Buyers Guide To Video Game Consoles ? Seven Vital Tips


There is now a video games console to suit practically every need, taste and budget. But the range and diversity of gaming systems, never mind the games themselves is a daunting prospect to the uninitiated.

This guide – adapted from Johnny Minkley?s excellent overview of video game consoles at productsifter (dot) com – will answer all your questions, and arm you with the information you need to make your purchase in confidence.

The raison d?etre of any games console is, fundamentally, gaming, notes Johnny. But today?s systems offer much more. Are you an online gamer? Are childrens? games a priority? Want to take full advantage of that 50-inch flat-screen plasma TV? Or are you just looking for cheap hassle-free fun with friends and family?

Johnny, who has been using video game consoles for 20 years and writing about them for more than seven, concludes that:

Nintendo Wii is the best console for families

Nintendo DS Lite is the best handheld console

PlayStation 2 is the best budget console

Xbox 360 is the best console for online gaming

The new PlayStation 3 is the best high-definition video games console

Once you?ve decided what you want the console for and which one to get, where next? Here are the key things to keep in mind to buy a games console in complete confidence:

  1. Watch out for worthless extras

Many shops offer bundle deals in addition to selling stand-alone consoles. Typically they throw a load of games in for ?free?. While the savings can be substantial with such deals they can also be illusionary. Are the ?free? games on offer actually worth having? If you are not careful you could end up spending more than you intended on games you will never play so check them out first.

  1. Make sure all the essentials are included

Do not assume everything you need to get your console working will come in the box. Extras you may need to purchase separately may include additional handsets for multiplayer games; subscriptions for online gaming; and special cables which will boost the audio and visual performance of your unit.

  1. Compare Prices

Retail competition in this market is fierce, so shop around for the best prices. Game (and to a lesser extend) console prices vary wildly from place to place, so doing research in advance and checking prices on-line makes sense. Unless you really need to buy the latest blockbuster on day of its release, wait a month or two – all games are reissued on budget labels and console prices also fall over time.

  1. Duck and Dive

Staff at specialist computer games stores are much more likely to have expert knowledge than their equivalents at supermarkets and the like. But if the supermarket is cheaper, don?t be afraid to take advice from one place and buy in another. Also, consider asking the specialist store for a discount if you know the product is available for less elsewhere.

  1. Read Expert Reviews

Don?t know your Halos from your Half-Lifes? Websites such as ProductSifter (dot) com, Gamerankings (dot) com and Metacritic (dot) com all have excellent reviews and rankings for a wide range of video console and game products.

  1. Test before you buy

Many games shops have in-store demo units, so you can take a game or a console for a test run before you buy. Remember, you can also rent video games or use online clubs like Swapgame (dot) com to cut costs further.

  1. Check the age ratings

Every video game should have an age rating. In Europe, the Pan-European Game Information standard is used. It is not legally binding, but offers a clear guide to parents about a game?s suitability for children. Also, any game featuring mature or realistic content is rated by the British Board of Film Classification. For more on this subject go to: AskAboutGames (dot) com.

Who Plays World Of Warcraft

World of Warcraft has developed an enormous following since its release in November 2004. It has built upon its initial success to become an enduring and hugely popular title. The demand for the game has been stronger than its creators might have expected, and it is now a fully-fledged social phenomenon, attracting all kinds of people to its world.

World of Warcraft has enjoyed global success and acclaim. It seemed natural that it would do well in America, where there was anticipation for a new Warcraft title. The truth though is that it has taken off everywhere it has been released. It has been a massive hit in Asia, Australia, Canada, and Europe, and has many international fans and subscribers. The game has a simple, universal appeal that transcends language barriers and geography.

One of World of Warcraft?s strengths is that it appeals to both casual gamers and more experienced players. The game has made the online multiplayer genre more accessible to people who might not normally play it. A lot of people who try the game may have regarded the genre as too complex or may not have played a role-playing game before. It is the quality of World of Warcraft and the buzz surrounding it that has drawn people?s attention towards it.

World of Warcraft has a huge following on the Internet. There is an official site that is busy and informative and contains forums for the game?s subscribers. There are many other fan sites as well. It has a keen fan base made up of a broad cross section of society. People enjoy the game for all sorts of reasons, with fans citing the gorgeous graphics, addictive gameplay and unique characters as elements they find appealing.

Although World of Warcraft has the visual style of a cartoon, it is a game that people of any age can enjoy. All age groups play it, from children to seniors. This leads to an interesting online environment, as younger players interact with older gamers. It is a real mix of people, as children and teenagers share the game?s world with twenty year olds and more mature, middle-aged players and older. It is a friendly, lively environment and tends to be good-natured and welcoming.

The World of Warcraft universe is a happy, thriving community. There is a strong social aspect to it and players can become friends with each other. The game?s world of Azeroth follows the real world?s calendar and so they mark holidays and seasonal events in the game. On New Year?s Eve in 2005 there were parties and celebrations in Azeroth that all players could attend. It is features like this that make its world much more vivid, colourful and convincing.

There is a fan convention for World of Warcraft. The game?s developer Blizzard held an event in October 2005 named BlizzCon, for fans of Warcraft and their other titles. World of Warcraft was a major part of this event, and one of the main attractions was a preview of the game?s expansion, The Burning Crusade. Some 8,000 people attended the event, which is expected to become an annual occurrence. Families went together and fans dressed up in costume as their favourite characters from the game.

World of Warcraft has caught people?s imagination and this has led to a variety of creative offshoots. One key sign of the game?s popularity is the existence of Warcraft fan fiction. Players like to write fictional stories about the characters and events of the game. Fan art is also popular. People draw and paint images inspired by the game and post them in galleries online. Blizzard run their own Fan Art Program that fans can submit their art to for display. There is great creativity and beauty there.

The broad appeal of World of Warcraft is such that it has infiltrated popular culture. The game has been used as an answer on the quiz show Jeopardy. It also has celebrity admirers. The comedian Dave Chappelle is a fan. Chappelle talked about the game during a stand-up performance in San Francisco in 2005. ?You know what I?ve been playing a lot of?? the comedian reportedly asked the audience, ?World of Warcraft!? He praised the game and expressed his delight with it.

World of Warcraft then is a game that has broken new ground to appeal to a great number of people in society. With more than five million subscribers, it is now the most popular online role-playing game and has grown far beyond its cult origins. Its wide appeal speaks of the brilliance of the game itself.

Playing Makeup Games Makes Beauty

John Ruskin said that the love of beauty is an essential part of all healthy human nature. It is a fact especially for girls. Each girl wants to hear the praise like” your are beautiful” or some words to praise their beautiful. But every one has shortcomings including the most famous superstar. They like a star shining on the stage. Tough they are beautiful,they can not say they are satisfy with their looks. How to make up these shortcomings? Yes, that is makeup.

?????????Do you know how to makeup? Do you love makeup? But one thing I make sure that is you also want to be more beautiful. Makeup like drug that you will be addicted to it. Under the high pressure, the pace of life are much more higher. Maybe you can not waste much time on it. Or maybe you don’t know how to makeup. What do you do to waste kill your spare time? Playing games! Why don’t you try to playing makeup games?

????????? makes a great contribution in this regard. In order to meet people needs, it developed varieties of games related to makeup for example,makeup games and management games.

Makeup games mainly related to the basic procedures of makeup. From the first step clear face to the last step. Do not worry that you don’t know the procedures. It will guide you. Here, you also don’t worry about the effect. If it looks not so good you can use change! Here you can try any makeup you want to try.

Maybe you have ever played some other categories of management games. Why don’t you try to playing makeup management games. I have a dream to become a owner of beauty salon. From my point of view, it is a dream of every girl. Playing makeup management can make your dream come true. Here you are the best stage to show your makeup skill. Here you are the boss. At the same times, you will be the makeup artist. Your customers wait for you to make them looks beautiful. Maybe now you think it is too easy for you. Do not underestimate these games. Actually, they are not so easy. Because there are different kinds of customers, also their demands are different. Although they are virtual,they are also tempered. If you neglect them, they also will get angry even leave. That means you can not earn money. If you can not earn money, how does your beauty salon operates? It is like in reality. If all customers are satisfy with your service, you can enlarge your beauty salon step by step. That means you will be more and more busy. Do you dare to have a try? Come to change yourself!

Though you don’t have makeup tools and you are not skillful in makeup, you can enjoy the fun of makeup on the site which has series of makeup games. Click the button, you can try any makeup you want to try! Click the button, you can become the best makeup artist! Click the button, you can operate your beauty salon!

How To Level Fast In Wow – Secret Tips That You Won’t Find Anywhere Else!

How To Level Fast In Wow Tip #1: Get a level 1 bank character.

Make a level 1 character and bring him to the closest Auction House City. This will help greatly with leveling your main character. Let me explain why: You’ll mail everything your main character doesn’t need to the bank char so you don’t waste precious leveling time in the auction house, trying to sell your things. Instead, use that time to do quests. Go to Capital Cities every 2 levels to acquire new skills. The bank character should handle everything else there.

How To Level Fast In Wow Tip #1: Get two gathering professions.

World of Warcraft has three gathering professions: Mining, Herbalism and Skinning. I suggest going with Mining and Herbalism, even if you cannot track them both at the same time. Put “Track Mining” on mousewheelup and “Track Herbalism” on mousewheeldown then switch as often as you want. Herbs and Veins are almost everywhere, but skinnable creatures not. Wasting time to find, kill and skin creatures (to raise your skill) slows down your leveling speed considerably. As usual, send all your ores/herbs to your bank character and watch the money pile up.

How To Level Fast In Wow Tip #1: Get a PvE / Grinding Spec.

When leveling you should ignore pvp, healing or tanking specs. Stick to a ‘kill fast with close to no downtime’ build. Rogues should go combat, warriors arms, priests shadow, warlocks demonology or affliction, hunters beastmastery and so on. It’s annoying and slow to level as a protection warrior or as a holy priest. Use ‘s talent calculator to plan your talents in advance: the best on the market, in my opinion.

How To Level Fast In Wow Tip #1: Instances, Battlegrounds – DON’T.

Ignore the following when leveling: hard group quests, instances with newbie team-mates, battlegrounds, engaging in pvp warfare against griefers and teams of enemy combatants!

They will slow down your leveling time considerably. Stick to one-man quests which involve killing, looting, collecting; ignore quests which send you across the continent or to the other continent!

Try to group quests in the same area. Don’t run like a crow who just got struck in the head with the hammer, running all over the map for 1 quest then running some more for another quest. Try to keep quests organized!

Enable the auto-loot option (hit escape -> options menu).

Get some cash early on from selling copper ore and linen cloth to get buy netherweave cloth. Ask a friendly tailor on the chat channel to fashion 2-3 netherweave bags for you so you won’t have trouble with bag space.

I managed to get 400g at level 20. It’s possible. Send everything to the bank character, sell everything on AH, disenchant every low-level bind on equip item etc.

There’s more to say but pfft, the space here is limited. I learned all these tips the hard way (going from Thousand Needles, Shimmering Flats to Stranglethorn Vale and back wasn’t a nice experience, I tell you – all this for a lowbie goblin quest).

Ps3, The New Boy In The Hood!

Although it hasn?t reached the hi-tech store shelves yet, the brand new bad boy in the hood of cutting edge video gaming consoles is slowly approaching. Scheduled for release at 17 November 2K6, the highly anticipated gaming console made its last appearance at the 2006 E3. Coming from a key pioneer in hi tech electronics, the PS3 promises to define what the next generation of gaming consoles is going to be like.

Let?s start with some food for the tech freaks. The all new PS3 features the innovative, never-seen-before Cell processor; we are talking about the result of the cooperation between 3 giants in the field of hi-tech electronics: IBM, Sony and Toshiba! The Cell processor features an astounding number of 7 (!) cores and it clocks at 3.2 GHz. Not impressed? Well, be informed that the new PS3 will also feature a new graphics card designed by NVIDIA and SCEI, clocked at 550 MHz! Still not impressed? How about Blu-Ray? Yes, yes Blu-Ray! PS3 also comes equipped with a Blu-Ray drive (up to 54GB of storage) witch in addition to the 1080p resolution that the PS3 delivers will help you enjoy the maximum out of HD movies.

Regarding other aspects of the internal architecture, the PS3 is equipped with 256MB of XDR Main RAM @ 3.2GHz as well 256MB VRAM @700MHz and your ears will be pleased with the sound produced by Dolby 5.1ch speakers ( with cell-base processing).

One thing that gamers will always wonder when a new console is arriving is ?Will I be able to play the games I already have?? Well, in the Case of PS3 the answer is a definite YES. You can play your PS2/PS1 games at no extra cost. Apart from that, the PS3 will accept any CD, DVD, (and of course) Blu-Ray that you throw in it!

Judging by the Videos/ Images of games that will come for the PS3, one can easily say that PS3 will bring a whole new era to the gaming industry. The gaming world has never before witnessed such lifelike graphics and such a vivid gameplay. Let?s just hope that when the time has come, we will have the necessary 500+ bucks in order to get our hands on this amazing toy!

World Of Warcraft Gold Making Guide: Cross Faction Trading – Horde

I decided share one hell of a secret with you. First off I need to let you know this one has a bit of a catch now. It takes 2 accounts. This isn’t much of a problem, tons of people have more than one WoW player in their house now, or a trusted friend they play with.

This technique is Cross Faction Auction House Trading.

I am sure you know that the AH is your key to making tons of gold. No matter how much you are farming mobs and getting rare drops, it all depends on how well you can manipulate the AH. It comes down to Supply & Demand.

What a lot of people may not really think about is that there is a huge difference in S&D between Horde and Alliance. Prices that are sky high for stuff on Alliance AHs may be rock bottom on Horde AHs. This is the case on every server, but the particular items will be different on different servers.

Setting Up Your Pipeline:

Make low level alts to do all of your buying and selling.

You need 4 alts in total, 2 Alliance and 2 Horde. One Alliance toon sits in Stormwind, one Horde toon goes to the Undercity, and you need one alt of each faction at the Neutral AH in Booty Bay.

You can choose a different combo of cities if you prefer, but this is the one that I feel is the easiest to get going. Stormwind and Undercity also have more convenient access to some of the Limited Supply Items I have told you about already.

Be careful setting this up on PVE and RP servers. Even though you are allowed to create both Horde and Alliance toons, you won’t be able to purchase your own auctions w/o a second account.

This won’t be an issue on PVP since you can’t make both Alliance and Horde toons on the same account and server.

For the main AHs, you don’t even need to level your alts up at all. For Horde, make an Ogre or Troll and run them north to Orgrimmar, then fly to the Undercity. On Alliance, make a Human and run it west to Stormwind.

You can level them up a few levels if you want, just to get a few silver on there and have a bit stronger character to make the run faster… but this is up to you.

The Neutral AH is a bit tougher, since you have to go through some kind of dangerous areas. This is why I recommend Booty Bay as opposed to some of the other cities.

For the Horde:
Create your toon, Troll/Ogre, and then run a short way south from the starting point. Then head south/southwest into the little flatland patch you see on your map, towards the western coast of Durotar. Head SW across the flat area and up the “Hidden Path” you find at the south-west corner (past a Lazy Peon). Keep following the path out to the coast, jump in the water and start swimming west. A Slimeshell Makrura will probably kill you right away. This is good though. When you release after dying, you will be at the Ratchet graveyard in the Barrens. Accept a rez from the Spirit Healer and run down to the dock in Ratchet, NW from the graveyard. Take the boat to Booty Bay.

The Booty Bay AH is right at the Bank which is at the far opposite end of the wharf (south) from the boat landing. You will find Auctioneer O’reely standing on a crate between the bank and the mailbox.

Solitaire Game Guide

Despite what you may think, solitaire isn’t actually one specific game… it’s actually an entire category of different games. Solitaire is actually any card game that you play on your own. The game called “Solitaire” that Microsoft ships with windows is actually a type of solitaire game, called Klondike.

There are hundreds of other solitaire games as well though. Another favourite is Freecell, which Microsoft also ships. Other popular solitaire games, include Spider, Pyramid, and Tri Peaks.

Each solitaire game has different rules, different ways to win, and different styles.

Some solitaire games, like Klondike, don’t show you all the cards at the start. A mixture of luck and skill is needed to win the game.

Other games, like Freecell, have all the cards visible, right from the very start of the game. This means that the game is totally under the users control… there is no luck involved at all, and if the user can think things through deeply enough, then they are VERY likely to win.( Of the 32,000 deals available in Microsofts Freecell, only one, deal number 11982, is unsolveable)

Some games are really hard to win, and require a lot of though. 4 Suit spider is one of these hard games, and completing a game normally takes atleast half an hour of solid thinking. Other games are either quite easy( like most deals in Freecell), or don’t require much (if any) thought, like Clock.

Some games have distinctive and attractive card layouts. Pyramid has all the cards in a big pyramid shape, and the player must remove cards from the bottom layers until they can reach the top. La Belle Lucie starts the game with 18 fans, which all grow and shrink as the game goes on. (La Belle Lucie looks particularly attractive on a solitaire game supporting rotated cards)

Some solitaire games were played regularly by important historical figures. George Washington and Napoleon were waid to play Napoleon at Elba island, with claims that it helped them to think in times of stress.

All solitaire games help you to think, and improve your concentration and memory- and yet they are still relaxing and fun… A much better way to unwind than watching TV!

No matter who you are, or what mood you’re in, there is a type of Solitaire game that you will find fun to play right now. I encourage you to try out a solitaire game package, and discover for yourself all the great fun available in the solitaire universe.