Category: Gaming (Page 5 of 19)

Smartphones and the boom in social games

December 27, 2011 / Staff

People love to gamble and they love to play games on their computers and phones. With that the trends will just accelerate on games like poker that can be played in all sorts of settings. Now with new smartphones there are even more ways to play. You can play real games against real people, or just play practice games against a computer so you learn to avoid losing all your cash.

The new rules from the Obama administration announced Friday might make this even more popular, as the new rule suggests that the federal government can only restrict sports betting under the current federal law. This can lead to an explosion of state regulations overseeing and encouraging online play in order to generate tax revenues.

This decision makes sense, as people love playing online casino games. Now with smartphones exploding, imagine how much more time people will spend playing these games. You can play blackjack hands while standing in the line at the grocery store. So get ready for a bunch of new players as people start using their Christmas gadgets!

Gaming, Mobile

casino games

Activity gadgets for the holidays

December 14, 2011 / Staff

There are all sorts of gadgets that will be popular this holiday season, from game consoles to iPads to smartphones. But in today’s world you have to ask yourself whether there is too much emphasis on gadgets that reinforce a sedentary life for our kids. Video games are great, but do we want kids doing that all day long?

Keep that in mind when you’re buying gifts. We live in a time where childhood obesity is a serious problem, and while we want to give kids what they want, we need to consider sending a more balanced message.

With that in mind, think about gifts that encourage kids to get up and move around. When you think of gadgets, think beyond small electronics that fit into a kid’s hands.

One option of course would be a video games that involve movement. The Wii and Connect systems are brilliant for their innovations in this area. Virtual games like tennis and boxing can help kids work up a sweat.

Old-school games like ping pong also encourage movement, so maybe a real ping pong table is in order for your basement.

And then of course we have games like basketball, that really get kids moving around. Think about the excitement kids would have if you went shopping for adjustable basketball goals that you could install in their driveway! Now that’s a gadget that they would remember.

Gaming

activity gadgets basketball gadgets Connect gadget gift ideas video games Wii

GAME REVIEW: Apples to Apples

December 13, 2011 / Jason Zingale

Apples to Apples is right up there with UNO as one of the better card games around, so the only real surprise about its release on Xbox Live Arcade is that it took this long for anyone to digitize the experience. For those unfamiliar with the game, it’s pretty simple. There are two decks of cards: green apple cards that contain adjectives and red apple cards that contain nouns. Each round, one player assumes the role of judge and selects a green card from the deck. The rest of the players must then choose a red card from their respective hands that they feel best matches the word on the green card, and the judge picks the winner. Of course, it’s completely up to the judge to decide what’s the best match (some will choose literal meanings, while others will favor witty combinations), but that’s part of the appeal.

For the most part, the experience is replicated on Xbox Live fairly well, even if it’s more fun to play with real friends than a bunch of strangers. The game’s other two modes, however, aren’t quite as successful. Local multiplayer is more about trying to fake out the other players by using a tool that conceals your card choice (a necessary inclusion considering everyone shares the same screen), while the single-player mode isn’t really Apples to Apples at all. Instead, you’re shown a red card and three green cards and must select the most appropriate choice using letters on a Boggle-like game board. It’s a creative way of adapting the game for one player, but aside from the fact that it doesn’t take very long to complete, it’s also not the reason you should be buying “Apples to Apples” in the first place. If you have enough friends planning to pick up the game as well, or you don’t mind making new ones on Xbox Live, then this is a no-brainer, but anyone else would be wise to reconsider.

Gaming, Reviews

GAME REVIEW: Gears of War 3 – RAAM’s Shadow DLC

December 11, 2011 / Jason Zingale

Fans of third-person shooters have become accustomed with getting the same, stale DLC over the years – usually new maps, but every once in a while, an extra game mode or weapon is thrown in for good measure – which is why an add-on like “RAAM’s Shadow” is such a welcome surprise. A five-chapter campaign that takes about three hours to complete, the story shifts focus from Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad to follow the exploits of another group of COGs (Zeta Squad) as they attempt to evacuate Ilima City in anticipation of a Kryll storm being implemented by the Queen’s go-to badass, General RAAM. But wait — isn’t General RAAM dead? Yes, he is, but this takes place before the events of the original game, shortly after E-Day.

Though Zeta Squad doesn’t quite have the personality of Delta (although it’s probably unfair to compare the two considering you spend so little time with the former), it does feature several familiar faces like Lt. Minh Young Kim from the first “Gears of War,” Tai Kaliso from “Gears 2,” and cigar-chomping Michael Barrick from the “Gears” comic book series. Rounding out the quartet is female COG Alicia Valera, whose only real purpose in the story is connected to another “Gears” character from the latest installment.

While diehard fans will certainly enjoy the prequel-esque nature of the campaign due to how smartly it weaves into the fabric of the “Gears of War” universe, the highlight for a lot of people will be getting to play as General RAAM himself, who you take control of in corresponding missions throughout the campaign. But although RAAM offers a unique gameplay experience, it’s not very challenging. Sure, you’ll have fun charging at enemies with his oversized knife, or mincing them to pieces with his ever-present shield of Kryll, but because he’s near-invincible, you never feel the same sense of danger as you do while playing as a COG. Most people won’t mind, however, because “RAAM’s Shadow” is still good value for its price, with additional goodies like six multiplayer character skins and a new chocolate-themed weapon skin. If this is what fans can expect from future DLC, then you might want to think again about picking up a Season Pass.

Gaming, microsoft, Reviews

E-Day Emergence Day Gears of War 3 Gears of War 3 DLC Gears of War prequel General RAAM Michael Barrick Minh Young Kim RAAM's Shadow DLC RAAM's Shadow review season pass Tai Kaliso Zeta Squad

GAME REVIEW: Voltron: Defender of the Universe

December 2, 2011 / Jason Zingale

As a fan of the 1984 animated series, I was pretty excited to check out THQ’s “Voltron: Defender of the Universe” game for Xbox Live Arcade, but unfortunately, that excitement didn’t last for very long. Though its heart is undeniably in the right place, the game is little more than a chaotic shoot ‘em up that wears out its welcome fast. Players take control of the Lion of their choice and fight through three different levels populated with the same handful of enemies to complete objectives like destroying energy towers, defending castles and escorting groups of survivors to safety. It’s pretty monotonous stuff, made even more so by the lack of variety in the Lions themselves. Although they may boast different colors and seemingly unique stats (including agility, long-range shooting and armor), they don’t really handle all that much differently.

I might have been able to get past the sheer tedium of the Lion-based gameplay if there was something worth looking forward to at the end of each level, but while you do eventually get to fight as Voltron against some of King Zarkon’s Robeasts, it’s not exactly as you’d imagine. The combat system for the boss battles is uninspired to say the least, with attacks consigned to turn-based controls where you select a move and then execute it by stopping a sliding bar in the sweet spot, while defense is a ridiculously easy QTE. “Voltron: Defender of the Universe” isn’t a complete mess – the visuals are pretty good for an XBLA game and fans will love some of the nostalgic cues, like the narrator who announces, “Voltron will be back after these messages,” whenever you hit the Pause button – but considering its price (800 MS), it’s simply not good enough to warrant a purchase, even for the most diehard fans.