As of today, there are dozens of Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMOPRG?s) slated for release or in beta. It is hard to decide on which online game to play. And most of us don?t have the time or money to play more then one game at a time. With all the competition, software companies need to come up with more creative ways of distinguishing themselves from each other and retaining their player base.

After all the hype from the initial release of a game subsides, what keeps players engaged in the virtual world? For one thing, the game has to be fun and must continue to be fun. Beyond that, the players need to have a sense of ownership ? they need to have a tangible connection and personal investment in their online world.

Online games are an extension of our real life. What keeps us happy in the real world will often translate to what keeps us happy in the virtual world of a game. We like to feel special and have the ability to express ourselves in our own unique way. We also enjoy the freedom to choose of what we do with our possessions and time.Customizable CharactersOne of the most important aspects of a game is being able to customize the in-game character. Having a unique avatar or graphical representation helps players stand out. It is a key element that defines the identity of a player.

The latest online role-playing games let you tweak a multitude of physical including hair color and style, facial characteristics, height, weight, age, and gender. This lets players create a unique, one-of-a-kind avatar that defines them in the virtual world.

As voice chat is becoming more common in online games, players are feeling a need to customize the sound of their voice. These gamers may have spent a long time customizing the look of their avatars, why not have voices to match? Voice-changing products like MorphVOX from Screaming Bee allow these players to have a unique voice that matches their in-game character, whether they choose to be a mighty giant or space adventurer.

Opportunities to improve a character?s abilities or skills are an important feature of an online game. Just as in real world, people like to have the option of changing their lot in life through self-improvement. Between gaining skills and ?leveling-up?, their online character continues to grow and improve.PossessionsAnother way to customize character in game is providing a variety of clothing and possessions. Just as someone can look and dress a certain way in real life, their character in game should have the option to wear variety of clothes. Unique clothing combinations provide a form of self-expression, define your character?s style and allow people to find you in a crowded tavern or spaceport. And depending one?s mood, it is nice to have a variety of outfits to wear for in game hunts or special events.

A game with variety of loot and goodies is a big draw for gamers. Much of the excitement and interest in online games stems from the opportunity to discover new and cool treasure. People will literally spend hours and days of their real life ?camping? spots on the virtual world of a game to find the latest and greatest loot or treasure.

Having a place to call home is no different in an online world. Players appreciate games that offer player housing. Customizable player housing can be so important that the people will continue to pay monthly fees for a game that they?ve stopped playing in order to keep a house that they worked so hard to acquire. They may often trade property to other players for exorbitant virtual or real dollars.Different Roles for Different FolksJust as in real life, gamers need a purpose. After some time, all the leveling-up and acquiring new possessions can lose its luster. Online games offer professions, player driven economy, and guilds to provide players with roles and, moreover, a way of creating a virtual society.

Interdependence on other players keeps people engaged in games because they have a tangible purpose or role in the virtual world. Some choose to be merchants who sell various goods, such as food, clothing, and weapons to other players. In return they barter for money or goods. Others can choose to be part of a guild, working for a common purpose or hunting together in larger groups.

Online gamers will often form long-lasting friendships as a result of their time in these vibrant virtual societies. You may see the same players move from virtual world to virtual world as the latest online game is released. And in the real world, these same people will choose to spend time together and support each other in both good and bad times.Going Beyond the Virtual WorldThe success of an online game in developing ownership can be measured by its ability to go beyond the confines of the virtual world into the personal life of a gamer. Online games haven?t isolated people as some people may argue. They instead have enriched the lives of the many players who have invested time and energy into these rich worlds.

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When you play online games, you will be connecting to a website via the internet. Individuals who own a computer that runs on Microsoft Windows XP will have a variety of online games programmed into their software, including backgammon, checkers, hearts and more. When logging on, Microsoft users will need to be logged on to Windows as an administrator in order to install components or make changes to your computer system?s settings necessary to run some of the online games.

Many people prefer backgammon as one of their favorite online games. The object of Backgammon is to move all your pieces, or stones, around the board counterclockwise into a home area. From the home area, the pieces must be removed from the game board by exact dice roll. The first person to bear off all their stones will be declared the winner. In Backgammon, you will connect over the internet with your opponent.

Checkers, which is a board game classic, is also one of the most popular online games in existence. The object of checkers is to defeat your opponent by jumping and removing his or her pieces. You can also win by positioning your checkers in such a way that results in blocking your opponent from moving. When playing Checkers online, you will connect over the internet with your opponent.

For the card fanatic, internet hearts is a popular choice among online games. Hearts is a card game with four players, each playing independently. The object of Hearts is to earn as few points as possible during the course of play. When any player reaches 100 points the game ends, at which time the player with the fewest points wins. While playing Hearts online, you will connect over the Internet with your opponents.

Reversi, another of the popular online games pre-installed into MS Windows XP, is a game played on an 8×8 board with black-and-white pieces, or stones. The object is to have more of your color of stones on the board than your opponent. Stones can be reversed from one color to another by surrounding the pieces. The game is over when neither player has any legal moves left. While playing Reversi online, you will connect over the Internet with your opponent.

Another of the popular online games for the card fanatic is known as Spades, which is a partnership card game with two teams of two players each. The object is for you and your partner to bid a contract, then skillfully play your cards in coordination with each other to make the contract. You win when you reach 500 points or force your opponents to drop to a negative 200 point score. As is the case with all other online games, you will connect with your opponents and partner over the internet while playing Spades online.

In order to access games that were pre-installed with your software, click on ?Start? and then ?Programs.? Next, click on ?Games? and then select from the online games that you see available. If you do not see online games listed, this means that none were installed with your software.

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The continuing advances in graphics technology, platform gaming infrastructure, processor technology and innovations in design will see more aggressive developments in computer games this 2006.

Gaming has traveled a long way today from the baby steps of the video games about thirty years ago. The square and jagged edged figures that used to dominate and entertain gamers on the screen is now more video-movie like if not life like that people today finds computer games more challenging and exciting.

The constant improvements made in computer technology exceeded expectations in the sales of computer games soft ware and has turned it into one big business in a very short span of time. The biggest impact on these games coming form the role playing games and the first person shooters.

The development of broadband had contributed very substantially to online gaming that in countries like South Korea, online gaming (Starcraft Gozu) has gathered a lot of followers dubbing the game fondly as its national sport. Online gaming has gained a popularity never seen before (or possible before), that international tournament are waged and battled online. Always trying to outwit and outplay the competition, world wide, online gaming has become very challenging and intense.

Where computer game designs used to be a simpler affair, today teams of artists, musicians, producers and gaming industries are working together to make the best and offer their best to the public that has patronized the games very well. The industry however has not, in marketing parlance, reached the peak. In my opinion, it is nowhere near it. The constant innovations that are shaping the computer games industry is so vast varied exciting and rewarding, enough material to motivate the designers and gamers to move on, that who knows what surprises are in store for the gaming public in the future.

What make computer games very popular are the regular releases of good computer game software. If you have not yet tried out the following, find a demo and find out for yourself.

1) Backyard Baseball 2005
2) Battlefield 2
3) Civilization IV
4) Dance Dance Revolution ULTRAMIX3
5) FEAR
6) Fifa 06
7) Food Fight!
Grand Theft Auto
9) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
10) Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
11) Mario Kant DS
12) Need for Speed
13) Ninja Gaiden Black
14) Peter Jackson’s King Kong
15) Resident Evil 4
16) Sid Meier’s Pirates!
17) Sly 3: Honor Amongst Thieves
18) The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
19) The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer
20) We Love Katamari

Console Gaming
The technology race in the computer games category will be heavily participated by Microsoft with their Xbox 360 - powered by a multi core processing unit, Sony’s Playstation 3 by a cell processor technology, and Revolution by Nintendo will allow player interaction through a wireless motion sensing controller.

The popularity of the computer and video games has been a big business that it has surpassed the revenues of the film industry excluding the films ancillary revenues. However additional business for the computer games also comes in the form of trading cards, T-shirt prints of popular characters in video games and game titles and television shows that features reviews and gaming competitions. Judging from continuing developments and innovations in the game designs and computer technology, the year 2006 will even be more exciting.

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