Recommended Pro Gaming Products

Being a pro gamer is not a cheap thing to achieve. There is plenty of equipment to purchase and it is not the cheapest, but also not too expensive. You are getting your moneys worth for what you pay for. In my detailed post I mentioned gaming equipment, I am going to go into more detail on the different equipment a pro gamer should have. First things first is a controller. Now you can use just a standard controller or you can use what most pros use and that is a Scuf controller. You can either buy a Scuf controller and add some customization to it our you can mail in your own controller and customize it and have it mailed back to you. By customization I mean adding a skin design to the controller, adding grip, changing the kind controller stick, and or adding paddles. Now the skin design is just what covers the base of the controller, so instead of having a plain black controller you could have a red and black controller. It just makes the controller look cooler. The grip is just so you have a better grip on your controller, so it does not slip out of your hands.

There a two kinds of controller sticks you can use; concave and domed. Concave is where the center of the stick is caved in and the domed is where the stick is in the shape a dome. They do not necessarily make you play better, it is just your preference for what you would want to use. The paddles are designed for button mapping. By this I mean having the paddle replace a button so you do not have to use that button.

These go on the back of the controller. For example let's say that the A button is used to jump, when customizing the controller paddles you can assign one the paddles the A button. So instead of always having to press A to jump you can just push the paddle instead. Now the paddles can be assigned to any button you want, just do what fits your style of play. You can have up to four paddles, which means you can have four buttons remapped for the paddles.

The next thing you will want to get is a gaming headset. The top two companies are Turtle Beach and Astro Gaming. These headsets allow you to hear game audio and chat audio in the headset. It is up to you to figure out what levels you want each audio at. Each person has their own preference but majority of the pro players use Astro gaming. Also, each person will say that one is better than the other based on what headset they have. I have had a Turtle Beach headset before but now have an Astro Gaming headset. I personally think Atros are better because they are designed better, and I think they have better quality.

You want to have one of these brands because they will help you in-game. It will help you hear things at a distance and it helps you hear people coming up behind you. Do some research, look at reviews, and talk to your friends about them and buy what you think is best. The last main thing you will need is a monitor. There are a lot of companies who make monitors, just like headsets each person has their own preference of what brand they use. Major League Gaming uses BenQ monitors. They even have a specific monitor that is used by the pros at events. You can find these by just Googling them. These have the best quality and the lowest lag response time. The picture is so clear, colorful, and is nice because there is no lag which means everything that happens, happens in real time with no delay. Another thing that I would recommend is a recording a device to record your gameplays. You can get an El Gato or and Hauppague HDPVR.

These are the only two that I know of, but I am sure there are more. Before purchasing one these make sure your computer or laptop reaches and or exceeds the specifications of the device. These are not necessary to be a pro gamer, but it is nice to record your gameplays and makes videos out of them and post them to YouTube. Basically every pro player makes YouTube videos from their games. You can get fans to watch and subscribe to your YouTube channel. This is not necessity but it is a nice thing to have to show to others. These are the products that players in general and pro players use. I highly recommend looking into all of these. Theses would be an investment, a one time purchase that would last a very long time. I hope that these help you guys out. Happy gaming.

Starcraft II Builds Every Player Must Know

Starcraft II Heart of The Swarm is easily one of the most popular sci-fi strategy games out there. However, a steep learning curve and fierce competition certainly make it a challenge. As a result, the correct application of Starcraft II Builds is a must if you want to destroy your opponent.

Here are 3 standard Starcraft II Builds that you can try out. These builds are utilized in the early game so it is important to execute them as quickly and efficiently as possible. It is important to adapt based on what race you're matched up against and what your opponent is doing. See what works for you and become familiar with the builds for races other than your own. The number indicates the food count at which you should execute the action.

Terran: Double Proxy Barracks

• 10 - Build a Supply Depot.
• 11 - Send out the first scouting SCV.
• 11 - Send out the SCV building the Supply Depot to reinforce first SCV.
• 11 - Build 2 Barracks in a proxy location close to your opponent's base.
• 13 - Upgrade to Orbital Command and use MULE to gather minerals or repair bunker.
• 13 - Make a Marine.
• 14 - Make a second Marine - Continue to produce Marines and move into your opponent's base with your first 3 Marines as well SCVs. Harass your opponents workers and make sure you keep reinforce your troops.
• 16 - Supply Depot (2) - Make sure you have enough food keep building SCVs and Marines.
• 16 - Pull 1-3 SCV's off your mineral line and send them to your opponent's base. These SCV will build the bunkers.
• 17 - Bunker in your opponent's natural

The goal of this build is to cause economic damage however it is possible to win the game right then and there. After this build just continue in a regular macro style.

Zerg: 6 Pool

• 6 - Build a Spawning Pool.
• 5 - Make a Drone.
• 6 - Make a second Drone.
• At about 1:30 minutes in the game, send your first Drone to scout and harass your opponent's workers.
• After you have collected 100 minerals, send your second Drone to reinforce the first one.
• When you have 125 minerals, send all your drones toward your opponent's base.
• After your spawning pool is complete, make 3 pairs of zerglings and attack.

This is an all or nothing build. The goal is to end the game before 5 minutes. Make sure to attack your opponent's production buildings first.

Protoss: 4 Warpgate Rush

• 9 - Build a Pylon.
• 12 - Build a Gateway and send a Probe to scout. Use one Chrono Boost on building Probes.
• 14 - Build an Assimilator.
• 16 - Build a Pylon.
• Once your Gateway is complete build a Cybernectics Core and a Zealot.
• 21 - When the Zealot has finished building, make a Stalker.
• As soon as your Cybernetics Core is finished building begin Warpgate Research. Make sure to consistently Chrono Boost the Warpgate Research. This will allow the Gateways to finish building at the same time as the Warpgate Research.
• When Warpgate Research is at 50% build 3 additional Gateways. Send your Stalker, Zealot and a Probe to the outside of your opponent's base.
• When Warpgate Research is at 90% build a proxy Pylon outside your opponent's base.

When the proxy Pylon has finished you can warp in units outside your opponent's base and attack. This attack if executed correctly will give you an advantage in the mid to late game.

Don't worry if you don't win using these builds at first. They take a lot of practice and dedication to master. When you become comfortable with these builds you can begin to experiment and learn more advanced Starcraft II Builds.

Getting Behind the Wheel of a Race Car Simulator

Everyone wants to know what it feels to push the pedal to the metal and drive as fast as possible. Unfortunately, it's an experience and a dream that often goes unrealized - at least until now.

With technology constantly moving forward, a race car simulator can give everyday people the opportunity to experience the thrills behind the wheel in a way that they never could have imagined before. With everything from inclement weather to various surface structures and textures, people can experience what it's like to get behind the wheel of the car of their dreams - and let it all hang out. Many race car simulators go above and beyond to make the experience as realistic as possible, allowing drivers to truly feel what it's like to get behind the wheel and drive in a way that's unlike anything that they could have previously imagined.

Some of the high-end race car simulator programs give drivers the edge in extraordinary ways. They can alter the texture of the track. They give driver's an inside view of a racing cockpit that allows for ease of motion at the touch of a finger while still maintaining full driver control. The steering wheel allows the driver to encounter realistic resistance, giving them the opportunity to take hairpin turns at full speed. In other words, drivers can experience all of the fun - with none of the risk. Racing can be a dangerous and deadly sport, with crashes sometimes resulting in casualties. While race car simulators may not be the real deal, it's the closest thing to the real deal that most people will ever experience without risking life and limb in the process.

These programs also include incredibly accurate readouts of MPH speed as well as shifting gears, RPMs and lap timing devices that make the entire experience as realistic and believable as possible. Racing simulators allow real-life racers to practice without risking their livelihoods or their vehicles unnecessarily, and many of them choose to train with these programs as well as real-life, track experience. Although these simulators can be costly, consumers guarantee that the thrill is worth the price. The need for speed is constant, but adrenaline junkies worldwide can't typically get their hands on a real racing vehicle for on-site, track experience.

These simulators combine the best of both worlds and allow professionals and dreamers alike to experience the thrill of the race in comfort and safety without having to weigh the pros and cons of potentially deadly (and costly) risks. Would-be drivers can test some of these simulators at many nation-wide racing events without having to invest in setting up a system at home. If the thrill of the chase or the need for speed drives you, testing these simulators for yourself may provide an easy solution to your inner cravings in an experience that is truly available maybe once in a lifetime. Who wouldn't jump at the chance to get behind the wheel and try it out for themselves?

StarCraft II: Current Favorite of E-Sports Athletes

"Warcraft" series, an earlier esport game developed by 'Blizzard Entertainment' can be accepted as one of the keys of success for 'StarCraft II'. 'Blizzard' had been responding successfully to 'Warcraft' fans, improving game-play, plots and multiplayer mechanisms. Gamers already had built excitement and anticipation around what 'Blizzard' will hit them with when they released 'StarCraft II' in July of 2010.

'StarCraft II' was bound to become a favorite esport game from the start. The positive anticipation and excitement from fans was coupled with 'Blizzard's' own efforts that it had put in to developing this marvel. The game offered so much more than its predecessor did. It had a plot continued from its predecessor with a huge tinge of improvement in it. At the same time it retained most of the past familiarity that led gamers to see how deep the world of 'StarCraft II' had become. 'Blizzard' added new fighting units to line of older ones.

This esport game is just so much rich. It packs 26 playable campaign missions. The campaign itself boasts special units that you can play only in campaign. Add to the campaign trail cut-scenes that keep you captivated. You can explore the key element of the game-play; Hyperion, the battle cruiser. That's just not it; 'Starcraft II' has two expansions. In Terrans focused 'Wings of Liberty', your style of play is that of mercenary. In Zergs focused 'Heart of Swarm' your style of play is role-playing. And in Protoss focused 'Legacy of the Void' your game-play will revolve around diplomacy.

The above part explains why individual gamers immediately loved this game, giving 'Blizzard' 1.5 million copies in sales, and sadly 2.3 million copies in piracy. However, something else drove it to become an eSport game. 'Blizzard' had developed this game with a view to make it more acceptable in gaming communities and focused heavily on multiplayer feature. With the release of 'StarCraft II', a markedly improved 'Battle.Net' online gaming platform was also released, with a built-in ranking system.

A review from GameSpy actually concluded that the single-player aspect of 'StarCraft II' is less inspiring than the multiplayer one. GameSpy stated that playing this game in multiplayer mode, made it more challenging, and enhancing your experience many times.

'Blizzard' already had a sound experience in arranging professional competitions, their broadcasts and holding tournaments. 'Warcraft' and earlier 'StarCraft', creations of 'Blizzard' were already one of the most famous professional esports. With such a fun and challenges packed game, 'StarCraft II' was bound to become even more famous an esport game than 'Blizzard's' own prior creations.

Gaming Computers Under $1000

There are many types of gamer PCs. About as many as there are types of people who play them. Therefore, just like there are many more cars that cost under $30,000 than there are cars that cost more than $30,000, there are hundreds of gamer PCs that cost less than $1,000. The dilemma is choosing which computer will serve your needs and desires and still last longer than the limited 60-day warranty.

Whether you are a hardcore gamer PC player or just getting started, there are several reasons to be looking for a gamer PC under $1000. Here are three:

1. You don't have a few grand lying around to frivolously spend on 0% ROI anything right now because you are a student in college.

2. You cannot seem to justify paying more for your computer than you did for your car.

3. Rather than save a pretty penny for a few months or years, you want to play the latest release of the most popular PC game right now.

Whatever the reason you have for looking for a gamer PC under $1000, there are some things you should do to make sure that your investment into your entertainment will still be worth at least the copper wiring it's made of when you're ready to upgrade.

Read

The product reviews of a desktop for gaming will be the best material you decide to read when beginning your search for the elusive computer under $1000 that will let you play your favorite bit-based playing program to your heart's content. The more obsessed, fanatical, or passionate a market seems to be determines the amount of product reviews a certain piece of merchandise will get. But what other population fits that definition better than those who play on gaming computers

Spec It

The second thing you will want to do is to determine the specs you will need on your gamer PC. This will help you to be able to play the programs you want to play. If you happen to find a gamer PC within the price range but without the right specs, it may not be a good idea to buy. Why? Because you may spend more than budget could handle to replace a part you don't really want anyways.

One solution to this is to find custom gamer PCs manufacturing company that has custom computers starting at less than $1000. It would then be much easier to swap out the part you don't want for one you do without breaking your budget by much if at all.

Benefits of Learning and Playing 3D Games

3D gaming is proving popular, especially in this new technological age. Wherever you look, you will discover the growing popularity of the games. Therefore, it is not hard to buy or sell the them in the market, which is an important sign of their growing popularity. These types of games have been uniquely created to offer gamers an experience of a lifetime. Although this kind of gaming calls for advanced technology, the experience of the players makes the creation more worthwhile. Fortunately, 3D games have been made affordable with the introduction of free ones. This gives everybody an opportunity to experience the excitement that comes with the game. The benefits of these games include:

· Depth of vision

One of the main benefits of these games is the field's depth. They have an extended vision that offer an easy and clearer focus, as well as a distinct, strong graphical style. Considering we are 3D beings, the 3D nature is effective for our eyes. This gives the eyes an opportunity to evaluate the difference between the foreground and background. This makes the perception and understanding of the objects a person is looking at, much easier. Furthermore, the graphics become more refined (the 2D screen often limits the experience). The 3D display often increases visuals and effects, while the computing power only gets better.

· Immersion

The 3D games offer an added immersion- many of the games have struggled with achieving a sense of immersion but with little success. If you are playing a game and you are aware a sense of immersion is lacking, the experience of gaming is greatly lessened. The 3D technology offers something more realistic. There is less boundary where the screen comes to an end, and thus reality sinks in. Therefore, the goal of achieving a sense of immersion has led to many developers becoming more creative- with the 3D imagery- there is no reason for creating an illusion.

· Improved accuracy

Many of the applications require perfect accuracy. However, the 2D displays undermine such an increased user performance. Therefore, accuracy was hindered for example in surgery & other medical procedures like endoscopy and ophthalmology, industrial inspection, microscopy, biomedical analysis, telerobotics, small part assembly, manipulation of dangerous materials, architectural designs & engineering and many others. On the other hand, the 3D images offer information in real-depth, allowing the users to grasp and comprehend the images accurately and more quickly. The same concept applies for the 3D games.

League of Legends Influence Points Guide

League of Legends is one of the most popular games with over twelve million daily worldwide players. This multi-player game not only has a number of challenges that hold the attention of its player, but it is also full of surprises and challenges that keep even the most hardcore gamer enthralled. I've been playing the game for over 3 years and still am addicted to it!

If you're trying to get influence points (also known as IP), continue reading this League of Legends influence points guide.

IP is a measure of your summoner's influence. This measure is taken based on your performance in the Fields of Justice. In other words, during game play in the Fields of Justice, the length of time you play and the skills your team has will increase your chance at gaining and earning influence points.

League of Legends is played when two teams of champions compete to be the first to kill off the other team's Nexus. When you try to reach the enemy nexus, there are a series of challenges and minions needed to be killed along the way. The game is based on a set of maps you can choose to play on known as the Fields of Justice.

Influence points are used for a number of advantages throughout the game. For example, enough IP points will let you permanently unlock champions giving you a strong advantage over the opposing team by letting you expand your champion pool and counter-pick. What I mean by this, is if you unlock more champions, you can expand what you get good at and pick a strong champion to beat who you anticipate to verse.

If you already have a favorite champion in the game, you can use your influence points to purchase runes for your champion. Runes increase your champion's abilities to make him or her stronger and more powerful. A good League of Legends Guide explains what you need to do in order to get more runes and how to best use your influence points for your team.

There is time and base caps for IP points that dictate how much IP you earn. For example, you get a sweet IP bonus for a win every 24 hours. Win a game each day to load up on IP.

Because there are a number of intricacies in the game, this League of Legends influence points guide is only a part of what you should know to get good at the game. For more help, read a good LoL guide written by someone who has played the game for a long time.

Playing Video Games That Offer a Real Challenge

It always seems to me to be a real disappointment, when I find a game that doesn't live up to the associated hype. One of the real difficulties that I have is with games that have been produced with the help of significant financial backing, but that simply don't seem to deliver.

It's often the case that such games are associated with movies or television shows. In these cases, I guess that the executives are relying on the fact that there is already a potential audience available. Those who watch the movies may be more likely to buy the games.

Unfortunately, it can sometimes be the case that rather too much money is spent on creating games that look good, rather than having that focus on whether they are fun to play. It may be entertaining to have video games experiences that replicate what you have seen at the movies, but how many hours of enjoyment will you really get?

My own suggestion would be that it's often best to avoid those games that are associated with big marketing campaigns. You often find out about the best games in a rather more organic manner, without having to rely on numerous posters and television adverts. Instead, you find out about them from friends and family members.

It helps, of course, if you have friends and members of your family who enjoy similar games to you. That's usually a fairly decent indicator of the fact that they will make informed recommendations. If you enjoy playing sports games, for example, then there's a strong chance that you'll want to find out about more within that same genre.

For my own part, I've often been surprised to find that I enjoy playing games where the content doesn't seem particularly relevant to my own interests. Indeed, this is a situation that's cropped up at fairly regular intervals. It's led me to draw a number of conclusions, which I'd like to share with you right now.

Firstly, despite much of the talk about how games look, the reality is that it's the challenging of playing them that always makes the real difference. Nothing else seems to matter much by comparison. Even if I'm not interested in fishing, to take an extreme example, that's not to say that I wouldn't enjoy a game that covers that subject and that has been well made.

There are times when it's possible to learn more about a specific subject by playing relevant games. What this means is that it's important to be open to opportunities that may present themselves. It's always possible to find out more about a range of subjects. If that occurs within the context of playing an interesting and challenging video game, then this seems to me to be a very good thing.

Think carefully about what a game really offers and whether it meets your own gaming requirements. Don't be confused by intelligent marketing techniques.

You can get gaming hints and tips online, as discussed by Simon Barnett. This article may be used by any website publisher, though this resource box must always be included in full.

A Complete Gaming Experience With Xbox Live

Xbox is one of the most popular gaming consoles available. Xbox is more than just a gaming console, it is a complete entertainment experience from great games to HD videos, TV shows and sports.

Xbox Live enables users to play games against other players from around the world using an internet connection. This also enables Xbox owners to watch the latest movies, sporting events and TV shows. Even better when you have an Xbox 12 month gold membership, you can also use your Xbox for face to face internet chatting, speak to your friends for free without the use of a telephone.

Most gaming enthusiasts will have the latest Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 console. With the Xbox you are offered an entire experience and when you combined that with the Xbox 12 month gold membership, you get to enjoy a complete gaming and entertainment experience using one device.

Chances are you have already been to your local gaming store and purchased a number of the latest games for your Xbox, but when you get home you'll find that most of them are one player only. This is a let-down because you really wanted to put your gaming skills to the test against your friends.

The advantage of the Xbox 12 month gold membership is that you can play against friends via the internet, they don't even have to leave their own house. You can both be in your own sitting rooms or bedrooms and play against each other while you chat.

In fact the majority of games available from Xbox are now marked as one player only, but with the membership you have thousands of opponents from around the world just waiting to play against you.

The Xbox 12 month gold membership is so much more than enabling you to play games as multi-player games, there are constantly new movies available to download and watch at your leisure, including many of your favourite TV shows.

What's more when you have the Xbox 12 month gold membership you can use your console as a VoIP (voice over IP) device, so you can chat face to face with anyone who also has the same device. This is a great way to stay in touch with family and friends.

Over and above all the advantages associated with the Xbox 12 month gold membership, it's the gaming aspect that probably interests you the most. You probably purchased an Xbox to play all the latest games and with the membership in place you are able to demo new games or recently released games.

The great thing about trying out the demo games is you can decide if you like them before purchasing, a "try before you buy" opportunity which is very valuable, especially with so many great games available on the market.

Buying your favourite game from the shop in disc format is expensive, games are not cheap at the best of times. Even the second hand or pre-owned games come with a pretty hefty price tag.
With the Xbox 12 month gold membership subscription you can purchase your favourite games directly from the Xbox site and have them downloaded directly onto your console. Because there are no discs, covers and manuals included, the price is dramatically reduced. So you can purchase more games for the same amount of money you would spend if you were to purchase a disc from a gaming shop.

The Xbox Live feature has increased in popularity because of all the features it offers gamers, creating a complete gaming and entertainment experience at your fingertips.

Importance of 3D Animation Software

3D games are increasingly becoming popular. This has been made possible by changes in the software development technology. There has been a gradual shift from the 2D to the 3D technology. The 2D technology emphasizes more on the graphic's width and height while the 3D technology emphasizes on its depth, in addition to the width and height. The depth helps to create an illusion that is critical in producing images that are more realistic.

Importance of 3D images

3D images are important in the film and cartoon industry. The technology is relied upon heavily to design 3-dimensional computer games. Some of the software is recommended for designing living beings while other software are ideal for creating objects like parks, buildings and cars. This makes it possible for films to capture scenes where vehicles are being blasted while the occupants are present. In real life, such a scene cannot be captured on camera. The software to help develop the scene often captures images of the real people.

The 3D animation software is important in the filming industry. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the graphic designer to find the right software for the best results. There are commercial 3D software and the open source 3D software. The commercial software can be valued anywhere between $1,000 and $2,000.

If you have a limited budget, you can consider the open source 3D software available online. However, the free programs offer limited features. The open source 3D software can be downloaded from the internet. Alternatively, you can receive the software through your address when you pay a small amount of money to cater for the shipping charges. In case you are new in the industry, you can consider trying out free software before launching out to purchase the commercial software. Some of the free 3D software available for graphic designers include Free Cad 8.0, touch sampler, Cyberdelia, Special effect 3.2, Serif 3D plus and Gmax.

Popular 3D animation software

Maya is considered one of the best 3D animation software among professional graphic designers. This software can be purchased easily online using a Visa or Master card. The Maya can be supported by several operating systems including Linux, Microsoft windows and Mac OS X. The software was initially designed by the Alias Systems Corporation. Currently, it is being developed by Autodesk Inc. The Autodesk Maya creates 3 dimensional figures that can be used in the filming industry, video games and cartoons.

Making the Most of Your New PlayStation Console

Gaming has been taken to a whole new level with the gaming consoles available on the market. From only being able to play computers on a PC or old and very bulky console, the new PlayStations are definitely a worthwhile choice if you are an avid gamer that wants to take your gaming experience to the extreme.

Playing games on a gaming console isn't just sitting in front of the television anymore, it involves getting up and being active and it's a very sociable experience, playing against friends and other players from around the world.

When you first bring your new PlayStation home you will need to set it up. The set up process is very easy. Connect the PlayStation to your television and turn them both on, attach a controller and push the "PS" button, this gets the console to recognize the controller.

You will need to complete an initial set-up and your PlayStation will connect to the internet, once complete you can pop your game into the machine or go online if you have a PlayStation Plus 365 day subscription.

The PlayStation Plus 365 day subscription is a complete gaming and entertainment experience, using your gaming console to enjoy a host of discounts and other offers. When you purchase a subscription you are able to visit the PlayStation store, purchasing a number of games at discounted prices.

The advantage to this is that you can enjoy automatic downloads, so you don't have to visit the shop and purchase a disc, all you have to do is visit the store, pick your favourite game or upgrade and download it via your internet connection. This saves time, money and energy.

There are also a host of demo games available to anyone with a PlayStation Plus 365 day subscription. The demo games are new games that have just become available or are about to be released, you can try them, some of which you can play a complete sixty minutes completely free before deciding whether to purchase the full version or not.

The advantage to the demo games is you can try before you buy, it removes all the guess work out of whether the game you are considering is worth the money or not. Everyone enjoys different types of games, which is why this demo facility is such a huge draw card to anyone with a PlayStation Plus 365 day subscription.

New content is added every two weeks, which means you constant have new games to try and consider. There are also a host of avatars and themes to choose from, ensuring you have a complete gaming experience when you use the PlayStation Plus 365 day subscription.

As your subscription comes near the end, you won't lose any games, avatars or themes that you have downloaded and all you have to do is purchase another PlayStation Plus 365 day subscription to get going again. It won't lose your trophies and other information, so once you purchase for the next year, you are back on track.

For those that do not choose to purchase the PlayStation Plus 365 day subscription you will still have full and complete use of your gaming console, the difference is that there are no free trial games and you will be left playing the games you have purchased on disc.

For a complete and enjoyable gaming experience you will want your PlayStation console combined with the one year subscription to ensure that you get the most out of your gaming experience. Play against other players, win trophies and enjoy a host of demo games before they are available on the shelves.

The Skills You Need As A Game Tester

I used to think that playing video games is something that lazy people do. You know, people who are lazy and have nothing to do; but boy was I wrong? Playing computer games is not only fun but it's also a way for you to get to know who you really are on the inside - if you pay attention to your reactions as you play the game.

I know this idea might not sound realistic to you but that is the truth. By playing a video game, you can understand yourself better from the way you react to winning or losing, your ability to stay calm under tension, your endurance and so on. Anyway, that's a whole different topic on its own.

But that is not what I want to talk to you about today; I want to talk about doing what you love and making a living from it. Playing video games to your heart's content and making a living doing it. And to do that, you need to acquire some skills.

Many people really don't know that this is actually possible. There are millions of people out there who have very horned talents from years of playing video games since they were kids. People who just do nothing else but sit at home in their bedrooms playing games all day and all night.

The Skill Set

What I would like you to consider is the possibility of doing this and making a living from it. And it's absolutely 100% possible. Being a video game tester is something like a dream for most people but for others, it's as easy as taking a walk in the park. Yes it's easy but you also need to have the basic skill set that is required. Here are the basic skill sets that you need before you are considered in any game establishment:

1- Attention to detail- Yes, you read that right, attention to details. Contrary to what you might think, video game testing is not just about you sitting down and playing game. You need to have the ability to pay attention to details and be at alert so you will be able to sport the glitches or bugs that are in the game.

That's why you were employed in the 1st place. If you're not paying attention but just sitting there playing the games and enjoying yourself, then it will be really difficult for to be an exceptional video game tester. Don't get me wrong, you can certainly enjoy yourself while doing the job but don't get carried away and forget to do your job.

To be able to do that, you need to have an iron glad will to maintain your focus while at the same time enjoying yourself.

2- Critical thinking- You need to have the ability for critical thinking and an analytical mind set. In game testing most burgs can be detected easily and can be seen at just a glance - like if the game crashes when you want to change levels. But there are some that are not that obvious, that's when you attention to detail and your ability to analyse what just happened will come into play. This will enable you to make a good judgement and report the bug

3- Verbal and written communication skills- In line with having an analytical mind set is your ability to effectively and clearly communicate what you just saw. Most times you will be required to write a report and you won't be present when the programmers or whoever that needs to correct those glitches is going to through your report.

So your ability to communicate what you see is very essential so that the programing department don't need to come looking for you to clarify what they don't understand in your report. That translates to wasted time and time is very important to game developers, it equals revenue.

4- Passion for the game- Above all, you need to have a burning passion for the game. This is the most important of all the skills that you need, but thank goodness, you are more than likely born with this. The reason being that if you are not passionate about video games, chances are, developing all other skills will be an uphill task. Not that it can't be done, it can definitely be done even if you are just out for the money but it will take an extra once of will for you to do.

There you are. Those are the skills that you will need to do well as a game tester. If you eventually master all those skills above then you would be contributing to better, richer and more beautiful games being offered to the general public - and at the same time you will be earning a nice tidy income yourself. This is an all-round win-win situation for everybody. The developers are happy, the customers are happy and you the tester is happy as well.

Digital Games in Education

Hate them or love them, digital games are here for the long run. It is easy to dismiss these games as distractions particularly when evidence has shown that some children even exhibit addictive behaviour towards computer game playing (Harris, 2001). Since the first commercial computer game, Computer Space, in 1971, digital games now take up a major portion of our children's leisure time. However, they also play an increasingly important part of our culture, particularly when today's world is ubiquitous with technology and inter-connectivity - our children are growing up with iPads, smart phones and note books!

Digital games can be a powerful platform to support student learning.

The tools needed for success in life are not just limited to reading, writing and arithmetic but go beyond to include areas such as problem solving, collaboration and communication, skills that are sought by employers. These skills are also required for success in games, as was noted in 2005, when the Federation of American Scientists, the Entertainment Software Association, and the National Science Foundation brought together nearly 100 experts to consider ways to develop next generation learning games.

Pros & Cons of Digital Games in Education

Many believe that digital games complement the traditional learning in the classroom - some advocates have labelled this as potential area as "edutainment", content with a high degree of both educational and entertainment value. The benefits to having such games to support student learning have been researched and include:

Aids the learning process. The learning process is a complex cognitive task that students require a lot of effort to cope with.
Provides interesting and stimulating environment.
Increases motivation, retention and performance (especially for students who are difficult to focus)
However, there are limitations to using this as a pedagogical tool. Many educators feel that for the digital games to be engaging, they need to be well designed and can be easily tweaked to match the syllabus. A well designed educational game would need animation and gamification elements including, mini-games, bonus points, and a leaderboard. Such customised games would require extensive investment both in time and money, from the schools. Educators could purchase off-the-shelf educational games, but these may not meet the needs of the syllabus or school.

Types of Digital Games & Platforms

How best can digital games be applied in the classroom? Different genres of these types of games can be implemented depending on the learning outcomes. For example, strategic games can be used for projects requiring critical analysis and collaboration. Simulation games, on the hand, allow the students to experience scenarios that would otherwise not be possible in the classroom environment, such as urban planning or scientific experiments in the absence of a laboratory. The technologies that can be used as pedagogical tools range from immersive user-experience for role-play (e.g. Augmented Reality, 3D, Kinect) to simpler platforms such as the iPad.

Conclusion

Research has shown that digital games are effective in enhancing the learning and teaching experience in the classroom. But there are also limitations to its use. For one, schools will be required to invest time and money in developing a good customised digital game that will suit their needs. However, once this is overcome, the benefits are immense.

Strategy War Games Online - Become Master Of The Virtual World

You will not find a single gamer who is not interested in playing strategy war games. Everyone likes to put their intellect to the test in the virtual world and come up with strategies that would win the war for them. The fight between light versus evil, and good versus bad, is seen as a great way to test out your strategizing skills, and hone them as you progress in the game.

The logical thinking, tactics and game plans, which apply strategy war games, require reflecting on your plans and strategies before they can be implemented. This helps you in improving your real life skills as well and actually ends up benefiting you in two ways, improving your intellect, while providing you entertainment at the same time. Especially in free browser based games, you must be quick and sharp, in order to beat other players from all around the world.

Strategy war games require that the players plan ahead and then decide on the course of action they plan to take. These are not just games, but a way to map out, how to win smartly without incurring too many losses. Ever since globalization took place, interacting with people from different cultures and walks of life has become easier. Online multiplayer strategy games are a great learning experience as to get to see different people in action, and compete with them.

Whether you play a strategy war game on a single or multiplayer basis, in either case, you'll be sure to enjoy a lot. The choices available to you are varied, having different themes, with each game having its own storyline and plot. You can be sure to have an epic adventure, full of entertainment, with games like Battle Gear, School Wars, Gem Craft, etc. every game will put you in situations, where you will have to conceptualize and then devise a strategy to win, with minimal casualties.

Online multiplayer strategy games can be quite thrilling, as you are against an opponent who, just like you, is trying to think of a strategy to beat you. Because you are not competing with the computer, therefore, the results may be unexpected and exciting. You will keep on thinking until you beat your opponent, thereby, making it the ideal way to improve your concentration and tactical skills.

There are different sites, which offer an extensive array of strategy war games online for your entertainment.

A Basic Understanding of Mahjong

The traditional version of Mahjong originated in China a couple thousand years ago. The exact origin of the game is still up for debate, and even to this day it is still mostly speculation. Today the game of Mahjong has many faces, there is the traditional version, or simply put, Mahjong. Then, for those who enjoy a nice alternative spin on the game, there is Mahjong Titans, Mahjong Solitaire, Mahjong Dimensions, and Mahjong Connect, just to name a few.

Traditional Mahjong is usually played with four players. Although, in some countries there are other versions of Mahjong that only require three players, for the sake of this article lets just focus on the four player version as not to make it anymore confusing. The game starts out with 144 tiles. The tiles are based on Chinese characters and symbols. The standard set comes with three different types of suit tiles, the character tiles, the stick tiles, and the wheel tiles. The game also comes with four styles of honor tiles, the dragon tiles, flower tiles, wind tiles, and season tiles.

The basic rules of Mahjong are similar from one version to the next, however, there are some small changes to how the game is played when you switch from the traditional version of Mahjong, to a modern version of Mahjong. In the traditional version of Mahjong, each player starts out by drawing thirteen tiles. The tiles are used to create hands and players will continue to take turns drawing new tiles to better their position at trying to create those hands.

Some of the modern versions of Mahjong, such as Mahjong Titans, or Mahjong Connect uses a totally different set of rules, however, the tile systems remain the same. The only exception to this is Mahjong Dimensions, which usually follows the modern playing style; they just don't use the traditional tiles. The tiles used in Mahjong Dimensions are usually of different characters such as heats, or other sorts of fun things.

No matter what version of Mahjong you decide to try, the game is a lot of fun, and I am sure you will not be disappointed. It requires that you use a certain level of skill, and concentration, which makes it great exercise for the brain. I would not worry too much about game knowledge. Mahjong is an easy game to learn and you should be up to speed in no time.

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Tips for Choosing Computer Games

Playing computer games can prove highly beneficial when gamers understand their limitations. Furthermore, to generate maximum benefits, parents should choose their children's games. In addition, they should educate the kids about the games and play with them. This way, parents get the opportunity to monitor their children. The following are some of the tips to consider when choosing the best ones including:

· Time requirements

It is important to determine how much time is required playing the game. When you choose one, you are simply committing your time. Some of the games take far more time than others. Therefore, if you do not have too much time at your disposal it is advisable to be on the lookout for those that advertises lower time requirements.

· The social aspect

The multiplayer ones offer a social experience. You have the chance to play with both strangers and friends. The chat options give you the opportunity to make new friends and cement existing relationships. The guilds available in most games are constructed around interests, locations or career types. They help you find friends computer much faster. When choosing one, it is important to find out whether a particular one has many players. This will help you avoid those that hardly get players.

· Theme & game play

The theme and genre of the game is an important consideration. Today they are many gaming companies that offer a variety of games to cater for different needs and interest. Different genres normally play the same. If you like the genre you stand to benefit from a variety of similar games. Many of the action based games available on the market are changing the game-play styles.

· Freshness & replay

The best games offer excitement every time the gamer plays. A game that makes computer users to play again and again is recommended highly. However, such games should provide for different courses of action and approaches each time. Games that lack this quality become boring.

· Cost of playing

The selection of games has expanded quickly over the last few years. This has led to increased competition and better prices. Therefore, if you are looking for the best experience you stand to benefit from monthly fees and prices of as low as $50. If this is too much for you, you can always visit free computer sites for a free game. When you visit these free sites you will find one that suits your specific desires.

We provide the best info about Online Games and Action Games.

Gaming: Evolution and Devolution

People often have trouble understanding the word "tradeoff", sure enough it's easy enough to understand as exchange but in today's corporate parlance it is meant as exchange of one commodity as a cost for another. I was playing Final Fantasy's Dissidia on the good old PSP yesterday when I marveled at the game's replay value, yes I have spent over 50 hours on it already, which is what this entire topic is all about.

Normally if you look at the oldest games like Mario and Dave, they had one thing unanimously common, addiction to it. Not that I am propagating obsession towards anything, however this is what the current paradigm of gaming has come down to; a commodity. I have always been a gamer, I will not deny that and this is exactly what my contention with gaming today is. The first games had a lot of things that hooked people up but most of all it was about the level of engagement that the player had with the game environment or the "world" of the game. And this engagement has little to do with the 3D graphics or the extensive options available.

Let us take a look at the progression; first it was the advent of the simple arcade type games which were phenomenal to a certain point. Kept players hooked and introduced a whole new boom of media into the world. This was where literally every child was begging for the Atari systems and your Pentium II and III machines had Sega and NeoGeo emulators installed (mine still has both installed by the way) and game play elements were about difficult commands mixed in with clever sequences. Take this forward a bit further and the same two systems incorporated decent mixed stories and continuity in the games enhance the media capabilities being explored in the two avenues. The fighting game series KOF is an ardent testament to that and from there came the further boom of turn based strategy and role playing games which became akin to "user controlled novels" on computers. This adaptability of both game-play and media can be called as the turning curve of the gaming industry.

Because this was where a lot of business heads realized that the games could be used to simulate a lot of things, pretty much everything so the potential as a business commodity was obvious even from then on. The progress from then on was about enhancing the visual effects of the game, the additives were obvious the visuals needed more work so in came the influx of investment in gaming studios and the push for 3d graphics into gaming. That apex can be called as the secondary curve because once that was established, the potential for business gain via games became second to almost none. Hollywood movies will tell you the story of boom and fall without fail but games have the replay factor attached to them irrespective of their audience size that guarantees reward.

And this replay factor was cashed in next. We all can see the online capabilities being offered by games which as also paved way to players just buying the next powerup or update online. The concept of "buying all" is where we can point and say that gaming has devolved. So at a point where gaming was fun with added complexity like Baldur's Gate, Ys, Metal Gear Solid, the games went on to become more about commodity value.

The biggest factor in all this is mobile gaming of course and here I point at the smartphone games which are purely centered on time killing. The problem occurs when the majority of the smartphone gamers are not regular gamers but more so there to just kill time. So when you give a game like Subway Surfers online buying advantages for the "normal" people, some level of competition envelopes between the console/PC games and the phone games. The niches are different, the categories are different, and the size is different. A game like Temple Run cannot be compared to Farcry 3 but ultimately when the games become about money then these things sidetrack and mix in.

Today you have fantastic game-play elements being added, furnished and perfected. Complexity is a given and with that some features sit well whilst others do not. What's adverse to the gaming paradigm in general is the holistic focus on sales which often makes them compromise on a lot of things from the game play side. Ultimately when gaming becomes more focused on buying rather than playing than the entire reason for playing a game gets taken away.

How to Fix Dota 2 Crashes?

If you're encountering frequent Dota 2 crashes while loading the game or during the middle of the gameplay, proceed through this article. Follow all applicable solutions for Windows 8/ 7/ Vista and XP computers.

Set Auto Config Launch

There are some predefined values in the game launcher settings. Set Auto Config mode as follows:

1. Open Steam and click Library.

2. Right click Dota 2 and select Properties.

3. Click "Set launch options..", remove default launch options and type "-autoconfig".

4. Click OK and restart the game.

Set Safe Launch

If Auto Config mode doesn't work, try Safe Launch mode from the same launcher settings.

1. Repeat Steps 1-2 from the above paragraph.

2. Click "Set launch options..", remove existing value and type "-safe".

3. Click OK and restart the game.

Change Process Affinity

Process Affinity can be changed through the Registry Editor. Set Process Affinity to Core 0 and Core 1 processors to fix Dota 2 crashes.

1. Open the game.

2. Press Alt + Tab to minimize it and switch to your desktop.

3. Right click the Taskbar, select Task Manager.

4. For earlier versions of Windows, click the Processes tab. Windows 8 users click Details tab.

5. Right click Dota2.exe, select "Set Affinity".

6. Select Core 0 and Core 1 checkboxes and click OK.

7. Close Task Manager and restore the game in full screen.

Change NVidia Control Panel Settings

NVidia Control Panel contains several graphical settings. Set recommended settings in it.

1. Click the Start button.

2. Click NVidia Control Panel.

3. Click "Select a task... " on the left hand side panel.

4. Click 3D Settings | Manage 3D Settings | Program Settings.

5. Click "Add" button under "Select a program" category.

6. Browse to the Dota 2 installation folder- C:Program Files (x86)SteamSteamAppsdownloading570dota.exe.

7. Set Preferred Graphics: High Performance NVidia Processor

8. Click Apply.

Disable Desktop Composition

Desktop Composition is a feature which is a part of compatibility options. Disable it if it doesn't support your system.

1. Right click Dota 2 desktop shortcut, select Properties.

2. Click the Compatibility tab.

3. Check-up the box labelled "Disable desktop composition".

4. Click Apply | OK.

Disable Switchable Graphics

Switchable Graphics settings can be found in the BIOS Settings page. However, some machines may not have such an option.

1. Restart your computer.

2. Press F2 or Delete key randomly.

3. BIOS Settings page will open.

4. Search for a setting called "Switchable Graphics".

5. Disable it.

6. Select Exit | Save settings and exit.

Reset Texture and Render Quality Settings

Reset the texture and render quality settings as shown below:

1. Open the game.

2. Click Settings | Video | Advanced.

3. Set lower Texture and higher Render Quality.

4. Click the Save Settings button, exit and restart it.

Provide Read/ Write Permissions to Registry Hives

Failure to obtain registry read/ write permissions can cause settings retrieval problems. Fix Dota 2 crashes by providing necessary permissions to the game registry hives.

1. Click Start | All Programs | Accessories | Run.

2. Type "RegEdit" in the Search Box. Press ENTER.

3. Open this registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftware

4. Right click the "Value" key, select "Permissions".

5. Check-up all boxes in the "Allowed" column.

6. Click OK and exit.

Verify Cache Files Integrity

Verify integrity of the game cache files.

1. Open Steam.

2. Click Library

3. Right click the game, select Properties.

4. Click Local Files | Verify Integrity of Game Cache.

Repair Corrupt Game Files

Dota 2 crashes due to corrupt game files. Repair these files and reinstall the game.

1. Exit Steam completely.

2. Double click My Computer desktop icon.

3. Open this folder: C:Program Files (x86)Steam

4. Delete "SteamApps" folder. Move it to the Recycle Bin.

5. Click Start | Control Panel | Programs | Uninstall a Program.

6. Right click the game, select Uninstall.

7. Follow the wizard and restart.

8. Insert installation disc and continue with the installer.

The best way to download DOTA 2 Crash-Fix. Install the program, conduct full settings scan and fix all problems.

How to Fix Battlefield 4 Crashes

Many people are experiencing Battlefield 4 crashes ever since the game was released. If you're experiencing the same problem, you have come at the right place. This article provides a workaround to get rid of occasional errors and crashes, which interrupt the gameplay.

Repair Punkbuster Installation

Punkbuster file is stored in the installation directory. Repair corrupt Punkbuster files.

For Windows 8 & Earlier Versions:

1. Double click My Computer desktop icon.
2. Open the following directory:C:Program Files (x86)Origin GamesBattlefield 4_InstallerPunkbusterRedist
3. Open the file named PBSVC.EXE
4. Repair the PB installation.

Reinstall Visual C++ Redistributable

Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable is a component used during gameplay. Corrupt Visual C++ files causes Battlefield 4 crashes. Reinstall it to fix your problem.

For Windows 8:

1. Press Windows Key, type "Control Panel" in the Search Box.
2. Click the Apps icon.
3. Click Programs | Uninstall a Program.
4. Select "Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable" from the programs list.
5. Click "Repair" button.
6. Follow the on-screen wizard. A system reboot is mandatory.

For Earlier Versions of Windows:

1. Click Start | Control Panel.
2. Click Programs | Uninstall a Program.
3. Select "Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable", click "Change/ Remove" button.
4. Select "Reinstall/ repair the program" option and click Next.
5. Follow the setup wizard.

Repair Windows Registry

Windows Registry contains important game configurations and settings. You experience crashes due to registry errors.

1. Download and install a System Utilities software.
2. Start full scan. Wait till it is finished.
3. Repair all errors.

Change Graphics Settings

Graphics settings such as broadcast resolution and picture quality play a critical role during gameplay. Incompatible settings cause the game to stop functioning.

For Windows 8 & Earlier Versions:

1. Open Battlefield 4.
2. Press Shift + F1 to open Origin.
3. Click Camera icon | Twitch menu.
4. Sign-in to your Battlefield 4 account.
5. Click Advanced Settings.
6. Reset Graphics Quality and Broadcast Resolution.
7. Save the settings and restart the game.

Exclude Game Files from DEP Security Feature

DEP stands for Data Execution Prevention. It is a security feature in Microsoft Windows. Fix DEP and Battlefield 4 conflicts by excluding game files as shown below:

For Windows 8 & Earlier Versions:

1. Right click My Computer desktop icon, select Properties.
2. Click Advanced system settings.
3. Click the Advanced tab, Settings button under Performance category.
4. Click Data Execution Prevention tab.
5. Select the option named "Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select".
6. Click Add button, browse the following directory:C:Program Files (x86)Origin GamesBattlefield 4
7. Add all.EXE files and then click OK twice.

The best way to fix Battlefield 4 crashes is to use Battlefield 4 Crash-Repair program. Download the software, start the diagnostic procedure.

How to Fix Need For Speed Crashes?

Many users complain that Need for Speed crashes at the initial loading screen or during gameplay. In this article, we'll discuss various troubleshooting techniques to fix the problem.

Change Compatibility Options 

Compatibility options include visual theme and desktop composition settings. Need for Speed crashes when unsupported features are enabled. Disable unsupported features and run the game again.

1. Right click Shift.exe file. 
2. Select Properties from the context menu. 
3. In the Properties dialog click the Compatibility tab. 
4. Check-up the boxes labelled "Disable visual themes" and "Disable desktop composition". 
5. Click Apply | OK.

Reinstall Nvidia Physx 

Nvidia Physx installation can be corrupt. Uninstall it and install it from its DVD ROM.

1. Click Start | Control Panel. 
2. Click Programs | Uninstall a Program. 
3. Select "Nvidia Physx" from the list of installed programs. 
4. Click "Uninstall" button. 
5. Follow the setup wizard and then restart. 
6. Insert Nvidia Physx DVD ROM and run the installer program.

Change Graphics Configurations 

All graphics configurations are saved in a file named "GraphicsConfig.xml". This file is stored in the My Documents folder. Open the file, set recommended settings and save the changes.

1. Click Start | My Documents. 
2. Double click "NFS Shift" folder. 
3. Right click a file named "GraphicsConfig.xml" and select Open With | Notepad. 
4. Set the following recommended settings: Width= 1024 Height= 768 
5. Disable Windowed Mode by changing its value to "0" (zero) 
6. Click File | Save and then exit.

Reset Game Options 

Game options contain basic settings, user preferences related to filtering, shadow and texture. Reset them as shown below:

1. Run Need for Speed. 
2. Click Options | Graphics. 
3. Enable a feature called "V-Sync" 
4. Disable "Shadow" feature. 
5. Set higher texture details. 
6. Save the changes.

Disable Auto Log-In Feature 

Do you play the game online? If you don't play it online, you may have to disable the "Auto Log-In" feature.

1. Click Options | Online. 
2. Disable Auto Log-In feature. 
3. Save the changes.

Run a Registry Scan 

Registry scan identifies and repairs game registry entries. Download a good Registry Cleaner software, full scan the system and repair all errors detected.

Delete Corrupt Data Files 

Game data is stored in data files. Your data files can be corrupt. Delete them so that Need for Speed will re-create them again.

1. Double click My Computer desktop icon. 
2. Open the following directory: C:\Users\UserName\Documents\Criterion Games\Need ForSpeed(TM) Most Wanted 
3. Click Edit | Select All. 
4. Delete all selected files.

The best way to fix Need for Speed crashes is to use Need for Speed Crash-Fix software. It diagnoses all problems related to game settings, registry entries.

How to Choose the Perfect Laptop Gaming Mouse

Ever since the dawn of computer gaming there has been a drive to improve the way we interact with games. There have been numerous different input methods including joysticks, gamepads, steering wheels, and even full on mech control hubs with hundreds of buttons. All those things aside, the best method of input is still the gaming mouse and keyboard.

Now I'm sure you are asking yourself, "with so many options on the market, how do I know which mouse to buy?" This is purely a question of personal taste, but I can help you to learn how to choose the best gaming mouse for you by considering just four qualities when deciding on your ultimate gaming mouse. The qualities are: customization level, functionality, number of buttons, and DPI.

Customization is very important because it can change the way your mouse feels in your hand making you feel at one with your game or not. One of my favorite gaming mice is the R.A.T 7 gaming mouse from cyborg. This mouse has the ability to alter the weight of the mouse so that it can feel heavy or light in your hand. The length of the mouse can also be adjusted by sliding a plastic piece at the bottom of the mouse forward or backwards. In addition, you can modify the thumb and pinky rests on the mouse so that your hand doesn't feel fatigued after long gaming sessions. All of this is important because it affects how you interact with your mouse, but when you are trying to play a computer game with the best accuracy that is where functionality comes in.

Different computer mice have different levels of functionality. Some functions are built for specific games. With The R.A.T 7 mouse there is a sniper button which lowers the DPI in the case that you are playing a first person shooter and want to increase your accuracy. This function, and all other functions are usually controlled by the firmware bundled with the mouse.With most good computer gaming mice you will be able to have multiple profiles in which you can alter everything including macros, quick commands for faster game play, to button mapping. With the Razer Naga Epic Gaming mouse there are 12 buttons on the left of the mouse that can be specifically mapped to cast different spells when playing games like World of Warcraft or Everquest. So basically the functionality of a mouse is highly dependent on the firmware that comes with it and how well that firmware lets you change the use of the mouse buttons.

Mouse buttons and DPI are the two most important things to consider when choosing the ideal gaming mouse for you. I personally love to play World of Warcraft so I chose a mouse with upwards of 17 buttons that can be remapped the way I want. However if you are playing a first person shooter like Call of Duty or Counterstrike the number of buttons is not as important as the DPI of the mouse. DPI stands for dots per inch and in technical terms translates to the number of number of steps the mouse will report to the computer when it moves one inch. For quick speed and fast shooting the higher the DPI the better, with some mice these days reaching up to 8600 DPI. However as I wrote earlier, when sniping or doing something that required better accuracy than speed it is important to choose a mouse that can scale its DPI down to a lower number like 800-1000 DPI for slower, more accurate movement.

Why Play Android Games On Your PC

For several years now, Android has been among the leading mobile operating systems in the world. It has managed to stay relevant because it has continually expanded its horizons to include more amazing features. Among the many amazing features of the android platform is that you can be able to play countless cool games on your Android device. Most of these games are available for free while others require you to purchase them. According to research, games are the most downloaded applications on Android platform. So far, users have downloaded hundreds of millions of games.

You can play android games on PC

If you have been using your Android device to play games on your device then you certainly are aware of the pleasure that comes from doing so. Now there is even more good news. You can now be able to play Android games on your computer or laptop. You are probably wondering why you would want to play android mobile games on a PC. There are several advantages of this. First, if your device does not use the Android platform but you love to play Android games, you can now do so on the PC.

Secondly, you can test any games on the computer or laptop before installing them on your android device. Regardless of the android mobile device you are using, you can agree that space is an issue. You cannot go installing every game you come across otherwise you will fill your device's memory and affect its general speed and function. Developers are aware of the huge popularity of android games, and they want to capitalize on these by developing as many games as possible. Hence, you can test these android games on the computer to determine if they are worthy to be on your phone.

How this is possible

Playing Android games on your computer or laptop is possible through the use of certain applications that developers have recently created. There are several different such apps out there but you have to be careful which one you choose. Most of them allow you to sync your android mobile apps to your PC. This way, you can enjoy playing your favorite games on a big screen. The first step to using such software is to download it to your computer. You then need to install it in your computer before you begin using it. It is as simple as a few clicks to begin syncing your mobile apps to the PC.

Top 3 Role Playing Games

The technology keeps on surprising users, but one should not underestimate entertainment and its capacity to keep up with the latest changes. There is no better argument that can convince users other than online games. If you are truly passionate, then you can surely set apart those games that are professionally created and designed by experts from ordinary games. However, if you are just getting started and your gaming experience is not that impressive, here are three online games that currently occupy leading positions on the dedicated market.

The Age of Warring Empire

If you are passionate about myths and legends, then you will surely appreciate this game. Few are the gamers that have not yet discovered the Age of Warring Empire. This role playing game offers users the chance to become kings and create their own empire. Taking correct decisions while impersonating a ruler is the biggest challenge in this game. Building an empire is not as simple as it might appear. You have to design buildings, strengthen your empire and take all the security measures needed. The interesting part about this game is the fact that it allows multiple players to join in. This role playing game has proved to be highly appreciated by a large number of enthusiasts and for a good reason. If you want to see why this game is so popular, then download Age of Warring Empire for PC and start playing.

Blood Brothers

If you are looking for impeccable graphics, then you should definitely try Blood Brothers. Even though it comes second, don't let this fool you! There are over 20 million players around the world enjoying this game, which means that there has to be something about it. This is also a role playing online game, with a similar story as the Age of Warring Empire. Players will have to make their own destiny, conquer and defeat enemies. This is the ultimate purpose. Download Blood Brothers for PC, choose from the 1000 characters that await you and start your journey. You will quickly understand the reasons for which the game, Blood Brothers, is entering the category of the most popular games at the moment.

Spartan Wars Empire of Honor

Another game that has the same idea of creating and reigning over an empire is Spartan Wars Empire of Honor. Gamers will have various tasks like building a castle and training an army. Moreover, they will have to think of strategies, fight and conquer other empires. As Blood Brothers, the game, Spartan Wars Empires of Honor, has amazing graphics and the sound is not to be underestimated. Passionate gamers will most likely enjoy this addition to the top 3 most popular role playing games.

These are merely three suggestions, but the online market is rich in choices when it comes to online games for PC. Gamers in all parts of the world would be delighted to find out that, when it comes to entertainment, there is no limit whatsoever. There is an impressive diversity of games on the dedicated market. If you would like to enjoy your free time playing on the computer, then you could start by trying one of the games mentioned above.

Playing Computer Games Can Be Good for You

The gaming industry is a multi-billion dollar money-maker, as millions of individuals from all over the world play the different games that are developed each year. There have been a lot of studies on the effects of gaming on an individual's physical and mental health as well as on their effects on the player's personality. Recent studies have thrown cold water on myths about computer games and their negative effects on the brain. In fact, these studies have shown that video games are good for you.

A lot of studies have shown that video games can improve decision making, creativity and perception. Individuals who play fast-paced action games were found to make decisions up to 25% faster and more accurately than those who did not play any games. In fact, more qualified gamers can make decisions up to six times every second, compared to four times a second for non-gamers. Players who have a lot of computer game experience can concentrate on up to six things at a go without ever getting confused.

Individuals who play simple games can improve their fine motor skills, strategic planning, memory formation and spatial navigation. Life-simulation games can help to improve the flexibility of the player's brain, and this has been linked to better intelligence. Another study has also revealed that playing computer games can slow down the natural aging process of the brain by stalling the decline of several cognitive skills. Computer games can also increase the attention span of the child, and this is a skill that can be useful in reading.

Another research has also concluded that individuals who play first-person shooting games will have a better contrast sensitivity function. This is an ability to tell the difference between very small changes in the brightness of an image.

Contrast sensitivity function is one of the first visual aptitudes that diminish with age. This ability is considered very crucial for people who want to drive at night or perform other key tasks in the dark. These researchers believe that the process of finding and aiming at the enemies is an exercise for the eyes.

There are a lot of studies that are being conducted to show how computer games can relieve pain or even help in rehabilitation of patients who suffer from grip problems. Researchers have overwhelmingly concluded that video games can be an exercise for the brain, the eyes, and the hands, and that they can have a lot of benefits for the player.

Escaping to the Point and Click Adventure

Some of my best gaming experiences; actually, just some of my best experiences alone during the last year of the 80's and throughout the 90's came from the incredible "Point and Click Adventure" genre. Also known as "Graphic Adventures", each game was an absolute trip, deep layered and immersive - I tuned out of reality and tuned in to a different world, allowing me to be someone else from the time those disks were inserted to the time I flicked that ON/OFF switch and went to bed.

To escape my ordinary school kid life, all I needed to do was boot up, and I instantly became a pirate, a secret agent, a time traveller, a space janitor, a detective, an archeologist, a wizard or a king. Douglas Quaid had "Rekall", I had my Amiga.

This was beyond "the book"; Point and Click adventures enabled the player to delve in to a rich story but actually be the protagonist, walk as them, answer as them, interact with other characters as them and make their decisions for them; each time being rewarded with further storyline, conundrums and puzzles. Before the integration of real audio dialogue in to the games when they arrived on CD-ROM years later (which I think spoiled them); the much cooler generation of users of the limited capacity floppy disk were forced to read all of the dialogue in their head, (creating their own voices if they wished) with a 16-bit soundtrack and sound effects to accompany them. It was a sublime experience.

I preferred to Point'n'Click alone
Often with the intriguing story-lines and with the intense need to beat the current puzzle; players would invest countless hours in to the games without a break, playing all day, evening and in to the early hours of the morning. With a tired mind this could transform them in to a trance-like, dreamlike state, as if the dream they were having was in front of them but it was in full colour, completely controllable and lucid. These were the best dreams they had ever had. Everything beyond the 4 sides of the screen in front of them crumbled away and nothing else existed except for the adventure; the only reminder that they were still a human-being looking on was the feeling of their wrist and hand Pointing with the mouse and the sound of the Clicks as they chose a verb, and then an object.

It was a very personal and solitary experience; a journey that could only really be enjoyed thoroughly when done alone. I sat with a friend once, together trying to beat a few puzzles of a certain game that was out at the time, at his house. I had the feeling that I was encroaching on his experience, and he was definitely spoiling mine; this was an experience that I wanted to have shut away in my own bedroom, not his. It was similar to trying to sit and read a classic novel at the same time as another person, both peering over the same pages, one wanting to turn a page and get through it, and the other wanting to hang around and take in the intricacies of the story and the dialogue and apply imagination to enhance the scene. We were just two different instances of that sprite in two different mindsets. On his screen was the exact same animated collection of pixels, but I didn't recognise this character, it wasn't the same one that was waiting for me back home. We'd been through different things at different times; I'd built up a rapport with mine, and here was just a clone carrying out actions that I wanted to save for later - it just wasn't the same. Needless to say I never tried co-playing a Point'n'Click again.

Graphic Adventure piracy, before Monkey Island
It all started for me in 1989, I had given to me by my Uncle a pirated copy (naughty naughty) of the brilliant Future Wars by Delphine - this wetted my appetite for the genre, however since only one floppy disk had been handed over for (unbeknown to either of us) a two disk game, I was only able to complete a few of the puzzles before being asked to "Insert Disk 2". Without the disk, I was unable to continue which was frustrating to say the least, but this had me hungry for graphic adventures - I needed to play more.

I used to order Amiga games from some kind of mail order catalogue (I can not remember for the life of me what this was called, or why I was doing it this way since I could probably go to a computer shop in town.), I believe though that this catalogue contained games that were not widely known or distributed at the time, perhaps from overseas. Contained within it, a small advert showing a game with strange and exciting cover art, like that of a cool 80's cartoon or movie, which was accompanied by a captivating sales pitch - right there and then I had to find out what was going on in the Maniac Mansion. And so it was ordered and the waiting time commenced (I seem to recall 14 - 28 days?). Every day was a "Has the postman been?" routine, until one warm and fuzzy Saturday morning, finally it had arrived. I remember opening the big brown jiffy bag and pulling out that amazing box. On the front, a large and colour version of what was displayed in the catalogue but on the back, a weird painted image of the stories antagonists: Dr Fred, Nurse Edna and Weird Ed. If I wasn't already drawn in; the fact that inside of the box was a huge poster depicting a noticeboard with all kinds of plot related and character back-story references really clinched it. Maniac Mansion Disk 1 was in, and I was going in to Maniac Mansion.

Adventures for an adventureless time
With a firm craving for pointing and clicking, and as the 90's arrived, many more titles ensued; Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Secret of Monkey Island, Operation Stealth, Loom, Day of the Tentacle, Cruise for a Corpse, Leisure Suit Larry, King's Quest, Space Quest, Police Quest, Dark Seed, Dreamweb, KGB.. Some atmospheric and serious, some filled with incredible wit and humour; they came thick and fast, each taking me to a different place, time, and life.

As the genre became popular and consistently filled the charts, it wasn't long before sequels appeared giving us even more adventures and even more time to spend with (as) our favourite characters.

However, as consoles came more and more in to the limelight with their gamepads, this meant the end of pointing and clicking (of course, consoles don't use a mouse), and with game sales at an all time low due to the amount of floppy disk piracy; this meant the end of the Amiga. PC's carried on for a time with the genre but with the new generation wanting more shock value and graphically exciting games in realtime 3D; the whimsical innocence of the Point and Click games as we know them fizzled out and the adventures were seemingly over. Fast forward 15 or so years... Although lacking interaction authenticity (less like "point and click", more like "Look then Touch" adventures), in recent years with the intimacy of touch screen devices and tablets the Point and Click adventure made a come back and I was happy to see the re-release of some classics. It's nice to see the genre becoming popular once again, although sadly, for me they have lost the charm that made the games what they were. Perhaps it's because the actual hardware that was used at the time to play them is missing; with not a lot of storage space, processing power and graphics capabilities the storylines and characters really shone through because they had to. Or maybe it was because of what else was going on (or not going on) outside of the computer screen at that time. In an era before the internet, mobile phones, social media, MMO's and instant digital entertainment there were few places in which to transpose the consciousness of a young boy who was seeking real adventure. With such a lack of options at that time for escapism, the Point and Click adventure was a Point and a Click away from a whole different world59