Chris Pirillo » game

How to Design Your Own Video Game Fighting Moves

Chris — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:50:18 +0000

How to Design Your Own Video Game Fighting Moves is a post from Chris Pirillo

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If you ever challenge me to a fighting game, I’d likely not accept. I’m a button masher, in the hopes that I’ll accidentally come across the right moves. I’m not very good at the whole video game thing. If you’re interested in the whole fighting game genre – and want to create your own moves – you’ll be interested in this, for sure!

On Toribash, you create the violence. Toribash is an innovative fighting game where YOU design the moves! Earn credits by winning matches, then customize your character in the store! Trade items with other players. Win prizes in weekly tournaments.

The basic aim of the game is to fight the opponent, scoring points for damage. Some limbs break easier then others, others give more points when hit. To get more points, each joint can be relaxed, contracted, extended or held. This makes the game play very open-ended as there are no set moves, although many people will copy a move which seems to work well.

Toribash is a free download, and works on both Windows and OS X. I am pretty amazed at how easy and fun this is, even though I likely won’t get into it much. I’m just not a fighter! There’s a bit of a learning curve in creating the moves and styles, but you should get the hang of it pretty quickly.

I’d rather see you fighting via Toribash, and not in real life – so check it out today!

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Lux-Pain DS Game Review

Chris — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:22:47 +0000

Lux-Pain DS Game Review is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Once again, my friend Michelle is helping me out by playing a game and reviewing it for me! She’s a gamer – and we all know I am not. Michelle is an RPG fan. She says that Lux-Pain isn’t so much an RPG as it is more of a storyline-based game. You don’t get to go where you want to go, as you would in a traditional RPG.

The story is interesting, in that it has to do with your world, and a separate world. You go around different areas, meeting different characters, and figure out what’s going on with the storyline. Your character has superpowers, allowing him/her to see if there’s something weird going on with other characters.

Michelle really likes the fact that she can use her superpowers on the “wronged” characters to try and erase the bad spirit, uncovering even more of the storyline. With much of the game looking like Anime, she says that people who are into that genre will definitely get into the game quickly.

The game is more of a mystery story, rather than one where you would collect armor and change your character. You will mostly go around collecting spirits and such, gaining experience, at the beginning.

If you’re a fan of this type of game, you’ll enjoy this game quite a lot I think. It’s very different from what most people think of when they think of an RPG, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun! If you like getting into storylines, then Lux-Pain is for you!

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Are You Looking for Trackmania Tips from a Gamer?

Chris — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:36:15 +0000

Are You Looking for Trackmania Tips from a Gamer? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I played many different arcade games back in the day. I still do enjoy racing types of games. XXOwnsXY sent a video to me, to demonstrate Trackmania. The game is available as a free download, and she has sent in her top five tips for playing it.

There are several versions of the game, but the newest one, Trackmania Nations Forever is one of the best free games I have ever seen. The game is an F1 racing game which allows the user to play either in solo mode to earn coppers or in multiplayer against players from all over the world. There is a version you can pay for called Trackmania United, which gives you access to customizable skins and other perks.
First, not a top 5, but a tip: Try solo mode before going into a server. Solo mode will teach you the basics. Get those tracks down and you will be more than ready for the maps you will find on a multiplayer server. Most of the maps in solo mode are harder than any you will find in the servers.

Take wallrides low. When coming into a wallride, take it at its corner and stay low, and come out of the wallride at its corner. This will maintain or increase your speed. An example can be seen at 4:49 in my video.
When going into loops, move as little as possible and stay as straight as possible. There can be some issues in Trackmania when taking loops (mostly with old maps) that will slow you down or turn your car. Sometimes taking the loop to an angle to the left and then right will stop this from happening.
Brake is your friend. When coming to a sharp corner at high speed, turn your car in the opposite direction just before coming into it, and turn again into the direction you want to go, this will give you a good slide and let you take the corner faster. You can also use the side of the road (rammstein, as its called) to put you into a slide and slow you down just enough. You can find an example of this at 2:06 in my video.
Skid as little as possible. While skidding is good for sharp corners, where you can only take it fast by skidding, not all corners require a skid. Sometimes taking a turn or corner as close as possible is not always the best option. Skidding does slow you down, so let your car travel the line long enough as to not skid when it is not required. An example at 5:11. Notice how I don’t take the turn as close as I could, and am careful not to hit the rammstein, to avoid a skid and maintain my speed. It is completely impossible to avoid skids all of the time. 4 wheel skids are what you want to avoid the most. Skidding with just two wheels or one will slow you down the least. Refer to 3:38 for a two wheel skid. Refer to 3:45 for a one wheel skid and refer to 3:52 for a four wheel skid.
Learn Tips and Tricks about the tracks you are playing. Since tracks on most servers are created by the players themselves, there are often little tricks that can improve your speed. If you do not know about them, it can make it impossible to run a record time. For instance, cuts and speed boosts that can go unused. Refer to 5:24 in the video. I intentionally let off of the gas for just a second in the air so that I can hit the speed boost at 5:25.

There are many many more tips and tricks I can give, but for the sake of your time I will invite anyone who would like help to add me to steam or msn. You know the name, it’s always the same. Anywho, thanks again Chris!

She’s pwn3d my butt in the past, for sure. She’s a serious gamer, and you won’t find many better… male or female. She’s certainly talented. Just watching her video of the game will show you that. I have a feeling many of you are probably downloading this game already for yourself.

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Who Needs Guitar Hero or Rock Band?

Chris — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:09:25 +0000

Who Needs Guitar Hero or Rock Band? is a post from Chris Pirillo

Cavinder is a long-time community member, and a self-professed “casual gamer”. If you love music, and enjoy gaming… this email goes out to you!

Hey Chris! I just wanted to see if you knew about this game called Audiosurf. I just found it not too long ago myself, and have been enjoying myself to pieces with it. In a nutshell, it’s a a musical game much like Guitar Hero and Rockband. But this one is different in that it’s a puzzle game on a track. Basically how it works is the game sets up random colored blocks down your track, and you have to collect them. To gain points, you have to collect at least 3 of the same color together. The more of the same color you collect, the higher the score.
There’s a couple more things that make the game interesting. You know how Guitar Hero and Rockband flow on a straight track? Not this game. This game has a twisting track to really mess with your game… and make it more fun. Also, if you notice it, the track jumps with the beat of the song. That is also really cool. During a slow part of the song, the track bends upwards. During a heavy, fast part, the track streaks down.
The absolute best part of this game is the music. You know how Guitar Hero and Rockband have a set list of songs you can choose from? This game will play any song thats on your pc. Thats right any song. You pick which song you want to play, it looks at it, determines the difficulty, the traffic(blocks) and how the track will look all within a matter of seconds. The people who made this game did an incredible thing with that right there, and in my opinion did it the right way. You’ll be pulling songs that you normally wouldn’t be listening to anymore to play them on this game.
I have three separate videos on YouTube, showing myself playing this game so you can get a feel for it. Check out Still Alive, Second Heartbeat, or Bark at the Moon to see how the game looks.
Audiosurf has a demo version that is absolutely free. You can play with five different songs: one is a tutorial of their choosing, and the other four you choose from your own library. The full game costs only $9.99!

This sounds like a lot of fun. The free version is definitely worth checking out. I have a feeling many of you will end up buying the whole thing.

How to Beat Video Game Addiction

Chris — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:32:17 +0000

How to Beat Video Game Addiction is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Video games are great fun, and sometimes it’s ok to go on a “gaming binge.” At some point, though, you need to stop yourself. When that time has come, admit that you’ve got a problem and cut it out completely.

Admit you have a problem- As cliche or cheesy as it may sound, the first step to recovery is to admit to yourself and others that you have a problem. Use the beginning sentence of this article as a starter.
Identify the problem Is it a particular game that you’re addicted to? Is it a genre of games? Be sure to find out exactly what it is that you’re addicted to.
Identify the triggers Triggers are mental and physical cues that cause you to want to indulge in your addiction, namely play games. Try and figure out what kind of things makes you want to play video games. Maybe its a particular website that you go to online that starts your video gaming frenzy. Maybe it’s being around certain people that make you crave a game or two. Do your best to figure out what kind of triggers make you want to play games.
Plan out your recovery Quitting video games cold turkey might seem like the best way to stop your addiction, but in reality, most people fail trying to quit completely. Your best plan would be to gradually wean yourself away from video games. Make yourself an ending date of when you want to be completely free from video games. Then, create steps to that ending date, with mini-goals that you want to achieve. For example, instead of playing for 20+ hours a week, try cutting it down to 18+ hours a week, and so on. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t reach your goals! Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your addiction won’t go away overnight.
Carry out your plan Start working on executing your plan. If you find out that your plan is too hard, then ease it up a bit. If you discover that your ending date happens to be the release date of Starcraft 2, postpone your ending date so you can indulge instead of potentially becoming an addict again. Whatever you do, be flexible with your options, but stick to your plan at all costs.

There is a video game addiction clinic in the Netherlands.

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Game Developer Programming Suggestions

Chris — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 02:46:21 +0000

Game Developer Programming Suggestions is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Are you interested in become a gaming Programmer? Scott called in the other night when the phone lines were open. He wants to get into game development, and isn’t sure what Programming language he should begin to learn at first.

I feel he should start simple, and download Visual Studio. I know some in the chat room are suggesting different variations of C… but I recommend Visual Studio for a reason. That reason is that it’s designed to help make games for the Xbox. You can learn that way. If you want to really dive into this field, that is one way to go. If you want to learn to walk before you run… Visual Studio is the way to go.

I have never been a programmer myself. I just go off the recommendations of others who are in that field. Find the tool that works for you. Talk to other game devs, and see what they say. Find what’s going to be comfortable for you, in an environment where you aren’t just using Notepad.

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How to Play Tetris

Chris — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:42:51 +0000

How to Play Tetris is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Tetris is my favorite game. Don’t tell me you never knew that! How could you not know? Dude! Tetris is like the best game EVER made!! Anyway, whether you’re a novice player, or an advanced one, here are some game tips to help you.

When the game starts out the blocks are falling fairly slow. It is in your best interest to pick a pace that you are comfortable with. Drop the pieces with the auto drop this way you are playing faster than the blocks are falling. This helps because you do not feel the increase in the actual speed of the game.
Have a pattern that you always follow. For example, I always start on the left side of the screen and work my way to the right. I leave the far right of the screen empty. This way I can build a stack to get a tetris faster and increase the number of points that I have.
Just because you can fit the piece there that doesn’t mean that it goes there. Remember that the goal of the game is to clear 4 lines with one piece. Try to make the piece lay in such that you have a board that has flat areas and jagged areas. This allow you to have a place for every piece.
This may sound obvious but don’t allow your stack of pieces to rise too high. Try to keep your stack as low to the bottom of the board as possible. If you start feeling uncomfortable with your playing start clearing single lines and work your way down. This will prolong your game play and allow you take your time when playing.
When the game starts getting really fast, slow your pace of dropping pieces down. This will help you gain precious seconds to think things through. Since you are already.
Use the next piece preview to your advantage. By the time that this piece is queued up in the preview you should already know where you are going to place that piece. In essence you are working ahead of the game.
Last but not least, do not make mistakes. One mistake in dropping a piece can cost you a game of tetris. In the chance that you do make a mistake move past it stop thinking about it. Thinking about one mistake can lead to more mistakes which means game over for you.

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Arcade Fun

Chris — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 07:11:08 +0000

Arcade Fun is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I finished a game of Ms. PacMan, and decided I’d rather play Tempest. No wait, I think it’s Pong I’m wanting to play. I’m not hacking anything, honest! I’m using my very own arcade machine from Dream Arcades!

The complete pre-built has over 200 games available, plus you can add your own. Designed for full sized adults (no stooping over to play), yet simple enough for the youngest kids to enjoy. Just plug it in and start playing. It stands approximately five feet high, and the casing is quite solid.

Unlike other arcade builders we are an arcade manufacturer. We do not build our tables one at a time in a shop. Dream Arcades does not offer dozens of different color options, configurations or full customization services.
Our tables are built on an assembly line in large quantities. This saves hundreds of dollars on every table we build, which we pass directly to the consumer. This also allows us to focus on quality and craftsmanship.
We realize that many of our customers may wish customize their arcades after purchase we have kept this in mind during the development and manufacturing process. Our tables are easy to open and dismantle, include Ultimarc IPAC programmable controllers and high-end computers that can easily be upgraded with new software or hardware.

Here is a sampling of the games that came with my new Arcade:

Asteroids
Battlezone
Centipede
Millipede
Pong
Tempest
Dragon’s Lair
Defender
Joust
PAC-MAN
MS. PAC-MAN
Dig Dug

This isn’t something I’m getting sponsored on, folks. I bought this out of my own pocket. I love to play old games like this, and have long wanted my own. Ponzi enjoys some of these games, as well. It will definitely be put to good use… and I may never get any work done!

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Insert Coin: Game Over!

Chris — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 06:41:31 +0000

Insert Coin: Game Over! is a post from Chris Pirillo

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My new Arcade Game finally showed up today! One of the chat room members was kind enough to record the big “unboxing” moments for me. The complete pre-built has over 200 games available, plus you can add your own. Designed for full sized adults (no stooping over to play), yet simple enough for the youngest kids to enjoy. Just plug it in and start playing.

Case specs:

High Quality ¾ inch Melamine Cabinet
19 inch arcade monitor with tempered glass
Side-art & control panel overlay included
Perfect size for adults and children
PC based arcade, so you can easily add additional titles
Lighted utility buttons & 2 1/4″ trackball
Complete ready to play arcade, not a kit.
Side-pinball buttons and hidden keyboard shelf

The arcade comes pre-filled with about 145 popular games! The games included are taken from the Atari Pack, Capcom, Midway and many more!

And yes… you saw me doing things to this arcade that should never be attempted at home.

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Tetris Game Without a Download: Netris!

Chris — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 04:01:18 +0000

Tetris Game Without a Download: Netris! is a post from Chris Pirillo

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It’s no secret that I am highly addicted to Tetris. I love to play, and I’m quite competitive at it. I absolutely love this new online version, where I can play against others from my live community.

This is a “Net-Tetris” game online. I’ve been playing against six others from the chat room. I found this link via Twitter. By going to iminlikewithyou.com, you can play Tetris and other games against others. You can also customize your experience to show your current weather, choose people to play with based on where they are from, etc.

Iminlikewithyou.com isn’t just a site to play games on. It’s also a Social Networking site. You can invite friends, make new ones, and chat together during a game. It’s free to sign up for an account, play some games, and make new friends. What more could you ask for?

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Whack me in the Face – You Know you Want To

Chris — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:13:23 +0000

Whack me in the Face – You Know you Want To is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I’ve always wanted to see my heads popping in and out of virtual holes. Mitch programmed my head into a “Whack a Gnome” game, that you can play for free in your web browser.

You can go to my blog to find this game, along with others. I’m hoping that some more of you will create other cool and fun games that we can all enjoy. Here’s your chance to whack me in the head… and apparently, it’s addictive!

I also have links to documentation for gamer testing, learning to create your own games, etc. If these are things that interest you, be sure and check them out!

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Shopping for Wii Accessories

Chris — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:10:39 +0000

Shopping for Wii Accessories is a post from Chris Pirillo

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With the Wii craze in full swing, many of you are of the “gotta have it!” mindset. You truly don’t need every attachment, gadget and gizmo made for your Wii. Here are some tips to keep in mind when shopping for your accessories.

Extra Controllers The number one problem Wii owners have is when they have company over, there are never enough controllers to share. Buy at least one extra pair so you can take turns.
SD Cards All of my fellow Wii Owners have trouble keeping their games in memory, because the Wii only has about 512mb internal memory. This is also a great way to keep your Virtual console games from clogging your Wii.
Official Straps I cannot stress this enough! I always find Wii owners who bought a silicone jacket for the Wii using novelty 3rd party Straps. These straps are weaker than the original launch straps, so if you swing your Wii Mote hard it probably will break… or you could end up needing a new tv.
VC Games Since the Wii is still crawling with its Game Library, there are tons of Classic games from Sega, Nintendo and the TurboGraf. Just buy a Wii point card and you’ll have the classics you love on one System.
Classic Controllers Some games just are not meant for the Wii Mote and Nunchuck, like fighting games. Many games are going to start letting you use a classic controller instead. Buy one so you don’t look like a fool passing out from playing Mortal Kombat.

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How to Play Wii

Chris — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 05:45:32 +0000

How to Play Wii is a post from Chris Pirillo

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My Wii was still in the box when I gave it to my parents. Had they not taken it, I could probably retire to the Bahamas at this point for the price I could get. Let’s take a look at some tips for playing the Wii that a community member sent in to me.

There have been tons of shortages on Wii’s since they first came out. Get them on eBay, but stay at your price limit. The Wii can be found if you wait long enough.
Get the right cables for your Wii. (Gold plated cables often bring good quality images) I found mine at Amazon.com for under $3.00, and they work great.
If you own a Wii and update it, you may see a (?) question mark data file. Don’t delete it, as it may mess the Wii up.
The Wii has settings (like the Xbox 360) to make it for wide screen TV’s. Adjust the settings to your liking.
Never update a Wii until other people have updated theirs and let you know if they had problems. You can find information about available updates on the Wii website. This holds true to just about anything that may have firmware updates, as well.

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Top 5 Xbox or PS2 Bargain Games to Pick up for Christmas

Chris — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 20:25:25 +0000

Top 5 Xbox or PS2 Bargain Games to Pick up for Christmas is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Just because a game is in the bargain bin doesn’t make it bad. “Old” games are just as fun as new ones… at a fraction of the cost. Here are SpecerDodd’s top five bargain games for both the Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo PS2 game system. His criteria for making this list is simple: the game must be fun, be under $10.00, and work on newer game consoles.

Top 5 for the Xbox gaming system:

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3. This game is the best of the series, and gets a rare 10 out of 10 on Gamespot.com.
NHL Hits 2003 is an excellent and fun game for even non-hockey fans.
Grand Theft Auto 3 is an all-time favorite for many people.
Max Payne by Rockstar has an awesome story line, and self-adjusting difficulty levels.
Unreal Chamionship 2 is probably one of the most powerful first-person shooting games of all time.

Since GameSpot is running a “buy two get one free” special, I picked up all of these bargain-priced games for my Xbox for a grand total of $14.96. Amazing, eh?

Top 5 for the PS2:

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Man, what an awesome game.
Again: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3.
Unreal Tournament. I just love this game, no matter which system I’m playing it on.
Metal Gears 2: Sons of Liberty, with it’s excellent shooting and story line.
Max Payne again. This is one of the best console games of all time, hands down.

With the sale at GameSpot, the total for the PS2 games was only $25.95. You just can’t beat that!

[rssbullet:http://shop.tagjag.com/products/playstation]

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How to Handle Remote Tech Support

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Using GoToAssist is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party.

Network Tools for Windows

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. SolarWinds ipMonitor: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. Get turnkey network, server and application availability monitoring with SolarWinds ipMonitor v9.0. This easy-to-use, reliable solution for SMBs delivers out-of-the-box availability monitoring so you always know exactly what's up with Active Directory, DNS, Exchange, FTP, Web, IMAP, MS SQL Server, and SMTP. Download your free trial today. Or, try their totally free tools! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase ipMonitor 9.0.

Get Your Own Web Site

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

Starting at just $3.99/month, web hosting from GoDaddy includes 99.9% uptime, 24/7 support and free access to GoDaddy Hosting Connection, THE place to install over 30 FREE applications sure to help you get the most from your hosting plan and Web site. Enter code CP2 at checkout, and save an additional 10% on any order.

Plus, as a friend of Chris Pirillo, enter code CHRIS7, that's C-H-R-I-S and the number 7, when you check out, and save an additional 10% on any order. Get your piece of the internet at GoDaddy.com.

VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either Parallels or VMware (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with VMware and/or Parallels.

Coupons for Online Shopping

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

This feed is fueled by Lockergnome Online Shopping and Coupon Codes

Before you shop next time, see if we have a coupon first.

Chris Pirillo » game

How to Design Your Own Video Game Fighting Moves

Lux-Pain DS Game Review

Are You Looking for Trackmania Tips from a Gamer?

Who Needs Guitar Hero or Rock Band?

How to Beat Video Game Addiction

Game Developer Programming Suggestions

How to Play Tetris

Arcade Fun

Insert Coin: Game Over!

Tetris Game Without a Download: Netris!

Whack me in the Face – You Know you Want To

Shopping for Wii Accessories

How to Play Wii

Top 5 Xbox or PS2 Bargain Games to Pick up for Christmas

Top Five Classic Video Games

How to Handle Remote Tech Support

Network Tools for Windows

Get Your Own Web Site

VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

Coupons for Online Shopping