Online gaming is such a popular past time not just for the kids anymore but with every people of all ages. It is considered as popular, in the sense that it is played by many, by a large number of people from different ages. It is almost played by all.

So what makes the online gaming so popular?
In these online games, a player can create its own character with the identity he or she desires and also a player can create a virtual world which he or she wished to have. This two gives the player the satisfaction he or she wants and this can be considered a factor why online gaming is such a popular thing for many.

The want to make the player’s character on top, the want to make a character on its highest level can be a reason why the players don’t want to stop playing and why they keep on coming again and again to play. There is some competition included.

The things being acquired by the player’s character during level ups can be sold for a real money. It is quite a bit expensive too, depending on the thing being sold. It can be a source of money for some.
The grand tournament being held by some, this is where a player is able to know and make some new friends and to let others see how good he or she can play. Just like other tournaments, the ones who are given the chance to participate are the ones who proved to play exceptionally. Tournaments have prizes it can be in the form of cash or in other form but being able to join in one tournament is considered such an achievement already.

For others it’s simply the fun they feel when playing that keeps them on coming back and play again. The fun of shouting and coaching during the playing time is what keeps them don’t want to stop playing.
All of these are reasons of why online gaming is quite popular to all ages. The popularity of these online games is widely increasing and spreading to all countries. It’s becoming nationwide already.

The best action adventure game featured at E3 this year was Mirror’s Edge. If you liked Assassin’s Creed, you are going to love Mirror’s Edge. The interactive environment in the game reaches a completely new level.

The best original game featured at E3 this year was Flower, a game that will leave you feeling at peace. This game is not like anything before it.

The best role-playing game featured at E3 this year was by far Fallout 3. This game does more than the average role-playing game. This game takes place in Washington DC following the apocalypse. You get to battle your way through the game fighting armored warriors, ghouls and mutants.

Gears of War 2 takes the top spot at E3 this year as the best action game. This game is the perfect upgrade to the original. The graphics featured in Gears of War 2 are some of the best that have come along for the Xbox 360. This game will really get your blood pumping.

There are free online games available online to suit all sorts of interests. Be sure, when you are playing these games that you understand that particular game’s policy. Sometimes free game play is free and sometimes it is not quite totally free. Some games are free trials that let you play for generally thirty days. Some games only ask that you sign up with an email address to begin playing. Other games may require downloading, in which cases be sure to read all of the fine print and know exactly what you are getting before downloading any files to your personal computer.

There are literally thousands of games available to play on the Internet, the right one is waiting for you.

• Backwards Compatibility: This is a must now for all consoles. If you are building off a predecessor (Xbox) than those games need to still work to keep your following.
• Game Library: Consumer s like variety and Microsoft responded. They announced that by the end of 2008, there will be over 1000 games available for the Xbox 360.
• Online Gaming: With the spread of multiplayer games, makes a strong and reliable gaming network a must. Xbox live was developed and allows for players to find fellow gamers to compete against.
• Dual Purpose: Although it does not play Blue Ray discs which was specific to Sony and PlayStation 3, Xbox can play DVDs, Hi Def DVDS as well as Audio discs in most common formats.

As Xbox 360 was released to market almost one full year before its competitors, it had time to gain a following for its increased technology being available. This and its reasonable price tag allowed it to gain a following and keep its place in the competitive world of gaming consoles.

While the past PlayStation had come standard as a DVD player, this edition is a blue ray player. The graphics and quality of movies played on this console are amazing and really bring to life anything you watch. As blue ray has now become the standard in the DVD war, it would only make sense to get a PS3 if you are a gamer and a movie lover! While its original price was much higher then its competition, SONY has released other models with less memory or limited features to become more competitive with Xbox and WII. One thing to watch out for is that not all models are backwards compatible. If you are do have old games you want to play, make sure you check that your model can do it before buying it.

Let’s start with the Sony PlayStation 2, the best-selling game console on the market today. There are literally thousands of titles available for this system, which cater to every age range. There are approximately 600 games for the PS2 that have the “E” rating, meaning that it is suitable for players ages six and above. However, many of these games are too complicated for young children to play. Games that children ten years old and above can enjoy are rated E10+, while those that are rated EC (Early Childhood) are of course, suitable for the very young. The PS2 carries about a dozen E10+ games, including movie-based titles like Shrek Super Slam for PlayStation 2 and Chicken Little. EC titles that little ones can enjoy include Dora the Explorer: Journey to the Purple Planet, Eggo Mania and At the Races Presents Gallop Racer.

Nintendo’s GameCube console continues to be popular because it carries titles that are popular with children. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) lists 263 video game titles rated E for the GameCube, and these include some of the most popular and beloved among the children of today and years past, such as Sega’s Sonic GEMS Collection, Nintendo’s own Mario Party 6 and Mario Tennis. The Legend of Zelda series and several Pokemon titles are available exclusively on the GameCube as well.

Microsoft’s Xbox and Xbox 360 video game consoles likewise have many, many titles that are rated E; the Xbox with approximately 270 games and the Xbox 360 with so far about a dozen — but count on the number of Xbox 360 titles to increase since it’s a new release. Some games published by Microsoft exclusively for the Xbox and the Xbox 360 and which have the E rating are Astropop and Feeding Frenzy. However, remember that most game publishers release crossover titles, or games that are available on multiple platforms. For instance, Eidos Interactive’s LEGO Star Wars (rated E) is available for the GameCube, PS2 and Xbox; Activision’s Madagascar (rated E10+) is available on the same platforms, while Global Star Software’s Dora the Explorer (rated EC) is available on the PS2 and Xbox, but not on the GameCube.

What about parental control options? Among the four systems, the Xbox and the Xbox 360 have the most efficient parental lock functions. Parents are able to set limits on the games and films to be played on the systems. If you set the system to play only E-rated games, kids won’t be able to play DVD’s or games that have Teen, Mature, or Adults Only ratings. The GameCube also has a parental lock feature, albeit a less effective one. Users note that all it does is tone down certain effects that might be troubling for children (for example, the amount of blood seen in games) but do not block the playing of games at all. It doesn’t even screen or bleep offensive language. The parental control function of the PlayStation 2 is even worse — it doesn’t allow parents or anyone to restrict access to video games at all. The most parents can do is to set the PS2 to prevent their kids from watching DVD movies with inappropriate content.

When it comes to price, the GameCube comes out tops. Available for only $99, it’s significantly cheaper than the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, whose prices range from $150 to $199 (or more if bundled with game titles). The Xbox 360, being the newest of the bunch, is the highest-priced. For $299, you get the system and a wired controller. For $399, you get a wireless controller, a headset that players can use to talk to other people online, a 20 GB hard drive that is loaded with game-related videos and music, and a remote.

Parents should go out and try each system personally as well as look at the different titles available for them before deciding which one to buy. Factors such as number and age of users at home, game title availability, and budget should also be considered. Each system has its own pros and cons, and families will differ in their preferences: some will be content with the limited but popular games of the GameCube; some might prefer the wider offering of the PlayStation 2 or the Xbox; others might opt for the high-tech features of the Xbox 360. But all things considered, making the right choice will provide hours of wholesome, fun, and worry-free entertainment for the little ones and for their parents as well.

Mark Robbins is a gamer providing valuable tips and advice on video game systems, game cheats, and giving new game reviews.

Using Windows Media Player 11

1. First make sure your Xbox 360 is connected to the network and can connect to Xbox Live.
2. Open up Windows Media Player 11, and click on the arrow directly below the Library tab, then click on Media Sharing.
3. A Media Sharing Window will popup, now check the “Share my media to:” box and click on your Xbox 360. Select allow and click okay.
4. Wait a little bit. You’ll have to wait for the system settings to take effect and for the Xbox to show up in the network, if you’ve waited and nothing’s happening try redoing the process or opening up the ports on your router for the 360 (a good place to do that is [http://www.portforward.com]Port Forward) because they could be blocking it, and also make sure there isn’t a firewall enabled somewhere that is causing problems.
5. After you’ve waited, get on your Xbox and select the Media blade, then Music or Videos, and then press X to change your source and select your computer.
6. Everything you have in your library will show up on your 360 now. Enjoy your songs and videos.

WinAmp

1. Download and Install WinAmp Remote.
2. Right click the WinAmp Remote icon in the system tray, click configure, and then media tab.
3. Add the folders that contain your music and your video files.
4. Again, you’ll need to wait a little bit for the network to show up with the 360.
5. Go to your Media blade on your Xbox 360 and press X to change the source and select your PC.
6. Enjoy your media.

Windows Media Center PC

1. Go to www.xbox.com/pcsetup to download the necessary software updates for your PC.
2. On your Xbox 360 go to the Media lade, select Windows Media Center, and follow the easy, on screen instructions to complete your setup.

Each of these options are very easy to implement, and have different pros and cons. Currently, Windows Media Player is faster at streaming and buffering than WinAmp Remote, and it seems like it is more stable, but WinAmp Remote has the ability to stream online videos. And the Windows Media Center PC option is perfect if you have a Media Center PC.

Steve’s Tech Guide - A blog that helps you scratch your tech itch with computer guides, informative how-tos, and important news events.

Games for the Nintendo Wii are not cheap and replacing them can be an expensive task - prices range from $60 - $100 and depending on what country you live in it can cost more! Until recently there was no dedicated software that could copy Wii games on the fly but now if you do a Google search you can find hundreds of tutorials and software tools that can backup wii games. However if you have had no experience in doing this it can be a frustrating task. That’s why its important to find software that can automate this process for you.

A good software tool I found made it easy  have your Wii games backed up in a matter of minutes. With just ‘one click’ you can have your Wii games burned to blank dvd or cd thus protecting your originals from damage. In fact there is no stopping you from backing up your entire collection of games. For just $40 you can’t complain! It also helps to have good copying media to backup games for your Wii, be sure to use quality dvds from Verbatim or Sony.

With this software you don’t have to worry about damaging your games and you can now keep them in a safe place and save lots of money in the long term!

To find out more about this software and preserve your originals visit How to Copy Wii Games

The key to being able to copy xbox 360 games is to find a software that is specifically designed to make backup copies of video games. Video game discs have “copyright protection” measures in place that won’t let you make copies by using the regular burning software used to copy music cds. To get passed this problem, there are software companies that have developed specialized software that can “knock-out” these protections and copy Xbox 360 games (along with other types of games).

Without this software, your computer doesn’t recognize a video game disc. When you have the software in place, all of a sudden the disc makes “sense” to you computer and it can read the disc in order to make a copy.

As a side note, the software doesn’t only copy Xbox 360 games. It also works for PS3, Nintendo Wii, PS2 and almost every other major game system. This makes it a lot more convenient if you own multiple game systems. You won’t have to buy a new program for each one.

The software works in three easy steps:

First, you insert the xbox 360 game disc and your computer will make a duplicate “image” of the game. When this is done, you insert a blank disc and the software will transfer the image onto the disc. Afterwards you are left with an exact backup copy of the game that you can use whenever you need to.

If you have any interest in making copies of Xbox 360 games, this software gives you an easy and effective way of doing so. It’s important to copy Xbox 360 games in case they ever become scratched or damaged.

Go to copyyourgames.com to get a risk-free trial of the top-ranked game copying software.

It’s the easiest way to copy xbox 360 games directly from your home computer!

When you break down the figures for handheld games, Nintendo DS was by far the most impressive performer, with sales up 122 per cent from $55 million in Q3 2006 to $122 million.

EA released only five DS games during that time; Boogie, Need for Speed ProStreet, EA Playground, The Sims 2 Castaway and The Simpsons Game but still the DS sales accounted for eight per cent of EA’s total turnover.

Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata has been talking about the DS, Nintendo’s future plans for its games and the possibility of non-gaming services being made available to download to DS from public wi-fi hot spots around the country.

He also said “One of the lifestyle proposals we’d like to put into effect in the first half of this year is an experiment aimed at getting people to use their DSs in public spaces as part of a larger effort to make the DS a more helpful tool for people in their everyday lives.

He went on to say “It’s a portable, single-architecture platform that can receive anything given a wi-fi hot spot with over 20 million units in use in Japan and about the same amount in the US and Europe. I really think the idea of making it a gaming machine that’s also useful in your daily life is a good one, and possible. We’ll be keeping an eye on the experiment’s results while hopefully increasing the number of places you can use your DS in progressive steps.”

Like the PSP’s satellite navigation add-on and the new Skype capabilities, the DS has also already had uses found for it in everyday life – language translation software is available for it and in Japan the console has been used to give tourists information when they are on museum tours. Meanwhile, a recent test in the US enabled users at a baseball game to order food as well as watch the game on their DS.

In his interview, Mr. Iwata also speaks about there original idea to do something different with both DS and the Wii.

He went on to say “We knew that if games appealed to fewer people, the future was going to be bleak. And with video games being demonised by the public, it was hard to see how games could flourish in all that. So we knew we had to change it… Hearing stories about customers who seemed like they’d never touch a game scouring store shelves for a copy of Brain Age is what encouraged us.”

The hardened gamer should rest easy. Iwata followed this up by saying that Nintendo would still support more experienced gamers by giving them games such as Zelda, and also more new challenging games although he thinks the benefit of pick-up-and-play titles is they allow experienced gamers to play with newcomers – something the CEO said was missing from the market.

So the future of DS is looking bright for the casual gamer and the hardened Nintendo supporter
Exactly what we’ll be able to download to our DS in the future that’s useful remains to be seen. Money off coupons for Tesco? Maps? We hope that Nintendo has something a bit more exciting up its sleeve, which im sure it has!!!

David is the owner of ConsolesMarket.com,  which has thousands of consoles & games listed on the site at fantastic prices. The site helps you compare the market as it has other merchants offering a full range of products for you to compare.