Computer Games

Thursday, May 10, 2012

History Of Game Development - How Game Development Came Into Existence

Game Development is a very broad process which involves game developers, analysts, testers and above all the publishers. It can be classified into two groups on the basis of how they are developed.

Mainstream
Independent

Mainstream games are normally funded by publishers and take several months to complete. On other hand Indie games are developed by individual developers and can be completed in small amount of time.

The first video games were developed way back in 1960s. They were meant only for mainframe computers and that's why they weren't available for general public. Following are some games developed in 1950s and 1960s.

OXO - by Alexander S. Douglas in 1952.
Tennis for Two - by Willy Higinbotham in 1958.
Spacewar - by group of MIT students in 1961.

Commercial development of games began in the 1970 and the first game "computer space" was programmed and sold in 1971. It was a coin operated video game which was displayed on a black and white television.

The second generation of consoles ran on microprocessor and the first game developed was "Fairchild Channel F in 1976". Home based computers were introduced which saw an increase in development of games as it allowed individual programmers to program different games. The first ever home based video games were Zork, Baseball, Air Warrior, and Adventure.

With increase in the efficiency of a computer system, its processing power and graphical capabilities many large firms were now marketing and developing games at their ends.

Game Development is actually a Software development process which combines art, audio and gameplay. Developing games takes slightly different way and normally it doesn't follow Waterfall model of Software Development Life Cycle.

Agile Methodology is often used to develop games. It gives a solid platform which makes a game efficient and bug free. It's mainly based on iterative process and a constant feedback system is there which rolls back any errors or shortcomings in the beginning of development phase.

Video Game Development is one of the most evolving and ever-increasing industry. The industry revenue has increased at least five fold since the 1990s. The major factor behind this success is the development of third generation of consoles which are popular in every household.

Following are some of the best Game Publishers:

Take Two Interactive
Nintendo
Capcom
Microsoft
Electronic Arts
Activision Blizzard
Sony
Square Enix
Sega
Ubisoft

Gaming Industry is very competitive and unstable. It requires a lot of hard work, passion, dedication and skills if anybody wants to survive in this industry.

Diablo 3 Demon Hunter Leveling Build - Getting Start Guide

As a demon hunter, it will be important throughout the leveling process to not only be able to quickly kill your enemies but to stay alive as well. To do that, you'll need some tips and strategies to stay out of harm's way, which begins with choosing the best Demon Hunter leveling build.

Demon hunters don't have the thickest armor and as such I will be basing this build around abilities which add to your survivability, kiting skills, and massive AOE damage. This build will focus on the skills to use early on in Diablo 3, but the concepts and thought process for choosing which skills to use will help you in making smart build choices throughout your demon hunter leveling.

This new character class is unique in that it is the only class to have a dual resource system. They use Hatred for many of their damage-dealing abilities and Discipline for many of their defensive abilities. In accordance with this unique yin-yang resource system, they have three categories of skills: Hatred Generators, Hatred Spenders and Discipline Spenders.

While both Hatred and Discipline will regenerate on their own over time, only Hatred can be generated through the use of specific abilities. To acquire more Discipline, you'll have to be patient. I guess that's why they call it Discipline, huh?

By level 10, aim to be using the skills listed below:

The first active demon hunter skill you will be grabbing is called Evasive Fire, which is a Hatred Generator.

Evasive Fire offers both solid offensive damage as well as a handy defensive ability. When used, it generates 4 Hatred and does 125% weapon damage to your target. If your foe happens to be very close to you, you'll get the added benefit of a back flip to put some distance between you and your enemy. This back flip will cost you 4 Discipline.

The 2nd active demon hunter skill to use is called Bola Shot, also a Hatred Generator.

Bola Shot generates 3 Hatred and fires an exploding projecting at your enemy. The cool part is that after a second, the bola will explode and cause 130% fire damage to the target as well as 110% fire damage to all other enemies within 7 yards.

The 3rd active demon hunter skill is called Rapid Fire, a Hatred Spender.

Rapid Fire is your first Hatred Spender, costing 20 Hatred to cast and 10 more to continue channeling as you fire at your targets. This skill does 228% physical damage to your targets and is really great for laying out a massive amount of firepower to groups of enemies.

Your first demon hunter passive skill is called Tactical Advantage.This will grant you an additional 20% movement speed whenever you use your Evasive Fire ability. The speed buff will last for 2 seconds and should give you even more of an advantage when trying to keep your foes at a safe distance as you annihilate them.

By this point, you're probably getting quite good at using your new demon hunter to seek and destroy the demonic forces in the Diablo 3 world. Always remember that while leveling quickly is great, the final demon hunter leveling build that you ultimately use should be the one that allows you to most fully enjoy your gaming experience!

Diablo 3 Monk Leveling Build - The First Steps

This Diablo 3 Monk Leveling Build is going to outline a detailed roadmap for choosing the best monk skills for fast Diablo 3 power leveling in the early levels of the game. Throughout this monk guide, I will be basing my skill choices on the assumption that your goals are to level as quickly as possible and that you are playing by yourself in single player mode.

This build revolves around increasing the monk's ability to engage large groups of enemies at once by equipping him with a variety of powerful area of effect attacks and skills that greatly increase his survivability.

Keep in mind that the monk has 3 types of abilities: Spirit Generators, Spirit Spenders and Mantras. We will be using a combination of these 3 types of skills to transform your monk into a lethal and survivable AOE killing machine.

By the time you reach level 10, you should be using the skills below:

The first active monk skill you are going to use is called Crippling Wave, which is a Spirit Generator.

Crippling Wave is a frontal AOE attack that does 110% damage to enemies you are facing. Additionally, on every 3rd attack you will hit every enemy around you with a bonus ability that reduces their attack speed by 35% and slows their by movement by 50%. This will last for 5 seconds. In these beginning levels, Crippling Wave will be your main spirit-generating attack, so use it often!

The second active monk skill to grab is called Breath of Heaven, which is a Spirit Spender.

Breath of Heaven is a very useful monk healing ability. This skill costs 50 spirit and heals you (and friends in the vicinity) for between 9490-14235 Life. As the spirit cost of this spell tends to be a bit high, we will be using a runestone that causes it to inflict damage as well for added utility.

The third active monk skill you will be adding to your arsenal is Crippling Wave, another Spirit Spender.

Cyclone Strike is very useful ability that not only taunts all enemies within 24 yards but also blasts them with 275% holy damage. This is an extremely valuable skill for rounding up your enemies and substantially damaging them before unleashing further destruction with Crippling Wave.

Your first passive monk skill is called Resolve. Accessible at level 10, Resolve is a great survival ability that causes enemies you damage to subsequently do 30% less damage to you for 2.5 seconds. Since presumably you will be constantly damaging almost all of your enemies, this essentially functions as a 30% damage reduction throughout every fight. Not too shabby.

With any luck, you are now well on your way to becoming a force to be reckoned with. Choosing the proper skills and abilities to use at each level of Diablo 3 is vital to ensuring the most efficient and enjoyable gaming experience.

However, always keep in mind that while a certain Monk leveling build might give you the edge in leveling speed, there may be other skills you would rather use simply because you find them to be more fun. That is ok! Ultimately you should choose whichever build you enjoy using the most.

Odds are, if you are having a lot of fun, you will play more consistently and ultimately power your character to 60 before you even realize you are there!

Best Games to Buy in a Xbox 360 Sale

If you are looking to know which are the best video games to buy in an Xbox 360 sale, and you want to know when and where to find them, then continue reading.

When and Where to Find Games in a Xbox 360 Sale

When new games are released they can be very expensive, especially if you want to buy more than one at a time. The best thing to do is to wait a few months and then you can usually pick the games up in an Xbox 360 sale. You might find these in store, but for the cheapest price then usually you have to shop online. Games that are older can be bought at a very good price, with sometimes fifty percent or more off the original price. There may be the odd game that always holds its price for a very long time. A good example of this would be the Call of Duty game series, where the latest one, will be at a price close to the recommended retail price, until the next one is due out.

Knowing Which Video Games to Buy

There are hundreds of games to choose from, but which ones are the good ones to buy? If you are a seasoned gamer then you may already know the answer to that question, but if you are new to gaming or a parent of a child who owns a Xbox 360 console, then the answer may not be as obvious.

There are so many different genres to choose from, so sometimes it comes down to which type of games you like to play. I will talk about the main genres and the best games for those genres. These games will have already been released, for at least a few months. This will hopefully help you choose the best buy Xbox 360 games.

Action

Batman: Arkham City is a brilliant action game that captures the role of Batman. Even if you are not a fan of Batman, this is a must have game.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 may not be the latest offering, but is probably still the best first person shooter available. This has a great single-player and multiplayer game. It also allows you to play co-op with a friend.

Gears of War 3 is the last in the trilogy of the sci-fi first person shooting games. This is a violent but satisfying game for adults. If you have 4 friends then you can play the game in a 4 player co-op mode, which can be great fun.

Role Playing

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is just one of those essential games you must own. Become any character you want and explore a vast world in this open fantasy adventure. You even get to fight dragons!

Fable III is the best Fable game to date. You get to play the hero and explore the world of Albion. This game has action and adventure in abundance, with lots of different choices on the way that will affect the game play.

Adventure

Bioshock 2 is a more adult type adventure set in an underworld city. This is not your usual type of game and has an old style and futuristic feel about it. It is weird, creepy and very enjoyable game that will have you fighting and exploring the world of Rapture.

Grand Theft Auto IV is a vast open world full of gangs, cars and guns. This is a game definitely for adults, with a lot of swearing and violent battles. This is described as the definitive sandbox game. The fifth game in the series is soon to be released, so you should definitely be able to get the forth one in a Xbox 360 cheap deal.

Red Dead Redemption is a western themed open environment game where you get to ride horses instead of driving cars. This has great characters and an engrossing story. Being a cowboy has never been so good.

Racing

Forza Motorsport 4 is the best racing simulation to date on the Xbox 360 and with this version you can even control the cars using the Kinect motion sensor.

F1 2011 is a formula one racing game with great handling cars. This also has a fun co-op championship mode that you can enjoy with a friend.

Buying in a Xbox 360 Game Sale

You should be able to find most of the games mentioned in this article in an Xbox 360 game sale. Just search around the internet and you should be able to get yourself a great deal. There are a lot of other great games, which may have been around for some time, that will be available cheaper than the original price. Just know that if you are prepared to wait a few months, to play the latest games, then you can always get them in an Xbox 360 sale and save yourself money.

Finding Free Games Online

Computer games are expensive. Even though there have been movements to reduce the prices of older games, many gamers are stuck looking for free online games. Fortunately, there are many sites available that have such games, and most of them are legitimate. If you want to play arcade games online for free, you are in luck - there is a thriving community of independent game makers that provide free entertainment for the masses, often in a manner that rivals fee-based games.

Yes, They Are Legal

The first thing to get out of the way is a simple fact - there are perfectly legal ways to play arcade games online. Most individuals tend to equate "free" on the internet with "pirated", but many of these games are designed to be played for no money down. One will, of course, have to deal with ads and banners, but it is perfectly possible to spend several hours each day searching for free games on the internet. In fact, one can even find free versions of games that have gone on to be paid apps on smartphones and even downloadable console releases.

Major Providers, Minor Games

Perhaps some of the most popular free games online are the ones offered by major providers like Google or Yahoo. These sites have long offered free games through their own websites, and they have often be quite popular. Unlike some of the options that can be found elsewhere, these games are generally simple time wasters. Popular games like Poppit or various versions of Bejeweled can often be found on these sites, though, so they do make great resources for those that simply want to find a game that can waste a few hours.

Aggregation Nation

The most popular games, though, tend to be found on sites that aggregate online games. Sites like Kongregate or Armor Games tend to have hundreds of games available at any given time, some of which are actually professionally produced. These games are still free, though members are given the option to make donations. Popular games like Alien Hominid, Doodle God and Fancy Pants Adventure got their starts on similar sites before making their moves on to consoles or handhelds, and new games tend to be released at a fairly rapid pace. These sites are often useful for gamers that are simply looking for a fix until the next console release.

The good news is that you can find online games for free at many sites. Some are versions of older arcade games, while others are the early versions of games that will soon see major releases. A little bit of searching can help you to find some of the best free games online, and taking the time to look through the massive libraries of some of these websites will help you to find new favorites. Free does not have to mean that the games are of low quality, and you may find that some of the games online are among the best that you have played.

Mini Review: Alan Wake 5760 X 1080 Nvidia Surround Setup - Computer Games

Let me start off talking about the setup. This was played on a 5760 x 1080 three-monitor setup in Nvidia Surround, so you experience/opinion on the game may differ.

Setup: I'll jump right into it. Nvidia Surround for this gaming is quite breathtaking. I came from playing Dead Space 2, which is nothing but enclosed corridors and mostly indoor environments. In Alan Wake, you are outdoors for 95% of the game. Therefore the scope and expanse of the landscape around you is amazing. This game has created the best immersion experience thus far in my young triple monitor setup. We'll see how long that lasts, since I haven't played Mass Effect 3 yet. I will also note that I played this with three GTX 480's in Tri-Sli. I definitely couldn't max it out with this setup, and the cards ran quite hot throughout my playtime, reaching up to 85c on the top card. But then again, all GTX 480's run hot.;P

Gameplay - Score: B+ The gameplay in Alan Wake at first glance may seem like a standard third person computer game, but it comes with a twist. Your weapon? Sure you have handguns, shotgun, and batteries. Oh right, batteries you ask? The game core element is the way you use light to defeat the baddies. You do this with flashlights you get throughout the game, and collect batteries as the type of 'ammo' they use. It's definitely something different, and quite refreshing if you're tired of guns. Not only do you use flashlights, but you also use objects in the surround environment, which of course produce sources of light. Such as street lanterns used for construction, flares, flash grenades, and a few more. With that said, you are able to use both the guns and flashlight for combat simultaneously, which gives great flexibility for those who may like one or the other.

Graphics - Rating: B As mentioned in the opening paragraph, the game is stunning no matter what display setup you have. The reason I didn't score it higher is because SLI came broken out of the box, which many consider unacceptable if you're paying your hard earned dollars to play computer game. I was a little bit more forgiving and chose to use a simple 'work-around' that enables SLI capabilities. Of course it comes at a cost. Their is a flicker distortion that occurs in the first 20 or so seconds or so once you enter the game. After it goes away all is well. Also, another sacrifice that this 'quick-fix' brings is the blur effect. Google 'Alan Wake SLI fix' and you should find it in details. Anyways, once you're actually playing the game, the game is beautiful.

Story - Score: C The story in Alan Wake failed to captured my attention through most of my playtime. It was just too far-fetched for me, even though it just a "computer game". Don't worry, I won't spoil anything. Just pay attention if you plan to even understand it... The games fun factor more than makes up for it though.

Conclusion: Alan Wake went down as one of the better computer games in 2010 when it released for the Xbox 360. Sadly, if you have already played that version, then I would recommend moving along. However, if you have played the Xbox version and would like to test it out on a three monitor setup, then I would highly recommend it! Like I said, it is my favorite thus far in Nvidia Surround. I use three 24'' Asus monitors. Anything over that and computer game textures begin to get too pixelated, or so I've read. Then again, I've heard great things about Nvidia Surround with 27'' monitors as well. Specifically speaking, the Planar 27'' that goes on sale like, every weekend...