Virtual Ping Pong

Kenneth L. White asked:


 

When it comes to pre-ordering nowadays you have no choice. In most cases if you don’t pre-order your favorite video game, you will not have it on its release date. Don’t go through the same thing that I went through, going from game store to game store, trying to find my favorite game because I didn’t pre-order!

The whole process of pre-ordering is something that the entire video game industry utilizes. From the game developers to the console makers to the video game stores to the department stores. The video game industry is a billion dollar industry that is getting bigger and bigger everyday. The whole process starts with the Electronic Entertainment Expo or E3. They hold this convention every year and from there the game developers get an idea how much anticipation they can expect from an upcoming title. From there it goes to the numerous video games magazines that promote that particular game. That game and many others are promoted in these magazines, these same magazines are read by the millions of video game junkies in the U.S. and the world and that in turn draws up more anticipation for the game.

The console makers vie for distribution of the game. If the game has garnered enough attention then these console makers try to get sole distribution of this game for their particular console. This is sometimes hit or miss. Take for example the hugely popular video game “Grand Theft Auto”. This game was available only on Playstation and they benefited from it immensely. But now the Xbox 360 has jumped into the ring and Microsofts’ baby has become more and more influential in the industry. Because of this, Rockstar, the makers of Grand Theft Auto have allowed the Xbox 360 into the grand hall of Grand Theft Auto. That means more money for Rockstar, more money for Playstation, more money for Xbox 360. All this from pre-ordering.

The attention and anticipation that the game gets directly relates to the pre-order status of the game. What I mean is whether or not the game will be available on game day. The video game stores order a predetermined amount for the stores stock. Sometimes they have a game or two left in stock. Sometimes they don’t. You won’t have to worry about this if you pre-order. When you pre-order, they make sure that your copy of the game is at the store before they sell off the extra copies. This is the beautiful thing about the whole pre-order process. This is something that starts months in advance.

Normally you pre-order with a small amount, usually about 5 dollars. This saves your copy of the game. Once the release date eventually comes then all you have too do is go to the store and pick up your copy that you pre-ordered. Hopefully you paid the entire thing off, that way you won,t have to worry about paying the balance of that game on game day. (There is nothing better than walking up to the counter, showing your receipt, and walking away with your copy of a game that you have been waiting for from anywhere from six months to a year.) Now if you don’t pre-order then you have to hope that the store has an extra copy of the game for you. If they don’t then you have to go from store to store hoping, wishing and praying that the next store has a extra copy of the game! Don’t go through this, just pre-order the game! It’s only five dollars!

Ken White writes on various video game related subjects. If you want to read more visit my blog, Unlimited game Downloads

http://klw5200-unlimitedgamedownloads.blogspot.com

Joaquin Reveron asked:


Supposed distributors of the PlayStation 3 are popping up across the internet. But many of them are very dubious in their origins. Who can you trust, and who should you avoid?

One of the golden rules of shopping applies here: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Treat any distributor claiming to offer advance order of wholesale-priced Playstation 3 with the contempt they deserve, and keep your money well away from them.

The PS3 market is a particular minefield. In principle, it sounds as though it makes sense: everybody knows the PlayStation 3 is going to be sold out almost as soon as it arrives, so why not pay in advance to get to the queue?

Well, that is how it would work if all the distributors were honest. But some have been offering orders that are not worth the investment they are written on. They have been selling advance promises of delivery that are not been guaranteed by Sony. That means if you order in advance from any high priced gaming distributor, you may very likely not receive your PlayStation 3 until 2007, when supply will finally be able to meet demand.

Now, there are some honest distributors out there. One way to find them is to stick with the big name companies. These have a lot more reputation to lose if they cheat their customers, so they are likely to be a little more careful about promising more than they can deliver.

Still, that is not enough. If you do decide to place an advanced order, you will want to ask a few questions. Ask how many PlayStation 3 units Sony is going to ship to that retailer in the first batch, not overall and check that every order are guaranteed to be filled from this number. You can also check that you will be given a refund if they fail to provide you with a PlayStation 3 on the date promised.

Finally, here are a few other scams to avoid. Be very cautious of auctions of the PlayStation 3 or elsewhere. During past console launches the site has been flooded with carefully-worded auctions apparently selling the console, but in fact offering nothing more than an empty box.

Others have sold guarantees that turn out to be entirely worthless. But keep your eyes peeled, do not believe everything you read, and you might just be able to find a good PlayStation 3 distributor.

Denise Villani asked:


Who says that your PlayStation 3 entertainment has to stop, the minute you step out of your home. By connecting your PlayStation Portable to your PS3, you can enjoy your PS3 even when you are not at home. The fun does not have to stop, as there are many ways in which, you can enjoy your PS3 outside your home.

Connect It to Your PSP

First, you will have to learn how to connect your PlayStation Portable to your PlayStation 3. By the way, if you do not have a PSP, it is time you got yourself one. There is nothing much to the connection. Just follow the guidelines in the booklet, and in no time you will be able to play your PS3 video game in you garden.

Once you are connected, you can play your favorite games anywhere. You do not have to be just lazing around in the garden. Therefore, while you are enjoying the sun, you can try your hands on the new Grand Theft Auto PlayStation 3 game.

Playing Games

Those of us, who are really into video gaming, know how hard it is to let go of a new game. You want to try each and every level. You do not want to let go, until the time you have finished all the levels. Now you can connect your PSP to your PlayStation 3 and play the game whenever you can. You can play it while traveling in a bus, while attending a birthday party, or while on a break. The quality of games on your PSP is really good and you would love the flexibility that it offers.

Enjoying Your Music and Movies

With PSP and PlayStation 3 connection, you not only get to enjoy your games anywhere and anytime, you can also enjoy movies and music, while on the go. Carry your PSP in your garden and you can enjoy music from your PS3. You can also enjoy DVD movies on your PSP. Therefore, you can see that you can actually carry your entertainment, wherever you go.

With PSP and PlayStation 3 connectivity, entertainment never stops. To begin with, PlayStation 3 is such a futuristic entertainment system, in addition, it is really a complete media center. With PSP connectivity, you get to enjoy your PS3, whenever you want to. The ability to enjoy your PS3 music, games, and movies outside your home is what really attracts everyone to PS3.

We all know that PlayStation 3 comes with innovative technology. Those who own a PS3 can vouch for it good performance. Sony has come up with a game console that is designed to capture the market. With PSP and PS3 connectivity, Sony has given another reason, for consumers to opt for a PS3.

Sean Tan asked:


The worst part of the Sony’s PlayStation Movable (PSP) is that you cannot play all formats of discs on it in the way it is purchased from the department store. You can play only discs that are in the Worldwide Media Disc (UMD) format, and these discs are costlier than the average discs available. So, if you want to watch the movies in your existing DVD assemblage on the PSP, it is not possible. You can not even play games from your old collection on this Playstation Portable. So, what do you do? Do you chuck out all the stupendous SEGA and Atari games you played on your GameBoy and Nintendos? Indeed not! There is a way by which you can make your PSP compatible with all these games, and much more! And that is, the PSP firmware downgrade!

Let us see what a PSP firmware downgrade actually does. The earlier versions of the Playstation Portable were compatible with all kinds of disc formats, such as DVDs. However, as newer and newer versions of the PSP began hitting the markets, they stopped using all formats. This happened after the version 1.50 and for this reason, the version of PSP 1.50 is called the original or classic Playstation Portable in some places. Now, if you have a PSP version higher than 1.50, then you can play only UMDs on it, according to the way Sony has programmed it. It is attractive to note that the UMDs are also a Sony product, and so by this Sony is ensuring a higher peripheral profit from the PSP.

But when we do a PSP firmware downgrade, we are pulling down the version of the PSP. That is, from a higher version we are taking it back to 1.50. This can be done in as less as ten minutes, with nothing more than a USB cable and a computer. However, it must be told that versions above 3.03 of the Playstation Portable cannot be downgraded yet.

So, when the PSP firmware downgrade is done, the PSP gets ‘unlocked’ to play discs of all formats. You can play all your Atari, Nintendo and SEGA games on this now, and plus you can play all the movies from your old collection. In addition, the Playstation Portab that has undergone a PSP firmware downgrade to the version 1.50 can store your files of movies and music, and you can play them whenever you want. And, as if that were not all, the downgraded PSP can be used to download and play all kinds of games that were not possible in the way the PSP was marketed by Sony.