From Coleco Vision to iPhone Games - Some High Water Marks in Video Game Design History - Part 4

Street Fighter II (arcade) - Developed by Capcom as a follow-up to their much maligned original Street Fighter title, Street Fighter II (SF2) solidified the company as the industry leader in fighting game design. In searching for the standout design elements of SF2, the search begins and ends with the games incredible balance. Featuring 8 characters, SF2 presented players with more character options than most arcade games up to that point. Faced with this large selection, many players chose one of the games stars (Ken & Ryu) as their character of choice. Armed with their combination of ha-do-kens and sho-ryu-kens, these two seemed at first glance to be the game's strongest characters. However, the beauty of SF2 was the fact that each character had their own strengths and, despite initial impressions, their own vulnerabilities. Despite the fact that most players used either Ken or Ryu, many of the world's best tournament players could be found using the games quartet of boss characters: Sagat, M. Bison, Vega and Balrog. The mighty Zangief was another darling of world class players due to his incredibly powerful arsenal of moves, while those who invested the time into mastering Dhalsim's intricate ranged attacks also garnered their fair share of tournament victories. Thanks to ingenious balancing on the part of the game's designers, each character offered players their own distinct path to victory and placed all players on equal footing among their peers.

Day of Defeat v1.2-1.3b (PC) - This popular World War 2 themed Half-Life mod has since gone onto retail release, but most fans will agree that the game actually peaked with the release of Beta 1.2 in April, 2001. With precious few levels (and even fewer actually being used), most of the games of this early iteration of Day of Defeat (DoD) were played on the maps DoD_Caen, DoD_Hill, DoD_Snowtown, DoD_Dam, Dod_Valley and a selection of Normandy-like maps. The incredible amounts of traffic on DoD servers at the time spoke to the quality of the game, but much like SFII, the standout element for this game was its near perfect balance. Players had the choice of choosing either the Allied or Axis forces, but the choice made little difference to the overall gameplay. DoD, perhaps more so than any other shooter before it, truly allowed the player to showcase their skill set. Missing were the super guns or tactical nukes of other games of the era. Instead, players were armed the most basic options of rifle or machine gun. Battles were won with teamwork and skill rather than firepower and a race to the super weapons. In an era where space themed shooters and a 'bigger is better' attitude dominated the FPS landscape, DoD delivered a gaming experience that demanded collaboration to succeed, and kept the players grounded in the harsh reality of wartime combat. Balanced gameplay, skilled players rising to the top to become team leaders, limited but near perfect maps and a less is more approach to weapons and player classes are what makes DoD v 1.2-1.3b a game that truly deserves its place among the all time best.

Tim Kennedy writes on behalf of AppsPatrol. He recommends you visit AppsPatrol for your iphone app reviews and iphone game reviews.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

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

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

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

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

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

1. Check the ESRB Rating

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

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

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

2. Read the ESRB Content Descriptors

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

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

3. Understand the Classifications When Shopping For Older Kids

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

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

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

4. Visit the Game Platform Manufacturer Website

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

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

5. Check with Organizations That Offer Independent Game Evaluations

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

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

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

If All Else Fails

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

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

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

Sellavideogame.com [http://www.sellavideogame.com] purchases used playstation 2 games, used gamecube games, used gameboy advance games, as well as anime dvds, and more. To find out more about how to sell your games to us, please visit us at Sellavideogame.com [http://www.sellavideogame.com]

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Video Cards - "Eyes" of Your Computer

Computers have always used some sort of video card or display adapter ever since the personal computer was invented. There were plenty of computers before that didn't use screens (imagine that!), but these were used mainly for calculations and diagnostics. When you think about these old computers, think about the old "Super Computer" that was really big and had buttons on it - something you would see in an old horror-type film or some sort, maybe Frankenstein.

But, enough about the past, lets talk video cards! For generations now, video cards have been one of the most important parts of any computer system. Without one, your computer will still run, but you won't have a picture on your screen since you wouldn't be able to plug your monitor into your computer. For those that don't know, when you plug your monitor into the back of your computer, it goes directly into the video card or video display port. From here, the computer processors everything you "see" through your video card and it gets sent up to your monitor where you interact with the computer, whether it's a game, word processor, internet browser or email.

What's the difference between a video card and a video display adapter? Nothing! They're technically the same thing, but may look differently. A video card is something that you can actually pull out of your computer and hold in your hands physically whereas a video display adapter may be built into your motherboard (another computer component) and you can physically pull it off or hold it. Usually a video card is much more powerful than a video adapter (also called a display adapter). A video card has it's own GPU, which is basically a CPU (also known as a processor). Your video card also has its own RAM (also known as memory) built right on it, much like your motherboard has RAM slots and you put RAM into them. However, video card RAM is different as it can not be removed, replaced or upgraded on a video card but you have to upgrade the entire card.

Many gamers are highly concerned about video cards because they're so important to their games. Without a very fast and powerful video card, you might see "delays" in your game, which some people refer to as "lag" but in reality it is the inability of your video card to display frames as fast as it should. But it's okay, that doesn't mean there's something wrong with your video card, it just means it's not powerful enough to handle the graphics of your game. The "lag" you experience is actually a low "frame rate". When a game is played on your screen, it displays in "frames" which you, the user, interact with. To find out exactly what frames are and why they're important, check out this article on "What is FPS? [http://www.videocardemporium.com/FPS.php]", it'll give you a brief understanding of what it stands for and what it is.

The more graphically intense a game is, the harder it is for a video card to display since it has to finely tune all the details, physics (if any), textures, colors and a million other things that are being sent to your monitor. Chances are, if your game is running slow, a video card upgrade could definitely help you out! With as cheap as video cards are getting today, it's really a good idea to get a new card regardless. A lot of new video cards come with new technology to help your computer run better all around and not just in games. They help refresh images on a screen more quickly and even have the technology to display HD images from movies. Who doesn't like to see their movie displayed in top notch quality? With some video cards as low as under $100, it's an easy upgrade to give you a whole new visual performance on your computer.

If you're feeling like you need a new video card or an upgrade, I'd highly recommend checking out Video Card Emporium for some of the cheapest video cards you can find. They sell a bunch of value cards that are great additions to any computer, whether it's for gaming or just an overall upgrade, a cheap video card doesn't mean it's bad! It may simply be slightly outdated or a value model. Much like how cars have different models, such as standard or luxury, so do video cards!

In conclusion, give your eyes something better to look at! See clean, crisp, vivid color displayed on your screen with a brand new cheap video card [http://www.videocardemporium.com] and give your eyes a break. Who knows, it might even save you some eye strain!

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Discover the Difference Between the Different Video Game Genres

Ask any teenager today the number of hours they spend in front of their computer playing video games and the answer will surely startle you. Nowadays, youngsters spend a huge amount of time playing video games, thereby turning gaming into a mainstream industry. There are different genres of video games, each having its own fan following. Each year, gamers of each genre wait with bated breath for their favorite games to be released.

Some of the popular video game genres include the Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game or MMORPG, the First Person Shooters or FPS, Arcade games like racing, simulation games and many more. There are certain other genres of games as well and these include the action and adventure, role-playing, real time strategy and third person shooter games. Each and every genre has their own set of sub categories.

First person shooter games require the player to play as if they are experiencing the game through their own eyes. Some of the other types of games include the flight simulation games where the gamer has to play the role of a pilot and the entire screen feels like the cockpit of an actual aeroplane. There are certain Real Time Strategy games where the players are given command of a certain map and they have to gather resources to build colonies, empires and fight wars.

The arcade racing games place the gamers at the driver's seat and allow them to compete with the fanciest cars of the world along with the best 3D rendering of the gaming environment. A massively popular genre of games includes the MMORPG where players from all over the world come together and play the game live, thanks to their Internet connections. The opportunity of playing with an actual person rather than the Artificial Intelligence of the game makes these MMORPG so famous.

One of the hottest free online multiplayer games today is Mafia Wars. If you are looking for Mafia Wars strategy, read our Dominate Mafia Wars Review and discover how you can grow your mafia and dominate the competition effortlessly.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

From ColecoVision to iPhone Games - Some High Water Marks in Video Game Design History - Part 9

In this ongoing look at significant moments in the history of video game design, we have already taken a look at Bungie's Halo, Bethesda's Elder Scrolls series, Nintendo's Mike Tyson's Punch-Out and several others. The goal of this series is to go beyond simple gaming magazines and iPhone Game Reviews, and take a closer look at what defines memorability and quality in game design. In this ninth part of the series we will examine some more of those classic moments where video game designers undoubtedly got it right and delivered a memorable, enduring and progressive gaming experience.

Halo 2 - A launch title for the original Xbox, Halo:Combat Evolved not only ensured the success of the Xbox, but served as the launching point for what would go onto become one of the biggest franchises in all of video games. Its first sequel, Halo 2, had more than its share of hype to deliver on and seemed poised to yet again redefine the first-person-shooter (FPS) genre upon its release. Despite its warm critical reception and record breaking sales, a small but vocal contingent of Halo fans felt that Halo 2 fell short in many ways. Animations were lacking and stiff (melee animations in particular were of markedly lower quality than the original), draw-in and pop-up was abound, and a surprise playable character coupled with an undelivered upon - yet promised - story arc left enthusiasts feeling slighted. Regardless of these actual and perceived shortcomings, Halo 2 did many things exceedingly well. Its new vehicle mounting and dual wielding systems were implemented effectively, and the Arbiter character, though maligned, offered a refreshing change of gameplay pace and style.

In singling out a single aspect of Halo 2 for its lasting greatness, we can simply focus on the game's refined enemy selection. While most players praised Halo 2 for its newly introduced online multiplayer element, the single player received a much needed shot in the arm in the form of new enemies - various Brutes, Drones and Prophets.

Much line in the original Halo, Halo 2 demands the player to be well rounded. Intricate and carefully planned battles among humans and the Covenant make way to the all out bullet storms that are interactions with the Flood. Tactical gunfights with the much more powerful Brutes were tempered by frantic wars with swarms of flying drones. The game demanded not only precision aiming and battlefield smarts (take a Brutes helmet out and the Brute will shortly follow), but stealthy assassinations performed under timed periods of invisibility (Arbiter levels). The introduction of boss battles with the Prophets serves as another example of a new character being seamlessly introduced into the narrative and gameplay. In playing Halo 2, players are forced to call upon skills that have been refined over many years of FPS gaming. Battlefield experience from games like Call of Duty helped the player overcome hordes of foot soldiers and entrenched enemies. The Dooms and Quakes of the world helped develop those fast twitch reactions required to beat enemies like the flood and the drones, while the original Halo primed the player for the vehicle battles that made up such a healthy portion of each game. It is because of its varied enemy selection and the demands it places on the skill-sets of even the most seasoned FPS players that Halo 2 will go down in history as a game that pushed the genre forward and truly tested all gamers who chose to rise to its challenge.

Frank Taylor writes on behalf of AppsPatrol. He recommends you visit AppsPatrol for your iphone app reviews and iPhone Game Reviews

Professional Video Game Testing - What Games Will I Test as A Paid Game Tester?

If you're interested in pursuing a career as a video game tester, but still have some doubts about it, then you will want to read this article. In it, I will answer the questions of most aspiring young game testers and talk about the different games that are tested.

The games you will test as a video game tester largely depend upon the developing company you are working for. The simple fact is that no matter what company you're working for, you'll be testing games that have yet to be released to the public and are nearing the final stages of development. Typically, you will test games in a variety of different genres, which means you should have some level of expertise in all the different types of video games (FPS, MMORPG, RTS, RPG, Racing, Sports, Etc).

If you are a specialist in only one particular game type, such as role-playing games or racing games, and nothing else, then you won't likely make for a good professional video game tester. That's not to say you won't get any game testing jobs. It's just that you won't have as large of a "job field" as most other game testers. Generally speaking, if you're going to make it as a professional video game tester, then you simply must be skilled with different video game genres. There is really no other way to look at it.

Why must you be an "expert" in a multitude of different video game types? Simply because the game company that hires you will determine what type of video games you will be testing. You can't pick and choose what game you want to test; it doesn't work that way, unfortunately. On a side note, many video game tester jobs will involve testing computer games. This is due to the fact that PC video games are prone to having many glitches and bugs. Don't worry about being a PC game tester though, as there are plenty of companies that focus purely on console gaming systems. However, it wouldn't hurt to get some PC gaming experience.

When you're done testing a game, it is yours to keep with no strings attached. This is a great way to amass a library of awesome video games for free. It's true these videos games won't be technically "complete", but that's just a technicality. After all, a free video game is still a free video game.

Generally, the games you will test will be sent via snail-mail, along with a "Glitch/Bug" report form that you will fill out after you've completed the game testing. And, just in case you haven't caught on yet, this means you will be getting paid to play video games from the comfort of your own home!

Video game testers really do have it made. They get paid to play the coolest and most technologically advanced video games, and they get to do it from their very own home. Honestly, what more could any gamer ask for?

Sean Saunders Spends Most of His Time Playing Video Games And He Now Has A Very Successful Career as a Professional Video Game Tester. If You Too Would Like To Get Started With Paid Video Game Testing, Visit Gamer-Testing-Ground.com, The Number One Resource For Video Game Testers Everywhere.

If You're Not In A Big Rush To Get Your Testing Career Started and Would Just Like More Information on Video Game Testing, Go To... http://www.squidoo.com/BeAVideoGameTester/

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Storytelling In Video Games - Is It Necessary?

Christmas 1993 marks the day I became a gamer. I received Myst, which went on to become the second best-selling PC game of all time. From Christmas Day until my return to school after the New Year, I was totally engrossed within the game. The storyline of Myst was entertaining, enriching and was certainly challenging. I fell in love with the game and the virtual worlds within video games from that point forward. Like many of my fellow gamers, we love the storyline within a game and for me, it is a deciding factor upon playing or buying a game.

The video game industry has taken so many turns and twists since I had my first experience within the world of Myst, it's hard to keep up with the flood of options. Whether your style is a role playing game (RPG), first person shooter (FPS), or a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) your choices are endless. We know games offer all types of entertainment to the gamer, but how much of a role is the storyline of a game actually playing? Do most players want to seek and destroy or do users want a more enriching experience which immerses them into the lore and legend of a game? What about quests? What about character background and development? Does anyone really care? As long as it looks good and plays well, is that enough?

Options abound in the gaming world give designers a multitude of challenges when competing with outside media sources. Keeping a player involved mentally in a video game may take more than just the Tetris type challenges in the past. As video games evolve, so does the gamer. There will always be the gamer that wants to take the shortest route from point A to point B, but there is also the gamer who wants a richer based world. They want the visual rewards as well as the skill rewards. Appealing to all types of players is the goal. Story and Lore are critical in getting the players attention when they try out a new game. Boredom can set in quickly and competition abounds in the video game market.

A more recent trend in video games, such as The Sims popular appeal can be attributed to creating your own experiences within a video game and giving the player a choice in actually authoring the experiences of their characters. Fable, a popular console RPG, gives the player the opportunity to make moral choices which will determine their future experiences within the game. We are seeing gamers becoming more intelligent with wanting to make their own choices in the game. Gamers are becoming more savvy every year and their input and ideas should also be a factor in game creation. Without a basic storyline or a more developed virtual world, keeping the player engrossed in a video game for the long term would be a challenge.

As video gamers, we should expect this experience to enrich all of our senses. Utilizing a storyline that's rich in lore, character development and visual experiences are basic tenants that keep a player immersed within a game.

Tiltedgabs is a creator of TiltedHouse, an online Community Gaming Project. TiltedHouse offers users the unique experience of creating the storyline for an online video game with community input and participation. For more information please visit us at http://tiltedhouse.net

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Testing Video Games From Home For Cash

Getting paid for playing video games at home sounds like a pipe dream, right? This is one of those things that sets off the, "too good to be true" alarms, I know! I'm writing this article to let you know that you could land one of these jobs, if you know the secret to getting inside the business. Great jobs like these only last because people don't know how to get them, and if you have previously searched for a video game testing job, you probably know this to be true!

The video game industry is rated at some 50 billion dollars and it is growing very quickly. Experts say that they expect exponential growth over the next couple of years, as well! What does this mean then, exactly? It means that now is the absolute perfect time to get your foot in the door of this industry. With the huge growth in the video game business you can expect many gaming testing jobs opening, including some very nice high paying opportunities as these companies try to best their competitors and grab up all of the best testers.

As an avid video game player myself who enjoys all kinds of games, ranging from MMORPG's all the way down to FPS' like Team Fortress 2, this is where I come in for you and tell you this big secret; game companies typically only hire people who show initiative and come to them, instead of posting jobs. It seems simple at first I'm sure, but really think on it for a moment. They lean towards people especially who already have either contacts in the industry, some sort of game related degree, or both. I'm not about to leave any of you hanging though!

From a gamer, to another gamer, I want to offer you an opportunity so you can get contacts in the video gaming industry; over 50 of them in fact, insuring that you will get into whatever genre you choose if you pursue it. Many people have gone through this service to get a job in the video game industry, and through these contacts they can even ship the games to your house if you prefer, depending on the company!

If you are interested, check out Gaming Tester for more detailed information on this great gaming opportunity. You can live out your dream of being a video game tester if you take action now while the market is hot!

Adam Huff

Gamer For Life!

Get Paid For Gaming.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Video Game Constructs We Should Try and Avoid

Some things in video games just happen, they are a standard, and as players we don't question them. That door is locked, we can't break it down because we are playing a game, this isn't "real-life." It might seem stupid from the outside, but we accept it because it is part of the rule base, and when we play a video game, we play within the rule base we have been given, that is challenge.

But there are some video game constructs that we take for standard, and perhaps we shouldn't anymore. Constructs that are ingrained into our gamer minds for no reason other than they have always been there.

1. Boss Battles.

Boss battles were never a staple of video games. You will not find them in Asteroids, Pac Man, Donkey Kong, or the like. But somewhere in time, they were added as a necessity. Zelda's dungeon bosses and Metroid's big boss battles are two prime examples of differing boss types. In Zelda you often kill the boss using the equipment you just acquired, whereas in Metroid, you get better equipment for defeating the boss. Bosses in RPGs differ again, in that they are a test of your current skills and abilities. If you're dying, you probably shouldn't even be this far in the game, and you should take some time to back track and improve.

But boss battles creep into territory where they are completely unnecessary. Guitar Hero III comes to mind straight away, as do the boss races in the original Crash Team Racing. The problem with this kind of boss battle is that the rules change. You're not really playing GHII or CTR anymore, you're playing a very similar game, yes, but not the game you played to get here in the first place.

R-Type's boss battles also suffer from being a bit flawed. The level preceding the boss seems to only have the purpose of you picking up power ups for which to defeat the boss with. Compare to Ikaruga, where you don't get power ups, and the bosses are a true test of your skills attained thus far.

Bosses are necessary, yes, but only in some genre of games, and only if done well. Think Scarab Tanks, and not Jinpachi.

2. Limited progression based on difficulty

I suck at this game, so why should I be kicked out half way through? How exactly do you expect me to improve if you only let me play half the game, or with half the rules?

Selecting easy mode should be just that, a mode of the game that is easier. Metal Gear Solid is a great example of a difficulty set up. I'm sure some people are absolutely terrible at these games, but still play them for the story. Imagine if you could only find out half the story, and be kicked out after the first disc because you picked easy mode.

Plok on the SNES cut out absolutely huge chunks of the game, and then spat you out early, almost as a punishment, for playing on easy mode. Bumping the difficulty up to normal proved too difficult due to the hand holding nature of easy mode.

Most puzzle games have the easiest time circumventing this problem, as it just scales its levels in ascending order of difficulty (Lemmings, Picross DS). Whereas games like Advance Wars, where you can make the game easier by turning off the abilities of your leaders, has the obvious downside of making it extremely difficult to understand all of the factors involved when you turn them back on.

Action games too can merely just change key variables like health, ammo and damage to make the overall experience more tailored to the casual gamer.

Ideally, the difficulty of an "easy mode" should be scaled so that mastery of easier modes leads you nicely into playing in normal modes, and so on up to the highest difficulty settings. Guitar Hero has perfected this idea. You're still playing the whole game, just an easier version of it.

3. Games built around the online elements

Yes, I know for some games this is the entire point, but it is when games become so bogged down in making sure that the online element of the game is good, that is sacrifices the quality of the single player mode.

Halo 3 arguably suffers in the campaign mode due to excessive design on the multiplayer aspect. Campaign levels are linear, and need nowhere near as much design as the multiplayer levels which will be played millions of times more frequently. You could argue that Halo is a multiplayer game, and that the campaign mode is more just a training area for those that have never played it. The main problem a game like Halo has is that its multiplayer game play is so far removed from the single player experience, that they can hardly be called the same game; there are no capture the flag missions, or territory missions in the campaign.

Then take Mario Kart DS for example, which is multiplayer by default. Whether you play the AI or your mates, the game is the same. Unreal Tournament is the FPS equivalent.

Pokémon Battle Revolution should have been the foray into 3D Pokémon that the current generation wanted. But instead, unless you have Wi-Fi and friends, the game lacks somewhat. Most people buying this game would have already owned a DS and a copy of either Diamond or Pearl; I can't imagine how much they missed out on adding some offline elements to go with that game, such as fully 3D Super Contests, or some wild Pokémon hunting to aid in your Pokédex completion.

4. Unlockable extras

This is rather open to debate, but the way I see it, in games like Super Smash Brothers, why should I be forced to play for an arbitrary amount of time to unlock extra characters? This is the one thing I am not looking forward to when Super Smash Bros. Brawl comes out, is the amount of time I am going to have to put in to get all the characters.

There should be two options: One should be let the people who want to play 300 games do that. If that is the clause of unlocking hidden character X, then go ahead, let them play their balls off. Although there should be an extra option to have it unlock automatically with passcodes or what not, so that if I want to boot up SSBB and play as Lucario straight away, I should be allowed. I'm not being lazy, I just find it a hurdle to my enjoyment of the game. Nobody is really gaining anything by making the player play longer in order to unlock stuff.

Obviously this would not work for all games, racing games are a good example. But that is primarily because the unlockable vehicles far surpass the regular ones. They are rewards as opposed to extras, whereas in Super Smash Bros., the unlockable characters are of the same class, if not lower (That's YOU Pichu).

5. Save points

Look, maybe in the 90's when computer games didn't have a lot of memory and writing to a cartridge was a mission in itself, I can understand, but these days there is no excuse. If I need to stop playing NOW, I should be able to stop playing NOW, not at the whim of your stupid design.

There is an excellent system that can achieve this which isn't cheating or allows you infinite attempts at a one time event. You save using a special option, that isn't a proper save point, just an interim job, and you power down your system. When you reload your system, you can load your "mini-save" and it will put you back exactly where you were and delete the save. This means if you were to power off your system after loading a "mini-save" you would lose it, and be forced to load from your last proper save. But it also guarantees that player will not save it just before opening a chest and do it 10 000 times to get the infinity +1 sword.

Games do it already, so there is no excuse for the rest of you to not follow suit.

And finally...

The really little piddly design stuff that just irritates me no end:

Menu's should be cyclical. Pressing up at the top should send me to the bottom.

I should be able to hold a button to scroll through a list faster.

When I enter my name onto a high score board, the final character should be flashing and not live to my entry. How many times have I put FENTONA into a leader board?

I should be able to change my vertical look axis in the pause menu, and not have to exit to the front end.

And so maybe, if we can steer past these things that gamers take as staples, then maybe our gaming experience will become fresher and more exciting for everyone involved.

From the mouth of Fenton Bailey. Find his blog at http://fentonbailey.blogspot.com

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Test Video Games From Home - Get Paid!

If you are an avid video game player like myself who loves all kinds of games, whether they be FPS or RPG, then you no doubt would love to earn money playing games. I'll top that, even! I bet you would love even more being paid to test games FROM HOME! Just about every true gamer has dreamed about one day being paid to game, either by playing competitively or by testing games. There are companies out there who will pay you to receive a game and play it from the comfort of your own home, while you live up to your own end and report any bugs you may find. Then, after all is said and done, you get to keep the game. How much better could it possibly get?

The best part is you get to test whatever kind of games you enjoy the most, if you so choose. Of course, if you pick a very small genre, you will have a very small amount of games to test, but I don't think I need to lecture any gamer about widening their horizons! How could it be possible that you could score a job in ANY genre you choose though, in this highly competitive business? As of 2008, it was reported that the video game industry was worth an estimated 50 billion dollars, and it is expected to raise substantially in the following 2 years and onwards. There is a lot of companies out there, with a lot of money, looking for someone just like you to beta test their game!

I am not looking to fool anyone however! There may be a lot of companies and money floating around but there is also many gamers out there today. You need something to set yourself apart from the next gamer if you want to be chosen instead! I know just what you need - a contact in the business, someone who can help refer you to over 50 companies and help you get the job in whatever genre of your choosing. This also happens to be the best way to get your foot in the door of the video game industry, leading to a higher calling if you so choose!

So what are you waiting for? Visit Gaming Tester to learn more about this opportunity and start being paid to do something you would have already been doing anyhow for free likely!

Adam Huff
Gamer For Life!
Get Paid For Gaming

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Halo Series the Culmination of First Person Shooter Video Games

Halo 3 was recently released amidst great fanfare as an exclusive title to the latest Microsoft gaming console: the Xbox 360. The Halo games have been the flagship titles on the Xbox consoles since the first Xbox was released with the first Halo back in 2001. Halo: Combat Evolved quickly became a popular culture phenomenon, being hailed by many industry authorities as the best first person shooter available on a console. It quickly spiraled into an industry of its own, spawning original novels, comic books, toys and more.

Halo is the evolution of a genre that goes back to the earliest 3D game graphics. Once it became possible to put a game character in a maze and then show that maze from the character's perspective - the first person perspective - rather than the overhead view previous video games had used, it opened up the door for the development of the "first person shooter", or FPS. The original FPS, Wolfenstein 3D, looks crude by today's standards, but it was cutting edge in both graphics and sound quality on its release in 1992. Certainly it was unlike anything that anyone had seen at the time. While the concept was simple - you walk through a maze and shoot bad guys - its execution allowed gamers to feel like they were inside the game in a way that hadn't been experienced before.

Prior to Halo, the most well-known FPS was the second major FPS to hit the market: Doom. Doom gained notoriety beyond the gaming world for its violent content and rampant popularity. It was the first FPS to allow multiplayer gaming over a modem or network, an updated version of which is one of Halo's main selling points. Doom became popular enough that a major Hollywood movie was made, starring The Rock and Karl Urban. Following in Doom's footsteps, Halo is also slated to be made into a motion picture, though - as of writing this article - that project is still in development.

Each installment of the Halo series has only increased the frenzy around these games as Bungie and Microsoft come up with new features to add to increase replayability and multiplayer functionality. While Halo 2 sold eight million copies worldwide and was the most played game on Xbox Live for two years, Halo 3 is expected to eventually blow those figures out of the water. 4.2 million copies were shipped to retail outlets for the release date and its release has nearly tripled sales of Xbox360 compared to pre-Halo 3 sales of the console. There's no denying that the Halo series of video games has become a major force in popular culture, and will likely remain so for years to come.

Sarah Corlett runs the successful toy safety resource 21st Century Toys: [http://www.21st-century-toys.com] and the Xbox 360 source: http://www.xtreme-xbox.com

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.