Gaming: March 2008 Archives

Online gaming is creating widows across the world

By
Shelley Wilson
on March 31, 2008 12:13 PM | | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (1)

I found myself amused the other day when I was considering writing this post for our blog, as I decided to do some research to see if there were any others out there who have a member of their family so wrapped up in online gaming that they feel like a "widow" and I came across this on Wikipedia. It reads as follows:

"A gamer widow is a term for those who have a relationship with a gamer (one who plays video games, be it on a console or on the computer) who pays more attention to the game than to their partner. It is similar in concept to the football widow."

I found this amusing because it didn't even cross my mind that there was an entire network of people out there feeling just like me!

Well, I am a gaming widow mother! My 17 year old son Luke is an online gamer (funny I feel like I am in a self-help group!) and I hardly ever see him. However, I hear him, oh yes, for all you parents out there who have children who play computer games you will know what I mean!

Sometimes I wish he was playing some loud obtrusive music at 100 decibels instead of shouting at the top of his voice into his headset "fire in the hole", "sniper to the left" and "behind you", sound familiar? Yes? Well then you probably know that is a game called counter-strike and if you have heard your child shouting these terms randomly and continuously every evening you may feel the same as me?

What ever happened to playing out on your bike? Or going to the local youth club? Or playing cards or monopoly with the family?

Oh god I'm getting old aren't I? Well anyway, old or not, my son knows what he wants and how he wants it when it comes to online gaming - his clan is dedicated to their clan matches and competitions. They are always trying to improve, ping times, latency, lagging, registration speeds etc and optimising everything to get the best possible game.

So as the sales director of EFH Broadband I decided to take my son's experience and design a product specifically aimed at gamers to give them a quality of service which prioritises their traffic above everything else and give them reduced hops etc, we hope to launch this product very shortly so gamers everywhere watch out for it, with your help we will make this the best product in the market for you!

If you wish to share your experience or thoughts about this or provide feedback on how you would like to see this service working please feel free to leave your comments about what services are most important to you.

All the very best until the next time!

Shelley

Wii Virtual Console releases

By
Seb Mysko (Wolfstar)
on March 28, 2008 5:02 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hot off the 'games press', Wii owners can now transport themselves back to 1982 and enjoy some of the games associated with the world's biggest selling computer of all time! This week sees the 200th title hit Virtual Console as it again expands its catalogue with the return of the Commodore 64.

The games added to the already available 197 experiences include:

1) Uridium - solar system invasions by the Super-Dreadnoughts - can you defend all fifteen planets and stop the dark side from pillaging the system's natural resources? (500 Wii points)

2) International Karate - originally released in 1986, this one on one fighting game allows players to compete around the globe, ultimately seeking a black belt and the international karate champion title. (500 Wii points)

3) The game to bring up the 200 mark is Cruis’n USA™, the classic American arcade game - made available for home use in 1998 when it was released for the Nintendo 64. Although this last one comes in a little pricier at 1000 Wii points, the 14-stage, solo or head-to-head game will no doubt bring  memories racing back for many a gamer.

Here's a video to get you back in the mood - not only do I love the old school and uncomplicated graphics, but the sounds too (almost like a piece by Kraftwerk)... I don't think it can get much more retro than this!

Hello and look out for Battlefield Heroes

By
Stuart Bruce (Wolfstar)
on March 27, 2008 6:18 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Battlefield Heroes cut scene I've been somewhat tardy in creating my first post on the Enlightening Broadband blog, mainly because the rest of the team have been doing such a good job in publishing some interesting stories.

One subject that they haven't touched on much yet is the potential for online gaming if you've got a good broadband connection. If you've never played an online multiplayer game then you might be loath to shell out to buy both a game and the ongoing subscription. That's where the rise of free-to-play online multiplayer games is to be welcomed.

There's a great preview in this month's PC Gamer of Battlefield Heroes, which is due out in June. Battlefield Heroes is a kind of cartoon conflict where your character is modelled like a plastic toy soldier. It sounds great fun and is well worth checking out when it launches.

Nintendo to launch Mario Kart Wii on Sunday 27th!

By
Seb Mysko (Wolfstar)
on March 19, 2008 2:16 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Only 40 days to go! I'm a little late on picking this up, but after reading a post by Tom Magrino at GameSpot it seems that this excellent series is very nearly on our shelves. I'm not the biggest gamer, in fact until the recent purchase of my Wii, I admittedly hadn't so much as looked at the games Mario and Yoshi neck and necksection in HMV... probably since my mid teens. However Mario Kart is another story altogether. I'm sure I speak for many part time gamers when I say it holds a special place in my heart. Now with the Wii firmly positioned in its rightful place next to the TV, it seems to have added a whole new dimension to house parties. My only word of warning is USE THE SAFETY WRIST BANDS! I'm having to look at repainting a whole wall due to an over enthused friend bowling a strike (simultaneously chipping a glass of red wine 3m into the air!)

Anyway, the reason I wanted to flag this up is because of its promising online features:

"When you're online in the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection-powered multiplayer mode, you'll be able to race with 11 other players for a total of 12 online. A nice feature of the online mode is the option to have two people play online from the same Wii for some proper team-based action."

For those of you who are boarder-line obsessed with your Mario Kart credibility - you'll also be able to check out worldwide player rankings for each course.

So far reviews have been very positive, but here's a look for yourself...

 

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