Welcome back my bloggers to another exciting edition of the Video Games and More Blog. OMG what a week, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 was released in theaters and let me tell you it was....amazing. Of course I'm a bit annoyed that they split the plot of this book into two movies, but whatever...Harry Potter 4ever. In addition during this week, I had the unique pleasure on presenting my girlfriend with the SIMS 2 (and yes I know SIMS 3 is out) as a gift and almost immediately she has fell in love with it. Of course I could really understand why. So I needed to investigate this. And so I decided that this week, we will explore what is the SIMS and why is it so popular.
The Sims first came out in the early 2000 as a simple simulation game developed in order to have the player simulate an avatar life. Since the release of the original game, there have been two additional sequels to the game. The Sequels are Sims 2 and Sims 3. The Sims allows a player to create an avatar and to play out their avatar's life in any way, shape or manner they want. This sense of customization give the player unique control over the fate of their character....(it is kind of god like).
But what would make a player want to play this game? What are some of the reasons?
Escapism: I think that most of us have ideas on how we would like our lives to be? And so I think that many people who play SIMS create their ideal life, and in many ways use it as a way to develop their lives for the better.
Controlling fate: Can we control fate? Well in SIMS there is this theme that we have the ability to control the people we create lives'. So is there a satisfaction in knowing we are God to a set of virtual beings?
But these are the reasons I have listed to why the SIMS is playable?
I apologize for the look of it, problems with the site and HTML Coding.
Welcome back to another exciting edition of the Video Games and More Blog, and so now we are about to head into part 2 of the worse video games of all time. Before we begin lets recap, number 7-5 of our countdown of the worse video games.
7. SHAQ-FU
6. The Smurf Rescue
5. Pac-Man (Home Version)
So lets not waste time, lets dive right into the the last 4 of the worst video game ever.
4. Daikatana:
To be real honest I have never heard of this game before today, but aftr reading some reviews. It just makes sense why it is one of the worse game around. Daikatana was suppose to be this game that offer an awesome story and great first person shooting. The problem was that it simply didn't, a hype surounded this game but it did deliever this at all. It was boring, dull and the character were so stereotypical.
3. Cluster Revenge (Mystique, 1982)
Before I give my opinion, I wanted my public to read the synopsis of this game.
"Custer's Revenge, starring a mostly naked General Custer (he wore boots
and a hat) and a mostly naked Native American woman (she wore a
feathered headband), who is tied to a post. Your job was to guide Custer
through a hail of arrows and a field of cacti to reach the woman and
engage in the type of behavior one expects in a Swedish Erotica
production."
..Already...I could say...enough said...but I won't...
The story is stupid and according to my source, no only was it stupid, but really hard for no reason. It was a bad game to start and still a bad game now.
2. Super Columbine Massacre RPG (Danny Ledonne, 2005)
"Here are questions to ponder over "Do Violent Video Games inspire horrific, violent acts in the real world? No one really knows for sure....but Do horrific violent acrs in the real world inspire violent video games?...Well Super Columbine Massacre RPG shows that they could. It is also a game that was in bad taste. That is the sole reason that this game was unsuccessful.
FINALLY THE WORST GAME OF ALL TIME:
As many of you may have realized from my last couple of blog ET was the worst game...but why was it? Here were some of my reasons.
1.The product was rushed: Because the E.T. movie was so popular,
the video game industry wanted to capture some of it's success, so in
July of 1982, plans starts to developed this game and by the end of that
year the game of finished (5 MONTHS). Most game take at least a
year to be fully developed, if not longer. Due to this, the gameplay,
was lousy which leads to multiple forms of frustration to the game
player.
2. The Gameplay was too difficult to use: since the game was in
fact rushed, the game play had cut-screens that just happened which
throws the player off, scenes where people randomly come out of no
where. And probably the worse issues that this game had (besides the
horrible color) was that the game was only one continuous level, where
even if a player was to beat (and I say this phrase loosely) the game,
the game would simply restart and put the items ET collected in other
places.
And there we have it....the best of the worst.
But do you agree with these choices. Comment on these...This is Kevin T. James Signing Off.
This is a current paper, I was writing, not a blog entry for grading....Part 2 of the Worse Video Games of all time at the end of this week.
Once upon a time the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) System was a system developed in order to regulate the sales of violent and crude video games to minors. Over time, however, the rating system became heavily criticized because it had various loopholes and issues with it. In the past 18 years, the video game industry has evolved so much that some critics argue whether or not the system is still useful. Over the past 2 decades the video game industry has evolved tremendously. Not only has it evolved when it comes to game play and graphics, but the content in Video Games has certainly become more graphic, more violent and certainly rawer. The original rating system was developed in order to protect minors from certain video games, but now since times have change and the content in games has certainly change. The question is: Do we still need to protect our kids and if so is out current system adequate enough to do so?
During the early 1990’s, video gaming progressed into the 16 bit-era where graphics and sound capabilities were dramatically increased. Things such as blood and gore were clearer. And the release of games such as Mortal Kombat and Doom, made parents feel that video games during that time were too violent and graphic. Ultimately, these concerns were lobbied to members of congress, where Senator Herb Kohl from Wisconsin and Senator Joe Lieberman from Connecticut lead various hearings to deal with these new games and their potential impact they could have on children. They handed an ultimatum to the Entertainment Software Association, either develop a system to rate games or the federal government would. This resulted in the development of the ESRB Rating System. According to esrb.org,
“The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a non-profit, self regulatory body established in 1994 by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA).”
The ESRB Rating System consists of a 2-part equal rating system. Ratings, which can be found usually in the front lower left hand corner of a game or the back lower right hand corner, consists of a letter grade and a small statement which indicates something about the nature of the game, eg. violence or crude language. There are currently 6 different ratings used within this system.
1.Early Childhood – (EC) – Titles that are rated EC are usually suited for Kids ages 3 and up. And usually contain no inappropriate content for kids.
2.Everyone – Titles that are rated for everyone are usually suited for children ages 6 and older. Titles in this category contain forms of cartoon violence (minimal) and minimal suggestive themes.
3.Everyone 10+ - Titles that are rated E10+ are usually suited for children 10 and older and contain more mild forms of cartoon violence and suggestive themes.
4.Teen – Titles rated T (Teen) have content that is only suitable for kids ages 13 and up. Titles rated in this category usually contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood and/or usage of strong infrequent language.
5.Mature – Titles rated Mature have content that are suited for individual ages 17 and up. Titles in this category contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.
6.Adults Only – Titles rated Adults only have content that should only be played by persons 18 or older. Titles in this category contain prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or sexual content and nudity.
The ESRB Rating System is a highly recommended system but is strictly voluntary. Today major corporations such as GameStop and Best Buy work hard to follow the system (voluntarily) for the simple fact that most of these companies don’t want to have a law suit or a bad public image if they sell a controversial game to a minor. According to Gamestopcorp.com,
“In 2006, GameStop launched a nationwide public education and awareness campaign to assist parents in making informed decisions on video game purchases. The campaign is an extension of our ongoing corporate commitment, in concert with the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), to restrict Mature-rated video game sales to minors and to provide age-appropriate content information regarding video games.”
In addition, GameStop Corporation even went as far as to create a 2006 public awareness campaign for the voluntary rating system called “Respect the Rating.”
However, despite the efforts of these companies, many people argue that in today’s time most people, especially parents don’t care about the rating system. An example of this theory would be the one on one interaction between Scott Steinberg, an expert in Video Game theory and managing director of Embassy Multimedia Consultants, and Chang Liu a former employee of an independent game store. According to gametheoryonline.com,
“Chang Liu’s store had enforced the ESRB ratings during his time. (He) told me that his store would not sell, rent, or trade M-rated games to kids under 18…ID was necessary to do any kind of transaction at the store. Parents reacted to the store’s zero-tolerance…Apathetic at best, and hostile at worst. “I never once had a parent ask me about the ESRB rating…Nearly half of all parents didn’t care if what their kids were buying was mature or not. Most minors we turned away came back with a parent or relative…who made never made a fuss about the purchase, though in one extreme instance I saw a kid grab a random passerby heading inside the store.”
Surprisingly enough as a consumer, I find this to be a norm in both corporate stores and independents. More and more, parents are ignoring the rating system and kids (especially pre-teens) are looking for any way to get their hands on a mature rated game even going as far as asking random adults to buy these games for them.
But what does this example of the Rating System show us about today’s society? Well first, in today society, violence, crude language and humor exist in a more wide spread manner in our media. It can be found on TV, the internet and even in print media in which most kids today are exposed to on a regular basis. Does this mean that our kids are becoming more desensitized to these things because of this exposure? It’s hard to tell. A case, however, can be made that parents are no longer putting as much effort in shielding their kids from such games. Does this mean that the rating system is obsolete? Not necessarily. The purpose of this system is to inform parents about these games. Whether they care enough to ensure their kids are not exposed to this is their choice. In addition, since the rating system is voluntary, many independent stores have the option of following it or not. Many could simply choose not to follow it due to the fact that kids under the age of 17 have extendable income and it is simply profitable to sell these games regardless of the nature to them. Ultimately, the ESRB Rating System is a uniquely complex rating system, it isn’t perfect, but it is what we have at the moment and maybe with time, this system will be subject to change and hopefully for the better.
Works Cited Page
Esrb., By The. Entertainment Software Rating Board. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://www.esrb.org/ratings/faq.jsp#1>.
"Do Video Game Ratings Work? ESRB System Reviewed." Game Industry News, Interviews and Videos | Game Theory. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://gametheoryonline.com/2010/09/21/video-game-ratings-esrb-violence-mature/>.
Could something be so bad that it is actually good? Well there are times where really bad things could bring entertainment and joy. But when it comes to Video Games, this can actually be quite questionable.
When a video game is bad! It is really bad!!!! A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of doing a blog about one of the worse Video Games of all time. This time however I wanted to explore the topic of the worst video game(s). So lets explore the best of the worst.
7.
SHAQ FU (Electronic Arts, 1994)
Ok, so games have had for a long time a lot of celebrity tie-ins. But one that I have heard from an want to play for amusement has be Shaq-Fu. And yes my adoring fans or fan it is exactly what you would imagine a game named Shaq-Fu would be about. This is a game where you play as a Shaq who apparently has the ability to fight as a karate master. Along with the poor concept, the gameplay according to reviewers was sloppy.."Shaq Fu looked like Mortal Kombat...but you had to hit your opponent in exactly the right spot in order to do any damage..that and shaq fighting evil in his basketball uniform was too much"
6.
Smurf Rescue (Coleco, 1982) (Atari)
I loved the smurfs growing up, they were smart, talented and blue. I mean there were awesome. Of course they followed certain stereotypes like the damsel in distress....(but I'm not judging), but some times just because something is enjoyable, doesn't mean we need to make a game out of it. I mean seriously....LEAVE THE SMURFS ALONE....LEAVE EM ALONE....I"M SERIOUS . But they didn't and we have this massacre..."according to pcworld" Your smurf, on a quest to rescue the lovely smurfette...the journey however requires the patience of a saint...as being juast a little off...would send your smurf off to death." The Gameplay was so sensitive, that if you moved the wrong way, you would instantly die. This game's gameplay was reflective of another game that came out for the Atari. I call this game "It that should have never be made nor played" (ET).
5.
PacMan (Home Version) (Atari, 1981)
Now before I get a whole bunch of hate-mail...from my only fan...(Lol). Let me explain, apparently, because PacMan was a highly successful in arcades, Atari wanted to bring the game to the home, and so PacMan (Home Version) was born. The problem with this game was that it was not like the original. In fact the graphics were horrible, the ghosts came in and out of existence and the famous "waka-waka-waka" was replaced by "bonk-bonk-bonk". This was simply a bad game.
But as we look at these first 3 games can we determine them to be bad by themselves or are we being biased to the older systems they were played on. Atari, for example was a pioneer in the gaming industry but at the same time pioneers will always get heat after there games become "old". Are we being fair with this determination?
As many of you may have guess the from the title, today is my birthday. I'm officially 21, and while today I was busy working on an event called Kids on Campus. I had a brief moment to think about what these 21 years can bring, I have seen and done many things, but in the realm of video games, there have been many developments, many changes and many advancement especially in these 21 Years. So lets take a brief look at the most prominent things in Video Game history for the past 21 years.
In 1989 (The Year I was born)
Nintendo released the Handheld Gameboy for $109
The Sega debuts the Genesis, the first 16-bit home game console for $249.95
Atari enters the handheld market with the Lynx for $149
1991 (When I was 2)
Super NES was released in the U.S. by Nintendo for $249.95
1994 (When I was 5)
The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) is created.
1995 (When I was 6)
Sony brings the Playstation to America and sells it for $299.
The N64 was released in Japan.
1996 (When I was 7)
Arcades redesign their markets to include more "ride and video" games that simulate a certain kinetic action like snowboarding and jet skiing.
The Tamagotchi V-Pet was released in Japan and the U.S.
1997 (When I was 8)
Playstation is considered the most popular console with 20 million units sold.
1998 (When I was 9)
Sega introduces the Dreamcast in Japan.
1999 (When I was 10)
The Columbine High School Shooting, stops the release of a handheld Gun controller for the House of the Dead 2
2000 (When I was 11)
The Sony PS2 was released for $300 and it was sold out by the early morning.
The SIMS was released and became an instant hit.
2001 (When I was 12)
Microsoft and Nintendo release the XBOX and the Gamecube at the same time, the mark of the beginning of the Gaming Wars.
Nintendo released the Gameboy advance.
2004 (When I was 15)
Nintendo release the first portable system with two touch screen known as the DS.
2005 (When I was 16)
Sony releases the PSP
Sony releases the PS3, one of the most expensive game system ever...price range $600
2008 (When I was 19)
Wii fit is launched.
2009 (When I was 20)
Wii Sports becomes the best selling game of all time.
After 21 Years, the video game industry has expanded so much, introducing new games, new technology and new methods of gameplay. And since the gaming industry is constantly changing and evolving. There is no telling what is come and what we can expect in a couple of years from now. I'm Kevin 21 James Signing Off.
Let me first apologize for this late post, I have been traveling to and from DC within the past 3 days meeting with DC Alumni of my soon to be alma mater. St. John's University.
My recent traveling has allowed me to have a lot of free time on the road in which I have been using my iPod Touch a lot. One game I have been playing recently has been "Angry Birds". Angry Birds, according to wikipedia, is a puzzle video games developed by Rovio, a developer in Finland. Since its release for Apple iPod, over 6.5 million copies of the game have been purchased....
In Angry Birds, players take control of a flock of birds that are attempting to retrieve eggs that have been stolen by a group of evil pigs. The pigs have taken refuge on or within structures made of various materials, including wood, glass, and stone, and the object of the game is to eliminate all the pigs in the level.
Using a slingshot, players launch the birds at the structure, with the intent of either hitting the pigs directly or damaging the structure, which would cause it to collapse onto the pigs. If all of the pigs are defeated by the time the last bird is used, the level is completed and the next level is unlocked. Players may re-attempt levels as many times as they wish, and may also replay completed levels in an attempt to boost their score."
There are several birds that are used to break down these structures.
Red birds are simply launched at the structure, using their momentum to attack
Blue birds separate into three smaller birds
Yellow birds speed up and dash into their targets
Black birds explode on command or shortly after coming into contact with an object
White birds drop egg-shaped bombs
Green birds go back and fly in the opposite direction like a boomerang
Big Brother birds behave like the standard red birds, but are bigger and cause more damage.
Now of course, I wasn't the first to jump for joy with this game, but then I downloaded the full game and then I was hooked, I am now, stuck on playing this game and I don't know why.
YES I'm Serious I don't know why? I have currently read a bunch of game reviews on this game and remain puzzled. But because I seek the truth I will give you my theories on why this game of "throwing birds at pigs" is so popular.
1. It's a Puzzle: Angry Birds is designed to be a puzzle, you are given a limited number of birds each level and is forced to find a way to get all of the pigs. Of course, this forces the player to get deep into the game play.
2. Star Values: At the end of every level, the game rates your performance from 1Star to 3 Stars. This adds an incentive to not only beat a level but reach a level of perfection in each level.
3. Casual Game Play: I will admit that I play this game every time I am on the train, or in the classroom. So I think its great for when you are in the midst of waiting or even relaxing. This game rocks when I'm bored.
But do you like angry birds why and are there reasons I missed this is "Kevin Angry" James Signing Off.
Welcome back to another addition of "Video Games and More". So as many of you may not know, my birthday is October 29th, 2010. But my girlfriend decided to surprise me for my birthday by getting me a new iPod Touch (techinically refrubished, but I'm not complaining). So as of late I have been so focused on enjoying this iPod. The iPod Touch, according to wikipedia (Greatest Source Ever) is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, and Wi-Fi mobile platform designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The product was launched on September 5, 2007, at an event called The Beat Goes On. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touchgraphical user interface to the iPodiTunes Store, and also has access to Apple's App Store, enabling content to be purchased and downloaded directly on the device. Apple Inc.iPod Touch units as of the end of 2009 line. It is the first iPod with wireless access to the has sold over 32 million. Now the iPod Touch has the ability to download applications that allow you to do multiple things on the iPod, such as surf the internet, listen to the radio and even play video games.
Video Games on the IPOD!!! NO!!!
So your probably wondering what does this have to do with"Video Games". Well currently many companies are developing version of big time games for the ipod touch. Such as Grand Theft Auto and even Rock Band. And yes while many people may argue that these games can't compare to the consoles. In retrospect, they are. According to both PC Game Software & Ars Techinca, Sales of Video Games in 2009 (19 Billion) was about 3 billion less than sales of Apps (22 Billion) in 2009. To me this reflects that currently the Video Game Industry will soon seek to ensure that every game they produces has an Ipod touch or Ipad version as well.
Why is the iPod Touch a good platform for Video Games?
Well the main reason is that the Ipod touch allows for accessibility, You can play any game on the go and at any point of the day, this allows almost anyone to become an instant gamer by getting the apps.
Rock Band on the iPod Touch
And the second reason the iPod Touch is successful is that the Ipod Touch apps are affordable, unlike typical video games which can cost over $20 and more, download of apps start @ $1.00 and up, with some of these apps being free (demos).
Rock Band on XBOX
But what do you think are apps the future platforms for video games?
A Note for Dr. Greh, posted earlier but made changes due to a bad HTML Code. So whats up gaming world, welcome back to another edition of "Video Games and More", for this edition I would like to start off with a familiar topic, that I'm sure most of you know about...I'm talking about "The Game Mode". Now I'm sure that half of you all out there, (which would probably make 3 of you who follow my blog) probably just went went "oh yea", for those of you who didn't I will explain.
"The Game Mode" is a commonly used term for the moment a player of a game enters into their own world during a game.
Warning: If you have ever played a game only to find you are being alienated from everything and everyone because of the way you react to every single action in a game...Then you have a type of Game Mode...seek medical attention (just kidding :) )
I however reach this point, when I play Capcom v. SNK 2 for playstation. According to Wikipedia (the best source of all time)
"(Capcom v. SNK 2) was a sequel to the fighting game Capcom v. SNK. This game was released on NaOMI hardware in the arcade. Itt was later released for the sega dreamcast (japan Only) and playstation 2, with the GameCube and XBOx receiveing an updated version titled Capcom v. SNK 2 EO."
Now whenever I play this game, I almost sync myself with my avatar (RYU) and in my mind become him (creppy...right...I know). At this moment I become more agressive, I yell, scream and make a fuss. I say terms like "come on", "lets go" (and some terms I won't say here since my blog is rated PG. (see look I was rated).
But why do I and so many others like myself get this way with games. Well my theory is that games have a way of tugging on the emotional side of game players and that depending on the game can warrant different feelings and emotions. Fighting Games, naturally have an adversarial approach, so in our minds we come into these games with the logic that we want to beat the game at all costs. In addition with the effect of the uncanny valley which, according to Wikipedia, is the concept that an artificial being which looks almost human but not, can evoke an empathic response from humans. Therefore since most characters we play with in fighting games look almost human and not to overtly human, they in a sense cause use to feel connected to them in some way without turning us off to them, completely.
So what do you think? Does a Game Mode exist? Well I decided to give it a shot, so check me in this video, becoming one with the game.
Welcome back to another installment of Video Games and More, and boy did you guys come at a worse time. So because I'm a man of controversy I decided to review the proclaimed "worse video game of all time". E.T. Now as many of you may have guess E.T. the video game was based upon the widely successful film of the same name. During my studies of this film, I spoke to many film students who asked me "why was E.T. The video game was deemed a bad video game when the movie was highly successful?"
Well in my opinion ET was a videogame that clearly shows us that when we rush the predevelopment and development stages of a game we end up having a poor product, even though the idea behind it was good.
So lets take a moment to relieve the massacre that is E.T.
According to wikipedia (yes I used wikipedia, it gave me the best definition of this massacre),
"E.T. is an adventure game in which players control an alien (E.T.) from a top-down perspective. The objective of the game is to collect three pieces of an interplanetary telephone. The pieces are found scattered randomly throughout various pits (also referred to as wells). The player is provided with an on-screen energy bar, which decreases as time passes. To prevent this, the player can collect Reese's Pieces, which are used to restore the energy of the character; when enough are collected, the player can call Elliot to obtain a piece of the telephone. After the phone pieces have been collected, the player must guide the character to a call-ship area, which allows him to call his home planet. When the call is made, an interplanetary spaceship appears on-screen, and the player must reach the spaceship in a given time limit. Once the spaceship is reached, the game starts over, with the same difficulty level, while changing the location of the telephone pieces. The score obtained during the round is carried over to the next iteration. The game ends when the energy bar depletes, or the player decides to quit.[2]"
I couldn't help but laugh when they said "or the player decides to quit" (UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR!!!!)
Now for the sanity of myself I will focus on two reasons why this game was so unsuccessful:
1.The product was rushed: Because the E.T. movie was so popular, the video game industry wanted to capture some of it's success, so in July of 1982, plans starts to developed this game and by the end of that year the game of finished (5 MONTHS). Most game take at least a year to be fully developed, if not longer. Due to this, the gameplay, was lousy which leads to multiple forms of frustration to the game player.
2. The Gameplay was too difficult to use: since the game was in fact rushed, the game play had cut-screens that just happened which throws the player off, scenes where people randomly come out of no where. And probably the worse issues that this game had (besides the horrible color) was that the game was only one continuous level, where even if a player was to beat (and I say this phrase loosely) the game, the game would simply restart and put the items ET collected in other places.
Such Madness from a video game like ET caused massive riots, which ultimately lead Atari to destroy the games in New Mexico. (Sad ending to an even sadder game)
In fact, the game was also marked as a contributor to the Video Gaming Industry Crash of the 1980s.
But if you would like to explore my own experiences with this madness watch my V-Log.
Sorry about the cutoff, I don't have good video making software.
Welcome back to another installment to "Video Games and More", the blog where we dicuss..well video games and more. This week's topic is the Video Game Rating System.
The Video Game Rating System is a system developed by the entertainment software rating board (ESRB). Accoding to ESRB.com, The ESRB is a non profit self regulatory body established by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). It's mission is to empower consumers, especially parents with the abilitity to make informed decisions about computer and video games they choose for their families.
But is the system making an impact to the 21st Century family or the industry? That is the question which in many ways has stark my perception of this system. So lets briefly explore this system....
The ESRB System is a rating system....so every game which is produced in the United States must hold this rating somewhere on its packing. The 6 ratings are as follows:
The ratings are "suppose" to guide parents and in many ways they do give them some control over what their kids are exposed to. But despite this there is still a big loop hole to this system. Companies and individuals who sell these games are not required to follow the ESRB Rating System. It is highly recommended that they do, but it is really optional for them. Some companies that follow this system would be Gamestop/EB Games, Gamefly, Blockbuster, Gamerush, Best Buy...just to name a few. However, in todays society, sheliding children from forms of violence is hard. In addition many parents would now simply purchase T and M rated games for their kids, ignoring the rating.
Kids today are becoming more and more desentized to forms of violence. Good or Bad thing....?
Therefore is this system really working or is it time to make a change?
We as a society need to decide.
Game Emulators are both the salvation of our gaming history and the destroyers of our gaming future. I know, I know big statement, but when I really think about this, I can't help but to both love Gaming Emulators and fear their technology. According to about.com, "An Emulator is a software application that can accurately imitate another computer, mobile phone, device or even arcade machine and run software from that computer." So a Game Emulator is an emulator that basically allows another computer to run a video game. Currently there are emulators that allow users to play multiple consoles including the Game boy, the Nintendo 64 and even the Xbox. When the emulators first came out I loved using them, I thought to myself "wow now I can play every game I want". But being a well-informed consumer, I had to check out the Pros and Cons of these emulators.
So now let’s explore Game Emulators:preserving our gaming history or destroying the gaming future.
Game Emulators: Preserving our gaming history (Pros)
Game Emulators are Free:
Yes, they are found on the internet, downloadable and free.
Game Emulators have an extensive array of games that are available to play:
Emulators allow for old video game systems to be readily available to the general public.
Game Emulators: destroying the gaming industry's future (Cons)
They are free:
Since they are free, the companies don't make money off of them.
While using emulators are not necessarily illegal, the usages of different companies games (ROMS) are illegal.
Since many program developers don't have the permission from those companies to use their games, it is illegal to play and not pay, so technically while Emulators are not illegal, the use of their game without payment is.
The Emulator Technology has been known to copy even current games
Games such as World of War craft have been currently copied for emulation servers; this means there are currently dozens of players who are illegally accessing this game.
I personally don't think emulators are necessarily bad things for preserving old games, but I think that there should be regulation in some manner. Emulator in my opinion are a gift and a curse for the gaming industry. Everyday individuals are producing new emulators for our more current system like the PS2 or the Nintendo DS. Does this mean that soon we can play the WII on the computer.
So what do you think?
Should emulators be banned?
-Kevin James
P.S. Feel free to check out some emulators online:
So Lets Begin. 
