Tag Archives: gaming

The Future of Online Gaming

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Two factors have led to a surge in the growth of online gambling in recent years. The increased availability of smartphones combined with greater access to quality wi-fi has assisted in the boom of this 21st century industry. More online casinos are recognising that mobile gaming is the way the market is heading, and so if your site is not optimized for use on a smartphone you are going to lose a whole lot of customers. The online gaming industry is one which is always looking to the future, so let’s take a look at what lies around the corner for real money gaming products.

One big innovation in recent years has been the impact of skill-based gaming. This allows players to use their skills to influence the outcome of games, rather than just relying on luck. There are a million ways to win the lottery, but even this requires a certain amount of intelligence in terms of which lottery to play and when to play it. The new generation of games is going to take things a step further though. Already companies like Skillzgaming are bringing online games to market which use an element of skill. For example they have a title called Fruit Blast which is basically a real money version of mobile games like Candy Crush and Bejeweled. Adding the element of skill into games allows the player to influence the outcome, which is not the case with traditional slot games, although as with all such games the casino will still have an edge over the player.

The concept of skill-based games taps into another trend which is shaping the future of online gaming. That is the ‘gamification’ of online casinos and betting, which basically means blurring of the lines between gambling and fun online games. The games mentioned above are a perfect example of this, but that’s not the only way that gamification of gambling manifests itself. New casinos are now introducing the concepts of ‘levelling up’ in place of traditional loyalty schemes. You will also find a lot more tournaments where players can complete against each other by playing a particular game, to try and top the leader-board so as to earn greater rewards.

Another interesting development within the gaming industry has been the rise in use of virtual reality headsets. The sky is the limit as far as these devices are concerned, as they could play a crucial role in the way we experience online gambling in the future. Already some online betting sites are incorporating virtual reality into selected games like vipslot77, allowing for a completely immersive gaming experience. The technology is still at a relatively early stage though, meaning that we can expect to see huge changes in the future as VR tech moves into the mainstream.

Online gambling is certainly an industry on the rise at the moment, and it looks like the future is bright for this business. We can only wait and see just what the future will bring.

Skill-Based Games

Virtual Reality

Gamification

Björn Borg Launch SS15 Collection Via Online Game First Person Lover

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Björn Borg launch SS15 Collection via online game First Person Lover 3

Björn Borg launch SS15 Collection via online game First Person Lover 1

When Björn Borg launches their spring summer 2015 collection, the Sports Fashion brand blows a kiss to the gaming world through presenting their collection not through a commercial, fashion ads or a cookbook, but through an online fashion game experience where their clothes gives the player extra love strength.

 

Through the game, a new platform for e-commerce is introduced: in-game shopping with the player equipping their avatar with the new Björn Borg collection to fight the forces of evil with the power of love. Equipped with a love glove, you master your enemies with e.g. a hologram kiss blower, a flower petal thrower or rainbow caster made from pink gold, white leather and acrylic glass for the ultimate style experience.

Björn Borg launch SS15 Collection via online game First Person Lover 5

 

The game has received a great reception with Kotaku, one of the largest gaming sites in the world, calling First Person Lover “one of the most fabulous things I’ve ever seen”.

 

Fellow Swede Felix ”Pewdiepie” Kjellberg, who runs the largest Youtube account in the world, calls the game “The most fabulous game in the universe” with his play through of the game at receiving over 3 million views so far.


 

American Youtube sensation Markplier calls it “Game of the Year”.

Björn Borg launch SS15 Collection via online game First Person Lover 7

Björn Borg launch SS15 Collection via online game First Person Lover 8
 

“We have taken the aesthetics from the First Person Shooter games and turned it upside down. We want to offer gamers and shoppers a whole new experience”, comments Lina Söderqvist, Marketing Director, Björn Borg AB.

 

“It has been extraordinarily fun to see the collection come to life in 3D and having avatars wearing it. The game has taken my vision of fictional worlds to a whole new level. I might be the first designer ever that has his collection bought through a game”, says James Lee, Head Designer, Björn Borg.

The First Person Lover Game is free of charge at http://firstpersonlover.com

Björn Borg launch SS15 Collection via online game First Person Lover 6

Björn Borg launch SS15 Collection via online game First Person Lover 10

Björn Borg launch SS15 Collection via online game First Person Lover 9
 

About the SS15 collection

 

Björn Borg SS15 draws its inspiration from fictional worlds. Mesmerizing mythical islands, lost worlds and visionary computer games. A mainly monochrome collection where sport and fashion are intertwined.

 

The key prints in the collection are inspired by water, coral structures and ancient temples. These prints are found throughout all product groups. The key material trend for this season is mesh. This runs through inserts, paneling and details across apparel, underwear, bags, footwear and eyewear.

Styling takes its inspiration from scuba wetsuits through using chunky zips, neoprene, thicker seams and mixing together bright colours with black. Important colours in the SS15 collection are black & white and combining these with soft shades of grey, pink, orange and mint.

The Björn Borg SS15 collections of underwear, apparel, footwear and bags is available at select retailers and Björn Borg concept stores.

 

 

Where did the Lottery come from?

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The lottery games of today are varied and incredibly numerous, offering a near-endless range of gameplay options, risk:reward ratios and odds of winning. Some people fancy their chances playing online on sites like Coral, whilst others prefer to yell and groan along to the TV. The rules and the mediums differ, but the essence of the game is just about the same everywhere.

 

Lotteries are now played in almost all countries throughout the world, from Ireland to Italy, Australia to the United States of America, but where did the game come from in the first place?

 

The British Isles?

Whilst it may be tempting to search close to home to begin with, the birthplace of lottery games is almost undoubtedly elsewhere on the world map. Perhaps the two best known lottery draws from this part of the world are the nationally televised UK National Lottery – founded in the mid-nineties – and the Irish Lotto, which began in the 1980s. Whilst lottery games undoubtedly arrived in the UK in some form much earlier, the roots of the lottery actually extend far deeper into the past…

 

The Italian Quarter?

‘Italian Lotteries’ were widespread throughout Italian-American neighbourhoods of the USA around the turn of the 20th Century. The link between Italy and lotteries seems a particularly solid one – the nation’s own national draw SuperEnalotto has existed in some form or other for over half a century – and, as our next destination proves, it goes far further back in time.

 

Ancient Rome

Whenever you’re in doubt as to where something useful in modern society comes from, there’s a fairly strong chance that the place of origin was ancient Rome. The Romans gave us everything from viaducts to vomitoriums (we still have those, right?) and are often spoken of as the progenitors of civilisation as we know it. Hard as it may be to believe it, the Romans played the lottery too, in a range of variants from dinner party games to area-wide fund-raising lotteries not altogether dissimilar from those seen today!

 

China

Everyone knows that every great genius steals their ideas from somebody else. If the Romans were those great geniuses, then maybe the ancient Chinese were that somebody else. The earliest evidence of lottery style gaming in China comes from around 200BC, in the form of kendo slips. Remarkably, it is believed that the money raised through the game was used to help fund the construction of the Great Wall of China! Could it be that we’ve been playing the lottery since the dawn of civilisation? Written evidence suggests that the Chinese were doing so hundreds upon hundreds of years before those kendo slips were made!

 

Stores Open At Midnight For Call Of Duties: Ghosts Release

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Midnight launch of Call of Duty®: GhostsCall of Duty: Ghosts

 Stores will be on duty at midnight on Monday 4th November, in preparation for the 5th November launch of Call of Duty®: Ghosts

The Xbox and PS3 game franchise that has defined a generation of gaming will be available in-store and online for just £39.97 on 5th November 2013, promising to be the most popular game of 2013. Call of Duty: Ghosts takes on an intense plot, leaving players on the side of a crippled nation fighting to survive.

 

The single player campaign will include an entirely new cast of characters in a changed world unlike anything seen in Call of Duty before. For the first time players will take on the underdog role in a battle to reclaim a fallen nation.

The multiplayer mode has been re-developed to introduce a new ‘Create-A-Soldier’ system in which players can personalise their soldier with 9,000 possible combinations and experience seven new multiplayer modes such as Cranked, Search & Rescue and Blitz.

 As well as offering the hit game at just £39.97, Asda has also stocked up on the following exclusive Call of Duty: Ghosts deals and products:

 

–       Special edition (Hardened Edition) Call of Duty: Ghosts available in limited supply in all stores for £69.00.

–       Get the new The Marshall Mathers LP2 album by Eminem, the creator of the official soundtrack to Call of Duty: Ghosts, which is also released on 5th November for just £7 on purchase of the game

–         Call of Duty: Ghosts branded Monster Energy Drinks with a new DLC code in each can- £3 for a four pack

–         Exclusive Call of Duty: Ghosts Turtle Beach gaming headsets, £69.97, to ensure you’re fully equipped for battle

–         Additional Call of Duty: Ghosts merchandise including iPhone cases, £10 and t-shirts, £8

 

Call of Duty: Ghosts will be released on Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3, Nintendo® Wii U, PC, and next-generation platforms, from 5th November.

To meet the massive demand, selected stores will be open at midnight on Monday 4th November. Call of Duty fans will get the chance to be first in the queue to experience the long awaited next installment of the biggest entertainment franchise in the world.

 

Testing the Playstation 4

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Recently Frost was lucky enough to attend an event held by Argos showing off some of the top gifts for this Christmas. Among them was the much anticipated Playstation 4 which we were lucky enough to try. Unfortunately there were no games available but there was a demo showing off some of the potential of the machine.

In the demo I’m shown I sit down to see myself on the screen in front of me! The playstation camera which also acts as a motion sensing device beams me onto the screen but there’s also a floating robot head sitting next to me. What’s really clever is how the motion sensing device picks up your depth of field. I can interact with my robot friend my tickling him for example.

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The demo also shows off the new controller’s capacitiative pad. By flicking the pad i can bring out more interactive robot heads and do a whole load of different things. I can even hoover them up and make them laugh.
Games are getting more real as the capabilities of the hardware grows. I was also lucky enough to try Oculus Rift recently which really blew my mind but that’s another story. It’s undoubtedly an exciting time ahead. It was very absorbing and a little overwhelming at first. I totally lost myself in it and in my excitement I smashed the glass of orange juice sitting next to me! My bubble was broken and I returned to the real world. It was clear to see this is a very powerful piece of hardware and I can’t wait to see what software designers are going to do with it but there is definitely tremendous potential.

Look out for the PS4 at Christmas from £349 $399

ps4

 

Who is the average gamer?

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snoopdoggcomputergamesWith mobile and tablet content steering younger audiences away from the traditional consoles, the face of the average gamer has changed. As the selection of game apps increases and dedicated gaming sites, such as MoneyGaming.com begin to tailor their products to the mobile platform, the stereotypical teenage gamer demographic has migrated from their TV screens to their smartphone screens.

According to a new study, the modern day gamer is actually 35-years-old, married and earning £23,000 a year. These settled, working Brits will play on consoles for around two and a half hours each day for five days a week. They will regularly play until 10.58 pm and own 18 games and two consoles, with the most popular console being the Wii followed by the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360.

The study asked 2,000 Brits who considered themselves to be gamers, about their lifestyles and playing habits. On average gamers will indulge their gaming interests by staying up as late as 1.12am and queuing for hours at a midnight store opening in order to get their hands on a new game once a year. There is also no gender divide, with female players spending as much time and money on games as their male equivalents.

“The image most people have of a gamer is usually a young boy, holed up for hours on end in their bedroom, only stopping the game for food, drink and toiler breaks. But these results show that the stereotype couldn’t be more wrong,” said a spokesman for Pixwoo.com, the social media network that commissioned the study.

“Not only are women just as likely to be gamers as men, but we are talking about fully grown adults who work, have a family and are in a relationship. Gaming is no longer something reserved just for children and young adults. There are so many different types of games and consoles to play them on that there is something for all ages.”

The study also revealed that gamers will work an average 32 hours each week, will have one child and will drive a Ford, Vauxhall or BMW. However, their hobby can have an effect on their relationships, with the average gamer arguing with their partner twice a week about their playing. Over one in twenty gamers questioned claim that the pastime is a constant source of rowing, while 15 per cent of those relationships have ended due to gaming.

Despite these issues, more than three quarters of gamers admitted that they don’t think they will ever grow out of loving computer games. The average gaming fan will even form friendships through their hobby. Five online friendships in the “thriving gaming community” is typically forged by the average gamer, with 29 per cent stating to have met at least one of those in person. However, a third say they are more likely to play with their real life friends in the same room, with a quarter connecting to their friends remotely.

“This snapshot into the lives of ordinary gamers disputes many myths about the pastime,” added the Pixwoo.com spokesman, “showing how integrated gaming is into our daily routine.”

 

Xbox 720 finally unveiled as Xbox One

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It really was an incredible moment even for a PS fanboy such as myself to witness the online launch of the eagerly-awaited Xbox One just a mere hour ago.

“It’s time for technology to step behind the curtain,” said Don Mattrick, President of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft as he stepped aside to announce Xbox One – “All your entertainment – in one!”

This is the power of Microsoft’s well-oiled publicity machine. Unlike the PS4 launch earlier this year, Xbox One’s architecture was there for all to behold – a glossy, fantastic looking machine with a new pad. And again, unlike the PS4 launch, this one ran to time and wasn’t overplayed. This time, the launch of the Xbox One was clearly designed to set the stage and tell the tale of the next generation of console warfare.

To be completely honest, the stats kept coming – the console boasts an eight-core CPU, next generation USB 3.0, WiFi direct, a Blu-ray drive for the first time, 500GB HDD, HDMI input and output, and 802.11n wireless. If you didn’t get all that, It’s good – trust me.

Xbox Live is also getting a major update, with 300,000 servers backing up the service. “Your content is available and it’s stored in the cloud,” Microsoft’s Marc Whitten said. “That includes a DVR-like service for capturing game developers, and offloading processing”.

In terms of features, full voice-activated control was shown through the Kinect which is now embedded as part of the system. And, we’re told, not only would voice activation control games, but the TV and Skype functions tool. There was instant switching from the Xbox One dashboard to live television and back again with admittedly impressive speeds. They also demonstrated gesture controls for the console’s UI, quickly snapping back to the dashboard with a pinch command.

However, it was the games that were perhaps the most shocking. It seems as if Microsoft has lined up a number of developers tol produce exclusive content for the Xbox One. First up, EA Games with the usual Madden and UFC titles powered by EA Sports Ignite – a brand new engine build for the next generation hardware. Then they drop the bombshell – Fifa 13 will be exclusively for Xbox One.

While the room recovered, the usual demos followed along with talk of a Halo television series on Xbox TV, directed by none other than Spielberg. However, the biggest bang was the trailer for new Call of Duty: Ghosts. The graphics were better than imagined, with the new engine producing more detail, dynamic shadows and so much more. We are promised dynamic multiplayer maps, earthquakes and trapdoors will change the environment and even little things like better smoke and AI for fish as you swim past them. But, the big issue again is that this too is an Xbox One exclusive title. I can’t imagine many PS owners being happy about that.

Of course, the big place to check out all the new releases will be at the E3 which happens 11th-13th June this year. This will be the time when all the new technology will go head to head. It is going to be an incredible ride, so stay tuned to Frost Magazine to stay ahead of the game!

Snoop Dogg Launches New Video Game

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SNOOP DOGG TAKES THE FIGHT TO THE STREETS WITH NEW VIDEO GAME WAY OF THE DOGG

Entertainment icon Snoop Dogg (aka Snoop Lion) brings his fans the latest news about his forthcoming video game Way of the Dogg available now on Xbox Live® as an arcade game for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

snoopdoggcomputergames

Drawing inspiration from Snoop’s love of ‘70s Kung Fu movies, Way of the Dogg follows the story of “America Jones” – the toughest street fighter in town, whose two great passions are the fight and his love, Sierra – but when Sierra is taken from him, AJ must step up and take his fighting to a whole new level under the watchful eye of Master Snoop and learn the “Way of the Dogg.”