In the real world, plumbers are viewed as hard-working folks who know the plumbing system like the back of their hands. In the gaming world, plumbers are nothing less than heroes who can jump 18 feet high, enlist the use of magic, and win battles against big, bad bosses.
Plumbers in gaming are more common than you think. Let’s take a look at the following 6 iconic plumbers in gaming.
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Correct me if I’m wrong, but if it were at all possible, you would NOT do anything else than play your game of the moment, would you? I mean, we all have responsibilities. We all have to make a living – or pay attention to school – but it would be a dream come true to have nothing else to do but play games. Then again, that’s why it’s called a dream.
Of course, there is also the fact that even the most avid of gamers could use a break now and then. Not to mention the fact that there are so many other forms of entertainment that are virtually impossible to ignore – such as the awesome TV shows that exist today.
Truth to be told, I have never been a big fan of TV, but there are some shows that I fell for, hook, line, and sinker. If you’re a gamer looking to take a break and expand your horizons, here are some TV shows that will not fail to capture your imagination.
HBO’s hit series does not need any introduction. The TV show based on George R.R. Martin’s epic A Song of Ice and Fire novels is just as much of a hit as the books, with people from all sorts of backgrounds unable to resist it. If you’re the kind of gamer who likes heavy, intricate plots with fighting thrown in, you’ll quickly join the adoring masses of Game of Thrones fans.
For your dose of mental imbalance, Dexter is your go-to TV show. A serial killer nurtured to follow a code that allows him to blend in with normal people, so much so that he becomes part of the police force – how much sicker can you get? While the cinematics and acting may not be as wild as Arkham Asylum, some of the characters might not be out of place in that institution.
If you like getting lost in the world of fairy tales, then Grimm will delight you. It’s not the sugar and spice kind of stories your mom used to read at bedtime, though. Grimm is packed with intrigue, action, and all sorts of creatures that will scare even the Sandman.
Comic book fans will definitely not want to pass up on the TV version of Green Arrow, which caught my attention from the get go. Whether you know the story of this superhero by heart, or you have absolutely no clue, the TV show will have you wanting more.
For sure, there are many more shows that cater to gamers which I just have not discovered myself. One thing that is crucial in enjoying these shows is having the right TV provider. If you’re looking at satellite TV – which really is a no brainer these days – then check out GetDirectTV.org to make sure you have all the information you need to make a good decision.
Image via Android Guys
I have two boys. My boys love video games. Sometimes I wonder if they love video games a bit too much. Then I remember what I was like as a kid. I grew up with video games; I was the first of my friends to have an Atari, and the first girl in my whole neighborhood to beat Super Mario Brothers (yes, it was a HUGE deal, and I still brag about it). I see the value in video games: they’ve improved my kids’ hand-eye coordination, brought them together in times of need (“I need your help attacking this robot Now”), and have even been a source of accomplishment (“We finally figured it out”). Yes, video games have a special place in my heart, and they always will, but I also recognize the importance of designating a limited space for them in our lives. After all, balance is important – and I have no desire to have zombified kids. Here are five tips for helping your children form healthy gaming habits:
A Time and a Place
The old saying, “there is a time and a place for everything,” applies to video games, too. The instantly gratifying nature of video games makes them the obvious choice – if you give kids a choice. Would you put desert on your child’s dinner place and say, “whichever you want?” I don’t think so. Specify video game time, and enforce it….
The holiday season is fast approaching and your children will soon be hard at work on their holiday gift wish-lists. If your children have a PlayStation 3 and are anything like mine, they’re already thinking about the new games they want to see in the house this winter. Unfortunately, not all are appropriate for children. Here are 5 you might consider allowing to appear under the tree.
Gran Turismo 5
Who doesn’t love fast cars? Even the girls in your house might get into this fast-paced race car game. As you play you’ll have the opportunity to choose from more than 1,000 of the hottest, fastest, and most exotic cars in the world. Customize them, race them, trade them in, or form a collection. You never know what type of car you’ll want to have on hand for the real road or your favorite kart or NASCAR course….
Recipe Finder Home Page
One trend that seems to be going strong is for people to patronize cooking- or food-related TV shows and web sites. The popularity of celebrity chefs has largely contributed to this, and they have not hesitated to take advantage of this. There are also a considerable number of web sites dedicating themselves to providing recipes to the average person who makes meals in his or her own kitchen.
Speaking of recipe portals, there is a newcomer in the arena: Recipe Finder. This new site is a search engine that has been designed to provide users with the best recipes that can be found online. With more than a million recipes in the collection, Recipe Finder offers users more than other recipe sites.
Recipe Finder is a breeze to use, not requiring technical knowledge from you – the user. All that you need to do is to key in the recipe name or an ingredient. There are also options which allow you to conduct a narrower search, which will give you more relevant results. For example, you can use the feature which allows you to indicate ingredients which you want to be included in or excluded from the recipe. Furthermore, you can indicate parameters such as calorie count, cook time, and the number of servings. With these features, you are assured of the best results.
Recipe Finder offers you more than discovering recipes. It also gives you some help in the organizational front via two features: the menu feature and the calendar feature. The menu feature allows you to create a fully customizable menu which can include the appetizer, main courses, and desserts. The calendar feature gives you the possibility of planning entire meals in advance.
For many people online, sharing is very important. Social networking is the key for them. Recipe Finder addresses this preference by providing sharing options using some of the most popular platforms. And if you are the kind who still prefers the feel of paper in your hands, then simply click on the print icon to create your hard copy!
What’s left for you to do is to cook!
Video gaming is perhaps one of the fastest paced industries today. Much like many other industries that are dependent on technology, the video game sector continuously experiences changes – for the better, hopefully.
This December, gamers have something new to look forward to: the launch of Gakai’s cloud gaming service. At the head of Gakai is David Perry, who is known for creating Earthworm Jim and is one of the most known names in the video game industry. The concept behind cloud gaming services is quite simple: gamers do not have to have their own hardware to play games. Instead, all the necessary equipment – from the games to the hardware – is stored in data service centers. In this setup, the games are streamed to the gamer’s computer instantaneously.
Given that processors and graphics cards can be quite costly (at least the ones necessary for high-end games), this setup is definitely beneficial to gamers. Even better, with Gakai’s plan, games are going to be available for a variety of platforms. When the service launches, gamers are not going to be limited to the use of the PCs. Games will also be available for iPhones and other devices.
The target date for Gakai’s launch is some time in December, when it will be open for everyone. Meanwhile, gamers who want to get a taste of what they have to offer will just have to cross their fingers and hope that they get one of the private invites that the company is giving out over the next two months.
Who wants to build a career in the video game industry? WHO DOESN’T? Seriously, anyone who spends hours and hours in front of the computer or TV playing games would want to actually do it for a living – make money out of it!
And that is what the people at George Mason University are trying to do. With their new program dubbed Computer Game Design, the educational institution aims to develop and nurture the talents and skills of young people who want to build their career around video games. It looks like their gamble is paying off. It is only 2010 and they already have about 200 students enrolled in the program. Their forecast was a little over a hundred by the year 2012! They’re even getting inquiries from people all over the world.
That is really not surprising as video games are becoming more and more popular – even if it’s hard to believe that that’s possible. From young kids to retired seniors, playing video games has become a past time. The development of new technology has contributed to this, plus the ever expanding kinds of video games.
George Mason University is not alone in offering this course, but it looks like its program is fast gaining the attention of enthusiastic students. Before long, we will probably see programs of this type in most major universities around the world. If I were you and I were just starting my university life, I’d definitely check this out!
Remember my post about the Apple iPad being a potential catalyst in the world of mobile gaming? Back then, the iPad was recently launched, and people were already pondering on the implications. A couple of months have passed, and the pondering is quickly changing into anticipation.
Now that people have gotten their hands on the iPad, reviews are mixed – no surprise there, really. What is quite exciting is the fact that almost a thousand video games have already been developed for the iPad! For a mobile computing device, it is saying a lot that video game developers are already jumping to create various products.
If you think about it, the iPad is primarily meant to serve as a cross between a smartphone and a mobile computer. With the amount of attention being given to it by the video game sector, however, it seems that it is being seen more as a mobile gaming machine!
What is in store for the mobile gamer? Reuters reports:
With seven iPad games available at launch, ngmoco is taking advantage of the multi-touch screen by allowing players of games like “Godfinger” and “We Rule” to multitask by literally sliding small game windows aside so they can focus on the bigger playing field and then read the story progression or check out friends’ castles in between.
Johnny Coghlan, head of publishing for Chillingo, which has 14 iPad games available, said the Wi-Fi and 3G capabilities allows for all of its games, including “Super Shock Football HD” and puzzle game “Quantz HD,” to incorporate Crystal integration. This is the company’s social gaming network that enables players to compete against one another and tout high scores.
Then there’s Uno, Flight Control HD, and Tetris. Now who wants to play?
Ever heard of Legends of Zork? If not, then it’s about time that you did. GameStop recently launched its new online game – which, by the way, is FREE TO PLAY – and it is called Legends of Zork. The well known name in the gaming world has teamed up with Jolt Online (another upcoming name in gaming) to provide access to Legends of Zork.
In line with the launch of the online game, GameStop is also running a promo contest. Basically, what you have to do is go to any GameStop location in the United States and ask for a promotional card. Yes, believe it or not, it is also FREE.
You then have to register online at www.LegendsOfZork.com using the code found in the card. Upon doing this, you are qualified to join their sweepstakes. Here’s the great thing: the prize is one year’s worth of FREE video games. Now who wouldn’t want to win that???
I have to tell you, though, that you need to head on over to the nearest GameStop location NOW. The cards are free but they are being given away on a first come first served basis. With this kind of prize at stake, I will not be a bit surprised if the promotional cards run out.
Going back to the new game, I haven’t tried it; but, I think that I will at least give it a try. I like the name Zork and there are no download requirements for the game. Let me know if you get around to playing.
