Zombies are popular as video game subject because of a variety of reasons. First of all, zombies are scary. The thought that zombies are real makes even grownups shiver. Zombies are strong and are tenacious against normal attack. In most video games involving zombies, specialized equipment is needed to kill these villains. Because of these factors, zombie games become popular among gamers.

One appeal of zombie games is the presence of gore. Except for the zombies on Plants vs. Zombies (which are cute), most zombie games feature gored up and dismembered bodies. The scenes from zombie games can only be described as gruesome. Imagery like this is the main appeal of zombie games. This is one of the things that most zombie games have in common. A person just feels frightened while playing.

One of the crucial factors to any zombie game is the way these creatures are portrayed. There are some games that use religious icons to combat zombies.

Some zombie games are playable only on the console. Those who like console playing will surely enjoy killing the zombies in a multi-player environment.

To get more thrill out of playing a game, online video games were created. When a player is on the website, a flash application is activated. Online role playing in a zombie game is more exciting than a console game. Role playing is the mode of play and most players are into that. Browser games are hosted on a website so they wouldn’t use up your resources. It’s the interaction that makes browser games special. Besides the discussion areas, there are several places where communities are set up to discuss the real-time strategy of these games.

Urban Dead is an example of a browser game about zombies. Zombies and players are kept in an area quarantined from the rest of the city, and they fight it out. Sometimes, a human character becomes infected with the disease and becomes a zombie. Another online zombie game of note is Corpse Craft. In this game, players create zombies to combat the rival group.

Left 4 Dead is also a zombie game that encourages team play. In this game, the player is armed with a gun and tries to hunt the zombies in an area. The game play takes a player through the levels fending off and eradicating the infected humans, or zombie-like creatures.

Visit this website for more information on:
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Zombie Defense

News: R.U.S.E. PS Move support confirmed
But no Kinect for 360 version. The PlayStation 3 version of real-time strategy game R.U.S.E. will support PlayStation Move, Ubisoft has confirmed. The publisher showed off Move with the PS3 version of the multi-platform WWII RTS today at a hands-on event in London. Using the Move device as a pointer, players can select units, build structures and pan the camera. Read more…
Read more on Eurogamer

Research round-up: 7th July 2010
This week’s top digital trends: How have mobile habits changed? | Irish shoppers spend €2bn online | European cloud computing | British Companies Struggling With International Payment Systems | Brits’ photo sharing habits | UK Companies lack engagement | Mobile banking usage to double | Annual Mobile VoIP Minutes to Double | Business online profiles | Inbound Nuisance Calls A Major Daily …
Read more on Netimperative

12. Walker safety
Baby walkers are handy but how safe are they?
Read more on The Star

SteelSeries seems to have worked out their new favorite niche recently, between their World of Warcraft, and StarCraft II themed products. Add another couple of products to that list, with the R.U.S.E mouse and the QcK gaming surface (don’t call it a mouse pad).

Both products are related to the new Ubisoft RTS game, and feature graphics inspired by the game. The mouse is a quite respectable laser mouse with their high end sensor system and specialized drivers that make it ideal for gamers. The mousepad “gaming surface” is a cloth based surface that’s been optimized and textured to provide the best smoothness and glide. Both products feature artwork from the game, but no word if you have to be connected to the internet to actually use them. MSRP for the mouse is $89.99, and the gaming surface is selling for $14.99.

From the press release:

CHICAGO – APRIL 14, 2010 – SteelSeries has teamed with game publisher Ubisoft to bring fans exclusive branded peripherals for the upcoming real-time strategy game R.U.S.E. Designed to give players a competitive advantage, the SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse R.U.S.E. Edition enhances performance with its superior technology and a preconfigured profile setting that optimizes game-play. The preloaded R.U.S.E. profile, created with input from Ubisoft, allows quick access to the R.U.S.E. and HQ Menus, and preset macro buttons can take the player from the bird’s eye view of the war to the heart of the battlefield in an instant. The SteelSeries QcK Limited Edition (R.U.S.E.) mousepad features graphics from the game and provides a smooth and consistent glide; combined they deliver a complete and immersive R.U.S.E. experience.

Currently in open beta, R.U.S.E. allows players to use strategy and bluffing tactics as the general of their nation’s army during World War II. The speed and range of movement required in the game, demands tools that can deliver superb levels of precision and accuracy. Ubisoft chose to partner with SteelSeries, because of the award-winning, innovative features and technology that the SteelSeries Xai offers to gamers.

In addition to the R.U.S.E. profile that comes pre-loaded on the SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse R.U.S.E. Edition, SteelSeries will offer pro-gamer recommended R.U.S.E. profiles for users to download once the game launches in June. These recommended profiles will be found on the SteelSeries web site.

Important features on the SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse R.U.S.E. Edition include:

– Ambidextrous shape with a 10.8 megapixels/second sensor processing 12,000 frames/second at 5,001 Counts Per Inch (CPI) with movement speeds of 150 inches/second
– Unique SteelSeries sensor innovations including SteelSeries ExactAim, SteelSeries ExactRate, SteelSeries ExactSens, SteelSeries FreeMove and automatic lift distance calibration deliver exceptional levels of personalization
– Up to 5 stored profiles including a preconfigured R.U.S.E. profile created with input from game publisher, Ubisoft
– 7 Programmable macro buttons with up to 200 strokes per button
– Full customization via LCD menu system on the back of the mouse stored by the hardware – eliminating the need for drivers and providing configuration capabilities on-the-go.

“R.U.S.E. is a strategy game that we believe players will experience differently than any other RTS game on the market. In a game where every detail matters, choosing a mouse that obeys both the eye and every sleight of hand is a good strategy. With excellent levels of precision and ergonomy, the SteelSeries Xai mouse could become your best ally,” said Mathieu Girard, Senior Producer at Ubisoft. “Not only is it fully branded R.U.S.E. on the outside but is programmed with a special player profile.”

“Industry awards, player feedback and tournament wins have shown us that the time we spent methodically perfecting the SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse has paid off,” said Bruce Hawver, CEO of SteelSeries. “R.U.S.E. players will be easily impressed with the game’s unique game-play built around an incredible zooming engine, and with the technology we pack inside the SteelSeries Xai as well as the smooth glide and graphics of the QcK mousepad it all comes together to provide gamers with an outstanding RTS experience.”

The SteelSeries QcK Limited Edition (R.U.S.E.) gaming surface is made of high quality cloth material and an optimized textured surface that guarantees smoothness and glide. The non-slip rubber base prevents sliding, no matter what surface the mousepad is on. Official artwork from the game depicts an exciting battle between opposing forces using the element of deception.

The SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse R.U.S.E Edition and QcK Limited Edition (R.U.S.E.) will retail for $89.99 USD and $14.99 USD online at SteelSeries.com

R.U.S.E. is scheduled for release on Windows PC, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system on June 8, 2010.

iBUYPOWER just announced the latest in their gaming notebook lineup, the Battalion CZ-11. The CZ-11 features a 15 inch screen, as well as the new Intel Core i7 processor. iBUYPOWER has also loaded the CZ-11 with 4GB of RAM, an ATI Radeon 5650, and a 500GB drive.

The CZ-11 is a refresh of last year’s CZ-10, which was the first multi-touch screen gaming notebook. iBUYPOWER put in a faster CPU, more RAM, a better video card, and added the option of getting a Blu-ray drive. The CZ-11 starts at $1100, and the goes up depending on the options you choose at checkout.

From the press release:

El Monte, CA – March 30, 2010 – iBUYPOWER, a leading innovator in gaming PCs, is excited to announce availability of the new multi-touch gaming notebook – Battalion Touch CZ-11. Launching on the heels of the highly successful Battalion Touch CZ-10, the CZ-11 is second in a line of new multi-touch notebooks from iBUYPOWER. iBUYPOWER Battalion Touch Notebooks are the only multi-touch gaming notebooks currently available anywhere in the world.

“Multi-touch is one of the fastest growing PC gaming interfaces,” said Darren Su, Executive Vice President of iBUYPOWER. “Pairing those capabilities with a Core i7 processor, high definition LCD and graphics card allows the CZ-11 to meet the mobile gaming needs of almost any user.”

The Battalion Touch multi touch gaming notebooks are perfect for Real-Time strategy gaming titles like R.U.S.E from Ubisoft, which is available in Beta now and due out on June 3 of this year. The beta has already been downloaded by well over 1 million gamers worldwide.

iBUYPOWER’s newest 15-inch multi-touch gaming notebook features a Full HD 1920×1080 LCD with DirectX-11 capable graphics and the powerful new Intel Core i7- mobile processor. The CZ-11 also features 4GB of DDR3 memory, an ATI Radeon HD 5650 DirectX 11 graphics card, 500 GB hard drive and an optional Blu-ray drive. Starting at a gaming-ready configuration for just $1,299, the Battalion Touch CZ-11 can be customized to meet your needs for as low as $1,100.

Customers with more specific gaming needs can configure a fully customizable gaming PC at www.iBUYPOWER.com. All iBUYPOWER systems come standard with 1 year limited warranty and lifetime technical support.

If you can get past the chunky, dated graphics and annoying installation requirements, these real-time strategy titles are a blast from the past.

Originally posted at The Cheapskate

Oh, look, I’m taking a single remark from a lengthy interview and making an entire post about it. It concerns Blizzard, the famed developer of World of Warcraft and Diablo. You may think of Blizzard as a PC developer, but that ignores games like The Lost Vikings. Anyhow, Blizzard has said in an interview with Gamasutra, which always does good stuff, that it is not averse to making a console game in the future, just that it needs to be the right game.

An RTS like StarCraft II? That’s probably not the right game: have you tried to play an RTS on a console? Even if a developer pulls it off, as pretty much happened with Halo Wars, compare that to a a proper mouse and keyboard control scheme. It’s almost not even worth the effort to re-invent the wheel like that.

What about an MMO, like You Know What? Again, it’s so crazy to think that you can effectively take a mouse and keyboard and map it over to a controller for such a game. Look at how many buttons this mouse has, and even then it takes a while to get used to it.

As for being so damn pro-PC:

It’s obviously because we’ve made only PC games for the last 15 years, but there’s a perception, I think, that Blizzard is anti-console, and that’s absolutely not the case. We just want to make the right game for the right platform. Think about StarCraft II. Some real-time strategy games have tried to happen on the console. Some of those have been successful, but overall, our experience is that it’s going to be a better game on the PC, ergo it’s developed on the PC.

So it’s not that Blizzard hates your PS3 or Xbox 360, just that its current big games are so PC that it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense trying to pigeon-hole those onto consoles.

via Fudzilla