Head shots and artwork.

Anxiety object cult game and community projects: "Counter-Strike" is probably the most controversial games of all time - and also one of the most popular. Until today the games industry learns from the success of the hobby project that is now ten years old.

 

Between 19 and 27 June 1999 was a piece of software released to the world that until now the attention of millions of people bind: "Counter-Strike." At the beginning there are six maps, nine weapons and a mission - to free hostages. Today the former hobby project of two students on cultural cipher has become the object of fear politicians and educators, the football of the E-Sport - and the inspiration for plans and hopes of the games industry, its clients work for it.

"It grew by itself," said Counter-Strike "creator Le Minh the success of the first true web-2.0-game in a
Interview with the developer site Gamasutra. The two inventors had actually broken any rules at the time of successful computer games seemed to apply.

The story of "Counter-Strike" is also the story of a new
Generation of media consumers. Jess Cliff of Americans and the Vietnam-Minh Le Canadians get to know over the Internet. Together, the computer science students "Counter-Strike" - actually a reconstruction, a so-called mod, the ego-shooter Half-Life. " Soon after conducting the two already have a whole team that is always new versions developed.

2.0 Gaming, Community, Mulitplayer - all in 1999

The "Counter-Strike-maker is an example of a vanguard in the network not just consume, but organized and produced. "Counter-Strike", one could also say, is for computer games, what Wikipedia for encyclopedia and Linux operating systems is a large, successful community project. Until today, players develop new "Maps", playing the 'Counter-Strike community is alive after ten years than ever before. For a computer game, this incredibly life, certainly for one, it's not from professionals has been developed. Today, many are trying
this effect to make use - including titles such as Sony
"Little Big Planet" or Will Wright
"Spore" is the creativity of the player to tap.

Cliff Le Minh and modified a given computer game, not only in appearance, but fundamental: "Half-Life" sent the players alone in an underground high-tech laboratory in the fight against alien monsters. The modification leaves but teams of "policemen" and "terrorists" against each other. The host of players are using network cable or Internet connection. "Counter-Strike" is still one of the most popular multiplayer games of all time - and in turn model for all that, bringing industry giants like Sony, Microsoft and Electronic Arts are trying to player consoles and PC tie.

70 euros per month for Internet Flatrate

Modifications were disseminated in 1999 - new to Counter-Strike "was that the players not only against each other, but play each other. Also the "Co-op Gaming," Industry is now mainstream. And team-Shooter have been established as a separate genre. " 'Counter-Strike' was the first working team game," says "Counter-Strike" veteran David Hiltscher. He now works for ESL league games in Cologne, and knows the shooter since nine years. Cost him his hobby was 70 euros a month - so much he paid for telephone connection with Internet flatrate.

Multiplayer over the network, which was an expensive fun. The first users were thus from the IT professionals or are children of bourgeois parents. Nevertheless, play together brings people together, "we played with bankers and students together, and sometimes took us to the barbecue," explains David Hiltscher overcoming layer and age barriers.

The "Half-Life Valve manufacturer offering in 2000, a retail version of the modification" Counter-Strike "and land so that every year in the Top Ten. The creators of Minh Le and Jess Cliffe is Valve On. There are always new versions, the game finds the path to the disks of student PC.

"Counter-Strike" is code word and the fight

Also on the stone houses of Robert, on 26 April 2002 in his former school in Erfurt 16 people and then shot himself. At least since then is "Counter-Strike", a code has become a battle cry.

It is considered the prototypical violent game, before the politicians and educators warn. Although the investigation commission, the mass murder should be aware, though is that Robert Stone Houses "killing routines games" pursued,
but also makes clear that "Robert stone houses are not the nights by" Counter-Strike "has played, and" Counter-Strike "is not a long-running house by Robert Stein has been." For critics, the game does not matter: The fact that virtual head hits in "Counter-Strike" as a special ability card apply them enough to make it as "Killerspiel" to blame.

The popularity of the classic does not detract. To Counter-Strike "around is a huge subculture emerged on YouTube alone there are over 120,000 videos on the topic. Some fans even modify the modification, you can instead masked policemen and special forces
The Simpsons compete.

Others bring the art phenomenon
Street Art comes into play: In their version of grace subversive graffiti artist Banksy as the walls of the battle arenas: "This map is soon hot Nike map." That the alleged scene of potential killers perfectly on self-irony has shown again and again: whether in comics, like those
that of the "Counter-Strike" Bender cartoonists, now also produces animated films, or in the numerous real films, in which the player
absurd pages of "Counter-Strike" satirize: The jerky movements of the characters in the game, always the same Türquietsch noises from scratch respawning enemies. To Counter-Strike "humor can laugh at you, no surprise, even his players. Gamer jokes are inside jokes.

"Counter-Strike movie with hundreds of thousands of spectators

Other caricature prejudices. As Daniel Roth and Alexander Schenk, and its film
"A Gamer's Day" exaggerates the clichés: A boy wakes up in the midst of chip debris and flees into the world of the game. Hunger feelings slakes it with the exclusive food pizza, friends and parents can not hold on escapism, sometime mixed reality game world and he brings suit in the fight with gun and Tarnbewegungen waste to dustbin.

"The costume, we can tailor," recalls Alexander Roth. The high school student and his friend Daniel Schenk invested $ 1000 and from 2003 to 2005 two years of their leisure time in the strip. At 323 pages later, she documented the resonance of their work: Instead of the expected ten thousand of spectators, they reached hundreds of thousands. Their analysis also shows the generation of the media "Counter-Strike: Only three reports of print media about the film, and Giga, the only television station for computer. His audience will find "A Gamer's Day" on the Internet.

Like other youth cultures also creates the "Counter-Strike community their own rooms. Their subculture is differentiated from it, makes their characters and codes for unity and distinction to the outside. Punks gathered in a park, developed in small fanzines printed edition - the generation of "Counter-Strike" is completely on the Internet, their community is a digitally networked.

Computer games is now a sport has become, "Counter-Strike" with its
Hundreds of thousands of football fans is the E-Sports
World Championships five different sponsors and prize money.

And the Creator? They have retired, Minh Le does not respond to inquiries, just like Jess Cliffe. Auszuschlachten your glory, as the two apparently never quite considered.

To say it with a
"Counter-Strike" artists to say: "We can entertain ourselves, walking around, a bit of street art, and photograph them. We can even follow the rules and try to each other equally. But damn it all, it makes it more fun to break. "

Hot bees and diabolical surfers.

Just in time for the beginning of summer, besides dramas also taken fresh teen comedies and turbulent Filmbeileger popcorn entertainment as on the title sheets of the public press. ONLINE blogs helps you spoiled for choice.

 

Computer Bild

"Bandidas", F / MEX / USA 2006. Director: Joachim Rönninge, Espen Sandberg. Cast: Penélope Cruz, Salma Hayek. Format: 2,35:1 (16:9). FSK: 12 years. Issue price: 3,70 euros.

When the light kratzbürstigen figures Penélope Cruz ( "Volver") and Salma Hayek ( "Frida"), together with a screenplay by Luc Besson ( "The Fifth Element") in front of the camera, nothing more should go wrong. Up to a few bad puns in prepubertal infantile atmosphere we see is also an unambitious, but quickly made all the adventures of two Rächerinnen disinherited before hübscher Western scenery, which is mainly at a male audience.

Core of the event is the battle of Sara (Salma Hayek) and their complicity Maria (Penélope Cruz) against a New York bank, whose unscrupulous business practices, the two fathers took. Their common goal, as many branches auszurauben to the evil Garaus the company to make, provides all sorts of entanglements with idiot detectives, cool professional bank robbers and nasty villains. The stars of two hours is largely painless popcorn entertainment - but not do anything else.

To 5 July in the trade

SFT

"Perfect Deal", USA 1998. Directed by: Georges Chamchoum. Cast: Michael Dudikoff, Lee Majors. Format: 1,33:1 (4:3). FSK: 16 years. and "River Queen", GB / NZ 2005th Director: Vincent Ward. Cast: Samantha Morton, Kiefer Sutherland. Format: 1,85:1 (16:9). FSK: 16 years. Issue price: 4.50 euros.

Friends of the TV series "A Colt for all cases" can be happy, because her old star Lee Majors was 1998 in the thriller "Perfect Deal" on the entire feature length sympathetic warhorse mimes. In the role of the poker player Ben O'Conner, he along with two comrades from his military time a country club near an Indian Reservation.

But shortly after the inauguration party is anger at the door: His bartender D'Artagnan (Michael Dudikoff) verknallt is going to be in the chief subsidiary, while corrupt cops and mafia fiese the land of Indians to build a gigantic casino ergaunern want. Although the Lebanese director and producer George Chamchoum bravely tries, his second feature film with a bit of Indian folklore and veterans upgrade, so that he lands on the hard ground of the low-budget action, the only one of the fights alcohol pubs heroes blessed lives. Despite the good humor and good music to them at the end just shallow entertainment beer belly level left.

In "River Queen" is the Irish-immigrant New Zealand Sarah (Samantha Morton) at the end of the 19th Century by a young Maori pregnant, who died shortly afterwards. Against the opposition of her father brings them into the middle of the bloody turmoil of the New Zealand colonial wars of her son to the world, but already in childhood by his Maori grandfather, is kidnapped. As Sarah years later given the chance, to meet him again, she breaks down all the bridges and can be integrated into the unknown, from the indigenous-dominated hinterland lead.

Based on a true story and only after lengthy negotiations with the Maoristämmen at the Whanganui River in the west of New Zealand realized tugs the ambitious, multi-award winning drama with impressive images include a chapter of colonial history on the canvas, which is hardly known here. Like "The Navigator" (1987) and "Escape from the Ice" (1992) director Vincent Ward has also here a magical film created, one in Germany, despite its visual splendor on DVD, unfortunately, only got to see. With the "SFT" he also without subtitles, therefore, given a long, non-synchronized scenes in the Maori language a bit irritated. Nevertheless, Friends of dramatic cinema here safely accessed.

Published on 24 June in the trade

Super Illu

"Hans Roeckl and the Devil", GDR the 1974th Director: Hans Kratzert. Cast: Rolf Hoppe, Peter Aust. Format: 4:3. FSK: unlimited. Issue price: 2.99 euros.

This month shows us the "Super Illu" a fantastic fairy tale art. The creative puppeteer Hans Roeckl (Rolf Hoppe) receives is from the devil Flammfuß (Peter Aust) infinite imagination, however, needs all seven hours Useful created, otherwise he would eternally damned. When he was with his inventions is just the opposite of achieved what he intended, Roeckl need of something else that made him neither the devil drives in arms, nor the human damage.

The Ilse and Vilmos grain in 1968 to a children's fable about a manufactured rivalry between the devil and of man is Karl Marx himself had been invented, as his daughter, Eleanor wrote in her memoirs. In the seventies, evolved from the substance, then not only the special effects were great up in DEFA film, but also the most successful opera by the composer Joachim Werzlau, which until 1989 at a fixed program of the Berlin Staatsoper, and belonged to several stages after the GDR has been played. To the west is the eastern classics virtually unknown - all the more reason, a look at it.

From 2 to 8 July in the trade

TV Movie

"Nix wie raus aus Orange County, USA 2002. Director: Jake Kasdan. Cast: Colin Hanks, Jack Black. Format: 1,85:1 (16:9). FSK: 16 years. Issue price: 3.50 euros.

Just in time for the official beginning of summer is also the first summer movies angespült, here in the shape of the slightly oblique coming-out comedy about the Californian teenager Shaun (Colin Hanks). With the death of his buddies in a giant wave comes from the path of the Surfers dauergutgelaunten and opts for a highly symbolic book to find a career as a writer, in his opinion, only at the university in Stanford can begin. But surely the dream of lost study breaks, desperate attempt Shaun, the fate of a Snip Chen to beat.

Elegant meets Colin Hanks in the footsteps of his famous father Tom, but without the impressive number of game joyful Supporting Actor - especially Jack Black in the role of Feist, vollgedröhnten brother - would be the thing about not become. Probably for this reason, like Jake Kasdan second feature film after a failed start with "Zero Effect" anno 1998 now also the audience for a nice profit at the box office provided. As a successful alternative to the usual Teeniekomödienkram he avoids a moral message, despite all the raised fingers and ensures up to the beautiful conclusion of intelligent entertainment.

By 25 June in the trade

As the Prussian military role-playing ancestors invented.

200 years before the "Warcraft" was born in Prussia, the war game: the officers, barons and the king drew detailed maps than playing roller chances for success, and were deciding game. Without their hobby of war there would be no fantasy RPG.

 

Pride was the Prussian War Georg Leopold of rice joke already on his invention, a game table that lets you "memorable battle theater" in his room magic "could. Sun Rice praised his joke made of wood, paper and metal designed virtual reality 1812 in the instructions to. A war game he had designed to battles at home to be able to play. And rice joke incidentally even game developed mechanisms that are still in strategy games like "Warcraft" and online RPGs like World of Warcraft "was discovered.

The 200-year development of the Prussian war-chest of the game up to "World of Warcraft" is extremely shortened so: Only trained Prussian soldiers in war games commodes, then simplified the British author HG Wells ( "The Time Machine") 1911, the war-game concept to a tabletop game in the sixties developed some tabletop players the rules and regulations continue to roll in the characters devised by the fantasy worlds to roam. And as the computer quickly and cheaply enough, digitized a few fantasy fans the RPG mechanics.

The first simulated game world

The game elements, the Prussian war game anticipation, today at Pen & Paper RPGs and computer self-evident. For example, the possible importance of a detailed map as a playground. In Fantasy RPGs detailed maps are so important because it also makes the simulation of an imaginary game world. War Georg Leopold of rice joke wanted simulate battlefields.

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Before rice joke military use abstract, like chess playing. The War designed for 1812-King of Prussia Friedrich Wilhelm III. an analog simulator game worlds. Today, you can tactical war game apparatus, as he closed in
Schloss Charlottenburg, on the ground floor of the New Wing is confused with a commode.

The cover can be opened and rotate so that one in 15 times 18 square playing fields are given. In eleven drawers of the dresser are Holzbautsteine square from which you can assemble a playing field. There are mountains, hills, meadows, forests, villages, rivers, as historian Philip Hilgers (
PDF document) describes the battlefield simulator once could see from the inside.

New rice was a joke 'idea, to scan a landscape and thus to make playable. As the media scholar Claus Pias (
PDF document) in his analysis of the war game, said based on this modularization procedure "in the broadest sense, nor any modern strategy games." Rice drove to his wit extremely detailed maps work (pitch-scale 1:2373) of the desire to replicate reality.

RPG? THE MAIN CONCEPTS IN FEW WORDS

Click on the term to the statement to read

Pen & Paper RPG

Bereichnet with dice, paper, pen and regulations played RPGs. Describes a human game players the world in which their characters are. He embodies all the characters to which they meet, told the players, like the fantasy world reacts to their actions. A control system, several cubes and set numerical strengths, knowledge and skills of the characters give the game an objective basis and some random moment.

Tabletop

These so-called conflict simulations, the participants play with miniature armies on three-dimensional, lovingly reproduced battlegrounds for comprehensive regulatory battles? in historical settings, fantasy or science fiction worlds.

MUD

Abbreviation for Multi User Dungeon. A text adventure game in which several players at the same time from different computers from each other and move instead of just using the software can play. The first MUD played in a fantasy world with forests, secret passageways, monsters and magicians. In October 1978 began at the University of Essex Students Roy Trubshaw, the text-game program - and put, without knowing it, laid the foundation for an entire industry.

The same impulse can be in the 20th Century in many fantasy creators observed: The Linguist John Ronald Reuel Tolkien began around 1917 during a convalescent leave, in a note book a place called Middle-earth to sketch. He wanted to write not a novel, but history. He invented languages for his world, he drew family trees and maps sometime. "The Lord of the Rings" was just a by-product of this creation, in Tolkien feilte decades.

Playable made such fantasy worlds in the sixties, a few students who have an obvious idea implemented: they designed along the lines of the war game (in the 20th century as tabletops or conflict simulations known) rules, which force a player instead of a single figure in a fantasy world could.

War game Dungeon Master

With pen & paper RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons, it is since the sixties commonplace that a so-called Dungeon Master game as the interface to the game world - and told he determined what effects the actions of the players have. Since 1974 the game spread rapidly throughout the Western world: Because there was Dungeons & Dragons as a commercial parcel on the market.

The first Dungeon Master's history should probably Georg Leopold Baron of rice have been a joke: His war game was playing next to two parties (two to ten players in total) is also a third function: the so-called confidants. He calculated and evaluated as a "game instance and computing the impact of each round moves made," as Claus Pias rice joke 'rules together.

Rules for more realism

The rules under which rice wit 'game the game had to be calculated, are designed to be in the game world is a reality as credible as possible to simulate. Rice wit 'approach is reminiscent of today's RPGs.

Since the first test well in a role-play the concept of rules in the manner. In rice wit 'war game was a team in a generic commander several commanders command. But when a view on the game revealed that the river as a command to be interrupted and the communication was only to be restored, as historian Hilgers rice wit 'instruction quoted the players could not order exchange - it would have the situation of its characters denied.

Rice also requested joke that the members of a team with brief notes on cards to enable the opponent none of the internal arrangements mitbekamen (In-Character name role players such details today).

Rice joke worked very detailed rules for certain processes with reproducible results can be simulated. Some details of 1812 look a lot like today's role-playing elements such as movement concepts factor, hit points and armor class. How quickly some units can move, gave rice for every single joke in "Step per minute" - with special circles measure the distances the players on the pitch from. Other limitations:, an infantry unit is a round long step in the storm, it must be on the next train at least a slower pace moving.

Dice as a simulation tool

The son of war-game inventor Georg Leopold of rice wit the game system developed by his father more. The young lieutenant Georg Heinrich Rudolf systematized rice joke especially the use of dice. He presented after trials on the Berlin shooting range for average effect of weapons, that had in its new edition of the war game, but also that deviations from the reference value has to erwürfeln. To simulate the most similar to role-playing systems is still the chance. Auswürfeln had the players then and now everything imaginable - on rice wit junior, for example, as a sort Cavalry Regiment still has after it has a slope hinabgeritten.

The young Rice was a joke with his war game quite successfully - Friedrich Wilhelm III. played it well like the previous model, his son William I recommended it to him and pushed until it Prussian officers officially 185 years ago as a training tool has been recommended.

Has benefited the young rice joke of the popularity of his little game - it was in the army probably bullied, moved into the province. He shot in 1827 at the age of 33 years, his father died in the 1829th Survivors, they have an approach that imaginary worlds with rule books, dice, paper and playable characters to make. For the first time was in the 20th Century after the first world, creator of fantasy worlds were created.

At that time, to wit rice 'time, appeared very few people in game worlds. The King of Prussia, for example. The military reported Wochenblatt 1874 hindsight, Friedrich Wilhelm III. have worked with sons, officers and adjutants often played into the night, so that "otherwise go to the divergence of the high fixed family hour, 1 / 2 11 clock, far exceeded" (
Google Book) was. The fictional worlds developed such a wake, that the players the night to beat the ears.

And this is so remains.

RPG

We report in the series of roleplaying - the true virtual reality "in a loose series about the history of the RPG - what grade are you interested in? How was the "Black Eye"? What makes Steve Jackson today? What is PBM? We welcome your suggestions via e-mail.

World's largest video game manufacturer threatens to boycott Sony.

The head of the video game giants Activision threatens the long-standing console market leader Sony open. If Sony's latest console is not selling better soon, you will no more games for the device.

 

"I started to worry me for Sony to make," said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision, the London "Times". The Playstation 3, Sony's latest high-end console, "loses a little momentum," said Kotick continued, it will also independent manufacturers such as Activision difficult, "the platform to support:" It is expensive for the console develop, and Wii and Xbox (360) simply sell better. " It is therefore simply worth more games for the consoles from Sony's competitors to market.

Playstation 3: Game producer is pushing for price cuts

According to the "Times" is Sony's games division in the past year 597 million U.S. dollars loss retracted. Kotick said the newspaper, but Activision had to Sony 500 million U.S. dollars off, inter alia, to royalties, the manufacturers of console software is always on the manufacturers of the consoles have to pay.

Activision has since last summer's largest video game manufacturer in the world: then merged the company with the division of Vivendi Games, which among other things, the "World of Warcraft" developer Blizzard Entertainment under the Activision umbrella brought. Previously, Electronic Arts, the number one among the manufacturers have been games.

Kotick uses the new power market is now obvious to Sony massively to put pressure on. The manufacturer should the price of the Playstation 3 cut, he said the "Times". Only if the PS3 will sell better, whether it still makes sense for the console games to be developed. It would be "2010 or 2011" re-consider whether you Sony would continue to support - and this applies to the living room console, the PS3 as well as for mobile PSP console.

GAME CONSOLES: THE LATEST GENERATION

Wii

obs / Nintendo of Europe

The small competitor is in contrast to the rival consoles, not high-resolution graphics, but delivers traditional television resolution. Nevertheless, the device is so popular that the manufacturer has not announced prices. In the United States overtook the Wii in July 2008 Microsoft's Xbox 360, what the sales figures are concerned. The console features a motion controller and bewegungssensitiven oriented accessories, such as the "Balance Board" from. With simple sports and fun games, it has for the industry, captured new audiences. A detailed test Wii can be found here.

Playstation 3

DDP

The direct competitor to Microsoft's Xbox 360 - the two consoles to compete with the hardcore gamers who are also prepared for high-resolution graphics to a TV buy. In March 2007, the console on the market in Europe. In July 2008, there were either 40 - or 60-GB hard drive - will also soon have a version with 80 GB on the market. It is the most expensive among the current models and gives a high-resolution video via an HDMI-out output. As the only game currently available, it contains a Blu-ray drive, which is also high-resolution Blu-ray discs can play. A detailed
Test of the PS3 can be found here.

Xbox 360

Microsoft's high-definition console is of the three longest current competitors on the market, namely since the end of 2005. Microsoft has repeatedly screwed on price and features. The 360 has a normal DVD drive in its basic version, but no hard drive. In July 2008, there were a model without a hard drive, a 20 gigabyte model and the black "elite" with 120 GB hard drive. The current models of HD images on an HDMI-out output. A comprehensive test on the Xbox 360 can be found here.

Sony PSP

The Playstation Portable, on the market since 2005, is Sony's first attempt, which traditionally used by Nintendo (Game Boy) dominated the market for mobile games a bit abzuzwacken. Since 2007, there is a slightly thinner version, called Slim and Lite. The mobile console can not only games, but also movies and music. Moreover, it can be via W-LAN to the Internet. Movie downloads and other content may differ from the PS3 to the PSP will be delayed, and the Mobile Console can have Internet access as a kind of remote for the PS3 to be used. The PSP is on the market for mobile games second rear Nintendo DS. A detailed
Test of the PSP can be found here.

Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS is since 2005 in a first version on the market since 2006 in an edition called slimmer DS Lite (pictured). DS stands for "dual screen". The console has a normal and in the bottom half of a touch-screen. Games will be on buttons or a stylus, the touchscreen with the edited, played. The DS is the PSP over Wi-Fi to connect to the internet, including online games and gimmicks such as pictures chat are possible. With games like "Nintendogs" and "Dr. Kawashimas brain-jogging" tapped the DS new target for mobile consoles. The DS is currently the best selling mobile game. A test report on the first version of the Nintendo DS can be found here.

Meanwhile, Sony Computer Entertainment of America with an opinion on Koticks words responding. The Playstation brand is
after the E3 video game trade show in Los Angeles a few weeks ago "with tremendous momentum" that we see "good growth". 350 titles were for "all platforms" (including the Playstation 2 console and the mobile PSP) announced, including many by independent partners. With these partners, we maintain healthy business relations. "

According to industry service Gamesindustry.biz Sony plans but actually a reduction in prices - the U.S. electronics chain, Game Stop had therefore recently, we expect a value around $ 100 a reduced price.

In Germany the price of a PS3 with 80 gigabyte hard drive and some accessories are currently around 370 euros, including Nintendo's Wii game around 235 Euro and Microsoft's Xbox 360 in a version with 60-GB hard drive nearly 240 euro.

Why video games are not (yet) smell.

Time and again, on new technologies spectacular discussed the intense gaming experience yet to make. In recent years there has been a lot of smells as a supplement for the game experience is cited. The British researcher Bob Stone is currently investigating the possibilities.

 

British researcher Bob Stone: "world full of sensory stimuli"

A soldier is running somewhere in the Middle East through a market. The weapon in the attack, he must the people in mind and to concentrate on his mission. Only not distracted - from the exotic spices, sweat or his fear of the tires, the nearby burn.

Situations like these are in video games easier to master than in reality. Because the game is limited to our perception of what we see and hear: We are witnessing the environment without their specific odors.

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What impact it would have if we are digital environments could also smell asks Bob Stone of Birmingham University: The researchers, commissioned by the British Defense Ministry has already diverse Serious Games has developed, is currently investigating whether soldiers by scent technologies to better operations can be prepared. "We live in a world full of sensory stimuli, in addition to vision and hearing also Keys, smell and taste to determine how we react to the environment," says Stone. How to behave in the virtual, he wants to with the help of freely available hardware "Scent Palette" check a device about the size of a shoebox.

But the system, embedded in paraffin wax scents with art fans blow in the direction of players, is still not mature: "While we can already smell manually hundreds with scenes related to the 'Far Cry' or' Quest 3D'-based Engine . And, for example, the odor of sewage, burning rubber or explosives solve strong reactions in the trial, "says Stone - but the lab needs to always be free of drafts and the players very close to the smell sit unit. Also could be released fragrances are difficult to replace by new.

THE LARGEST HARDWARE flops HISTORY OF VIDEO GAMES

Power Glove: The "unbelievable feeling" of the Nintendo Power glove of 1989, it was never set. Due to the lack of precision task is for him only two NES games, more were never programmed.

Virtual-reality glasses: From the hype of the nineties, one hears today only rarely. Despite increasingly sophisticated technology experienced VR glasses never their breakthrough.

Video Game Chair: Major announced today almost exclusively in arcades or GEE editors present: chair with speakers, vibration and beverage holders.

His results are therefore been sobering: "The volunteers did it all in good fun, but their training was not improved." But what of soldiers does not help, might at least make games attractive? Stone is too skeptical: "Is it important that the powder may smell of a gun? Bring one of the odor of a parasite in the game 'Half-Life 2' to jump from the chair - more than the Viecher alone would create ? I do not think so. This is just spectacular, but it very quickly. "

Perhaps he also has another reason right with his doubts: Who wants to know that his room the next morning still under the ruins of bosses smell?

Virtual worlds for children in the test.

Besides all the Orc and Elfenbrutstätten for adults, there is now an impressive number of virtual worlds, exclusively designed for children. The magazine GEE has visited five of these refuges, and tested how expensive, safe and fun they are.

 

Children and the Internet - this is a highly acclaimed and hotly-debated topic. Never before had children the opportunity to get together with people from all over the world, learn from and play with them.

Virtual World Papermint Children: anonymity of the network also introduces risks

But at the same time poses the anonymity of the network threats, and it was just the uncertainty, not knowing who is behind a pseudonym really is.

Parents are now in a dilemma: on the one hand, they fear for their children, on the other hand, they want to give them confidence and they do not watch the whole time. A general ban would not be useful: It would take the kids not only about the slight chance of playing on-line entry will - it could also isolate the class community.

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Currently appearing more and more online worlds, which want to solve the problem by focusing specifically on children. They said the operator, they may, among themselves, undisturbed surf, chat with peers and familiar with the network, without its dangers to be.

Such protection zones for the smallest user of the Internet jungle are a great idea - but how to finance these worlds with item sales, advertising, Abogebühren? What control options are the guardians of action? And most importantly: how is good, besides all the security measures, the actual game world?

Electronic Arts paid wrong fundamentalists.

The video game manufacturer Electronic Arts must admit questionable advertising methods: A supposedly fundamental Christian demonstration in Los Angeles against a game of the group was in fact a marketing campaign.

 

Sven Stillich
Purchased demonstrators: "Hell is not a game!"

The whole thing was just too strange to be true: The approximately 20 demonstrators who last week before the entrance to the area of video game trade show Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles signs such as "Hell is not a game!" hochhielten (
ONLINE blogs reported), was not a real Christian fundamentalists. The group, which also pamphlets against the development is to game called "Dante's Inferno" distributed, consisted in reality of paid employees of an agency for viral marketing. That is what the producers of the game, Electronic Arts, now acknowledged. The whole was a marketing gag.

True Christian fundamentalists are likely to benefit from the methods of the videogame company little thrilled - remains to be seen whether the action still has a post game. The small group of demonstrators had ostentatiously excited about the fact that in the game, very loosely on Dante's "Divine Comedy" is based, for example with a cross as a weapon will be fought.

Both the posters and flyers and web page of the group, however, seemed unintentionally funny too - also referred to the links on the page exclusively designed horribly directly on advertising material for the game. Very early were therefore doubts about the authenticity of the protest loud. A demand of online blogs on the topic last week was no comment from Electronic Arts Germany - now clarified the Speaker of the U.S. parent company on the matter.

The fact that video game producers to use unusual means to draw attention for their titles to produce and there is gang - but this action marked a new level of public deception. Especially as Christians about the real thing could be quite acidic.