Tag Archives: Competition
The World Of Computer Gaming, High-Stakes And Intense Competition
The World Of Computer Gaming, High-Stakes And Intense Competition
Multiplayer games and tournaments are now offering cash prizes, adding to the thrill of competing. To participate, a valid credit card or paypal account is required. And, a player must live in a state or country that has no laws against online gaming for money. Sites which promote such activities are: www.worldwinner.com and www.arkadium.com.
Gaming leagues are becoming professional and organize competitions where cash prizes are worth over US$ 100,000 in cash. These events are seen as business and marketing development opportunities. Hardware manufacturing giants like Intel sponsor gaming clans and see gaming world-wide as a profitable avenue for promoting their products. High-stake gaming competitions are popular, but the real fights occur behind the scenes, where companies spend millions trying to get their technology directly into the hands of gamers
Professional gaming has taken the world by storm and, LAN competitions are high-stake tournaments with a few gamers earning a living just competing. A professional gamer with a sponsorship plan in place can earn up to US$ 500,000 per year. Cyberathlete, Professional League, Gamecaster, Global gaming League, are some of the organizations that host competitions. The first professional gaming league was set up in 1997 and today the competitions are not just televised but covered by major publications and newspapers. MTV, CNN,ESPN, USA Network, ABC World News Today, FOX, WB and others telecast the events live.
Gamers from all walks of life train intensely to become virtual world champions, winning brings fame, money, as well as recognition. And, since 2001 The World Cyber Games are held in a different country each year. The prize in 2004 was worth US$ 400, 000 and competitors played: FIFA Soccer 2004, Need for Speed, Underground, Star-Craft, Brood War, Unreal Tournament 2004, Dawn of war, Dead or Alive Ultimate, and Halo 2.
Gaming is serious; it is about quick thinking, intense practice, team work, interaction with other players, and understanding technology at its best. Gamers have to be on their toes, keep abreast with new launches, changes, patches, cheats, and more.
According to online gaming expert Psychologist Professor Mark Griffiths, “online gaming addiction for a small minority is a real phenomenon and people suffer the same symptoms as traditional addictions. They are the types of games that completely engross the player. They are not games that you can play for 20 minutes and stop. If you are going to take it seriously, you have to spend time doing it”
That gaming is taken seriously is confirmed, many major colleges are offering minor as well as major courses in game design, animation, cognition and gaming, computer music, psychology of play and more. RPI, the Pratt Institute, University of Colorado, the Art Institute of Phoenix, the University of Washington, and the University of Pennsylvania are among those that have programs in computer graphics and game technology. They are set to become a feeder system for the US$ 10 billion a year game industry.
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Surround Sound Gaming Blows the Competition Away
Surround Sound Gaming Blows the Competition Away
In the worldwide realm of online gaming surround sound is becoming an important tool for obtaining and maintaining an edge over the competition. Sound provides important clues to things that are taking place around us, this is no different in the cyber world and made possible through the use of emerging technologies and the copious use of surround sound technology and equipment. The good news for gamers is that you do not have to have a computer room or home office that is filled with speakers and surround sound equipment. If your computer has a sound card that is set up for surround sound, there are plenty of headphones on the market that support this sort of sound setup.
In fact, this is becoming a growing industry in the realm of computer gaming and simply increasing the quality of sound as computers are more and more often used as media centers rather than mere portals to the World Wide Web and all ports of call in between. We are demanding more and more from our personal computers today than ever before and savvy professionals are consistently creating software and hardware that meets our growing demands. Video and sound cards that support real time gaming action and better than real life quality sound are certainly only a few of the ways in which computer technology is improving at the speed of light and yet they are often the points where that evolution is most noticeable.
It’s nearly impossible to tell whether or not the rate at which computers are evolving is the hardware makers trying to keep pace with the software creators or the other way around. Either way it means more realistic and action oriented, real-time games are hitting the market without bogging down the systems or overtaxing the technology that is currently in place, provided of course that you are upgrading at least every two years in order to keep pace with emerging technologies.
If you haven’t checked out some of the top of the line PCs of today you really should check out all they can do. Don’t go to your local Wal-mart and see the best of their best, as it is not going to be a good indicator of superior quality computing. You should instead go with online companies such as Alienware and check out their top systems. The functionality and speed at which these systems operate is simply staggering. The lowest end laptop that they offer can outperform my home PC on any given Sunday and probably with one processor tied behind its back. Add to this type of functionality the addition of surround sound and you have a system that is well worth drooling over (not that I would drool-ever).
Regardless of whether you are easily impressed by technology it is quite difficult not to be impressed by the rate at which the technology of sound is improving-particularly when it comes to surround sound systems that are available for both home theaters and computers in the market of today. Whether you use your personal computer for gaming or media viewing and manipulation there is a lot of entertainment that a good sound card (with surround capabilities) and a nice set of surround sound headphones can add to your overall sound experience. Check out the options on the market today and compare them with what is in your computer at the moment. You just may be blown away by the competition.