don't leave tensions build up between you. You're playing a game, so have fun and make sure others have it as well.

2. Have some patience. The people you're playing with might be less coordinated, smart or fast than you are. Just because your game slows down because of him, don't start criticizing. You can try helping them out or just plan the next thing you need to do. Cooperate a bit and that might give you a less stressful game.

3. Take a break from time to time. If the game has areas where you can pause from time to time, do that. Go eat a snack, stretch, go to the john, watch a silly commercial or talk about school. Playing all the time without taking any breaks can get stressful or tiring.

4. Include everyone in your game. What I mean is that the other players should contribute with their own efforts to the completion of the game. Make sure they enjoy the game and feel the same sense of accomplishment as you when the game is finished.

5. Make sure you listen to what they have to say. You're not perfect, nobody is, so it makes sense listening to other people's opinion on how the game should be approached.

6. Get the weird guy to play too. I know it sounds weird, but remember the massacre from Virginia Tech. A lot of people remember that the guy responsible for it was bullied by people since he was little. A simple effort of playing a game with someone might give him the kindness that he needs from others. Not saying that you're going to prevent murderers from doing stuff like that, but you should try to be kind with people and invite them to play.

7. Try to curse as little as possible and talk with a low voice. Don't go into arguments with those that you play with. Agree from the get go to be civil in your discussions about the strategies that need choosing. In many cases people will fight about something silly and that's just not worth it.

You can do all the things mentioned in this list easily. Trust me, it will help you enjoy your games more and the same goes for those you're playing with.

Xbox360Repair.Us - Visit us for guides on how to repair the Red ring of death on your Xbox.

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Become a Paid Game Tester by Taking 3 Simple Steps!

If you want to become a paid game tester without going to college and without getting any sort of formal training, then follow these 3 steps.

1. Be a Slave: It really, really stinks to high heaven, but your best way to get into the industry, as well as to get those first few references, is to offer your game testing skills for free. That idea may make you cringe, but it's a far better solution to being rejected over & over & over due to poor references and zero game testing experience. Just think of it as a necessary evil to getting one of the best jobs a gamer could EVER ask for.

2. Make Everyone a Friend: The best weapon a paid game tester can have is a solid network of contacts. More contacts means more strings to pull whenever you're searching for your next video game testing job.

As you undoubtedly guessed, going around and asking strange people to be your "friend" is a bit creepy, no matter how nice you may seem. That said, just be friendly and courteous to everyone and anyone you have dealings with. When people like you or get a good vibe from you, they are more likely to help you out when you need it. This is how reliable contact networks are built and maintained.

3. Keep Searching, Keep Applying: There are a wide array of outstanding game developers out there, meaning you're in no short supply of places to apply. If they create, distribute, manage, or have anything to do with the production of video games, you definitely need to contact them and apply for a paid game tester position.

It's okay if a company turns you down, as not every developer is in need of game testers. Just shrug off the rejection and move forward to other game developers. The more applications and resumes you send in, the greater your chances are of landing a paid game tester job.

For more in-depth information about professional video game testing and what it takes to be a paid game tester try visiting http://www.GameTestingParadise.com a very popular website that can help you jump-start your game testing career.

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WoW Strategy Tips

There are loads WoW strategy tips that are available to you from the web, the problem is, there are so many completely different choices available, the question is, which World of Warcraft strategy guide is top for you?

We would strongly recommend that you firstly figure out what you really need, what you really want to get out of World of Warcraft. We have listed a brief list of WoW strategy guide tips that are available to you

* Classes
* Professions (blacksmithing, tailoring, enchanting, mining, alchemy, herbalism, etc.)
* Secondary Professions (first aid, cooking, fishing, riding)
* Auction House (market prices, money makers, various tricks, etc.)
* Mounts (epic, flying, certain level areas, places to find them, cost, etc.)
* Gear (PvP, normal realms, epic, rare, cost, drop rates from quests, etc.)
* Battlegrounds
* Power Leveling (Reaching level 80 faster)
* Arenas
* Instances
* Caves
* Bosses
* Expansion Packs (Burning Crusade, Northrend)

If we wanted we could give you a 100 or so different versions that are readily available for you, the main dilemma that you will have is, which one do you choose?

The World of Warcraft strategies we have listed are the main areas of World of Warcraft where wow strategies are needed most of all.

If you would like helpful tips on all aspects of World of Warcraft you are welcome to visit World of Warcraft strategy tips where you will find an abundance of top tips that will help you master World of Warcraft.

World of Warcraft is growing by the day, if you truly want to master World of Warcraft, we strongly suggest that you forget what's going on around you, forget what other gamers are doing.

Simply pick where you want to start, get your character up and running, then pick a strategy guide that's best for you, chose one at a time and stick to it till you have progressed, it is so easy to be jack of all trades and master of none...

To master World of Warcraft, you need the top WoW tips that are helping gamers master World of Warcraft much faster than working it out yourself, visit WoW strategy tips for more helpful information on mastering this amazing game. Visit us here - WoW Strategy Tips

See You Inside
T.H
http://www.wowstrategytips.com

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Steampunk As a LARP Game?

Steampunk, a term that can be used loosely in terms of fiction, has been around since the 1980's. Remember the 2003 film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? This film literally popularized the steampunk genre. It is listed a sub-genre of fantasy and exploratory fiction. While steampunk can be found in any genre, whether it be historical, futuristic, or goth, often the era that steampunk is often used in would be the 19th century, or the Victorian era. The predominant theme would be science fiction or fantasy, where fictional technological inventions would be created and used.

Basically, steampunk can include any previous or recent science fiction that has taken place within our culture. For instance, it can revolve around the era when electricity had yet to be created and the emphasis was placed on steam or spring gadgets. It revolves around an era when a mad scientist could be found in his dark laboratory creating anything and everything imaginable.

Today, steampunk is not only a literary genre, but it is becoming a cultural lifestyle. While there are no rules or guidelines for steampunk, it is generally followed that it finds its basis in the Victorian age. This can be seen in the foundations of any gadget, item or article that is labeled as steampunk; whether it is a binocular, a watch, lighting or petticoats and bustles. Often, anything labeled as steampunk will be accented with a mixture of technological and period accessories. Even a cellphone can be used as a steampunk object as long as it is modified to look Victorian.

Steampunk is many things; it all depends on the fan. It has been labeled as an intersection of technology and romance, a genre of fiction, an aesthetic, musical style and an evolving sub-culture. It is a story that draws the reader in until they feel they are the character trying these new inventions for themselves. It is about technology and science. It is about humanity at its basic form, the need to invent, create, tell stories and grow.

Recently a lot of LARP (Live Action Role Play) players have started to create games based on the Steampunk style. Even at Calimacil, LARP Weapon enthusiasts have been asking when they will begin to create a new Steampunk sword style.

You can see this at http://calimacil.com/blog/2009/05/steampunk-larp-sword

If you are interested in finding out more about LARP or looking for incredible foam sword be sure to visit the LARP section on Calimacil web site (http://www.calimacil.com/LARP.htm). You will find a lot of foam weapons with a very realistic look and unique design.

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Video Game Tester - Get Paid to Play Video Games

Ever since the economy started going down the drain, a lot of good, hard working people lost their jobs. Most people don't even know where to look cause their so used to having a job and following the same routine every week. But what if i told you, you can make top dollar playing video games? No it's not too good to be true.

Thousands of people like you and me make a living out of playing video games. They're called video game testers.

Video game testers get paid to sit at home, or a testing center, and play video games. Yes this is a really job. Video game companies are constantly working on a new game. It's a never ending cycle. So, naturally they will need people who can test the games for them before they release it. This is where the video game tester comes in.

The game tester has to play through the game thoroughly to make sure the that everything in the game works properly. Game tester are always in contact with the company.

Whether it's the developers, programmers, designers, the game tester must be in contact with them at all times when testing the game. They do this so that you can exchange information bout the game currently being tested.

Sending feedback to the gaming companies is the only "actual work" you will probably do. I don't even really consider it work, to be honest. It's just a part of game testing. It's important that you know how to clearly explain a situation to the company.

Let's say you get to a part of a game and all the sudden everyone you went to open up the in-game menu, the game froze. You will have to explain what actions you took that caused the game to freeze. So you see, even the "actual work" isn't too hard. But where do you go to find jobs?

It's hard to get a job testing video games on your own. But fortunately for us, we don't have to do it alone. There's plenty of people out here willing to help. People in professional web site communities can help you with everything you need to know for the job. Some of these communities as k for a monthly fee. But you can avoid paying a monthly fee if you find a legit community that you only have to pay for once.

I signed up for one of these communities and they really helped me kick my new career off. They had a "Video Game Tester" guide that really helped me understand how the gaming industry works. It also taught me what i would do throughout the work day.

The best thing about the community is they have a web page with a list of jobs. I'm ALWAYS on this page. they have over 120 gaming companies listed with jobs for video game testers. Not only that, but they update it daily, adding about 20 new jobs every week. So as you can expect, I'm ALWAYS working.

The best part about it is, the community I'm a part of only charged me once for their services. Services I use everyday for free! This community really helped me become a video game tester, which is why I recommend it to everyone.

Check out http://www.squidoo.com/getpaid-toplay for more information on becoming a video game tester.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diego_Pires

Social Networking and Gaming

Several years ago during the early days of the worldwide web it seemed almost impossible to reason with the eventual success of the internet. Today we are in the throes of the next stages of fast developing; ground breaking social networking which has been a direct offshoot of the internet revolution. There really isn't one day that goes by where a new feature, attraction tool hasn't been incorporated on to the major social online community sites.

In many walks of life and across many different professions, social networks now have a significant role to play, none more so than in the field of online gaming. Many games platforms through some clever and psychologically appreciative graphics not only introduce the player to the game but also offer an interactive facility to entice and encourage competition from others.

The easy to sue icons of the major social bookmark and networking sites are ready to hand and a gamer is only a couple of clicks away from bringing friends and most of their address book on to the platform if they should so wish.

The major betting agencies, games and lottery platforms have developed these features dramatically in recent years. Two good examples of this are Coral UK and VWD through their e-lottery syndicate platform. Interaction and manual dexterity have a very close relationship which seems odd but on closer examination is a very pertinent point.

Given the number of people who text , compute e-mails it doesn't really take too long to establish that the technological revolution and its acceleration goes hand in hand with the usage put on peoples' ability to use quick moving technology. The major social networking sites and the understanding of age demography in relation to generation x and generation y individuals provides the background to online games and lottery sites. The understanding they have of peoples' tastes and aspirations for communication and information gathering governs the way in which they promote and attract players.

The comparison of older style networks with the modern day entourage is a stark one. It often makes me smile to think of the older versions and the time and effort exerted just to participate. Equally, I feel a little embarrassed when the cutting edge modern technology we have doesn't move fast enough. Being able to instantly introduce friends without any dialogue, just a few clicks, again is astonishing and that makes me smile as well.

In summary, social networking sites, games and lottery platforms are panaceas of new technology and internet wisdom. They are certainly the places where the new and attractive can be found. It is also a place where social networks and communities link in to each other and provide the makings of newer far reaching development. May be in a few years time I'll look back and have another smile and wonder what the next dimension will bring. Will it ever stop? probably not, just continue in the new directions which are presented. The world wide web is ever changing, ever developing and in reality continually unique.

Johnny Sorrento is the author of this article and is a full time internet marketer living in the bustling and exciting Capital city of Cardiff in South Wales, UK. Johnny is also an affiliate with the global e-Lottery business.

Discover the full benefits of promoting the Euromillions Syndicate and UK National Lottery Syndicate to the global lottery playing community.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Sorrento

Copy Your Favorite Game and Stop Spending Money on Originals

Many teens love to play video games. I see it and here it everywhere, from middle school to college. At first I thought that in college not so many students would choose to spend money on video games and sit around and play them. Yet when I enter the dorms, it is quite often that I see people playing Halo, Guitar Hero or many other games. And why not? After a busy day, there is nothing wrong to sit back and enjoy your favorite game.

The problem with video games, at least for me personally, is not whether people spend too much time playing them, but whether they spend too much money for them. I have friends who are very unorganized and don't take care of their video games and gaming platforms at all. Friends who throw around games, and when they get scratched or they don't work anymore, they simply run to the store to buy a new one. Nothing wrong with that, but not everyone has the time or money to throw away on the same game over and over again.

That did happen to me several times though. I had my favorite games scratched and they no longer worked. I had no alternative other than buying them again. Well I grew sick and tired of it and I did find a way around it.

I simply take the original game and make a copy of it. You may wonder how, considering that most video games have protective labels which do not let you to make copies. However, with the help of a 'Copy Any Game' software, I am able to make copies of virtually any video game. I simply copy the original game onto a blank CD, and save the original.

Learn here how to copy virtually any game from any platform onto a blank CD and keep the original one intact.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrei_Ilie

How to Play Dungeons and Dragons Game - It's Really Not That Hard

So maybe you've heard about the Dungeons and Dragons game and are curious as to what this is all about. Possibly you've heard about playing Dungeons and Dragons online, and now your interest is peaked. This article is going to explain a little about the game and how you can get a group of friends around the Dungeons and Dragons table.

The first thing to remember about the Dungeons and Dragons game is that it is a collective story telling game. All players and the dungeon master, who is like the referee of the game, share in the narrative of the story. The players at the Dungeons and Dragons table go through the motions of telling everyone what their character is doing. The dungeon master will tell the person if their character has succeeded or not based on the roll of the dice and certain applicable modifiers.

This all may sound a little complicated, but really once you sit down to the Dungeons and Dragons table and start playing, you will see that it's not that hard. It is even easier to start playing the Dungeons and Dragons game if you have others with you who are experienced in playing. This cuts down on the learning curve dramatically.

In the Dungeons and Dragons game you can play a character type, called a class. Think about this like what their job in the game is. You can play a fighter, cleric, thief, or wizard. Within each of these classes are more specialized roles, such as a Paladin in the fighter class.

Once you have created your character you're ready to belly up to the Dungeons and Dragons table. If you don't have people to play with locally, you can easily find others that are playing Dungeons and Dragons online. Just visit the Dungeon and Dragons website and click on the forum. There you will find threads to find games in your area, or to find people who want to play online using various computer programs to have a virtual table top game and voice communication.

The biggest thing to remember is the game is all about having fun. It's not showing off how well one grasps the rules or how tough one's character is. With the latest version of Dungeons and Dragons game which is the Fourth Edition, the game has gained new heights in easily showing people who are new to role-playing games, how to play.

To learn more about how to play the Dungeons and Dragons game and download a newly created book on how to become a better Dungeon Master, The Beginner's Tome of Game Mastery +4, Click Here. This download explains everything a new DM will want to know about how to set up a game, create amazing adventures, and develop a realistic campaign world, as well as hints and tips to make your game better. Or visit http://www.the-rpg-gamer.blogspot.com/ to learn more about the Dungeons and Dragons game and other role-playing games.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Ide

Should Kids in Gaming Communities Be Tested For Future Robotic Military Jobs?

The United States Air Force has increased their robotic unmanned aerial vehicle training and can no longer fit into the current facilities, and therefore an entire new training facility and squadron is being created in Alamogordo, New Mexico just to help fill the demand.

The United States Air Force is adding 380 UAVs this year alone and needs pilots to fly them. Of course, these aerial vehicles are being flown by pilots that are on the ground in Little Rooms looking at computer screens and displays.

Have You Assessed Your New Found Video Gaming Skills Lately?

Maybe you might apply to become a Air Force UAV pilot, where you will be controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle in the battlespace against our enemies. This would take your video gaming skills to a whole new level. And you get paid for playing, and you'd be expected to win; Every Time! Are you good enough to go for it?

10% of All Video Gamers Are Addicted; What is the Percentage in Gaming Communities?

Well, maybe you are addicted to computer-video-games and if you are, maybe you should be getting paid for it by working for the United States Air Force. Believe it or not your country needs your skills, and you would be helping the world getting rid of pirates and terrorists.

Gaming Gone Wild - When Simulators Get Too Real

Of course, things get pretty interesting when simulators and video-computer-games go from having fun, to real life. There are real enemy combatants on the other side of that video-screen that you will be targeting and destroying. Not everybody can handle that, when it is in real life. Can You?

Members of Gaming Communities Are The Best Video Game Designers; Tap Into Innovation

You are probably asking who is writing all this new software for all these UAVs, believe it or not many of the top programmers are also part of gaming communities and were once top computer gaming players themselves once. It's a whole new world out there, and maybe it's time you got your piece of it. Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired franchisor - Lance Winslow's Bio. Lance Winslow is formerly the CEO of WashGuys family of franchises which Lance; http://www.windowwashguys.com/links.shtml/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Harry Potter Roleplaying

When you choose to take a piece of literature and expand upon it, either through roleplaying, or through some form of fan fiction, there are a number of choices that you have to make. First and foremost is, will you stick to the logical and chronological timeline that was laid out in the book? If you choose to follow the chronology of the book you can either choose to replay something that was written, simply mirroring what is in the story, or you can fill in gaps that the story doesn't cover, such as time periods which were glossed over, or events which were not described in great detail.

On the other hand you can always choose to create a completely new derivative. You can make Harry Potter turn evil, or can have Hermione get a crush on Snape, or any of an infinite number of changes that you can make, to explore the "what ifs" of the story.

Another choice you have to make is time. A series such as Harry Potter stretches out over 8 years, and you can set your own derivative adventures during any of those years, or even before or after the events in the book.

Finally, you have to make choices about characters. You have the whole universe of Harry Potter characters open to you, but you have to understand their relationships, their connections, and how they react and interact with one another. This will all also be determined to some extent by the time period that your story is taking place in.

One of the things that can make a decent Harry Potter roleplaying session so difficult is that the book series is quite long and detailed, with literally hundreds of characters popping up at various points throughout. On the one hand this gives you a lot of room for creativity. On the other hand it also gives you a lot of room to make mistakes, and to forget important details.

This article was written by Jim Slate on behalf of http://www.RolePages.com - a fictional social network where you can sign up and engage in roleplaying as Harry Potter, Dumbledore, Hermione, Ron, or even as your own new character such as a vampire, a demon, a centaur, or a dragon.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Slate

Can Gaming Communities Solve Political and Federal Budget Issues?

Ever since gaming communities started using Microsoft's SimCity to design cities of the future, many have marveled at how many interesting ideas, solutions, and concepts have been created to solve the challenges of mankind's urban environment. After all, a civilization has to run like a Swiss Watch in order to deliver the economies of scale that serve both the whole and the individual.

When building a city or urban metropolis in SimCity's simulation game, the designer must consider the challenges of transportation, energy, water, education, distribution, banking, quality of life, communication, and then consider how best to incorporate all the synergies. Now then, that's a lot of thought and thus, a lot of great ideas can come from allowing people to play such a game. However, what if we used gaming communities to solve political and Federal Budget issues as well? Would this be possible?

Where gamers would design economies, money flows, banking systems, stock markets, and government flows of information, taxation, revenue collection, and distribution of services and monies to individuals, pensioners, retired folks, healthcare facilities, and all the other things the government does such as; trash collection, postal services, police, and fire. Is it possible for gaming communities to design a better world within the political structures that now exist?

Can they design better federal and state budgets? Some would say, "I doubt they could do any worse than our current leadership!" And when we look at the trillion dollar deficit of the Federal Budget for fiscal year 2009, or the 26 Billion Dollar Deficit in California, it appears we need them. Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired franchisor - Lance Winslow's Bio. Lance Winslow is formerly the CEO of WashGuys family of franchises for instance one of Lance Winslow's favorite companies on the team; http://www.windowwashguys.com/links.shtml/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Join a Gaming Community and Get a Creative IQ Boost of 20%

Did you know the playing video games and computer games will increase your creative IQ? It will also help you make decisions faster and just like someone who plays chess; it will teach you to use your intuition as well as your skills and logic. When researchers run fMRI brain scans on kids they show that the brain lights up and runs full tilt when playing a very rapid video game. When you join a gaming community you will get a boost in your creative IQ and some believe as much as 20%.

This is because you will be discussing strategies in advance; what other people playing the same video game think. You will use those strategies under rapid fire and extreme circumstances as your brain works very hard and very fast to make decisions and coordinate your play. Older people that play video games have quite a bit less chance of getting degenerative brain diseases. Your brain is a tool, and you either use it, or you lose it.

Many folks give video gamers a hard time and they consider anyone that's in a gaming community online to be somewhat of a malcontent, or a geek. I would ask them to think twice about such comments because these so-called geeks are probably much smarter and more creative than you. These gaming communities are full of geniuses and innovative creative anomalies. If you'd like to have fun, increase your creative IQ and meet some very interesting people, then you should be joining a gaming community of your choice. Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired franchisor - Lance Winslow's Bio. Lance Winslow is formerly the CEO of WashGuys family of franchises for instance one of Lance Winslow's favorite companies on the team; http://www.windowwashguys.com/links.shtml /.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

A Beginner's Guide to the Video Game Music Composition and Remixing Community

Over the years, video games have developed into a multi-billion dollar industry. Today's games involve millions of hours of work and take years to produce. The music contained in these games, as well as older games, is an equal work of art that is often overlooked. Whereas movie soundtracks have been praised for years, until 2005 video game music was largely a curiosity outside Japan. It is only recently that concerts consisting solely of video game music, such as Play! A Video Game Symphony and Distant Worlds: Music From Final Fantasy, have sold thousands of tickets around the world.

Some games today are even marketed on the strength of their soundtracks' primary composers. For example, the 2008 Xbox 360 game Lost Odyssey advertised in its pre-release commercials that its music was composed by legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu. Unfortunately, however, many game music composers and artists remain underappreciated compared to those involved with movie soundtracks.

With the increasing popularity of the Internet in the late 1990s, an online video game music community began to form. One of the first sites, VGMusic, offered and continues to offer strict MIDI sequences, largely of older (NES and SNES) consoles. Contributors to VGMusic sequence songs and then submit them for the world to listen.

By 1998, the community consisted largely of independent sites offering MIDI and Impulse Tracker (*.it) files. Some of these songs, which began to move towards "remixing" as it is known today, were mashups of 20 minutes of music from an entire game's soundtrack. Searching for songs was a tedious task, because there were no one-stop sources for such remixes.

In 1999, OverClocked ReMix, a site that limited its postings through strict juding, was formed. Still popular today, the site has received contributions from hobbyists, aspiring artists, and professional composers such as Jeremy Soule. A panel of judges evaluates and votes on each submitted song, and at the time of this writing, fewer than 5% of submissions are posted.

Compos, or online competitions that challenge participants to produce the best songs, started to appear around 2000, but took a hit when the heavily vaunted Ultima Eternity competition folded. Later, live instrument recordings became popular, leading to the creation of Dwelling of Duels, a competition where at least one live instrument is required in a song. Each month, competitors are required to interpret a piece from a specific game or series, and members of the popular game music forum The Shizz vote for the winners.

Also popular early in the decade was VGMix, which was perhaps the first site that allowed composers to post music without judging. VGMix lived through three different iterations, but much of its music has been lost as a result of security violations. As of this writing, the site is currently in a state of disrepair, with many of its features broken and registration disabled.

One major contributor that helped bring a great deal of attention to game music was the Mid Atlantic Gamers' Festival, or MAGFest. While MAGFest also involves thousands of people playing games with each other in a huge LAN party, as well as events geared towards game development and appreciation, game music has taken an increasingly larger role in the festival lately. Professional composers have attended, and OverClocked ReMix judges have convened a panel to discuss the site and its community.

The online game music remixing community has grown so large and has such a long history that participants have written hundreds of songs, moved from middle school to graduate school, and obtained jobs in the music industry. There is at least one instance where two remixers met through the Internet and later married.

As the game music community moves forward, several programmers and composers have teamed up to create a new resource, remixSite, which allows anyone to post video game originals or remixes for feedback. Because songs on remixSite are versioned, contributors can track their submissions across versions and help each other improve their musical abilities. This process of incremental improvement is hoped to move the game music community to even greater popularity and visibility.

As more and more companies use live instruments in their recordings and spend more production resources on games' soundtracks, the future looks bright for game music. Anyone who has even a passing interest in gaming would be well-served to browse through what the game music community has to offer.

Steve Sokolowski holds a master's degree in computer science and engineering from Penn State University and is a professional software engineer at a large engineering firm. He created remixSite in 2009 to provide a non-profit place for composers of game music to share their music with the world. Stop by http://www.remixsite.org/ today to listen to some of the best game music around.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Sokolowski

10% of All Video Gamers Are Addicted - What is the Percentage in Gaming Communities?

A recent study in a major neurology scientific journal noted that 10% of all video gamers are indeed addicted to playing these games. This obviously didn't surprise many parents or teachers, and it hardly sent even a ripple of a shock wave into the video gaming software industry, as they are well aware of who their ideal consumers and clients are and have been aware of this for decades now. Still, one has to ask; If the average video gamer is addicted to playing, then what is the number associated with those who are actually part of online video gaming communities?

After all, those who are fully into playing are also discussing tactics, strategies, and even cheats with their friends online. And if you go and check out some of the forums of the gaming communities you will see players posts 100s if not 1000s of posts in discussing various games. It's absolutely amazing.

Many of these folks are teens and young adults, but you'd be blown away by how many 40+ video gamers there are in these online groups. Many of the discussions are quite detailed and complex, and the strategies are nothing short of military scholars in discussing battle tactics of the civil war, WWII or modern day net-centric warfare exploits.

In viewing all this and thinking about it at length and dropping into random various online gamer communities, I'd say the addiction rates of these participants is probably nearly 75%. Of course, we will have to wait for empirical and research to back that up. Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired franchisor - Lance Winslow's Bio. Lance Winslow is formerly the CEO of WashGuys family of franchises for instance one of Lance Winslow's favorite companies on the team; http://www.windowwashguys.com/links.shtml.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Members of Gaming Communities Are the Best Video Game Designers - Tap Into Innovation

Video and Computer Gaming Software Companies know who their biggest consumers and clients are, and they do not have to look far for fan clubs, gaming communities, and diehards. Nor, do they have to look far for their most outspoken and outrageous critics either. Indeed, some of their biggest fans and biggest critics turn out to often be one of the greatest untapped resources known to mankind. That's right, these gurus of the game, many of which are computer gaming addicts, some even self-proclaimed, are ripe for future gaming software designers, and consultants.

After all, in any business if you want to make your business better you must listen to your customers, and interestingly enough, these consumers of electronic chaos are more than happy to give their opinions, suggestions and even write code and provide animation.

It is amazing how these open source gamers are taking these games far beyond what any innovative originators could even imagine. Indeed, members of Gaming Communities make the very Best Video Game Designers, and it is would crazy not to tap Into Innovative spirit.

Best of all many of them are willing to spend countless hours working for free and when offered a percentage of the increased sales for their new developments they are all-in and take their hobbies to a whole new level. They are literally on a mission to out create and out innovate not only the original designers, but the designers of all the video games ever produced. This increases the natural incremental evolution, and provides all gamers with unlimited new and cool applications and better games.

Lance Winslow is a retired franchisor - Lance Winslow's Bio. Lance Winslow is formerly the CEO of WashGuys family of franchises for instance one of Lance Winslow's favorite companies on the team; http://www.windowwashguys.com/links.shtml.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Magic the Gathering - How to Gain Card Advantage

In Magic the Gathering, there are quite a few ways to gain card advantage. However, card advantages does not always means just drawing more cards than your opponent. In this article, we will showing you the different kind of card advantage to add your deck strategy and how to gain them.

Simple card advantage (CA):
The crudest form of CA. To achieve this benefit, you need spells that can help draw more cards from your library or make your opponent loses cards. Tidings and Ancestral Recall helps greatly in drawing cards.
To make your opponent loses card, you can make discard his hand or destroy his permanents. However,if you are using 1 card to destroy 1 card, it isn't that effective. It has be 1 for 2 cards or more. Or that spell can destroy 1 permanent and also allow to draw 1 card. In this case, you are leading in card number, and thus having an edge.

Card selection advantage
Cards allows you to search for a the card you want makes your deck more consistent. Cards like these are extremely helpful to combo and control decks. Searching for the missing combo cards that can help you win the game at that point of time or find the answer to destroy your threat is always welcome.
Demonic tutor, Diablolic tutor and Survival of the Fittest helps you gaining this advantage.

Virtual CA
The hardest to notice but also one of the most powerful CA in the game.

Powerful spells or creatures that has effects that limit your opponent's options. Creatures like Serra Angel and Lightning Angel can not only fly and attack, but also block smaller creatures to save some life points.
Spells like the moat will cause only flying creatures can attack you. If your opponent does not have flying creatures, he will never able to touch you.

In the above example, you and your opponent does not lose any cards. But because of the effects, your opponent has restricted options or unfavorable combat situations.

These 3 kinds of CA, simple, selective and virtual, are the most commonly used strategy to win your opponent. As the game progress and evolved with more and more game mechanics and new powerful cards appearing. Understanding the different kinds of card advantage is getting more and more important.

Manferd is a seasoned player in Magic the Gathering since 1997. He runs a website which gives his insights,information and free downloads to help new players to improve their experience in playing this card game. To take advantage of his experience, pay a visit to http://magic-sg.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Manferd_J_Hoe

Party Games - Old Continent Versus New Continent

Party games can make a party much more exciting and sociable. They can be an excuse to help people in the party to socialize and get to know each other better and are a good idea to be played and make a more enjoyable party. Besides if these party games are fun and are specially tailored for the different kind of parties that are being held they can make a fabulous party.

So in a theme party we would suggest to people to come with an appropriate and original costume for the party but as well to play some party games related to the theme of the party.

Specially the kids, they will love to create their own costumes, hats, birthday cakes, pirate maps or any items related to their parties in advanced. Just with a little bit of patience and the help of their parents, kids can have a great time even before the party.

From my point of view it is pretty obvious that the Old Continent (Europe) needs to learn a bit about the New Continent (America) and specially the USA as this country seems to be more creative in making all sorts of theme parties. For example in the USA you will easily find 80's ice-skating parties where you would go to the ice-skating court dressed as in the 80's. I can tell this because I have seen pictures of my friends in the USA via facebook doing that kind of a party. In Europe I would like to see something like that.

I have seen my USA friends celebrating all kind of theme parties and I know that they celebrate super bowl parties and they play super bowl games too. However regarding the Champions League Soccer Final that takes place every year in some European soccer stadium which would be the equivalent in Europe to the American Super Bowl, I have never done anything special before, during or after watching the Champions League Final. People wear their favourite team t-shirts, cups, hold their team's flags or surround themselves with the team's scarf and gather with their friends to watch the game either in their flats, houses or in bars or pubs. If their team wins, they go on the street and go and celebrate it in most of the cases getting drunk but they do not play any party games before, during or after the Champions League Final, nor decorate their flat or house with anything in special nor eat any special food for the occasion. Food usually consists somehow or another of cheap snacks.

Whilst the Americans seem to be more eager and creative to make any kind of theme parties and to play related theme party games, the Europeans seem to have lost interest in this creativity because perhaps they are older countries that have developed for centuries their own traditions, own festivities that they celebrate in due time.

Moreover in the Old Continent people tend to live closer to their parents and relatives and families still are an important factor in their lives, so they tend to spend more time with their families than the average American (USA).

On the other hand the Old Continent has more stored up games to be played and stories and tells to be told than in the New Continent because for many centuries in the past people in Europe did not have TVs, game consoles, internet, etc. so they had to talk, tell stories, make up new games to enjoy and pass the time.

So in the Old Continent we have lots of old stored up party games and stories that have been created for centuries (in the Roman times, Medieval Age, etc.) that would suit for our themed parties, but because of our own traditions, folklore, culture developed during centuries we seem to give less credit and importance to these stored up old games and to creativity to enjoy our parties and fellowship times together, though we spend more time with the family which is very positive instead.

Americans seem to be saying today: we don't have as many traditions, folklore as in the Old continent, but we want to make the best of our time anyways. So there it is: they seem to be more creative when making theme parties or playing theme games.

A perfect combination to celebrate nice theme parties and to play nice party games would be to merge the creativity and enthusiasm of the Americans to prepare and create theme parties with the amount and quality of old games, tells, stories, legends of all kinds stored up during centuries that Europeans could take out of the old cupboard.

Cesar Madrigal: Full of imagination, loving and friendly writer willing to help you make the best of your theme parties with some party games and ideas tailored for those parties. Find them on: http://www.fun-party-games.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cesar_Madrigal

Getting Eaten Alive is No Easy Task - Survive and Know How to Become a Video Game Tester

It's sad and yet so funny to see the new game testers getting eaten alive because they have no knowledge of what to expect when it comes to game testing.

So many people get caught up on the money side of things and don't take the time to research what they're getting themselves into. It's completely understandable...why $10 to $50 and hour would be a dream come true for me. It's the perfect dream job.

That's probably exactly what goes through the mind of someone who find out about game testing. We'll hate to break it to you but there definitely are some pros and cons to game testing. Your main objective is to not get eaten alive by the multi-billion dollar industry but to rather survive and come out with a few hundred bucks in your pocket.

If you just dive right in, I give you my word, you'll come out but will never want to dive back in again. So what can you possibly do?

Research!

Take the time to find someone who's already in the industry. People are fairly nice. A lot of them will pass on stories of how they became game testers and most of them will be rooting for you.

Here's something for the shy gamers out there. If you don't feel comfortable talking and asking questions, visit this website:

http://www.iSpizz.info/recommends/GTG.

It's an extremely helpful site. It teaches you everything from top to bottom. Not to mention has one of the, if not the biggest, list of companies that hire game testers. That alone is such a huge PLUS! Of course it'll cost you, but trust me; you'll love yourself for buying it.

For more information visit our Game Tester's Lounge at http://www.iSpizz.info.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jacob_Raymond_Lee

What Are the Benefits of Membership in the US Chess Federation?

The U.S. Chess Federation is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the study of the game of chess in a number of ways. The group strives to provide information, knowledge and support to all chess players regardless of age or skill level, from novices to professional players. They view chess as an enjoyable pastime, as an art form, and as a means of improving society.

The USCF supervises a number of chess tournaments every year, including the US Chess Championship and other national events. The group also participates in international events, linking US chess players with players from around the world.

One of the most visible benefits of membership in the U.S. Chess Federation is a subscription to their monthly magazine, "Chess Life." The organization also publishes a bi-monthly magazine called "Chess for Kids." In both publications, the USCF offers current articles and information which are of interest to chess players. The 110th US Open was held in Indianapolis in early August; so the current edition of "Chess Life" contains stories about the competition, the players, and the winners as well as upcoming events and articles about improving your own chess play.

According to the organization's website, there are over 80,000 current memberships, and about half of their members attend some kind of school. So the USCF is very interested in supporting chess programs in schools, from pre-school programs to college level. The group encourages the proliferation of the game, with thousands of affiliated local clubs and organizations across the U.S. The USCF website offers official rules of the game, a glossary of chess terms and a brief chess history available to all, as well as various books and services for their members.

The organization also offers to pair members for correspondence chess matches, either by mail or email. To get started, players are asked to rate themselves into the following scale:

* Class D / Novice (rating of 1399 and below)
* Class C / Intermediate (rating of 1400 to 1599)
* Class B / Strong (rating of 1600 - 1799)
* Class A / Very Strong (rating of 1800 - 1999)

Of course, the more honest the self-assessment, the better the group can match up an opponent of similar skill levels. Through playing in rated matches, a chess player may increase his rating to:

* Candidate Master (rating of 2000 - 2199)
* Master (rating of 2200 - 2399)
* Senior Master (rating of 2400 or higher)

Chess Right Chess Store is offering a number of free memberships in the USCF with qualifying purchases. Please look for these great premium offers on selected chess sets in our store. We are also offering a great price on the US Chess Federation Official Rule Book (look in category "Books, etc." for the yellow king piece on the cover).

Ann Wamack is a freelance writer with ChessRight. Please visit the site at http://www.ChessRight.com to purchase a chess set that is just right for your game. Website sells traditional and decorative chess sets, as well as chess boards and other chess supplies. Let's play chess!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ann_Wamack

Zendikar Trap Cards - Are They Worth It?

Zendikar has a new game mechanic call Trap cards that allow players to use a cheaper alternate casting cost to cast the powerful instant spell. However, not all these new Instant spells are made equal. Some of simply useless and does not generate any form of advantage at all. While a few cards are absolutely wonderful, allowing you to gain, not just tempo, but also solid card advantage. This article will filter all these trap cards and show you why some of these Zendikar Trap cards are totally worth your attention.

Ravenous Trap
This card allows you to remove a target player's graveyard if your opponent fulfilled the card's special requirement. As more and more decks uses graveyard to gain a serious form of card advantage. Ravenous Trap can answer to your problem. The best thing about this card is that the alternate casting cost does not cost a single mana at all. Decks uses the graveyard heavily will have to face a lot of problems as this card can be use in all decks.

Archive Trap
Although this card does not provide you any leverage, but this card is 'damaging' your opponent's deck by twenty five percent. In comparison to a direct damage spell card, Lightning Bolt for example, for dealing three damage on your opponent's initial twenty life points only gives fifteen percent closer to winning.
Therefore in simple maths, Archive Trap can help you achieve twenty five percent towards your goal of winning while the best direct damage spell in the game, Lightning Bolt, can only help you reduce fifteen percent of the 20 life points to win the game.

Summoning Trap
Aggro Decks should play this against a meta full of counter magic. Use this card once they counter your creature and get a free creature into play. Your deck does not have to be green to use this card. The alternate cost is free. So feel free to use it in all creature decks you have.

Mindbreak Trap
The most powerful trap card. This spell is free to activate. The role of this card can be act as a counter magic for non blue decks. It also can be use as a storm combo killer. The storm combo decks must cast a lot of spells to win, Mindbreak Trap makes their storm mechanic useless.

Trap cards from Zendikar are powerful and flexible for any decks as long they do not cost any color mana to use. Although there are some other powerful trap cards that require some mana to cast and worthy of collecting them, those Instant spells mentioned above are simply too adaptable for every kinds of decks.

Manferd is a seasoned player in Magic the Gathering since 1997. He runs a website which gives his insights,information and free downloads to help new players to improve their experience in playing this card game. To take advantage of his experience, pay a visit to http://magic-sg.com .

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Manferd_J_Hoe

Swapping Video Games As a Route to Cheap Gaming

Video gaming is an expensive hobby, but, as this article will demonstrate, it need not be! Most of the expense is due to the price tag of new video games and the fact that many video games have a short life span - be it a great but quick to complete Xbox 360 title or a PlayStation 3 game that simply loses its appeal quickly. This article will consider video game swapping as an alternative to purchasing new video games out right.

When you think of swapping video games, you might think of temporarily swapping your video games with friends. But, there are online communities which consist of like minded gamers who want to swap their games with other members, for keeps. A community forum enables gamers to talk with one another other to decide which games will be swapped. Once an agreement is made, the postal service is used to send the video games.

Video game swapping has several advantages over simply selling your current completed game to a local game store or via a sale such as on eBay. A brand new game will cost you up to around £40, but after a week (you could complete a game in that time!), a game store might only offer you £20 for that game and sell it on for £35! Or if sold on eBay, they will take an 8.5% cut (an additional 4% cut for taking payments via PayPal) on the final sale price. You're not even guaranteed a price on eBay and your game may actually go for significantly less than you would like. By swapping your video game, you avoid the loss in value of that game and you don't have to contribute any more money to get a new game. You get a game, for a game (or several depending on what was agreed!) After all, your game is in mint condition and some other gamer will be happy to make the swap with you. It's a great way to get new games without costing a fortune!

John Dunne has been an avid gamer for over 20 years and has setup the video game swapping website TheGameCollective.co.uk to help gamers swap and sell their video games free of charge to help us get the most out of gaming.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Dunne

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