Pwnded!

Pricing free games.

noreply@blogger.com (Minx0r) — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:21:00 +0000

Most people have heard the phrase, "There is no such thing as a free lunch," when it comes to free online games, this couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, there are all types of free games online. There also are a great number of them. The best part is that they are completely free. There are no catches.

Many free games sites offer plenty of pc games that you can play solo or with others. Some of these games do offer you the opportunity to upgrade. But if you choose not to, you will still get a full, working version. Upgrades simply allow you to take advantage of special features. Besides free games, free game sites offer visitors additional perks. For example, you might get reviews on top games, top scores for the day and even alerts to discounted gaming merchandise and games. Free online games sites also tend to updated regularly, so there will be no shortage of available and new games.

Free online games can a welcome distraction to an otherwise monotonous day. What is great is not only the sheer amount of available games, but also the diversity of them. There are literally games for every genre of gamers. For example, you can find racing games, shooting games, fighting games, arcade games, adventure games, puzzle games, RPG games and sports games to name a few. Free games are not only a choice simply because they are free but also because many are of fantastic quality. The quality of graphics varies, but you can find many games that have superior graphics and a well thought out and coded.

With all of the available free PC games, you wander why people spend so much money on consoles and expensive games. Well, the truth is they don't have to. However, there may be a perception in some circles that free online games are inferior to console games. That is not completely true. You will find some game programmers and coders that do excellent work and simply prefer to create for online games. There are some free games that are every bit as complex as those that many people spend $70 a pop for.

Another advantage of online games is that you can collect as many as you want, whenever you want. You can also play them wherever you have a computer. Simply put, your computer becomes your console and if you have a laptop, you can take it virtually anywhere. Another great thing about computer games is that you can play against people all over the world. Don't want to have your buddies over after work but still want to play some games or perhaps you want to test your skills against gamers overseas. This can easily be done when you play PC games.

So to answer the initial question, "Are free games really free?" The answer is yes. You can find thousands of quality games online that you don't have to pay a penny for in all types of genres. These are games that you will actually enjoy, and not just sub-rate, kiddie games, but games for all ages and all tastes.

Mobiles and gaming...

noreply@blogger.com (Minx0r) — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:53:00 +0000

What do you use your mobile phone for nowadays?

Calling your sweetheart, sending witty text messages to friends or perhaps even surfing the internet from the comfort of your handset?

But what about games? For some they provide a welcome distraction on the commute home, and as technology continues to improve we could soon find a wider selection of high-quality titles available (Mobile COD4 anyone?).

Ask most users of mobile phones and the response will most likely involve some kind of virtual reptile or puzzle game involving falling blocks.

But as technology of mobile phones continues to improve, avid gamers could soon find themselves with access to graphics normally associated with console gaming, but on a much smaller scale.

Indeed, the mobile gaming industry is growing fast, with many different genres becoming more freely available on our handsets â€" from puzzle games to role-playing titles and others more commonly associated with PC or console gaming.

As technology of handsets improves, with faster chips and high-quality graphic interfaces with touch-screen technology becoming more affordable - even for pay as you go mobile phones - game enthusiasts could soon have access to higher quality games in the palm of their hands.

As touch-screen devices are becoming more widely available, the potential for interactive gaming could prove popular amongst gamers.

However, some are using the handsets themselves as part of the game itself, with tilt technology built into the handset, allowing for the potential for games that are played by simply tilting the handset.

Tilt technology allows developers the chance to tap into genres usually associated with the big screen, such as driving titles or gyroscopic puzzle games that require precision tilting - meaning that a jolt on the bus could prove costly if you're trying to concentrate.

With the potential for better quality games on a smaller scale, many film companies are now tailoring mini-games to coincide with release dates of films - in some cases offering the chance to discover secrets about characters by playing through scenarios on their handsets.

With 3D graphics chips and faster processors being developed specifically for mobile phones, the next level of gaming could soon be in the palm of our hands, which could make the daily commute less boring...

Just make sure you don't miss your stop!

Why We Play Games, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Minx0r) — Mon, 12 May 2008 21:38:00 +0000

There exists some ephemeral quality that separates gamers from the rest of humanity, some thing that makes us, us and them, not us. I've never been able to quite put my finger on it, but it is inescapably there. Today, in hopes of moving closer to that essential quality of gamerosity, we examine part of what makes us tick. In particular, we take a look at what draws different types of gamers to the hobby. Every gamer plays for different reasons, but there are common threads that tie the experience together.

Many gamers are motivated by the challenge a game can present. Success in a game may be governed by any of a wide variety of abilities. A First Person Shooter requires twitch reflexes, a steady hand and the ability to remain calm under pressure. A word puzzle game may require an extensive vocabulary and the ability to rethink the uses of old words, but no measure of speed. A sports simulation might well require an in-depth knowledge of the topic, in addition to arcade skill, but is unlikely to have terribly much concern for linguistic acumen.

The common thread is that all of the games challenge some subset of a player's abilities. This challenge can be a powerful motivator. The Challenge Motivated gamer is drawn to a game that tests their skills, preferably one that tests them to their limits. The gamer may also be motivated by the natural improvement that comes from working at peak. They are driven then, not only to excel, but to improve. Challenge Motivated Gamers thrive whenever a game pushes their skill set of choice, but may be disinterested in games that fall too far away from the target.

Competition is a close cousin of challenge. Many gamers are driven by the need to prove they are the best, to be pitted against their fellows and come out on top. Competition minded gamers range from those looking for a challenge in a fair fight to the sort of win-at-all cost leet speaking infants that give us all a bad name. Competition can be easy to take too far. There is nothing inherently wrong with being driven by competition. To some extent, competition is merely challenge taken to the extreme. It is only when it leads to mistreating your fellow player that it begins to become less a motivation and more an unfortunate personality quirk. Competition Motivated players thrive on those games where they are pitted against one another with the outcome dictated by skill at playing the game. They will often wane in those environments that either require cooperation, such as many MMORPGs, or in games where skill plays a much smaller role, such as in less sophisticated card or dice games.

Next week we will take a look at some other common gamer motivations, including Creativity, Escapism and Social Interaction.

Lost in WoW

noreply@blogger.com (Minx0r) — Wed, 07 May 2008 07:51:00 +0000

New to World of Warcraft? Feeling a little lost? Well, look no further. Simply remember these useful tips and you'll be on your way to a richer and more rewarding World of Warcraft experience (say tah!).

Tip #1 - Read your Quest Log

Do not ask for quest directions until you have completely read the quest. Asking players for directions without first doing so can often result in a hostile response. Your Quest Log generally contains all the information you could ever need to complete a quest. This, combined with the new minimap features has made questing extremely easy. You can access your Quest Log by pressing the "L" key.

Tip #2 - Use the minimap!

The new minimap features have made it an extremely useful tool. It displays nearby quest NPCs and objects as well as available flight paths. You can also use it to track important NPCs such as Innkeepers, Auctioneers, and Bankers. Be sure to check your minimap often while questing.

Tip #3 - Use the Town Guards

Can't find something while in a major city such as Ironforge or Orgrimmar? Speak with one of the many town guards for directions to class trainers, inns, auction houses, etc. A flag will appear on both your minimap and world map displaying the location you seek.

Tip #4 - Use Auto-Run

Got a long trip ahead of you? Press your "Num Lock" key to engage/disengage auto-run. You should now have a little more freedom to manage your inventory, check your quest log, or simply chat with some friends.

Tip #5 - Choose your professions wisely.

You can only learn two primary professions. Primary professions are broken down into two categories, gathering and production. If you intend on learning a production profession such as blacksmithing, you will want to pair it with the appropriate gathering profession. In this case mining would be the best fit. Having a gathering profession is also an excellent way to earn some gold on the auction house.

Tip #6 - Addons are your friends.

One of the best things about World of Warcraft is it's customizable user interface. You can download addons for World of Warcraft that enhance almost every aspect of the game. Class specific addons can even make playing your character easier and more efficient. Regardless of your needs, addons are a must have for any WoW player.

Tip #7 - Use a Leveling Guide

The use of a leveling guide will literally cut the time it takes you to reach max level by half or more. Using such a guide will keep you focused and help you complete quests and gain levels at an incredible pace. Before you know it you'll be experiencing the best part of World of Warcraft, the end-game content.

Good Luck Brave adventurers.

SHHH!

noreply@blogger.com (Minx0r) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:58:00 +0000

BUMP(ed)

Whether you DnB or NoT... this is a MUST SEE!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Minx0r) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 18:40:00 +0000

Being an acute DnB lover... this was sheer brilliance. I can imagine alot of you (my dear lovely and SUPER readers) dont like DnB... but I know one of you who does (Shabz I love you man!).

Classic!

W00T!

noreply@blogger.com (Minx0r) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 08:19:00 +0000

As politicians, as gamers, as men, as teenagers, as girls, as boys, we have always had that moment of 'W00T' ness! Be it graduating (oh dear!), getting an xmas present under the tree that was something you completely didnt expect!, or just creeping in to a room only to find Britney Spears waiting for you so she can perform her latest album live (thaaaaaank you MTV!!!!).

I remember the days back in the UK where we would use words like 'lol', 'pwnd', 'rofl' and ofcourse, 'woot'. At first, everyone thought we were stupid and 'geeks'. In many ways we had something no one else had, a secret language. If your boss fired you, it would be 'WTF H4X!'. If you saw a granny getting hit by a truck it would be 'ZOMFG!'. If your girlfriend was over it would be 'leet'. If your friends came in last / lost a bet it would be 'lol'. If it was a 47 year old man with a massive bum crack working for British Rail looking at kiddy porn at 4am, it was 'ROFL' (and nasty - but we all wet our cookies one way or the other!).

Well im proud to say, with tears swelling in my eyes! W00T is word of the year!!! Wam, Bam, thank you maam, crowned and not forgotten!

This might just go to show, gamers have style ;)

The OMEGA factor... umm sektor!

noreply@blogger.com (Minx0r) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:53:00 +0000

Recently I was invited by some of my gaming friends (yes i still have some!) to join them during their practice in Birmingham. Me being based in Cairo, Egypt I was a bit pissed off with their piss take comment, thinking at the time maybe they were just pulling my leg. Or at least thats what I thought, until one of my gaming buddies pointed me to this

OMEGA SEKTOR

Oh My Effin God Alive!!!! An internet cafe for gamers that is the substance of gamers wet dreams! 400 PC's all state of the art! 100 PS's / xBox's to provide for console freaks out there / or was it whilst you waited in line? Regardless, the site (and its pictures) are just lovely! The sheer beauty of design, reflected in both the website and the screenshots, seems to reflect its real life architecture.

The venue, the largest of its kind in the world, features 450 state-of-the-art Intel® Core™ 2 Quad-based PCs from leading UK manufacturer SCAN, a dedicated next-gen console room, and offers visitors more than 100 games to choose from. The center offers something for all types of gamers from casual right through to professional, with a number of tournament organizers signing up to use the center for major events, and top-class gamers coming from all over Europe to play at the center. In terms or services they even provide a 'free' training session for those of us who have yet to experience virtual death! PERFECT!

Its a good time save up!

Feel FREE to play!

noreply@blogger.com (Minx0r) — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 11:47:00 +0000

As any avid gamer would tell you, playing online is an experience that MUST happen before you can say your a gamer in todays world. Playing against the computer in single player mode just doesn't cut it anymore. The online experience is a satisfying one! Instead of running through missions knowing where the enemy will be and what to do is something any game can offer you. Its running through the same mission for the 1209th time and *STILL* not knowing where the enemy will be or what they will do is a completely different play style. Thats the online bit.

In todays world of gaming, we have worlds online. In todays gaming industry there is a greater emphasis on online game play and 'involving' friends to join you as you quest or secure a base in the middle of an alien jungle. Most games (that is to say 99%) are either paid for once (standard retail of $50 for a new game) or paid for once (cheaper retail price) but a $9 monthly subscription ensues. Very little attention is given to free online games. Partly because as gamers we are fussy and demand the best graphics, game play, community and service. Partly because what we want as gamers is an expensive affair for developers! (we need to invent a charity gaming developer for the poor gaming community!)

Wolfenstein : Enemy Territory is one such game that defies logic. An amazing game, albeit using the Quake3 'Omg im another copy cat' engine, that offers intense team, let me say that again, TEAM game play. You choose between two sides, the popular hero Allies side, or the evil despots of the Axis. Upon choosing your side you are offered a choice of 5 classes (medic, recon, field officer, soldier, engineer), essentially this choice will suit your preferred role on the battlefield. Once you enter the fray, you immediately realize that unless your very very very good, you HAVE to play with your team mates. WiKi-P, my main virtual friend, has more to say if you want to know how to plant mines or revive fallen team mates.

THIS GAME IS A FREE MUST PLAY!

When Crysis doesnt mean something BAD!

noreply@blogger.com (Minx0r) — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 17:13:00 +0000

First Person Shooters (FPSs) have always been a gamers best genre to play. Every gamer plays it. As early as Wolf 3D and doom to todays magnificent titles sch as CoD4 (INCOMING!!!!) and EAs Battlefield series.

As games develop, developers are constantly trying to add new material or functions that would set them apart from the pile. The last time the FPS community (including myself) went mad for a games title was Sierra and Valves joint effort to put Half Life on the shelves. Amazing game play at the time and just as impressive AI (the computer players intelligence that allows it to interact and adapt to the environment you as the player constantly changes).

To be released sometime before Christmas, Crysis is one of those games that may beat everyone else to the top of the pile. Although not of Halo or Call of Duty fame, the Far Cry label (Crytek) didn't really hit jack pot with FPSers. EAs mittens on Cyrsis looks set to change that.

I'm still trying to find my Xmas wish list (and no its doesn't include an Xbox... not this year at least)

NOT a game!

noreply@blogger.com (Minx0r) — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:37:00 +0000

I have always been a fan of something new and interesting. Music being one of those areas, from my old days of Britney Spears loving and N*sync bashing! to todays Armin Van Buuren sessions and Drum and Base Sessions!

A few days ago a friend of mine sent me a *very old* video to watch after I mentioned I could beat box (timidly of course!). As the true friend that he is he made me watch this...

If this is your first time to watch the video above as it was mine, did you just feel what I felt? I couldn't help but tingle all over...

I LOVE this guys style!

EA being braver than brave ??

noreply@blogger.com (Minx0r) — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:01:00 +0000

Gerhard Florin, Electronic Art's head of international publishing on the console market:

Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo should abandon the console wars and help build a common gaming platform. We want an open, standard platform which is much easier than having five which are not compatible," said EA's head of international publishing.

ARE YOU MAD ?!!! The *ONLY* time something like this will happen is when hell freezes over, or peace is achieved in the Middle East and Africa. Otherwise, forget it!

Creating one platform = Cheaper production costs for EA, which in turn means greater profit! I doubt it very much EA will make its games any cheaper and they are known as 'Earn Alot' from gamers! so technically having one platform for games just makes his job easier!

Creating one platform = Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo (and any other console out there - Apple ?) must come to terms and either create one project entity or close down... no one is going to be willing to 'share' profits... We live in a world driven by money and financial gains, where performance is about how much you made the company and where we can all confidently say if you have no money, you dont amount to very much!

Creating one platform = cultural hassles (language, design, name). As a gamer im more than happy that most of the Far East style games that involve young girls slashing and dicing left right and center and encouraging scantily clad year 8 girls to 'free the world' of a ten thousand tentacled beast are well out of my reach! Failing that I dont think the Middle East will like the bullet riddling mercenaries running around killing 'Arabic speaking' characters!

Creating one platform will never happen unless you have *ONE* culture, and i don't mean country specific! European game play is very different from US game play, from the Far East and from the Middle East! You cant expect all to play an English version of Halo...

Personally, creating a one console one platform unit would be looooovely! But it just wont happen.

Instead of whining about EA's format issues and the consoles out there, why don't you bang your head and come up with your own set up box!!! you have several amazing franchises, FiFa, NFL, Battlefield series to name a few... and its not like you don't have the revenue of $3.129 billion for the fiscal year March 31, 2005 money!!

Gaming will just require potentially a £49.99 box from Tesco made in China with a hard drive, a wi-fi connection and a games engine inside

- Nick Parker, analyst

You know you want to EA!

Call Of Duty 4 - Z O M G!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Minx0r) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 11:04:00 +0000

As a huge fan of First Person Shooter's (FPS's), the Call of Duty series is no stranger to my games collection. I remember the first release and the, at the time, intense game play and environment.

Using the Quake III engine, the Call of Duty series (1, 2 and 3) has never failed to impress FPS gamers with its WWII action. One thing that has seemed to have dogged the CoD series was its slowly boring same old WWII setting. Admittedly 'fraging' (killing being politically incorrect!) the same old soldier from the same old army can get a *bit* boring.

So, as the true gaming freaks that they are, Infinity ward and Activision have responded and are due to release a 'Modern Warfare', Call of Duty 4!

watching the trailer ...

... I was completely taken aback! BREATHTAKING! Just like you and a billion gamers, drooling was all that could be done until the 1:05 trailer ended. E3 didnt help either, with the first shots of game play footage, causing an even greater bustle! And now after many months of patiently waiting, the game hath arrived onto my hard disk as a 1.3GB Single Player Demo!

In eager anticipation and clammy hands rapidly installing the demo, I immersed myself into perhaps the greatest (and shortest /cry!) BEST demo played in a *VERY* long time!

Why oh why, after all the hype and having the gaming community on its knees in dire need of an official release date, did they release an easy 5 minute single level, single player demo!!!!!!!!!!!

I was heart broken. Of course most people will say 'its a demo moron', 'wait till its released on the 6th of NOVEMBER and BUY it n00b!'.

I say 'MAKE THE SP DEMO ALSO Multi Player!!!'. Surely one level of Mp fun would not hurt!

*is on /sulk mode until the 6th of NOVEMBER*

How NOT to earn money!

noreply@blogger.com (Minx0r) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:37:00 +0000

It’s funny how when you think your helping and doing well in life, it can all suddenly go Pete Tong!

Regardless I’m not going to whine today about how miserable I am and how I wish I had a job with Google (HINT HINT!). Instead today I’m going to highlight something very important that I constantly come across when I’m looking for anything to do with anything! I’m sure it’s happened to you at some point of your internet life! Flashing insecurity, Bold typeface to poke your eye and an amazing, at times tear jerking, story of a person who works from home due to becoming a housewife / unemployed / frustrated and ends up making thousands of dollars.

Yes I’m talking about those "how to earn (insert amount of high value currency here) in a (insert time period here)" scams. I may be wrong here (and please correct me!) but do these things EVER work???!

Personally I would love to make $300 a month for spending 1 hour hovering over ads a day... in Egypt that translates roughly to 1500 Egyptian Pounds (LE), which is decent pocket money considering a packet of 20 Marlboro lights (no I’m not giving away free advertising BAT!!!) costs 7.50 LE. With the new $300 Extra income I can now afford my own taxi ride for a whole month to and from work, and STILL have enough to buy cigarettes (I quit smoking incidentally) too!

Back to the point. Please take a moment to view this latest 'promise' I came across

http://www.simplyrich-sg.com/nrn

Firstly look at that domain. Surely the person setting this up is interested in getting high traffic through his website, he is after all guaranteeing untold riches from the promise land! so www. is correct no complaints there. simplyrich is good, easy to remember and straight to the point. -sg an evil extension to the domain that completely destroys any impact he was *going* to have. Personally I have a wild imagination, and in cases can be taken as perversion, but what in HEAVENS name is -sg ?!!! Ah Singapore!!!! simplyrich-sg!!! Ok we will let it slip but I would have preferred sexy grannies! at least then your guaranteed alot of hits, if only to your home page. Surely .com follows and lastly we have a /nrn... no reason needed? I have no clue!

Just like the others, this websites home page is absolutely CRAMMED with useless quotes, repeated for effect! Quotes from all sorts of people smiling cheesy smiles! Absolutely no thought has gone into the picture they blatantly scanned from an Indonesian International School Year Book! I mean at least trim the picture and get it in high res! The blues, the blacks, the whites, the reds, the yellow all come together to form a blob that we are supposed to be entranced by! I hate it! Despise it!

Now for my favorite bit! THE STORY!!!

*Angelic Church music plays in the background*

what a story! Reading the first two lines I couldn't help but laugh! Quoted:

Dear Friends,

Spare me a few minutes to read my story below, you have my word that it is the honest Truth and your worries about money could be a thing of the past.

Ummm if you say so! Why would u want to reassure me it’s the truth, i am already assuming your tear jerking story is going to be the truth... now I’m not so sure! And clearly my worries about money will NEVER be a thing of the past... and I’m sure the same goes for you as my reader. Money worries DON'T just disappear because of an extra $300 a month from a blobbed up website! Regardless I gave the 1993 Prom queen of Indonesia High the few minutes. It goes on...

... My name is Irene Lim. I am from Singapore. Just a housewife married with 2 kids. Just like you, I chanced upon a site just like this, claiming to enable me to earn thousands and thousands a month. To tell you the honest truth, I said to myself "This can't be real". But being desperate for a stable income to help my husband support the family and provide a good life for the kids, I read on and became more and more convinced by the words and information laid out by the author...

I know that perhaps 40% of the UK workforce wouldn’t be able to construct or for that matter write so clearly. Truth be told I don’t even think "I chanced upon" is used anymore!!! But being a desperate housewife married with 2 kids living in Singapore can do amazing things to you I suppose (take notes ladies!). Regardless she still insists her story is the truth and she now supports her husband with her new found riches of $300 a month to create a stable income! it goes on ...

...As a housewife, I did not work and had very little knowledge about the Internet, all I knew was how to play some games my daughter showed me and emailed between old friends. I never imagined that making money online was even possible. But with very much joy and gratefulness, I can honestly say that I did it! Read on to find out how I did it!...

I’m wiping my tears of joy that human kind can be so ... beautiful!

Now I even make money while I am fast asleep. The Ultimate Wealth package allowed me to have abundant time to enjoy my life. As you know, you only Live once and there are some chances worth taking if you want to be successful. As for the chance I took, I gave lead me to where I am today. Free of all money worries with my leap of faith.

I wonder if those 'The Ultimate Wealth package (small p :( )" things can be bought on eBay! I find it also a bit daunting that this package can allow someone to have 'abundant' time to enjoy life, if I was an Alien and I came to Earth with the intention of taking over the world, I would have left by now. The desperate housewife goes on about chances, preaching about leaps of faith and reaffirming our 'we only live once' situation as humans.

If a housewife auntie like me can achieve it, so can you. Do you want to throw away your "money worries", The thought of not being able to afford nice clothes, good meals for the children or perhaps not being able to provide your parents and in-laws. I'm sure you would strongly agree with me on this.

Now this offends me! if someone told me 'if a man in a wheel chair can do it so can you' I would agree and push really hard to do it and truly be chuffed for the man in the wheel chair. But a housewife auntie from Singapore!!!! Now why the FUdge CaKe would I want to!!! I don’t want to throw away my money worries... I like worrying about how much money I have in the bank! how much money I have earned through my tiring labor and relentless effort! Remarkably the desperate 'housewife auntie' can now afford nice clothes, good meals for the children (forget the adults!) and providing for her parents and in-laws... and she’s 100% sure we would want to do the same thing....
Personally I WOULDN'T!

I wouldn’t give my kids nice meals and not me! I wouldn’t want to have 'abundant' time watching my kids eat those nice meals either! I don’t want to provide for my parents or for my in-laws when I know the secret to making "Ultimate Wealth package(s)". By God I would have them join!!! I have two kids who can now afford to go to a good school! I have my parents and my in-laws. That makes 6 people more qualified than me as the 'housewife auntie'! Forget giving, enslave!!! Make use of your resources and have even more 'abundant' time!

This chick insists we should join... so everyone, drop what you’re doing, and make $300!

"A small membership fee compared to losing all hope is nothing, Trust me."

Go on... you know you want too!

Another WWII clone yawn

noreply@blogger.com (Minx0r) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:30:00 +0000

Dear God!!! when will it end!

20 years on from now, Gulf War III: Return to Abu Ghuraib anyone?