Among the notable games that are coming out would be the off-shoot of popular sports and athletics such as the NBA, NFL and the NHL. These sporting events usually lead the headlines of the newspaper sports headlines and people are given the opportunity to be able to experience them through developed games in the various game consoles of the Playstation and Xbox series.
Each game comes with the usual updated player rosters, teams, statistics and signature moves that players are known for. Games like NBA Live and Madden Football also have the feature of a dynasty or story mode which allows controllers to be able to dictate and follow the development and evolution of their created or existing players throughout their career. Teams are also another good thing to build on since building dynasties is synonymous to planning and strategic management in a different approach and aspect from such developed games today.
Tags: nba-live, nfl, PlayStation, PS2, PS3, Xbox
For game consoles, the need for a gamer to be familiar with the controller buttons which corresponds to a particular command in the chosen games such as Tekken and Mortal Kombat is a need to enjoy the game and interface much easier. Such controller buttons once combined properly will produce special moves and secret effects that make the gaming experience for games a whole lot worth it.
Truth of the matter is that most games, either fighting or role playing games offer more than just graphical presentation to impress the gamers. For older people the essence of game play and hidden secrets in games is something that they would initially want to crack. A good source to find out such hidden codes and combinations would be the Internet. A lot of sites like Gamespy offers such codes and walkthroughs for gamers to practice them once they get the chance to try it out for themselves in their PlayStation, Xbox and Wii game consoles.
Tags: PlayStation, ps, PS2, PS3, PSP, Xbox
Online games have been numerous and originating from all parts of the world, particularly in the Asian countries of Korea, Taiwan and Europe. Practically anyone can log on to such gaming servers, either through downloading the game client or through purchased compact discs that contain the relevant files to be able to play the game. Among the known games include Ultima Online, Runescape, World of Warcraft Gold, and Freestyle Basketball.
There are also the usual games developed by the Yahoo group, like Bookworm, Lemonade Tycoon, Family Feud or Chess. These games are more of an individual type, although features to have a two player game are available for selected games such as Chess.
Overall, it will be all whittled down to which is important, game play or graphics. For actual role playing games, it is a toss up. For hardcore gamers, the game methodology is the more important thing over the graphics since they have been exposed to various games already. Graphics such as 3D capability is also preferred although some may have pathetic game objectives. It is truly hard to satisfy both genres but overall, their presence over the web adds another new dimension on going online, gaming at a level where they can enjoy and converse with other people from any walk of life today.
Tags: 3d-graphics, online-games, roleplaying
Anyone who has had at two or three gaming consoles at the same time will know how irritating it can be to have to deal with all the wires associated with these toys. You also have to consider the game controllers. While the new gaming consoles have wireless controllers, the mere idea of having to buy different controllers for different consoles is not that attractive. We have no choice at the moment, however.
If Sony’s patent application is going to become a reality, though, we just might be able to use one gadget to play games using various consoles. Think PlayStation, Xbox, and the Wii. I think that they’ve also mentioned compatibility with Atari and Sega!
How is this going to work? According to the patent application, the controller will make use of an LCD screen – touch sensitive of course. This screen will display the various buttons and controls that we currently find in game controllers. Obviously, this means that the experience will not be tactile at all. It’s much like the touch screen phones and tablets in the market today. The controller will be able to store 3 different controller configurations but will display only one configuration at a time.
I can easily see how advantageous one controller for all consoles can be. However, I am not so sure about the disappearance of buttons that you can actually feel. I think the tactile experience is part of gaming, and the touch screen idea might not be well-received. Then again, that’s what many said about the iPhone.
Tags: game-controllers, gaming consoles, sony, universal remote
When the Nintendo Wii first came out, it became an instant hit because of the novelty it brought to the video game industry. People immediately saw the potential of Wii Sports. Then Wii Fit came out. Now we have Wii Fit Plus.
Countless people have been enticed to purchase these games in order to make their exercise routines more fun and positive. Even celebrities have been attesting to the effectiveness of the Wii Fit. Hardcore gamers, quite understandably, have turned up their noses at this. After all, you play video games because you want to have fun, not to lose weight, right?
Then again, we have a new generation of gamers – age does not matter and the whole gaming experience is taking on a change. Enter Wii Fit Plus yet again – lose weight while having fun!
And after a lot of flak and “investigation,” it seems that Nintendo has scored big. The UK government has released a statement to the effect that the Wii Fit Plus is a good way to get your blood moving. In fact, the game is now authorized to carry logos from the Change4Life campaign. A health department spokesperson stated that “active video games, where kids need to jump up and down or dance about as part of the game, are a great way to get kids moving more. Little bits of activity like this throughout the day can easily add up to the 60 active minutes kids need.”
How about adults? I suppose it should work the same way. Anything to get people moving is good, huh?
Photo courtesy of Gamespy
Tags: health, Nintendo Wii, Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus
Not long after Sony released its much awaited PlayStation 3 Slim, video game console makers seem to have woken up from their slumber. If you thought that the video game console wars are over, think again! It’s back and in full force.
Try looking online for a video game console and you will be met with various promises and offers. This console has better hardware to give the best graphic experience. This one is the fastest. This one has awesome sounds. And so on.
More than the actual console itself, manufacturers are coming up with a plethora of hardware add-ons that promise to give gamers the best experience yet. At the most recent E3 convention in May, Sony revealed a new control system that is compatible with the PlayStation Eye. Not to be outdone, Microsoft revealed Natal, a hands-free control system. Of course, Wii had its MotionPlus.
Now we are witnessing the slashing of game console prices. The PlayStation 3 Slim already costs less than the first models. I was really taken by surprise at how low the price was! The Wii is also getting cheaper, with a 20% discount in the works.
What does this mean for us, consumers? Simple! We will have more and better choices in the near future. Looking at things from another angle, owners of the Xbox 360 and PS3 Slim are quite assured of the longevity of their consoles – it doesn’t seem like the units will be phased out for newer ones anytime soon.
Tags: Microsoft, Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3, PS3 Slim, sony, video game console wars, video game consoles, video games, xbox360
What made the Wii so popular? Before Nintendo came out with this gaming console, the “war” was practically between Sony’s PlayStation units and Microsoft’s Xbox units. Then the Wii came into the picture. Now, it is undoubtedly at the head of the race. So what made it so popular? There are probably a lot of answers to this question but the Wii-mote is definitely going to be one of the most common answers. To make the long story short, the Wii-mote has made revolutionary changes in the way we play games.
Now what would happen if the PlayStation or the Xbox had a controller much like the Wii-mote? Would it boost the sales of either gaming console? I cannot give a definitive answer BUT I am pretty sure that the people at Sony have thought about it. A lot.
In fact, the rumor is that they are releasing a PS3 controller which bears a striking resemblance to the Wii-mote, but with new developments. Yahoo Games has the story:
While Sony’s current Sixaxis PS3 controller already detects motion, its functionality is severely limited compared to the Nintendo Wii remote. According to the article, the new device will one-up the Wii controller by using tiny LED lights and a small webcam to track movement, which will apparently make for much more accurate motion-detection. This bears a striking similarity to a patent application filed by Sony in 2006, lending an air of credibility to the claim.
Can you imagine playing God of War 3 using this controller? Now all we need are 3D effects….
Yes, that is for real. There is such a thing as a peeing game. Ok, the name is not that crude (I apologize if I have offended some with the title) but the idea is basically that. Dubbed the Super Pii Pii Brothers (there isn’t much of a difference, is there?), the game involves putting on a belt harness and making sure that the neverending stream of urine goes straight where it should be – the toilet.
The guys at ThinkGeek played this game themselves and this is what they have to say:
The play mechanics are simple. Prepare yourself by strapping on the included belt harness and jacking in your Wiimote. A series of toilets are presented on screen and the challenge is to tilt your body to control a never-ending stream of pee. Get as much pee in the toilets as you can while spilling as little on the floor as possible. Sounds easy eh? Well the toilets open and close whack-a-mole style and occasionally the stray cat or other cute critter pops up. Spray a cat for extra points. Get too much pee on the ground and your game is over. With realistic fluid dynamics for the pee and over 100 different bathrooms from bars and palaces to automatic Japanese style toilets you’ll be entertained for hours. And wait until your friends see the multi-player mode with dueling pee streams…
According to the Japanese text on the box “Super Pii Pii Brothers promotes good bathroom skills and allows women to experience for the first time the pleasure of urinating while standing.” What we say is that virtual peeing is damn fun!
Uhhh…ok…
I know, I know, Guitar Hero has been around for a long time – the franchise has reached the third version. I have even featured it in this blog before. I didn’t really try it myself until this week, though, I guess that with all the games that I have been playing – on the PlayStation 3, the Wii, and the PC – plus the fact that I work day and night, I really don’t have much time to play everything.
In any case, we downloaded a demo of Guitar Hero, the Aerosmith edition from the PlayStation store the other day. Needless to say, I was instantly hooked. Perhaps one big factor is that I am a big Aerosmith fan. Listening to the songs while playing a video game is a different experience. Since I do not have any of the peripherals (instruments) used for Guitar Hero, I had to make do with the PS3 controller. It was still fun!
My thoughts on the game…the graphics are funky. I love Steven Tyler but I cannot deny the fact that he does not have the prettiest face in the music industry. Still, maybe they could have made his Guitar Hero persona a bit more aesthetically appealing? I guess that does not really matter much, though. I like how you can choose among 4 modes. I suck so bad that I can only do well on the Easy mode. I tried the harder modes for Dream On, Sweet Emotion, and Walk This Way but I could not even finish half of the songs!
I would really love to buy this game but $200 is a bit beyond me right now.
Is your child gaining too much weight? Then buy him video games! But hold your horses, we have to qualify what kind of video games you have to buy. According to a team of researchers from Hong Kong, obese children can benefit from video games which urge them to move.
Of course the first thing that entered my mind when I read this was the Wii. However, there are other video games out there that provide similar benefits. One India reports:
“A recent active gaming concept that allows players to experience various activities (e.g., bowling, fishing, tennis, golf) in a virtual world is the XaviX gaming system (SSD Company Ltd., Shiga, Japan),” the authors said.
“In addition to the exercise gaming modalities, the XaviX system includes a gaming mat (XaviX J-Mat) that allows participants to travel the streets of Hong Kong at a walk or a run, avoiding obstacles and stamping out ninjas,” they added.
Robin R. Mellecker, B.Sc., and Alison M. McManus, Ph.D., of the Institute of Human Performance, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, measured heart rate and energy (calorie) expenditure in 18 children age 6 to 12 (average age 9.6) during a 25 minute gaming protocol.
“Our data demonstrate that the two active gaming formats result in meaningful increases in energy expenditure compared with the seated screen environment. The next step is to test whether active gaming interventions can provide sustainable increases in childhood physical activity,” the authors said. The study is published in the September issue of Archives of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Not bad, eh? I think the Wii is still the king when it comes to these kinds of things but I am also thinking that more and more in the industry will follow suit.
