Final Steps Of Making A Video Game!

After making the game elements work together by a code that is the set of computer language instructions that controls every aspect of the game it is tested.
How is a game tested:

Testers play the game repeatedly to find all the mistakes, or "bugs." Problems are prioritized in many ways, from "fatal" bugs which must be resolved immediately, to minor issues which may or may not affect the game's release. If a problem is discovered, a detailed report is sent back to the developers and the error is corrected.
The first version sent to testers is called the "alpha" version, and it is tested to detect any major flaws in the game while they are still easy to fix. Once all of the major flaws are addressed, a "beta" version is released, often to a larger group of testers that sometimes includes the public.
Usually during this testing phase, a copy of the game is sent to the Entertainment Software Rating Board to be given a rating. These ratings are intended to give consumers an idea of the content of the game and its appropriateness for different age groups.

Marketing a video game:

Big amounts of money are paid for the game promotion and marketing. With this much money at stake, the publishers go to great lengths to hype their games. this step starts often while the game is still being designed. Companies send their designers and public relations staff to trade shows and conventions all over the world to promote their latest games. Demonstration versions, are sometimes made available for download from the Internet to offer a sneak peak, and theatrical trailers like those created for Hollywood movies are released.

Doris

How Is a Video Game Made?

Some may think that a video game is made in a basement, with a nerd working on it. But actually a video game creation can be as complex as making a Hollywood blockbuster. It takes time for planning and preparation, script writing, casting, character development, cutting-edge technology and massive computing power go into making games.
In the Beginning: Preproduction:
Usually games begin with stories, or they may be a movies. when the concept of the game is decided, writers and artists work together on a storyboard. A storyboard consists of rough sketches and technical instructions sequentially organized to depict each scene of the game. It is a visual representation of the story and a reference for the writers, artists and designers as if its a film. But the difference is that a film has a single storyline, while a video game can have thousands of outcomes.
Creating the Characters:
Designers start to create the characters. Sketches of major characters are drawn and redrawn until they are perfect. It's important for the artists to refine the characters as much as possible at this stage because it will be costly to make changes later.
Then the sketches are transformed into controllable 3D characters:

• First scanned into the computer.
• Second a digital exoskeleton is created to define the character's shape and to give the computer the control points necessary to animate the figure.
• Third layers of "skin" are added, followed by layers of color and texture.

How to put characters in motion:

At this stage characters are basically a digital marionette. The game programmers bring this figure to life by instructing the computer to move the character. Several techniques can be used to do this, depending on the type of game and motion desired. Movements can be mapped onto the character's skeleton to produce ultra-realistic motion.

Doris

Do You Want To Buy One Of The following PSP, DS, DS Lite, XGP, XGP mini, GP2X And YOU Can't Choose?

The competition between video games producers and companies are growing stronger. And people seem to be "lost" they can not make a choice, because all the consoles seem to look alike. So here is a guide to help video game lovers make the right choice, and choose the console they feel is the best for them:


PSP (Play Station Portable)

• It is a highly commercial product.
• You can download average quality emulators for consoles before the psx and two very low quality N64 emulators have been developed.
• It has no TV out socket.
• It has no touch screen.
• It has no microphone.
• It uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
• You can play maximum of 6 hours.

Click here for more information about PSP.

XGP (Xtreme Game Player)

• It is an underdog console but aims to hit the commercial market.
• It has no microphone.
• It has no touch screen.
• It allows video and mp3 playback.
• It has wi-fi which means you can surf the Internet and play games online.
• It uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
• Is offer some high quality emulators and a PSX emulator is in the making and there is a possibility of an N64 emulator being created.
• Games that are created by others can be downloaded.

XGP mini (Xtreme Game Player)

• It is another version of the XGP.
• It has 32 mega-bytes of RAM.
• It has no no TV out socket.
• It has no wireless.
• It has a 320x240 screen (76800 pixels).

Nintendo DS (Dual Screen)

• This console is a highly commercial product.
• It has wi-fi so play games online.
• It holds up to a maximum of 10 hours game play.
• It has a built in microphone.
• It has no TV out socket.
• It has touch screen capabilities.
• It has 4 Mega-Bytes of ram.

Click here for more information about Nintendo DS.

Nintendo DS (Dual Screen) Lite

• It is another version of the DS.
• It is 21% lighter, 42% smaller .
• It holds up to maximum of 19 hours game play.
• It has a more scratch resistant screen.

Click here for more information about Nintendo DS lite.

GP2X

• Is an underdog console - intended for mostly home brew content.
• It has 64 mega-bytes of ram.
• It has no touch screen.
• It has no microphone.
• It has no TV out socket.

Click here for more information about GP2X.

So now it is more easier to choose between these games!

DORIS

Difference between the TAO XM2go and Delphi Myfi XM2go

Other then the Tao XM2go, Delphi Myfi XM2go was also out and was quite popular. But the XM2go is trendier but could have some performance enhancements as well. The Tao is exactly the same as the Myfi, but the Tao is housed in a black plastic aluminum faceplate. It looks better and feels much better then the other XM2go products but the size (4.5 by 2.8 by 1.2 inches) and also heaviness (7.2 ounces) are the same.
One difference that the Myfi and the Tao have is that Tao’s mute/pause buttons is in the middle of the four-way rocker rather than beneath it, providing easier access. Unfortunately just like all other devices the Tao suffers from a set of minor inconveniences, it has a hard time receiving signal indoors using the built-in antenna. Frustratingly, the device must be powered off during scheduled recording sessions or it will leave out the session as not to interrupt your listening. Also when you press the 2go button to start recording, the device misses out on the first few seconds of the programming so if anything important was being said in the first few seconds then it has been cut out. It has been mentioned a few times that these handheld satellite radios should get smaller, be a bit cheaper and offer some more functions for the purchaser. Such as for example MP3 support and a color screen.
Regardless of the price ($299 for the radio) these devices are gaining a lot of popularity and are being sold a lot.
SABAH

New Video Games: XGP and Surprise XGP Mini!

The GP2X handheld gaming console has released photos of two upcoming models that may have the same PMP and emulation goodness. These may be geared towards the commercial market in different packages. First XGP which looks like a slightly bent PSP is redesigned(Extreme Game Player) that is handheld, and it ditches the swivel screen design that once opined "looks a bit like the bastard child of a PSP and a Sidekick," to become a more traditional Game Gear / Lynx / Nomad-type form factor, while one-upping the GP2X in screen size (4-inches vs. 3.5), the addition of a DMB TV receiver, and a little standard known as WiFi. and the surprise, was the XGP Mini, an obvious rip-off of homage to the Game Boy Micro, which like the GP2X and XGP, sports an SD slot and 64MB NAND memory.

The competition between the companies that are creating these games are increasing, to make their products more successful. And what makes GP2X a good product is that it focused on being a niche product, catered towards the hardcore who were after open systems. And what makes it more special is the analog stick on a portable gaming device which no company put before.

DORIS

Video Games Based On Movies!

Many video games are based on movies, some people welcome this idea and others refuse it:

1. The idea of making a video game based on a movie is creative and profitable, because if the movie is successful and had a good rank among other movies at that time, then people would rush to buy that video game for being able to relive and control the characters that they loved in the movie


2. There are several reasons why games based on movies are not that good:

• When the movie is not successful, producers use video games as an advertisement for the movie.
• Sometimes video games are different from the outline of the movie.
• Some video games lack the quality expected after seeing the movie, but the majority of buyers would buy it anyway if they are crazy about the movie.

Here is some examples of the video games based on movies:
March 2, 2007:

Best-Selling Video Game Scarface starring Legendary Gangster Tony Montana based on the very popular movie Scarface with star Al Pacino.

March 24, 2006: The Godfather, set in New York from 1945-1955, Players will join the Corleone family as "soldiers" and work their way up the ranks through loyalty, fear, and any number of illegal activities. The goal is to become Don of your own mafia family. based on the hit 3 parts movie with star Marlon Brando, The Godfather.

October 24, 2006: Based on the Quentin Tarantino movie Reservoir dogs, the game with the same title is surprisingly bad while everyone expected it would be as good as the mafia/action movie.

DORIS

The Pioneer Inno Xm2go

The TAO xm2go is just one out of quite a few satellite devices; the newest one that is out now and selling very fast is the Pioneer Inno XM2go.It’s being said that it looks like an immense improvement over the first XM2go devices. It’s a lot smaller and lighter at 3.7” x 2.2” x 0.6” and just 4.5 ounces. It gives you Live XM satellite radio substance and ability to store up to 50 hours of XM content. And also you can put your own MP3’s on it. It has a built- in FM source that will give you the chance to get satellite signal to any radio, full color screen (180x 180).
The one bad thing about the Pioneer Inno is the battery life, it’s not that good compared to the TAO XM2go. The Pioneer Inno XM2go has a memory buffer which makes it so much easier to store an entire track, the beauty of it is that even if you want to store it in the middle of the song, that’s not a problem, you can. It comes with the same accessories as the TAO Xm2go but off course a bit different in shape and style because the devices are different shaped.
Larry Rougas, vice president of marketing and product planning for mobile entertainment at Pioneer Electronics says it perfectly with: "In the past, the consumer has been able to do one of two things: listen to satellite radio or listen to music downloaded from their own collection. Now, the consumer can have their personal favorites and also be exposed to great new artists through XM programming. Adding the XM functionality to an MP3 player means you're no longer a prisoner to your own playlist."

SABAH