Diane's Business Games Blog

I attended the Serious Virtual Words Conference ‘07 in Coventry England last month. I was fascinated to see what people are doing in the new frontier of virtual worlds. However, I was reminded that not everyone shares my delight in exploring this other world of avatars and digital buildings when I tried to explain to some relatives what I had experienced. With one relative the conversation turned to cults and people controlling other people after I tried to use the analogy of virtual worlds being like a cartoon where each of the characters is controlled by a person. Other relatives worried about the time wasted by people in these virtual worlds. It was a reminder that what is new and exciting for some is uncomfortable and fearful for others. I am interested to hear if others have had this experience. It is something I need to take into account when I explore how I can use virtual reality for training. (Diane Robertson)

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Here is a simple game developed by the Sydney Powerhouse Museum:

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/innovationgame/

The cartoon characters make it look like a game for primary children; however, when I played it, I found some of the concepts more sophisticated than I expected. What do you think of this game?

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Accessing games requires access to the Internet, so I was keen to observe how easy access would be when I went on my five-week trip last month from Australia to Kuala Lumpur Airport to Cambodia to the United Kingdom to Paris, France to the United Kingdom and back to Australia.

I went on the trip with my husband, Neil, who took his work computer. The computer was set up for cable and Wifi access to the Internet. This worked well on the way over at Kuala Lumpur airport, where they have free Wifi access, and in a little Internet coffee shop in Coventry, but not at any other place. Perhaps it was something to do with the Internet network security restrictions on his computer. Unfortunately, this limited our Internet access to mostly Internet cafes, public terminals, and libraries in Cambodia, France, and the United Kingdom.

In Cambodia I thought I would have limited or no Internet access. However, in Siem Reap, one of Cambodia’s larger cities, at the modest hotel where we stayed they had a room of computers with free access to the Internet. Admittedly the service did go down for a while one day–apparently, a common occurrence after heavy rain.

In Paris we had free access to the Internet, because Neil was a registered participant at a conference at the Palais Congres. However, I found it difficult using the French keyboard, which has some of the alphabet (and other) keys in different places. I couldn’t touch type; instead I had to look at the keys, and even then I kept pressing the wrong keys.

In the United Kingdom we couldn’t take advantage of the free Wifi setups in places, such as Heathrow Airport or service centres on the major roads. We paid for access at Internet cafes or targeted libraries in the small towns we visited, such as Reading, Oxford, Coventry, Birmingham, and other places. The libraries were (mostly) free, but the downside was that competition for terminals was high and time limited to between 1/4 and 2 hours. Mostly access was fine, except at Reading, which had a block on Internet providers. This meant that I could not access my web-based mail through my Web provider’s website. And in York I could not open Word attachments. (I couldn’t do this in Paris either, as they weren’t using Microsoft software.)

Access to the Internet is becoming easier; however, as a traveller, I found access to the Internet can become problematic, when trying to deal with unfamiliar environments with differing rules.

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Have you ever forgotten where you put your car keys? Have you spent time searching for your sunglasses when they were perched on top of your head? Don’t laugh. Even I have done that! Today’s culture refers to these scenarios as “senior moments”. While these senior moments can be quite entertaining they can also point to the possibility that your mind is not as focused as it could be.

Your mind can become “dull” if you have been out of school for awhile or engage in the same repetitive tasks each day. In other words, your brain is on cruise control when you should always strive to learn and stretch your mind. I have a grandmother that is 92 years old and is sharp as a tack. She keeps her mind sharp by continually learning new ideas, facts, and solving puzzles.

Many ask what activities they can do to keep their mind sharp. Online games and puzzles are perfect activities to sweep the cobwebs out of your brain. You need to keep your brain cells humming. You can work on creativity with visual art puzzles. You can work on logical thought process through number and letter puzzles. Classic crossword puzzles and a competitive game of scrabble are great places to start.

You can tune up your observation skills by playing visual oriented games, including the classic jigsaw puzzle. You can complete jigsaw puzzles online and not have to worry about losing a puzzle piece under your couch. Yes, I’ve done that too. You can also work through puzzles where you have to observe the differences between two pictures that appear identical at first glance. These puzzles are fun and addictive. They also provide a great avenue for focusing your mind.

Are you looking for a comprehensive set of mind games? Take a peak at Mind Machine. This game contains different types of activities that will have your mind stretched to its limit. You can adjust the level of difficulty so the entire family can play. The difficulty levels include: easy, normal, hard, and insane.

Mind Machine provides ten different games that include: matching, mathematics, repeating patterns, and observation skills. You race against time and try to achieve a high score. This game integrates visual elements with logic, number sequence, and reading skills. The graphics and music are entertaining. It is a complete workout for the mind. One of the games in Mind Machine is called “Totem Pole”. You have to place missing pieces on a totem pole by matching color and design. Another fun game involves figuring out the number of cubes in a picture. They change the arrangement and number of cubes to keep you on your toes.

Play puzzles and online games to keep your mind fit and healthy. Online games provide stimuli to many of your senses and are an entertaining way to keep your neurons firing in your brain. There are puzzles and online games available for everyone and will suit just about any interest. Have fun exploring the different types of puzzles and games available. Not only will you have fun, but you will ward off “senior moments”. Or at least try too…

Jill is a writer for the GrandMatrix website. Read more articles, download, play and rate the latest free PC games and play thousands of user submitted puzzles, quizzes and word games at: GrandMatrix Puzzles and Games

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Many young kids and teenagers have developed deep passions for those hugely popular computer games that offer non-stop action and adventure, fantasy and magic, and the chance to assume different personalities and travel to diverse imaginary worlds. On the other hand, adults have developed their own fascination with computer games as well, mostly involving the so-called strategy games.

Unlike action and adventure games that usually require fast reflexes and a quick trigger finger, strategy games call for a cool hand and good analytical or decision-making skills. The best strategy game players know how to maximize their time and manage their resources as well as how to apply these resources and when to attack.

Perhaps the first great strategy game was Hammurabi (or Kingdom) which made a big splash in the 1970s. The objective was to seize the throne of a feudal lord and plan out economic and agricultural strategies for the continued survival of his kingdom. Success was measured in terms of positive growth in population and food supply as well as in vanquishing all security threats against your kingdom..

These days, strategy games generally fall into two categories: turn-based games and real-time strategy games. Hammurabi was a turn-based strategy game where competing players take turns making a move and with breaks in between. In real time strategy games, all players were in motion at the same time. Throughout the seventies and eighties, turn-based games were the dominant strategy game, particularly war games and its hybrids.

In 1987, the sophisticated action sequences and character-oriented narrative that were introduced in Defender of the Crown (Cinemaware) brought the genre to an entirely new level. It spawned a slew of similar games, including the hugely popular Pirates (Microprose) in 1988. With the introduction of Populous (Bullfrog) in 1989, the genre took another step further. Populous was the first game that allowed continuous play since it did not pause between turns. It also allowed players to virtually take on the role of gods, wielding total power and control over warring nations.

Today’s most popular strategy games still follow the Populous mold but are vastly improved in terms of graphics, sound effects and characterizations.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Games, Recreation, and Golf

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Gaming, video and computer, has caught the imagination of the world and is extremely popular. However like anything else there are benefits as well as horrors. The horrors of gaming are widely publicized and well known.

Did you know that gaming can contribute towards improving your skills and mind? Research shows that gaming can also help patients with mental ailments like Alzheimer’s. Children who play games monitored by concerned parents are known to perform much better in school and excel in mathematics as well as creative subjects.

1. Gaming is known to improve visual skills. Avid gamers develop the ability to process what they see rapidly and take quick-fire decisions. The gap between anything happening and the reply is spilt second.

2. Kids who enjoy games develop quickly the ability to think on their feet. They are able to “problem solve” efficiently without a pause.

3. Gamers learn to innovate. If they find one path a dead end they quickly think of ways to circumvent the block or dead end. The ability to rationalize and think in a holistic manner is sharpened.

4. Gaming improves co-ordination. The hand eye co-ordination is greatly enhanced by frequent gaming.

5. Games capture the attention of kids who then read extensively with the aim of mastering the game. Kids who are reluctant readers otherwise begin reading and in a roundabout way enhance vocabulary as well as writing skills.

Be well informed and know about initiatives like “the games for health project” by the Serious Games Initiative at http://www.gamesforhealth.org/index2.html and others like Nintendo which have designed a brain training series see: http://gonintendo.com/?p=672, almost five million copies were sold in 2005 when the games were released in Japan.

Using popular fictional characters like the Nintendo Donkey Kong or Mario the games lead the player through math problems, mental exercises, drawing figures on a touch screen, and reading classic literature. The performance of players is presented in terms of brain age and the higher your scores the younger your brain.

Not to be left behind Upstart Games the mobile phone developer is promoting IQ Academy. Here the level of gamers’ recognition skills, logical prediction, and spatial resolution are evaluated. After rating the player’s abilities the games are reworked to ensure improvement of performance. The puzzles sharpen faculties. See: http://www.upstartgames.com/.

That gaming has an upside is now confirmed and if handled right it will benefit both you and your child. Many industry leaders are working with scientists to develop products that will benefit gamers in many ways.

Brain training as its known promises to unclog the minds of gamers and set the wheels turning in the right direction, it enhances brain function and even helps heal. Gaming prepares the next generation for the unending demands and pressure placed by a fast moving world.

Exercise your mind while enjoying yourself.

Andrew Bermam is a freelance writer for http://www.1888FreeOnlineGames.com, the premier website to play thousands of free online games including arcade games, action games, card games, flash games, strategy games, puzzle games and many more. He also freelances for Free Software Downloads Site http://www.1888SoftwareDownloads.com

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There are thousands of educational websites on the internet and many of them have interesting and challenging games and puzzles to teach math, spelling, language arts, science and history. It makes sense that kids and adults would prefer to learn these subjects by playing a game, rather than reading a textbook or doing problems in a workbook. Some of them use Flash and Java games that are as glitzy and look as good as the big game sites.

Home schoolers use these sites to supplement their curriculum. Children who go to school use them to help with homework and practice subjects that they’re having trouble with in school. Multiplication tables, spelling lists and science facts can be presented in new and innovative ways by making games out of them, or using games as rewards for right answers.

However, these sites aren’t the only ones that can be used for learning purposes. Many people overlook the fact that the same sites where Mom and Dad play skill games at night, can help Junior learn during the day. Many of the skill games teach the very skills that kids need to learn, and they do it in an enjoyable way. Because kids don’t realize that they’re learning, they’re more likely to stick with the skill games than they are to stick with the educational sites, at times.

It’s just common sense that people need games that are at the right level for them. If the games are too easy, they’ll get bored and lose interest. If the games are too challenging, they’ll get frustrated and quit because they can’t win. That’s why skill games are a good way to learn. Almost all of them match players according to their ability, so that the game is a challenge, but not so hard that the player gives up.

Although adults can play the skill games for prizes or even cash, of course you’ll want to make sure that your young student is just playing at the “free” level. Most skill game sites give players a chance to compete in practice matches that are free to enter. Of course, later on, Mom and Dad might want to try their hand at skill games and maybe even enter a cash tournament.

Some games that are good for teaching children are the matching games, solitaire games, puzzle games that take hand-eye coordination and trivia games. Also good are games that have hidden objects in them and games where strategy is important. This teaches children to think ahead and plan, a very good life skill. It’s important that parents help children in the beginning, making sure that they understand the rules of the games and helping them to choose the right level to play on. This can make all the difference in whether a child sticks with the games.

Whatever game site you choose, make sure that it’s reputable and has no gambling. Gambling on the internet is illegal in the United States. Skill games, however, are not considered gambling, although playing them for cash or prizes is restricted to adults.

Make friends. Win prizes. Have fun. Learn more about Skill games online. Visit http://skillgamesrule.blogspot.com. (Eb Netr)

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What is a MMORPG? In short it is a massive multi-player online role playing game.

Online gaming has continued to increase in popularity. So much so that gaming income is now greater than the income earned by Hollywood. The future of entertainment is no longer in the hands of the pretty people from Hollywood but is more likely to be determine at the hands of the geeks and nerds working on the next big computer game.

MMORPG’s are played online, 24 hours a day throughout the world and now have millions of players - massive is the only correct word for them.

Many people would have become aware of the world of online gaming through parodies in tradition forms of media, newspaper, television and movies. Perhaps one of the most popular was South Parks take on World of Warcraft which poked fun at the addictive nature of world of warcarf and MMORPG’s, yet also paid homage to the power in the world of entertainment.

World of Warcraft or WoW is a complete online fantasy world - a bit like the old dungeons and dragons on steroids. You can take on the character of one of eight races and even within that there is further choices like a wizard/mage, warrior, paladin and the list go on. So popular has these games become that their is a demand for provision of some of the supplies in the game - namely Gold. So much so that people in China are making a living playing online 12 hours a day and selling the ‘earned’ Gold to Gold hungry players in the US, Japan and Europe. How much money potential is there in online games - well WoW has 8.5 million players each paying a monthly fee of $9.95 a month to play means someone or some company is a billionaire.

The addictive nature of these games is so dangerous that people have died as a result of playing for too long. In S.Korea they estimate 10 deaths a year - mainly for a person playing online for 80 hours straight and developing deep vein thrombosis - i.e. dying from blood clots. A word of caution if you love playing online games, in fact if you love the internet, get up every hours and go for a walk or do a short set of exercises.

The are numerous companies willing to jump on the bandwagon with so much money at stake. Another popular program is second life. Second life is literally that - it offers you a second life. Some people find their own real life so suckie that they get online where there life can be as they imagine they want it. Second life is interesting in that it has even created an online currency - Linden dollars - which exchange with real currency - $L 270 to $1 USD. Some people are so successful at there online fantasy businesses ‘malls, casinos, shops, nightclubs’ that they are earning thousands in REAL money. Where these fantasy economies will lead the real financial system has yet to be determine.

These online worlds are only likely to multiple as the graphics and experience becomes more realistic. Where this will lead only time will tell. Maybe your child’s future job will be in a fantasy world? Maybe your next partner will be meet online? Maybe your television will become a unused out of date piece of entertainment?

Visit http://random-rabble.blogspot.com for a great blog on life and the internet.

This article is the property of Alastair HARRIS and his immediate family. It may be freely republished over the internet but must include original links.
Alastair HARRIS is the main promoter for article-gems.com article directory (visit http://www.article-gems.com) and the getfinancialfreedom4u family of websites, blogs and projects (visit http://getfinancialfreedom4u.ws) specializing in online business opportunities and education, income being generated by affiliate marketing, Google, GDI, eBay, e books, clip flipping and more. Alastair is rated as an expert author on numerous article directories and is very open to assisting others on the internet.

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Classic thinking games are a great way to tune up your brain. You can use these mind games to help you increase your brain power and to get you out of your thinking “ruts.” Play them enough, and they’ll habituate you to using creative problem solving as a normal part of thinking about things.

Thinking Games For Groups

Group thinking games are especially good for long trips in a car. Have someone look out the window, for example, and randomly choose an object. Everyone in the car then tries to imagine a new way to make money with it. Common street signs become places to advertise, trees are sold with names, and a truck becomes a traveling grocery store.

Use the “change of perspective” technique as a problem-solving game. Just pick any topic, and see who can come up with the most unique new perspective. Could there be a world where jobs weren’t necessary? How would a virus define morality if it was conscious?

One creative thinking game uses a technique called “concept combination.” You simply combine random concepts or things in interesting ways, and see who has the best idea. A chair and a microwave? Maybe an easy-chair with a built-in cooler, microwave and television, or microwavable “couch potatoes” - a potato snack in the shape of a couch.

More Thinking Games

A lateral thinking puzzle you can try right now involves nine dots, layed out three by three. Connect them all with four straight lines, without lifting the pen or pencil from the paper. When you figure this one out you’ll appreciate the expression “thinking outside of the box.”

Many lateral-thinking puzzles use a scenario, real or imagined, with a selection of things you have to use to accomplish something. Imagine a ping-pong ball in an iron pipe that’s set in cement. The pipe sticks up three-feet high, and has almost the same diameter as the ball. Using only a box of frosted-flakes, and a t-shirt, and your body and mind, how many ways can you find to get the ball out of the pipe? You could also set this up for real, to know if a proposed solution will really work.

Many riddles are just mind games or lateral-thinking puzzles. You move laterally in your mind, away from your usual line of thought, to solve a riddle. For example, what did his friends do when the canibal was late for dinner? They gave him the cold shoulder, of course! Keeping your brain in shape doesn’t have to be a matter of serious study. Why not play some thinking games?

Steve Gillman has been studying brainpower and related topics for years. For more on How To Increase Brain Power, and to get the Brain Power Newsletter and other free gifts, visit: http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com

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Online computer games are video games that are played in a network, such as the internet or an internal office network. Its popularity started out from small local networks and extended online. As more and more people gained access to the World Wide Web, online games have likewise been a fast-growing segment for internet-based industries such as software developers and gaming console manufacturers.

There are a large number of games available online, ranging from the simple, text based games to role playing games imbedded with complex graphics and virtual environments that many players can access at the same time. Most online games now have organized online communities where its players can interact with other players; thus, making online games a social activity.

The online games popular during the 80s include Scrabble Clones, Chess and other board games. There were also online games that had fantasy settings that were played on a BBS using a modem. However, the high fees charged for online access diverted the set-up of some of these games from being played online into play-by-email games.

During the 90’s, the internet brought about many changes in the way online games are played. It was during this period that settings and concepts were redesigned and given a more urbane appeal. Complex graphics were applied to gaming and online matches started as well.

These new concepts also brought about a new generation of gamers. Born between the years 1980 and 2001, these advanced gamers can play any type of computerized and video games and are largely adept with the navigation of computer devices apart from the inherent savvy over handheld gadgets. The rise of these gamers influenced the internet’s shift from that of an information machine into an entertainment media as well.

Today, computer games online have become a profitable industry. Websites offering games charge monthly fees to web surfers while some maintain their sites through the sizeable advertising revenues obtained from on-site sponsors.

Copyright © 2007 www.CGExpo-UK.com; www.ElVortex.com
This article may be freely reprinted in your ezine, e-book, blog or web site so long as this copyright notice is left unchanged. (John Eddie)

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