Virtual Ping Pong

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


The word is that video games are more than just addicting toys that keep people from being responsible, productive members of society, have them cutting school, see them skipping work (or playing video games AT work), or turn them into violent war-mongers within weeks of playing the latest Doom or Laura Tomb Raider or Black and White or Myst.

I watched a show the other night that covered the shootings by two eleven year-olds of students and teachers at a remote grade school in Arkansas, I think it was. (The shootings at schools, by the way, have reportedly occurred only in small towns where guns were not an issue but a tool for sport and subsistence hunting.) The theory of too much influence on the part of video games was included in this hour-long documentary, as were the theories that pointed to music, the parents, and the social construct at large. But the emphasis on video games as culprit was focused on the violent games that reward violence. Not once did any “expert” speak to the middle eastern countries where for centuries they had no video games, didn’t have TV, computers, didn’t even have electricity, if you will…yet have slaughtered each other in decade- and century-long battles over whose god says whose land it is.

I digress. The benefits of video games are addressed. Games that require dexterity, linear thinking, and that make other complex demands on coordination, eyes, and the brain have been considered positive in the staving off of such progressive illnesses as Alzheimer’s.

Kids today get video games in the classroom, as auxiliary materials, or in learning environments after school that are designed based on the rationale that video games can help with skills such as the following:

Memorizing and remembering (intake and recall of information)

Inducing and deducing (critical thinking)

Recognizing patterns, solving problems, and mapping (organization and reasoning)

Video games also contribute to perseverance skills; socialization skills (simulating, as many games do, leadership, rule-following, and hierarchical ordering); motor skills; and assist in assuaging the difficulties and challenges of such disorders as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and helping elevate esteem and increase motivation and drive.

So I don’t know about you, but as a child of the decade when the first video game appeared, Pong, I never finished playing and went out into the world with the desire to whack someone ups side the head with a ping pong paddle. They say smart people play video games all the time and don’t, of course, use the activity as an excuse to kill. In fact, these people don’t kill. They are more likely busy competing online or too engrossed in the challenge of reaching their personal best…

Robert asked:


many reasons for you to use an online arcade to play your strategy games. I personally prefer online arcades because they provide a special breed of action that is hard to find these days. They allow great planning to mix with fast action. Battles can take up the span of a few minutes with good tactics rewarded with complete domination. This isn’t the only draw of an online strategy game though. There are benefits in the form of free entertainment and in sheer simplicity.

I do consider the speed of the games to be the real draw though. For the most part you will rarely have fast strategy in your hands like you will with an online arcade version. Setting up your defenses can take hours in a retail real times strategy game. It will take hours of campaign play to work through the story until you get to a really good fight.

This isn’t so online. Arcades are built for people who just want to kill a few minutes with simple play. This means that you will be faced with a full scale invasion as soon as the game starts. The whole thing will be a desperate fight that has your adrenaline rushing. This speed is great for someone who just wants some cool tactics without a whole lot of complications. Its for people who want a game, not a simulation.

Another big advantage is that online arcades are free. You can expect to pay a good chunk of change for any type of strategy game on the retail market. If you can get a similar experience for free, why wouldn’t you. There are obviously times when you will want to splurge for a good game, but you will probably want a chance to just play around with a free game for a few minutes too. You can’t beat a free game. It may not have all the flair and polish of a full video game, but it will have all the basics that a good strategy game needs. It’s an understandable trade off for the times when you just need a quick fix to fill those few spare minutes in your day with a little free fun.

Finally, there is something to be said about a simple defense game. Online arcade games don’t require you to spend a lot of time setting up perfect defenses for your resource lines. If they use any resource system it will come in the form of money. Even this is usually just acquired by killing enemies. This limits your background work to just include the simple tactics of war. Like I said, not everything has to be a giant strategic experience. There is something to be said about building up your forces and watching the fight. These arcades don’t feature long stories or slow buildups. You don’t have to work through hundreds of menus or building levels. Just click the start button and get started.

I’ve always had a great fondness for the strategy genre. There’s something very satisfying in out smarting the mechanics of a cruel AI. If you enjoy that feeling then you should take a little time and enjoy one of the many online strategy games available.

Robert asked:


game industry has never exactly made its first priority an attempt to accommodate the desires of girls who want a simple casual game. The market is developing though as simple games are being made for easy play. By this I mean you won’t need lightning fast reflexes and years of training to reach the end. Planting oneself in front of a glowing monitor for hours on end isn’t a requirement either. These take the form of nice arcade games that function as fun adventures in time management and precision. One genre that is growing in this category is the cooking game.

Now I will clearly state that there are two major options in this category. You can choose to commit to an expensive video game made for one of the more expensive consoles currently available. These are nice and made by established companies but they can be a costly shot in the dark for someone who just wants to get into casual gaming. If you or your girl wants to try their hand at video games they should take advantage of one of the many available cooking games that are in online arcades. What could be better than getting a free taste of the genre? In fact, many people would probably prefer this option for free entertainment through a medium as accessible as the Internet.

Let me explain. Someone new to online gaming may not understand the beauty of an online arcade. There are many sources available that give you free entertainment through simple games that are designed for people who just want to jump on for a few minutes and play. It couldn’t be more ideal for most people who just have a few minutes of downtime in their busy schedule. There is no commitment or long setup. You just pick a game and play.

There are a few options on that end though. You can play any variety of cooking game depending on your mood. There are many types of decoration games that let you design a perfect cake. It’s like an experimental mini-bake oven without the mess or wait. There are also several more complicated games that test your time management in slicing, dicing, and spicing. This can be quite addictive if you get caught up in the grade system and play until you make a the high score board. It is all optional though. You don’t have to get all caught up in any of the games. You can progress at your rate and have fun on your own terms.

This should get you started in the wonderful world of cooking games. This should be a welcome refreshment to young women who don’t want to be a space commander or medieval hero. It is all to easy to forget that such casual games exist in the world of online games. Arcades aren’t always about violence or war. There are actually entire websites that run cute little games dedicated to girls. You can find a favorite website and log on for some quick enjoy while trying your hand at simulated cooking.

Denis asked:


The Nintendo Wii Fit is a video game that has been developed to be used along with the Nintendo Wii Console. The idea behind the product apart from having fun is to encourage exercise and better health. The Wii Fit can change your exercise style, how you balance your body, your movements etc. The idea is that the whole family or you and your friends can be involved in getting fit together.

Integral to the Wii Fit is the Wii Balance Board. The Balance Board is an innovative peripheral for the Wii that’s simple, fun, and a great way to get you off of the couch and into the action. Using software embedded in the game the Wii Balance Board can measure your weight and centre of gravity and can also calculate your body mass index if your height is provided. The Nintendo Wii Fit has more than 40 different activities across four areas of training: yoga, strength training, aerobics, and balance games. The activities provide a core workout, emphasizing controlled movements to avoid over exertion.

Nintendo Wii Fit has its own channel on the Wii menu which allows its players to compare their fitness and chart their progress on a daily basis. Wii Fit measures a players fitness data and keeps track of your "Wii Fitness Age" through a body test on the basis of the result of the players current age, weight, and athletic ability performance. You can also use the charting feature to enter details of other activities allowing you to monitor your performance in other sports.

Kristi Ambrose asked:


I’ll be honest, I love games, in fact if I could and I didn’t have to work, I would probably spend a good chunk of my time on my video game console, playing games! I have always been interested in gaming consoles ever since I got my Nintendo when I was just 8 years old. But after my first Nintendo I didn’t really go any further with the whole Nintendo trilogy of Super Nintendo and Game Cube. Instead, I went right to Sony, and then even after I got my first PS1, I didn’t further my discovery of any of the other Playstations. The one gaming console I did buy the first and second “edition” of was Xbox. I absolutely love both of my Xbox’s and I still have both of them. I think Microsoft did a superb job with the Xbox. Not only are the games incredibly cool, and the console itself awesome, but the quality of the graphics is just impossible to beat!

The only problem I had with buying the Xbox 360 was that it was so expensive! I only wish I knew about these places online called cheap or discount sites. These websites offer a multitude of the same games, consoles, and accessories that sites like Circuit City, Best Buy and Game Stop offer but at the fraction of the price! Don’t get me wrong I love Best Buy and Game Stop but unless you catch them having an actual sale you can expect to still pay a pretty penny for these games, consoles and accessories! Most of these discount sites are based in the UK, Germany or Japan, but even with the local currency those countries use, you can still expect it to beat the prices in USD that are US based. Just for fun I found a few comparisons online between UK discount sites and US retail sites. All these prices are converted to USD just so you can see a clear price differences:

Xbox 360 Console

Retail $400

Discount $258

Wii Nunchuk Controller

Retail $20

Discount $16

Xbox Project Gotham Racing 4

Retail $40

Discount $19

Even when it’s only a few bucks you’re saving, it’s still a few bucks you are saving! I don’t know about you, but I’m all about having the newest, coolest gadgets, but if possible I will find the best price before spending X amount of dollars, it doesn’t matter if it’s a gaming console, a watch, or a computer. If you want to save yourself some serious money, I suggest you taking a good hard long look at these UK based discount websites! You are seriously going to get more bang for your buck. Just think instead of buying one game for $40 you could potentially buy almost 3 games at these UK discount sites for just over $40. How about that! Go check them out, you will not be disappointed!

Robert asked:


n game was once the staple of the American arcade. Unfortunately the genre took many dips and turns as the sands of time passed. They’ve gotten more and more complex while simpler games are thrown to the wayside. I would never forsake the great advances that have been made with modern video games, but I feel as though many people have forgotten the simple joy of a good old fashioned action game. The retail market may have lost its appreciation for simplicity, but the online world hasn’t forgotten its simple beginning. The games of yesterday are carried on in the spirit of the Internet arcade.

New action games are constantly being released for quick play on online arcades everywhere. These follow many of the old standbys of an arcade game. They offer quick enjoyment without much strategy or planning. You run along with a few words composing the full story. The enemies are all bad and you’re usually on your own. You can just have fun and shoot aliens and Nazis. Can you really ask for more?

I guess I should really look at why you’d want to play these games when more advanced versions are available in the mainstream market. I think it all sums up to one simple reason. You can relive all the good things about an old arcade without any of the bad. Simple action games are what made the arcade era famous. Side-scrolling shooters and early FPS shooters gave the era’s its strong footing. Why was that? They were fun and they were short. A good retail video game these days will require at least a 15 hour commitment to get to the end. You can beat these games with about a half hours worth of time. They are made for quick and casual play. They’re made to help you kill some time. They may not have top-of-the-line graphics but you can at least kill some bad guys and save somebody. That’s good enough for me.

The best part is that they don’t require a constant stream of quarters. Online arcades are free now. Game over means that you click a button and start again. There is no money changing hands and you don’t really have anything in it. You can just select your choice and play. If you are tired of it after a few minutes you can quit and try another one. You have a full selection of fun games at no cost. Programmers have even ported at lot of the old classics into the arcade. You can find everything from Sonic to Contra in a good online arcade. They’re all free and available for your full enjoyment. You can now relive your childhood in your spare time.

The arcades in America are disappearing at an alarming rate, but the spirit of the penny arcade is still alive online. If you just want a cool action game that will help you waste a little time, then you’re doing something right if you check for online options.

Jane Calhoun asked:


Video game rental is the single best way to try video games before you buy. With many game prices starting at $30 and going as high as $50 and even higher, paying such high prices for video games that might be less than what you expected can be just too big a gamble.

While it’s true that gamers can view “walkthroughs” screen shots online, and other online game samples are available to take a look at how a game works, there is nothing like actual hands on playing to find out whether it’s something you will love, like or hate.

Just like movie rentals, video games are available to rent from many or most movie rental companies, along with some game stores and online as well. The big problem with renting form a local store, though, is that they rarely have a good selection, and it can be very expensive.

As a result, being able to rent video game online is making a big splash. Video game rental is the ultimate in convenience and cost savings. Especially with games for new game platforms exceeding $50, renting games can be a good alternative. Video game rental means you don’t have to buy a game for $30 or more, but you can try games before buying to make sure it’s a game you want to keep. Just like services like NetFlix or Blockbuster’s movie service through the mail, game rental companies are springing up too.

For teens and older gamers, trying before buying can keep from spending hard-earned money on games that turn out to be duds. Gamers can try nearly every game that’s on the market. And many video game rental companies let you keep the game you want to buy at a discount.

The companies that let you rent video game online have incredible selections of games, and have them for every platform on the market - handheld game systems like the Game Boy or Nintendo DS, through GameCube, and the high end too like Xbox, Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. For gamers that have multiple game systems, such as console as well as handheld, it helps to be able to choose games for short rental periods when going on vacation for example.For the games you want to rent, you can add them to a “queue” or list, and when one is returned, the next one is sent out.

But best of all, many game services offer credits that add up as you continue your subscription. These credits can be applied toward buying games. When you find a game you like, you can usually just keep it and they will send you the box and inserts, with free shipping. In just one sample of purchase pricing, a game that retails for $50 could be purchased for $27 after applying credits and discounts - a really great deal all around!

Video game rental is a great way to try out games before spending the ever-higher prices to buy them, and can even let you purchase a game at a discount. Many online video rental companies offer a free trial - it’s worth it to see if it is right for you.