Tag: ONLINEGAMING

In the same way that 'Mafia Wars' has drawn attention to Jersey, and 'FarmVille' has drawn attention to... uh... Iowa (or something), Zynga's newest Facebook gaming sensation 'Ireland Town' is advertising the Emerald Isle to Facebook users enthralled by such virtual activities as brewing beer and thatching roofs. Developed by Tourism Ireland, a joint enterprise between Ireland and Northern ...

It was a world I could fully understand and control, in marked contrast to the chaos of being a teenager, with a home life ripe with conflicts I could neither escape nor resolve. In the case of my teenage self, and, I suspect, in the cases of many addicts, the world of the game was a private and unassailable refuge from a seemingly hostile world. The Guardian's own Tom Meltzer reflects on his ...

Flash games, the ultimate online time killers, range from effortless and fleeting to impossible and infinite. Typically, the short, simple offerings rapidly lose their appeal, so quick games that remain captivating are in short supply. Newgrounds, though, now offers a quirky and painfully cute platform puzzler that provides a perpetually entertaining gaming experience. 'Fallen From the Moon' ...

File-sharing and online gaming expose kids to a variety of harmful elements. The fact that most parents are unfamiliar with these services (relative to other online endeavors like social networking) only compounds the inherent dangers and issues. File-sharing services, also known as peer-to-peer networks (P2P), close as frequently as new ones spring up, which makes it difficult for parents or ...

Share Online games like 'FarmVille' continue to attract social networkers (and their paychecks) at an exponential rate, but the industry definitely seems to lack adult-themed titles. Jolt Online, however, has partnered with a powerful ally in order to provide a "Christmas gift to the Internet," or -- more specifically -- to randy teens and creepy old men. The company has officially announced ...

Media pot-stirrers typically denounce video game violence because of its supposedly negative effects on impressionable children. In California, though, participating in violent games -- even if the violence is only implied -- apparently indicates the presence of dangerous and deep-seated emotional flaws in adults. California's Merced Sun-Star recently devoted an entire column to the 'Mafia ...

If you're looking for a way to blow off work (or recover from that marathon session of 'StarCraft II'), there's now a sequel to everybody's favorite meta-flash game, and, yes, it has even more possible achievements than the original. 'Achievement Unlocked 2' stars everybody's favorite blue elephant as it runs, jumps, dies, stands still, avoids death by spikes, collects coins and performs other ...

We already knew that hardcore Internet use could make us all feel lonely, depressed and pathetic. According to a new study out of China, though, teenage Web-addicts may be particularly susceptible to a nasty case of the blues. The study, which was authored by researchers Lawrence Lam and Zi-wen Peng, involved 1,041 teenagers who were identified as being free of depression at the beginning of ...

You have never played a game like 'Everybody Edits.' You've never seen anything quite as chaotic or cruel posing as a "casual" flash game. The basic premise is simple: you control a tiny smiley face avatar, and you must guide it through the level to the end. That's where the simplicity ends. Levels are designed by users, and a designer can choose to leave a level "open." Doing so enables the user ...

When it comes to things like human rights and gender equality, Iran still lags behind much of the developed world. But, in terms of online video games, the Islamic Republic appears to be taking significant steps toward modernity. 'Asmandez' (or 'Sky Fortress') is not just another futuristic, sci-fi online game; it's Iran's first. As Game Politics reports, the game is set in a future world in ...

To most people, the Israeli blockade of ships entering Gaza doesn't exactly sound like game material. But one Israel-based, non-profit organization has seized upon the ongoing crisis to create an online game in the hopes of highlighting what they perceive as misguided Israeli policy. The game, called 'Safe Passage,' was created by Gisha: Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, a multi-religious ...

Starting next month with the release of 'Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11,' gamers will be charged an extra fee to play used EA Sports video games online. According to Edge, EA Sports will package an "Online Pass," which is essentially a one-time registration code, with its new PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 games. The pass lets you play online multiplayer games, join online leagues and access other bonus ...

In South Korea, marathon late-night gaming sessions may soon become a thing of the past. According to The Korean Herald, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has enforced a video game curfew for teenagers. It's an effort to curb game addiction in a country where, according to Huffington Post, a recent survey of over 1,500 public school students found that about 29-percent showed signs of ...

Ever since Alexey Pajitnov first assembled the game code back in the 1984, there have been countless versions of 'Tetris' introduced to countless game consoles. With each iteration, developers tried different takes on the original: 'The Next Tetris' included multiple piece previews; 'Tetris: The Grand Master' first allowed you to rotate pieces before they actually showed up on the main screen, ...

With the rise of social networking sites, it has become a little easier to join the Mafia. Your college roommate, little brother, or (God forbid) even your dad might send you an invite to join his or her 'Mob.' While this virtual 'organized crime' lifestyle won't cost you your life, it could cost you plenty of time, grief, and money, too. According to CNET News, sites like Facebook, MySpace, and ...