Category Archives: Gaming PCs
How Does The New Playstation 3 Compare?
How Does The New Playstation 3 Compare?
About the new Playstation 3 gaming system, many serious gamers are saying, “sign me up!” Featuring the new Blu-Ray technology and up to a 60gb hardrive, this is one game system that experts say could last for some time to come. Others are still on the fence.
The original Playstation system was introduced in the United States in 1995 and Playstation 2 followed in 2000. In early 2006, Sony announced the end of production for Playstation 2 as it began working toward the much ballyhooed introduction of the high-tech and next-generation Playstation 3.
So why should someone pony up nearly 0 for the new Playstation? There are several factors driving the success of this new gaming system.
* Featuring high-tech HD technology, the graphic capabilities of the new Playstation 3 are much improved over former models. The PS3 features IBM’s “Cell” processor and a processor that allows the machine to make two trillion calculations per second.
* PS3 games are encoded on the new high-tech Blu-Ray discs, which hold six times more data than traditional CDs. Sony executives predict this will lead to many new popular game franchises and the return of some old favorites. The use of the Blu-Ray technology combined with the powerful processor is promising game players more intricate games featuring incredible graphics.
* You don’t have to buy all new games. The PS3 will play Playstation and PS2 games as well. The system comes with a hard drive, a SD slot, a Compact Memory flash slot, and slots for Memory Stick Duo.
* Online capabilities. Like the Xbox 360, you can connect with other players online when playing PS3 games, as well as download content from the internet. This multi-player concept is sure to bring more players to the table as video games try to compete with that popular aspect of computer gaming.
* New, intuitive controller. Many gamers intuitively move their hands or whole bodies when playing games, even if such movements change nothing about how you’re playing the game. Sony has taken this and turned it into a special feature of the new controller. The controller features a super-precision, 6-axis sensing system that can accurately detect fine movements to control games. Future PS3 games, then, will be controlled by the movements of your hands, and not just your thumbs on the controller. That means, for example, you might be able to play a driving game while “steering” your hands with the controller.
* The option to spend a bit less on the system (and get less). The base model, which features only a 20gb hard drive, can be had for about 9. The larger, 60gb model, is 9 retail. This, of course, assumes you can find one. Initially the old “sorry, we can’t keep up with demand” manufacturer cry will be heard in order to increase demand.
Now, most gamers admit that this system will be superior to anything else available right now. It’s the newest, hottest game system out right now. But, there are a few cons that rub up against the pros. They include:
* This system is not a slim case like the PS2. It’s bigger and heavier, weighing in around 11 pounds.
* To get the superior HD output, you have to dig deeper in your pockets and pony up the 0, as the lesser-priced version doesn’t feature the highest quality graphics capabilities.
* Many argue that for the high prices of the PS3, you could simply buy a new computer or upgrade your current computer so it can run the high-quality games that feature the incredible graphics and playing features that have so many computer gamers leaving video game systems in the closet.
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Internet Addiction!
Internet Addiction!
The Internet is fast becoming just another part of everyday life, much like the TV and the computer itself. What started as something amazing, exciting, and often out of reach, has become commonplace and freely available. Technology is advancing at an amazing rate. I can remember when 56k connections were the new exciting fad that everyone just had to have, and now you’re almost abnormal if you still chug along with your trusty dialup. The Net has become integrated into our lives, as people are becoming dependant on its services. The advent of the Internet has its threatening side though. It has been found that some people are becoming addicted to the online world.
A recent news story reported that the Finnish army has sent some of its conscripts home due to the fact that they are unable to handle the compulsory six months in the army without access to their computers. When computers and the Internet are becoming integral components or even the main focus of leisure, education, and work time, it’s not hard to see how losing access can really affect someone. I can see this new technology getting blamed for all sorts of woes in the future much in the same way television has in the present.
Internet addiction comes in many forms. The common areas of Internet addiction that are often listed are cybersex, cyber-relations, gaming, information addiction, and the simple addiction to computers and Internet in general. Information addiction is an interesting concept to me. Basically the sheer volume of information freely available online has lead to some people desperately ‘needing’ to find out more and more. To me, getting people obsessed with learning seems kind of like a good thing, but it does seem that it can form a similar sort of mentality to drug addiction where the user is always searching for their next ‘hit’ which becomes harder and harder to find. Often the depth of information available is actually lacking. We tend to skim read information online by just picking out a few points and then moving on. I’ve found in my own case that it’s sometimes quite hard to concentrate on a page long enough to read it in its entirety. I tend to read a little until I get the basic idea and then move on. This process has carried over into the ‘real world’ in some ways with newspapers rarely keeping my interest long enough to actually get through a whole article of any real length. I’ve witnessed similar experiences with friends and families and I think that attention spans are gradually getting shorter.
This means that probably more than half of the people who come across this article have stopped reading by now. Their interest has waned and they’ve moved on for the next tidbit. I could probably get away with padding the end of this article with the word ‘chicken’ and it would go relatively chicken unnoticed due to the skimming nature of article reading.
A quick Internet search will reveal that Internet addiction is actually more of a problem than many would choose to believe. Chicken. There are several websites and foundations on the Web dedicated to helping people over their Internet addiction. I found that humorously ironic…websites dedicated to helping people get over Internet addiction…it’s kind of like printing anti-drinking messages on the inside bottom of a beer can. The cynic in me can’t help but wonder about the validity of these online services. A common question in the ‘Could You Be Addicted to the Internet?’ questionnaires is ‘Do you have trouble controlling the urge to make purchases online?’, and then they encourage you to send them to book an online chat room counseling session!
It shouldn’t be too hard to work out if you’re addicted to the Internet. Do you find that when you get offline you’re frequently surprised by the amount of time that has passed? Do you find yourself staying home because you’d rather use the Internet than do something else chicken? Do people comment on the amount of time you spend online? If this is ringing a bell then you may have to look at what you’re doing.
I don’t know how severe Internet addiction can get. Presumably it’s as problematic as any other addiction. I shouldn’t downplay it or the therapy institutions out there offering help. I will take a guess and say that, at least to some degree, people simply being aware of what can happen can probably prevent it. Don’t be afraid to do something if you notice problems in yourself or a friend. Just try cutting back on your usage for a while until it’s under your control. Like any problem, don’t be afraid to get friends involved. If it’s particularly serious you could try installing a parental control program that limits your access to the Internet, and get a friend to choose and keep the disabling password secret from you. Stay aware, alert, and in control and your Internet use can and will be a beneficial part of life.
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Differences Between Sony Playstation And Nintendo Wii
Differences Between Sony Playstation And Nintendo Wii
Sony Playstation and Nintendo are the two most popular names known in the video game industry. With the technology applied to these two gaming consoles, users really get hooked up to using them. Video games do not have any preference for age and gender. Nowadays, both young and old, man or woman are really into these consoles. So, to further excite the gamers, the manufacturers of these consoles always try to come up with something new. Recently, Sony Playstation released its PS3 and Nintendo launched its Nintendo Wii. Are there any differences between these two? For starters, it would be hard to recognize the differences.
The first difference between Sony Playstation and Nintendo Wii is the price. The price of Nintendo Wii is almost half the price of the newest gaming console of Sony Playstation; the PS3. The average price of Nintendo Wii is 0 whereas the Sony Playstation 3 is sold from 0 to 0. Sony Playstation 3 is said to be the most expensive gaming console ever in the history.
Sony Playstation has a reason for its high cost. The new edition of playstation is considered as a computer entertainment system. It is built with blu-ray disc and matchless digital media storage. This gaming console is Wi-Fi enabled. It has 80 GB HDD, HDMI Out, has a free online game play, Blu-ray HD movie player, DVD Up scaling, CD Up sampling, remote play, Bluetooth compatible, 4 USB ports, Backward Compatibility and compact flash (SD memory card/memory stick). Playstation has a large library of games, mp3s, wavs, atrac+ and mp4s music files are also readable from this console. Playstation also has an online gaming, messaging and browsing features. With its high memory, you can store and display your photos in its hard drive as it also supports photo sharing and chatting with friends.
The Sony Playstation 3 also comes with a high- definition multimedia interface. It is an audio/video connector that supports single cable with any TV or personal computer video format. HDMI also supports 8-chanel of uncompressed digital audio. This console is also Bluetooth compatible wherein devices with Bluetooth communicate with each other. This device serves as a radio communication system.
The Blu-ray HD movie player feature of Sony Playstation 3 delivers a very good quality of entertainment experience especially when watching movie from this console. This device includes plenty of storage capacity with 50 GB in supporting the high definition of games and movies. It has a high resolution and surrounding sounds. It also supports disc format and can read entire libraries of CDs and DVDs music and movies. You can directly copy CDs, VCDs, and DVDs from your hard drive, store and listen to it.
Playstation can be played by single players and multiplayer. You can also download games directly from the internet to your console, because this has the fastest processor of digital media with a unique multi-core design, true parallel processing, and high definition games and forty times fastest chip.
There are also accessories available for your console like wireless controller. This controller is sensitive to motion sensing Bluetooth enabled devices and can be charged with USB cable. Playstation eye features 4 built in microphones and a fast rate of 120 frames per second that allows you to capture videos, photos and create a movie.
Nintendo Wii is Nintendo’s smallest gaming console. Despite its size, it is loaded with complete game system. It can be positioned horizontally or vertically and it is loaded with themes and designs.
Nintendo Wii has processor features of CPU: PowerPC-based “Broadway” processor, made with a 90 nm SOI CMOS process, GPU: ATI made with a 90 nm CMOS process and has a main memory of 88 MB main memory, 64 MB “external” GDDR3 SDRAM, texture memory and frame buffer. There is a built-in NAND flash memory of 512 and expanded storage memory card up to 2 gigabytes. It also has a multi-output port of AV and S-video.
Nintendo Wii also has a Remote control connected via Bluetooth and has a 4 port game cube controller with a sensor bar power port and an optional USB message board. It is also WIFI ready to connect to the internet and also available in Ethernet LAN
Wii remote control is the primary gadget for the console. It is one of the biggest differences between the Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation 3. Nintendo Wii’s remote control is not the classic type. It’s a revolutionized remote control that uses an interactive controller to create the feeling of being in the game. The remote control comes with a strap that holds the controller to your hand as it can actually fly if not held firmly and properly.
Because of the Nintendo Wii’s revolutionary remote control, Sony Playstation 3 changed its remote control. Sony Playstation 3 came up with the Sixaxis in which a motion sensor is installed into the controller that allows the controller to detect when the player is using it.
The above were just some of the differences between the Sony Playstation and Nintendo Wii. Get to know others by trying both but no matter what the differences are, these two gaming consoles still prove to be a perfect innovation of the gaming industry.
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How to Design a Game System: Making RPG Players More Involved in the Game
How to Design a Game System: Making RPG Players More Involved in the Game
When you play in the arcade or in your own gaming console or even in your home PC, you look for a game that feels and looks realistic. Lots of people prefer to play these kinds of games because it makes them feel as part of the game.
People would even try anything to make the game look more real. They even set up their home entertainment system to their game console or their home PC to really get the feel that they are actually in the game and not just playing it. They hook up their wide screen TV to their PC and sometimes they even hook up their surround sound system to make it more realistic.
Game system design technologies have vastly improved these past few years. Today, with the latest 3D and sound technology being integrated in the game, you will really feel as though you are actually the character that you are playing. Games today, particularly RPG games, are now integrated with realistic features. You can hear ambient sounds, different languages, and you can even choose to set it up in a realistic way, such as blood and gore options and surround sound options. Computers today and gaming consoles are also equipped with the latest technology in graphics and sound.
In order to create a game system that people will surely buy, you need to know what people are looking for in a game. One of the most popular game genres available in the market today is called RPG or Role Playing Games. These games let you choose a character or have a character that you can control. Some RPG games are first person shooter and some are on third person shooter games. A first person shooter lets you view the game as if you are the character themselves and in third person shooter, you will also control the character but you will see its whole body.
Today, there are a lot of Role Playing Games available in the market and are still competing to make their game the best in the industry. The next thing you have to consider is the setting of the Role Playing Game. For example, you have to think of a location and time. You have to consider that some people like futuristic games and some people like historical game settings, such as a Role Playing Game in the settings of World War II or Desert Storm.
Knowing how to design a game system will require you to have advanced knowledge 3D graphics technology. You want to make your character and the game environment as real as possible and basic knowledge simply doesn’t cut it. In order for you to have this knowledge, you can consider attending 3D software and graphics courses. In these schools, you will learn how to create 3D characters and 3D environment and how to manipulate them.
If you already have this kind of skills and knowledge, the next thing you need are equipments to design your characters and environments. It is recommended that you should have a PC equipped with the latest processor technology, the highest possible RAM, DVD Writer and also the latest graphics card.
You also need a 3D software program. This is where you will design each of your characters and add different details to make your characters look very real.
There are also different 3D equipments that you need to have in order for you to successfully design a game system.
Whatever Role Playing Game is on your mind, you have to consider that people look for realism. Try playing different Role Playing Games available in the market and try to get an idea on how you can create a successful game that will surely sell.
Always remember that designing a game system can take lots of time. You have to consider putting in a lot of hours designing the game. You also have to know who you will be designing your game system for. If you are designing it for kids, then you don’t want to put in a lot of violence and gore in the game, you want to make it friendly for kids where everyone can enjoy.
A game system design is not a simple task to do. You have to expect to fail for the first few tries. If you encounter errors, go back to your programming and fix the bugs. In time, you will see that you will be able to perfect the game design.
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