Board Games - Starting Your Own Gaming Group

So, you're starting a hobby of board gaming, or you already enjoy gaming. Chances are that if you are single, you play them with some friends or a significant other. If you are married, you probably include the family. But, something is missing...the community element. Sure, your spouse likes a good game every so often, but wouldn't it be fun to have a group of new friends that either looks forward to the same games you like or brings new ones to the table, so you don't have to buy them. Today, with everything costing more, even entertainment, it is quite a prudent move to develop a group of friends that get together and share their games.

Three Fundamentals of a Game Group

So where do you start? A good game group needs at least three things:

1. A Host

2. A Place to play

3. Games

The host is the person "in charge" of the group. This can either be a rotating position - You work on it one month, Joe works on it next month, and Sally handles it the month after that...and so on.

Regarding the place to play, this can rotate also. A restaurant, a library, a YMCA, or simply someone's home will usually do the trick. Like the host, this location can rotate each month also.

Obviously, to have a game group, you need games. If you start with a few generic titles, such as Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, and Puerto Rico, you will have a good starting base to work from. After a few rounds with each game, you will see a pattern in what people like to play and you can even introduce other games to the mix.

Let's break this down to more of the specifics.

The Gaming Group Host

The function of this role is to coordinate the communication and location of the gaming event each time. The Host determines the when, where, and what gaming group. This is the reason you may want to have this be a rotating position.

Expect that the host will devote a good amount of time to running the group.

Your group's host should have a few important traits:

Initiative




Patience




Good Communication Skills




Ability to work with diverse people




Be a good sport and promote fair play

The reason patience is listed as a trait is because you cannot expect to start a game group and have a bunch of people show up immediately. You have to build it over time - possibly months. There are examples of gaming groups taking years before they get just ten regular attendees. It can go the other way as well - start off with everyone bringing a friend and it grows from there.

Choosing a Good Location

The size of your group will determine the requirements for your group's location choices. Funding may also play a role - some places may want to charge you a fee for your time. For example, if you are in a room at the local YMCA, they may have a small fee for the room rental. If you choose a restaurant to sponsor your group, they may require you spend a certain amount of money on food and drinks.

Another option for a gaming location that may work great is someone's home. The only things to consider here are space and other family. If it is a small apartment, that may not work so well. If the family hosting the event has small children (under the age of about 6 or 7) they may create an unwanted distraction. When playing strategic games, it is hard for others to think while there are small children running laps around the house.

You need to have enough space to have one or two tables and enough chairs for everyone.

One of the most important requirements for a location is a restroom - gamers like to drink and eat.

Making a Gaming Location a Success

Supplies, supplies, supplies! Many games need an extra bit of scorekeeping or organization. The host needs to make sure these are available. Here is a short list:

Paper - notebook or pad is fine




Pens or Pencils




Dice - in case someone lost theirs




Sandwich baggies (to organize game pieces) - you may also want to use the smaller snack-sized baggies

Like I mentioned earlier, gamers love to eat and drink. Here are some suggestions to serve that need:

Water




Soft drinks - diet and non-diet




Fruit - not fruits that makes a mess, like oranges




Chips




Pretzels




Cookies

Don't forget the things that go with these items, like cups, ice, plates, and napkins.

If you wanted, you could go as far as having a full meal, such as pizza or burgers and fries.

All of these items have a cost involved, which can be an issue for the host. I have seen some friends that have groups do one of several things to offset some of the costs:

Charge dues - this could be a monthly fee that covers the cost of food/snacks/location




Use a "tips jar" system. Most people understand that somebody paid for the snacks and such and are willing to tip generously, when a price is not identified.




Go to Costco, or some large buying club like that, and buy your snacks and drinks on the cheap. Then, offer them for sale at your gaming party. You can even use the profits to buy the snacks for the next party if there is enough.




Consider is a potluck type of party. The price of admission is to bring some type of food or beverage.

Finding the Location for Your Group

The first and obvious choice is your home. You need to make sure you have the space and no distractions for this to work. The obvious benefit here is that you have no cost and you control the coordination of the location. The other useful benefit is that you don't have to lug your games to a separate location - you already have them. You can even set them up before everyone arrives. This eliminates the set up time while everyone is socializing at the beginning.

But, what if you have an apartment or are not sure you want a bunch of people coming to your house all the time.

Here are some options for you:

Independently owned restaurants




Library




Community Centers




Recreation Centers or your local YMCA




Churches and Synagogues




Schools (including colleges)




Game Stores

Usually, game stores are a really good option - you are providing them a set of new customers.

Picking the Right Board Games

This will depend on the type of gaming group you want, and what the people in the group are expecting. For the purposes of this article, I am going to assume you are setting up a board game group.

If you want to introduce the group to European games, you might consider variations of Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, Ticket To Ride, and Puerto Rico.

Another option might be to bring in some war games. If so, take a look at Memoir '44 and Tides of Iron.

If you have a younger crowd (college level and slightly older) with a lot of time to spend, you may want to hold a full-on gaming day on a Saturday. Then, you can include board games that take more time, like World of Warcraft, Starcraft, or Twilight Imperium.

Another way to increase the variety of games your gaming group plays is to have everyone bring one game - like with the snacks and beverages.

If you are new to board gaming groups, I think it would be wise to start with the simpler games to introduce to a group - that would be the European board games. Then, grow it from there.

Places to Promote Your Group

There are three web sites you should take advantage of if you want to start a gaming group:

www.boardgamegeek.com - they have listings of gaming groups you can join or advertise your own




www.meetup.com - you can find others in your local area that may already have a group or you can set up your own.




www.craigslist.com - this is a great place to promote your budding game group.

Have Fun!

Remember, having a board game group that shares your hobby can be a lot of work. But, don't forget the overall goal - to have fun and make new friends! This is a hobby.

So, good luck, enjoy yourself, and share your hobby with others.

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Nintendo Wii - The Best Gaming Console

The gaming consoles are changing the dimension of the electronic gaming mechanism. Various latest model of gaming consoles are available in the market these days with multi function features. The games that are played in these consoles are very interactive in nature. They also enable the players to develop their tactful skills and knowledge.

The Nintendo Wii is an electronic gaming device that comes to enthrall the game lovers with its various innovative features. The unique feature of this gaming console is its Virtual Console Channels. This exciting feature would easily enable the users to download their favorite games from the channels of Wii shop. This gadget is also armed with a striking feature called Disk channel. This amazing feature would help the gamers to load their preferred games from the compact disks (CDs).

The Wi-Fi controllers of this gaming console come to the game lovers with various striking specialties that would surely enthrall them a lot. As the gamers can easily download their favorite games it would enable them to explore and enjoy the latest available games. These exciting features have made this gadget an exceptional gaming console and the device is sure to surpass all the gaming systems. The most astounding feature of this gaming console is that the users can download not only games but every other downloadable item also. The users can even download their favorite music tracks, TV shows etc on this gaming console.

The wireless controllers would enable the gamers to play and operate their favorite games at ease. The Wii remote option of this device has the capability to detect its orientation from three various dimensions. The amazing feature of this gaming device is its Wii Connect 24 that would allow you to receive the messages from the internet when the system is in stand by mode.

The motion sensitive feature of this gaming system is very interesting as it enables the users to use exciting effects in their favorite games like swing, slash etc. This gaming console is portable and is very light weight. The 512 embedded memory of this system would enable the gamers to save their downloaded games. However, the users can further extend the storage capacity of this gaming gadget by using an additional memory card. There are various exciting games that can be played in this gaming console by more than one player at a time. The multiple players option would enable the gamers to develop its adventurous aspects.

This gaming device is perhaps the most advanced as it enables the users to remain online constantly with its unique Wii Connect 24 Service. This exciting feature also has the ability to automatically download the system updates. The default channels that come equipped with this Wii are a news channel, a photo channel, and weather forecast channel etc. The Photo Channel that comes incorporated with this gaming device would further enable the users to view and edit the images.

The amazing graphics and animations of the Nintendo Wii Games come to enthrall the game lovers a lot. The overall sound and animation feature of this gaming console is extra ordinary. The Photo Channel option would further enable the users to enhance their creativity and editing skills. The basic image editor would enable the users to edit and crop up the images. The image options and the background music would enable the users to add extra punches to the image clips. As such, the users can easily engage themselves with it in their leisure time by editing and displaying the enhanced images.

The game lovers can easily access the online shopping stores to avail the information regarding these latest games consoles. They can even compare their prices to avail the gaming console at affordable rates. The most interesting thing that would enthrall the users a lot are the exciting and the adventurous games that can be played in this gaming device. Further, the Wii game site would enable you to access the latest games such as Super Mario, Legends of Zelda etc.

Alden Jerry is an expert author. Visit to know more about Nintendo Wii Games and other famous latest pc games at price comparison shop.

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Board Gaming - Explaining Modern Board Games to Non-Gamers

Your Hobby is What?

How many times have you heard this question?

Your hobby is what? You play board games? Are You Kidding?

As I started to become fascinated by these modern eurogames, I got a lot of funny looks from people - my wife, brother, and sister included. Their response was "Ok, if that is what you want to do... I've never even heard of Settlers of Catan or Carcassonne." What they did not understand is that there is quite an underground community developing around these games.

Over the past half a year or so, I have had to come up with a description for what this community affectionately calls Eurogames. They go by many names, none of which are known to the general public - adult board games. modern board games, designer games, German games, or Ameritrash games. Not one of these explains it well to the non-gamer. It really just digs you into a deeper hole.

You Can Not Answer Like This

We actually don't play "board games" like you may think. We actually play modern designer games from Europe. They tend to be fairly complex and take several hours to play. Nobody is usually eliminated, so everyone actually has a really good time. They tend to be more interactive and engaging, yada yada... Right. Now their eyes have glazed over and you look like a board game snob.

You are Familiar with Monopoly, Right?

When introducing the games, touching a nerve is important. Asking about Monopoly tends to be my first response to them. This is a game everyone is familiar with. They understand that it is a game more complex than your average 7 year old child can handle, that it has aspects of fiscal responsibility, scarce resources, cards, and strategy. They also know there are no trivia questions, movie quotes, drawing pictures or putting words together. Good, we have a starting point. You are dealing with a game that is mildly serious and can go for over an hour.

Now, Think About Chess

Then, I go to the other end of the spectrum, chess. Again, this is a game most everyone has seen or played at some point. Heck, it even shows up in the first book of Harry Potter. They understand that this is a deep strategy game that many play and only some master. They also know that it is two players ONLY and those watching need to be very, very quiet...like golf. They are probably also aware that if you are good at chess, you are respected and considered intelligent, by most.

Now, you have your two extremes.

Next Up...Risk

This is a third game that is more complicated, and closer to the standard modern board game. And, everyone is fairly familiar with it. The thing you have to watch out for with this game is that not everyone has had a positive experience with it. It tends to be long and drawn out with two sides battling it out until the wee hours of the morning - while the eliminated players go and watch TV or munch on snacks and watch the clock.

So, Modern Board Games Are like Risk

You can actually say that a lot of the adult board games are like "Risk on steroids". But, people actually enjoy them and most of the time everyone plays for the entire game. These games are strategy-oriented. You get to shape a country or landscape, manage an economy, manage energy infrastructures, or handle political races or micromanaging small businesses.

Unlike typical board games, the Risk board looks like a map of the world, with zones that have value. This is much more like a eurogame, than Monopoly - where all you do is go around and around hoping to land on GO! or Free Parking.

Also, you can talk to them about the imagery of the games. This is something that really attracted my wife. When she saw the level of art involved with Ticket to Ride, she was really interested. Carcassonne is similar - the art is more cartoon-like, but you build the city as you go. It is very rewarding to see the final city once it is done.

Have You Ever Played Video Games?

This is a really good leap because most 30-year-olds have, at some point, seen an RTS (real time strategy) game on a PC. They may have played Warcraft, Age of Empires, Rise of Nations, Command and Conquer, or Civilization. Or, they may have played games like The Sims, SimCity, Railroad Tycoon, and Roller Coaster Tycoon. If so, they are in! These are the PC game cousin to the modern board game.

Sid Meyer, Will Right, John Romero, Chris Sawyer

These names are familiar to PC gamers. They created games like Civilization. SimCity, Railroad Tycoon, Doom, Quake, Roller Coaster Tycoon. One of the cool things about Designer board games is that the designer of a good board game can become a star in his own right.

If they know the PC designer names, you can share your excitement for Klaus Teuber, Alan R. Moon, Richard Borg, and Andreas Seyfarth. They should understand the respect.

Blizzard and ID

If you don't hit the note with the designer names, just throw out these two names and you should get a nod of recognition. Blizzard has put out several games (all of them hits, by the way) such as Warcraft, Diablo, and Starcraft. They are also responsible for the Online Multiplayer game World of Warcraft. ID is the gaming company that busted down the doors of the first-person shooter game with Doom - the most downloaded shareware of its time.

Rio Grande, Days Of Wonder, and Fantasy Flight

If you have hit the nerve talking about PC gaming companies, you can make the logical jump to Adult Board Game Companies. These three companies should be at the forefront of the discussion. Most of the "hit" games come from these. Oh, and don't forget Mayfair with Settlers of Catan.

Here is an interesting point you can share with your new-found connection...

Many PC Games are also Board Games

And, they land squarely in the modern board game genre. This is what some of the gamers call Amertrash games. But, they are games you can point to that might draw the non-gamer in. Point them at Fantasy Flight Games For example, they will recognize Starcraft, World of Warcraft, and Doom. They will also be familiar with Age of Empires and Railroad Tycoon. It really should not be too much of a leap to get them to Puerto Rico, Ticket to Ride, Memoir '44 or Power Grid.

What You Don't Want to Do

Unfortunately, when people think of board gaming as a hobby, and they have never tried it, they get a single image in their head...it is a bunch of geeky guys with greasy hair in a basement or back room with funny shaped dice, a bunch of metal figures, and lots of paper. This image also usually involves someone screaming "Shoot my +3 Fireball at the hill troll for 2d Damage...roll for initiative" What?

They had a friend at some time that was into Dungeons and Dragons. This crowd is always portrayed in the same manner as trekkies.

You also don't act like a snob about how your games are better than their old games from when they were younger. This will just turn them off.

The Best Defense is a Good Offense

Just keep a couple of games in your car trunk or at the ready. When the opportunity arises, offer to bring it out and show it. Let them see the rules, touch the game, maybe even give it a shot. If they like it, great! If they don't, oh well. You gave it a fair shot and shared the gems with one more person.

Not Everyone is Going to Be a Fan

The one thing in all of this that you can not forget is that you can not please all the people all the time. Personally, converting my wife was not a hard sell. She loves puzzles. However, my sister and her husband, on the other hand, run in completely different circles than I do and I don't think they will ever try a eurogame. I might get them to try Pizza Box Football, but that is where it will end. My brother might actually convert at some point.

Don't let it bother you. Just keep talking about it and we will eventually create a few more addicts together! Keep on playing the best games in the WORLD!

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Board Games - Introducing New Games to Your Gaming Group

You have gone through the process of getting some friends together and you want to introduce them to a new game. The good news is that they are not looking to you as a master of this new game. They really want a guide to get them past the rules and get to the gaming goodness - the reason they came to the event to begin with.

Be Familiar with Your Games

What's the worst thing you can do with a new game? Read the rules in front of your gaming group. Some of these games come with Rule Guides of over 35 pages. It is not practical to read that as you go. Chances are you won't have anyone at your next gaming event if this is how you plan to handle it.

The important part of this process is not complete mastery. It is maintaining control long enough for everyone to get the hang of the game themselves. What your friends want from the situation is to play the game with the correct set of rules.

They want to know:

How do they win?




What do I do when it is my turn?




How do I interact with others?

These are the points you need to cover at the very beginning, so they understand where all the explanation is leading.

If you forget certain rules, it is alright to add them later. You're goal here is to get past the basic explanation so everyone can enjoy the game. You lose control of the situation and your friends' attention the minute you go to look up a set of rules in the rule book.

Set Up the Game Before You Start

This is one of the most important steps you can take to improve your success in teaching new people a game. Good speakers use props to enhance their presentations. You certainly don't need PowerPoint for this, but having the game as a reference is a great tool.

This allows for two things.

You can use the game bits and cards to explain points.




People can play the game immediately after you are done.




Introduce the Goal

Every game has a goal. Some are simple goals, like "If you have the most points by turn 10, you win". Other games have more complex, and really don't make sense until you review the rules of the game. Make sure you explain these goals up front and make sure you repeat them often.

Whatever the goal, people like to know what they need to accomplish. This is what drags them through the process of hearing the rules. With the "end" in mind, they can get through and understand the "means".

If you don't do this, your audience will constantly be wondering "how does this help me win?" This is distracting to the learner and you want to eliminate it. If you can't explain it well at the beginning, give them keywords or something to latch onto, so they understand it when it shows up. "You can even just say something like "victory points are good, knights are good, cities and roads are good, or keeping all your resources is bad".

Three is a Magic Number

People like to learn things in groups of three. There is a rhythm and flow to things that come in a set of three. Many games have choices to present - do it in groups of three when possible. For example, you can gather a resource, attack your neighbor, or choose an "opportunity" card.

Some games make it complicated - you get three things to do on your turn and each of those items offers several options. The best way to explain that is "On your turn, you are going to do X, Y, and Z. For you to accomplish X, you have three choices. They are 1, 2, or 3. Let's go over 1 first".

Don't force this concept where it does not exist, though. That just leads to confusion. You can look for patterns in the rules, though. Sometimes there are team decisions, defensive decisions, or offensive actions you can take. You can divide your descriptions into these categories if you wanted to.

Wash, Rinse, and REPEAT!

As you are explaining the game, it is beneficial to your audience if you repeat certain things, like how to win the game. Also, it is nice to do this if you are going through a set of choices. How do you do this?

Let's go back to the X, Y, and Z example from earlier. You are talking about the first action you need to do on your turn, action X. You need to explain choice 1, 2, and 3. When you are done, you say something like "OK, that's the first part of your turn. That was X. Now, let's take a look at Y." While doing this, rephrase the rules you just offered, rather than repeating them again the same way. This will help some of your group "get it" if they had not already.

Introducing Game Terms

Lots of games have common things, but they go by different names. Make these associations for your group and then introduce them to the correct terms for the game you are trying to teach them. A good example of this type of item is money. If you can get away without using the game jargon, that will help your group grasp concepts better. For example, if you are introducing Settlers of Catan, there is no money in the game. But, there are resources. You can equate these to money and talk about how you buy things with combinations of money, or "resources". This allows you to add your own flair to the instruction and bring people into the game quicker.

Talk to Me

Teaching new gamers a game should be a conversation, not a boring lecture. People want to have fun, not watch you give a fancy presentation. Watch to make sure your fellow gamers are getting what you are saying and don't be afraid to go back and reiterate something you already mentioned - even if you have to revisit a concept several times.

Don't single out people that are having trouble grasping the rules. One of the worst things you can do is set them up to look slow. They won't want to ask questions after that. It is also possible that they may not return for another gaming session.

Here's A Personal Experience For You

I got a new game, Starcraft the Board Game, about two months ago. I was sure my wife would be interested in checking it out, so she could kick my intersteller butt. This game had a 45 page rule guide. I did not follow any of these suggestions for myself and suggested we go through the guide and try to teach ourselves. Well, four hours later, we had gotten to the point where we actually started to understand what the rules were saying and we attempted to play. This was possibly one of the worst gaming experiences for her. To this day, she refuses to really try to play that game.

We had a better experience this last weekend with Shadows Over Camelot. I introduced it to her and her mother. I watched a few videos on www.youtube.com about the game and was a little more familiar with how the game played. This went fairly smoothly. We attempted a game on Friday night with rules in hand. Then, on Saturday night, we played one game with the rules, but a little faster. We were enjoying it enough to give it a go for a third time - that was the kicker. This was a tense game with great team play and lots of table-talk. But, very little use of the rule book. This one was a success.

It Can Be A Rewarding Experience

Introducing your friends to a new game can be a very rewarding experience and a great way to get your games on the table and into rotation with your game group.

Like any skill, practice makes perfect. Also, don't miss out on many of the learning tools available online. You can find quick-start guides, visual aids, and other suggestions on web sites like www.boardgamegeek.com.

One Last Suggestion

There is a practice at the country western clubs that actually can be useful for you in your gaming group. About an hour before the club starts hopping, the DJ opens the dance floor and teaches people how to do many of the line dances they will see throughout the night. Obviously, you won't be line dancing at your gaming party (are you?) but the lesson is solid. Announce the games you will be playing before the event. If someone is new to that game, allow them to come early for an introduction to those games. That way, you don't have to take up game time with a rules introduction. Also, it allows fellow gamers to try to introduce games in a non-threatening environment.

Once everyone is comfortable with this process, you can rotate who does the teaching at each event.

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The Rising Mobile Gaming Fever

When you have a lot of time to kill or you are waiting in a long queue or you need a break from the work, the best option is to play a nice entertaining game on your mobile. These days, you'll find more adults than teens interacting with mobile games. Consumers between the ages of 25 and 34 not only download more games than any other age group, but also play and purchase them more. Female gamers are also starting to become a part of the mobile gaming community.

Mobile gaming is so popular that people have actually become addicted to them. One of the primary reasons why mobile games are in high demand is the casual, comfortable and interactive gaming engagement they provide. The gaming industry is constantly working on creating innovative games with intricate and enhanced gaming features. They are constantly struggling to make this addiction a complete burning passion for people.

There are variety of mobile games found in different categories of racing games, puzzle/logic/skill games, action games, arcade games, role playing games, card and casino games, adventure games, strategy games and lifestyle games. To match different people's needs, developers design single player or multi player games based on various technologies that include (eg. Embedded games, SMS/MMS games, browsing games, J2ME games, BREW games and native OS games.

One major problem faced by the publishers and developers of mobile game is describing a game in such a way that it attracts the customer to make the purchasing decision. They are mainly sold through network carriers / operator's portal/ distributors by attracting user by their text descriptions and appealing screenshots. There are some well known and established play patterns that decrease the perceived level of risk for the buyer which includes (game play mechanics that are instantly recognizable) such as Tetris, Space Invaders or Poker.

On the other hand, platforms and technologies for mobile gaming have significantly improved. The available memory size, processor capacity, display size and resolution on mobile phones have all improved with time thus enhancing the overall gaming experience for the user. Nowadays users find latest interesting java games already fitted in mobile phones at the time of manufacturing. Many websites provide mobile games along with their free/trial options, allowing end users to play it for some time and if they like it they easily can purchase it. Apart from these mobile games can be also downloaded by using infrared and Bluetooth.

Juniper Research indicates that end user generated revenues for both one-time downloads and subscription/rentals of mobile games give a substantial market of $5bn in 2007 and it is expected to grow nearly to $16bn by the end of 2012 . Mobile gaming industry is not only creating numerous opportunities for game publishers and game developers but also opening new doors of great entertainment for users.

Sarah Shaukat is a technical writer who has written extensively on mobile phone applications, softwares and games. Most of her writings are on Latest Java Games [http://dogandbonegames.com/portalconsumerhomecb?portalID=146] and Entertainement Software

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Nintendo Wii - An Enjoyable Gaming Experience

In recent years, gaming has become popular. The advanced technology has offered brilliant powerful machines called Gaming Consoles. These consoles satisfy your desires allowing you to enter into a dream world. Sony entered into the world of console game with the Playstation. Another popular gaming console, Xbox 360 offers excellent realistic games.

With a variety of gaming consoles available in the market, you can surely find a console according to your budget, taste and choice. The best part of these consoles is that you do not need to install a game, it is all about plug and play. They are amazing entertainment systems with latest features that offer high definition gaming. These games have become the latest craze in the world of video gaming. Whether you are looking for hardcore action games or normal fun games, you would get numerous choices according to your interest. All these games are extremely entertaining and addictive. These console games are popular among people of all ages.

These latest games can also be played on television or a compatible audio-video system. There is a controller which controls the game and is connected to the console.

A perfect gaming console, Nintendo Wii is a seventh generation gaming system. This small console is the lightest weight game and ensures to be entertaining and highly addicting. The excellent features and capabilities are the best part of the game.

Some of the advantages of the console game include:

. No hassles, No operating systems as in computers, just plug in and play.

. Easy multiplayer gaming, simply connect to the internet and start playing.

. Play wherever you like to.

. They can be easily learnt to play with.

The Nintendo Wii is a offers an outstanding gaming experience. Playing this game is simple and can be played by young kids and adults too. There are shooters, action, scrollers. This ideal console also allows downloading of games, web surfing and more gaming options. The game opens up a new world of gaming to casual gamers who have never experienced electronic gaming. It gives a tough competition to gaming consoles such as Xbox 360 and Sony Playstation 3. The game is an advanced version of Nintendo Game Cube with a feature of 'intuitive control'. The game makes you feel as if you are in the virtual world. The multimedia device also consists of a music player that lets you listen to and download songs. When it is connected with internet, it offers latest news updates and weather forecasting. This impressive game is an improvement over other gaming consoles. You would get engrossed and passionate with the game. This fascinating game lets you make the best use of your leisure time. It is a good way to get over the whole day's stress.

Nintendo Wii is packed with unique features that make it stand out in the crowd. The impressive controls are suited for left as well as right handed players. Downloading games online is easy with a user-friendly interface.

The WiiConnect24 service allows the console to download information automatically even on standby. Another remarkable feature is "Virtual console". This gaming console is for the masses as it is easy to use, understand and quite affordable. The 512 MB built-in flash memory of the gaming console can be expanded using an SD card.

Video game consoles are famous among tech savvy gamers and youngsters. The sleek remote makes your gaming experience enjoyable with innovative sensors.

The specialised gaming console has an intuitive control that makes this gadget extremely popular among different classes of people. Overall, it gives a pleasurable gaming experience with simplistic games and straightforward game play. The gaming console features a wireless controller with three dimensional motion detection capabilities. It weighs just 1.2 kg so it is the lightest of all gaming consoles. This cheap and fun to play game is great to play with.

You are bound to enjoy all your favourite games in the Nintendo Wii. So buy the Nintendo Wii and get ensured of an enjoyable gaming experience.

Alden Jerry is an expert writer. Visit to know more about Nintendo Wii and other latest games on price comparison shop

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Choose the Best Gaming PC for your Needs

Computer game technology is a rapidly-increasing field. In terms of both hardware and software, companies are constantly striving to push the envelope and increase performance. As the intricacy of individual games increases, however, it becomes important to select a computer gaming system that will best fit your particular needs. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of gaming PCs available on the market. How, then, do you select the best gaming system? By answering several questions about your gaming and financial needs, you can determine which direction to turn in terms of a proper gaming system.

What Kinds of Games do you Play?

The specific types of games that you tend to play will help decide which hardware configurations will best meet your needs. All games are not created equal, and depending on the genre developers will devote more of their energy to different aspects of the title. Strategy and simulation games, for example, tend to be less graphically-intensive than other types of games and thus can be run on a less powerful gaming system. As a point of reference, the specifications for Civilization IV, a lush and detailed strategy game, are as follows:

-1.8GHz Intel or AMD processor

-512MB RAM

-128MB video card

Compared to many of the newer gaming computers on the market today, the demands for running Civilization IV are not all that high. As with many strategy and simulation games, a greater weight is placed on AI and game calculations rather than graphics, and raw hardware power becomes less important to run the title effectively.

Conversely, first-person shooters (FPS) and action titles tend to rely more heavily on graphics and physics to create the proper ambiance and environment. As such, the system requirements for these types of games are usually significantly higher than other genres. Titles like Half-Life 2 and Quake 4 bombard the player with graphically intensive scenes, and the physics of the game are precisely calculated to create the most realistic scenarios possible. In contrast to the specifications listed above, the recommended system configuration for F.E.A.R., one of the more advanced FPS titles in terms of graphics prowess, are as follows:

-3.0 Pentium 4 or equivalent processor

-1GB RAM

-256MB video card

Although F.E.A.R. and Civilization IV released at roughly the same time last year, the recommended system requirements for the former are nearly double those of the latter. This is often the case with FPS titles; because developers largely intend these games to be "showcase" pieces of a particular technology or graphics engine, a more powerful gaming computer is usually required to run them in their full graphical glory. The graphic rendering takes enough resources, but when you figure in the requirements for precise real-time physics calculations, these get bumped up even further. As you can see, the types of computer games that you play invariably affect the hardware that you should purchase.

Must you have the Best Graphics?

Genre alone is not the sole deciding factor in determining which gaming PC to purchase, however. Many titles, including such showcase pieces as Half-Life 2 and Doom 3, provide the player with the option of scaling back the graphical effects in order to run the game smoothly on a less-powerful system. While FPS and other games often require a behemoth of a system in order to run with all graphical effects turned on, they will generally run adequately on older rigs. If you can live without such taxing effects as particle shading and frame rates in the hundreds, chances are that you can spend less on a gaming computer and still be able to play the latest games.

What's more, in many cases game developers and players will discover ways to make a game run more smoothly and stably shortly after it releases. It is generally expected that, in the rush to hit the marketplace, many games are not truly "finished"; that is to say, the code behind them could stand to be optimized slightly more. Therefore, developers and publishers will usually releases patches or updates in order to fix certain technical problems. In the case of F.E.A.R., many players reported shortly after its release that the frame rate would often drop down to unplayable levels mid-game, chugging along even on powerful gaming systems. Once the game was patched, however, this shortcoming was largely rectified. Similarly, avid players or members of a gaming community will often find ways to improve a game's performance on their own through hacks or tweaks. When this happens, their findings are usually released online in short order, and a game that might have taxed your gaming computer beyond its capabilities may suddenly become playable. Again, it's not always necessary to have the absolute best hardware in order to play the latest games.

How Much do you Plan on Spending?

Naturally, all of this technology comes at a price. As the adage goes, you have to pay in order to play. Everybody aspires to one day own an ultimate gaming computer; the specifications are mind-boggling, and there is no shortage of companies offering monster gaming rigs. However, the cost of owning one of these machines is often prohibitive. Keep in mind that the newest and most powerful video cards tend to hit the market at the $500 price point. Additionally, the most powerful processors can be priced at $1000 or more. When you design a system around these top-level components--a system that can take the latest game releases, chew them up, and spit them out--you can expect the cost of it to soar. It's not unheard of to see dedicated gaming PCs priced at $4000 or more for the tower only.

Obviously, the first two questions influence the third quite a bit. If you don't play many graphically-intensive games, or if you are willing to live with slightly degraded in-game graphics, it is simply not necessary to spend that kind of money on a gaming system. There are plenty of computer companies that have in their lineups midrange setups that are perfectly capable of playing the majority of games on the market today--and at a significantly reduced price. Don't despair if you can't afford the latest and most powerful computer technology; while economic means may be the most influential of all deciding factors, it won't necessarily prohibit you from playing the games that you want.

Jordan Hall, the editor of http://www.Best-Gaming-Computers.com is an avid computer gamer and technology enthusiast who enjoys providing consumers with advice concerning gaming computers and gaming laptops.

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Top 10 News for Video Gaming Industry in 2006

The world is fast changing a few centuries ago the focus was on nations, economies, and science. With the onset of the cyber world gaming shares a platform along with important happenings in the world today. The year 2006 for avid gamers was full of expectations and excitement. According to statistics the US totaled more than USD 10.5 billion in hardware, software, and accessories sales alone setting a new record. Sony PSP and Nintendo DS took portable gaming to new horizons and many predictions were proven wrong in 2006.

The year 2006 brought excitement and thrills:

1. Three gaming consoles vied with each other for supremacy and the Xbox360; Sony PSP; and Nintendo Wii set pulses racing with gaming reaching new heights with the latest technology.

2. Gaming designers and companies like Vivendi Games, Activision, Rockstar, and Electronic Arts brought new games, revitalized games, and futuristic technology to gaming. God of War won accolades at DICE where game developers unveiled great plans for 2006.

3. The E3 or Electronic Entertainment Expo held in the Q2 of 2006 unveiled press conferences by giants in gaming as well as launches of new games like Assassin's creed, Haze, Command and Conquer 3, and Wii Resident Evil among many others. Gaming gurus studies and reviewed the event and presented expert opinions on gaming delights.

4. Gaming watchers NPD kept a finger on the pulse of gaming and established that gaming was here to stay and figures were up by 29% over July 2005, 17% in August, and 38% in September.

5. The leaders in Q3 were Madden NFL 07 and Lego Star Wars II: The Original Triology which crossed the one million units sold hurdle. Consoler gaming reached new delights with announcements that Half-Life 2 rejuvenated, Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion were all reaching out for Xbox360, PS#, and PSP.

6. Q4 reached new heights with launches of state-of-art gaming consoles like Wii and PSP3. Each had its fans and gaming was all a buzz with expectations, some joys as well as disappointments. Blizzard drew considerable attention with its massive multi-player role -playing masterpiece World of Warcraft.

7. NDP industry tracking revealed that Q4 reached new heights and that PS3 sold 197,000 systems while Wii sold 476,000 systems. According to the trackers 400,000 copies of the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was retailed.

8. Technological advancements in the gaming world reached new heights. High level graphics, speed, clarity, and multi-player gaming took gamers to new adventures. The gaming industry went all out to take gaming into the future with designers and hardware manufactures redefining gaming.

9. Change is inevitable and the Entertainment Software Association will have a new head as Douglas Lowenstein the founding President of ESA decided to move on.

10. The year laid the foundation of futuristic gaming hardware which set the trend for designers to focus on better software and greater games. 2007 will introduce multiplatform games like Grand Theft Auto IV, Army of Two, BioShock, and more.

The Gaming Industry is all set to reach new heights in the coming year with gaming gaining popularity world over. The World Wide Web, popularity of the internet, and tech savvy gaming consoles has caught and sustained the interest of gamers young and old. Gaming has expanded its base and become multi-player with gamers from all over the world vying their skills against opponents from all over the gaming universe.

Barry Allen is a freelance writer for Free Online Games, the premier website to play thousands of free online games including arcade games, action games, card games, flash games, strategy games, puzzle games and more. His article profile can be found at www.1888articles.com/games-articles-121_11.html

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Custom Gaming Laptops - Five Things You Must Consider When Building a Gaming Laptop

Gone are the days when you would have been laughed at if you walked into an all-night LAN party carrying your trusty laptop and expecting to hang with the giant computer towers standing at everyone's feet. The gaming laptop computers of today sport huge, crisp LCD screens, cutting-edge video cards and full-size keyboards. Not only can these gaming laptop computers hang with the standard clunky computer tower, but they can also be ordered fully custom to meet the exact specifications of any gamer.

Since there are so many customizable components in these laptops, a standard practice has been to create what some call a "system builder." This is the page where you get to add and subtract components through drop-down menus in order to create the best gaming laptop computer for your needs and your budget. This type of page can be overwhelming to someone just starting the gaming laptop shopping process, but it is very manageable if you take it just one component at a time.

The Gaming Laptop GPU

This is the heart of a gaming laptop computer. The GPU (graphics processing unit) is a component that will make or break your gaming experience. If your GPU isn't up to snuff, your games won't play.

Without getting into specific models since they change all the time, the key is that the graphics card not share resources with the computer. A gaming laptop video card must have its own memory on board. Generally speaking, standard off-the-shelf laptops will not have this feature. The two current makers of laptop video cards are nVIDIA and ATI.

Without the Screen, You Don't Have Much

What good is a gaming laptop without a screen that can actually render your games? Now certainly, you can connect an external monitor, but if you can't actually play on your gaming laptop without that external monitor, then your laptop isn't all that mobile.

While the technology and terminology for LCDs (liquid crystal displays) could take up an entire article in itself, there are a few key points to keep in mind when choosing from available LCD options for your new gaming laptop computer: native resolution, aspect ratio, rise and fall time, contrast, viewing angle, and size.

Native Resolution. The native resolution is simply the setting at which your screen will render the clearest images. Since games are constantly in motion, slightly soft edges may not bother most gamers, but keep in mind that while this is your gaming laptop, you will likely also use it for other things like surfing the Internet. If the resolution isn't comfortable, you aren't going to enjoy using it.

Aspect Ratio. As you probably know, a movie theater screen and a TV screen have different proportions. Likewise, there are widescreen format gaming laptops and there are laptops that have a standard aspect ratio -- like that of a TV. A widescreen format gaming laptop (a 16:10 ratio) has advantages and disadvantages. Many games today do not have a widescreen mode. This means that the game may stretch across the screen and become distorted or you may run it with black bars that fill in the sides. There are ways to get around this, but if you want an out of the box perfect experience, the widescreen format may not be for you.

That said, a widescreen LCD does offer plenty of screen real estate for web surfing and other type of computer activities, and a game played in a wide format setting offers an expansive field of view. For this reason, there are some very loyal widescreen-loving gamers out there.

Do your best to find a balance between current and future technology and what your computer habits are beyond gaming. Even with its limitations, the widescreen format is found on most of the best gaming laptop computers.

Rise and Fall. The phrase 'rise and fall time' is used to describe how fast the LCD can respond to changes. In the past, LCDs have been plagued with the inability to render images as fast as computer games can spit them out. This presents a major problem for laptop gamers because if they can't see the images properly, they can't play the game properly. This lag can mean the difference between playing to win and barely playing.

Fortunately, gaming laptop LCDs have come a long way and they are only getting better. While once it was impossible to game on a laptop screen, the gaming laptop LCDs of today offer 25 milliseconds or less rise and fall time while generally off-the-shelf laptops have 40 milliseconds or less rise and fall time.

Contrast. If a gaming laptop LCD has poor contrast, that means that the black areas aren't quite as black as they should be and the white areas aren't quite as white. This is important to a laptop gamer because you have to see the game properly -- as it was intended to be seen -- in order to compete effectively. Look for a contrast ratio of 400:1 or higher in a custom gaming laptop computer.

Viewing Angle. This is an often-overlooked LCD feature, but it must be considered if you are building a gaming laptop computer. Many high quality LCDs on the market are difficult to see clearly at any angle other than straight on and at the right height. This can be a big drawback to gaming on a LCD screen because a screen with poor viewing angles won't allow others to watch the screen as you play and also hurts your view when doing something as simple as adjusting your seating, which can require you to then adjust to position of your laptop screen to see it properly again.

But gaming on a laptop does not mean that you are doomed to have poor viewing angles. There are LCDs on the market that have amazing viewing angles -- up to 120 degrees. These screens not only allow gaming onlookers, but they also allow you to use that giant, crisp screen to do things like play movies and even make presentations.

Size. In a gaming laptop computer, size is everything. Most gaming laptops are large, robust pieces of electronics. Having a machine of this stature means you also get to have a large screen. The best gaming laptop computer LCD screens out there are at least 15 inches. A crowd favorite is a 17 inch widescreen (even with the challenges that widescreens present). Largr 19 inch laptop screens are just starting to be talked about with consumers expecting to see 19 inch or even large models on the market in the near future.

The best way to really get a feel for what laptop LCDs are all about is to take a trip to a local box store and play with the LCDs on the display laptops while keeping in mind what you have read here. While these laptops are not custom gaming laptops, you can see what the sizes really look like, what different resolutions look like, and what the viewing angles truly are so you can start to develop your own preferences.

The RAM - What Type and How Much?

The RAM (random access memory) found in laptops is called SODIMM (small outline dual inline memory module). The RAM is responsible for your processing power. If you are shopping for a custom gaming laptop, you will generally be offered DDR2 RAM with the choice of how much you want in your computer. Most high-end games being released today need 1GB of RAM for optimum, lag-free game play. Some people are going with 2GB to ensure that they can run multiple applications along with the game and not experience any slow down in response time. This is a large investment and you want to be able to use this gaming laptop for some time in the future. Most custom laptops are user upgradeable, but this should be left up to professionals.

The CPU - Not Just Mobile Technology

The CPUs (central processing units) found in many custom gaming laptops are identical to those found in desktops. These chips require a great deal of cooling power, which in turn can make your laptop louder than light weight, lower power ultra portables when the fans kick on and it can become somewhat warm to the touch. Don't be alarmed by this -- it is normal. And with these desktop processors comes screaming power! Don't waste your money on the latest CPU release that likely has an inflated price tag (and that price will likely come down before long). Stick with a current CPU speed that is offered by a reputable custom gaming laptop reseller, and you really can't go wrong.

The Gaming Laptop Hard Drive

This is the final component to consider when building a gaming laptop. Laptop hard drives come in a variety of speeds and capacities ranging from 4200 to 7200 RPMs and 40 to over 100 GBs. For the most part, this is user preference. Whenever possible, go for a 7200 RPM hard drive, but if you need a capacity not offered in this speed, it's okay to go for the 5400 RPM drive. Take a look at your current computer, and buy your capacity based on this. Also keep in mind that with many custom gaming laptop manufacturers, you have the ability to upgrade or add another hard drive at a later date.

At the end of the day, gaming laptop computers are all about power. Don't expect a twelve-pound notebook with a desktop processor, numerous fans, a giant heatsink, and independent video card to last on battery power all that long. But do make sure to enjoy the jawdrops that you'll get as you walk into your regular LAN party location with your new, screaming-fast gaming laptop computer. Crack that puppy open, fire it up, and stand clear of the drool as you take on your favorite game with fellow gamers gathered around to take in the action. Gaming is not just for desktops anymore!

Laura Alter works side by side with the gaming community everyday at http://www.pctorque.com -- a recognized authority on custom laptop news and technology. Visit PC Torque to learn even more about building the best gaming laptop computer.

Please feel free to reprint as long as article and bio stay intact.

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New to Gaming - All You Need to Know About Flash Gaming Sites

Interested in gaming, there are sites that let you play for no cost. All you need to have is Macromedia's Free Flash Player. Whew! According to Computer Gaming World, there are 80 gazillion free Flash games sites in the cyber world.

Popular sites are:

o http://www.games.yahoo.com -- this has card games, word games, arcade games, as well as puzzles. The number of violent games is limited so the site appeals to the "old-young" -those who are young at heart.

o http://www.shockwave.com -- a popular site with original games as well as PopCap ones. One can do a jigsaw here everyday.

o http://www.addictinggames.com - has free games that are updated every week--Friday. The site has action, arcade, puzzle, as well as sports games.

o http://www.arcadetown.com -- has Flash games, java games, downloads and more.

Since Flash offers many advantages to developers as well as players, many games are designed using Macromedia Flash. It is by far the best game platform and has incredible features.

In an industry that's evincing exponential growth, Flash has become the universal and popular choice for multimedia intensive web sites. Flash, singly crosses most barriers--

o It supports complicated and wonderful graphics.

o Allows download of files via the Internet.

o And is compatible with playback devices.

In the world of Flash enabled games the hosting system is the web server itself. Flash enables web sites to host animated as well as interactive movies and games. There is no paraphernalia required. All that is needed is to download the game itself. The costs are minimal and not recurring.

To play on the web all that is required is: a web browser, a Flash player, and the Internet. Flash is the universal plug in needed to play games. It is installed on every PC with Windows XP and Mac.

Playing online can be fun and most games can now be played by many players from all round the world. Just keep in mind:

o That there are players who cheat at games. Look for PunkBuster software on the server, this detects cheats who try and gain unfair advantages.

o Play with others who have credibility and are accountable for their actions. Many online sites need verified log ins, they are actively managed gaming environments. This is a better choice for safe gaming.

o Create a select group of friends and use the broadband server to host a private gaming server.

o Do your research thoroughly. Seek safe and high quality gaming sites.

Gaming is in its golden phase and is set to reach new heights. Innovation, new business models, and unprecedented growth is expected to open new avenues in gaming.

Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for http://www.1888FreeOnlineGames.com, the premier website to play thousands of free online games including arcade games, action games, card games, flash games, strategy games, puzzle games and more. He also freelances for http://www.1888SoftwareDownloads.com.

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Gaming Captures the Hearts of Gamers, Alleviates Loneliness and Creates a New Market for Businesses

Gaming is popular with teenagers, women, children, as well as men. Older people say they play games as it alleviates loneliness and puts them in contact with others. Statistics reveal that 41% of gamers are women and more than 43 % gamers are aged 25-49. And, research predicts that the games market in 2005 will be US$ 29 billion.

Players can choose between stored games and online games. Stored games are played on consoles while online games are played on a computer using either a broadband or dial up Internet connection. The growth in online gaming according to IDC, a research firm, is set to touch 256 million users by 2008. And, that gaming is serious business is conformed by the hosting of international conferences devoted to gaming and the formation of "Casual Games Special Interest Group."

Gaming captures the imagination of the players and uses the senses: sight, sound, as well as touch. Many need the use of intelligence as well as strategy. Complex graphics, colors, high quality virtual realities are all set to grab as well as hold the attention of players. Multi-player gaming takes the interest to the next level -offers challenges as well as new horizons to be conquered.

Games played on the Internet are such that clever participants find ways to push the game beyond its visible limits, one can even device cheats to circumvent problems posed by the game. Games test the skills, intelligence, concentration ability as well as techie know how.

Online gaming architecture has six business aspects: the subscriber; the advertiser; the gaming platform provider; the broadband service provider; the network service provider; and the gaming content provider. It is big business--hardware revenues in 2005 are expected to be: US$ 9.4 billion with software and content revenue touching US$16.9 billion.

However, there is a downside, gaming can become addicted and affect normal life--kids stop studying, housewives neglect their daily routine, and people are tempted to play games even at work. It can lead to suicides, mental imbalance as well as destroy marriages and careers. Gamers become recluses and rarely make social contact outside their gaming groups.

Addiction studies indicate that gaming can result in: obsession, neglect, lying, socially unacceptable behaviors, carpal tunnel syndrome, dry eyes, neglect of personal hygiene, as well as sleep disorders.

Popular gaming sites include: MSN games which has 3.4 million monthly registered users ; Pogo which has 8.6 million monthly registered users; and Yahoo games which has 10.1 million registered monthly users.

Analysts predict that by 2007 online gaming will be at least 285 petabits a month, the revenue generated by online subscriptions for gaming is expected to reach US$ 650 million annually.

The future according to Peter Molyneux, is in developing games that "reward a player for "out of the box" thinking and creativity. Games must encourage players to be interactive and decide the direction the game will take.

Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for http://www.1888FreeOnlineGames.com/, the premier website to play thousands of free online games including arcade games, action games, card games, flash games, strategy games, puzzle games and more. He also freelances for http://www.1888SoftwareDownloads.com

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Essential Tips on Gaming for Newbies: The World of Internet Games

Internet games use the cyber world technology for playing. Games are extremely popular and constantly evolving.

There are:

o Games played using e-mail.

o Games played on a browser window by using a web address.

o Games played using Internet Relay Chat, Telenet, MUD client, or a Web based forum.

o Games that are graphic need stand-alone software that permits players to play with or against one another using an Internet connection.

The first game, MUD, was developed in 1978, and the market has burgeoned since then.

To play, one needs:

o A reliable Internet connection.

o A personal computer or game console.

o Selected software required by specific games.

One can play simple board games like scrabble, or bingo, or games like poker, mahjong, and pool. Another popular category is simulation games--these imitate real-life situations and cover aspects like combat, city planning, strategies, as well as flight simulation.

For serious gaming the computer performance must be optimized. This can be done by:

o Running the disk defragmenter and organizing the computer files. This should ideally be done once a month at least.

o Correct folder and file errors by using scandisk---use once a week and the computer will give trouble free performance.

o Clean your hard drives--get rid of Internet files, temporary files, as well as files in the trash/recycle bin. Clear the cache and uninstall programs that are not in everyday use.

o Update the operating system software. Download any new security patches. Keep video drivers updated.

o Clear space on the hard drive---store files on a back up system.

o Clear any spyware you have inherited from websites.

o Minimize number of programs running--when playing a graphic intensive game if there are too many programs running simultaneously the graphics will become choppy and game will be slow.

o Delete add on game files--wall papers and other paraphernalia will just clutter the computer.

o Run an anti-virus program regularly but disable it when you are loading/playing games. Antivirus programs slow down games.

o Always shut down the computer properly.

The Internet allows gamers to compete with people across oceans, on the other side of the world and anywhere in the universe. Some use PCs while others use consoles. What you use is a personal choice and depends on issues like costs and so on.

Before you buy a game you must:

o Consider "system requirements" - some games can run on systems that are not exact others need specific hardware.

o Find out if the game is single player or multi-player. Many games need the Internet--and, the broadband connection is more efficient than the dial-up connection. Many like Xbox Live only work on a broadband connection.

o Find out if the game can be played using a mouse/keyboard or whether it will need a full-featured joy stick.

Be wise and try a demo before making an actual purchase. Playing a demo benefits the player as well as game developer. Many online games offer free trial periods ---beta testing is a great opportunity to find out if the game suits your taste as well as pockets.

Do your research thoroughly--usually there are several games competing for players within a genre. Read game reviews before taking the final step.

Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for http://www.1888FreeOnlineGames.com, the premier website to play thousands of free online games including arcade games, action games, card games, flash games, strategy games, puzzle games and more. He also freelances for http://www.1888SoftwareDownloads.com

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Alienware vs Rockdirect vs Dell : Finding the Best Gaming Laptop

So you want to buy a gaming laptop.

But not just any old gaming laptop, you want to buy the best

gaming machine on the planet, the best gaming machine money can

buy -- the fastest, the most powerful, the ultimate kick-ass,

take no prisoners, meanest motherboard of all gaming laptops.

Well, there's some good news for you, things have really changed

in the laptop world. No doubt you are probably aware there have been

some major developments in laptop construction and technology

in the last year or so. Technology that puts the gaming laptop

on par or near par with its main rival, the desktop PC.

Recent changes in technology have really brought gaming laptops

into the spotlight with a whole list of new Technologies:

PCI Express, Sonoma Chipset, SLI, Hyper-Threading, Dual Graphics,

Better RAM, and now Dual Core gaming laptops. Gaming notebooks are

just now entering the specs and performance arena which was exclusively

reserved for the bulky yet much more powerful desktop PC.

Just in case you have had your head buried in term papers and study

sheets lately -- hey, it happens! Here's a brief rundown of these

new technologies that will give you the fastest gaming laptop:

Graphics Cards: these are the real heart of any gaming machine. They

are getting faster and more powerful. We also see the use of dual

graphics cards and better transfer of data with new pipelines

and buses.

PCI Express: is a new standard for expansion cards that comes in

different versions. Presently, we have the x16 and x1 lanes, they

offer increased bandwidth. For example, x1 lane offers 500MB/sec

instead of just 133MB/sec for PCI.

NVIDIA SLI: SLI stands for Scalable Link Interface, technology

that lets you use a couple of GeForce 6800 graphics cards together

with PCI Express X16. Basically, SLI will speed up graphics on a single

monitor by deploying two graphics cards. It also lets you combine

4 GPUs in one system for the fastest graphics yet.

An alternative system would be ATI's CrossFire which

is a SLI-like configuration using 'Master' and 'Slave'

cards to combine two Radeon GPUs for improved and faster

graphics.

Hyper-Threading: Gives processors better performance

especially when combined with dual-core processors,

capable of handling four software threads which will put

a smile on any gamer's face.

Better RAM: DDR3 SDRAM (Double Data Rate Three Synchronous

Dynamic Random Access Memory) this new DDR memory standard

will use 40% less power and run at speeds up to 800 MHz.

Don't confuse this with GDDR3 (in Graphics Cards) which is

a totally different technology.

Dual Core: just as the name says, you put two CPUs into

a laptop for more power and faster computing. Rockdirect's

Xtreme 64 was one of the world's first dual core notebooks to

hit the market.

Also be on the lookout for Intel's Dual Core Notebook

Chip dubbed Yonah, it will be somewhat different in that

this notebook chip will not only have two cores but these

cores will share a 2MB cache which will greatly boost performance.

In most cases, keeping ahead of all these developments and

improvements can be a pleasurable chore for most gamers but

it can sure eat into your gaming time. And as the notebook

technology evolves, the gaming laptop will get even more smaller

and more powerful, offering a real alternative to the gaming

desktop PC even for the most die-hard Power Junkies.

Serious gamers will also know laptop or notebook gaming technology

is constantly evolving and mutating. Therefore, most gamers will

only purchase a fully upgradeable open architecture notebook, they

look for a laptop design which can be easily upgraded with the newest

and latest technology, if at all possible.

Despite this option, as laptop gaming technology steadily improves,

gamers are still left with the choice of which gaming system to buy.

Just in case you have be hibernating for last five years -- hey, it

happens. Here's a quick rundown of the different systems on the market

...Voodoo, Alienware, Mayhem, Vigor, Sager, ASUS, Rockdirect,

M-Tech, Dell...

Despite the fancy lapels, serious gamers know that most laptops are

made by the same two or three companies in Taiwan! The same components

and mainframes are assembled under different brand names and marketed

to the public.

Not to get too cynical, but sometimes it's the laptop with

the better paint job or the better advertising that will

win your purchasing dollar. Not that savvy gamers are easily

fooled, perish the thought, but packaging may rule the day,

performance may be the same or negligible in gaming

machines with basically all the same components and specs.

Regardless of this sober reality, gamers are still left with the

choice of which gaming manufacturer has tweaked these components

into the best gaming laptop on the market. There are numerous gaming

specialists that make high quality machines well worth your

consideration but because of limited space here we will only examine

three major gaming manufacturers, sometimes for entirely different reasons.

These three are Alienware, Rockdirect and Dell. All produce serious

contenders for the ultimate gaming laptop. Here's a brief rundown on

all three makers and their gaming laptops which may be of some help

to anyone looking to purchase a high-end gaming monster.

Alienware Laptops

First, we will start with the most distinctive looking gaming

laptops on the market. Those coming from Alienware, a company

founded by two avid gamers, Nelson Gonzalez and Alex Aguila, in

1996. It has become one of the leading producers of revolutionary

gaming PCs and Notebooks. It has also won raves and rewards from such

top industry publications as CNET, PC Gamer, Computer Games and

many more.

Their flagship model is the Area-51m 7700. This scary monster

can be outfitted with an Intel Pentium 4 Processor with

Hyper-Threading Technology - (2.8GHz - 3.8GHz, 800MHz FSB,

1MB Cache, Socket 775) Intel 915P + ICH6 chipset with NVIDIA

GeForce GO 6800 ULTRA with 256MB DDR3. It has a 17 inch WideUXGA

1920x1200 LCD Display and 4 dedicated SO-DIMM slots for

Dual-Channel DDR2 Memory. Warranties can be purchased for up

to 4 years.

The Alienware Area-51m 7700's base price starts at around

$2000 but if you want to max out this system, be prepared

to double that amount. High price for high performance.

Runs quiet and cool. This one is dressed to kill.

Rockdirect Laptops

Next, we go across the pond, for a company that produces some

high priced yet powerful gaming machines. Rockdirect gaming notebooks

are another group of machines that many gamers should consider.

Rockdirect, formerly known as Rock, is a British company that's

on the cutting edge of notebook technology. They have had a long

history of making high quality laptops for business and gaming.

Rockdirect laptops are expensive, there's no way to get around

that fact.

Rockdirect's Xtreme 64 is one of the world's first dual core

notebooks using AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ processors and twin

100GB 7,200RPM hard drives. With NVIDIAGeForce Go 7800 GTX

graphics and a 17 inch WSXGA+ (1680x1050) display with X-Glass

for better viewing. Around 2,300 pounds or $4,000 USD.

Three Year Collect and Return Warranty.

Dell Laptops

Hey dude, this can't be a DEll?

Dell with the introduction of its XPS second generation gaming

laptops has to be considered by the serious gamer. Don't laugh!

With the introduction of the XPS Gen2 laptops, Dell entered the

gaming market for real. A lot of people stood up and took notice.

Even more people stood up when Dell introduced the XPS Renegade 600

desktop gaming system with 4 NVIDIA 7800GTX GPUs at the

CES this year. Now that's putting SLI to some good use!

Dell's top Notebook Model is the XPS M170 powered by

Intel Pentium M Processor 780 (2.26 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB)

and 2GB1 Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm Memory on

a 100GB 7200rpm Hard Drive. It uses 256MB NVIDIA GeForce

Go 7800 GTX and has a 17 inch UltraSharp Wide Screen UXGA

Display. Priced at around $3,896 with a two year warranty

and longer warranties may be purchased.

Show me the Facts!

Anyone can pick a top gaming notebook and say its the fastest

in the world. However, you have to prove it or back it up.

That's where benchmark testing enters the picture, these are

standard tests that rate the performance level of your

gaming laptop. Hey, tests are good for something!

One good site that has performed a whole slue of tests on

the gaming laptops mentioned above is http://www.hexus.net.

You can see the different Benchmark tests here:

http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=4188

Testing for memory bandwidth and latency, picfast,

cryptography, raytracing, realistic render, encoding and

so on. The dual core Rock XTreme 64 showed impressive

numbers, even beating out an Athlon 4000+ Desktop in

many areas.

WildCard Entry: M-TECH!

There's another laptop maker many novice gamers don't consider

when buying their ultimate gaming machine. It may not be as

well known as the ones above but the real wildcard entry is

M-TECH. This is basically the American equivalent of Rockdirect,

although the companies are in no way connected. They just have a

similar philosophy of working with and using cutting-edge technology

and firms to produce some superior gaming machines.

M-TECH, a Michigan company, started in 1995 and has close

strategic partnerships with Tech firms in Silicon Valley. It

is favorably reviewed by many industry magazines such as

Laptops, Mobile Computing, CNET, PC TODAY and others.

M-TECH produces some powerful low priced (relatively speaking)

gaming laptops such as the D900K and the D900T:

You can configure your D900T with two 100GB (7200RPM) SATA HDD

Hard Drives with Pentium 4 3.8GHz 2MB L2Cache with a RAID setup.

With Nvidia GeForce Go 7800 GTX w/256MB DDR3 and a 17 inch TFT WSXGA+

Glassview LCD display for around $3500 USD. One year warranty,

longer warranties may be purchased.

When buying your laptop, keep in mind, just because a gaming

laptop has a lot of style doesn't mean it has sacrificed performance.

It is not a matter of style over substance, it just means

you have to pay highly for all that style/advertising/packaging.

If you can afford it, go for a higher priced gaming laptop.

People buy Ferraries don't they? There's no accounting for how

people spend their money, if you want one of these dual core

laptops from Rockdirect and you can take a little bit of heat

and noise with your games, go for a Rockdirect Xtreme 64 or

the older Xtreme Ti.

If you want a dressed to kill Alienware laptop, go for the

Area-51m 7700. If you're on a budget, look closely at the Dell

XPS M170 or the other XPS systems and watch for special Dell

coupons and discounts. Dell is known for giving some great

discounts so keep your eyes peeled. And if you really want to

go against the mainstream, why not check out M-TECH. Especially

the M-TECH D900K or the D900T, ultimate performance at a good price.

No matter which gaming system you go with, try to pick one

that has a fully upgradeable open architecture structure so

you can easily upgrade when the time comes. Keep in mind,

laptop technology is changing so fast by the time your

dream machine is configured, it is probably already out of date.

Sobering thought but more true than any of us would like to

believe.

Finding the fastest gaming laptop may be an on-going process

of outfitting your dream machine with the latest technologies

and hardware as they come on stream. Hey, nobody said life would

be simple.

Just wondering how you can fit Quad SLI with 4 GPUs

into a laptop. Hey, it can happen and probably will!

For more on the best gaming laptops click here: Gaming Laptops. For information on upgrading your gaming laptop click here: Laptop Memory Upgrade. Titus Hoskins Copyright c 2006. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

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