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	<title>Online Game Growth</title>
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	<link>http://www.bearing-witness.org</link>
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	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:45:34 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Spa Bingo Refers the Best Bingo Sites!</title>
		<link>http://www.bearing-witness.org/spa-bingo-refers-the-best-bingo-sites/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bearing-witness.org/spa-bingo-refers-the-best-bingo-sites/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:45:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[general]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bearing-witness.org/?p=362</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Bingo is no longer new game for so many people. Every day, more and more people are willing to join any bingo site and play the game. However, it is hard sometimes to get the best site with security and fair play for the games. We need recommendation. Where can we have such recommendation? Spabingo.com [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Bingo is no longer new game for so many people. Every day, more and more people are willing to join any bingo site and play the game. However, it is hard sometimes to get the best site with security and fair play for the games. We need recommendation. Where can we have such recommendation?</p>
<p>Spabingo.com is a website made by Bingo player. This website is dedicated to give most valuable information to other players. We can read huge numbers of reviews on bingo sites. This allows us to get to the right place with security and fair play. <a href="http://www.spabingo.com/">Spa Bingo</a> also suggests the best free Bingo sites for players to make sure they really enjoy the game. For beginners, this site helps by posting tips and trick, and also tutorials for them to learn. Those posts are made by professional players to help others enjoying the game.</p>
<p>If you are new, or you are an expert, this site makes the best place to get recommendations and suggestions, and to share things on Bingo. Many people visit this site before they play, and you may want to be one of them. Visit the site and find reviews of Bingo sites you can play in for real fun.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<item>
		<title>You Are A Student First</title>
		<link>http://www.bearing-witness.org/you-are-a-student-first/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bearing-witness.org/you-are-a-student-first/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:32:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[general]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bearing-witness.org/?p=360</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Whatever must be done to be a success in your college years should be approached with urgency and earnestness. Your studies and grades must clearly be your number one priority, while you still maintain your outside interests, circle of friends and family ties. Many eager students begin their college careers with this mind-set: the desire [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Whatever must be done to be a success in your college years should be approached with urgency and earnestness. Your studies and grades must clearly be your number one priority, while you still maintain your outside interests, circle of friends and family ties. Many eager students begin their college careers with this mind-set: the desire to be able to prioritize their involvements so that each might be properly served, and a student’s life can still be enjoyable. Unfortunately sometimes enthusiasm is applied in areas other than a student’s class work, and grades may begin to suffer. Before a student can realize what is happening, and be able to rectify the situation, an entire semester’s work might be threatened.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The ability to provide for all parts of our lives is a little bit like the ability to tame a beast. It is a part of maturing into adulthood, and not all students develop the ability early in college. If successful completion of essay writing assignments is at stake, help is easily obtained at an <a href="http://www.primewritings.com/">essay writing service</a> where students can <a href="http://www.supremeessays.com/">buy essays online</a> from professional writers. The failure to heed warning signs of schedules slipping and custom writing assignments rushed to their completion can be corrected with the ability to get an <a href="http://www.qualityessay.com/">essay online</a> when there is no other foreseeable alternative. Writing services offer the ability for a student to buy term papers a mere day or two before their due dates, just in case last-minute difficulties are to blame. Until a student learns to properly manage his or her time, there is always the option to buy essay help.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>The Rising Popularity Of Online Skill Gaming Sites and Winning Money</title>
		<link>http://www.bearing-witness.org/the-rising-popularity-of-online-skill-gaming-sites-and-winning-money/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bearing-witness.org/the-rising-popularity-of-online-skill-gaming-sites-and-winning-money/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:45:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Online gaming]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bearing-witness.org/?p=352</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Online skill games are becoming more and more popular on the web, As the matter of fact; they are becoming so popular that one must be aware of which online skill games are the best, and which ones are not the best. Online skill games are not only fun but are incredibly convenient, especially if [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Online skill games are becoming more and more popular on the web, As the matter of fact; they are becoming so popular that one must be aware of which online skill games are the best, and which ones are not the best. Online skill games are not only fun but are incredibly convenient, especially if your game of choice involves playing another person, as it&#8217;s easy to find an opponent online any time, day or night. Online skill games are proving to be a significant growth area for many companies willing to take advantage of this ever-growing trend.</p>
<p>Logging in at any time seems to be huge draw for many gamers. These skill games are being played day and night across the world and serve as a means of relaxation, mental stimulation and exciting challenges for millions of people. Most skill games are games that have been formatted so that the rules of the game eliminate most elements of luck, without changing the fundamental nature of what makes the game enjoyable and appealing.</p>
<p>All of the internet skill game sites feature flash based versions and/or other kinds of no-download versions for you to play on quickly without having to read a handbook just to get started. By knowing about and understanding which internet sites are good and which ones are no so good, one can increase his or her chances of winning these online games. Some of the games are multiplayer games (meaning you can play other people from around the world who are connected to the Internet) while other games are single player. Start up company UvMe.biz is launching an exciting new business concept which combines three of the fastest growing sectors of the internet today, social networking, entrepreneurships, and online gaming. Since online gaming and the internet are both one of the fastest growing markets in the world, it only seems to make sense that UvMe.biz is &#8220;on to something&#8221; that could be really huge.</p>
<p>Online skill gaming is growing at a reported 4x faster than the internet itself at this point in time. The increasing availability of broadband and faster connection speeds are leading people across the world to spend more of their leisure time on the internet. This has been reflected in TV ratings, which have dropped in recent times due to the popularity of the internet. One can only imagine the growth that is yet to come in this arena as broadband capacities and speed continue to increase.</p>
<p>Another unique feature of online skill games is the ability to play for real money. While nearly every online skill gaming site allows you to play for free, many incorporate wagering into the games, so that the winner doesn&#8217;t just get the satisfaction of winning, but can also win real money. This will undoubtedly appeal to all people that may wish to convert some of their online skills into something more significant than just &#8220;bragging&#8221; rights.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Benefits of Playing Online Games</title>
		<link>http://www.bearing-witness.org/benefits-of-playing-online-games/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bearing-witness.org/benefits-of-playing-online-games/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:45:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Online gaming]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bearing-witness.org/?p=344</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Everybody normally understands the down sides of internet generally and online gaming specifically. Still when thinking about the growth and development of thinking abilities, it is concluded that playing online games has several positive aspects. Every person recognizes that it&#8217;s fun to play online games. That is why, it&#8217;s hard to take our eyes off [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Everybody normally understands the down sides of internet generally and online gaming specifically. Still when thinking about the growth and development of thinking abilities, it is concluded that playing online games has several positive aspects.</p>
<p>Every person recognizes that it&#8217;s fun to play online games. That is why, it&#8217;s hard to take our eyes off the screen when the phone rings, our absolute favorite TV program is going to start or our foods are getting cold on the table.</p>
<p>Many of us already understand the negative aspects of this entertaining activity. We all believe that online games are so addictive they can make a person or kids waste their important time right in front of the computer while overlooking work, school or family duties. Habitually playing internet games can isolate you from human companionship, twist the sense of reality, and damage the sight, harm the back and basically mess up the life.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s explain it in this manner: if you know an individual who does nothing but play games then it is something to be concerned about. Nevertheless, many gamers have a natural tendency to take up a less essential approach for their habit. Due to this, online gaming is a less damaging habit than watching television as compared to soft cases of addiction.</p>
<p>The habit of playing games actually has numerous advantages that the habit of watching bad TV is lacking. According to latest study, playing puzzles or word games decreases the danger of Alzheimer disease while watching daytime television adds to the risk.</p>
<p>Most of the other researchers have proved that playing online games has a good impact on the minds of youngsters. Puzzles and trivia games enrich the capability of children&#8217;s speech; board games like backgammon and chess could actually help in the area of thinking skill; classic computer games like Tetris boosts the kids&#8217; capability to analyze, focus, shape, think and plan ahead and so on.</p>
<p>Although watching TV is totally exercise-free as you are required to only focus, overhear and eat something. Playing computer games require more regularly recalling that grey substance inside the head.</p>
<p>Furthermore, games are less lonesome act than a lot of people think. Firstly, most games like chess, shooting, backgammon are two or multi-player games in which players can compete against each other. Many gaming sites have a lot of features that persuade relationships between gamers including forums, chat rooms, tournaments, etc.</p>
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		<title>uVme Online Games Business Opportunity Program</title>
		<link>http://www.bearing-witness.org/uvme-online-games-business-opportunity-program/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bearing-witness.org/uvme-online-games-business-opportunity-program/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:45:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Online gaming]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bearing-witness.org/?p=337</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[uVme with its team of associates joins together three the most powerful and newest opportunities to come across the web ever. uVme combines the chance to network with colleagues, make some new online friends and playing games of skill, all at the same time. The online skill games sector is growing exponentially and enjoying unprecedented [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>uVme with its team of associates joins together three the most powerful and newest opportunities to come across the web ever. uVme combines the chance to network with colleagues, make some new online friends and playing games of skill, all at the same time. The online skill games sector is growing exponentially and enjoying unprecedented growth, over four times that of overall internet usage.</p>
<p>Every second of every day, around the globe, $164 US dollars are spent just on playing games that require skill to win. MySpace and Face book, two of the most well known social networking sites started out the same way, small and unassuming, but now they are household names and even people without internet access have heard of these websites. These two companies of social interaction have even gained the attention of Google and Microsoft, both giants in their respective fields. The uVme games program has joined these two trends in a marriage of convenience with a network of global associates to enjoy and promote.</p>
<p>There are two options an individual can choose from when they join uVme. Firstly, one may become a games promoter which allows you to earn commissions from any games played through your own uVme skill gaming website. The second option offers the same benefits as the games promoter, but this position gives far more and you can also build a network of associates. This option enhances your position and allows you to benefit from all areas of the exciting and profitable uVme pay plan. Associates not only earn from their website, but also from that of any associates in their group.</p>
<p>One of many mega advantages that uVme has over the nearest competitors is the high level of support that is offered to all associates. The main corporate office is located in Colwyn Bay, in North Wales and houses the multiple numbers of language specialists to assist you in any language you speak natively and has real people to speak with who are ready, willing and able to assist you with any questions or concerns. Specialists are available 24 hours a day, 7 days of the week either by telephone or email.</p>
<p>The uVme games network was born on November 26, 2007 and it is a very new and different concept. You have the opportunity of a lifetime to join the company right from its birth and plug yourself into a booming global market and share in its potential growth. Do not wait for someone else to tell you its great, find out for yourself. Do yourself a favor and get in now! Secure your share of the pie that is full of skill gaming profit just waiting for you to unlock. Online games are super hot right now and combined with the best of the largest social networking sites, it is golden and can only get better from here. Come in and check it all out, sample a few games and then decide! What could be better than this, doing what you love to do anyway, while earning money at the same time? What have you to lose by trying these games out and finding out more about uVme today? Nothing at all is the answer.</p>
<p>Just a little time to absorb the information on becoming an associate member or a games promoter is all it takes. What is a few minutes finding out more about it and joining on the ground floor of a global sensation compared to a lifetime of kicking yourself for not giving it a shot? Come on and find out everything you always wanted to know about playing games online and become successful. You have absolutely nothing to lose and a whole lot of gain with the uVme business program.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Growth of Social Gaming Market in 2011</title>
		<link>http://www.bearing-witness.org/growth-of-social-gaming-market-in-2011/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bearing-witness.org/growth-of-social-gaming-market-in-2011/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:44:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Online gaming]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bearing-witness.org/?p=329</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Since the release and huge success of FarmVille by Zynga on Facebook, the popularity of gaming on social networking sites has greatly increased. These games are designed to satisfy players on a psychological level, which is the reason behind their rising popularity and addictive nature. Also, there is no restriction of time for these games, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Since the release and huge success of FarmVille by Zynga on Facebook, the popularity of gaming on social networking sites has greatly increased. These games are designed to satisfy players on a psychological level, which is the reason behind their rising popularity and addictive nature. Also, there is no restriction of time for these games, they can be played in a ten minute coffee-break or you can play them the whole day, this is one more reason for their success.</p>
<p>This year, the social gaming business is set to cross $ 1 billion mark. The number of internet users playing these games at least once a month in U.S alone is set to increase from last year&#8217;s 53 million to 62 million which forms 27% of the total internet audience. This is why games present a great opportunity for marketers for promoting their products.</p>
<p>The three main avenues of revenue for social games include virtual goods, lead generation offers and advertising. Only 6% players actually spent money on virtual goods this year but this has generated revenue of $ 653 million in the U.S alone. In the last year revenue share of virtual goods was highest at 59.6% followed by lead generation offers at 26.3% and advertising at 14.1%.</p>
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		<title>Online Games &#8211; The Evolution</title>
		<link>http://www.bearing-witness.org/online-games-the-evolution/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bearing-witness.org/online-games-the-evolution/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:44:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Online gaming]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bearing-witness.org/?p=322</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Now we see thousands of people playing online games such as tetris, ping pong, mario bros, super mario etc for free but despite its history dating back to 1970s, for most people online gaming began with the explosion of Internet in 1993 and with the advent of Doom and Warcraft sometime in 1994 or 1995. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Now we see thousands of people playing online games such as tetris, ping pong, mario bros, super mario etc for free but despite its history dating back to 1970s, for most people online gaming began with the explosion of Internet in 1993 and with the advent of Doom and Warcraft sometime in 1994 or 1995. This got further boost with publishers starting to add Internet connectivity to computer games in 1994-95.</p>
<p>The media, in fact, have themselves been ignorant about online games history. As far as they are concerned, online gaming just coincidentally happened when their advertisers started producing Internet-capable games. But it isn&#8217;t so&#8230;</p>
<p>Early Years of development</p>
<p>In early 1950&#8242;s a college student created a game much like Tic-Tac-Toe for a class project to be played on dinosaur computers of those days complete with cathode ray tubes for the screen display. The 1960&#8242;s had MIT students programming a game called &#8220;Space war&#8221; that could be played with two people over a primitive network. The late 1960&#8242;s brought the first &#8220;real&#8221; video games like table tennis and shooter games.</p>
<p>The 70s &#8211; the game begins</p>
<p>Serious online gaming began with the first interactive online game called ADVENT. In fact networked gaming got conceptualized with ADVENT. Networked gaming had users playing against each other within an online fantasy world. The first networked game was called Mazewar, a game which involved networked players traveling through a maze and attempting to kill one another.</p>
<p>Next came the interpersonal interaction in a multi-player environment. The first such game was called DUNGEN. DUNGEN had players competing against one another to complete a series of quests. DUNGEN provided with new settings and players each time the user logged on.</p>
<p>The late 1970&#8242;s saw the start of video game craze with more and more households getting computer savvy. As a natural corollary, people started writing their own games for the home computers. These programming hobbyists traded and sold these home-grown games in local markets.</p>
<p>Other changes in the 1970&#8242;s were home gaming consoles which used game cartridges. That meant the people could collect games cartridges for one base unit instead of having bulky game console systems.</p>
<p>The 80s &#8211; some pause before the storm</p>
<p>1980&#8242;s saw growing craze for the video and computer game craze, but online gaming wasn&#8217;t on the horizon yet. New games with better sound and graphics were introduced and gained popularity. Pole Position and Pac-man were two that achieved big popularity. It was during 1980&#8242;s when Nintendo introduced its first gaming system.</p>
<p>The 90s &#8211; revolution begins</p>
<p>The 1990&#8242;s saw the phenomenal growth in both popularity and technology mostly because of the rise of 3-D and multimedia.</p>
<p>Myst, the intellectual adventure game introduced gaming on the CD-ROM format. Fancier 3-D graphics hardware made FPS (first person shooter) games such as Quake possible.</p>
<p>The late 1990&#8242;s saw the exponential growth of the Internet, MUDs (multi-user dungeons) which made online games wildly popular. New and improved graphical interfaces had people all over the world playing against each other not only in FPS games but also in real time strategy games (RTS games) as well as third person games like Grand Theft Auto.</p>
<p>This was also the period when websites started offering online games such as tetris, ping pong, mario bros, super Mario, and other free online flash games and non-flash based games free for playing after registering with them. This really pushed online gaming into the popular psyche.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>The Importance of Video and Video games</title>
		<link>http://www.bearing-witness.org/the-importance-of-video-and-video-games/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bearing-witness.org/the-importance-of-video-and-video-games/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:59:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Online gaming]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bearing-witness.org/?p=315</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It had been only in the 1970 when game titles started becoming a tool for entertainment and fun. Ever since, the of video and computer games has not looked back. The entertainment industry saw game titles increase at a galloping speed within the next many years. On the planet of technology and innovation, computer games [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It had been only in the 1970 when game titles started becoming a tool for entertainment and fun. Ever since, the of video and computer games has not looked back. The entertainment industry saw game titles increase at a galloping speed within the next many years. On the planet of technology and innovation, computer games have played a huge role.</p>
<p>They are constantly developing new strategies, techniques such that the games become increasingly appealing and exciting. Interestingly video games can be played on the hand device, cell phones, dedicated consoles to gaming, and computers among many other options. The interactiveness from the game titles is a which increases the popularity and growth of the.</p>
<p>There are various types of companies making computer games. Usually most of the company&#8217;s enjoy specializing in a certain group of games. Thus each of these companies usually addresses the requirements of a certain and specified age group. The variety of video games that are present on date is actually fascinating as well as an accomplishment. It surely deserves mention when we talk of this booming industry. Games include adventure games, action games, educational and knowledge games, simulations or role doing offers, practice games, math games, logical games, and strategy and management games among other types.</p>
<p>However, there&#8217;s a huge investment of multimillion dollars which is required for the designing and development of these game titles. However, still the market is one which has exponential growth and it is still booming.</p>
<p>Various experts and specialists have undertaken research in this domain. They&#8217;ve come to the final outcome these games are of extreme importance since they are beneficial in the following ways:<br />
Increase the player&#8217;s skill and imagination level<br />
Moreover one becomes quicker and the speed of reaction is unimaginable<br />
They teach children and adolescents some basic skills within an enjoyable fashion<br />
A child as well as a grownup acquires a very complex skill with the help of video games<br />
With the help of computer simulations educational facilities support vocational and multi disciplinary learning<br />
Interestingly studies have proven that video games happen to be an exemplary tool to resolve problems like confining spaces, heights and phobia.<br />
Moreover, language and learning disabilities are also cured with the use of video games.</p>
<p>Basically the underlying factor is that the players should not get hooked on the recording games. In that case the advantages works towards the optimal level. Moreover, the innocent children shouldn&#8217;t be misled to acts of aggression and violence as numerous of the video games depict. Parents need to pay tremendous attention that a gaming should not affect their children&#8217;s behavior and thinking in any adverse manner.</p>
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		<title>Social Network For Gamers</title>
		<link>http://www.bearing-witness.org/social-network-for-gamers/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bearing-witness.org/social-network-for-gamers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:59:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Online gaming]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bearing-witness.org/?p=310</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Social media and gaming players might appear to be a contradiction to some, however, many understand that the action of playing games is much more often than not a social event. Previously people would play Commodore 64, Atari and Mac; the games were mostly all single player. Today we are really not restricted to single [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Social media and gaming players might appear to be a contradiction to some, however, many understand that the action of playing games is much more often than not a social event. Previously people would play Commodore 64, Atari and Mac; the games were mostly all single player. Today we are really not restricted to single player games with just the Artificial Intelligence to stay company. Now, gamers demand massive multiplayer games, referred to as mmo or mmorpg games.</p>
<p>The scene from the lone gamer inside a darkly lit room is no longer standard. Granted, environmental surroundings may be dark, but the social interactions are bright and numerous. With the rise of popular mmorpg game titles such as Ultima Online, Lineage, EverQuest, and Wow, mmo gaming has turned what use to be a solo activity, into an orgy of entertainment for that masses. Forget about Mario solo; we&#8217;ve real individuals to interact with. Probably the most dangerous game, hunted real people. This is correct of online games too. Why battle against computer intelligence that is limited to if then statements? Until AI reaches that of a human, online competition will always be more satisfying than playing against an NPC. Even tackling larger NPC&#8217;s can be done having a group of players that will otherwise &#8216;t be possible with no social atmosphere in these games.</p>
<p>With games increasingly social, there is a necessity to fill the void to interact with one another outside the game. Surprisingly the relationships formed in game were &#8220;real&#8221;; people in games would talk all night an evening, often three to four times per week. Among the first internet sites that put a face behind the virtual characters was CharacterPlanet in 2006. Other networks such as GamerDNA, Raptr, and Rupture did things slightly different but additionally effectively. AvatarsUnited would launch as well, only permit the virtual characters to be the profiles, essentially losing touch when leaving one game for another. The explosive development of Facebook and Kongregate prove the sporadic game space is real, too the possibility to monetize these games which see an enormous amount of revenue every day. With the online component along with a low entrance barrier, most social networks have been in a way or any other becoming social networks for video game play of some type, whether hardcore or casual.</p>
<p>Conflicts of interest are essential questions you should ask when confronted with these communities or networks. Raptr creator actually created Xfire. He essentially remade the technology put a small spin on it, and is rivaling his original creation. GamerDNA received venture funding and was soon plastering ads around the homepage to justify the cash spent. They were soon sold to CrispyGamer for what the real estate experts call &#8220;pennies around the dollar&#8221;. AvatarsUnited was bought out by Linden Labs (Second Life) that makes it biased for that virtual world. Rupture, developed by Sean Fanning, creator of Napster, sold Rupture to EA for 30 million. EA includes a vested interest in promoting its very own products and is evident on the top of the page of Rupture. It doesn&#8217;t matter what network, there&#8217;s a problem with conflict of great interest. Gamers and gambling enthusiasts demand a more neutral community built on trust, and never tha harsh truth.</p>
<p>A place to interact with others and discuss all games, whether from EA, Linden Labs, or Indie developers. The choice to selling out is really a long tedious process of trial and error, bootstrapping and ingenuity. Sean Fanning tried to take advantage of a market that existed before Rupture, and that he tricked EA right into a big purchase. Avatars United has had its root ideas from CharacterPlanet but is now under the control of Second Life. GamerDNA is now crispygamer. Raptr is an Xfire clone with some social elements. For the time being the only real true social spot to meet other gamers is Facebook. The groups, fan pages (like pages), and profile stream allow for huge interaction between gamers, however the generic network lacks the main focus enough to cater to the gaming masses. Time will tell whether any of the social networks for gamers will emerge because the number one, and maybe one which doesn&#8217;t response to a significant corporation by having an agenda. Independence in this genre isn&#8217;t feasible, but an impartial community is the only true way of bringing everyone together.</p>
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		<title>The Online Game Market is a very good way to review the Economics of Fun</title>
		<link>http://www.bearing-witness.org/the-online-game-market-is-a-very-good-way-to-review-the-economics-of-fun/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bearing-witness.org/the-online-game-market-is-a-very-good-way-to-review-the-economics-of-fun/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:58:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Online gaming]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bearing-witness.org/?p=304</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[While scientists developed sensory-input devices to mimic the sensations of the virtual world, the games industry eschewed this hardware-based approach towards creating alternative realities through emotionally engaging software. &#8220;It works out that the way humans are created, the software-based approach seems to have a lot more success,&#8221; writes Edward Castronova within an illuminating help guide [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>While scientists developed sensory-input devices to mimic the sensations of the virtual world, the games industry eschewed this hardware-based approach towards creating alternative realities through emotionally engaging software. &#8220;It works out that the way humans are created, the software-based approach seems to have a lot more success,&#8221; writes Edward Castronova within an illuminating help guide to these new synthetic worlds.</p>
<p>Huge numbers of people now spend hrs per week immersed in &#8220;massively multiplayer online role-playing games&#8221; (MMORPGs). These are often Tolkienesque fantasy worlds by which players battle monsters, continue quests, and build up their virtual power and wealth. Some synthetic worlds are deliberately escapist; other medication is made to be as lifelike and realistic as possible. Many have a strong libertarian bent. Sociologists and anthropologists have written about MMORPGs before, but Mr Castronova looks at the phenomenon from a new perspective: economics.</p>
<p>Mr Castronova&#8217;s thesis is the fact that these synthetic worlds are increasingly inter-twined with the real life. Particularly, real-world trade of in-game items, swords, gold, potions, as well as whole characters is flourishing in online marketplaces for example eBay. World of Warcraft Gold, EQ2 Gold, DAOC Plat [http://www.favgames.com/daoc/daoc.php] along with other game currencies happen to be traded in dedicated webstores for many years. What this means is in-game items and currency have real value. In 2002, Mr Castronova famously calculated the GNP per capita from the fictional game-world of &#8220;EverQuest&#8221; as $2,000, comparable to that of Bulgaria, and far higher than those of India or China. Furthermore, by &#8220;working&#8221; hanging around to generate virtual wealth after which selling the outcomes legitimate money, it is possible to generate about $3.50 each hour.</p>
<p>Companies in China pay lots of people, referred to as &#8220;farmers&#8221;, to play MMORPGs all day, and then profit from selling the in-game goods they generate with other players legitimate money.</p>
<p>Land and other in-game property has been sold for huge sums. In certain Parts of asia, where MMORPGs are particularly popular, in-game thefts and cheats have led to real-world arrests and legalaction. In a single case in South Korea, law enforcement intervened whenever a hoard of in-game money was stolen and sold, netting the thieves $1.3m. In-game money is, in short, believe it or not real compared to dollars and pounds kept in conventional accounts.</p>
<p>Virtual economies are an integral part of synthetic worlds. The exchanging of goods, because the game&#8217;s inhabitants start their daily business, lends realism and vibrancy towards the virtual realm. But in-game economies are usually unusual in a number of ways. They are run to maximise fun, not growth or overall wellbeing. And inflation is usually rampant, due to the convention that killing monsters creates a cash reward and also the way to obtain monsters isunlimited in lots of games. As a result, the value of in-game currency is continually falling and costs are constantly rising.</p>
<p>Mr Castronova&#8217;s analysis of the economics of fun is intriguing. Virtual-world economies are made to make the resulting game interesting and enjoyable for their inhabitants. Many games consume a rags-to-riches storyline, for instance. But how can all of the players end up in the very best 10%? Simple: the upwardly mobile human players need only be considered a subset of the world&#8217;s population. An underclass of computer-controlled &#8220;bot&#8221; citizens, meanwhile, stays poor for ever. Mr Castronova explains all of this with clarity, wit along with a merciful insufficient academic jargon.</p>
<p>Some of his conclusions may seem far-fetched. Particularly, he suggests that as synthetic worlds keep growing in popularity, substantial amounts of people will choose to spend large parts of their lives immersed inside them. Some players could then become a victim of what Mr Castronova calls &#8220;toxic immersion&#8221;, in which their virtual lives take precedence, to the detriment of their real-world lives.</p>
<p>But perhaps this isn&#8217;t so implausible. It is already possible to create a living by your virtual world, because the &#8220;farmers&#8221; demonstrate. In one survey, 20% of MMORPG players said they regarded the game world as their &#8220;real&#8221; place of residence; Earth is just where they eat and sleep. In July, a South Korean man died after a 50-hour MMORPG session. And also the Chinese government has attempted to limit the number of hours that may be spent playing MMORPGs every day.</p>
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