Posts tagged Pc Platform
FIFA Soccer 09
Jan 25th
Lace up your cleats, strap on your shin guards and step onto the pitch and play professional soccer your way in EA Sports’ FIFA Soccer 09. Customized and designed exclusively for the Windows operating system, FIFA Soccer 09 allows players to experience the most authentic soccer simulation EA Sports has ever delivered on the PC platform as you live the fantasy of playing as a professional soccer player on the international stage. Explode into the open field (more…)
Computer Games – the New Sport
Jul 28th
The popularity of computer games has grown exponentially over the past couple of decades, this is because a game for almost every interest has been created, from traditional board games, to card games and even extremely complex alien invasions they have all been released under the PC platform.
The advantage of PC games over consoles is that they are usually a lot cheaper than their counterparts and have almost all of the features found in more expensive games designed exclusively for PlayStation, Xbox or any other standalone console. Those who do not want to pay for a game will always have the option of using the Web to find simpler but yet entertaining applications and if you decide to take some time to find some good free online games and you’re sure to come across some very remarkable places.
Today we’re going to talk about those games that have been released exclusively for PC and that most of the time will not be found for free on the Web, if you examples are: Team Fortress, F. E. A. R. , Age of Conan, Mass Effect and such. All of these games are a common characteristic which is that they all require a pretty good system in order to take advantage of all the graphics and action they provide.
The New Sport
Has computer gaming become a new sport? Many PC gamers will undoubtedly answer in a positive way and they would not be completely wrong due to the fact that many games made for PC can be enhanced with the use of custom-made peripherals that can be purchased separately. The Nintendo Wii started the revolution interactive gaming by completely engaging the player in a physical activity, this may be a workout routine, an outdoor game such as golf or even an RPG.
Physical interaction through special controllers can be added to PC gaming which is a very special feature that can effectively turn any game into an actual sport that can be played indoors and will provide many health-related benefits when compared to the versions that did not require any movement whatsoever.
PC controllers that have turned everything around come in different shapes and sizes, some are enhanced joysticks, others are racing wheels and yes, even the Nintendo Wii controllers can be adapted to a PC port so playing your favorite RPG or combat game can actually become a more engaging activity.
28% of all console gamers now female – Study
Jun 30th
Industry-tracking NPD Group reveals women flocking to Wii, hardcore gaming on decline, online gaming stagnate.
According to a Nielsen Company study last April, almost 50 percent of all PC gamers are female, with hit PC titles like The Sims played primarily by women. The latest Sims iteration, The Sims 3, sold more than 1.4 million copies a week after its release, presumably bolstered by that aforementioned demographic. However, a new study by the NPD Group shows that female gamers branch well beyond the PC platform and now constitute more than a quarter of all console video gamers.
In NPD’s Gamer Augmentation 2009 report released today, the industry-tracking group revealed new figures that show 28 percent of all console video gamers are female in 2009, up from 23 percent last year. NPD attributed the five-point rise to the Nintendo Wii, which it believes has attracted a large number of new female gamers. It reports that Wii usage has increased by 19 percent from 2008 for all demographics.
At the 2007 Women in Games Conference, Electronic Arts VP Sharon Knight said that the Wii is attractive to female gamers because of the console’s accessibility.
“The Wii levels the playing field,” she said. “You don’t embarrass yourself–you can grab it and right away start having fun. … [Wii games] don’t require the same investment to learn and to master how to pick up and play [as other consoles' games].”
The NPD study also contained a few other figures on other gamer demographics. It found that “extreme gamers” played an average of 39 hours per week, down from about 46 hours last year. Even though the NPD Group found that extreme gamers have the lowest average household income out of all gamer demographics, they dole out the most cash to buy games. Extreme gamers purchased an average of 24 titles in the 2008 holiday quarter. However, the study reported that the demographic only makes up 4 percent of all gamers.
The amount of time gamers spend playing online has remained the same relative to last year, despite what the NPD calls a “focus of industry on more online gameplay opportunities.” On average, 38 percent of a gamer’s time was spent playing online.
The Gamer Augmentation 2009 study was conducted in January 2009 with more than 20,000 participants ages 2-65 and above and includes data from the 2008 holiday season. Survey data was weighted to portray gaming trends only within the US.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince Game Demo Now Available For PC (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince)
Jun 24th
The Extortionist at E4G writes "Electronic Arts’ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince video game has a demo version (595 mb) available for the PC platform. "
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Free Realms Update Impressions
Jun 12th
We take a look at the latest update for Sony’s free massively multiplayer online game.
Sony’s free massively multiplayer online game has only been live since late April, but the company has already been able to achieve huge headway in carving out a community. As it stands, the game has already attracted well over 2 million users to the service and is on track to break through the 3 million user mark in the next few weeks. While the numbers may pale slightly in comparison to the likes of market-leader Blizzard and its World of Warcraft 11.5 million active-subscriber base, Free Realms has managed to get its foot in the door of the lucrative online game market.
Though currently only available on the PC platform, Sony confirmed its plans to port the game to its PlayStation 3 console, and while it’s already in the process of making it happen, no release date has been announced yet. With the service taking on a life of its own, it’s not real surprise to find out that new content is being rolled out to retain those who are coming to play. We caught up with the team from Sony Online Entertainment at this year’s E3 show to get a rundown of the new and upcoming features.
Sony’s current approach is to offer short 10-to-15-minute tasks in the fantasy world, putting you in the role of a character you can choose. In addition to the now expected customization options, which will allow you to mix and match physical attributes to create the look you want to achieve, you’ll be able to train for and experiment with various in-game jobs. Each job contains its own profession-specific minigames, which will complement other skills. In the example we were given, you’ll be able to meld mining- and engineering-type skills to create in-game objects for your character to share with others.
Sony reps also outlined plans for further changes to its currently optional subscription model, giving players access to additional services, including realm transfers, new job types, vanity pets, and exclusive in-game combat encounters. Also planned for future release are guilds, shared guild housing, new sports minigames, different types of pets, and new car styles.
Though Sony hasn’t fully explored the option yet, our guide also talked about plans to further integrate real-world advertising into the game world. Our guide stressed the importance of serving contextual ads, and we were shown a promotional poster for a Dares in-game concert, which mirrored a real-world rock show. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but brands like McDonalds were also name checked during our guided tour.
Will Free Realms be able to retain its user-base-growth momentum? We’re going to have to wait and see as it continues to evolve.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
