Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We’re well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we’re here to help you sort out this year’s tech treasures. Below is today’s bevy of curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the holiday season.

Ah, the holiday season. That special time of year when we give our loved ones the new hotness of the video game world, and then promptly exploit their over-excited reactions to propel them into unwanted YouTube fame. Even if your familial relations don’t have the stuff to become this generation’s “N64 kid,” you can still kick a few rad toys their way just for the love of it. And if you’re having trouble finding the perfect gift for the gamer in your life, we’re here to help. Head past the break to take a peek at Engadget’s 2011 Holiday Gift Guide for video games. Not finding what you’re looking for? Skip on back to our 2011 Back to School Guide for bonus gift ideas.

Continue reading Engadget’s holiday gift guide 2011: gaming

Engadget’s holiday gift guide 2011: gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Isn’t it curious how you always crack open a beer before settling in for some GTA? Or how you tend to put an anxious hand over your wallet when logging onto PSN? No soldier, it is not curious. Not at all. But this is: Researchers at North Carolina State University claim they’ve found a way to predict your in-game behavior with “up to 80 percent accuracy.” After analyzing the decision-making of 14,000 World of Warcraft players, they noticed that different players prefer different types of achievements. These preferred achievements clump together into statistically significant groups, known as “cliques”, even if they have nothing obvious in common. So a WoW player who likes to improve their unarmed combat skills also, for some psychological reason, tends to want points for world travel. What’s more, the researchers believe that clique-spotting can be exploited outside the rather specific world of WoW, in which case their method could prove lucrative to game designers, online retailers and pretty much anyone with an interest in predicting your next move. Want to know more? Then we predict you’ll click the PR after the break.

Continue reading Shocker! Gamer behavior is actually quite predictable

Shocker! Gamer behavior is actually quite predictable originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Although video gaming addictions are not clinically diagnosable, addictive behavior can be detected by a good psychologist. Most people think video gaming addiction is not bad, but the result of this kind of addiction can be hazardous. A main factor that contributes to this kind of addiction is the sense of achievement that the player feels after he has finished a level.

Gambling addictions are very similar to video gaming addictions. Gambling addicts don’t stop until they get a win, like a gamer doesn’t stop until he reaches a level or kills the enemy. The need to achieve something is similar in both gambling and gaming addicts. Once the need for reward is satisfied, the addict wants more.

What are the signs that a person is addicted to video games? A person may be a gaming addict if he cannot stay away from a game. As with other addictions, video gaming can become a problem if a person feels that he should disregard everything else in order to focus on his game. It’s true that some gamers can go for days without going out to play a game. Lack of sleep may also be a recurring problem for gamers. One more thing that suffers is the connection that the gamer has with his family and friends. Most of the time, gamers are not aware that they have to cultivate relationships outside their games in order to live their life. The stereotypical gaming addict usually has no friends.

There’s no rehab center for video game addicts. The most that a concerned parent or friend can do is to offer the gamer incentive to stay away from his game long enough for him to change his perspective. The long break may change his perspective. Once a video gaming addict moves far away from his games, he may or may not realize that there is a better world out there.

In conclusion, video gaming addiction is real and can happen to anyone if you are not careful.

xbox 360 kinect

Gamers are not the same as they were in the past.  People have been taken in by the idea of motion gaming ever since the Wii was first introduced.  It is turning into a very competitive industry and although Nintendo was the original the competition is no longer sitting still as  Microsoft and Sony are finding success with their own gesture based devices for controlling the companies’ respective video game consoles, the Xbox xbox 360 kinect 360 and PlayStation move which have recently taken the market by storm.  The major manufactures have done everything they can to snap up the money that is being spent on gaming systems.

The new systems are technically superior to the original Wii.  The graphics of the new systems are better than they have ever been.  People are finding that they have to spend more of their money to purchase these new platforms.

The manufacturers have not kept up with the supply of the individual controllers for the move and the Kinect system and because of that many people are clicking on the ads they see online that promise to show them kinect or how to enter into a contest to win a Playstation move while still others are turning to the stores and buying bundles that not only include the new motion controlled systems but also include the whole gaming console and several games that go with it.  A person will go to almost any length to ensure that they are able to get their kids what they are asking for.

Not much was expected when the Wii was first introduced.  But the idea of controlling the movements with your body soon caught on.  It proved popular with people of all ages.  Using the Wii was popular in retirement communities as well as a person’s home.  No matter how old or young a person was they could find common ground when using this new platform.  Describing the typical gamer is no longer a simple pr4oocess because they are so widely used.

The Nintendo system has sold more platforms than either of the other two.  The advantage of the other two systems can be found in the way their action translates onto ht screen.  Now they have gotten even better.

Sony’s control system uses a camera that tracks the wireless controller.  Playing the game means standing in front of the camera while working the hand controller.   The future for these platforms is when they will help a gamer learn how to do different things.  They can act as a personal trainer to help a person get better as they play.

Xbox has created a platform that does not need a person to hold a joystick. The camera is able to detect the movements of several people that are standing or moving around in front of it.   The motion and voice activated system does all the work for you.

Motion gaming allows a person to get more physical as they play video games.  In the future the game systems might replace a person’s cable or satellite service by connecting them to the internet.  For a price a person can turn their console into a complete home theater if they keep making advancements.  The manufacturers will keep coming up with more ways to use their consoles.  The days o a basic gaming platform are long past us.  A person will find their platforms are not just for getting some exercise.  The way a person sets up their television is going to change because of the platforms.  The manufacturers are banking on that. The xbox 360 kinect price is 159.99 US Dollars

A person is a video game addict if his priorities change from real life events to in game events. A person may be a gaming addict if he cannot function without playing his games. A gaming addict is someone who has the compulsion to try a game and immerse himself in it. A gaming addict has a unique lifestyle. He would rather be playing than doing school work or chores. The lifestyle of a video game addict revolves around his games. Everything he invests in has something to do with his addiction. Here are some causes to video game addiction.

Causes

A person is trained to look forward to something, like the type of behavior described in the Pavlovian system. The Pavlovian response may be the main factor for video game addiction. A compulsion to keep playing is created with video games. A Pavlovian response has a lot to do with the gratification that comes after a long period of waiting. Because of the increasing reward potential that each level in a game brings, the response becomes more ingrained. Soon, the person finds ways to increase the speed by which the reward is obtained. The game difficulty may also direct the course of the addiction. The better the rewards, the more the player strives to get it.

Increase in game levels may satisfy the urge to keep playing, but items may also be the goal. In massive online multi player games, the gamer aims to be the best among the other players. Being stronger in a game becomes the goal, and the addicts aim for it at the shortest amount of time possible.

Adverse Effects

Addicts forget everything except their gaming goals. Life goes on, but sadly, the gaming addicts don’t realize this. Users play compulsively, distancing themselves from all the mundane things of daily life. Gamers isolate their families and friends. Achievements inside the game mean the most to these gaming addicts. Being inside the game fulfills a certain need in these people, and excellence in the game becomes the goal. Some of the people who are most addicted to games attend tournaments. The competition and the prestige of being the best at the game can make the addiction stronger.

The game of StarCraft was let loose to the world of gaming early in the year 1998. In 1998, Blizzard Entertainment released what was probably the best game of the decade. To say that Starcraft became a hit the year it was released (1998) would be an understatement. Worldwide, more than a million copies of the game was sold in that same year. Most of the reviews you will read about the game are good. Starcraft has pioneered the science fiction genre and took level to a new level.

The outstanding sales of the game, it cannot be denied that this is not an ordinary multi player game. The game isn’t free, and playing it means your hardware should be upgraded to a certain level. But players are gladly paying for the game and for good hardware just so they can play. Most gamers want to excel in this game no matter what.

Why is there a Need for Anyone to Use a Starcraft Guide?

Tournaments with high prizes at stake are always around. Being a champion at starcraft is an elite title that is impossible for any gamer to resist. For these reasons, people need starcraft guides.

Why is StarCraft so Popular?

The ease of gameplay may be the main reason why this game is well-liked. One who has played a strategy game in the past will find it easy to play starcraft. The only thing that sets starcraft apart is the presence of several races that the player can choose from. With players associating themselves with these races, there is bound to be a higher level of conflict. Each and every race has a story and a player is restricted by the story of his race. There are benefits and disadvantages to using a particular race. Some prefer the Terrans or humans from Earth with adaptability skills. Zerg is the alien race, reminiscent of insects, and are always on the lookout for genetic perfection to continue to exist. Protos are a humanoid species using technology as a tool. The protoss are also psionically skilled, which changes the gameplay a bit.

Each race has to fortify his defenses using the resources available to it. It’s a challenge to learn everything in one go, but with persistence, anyone can play starcraft well. The success of the team depends on the individual performance of the players.

As you can see, you will need Starcraft guide if you want to complete this game so do get one today.