Game News

Free Articles -xBox 360 Game Review: War in the Pacific - Battlestations: Midway

2007-05-16T11:52:00.000-07:00

You are Henry Walker, a young Navy man stationed in Hawaii, when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. The nation mobilizes for war, and you take charge of a small vessel. You gradually rise in the ranks to become an officer, and as you do, your fleet gets bigger.

There haven't been too many good naval strategy games made for any game system. Eidos' Battlestations: Midway combines naval strategy with combat action to make a game that makes you feel like you were there.

This game has a heavy story, but it's really not important to enjoy the game. The story parts are made to look like old footage of the war. It's a cool effect, but the most important part of the game is strategy. If you're into that, you'll really like Battlestations: Midway.

The game has 11 major battles in the Pacific, from Pearl Harbor the Midway. You fight your way through the battles, at first in charge a small vessel. Eventually you get to command a whole fleet. It actually gets tougher at that point, because you have to coordinate all of them. You sometimes have to switch back and forth between different vessels, and the movement can be a little slow.

One thing about Battlestations: Midway, is that you have to watch the tutorial. Of course, you don't have to, but if you just go in with guns a-blazin', you're not going to know what you're doing! Sit through the tutorial and you'll learn how to fly, maneuver, fight and repair stuff. It's a snoozer, but it's all worth it.

You can play through the game in the regular mode, or you can choose online mode. Online you can play with up to 7 other players, who can choose Japanese or American ships. The online play mode has lots of options, so you can set virtually every parameter of your battle.

There's also a "challenge" mode, and they aren't kidding when they call it that. Basically, if you want to get massacred and go out in a blaze of glory, you can use the challenge mode. You can pick either the American or Japanese side, where the cards are stacked against you, and withstand a full frontal assault by your enemy. Experienced players may not get creamed immediately.

The pace of the game is also great. A game like this could get boring and repetitive, but there's enough variety thrown in that it doesn't. After you've been on the water for a while, there'll be an air battle to shake things up. The variety of battles keeps it moving.

One of the only drawbacks of the game is the graphics. The game is nothing much to look at. The colors are all grey, blue and green, and there isn't much detail. Still, it's a strategy game, and it more than makes up for its visual dullness with strategy and action.

Battlestations: Midway is a game that will only appeal to a set group of gamers; those who are into strategy and naval history. But, if that's your thing, Battlestations: Midway is a great gaming experience.

Online Games - Business Model Overview

2007-05-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

People of all ages and from all walks of life spend a large amount of time and money on online games, which makes it a billion dollar industry. Looking into the Business Model adopted by this billion dollar industry.

People of all ages and from all walks of life spend a large amount of time and money on online games, which makes it a billion dollar industry. Looking into the Business Model adopted by this billion dollar industry.

MMO Games (Massively Multiplayer Online Games):

Over the last few years, MMO games have taken the world by storm, success stories of games like WOW have inspired literates to write books and take surveys explaining the phenomenon. These games are played by millions and are bandwidth eaters, which do not bite cost but gulp it. MMO games are high expenditure ventures and need a lot of funding to continue with game development and server maintenance.

Critics argue that the state of art business model is still in a divergent state. Every author is elaborating different proposals. However, the current scenario supports the following business model.

1. Initial Game Title sales: This revenue ensures to keep the development momentum going and helps pay for the initial development cost.

2. Time Based Subscription Model: The revenue model is based on a simple fee, which gives unlimited access to the game during a certain period of time, usually a month, but with other subscription rates for three, four, six or twelve months.

3. Virtual Currency Model: Revenue model is based on selling currency for use in a virtual in-game economy.

4. Virtual Real Estate Ownership Model: Second Life® came with a new concept of MMOG. Their producers, Linden Labs, provide the infrastructure that is the open virtual word. Their expected revenue will come from subscription fees, in US dollars, and land taxes, in Linden dollars (the in-game currency). These Linden dollars (L$) that can be traded for real money, at a variable rate, depending on the law of supply and demand.

Interesting News ( a fact on the value adding within the Game itself - which eventually adds to the capital of the game producers - taxes paid on the property worth) : http://www.gamespot.com/news/6162315.html

5. Brand merchandising: MMO's are also involved in selling branded products to fans and user alike for a profit consideration.

6. Paid sponsorship for product promotion: Companies are using the MMO platform to promote their products for a consideration of promoting their products within the MMO community.(growing in millions) video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1175367493081978705">http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1175367493081978705

7. Expansion: Expansion is added to make money on user up gradation and also ensure a continued interest in the games.

Casual Online Games:

Casual online games are a little lighter in the resources and are a little less intense on the game play and graphics but equally addictive. The business model adopted by casual online games is molded a little different that the MMO with some similarity in brand merchandising and sponsorship. Casual Online Games like GoPets focus on building game loyalties by offering free accounts and free game downloads for enjoying the game. The Business adopted by such games is as follow:

1. Brand merchandising: Game characters now appear as stuffed animals and action figures and on board games and trading cards. 2. Game sponsorships: Companies pay for getting custom games built for the game user and use it as a marketing object.

3. Upgrading Options: Online casual games also offer upgrading the user account, from free to paid subscription in return for more game functionality and privileges. 4. In game / on site advertising: Casual games also offer ad placements within the game site to advertisers for a monetary consideration.

5. Virtual Currency Model: Revenue model is based on selling currency for use to buy virtual items in the game.

Casual Downloadable Games:

Monetizing Casual downloadable games is probably the most challenging. They do not have an easily accessible system or a proper distribution channel apart for some high trafficked download sites. The cost of game development is high (http://kotaku.com/gaming/popcap/casual-games-getting-big-budgets-217836.php), so how do they justify such cost and what business approach do they follow?

1. Time Trial Free Downloads / Limited Online Version: The best method used to sale such games are the FREE Downloads (ironic), which one can play for a whole hour. It's like a time trial, a death match, fighting a battle to finish as much as possible within the free trial. After the time trial is over or the proposed level before the fun begins is over, the downloader has to pay a premium to get the unlock code to play further. This is the sales strategy followed by most casual downloadable games.

2. Branding for other online publishers and online portals: Casual games are also branded for online publishers who use it under their names and make it available on their sites.

3. Selling ads on online sites: Casual game publishers are also offering advertising option in the forms of video ads (played before the game starts), banner advertising option and even contextual ads through Google Ad sense and likes.

Traditional console Games:

Console games from the wiki: A console game is a form of interactive multimedia used for entertainment. The game consists of manipulable images (and usually sounds) generated by a game console, and displayed on a television or similar audio-video system. The game itself is usually controlled and manipulated using a handheld device connected to the console called a controller. The controller generally contains a number of buttons and directional controls (such as analog joysticks) each of which has been assigned a purpose for interacting with and controlling the images on the screen. The display, speakers, console, and controls of a console can also be incorporated into one small object known as a handheld game console. Marketing a console game is much easier with mass channels of supply and distribution. Console gaming is the most popular and has a well fought market with leading competitors in the form of XBOX, PS3 and off late the Wii. Business models for console games have been well established as it follows a very predictable trend.

1. Console Sales: Develop great hardware, sell it near or below cost, then generate profit by taking a cut of the revenue from all future game sales.

2. Online branding: Advertisers have just found another venue to spend their advertising buck with in game objects branded to promote their products and services. Play a Fifa and you will be side boards promoting some on the well known brands.

3. Online Scoreboards: Gaming consoles are now equipped to connect to online scoreboards where people can download, pay games and compete with other gamer world wide. Drive for competition makes people pay.

The Gaming World offers both fun and money. There are huge opportunities to be grasped in this industry as the line between the real and the virtual world is blurring.

About the Author

Webmaster and SEO enthusiast, with a special incline towards casual online games. Copyright ~ Casual Online Games, Suzuki Bikes & Blog Directory~ JGJMK Network Sites

How to write a video game script

2007-05-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

Writing a video game script offers a challenge that goes well beyond the normal realm of writing. But it is also something that can be tremendously rewarding in the scope of its creativity. Here are some guidelines and tips for writing a video game script.

Writing a video game script offers a challenge that goes well beyond the normal realm of writing. But it is also something that can be tremendously rewarding in the scope of its creativity. Here are some guidelines and tips for writing a video game script.

Today's video games are based in complex worlds and they tell stories. No longer does a player simply advance through repetitive screens slaying goblins and ghouls in a quest toward the goal. A player now expects to progress through a world where there is a rich history and a plethora of decisions to be made. This adds to the complexity of writing a video game script and it also adds to the richness of the creativity involved.

The first thing you need to think about is that writing a video game script is that it is not the same as writing a movie script. The two processes are similar and you do write a movie like script for your video game but that is only part of the process. There is a whole host of accompanying materials that you need to write for your game script. Here is an overview of what you need to write and why.

Write An Executive overview of the story in prose This is the most important part of your game script and this is what will sink or float your script. This overview has to tell a compelling and unique story and it should tell the complete story from the opening scene of the game through the major steps all the way to the completion of the game. An overview like this can be almost any size and it would be very easy for this to be ten written pages or more. Remember that today's video games are very complex and the stories can be very complex. This overview is also the most important part of the script. You would shop this to game developers to see if they are interested in developing it into a game.

Write a History and Background of the world Video games are complete worlds and game designers need to know what the world is like and what kind of history it has. This will help the designers to visualize what the world will look like.

Create a Flowchart for the entire game - Your game is going to be very complex and there will be many decisions that the player will have to make and each decision opens up a whole new path for the player to take. Creating a flowchart is the best way to keep track of all the possible paths through the game.

Create sub-quests and write a prose overview of each quest Sub quests can be simple or complex but each one is a story in itself and you must tell these stories.

Create character descriptions and bios for all the major characters in the game. Game designers need a complete picture of the characters in the game. Many of the non-player characters you create will pop up time and time again. And their story is woven deeply into the fabric of your world. You need to describe this relationship in detail to the game designers.

Write interactions with non-player characters Your game will probably involve interaction with non-player characters (NPC's). You should write out the dialogue and flowchart the choices the game player can make. These interactions are often critical to the story and they can take the player on very different paths toward the conclusion of the game.

Write Cut scenes - Cut Scenes are short animations or movies that come before or after major plot points in your story. A cut scene should always be written to enhance or describe the story. A cut scene is also a reward given to the player for achieving a major milestone in game play.

Writing the actual storyboard script This is the final step in the whole video game script writing process and it is the most detailed. You do this step last because you need all the supporting materials to understand and describe this correctly. This part is very similar to that of a movie script. You progress through each scene of your story and you detail all the necessary information. Here is an example:

Scene 1:

Location: A dark cathedral with stained glass windows. An NPC is kneeling before a stone casket in the center of the main room

Music: background music of an organ playing introduces the scene but subsides

Characters: Main player, NPC named Thomas, seven were creatures

Player Goal: Discover the location of the underground lair

Action: Player must initiate discussion with Thomas, upon first contact we activate cut scene (1) where Thomas morphs into a were-creature and summons his were-minions. Main character must battle the were-minions then re-initiate discussion with Thomas.

Flowchart: No decisions made at this point: If battle is completed Thomas reveals the entrance to the underground lair and player advances to that level. If player is defeated in battle revert to death cut scene (11) and move to try again screen.

Notes: Player is locked in the cathedral and there is no exit. The only viable way out is to initiate contact with Thomas. Random were-creatures can be activated if player explores cathedral before talking with NPC.

Scene End

When writing a video game script you have to remember that your primary audience is not the game player but the game developer and what the developer needs is a complete picture of what your game is about. This means that you are not just writing a story but you are creating a world complete with a tone, sounds, characters, story, plot, and subplots. To successfully communicate this to the developer you need to use a whole set of creative tools and this is where video game scripts depart from normal scripts and open up a whole realm of creative possibilities.

About the Author

Will Kalif is the author of two self-published epic fantasy novels. Visit his website at:
Storm The Castle.com - Creativity and Medieval Fantasy with an edge

Video Game Tester

2007-05-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

Imagine receiving all the newest video games for free. Now imagine being paid up to $50 per hour to test and give your opinion about those video games. This is what a video game tester does. Video game testers play video games before they come out and tell the manufacturer what they like and dislike about the game. This way the public will get the best possible product.

Imagine receiving all the newest video games for free. Now imagine being paid up to $50 per hour to test and give your opinion about those video games. This is what a video game tester does. Video game testers play video games before they come out and tell the manufacturer what they like and dislike about the game. This way the public will get the best possible product.

People are making hundreds of dollars to test video games and give their opinions about them. You do not need any special skills to be a video game tester. All you need is the gaming system for the game your are going to test. Here is a quick way to get a job as a video game tester.

Finding a video game tester job may be difficult unless you know a programmer that works for ea games or sony. It would also be difficult to try and get a company to hire you for a video game tester position. The best way to find a video game tester job, and usually any job for that matter, is to find someone on the inside and work through them. Many companies will post these jobs on their website so just do a search for video game developers and you will find many. Go to their website and see if there is a posting for a video game tester. Here are a few to try: ea.com, capcom.com, lith.com, atari.com, and konami.com.

Once you are hired as a video game tester you will receive your games to test in your mailbox. The game will come with an assignment to fill out that will include things you like or dislike about the game. Usually the company wants you to look out for errors in the game. Make sure to read your assignment and understand what the company wants you to look for. Each company pays different and they will tell you the hourly pay. When you have completed testing the game return your findings to the company, they will most likely provide you with a return envelope for this.

Now you just have to wait for them to send you a check for being their video game tester. After completion of each job, you will get a check in the mail from the company you worked for. The best part about being a video game tester is that you get to keep the game that you tested!

This article was meant to guide you in your search for becoming a video game tester. This is a great job because you can set your own hours to play the game. Good luck in your quest to become a video game tester.

Violent Video Games: Do They Lead to Aggressive Behavior or Not?

2007-05-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

Video games for children, teens and young adults bring in $10 billion a year in the United States. Certainly some of the games offer harmless entertainment and maybe even some educational value. But the games that seem to be the most eagerly anticipated, the games that major retailer Zany Brainy says "the industry is focusing on," and the games that fly off the shelves as soon as they're released are those rated "M" for mature and "AO" for adults only.

Video games for children, teens and young adults bring in $10 billion a year in the United States. Certainly some of the games offer harmless entertainment and maybe even some educational value. But the games that seem to be the most eagerly anticipated, the games that major retailer Zany Brainy says "the industry is focusing on," and the games that fly off the shelves as soon as they're released are those rated "M" for mature and "AO" for adults only.

To garner an "M" rating, the content is intended for people aged 17 and older, and may contain sexual themes and intense violence or language. An "AO"-rated game is suitable only for adults 18 and over, and may include graphic depictions of sex and/or violence.

The popularity of the games is astounding. According to a 2004 report by the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, a 2001 review found that 49 percent of the 70 top-selling video games contained serious violence. Out of all games, 41 percent required violence for the protagonists to achieve their goals. And in 17 percent of the games, violence was the primary focus of the game itself.

The violence is often brutal and degrading to women. In the game "Duke Nukem," for instance, a player can enter a room with naked women saying "Kill me," while tied to posts. In the Grand Theft Auto series, one of the most popular and also most violent and controversial of the games, a player is rewarded if he has sex with a prostitute and then murders her (the most recent of the series, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, was the best-selling title in 2004).

Whether or not these games contribute to violent "real-life" behavior among their primary users (pre-teen and teen boys) has spurred major controversy. And, as with most hot-button issues, there are strong proponents and opponents on either side.

Yes, Video Games Cause Violence

Much attention was brought to video game violence after it was realized that the two teenagers behind the Columbine High School shootings played (and even created their own levels of) DOOM, one of the first "first-person shooter" video games (attesting to its popularity, a movie version of DOOM was just released on October 21).

The most recent study on the topic, to be published in the January 2006 edition of Media Psychology, found that playing violent video games does indeed cause violent thought patterns in the brain.

A team of international researchers observed 13 males, aged 18 to 26, for the study. It was found that, after playing a mature-rated game, 11 out of the 13 participants showed significant effects from the games.

"There is a causal link between playing the first-person shooting game in our experiment and brain-activity pattern that are considered as characteristic for aggressive cognitions and affects," said RenÃ© Weber, assistant professor of communication and telecommunication at Michigan State University (MSU) and a researcher on the project. "There is a neurological link and there is a short-term causal relationship.

"Violent video games frequently have been criticized for enhancing aggressive reactions such as aggressive cognitions, aggressive affects or aggressive behavior. On a neurobiological level we have shown the link exists," he says.

Previous studies have also found such links. Said psychologist Craig A. Anderson, Ph.D.:

"Violent video games provide a forum for learning and practicing aggressive solutions to conflict situations. In the short run, playing a violent video game appears to affect aggression by priming aggressive thoughts. Longer-term effects are likely to be longer lasting as well, as the player learns and practices new aggression-related scripts that can become more and more accessible for use when real-life conflict situations arise."

Some researchers say that violent video games are worse than watching similarly violent TV programs or movies because the interactive nature of the game makes the player become involved and learn to identify with the aggressive game character.

No, Video Games and Violence are Not Related

On the other side of the coin are those who argue that no such link exists. One recent study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign supports this case. After playing a violent video game called Asheron's Call 2 (AC2) for an average of 56 hours in a month, no link between the game and real-world aggression was found in the 75 players (average age 28).

Said lead author Dmitri Williams, "Players were not statistically different from the non-playing control group in their beliefs on aggression after playing the game than they were before playing. Nor was game play a predictor of aggressive behaviors. Compared with the control group, the players neither increased their argumentative behaviors after game play nor were significantly more likely to argue with their friends and partners."

Another study of 35 8- to 12-year olds, in which the children played a non-violent and a violent video game for 15 minutes each, found the game playing did not alter the children's previous tendencies toward aggressiveness or empathy.

Are the Game Ratings Enough?

Just as controversial as the violence issue is whether or not the game ratings go far enough. While some contend that it's up to parents to monitor the game ratings and their children's exposure to them, a study found that many parents, though aware of the ratings and of their meanings, do not take them seriously.

"Most parents think their child is mature enough so that these games will not influence them," said Jurgen Freund, chief executive with the Swiss research firm Modulum.

According to the study of over 1,000 UK adults, parents were more concerned with the number of hours their children were playing video games than with what game they were playing.

"Parents perceive age ratings as a guide but not as a definite prohibition," said Freund. "Some may have not liked the content but they did not prohibit the game."

And while the debate is likely to continue on a large scale in years to come (California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently signed into law Assembly Bill 1179, which prohibits selling or renting violent video games to Californians under 18), one thing's for sure -- kids will continue to be drawn to them, if for no other reason than because they're not supposed to have them.

"We called it Magic 18," said Freund. "The 18+ label was seen as promoting the content, promising adult content rather than saying 'my parents will stop me playing this.'"

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2007-05-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

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