Archive for the ‘ Gaming ’ Category

Angry Birds Game

Angry Birds has become a worldwide gaming mega hit but how did this game come into existence? Rovio is the name of the company that created angry birds, however, it’s not the first game they developed. Surprisingly they have been creating games for several years but had just never broken through into the mainstream the way they did with angry birds. The idea for the game came about in 2009 when the company was looking at different ideas for games which they thought could become popular. It was a simple idea spawned from some sketches of wingless and legless birds which were angry.

The sketches caught on among the staff who in turn created a unique design which became angry birds. The pigs were added into the game later in the development as an enemy. During this period of development swine flu was being heavily reported in the news which is where the idea for the pigs emerged.

The basis of the game is very simple and is not unique to angry birds but has been seen in many other games previously. It’s a simple physics/puzzle game. The player is given a slingshot and a finite supply of angry birds with differing characteristics. Some birds are faster than others while others can be split into multiple birds. You control the trajectory of the birds with the slingshot which launches them towards rickety structures containing your main enemy, the pigs. In order to advance to the next level you must eliminate all of the pigs before your birds run out.

Rovio has released several different versions of the game at this point. The original, Seasons, and Rio. Seasons is a collection of holiday themed versions of the game while Rio was a movie tie in for the movie Rio. All versions continue to be updated with new levels which are free to those who have previously purchased the game. In addition to these versions of the game there are some free versions of the game available to play. Google has a special chrome version which allows you to play some levels. A special ‘lite’ version of the game is available in your favorite app store as well. Read more

Curing Video Game Addiction

Are you a Video Game Addict?

Do you find yourself lounging in your comfy chair and playing your favorite video game for hours? But you think it is not really that bad, as long as your Human Paladin levels up. Then you realize you haven’t taken a bath for quite a few days and your clothes started to stink. But then again, you think that an Orc Berserker smells worse than you. Then you stole a quick glimpse around your pad and noticed how messy and littered it has been. Again you shrugged it off and think there can still be worst places like the dreaded Frozen Undead Realms. Finally, your friends dumped you for not spending time with them. With this final straw of annoyance, you proudly yell, “I don’t need friends, I have my Undead Legions!”

Surely this might be an exaggerated sign of Video Game Addiction, but sadly some video game addicts do exhibit such exaggerated reactions, to some extent that some commits suicide when something happens untoward to their game.

Video game addiction is simply defined as an excessive or compulsive use of computers and video games that interferes with daily life. Despite displaying symptoms that are characteristic of other addictions, video game addiction has not been given a diagnostic status by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). These behaviors include failure to stop playing games, difficulties in work and school, lying to loved ones, decreased attention to personal hygiene, decreased attention to family and friends, and disturbances in the sleep cycle.

But, hey, let’s be hopeful. Having a video game addiction doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. There’s still a way out of it but it would need a large amount of work and willpower. Read more