The Sweet Spot: Being a Gamer Parent

As a parent of young children, it is often tough to find time to game. Or energy. Gone are the carefree days of playing game after game after game. There's always something coming up... late bedtimes, going to the store for medicine, washing diapers (for cloth-diapering hippies like us!), cooking, cleaning random messes the kids leave... yeah, free time is at a premium. Every minute counts. So I have to shoot for getting the most out of my time when gaming. So what does that mean? How do I get the most out of my time gaming? Honestly, I'm still working it out. I have 5 years of practice, though, and I'll share what I've figured out. Here are some guidelines I use for finding the "sweet spot" in gaming.

1. Avoid games with complex or fiddly rules.

Some games are just elegant. Play progresses in an orderly fashion, there's an FAQ in the rulebook covering anything you need, and people just "get it" after a quick explanation. Play these games. And avoid games (especially teaching games!) that require a trip to boardgamegeek.com to arbitrate a rules question, use arcane iconography or just make things complex. A game that I really like that fits into this category is Race for the Galaxy. I love the game. I really do. The iconography makes it hard to teach, though, so it's not going to hit the table when new players are around. Especially with expansions. Complexity doesn't need to be there for depth, necessarily. So when a game delivers a comparable experience without the fiddliness, go for that one.

2. If the kids are around, figure in additional time... or get a babysitter.

I don't know how many games I've lost due to having to parent. In the scheme of things, it doesn't really matter. A game is a game. But gaming is a hobby, and meant to be relaxing. Socializing. Interacting with friends, or maybe just unwinding with the wife. And it really gets frustrating when I feel that I can't remember what I'm doing from one minute to the next due to constant interruptions. I'm not the best multitasker (just ask my wife!), and the kids usually get the priority in any situation where they're involved. A good thing to do is to make sure you "load 'em up" with attention beforehand. If they're going to be supervised less during play, set their expectations and try to meet all their needs (immediate and anticipated) before you sit down. Gaming with other parents helps. Often, kids will play together. Another option is a babysitter. Even having a babysitter over at the same time is a great thing, and well worth the investment.

3. Maximize the "Fun vs. Time Spent" ratio.

Some games are just long. I'm not averse to playing a long game; I enjoy the opportunity every now and then. But some games... are just long. As an example, I don't really feel that I get more out of Axis & Allies than I do out of Memoir '44. I'll definitely be playing it for five more hours, but I don't necessarily think that Axis is going to deliver six times the fun just because it takes six times the time to play. That means that it has a poor fun:time spent ratio. Look for games that deliver the essential experience. Some games are going to take longer to do that, so make sure that when you're selecting a game to pull off the shelf, that there isn't a game that delivers the same experience in a shorter time.

4. Read reviews of games before you get them.

This has become so important for my wife and me when buying games. In the past, we would drop loads and loads of money on games we had never heard of. Sometimes this would have positive results. For instance, we purchased Attika after a recommendation from a game store employee. Hadn't heard of it, or looked it up. Just bought it. And loved it. But sometimes... you end up with a game that doesn't fit your style, isn't what you expected or is just plain bad. I'm not going to point fingers at any games in particular, primarily because I try to stay positive. But there are definitely games out there with few redeeming qualities. Which is why game reviews are so important. Just as the reviews themselves are important, so are the reviewers. It's easy to look at a review uncritically and walk away thinking of the reviewer's opinion as the final word. My advice is to find a couple reviewers' blogs or podcasts and get familiar. My wife, for example, loves The Dice Tower, a podcast about games. She doesn't necessarily agree with all of Tom Vasel's opinions on games, but she knows where she stands in relation to him on things and can use that as a yardstick and gauge whether or not she thinks she might like something based on that. We've made some very informed decisions on games based on his reviews, and on the reviews of others. FYI, I know a blog that reviews games (hint, hint!)... ;)

So what is "the sweet spot"? The sweet spot is primarily about being cognizant of factors like time and parenting when purchasing games, choosing which games to play and playing games. How this is defined for each individual is definitely going to vary. Just think of this as a game itself! It's a very complex resource management game, and the resources are time, money and attention. Stay aware of this, and you'll find your sweet spot!

World of Warcraft Movie for WoW Followers

I have been playing games ever since I was a kid and I struggled for many years with people who thought online games were brainless and action games made you chaotic. I considered this an opportunity to present some knowledge into what gaming really can involve - passion, camaraderie and experiences you can't get in real life. ~ Ben Dressler

Let's face the facts, the gamer lifestyle is one thing that not a lot of people have an understanding of /AFK The Movie looks at the life of a video gamer asked to give up the one thing he's ever enjoyed: World of Warcraft.

To the people who don't play video games, that is called quitting. For hard-core gamers and MMORPG players around the world, that's referred to as "Euthanasia."

The film examines what life is like stepping away from the computer keyboard, to cut off the sole thing you adore doing, simply because you realize that it controls all that you do. But, what is the little difference between loving video games and being addicted with them? Does it make a difference and should we even care?

The subject matter of /AFK The Movie covers World of Warcraft and also online gaming. But you do not need to know the difference between Horde and Alliance to connect with the movie. We're all addicted to something, be it cell phones, websites, video games, or sweets (or even a dangerous combination of all 4). Step "away from your cellular phone" for 1 day and find out how you respond. Is a cellphone that much different than a video game? Exactly why is one an addiction and the other one is simply a habit?

I spoke with Ben Dressler, the moviemaker who made /AFK come to life.

What was the process like creating the movie, and from his point of view, what message was it wanting to relay to gamers and those telling so-called "addicts" they must stop:

JHS: What inspired you to make the script? Did you feel like you liked to write something which could speak "for all WOW players?"

2 things. First of all, the feeling that no person had ever done this in the past. I believe it is truly unusual that you have a concept that's kind of unique and not actually out there. When I first saw Memento I was so blown away that after a long time of filmmaking, someone could still come up with something so inventive. And even though we were not the first to combine real live action and video game video clips, I don't know of any movie who achieved it to the extent that we did.

Second, I wanted to have a stand for video gaming. I have been playing games since I was a child and I struggled for many years with individuals who thought online games were brainless and action games made you violent. I considered this an opportunity to show some insight into what gaming can really cover - passion, companionship and experiences you cannot get in real life.

JHS: In your own point of view, why do people desire to put down the "gamer" lifestyle?

I actually believe that they just don't know much better. The main character in /AFK says at some point: It is not just me sitting in front of a coloured window." But that is precisely what individuals see every time they see someone "game." They don't see what you think, feel or even experience while you play. I have had a lot of individuals that observed me play WoW and believed it was really boring. But when I let them play for an hour or more, they would buy the game themselves. Thankfully, people who have gaming experience will grow into important positions such as journalism or politics. So eventually that inclination to look down on gamers will diminish from society, I'm very optimistic on that.

JHS: You mentioned you basically had no budget because you could not make some money from the film, What kind of restrictions did that put on you as a moviemaker?

Since I knew there would not be a budget from the beginning, I could focus on writing a script that would deal with not many characters as well as locations. We had five days of shooting for a 25 minute film with a very small crew. And since I didn't want to rush the actors very much, there was short amount of time left for the camera and lighting unit. We also couldn't afford to buy plenty of props so we needed to work with everything we got in our homes. The room of the main character is actually made of geek stuff from ten people combined.

It basically came down to pulling lots of favors and utilizing to the very best what was already there. I do think if you choose to work with that restriction, it will easily lead to new, creative ways of telling your story. Although I recently read that German filmmakers particularly get into Hollywood mainly because they can make low-cost movies that look like expensive movies. Well, that is flattering, isn't it?

JHS: What would you tell individuals who deal with people asking them to "quit video games."

It's really hard to give a general answer to that one because it depends on the situations. Normally I would recommend to try and make those people know very well what gaming means to you. Determine why they believe games are stupid and show that you understand them also and take their concerns seriously. Do not just plunge to retaliation mode. When I was in college, I used to talk to my parents about the games I was looking forward to play and what I found enjoyable about them. Usually I could get them to relate to that in some way.

JHS: According to the insufficient success of a few major motion pictures, it seams very challenging to take the concept of a video game and turn it into a movie - with few films making an effort to "get into" the life of BEING a gamer. What was your experience in this regard?

I think there are two kinds of game movies... Adaptations and Sci-Fi movies. Adaptations are nearly always awful OR just solid action movies with the game's name in the title... And so yeah, there's hardly any films about real gamers - to be honest I cannot name a single one. And I am somewhat in wonder about that!

But it's hard, and I do think that the people who make it need to know video games as completely as films....My point is that to truly learn from Video Games as a medium, filmmakers have to understand how a game tells its story, what can be translated and what things can not.

JHS: What does WOW provide that hardly any other game on the face of the earth offers?

In all honesty - there are a couple of games on earth I have not played yet! However, I think that WoW did and does an incredible job at making hardcore gaming available to lots of individuals. Way back in EverQuest days, MMORPGs were a very exclusive genre that even most gamers did not know or care about. These days you will raid with people who wouldn't even look at themselves a genuine gamer. And yeah, maybe that is a bit of pioneer work that no other game can repeat again.

Puzzle Games Are Great for Kids!

As children grow, they need to be exposed to different situations that will help them develop creative skills and critical thinking. The parents can achieve this by the use of puzzle games, which are not only witty and creative but also fun and exciting to play. The kids will find a wide number of them on the internet and they can select the ones that will give them the mental exercises they need.

Mathematics Puzzles
These types of games are set on mathematics and they are designed to provide the kids with the chance to solve various types of mathematical problems. Some of them will deal with the basic operations such as addition, subtraction, division and multiplication, and the kids will be required to use them in a correct sequence in order to solve a problem presented to them. Other problems that the kids can solve using them include geometrical problems and arithmetic.

Develop critical thinking
Some of these puzzle games are logical and others are set in a logic-grid pattern and will require the kids to figure out the best answers to the different situations, set out a pattern by use of clues and others. There are quite a number of these online and the kids will need to reason well in order to come up with the best solution to the different situations that they are provided with.

Playing
In order to get the kids interested in these puzzle games, it is recommended that the parents start out with simple and fun ones. This is important because, when they start with the tough questions, they will stress the child out and their interest in them will subside or completely fade away. Fortunately, they are available for different ages of kids and parents will find many simple and interesting ones to introduce the child to.

Once the children have shown their interest, they can now start checking out others levels or versions. They can also engage their children and encourage them to select the ones that they like the most. In doing this, they will be offering the children the control over them and thus facilitate the development of these skills. They can also take part in these plays, and offer their children the support they need as they learn. When they do so, they will not only make their children relaxed but also give them a fresh mindset to handle different situations while having fun at the same time.

Sniper Elite Nintendo Wii Review

There have been a lot of similar themes of shooters and shooting games available online and the sniper elite is a welcome addition to these World War II games. Similar to the other WWII games, you play an elite American sniper disguised as a soldier, who was sent into the dangerous conflict that mushroomed between the Russians and Germans.

The mission you have to accomplish is to thwart Stalin from gaining into the nuclear research, which will be used by Germany to produce the atom bomb. This game is considered as one of the most realistic shooting games to date, as it takes advantage of the Nintendo Wii's precise control system where each gesture, attack, and movement, are perfectly timed.

The game features training on sniper techniques that is specialized and weapon selections shown in details. It can be played singly or in pairs where challenges vary from third person, binocular or sniper modes. It comprises 28 action-packed missions and you can choose from 4 difficulty settings namely Rookie, Cadet, Marksmen, and Sniper Elite.

Sniper elite Wii takes another method in the struggling scramble of fighting along the beaches and combating the Nazis. Being a sniper who is a professional shooter does not simply mean coming out of the war-torn area wearing the wrong colour of uniform but someone requiring a more skilled stance.

This game necessitates one to have a lot of patience because you are an elite sniper and not just an ordinary warrior. If you are one dedicated marksmen in this game of war, you will gain a lot of satisfaction from this long but challenging campaign.

The WWII game Sniper Elite happened during the close of war in the year 1945, focusing on the conflict between Russia and Germany fighting for power over Berlin. The NKVD, which is the secret service of Russia, is presently in town about to take the atomic-bomb technology away from the hands of the German Army.

Your mission is to put a halt to this, because once the nuclear weapon technology is taken by Stalin's forces, this will mean danger for the whole world. Because you are a trained sniper of the American OSS, you are expected to be the best one to stop the NKVD operations at all costs while masquerading as a German soldier.

The single-player campaign is long as it involves 28 missions in a variety of different though very similar settings of war. The missions include killing high-ranking officials, taking away secret documents, liberating captured allies, and murdering the bad guys.

This will take about 12 hours or more to complete and after finishing all the optional objectives by taking time to set up all your shots instead of shooting recklessly, the game will easily take up as much time.

When it is played carefully, a single level can take more than an hour to complete. Stealth actions are well executed and the game does a great job of building up the sense of tension from the snooping around and picking of at the enemy grounds. The tension will fade into monotony making you wish you could move on as soon as possible.

Video Game Testing: Is It Legitimate?

Many people would love to have a career as a video game tester. Have you seen the movie 'Grandma's Boy'? It looks like an awesome job! But are jobs like that really out there or is it just a scam? Many people hear about scams like these and dismiss this job as being non-existent.

And whilst 80% of jobs sent by email or posted on the Internet are scams, the good news is that 20% of them are real. And yes, you do get paid. The even better news is that you don't need any previous experience, only a love of playing video games. All console platforms such as Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo and even PC require testing.

So Who Pays for the Video Game Testing?

All companies require their games to be tested, whether they are new or still in beta testing mode. The reason? If they don't get tested, then errors, glitches or bugs may occur in their games. Did you know that before Halo 3 was released; over one thousand testers were required to test the game? A small glitch could cost millions of dollars to gaming companies. As a result, they need gamers like you and me to test them and of course, they pay for our time!

How Can I avoid Scams and Get a Real Opportunity?

The best way is to ask around. Join forums and gaming communities and interact with other gamers. Check video game developer websites and look for vacancies. One must also remember that you should not pay for the opportunity to test a game. After all, you are providing them with the service!

The thing that you need to remember is that you will struggle to make it to the big gaming companies initially. If you receive an email or offer, chances are it will be a scam. Why? Big companies will not risk their million dollar launches on a new video game tester. The most common job will be for some low key company with a small budget and small pay. You will need to work your way up the ladder, but the long climb can definitely be worth the wait!

Minecraft Is an Intense Combination of Creativity, Suspense and Adventure

Minecraft is one of those games that will make you feel that you don't want to stop playing. There seems to be some kind of a magnet that attracts you to continue playing. If you haven't started playing this game, try it now for you to experience what I am saying.

The game is about utilizing Lego blocks to build anything from your imagination that lets you create wonderful but composite structures to the seventh heaven and when night falls, the zombies will attack and you should have some place to seek shelter to protect yourself. Minecraft is a game that is complete. It has a battle part that allows you to accumulate weapons to use it to fight off the block zombies who attack at night and there is also a part that you have to do some traveling around.

The player has to gather materials and build up possessions before you get to begin. You have to unite these fundamentals in the technique's set of choices and to stay away from being at the mercy of the zombies during the nighttime can be a whole and fun learning experience.

There is a tutorial that is included in the game itself and a whole lot of available video tutorials online and even Minecraft fan forums, genuine game reviews and walkthroughs which you can consult in case you want to know more about the game or simply needs some help when you are mystified. There is an amazingly wide and huge fan following for this game.

You will surely be fascinated once you get the feel of the game. It is a magnificent game in an honest-to-goodness opinion. Minecraft permits you to produce almost everything you can possibly imagine as long you have the persistence and the drive to complete one. You can use all the essential fundamentals that you can find and you can make any item like tools and even high rise structures in a really amazing way.

Like any other game, the player has a limited number of lives which you have to conserve and you have to build an efficient shelter for the zombies will surely attack when nighttime falls and you should avoid being one of them. You can also do some mining, but like any other miner, you should be careful not to be trapped or eaten alive by the monsters.

With Minecraft, it is perfect for those gamers who are looking for an intelligent game but with the combination of action, horror, suspense and adventure. You will surely enjoy playing this intense game where you can use your imagination and creativity and at the same time enjoy and relax. This game is truly a work of art and an innovation like no other.

Will There Ever Be A Fable 2 PC Version?

Since the release of the smash hit sequel, Fable 2, fans have been wondering if there will ever be a Fable 2 PC version. With the release of Fable 3 on consoles in 2010 and the impending release of the third game on PC in 2011, many fans are still left wondering. If the developer hasn't already done it now, is there a hope of ever seeing a PC port of Fable 2?

When the original Fable game was released onto the console platform, it was extremely successful. So successful in fact, that developers decided they need to port the game over to the PC platform to take full advantage of that success. The sequel to the game, Fable 2, was eventually released on the console platform as well. As was the successful Fable 3, which also had a PC version.

To this day, Fable 2 still does not have a PC version of the game. In 2009 developers of the game, Lionhead, stated that they would essentially be forced to do a PC port of the sequel as well due to its massive success. However, a member of the Lionhead development team indicated that the team was not working on a PC port of the game, despite what the company officially stated.

If Fable 2 never has a PC version, it wouldn't be the first time that a successful game series abandoned a platform mid-series. When the original Gears of War game was released it came out on multiple console platforms. It was very successful and the developers decided to make a version of the game for the PC. However, when they began working on Gears of War 2 and eventually released, Epic stated that they had no plans of ever porting the game over from the console platform to the PC.

There have been several attempts by fans to create an emulated or full PC version of the game for the computer. Most of these attempts have met with limited or no success. There are many sites online that claim to have created an emulated version, but they are extremely hard to come by if not non-existent.

This leaves many fans to believe that if the developer hasn't come out with a Fable 2 PC version by now then they probably never will. Since Fable 3 has already been released there is probably little interest for the developer in going back in the series. The money will be moving forward and creating Fable 4. Hopefully, that incarnation of the game will be available on both the console and the PC to keep the remaining PC fans happy.

Online Avatar Games

Many people oftentimes enjoy playing online games that revolve around a particular character. This is especially true of cartoon characters who have a lot of popularity amongst a wide variety of different people.

In the past, it was really difficult to play online avatar games given the fact that there were not that many companies who would even think of creating a game of this nature. The vast majority of game creation resources went to creating large console type games that would appeal to a mass audience.

However, the advent of individual programmers being able to work on the Internet to create gaming environments that would meet their own unique needs really opened up the door for a lot of possibilities as it relates to games that revolve around a particular character.

What you need to realize is that these individuals often collaborate with other similarly situated individuals who either have an ability to create graphics or to program. This collaboration oftentimes would result in an online avatar game that was both incredibly fun to play and a truly did pose a challenge to the creators. When we talk about a challenge, we are talking about a creative challenge.

Today, it is not unusual for there to be various websites where you can find links to a wide variety of different online avatar games. You may not necessarily be the kind of person who would find this type of game interesting or enjoyable, but there is a reasonable chance that somebody you know would likely find this type of game to be incredibly fun to play on a regular basis.

Fans enjoy playing these games because of the amount of action and adventure involved in Avatar's journey. Most flash variations allow you to play as the main character (Avatar) where you must take on an adventure to beat is rival Prince Zuko. Not to worry, you are given special powers to help you on your journey in these fun adventure games.

Not all variations are action and adventure however, you will find that a good majority of them are also fighting games and even puzzle games. These are also fun to play as they involve a lot of strategy which makes them very challenging.

It is certainly the type of game you should consider playing yourself if you are somebody who has a lot of time during the day. It is also a great type of game to play if you are somebody who has a fixed schedule and need to take breaks from time to time to break up the monotony of whatever kind of work you are doing.

At this point, it is highly unlikely that we are going to see a reversal of this trend anytime soon. The Internet has truly created an environment where people can get together and collaborate to create some truly remarkable around the world.

Go ahead and try playing avatar games yourself, you may be pleasantly surprised by just how much fun this type of game can be to play.

What Is Fun About Free Online Games?

Free online games come to be a much more popular field of gaming. The most important explanation for this is most probably the typically very simple, but addicting game principles. It is a fact that the most critical aspect of a game is its concept, rather than the most up-to-date and greatest graphics is well known - bring to mind "Tetris" for example.

Lots of casual game developers offer their works cost-free to the open public, and you can find some spectacular highlights among them. An important benefit of these free games would be the fact they are free to play. If you're searching for a way to spend some fun hours without paying a lot of cash, free online games are just perfect for you.

The convenience could not be simpler - annoying and time-consuming downloads aren't necessary. This makes free online games perfectly suited for some enjoyable minutes in the lunch break or at another person´s laptop, without needing to clutter that system with any unwanted software program. All you need is a webbrowser of your choice, and also a somewhat up-to-date installation of the Adobe Flash Player software. However both is found on just about any modern home pc.

Free online games cover every game type you can imagine: From classic jump and run games and role playing games and strategy games or skill- and puzzle games, everything is possible. Everyone should be able to discover a game that suits his taste. The pure number of different games on the net helps with this too.

One may wonder, what interest does a game maker have to have his creation published free of charge? The reply to this really is found in the advertisements that are usually shown around the game, or even as the game is loading. The earnings of the shown advertising enables game developers and publishers to maintain the games cost-free.

The awesome variety, in addition to the free and simple accessibility makes FREE GAMES ONLINE a good way the ideal choice if you are looking for fun without much efforts.

If you're a freelancing developer in the Flash programming language, there are numerous internet websites that will eagerly pay to be able to publish good flashgames. Adobe provides a free 30 day trial of their Flash Software, and that is needed to develop flash applications, and isn't to be confused with the flash player that is needed to display finished flash products.

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