Tag Archives: playing video games

Xbox 360 Repair – What Are Your Options?

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The Xbox 360 is a very amazing machine when it comes to playing video games at high speeds and with amazing graphics. However, like all pieces of equipment, the system is susceptible to errors. As with almost any piece of high tech equipment you will definitely have options on how you wish to resolve your tech problems; it is simply up to you to decide which you would like to pursue.

The first option is one that is probably the safest, as it is more or less guaranteed to solve the problem. This option is when you send the damaged console back to the Microsoft specific repair shops. Here is the problem with sending the equipment back to Microsoft: it takes a long time and there are many steps involved as well. Aside from creating an online account to register your system, you must then fill out repair forms, go through the entire process of shipping and waiting for goods in transit, then wait for the machine to be serviced (which could take a few weeks on average). Then, even when the system is corrected, you have to wait for it to be shipped back to you. Then, while your system should have all of its symptoms corrected (meaning it should be ready for use and play again), the original problem might still be lingering which means you could be experiencing difficulties and have to redo this process again in a few weeks or months. And of course if your console is no longer under warranty, you could be looking at a hefty bill.

The second option is that you could still have an outside source, hopefully a professional, take care of the service. The problem with this is that if the service repair person is not affiliated with Microsoft, then you will still be paying for the system to be repaired while you also might void the repair warranty. The benefits of this are you could be in luck and have your problem fixed if the repair person is knowledgeable with an Xbox 360. You could also have the system fixed quite quickly; maybe only a few days compared to the weeks it would take if you send it back to the company.

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Yahoo Installs Bus Stop Video Games

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No more boring moments waiting for your bus to come. Yahoo has decided to install giant touch screen video games in twenty bus shelters in San Francisco so people waiting for the bus can play against people at other bus shelters while they wait. Players have a choice of four mini games, single or multiplayer and results are updated in real time allowing neighborhoods to see how they are doing against cross city rivals. The neighborhood with the best score wins a block party some time in February with the band OK Go to perform.

Almost sounds like as much fun as playing games on your smart phone except that you have to hang out at a bus shelter. Great way to pass the day for workers and students alike. Take a look at this worker cleaning the bus shelter and students so wrapped up in the competition missing their bus. If this becomes a thing of the future there will be a lot of people losing their jobs and a lot of late slips being handed out at schools. These touch screens are scheduled to be removed by the end of January but if this campaign was as successful as believed it would be you’ll be seeing a lot more of these game screens popping up around the world. What a great advertising tool and leave it to Yahoo to come up with such a great idea. Target audience – young people such as high school students who love playing video games. How much would the video game giants pay for this type of advertising? Lets just say the sky is the limit with this one.

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An Overview of Game Design Careers

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Game design careers are some of the hottest careers available right now. Many young people grow up playing video games-on their computers, with friends, in arcades, on cell phones-and dream of sharing their own interactive gaming creations with the world. And just imagine how fun it would be to sit around all day and dream up new kinds of games, and to create photorealistic 3D worlds in which people can immerse themselves and go on adventures.

The number of video games sold in 2008 was FOUR TIMES the number sold in 1996. And the number of video game platforms keeps rising as well. Video games reach audiences of young people as well as adults; in fact, the average age of a gamer is thirty-five, much older than the teenagers that video games are often associated with. Some studies have even indicated that as many as twenty-five percent of all gamers are fifty years old or older.

So how can you cash in on these trends and make a lot of money as a video game designer? First, it’s probably a good idea to move to, or within commuting distance of, a large city, as the largest video game design companies tend to be in urban areas, especially in New York and California. You’ll also want to get as much training as you can before you embark upon your career. There are several colleges and universities that offer majors in video game design, and the number is likely to increase by a lot in coming years, given how strong the demand for these degrees is. You don’t have to have a degree in video game design to work in the industry, however. You do have to have sharp technical skills, and a real eye for design and animation. When you go searching for that first job, you can apply to large companies or to small firms (or you might want to send resumes out wherever you can). Large companies might offer better salaries and more benefits, but some of the most exciting work out there is being done at small start-ups, where video gaming wizards are trying to conquer the world with their exciting ideas. You might find the work environment at a start-up to be more to your liking as well-you might be able to dress casually and set your own hours, for example.

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