COMPUTER GAMES
Gaming consoles have taken over the gaming community. Companies such as Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony have changed the way we play video games. It used to be common to play computer games, sometimes against another person via the Internet.
Access to these games was only available through your computer, now there are several options available and more on their way. Once consumers began using game consoles online to play, companies feared the downfall of computer gaming. That was not the case at all. There are some disadvantages of gaming consoles for online gaming compared to personal computers.
Gaming Options
There are a few different brands of gaming consoles available right now. Microsoft has Xbox and most recently Xbox 360. Sony has PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 due to be released in November 2006. Nintendo has the Game Cube. Although these are all good consoles the PC has already been trying to merge the two (game consoles and pc gaming). Sony managed to merge them with its game Need for Speed, putting game console gamers against PC gamers in online games. This game became very successful. There are more pros than cons for gaming consoles when compared to PC gaming.
Disadvantages to Gaming Consoles
Some of the disadvantages of console gaming are:
All of the gaming components are sealed inside the unit. If there should be a problem you will have to replace most or all of unit, losing game data.
Once a console becomes outdated you cannot up grade without buying a new console.
A console is a one hit wonder; meaning you can only do one thing on it, play games. Unlike PC there is no other use for game consoles. Some do have the option of purchasing additional hardware, making DVD movie playback the only other option.
The games are not transferable. You can't take an Xbox game and play it in a PlayStation etc.
Advantages to PC
There are some real advantages to owning a PC to play your games on. Here are a few:
The most popular advantage to PC gaming is the games! There is more variety and options for PC games than any other system.
Since the PC is more of a tool, games are easily downloaded and there are more and more made available for free.
Computers are made to handle the pixels displayed on the monitor keeping graphics sharp and without damage to the screen. Televisions weren't made to handle the pixels as well and become damaged after a while.
Computers have many options available to connect to the internet, whereas consoles are limited.
Computers are versatile, allowing numerous upgrades and possible additions. Consoles are limited to the current system available.
Until a game console can handle the same things as a PC there is just no contest. PCs will still rule in the game world!
Just like songs, movies and basically any other form of entertainment that you might imagine, video games are divided into different categories, commonly referred to as genres. Not surprisingly, the bounds and criteria that apply for each genre are not strictly defined; thus, it is not uncommon that genre types might overlap or that a game belongs to more than one genre. Considering all the above, it is still possible to define some standard genres; below you will find some of the most popular ones along with their main characteristics.
Fighting games: Have you ever had the chance to play Street-Fighter? Well, if so, then this is the perfect sample to be used when describing what fighting games are all about. In fighting games you usually have to destroy your opponent (either human or computer) using martial arts, superpower movements or even handheld guns(less commonly). Some of the most popular fighting games are Street-Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Virtua Fighter, Soul Calibour and Tekken.
First Person Shooters (FPS): This is one of the most popular game genres. In FPS games you are usually impersonating a game character and you are navigating through a virtual world from the point of view of the character. This means that usually your screen is located to the position where your characters head is supposed to be; usually, you can only see the hands of your character. FPS games have a great emphasis on guns and action; whether it is a futuristic plasma blaster, a knife, a grenade or a common AK-47, chances are that if you play an FPS game you will also be holding something that kills. Apart from that, FPS games also show a great emphasis on online multiplayer modes; there is almost no FPS game nowadays that doesn’t support some type of multiplayer mode. Some popular FPS games are Half-Life/Counterstrike, Quake4, DOOM3, Painkiller etc.
Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG): Those are games aimed at creating a virtual environment where thousands of players are able to play and interact with each other in real time, inside the virtual world. Popular games of this genre are: World Of Warcraft, Lineage, Neverwinter nights etc. Simulations: Those are games where you are usually handling a vehicle; whether it is a car, an aircraft or a space rocket, you are usually assigned with special tasks that you need to accomplish in order to advance to the next levels. Popular simulation games are Falcon 4.0, Ace combat, MS Train Simulator, Trainz etc.
Finally, Strategy games are games where (as the name suggests) you have to use your strategic abilities in order to defeat your enemy. In most strategy games, you can create new buildings build new troops and research new technologies. Although there are games that fall into this category that do not really require much brains, some titles require some really sophisticated movements in order to win. Popular strategy games are StarCraft: Brood War, Warcraft3 and Age of Empires.
FREE ONLINE KIDS GAMES
Free online computer games do not only cater to teen-agers who are interested in games with sophisticated and often complicated plots. There is also a large number of websites that offer free online computer games to kids below the age of twelve.
These games combine learning and fun so those children who play them not only enjoy playing the games but also become familiar with computers. The games that are offered on these sites include kids’ games such as jigsaw puzzles, activities, coloring pages, and other simple games.
It is also hoped that as you access these sites and download their games, you and your child can play the games together and foster more learning, as the games are pleasing and appealing to the senses. These websites also provide printable coloring pages and activities that you and your child can work on, even if you are not online. These webpages often have thousands of pages that can help teach your child different lessons, and the games are updated on a regular basis to keep your child interested.
These websites also help your child become more familiar with different events such as holidays and historical events; the games are tailored fit to highlight the importance of such events. These websites have also been designed to cater to the whole family; some activities and some of the games that are available may involve both parents and their children.
Along with the popularity of other types of games that are available online, games for kids also enjoy a certain level of popularity, especially among parents who value the need for their children to learn the basics of using the computer at an early age. By combining learning and fun, these games will continue to flourish as more parents and people gain access to technology in the near future.