Can Online Games Really Work as a Learning Platform?

You might not realize this, but online games can actually do much more for your children than just provide them with a fun and time-consuming pastime. They can be used as a learning platform, as well.

Through the years, online games have actually become more and more popular with parents, teachers and kids alike. As a matter of fact, they are now considered to be a big part of today’s educational system, penetrating into classrooms and helping students learn various digital technologies while mastering different academic subjects and gaining more knowledge and skills in the process. Some of the subjects that these games can help greatly with include languages, math, painting, management, economics and physics.

As such, it is safe to say that online games really work as a learning platform – and an efficient one at that. After all, the right games can teach, control and evaluate students, as well as boost their overall motivation to learn more and study more. Aside from that, teachers and parents will also get to monitor the students’ progress as time goes by and help them become more responsible in terms of their studies overall.

There are also various other benefits that come with using online games as a learning platform, though.

Playing online games is a pastime that will give children the chance to hone their skills while having fun at the same time. Parents and teachers will also have an easy time evaluating the knowledge and skills of the children through these games. While it wouldn’t be right to call these games proper assessment tools, especially if they aren’t labeled as actual educational games, they will still be able to evaluate the learning skills and progress of students with them in time.

Aside from that, online games are easy to access nowadays. Plus, students will be able to develop their creative skills when playing the right games. Playing online painting games, for example, can hone their creativity skills like no other.

Naturally, any top quality games can evoke a sense of learning responsibility in children and encourage them to learn new skills while developing their creativity. Online games do not just assess skills, after all; they can improve the learning process and turn it into a more interesting and efficient one, as well.

Online games can also be used to demonstrate and develop certain knowledge factors and skills, such as the use of computer skills, which is required by every online game out there; and the knowledge of math. There are actually quite a few quality math games on the Internet nowadays, where children will have to solve basic equations non-stop or within a certain limit of time.

There are also online games that can help hone creative skills and management skills, or even a mixture of both. If you are trying to use online games to teach younger children certain skills, then you might want to opt for games that feature their favorite cartoon characters. A lot of the time, children respond better when they see their favorite characters on the computer screen as they play.

There are also a lot of social media games that can help children multi-task and exercise their brain better. Believe it or not, even the most basic Facebook games out there can do wonders at exercising a child’s brain, no matter how futile they may seem.

Overall, it goes without saying that using online games for teaching and learning processes can definitely be very beneficial due to the convenience, accessibility and pleasure that come therewith. You just need ot make sure that your kids play the right ones.
Image Credit: Jeroen van Oostrom

Author Bio:

David Miller is an educational researcher who has vast experience in the field of teaching, Online testing and training. He is associated with prestigious universities and many leading educational research organizations. He’s also an ed-tech veteran, currently pursuing research in new eLearning developments and contributing author with ProProfs.

Segregating Points of Xbox One and Xbox 360

Xbox was an innovative invention with cool features such as wireless controllers, expanded hard drive storage and the kinect motion sensing camera. With a vision of unparalleled experience for the gaming enthusiasts, Xbox 360 and Xbox One are second and third consoles in the Xbox series from Microsoft.

Xbox One is a big gaming console of the present lot. It introduces better graphics and new features that were missing in its predecessor Xbox 360.

Kinect

Kinect is a controller-free gaming and entertainment experience. Mandatory with every Xbox console, the new version of the kinect is an enhanced version of its predecessor and works really well in key areas such as motion tracking and voice recognition. It is faster as well. A cool feature of Xbox One is a 1080p wide-angle time-of-flight camera. The camera identifies the user and logs in automatically.

Memory

There is a huge difference in the main memory pool of the two consoles. Xbox 360 has 512 MB RAM as against Xbox One which is supported with 8GB RAM.

Also, the Xbox One is powered with an AMD “Jaguar’ Accelerating Processing Unit. Having the same architecture as a PC, it facilitates cross gaming platform. Xbox One supports 4K resolution. On the other end, Xbox 360 runs on Power PC tri-core Xenon processor at 3.2 GHz. This means that the successor is more efficient and multitasking is much easier.

Backward Compatibility and Games

Xbox 360 overpowers Xbox One in the gaming arena with huge game library. Earlier, gamers had plenty of choices in terms of games but as Xbox One is not compatible backwards with Xbox 360 games, gamesaves and apps, the gamers will have to rebuild their game library from scratch. A few games will be launched exclusively for the Xbox One soon.

Controller

The Xbox One controller though looks similar to the Xbox 360 but features some changes. In the redesigned directional-pad, the Menu and View buttons are replaced with the Start and Back buttons. The Xbox One is also empowered with a USB port to swap between wired and wireless versions. It uses new impulse triggers. The battery pack of the controller is also integrated within the controller to cut on the prominence at the back, something that made the predecessor bulky.

Addition of Blu-rays

Xbox 360 backed DVD and HD-DVD via a peripheral. While the new variant Xbox One comes with blu-ray. It makes for a good movie player as well as lets you install games to the console. The best media feature is the ability to control the idiot box with the Xbox.

No Bluetooth support

The Xbox One does not have Bluetooth support though Wi-Fi Direct and 802.11n helps in dealing with device-to-device connections. Also the wireless accessories require official Xbox options to connect.

Smart addition

Microsoft’s SmartGlass app works on an array of phones, tablets and PCs. The smart addition on Xbox One permits devices working on Windows Phone, Windows 8, IOS and Android to be used as a second screen.

With such enhanced attachments, the new gaming console looks to rule the market and the minds of the gamers.

Author Bio:

Simon is a freelance writer by profession and Technology-enthusiast at heart. He mainly covers topics related to Technology, Android and iOS Apps, and now days he is passionate to cover and write reviews or issues faced by android and iPhone application development services. He prefers and loves to read about the Changing technology trends and review them of his own.

Difficulties In Importing Console Games to Mobile Operating Systems

Game consoles are built with only one goal in mind, and that is to create an awesome gaming experience for gamers.

Serious gamers are mostly to be found playing console games and the rest almost exclusively use personal computers to play games. In the past, if one wished for a portable gaming device, then their options were limited to portable game consoles such as the Nintendo DS or Sony’s PSP.

However, smartphones and tablets have been steadily gaining ground as gaming platforms due to their portability, ubiquity, increasing processing power, better and bigger screens and an army of developers with the requisite skills to create games for the various mobile devices like the Android and Windows Phones. Of course, iPhone app development is included in the mix.

This means that you as a game developer/publisher have to decide which platform/s to target first when creating your game. If you, however, decide to target the console market, you would probably want to ‘transfer’ or port the game eventually to mobile operating systems due to their widespread use and potential market. There are, however, things you will need to do and challenges to take into consideration before you can successfully deploy your game on smartphones.

Challenges in Porting Games

One of the challenges to overcome is the difference in hardware. Smartphones have grown more powerful each year yet when you compare them with game consoles, they are way less powerful. Game consoles also have very powerful GPUs and thus handle graphics better. This means that a game that placed minimum strain on game consoles would not run at all in most smartphones and strain most tablets if they were placed under similar computing needs. This means that your game must be re-designed and re-worked, taking into consideration the target devices’ capabilities.

If you are porting your game so as to target mobile devices, you must also take into consideration the various hardware capabilities available on mobile devices but not on games controllers, such as the ability to control game play via a touchscreen.

Games targeted at mobile devices much also allow for the different functional purpose between mobile devices and game consoles: while a game can hog all resources on the game console assured it has all computing resources to itself, on mobile operating systems the game has to ‘play nice’ with other apps installed on the mobile devices. Given that no one would ever play your game again if it were the reason they missed an important interview or a deal fell through because a phone call was made but the game was using the CPU or speaker, you must change your game so that gives some activities (like incoming calls) priority, and resume gaming when the user returns.

You must also factor in the differences between the controllers for a game console and a mobile device. Most game controllers have some input devices such as joysticks not available to mobile devices, which similarly will have different controls such as swiping for mobile devices with touchscreens. Telling a gamer using a touchscreen smartphone to move the joystick to the left does not inspire much confidence in your game and shows lack of attention at best on the side of the game developer.

You may and probably will have to change the way the gamer interacts with your game, for example, by substituting touch motions for key presses. Another motivation for changing the interactivity mode and intensity of play not only due to computing resources required and controllers used is the target audience. Most game titles for home consoles are targeted towards hard-core gamers who will create time in their schedule for gaming and end up not sticking to it after they start playing, while most mobile devices games are for casual gamers catching a break in between classes or work. Thus, they need to be hooked to the game the first few times they play it and it must have shorter playtime.

Languages for the devices may also vary, requiring automatic code conversion and tweaking or a complete rewrite in the language supported.

Image Credit:  franky242

Which Gaming Platform is Really the Cheapest?

The price differential between gaming PCs, the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 is something that is hotly debated, and as this infographic shows, there are far more things to think about than just the up-front cost of the console. Which games platform really is the best long term investment?

The Xbox One may be expensive out of the box, and have a monthly fee for online play, but Xbox One gamers get Kinect included in the cost of the console, and they get free games every month with Xbox Live Gold - games that they can keep even if they unsubscribe from the service.

In contrast, PS4 gamers pay less for their console up front, and aren't obliged to subscribe to PS+. The PS+ service also includes free games, but you'd better play them while you're still subscribed, because if you cancel the subscription you lose access to the games.

PC gamers pay the most to "buy in" to gaming, but they enjoy better performance. PC gamers have had super-high resolution games running at 60FPS, and with full modding support, for a long time now. They also enjoy huge discounts on downloadable games. While new console games cost £40 on release day, and can remain fairly expensive for several months, PC Gamers can enjoy bundle sales which offer several games for a few pounds, and Steam sales with AAA titles at 75% off. The problem with PC gaming is the high initial cost of entry, and the extra maintenance workload required with installing drivers and keeping the PC running well.

Sourced and created by the guys at Juice Electrical.

Biggest Names And Their Biggest Games

Despite the vast world of gaming on all types of platforms, there are only a handful of developers who are leading the way when it comes to the hardware and the games being released. There is a stunning amount of money being made by these companies, driving the gaming industry forward at a record pace. From the Xbox 360 to the WiiU, there is no doubt that the technology being put into game development will not slow down any time soon. At this time, the average United States home has at least one gaming platform while the majority have two gaming units in operation. Additionally, these game players are pouring a record $20.7 billion dollars into gaming on a yearly basis. The major players in this industry are releasing top games such as the Call of Duty series, Madden NFL installments, and physical games such as Just Dance 4. These games are moving units in numbers that stretch into the millions, encouraging future releases and the expansion of such noted franchises.

EA Electronic Arts has been in operation since 1979 and led 2012 in profits by earning an estimated $4 billion dollars. The company saw the most success from games such as Need for Speed and the Sims. Calling Redwood City, CA home base, this company is likely to stay on top for many years to come. The games that players can expect to see from them in the near future include Mirrors Edge 2, Battlefield 4, and Titanfall. Activision is the second-highest earner of game developers, pulling in over $4.8 billion in profits. Also situated in California, this company has sold over 40 million units with Guitar Hero alone. Other big sellers for this company have included the James Bond series, Tony Hawk games, and, of course, Call of Duty. Gamers are excited about the new and upcoming releases from this developer which will include Destiny and Call of Duty Ghosts.

Ubisoft has consistently kept its name in the game, earning more than $1.4 billion. Assassin's Creed allowed them to move over 57 million units while Just Dance sold over 42 million units. This company was founded in 1986 and has its headquarters in France. Among the new games heading the way of players are Watch Dogs and Rayman Legends. Microsoft Studios also managed to keep profits in the double-digit billions, earning $18.5 billion. The leading game franchises for this company includes Halo, Age of Empires, and Gears of War.

Gaming Websites Are at Risk

Online games are increasing in popularity with various groups of the population. Many people who start playing these very catchy games have no idea how exposed they can be to hacking. Hackers are looking for gaming websites that don’t have adequate security in place. They look for ways to take control of these websites using DDoS attacks. Once a website is hijacked it takes just a matter of minutes for the attackers to take over. If a website goes down, the damage could be irreversible. And, with over 145 million gamers online each day in over five different continents, having a gaming website that isn't reliable means you could lose your gamers, reputation and any associated gaming revenues in just a single day. 
Gaming websites are big targets for DDoS attackers, but a website doesn't have to make it easy. With the right protection they can keep their gamers, reputation and keep revenue up.

Created by the marketing team at Prolexic Technologies.

Women's Influence In Gaming

How much do you really know about women and the gaming industry? Most people don’t realize how much influence women have had on gaming development. Some people don’t even realize that there are many female gamers. While men are known for their achievements because they represent 97 percent of the development staff, there are still many women who have changed this industry for the better.

Major Audience

Even though females compose a large portion of the gaming market, most people don’t recognize just how many female gamers there really are. Men are known as the majority of gamers, and this is true. What many people don’t know is that the market isn’t as male dominated as you might think.

Only 55 percent of the market belongs to men. The other 45 percent of gamers are women. Not only that, but the majority of them are over 18.

Major Developments

Some of the biggest advancements in the gaming industry involved women. For example, Centipede used early artificial intelligence programming that later helped programmers develop modern intelligence coding. Only two people developed Centipede, and one of them was female.

Portal is recognized for its advanced physics and interesting mechanics. A woman helped develop this game. She and a group of friends first started work on Narbacular Drop, which was used as the basis for the Portal franchise.

Women have also influenced writing in the gaming industry. While some games are known for being childish or having thin plots, the Legacy of Kain series was set apart due to its mature story telling and intelligent writing. A woman did the vast majority of the writing.

Mobile Gaming

Another area that is experiencing a major female influence is mobile gaming. The entire Temple Run series was developed by a woman who was determined to make small games that would appeal to the majority of gamers. Some of the most popular mobile gamers were partially or exclusively made by women.

Even though only a small number of women create games, they have left a mark that few can ignore. It’s time for more women to join the gaming industry to create even more advanced games and ideas :)

How To Clean Video Game Consoles Hardware And Accessories

Aside from lag, having to clean your gaming equipment is one of the worst things that can happen to a gamer. Seriously, who cleans their things, anyway? Gaming is for fun, not doing chores. But in those rare occasions when you decide that your console can't really take much more, then you have no choice but to clean it, especially as far as dust is concerned. Dust is the biggest enemy your gaming set-up can possibly have. It can not only make your hardware run worse than it usually does, but it can also damage it beyond repair. And in the light of the holidays and the oncoming Christmas celebrations, when I assume many people get the new generation of consoles as presents, I decided to do a guide on how to properly clean and maintain and clean your console hardware and accessories. This will not only increase the longevity of your console,but it will also ensure that it runs great for as long as possible. It's not going to be pleasant, let me tell you that much, but it's worth doing if you are a true enthusiast and plan utilizing your new (or old console) in the best way possible.

Unplug everything

This is possibly the most important step in the process. You need to unplug everything, otherwise you risk damaging the platform. Not only that, but you can also get hurt so it's a good idea to apply extra caution. After all, you are working with sensitive equipment. Carefully unplug everything that can be plugged and make sure you don't forget anything.

If some of the accessories aren't plugged (like your controllers or headset) and are powered by batteries, instead, remove the batteries. You want to discontinue all power supply to both the console and its components.

Cleaning the exterior

There are several things that you will need here in order to accomplish this fairly simple task. First of all, buying a microfiber towel would yield better results in the cleaning process, even though this part is optional. You can use any lint-free old rag you can get your hands on. You will need two of them – one for the processing and one for the drying out. Also purchase an electronics spray (the kind of spray you can use to clean all sorts of electronics, like laptops, consoles, monitors and more). Spray some of the solution on the cloth and wipe off all the surfaces of your hardware. Dry out with the other cloth immediately so you make sure that everything works well afterwards. Never spray directly on the surface of the console or any of the periphery. This may very well damage the devices so be careful.

Cleaning the interior

Cleaning the interior is a bit trickier. You should open the console because odds are you don't know what you're doing (otherwise why would you be reading this?) so you might damage it. Spraying compressed air into the air vents of your device would be enough to remove a large portion of the dust outside the console. This way you don't need to open it but you will still be able to clean most of it. Something to keep in mind is that compressed air comes out rather cold so you shouldn't be keeping the device too close to the source. Otherwise the air will condensate inside and damage the console.

Cleaning peripheral devices

Use a cotton swab and some rubbing alcohol to clean the peripheral devices such as controllers, microphones, headsets, etc. Just make sure to dry it out immediately. If you're not confident in your abilities to clean the console properly, seek the help of a specialist.

Author Bio:

As a professional cleaner at http://www.fasthomecleaning.co.uk , Rose knows how to clean all kind of things.