Killer Guides Publications http://www.killerguides.com/articles Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:27:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 en hourly 1 Early MUD History http://www.killerguides.com/articles/early-mud-history/ http://www.killerguides.com/articles/early-mud-history/#comments Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:10:52 +0000 admin http://www.killerguides.com/articles/?p=46 A MUD, or Multi-User Domain, is a real time virtual world that combines element of hack and slash games, online chat, and role-playing games. People all over the world are able to log onto their computer, load up a game, and take on the role of a customized character in that game. They can explore the entire world and even interact with people just like them. Most existing MUDs are free to users.

The origins of MUDs can be traced to the UK. The very first MUD, MUD1, was written by two men named Richard Bartle and Roy Trubshaw, back in 1979 and 1980. Trubshaw was a student at Essex University in the UK and he wrote the program as a tribute to his favorite game, Zork. It ran on the Essex University network until 1987. Later, students developed their own versions of MUD1, the first of which was known as AberMUD. MUD1 was closed after it was licensed and MIST then became the only MUD on the university’s network. It ran until 1991.

Many different MUD games were created in the 1980s, the most popular of which was SHADES, which was programmed to replace MUD1. It quickly became popular after the British company Telecom offered it on two of their computer networks. A scandal closed SHADES. In 1985, the game MirrorWorld - with many elements of Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings world – went online. This MUD is often credited with the introduction of true “fantasy worlds” to the concept of online gaming.

In time, both the technology and the uses of MUDs changed. Many people shifted to more social interaction whilst playing, and the games started to change. A huge portion of MUDs are designed so that the only way to excel in them is to play with other people. Other improvements coincided with the development of the world’s communication infrastructure. As improvements in internet technology came along, MUD capabilities expanded along with it. The game’s structures were also improved as computer technology allowed programmers to expand the worlds their players were exploring. Games became much more complex as computers were able to handle and store more information.

Next, the extremely popular MMORPG, or Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game came about. The very first of these is considered to be Mazewar, which was developed in 1974, and small games continued being made including 1991’s Neverwinter Nights. In 1997, the genre became popular as Ultima Online was launched. The most popular of these is definitely the World of Warcraft series, which holds a massive 62% of the market.

There hare not many MUD developments currently in the works for a variety of reasons. Many people have a hard time accepting new MUD codebases. New features are added to games but not the industry as a whole. Most free MUDs are written by students with little free time. However, it can be argued that there are many developments occurring especially if you look at the popularity of gaming platforms like the X-Box 360 and PC; many games being developed for them are online multiplayer games which started at MUDs. Online gaming has risen to massive popularity, especially within the past ten years or so and more people are interested in playing with others.

]]> http://www.killerguides.com/articles/early-mud-history/feed/ 0 Commodore Computers: A guide to early gaming http://www.killerguides.com/articles/commodore-computers-a-guide-to-early-gaming/ http://www.killerguides.com/articles/commodore-computers-a-guide-to-early-gaming/#comments Sun, 26 Jul 2009 09:10:15 +0000 admin http://www.killerguides.com/articles/?p=43 In today’s video gaming world, gamers have access to a wide range of video games on a wide range of platforms. Today gamers can play on handheld portables, gaming systems and on personal computers. And, the games that are available range from realistic sports to simulated households to a world of warfare, and every genre in between.

However there was a time in the not too distant past where gaming options were much more limited. The earliest home computers were big and had the computing power equal to today’s portable calculator, and gaming was limited to a few simple games. However, the first big development was the Commodore Computer. Commodore International began as a manufacturer of calculators, and in the late 70’s began to develop home computers, with the Commodore VIC-20 being introduced in 1981.

The biggest development in the computer business came in 1982, when the Commodore 64 was introduced. The Commodore 64 was an industry leader by having one of the best sound and video combinations in the business. Because of the good displays, the Commodore Corp began marketing video games for the 64. Games such as Centipede, Donkey Kong, Frogger, Micro League Baseball, Solo Flight, Tetris and Zork began appearing in Commodore 64’s everywhere.

Since 1982 when the Commodore 64 was introduced, people liked the convenience of using a home computer to play games, at the time the Commodore 64 was very popular selling over 2.5 million units. Commodore continued to develop and improve the personal computer, and its gaming capability. During its heyday, the Commodore Computer was one of the leaders in the industry and set the bar for other operating platforms.

The Commodore 64 was a good, dependable computer and a good gaming console. Even decades after the introduction of the Commodore 64, there are many fan clubs and user groups dedicated to the computer. The users of today’s state of the art gaming systems and games that we currently enjoy owe a debt of gratitude to the Commodore gaming system. Without the groundbreaking developments by Commodore in the 80’s we would not be enjoying the gaming of today.

· Games List: listing of games that were available on the Commodore 64

· Commodore History: timeline of important events in the development of the Commodore Computer

· Commodore Products: listing of products that were developed by Commodore

· Knowledge Base: information on computing products from Commodore

· Service Manuals: resource with help for Commodore products

· Commodore Gallery: listing, photos and information on Commodore products

· Game Guide: guides to Commodore 64 games

· C64: nostalgic resource with information on the classic system

· History: Commodore computer history is outlined

· Commodore 64: information on the classic computer

· C64 Portal: fan based information portal on the Commodore 64

· Commodore 64: information on the classic computer

· Commodore History: view of the life of the Commodore Computer Company

· C64 Nostalgia: nostalgic resource on the classic system

· Computer Game History: information on the development of the computer game

· Computer Game Design: history of the designs of computer games

· Commodore History: details on the history of the Commodore Computer

]]> http://www.killerguides.com/articles/commodore-computers-a-guide-to-early-gaming/feed/ 0 All About Fallout 2 http://www.killerguides.com/articles/all-about-fallout-2/ http://www.killerguides.com/articles/all-about-fallout-2/#comments Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:09:38 +0000 admin http://www.killerguides.com/articles/?p=42 Fallout 2 is a PC-based post-apocalyptic RPG, or role playing game, that was released by the company Interplay in 1998. A sequel to the earlier Fallout, it revolved around Vault Dweller, who was exiled because of his long exposure to the outside world, which is unlivable. Vault Dweller, along with a group of companions, decides to head north and encounter a tribe known as the Arroyo in Oregon. Meanwhile, in California, a new government called the New California Republic is beginning to spread and a new drug known as Jet, which has a 100% addiction rate, has forced many to rely on the town of New Reno for their supply.

Vault Dweller must save his primitive tribe from the perils of their world – mainly starvation – by leading them to GECK, or “Garden of Eden Creation Kit” a device designed to restore the environment to a livable condition. He finds Vault 13, which may contain a GECK, but it is devoid of much life. He returns to find that his village has been taken captive by the remnants of the US government which is calling itself “The Enclave.”

The Vault Dweller then learns that everyone who lived at Vault 13 was captured to be used as test subjects for the Forced Evolutionary Virus, or F.E.V. It was designed to attack any creatures with mutated DNA and remove any genetic impurities, allowing the Enclave to resume power. The Vault Dweller rescues the villagers from Vault 13 and Arroyo, destroys the Enclave’s oil rig, and eliminates the Enclave. Then, everyone creates a new community with a GECK.

The Fallout series itself is a popular series with games that can be played on the PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, and Xbox 360. The plots always revolve around a United States that diverged after World War II, where certain technologies were developed early. Futuristic technology and cultural elements are present. The country is organized into 13 commonwealths and this causes tensions. Then, when an energy crisis hits, a series of wars occurs where the UN is disbanded and China invades Alaska. These events all come to a head in 2077 in a war known as the Great War, a nuclear war that results in a post-apocalyptic world.

The first game, Fallout, was released in 1997 and took place in 2161. The second, Fallout 2, was released in 1998 and it included several changes to the world, including the inclusion of many NPC characters and even pop culture jokes. The series was so popular that its fans were willing to wait ten years, until October 2008, to play the third, Fallout 3. That game features a female protagonist who has to get Washington D.C. to save her father.

The Fallout series is one of the most popular RPG series to be developed. Fallout also has a very dedicated fan base which has taken it upon themselves to develop modifications, or mods, for fellow players to use.

Various guides exist for WoW classes, like the WoW Death Knight Guide, the WoW Druid Guide, or the WoW Rogue Guide. Other class guides include the World of Warcraft Paladin, and the WoW Warlock guide.

]]> http://www.killerguides.com/articles/all-about-fallout-2/feed/ 0 Who is Satoru Iwata? http://www.killerguides.com/articles/who-is-satoru-iwata/ http://www.killerguides.com/articles/who-is-satoru-iwata/#comments Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:56:32 +0000 admin http://www.killerguides.com/articles/?p=40 Saturo Iwata is regarded as one of the most successful CEOs in the world because of his great achievements in the video game industry. He is presently the CEO and president of Japanese video game company Nintendo. One of his most memorable achievements is the development of the Nintendo GameCube console, which enabled Nintendo to gain a remarkable sales increase of 41% in the year 2002.

Satoru Iwata was born on the 6th of December, 1959 in Sapporo, Japan. At a very young age, he was already interested in developing video games, and he managed to create a number of simple games when he was in high school. After he completed his high school education, he went on to study computer science at the esteemed Tokyo Institute of Technology. At the institute, Iwata found the encouragement and support he needed to pursue a career in the video gaming industry, and he was given the chance to work as a freelance video game programmer at HAL Laboratory, which was a Nintendo subsidiary.

Iwata graduated from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in the year 1982, and he started working full-time for HAL. The following year, he was promoted to the position of software production coordinator, and he was involved in the creation of video games such as Earthbound, Balloon Fight, and the Kirby series. In 1993, Iwata became the president of HAL Laboratory, and he contributed to the development of some popular Nintendo games, such as the Animal Crossing series, the Mario series, and The Legend of Zelda.

Iwata joined Nintendo in 2000, as the head of corporate planning, and he started getting involved in the creation of the Nintendo GameCube console. When the GameCube was launched in 2001, it became a big hit among gamers in Japan as well as North America and Europe. Due to the success of the GameCube and his other achievements, Iwata was named the president of Nintendo in 2002, when long-serving former president Hiroshi Yamauchi decided to retire. He is the first Nintendo president who is not a descendant or in-law of the Yamauchi family.

Iwata’s next big project was the Wii, the fifth Nintendo home console. This revolutionary console features a wireless controller that has the ability to function as a pointing device and sense three dimensional movements. Its motion sensing ability allows users to mimic the actions of characters in games, such as shooting a gun or swinging a tennis racket. This makes game-play more interesting and realistic. Iwata demonstrated the Wii controller at the Tokyo Game Show in 2005, and the console was launched the following year. To date, the Wii console has sold more than 50 million units around the world.

Under the leadership of Iwata, Nintendo has become one of the foremost video game companies in the world, and it ranks as the 3rd most valuable company in Japan. Since it became a video game company, Nintendo has sold nearly 3 billion gaming software units and half a billion hardware units. Today, Iwata is one of the most respected game developers in the world, and his contributions to the video game industry is well-appreciated by gaming enthusiasts.

If you want to start World of Warcraft off with an edge over others in the game, read the World of Warcraft Burning Crusade Guide that will give you enough information to have a head start. To keep your advantage over others, try reading the World of Warcraft Profession Guide that will give you information on what each class in WoW is like and choose the one that will best fit your style. The World of Warcraft Gold Guide is also a useful guide that will give you tips in how to earn gold at a faster rate. To help you in your quests, the WoW Raiding guide is a very helpful guide as it will help explain to you about all the quests that are available and provide walkthroughs for each quests. Lastly, the World of Warcraft Alliance Guide will provide you with all the useful tips to create alliances and strategies that will bring you all the way to superiority in the game.

]]> http://www.killerguides.com/articles/who-is-satoru-iwata/feed/ 0 Ultimate Resource of Internet Games http://www.killerguides.com/articles/ultimate-resource-of-internet-games/ http://www.killerguides.com/articles/ultimate-resource-of-internet-games/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:55:34 +0000 admin http://www.killerguides.com/articles/?p=38 Playing internet games has become one of the favorite pastimes among internet users these days. There is an extensive selection of games on the internet to suit the preferences of gamers of all ages, ranging from free arcade and puzzle games to Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs). Certain sites also provide game reviews and cheats to provide a better gaming experience for gamers. Here is a list of websites that offer internet games, game reviews, cheats, and information about internet gaming:

There are many classes in the MMORPG called World of Warcraft, some of which are harder to understand than the other depending on what style you play. To assist you in getting to know the different characters and classes, try checking out the WoW Profession Guide which will help you understand each class better. To go more in-depth, there are guides for each individual class that are offered to give more detailed information about your class. Examples are the World of Warcraft Druid Guide, World of Warcraft Paladin Guide, World of Warcraft Rogue Guide, ,a href=”http://www.killerguides.com/guide/world-of-warcraft/warlock”>World of Warcraft Warlock Guide.

]]> http://www.killerguides.com/articles/ultimate-resource-of-internet-games/feed/ 0 Guide to Closed Captioning http://www.killerguides.com/articles/guide-to-closed-captioning/ http://www.killerguides.com/articles/guide-to-closed-captioning/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 08:42:22 +0000 admin http://www.killerguides.com/articles/?p=36 Closed captioning is a system developed to show text on video screen or television to give extra information to the audience. Closed caption displays audio transcription of the program as it play, sometimes it also includes non speech elements of the program. Only viewers who have activated closed caption can view the text.

In the Burning Crusade patch of World of Warcraft, a few things have changed from the original patch of the game. Get the World of Warcraft Burning Crusade manual to help you figure your way through the game. In addition, to that guide, other useful guides to help you include the World of Warcraft Gold Guide to help you make lots of gold and the World of Warcraft Profession Guide to help you learn all about the professions of the game. Furthermore, to go even deeper, specific class guides are available such as the WoW Death Knight Guide and the WoW Warlock Guide to name a few.

What are some of the laws for captioning?

  • Television Decoder Circuitry Act, 1990, Public Law (101-431): This law states that the hearing and deaf impaired should have access to television through technology. The television should have at least 13inch screen to show closed caption text.
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Public Law (101-336): This law prohibits discrimination based on disability in transportation, state and local government, commercial facilities, employment, and telecommunications. It has four titles or sections and Title IV deals with assistive technology.
  • Telecommunications Act, 1996, Public Law (104-104), Title III: This law is for rules on video descriptions and closed captioning.

What are stenocaptioners and how do they work?

Stenocaptioners are skilled reporters specialized in real-time captioning. They write the captions with the help of steno machine. They can write at high speed of about 250 words per minute, sometimes even faster.

Types of Captions

There are three types of captions: Roll up, pop-on, and paint-on. In roll up, the caption appears at the bottom of the screen and one line at a time. The words move from left to right and completed line moves up to give way for a new line. After that the top line gets erased. In pop-on, the caption appears as a whole and anywhere on the screen. In paint-on, the caption moves left to right and letter by letter on the screen. This method is rarely used.

What does the >> and >>> symbol mean?

Program captioned using roll up and for any live programs, the caption include >> to show a new speaker and >>> to indicate new story in news. Sometimes, >> indicates one person is speaking and >>> for more than one.

Do all TV’s support captions?

FCC has enacted rules that all new televisions should support captioning. According to this act, all analog television should be 13 inch or greater, either manufactured or sold, and should have the ability to display captioning. This act is also placed on digital television later.

Online (real time) vs. Offline (pre taped) captioning

In online captioning, captions (scrolling) are produced by trained stenographers in steno machines as the speaker speaks. There is no time to edit, repeat unfamiliar words. Phonetic spellings are used wherever required and expected accuracy is 98%. In offline captioning, program copy tape is made and program material is absorbed in to the server. Trained captioners recall the material and transcribe it. Finally the caption film is reexamined in real-time. After all needed alterations, the film is given to ABC for broadcasting.

Why do captions not always match the audio?

There are a few reasons why the caption does not match audio. First, in pre recorded programs captions are edited at the rate of 180 per minute for average users. In live captioning, if the speaker talks more than 240 words per minute or more than one speaker is talking at a time then it becomes hard for stenographer to caption all words.

What types of media can be captioned?

Generally video caption can transmit audio information like narration, dialogue, sound effects, and other information like music. Types of media that could be captioned are DVD, movies, theater, video games, plays, and telephones. First video game with closed caption is Zork Grand Inquisitor.

Other Resources on Closed Captioning

Other Resources for Disabled Gamers

]]> http://www.killerguides.com/articles/guide-to-closed-captioning/feed/ 0 A Killer Guide to C++ http://www.killerguides.com/articles/a-killer-guide-to-c/ http://www.killerguides.com/articles/a-killer-guide-to-c/#comments Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:13:53 +0000 admin http://www.killerguides.com/articles/?p=32 C++ is an object oriented programming language that was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup as an enhancement to the C programming language . It is a mid-level programming language, this means that incorporates elements from both low-level languages, such as assembly languages, as well as high level languages, such as Java. This versatility, as well as its efficiency, is what makes it popular for many different applications; software applications it is widely used for video games, such as application software and server software. The core library of the language is maintained by the C++ Standards Committee.

C++ Installation Guides

Installing the C++ Library: Guide to installing the Apache C++ libraries on a Unix or Windows machine.

You can find a wide range of guides for the various classes that are available in World of Warcraft. Some examples of WoW classes that you can find in the game are the WoW Death Knight and the WoW Druid, both of which have guides available for on Killer Guides. Other class guides that are available include the World of Warcraft Rogue Guide, the World of Warcraft Warlock Guide, and also to mention the World of Warcraft Paladin fighting. Other extensive guides for World of Warcraft can be found on Killerguides.

Boost: Introduction and guide to installing the Boost C++ libraries. These libraries are designed to meet C++ standards and are available for Windows, Unix, Linux.

Eclispse: Guide to setting up and using the Eclipse Integrated Development Environment from IBM, with a link to download it.

GCC: Guide to downloading and installing the Gnu C++ Standard Library (GCC), a free and open source library for the C++ language.

Ubuntu: Guide to installing C and C++ compilers in the Ubuntu operating system. Also covers how to make and test a very simple program.

C++ Programming Guides

C++ Language Tutorial: Series of C++ tutorials, ranging from beginner to advanced level, that include interactive program examples.

Cprograming.com: Set of basic tutorials on the C and C++ programming languages.

Online C++ Tutorial: C++ tutorial suitable for people who have never programmed before that covers basic syntax through the basics of objects and memory.

Learn C++: Extensive collection of C++ tutorials covering topics for users who have never programed through experienced programmers.

C++ Tutorials C Users: A set of tutorials aimed at programmers who have used the C programming that discusses the differences between the languages.

C++ Tutorial: Comprehensive C++ tutorial that covers language basics and most operators, variable and other components of a program in depth.

C++ Programming Language Tutorials: Set of twelve tutorials in the form of downloadable PDF files. Also includes links to further information.

C++ Lessons and Topics: Set of C++ lessons that revolve around an example program for each lesson.

Visual C++ Tutorial: Tutorial on how to use Visual C++ to create a basic C++ program, targeted at people who have never used Visual C++ or programmed before.

C++ Tutorial: Twenty-one chapter tutorial on using C++ with subsections in each chapter, example programs and end of chapter quizzes.

C++ Compiling

Bloodshed Software: A free C++ development environment and compiler that runs on Windows.

Compiling Programs in Linux: A guide to compiling programs in C or C++ in the Linux operating system that is targeted toward beginners.

Sun Workshop Documentation: Guides to the installation and use of the Workshop C++ compiler

Setting Up to Compile: Introduction to what compiling is and how to setup to compile a program in either Linux or Windows.

Visual C++ Guided Tour: Series of guides on how to compile C++ programs using Microsoft Visual C++.

]]> http://www.killerguides.com/articles/a-killer-guide-to-c/feed/ 0 A Brief History of the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer http://www.killerguides.com/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-3do-interactive-multiplayer/ http://www.killerguides.com/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-3do-interactive-multiplayer/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:59:00 +0000 admin http://www.killerguides.com/blog/?p=1 The 3DO gaming console was voted best new product of 1994 by Time Magazine and was one of the most advanced gaming consoles around in the early 1990s.  The console was originally manufactured by the Panasonic Corporation and was designed by Dave Needle and RJ Mical of New Technology Group. The 3DO console had dual video co-processors which enabled arcade quality graphics unheard of before the console’s inception. Audio CDs could also be played and the system had the first version of graphical representation of the audio; this is a standard feature on every system following the Myst and Star Control II were finally available to the home user displayed in full graphic quality due to its video processing and 32-bit processor. Street Fighter II Turbo was released on the console in better quality, sound and picture, along with titles like Need for Speed, Gex, and Road Rash. Gaming companies and manufacturers had to pay a three dollar royalty fee for using the 3DO name which they were glad to pay as it was less than the fees for Nintendo and Saga. The low royalty fees paired with low release sales proved to be a financial strain on the company.

Game Developer Resources

  • GameDev has a huge list of resource, tutorials and help forums for game developers on multiple platforms and systems.
  • An online game developer magazine that is also available in print. Back issues are available to review old topics and tricks.

3DO fell by the wayside mainly due to its price tag of almost $700 at release. This limited its market share and limited third-party developers. While the technology was advanced for its time, it was, perhaps, before its time. Other competing companies such as Nintendo and Sega had far better prices and 3DO refused to lower their prices as they considered the 3DO system to be an audio/video entertainment center and not a gaming console. The few consumers who had bought the systems and games were less likely to buy sequels to previously released 3DO games and eventually turned to Sony’s PlayStation for the next generation of CD-ROM gaming. Late in 1996 the company lowered its prices in the dawn of releasing the next console the M2; it was scraped and the company now supports, or at least did, the Sony PlayStation console. It was a mixture of high prices, the inability of game makers to hook in players and a low royalty fee that led to the demise of the 3DO Multiplayer gaming console.

]]> http://www.killerguides.com/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-3do-interactive-multiplayer/feed/ 0 The Rise and Fall of Gaming Pioneer 3dfx Interactive http://www.killerguides.com/articles/the-rise-and-fall-of-gaming-pioneer-3dfx-interactive/ http://www.killerguides.com/articles/the-rise-and-fall-of-gaming-pioneer-3dfx-interactive/#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:19:00 +0000 admin http://www.killerguides.com/blog/?p=4 The Rise and Fall of Gaming Pioneer 3dfx Interactive

If you are looking for a World of Warcraft guide, be sure to check in at Killer Guides and you will find the WoW Burning Crusade Manual. All the useful tips and advice that will help you cruise through the Burning Crusade patch will be found in this guide. To add-on to that, the World of Warcraft Alliance Guide will help you build up allies with others in the game and will help you cruise through the game. The World of Warcraft Profession Guide, WoW Raids Guide and WoW dailies Gold Guide would all be useful additions to any WoW guide purchased.

Established in 1994 in San Jose California, graphics chip producer 3dfx Interactive became one of the leading graphics producer in the video gaming industry.  With the introduction of the Voodoo 1 video card in 1996, the company helped shape the face of video games.  The company produced video cards that helped bring games to life with realistic 3D graphics.

The company kept improving the video card with subsequent introduction of the Voodoo 2, Voodoo 3, Voodoo 4 and the final Voodoo 5 video graphics cards.  The last video graphics card was produced by 3dfx in 2000.  3dfx Interactive produced several different cards in the Voodoo line such as the Voodoo Rush and Voodoo Banshee.

While the video graphics cards were very popular in the video gaming world, the company had problems maintaining profitability.  Several factors affected the company and its growth.

1.        The company believed in spending money on its employees and would regularly spend large amounts of money on perks and other items not required for the running of a business.

2.       While 3dfx was successful in creating attention getting chips, it did not put enough of an emphasis on research and development, which negatively impacted future developments.

3.       The company manufactured excellent graphics cards that were the top of the line, but did not place enough of an emphasis on the middle market.

Through these factors, the company lost millions of dollars over the course of several years.  In 2000, 3dfx was facing the prospect of filing for bankruptcy protection.  Instead of choosing this route, the company merged with Nvdia. Nvdia acquired the employees and chip designs from 3dfx.  However, the creditors of 3dfx continued to seek repayment of loans, and have continued to pursue the borrowers into 2009.

While 3dfx Interactive could not sustain its initial growth, the company was responsible for the growth of the video graphics chip to the current state, where video games are life like, and have the same quality of a television broadcast or movie production.  Here are websites for some of the current video cards on the market:

Video Cards by Manufacturer

Nvdia

Creative Labs

ATI

For more information on 3dfx Interactive and Nvdia, please visit the following websites:

Nvdia

3dfx merger with STB Systems

Nvidia purchase of 3dfx

3dfx archive

]]> http://www.killerguides.com/articles/the-rise-and-fall-of-gaming-pioneer-3dfx-interactive/feed/ 0 Visual History Of Gaming http://www.killerguides.com/articles/visual-history-of-gaming/ http://www.killerguides.com/articles/visual-history-of-gaming/#comments Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:19:57 +0000 admin http://www.killerguides.com/blog/?p=6 The first video games were introduced in the early 70’s, with Pong, the simple table tennis game, being one of the first.  Pong was widely released in 1972 as an arcade game, as well being one of the first video games for the home.

The video game manufacturers were busy during the 70’s and quickly introduced several classic games to the public.  Beginning in 1978, Space Invaders, Asteroids and Pac-man were created.  A large number of these games were produced and began appearing in video arcades.

With the introduction and the success of the large stand alone arcade games, video game manufacturers began to look for ways to bring the game to homes. The first home games were attached to the television screens and were very simple.

In the 1980’s, Commodore, Apple and Atari joined the computer game pioneers by creating home computers that users could play.  Since its introduction, home computer gaming has multiplied, with growth driven by the improvements in video and sound in personal computers.  As the advances occurred in video and sound, the games became more complex and more lifelike.  Games began appearing in genres such as racing, sports, action, simulations and adventure.  Additional game manufacturers such as Nintendo, Sega, Konami and Bally Midway began to introduce popular games such as Donkey Kong, Mario Brothers, Frogger and Tron.

Beginning in the 1990’s and continuing until today, video gaming took a quantum leap visually and in how the games are played.  No longer are gamers restricted to playing games only in video arcades or on low resolution computer monitors.  Game systems that could be hooked up to televisions, such as PlayStation and Nintendo began to show games in 3D, which made them very realistic.

Over time the improvements in gaming consoles continued, with the introduction of systems such as PlayStation 2, Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo GameCube and Microsoft Xbox, followed by PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and the WII.  To make gaming more convenient, handheld games were also created.  These included the Game Boy, Nintendo DS and the PlayStation Portable.  During this time, game manufacturers began producing video games that could be played on any of the systems.

Throughout the course of video gaming history, the games have changed as well as the systems.  With the advent of 3D graphics, games have advanced from simple 2D displays to lifelike 3D displays.  This has allowed the games the opportunity to grow and advance along with the technology.

Donkey Kong, one of the most popular video game series, was released by Nintendo in 1981.  The original game was very basic with limited functionality.  Over time, the game changed and became Donkey Kong Country, Donkey Kong Country 2, and now Donkey Kong Country 3.

Another classic game which has undergone a makeover is Space Invaders.  The game was created in 1978 by the Taito Corporation and was an instant favorite in game arcades.  While the game still exists, the core of the game has evolved into Star Fox, which is a popular video game franchise owned by Nintendo.

Video games have changed dramatically since being introduced in the 1970’s, and with the continued improvements in graphics and sound, expect continued changes in the future.

Do you find yourself having problems when a new WoW patch gets released? Many new things in the patch confuse you and become constraints for you to progress. With the World of Warcraft Burning Crusade Guide, you will be able to explore and discover all the new gimmicks of the game in no time. In addition, there are also guides that will help enhance your gaming experience in various aspects of the game. For building allies, there’s the WoW Alliance Guides, and discovering various WoW professions, there’s the World of Warcraft Profession Guide. As for guides that will help you in your quests, the WoW Raid Guide would be helpful to you, and lastly the World of Warcraft Gold Guide will help you gather all the gold you need out there.

]]> http://www.killerguides.com/articles/visual-history-of-gaming/feed/ 0