Sunday, November 9, 2008 

Getting Exercise While Playing Video Games!

Getting exercise by playing video games can be misunderstood by many people. How, is the question on everyones mind. Most gaming consoles use the two hands, mainly the two thumbs, which if you think about it, does improve the thumb muscles which can be a huge benefit for those professional P-Knuckle players. Then there's the Nintendo Wii. A console that allows the player to use their actions to play the game. It doesn't matter, how big, how fit, how old or how bad you are at any sports to be able to embrace the potential of this next generation of gaming. Who know, you can maybe try those new sports you thought you can never play. Even more, become better than some of the superstars we have today. The saying does go "Practise makes perfect".

One of the best features of the Nintendo Wii is that you are using a whole new set of muscles that you don't normally use. Not just the two thumbs. Muscles from your arms, upper torso, abdominals, and the legs are all been used. Hence, the best formula to losing weight while having fun playing games. So if you put it all together, exercise can be very enjoying. Who would have thought of that? Maybe this is the next era of decreasing obesity.

It kind of makes you think though. What are they going to make next. With this gaming console/exercise machine already very popular with a variety of groups from gamers, sports people, families and many more. How are they going to enhance what we have today? Can't wait to they bring out the next generation of gaming consoles.

Thanks

Zane Paki

Zane writes on many topics, you can view his other articles at http://tips-on-losing-weight-playing-games.blogspot.com/ - Be much appreciated if you leave some feedback.

Israeli <a href=http://hotnintendo.com/Memory-Cards/16MB>police</a> scuffle with an Armenian monk next to the site traditionally believed to be the tomb of Jesus Christ at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City of Jerusalem, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2008. A brawl  erupted between rival monks at one of Christianity's holiest sites, and Israeli police  detained two clergymen for questioning. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)AP - Israeli police rushed into one of Christianity's holiest churches Sunday and arrested two clergyman after an argument between monks erupted into a brawl next to the site of Jesus' tomb.

 

A Potted History of the Xbox

The games device that became the Xbox was primarily developed by the Microsoft organization by a minute team that involved game developer Seamus Blackley. The Microsoft Corporation delayed many times the console, which was first shown at the end of 1999 following interviews of the Microsoft Corporation CEO. The Chief Exectutive Officer said that a gaming/multimedia piece of kit had become essential for the development of multimedia.

According to the book Smartbomb by Heather Chaplin and Aaron Ruby, the fantastic popularity of the Sony PlayStation greatly concerned Microsoft towards the end of 1999. The expanding gaming console market seemed to threaten the market for the Personal Computer which the Microsoft company had full control of and relied on for a great deal of its substantial revenues. On top of this, a venture into the video game market would diversify Microsoft's line of products, which up until that time had been heavily focussed on software.

According to the writer Dean Takahashi in his book, Opening the Xbox, The device that became the Xbox initially was to be titled the DirectX-box, to illustrate the extensive use of DirectX inside the console's inner workings. Xbox became the ultimate designation taken by Microsoft's marketing, but the equipment currently keeps some hints in the direction of DirectX, most notably the X-shaped logo, which DirectX is famous for, not to mention the X shape at the top of the pieces of euipment. Despite all of this however, it is conceivable that the x86 (Pentium 3) processor could have been the inspiration behind it.

Since that time the main three in gaming have seen their share of ups and downs. During the period that this piece was written, Sony sold 280,800 PS3s topping the 254,600 units of Xbox 360 moved by Microsoft. Beating both consoles, however, was the Wii. Nintendo shipped 432,000 of the cheaper consoles liked by the more casual gamer.

For a good collection of New Xbox Games try this website.

In this undated handout photo released by Bob Kitts, contractor Kitts, left, and homeowner Amanda <a href=http://hotnintendo.com/Nintendo-Game-Boy/Lights-Shields-Magnifiers>Reece</a> pose with money found at Reece's home in Cleveland. The discovery amounted to little more than grief for Kitts, who couldn't agree on how to split the money with Reece. (AP Photo, Bob Kitts)AP - A contractor who found $182,000 in Depression-era currency hidden in a bathroom wall has ended up with only a few thousand dollars, but he feels some vindication.

 

How to Start Your Own Arcade

Well, lets take a trip back in history.

If you were lucky enough to be in your pre-teens during the peak of arcades, like I did, then arcades probably hold a very fond place in your heart. Certainly it's nostalgic, but it runs a lot deeper than that. It is without a doubt, a piece of your childhood as well as pop culture.

If you're thinking about building your own arcade collection, I must offer this disclaimer: You're going to be addicted the moment after you plug in your first game. They'll be no going back.

Sure, you could be like everybody else and buy an Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Wii, or whatever happens to be the best video game console out there. But guess what? Those console, while having all technology behind them, still won't be able to compete with arcade classics like Burgertime, Street Fighter, Double Dragon, etc...Sure, the visuals & presentation will be greater on the consoles. But what's the single most relevant aspect to playing video games? Fun! Capital F-U-N. All that other stuff is meaningless.

If there is one component that is missing from console games is that all encompassing experience that arcades brought to the table. Just think back to those old arcades. The machines entirely surrounded you. It was kind of like a capsule. All the bright lights and loud sounds that you were picking up was from this cocoon-like cabinet.

The statement that arises always when making the comparison is "But a console takes a few inches of space, you need a lot of room for arcade games". This is 100% true. There is no getting around it.. Arcade games take up a lot of space. But for the real video game historian, some real estate in exchange for an engrossing hobby seems like a fair trade off. As log as what you're doing is something you enjoy, there is no downside.

If you're just starting out, here are some of the things that you should know about collecting arcade games before you just jump right in:

1) Space. I cannot stress this enough but you do in fact need space in your house to get into collecting arcade machines. First just start by finding enough space for a couple of machines then you'll notice,your house tends to become more open. It's funny how that works.

2) Be handy. Look at it like this: if you're buying a 20 year old machine, you might get the random glitch. It comes with the hobby. Think if you were buying a 20 year old car. Chances are you're going to have to get under the hood once in a blue moon.

This is especially true if you're buying a machine that's been in an arcade for its entire life. Just think of all those bratty kids that treated the joystick like it was their own personal pull-up bar. The game is going to be tired and is going to need some love and attention.

The good news is that there are literally hundreds of places you could go online for a missing part or manual for the machine that needs a little fix.

If you are not the handiest person in the world, its ok. I am positive you could find someone within your city limits that can fix an arcade game. Just think about every time you walk into a 7-11, laundromat, pool hall, etc, you always see at least one arcade game, don't you? Well, chances are the owners of those games have people they use to work on any problems.

3) Where/Who do I buy the machines from? Thank goodness for the internet. There are many sites that sell arcade machines. Where I recommend purchasing arcade games is eBay. It may seem very obvious, and for good reason. eBay is the best place to purchase arcade games for several reasons:

Selection - When you go to most other websites, you are only going to see what that particular seller (chances are he sells on eBay too), and only that seller, has available for sale. Meanwhile, going to eBay you will see hundreds, if not thousands of listings on arcade machines for sale.

Price - If you're just starting your collection, you came in at a very good time. Arcade machines are selling for a lot less than they used to be and eBay is where you will get the most competitive pricing. It makes sense. The more competition there is, the better the prices are going to be. A tried and true example of the free market?

Feedback - This has to be the most important reason for buying machines through eBay. You can actually see what kind of reputation a seller has. If you went to another businesses' website do you honestly think they're going to report any problems they've had with past buyers? Of course they won't.

But in eBay you get to see every seller's feedback score. If you're looking at a particular game that interests you, then all you have to do is look at the seller's feedback and if it seems like he's had some problems in the past with buyers, then you know its time to move on to the next one. Because chances are, someone else in eBay is selling the very same machine and also has a much better reputation with buyers.

Thinking of building your very own arcade or perhaps want to add more games to your collection? Check out ClassicArcadeStore.com for more great tips on starting or adding to your arcade collection. You'll also find the thousands of arcade machines that are currently selling on eBay.

Two men wade through a flooded street toward a bus during the passing of Hurricane Paloma in Camaguey, Cuba, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008. Hurricane Paloma slammed into southern Cuba on Saturday as authorities scrambled to move hundreds of thousands of people to safer ground and protect crops on an island still reeling from two other storms.  (AP Photo/Javier Galeano)AP - Ferocious Hurricane Paloma roared across Cuba on Sunday, downing power lines, flooding the coast and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate on an island still recovering from two other devastating storms.

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