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GAME PLATFORMS, TYPES OF GAMES & LINKS

GAME PLATFORMS

Mobile

Online

PSP - Playstation Portable

Xbox

Xbox 360

TYPES OF GAMES - An overview of the types of games out there. Some genres overlap each other. This is just to give you an idea of what the terms mean.

Action:
Action games tend to have a large amount of violence due to their fast-paced nature. This is the category that most "M" (mature-rated) games fall under which are inappropriate for children. Some games are milder but may contain suggestive themes. Action games may pit person against person or person against animal/alien. Some examples of such problematic games include Halo, Star Wars: Jedi Knight and Enter the Matrix.

Arcade:
Arcade games can be almost anything from the violent Street Fighter to the classic Pacman. This category includes games that cover the entire spectrum of ratings. Many older arcade games have been updated and turned 3-D. Some examples are Pacman, Soul Caliber 2 and Frogger.

First Person Shooters (FPS): First person shooters are more popular amongst the multiplayer world than the single player world. Albeit, some single player FPS games have captured our attention as well. Some fine examples of FPS games would be Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Doom, Castle Wolfenstein and many other types. A first person shooter puts you into the role of a single character toting many weapons and the common goal of reaching the end, escaping doom and all such fun stuff.

Multiplayer Online Shooters:
First-person shooters have come a long way since Quake demonstrated the potential for online play in a 3D action game. Today multiplayer shooters are played on consoles as well as PCs, and they encompass everything from realistic counter-terrorist settings to extreme science fiction. When playing in a multiplayer game, you can play in a FFA (Free For All), Team game or any other varieties.

Real Time Strategy (RTS): The role of a real time strategy game is to put the strategic part of your mind into the views of a fast paced environment. Typically your goal in a RTS game would be to defeat the opposing army with an army of yours that you have to build up by getting resources. Fine examples of RTS games would be Starcraft, Warcraft, Total Annihilation, Command and Conquer and many other varieties of games as well.

Multiplayer Strategy:
The ability to compete online with other players is becoming a common feature in recent strategy and sports games. Strategy games give you control of entire armies and empires, rather than just a single avatar.

Role Playing Game (RPG): A role playing game is typically a game that is very long and drawn in. There aren't too many RPG's out there that does not require over 20+ hours of your life. Some fine examples of RPG's are Final Fantasy, Dragon Warrior, Breath of Fire, Secret of Mana and other many varieties. Typically a RPG involves a group of characters that you need to build up or develop to reach a common end goal. To get to this goal, you will need to strengthen your character by leveling him up or gathering new equipment. Some roleplaying games are ideally suited to small groups of players who want exclusive encounters, while others feature large persistent online worlds with hundreds of players running around.

Racing Games: These are real fun and typically revolve around one of the following: stunts, speed, tricks, collisions, or combinations of some or all of these. Off-road Racing and Need for Speed are fine examples. It can be trucks, snowboards, skateboarding, dune buggies, sports cars. Games in this genre include Need for Speed, Moto Racer, Off-road Racing and other titles as well.

Simulation:
Simulation games are often aircraft simulations. You get to fly a jet or a helicopter. Most have nothing more to them other than the destruction of enemies; rarely they use excessive language. Some games in this category include Secret Weapons Over Normandy and SimCity.

Sports Games: This genre typically denotes those sports at which you can play in real life. Sports like, skateboarding, snowboarding, tennis, basketball, football and likewise. They feature real life pro teams and put you 'into' the game. Some good examples of games like this would be Madden NFL, Cool Boarders, NBA Slam, and many others such as PGA Tour Golf, Tiger Woods Golf, Brunswick Bowling. Sports games let you guide your team to glory, or test your driving skills against others on the track.

Puzzlers: Puzzle games are another variety that is very popular. Your typical puzzle game can include everything from chess and checkers to your lonely Marble Madness. Puzzle games are almost never rated higher than ‘E’ (for everyone). They all take thinking and logic skills. A common puzzle game is Tetris. Many others are Tetris-like or involve color matching skills. Many games incorporate puzzle aspects but are not true puzzles. Some of the puzzle-incorporating games fall under Action or Role-Playing.

INTERNATIONAL GAME DEVELOPERS ASSOCIATION
Excellent site for learning resources and information on Gaming

From WIKIPEDIA:

VIDEO GAMES

VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY

HISTORY OF VIDEO GAMES

GAMETRAILERS.COM - A Great Site for Viewing Game Trailers

From its humble beginnings in 2002, Gametrailers.com has evolved into the leading Internet broadcaster for the video game industry. Gametrailers.com was started by gamers who were tired of waiting in line for slow downloads of small, boring gameplay footage. The result of their hard work is what you see today; a vast library of unmarked, high-resolution video game trailers and gameplay that users can download or stream immediately to their computer.

The site, which re-launched in December of 2004, serves millions of trailers a month to media-starved gamers. New features include user registration, game tracking, platform sorting, expanded forums, fan movies, user ratings and the Gametrailer Top20 that ranks the most popular game trailers according to user feedback and number of views.

GAMASUTRA.COM - The Art and Science of Making Games

International Gaming Industry Resource. It's got an amazing amount of information on the videogame industry. If you are looking to enter the field this is the first stop on your journey. Articles on design, news on the state of the industry, resume database, events calender and lots more.

GAMESPOT.COM - Online Magazine on Computer Games

A part of CNET networks, huge website with lots of previews, cheats, demos, betas, interviews and best of all, user submittable game reviews. Produced in conjunction with Computer Gaming World.

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MOBYGAMES
Incredible, ongoing database of classic (and recent) computer games, along with lots of box cover images, screen shots, technical info, and interesting trivia tid-bits. Add your own entries, rate the games that are there, read informative articles, and enjoy.

ONLINE GAMES

PC GAMEWORLD
For PC Games, downloads, reviews, cheats and lots more.

VIDEO GAMES 101
A very interesting series of articles on classic home game consoles; nicely written and quite indepth.

Videogamespot's History of Video Games
A quick walk-through of the industry's history.