History of the Video Game Awards

In 2003, the Spike TV Video Game Awards (or VGAs) became the first of such honors to focus on honoring recognition of excellence within the growing computer and video game industries. Each year, the best of the games are rewarded, interspersed with live musical performances, film and television celebrity appearances, and preview trailers for soon-to-release video games. The awards ceremony has taken place in various locations in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Las Vegas, and has been hosted by Samuel L. Jackson on multiple occasions. In 2009, for the first time, the awards show did not have any host at all. Musical performers have included Snoop Dogg and The Bravery, and celebrity guests in the past have included Jack Black, the cast of MTV's Jersey Shore, Green Bay, and Stevie Wonder.

Among the shows honors are categories featuring the coveted Game of the Year, along with best of honors for hottest video action and adventure, innovative graphics, and technology. Categories include separate honors for best Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and PC games; separate honors for best handheld, shooter, action adventure, RPG, multiplayer, fighting, individual sports, team sports, driving, and music games; Game of the Year; Studio of the Year; Best Soundtrack, Best Original Score, Best Graphics, Best Game Based On a Movie/TV Show, Best Performance By a Human Male/Female, Best Cast, Best Voice, Best Downloadable Game, Best DLC, and Most Anticipated Game.

Critics of the awards disapprove of its selection processes for determining both nominees and winners, which they are concerned reflect bias toward specific products and platforms, with video console games being more likely to come out as winners of the crystal awards over PC games. Since winners are determined by online polls, critics accuse the program of awarding popularity only, rather than true advancement or innovation in the grand scheme of the industry. Additionally, concerns arise from the show's tendency to misappropriate awards or refer to games incorrectly. For instance, during the first Video Game Awards show, Halo won an award in the category of best shooter even though it should have been deemed ineligible, since it was technically a two year old game by then.

During the second awards ceremony, the host, Samuel L. Jackson, referred to the fifth installment of the Grand Theft Auto series, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, as "Grand Theft Auto 2." In addition, later on the same year's show, the game was mistakenly displayed with the label of "Grand Theft Auto 3." When video games King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie and 50 Cent: Bulletproof were nominated in categories despite having not even been released by the time the awards program had been filmed - in fact only being released just in time for the award show's broadcast - critics immediately took their nominations as nothing more than components of advertising and publicity campaigns for both games. It did not help that the video game Bulletproof, had actually even been nominated for the most highly sought after honor of the awards show, Game of the Year, in spite of negative reception by critics as well as gamers upon its release. Another sore spot for critics of the awards program is that they feel the ceremony dedicates too much time and emphasis to celebrities, musical performances, and aspects of pop culture that have nothing to do with the video game industry, just to draw a larger audience and boost ratings for the show.

The author of this article is 10 year veteran in the crystal awards and recognition gifts industry.

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Make Money As A Video Game Tester

Major video game companies are always looking for people who can put in the time to test their games. The primary role of a playability tester is to try and discover all of the bugs in a particular game.

Although many people think that becoming a video game tester sounds like a lot of fun, it's actually hard work and is just like any other career choice.

A videogame tester is required to have good communication skills and the position is taken seriously. Average pay for entry level playability testers or "QAs" as they are called is around $9 - $15 an hour.

The difference is that you don't just get to sit around and play video games and report back on what you think, which is the common myth about this job. Instead, many times you are required to play a game that is only 50% developed, which means that the work is not always glamorous.

Video game testers typically work your usual 9 - 5, but in some cases when there is a major deadline will be asked to put in longer hours to get the job done. You also must be able to test many different types of genres of games. RPGs, first person shooters, sports games, you name it.

Learning how to become a video game tester is one thing, but fulfilling the tasks is another. Picture this, you are asked to test a new racing game, and are given a specific track to focus on. You will probably be asked to play that track to the point where it becomes monotonous. This involves hitting other cars, going in forward and reverse in different locations, bashing into walls, testing speeds and mainly events within the games response.

In the video game industry they refer to this as "trying to break a game". The sole purpose is to assume that there is a glitch somewhere and then try and decipher exactly where and what it is.

There is also data entry work involved. You will be asked to be as specific as possible at noting anything that could be problematic for future players. You must log in details, communicate with a higher-up and help them locate and fix the problem.

Although a lot of people can't imagine this as being fun, the truth is that the folks who are video game testers love what they do. They are prepared for this kind of work and get paid fairly handsomely for their efforts. The other perk is that no college experience is needed, you can typically get increased pay with the more experience that you have and it's a possible foot in the door scenario if you want to break in to the gaming industry.

Essentially, there are several key things that game companies look for before hiring playability testers. The of course want someone with a good work ethic and good communication skills, but they also are looking for someone who "knows the ropes". This means someone who has experience playing all sorts of video games, knows the ins and outs of different systems, and can predict the common bugs that come with certain gaming platforms ahead of time so that they can go and hunt them down.

Stop! don't waste your time playing games just for fun. Get paid to do it instead. Videogame testers make good money - here's how you can get involved.

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Children Simply Love Video Game Education

Video game education is known as the fun way of educating your child in the modern age. The whole point of it is to teach your child with the help of a video activity. The goal is for the child to enjoy what he is doing, but still learn the necessary skills it has to offer.

Children's games are often less complicated. The video game design in Adult online simulations tend to focus on teaching multiple principles and skills while children's ones focus on one skill at a time. Some games are designed to elevate a child's reading skills, while others help a child advance in math.

These games can be played on a number of different devices. Some are played on computers, some games are bought at the store and others are played online. You also have a choice of playing them on hand held devices. The most popular games are played on devices like the Nintendo WI and the Xbox.

The latest trend now days are hand held devices designed to teach children how to read. The games are in the form of books that children can read along with, and touch the screen to hear the spoken words. Some of the games even teach children aspects of math and science.

There are and endless amount of games on the internet and they teach children all kinds of skills. Some games teach them basic computer skills while others offer in depth teaching on more specific topics. There are games that even teach kids building skills, planning skills and even how to run a city.

These games should be viewed as an added advantage to schools. Children can come home and go over a lesson they learnt at school. If the child is studying reading, they can play a reading activity on the computer, this helps the child learn more and reinforces what he already learnt at school. Children learn by repetition, so what better tool to teach them than a computer activity that repeats itself, by the child simply pressing, start. Game development schools are also coming up for this purpose.

These games can be used in addition to the school curriculum. Game design training is something that teachers should be sent for and game design education should be introduced across the board.It has been said that some children learn better from these types of games rather than from the teacher talking them through lessons. While traditional teaching should remain the fundamental part of teaching, innovative teaching like computer games should be incorporated as part of the learning process. Children who who excel in these games should be rewarded, this will simply encourage the child to continue playing and learning.

Teachers are recognizing the benefits of entertainment software and the advantages it brings to the teaching world. These games can be so much more than just that. It is also a priceless educational tool that has no limits. This is something that is inevitable as technology remains a trade mark of the twenty first century.

Video game education is taking teaching to a new level and those who embrace it, will reap the benefits there of. This is the new trend in educating children and also business environments. Programs for video game design are available online.

Looking to capitalize on your creative gifts? Learn from industry professionals in Game education Toronto and take your first step towards an exciting new career.

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The Real Effects Of Shooting Games And Other Violent Video Games

Violent-laden video games, which include those that belong to the ego-shooter or first-person shooter genre - are always under close scrutiny by parents and advocacy groups who are worried about the ill-effects of such games on growing kids and teenagers. Majority of the researches and studies about this phenomenon indicate the need for us to focus more on the personality of the player instead on the general content of these video games.

Ego-Shooters and other Shooting Games and Violent Traits

There is no reason to worry that your kid would turn into a sociopath or a serial killer when he or she gets hooked on video games, particularly those with extremely violent and gory content. However, psychologists suggest that parents be on their toes and observe any palpable changes in their kid's behavior, and if they become impulsive, moody and anti-social, then they may have to take necessary action and reduce the time spent by their kids playing their favorite shooting game.

The psychological impact of video games is a complex issue, and there are simply a lot of misconceptions and confusion about the real effects of video games with violent themes on the psychological and mental disposition of growing kids and teenagers. We cannot simply label an ego shooting or first person shooting game as either good or bad. There are several variables that need to be taken into account when assessing the real impact of such violent-laden games on the personality and behavior of an individual. For instance, a person with a specific disposition may exhibit ill-effects when playing this type of games.

Hostile Tendencies of Video Game Addicts

A team of psychologists recently noted a slight increase in the hostile tendencies of their study group and such hostile tendencies were linked to specific personality traits. The experiment showed that video players who tend to manifest hostile behavior were those who have abnormally high levels of neuroticism and excessively low levels of conscientiousness and agreeableness. The research divided the participants into 2 groups - one group played video games with violent theme and the other group played games with non-violent theme.

According to the proponents of the research, the hostile tendencies are largely influenced by the level of competition of the game and not by its violent content. Irrespective of the theme of the game, highly competitive games tend to trigger aggressive responses from the players.

Video gaming has continually grown by leaps and bounds. Some sectors are raising the red flag and insisting on the potential link between aggression and the level of violent content of games. However, there are also studies that disprove this claim. Amid these conflicting positions, parents and advocacy groups should be more vigilant in monitoring and guiding kids about the potential ill-effects of video games with extremely violent content.

Check out the wide array of Shooting Games that your kids can play and find out what makes Online Games a safe medium of entertainment and a tool in promoting a healthy level of competitiveness of growing kids and young teenagers.

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PS3 Video Game Gift Guide 2009

Looking for a good fight? Or at least a good fighting game? Tekken 6 continues its reign as the 3D fighter to beat.

With new characters, stages, and a "Scenario Campaign" play mode (allowing players to work cooperatively) Tekken 6 brings all the excitement of the arcade fighting game home, but with additional features only available on your video game console.

Tekken 6 is violent by nature, so gift it accordingly.

Compare prices for Tekken 6

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Halo Anniversary video demonstrates how classic campaign stage Silent Cartographer was updated

One of E3’s less surprising, but certainly interesting announcements was that Halo: Combat Evolved, the game that made Xbox a household name, was getting a full-on remake for 360. This rerelease is the first real test for Halo’s current flagship developer (343 Industries), as the team is taking over for franchise’s creator Bungie. Perhaps remaking what many see as the best game of all time isn’t most helpful way to examine 343’s abilities at designing new Halo content, but it certainly shows the devs devotion to the Halo franchise. That love is in full force during this lengthy trailer for the classic campaign level The Silent Cartographer.

The gameplay looks pitch perfect to us, and the narrator certainly sounds convincing, but to be honest we haven’t played this in a decade, so we could be way off. How’s this look to the Halo fans out there?

Jul 22, 2011

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Video Cards for Gaming

March 5 2011

There are a remarkable variety of graphics cards on the market aimed at gamers. While the very latest technology is always expensive, there are also solutions for those who don't have hundreds of dollars to spend. These video cards were selected because they are good values in their class, and they are ordered roughly from fastest (most expensive) to slowest (most affordable). I can't include every quality card, but I do update the list when I can, so your suggestions are welcome.

In late 2010 Nvidia introduced their GeForce 500 series, beginning with the GTX 580 and GTX 570. The former has taken over the top spot in the single-GPU speed contest, but it comes at a price that makes two lesser cards in an SLI or Crossfire configuration a more practical option. The GTX 570 is a dialed down version of the 580, but it readily outperforms the previous generation GTX 480. 1.25 GB of GDDR5 memory is standard on the 570 and it has two 6-pin power connectors. It's priced competitively and it's a great card for high-end gaming.

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Video Game Shooter Basics

Shooters are quite possibly the most popular genre among games, and believe it or not, you don't have to know every tiny little detail about each game to play like a pro. There are some simple tips that apply to almost every shooter game, whether they are fist person shooters, third person shooters, tactical shooters, or a combination of any of these game play types. Using these tips will help you be the best at your game, and many people may think you've been playing it non-stop since the game was released, even if you've only dabbled with it a bit.

Game Options: Optimize Them to Your Tastes
One of the easiest ways to become better at a game, without ever playing it, is to adjust the game settings to something you are familiar with. Most shooter games come with a few standard areas that can be tweaked to your liking, such as brightness, X and Y axis sensitivity, and inverted look.

Did you say adjust the brightness? Yes, I did, some games are so dark at the default settings that you'll miss many of the details, adjusting the brightness to a higher level will help you spot those details more easily, once you've become more familiar with the game, you can re-adjust the brightness back down to the default level, for a more realistic game play experience.

Inverted look and the X and Y axis sensitivity fall under a similar category, if you find yourself looking up when you are trying to look down, chances are you need to invert the look. The same goes for the axis settings, if turning to the left or right seems too slow, then the X axis should be adjusted up a bit so your character moves more quickly (same for up and down, and adjusting the Y axis will resolve the problem). This is a setting that needs to be continually adjusted as you become more and more familiar with the game, so going back and adjusting the X and Y axis up as you become more skilled with the game will help you overall. The bottom line, the quicker you can turn, and stay in control, the better you'll play!

General Tips to Meet Your Mark
One of the most basic principles in all shooters is to make your shots count. Firing aimlessly towards enemies does little to nothing unless it is specifically meant as suppression fire, as is common practice in tactical shooters. One common mistake many people make is firing too soon, never fire until you have a clear shot, and can gain a kill, or do some serious damage before the enemy AI can react to your presence. If the enemies don't know you are there, they won't fire at you, so you are somewhat safe as long as you are undiscovered. This is much more common in stealth shooters, where the main objective is to go through the game primarily un-noticed.

I Was 'Dead On' Target, But Missed, Why?
If you were on target and still missed, there are several factors that could be hindering your effective targeting. One of the most obvious is weapon selection. Different weapons react in different ways, it is a possibility that the recoil from the weapon is changing the exact point of impact, or it could be that the game you are playing is so realistic that you will need to lead your target. In other words, if your target is running to the left, you may want to aim just a bit to the left of his head, by the time the bullet makes its way to where you have aimed, you'll have a perfect head-shot lined up.

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Video: Haggling Techniques

Before you hit the next yard sale or antiques fair, watch how to master the art of bargaining.

Hi, I'm Sarah Pihl for About.com Home. Ever wonder how to cut down on the cash you spend on a coveted collectible? I'm here at the Brimfield, Massachusetts, Antiques Fair with few tips on how to haggle. For some, the art of making a deal comes naturally. However, I have always had to work at it. But here is what I have learned on how to cut a deal from some of the best negotiators I know. Hit the ground running. If you're focused on fairs, get there early – otherwise the good stuff might be gone before you can crack open you wallet. Plenty of professional buyers hit this circuit and cherry-pick the gems. Know your knickknacks, and come prepared. If you know what you're looking for, do some online research.

But stay open-minded. If you leave the shopping list at home, you will be more likely to spy other treasures to take home.

Bargaining can get costly if you get caught up in the action. Preset the maximum you're willing to spend before you make an offer. Play nice. Dealers say being polite will get you a lot further.

Jackie Lavery, Brimsfield, MA, antiques dealer: "I think people will tend to give you a little more off than they would."

Even if you love what you're looking at, don't "ooh" and "aah." It's a dead giveaway.

If you blow your cover, recruit a friend to do your bidding with a predetermined spending cap.

But playing dumb can sometimes do the trick too. Put on a pout, profess your love, but say sadly how the price tag is too hefty for your budget. That is, unless they can come down on their price. If a dealer is unwilling to negotiate at all, hit the road. Take a break from the bargaining table and see what else is out there. Or, you can wait it out.

Jackie Lavery: "It makes it so much easier to load up when you don't have to take a big piece home. I would say if you see a big, and you're interested, wait until the last day. The only thing with that is, you take the chance of it not being there."

Sarah Pihl: But just remember that in the end, if you'll love it forever, it's okay to pay too much.

Thanks for watching. To learn more, visit us on the Web at homegarden.about.com

source from about.com

No Smarties? Only Video Games Have The Answer - Opinion Feature

Jon Roberts has spent two years teaching children with special needs and educational problems in Warwick, England. During that time he's also developed music education workshops for the Armonico Consort, a music company from the same area. He is currently finishing a master's degree in Genetic Counselling at Cardiff University, alongside which he has taught at Lindamood-Bell learning process, a centre that helps children with language, comprehension and maths by developing their understanding of visual and pictorial imagery. In the remaining time he has aside from all this, Jon writes articles about video games for TVG like this one...
Yesterday morning, a small news story appeared that unsurprisingly got lost amongst all the song and dance over News of the World phone hacking, Rupert Murdoch's subsequently unsuccessful bid to take over BskyB, and the attempts to stop him from creating a giant death star that will orbit the world and cause everyone’s face to melt so we will all look like him and Harry Redknapp, presumably. Underneath the story about Murdoch, phones, and newspapers was a report which showed that, in UK schools, poorer students are falling further behind their more wealthy peers in the education process. According to the BBC, a Sutton Trust study found pupils eligible for free meals in schools below national standards were a third less likely to reach GCSE targets than better-off students elsewhere. This follows on from a study in May of this year, conducted by the Confederation of British Industry, which raised concerns over the standard of the basic skills that pupils were leaving school with. Specifically, the organisation's annual education and skills survey also suggested that many employers (44%) have had to invest in remedial training for school and college leavers.
The trust is launching an Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) targeting this group of children, using £125m of government money and income from other sources. The Sutton Trust says it will aim to focus support on "innovative projects and on scaling-up projects which are cost effective and have the potential to be replicated in other schools."
I put forward the idea that some of this dosh could be spent on developing video games to help those from poorer backgrounds who are falling behind. If we want to turn kids from dummies into smarties then video games could have the answer. Let me explain why:
Contrary to the idea that video games are merely violent bloodfests aimed at adolescent piss weasels, there is good evidence to show that they can be used effectively in education, and this is an idea that is becoming more mainstream. In a recent speech to the Royal Society, the Minister for Education, Michael Gove encouraged educators to experiment with using video games to help teach maths and science. This seems like a sensible idea given video games’ rich history of being used in new and imaginative ways.
Take, for example, a study published by the American Medical Association in 2007 which found that video game skill correlates with Laparoscopic surgical skills, concluding that “Video games may be a practical teaching tool to help train surgeons.” Going back to 1996, research printed in the Perceptual & Motor Skills journal suggested that reaction times could be improved in children through computer game use. And as far back as 1986 a study in the same journal showed that spatial visualisation test scores can be improved by video game playing.
Video games are often cited as causes for reduction in concentration levels in children, leaving their attention spans shorter than a hermit’s address book. However, while there is evidence that certain video games can correlate with reduced attention spans, there’s also plentiful evidence to suggest that the opposite is true. For example, Alan Pope of the NASA Langley Research Centre used video games with a ‘Biofeedback’ process (originally used to improve the attention span of astronauts) to reduce the impulsiveness and hyperactivity of children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Video games have also been used in health care settings. ‘Packy and Marlon’ were characters created for the SNES to help children and adolescents with their diabetes treatments. They were so successful that two new characters have been created: ‘Bronkie the Brachiosaurus’ (for asthma self-management) and Rex Ronan for smoking prevention. Presumably Penisy Pete will soon follow for those with erectile dysfunction. Go to clickhealth.org if you want to know more, although prepare to be disappointed if you expect to find Mr. Pete.
For me, the evidence that strongly supports the idea that video games can be used to help struggling students from poorer backgrounds is that they are great motivators. Take, for example, Kandie Demarest’s account of her autistic 7 year-old son (found at lessontutor.com/kd3.html). Demarest testifies that, although her son had serious deficiencies in language and understanding, and social and emotional difficulties, video game playing was one activity where he was able to excel. This was ego-boosting for him and also had a self calming effect. Anecdotally my experience of teaching challenging children is that if you find something they are good at you can use it as a hook with which to hang other positive beliefs about themselves.  I used sports and music, and I see no reason why video games should not be the same.
Other than providing an arena where young people can have successes, and therefore a sense of achievement crucial to all successful learning, video games have that great motivating factor: they are often good, honest fun. An article in the British Journal of Clinical Psychology points out, “Curiosity, fun and the nature of the challenge appear to add to a game’s education potential.” The value of the joy found in video games – which is so often forgotten – has been demonstrated in the arena of medical rehabilitation. In one case study a video game was used to improve arm control in a 13 year-old boy with Erb’s palsy.  The authors concluded that the game format capitalized on the child’s motivation to succeed and focused attention away from potential discomfort. Pamela Kato writes a good article outlining different ways video games can be used in health care settings - they are divisive and imaginative, ranging from anxiety reduction to helping with chemotherapy symptoms, and physiotherapy. All the applications rest on the assumption that video games can be real, genuine fun and that people want to play them. Fun, educational and confidence boosting. Sounds like they’re worth at least of some that £125 million to me.
~ Quoting ~