Bethesda’s “Terminator: Future Shock” is a pretty hardcore First Person Shooter which combines challenging action gameplay with exploration of some fairly huge levels. Although the missions themsel…
Posts Tagged ‘Summer’
Let’s Play Future Shock, Part #1 – Dude, Where’s Summer Glau?
August 6th, 2009Japanese Nintendo Wii Games Offer More Gaming Selection And Choices For The Slow Summer Months
July 21st, 2009As seems to be the nature of things in video game releases, the summer time is almost always the slowest time of year. It’s been this way since the days of the Super Nintendo system (and the corresponding system from Sega, the Genesis). The trend looks to continue this year with the Nintendo Wii. So what is an avid gamer to do once they’ve finished all of the current games in their collection?
While many games often have great replay value, playing it on a different difficulty setting, or playing it in two player mode with a friend. We’re often left wanting an waiting in the summer time for new game releases. Going to your local Blockbuster or EBGames to buy another new game is simply not an option.
This is where import games come into play. While state side we’ve run out of games to buy (and play) and wanting for more, there are a whole slew of games being released (or games that have already been released) in Japan and Europe, that are sure to keep you busy during the slow summer months here in the USA and Canada. You can certainly keep yourself busy and playing without having to rely on the release dates for games here in North America. And while we can safely assume that all games from England and Europe are multi-lingual, meaning that they have an English option available. Even many of the Japanese games that have been released offer a full gaming experience simply because many of the prompts, words, information screens are all in English.
It’s important for me to point out however that even with all of these great games coming out in Japan and Europe while we’re dealing with the slow down in game released here in North America, you can’t just pop these games into your Nintendo Wii and expect them to load. You’ll need a Nintendo Wii Mod chip like the Wiikey or the Cyclowiz> or one of the many other Wii Modchips on the market today. This is because the Nintendo Wii, like the Playstation 2 and Gamecube before it, has region coding on their games. Much like a DVD movie that is meant to play in a certain region of the world, video games are also the same. So if you want to play a Japanese game on your North American or European Nintendo Wii, you simply won’t be able to do it without a mod chip.
With all of the mod chips on the market now for the Nintendo Wii, you’ll have no problem picking on that’s suitable for you, and being able to play it right away. Don’t be afraid of installing a mod chip, they are easy to do, and require fairly little skill as far as soldering goes. You won’t regret the 20 – 30 minutes it’ll take you to install it – the rewards are far to great. Being able to expand your software library by hundreds of games right after you install your Nintendo Wii Modchip.
Konami, Hudson and Tecmo are preparing new games to be released on the Nintendo Wii in Japan. These game are slated for release in either June or July. here are just a few of the many Nintendo Wii Import Games you could soon be playing.
First to the plate (okay, the pun IS intended) is Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Wii. This big headed baseball game from Konami is similar to the PS2 Version that is available already. The Wii version will however have an exclusive “REMO PAWA” (remote power) mode where you would use the Wiimote to swing and pitch the ball, making for a truly interactive game experience. On a side note, I have always thought that sports games would benefit the most from the way we play games on the Nintendo Wii – and this game shows that perhaps I may have been right. The release date is July 19th for this game.
The next game will be an action game from Tecmo. Though no details have as yet been released for this game, it is, as said by the famous Famitsu game magazine in Japan, a good, and much needed action game for the Nintendo Wii. While it may seem a but mysterious that there aren’t any additional details, this is often common in Japan – even when the game is just a month from being released.
And finally, the last of the the games in this article is a jigsaw puzzle game (yes, jigsaw puzzles on the Wii CAN be fun you know!). Entitled Jigsaw Puzzle Kyou no Wanko, which roughly translates to Jigsaw Puzzle: Today’s Dog in English. This game features jigsaw puzzles based around the popular (in Japan anyway) Kyou no Wanko segment that airs early mornings on Fuji Television in Japan. While it may not be your next first person shooter – it can offer several hours of party fun with your friends and family (and a great way to show your parents that you’re actually using your brain while playing a game too). The release date for this game is set at July 29th.
Expand your Nintendo Wii Software library with brand new summer releases from Japan and Europe. Find out more about Nintendo Wii Mod Chips like the WiiKey
Learn Video Game Design and Programming by Attending a Summer Camp
July 18th, 2009A video game design summer camp is an extraordinary way to introduce a teen to the highly creative, and teamwork oriented world of game design.
The industry of video game design is an extraordinarily creative industry and very similar to the Hollywood movie making industry. A diverse group of people with a lot of different skills work together as a team to create a movie, and the same thing happens in the creation of a video game.
The Industry needs, and actively looks for people that are highly creative, great team players, and highly skilled in a variety of disciplines. This is a fact of life in the world of making games and it is a dramatic change from industries that have been around a long time. This is not our father’s work world. It is exactly these three components that a summer camp offers a teen. It gives the attendees a creative environment where teamwork is developed and specific computer skills are learned.
If you are considering going to a camp for designing games there are a couple of things you should think about. First of all, the world of game making is very diverse and there are a lot of different programs and applications that can be used, so you have to consider what areas of game making you are interested and then look for a camp that covers that. A good example of what I mean is that you can learn how to design levels, program code, make java games, create 3d models, or any number of other things. There are also quite a few different programs that you could master from 3ds MAX for modeling to FPS Creator for level and game design. And what you want to do in the realm of game making will determine which skills and applications you should learn.
So, you should carefully consider what kinds of things about making video games appeal to you and try to find a camp that will fill that requirement. If you are a parent considering sending a teen or child to a camp you should spend time talking with him or her about what is interesting about video games. Chances are good he or she will know more about making games than you do. Your teen may like three-dimensional modeling, graphic design, writing or level design. This is a big factor in whether the camp will be a success or not. It’s a matter of fulfilling individual goals and needs.
Your first course of action in looking for a summer camp should be to check with your local University or Community College. Just about every institution like this has summer learning programs for kids and teens. And unless you are already a student there you probably would never learn about the programs being offered so all it takes is a phone call and a request for a brochure. If geographic location is not a big concern for you there are plenty of top grade institutions that offer one week or two week long programs.
Summer camps are a great way to immerse a teen or child in the highly creative world of video game design and programming. It is a great way to get a feel for the career potential in the industry. And as a bonus he or she is actually going to come home from the camp with a real and complete video game that he or she made!
Visit the authors website for real step-by step tutorials on how to make video games (for free): Make-Video-Games.com You can also find more information about computer summer camps and links to colleges that offer them.
Have Fun Making Your Own Video Game in a Summer Camp
July 18th, 2009It is because of the popularity of video games, summer camps are now including video game designing and creation in their curriculum and camp activities. In fact, there are camps that offer special training in different aspects of the gaming world.
Kids are acquainted with the basic principles of creating arcade and platform games by means of courses offered for example, Clickteam® Multimedia Fusion 2 Developer ® and Adobe® Photoshop®. Apart from creating games, kids can also give a personal touch to video game by generating cool characters in Spore™ Creature Creator and incorporate them in the game. Once they create a game, they are allowed to carry a copy of their concluding project in order that they can play their own game at home whenever they want.
The entire game learning procedure would be an exciting experience for new learners. The camp organizers guarantee for the inclusion of diverse non-tech activities at regular intervals during the training session to provide the campers a break. Game making usually requires attending a one – two week camp in order to understand the basics of game making. This will help the campers become efficient enough to create more games on their own in future.
A 3D video game design camp proves to be a great fun, as children are acquainted with the complete process of level designing that facilitate them to create games similar to any other console game accessible in the market. For definitive customization, they have the option of dragging-and-dropping mechanism using advanced software like FPS Creator ™. From single player to multi-player games, they create games by choosing trigger points, weapons, teleports, and ladders using their imagination.
Campers attending game making camps, surprisingly come back for more advanced courses. Anyone can think of pursuing a vocation in game making if the gaming world excites him or her. It is purely a creative field and if you consider gaming is your strong point; you definitely can try out your luck in gaming.
Donna Pianka is the key member of iD Tech Camps who writes about summer camps for kids and teens held during summer vacations in USA. Make your own video game for fun or pursue a career in game making this summer.
