Gaming Blog

Belinda Montgomery

Skylanders: Giants Expected to be a Big Hit

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There’s a new game foreseen to be a big hit among kids and adults this year. Skylanders: Giants is Activision’s game series that has become among the top 10 best-selling brands for kids in the U.S. today. It is also expected to be a hot item this Christmas season.

This new game released just recently features new character figures and a line of Giant Skylanders. According to Activision’s CEO, the story of the game is what attracts kids to play it particularly as they have a role in the story as the portal master.

Experts in the gaming field agree that Skylanders is more than just a video game. The game mainly relies on the Portal of Power which is a docking system that connects to a video game console. The goal here is to “port” Skylanders figurines into the game. Players should make sure that the figurine touches the Portal of Power so they can run amuck or shoot fireballs with Spyro.

In 2011, the starter pack came with three figurines for all platforms and 29 more characters were added for the duration of the year. Owing to its huge success as evident in the Q2 earnings of Activision, Skylanders was considered the best-selling console and handheld game.
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iPad Wins as Top Mobile Gaming Device

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Mobile technology is definitely what’s hot today. The earlier forecast of mobile devices overtaking desktop is already a reality worldwide.

Devices closely competing are the smartphone and tablets, in particular the iPad. Research group eMarketer has predicted that the number of iPad users in the U.S. will reach 53.2 million this 2012, an increase by more than 90 percent from the 2011 figure of 28 million. As for smartphone ownership, comScore estimated that the number will reach 110 million this year.

The latest buzz is that in terms of use of mobile device in gaming, the iPad has been declared as winner. A new study by Magid Media commissioned by PlayFirst revealed that more gamers using the iPad buy apps compared to gamers using the smartphone.

Tablet game apps are tops

Here are some interesting facts that might also surprise you. The research that covered 2,540 mobile users in Australia aged from 8 to 64 found that game apps for tablets are the most frequently purchased content these days. Also, tablets in many homes have become the top entertainment device edging out the TV. Australians are among the top users of mobile devices around the globe.
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New Gaming Tablet Set for October Release

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The world has already seen so many game consoles that have entertained both kids and adults through the years. But as time moves on, more are being developed.

In recent years, you’ve seen the Portable Sony Playstation (PSP) as well as the Nintendo DS and Wii. Now brace yourself for the latest one set to be launched in a little over a month.

This new device is called the Wikipad Gaming Tablet, considered to be the first combination and game controller. It will be officially launched on October 31 just in time for Halloween and will be sold at a retail price of $499.

Compared to the handheld gaming devices, this unit that weights 1.23 pounds is best suited for those who have issues with their vision and who prefer a wider screen. Its HD display size is 10.1 inches wide and the best part is that the screen utilizes a scratch-resistant glass.

The Wikipad will run on Android and is wi-fi capable. Other features include a 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, a Micro SD slot, 2-megapixel front camera and 8-megapixel rear unit with autofocus and flash. Not to worry about storage space because if you’re about to reach the 8GB limit, you can always use Micro SD card to extend the storage size for up to 32GB.

As for games, this Wikipad gaming tablet can play all games developed for Android. But there’s good news for Sony PlayStation fans worth mentioning here. The tablet is actually PlayStation certified and what this means is that it will be able to play PS games as well. Now, how about that?

If you’re a gaming fan who seek a more convenient device, this new Wikipad may be just the one fit for you.

Photo via gadgets.ndtv.com

Gaming Has Gone Beyond Consoles

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As technology advances, people enjoy more upgraded devices. Despite the higher prices that come with the newer models, many consumers don’t mind spending for their favorite gadgets and changing them as often as they like.

This is what’s happening with the video gaming consoles. In the past, it used to be that people relied primarily on them to play their favorite video games. In short, one had to purchase a console and even a cartridge in order to play a game. Such is the case for most of the Nintendo devices like the Atari and Gameboy.

Today, however, this is no longer the case. In fact, gaming has gone beyond the consoles.

With the advent of the internet, it is possible nowadays for players to do what they love to do online either via their computer or their mobile phone. This is convenience and savings at their best. In other words, it is really not even necessary to own a specific console in order to play a particular video game. Keep in mind that a gaming device can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars but if you’re okay with going online, then you can be sure to enjoy big savings.

The designer of Tekken, one of the most famous video games, agree that manufacturers of game consoles can no longer control the way people games. According to Harada San who is the game director and chief producer of Tekken, major console makers such as Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft can even do more good if they join forces. By this, he means coming up with a single console for the satisfaction of consumers.

Sharing with you some interesting statistics here about gaming console usage. According to the 2012 figures of grabstats.com, there are currently 190 million households in the U.S. that own the next-generation video game consoles and 80 percent have consoles connected to the internet.

Also, 65 million American households play video and computer games while the average age of a player is 35. The regular players have been engaged in their favorite activity for 13 years. You might be surprised to know that of these millions of game players, 40 percent are actually women.

What’s New with the PlayStation?

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I used to see my nephew play this PS game console almost every day without fail. That was many years ago.

Then when I had my son, my husband eventually gifted him with a Sony PlayStation at the age of 7 or 8. He even bought a steering wheel accessory that can be attached to the device and allow the player to play a car racing game as if he’s really maneuvering a real steering wheel.

After a few years, my son again received the portable video game gadget PSP from his dad.  And now after several years, here comes the newest version of the PlayStation  called the PS Vita. But many of you may not know that in between, Sony actually released several versions of the PSP.

Indeed, Sony never ceases to surprise its consumers. From the original PlayStation console, it has produced several portable models through the years with the PS Vita as the latest. And despite the stiff competition with the other manufacturers of handheld gaming devices, the company continues to create more advanced gadgets. Along with these advancements came more sophisticated games as well.

In terms of features, each of the portables that came after the PlayStation (from the PSP 1000, 2000, 3000 and PSP Go to the new PS Vita) had a unique set of features from the previous versions. So let’s see what upgrades have been made to the portable PlayStation or popularly known as  PSP through the years.

PSP 1000 – optical disc format, Universal Media Disc (UMD), connectivity with PS 2, PS 3 and the internet, serial port, memory stick PRO duo, headphone jack

PSP 2000 – video out and mic port, memory stick PRO duo

PS-3000 – new screen, built-in microphone

PSP Go – all in one port, headphone jack, mic, memory stick micro

PS Vita — front and back cameras, rear touchpad and motion sensing

In terms of storage, only the PSP 1000 had a smaller capacity at 32 MB while the rest had 64 MB or higher at 16 GB as in the case of the PSP Go.

All have a Wi-Fi capability except for the PSP E1000. The PSP Go, however, was the only model that had Bluetooth.

The PS Vita, being the newest version, is more advanced as it already features a touchscreen and has a storage capacity of up to 32 GB.

Image via giantbomb