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After Five April 2004 • Vol.2 Issue 4 Page(s) 101-103 in print issue |
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Play Online From Young To Old, There's Something For Everyone |
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Jump to first occurrence of: [GAMES] We all know that classic games like Kick The Can, Freeze Tag, Monopoly, and Hide And Seek have universal appeal. They're fun, active, and easy to learn—which explains their long-standing popularity. With the advent of the Internet, online games have gained a strong following, as well, especially for those lucky people with high-speed Internet access. After all, playing an online game is a great way to relax for the evening or to take a quick break from an intense work project. Gaming advocates maintain that you can also gain hand-eye coordination from fast-paced games; teachers enthuse about the learning that can take place via educational games. Of course, there's some danger involved, as well: Hours can evaporate (and gaming addictions start) each time you determine to play "just one more round" of your favorite game. And besides gobbling up time, games can gobble up system resources, too: If you turn into a serious gamer, you're forced to either shore up your computer's memory, video and sound cards, speakers, and online access or risk slowing your entire system to a crawl each time you play. Additionally, the time you spend playing online games can potentially turn you into a chunky computer couch potato, something that playing real softball or tennis would never do.  What You Need & Where To Go Despite these drawbacks, online games have quickly gained in popularity and number. They've also become increasingly fast-paced and visually oriented with a myriad of sound and visual effects. Because of the increased use of multimedia technologies for these games, you'll probably need a relatively hefty system to make online gaming feasible. At the minimum, you should have a Pentium III processor (or equivalent) with a decent graphics card and mouse (or joystick). To add a note of realism to your gaming experience, you may also want to add high-end speakers (or even surround sound) and a large, high-resolution monitor. And while not completely necessary, high-speed Internet access lets you to play games online without a time delay. Of course, the exact system requirements are dictated by each game and its underlying technology; some games employ relatively simple graphics and effects while others rely on cutting-edge technologies such as Flash and Shockwave. Once you have a relatively decent computer system in place, head to the Internet where there are a vast number of Web sites devoted to games. Some of the most well-known include MSN Games By Zone.com (www.zone.msn.com), Shockwave.com (www.shockwave.com), Dexterity Software (www.dexterity.com), and Download Free Games (www.download-free-games.com). After you find an interesting-looking game, you generally have two options for playing it: either online or as a download. Online games are those that you can play when your computer is actively connected to the Internet. Playing a game online (without downloading it) usually works best if you have high-speed Internet access. Alternatively you can download the game onto your computer, which enables you to play whether or not your system is connected to the Internet. It'll Cost You Although some online games are free, others are only available at a cost. Even if there is a charge for the game, however, don't feel that you have to shell out the full cost right away. In many cases you may be able to view a demonstration online, play with limited features, or download a trial version of the game. This gives you a chance to try before you buy. If you're able to download a game for which there is normally a charge, the software vendor usually programs in a mechanism to keep you honest. For example, trial versions sometimes have a time limit associated with them, such as 60 minutes of play time. A final option for playing games online is to subscribe to a gaming site. For a fee you have access to that site's premium online games and may even be able to download the software at a steep discount. For example, you can subscribe to Shockwave.com's GameBlast site (gameblast.shockwave.com) for $9.95 a month. (The site offers discounts for three-month and 12-month subscriptions.) The subscription squashes advertising and enables you to play online games without having to actually purchase them.  Pick A Game, Any Game Here we'll preview some of the most popular gaming sites on the Internet. MSN Games By Zone.com includes a vast number and ever-changing selection of free electronic games. You can play the majority of them online, although some are available only as a download. MSN's Zone also sports a special set of games designed for kids, grouped in an area appropriately called Kid's Zone. The kid's section includes a number of online games created by Lego, such as the Motor Bike Blast, which provides a fun, quick picker-upper while simultaneously developing mouse skills. True to its name, Download Free Games includes many downloadable games in a variety of categories, such as Adventure Games, Card Games, Education Games, and Strategy Games.  Dexterity Software's site is arranged logically by category, such as Puzzle Games, Arcade Games, and Strategy Games. Each game also includes clear documentation, such as a description of how to play. The games on this site also usually include a demo that you can download at no charge and information on system requirements. Another source of excellent games is Shockwave.com. Because the games use Shockwave technology, they represent cutting-edge graphics and interactivity. (Keep in mind that many games, whether on the Shockwave site or not, use either Shockwave or Flash technology.) To make it easy to locate Shockwave.com games, they are arranged by category, such as Action Games and Mind Games. The method for playing each Shockwave game varies, but in general you can play the games online, download a demo version, or purchase the full-blown version.  Endless Choices If you run out of choices on these main gaming sites, you can always run an Internet search to find additional games. Some gaming sites are devoted to families, kids, education, or a specific topic. Additionally, you can often sometimes find games embedded within other sites. For example, the National Geographic Society (www.national geographic.com) maintains a large, educational Web site with games that reinforce its content. Similarly, at FunBrain.com (www.funbrain.com), you can choose games by age or topic, such as math and grammar.  So live a little. Explore the gaming sites. With the number of choices available, you are sure to find a game or two that provide the perfect blend of relaxation, fun, and education for you and your family.  by Linda Bird View the graphics that accompany this article. (NOTE: These pages are PDF (Portable Document Format) files. You will need Adobe Acrobat to view these pages. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader) |
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