We have this propensity for naming generations according to a distinctive attribute. Remember the Baby Boomers? Generation X? How about this generation? Have they been labeled yet?

If you were to ask me, I would say Generation Video Games, or Gamers, or whatever sounds better. The reason for this is a study that was conducted by Pew Internet & American Life Project. This study highlighted the fact that nearly every kid – at least in the United States – plays video games.

To be honest, we could all have made that statement – probably almost every person we know plays video games. Then again, having a “scientific” study back up your idea is something else. So what did the study find out aside from that general fact?

Ninety-seven percent of young respondents play video games. That’s 99 percent of boys and 94 percent of girls, with little difference in the percentages among various racial and ethnic groups and incomes. In fact, 7 percent of those surveyed said they didn’t have a computer at home, but did have a game console, such as Sony Corp.’s PlayStation, Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox or Nintendo Co.’s Wii.

They play often. When surveyed, half of the respondents said they had played a video game the previous day.

Their games of choice are as diverse as their tastes in music or TV. Eighty percent of respondents play five or more different game genres, with racing, puzzles, sports and action the most common. Favorites were “Guitar Hero,” “Halo 3,” “Madden NFL,” solitaire and “Dance Dance Revolution.”
The last two points do not surprise me at all. The same thing would apply to adults I know. The first point, however, was a bit surprising. I thought that despite the popularity of video games, personal computers would still be present in homes. I guess I was wrong.

One question – would you want your child’s generation to be labeled based on video games?

Tags: Psychology

As a gamer, you’re likely used to only enjoying high-ranking commercial titles of the highest quality and rarely pay regards to anything else. However, you’d be surprised how much the rest of the gaming market can offer you, and how much there is to discover in other games as well – especially when it comes to free games! Plus, if you find yourself with more time to kill than usual, then you may also want to check out a good blog with news relevant to your interests.

With free Flash games, you can easily fill up those empty minutes with some high-quality entertainment. Don’t let the “free” part of the title fool you, some of these games are actually designed with astonishing quality and have a lot to offer in the gameplay department – so make sure you pay them a visit and check out the Internet extensively for any cool games you might have missed out on.

And of course, you can’t stay informed about geek trends if you don’t read the proper things – all geeks need a good geek blog to keep them well-informed on the latest happenings in their world, and don’t let yourself think you don’t need it – you’re probably missing out on tons of information if you don’t follow at least one good, reputed website on a daily basis, so you better catch up; there’s plenty more to discover out there, if you’ve got free time at least ensure it’s well-spent!

Tags: free games, Gaming Sites

Have you noticed how much effort has been put by game developers in their products’ trailers lately? It seems that every trailer for a video game that’s come out recently has been nothing short of a masterpiece. And with great trailers usually comes great music – admit it, you’ve had at least a few occasions where you’ve watched the trailer for an upcoming release and just wanted to get your hands on that track!

However, in some cases that music’s made specifically for the trailer in question, so you really have no quick access to it. Lucky for you, there are ways around those limitations! First, you’ll have to get a program to download videos from the site the trailer is on – most of these websites share similar ideas in their design so that shouldn’t be too difficult. Run the program and point it to the link of the trailer – then let it download the video and extract, which may take some time in some cases, so be patient.

In the end you’ll be left with a video file – so then, you’ll just need a tool to convert videos to MP3 so that you can get the song out of that file and have it as an MP3 file for yourself! Sure, it may take a bit of cutting and editing to remove the unnecessary bits like the sounds from the trailer, and the results may not be perfect, but it’ll still be something, right?

Tags: Format Converters, Tools, Video Tools, videos

Come on, admit it – don’t be shy. You have used video game cheats at least once, haven’t you? As complicated and difficult video game developers have made many of the video games, they always provide a way out – video game cheats. So are video game cheats any good? Is it ok for a gamer to use video game cheats?

Kenneth Elliott, in his article says:

On one hand, some of the recent games are so difficult that is would be very hard to get to certain levels. So, maybe it is good to provide codes so that everyone can experience the FULL game. But I say this is only a way for the game manufacturers to get the gamer to finish the game and focus them to go out and buy another game.

Video games have gotten so complex, since the days of Pong and PacMan, that the game authors have purposely thrown in some back doors and other shortcuts to aid the weary player. The problem is, most of these back doors are so well hidden that these same authors have to leak the game cheats or no one would ever find them on their own.

As you can see, the argument is that gamers need to have ways to finish the games as it is hard to do it on their own. Then again, I am pretty sure that there are lots of gamers there who can finish video games without cheats.

So are video game cheats necessary? I am not so sure. What about you?

Tags: Cheats

I remember talking to a friend who couldn’t stop complaining about how his wife would nag him about turning his PlayStation 3 off when he was not using it. Sometimes, when he had to take a break in the middle of the game (or when his wife asked him to do errands), he would leave the system on because he had not been able to reach a save point. This would result in an argument about saving electricity.

I thought of this conversation when I read an article today about just how much electricity video game consoles use. According to a study done by the Natural Resources Defense Council, “consoles in use today consume an estimated 16 billion-kilowatt hours per year, which, the report goes on to translate, is roughly equal to the annual electricity use of the city of San Diego.”

That amount is so incomprehensible that I was left speechless after reading the figure involved! To be honest, I am very keen on conserving whatever natural resources we have and am quite particular about turning electrical equipment off when not in use. Our gaming consoles at home are always turned off when not in use – we make it a point to save the game and then shut the TV and consoles off.

My point is this: let us be responsible gamers. We already receive enough flak as it is. Let us not make ourselves another target for people who do not think highly of us and video games in general. Conserve energy!

Tags: electricity, power consumption

Now that’s one thing we don’t associate very often – the world of video gaming and the more mundane and crazy world of fashion. For the hardcore gamer, there is nothing more thrilling than the game itself. May they be RPG, strategy games or the many other types, or on whatever platform, they always want to win. Play online, in a network or solo and enjoy the challenge. Hailed as the only industry that is not affected much of the current recession, the video gaming industry is truly a growing group. Seems more and more of those jobless folks are in need for an outlet for their frustrations. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to play a totally fictional character in the prehistoric age of an alien planet as you rule and send them into battle, or the sorcerer who battles the evils of all evils?

For more hardcore earthbound action, try playing RPG’s that fits human against human in the never ending battle for supremacy. Play the hero or the villain, all is possible with video games that takes us away to another place, where fantasy meets reality as we battle on day by day. One interested and obsessed with the game should also look fit for the game and what better way that to sport some of the latest designed video game shirts. Express your allegiance to your game and teams as you wear the colors, bringing the thrill into the realm of reality. Get the hottest gear for gamers, by gamers and express your team’s pride or loyalty to a specific game. So what are you waiting for, Game ON!

Tags: fashion, gamers accessories