Computer Games: May 2012

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...

A Background for Defense of the Ancients (DotA)

DotA 2, the awaited sequel to the hugely successful original DotA is set to be released this year. In this short article, we will take a look at a brief background of this marvelous game that is catching the gaming world by storm.

DotA (Defense of the Ancients) is categorized as an action real-time strategy mod of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and the subsequent expansion, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. Each opposing teams in DotA strives to destroy each other's Ancients, the most important structure located at the opposing ends of the map.

Each player is given a hero assisted by AI controlled fighters. The heroes can be upgraded with gold to better equipment can be bought.

Over the years, the popularity of the game exceeded expectations. Tournaments were held including ones sponsored by Blizzard. DotA Allstars was one of the most important tournaments, being used as a pattern for the Malaysia and Singapore World Cyber Games back in 2005. The internationally recognized Cyberathlete Amateur League and CyberEvolution included DotA in their game lineup.

In Asia, gamers from Thailand and the Philippines love the game. It is also a favorite RPG game in Sweden and other Northern European nations.

The game did not quite bloom in North America due to lack of championships and LAN tournaments causing many teams to disband over time.

The key to DotA's successful debut was its amazing map created by Steve Feak. Although there would be a number of maps later on, his creation became the dominant version of the map that popularized DotA.

Feak eventually gave way to another developer to continue what he started. Ice Frog, the next developer added new features, fixes, and heroes.

While there are no official support for the game, Defense of the Ancients is being maintained by an official forum. Users can post their suggestions for more items or heroes, which would eventually be added to the map.

There are also a few versions of the game where enemy heroes are controlled by AIs.

So far, DotA Allstars has become the most successful tournament boasting over 1,500,000 registered members and a million unique visitors every month around the world.

While still in infancy in some parts of the world, many gamers in other developed countries like Australia and other countries in Europe are also catching the fever.

Defense of the Ancients is undoubtedly one of the hottest gaming news right now. In October 2009, Ice Frog decided to work for Valve Corporation to develop the next installment, DotA 2. The game is basically DotA in many ways although heroes and aesthetics are working as direct ports to the original mod.

Online Mah-Jongg: Drawing Upon the Players Cognitive Skills

The original Mah-Jongg used the same pieces, but using a different concept. The game was played using 136, 144, or 152 thick tiles made of bamboo and bones. The game accommodated 4 players. The game features decorated tiles. The objective is to eliminate all tiles from the board. Once you play several games, you will be able to come up with a strategy to help you play better by eliminating more pieces. You can find matching pairs at the right and left end in the different pyramid levels. You will discover that the elimination of pieces from the board will create more opportunities. Therefore, your strategy will be geared towards "cleaning" the board game.

Numerous opportunities and benefits:

The Online Mah-Jongg game has challenged and entertained people through out the world. Mah-Jongg is a game of intelligence that requires concentration on the part of the players. Although the game is difficult to learn, when you master the process you will excel in the game. The game has its origin in ancient China and gained popularity in the US in the 1920s. The game is often played in groups of 3 or 4 or as a solitaire. There are notable sites that specialize in different Mah-Jongg games online.

The Mah-Jongg game offers numerous benefits. It is often used in the treatment of dementia because it demands the player's attention, memory, calculation skills and planning. A research conducted by the University of Hong Kong on 62 patients diagnosed with mild dementia confirmed that persons who players gained all the cognitive measures. Furthermore, the effects lasted for up to one month.

Senior citizens suffering with dementia are also advised to participate in a game of Mah-Jongg to improve their cognitive skills. The game assists with memory skills. Furthermore, it helps in keeping the mind sharp. This is made possible by the fact that the game helps to exercise the brain; making it possible for players to respond effectively and to make faster decisions. In real life, the senior citizen finds it easy to choose medication bottles and to find items in crowded shelves.

Online Mah-Jongg is recommended to persons of all ages including children. The online version makes it possible for the game to be played as a solitaire as opposed to a group game. When children play they get an opportunity to have fun without realizing that their cognitive skills are being developed. Therefore, the online version offers an educational forum for the players.

How to Participate in the Mahjong Games

Mahjong games are games commonly played by four people and have their origins in China. One should not confuse this game with Mahjong solitaire, which is a recent computer game popular in the western world. Players use a set of 136 tiles to play the game. These tiles are based on the Chinese characters and symbol though there are some variations with a different number of tiles. In the majority of variations, players start receiving 13 tiles. In turn, these players draw and discard their tiles until they complete a legal hand and use the fourteenth drawn tileto create four groups and a pair. There are standard rules about how players should draw a piece, steal from another player, the order of play and dealing, the use of basic and honors and the kinds of melds. Nevertheless, there are various regional variations of the rules when it comes to the scoring system and the minimum hand required winning the game.

At present, the characteristics of players and the popularity of mahjong vary from one region to another. There are also numerous governing bodies of this game, which frequently host tournaments and exhibition games. The game is far more widespread in Asia than in the West. For instance, in 2010 mahjong was the most common table game in Japan, with millions of people playing the game. Video arcades in Japan have introduced mahjong arcade machines, which players can also connect to others via the internet. The mahjong culture is ingrained deeply in the Chinese community. Artists have featured mahjong as a theme in their songs. The game has also been shown in numerous Hong Kong films. Despite this popularity, some devotees of the game believe it is losing its popularity and thus have started a campaign to revive it.

Mahjong games also have health benefits. Research conducted by medical experts has shown that playing mahjong positively affects people suffering from cognitive memory difficulties or dementia. This discovery has led doctors to develop mahjong therapy to try to treat such patients. Since the tiles of the game are in solid form, some people have classified mahjong as a domino game. Nevertheless, it is much more similar to card games in the West such as rummy. Mahjong has more variations than the game of poker. Even though the basic mechanics of the game remain the same, the majority of variations have particular rules, while some remove one or two rules.

The Best Games For Young Girls

There are several games nowadays that children can play. These may be games that can be played for free online, or those that you have to purchase first before you play the full version. In fact, there are numerous pastimes for kids nowadays that you will find girls even playing those that are meant for boys, for example, those that contain violence, like guns and grenades.

Since all children are in the development and learning stage, everything you allow them to do is crucial to what they will learn and become as they grow older. Therefore, you have to be careful with every activity your child engages in.

If your daughter or little sister doesn't have anything to do either on a weekend or when she has a long holiday, she can play games for girls. Don't let her play games for boys, because they are specifically made for boys, based on their interests. It's not suitable even for both genders to be exposed and learn about violence and weapons at a young age.

There are several websites that offer free girl games, so, your daughter or sister can settle for that to keep her busy. There are also those available for purchase online or even in the mall closest to you. Those for sale are the ones with a better quality and a longer play time. However, if you want to save on money, you can just provide her with the websites that have free games for girls. Although, you still need to be careful with the girl games she plays, because there are still some that are not suitable for girls at a young age. An example would be those involving kissing. There have been several cases where kids have been taught how to kiss at such a young age due to exposure and less parental guidance. The parents, of course, are the ones to blame for these things happening to their children, because parents obviously know better than young ones do. Therefore, it is best that you choose what she plays.

To avoid your daughter or little sister from getting an exposure to things unsuitable for her age, monitor everything she comes into contact with.

Not all amusements are negative. Kids can learn something from them, too, for example, those involving teaching players how to cook a certain recipe. This way, it will be beneficial for both you and your daughter, because you will be happy that she has learned something and she will be happy that she had the chance to play and have fun. Although, you also have to make sure that your daughter avoids the ones that involve having to exterminate an animal first, before cooking it. These kinds do exist, for example, Cooking Mama. Cooking Mama includes blood, knives and gore, which children should never be exposed to.

There are also those past times for children that are entirely educational, for example, those engaging in mathematical activities, spelling, science topics, the alphabet, learning more words in the dictionary which will benefit in expanding a child's vocabulary, and so much more. There are also those that can enhance your kid's artistic skills, for example, virtual coloring. It would be best to have your kids exposed to these kinds of past times, as the creators of these past times will obviously have to make them enjoyable and entertaining, so that your children can have fun and at the same time learn something valuable, as well! Not all amusements are bad, after all. You just have to be responsible in choosing the right, appropriate ones.

Car Parking Games to Kill Boredom

There are many ways to get rid of boredom. You may go out with friends or family and watch a movie or go camping. But what if you are not in the mood to go out? You are left with a few options, and the most popular one is to play computer games. Car driving and parking games are gaining popularity these days. This is your virtual driving and parking experience, basically just for fun. All you need is a computer and an internet connection. There is no need to worry about finding sites where you can play games like this, because there are many websites that allow you to play these kinds of past times.

Parking games are good for those who are tired because they do not require much thinking. They are not the types that require you to squeeze the juice out of your brain. Another thing is that these games come in thousands of categories, so you can choose the kind that you prefer. You can also choose a category based on your age. The games are available in different types to suit different age groups. You can also choose the type depending on your skill level.

The games are easy to master, and once you master them, playing becomes easy. There are tasks that you need to complete. Once you complete the tasks, you get rewards. It will be game over for you if you fail to complete the task. At the same time, you have to take care of your cars from mob bosses.

You can compete with someone like a friend if there is a two-player mode available. Testing your skills against your friend's or brother's is possible. Challenging them to hit the finish line before you do is possible too. There are games designed for two players. Examples are the Dirt Bike Championship and Motocross Outlaw. You can earn titles if you play well. A free parking game allows you to experience extra thrill with crash course collision.

New past times are created every time, and you can check them out. Some of the new additions are Parking Perfection 5 and Mad Parking. Every single one is different, so switching from one to another allows you to get a different feel and experience. If you get bored with a game, you can look for others. The good thing about these games is they drill your focus and reflexes. They are, of course, designed to keep you from winning. Your goal is to avoid all obstacles.

Popular online games today have battle and shooting themes. If you are used to these kinds, you may try driving and parking games. Like most kinds, they vary in complexity too. One game may be easy and good for beginners. Others can only be winnable by professionals. But like all games, frequent playing will result in mastery, unless you get bored with it.

It's common for these games to allow you to choose the car. Being able to choose a car model makes playing a little more interesting.

For some people, the outright simplicity of these particular past times makes them lose their appeal quickly. You can check out videos on YouTube to find out how they are played.

The Razer Arctosa Keyboard Review

When starting out as a gamer and learning the ropes, you want your controls to be responsive. As you become a more talented video gamer, you'll start to appreciate things like lightening fast response time from your keyboard, comfort for your wrist, DPI on your mouse and everything else that can give you that edge in the video game world. As a gamer, the Razer Arctosa keyboard has all the features that a gaming keyboard needs to give the user the controls he needs to have that edge. When it comes to PC gaming, you are in the habit of zipping around with the keyboard and mouse, but if your controls can't register your movements, as fast as you make them, what is the point?

The Razer Arctosa keyboard keeps up with your rapid hand movements. Every button and keystroke will be registered quicker than almost any other gaming keyboard, setting you apart and above most other gamers. The silver text played out on this gaming keyboard also makes it so they won't wear down with use, and they will all stay perfectly intact, as well as have the lowest possible latency. These features and more make the Razer Arctosa keyboard the most reliable gaming keyboard around. After myself putting in months of heavy use with the Razer Arctosa keyboard, I have seen absolutely no signs of wear, just as the company claims. It is one of the nicest possible keyboards I have ever used and I've used several over the years.

The Razer Arctosa keyboard comes with the standard pads and lifts to make it comfortable for your wrist and allows for extended gaming sessions as well. There are even programmable keys which are great if you are looking to use macros or quick commands in a game. Whether you are playing a shooter and looking to spam your call sign, or an RPG and you are setting up macros for your characters, these keys make it easier to quickly do what is necessary no matter what your game is.

The selective anti-ghosting system that is present around the standard FPS WASD set up also makes everything more convenient, allowing you to enter in as many commands as you like, and without them all getting mixed up in transition. With the low latency key registry and the ghosting system you'll never find yourself running in the wrong direction with the Razer Arctosa keyboard, not even for a split second.

The only real issue I have had with the Razer Arctosa is that some of the programmable keys can take a little long to carry out some of the programs I've created, if it calls for more than a few simple key strokes. On the other hand, this is a frustration found with most programmable gaming keyboards.

Luckily, where this product is different is the price and the durable functionality. It's great when compared to some of the bigger names and rings in at only $39.99. While it doesn't have a display, the Razer Arctosa keyboard has what counts, and can give you the edge no matter what game you are playing.

Razer Lycosa Gaming Keyboard Review

The Razer Lycosa keyboard is the ideal keyboard for any gamer, and here is why. Have you ever cycled through scores of cheap flimsy keyboards while mashing those keys as fast as you can, or found that your keyboard has no letters left due to its constant use? Do you find yourself buying a new cheap keyboard every month or two? I have good news and bad news for you, you are a serious hard-core gamer. The gaming industry is bigger and better than it was 20 years ago, along with that come high action games that require quick reflexes, fast button mashing and you will find your hotkeys are your best friends. But the problem most people face is the breakage of keyboards due to them being cheap and flimsy. Lets face it, not everyone is willing to shell out more than $20 for a keyboard, but allow this review to change your mind. The limelight thus falls on the Razer Lycosa keyboard, with its soft rubber coated surface, very appealing macro software, and overall gaming goodness.

Now let us start by describing what this bad boy is all about. The Razer Lycosa keyboard comes in a slick black finish, they come with several backlight options which are sure to enhance the overall look of the keyboard, but if you are a touch typist, you may not even notice such things! You also get a small touch sensitive panel at the top-right of the Razer Lycosa keyboard to control functions such as music and back-light settings for your keyboard. But the feature that most gamers die for in the Razer Lycosa keyboard is a wide range of fully programmable keys which they claim "enables instantaneous, multiple commands with a single keystroke." Now that's what we're talking about when it comes to gaming!

Now for our thoughts on the device, I personally liked the Razer Lycosa keyboard, with its soft rubberized feel. The contours of the device are perfect for long desktop gaming, or in my case writing, as the in-built wrist rest adds comfort to the whole typing experience. What I find really neat is the fact that the Razer Lycosa keyboard does not necessarily have to be a sole gaming keyboard, but it can perform many other functions on top of being an excellent gaming keyboard. From games such as World of Warcraft to Halo to Portal 2, I found that having this as my main buddy not only increased my overall gaming efficiency, but it also allowed faster, and more responsive access to commands I would have struggled to do before. Like all programmable keyboards, it takes a while to learn your new commands, but once you've mastered it, you can access things much faster. Not to mention the fact that my wrists did not hurt as much even after 12 hours of consecutive gaming.

Though I only have one real problem with the Razer Lycosa, though its more of a personal preference as opposed to a big issue. I find it annoying that I can't adjust the LED brightness on the device, as I sometimes find the glare emanating from the keyboard distracting when I play in a really dark room. Apart from that, I find that the Razer Lycosa is a really good keyboard which I would recommend to anyone, be they gamer or not. Before we part, all I want to say is this, spending a little more money on the Razer Lycosa keyboard which is of higher quality is more beneficial in the long run compared to buying cheap keyboards which may never last for more than a few months.

Razer Lycosa Mirror Gaming Keyboard - Will It Give You The Advantage?

The Razer Lycosa Mirror Gaming Keyboard is apparently the preferred keyboard in the professional gaming world. Razer even produces special control rigs for both World Of Warcraft and Starcraft. With multiple awards for design and function, what really makes it give a gamer an advantage over a standard keyboard?
Razer boasts a "Hyperesponsive keyboard" on their Lycosa Mirror line. This is to say the Lycosa Mirror has one of the fastest response time with a massive reduction of key latency during gameplay. Razer rated the keyboard with a 1ms response time. What this could translate to in a shooter is you making that move to dodge a bullet before your competitor has even taken the shot. I gave this a try and found fairly decent results on Battlefield 3. It seemed to be a tiny bit faster than my old keyboard but the sensitivity was only a bit noticeable.

The backlighting is very cool. The Razer Lycosa Mirror has a fully backlit keyboard and the option to only backlight the WASD keys. Even in a dark room you can read your keyboard with ease and see the keys you need to move after many hours of intense gaming.

Razer also took steps to eliminate signal failure or "ghosting" which happens when you press multiple keys simultaneously on a regular keyboard. This means on the Razer Lycosa Mirror Gaming Keyboard, you can press many attacks at once in a game like World of Warcraft with no delay all of the signal is processed. This can lead to more damage per second and less delay when having to down a boss or play in PVP.

The fully programmable keys and macros are something you won't find on a standard keyboard either. By having the option to macro actions in both a game and on the keyboard a gamer can get very creative and set moves to go off even faster just by pressing a few buttons. This is an advanced option but it is fun to tinker with. The Razer Lycosa Mirror also has a gaming mode function which can be switched off so your macros do not carry over to regular windows functions or other programs.

The detachable wrist rest is quite helpful for long hours of gaming and I liked that it is detachable for transporting the keyboard.

I did not like the rubber finish on the keys. Though these are placed there to help a gamer not lose grip on the keyboard and to always be able to press the key when needed. I found that they were especially good at collecting dust. This keyboard is quite aesthetically pleasing with its clear top and backlit display. The last thing I want to have to do is clean it every single day for it to remain looking excellent.

The final word on the Razer Lycosa Gaming Keyboard is that it is built specifically for hardcore gamers. It is designed with comfort in mind for long sessions of playing. If someone is not a really big gamer they aren't really bound to notice a huge difference when using this keyboard. It does look great with its neat backlit display, but unless you are going to use the full function of macros and programmable keys it might be best to look into a cheaper option.

Razer Blackwidow Gaming Keyboard Review

If you are a gamer, you have got to get the Razer Blackwidow, it is one of the best new gaming keyboards on the market. It out performs the Tarantula and leaves the standard keyboards in the dust. If you enjoy gaming you have got to try this keyboard. There is a newer model of this keyboard called the Razer Blackwidow Ultimate - Dragon Age II.

I had an opportunity to try out the Razer Blackwidow keyboard just this last weekend. I couldn't wait to get it out of the box and get it set up. It was really different from your standard keyboard. I was all black, smooth and shiny appearance was great. I really loved the action of the keys, not mushy at all, and the sound they make is really cool too. I liked the sturdy, solid feel of the keyboard too, not likely to break, even with heavy, continued daily use.

This keyboard promises a whole new way of accelerated gameplay, as well as exceptional keystroke response and incredibly smooth action, with possible lifespan of more than 50 million keystrokes. It also comes with 5 extra macro keys as well as on-the-fly macros to give you ultimate control over every battle challenge a gamer could face. The Razer Blackwidow keyboard allows maximum maneuverability and flexibility with multiple assaults as you outwit your adversaries.

I tested the keyboard with the Crysis game, to see how well my character moved and reacted in the game and I was very impressed at how easy and fluid the action was, it really improved my gameplay. I found that with practice my kill/ratio was definitely improved. I also noticed that you don't need as much pressure on the keys, which means you can type much faster, for a whole lot longer before your fingers start to get tired. I also do a lot of typing on my blog and other venues as well and I found that I really enjoyed typing on the Razer Blackwidow keyboard, so it's not just great for gaming, but other typing projects too.

One minor drawback I have found, keys are slightly smaller than a regular keyboard, so it does take some getting used to, but otherwise the Razer Blackwidow is a really great keyboard.

The Razer Blackwidow is a great keyboard for any FPS gamer out there, it really gives you an edge to any game you are playing. I would definitely recommend this keyboard to anyone wanting exceptional performance out of their keyboard.

What really sold me on this keyboard is the unbeatable price. This is an excellent value for entry level gamers who want a good mechanical keyboard but don't want to spend over $100. Other keyboards like the Razer Tron that sells for $130 or the Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard that goes for over $200. Over all, I thought you got a lot for your money. The Razer Blackwidow is really worth it for both gaming and other typing work.

Razer Blackwidow Ultimate Keyboard Review

When it was time to replace my last keyboard, I decided to give the Razer Blackwidow Ultimate a shot. With a strong backlit keyset, mechanical inner design, full macro and programming support and five extra keys to throw macros on, the Razer Blackwidow Ultimate offered a great feature set for a gaming keyboard. I have been a huge fan of Razer's gaming mice and headsets for years now and was curious to see if their keyboards provided the same high-quality results and dependability.

As with most of Razer's products, this keyboard had a lot of marketing hype to live up to. The two biggest features of the keyboard are the mechanical keys and the programming functions. While the programming function can be found on many gaming keyboards, a mechanical keyboard can be hard to come by. Razer claims this design provides a more responsive keystroke with less travel and a firm feeling while typing. Mechanical keyboards are also supposed to be easier to use for extended gaming sessions and provide better ergonomic benefits than their membrane-based competitors.

Upon unpacking the keyboard, I was presented with a high-gloss black keyboard with an aggressive angular design. The keyboard felt substantial in my hands and the included stands on the back made for a solid and stable fit on my desk. Having a glass desktop, I have had many keyboards that liked to shift and slide around during intense use. Between the weight and high-grip rubber feet on the Razer Blackwidow Ultimate, I have yet to experience this issue.

With raid time coming closer, I loaded up World of Warcraft and got ready to put the keyboard to the test. From the moment you start typing on the Razer Blackwidow Ultimate, you notice the difference the mechanical composition makes. The keys respond with light pressure and provide a satisfying and hearty feel and sound. As a healer for the raid, split second decisions and frantic keystrokes are the norm. At first, I found that the sensitivity of the keys threw off my rhythm slightly, but found that I could actually register a keystroke without fully pressing the key.

By being able to double-tap keys and quickly transition from one key to the next, my overall response time decreased and my command throughput increased. With the extra macro keys the Razer Blackwidow Ultimate provided, I could keep big heals and emergency damage prevention within finger reach for those surprise moments. Best of all, after five hours of solid gaming my fingers and wrists felt good. There were not aches or fatigue as I had experienced with some keyboards. Beware-If you are looking for a whisper quiet keyboard, the Razer Blackwidow Ultimate is not the keyboard for you. However, I found that I enjoyed the sound the Razer Blackwidow Ultimate made and the direct feel the keys provided.

While this keyboard provided a noticeable benefit to my response times and total action levels, it takes a little use to start seeing the full benefits. For a casual gamer, these benefits would probably be pretty minor. In contrast, for a competitive RTS, FPS and MMO player like me, the difference the Razer Blackwidow Ultimate made was rather surprising and very noticeable.

Razer Marauder - The Ultimate StarCraft II Keyboard?

There are a lot of new keyboards that have come up for gamers but it's the first time that a keyboard's been made for a particular game - the Razer Marauder. The Marauder is made by Razer for StarCraft II gamers. There are other keyboards that are specifically made for gaming but not for one particular game. There is a keyboard that is made for several games by changing its keypad but never specifically for a game. Not until there was the Razer Marauder. To know what's new and good about the Razer Marauder, it would be good to take it for a spin.

The first thing that sets this keyboard apart from the other gaming keyboards is its size. Other keyboards are mammoths but this keyboard is compact. The designers of the marauder did not do away with the numbers pad like what other keyboard makers have done. What the makers of this keyboard did was take out the delete, page up, page down, home, end and the arrow keys. The functions of these keys were not removed totally because it is integrated at the number pad and is accessible by using the numLK key. Although it is a small keyboard, the Razer Marauder is solid.

This keyboard is designed with gamers in mind so it has an integrated APM or actions per minute system. With this system you can know how fast you are working your keyboard. It starts with green when you are hitting 50 APM that changes to red when you are hitting 300 APM. The good thing about the back lighted keyboard of the Razer Marauder is that when you are playing StarCraft II and you are being attacked, it will give you a warning. Although if you are playing the game you will really know that you are attacked, the feature just gives it a nice touch.

For other uses the this keyboard has nice comfortable keys. This keyboard has rubbery keys that feel great on the fingers. The keys are also sensitive so you don't have to put much force in striking them - something that is important in playing games. The Razer Marauder's keys are evenly spaced at a good distance from each other. This makes reaching for the keys a lot easier. You won't also have to contend with striking the wrong key. Unlike the other bulky keyboards the Razer Marauder frees your desk for other things. It helps you clear the clutter.

Overall, the Razer Marauder is a great keyboard for playing StarCraft II. However if you are playing other games, you would encounter a few setbacks because programming its keys is not as easy as other keyboards'. It's compact size is a nice feature and its backlights add a nice touch. However, Razer has not been so innovative in the design of the Marauder compared to the other keyboards it has released. With its steep price though, the Razer Marauder gets an overall score of 7.

Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard Review: Most Reliable And Functional Gaming Keyboard?

The Logitech G15 gaming keyboard is one of the most popular selling gaming keyboards on Amazon.com but is this keyboard's popularity due to its form and function or merely its looks that are appealing to gamers?

The Logitech G15 gaming keyboard is supposed to be the ultimate keyboard for both amateur and seasoned gamers alike. It claims to have all the right features to make play faster and more comfortable for those hours of playing time. The LCD screen and back lit keys are supposed to help make your playing experience incredible even in the dark of night. But can this gaming keyboard live up to all of it's promises? Let's find out.

User reviews for the Logitech G15 feel that this keyboard has many benefits even over newer keyboards. Here are some of the benefits of the Logitech G15 that gamers say they enjoy:

• The LCD panel shows you all you need to know while in a game
• easy to use this keyboard when playing in a poorly lit room
• allows for fast game play especially when you add the G9 mouse
• comfortable even after hours of play
• The cables for the mouse and headphone don't get in your way and interrupt your concentration
• Priced fairly compared to some other gaming key boards

The Logitech G15 has many features that provide the benefits that users of this gaming keyboard have mentioned. The LCD panel keeps you informed of what is happening during your game and even makes it easy for you to find out what server your friends are using to play battlefield 2142.

The keys on the Logitech G15 keyboard are all back lit which makes it possible for accurate play even in darkened rooms with no lights on and the cable management system keeps your mouse and headphone cables neatly tucked away under the keyboard.

There are 6 programmable G keys which allow for both single stroke and extremely complex macros. The accompanying palm rest makes it more comfortable for you to play for longer periods of time without your hands tiring or cramping during play. And the off switch for the windows button on the Logitech G15 comes in really handy to help you avoid mistakes when it is accidentally bumped or hit.

However, the Logitech G15 keyboard is not perfect and several users find the keys themselves quite clunky and find that they take a lot of getting used to. However, considering all the benefits this keyboard offers gamers the clunky keys of Logitech G 15 are soon forgotten in the excitement of improving your speed and your scores.

Overall, while the Logitech G15 may not be the right keyboard for all gamers it certainly seems to have all the features necessary to keep most gamers happy. Since the Logitech G15 keyboard is considered to be one of the most reliable, functional, and well priced keyboard's on the market it certainly is a good choice for those who are looking for both form and function in their gaming keyboard.

SteelSeries 6GV2: Is There Enough Game in This Gaming Keyboard?

The SteelSeries 6GV2 is referred to by many as the heavyweight of gaming keyboards. But how well does it really stand up to the competition? In the world of PC gaming keyboards, you'll be able to find a lot of choices but sadly not a whole lot of variety. It used to be that the main difference between a gaming keyboard and a non-gaming keyboard was the presence of backlit keys. That is, keys on gaming keyboards usually had backlights in them, allowing them to glow in the dark according to the user's preferences. But instead of doing what every other gaming keyboard manufacturer in the world seems to be perfectly OK in doing to their products, SteelSeries has decided to take the road less traveled with the SteelSeries 6GV2. This review aims to find out just how much of a heavyweight the SteelSeries 6GV2 really is. If you wish to find out, then continue reading.

Some people might wince upon hearing that this keyboard is a properly designated one, but a quick look at it or a cursory glance at its spec sheet will tell you that it certainly isn't something that's designed mainly for children. The keyboard is decked out in an all-black color with white lettering, and is built upon 18 karat gold-plated Cherry Black MX switches underneath. The SteelSeries 6GV2 is a mechanical keyboard that's made purely for gaming, and yet it retains a look that means serious business.

When playing games, PC gamers usually want to have the full freedom to do two things. One is to be able to press as many keys as possible at the same time; this enables them to keep moving, firing, jumping, fragging and even checking on the official scores all at once. And the second thing is the ability to avoid any problems that might stem from accidentally pressing the Windows key that's located on the left side of the keyboard. I was genuinely surprised and glad to find out that the SteelSeries 6GV2 was able to take care of both of these things.

The SteelSeries 6GV2 gaming keyboard has an extreme anti-ghosting feature that allows for multiple keypresses at once, as well as rapid response time that enables quick movements during critical gaming moments. And because of the fact that it uses Cherry Black MX switches for keys, it has a much longer lifecycle than other types of keyboards. Other features of the this keyboard include integrated media keys, USB and PS/2 compatibility, and top-notch build quality.

The SteelSeries 6GV2 is not without its flaws. It lacks a Windows key on the left side and doesn't have the built-in mic/audio and USB ports found on the SteelSeries 7G gaming keyboard. Still, these minor imperfections can't really take anything away from the SteelSeries 6GV2 keyboard's main highlights. After heavy use, I've found that the SteelSeries 6GV2 is indeed a heavyweight after all.

Steelseries Merc Stealth Gaming Keyboard - A Wise Choice

The SteelSeries Merc Stealth Gaming Keyboard features astounding color illumination that enables you to choose your level of brightness, giving you the ability to game even in total darkness. This is a rather smart choice for passionate and avid gaming lovers.

The 11° angle tilted gaming terrain keys that match your natural wrist position, rubberized movement of keys and the ability to set into four different illumination modes enhances the Steelseries merc stealth gaming keyboard comfort especially for long use session.

This gaming keyboard promises substantial benefits and just like the manufacturer claims that it is designed for 10,000,000 keystrokes, unlike the 1,000,000-2,000,000 on average lifetime keystroke of typical keyboards, I took patiently took time to test and justify if this is true.

After testing the keyboard with World of Witchcraft game, I found that though you will not map out the placement of keys in your head in just one use, this claim is not overstated because the left side of the gamepad is quite intuitive in its feel and it supports simultaneous keystrokes. The Z engine capability is very versatile and you can use your Steelseries Merc Stealth gaming keyboard on both FPS's and MMORPG's.

The is keyboard was just awesome from the moment I got it out of the box. It has a long USB chord (actually 6'') and plug cards that allows one to plug in a headset and mic directly into the back of the keyboard. An additional 2 USB ports increases its effectiveness.

Another impressive feature that makes the SteelSeries Merc Stealth a must have is its illumination. The keys are quite sensitive and light up very well. You can actually choose your level of brightness from subtle, ambient, intense or opt for it to stay off. The keyboard is wider than the standard keyboard but manageable.

Though, not all is well with the Steelseries Merc Stealth gaming keyboard, especially when it comes to the configuration. The Z engine software that comes with it takes a longer time to save a control set. Basic users can incur confusion when it comes to key customization after downloading the preloaded sets of games. However, this is just a minor glitch that requires more time to grasp the concept and you are good to go.

The Steelseries Merc Stealth gaming keyboard is an easy to use keyboard and once you get accustomed to using the WASD arrangement you will find the experience incredible.

Using the steelseries merc stealth gaming keyboard will surely improve your gaming experience. I think this keyboard is highly recommended for serious gamers who use their machine entirely for gaming purposes and not for office use.

I can positively attest that my play has drastically improved and quite sure that if you are a true and serious gamer, your play will improve further with the SteelSeries Merc Stealth Gaming Keyboard.

SteelSeries 7G Gaming Keyboard: Is This The Ultimate Weapon Gamers Have Been Looking For?

Dedicated gamers will do anything to improve their game. They look for the very best in gaming computers, the best mouse and mouse pads, and even read everything they can find on improving their game skills. However, when it came to gaming keyboards most gamers found little difference between a standard computer keyboard and those made for gaming. Of course those gaming keyboards did have all those bells, whistles, and bright lights but, not one of these keyboards actually claimed to improve a gamers game until the SteelSeries 7G came along.

The SteelSeries 7G makes some attractive claims such as having anti-ghosting technology and being able to increase playing speeds, The SteelSeries 7G also promises that it large palm rest makes playing those long games easier and more comfortable. But can the SteelSeries 7G deliver on any of these promises?

The benefits of the SteelSeries 7G are all in it's unique features. Which when you first look at them seem like they are nothing special. In fact, considering that the SteelSeries 7G has none of those lights and other eye catching features the SteelSeries 7G really looks more like one of those outdated keyboards from 10 or 12 years ago. But the SteelSeries 7G proves that looks can be deceiving.

The first thing you notice is that the SteelSeries 7G gaming keyboard is extremely heavy. While this doesn't seem to be an advantage to the average person the experienced gamer knows how frustrating it can be in the middle of play to have those light all plastic keyboards slide away from you. This baby isn't going anywhere. That alone is bound to increase some gamers playing abilities and speeds as they know just where their keys are going to be all the time.

Speaking of keys, the keys are another great feature of the Steelseries 7G. First because this keyboard uses mechanical keys that respond to the gentlest touch which means you are going to shave macro seconds off every key stroke which is going to result in faster game play. Second, with the SteelSeries 7G keyboard having easy to remove keys a gamer can remove those keys that they don't need but, accidentally get hit in the middle of play which just may help to improve their performance.

In addition, the fact that you depress every keyboard at once on this keyboard and each key stroke registers means that you can complete several functions at once which may be a real plus for gamers.

However, the Steelseries 7G is not perfect. Many users find the lack of dedicated media buttons extremely annoying and inconvenient at least at first. But given their improved game play after using the Steelseries 7G game board a few times, many feel that they can live with this omission.

So while the steelSeries 7G gaming keyboard may not be perfect it does solve many of the problems gamers experience with other keyboards. And not only can this keyboard improve your speed but it has has 10 times the keystroke lifetime of all those other gaming keyboards which makes it more than worth it' price.

SteelSeries Shift - The Gaming Aficionados Ultimate Tool?

The SteelSeries Shift has made waves in the PC gaming world after its release and that is not just because of its size and cost, although that two are probably what the biggest splash. The waves about this new gaming keyboard have lapped at my feet giving me a curiosity that needs to be satiated that prompted me to purchase the keyboard, which by the way runs on the Ideazon technology of interchangeable keys called the Z-Board.

What made me really curious about this keyboard is its interchangeable keys. One of the come-ons of the keyboard is that its keys can be swapped depending on the game. I play a lot of StarCraft II and Medal of Honor and everybody knows that the keys to these games vary. SteelSeries offered a solution to this problem by creating a swappable keyboard that can easily be swapped depending on the game being played. It is just my luck that SteelSeries comes with the StarCraft II keyset and it also has the Medal of Honor keyset available. However for those who play games other than StarCraft II, Medal of Honor and World of WarCraft, there is no point in shifting to SteelSeries Shift.

The first thing that I noticed, and probably the first thing everybody who got a hold of the SteelSeries Shift, when I got the keyboard is its weight. The SteelSeries probably weighs more than 1.5 kilos. It is a great keyboard for downing your enemies when playing your game and it is also a great weapon to use in case somebody breaks in your house and tries to steal your stuff. I am not saying that you should hit somebody with your SteelSeries Shift but if need arises, don't be afraid to use it as a weapon.

The SteelSeries shift comes with a programmable keyboard. You can personalize your keyboards and program your macros to anything that you want it to be for ultimate utilization. The is keyboard is intelligent as it records the keys that you hit the most and will give a suggestion on where it can be placed for a more streamlined use. SteelSeries Shift will optimize the keys that you often use requiring less force in hitting it. This will give you better results in your gaming and will help you kill more foes. The SteelSeries Shift keyboard also has dedicated media control key that enables you quick access to your multimedia programs when you are not busy winning quests and destroying enemies.

Overall the SteelSeries is a good keyboard for gamers who play a lot of first person shooters games and into the StarCrafts II, World of WarCraft, and Medal of Honor then you have found your best friend. However if you just a casual gamer there is no point in shelling out $88 - $99 for a SteelSeries Shift keyboard. If design and originality is the only criteria for choosing a keyboard then SteelSeries Shift should get an award for innovativeness.

Logitech G11 Keyboard Review - Is This The Best Gaming Keyboard Ever?

"Oh, my god! This is an enormous keyboard" was the very first expression of mine when I saw the box of Logitech G11 keyboard. Impressively it was a giant keyboard with 21.5'' length and 10.25'' width, but has a cool and attractive look. With the significant design of Logitech G11, it includes 18 macro keys which of the each held 3 modes and so it offers the capability of 54 extra keys besides the 104 standard keys. As this High-tech featured keyboard gives us 54 additional key functions, your curiosity may compel you to read this review and for sure the time you spend here will never be a waste. Latest version of the Logitech gamers' keyboard or the advanced version of Logitech G11 will be released in near future, but unfortunately at a high price level.

Simply, Logitech G11 is a keyboard which was specially designed for gamers and power users. This gaming keyboard has a unique design with the keys of high quality, provides an excellent gaming experience. Not only the size of the keys, but also the positions of the keys, enhance the effectiveness and the efficiency as well. If there is a keyboard which created almost with perfect key functions, this is it. This Logitech G11 fulfills two main requirements of a gaming keyboard that 100% accurate functionality and extra comfort. These two key features directly impact to improve your consciousness in gaming nature. Another specialty is that the blue backlighting effect which helps you to play the games or perform any process while you are in the dark and this cool and awesome feature definitely helps you to enjoy the gaming nature in dark.

Macro keys, the main feature of Logitech G11, were named as "G keys" and in the top of the keyboard there are some media keys. When you go through the keys, you will observe the lack of the media keys which are useless and the G keys can be functioned in multimedia purposes too. As the quick launch buttons induce the laziness, Logitech G11 developers haven't included them in the keyboard and the other interesting feature is that you can disable the standard function keys such as Right Selection key and Windows key in order to prevent the accidentally quit yourself from the game. Three backlight levels as off, low and high can be adjusted by using the backlight button which placed on the right side of the keyboard and near that button you will find the mute button as well.

The first and foremost gaming experience which I had with this Logitech G11 was experienced on Red Dead Redemption. When I play the game, I feel the difference because the keys don't click or clack and they are not too stiff or too soft. Also the playing game was quite enjoyable than before and I was able to play the game with smooth and very comfortable as this Logitech G11 keyboard was specially designed for gamers. When we discuss about its design, its weight also higher than the normal keyboards and the weight of 3.9 lbs helps to prevent the movements of the keyboard while playing a game. Logitech G11 keyboard's accurate functioning and quick responsiveness was significantly enhanced the gaming experience of mine and I think it was the best gaming experience which I ever had.

Logitech G11 was designed with a USB 2.0 hub, but USB 1.1 unpowered port was placed in the back panel of the keyboard and so you don't want to consume your time in searching bandwidth of USB 2.0. Special software must be installed to configure the G keys and media keys and though this software isn't available, the Logitech G11 keyboard functions perfectly as a normal keyboard.

Frankly, I found a minor drawback and it is that if you are not a perfect typist or a touch typist, though this Logitech G11's backlight gives an attractive look to your PC; you can't use the keyboard with the backlights in a lighted condition. This is because its lighting effects are not tolerable to the necked eye.

I think that the gamers are the best matching users for this Logitech G11 keyboard and non gamers also will benefit through this keyboard as this gives a magnificent attraction to the PC. I believe that if you don't own a Logitech G11 you will definitely try your best to own a cool and attractive gaming gadget like this. If you are a first person shooter gamer (FPS gamer), you will be able to have more benefits of this keyboard when compared to a person who plays strategy games.

Logitech G510 Review: Your Ultimate Gaming Keyboard

Logitech has added the Logitech G510 to their G series of gaming keyboards for a more enjoyable gaming experience. This latest gaming keyboard from Logitech replaces the G15 model. When it comes to design and functionalities, the Logitech G510 is a cross between the G15 and G19 model. The G510 shape has a resemblance to that of G19 including the location of each keys, knobs and buttons.

The Logitech G510 keyboard has a standard 102 key. On the top left of the keyboard are the three buttons for selecting modes and below them are 18 programmable G-keys. The 18 G-keys can be programmed into 54 different functions per game. The keyboard also features the GamePanel LCD and backlighting which comes in different colors that make it possible for its user to distinctly see keys even in the dark. It also comes with multimedia keys, volume control and headset-ready USB audio. Looking at the overall design of the Logitech G510, you can say that this keyboard is made to provide the gamers' need for a more professional and comfortable gaming experience.

Taking a closer look at the keyboard, the Logitech G510 is constructed in plastic with black and silver finish. The part of the keyboard that houses the standard 102 keys and G-keys is separated from the M and media keys. The LCD is housed within a separate plastic casing, placed in the center top and angled in such a way that I can quickly glance without losing focus on my game. So, when I am in a middle of a game such as in MMORPGs, the health and mana bars will be displayed on the Logitech G510 keyboard's LCD. I personally love this GamePanel LCD feature because it frees up space on my screen. The only drawback I have found from the Logitech G510 keyboard is its monochrome LCD panel which lacks the tilt and swivel capability.

Looking from the side of the Logitech G510, the full-height of the keys is very noticeable. A full-height key is useful when typing to prevent pressing several keys at the same time. Pressing key requires only very minimal effort. This allows me to do micro actions and to react quickly on fast games. The actions per minute (APM) is really important to gaming success and the Logitech G510 G-keys help me increase my APM. Aside from having perfect timing and great strategy, the use of this keyboard has also helped me towards winning almost any game.

Drawing from my own experience, the Logitech G510 is the ultimate keyboard for serious gamers. Occasional players and those who are not serious about winning their games need not buy. The keyboard is quite handy because of the presence of the G keys where macros can be recorded quickly. With features that allow 5-key presses simultaneously for the macros, it will give you the winning advantage over MMORPGs gamers who are not using the G510 keyboard from Logitech. Aside from its technological innovation, gamers will surely appreciate the Logitech G510 gaming keyboard because it is durable and sturdy enough to be able to withstand and endure the constant use and abuse.

League of Legends - Top 5 Bans in Ranked Games Under 1700 - ELO

In the last few months of playing League of Legends in both unranked draft mode and in ranked games there have been universal character bans. These champion bans are also confirmed in competitive tournament play due to their overpowered nature. Observations were all made in solo queue so bans named might not be the same for competitive/team 5v5 competition when there is actually teamwork and coordination involved. Here is the top 5 bans that I personally choose when playing in solo queue in the 1700's ELO.

In solo queue, the most universal ban is Shaco. Along with Shaco, there is also Rammus, Morgana, Kassadin, Cassiopeia, and Shen. I listed these based on level of danger each character brings. All of these champions could turn the game around during a team fight or alter the other team's style of playing when chosen. Also generally people ban characters generally because they don't want to go against them either in lane or jungle. Below are the reasons why the bans listed above are considered universal for 1700 ELO below solo queue (my currently ELO).

Shaco is one of the most annoying characters to play against in solo queue. The high mobility of Shaco, early gank ability, stealth, backdoor pushing late game, escape ability, and ambush boxes are key reasons Shaco is constantly getting banned in both high and low ELO. Shaco could have effective ganks as early as level 2 and scale effectively from early kills. The reasons above as well as other nuisances of Shaco make him the most annoying character to play against. Thus, its unanimous decision of either team to get rid of the possibility of playing against Shaco by picking him first picks insta-ban.

Other champions consistent ban reasons:

Rammus - Taunt duration from Puncturng Taunt, high damage from Defensive Ball, effective early level ganks due to the high mobility from Powerball, tanking ability, and late-game scaling round out the reasons why Rammus is a pain playing against.

Morgana - Magic shield ability, how tanky she is, two types of crowd control abilities, sustainability from her passive, and high effectiveness in team fights using her ultimate.

Kassadin - Mobility after level 6 due to Riftwalk, silence from Null Sphere, slow from Force Pulse, domination against other ability power champions in mid-lane, and high burst capabilities.

Cassiopeia - Hard to lane against due to the range on her Q (Noxius Blast), high damage output from her combination of Q and E (Twin Fang), crowd control from R (Petrifying Gaze), and slowing effect from W (Miasma). She stacks and scales effectively into late game and is a great threat in solo fights and team fights. A well-placed Petrifying Gaze could turn an entire group fight around.

Top Dress Up Games

It's a fact that kids love computer games. Not only kids, but even youngsters and elders love playing them; there are different games for every age group. It is very easy to find any kind of game you need because there are millions available to choose from. Action, adventure, puzzle, magic, sports, science, thrill, horror, and vampires are a few game categories that are available. Teenagers love playing computer games, and this is the reason that more than fifty percent of games are developed specifically for teenagers.

Some of the most liked game categories are: action, adventure, thrill, puzzle, suspense, sports, fighting, racing, shooting, and simulation.

So there are lots of different options available for kids and teenagers when it comes to computer games. Similarly, there are different categories for each age group, and importantly, each age group has a different set of games than others.

Girls usually like playing games that are simple, fun, and are somehow related to them. For instance, they play dress-up, cooking, makeup, and the like.

In a dress up game, kids need to change the outfit of different characters (like Barbie, fairies, cartoons and others). Developers and programmers use different characters in these games; for instance, Barbie dolls, celebrities, fairies, vampires, monsters, dolls, and many others. It is a simple and very entertaining category.

In a Monster High dress up game, players have to change the clothes, makeup, hair style, lips, jewelry, shoes, and purse of a monster. In each stage, they try to make it look different and unique. It is a very unique category where developers have tried an altogether different character (a monster) instead of common characters (like Barbie, fairies, princesses, and others).

A Barbie dress up game is best for small girls under nine or even those who are older. In this category, the player is required to revamp the Barbie doll. According to research, most girls below nine love Barbie dolls, and this is the reason that it is one of the most famous categories among girls.

Besides Barbie dolls, there are many other famous characters that are usually used in these games. Winx Club characters are pretty popular. Various celebrities and dolls are also used extensively. In fact, there are many different options available for your girl within the dress up games to choose from, so let your girl explore a new world of games. Internet has lots of free games for you; in fact, internet is the biggest source of entertainment for people of all ages.

Where Have the Gamers Gone?

As the games of today continue to evolve, and in some cases, de-evolve it is interesting to note that the gamer of today seems to be much more forgiving of mediocrity. In order to examine the possible reasons why, we must take a step back into the past.

The games of yesterday, including pen and paper role playing games, were by today's standards sub-par. At least that is the assumption by many. However, if this were really the case, we would not continue to see new versions of older games. In programming, some of the first games a person will create are replicas of older falling block games, parallax scrolling level games, maze games, and of course text games. For some programmers it is a logical progression to learn from the past. For others it is because they understand that building on the ideas of older games demonstrates that there are few real differences other than the technology used.

Where does that leave us? In order to understand the games, we must understand the gamer. Like any other profession, the game developer is going to put their energy and resources into a game idea they believe will be popular. This litmus test is based on what sells and what does not. So what do gamers expect from modern games? I would hypothesize that many gamers have no idea what they expect, but they know they want something. Many of the games today are created with a limited play-time expectation, instead of looking for a formula that will promote longevity.

Many of the games today are rated by how many hours of game play they have, such as 40 hours of play. This is one of the tools that developers use, which gamers have become accustomed to. The trend for the hours of play in some game genres has continued to get shorter. Instead of gamers expecting more from the software they purchase, there is a reluctant acceptance of the lower standards. Without using names, a recent first person shooter was released with a lot of fanfare and high budget advertising. By all accounts it was expected to be the next generation of shooters for the genre. Instead of meeting the expectation, the software was released with the same engine the previous installment of the game had used 3 years prior. The single player campaign came in at a paltry 6 hours of play. In essence, the game was simply retooled from a previous game and instead of calling it what it was, the loyal following ignored the fact that they had been taken for fools. So what we have is a substandard product being released and because of pride or stubbornness, the gamers in the community have given the developer a pass instead of holding them accountable.

The game developer is going to release whatever they believe will make them money and that is as it should be due to the time and resources they put into their product. The problem isn't that the developer may release a game that is terrible. The real issue is that because the gamers of today do not really know what they want, they will accept anything. If more gamers had higher expectations fewer developers would take advantage of them. The conclusion must be that the reason many games of today are substandard is because there are fewer principled gamers today.

Winning at Words With Friends

The Facebook and mobile game app Words with Friends does a great job of creating of a system for you to challenge your friends in a Scrabble-like game. However, it does not do anything for you to dull the pain of losing to your friends. So here are a few ways to gain an edge when playing against your opponents.

1. This is not Scrabble

Although it may have a game board and letter board similar to Scrabble, there are a lot of critical differentiators. For example, Words with Friends was built in a way to give you more of an adrenaline rush than Scrabble. The lead can change hands very quickly because players have many opportunities to hit large value words.

Another key example is with the letter J. in the game of Scrabble, the J can be super helpful by helping you get high-valued words, but you can also be trapped with the letter and never use it for the entire game.

However, in Words with Friends, the letter J is worth more than in Scrabble. Ten in Words With Friends compared to eight in Scrabble. And that's all that it takes to make the letter J more of a helper than a hurter letter. If you look at other letters you will see a discrepancy with Scrabble. There are a total of 12 letters that are worth more in Words With Friends than Scrabble. Take advantage of this difference!

2. Go for the multiplier tiles

The bonus squares that give you triple-letter or triple-word multiples really make a huge difference. There's no difference between the numbers of the bonus tiles; however, the way they are distributed on the board does give you the opportunity to land on several tiles in one play. This is how you can get multiples of multiples and really stack up the points. All you need is a triple-letter and triple-word play and you can easily be up by triple digits in points.

3. Hold onto plurals, and consider past tense

As a general rule of thumb, do not play an S letter or D letter if it is not going to help you land on a multiplier tile. The reason why you want to be more selective on when you play those letters is because you can really lean on them in the future when your back is against the wall and you do not have any good words to lay down.

4. Learn some words

The biggest edge you can gain is to have an advanced vocab. This does not just include the short, hard to remember words, but also memorize high-probability words that you are likely to encounter.

5. Play defense

Play the game like chess or pool - don't just think about offense, but consider defense, too. Consider the options your opponent will have when you place your words down. Be especially wary of opening up multiplier tiles to your opponent.

What Makes Diablo III Irresistible to Fans?

A masterpiece of the fantasy genre, the Diablo Series has gathered millions of fans all over the world, putting down all borders and all demographic profiles. One way to explain the awesome popularity of this Blizzard Entertainment game is to attribute it to the skill factor, respectively to the fact that, in order to level up in Diablo, spending hours playing and learning effective strikes, crawling dungeons or getting rid or demons is simply not enough.

Progress in Diablo is reached combining skills with strategy, so the gamers have two choices: to improve their skills, develop new strategies and play the game better, or to die trying. The forums are already bursting with fans commenting the Diablo games. Everywhere you look there are new and new rave reviews on the previous editions. Some fans comment on their expectations and predictions regarding "Diablo III" - the edition that promises to amaze everyone.

Just a short look at the information available on "Diablo III" will reveal why all gamers worth their shooting capacity are desperate to try their hand with this game.

"Diablo III" is said to be nothing like its previous editions. Rumor has it that it scores on all the game departments, in all possible senses. Fans all over the world classify it as the market leader for the following aspects:

Fresh design: with most of the action taking place in the dungeons, this Diablo game is evaluated as smarter, brighter, of more striking colors and design. Gamers describe it as a completely new experience. Dungeons crawling surrounded by total darkness is realistic and yet not so easy, even for experienced gamers.
The Dual-auction House System: this aspect of "Diablo III" makes the topic of numerous forums discussions. Players are allowed to trade both gold and real money in "Diablo III", and most gamers agree that the new system has every chance of boosting the dynamics of the economy and spicing up the overall experience. Of course, there are also fans who worry that these aspects favor experts and hackers and the dual-auction house system could be banned if it is considered to encourage gambling. Either way, all the elements put together bring their contribution to increase the game's appeal.
The character classes: a simple overview of the character classes in the Diablo series, especially given the possibility to choose gender without compromising on the character's abilities is enough to recognize great achievements.

All in all, gaming is taken to a whole new level by the apparition of "Diablo III"!

Finding Other Uses For Gaming Computers

Gaming computers have such a maligned image. Those who are not into games see them as overpriced toys for kids who never grew up. But in truth, there are a lot of things that you can do with gaming computers simply because of their design. When you think gaming, what comes into your mind? Simple games that make your kids or friends neglect their social lives and or their responsibilities? Any gamer will tell you that these days, games are complex and need a lot of power to play. This means that the computers that can let someone play them has to have a lot of power. And this is true, because computers are not solely classified as a gaming computer if it does not pack enough punch to let a gamer play the latest games.

Most gaming computer reviews will tell you that there are three key things to look at when shopping for gaming computers: power, graphics and overall system speed. Power comes from the processor, motherboard and memory modules, all of which work at its finest if top quality to allow for fluid game play. Graphics comes from the Graphics Processing Unit, which takes care of all the graphics processing and output. Overall system speed can mean faster read/write speeds for your hard disk drives and other motherboard tune-ups. Just from this simple explanation, you can see that it is essential for a computer to have a good amount of power behind it. And with this power, yes, you can play games to your heart's content, but, you can also do so many other things.

For example, college kids, IT professionals and even those in media will find that gaming computers will not only let them play, but will also let them work. With the powerful dedicated Graphics Processing Units and high level parts, a gaming rig can handle heavy software like image manipulation, video editing, large format printing or any other task that will need massive computing capabilities. So anyone who needs computing power will find that these kinds of PCs will do the trick. You can even use them for business, as manufacturers price these PCs lower than their corporate machines since they target a different demographic. You can see, a lot of people interested in video graphics, digital artists and many other professionals use gaming rig and gaming laptops as their main work computer because they can enjoy the speed and performance without having to shell out large amounts of money that they usually would if they bought pricier, pro computers. So the next time you consider giving your kid or a friend a special gift, look and see if they can benefit from the many uses of a gaming computer. That way, you blow their minds with how cool a mom or a friend you are.

Black Ops 2 Multiplayer

Black Ops 2 Multiplayer tops the list when it comes to most enchanting online games. The best thing about this game is the ability of the player to customize the game according to his taste. A player can have customized guns by addition of logos, make alterations to the color as well as shape of the "red dot sights" of his or her guns.

In Black Ops 2 Multiplayer a player can make each gun his or her own gun. It simply makes the game all the more fun and the player does indeed feel in charge of the game. Black Ops 2 Multiplayer also utilizes a system of currency. A player can earn money primarily by playing the matches, completing the contracts and can also be rewarded for his or her achievements. A player can then utilize this money to purchase his or her weapons of choice.

Revealing basic instincts of Black Ops 2 Multiplayer
The game of Black Ops 2 Multiplayer introduces many novel awards of kill streak. The best is however gunship. The player gets a first person's view of the cockpit. The player or the fighter in this case can fly around the battlefield and fire away both with his machine gun as well as missiles until one's time expires or a player is shot down.

This is just one of the several streak rewards of new kill in Black Ops 2 Multiplayer. This game offers care packages which possess a chance to release special weapons that cannot achieved by any other means. Few examples of these special weapons are the novel death machine. This is a massive machine gun that carries on shooting an endless bullet stream. Another other example is Grim Reaper which is a four slotted missile launcher that is enriched with 16 rockets for complete ammunition.

The downside of this game is that once a player dies then he or she loses them and cannot be picked by any other player. Also, if one of these special weapons are chosen for combat, they cannot be switched for others, unless they are used up to maximum capacity.

All about Black Ops 2 Multiplayer
Although the Black Ops 2 Multiplayer was a much awaited game, it has had mixed reviews. Players feel that the game has gotten way too mainstream and has adopted the cookie cutter approach rather than presenting players with an original challenge that they were waiting for. Each aspect of this game is not as competitive as Modern Warfare 2 in terms of control and feel.

Players who have been following this game have complained about the fact that though there seems to be much more emphasis on hardcore, Black Ops 2 Multiplayer is limiting in its approach. For instance there are no grenade launchers and only one rocket launcher that is vehicle guided is now permitted. Besides, the respwan timings for most modes have been decreased. Also a shot in the feet will no longer kill an opponent, and one has to aim for the chest or the head. Because of these limitations, players feel that the Black Ops 2 Multiplayer just does not live up to the expectations.