Successful Flash Games And Office Boredom (or Why You Should Know Your Audience)

December 28th, 2010

When it comes to online Flash games, or any games for that matter, you have to understand your audience. What’s enjoyable to a 12 year old girl might be different from what’s appealing to a 32 year old male. I have been involved with the creation of a Flash games website where the visitors are mostly male between 20 and 35. Apparently a lot of these visitors play while at work. With this audience, I’ve found that often the simplest games are the most popular.

I have to admit that I wasn’t initially thinking about the website visitors. Some of the games on that website are action games with pretty sophisticated game play (for a Flash game, at least). They are similar in graphics and game play to the old Nintendo games I used to play. I was impressed when I first saw them. I thought for sure they would be the most popular games on the site.

I should have noticed right away that, while I thought these games were cool, I didn’t want to take the time to learn how to play them. Some of them involved tutorial levels to show you how to do everything, and this was a little more commitment than I wanted.

It later occurred to me that my website visitors may be just like me in that regard. Many of them are playing at work, or in between other tasks at home. They don’t want to get really involved with a game. It’s just a way to take a quick break.

With this in mind, the key factors in the most popular games on this site seem to be:

1. Simplicity

The game should be simple to play, and it should only take a few moments to learn how to play it. If the learning curve takes more than a minute, it’s too much commitment.

2. Instant Feedback

The games that rise to the top are games where you get instant feedback. For example, one of the most popular games involves throwing a piece of paper into a trash can. Yes, it sounds mindlessly simple, but there is a certain satisfaction to seeing that paper go into the basket. You know right away that you are successful when it goes in.

3. You can always do better

The game should challenge the player to always do better than the last time. In the throwing paper game, it keeps track of how many consecutive times you’ve thrown the paper into the basket. It leaves you always wanting to beat your last high score. If you reach a level of completion where you can’t get a higher score, there’s not much incentive to play the game any more.

These are the factors for success that I have observed in the Flash games site that I’ve been involved with. The case may be very different with another type of game site. Hardcore gamers will probably want more challenge and complexity, so that the game does not become dull after hours of game play. In the end, it all revolves around understanding your visitors.

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Online video game reviews: BubbleWorld – Part 7

December 27th, 2010

Bubbleworld by Bibo Games quickly gets your mind trapped in a zone where you’re completely focused and no longer thinking about anything else. The easy to understand gameplay and graphics are top notch, but the repetitive soundtrack and game concept leave much to be desired. The concept of the game involves matching two bubbles that contain the same cartoon character inside them and popping them to save the creatures inside. It seems I’ve seen games of this variation many times before. The game starts slow, but soon the screen is filled with bubbles of varying sizes containing many different characters. Each level is timed and each stage brings in a new set of bubbly characters. To add difficulty and anxiety random bubbles start flashing letting you know that you must match that one soon or you will lose time and points. Bubbleworld can become addicting like Tetris becomes addicting.

Although the game concept is not very innovative, the graphics are beautiful, and this is where the creativity shines. Due to the cartoon fairy and animal characters this game would probably most appeal to a young girl. However, I am an older woman and can appreciate the colors and cute characters. The artists are definitely a talented group. The backgrounds depict images of fairy-tale lands. The characters grow increasingly detailed and more difficult to discern as the levels advance but keep to the overall cute theme. This is definitely a game that can put you in a happy, positive mood. Of course, that’s only until you start panicking because you can’t find that one bubble with the little tiger in it.

The music is a comforting, happy-go-lucky tune that actually made me feel like a little kid again. However, it gets to be a little annoying because we are listening to what seems to be the same tune over and over again. The creators were smart in using this music because I believe this is the main reason you get pulled into the Bubbleworld zone. After a while, you don’t even hear the music anymore.

Overall, I’d give this game a rating of 3/5. The impressive graphics and the way the game sucks you in are major positives. When I started playing the game, I wasn’t thinking too highly of it, but I found myself unable to stop. I think the game is priced too high for my sole entertainment. I’ve played games for free that use basically the same concept. However, if I had a young daughter I would definitely purchase this title because I know she would appreciate the graphics and have a great time. I must admit, I would probably play the game from time to time, as well.

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Posted in Hobbies & Games | 75 Comments »

The best online simulation games

December 19th, 2010

Games have in in the later years become something everyone can make and this is due to the Internet. Games is no longer something you have to go to the shop and buy to play. No these days you can find a lot of free as well as not free games on the Internet and that is of course including simulation games. The Internet is full of browser based games and flash games as well as more professionally made games. The simulation genre is large on the Internet if you know where to look, but the leading game in genre is Second Life.

Second Life is a so called MMO game (Massively Multiplayer Online..), but I do not find it an RPG (role playing game) as most other MMO games. This is the first MMO simulator game which is an amazing idea in my eyes mixing two of my favorite game types. It is hard not to get caught into the economic aspect of the game considering it uses your real money meaning you don’t want to waste anything. Second Life is developed by Linden Research and the game offers just what the name suggests a second life. The world in Second Life is like our own, you can buy properties and build stuff on them. This game even has its own currency with changing values so you could invest in it, it is called Linden Dollars. The truly unique thing about Second Life is the fact that building stuff on your piece of land can be done very advanced with all sorts of 3D modeling. This means the world is highly open for custom modification from every single player. Because of this truly unique gameplay Second Life is in a class of its own when it comes to online simulation games. People can buy pieces of land just to build up advertising for a product or a company. It is truly a second life. And it is free to play, but most of the stuff costs money which means you will need some money to fully enjoy the game, but it can be a worthwhile investment as sever people earned millions of dollars in the game.

Another type of game I have been playing a bit lately is casino games. Ever since I turned 18 I spent some time and money entertaining myself as well as earning money in online casinos. Well “earning” the fact is I always tend to end up going the wrong way, but well at least its fun as long as its last. Because of the added fact of gambling with money online casinos can be very dangerous (just like real casinos), but they can also be a lot of fun of course. They don’t have to be any more expensive than you want them to either because there are no one twisting your arm

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Posted in Hobbies & Games | 119 Comments »

The Era of Online Flash Games

December 5th, 2010

Children often get bored very easily and needs something that can hold their interest for a long period of time by its variations. Games are no new concept that most children are fascinated with. These not only look attractive because of the bright colors and designing, but also because it allows the player to control the graphics on their computer or television screens.

With the advancement in technology, even this gaming experience has also evolved with time as the decades old adventure of the pinball machines of 19th century got upgraded to the arcade games, mechanical sports and now to the flash games that can be accessible over the Internet.

However, most preferred by children, there is no specific age limit for playing these flash games. In fact, there are websites that offer adult flash games keeping in mind the difficulty and the excitement that can amuse a sane mature individual. There has been a tremendous increase in the number of websites that offer free flash games, which is probably due to more exposure of people including children towards the Internet that has augmented the demand of these games.

Puzzles, action, sports, adventure or casino, no matter what your choice and interest of flash game may be, they are all readily available to give you an exhilarating experience altogether. Furthermore, you can also indulge in the improved versions of the classics like flash games of Mario that are available in the form of 2D and 3D graphics.

Irrespective of the fact if you are alone or with someone, you can take pleasure in playing these flash games at any time of the day or night you may want it to while away the time and that too at the comfort of your home.

There are a few things that should be taken care of when you choose your website for playing online free flash games:

1. Designing of the website – Being used more by children, it is always better to search for a website that is easily navigable. It should not be very complicated as it may annoy children who are often impatient and so would simply switch over to another website without any delay or attempt to understand the working of the website.

2. Colorful – Bright and fun and frolic is what children love and this is how the website providing online flash games should be like. Dull and boring colors would lead most children to simply close the website in the very first time they visited it.

3. Number of games – A website of flash games should have a variety of at least 100 flash games for its players that are frequently updated. This is a very important feature that every website which makes available free flash games must have to keep the strong appeal of the website and the interest of the players for a long duration.

4. Contact form and discussion – There should be a contact or query form available for the players to communicate their doubts and queries to the website owner. A discussion forum is also to help different players communicate with each other.

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Online video game reviews: BubbleWorld

December 3rd, 2010

My adventure with Bubbleworld started out hopeful; the game seemed very friendly with its lively music and playful animation. The main page was filled with brilliant colors that captured the eye. My excitement dulled a little as I began to play. In each level, there are little animals like puppies and kids in costumes floating around in little bubbles. The goal of the game is to match the pictures in the bubbles before the time runs out. For an added twist, some of the bubbles begin to flash meaning that soon they will burst and subtract from the time you have to clear the level. You must then concentrate on matching these flashing bubbles. Some bubbles that you match will give you a time bonus. Each level continues like this while changing how many bubbles there are and what critters are in them. Eventually, there is a distracting amount of bubbles on the screen, many of them overlapping others. Voices cheer for you when you clear a level or mourn when you lose.

Sure, the little creatures and kids floating around in the bubbles were cute; and, when they began to flash, I really felt an urgency to save them. But the entertainment didn’t last long; I began to lose interest in playing a matching game over and over again, level by level. Not even the decreasing amount of time kept me amused, as I became frustrated by making my mouse move faster and not being able to click on each bubble the first time every time that I tried.

This is not to say that this game is a total loss. I could see smaller children liking this game. An adult would never buy the full version of this for themselves, but they might for a child of five or six. I could see my young nephew, who is really beginning to get into the computer games, asking his mom if he could play Bubbleworld.

For myself and for adults, I would give Bubble world a two out of five. The game isn’t bad; it just isn’t that entertaining. And it is based on a lot of repetition. For children, though, I would give the game a four. It is an innocent little game that you don’t have to worry about your children playing. They are learning a little bit of coordination while entertaining themselves with a well-animated computer game.

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Posted in Hobbies & Games | 77 Comments »

One Site With Over 3500 Online Flash Games

December 3rd, 2010

One of the most entertaining things to do while you are online is to take advantage of the great selection of online games which are freely available everyone. Online games are known to help you improve your memory, improve your hand eye coordination and even help you relax after a busy day.

Some of the best and most recent games are coded as flash applications, you may be wondering what “flash” is and how to get it. Flash is used by web browsers such as Internet explorer, Firefox and many others to deliver rich visual content and animations which may be embedded on web sites, these are standard components which are included with the browser and are updated every time your system gets automatic updates.

Using this technology you are able to access gigantic library of online games without having to pay a dime. If you have been a big fan of games but have been discouraged by the high prices of stand alone gaming consoles then all you need is your computer an internet connection and your flash enabled browser in order to enjoy the variety of casino, board, arcade, educational, memory, fun, hunting, mature, sports, trivia, war, driving and the many categories flash games are classified. As far as internet connections, dial-up works perfectly, broadband just makes the loading time much faster. These games have been optimized for optimal size so most of them do not exceed 1 megabyte.

A great example of a fun flash game is called Python. This arcade game is quite fun to play, the goal is to eat as many mouses as you possibly can without crashing against the walls of the cage or against your own tail. The python moves quite fast so you need to train yourself to react fast enough in order to maneuver the snake around the cage, you will find that the most challenging obstacle is avoiding your very own tail! Besides Python there are many other arcade games which are sure to entertain you from the huge databases found all over the web. Remember that there are many other categories which can help you improve your skills as well as memory.

A very popular online memory game is called colors, this one is quite challenging after a few successful rounds. It starts by showing you a simple color sequence which you have to mimic, after you have successfully repeated each combination the amount of color used is increased and the sequence tends gets randomized even more, with this memory game the longer you go the better your memory skills get.

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Play Online Free Flash Games

November 26th, 2010

Play online Free Flash games

now take some fun with us playing flashg games online
Online flash games are becoming very popular among online gamblers. The emergence of new download type of online games is a new chapter in the evolution of online gambling. Virtual flash games offer immediate access to game which saves time and can be done anywhere and anytime you feel likely to play online. Online flash games offer a new dimension of gambling experience which is much more exciting and enjoy .

Almost everyone who makes use of the World Wide Web must have come across the term “flash games”. If you are still wondering about this term, then let me tell you that if you play online flash games making use of tools like “Java” or “Flash”, then you use freeware. The Internet is a huge collection of freeware applications and games. Thanks to the ever growing popularity of freeware applications and games, now even a ten year old kid can say a word or two about free flash games .

Thanks to the Internet, now there’s no need to leave your own home, you just connect to the Internet, and you can play your Game against anybody that you want.

You connect, or rather the Game connects to a server. The other players will also connect to this server, and so it is very easy for you to find people to play against. Wherever you are in the World, at whatever time it is, you’re bound to find somebody to play against! That’s the beauty of the Internet, it’s Worldwide. If you just can’t sleep, then you can still battle against someone, and it will be a decent hour in somebody’s time zone!

http://yourflashgames.blogspot.com/

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Select the Best Online Casino Games

November 4th, 2010

The player will not require downloading or installing any software before playing when they select to play Web-based casino game. This is because they are often mentioned as ‘instant play’ as they generally employ pieces of software which are previously installed within your web browser known as ‘plug-ins’. Plug-in are used by online casino games include flash player, shockwave player and java which are freely available and already installed in the user’s browser. This helps the player to play their games instantly; otherwise the player will be forced to download them from the appropriate websites. So before using the plug-in and the casino the player may need to restart his browser.

In this type of instant gaming, nothing is installed on your computer and so the risk of viruses being installed is significantly lower than with downloadable games. This also minimizes the risk of web based function being misused by spiteful users with the aim of obtaining personal information or upsetting game play in the case of multiplayer setting. At the same time as with downloadable casino gambling software the risk is really low and security on both types of casino games are getting still more difficult.

Ready to use casino games are significant for testing a new online casino as they will generally permit the player to trial the games by providing a restricted amount of data. By this the player can progress to the tables rapidly and check the software. In general downloadable casino games will have comfortable, smoother graphics and sound which can head towards a more captivating game experience even though graphics on modern instant play games are also improving. Download time is the main issue in this type as it takes several minutes on a slow internet connection to download the internet casino software. This means that the player should be patient enough to experience this gaming. If you are a person who require improved graphics and not in a hurry and do not be desperate to navigate the casino website in your browser whenever you play then you suits a downloadable software.

To sum up:

Advantages of Downloadable casino software:

- Better Graphics and sound

- Effortless game play with short load times once downloaded

- Suited to Players who are loyal to a casino

- Better for users on a slow internet connection as once downloaded all games are stored on your computer

Disadvantages of downloadable casino software:

- Require more time in downloading.

- May have difficulty in installing on shared/ networked computers and can be blocked by anti virus software.

- This is only intended for computers operating Microsoft Windows.

Advantages of Web-based online casino games:

- Provide instant play with no downloads

- Progressively more good graphics

- Excellent for new players to check the online casino and prepare play.

- Run on any computer with a modern web browser and internet connection

Disadvantages of web-based casino gaming

- Produce a big load on your internet connection resulting to run slowly if you’ve got other stuff going on.

- The player should require navigating to the website whenever you long to play.

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Posted in online-gambling | 117 Comments »

Gala Bingo – Host for Best Online Bingo Game at Bingobase.com

October 30th, 2010

Online bingo is very popular amongst all age groups. The biggest advantage is that you can enjoy the game from the comfort of your home and if you are lucky you may win thousands of dollars worth prize money. There are many gaming rooms that offer online bingo games; Gala bingo is one of them. You can find detailed information about these bingo sites on bingobase.com.
Gala bingo is a bingo ballroom with an attractive and colorful site that captures the player’s attention instantly. We offer huge prize money to the winning bingo enthusiasts and the winning amount can be as big as £10,000, which the player can win by spending a meager 10 p. You get 11 chances to win this amazing jackpot amount from 9 am to 2 am. To win the amount you have to hit the full house in thirty seven calls or less and you should be the first one to do so.

Gala bingo offers 90 ball bingo along with large jackpots and prizes in all bingo games. We offer an amazing free £1 offer where you can play without depositing any cash. At Gala bingo we offer many big jackpots as we share the network with Virgin bingo and Yahoo bingo. These jackpots are a major attraction for people who like to win huge amounts. Besides the £1 registration bonus monthly deposit bonuses along with chat game bonuses are also offered to the player. You can find instant flash games and loyalty point’s scheme. The site offers Automark and Autowin Bingo card and you have the advantage to choose your card before buying. If you want to play the game you need one card while the maximum number of cards allowed for a game is sixty. The bingo ballroom requires a minimum deposit of £10 to play the game.

Gala bingo offers unlimited bingo jackpots and progressive bingo jackpots. Bingo is a simple game but to play the game you must be aware of the rules and the winning sequences of the game. It is therefore essential for a player, amateur as well as professional to visit the rules page of the site and study the rules carefully. If you really enjoy the game you should visit the site soon and play a game of online bingo and try your luck at a jackpot.

Bingobase offers information about many such online bingo playing sites. You can compare sites along with their distinguishing features and select the one offering the best schemes and offers. Visit the site www.bingobase.comand know more about the best online bingo ballrooms.

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How to play free online puzzle games

October 23rd, 2010

I assume this is more of a ‘where to find online puzzles games’, rather than how; ‘how’ would involve using a combination of the mouse and keyboard, and vary wildly from game to game…

There are sites out there with individual games available, but if you’re looking for puzzle games, there are many sites which contain dozens, if not hundreds of games of all genres. In this article, I’ll be suggesting a few of the best.

Pogo Games (http://www.pogo.com/) – Ran by Electronic Arts, one of the largest videogame companies in the world, Pogo has been open to the public for some years. A large variety of free java-based games are available to the user once he or she signs up for a free account; these range from action/arcade games, to familiar card and board games, to more conventional puzzle games such as you’re looking for. Of late, Pogo has become the official site to host Scrabble, and this can also be played for free. Most games award the players game tokens, which can be spent on prize draws, and winning a game can win you a random jackpot of up to $5,000.

While the site remains free, users can subscribe to ‘Club Pogo’, a premier service with dozens more games, badges, and ‘mini’ avatars, for $40/year. I’ve subscribed to this for at least 5 years, and it comes highly recommended.

Yahoo! Games (http://games.yahoo.com) – Similar to Pogo, except without the premium section, users can use their existing yahoo user accounts to play a variety of games over the net, mostly based in flash and java. The variety of games is similar, but rather than the club subscription, Yahoo! tend to recoup their losses by offering enhanced, downloadable versions of many of the games they host.

Kongregate (http://www.kongregate.com) – Unlike the previous two, this site asks for no money whatsoever. Games number in the thousands in all sort of genres (including hundreds of puzzle games), and are fully searchable. They are all also made and created by users like yourself, and rated by a peer voting system. This tends to mean the quality of the games varies wildly, but it also means it’s pretty easy to spot which ones are worth playing. Similar to Pogo, users can earn weekly badges and collectible v-cards towards the site’s CCG card game, Kongai.

Newgrounds (http://newgrounds.com) – Prior to Kongregate coming along, this was probably the premiere site for hosting flash-based games submitted by users. It still has an active userbase, and hosts hundreds of completely free games, many of which are puzzle games. A slight advisory: The content tends to be fairly unmoderated, and would warrant an 18 certificate in places. The comments and forums sections certainly exercise their right to freedom of speech, and several of the games have an ‘adult’ oriented theme to them.

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