for these past few days i have been watching this anime called ultra maniac, and i’ve never really watched stuff in this genre before, except for pokemon (the best ever!) and sailormoon, when i was five or something.

i think it’s very good, but like i said, i wouldn’t know how it compares with other anime.

Nina Sakura is a trainee witch who has come down to earth to find five Holy Stones, as whoever finds them will marry the Prince of the Magic Kingdom.  She meets Ayu Tateishi, a fellow seventh grader, and Nina reveals her secret to Ayu, and they become best friends, with Nina trying to help Ayu with her love for Kajii Tetsushi.

Nina’s childhood friend from the Magic Kingdom, Maya, also comes down to earth to find the Holy Stones before her, and Nina has to try to stop everybody else from finding out she is a witch.

nina’s the blondish one…  and her cat is really cute.

and after dad told me off for playing bubble spinner (well, it is a sad game.  but warning, it can be very ADDICTIVE) because it’s one of the only games that manages to load really quickly even when i’m capped, i realised that i’m suffering from a bad case of nothing-to-do-and-nowhere-to-go-itis.  it feels quite depressing, that the only thing that really matters right now is the hsc.  i’m beginning to understand hikikomori, all that pressure and stress.

things i want to do in the upcoming holidays:

- swim, swim and swim

- survive the car trip to and from the gold coast

- somehow get rid of my sock tan (thank goodness i wear anklets, at least)

- go out with a friend at least once

- chill

- find a hobby (hard, this one…)

i’m glad for school.

and i tried reading twilight last week.  the first, what, fifteen pages bored me out of my brain, and it’s not in the library anymore, so i’m not going to bother. the latest topic is not the twilight saga or new moon the movie but rather the craze itself. 

Psychologically it’s hard for girls to resist the idea of a vampire, a good boy but ultimately bad, attracted to you but having to stay away for the sake of your life.

This is war.

No seriously, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 gives you that feeling that you are fighting for territory.

That every kill counts in the grander scale of things, that while you cautiously push forward or even make a daring renegade dash for the enemies base that you are making difference.

I’d been playing and enjoying the multiplayer on Modern Warfare 2 for a few weeks when I stumbled upon a link to a site offering access to the beta for Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

Needless to say I leapt at the chance.

Graphically the game is stunning, despite the level being mainly desert – it has three sections to fight through, each with a slightly different flavour – and the destruction of buildings is something to marvel at (not for too long though or someone will kill you ).

The gameplay is as you’d expect, likewise with the controls – fairly standard.

They seem to have pitched it between Killzone 2’s more realistic heavy handling and Modern Warfare 2’s almost comedic light handling, which is (in my opinion) just about the right balance.

The inclusion of a selection of vehicles (tanks/jeeps/quads etc) is a great touch that adds to the proceedings.

There are a few problems – mainly a seemingly invisible force pushing you back (could be done on purpose if it’s supposed to be desert wind but still a bit annoying) and also the occasional glitch leaving me unable to walk or stuck trying to get in a door (which I was also actually having in the finished product of Modern Warfare 2 )

However it’s the beta so I’m guessing those will be straightened out by the time of release.

You get a few classes to choose from, all regular stuff (Medic, Engineer etc) – not sure how many different classes there will be in the final product.

However it’s the aforementioned destruction damage that means that nearly every round is different.

You can’t have a regular hiding place, at least not for long, because chances are if there is a hint that you’re there tank shells or grenades will destroy whatever cover you have.

For the record I have to also say that the beta is only one level and one game mode! Yes, it’s this good and that is all I’ve played.

I honestly haven’t touched Modern Warfare 2 since I played this.

To give this some perspective I offer a further viewpoint as well as my own.

A work colleague who is also on this beta said, having played multiplayer of both games, “I don’t think I’ll bother picking up Modern Warfare 2 now, might as well play this, it’s much better.”

I cannot praise it enough and I just hope it can maintain this level of awesomeness until, and beyond, it’s release in March 2010.

Getting closer to the festive season the question once again arises as to what to purchase your family and friends this Christmas. You want to present them with a gift that will generate fun and enjoyment for endless hours and bring smiles to their faces. Gone are the days of ties and boring gifts, today the most popular Christmas gift option is video games!

Because there are computer games and video games which are specifically developed for each age group and interest, every person of your Christmas present list can enjoy the entertaining world of Best video games.

Always On sale proudly announces their extensive selection of amazingly low-priced video games, which can be quickly delivered right to the doorstep of anyone on your gift list. The broad variety of videogames covers the entire top gaming consoles, such as Playstation 3 games, Nintendo DS games, Nintendo Wii games, Xbox 360 games, PC games, and PSP games. In addition, Always On Sale carries all of the gaming consoles and accessories to take the gaming experience to a higher level.

Rated as the current most popular videogames console, the portable Nintendo DS is top choice gaming solution for use anywhere and anytime. Between the vast selection of exciting games and the range of DS consoles in fun colours, the Nintendo DS makes a fabulous Christmas gift idea.

No matter what their taste and interests are, Always On Sale carries PC games and video games for every gamer that will capture their wildest imaginings while providing endless hours of fun. Choose from the extensive collection of most popular PC games titles, including Modern Warfare (call of duty) World Of Warcraft , Prince of Persia, Assassin’s Creed 2, and Grand Theft Auto 4.

The Xbox 360 is often considered to be the ultimate console for true gamers; it is known as the top videogames system for those who truly love to play. Always On Sale offers the best value deals on both console and accessories to ensure that gaming is thrilling but still easy on the hip pocket.

The Nintendo Wii is one of today’s most sought-after and popular video game consoles, as it truly appeals to people of all ages. With its innovative design that gets you off the couch and into its interactive and entertaining game titles, the Wii makes for a Christmas gift that will be loved by all. Since Always On Sale stocks Wii consoles, Wii games, and Wii accessories, you can find everything you need for a super Wii Christmas this year.

Always On Sale is proud to carry cheap wii games, video games and gaming accessories, and all at amazingly discounted prices. Video gaming truly is the best Christmas gift idea; all of your recipients will be thrilled to receive the gift of gaming under their Christmas trees this season. With the vast array of choices online 24/7 at Always On Sale, it is simple to visit the website today and become a member of the gaming revolution.

Grab Cheap Wii Games accesories fit at Alwaysonsale.com.au! Best Range of Video Games, Consoles and accessories at discounted prices

As a game designer, I work primarily with MMOs so I’m used to having sprawling, complex worlds to create and work within.  For one of my classes this semester, however, I’ve been designing a board game and I’m finding it an unexpectedly intriguing challenge.  The key difference?  In computer games computers uphold the rules, whereas in board games players must uphold the rules.

This is a whole different ball game.  In computer game design there’s a lot of “behind the scenes” stuff we can get away with, and just present the final data to the player in a nice, palatable form.  Players in WoW aren’t required to calculate the effects of all their armor on their character’s statistics, the game does this for them.  With board games, there’s no man behind the curtain.  Players must be able to understand the rules enough to uphold them themselves, and so we are limited not only by the constraints of the human brain, but by the constraints of what people consider fun.  As we see tastes vary in all games, the amount of effort people are willing to put into learning the rules of a game varies – most people at some point learn the rules to Monopoly, but a much smaller percentage of people learn the much more complex Dungeons and Dragons.  Designing these types of games is an intriguing process precisely because of these constraints, and a worthwhile challenge for any computer game designer.

Online gaming is still the ultimate source of entertainment for netizens. To get to the level cap, that is to reach the peak point is your ultimate motto when you start off with this game called Aion. Why a player rushes to get to the level cap can be the fact that they have been tortured by other higher level players and if somehow they can manage to reach the highest level, they can simply banish those tormentors. Another advantage of having reached the highest level is that you get to take part in the thrilling raids, sieges and the like.

The best and perhaps the only way to make it to the peak is to obtain the aion power leveling guide. The guide outstandingly helps players by throwing light on which quests you should choose; thus saving your time and efforts. The guide upgrades your character and gear to keep up with the levels. While revving up yourself in the game, make sure you learn and internalize all the necessary skills up to level 9 and don’t buy armors unless you badly need them.

In order to ascend to higher levels, you need to earn sufficient amount of kinah which only the right guide can teach you how to. It can sift through the eight professions available in the game and edify you about the most appropriate one depending on your skills and stamina.

Flying is a thing of wonder and thrill at the same time. No matter which race you choose, you can get wings to your character by ‘power leveling’ yourself. So what are you waiting for? Put your playing gear on and start off with the guide beside you.

yeah guys!!! nba 2k10 is now available. NBA 2K10 raises the bar for authenticity this year with groundbreaking new features.

This are the new features in NBA 2K10:

NBA Today: Real world matchups, news and stats automatically stream right into the game.  NBA Today keeps commentary and overlays fresh and up to date based on what is really happening in the NBA.  

My Player: Giving fans what they have long requested, the all-new My Player career mode allows fans to create their own ultimate NBA player and guide his every career move. 

The Association: The Association strives to be the best franchise mode in sports video games. Full incorporation of the NBA Development League and the ability to control all 30 NBA teams at once, including restricted free agency, real-time practice, an all-new player progression system, and a host of other enhancements gives NBA 2K10 players the tools to rule the court and lead their team to victory.  

Crews: Crews, a new online feature, allows dedicated online players to round up their friends and build the ultimate squad using either created players from My Player or an actual NBA team. 

Signature Play: Signature Play pulls together all of NBA 2K’s player Signature Styles and adds in all-new Signature Tendencies and facial expressions, creating NBA 2K10 teams that play and react like their real life counterparts for an unbelievably realistic NBA experience.  Improved easy-to-use offensive controls for dribbling and post game let players pull off ankle breaking IsoMotion™ moves and dominate from the perimeter to the paint.

Infiltration of internet has brought about a radical change in every sphere. Game industry is not outside the ambit of this revolution. Recent years have witnessed an influx of crazy teenagers pouring over internet to set their hands at several online games. It is undeniable that online games have become a rage with the gaming buff. Even for those who are engaged in outdoor games are online games brings about refreshment. The main advantage of online gaming is that one can drink thrill of games while being drenched in dollops of homely atmosphere.

Now the major question is whether this addiction to online games is healthy for teenagers. Most parents are almost appalled by their children’s addiction to online gaming. Is there any positive effect of online games on teenagers or is affinity for online games squeezing precious hours of studies? This is a burning question that requires an elaborate discussion.

Burden of studies and frequent and rigorous exams have pushed outdoor games to the backstage. Added to this, mushrooming of high-rises has robbed them of playgrounds. So online games have brought an air of refreshment off their daily humdrum lives.  A daily monotonous routine often takes toll on a student’s studies. So, it is very much necessary for them to be absorbed in extra curricular activities. In that sense online games are very much beneficial for them. Online games require a lot of attention on part of players and thus help one to sharpen power of concentration. Some online games are very much trickier and require a perfect combination of intelligence, skill and concentration to be adept at it. If these acquire qualities are put to use to studies, the student will surly come off with flying colors in exams.

It must be remembered that overdose of anything even it is good inflicts a lot of harm. So parents must be careful that this addiction does not threat a problem in the way of their success.

Two Swiss human rights organisations, Trial and Pro Juventute, have criticised computer games featuring warfare for not requiring players to adhere to international war legislation. Inspired I am sure by the recent outcry over Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 requiring players to massacre civilians in order to get support for anti-terrorism measures(or some such thing). The bee that is apparently rattling around in these folks bonnet is that by allowing players to carry out what would constitute war crimes without getting punished does not reflect reality. Really? (NSFW)

It said games were sending an “erroneous” message that conflicts were waged without limits or that anything was acceptable in counter-terrorism operations.

I’m sure I can find some people who would disagree with this.

A retreating Iraqi soldier on the road to Basra

An Afghani wain breaking international regulations on not getting killed in a war.

 

some depicted interrogations that involved torture or degradation and a few permitted summary executions.

Really?

Yeah they got caught but how many did not?

The researchers also said.

In particular, it said, few games it studied reflected the fact that those who “violate international humanitarian law end up as war criminals, not as winners”.

These people should really have a word with Israel then eh? I mean what kind of human rights organisation is so disconnected from what actually happens in the real world? Fannies.

Another kid, Palestinian this time, breaking the rules of war by getting itself killed.

Maybe these people should spend a little bit more time having a go at the states which wage war and cause the deaths of untold millions around the world rather than complaining about video games. Are they going to start calling out Pinewood studios on James Bond not behaving above board on his missions or of how characters in Hollywood films break all sorts of laws during the course of a movie?

Tools.

Original story on the BBC.

]]> http://gamerlolz.com/2009/11/23/23rd-nov-2009-%e2%80%93-random-%e2%80%93-collection-36/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:43:32 +0000 feonyx http://gamerlolz.com/2009/11/23/23rd-nov-2009-%e2%80%93-random-%e2%80%93-collection-36/

Shadowrun Tattoo. Great Game. Bad Idea.

Sailor Moon? Not this Sailor...

"When I say tossing frag grenade I mean it NOOB!"

That beatles a spy!

"I give Scout a Bonk!. He not like much! HAH HAH!"

err Kon-eechi-WOW

What a dirty old bastard!

Heavy disguise fool all now! HAH HAH HA!!!

... so ... how do you play with your knee?

Arrr yes the many meanings of Boomer!

I know what you’re thinking. “Does this guy have anything to do other than sit online blogging?” Well, sure but sometimes you need to get things aired and there is no better medium for finding people who are willing to agree and disagree with you than the highways and byways of the Interwebz.

Therefore, I’d like to direct your collective attentions here. This has the potential to be a highly charged topic. I know this isn’t specifically a video games blog but  every single contributor here spends time playing them and as it’s our blog we’ll damn well post what we want! So, perhaps a civilised discussion about this then?

To be honest, it may be perceived that I have a bias as I’m sitting in the video game playing community side of things, I don’t own Modern Warfare 2, nor do I plan to. However, we see more and more in the media an attack upon video games as a form of entertainment. Just like rock n’ roll in the 50’s we have a new media being accused of the corruption of our youth. I’d like to think by now that humanity would have caught up with that people are free to make their own choices and sometimes they choose badly. This is nothing new but as society has aged and grown we have now entered this amazing era where someone else is to blame. Your kid goes out and tries to car jack some dude on the street? Must be GTA IV’s fault, after all, he’s been playing that for weeks.

Well, perhaps your 13-year-old shouldn’t be playing a game that is rated 18, you could also do some crazy thing like interact with your kids rather than let a console do the job of raising them… outlandish idea I know, I fully expect to be burnt at the stake for such radical and dangerous thinking. However, let’s have a proper look at just what the article linked to is saying.

War crimes are capable of being committed in computer games. You could argue that regular crimes are committed in computer games all the time and yet not all gamers are repeat offending compulsive criminals. I’ve pickpocketed stuff on my Rogue in Warcraft but have never lifted anything (nor tried it) from an actual person. We could also look at real warfare, war itself is a brutal act of destruction and invariably good does not come out of it. I’m not going to go into history and pick specific examples of anything but I do not believe that war is good, we consider ourselves an enlightened species yet we still fight each other over perceived differences. Being able to commit war crimes in a computer game is, to me, no different from the often seen lack of regard for the so-called rules by many parties engaged in armed conflicts. If you want to show through a media such as the computer the true decisions that are faced by a man on the ground then obviously they are doing a grand job. It is even possible that if certain acts are performed covertly enough or with enough like-minded individuals that in real life it is possible to get away with these things. There are many armed forces around the world today that are committing what are defined as war crimes and yet we get all hissy over a game that allows someone to make those choices. Yes, perhaps there could be some repercussions from those choices (more traditionally RPG territory though) but you tend to find that it is only the west that really and truly abides by these conventions in the conflicts going on in the world today.

Now, is this really about war crimes or, more likely, just another attack at the video games industry to create sensational headlines that will help to sell copy? I’ll leave that to your judgement. However, not everyone that plays these games is a sociopath. In RPGs that allow you to take different moral routes I will often play through at least twice in order to experience both sets of outcomes, I personally find it a lot harder to go through the bad as opposed to taking the good. Yet, in video game land, I can be an uncaring, insensitive person without having to face the consequences myself, however, the character inevitably does. Is it really any different than reading certain works of fiction that portray these kinds of things, or watching a movie?

Yet, while these kinds of media are accepted as soon as something appears in a video game everyone is up in arms. Perhaps this is due to the fact that video games are so prevalent in our homes that society feels compelled to yet again cry out with “won’t someone think of the children” well, in my opinion the person that should be thinking of the children are the parents and they should exercise discretion about the media that their offspring are subjected to. This may not be the preferred method of parenting these days but I think we can all see the consequences of that right now.

I imagine this story will have its moment in the sun and then vanish into the ether alongside all the other “computer games will bring about the apocalypse” style stories. I’m just stunned by the fact that people are bemoaning that a game allows you to commit war crimes (something that isn’t new to video games) when so many real life armies flaunt these “rules” anyway. If everyone agreed and fought the same way, then perhaps they’d have a case, by something that is supposed to represent the real world being labelled as bad because it does a good job of mirroring real life… well, I have no coherent answer to that.

Electronic Arts was a powerhouse of great gaming during my formative gaming years. Classics such as Road Rash, Desert Strike, FIFA, the Mutant League series, PGA Tour Golf and James Pond to name a few, were always innovative and a delight to play.

But somehow over time EA became the ‘bad guy’ – the heartless corporation who were happy to churn out yearly updates of average games, often with little or no improvement.

Suddenly we had Burnout, Need For Speed, Harry Potter, SSX, the Def Jam fighting games and a host of annual sports updates. The difference being that these games (possibly excluding a few Burnout titles) were just not that great.

They started buying smaller, rival studios and created big rifts in the industry by often closing the studios down and taking their best talent.

And then all of a sudden things changed a few years ago – as well as the usual updates they announced two games which turned people’s impressions of EA on their head: Dead Space and Mirror’s Edge.

Two games which were highly polished, innovative, produced to an extremely high level… and were original ideas. Not a sequel or prequal – or even a film tie in. Just cleverly made great games.

Now I’m the first to admit that maybe Mirror’s Edge had it’s faults but that isn’t the issue here – what I’m talking about is EA’s willingness to take a shot at launching a new brand, based on something no-one had tried before.

Brutal Legend is another fine example – while the game appears to have tanked at retail, which is a shame, EA backed it all the way with marketing and promo. Not all of their new ideas come off so to speak.

The other shift was that the year updates, sporting especially, got good again. The Fight Night series was a serious return to form, culminating in Round 4’s superb simulation of the sport. Likewise FIFA – which has now overtaken long standing champion PES as the best football game around.

With Rock Band they are looking to take on Activision (the new ‘bad guys’ apparently) and Guitar Hero, a battle which will rage for years to come.

The standard of games forthcoming as well looks really positive with Army Of Two: 40th Day, Dante’s Inferno, Mass Effect 2 (not for us PS3 folks… yet ) and Battlefield Bad Company 2 (the Beta of which is truly stunning) all arriving in the first quarter of 2010!

When I think back to 5 or 6 years ago it seems insane that EA of all people would be pushing the envelope and delivering top quality, fresh and innovative titles – long may it continue!

Author: Victor Epand
Source: ezinearticles.com

Are video games good, wii games
, news or bad news? And is it really as simple as all that? Over the years there has been a tremendous amount of discussion, or, wii games
, perhaps argument, between those who feel that computer games and video games are harming children’s health, their imagination and potential, and those who feel that they, wii games
, have no more effect than the many other calls on children’s time, and may even in some cases have some positive impact.

Certainly today there is a growing range of computer games and video games, and whilst many are still firmly rooted in the classic, wii games
, shoot ‘em up model, there are many new games which are challenging some of the stereotypes to which people have become accustomed to seeing on the shelves.

Games that include ways to challenge your intelligence, video games designed to exercise your mind and increase your IQ, games that focus on problem solving and linguistic, wii games
, skills are all there, and proving to be every bit as popular as games designed purely to entertain, without any attempt to pretend to be educational.

There are even games today promoting physical fitness, diet and nutrition, and with the Wii in particular, children and young, wii, wii games
, games
, people can be seen playing video games and computer, wii games
, games at the same time as running, jumping, dancing and gyrating in ways which can only have a positive impact on their health.

Another criticism launched at the publishers, wii games
, and retailers of video games and computer games is that they encourage children to seek their own company, spending more and more hours cooped up on their own, to the ultimate detriment of their communication, wii games
, skills and social skills. However, with the development of internet communications and broadband in particular, many games have now become multiplayer, providing ways to chat and communicate with friends and other players from all around the world, wii games
, .

This has often resulted in, wii games
, groups of people working together who may otherwise have never even met. As far as developing strategic thinking and teamwork skills, including communication, organisation and compromise, these video games have been shown to have a very, wii games
, positive impact on children in terms of those skills which are of particular benefit in the workplace of the twenty first century.

But let’s not become too sentimental about video games and computer games adding to our children’s education and life skills experience. Many computer games and video games are exactly that – games. We all need to unwind at the end, wii games
, of the day, and there is nothing wrong with spending a little time playing games. Some people choose to read a book, others to watch television or hang out with friends at the local park.

But who’s to say that playing a computer game which is challenging reaction, strategy, logical thinking skills and team work is of less value that sitting slumped on the settee watching the television. The truth is, more snacks and sugary drinks are consumed by young people whilst watching, wii games
, television than whilst playing video games. Like anything, they have an excellent role to play if treated with respect and used in moderation.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for computer parts and suits & ties. Shop here to find computer games, gaming accessories, formal suits & ties.

Author: Lucas
Source: articlesbase.com

You may think that your gaming console is obsolete and you want to purchase a new one before the year ends, this will serve as your gift to yourself for the holidays and also a gift for your children if you have them. One of the most anticipated gaming consoles today is the PlayStation 3 by Sony. Sony is widely known in the gaming console world and is also the company that gave the world the Sony PlayStation and the Sony PlayStation 2. Today, many people are now waiting for the official release of PlayStation 3 in the market this coming November 2006 in Japan and in North America. You can expect that people will be shopping early for the holidays for this much-anticipated gaming console. In fact, many people have preordered or made reservations for PlayStation 3 before it has even hit the shelves of PlayStation retail outlets. This is to ensure them ownership of a PlayStation 3 upon the official release of the gaming console in the market. Because the PlayStation 3 is one of the keenly anticipated gaming console in the world today, you can expect the PlayStation 3 to be flying out of the shelves as soon as the retail outlet opens. If you purchased a PlayStation 2 upon its official release, you know how difficult and frustrating it is to buy one. With people crowding over the shelves, it will be really difficult to get one. You would want to avoid going through this again. So, as mentioned before, in order for you to avoid going through the early holiday PlayStation shopping rush again, it is a very good idea that you should preorder or make reservations for your own PlayStation 3 in retail outlets in your local area. Or, you can always wait a little while until things settle down and you can go to the PlayStation 3 outlets without having to go through the difficulty of getting your own PlayStation 3. However, if you really want to have your own PlayStation 3 as soon as possible, you might as well call your nearest PlayStation 3 retail outlet and make reservations. This will ensure that you get a PlayStation 3 gaming console, “Game Console“, even before it is officially released in the market. Of course, you would want to, “Game Console“, know about the price of a PlayStation 3 before you buy. The latest gaming consoles tend to be expensive and you definitely want to know if it is worth your time and your money for the PlayStation 3. First of all, there are two configurations of PlayStation 3 that is going to be released in the market. These two configurations are the basic configuration and the premium configuration. The basic configuration costs US$499 while the premium configuration costs US$599. These prices will be implemented in the United States. Other countries differ in prices, such as US$480 for the basic configuration and US$580 for the premium configuration in Canada. PlayStation 3 prices vary from country to country, but you should also know what the difference is between the basic configuration and the premium configuration. In the basic configuration, you will get a 20GB upgradeable hard drive, a Blu-ray drive, HDMI port, and one Bluetooth controller. In the premium configuration, you will get a 60GB upgradeable hard drive, a Blu-ray drive, HDMI port, one Bluetooth controller, silver-colored trim, built-in Wi-Fi, and flash card readers. As you can see, the premium configuration offers more features than the basic configuration, hence the difference in prices. If you want to know more about PlayStation 3, you should try and visit the PlayStation 3 website at www.playstation.com. Here, you will find complete information about the PlayStation 3 gaming console features and also about the benefits you will get when you play with it. Go to www.videoandcomputergametips.com for free tips, advice and review videos.

Lucas Price
http://videoandcomputergametips.com/
http://cbproads.com/sf.asp?id=49255

GlennIsHere.com Holiday Gift Guide

“Now you can go to church every day without leaving your home…” I’m not sure that Pope Benedict would approve of Mass: We Pray.

Update: The mystery of whether the game is genuine has been solved by @caio_capelari. When you click “pre-order now” you are invited to watch a trailer for the forthcoming game Dante’s Inferno. Those clever viral marketers.

Hat tip: Father Z

People tend to forget that computer is a tool and can not substitute human skills,may be it may compute faster.
I have read that higher percentage of people(including adults) in the west, especially in the UK are unable to do basic addition ,subtraction ,multiplication and division with out the aid of a calculator
Excessive dependence on machines shall, in fact,reduces human efficiency and creativity.
Story:
The claim that computer games consoles can improve pupils’ maths ability has been dismissed by an Edinburgh University brain scientist.

Prof Sergio Della Sala said pupils’ performance was just as good when using traditional textbooks.

Use of the consoles has been supported by government body Learning and Teaching Scotland, (LTS) and has spread beyond Scotland and around the world.

Derek Robertson of LTS said he has had support from both teachers and parents.

The criticism from Professor Della Sala came in a speech to Scotland’s headteachers at their annual conference.

He said: “This research shows that when pupils in a school use a games console after ten weeks they become a bit better in performing maths but the same applies to the students who did not use the console
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8368940.stm

Religion is everywhere, its in newspaper, schools, books and people lives so it’s not surprising that it appears in computer games as well. Religion was and always will be a touchy subject. It just one of those things that’s caused wars, literally.

In recent years there has been a number of computer games that have incorporated religion into them. Some of them have shown them in a good light, others in a bad and others in a neutral way.

There are many games that involve gods, cults, church’s and other religious themes.  An example of this is in many RPG games where the player can choose to join any number of in-game religions. These religions generally aren’t real religions but can some times parallel real ones. In the games being a member of a religion normally boosts certain player attributes.

Computer games that involve real world religions tend to be a delicate subject. Generally there are a lot of people, with a lot of beliefs and for a computer games company to make a game with religion in it they either need to be neutral or expect to alienate a certain amount of people.

What you might think is … couldn’t you make a religious game where critics, fans and retailers would all line up and universally say ‘Here’s a game that has some sort of moral or educational value?’,” said Todd Hollenshead, CEO of id Software. “But people tend to take religion extremely personally and therefore have more opportunity to be offended. If you make, say, a Christian based game, are you going to make it a Protestant game? If so, that might offend the Catholics.

I have looked into computer games and religion a bit and cannot find any games where a religion is being portrayed in a negative way. There are a couple of games created by a company called N’Lightning. N’Lightning is a game company that is dedicated to providing the gaming community with high quality Christian computer games/Christian games. Other than computer game companies like who are making games to promote  religion in sometime abstract ways.

The are many computer games that have taken terms from a religion and incorporated these into a game. They are taking these terms that are commonly used and incorporating them so that the games will have more depth for the players.

An example of some of the terms used are ark, god mode,  angels and demons. There are many more example however they are generally easy to pick out.

A computer game series that I follow is Final Fantasy. This game series normally has references to Shive, Odin, and other gods. They can also have characters who are paladins or fight demons in the games.

From Times Online
November 19, 2009

As reported in Times Online, a 13 year-old boy was arrested for planning to attack his teachers for giving him bad grades. The boy, Bastien, left his house with a shotgun and left a note for his parents to find. Luckily, Bastien’s parents found the note and called the authorities, effectively preventing any harm on the teachers and 2000 pupils attending the school. Bastien was later found and arrested in a cafe after seeing his school locked down.

The problem with this whole ordeal is that The Times associates computer games with this boy’s plan. The headline is, “Computer gmaes fan ‘planned school shooting.’” Are we still in a period of ignorance where anything related to schools and shootings must be associated with computer games?

Let’s get this straight first. The Times notes World of Warcraft as Bastien’s main influence. They even support this with Bastien’s parents and even best friend noting that he plays World of Warcraft until 1 or 2 am. World of Warcraft convinced this young child to go to school and shoot his teachers? Of course! Because in World of Warcraft, you regularly bring your character that has a shotgun into dungeons that are schools.

The sad thing is that we could not be further from finding the real reason Bastien planned his shooting. This just shows how little the main stream media understands video games and how little they really care about what really went on in this child’s head.

Origin Custom Gaming PC certified by Fatal1ty

I recently read about a new gaming PC company called Origin PC:

http://www.originpc.com/

Now, I built myself a gaming computer about 3 years back, cuz I am a Quake fan and I didn’t have much money and I wanted the most computer for the money. Now that I am a little older and have a little money, I look at my gaming rig with a little different view.

Sure it was cheep, but every year there have been a couple of times when I had to work on it cuz it wouldn’t boot, or ran slow, or the fan stop working (still don’t know why but it randomly still happens). I was actually thinking of upgrading to a pre-build system, but Origin PC offers some interesting features that come with a pro-built custom system.

I recently found this article on MaximumPC about the new Origin Custom Gaming PC certified by Fatal1ty:

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/new_custom_system_maker_origin_enters_fray_genesis_eon18

Now, I don’t like Paul “The Paid for Pussy” Lilly as a writer, and he really has a chip on his shoulder about Fatal1ty in this article – probably cuz he got emasculated by Johnathan ‘Fatal1ty’ Wendel in a shootout or competition and needs to over act (over write?) like he still has a penis…

Any how, I met Fatal1ty at E for All in LA a few years ago, and his gaming skills are incredible. He really knows how to game, and although he whipped the map with my fragged ass, afterwards he gave me some pointers and was a really nice and professional guy.

http://www.fatal1ty.com

Origin PC was smart to work with him, I think he adds a lot of credibility, and if anyone knows how a gaming PC should perform- it is Fatal1ty.

I have a Fatal1ty Sound Card and Headset for about 1 year, and they are the shit!! I love them. I have had a Fatal1ty keyboard for about 2 years and it is one of the best I have ever had.

So, as far as Fatal1ty as a brand is concerned, I think it is a great gaming brand – and I am seriously thinking of forking out for an Origin PC system with a wild ass paint job!!

Origin Custom Gaming PC certified by Fatal1ty

For more info on Fatal1ty certified:

http://www.fatal1ty.com/certified/

Fatal1ty Certified Logo

Note: This post was not paid for, nor did I receive products for this post from Origin PC, Fatal1ty, MaximumPC Magazine or anyone or company.

A couple months ago I spilled my coffee on the table my laptop was on.  It got on the bottom of the laptop, but it seemed to work fine once I dried it off.

A few weeks ago we noticed that the battery wasn’t holding a charge as long as it used to.  Then we noticed that it would be plugged in, but not be charging.  Now, if it is plugged in while we play games like Bejeweled or Bubble Spinner on Facebook it runs really slow which is ruining our stats.

We can put up with many things, but the idea that people we haven’t spoken to in 15 years might think that we aren’t the best at computer games is unacceptable…

Plants versus Zombies

Eto ang mga halaman na bumabaril, nagpapasabog, nagpapakain, nanganganak ng araw at pera at may super powers.

the plants

Eto naman ang mga zombies na ang misyon ay makapasok sa bahay at kainin ang utak mo. Madami silang klase, merong may taklob na timba, merong lumulundag, merong football player, merong michael jackson na sumasayaw at madaming kasamang dancers, merong nagddrive ng pang-ski at madami pang iba. Ang pinakaayaw ko sa kanila ay yung malaki na mukhang troll na may bitbit pang unano. Ang hirap nilang patayin. 

Zombies

Ito ang umpisa ng labanan sa bubong. May labanan din sa harap ng bahay sa umaga at gabi, sa likod ng bahay na may pool sa umaga, gabi at may fog at sa bubong sa umaga at gabi. Pipili ka ng mga sandatang halaman mo depende sa lugar, panahon at sa mga kalaban. Strategy ang kelangan. Madali lang manalo basta alam mo ang gagamitin mong halaman. Kaya sa pagkakataong ito, ginagamit ko kahit papaano ang utak ko. 

ipagtanggol ang bubong

Eto naman ang survival. Yung nasa dulo endless na survival game. Pahirap ng pahirap ang mga kalaban at nagla-lag na yung computer kasi ang dami ng zombies at ang dami ng bumabaril. As of the moment, naka 23 flags na kami pero hindi ako gumawa ng record na yan, kapatid ko. Hanggang 13 flags lang ata ako.

23 flags

Ang tree of wisdom na lang ang dahilan kung bakit kami patuloy na naglalaro ng plants versus zombies. Pag nagkapera from the game, bibili ng fertilizer worth $2,500 at ilalagay sa tree of wisdom para tumubo siya ng 1 foot. As of now nasa 225 feet na siya. Gusto naming abutan yung sa pinsan ko na nasa 900 + feet na.

tree of wisdom

Pag natapos mo ang adventure round, meron silang iro-roll na MTV. Kumakanta ang sunflower, sumasayaw ang zombies. Kewl.

party of zombies @ day

party of zombies @ night

party of zombies @ the roof

undead

brains for the stomach

Ngayon, nakikita ko na ring nilalaro ito sa opis, nabanggit din ito ng madaming bloggers tulad ni Tsenn, nababasa ko siya sa twitter at napanood ko sa MYX na yung mukha ni VJ Luis ay pinatong sa katawan ng mga zombies. Adik lang.

For the first time in a long while I have not been sucked into the hype for a big triple A game.

I just wasn’t excited about Modern Warfare at all – a mixture of not getting on with the first title and a general disappointment from the multiplayer footage I’d seen.

Upon firing up the single player mode I was struck by how good the graphics were and after a quick run through the training camp I was on my way.

The campaign mode sees you take on the role of several characters and while the story is full of big set pieces, the lack of depth in any of the characters you control leads to a sense of confusion at times.

This is also one of the games biggest weaknesses – without any sort of attachment to any of the characters it was difficult to care about what was going on as I worked my way through set piece after set piece.

The set pieces themselves were great when they worked but on the whole were another weakness in my opinion.

Take the snow mobile ride. Now I know someone who did it in one flowing attempt and thought it was amazing. It took me 3 or 4 goes to nail it – on one occasion failing right on the last jump as I wasn’t going quick enough – and was just a disappointing pain in the ass.

I just feel sections like that should be very hard to mess up, not knocking into one tree kills you (as realistic as that is).

Overall the single player is a bit of an enjoyable mess, with a story that is all over the place.

But no-one is going to be buying Modern Warfare 2 for the campaign mode… it’s all about the multiplayer.

And it’s a pretty good experience.

It’s been patched 4 times in the opening two weeks after release which I think may be a record – and it certainly struggles at times.

I’ve been kicked off because ‘the server is full’, disconnected from lobbies, been unable to party up, got stuck in doorways, had the cpu move for me when I was trying to stay still and had general connection issues.

Having said all that the actual gameplay is polished, and while it took a while to get used to the speed of moving (having been used to the slower Killzone 2), Modern Warfare 2 is fantastic fun online.

They have incorporated some features from other games and improved their own stuff from the previous installment.

The best thing for me are the Deathstreaks, where instead of being rewarded for killing opponents you get a bonus for dying. Very helpful if you’re having a bad round or just starting out.

Modern Warfare 2 is a vast multiplayer experience, with a ton of unlocks and perks to get over time. It’s a rich and deep set of abilities and weapons, which will keep you busy for a while to come.

As an overall package though Modern Warfare 2 is a lopsided beast.

The single player lacks any depth and would be no great loss to skip and the multiplayer, while fun and engaging, is extremely glitchy and suffers from connection problems.

Better than I thought then but not quite the second coming everyone was raving about.

Rating: 8/10