Posted on Aug 02, 2010 under Counter Strike |
An online multiplayer game is one that a gamer plays while staying connected to the Internet, against or with other Internet players. While playing you can also interact with thousands of other players on the server where the game is hosted. Since these games involve thousands of gamers playing simultaneously with each other in a giant virtual world, they are also called Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs). These were made possible only with the growth of broadband Internet access. [Examples: Maplestory Account, Guild Wars]. In some online multiplayer games you can interact with only a few members with whom you can team up [Examples: America’s Army, Counter Strike Source].
Evolution Of Online Multiplayer Games
MMOGs are very big business nowadays though they are a relatively new phenomenon. Their popularity started climbing in the late 1990s when two games – Everquest and Ultima Online – caught on in a big way. First-person shooters such as Quake, Unreal Tournament, Counter Strike and Warcraft 3 are also immensely popular Maplestory Account online multiplayer games, but they are not MMOGs. Up to recently, these games were played only on the computer. However, they are catching up fast on consoles too. Final Fantasy XI and Everquest Online Adventures are games that are big hits on video console circuit. Online gaming on mobile phones has begun too, but Maplestory Account has yet to make a mark because there are many technological restrictions as of now.
Variations Of Massively Multiplayer Online Games
Today many different styles of massively multiplayer games are available, such as: (i) MMORPG (Massively multiplayer online role-playing games). (ii) MMORTS (Massively multiplayer online real-time strategy games). (iii) MMOFPS (Massively multiplayer online first-person shooter games)
As things stand, it is the massively multiplayer games that are driving the online multiplayer game market crazy. Can you imagine that Lineage – a Korean MMORPG – has four million registered users? Maplestory, a relatively new entrant, has over six and a half million registered users! And all of these Maplestory Accounts registered users are paying a monthly fee playing these games. Now take into account the fact that an MMOG is played for several months or years together and you can imagine the money power that online multiplayer games have started commanding! This trend is new, but the creators of these games are hardcore professionals who know where the moolah lies in this next-generation game module – the online multiplayer game module.
Posted on Jul 30, 2010 under Counter Strike |
Along with the fast boom in economy, womens life has been changing a lot. A woman is no longer known as a housewife, who is unemployed and spends the whole life to serve her husband and children. Especially in China, which is partly known by its strong feudal system and where male chauvinism more or less still exits, one third of game players are women.
According to the General Administration of Press and Publication of China, Game industry revenue of 2005 hit 3.77 billion yuan, up 53 percent compared with the statistic in 2004. Of course, the number is not made up by men only. Female game player market is really potential, estimated at 4 billion yuan 500 million and this is the reason why there are more and more games designed for women. Game firms also promptly jump into this lucrative area.
Most women love to play casual and puzzle games while mens favorite categories are online and role playing games. Lovely images, romantic backgrounds, animals, and one round in a short time are the main features of games for women. Daily activities related to a womans life is also a popular topic for many game firms to develop. Pretty Woman is a good example for such games. In the game, players can make their virtual female characters more beautiful and attractive by choosing various make up tools eyeliner, eyeshadow, lipstick and gloss, etc. Those seem very simple but actually appeal to many women.
But women do play online games as well.
Unlike the common principles of online games for men which usually easily go to sex and violence, favorite online games for women are very feminine. Many white collar women play chess and some other games with friends on MSN, Yahoo, etc. in spare time or in the break between morning and afternoon shifts. However, that is not all for the whole picture. World of Warcraft, MU, or Counter Strike also have a great number of female users.
Liu Bing, one of few female players who has progressed to the highest level, 60, in World of Warcraft said I have been playing World of War Craft for one year and a half. Playing games has become my strong desire that pushes me in front of the computer screen every time I am free.
Internet is so popular in China now. Café internet, internet service, internet cyber, and game online can be seen at every single corner of Shanghai or Beijing, and the fact that China becomes one of the biggest online game markets is totally understandable.
Online games are not only mans entertainment, said Zi Wei, another female player who spends at least 3 hours per day for online games. Wei plays with a group of 9 other friends, both male and female, and her talent is considered the best in this group.
Zi Wei shared that voice communication is highly important in online role playing games. Every player usually uses chat applications such as Yahoo Messenger, MSN or some chat clients such as Ventrilo, Teamspeak, Roger Wilco to play a role in the team andrecognize the voice of each member. Players can type but it takes a long time whenonline role playing games speed is really high, so voice chat seems to be the sole best solution
It was so funny that the first time when I started to play online game, I looked around in the Internet shop and imitated a small boy sitting next to me to take a microphone and talk to my partners, all are men. They shouted to me Go home, babe Liu Bing laughed, It was because I am female I was a bit angry with those guys and immediately search a voice changer online. Luckily I found one. My God, my voice totally became male voice. And I was able to play World of Warcraft with those guys until I came to level 35. Then I decided to talk to them that I was a girl. Wow, they were shocked and we are close friends in the group now
Maybe Liu Bings story is a special case. Women play games as they love to, not really because they try to show that they are as good as men in anything. Playing online games is just one more choice for womens entertainment.
I can spend 3 hours per day for online games, but my major interest is very traditional: shopping, clothes, and books, Zi Wei explained.
About the author:
Chris Martin, Avnex’s copywriter, who is conducting a project on online role playing games and their affects on society.
Posted on Jul 23, 2010 under Counter Strike |
It’s getting closer and closer to Christmas, but don’t fret; The massive amount of highly anticipated games coming out this Holiday
season can make your Christmas shopping this year all too easy. Moreover, most of these games are sequels to their insanely popular
predecessors.
With the release of Left 4 Dead 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 and Assassin’s Creed 2 all just around the corner, gamers are tense
with the excitement of getting their hands on each title. Even though most of you have probably heard of if not played each games’
first installment, let’s take a look at each one.
Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360, PC) is Valve’s hit survival horror game. While Valve is a company that has made a name for itself with
franchises like Half-Life, Team Fortress, Portal, and Counter-Strike, it’s no surprise that their newest endeavor is just as, if not
more, successful than the previous projects.
Left 4 Dead 2 definitely has a lot of expectations to live up to; Hopefully Valve will be able to keep up with the players’ demands.
The release date is set for November 17th, so mark your calendars.
Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) is probably the most popular online game for the Xbox 360 to-date, despite it being
released almost two years ago. As far as first person shooters go, the amount of customization and skills to be acquired is first-rate.
Not to mention the gameplay, which is almost always fast-paced and smooth.
CoD 4: Modern Warfare and its sequel were developed by Infinity Ward, who also created the first three and CoD 5: World at War. CoD 4:
Modern Warfare 2 goes on shelves on November 10th. With it, the original Call of Duty 4 is coming out for the Nintendo Wii, so that
will be something for Nintendo fans to look forward to.
Assassin’s Creed (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) was one of the most story-heavy games this author has ever played. I say that in the best way
possible, however, as there is no point in the story that bored me. The actual mechanics were a bit boring, unfortunately. Hopefully
that will be fixed by Ubisoft’s next installment in the series, Assassin’s Creed 2. This game will also see its release on the 17th of
November. There were a lot of questions raised at the end of the first game, and I for one expect some answers in the second.
And if none of that interests you, there’s still more on the way. Crackdown 2 is expected a little later in 2010 and Halo 3: ODST is
out now, fresh off the presses. Both titles are available on the Xbox 360. Final Fantasy XIII is going to be released in Japan on
December 17th this year for the PS3, with an international release hopefully not too far behind it. With so many great titles in sight,
it’s hard not to find something that everyone will like!
It looks like an Exciting New Year to Come!
Posted on Jul 12, 2010 under Counter Strike |
If you’ve wanted to indulge yourself in a game genre that tests your speed, reaction time and the ability to hit the target, then I am sure that you often indulge yourself into sniper games. Often challenging, sniper shooting games have been one of the hottest niches ever to have been rolled out by game developers. Be it “duck hunt”, which was one of the first ever shooting games, or the ultra-realistic games of today (counter strike, one shot one kill, SCOPE or anything of that sort), sniper games have always found takers in almost every gaming market in the world. From Japan and China to the erstwhile gaming hubs of the US, sniping games have been a favorite amongst gamers from all over the globe. There are a number of reasons that can be attributed to such an unprecedented surge in the popularity of these games in the global arena. Life-like characterization and the fun of shooting a gun that you would never (in all probability), get your hands on in real life and the added element of competition are just some of the reasons that can be held responsible for the growing popularity of this genre. PC sniper games have been an all time favorite amongst kids and adults alike. Sniper online games are also making inroads. There are a number of sniper-game specific sites which focus specifically on this niche of the gaming segment. While some online sniper games are fun and “out of the fantasy league”, some others are as close to the reality as it could get! Be it the 8-bit format (of the “cartridge age), the ultra modern high-definition format or the popular flash variant (used for online gaming), sniper games have been built across technologies and platforms to cater to the needs of an ever-increasing fan base! Player viewing is one of the most common aspects running through all sniper games. By player viewing, we mean the perspective through which the end user views the game scenario. In most cases, the perspective is from behind the gun. The hand and the gun are the only two things visible on the screen. There might/might not be the “aim” (crossbar used to take aims while shooting in the virtual world) and there might be a few additions to the graphic details. Apart from the gun and the aim, the “map” is also one of the most important things from the players perspective. Often, confusing maps, where the probable targets are hard to “spot”, increase the skill level required to take the aim. Spotting is one of the most important, and often thrilling aspects of sniper PC games. Spotting is a challenging task and is often more intriguing than taking the aim and shooting. Spotting requires a detailed understanding of the map, the camouflage tactics used by the opponent and a host of other features- all these features combined make sniper games one of the most enthralling gaming genres of all time.