Having read Noracoco's blog post about a game related murder has spurred me to write my own article about violence in general, in gaming, and how it affects the psych of people out there.

Ooo... Pretty Colors!

To a certain degree, I like a level of gratuitous violence in my games.

Why?

Like any psychologist would be able to tell you, all humans have basic instincts in them. The instinct to hunt and protect is one of them. I wager that there is a violent creature in all of us for such scenarios which pretty much don't exist anymore. As such, it starts to yern to get out.

And hey, what better way to satiate it then with movies and games?

Personal Preference: Me like Boom. Many Boom. Big Boom. Nice Boom. Colorful Boom!

Made For Your Relief.

Naturally, gaming took on a much more violent face, evolving from text to actual life-like 3D graphics. Now one need not experience the art of killing from a third person from a movie, he now can experience it himself!

The horror!

But, truth be told, such games (I'm being very generic here) acted as a form of relief for most. It allowed one to vent his fustrations and anger on a virtual "bad guy" instead of the actual person he is angr

Runes of Magic Review
 

Strap thine armor and sharpen thy sword! Embark on a journey of discovery and peril in this recently opened MMORPG, Runes of Magic. The medieval lands of Taborea await thee!  

Epochs of Lore
Runes of Magic has an in-depth lore that takes you back to the time of Taborea’s creation. It all started when Ayvenas created a book in the shape of the world and recorded the origin of life. This was known to be Taborea. Taborea and the inhabitants underwent many different changes, good and bad, as millennia passed by. Each chapter of the book was called an “Age,” and further subdivided into Epochs. The inhabitants fell and rose time and again because of their advancements, failures and sins. This is until we reach Taborea’s epoch of discovery, the game’s setting and timeline. This is an era filled with uncharted lands, monsters, and numerous discoveries waiting to be revealed. And that‘s where your journey begins.

Magically Surprising
Runes of Magic has top-notch visuals. Maps are highly detailed, from the wee little grasslands to enormous stone and marble cities. Day and night effects are amazingly portrayed, having beautif

I read this news on Northeast Ohio News accidentally which reported a KID, who murdered his mother, shot his father just because they didn't allow him to play the violent video game Halo 3!! For the sake of all creatures this freak named Daniel Petric should be executed immediately, what he have done really disgusted me, how could he do such horrible thing to his family?

Quote from the news:

Daniel Petric was so angry that his father would not allow him to play the violent video game Halo 3 that he killed his mother and shot his father, then tried to make it appear to be a murder-suicide, prosecutors told a Lorain County judge this morning in the boy's murder trial.

Petric, now 17, had sneaked out of his house to buy the game. But his parents caught him as he came in with the game and took it from him. His father, Mark, put the game in a lockbox in the parents' closet. He also kept a 9 mm handgun in the box, according to prosecutors.

Daniel Petric took the gun and the game out of the box, they said.

The case is being tried to a Lorain County Common Pleas judge instead of a jury at the request of Daniel Petric.

Daniel Petric THE FREAK

Mark Petric, who is a

A strange mix of MMORPG, solid RPG, pet sim and turn based combat are just some of the attributes one might use to describe the recently released MMORPG Wizard 101. Developed, produced and published by Kings Isle entertainment, Wizard 101 features itself as a casual MMORPG that can be enjoyed by younger players. Teens and young adults might also enjoy this game, but for those of a more mature perspective, it’s probably suggested that yo

Free-to-Play MMOs - Extreme Makeover

By Cody ‘Neramaar’ Hargreaves

Although by now you will have certainly already noticed this, I feel compelled to touch on just how significant the changes to the Free-to-Play MMO Genre have been this past year – the mighty 2008. Prior to 2008 hearing the words ‘free to play MMO’ were grounds for a full scale riot. Players ran faster than ever before upon such a mention – as it seemed common knowledge that if you weren’t paying for an MMO, then you shouldn’t be playing it either.

Trend Setters
2008 saw a change of epic proportions in this regard with games of ridiculously high quality being released without requiring a purchase, nor a recurring monthly fee. These games looked and felt identical to the great majority of their P2P rivals, and in doing so set a trend for the MMO genre as a whole.

Fortune Telling
Knowing this, my thoughts stray to the future, and what it may eventually hold in the market of F2P games. Revenue is of course generated through advertising and items purchased within the game, and Maplestory has shown us just how lucrative this can be.
With the success of completely free games

Disappointment struck hard this week my friends and I reeled like one struck a blow, or at least this was my reaction whilst playing the game Chaos online which is currently in CB. At its core Chaos online had a decent foundation and storyline, also several unique concepts, but is ultimately let down by the poor visuals, sound and game play which is both boring and redundant.

Players are given the choice between two races, which I suspec

We have all been there. As gamers, once we get ourselves comfortably wrapped into a genre we tend to stick to it like wet toilet paper on cold concrete. It isn’t really a flaw, but rather an age-old law of the jungle. We stay within our comfort zone for fear danger may be lurking nearby.

For me, my comfort zone was simulation games like Armed Assault, Silent Hunter 3 and 4, and Falcon 4.0. Very rarely would I venture off the path and try something new. However, a short while ago I was presented the opportunity to take my first dip in the MMO/MMORPG pool. As usual, the old law of the jungle was sitting right beside me filling my head with skepticism and insecurity.

While no stranger to multiplayer gaming in general, I had really only dabbled a few times in the RPG side of things. Much to my chagrin, I soon found out all my preconceptions were dead wrong. I found myself having a great time playing some of the most visually stunning games I’d ever played, and above all else, I was meeting and interacting with more people than I ever had before.

My journey began by researching the various titles available. I had no idea there were so many, and that most were free. I will admit

Cosmic Break, sequel to C-21, is an action packed mech TPS filled with cute chibi characters, fun gameplay, and anime inspired content.

The game plays similiar to Exteel, but its still different enough to be something new.

Starting the game you pick your intial mech, choosing one of three predefined builds, each emphasizing its own type and stats. The three types are Sky, Land, and the third one I couldnt translate (sorry). Sky is the more agile type, emphasizing speed and tech over strenght and HP. Land is more of brute strenght, emphasizing power and HP over speed.

After picking your intial mech, you are greeted with a cutscene (yay!) which introduces three main characters each who represents their own major union. There is the typical Japanese high school girl type Ashee who represents WIZ (wizard) and the element ICE. Then there is the typical hot shot Rios (Lios) who represents BRD (Bradeen, I think it means Brave) and the element SWORD (?). And finally there is the older and serious Dragonica who represents DOS (Destruction) and the element DINOSAUR FACE (??)They go on talking to each other about finding the hero a.k.a "chosen one". The story, charact

A few days ago, me and my friends come across a once famous internet café (IC).  Sad to see they have to closed their business.  Along the way, we discuss about this trend where many ICs in my country are starting to close their business.  Yes, there are also new ICs coming to the business.  However, a statement come out from my friend’s mouth:

“I think Internet Cafés will eventually dead.”

And I asked why.  He reply with a logical reason.  He said:

“It’s simple.  Because internet price is getting lower and lower.  People start to be able to afford 24/7 internet in their home.  So why would they need to go to the internet café?”

Good point.

BUT, I have my own opinion.

What we have in my country, is not a real internet café.  In Korean terms, they are just Internet PC Banks.  An internet café should emphasize more in their café, not just the PC.  Well, if we refer to an Internet PC Banks only, yes it would be dead.  Only some of them will survive because they’ve already had base customers.

IC picture taken from MMOSite photo

This is basicly what I wrote as a reply to another forum topic as far as girls and gaming goes. Thats basicly why its started as it is. However everyone can easily feel free to write they're opinion(s). As I am quite curious as to what others think. I'm basicly expanding a bit on the topic that was orginally posted so I'd want more replies if possible as it is quite open to much discussion:

Well as a female gamer I can say that a lot of the male gaming population do help me out a lot of the time. Weather they feel the need to give me gold (money), items, partying, guild invites and etc. I don't knock it, I rather enjoy it a bit. However it's not like I go around seeking such attentions from the male population. If it happens then it happens.

Now something else I have noticed is that you'll also find a lot of male players using female characters for that very reason. They want the power-leveling, items, money, partying,and the overall attention that females in games get.

Why do females get said attention more than males? Perhaps its because the males feel they have a chance to "score" somehow with them. Maybe they figure with that they could get to know them and ge