Daily Joystick

Where The Games Are

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 20:35:20 +0000

Gaming has been around for a long, long time. A really long time. Thousand of years ago, the ancient Mayans and Aztecs has highly organized team sports considered to be the forerunners of modern games like football, soccer, and cricket. Video games of course were the natural progression from physical games played on well defined fields in brightly colored uniforms. They took people way beyond experiences that we know are possible, and into the realm of that which is, at best, nearly impossible. In the last year, things have gone up a giant notch in terms of where and how people are playing video games. Tablet gaming, in particular, has seen a tremendous increase.

Of real interest today is the arrival of the new iPad from Apple last month. Sporting a “resolutionary” new screen technology – it’s signature retina display – the new iPad also has a modified A5 processor, called the A5x. When needed for graphics, it actually provides quad core support. If you are wondering how differently games are rendering on the new iPad compared with iPad 2 and the original iPad, here is a good video:

Addicted to Games and Toys

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:19:38 +0000

There really is something to the proposition that people in America are addicted to toys and games. If you added up how much you spend each year on video games, game systems, board games, and even Legos, you would probably be soundly surprised at the staggering amount. But games and toys are an important part of our lives. While people of past generations grew up identifying with characters from radio shows and tv programs, today’s youth are more likely to associate with characters from video games or toys.

As I was surfing around this morning on the Internet, I found one infographic that sums up this phenomenon with some authority. And it’s not just the kids (and adults, too!) in the United States who have this problem. People all over the world really are attached to toys and games. Which is very scary, because ask any Physician Care Direct, and they will tell you that too much gaming can cause weight gain and unnecessary stress on your wrists and hands. Let’s take a look at some recently gathered statistics:

Real Life Angry Birds

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:58:35 +0000

We are all addicted to Angry Birds. It’s something we’ve had to come to terms with, though not necessarily move past, in order to get on with our lives at some point. If you want to feel a lot better about owning every single Angry Birds title to come out for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch (on all three devices if you have them, no less!) such as Angry Birds Free, Angry Birds Seasons, Angry Birds Rio, and Angry Birds HD for iPad, then check out what these AB Addicts in Spain have been up to. Trust me, you’ll either become crazed with jealousy, or you’ll think to yourself, “Wow, maybe I’m not so bad after all.”

Here, we have a great example of the many iterations of Angry Birds crossing the threshold from digital to real life using elaborate models set up in a public place for everyone to enjoy. Check it out, and shout out to us if you think this is great, or for the birds.

Direct Online Gaming

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:18:42 +0000

There are many things that I really like to do. Things like hiking, reading, and photography are all very fun things that I love to do, but online gaming is probably at the very top of the list. I mean, who does not like pretending that they are a part of another world where they have to keep people safe or kill off bad guys? Online gaming is not just for consoles that connect online, but there are internet browser gaming opportunities too.

I prefer to play on my Xbox, but I have some games that I like to play at pogo.com too. Call of Duty, Halo, and other shooter games are definitely my favorite, and LAN parties complete with multiple televisions, legal herbs direct, food, and a bunch of players are so much fun.

I’m not the only person out there with a love of online gaming and video games, thankfully. I mean, look at this infographic. Millions of people are logging billions of hours on gaming consoles all over the world. If you have not experienced the amazing wonderment that is online gaming, then it is time. Seriously, you will be hooked just like all the other people out there who are.

Evolution of Gaming

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:05:09 +0000

Where are games heading in a society of gamers? Bigger, better, stronger, harder, faster paced, and 100% hardcore–or at least that is what I am hoping for. In 2011 we have some great game prospects coming out at the end of the year. With the infamous Skyrim and CoD Modern Warfare 3 coming out in November we have a expected need for gaming to be taken to the next level. Will we achieve it? Let’s find out. Below is an info-graphic that shows the progression of gaming. So what do you think? Will the world of gaming evolve again soon?

After the last gen consoles came out there was such a short time before the new gens launched. This time there isn’t that same trend. Have we reached a plateau in gaming and graphics technology? Consoles are just very specific and targeted gaming computers. Maybe that is where we should look. Computers just made a giant leap forward as well with the AMU processor that not only is a powerful 4 core processor but has integrated graphics that blows away many graphics cards. Will the next gaming units take advantage of this huge save in space? Also the disks that we play games on now take quite a bit of space themselves. Will we see a different form of gaming medium? Perhaps a modified flash or sd card? Everyone has noticed how cheap they have gotten recently and with Apple getting rid of HDDs entirely with their new Mac Air computers, I’m inclined to think so.

Costume Inspiration: Your Favorite Game

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:46:53 +0000

Halloween is just around the corner, so how do you decide what to be? Look no further than your favorite video game. Here are the top 5 costume ideas inspired by our favorite games!

5. The Sims

Some wire, some green spray paint, some foam cut into the shape of a diamond, and you’ve got yourself the perfect Halloween costume!

4. Super Mario

A simple costume: Overalls, white gloves, red hat, red shirt. Bellisimo!

3. Pacman

Not as difficult as you think! Cardboard, paint, and string. The most difficult thing is going to be cutting out the shapes.

2. A Nintendo Controller

Cardboard, paint, and a lot of creativity. I love this costume! Be sure to draw it out in pencil first!

1. Tetris Pieces

Perfect for groups! Again, just good ole cardboard and paint!

Add a Joystick to Your iPad

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:19:22 +0000

There’s no denying the fact that touch screen games have become all the rage with introduction of the iPhone, iPad, and tablets. Don’t get me wrong, I love playing Angry Birds and racing games on these consoles, but when trying to kick it old school, a touch screen just doesn’t cut it. Case in point – Super Mario Brothers. This game just doesn’t work on a touch screen. So, what do you do if you wanna download Ms. Pacman or Super Mario Brothers on your iPad? Why, you get a joystick for your ipad. That’s right! According to SocialTimes.com, your iPad is going old school:

The iPhone and iPad have been popular gaming platforms despite their few buttons and touch screens. Even though programmers have done a great job of designing their games for touch screens, there are still a few games that are better suited for joysticks and buttons. If you want to add traditional gaming controls to your iPad you may soon be able to pick from one of several options.

ThinkGeek sells the iCADE – iPad Arcade Cabinetfor $99. The iPad fits in a cradle inside the cabinet, while the controls, which consist of a joystick and eight buttons, connect to the iPad via Bluetooth. ThinkGeek recommends installing Atari’s Greatest Hits, which is a collection of 100 of Atari’s games, on your iPad for use with the iCADE.

According to MacRumors, Atari may be soon selling their own accessory for the iPad designed to work with their Greatest Hits iOS app. An upgrade of the app that recently became available makes reference to an “Atari Arcade — Duo Powered” joystick. Pictures of the device on the MacRumors site show that it is basically an large cradle with a joystick and four buttons. The controls will connect to the iPad via the dock connector, andaccording to the website DVICE it will be available for $60 at Target starting October 2.

I’m super excited for this, and plan to be the first in line at Target on the 2nd of October. This is just another example of how retro is in and vintage is hot. I’m sure Atari never imagined we’d all be looking for ways to go back to the basics…especially on our iPads.

Mobile Gaming By The Numbers

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:14:57 +0000

What is worth $33 billion dollars and has Androids, Apples, Blackberries, and games galore?

If you guess the mobile gaming industry, then you guessed right. With the introduction of the Android phone operating system in 2009, we’ve seen the introduction of hundreds of thousands of applications available to users. Throw the release of the the iPad into the mix, and you have a connected, gaming population like you wouldn’t believe. In fact, did you know that in 2010, 68% of tablet owners spent 1 hour or more on their tablet each day?! That’s insane if you think about it, but not surprising. Check out the infographic below and get some other amazing details to digest about the mobile gaming industry:

Pretty crazy, huh? Do you think you could spend 12 hours away from your smart phone or tablet? What about 24 hours? Personally, I use my tablet for everything, so I couldn’t imagine going even an hour without mine. The craziest statistic in the above infographic was about the sex of the mobile gamers. 53% are women and %47 are male. How is that possible? How are more females gaming on their mobile phones vs. men?! Maybe the men are too busy playing their PS3′s?