The Online Game Industry is an Excellent Way to Study the Economics of Fun by Richard Kingston
While scientists developed sensory-input devices to mimic the sensations of a virtual world, the games industry eschewed this hardware-based approach in favour of creating alternative realities through emotionally engaging software. "It turns out that the way humans are made, the software-based... As technology improves, players could make enough money to pay for the upkeep of their real-world bodies while they remain fully immersed in the virtual world. ... In some Asian countries, where MMORPGs are particularly popular, in-game thefts and cheats have led to real-world arrests and...

Gaming as a Cultural Thermometer: Beyond the Frat Pack by James Boza
When I walked into the store, all I wanted was some lunch-type that could get me through the rest of the work week. However, when I passed the crowd of onlookers just past the store entrance, and then nearly tripped over the rickety card table (complete with cheesy plastic tablecloth) that they... Will gaming be the tool that will finally help us “all get along”? ... Maybe, as long as we don’t confuse gaming online with, well, developing actual social skills. ... Many people on the Internet marvel at how “mainstream” that gaming has become, and wonder why exactly it is that you see rappers...

Building a Cheap Gaming Computer: Tips to Save Money by Julien David
Are you building a gaming computer on a tight budget? Want ideas on how to save some cash? The following tips will help you build your gaming system for less. Reuse Your Old Parts A good way to save money on your new computer is to reuse old parts where possible. ... Watch for Sweet Spot in Market Another good tip to building a cheap gaming computer is to watch for the ‘sweet spot’ in the market. ... So use these tips to your advantage and build your gaming computer the smart way. ... If you’re like most people, you won’t have all the money in the world to spend on your new machine.

Xbox 360: A Revolution in Console Gaming by Mitchell Medford
It wasn't so long ago that kids who got the "new" Nintendo 8-bit gaming console or the Sega system for Christmas were the envy of every less fortunate and burned out Atari owning neighborhood playmate. As time elapsed, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and NES's Turbo Graphix 16 became all the rave. ... The Xbox 360 will revolutionize the gaming world. ... The Xbox 360, as with all video game consoles, is basically just a computer with hardware and software dedicated to the function of running video games.

Different Types of MMOGs by Jason Hahn
Massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) have been growing in popularity in recent years. These are the computer games that allow huge numbers of players to interact with each other through the Internet. Recent popular MMOG titles include Everquest 2 and World of Warcraft. ... They are huge online computer role-playing games that allow large populations of players to interact with each other in a cooperative or competitive manner, or both at the same time. ... MMOFPS This stands for “massively multiplayer online first-person shooter.” These are computer games that allow players to...

Online Video and Computer Gaming as a Catalyst to Positive Social Function by Gregory Wolfe
With the advent of the cultural phenomenon known broadly as Online Gaming (encompassing both console and PC gaming), a gradual shift has taken place in the public perception of gaming, as well as it's social impact. Needless to say, with Gross Revenues exceeding Hollywood's Box Office income,... Gaming technologies have evolved to a point requiring players to cooperate with, and assist each other, for their own survival... ... That kind of social horizon-broadening has been sorely lacking in American society for decades." In 2003, the Media Analysis Labotatory of Simon Fraser University...

Artificial Intelligence And Xbox 360 by Tucker Osbert
Let's leave the format war between Sony and Microsoft and explore a gaming phenomena that unquestionably improves current gaming trends -- Artificial Intelligence, or AI to many. Touted to make new breakthroughs and trends in the world of gaming, AI is the enabling of intricate decision-making... Twenty years later since Pac-Man, family computers, and many computer hardware changes, game developers still use the same simplistic AI tricks. ... In fact, the programs are deemed to be unimportant in gaming.

Sony PlayStation 3 vs. Microsoft Xbox 360 by Victor Vargo
Regardless of the interest you have at heart or the business you are in there is always a rivalry between the best in anything. Pepsi vs. Coke. Wal-Mart vs. Target. Coors vs. Budweiser. You get the point, when it comes to being the best it doesn’t matter who you are, there is always a rival and... Both video gaming giants offer an online gaming service to allow gamers to be able to compete with each other across the world. ... Whether you know which is better without playing both is solely based on if you are a computer genius or not.

It's Cool to Play Games by Morgan Hamilton
One of the best ways a majority of us relax, stay engaged, stave off boredom, or even blow off hours at work is to play games—video games, computer games (you do know there are a few addictive games in your word program, right?), or online games. I own over a hundred games from the... You don’t hear from them three days after you emailed or snail mailed a message; you don’t wait ten minutes as if you are stoned and swearing you took way too long to answer that question; you type back and forth to people all over the world.

Online Games-Fragging On The Net by Scott Soloff
Online games – spoken casually or formally – normally refer to video games that are played on a computer using an Internet connection. There are video games that are played online using devices such as video consoles (Playstation, X-Box) and mobile phones, but online games generally mean PC... (4) Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG): These are online games that can support thousands of players from all over the world simultaneously, playing with or against each other in a giant virtual world and also interacting with each other.