The video game industry is soon to undergo a serious change. A change that many feel is for for the better.

Currently video game manufacturers and publishers usually sign what is called an exclusive agreement. What this means is the video game hardward manufacturer, such as XBox, PS3, WII, etc. has the sole rights for that publisher`s particular game.

However this trend of exclusive deals may be coming to an end. In the November issue if Electronic Gaming Monthly, Evan Van Zelfden says, "that the agreements between game publishers and hardware makers called as third-party exclusives may be ceased in the future." Van Zelfden explains further, "that more publishers and developers were willing to create computer games that can be used for different gaming platforms such as Nintendo Wii, Sony Playstation, and Xbox 360 than giving an exclusive license to only one platform."

Not having an exclusive license allows publishers to develop a video game for multiple platforms. Van Zelfden agrees, "their games would have a wider market if it will be available in multiplatform versions."

It may be a while before the entire industry jumps on this "bandwagon" however there are a couple of games on the way. The games that would soon launch in multiplatform versions include "Devil May Cry 4" and "Grand Theft Auto IV".

Keep an eye out on this trend and the games that will be hitting the market soon. Soon you will no longer have to buy just the XBox to get a certain game and so on.

By: Michael C. Podlesny

• The State of the Video Game Industry
• You Have a Great Idea for a Video Game – What Should You Do?
• Xbox Shooter Game

There once was a time when RTS games were archaic and simple, which was not that long ago to be quite frank, but things have changed quite dramatically in a very short time. Real time strategy video games for your PC are starting to move up in quality allowing the players to wage all out war on the web with large scale battlefields and impressive graphics. Of course, some games are better than others, but there is a new one called Supreme Commander that is a level above the rest.

When it was released on February 20th, 2007 by Gas Powered Games, Supreme Commander was received with great expectations. The long-awaited release has finally arrived and it has proven that this RTS video game is everything it was promised to be and more. Players can engage in multiple land, air and sea battles at the same time as they transport troops via large aircraft, send devastating air attacks with bombers, descend upon their enemies with tank divisions or even wipe out an enemy position with a nuclear weapon.

Just a decade ago RTS games were still in their infancy. The internet was something that could only be accessed via relatively slow telephone lines. Real time interaction was slow and primitive. Early games just did not have the benefit of advanced technology such as fast computers and broadband internet connections.

Although early RTS video games were fun, they were not very impressive in terms of style. Technology just could not keep up with the creative concepts of the designers of these games. The earnest players of these early games did not mind though, because they were just happy to step out of the pre-determined format of Playstation, Nintendo, and Xbox games.

In the beginning RTS games offered a new format where you could actually be part of the game as well as the process of the outcome. Gamers were just glad to be doing something new, different and challenging. After all, these were games that you could access on the internet and do battle with people from all over the world! That alone was impressive for the time.

Until recently, RTS video games were more about doing battle with economics and tactics than they were about using complex strategies to wage war on a large scale. Supreme Commander is a whole different story for it gives PC game players a game with incredibly large scale battlefields.

While it is set in the far-away future, Supreme Commander uses modern warfare tactics and strategies to wage war. There are three factions of humans left and they are all fighting for something different. The United Earth Federation believes in order and empire, the cybernetic Cybran group is fighting for independence and the alien-enlightened Aeon group is seeking to liberate the Universe.

In the past, bigger is better has not always been the idea in mind for the developers of RTS video games. But that has changed now that technology has improved greatly.

Supreme Commander embraces the idea of vastness like a Park Ranger in Alaska. There are large scale battlefields that average 20km x 20km in size, and some that are an incredibly large size of 81km x 81km!

This game does offer somewhat complex strategy possibilities, but it is first and foremost about scale. Players can devise plans that involve creating large armies that can fight simultaneously across huge areas. While it is mostly about size, the challenging gameplay has a variety of victory scenarios along with exhilarating multi-player action that plays out like a Monopoly game with lethal weapons.

With all the recent publicity that Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 have received regarding their impressive new technological advances, it is good to see that real time strategy video games on the web are keeping pace with them. While some games are better than others Supreme Commander is at the top of the list. The large scale battlefields this game offers is quite impressive as it allows the players to wage all out war with multiple armies at the same time.

Size is the most impressive aspect, but it also offers complex gameplay with multiple scenarios for victory. Also, the fast pace in which the action plays out will challenge even the most adept cyber warriors.

• You Have a Great Idea for a Video Game – What Should You Do?
• Xbox Shooter Game
• Xbox Game Fps

Popularity has been multiplying with Video Games every since the initial
gaming system was brought forth some time ago and their popularity continues to grow
today. Some of these gaming systems have now reached a third level of
installment, these gaming systems are still achieving mass popularity with
adults as well as youngsters.

These gaming systems have also become very popular all over the world,
with the release of each new system that is introduced upon the marketplace. These
gaming systems have become so popular with buyers due to all of the
exciting games that are offered with their respective systems, which include video games
in the category of horror, action, sports, and many more.

Owning a video game system brings individuals a compelling game experience that brings video
gaming to brand new levels of thrills. Some systems also provide health benefits.
Can you put getting fit and playing Nintendo Wii in the same sentence?
For so many years playing video games and being a sofa surfer went hand in hand.
Also, there is the parents who worry about the kids sitting in front of the TV
playing games instead of enjoying playing outside.

The Nintendo Wii has changed all that. Would you also believe that it has changed the way parents, physicians and personal trainers now think? Well, how could this even be possible? It simply combines the fun and excitement of playing video games with the health benefits of exercise. Even adults are now addicted on playing Nintendo Wii as well as their kids. This could be the coolest thing to ever come out of the video game universe.

• The Popularity Of Video Game Systems Around The World
• You Have a Great Idea for a Video Game – What Should You Do?
• Xbox Shooter Game

We live in an age where it is not unusual to see signs online saying VIDEO GAME TESTERS WANTED! We are fortunate to have opportunities to work from home and get paid great money to do what we love doing! If you love gaming and want to answer one of these video game tester wanted ads, then this article is for you!

I saw a video game testers wanted ad over a year ago and as you can probably imagine i could not believe it, it was like a dream coming true! And as it turned out it was NOT true and the dream quickly turned into a nightmare. I got scammed...big time!

The video game testers wanted ad i saw was for a free program claiming to be able to get me contracts with the biggest names in the gaming industry such as Microsoft, they did not want any money (at first) just my usual details, after about a week they started telling me they need $20 to file my application with Microsoft,then $10 to register me with the international gaming community, this went on and on, i ended up spending over $100 and wasted about a month of my time!

Eventually, after a lot of research i realised that i had to join a PROFESSIONAL video game testing community, (i've put a link to one of the nets best below!) When you join you are helped step by step to set up your video game testing career, the $40 membership fee is a small fee to pay to start a new career where you will be making a minimum of $20-$150 from home an hour! Video game testers wanted is for real just make sure you join a Pro Membership Program to avoid being scammed like i was!

• You Have a Great Idea for a Video Game – What Should You Do?
• Xbox Shooter Game
• Xbox Game Fps

Since AdWords was launched in 2001, Google has expanded to image ads, video ads, and print ads, and has frequently been rumored to be entering radio and television. While many think that television ads (ala Spot Runner) could be Google's next major move, they may be neglecting a potentially larger opportunity: in-game video game advertising.

Earlier this year Massive Incorporated, a video game advertising network, announced a landmark deal with Major League Baseball and 2K Sports to provide dynamic advertising in the popular video game Major League Baseball 2K6. According to their press release, "Massive's Network and technology allow MLB Advanced Media and 2K Sports titles to leverage dynamic advertising for ever-fresh brand messaging in their games, mirroring the rapidly changing and expanding advertising opportunities in the live action sports industry."

Why Should Google Care?

The Entertainment Software Association put U.S. sales of video game hardware and software at $7.3 billion back in 2004, a figure that rivals Hollywood box office revenue. In-game video game advertising is nothing new for the booming game industry - large companies have been buying static advertisements in games for years. What is new is the expansion of online gaming into the mainstream. Once reserved for only PC Gamers, console gamers have now discovered a whole new world of competition over a broadband connection.

In a recent interview with TechNewsWorld, EA's John Schappert, who oversees the largest interactive game studio in the world, was asked about in-game advertising: "In-game ad integration is a growing business where we see both advertisers and consumers looking for more. It's an additional revenue stream that is still small, but growing. There's the potential for scalability in this area with dynamically-served ads. It's still in the early stages [in terms of] how in-game ads will grow in significance."

Starting with Microsoft's Xbox and Sony's PS2, and continuing into the next generation of online gaming with Microsoft's Xbox 360, Nintendo's Wii, and Sony's PS3, it has become a virtual certainty that nearly all gamers will be playing while connected to a broadband connection. With that broadband connection comes an advertising opportunity that's hard to ignore.

Is History Repeating Itself?

The potential flaw in what Massive Incorporated does is that their ad network still only includes the large advertisers. Massive's website gives no specific information regarding how to purchase advertising, only mentioning that "blue-chip" advertisers can work with their "veteran" sales team to start an account. I think it's safe to say that small businesses aren't their target market. So while they are implementing dynamic ads, those ads are still only affordable to larger businesses. Anyone familiar with internet advertising can see the potential for history to repeat itself.

Way back in 1996, long before Overture (now Yahoo! Search Marketing) and Google AdWords, a company called DoubleClick pioneered website advertising. Their downfall, however, was that they required a formal sales contract, limiting their potential client base to only large companies. Overture and AdWords made it easy for the small advertiser and small site owner to participate in their ad networks, essentially opening their service to anyone on the web. Several years later, one would think that Google is keeping a watchful eye on what's going on over at Massive Incorporated. Massive may be the first to enter the market, but it's hard to ignore the fact that the small business owner remains shut out. Could Google make Massive the next DoubleClick?

How Would Google Do It

There's no doubt that with the best programmers in the world Google is capable of developing and improving upon the technology that Massive has. It's also not hard to imagine advertisers paying per thousand impressions (PPM) for their text or image ads to be shown in specific games, much like they do now for specific sites. The tough part for Google, however, would be the distribution of those ads.

As opposed to signing up websites to display their ads by copying some code on to their site, Google would have to work with game programmers throughout the development process. This would be much more time consuming and would be a much larger risk for Google. In the same way that Massive signed the contract with 2K, Google would have to sign large contracts with game developers and work with them for several months to integrate their ads.

This enforces the fact that the main difference between what happened with DoubleClick and what could happen with video games is that it would probably be more work for Google to distribute their ads over multiple channels (i.e. more games). Since each game is programmed differently, there is no game equivalent to the JavaScript used in all AdSense ads. Every game would need to be tailored to Google's ad network individually. Difficult: yes. Impossible for Google: no way.

When Will They Do It?

In my opinion it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. The potential revenue from the gaming industry is too big for Google to ignore. Oh, and if you still aren't convinced, consider this: Microsoft, one of Google's main competitors, also produces the Xbox 360. If Microsoft decided to integrate their newly launched adCenter into Xbox games, would it really surprise anyone if Google countered by announcing a deal with Sony or Nintendo to integrate in-game dynamic advertising for the PS3 or the Wii?

• Playstation3: The Next Generation Of Video Game Systems
• You Have a Great Idea for a Video Game – What Should You Do?
• Xbox Shooter Game

Gone are the days when video games were just sources of fun, where players would be satisfied playing games and completing them from start to finish, marveling at the graphics on the path. This is the age of experimentation. The average video game player is becoming more and more daring, and is looking out to try out new things with his or her gaming consoles. This is no longer the age of cheats and walkthroughs; this is the age of tinkering with the gaming consoles themselves and making games more adventurous to play.

Several video game secret has been leaked out onto the Internet slowly but steadily about the popular video game consoles such as the Xbox, PlayStation and GameCube. Even most twelve-year old players nowadays know that they can copy their console games onto CDs and DVDs so that they can be played on the personal computer, or simply distributed to friends in return for other games. Howsoever, there are many more developed things that players do. They adapt their gaming consoles in such a way that it becomes possible for them to play their games on their projection televisions. This does need some knowledge and expertise, but the whole setup can be done very cheaply, within about $200.

Using emulator resources is not precisely a secret, but it can be counted as one because very few people decide about it. By making use of an emulator resource, you can play video console games directly on the personal computer. This is becoming a very popular trend among people who have consoles but are more skilful with their traditional personal computers.

Knowing a video game secret and then implementing it on the console has become a commonplace thing to do for gamers today. It does increase the fun they get out of the game and also increase the replay value for the games. And also, it satisfies their urge of experimentation. People are even writing e-books about them and putting them on the Internet for other gamers to know about them.

Howsoever, implementing a video game secret wrongly could damage the console irreversibly. Thus, it frequently does require a person who knows about consoles to put them to use. For example, it is easy to attune a console to a projection TV, but if it is done wrongly, there could be damage to either the console or the TV. For this reason why, it is needful to exercise some warning when applying such changes. Some players also try out funky things like making their controllers glow and things like that, which could damage the console controllers. In short, though you may know a video game secret, you must think twice before you exactly go ahead and apply it.

• You Have a Great Idea for a Video Game – What Should You Do?
• Xbox Shooter Game
• Xbox Game Fps

Maybe you have thought up a really neat and unique idea for a video game and you are thinking "If I can just get in touch with the right people I can sell it and make a lot of money.  And I get to see my idea turned into a game that people will play".

Well, that may be true, and it is possible to do but, to be honest, it is very unlikely. Developing a video game takes a lot of work. A typical game for today’s mass market takes a team of people two years and thousands of hours of work to create. There is a tremendous amount of work involved and much of this work is very creative which can be expensive.

Maybe all of that is a bit discouraging and if you really think you have an idea that is unique there are some things you can do and I will explain the steps and processes you can take to move your idea for a game out of the world of fantasy into the world of possibility.

The big obstacle to getting your idea made into a game is the question of who is going to do all that work? It is an important question. A group of people have to believe in the idea and have to do the work to take it from idea to reality, and generally you have to rely on yourself. If you believe in your idea you need to be the person that will spearhead the work and get it from idea to reality. If you can do this, and if your game is unique and different the rewards can be astonishing.

Three Possible Paths to Success

There are three possible ways to get a game made from your idea:

Get in touch with a heavy hitter in the game making industry and convince him or her that your game is worthwhile. He or she will then set the wheels in motion for your idea to be bought and developed. (This is highly unlikely although it has happened on rare occasions) Companies will occasionally buy video game ideas and keep them for future potential projects.

Get in touch with independent developers with game design skills and get them to come on board with your idea. You have the ability to allow them to patch together their time in developing your game. Gamedev.net is a good place to network and find people for this endeavor.

Spearhead the development yourself. Learn some basic game making skills and put together a group of people willing to spend time (and money) on your game. You become the evangelist for the game and the Project Manager. (This is the best option if you want to succeed and it answers the question of who is going to do all the work - You!)

Protecting your Idea

You probably have questions about your idea and how to protect it from being stolen. Well, I guess this is a possibility and maybe it has happened but it is unlikely. It goes back to the fact that it takes thousands of hours to take a game from idea to actual game and the number of unique ideas is relatively unlimited but here are some things you can do to get started in protecting yourself.

The Problem of Copyrighting Ideas

Ideas cannot be copyrighted! It sounds funny but it’s true. You can research this on the official government copyright website. So, just having an idea means you have very little. If you draw pictures of your game and hopefully develop your idea into a game you can get copyright for those things. In any case here is some help with protecting yourself.

Send yourself a letter!

Put together an exhaustive package of materials about your idea. Include a summary, pictures, drawings and anything else that will describe your idea then seal it in an envelope and mail it to yourself registered mail. When you receive it you sign for it but do not open it. Leave it sealed. This gives you an amount of legal protection that establishes a time line for your idea.

NDA's (Non Disclosure Agreements)

A Non disclosure agreement is a legal contract between two parties. In this case it is between you and the person you want to reveal your idea to. It can be a useful tool that will help you protect your rights. Generally it outlines the confidentiality of your idea and prohibits the other party from using the idea. If you are serious about your idea you should do some research on NDA's and even speak with a lawyer about them. Outside of the United States these agreements are often referred to as Confidentiality Agreements and sometimes they are referred to as Secrecy agreements or Confidential Disclosures (CD's).

Okay let’s get started with something solid you can do

No matter which of the three paths you want to travel down there are some things that you can do to get your idea rolling on its path toward becoming a real video game.

1.       Write out a very extensive overview of the game. Make it as detailed as possible. And put this in the package you mail to yourself!

2.       Draw up pictures and artwork of game scenes, characters, maps and anything else that is unique about the game. In effect you are creating a library of images in the game. Put this in your package too!

3.       Write up an executive summary - This is a one or two page summary of the game idea and it outlines the things that make it unique. This is your introduction to people in the gaming industry and it is the first thing you can give them so they get a grasp of your idea (of course you would get an NDA first!)

4.       Start your research into the game industry. Hang around forums where developers and game makers chat and start learning about what it takes to make a game. You can make some good contacts and there are hordes of people willing to give you solid advice and some help with your dream. gamedev.net is a great place to start

5.       Start learning how to make a video game! It is totally possible for a person with average computer skills to develop a single level of a game or a portion of a game. This can be used as a calling card and example for what the game would be about.

 

If you want to follow step number five and learn how to make your own game there are lots of resources available that will help you learn how to do it relatively inexpensively. With lots of perseverance you can even create the whole game yourself and have it ready for sale.

The Paragraph you might not want to read

Okay, after going through all of that I am glad to see you are still with me. But, if you are thinking all of this stuff about NDA's, sending letters, writing up summaries and putting together packages just seems like too much work then you can see my point about making a video game from your idea. It takes a lot of work and if you are not going to do the work why should somebody else? If you really think your idea is a great one then I recommend you find the time and the motivation to make it happen! Nothing worthwhile is ever easy and hey it is totally possible that your idea can someday be an actual game. Every game ever made first started out as just an idea.

 

 

• Xbox Shooter Game
• Xbox Game Fps
• Xbox Fps Game

During the early years of video games, it was incredibly popular for young children to go down to the Arcades and play video games.

In the modern ages, children now save themselves the journey of a five to ten minute walk and now easily plug in and play their desired games in their very own home.

Playing video games at home began in 1977 when the company, Atari, released their video game system, ‘VCS' (later known as Atari 2600) for a princely sum of $249. In the same year, Nintendo released their console, TV Game 6, to rival the Atari 2600.

Arcades were very popular in those days, as it still is in the modern world, as Midway released the first video game that could keep high scores.

It's name? The world-renowned ‘Space Invaders'.

In 1980, many classic arcade games were made. Video games such as Atari's ‘Asteroids' and Namco's ‘Pacman' which can now be easily played in handheld consoles such as the Nintendo DS.

By 1994, many sagas of Video Game history came and went. There was a Video Game Console market crash which made many companies pull out of the business leaving Nintendo, Sega and Atari - the leading competitors of the market.

In 1995, Atari pulled out of the market and a new competitor emerged - Sony - which would famously go on to lead the console market. In that year, Sony released the ‘Playstation' - a 32-bit CD-based video game console, Sega released the ‘Saturn' and Nintendo released the ‘Nintendo 64' which was the last video game console that used cartridge media.

By the year 2000, Sony had a firm grip on the Video Game Console market as it released the Playstation 2 with many loyal game developers such as Namco (Ridge Racer, Tekken) and selling over 100 million units. The Playstation 2 was the first console which was able to play games of its predecessor.

In the following years, Microsoft entered the market with the ‘Xbox', Nintendo released the ‘Gamecube'. Nintendo led the handheld console with the release of Gameboy Advance which could play Gameboy and Gameboy Color cartridges.

Sega eventually left the Console industry, happily residing to be a software-only designer.

Now in 2006, there seems to be a gradual switch of the market leader with Microsoft releasing their Next-Gen console faster than Sony and Nintendo.

The ‘XBox 360' features razor-sharp graphics and enables users to play online with each other. It was released at Christmas 2005 but many consoles were sent back to the manufacturers because of faulty parts.

The Sony Playstation 3 is set for launch on the November 2006 after the delay of its original release date Spring 2006 because of copyright complications. It is rumoured that there will be over 30 launch titles. It is also rumoured that Sony has invested over $800 million in development, research and production.

Nintendo will release its console ‘Revolution', now renamed as ‘Wii' (pronounced We) shortly after the PS3 with its release date being scheduled for Christmas 2006.

The end of 2006 will certainly entail some turning points in Video Game History.

• PSone System – Video Game Console
• Playstation System – Video Game Console
• Nintendo NES System – Video Game Console

Not trying to reveal my age, but I remember the day when video games were introduced and how excited I was playing the first version of games available. I barely could make out the choppy looking characters and graphics, but I didn't care, it was technology in the making that later in life showed me how much we have evolved in the video game market.

Moving forward into the new millennium, it's brought about many exciting changes for the video game industry. It's a great feature to be able to conveniently download your favorite games from the Internet right to your computer, and in my opinion, it has changed the face of gaming like I have never seen before!

Gamers from all over the world can click a few buttons and before you know it, the game of your choice is downloaded to your computer in minutes! Depending on how fast your Internet service is, and the speed of your computer, in most situations you can get games downloaded in a matter of seconds, and then you can play them immediately.

Challenge Video Game Players From All Over The World, And Who Knows Maybe From Beyond As Well!

Imagine playing other game enthusiasts that has access to these online games worldwide. This is another exciting option for you in this day and age of Internet gameplay! You and other players from all over the world can compete in the same video game no matter where you live on this planet! This is a great way to challenge yourself and others, plus meet great friends from other countries.

Downloads online are available through specialty gaming sites that let you to sign up and get access to start downloading and playing once you're a member. This concept provides an exciting and competitive multiplayer environment for the video game enthusiasts.

When A New Game Title's Released, You Can Be The First To Experience Them Online Before You Buy!

When many game releases that hit the stores for Nintendo, Playstation, and Gamecube, and many of the other major game platforms, you just don't know what you're getting in a game. The packaging looks good, the advertisements entice you to buy them, but when you start to play the video game you purchased, you may realize it was all hype and no substance.

This is another great feature when you download and play games online, you have an opportunity to play the latest and new video game releases, and this allows you to determine if you would like to purchase the select game or not. You can purchase and keep the ones you enjoy, and the games you don't, you save time by not having to go back to the store and try to get your money back.

If game playing is high on your list of favorite things to do, and you have access to a computer and Internet, consider downloading your favorite games to play, and experience the convenience and unique features that our new world of technology has given us.

• Xbox Shooter Game
• Xbox Game Fps
• Xbox Fps Game

There is nothing like taking a trip to your childhood than finding the old video game systems. Systems like Atari 2600, Nintendo, and Commodore 64 probably controlled your childhood. Although it is difficult to track them down, you can still find places to purchase video game systems from back in the day.

If you are looking to track down old video game systems in person, you will want to check with any and all video game stores near you. As mentioned, it will be difficult to find places that still sell them. But if you go through the phone book and call as many video game stores as you can, you are bound to find one that carries them.

While this is an option, it is not guaranteed that you will find the system you are looking for. The better option is to search online. There is a plethora of video game stores and entertainment sites online that can help you find what you are looking fore. As with looking in person, you probably will want to start with video game stores.

You can do a Google search for video game stores and find some of the larger ones on the internet. There are over 140 million results that come up when you type in the search for video game stores, giving you plenty of options to choose from. Some of the top results include Gamestop.com, Amazon.com, and many more.

The top result is a site that allows you to select what type of system you are looking for. On this site, you will find some of the old video game systems you are searching for including Atari 2600 and Colecovision. By clicking the system you want, it will direct you to all of the sites on the internet you can find it at. This is by far the best site you will find on the internet.

If you would like to narrow your search down even more, you can do a Google search for the particular system you are looking for. For instance, if you do a search for Atari 2600 the top result is Atari2600.com. This is an online supplier of all of your favorite Atari games and the system itself. You can do similar searches for any other video game system you want to track down.

While it is difficult to find old video game systems, it is certainly not impossible. You can sometimes even find them at garage sales and flea markets. But calling through the phone book and searching online will be your best options depending on whether you want to purchase it on the internet or in person.

• Video Game Systems – Then and Now
• The Popularity Of Video Game Systems Around The World
• Playstation3: The Next Generation Of Video Game Systems