Archive for December, 2011

Golf Games Online

Playing golf online is becoming increasingly popular. Many games are available free of charge on major golf gaming sites and social networking forums. Gamers can practice their play in solo games and then enter networked groups to pit their expertise against family, friends or strangers from around the world.

The high end Flash Golf Games available online often have huge corporate sponsorship (clubs, clothing etc). This corporate endorsement of golf gaming online proves that there is a cross-over market from online golf to the real world; that corporations recognize the financial returns that are possible if an online market is targeted correctly. Playing golf online is the ideal way to learn about golf. New golfers can learn terminology and rules of play in the comfort of their homes before heading to a real course, where the pressure of the costs involved and the ‘club’ style exclusivity might inhibit them and their appreciation of the game. Home players can also enjoy playing on the best courses available – from Japan to South Africa – for free. This has appeal to beginner golfers and pros alike.

Fantasy Golf, like Fantasy Football is all all year round leader-board game, that focuses less on graphics and realism, and more on competition between individuals. Fantasy golf, off all the golf games online will closely mimic the events occurring in the actual golfing world. Online players can make predictions, create their own teams and track their points (according to the success of their choices). Fantasy Golf games might not be much fun to look at, they have little or no kinetic simulation, but the developers work hard on the algorithms and code involved to make fantasy golf gamers feel like they really are part of the minute to minute world of golf. Read the rest of this entry »

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Playing Horse Games Online

It is a well known fact that most kids love horses. In fact, many of us can still remember the day we wrote to Santa asking for a pony on Christmas day. However, it is also true most of us would also get hit by a reality check, which would make us aware of the fact that having a pony in our living room is very unlikely. For this disappointed, horse loving crowd, technology offers an alternative to relive your youth and enjoy riding a horse online, even if it is just a virtual one.

Free horse games you can play online have become increasingly popular over the last couple of years. A great deal of children specifically search for kids horse games they can play online. Game titles in this genre are mostly composed of horse racing games, jumping games, or the ever so popular horse dress up game genre. One of the most thought after titles is “Horsey Racing”, by Gamesheep. These folks have really been able to capture the interest of millions of children with their version of a kids horse game that you can play online free.

There are many other titles and versions of horse games online that feature these animals as the main character in their plot. But for some reason most game developers and sponsors seem to have targeted these games primarily to an adult crowd. It is true, that the term “horse games” may easily be confused with the adult aspect, or betting at the tracks. However, I personally feel that overlooking the young market in a segment such as this one renders a very high opportunity cost. Read the rest of this entry »

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Play Games Online – What’s Currently Out There?

Do you want to play games online but aren’t too familiar with what’s currently out there or how to get started? Here’s a quick overview.

Most online games are free, supported mostly by ads, though some games charge users for premium features. Casual games are the most popular because they are user-friendly, easy to learn and can usually be completed in 10 minutes or less. Massively multiplayer online games are fast gaining popularity and are the next major potential game market. Recent surveys conducted by Nielson show that 72.5% of households in the US have broadband connections. Homes with broadband connections are naturally the hottest target for online games.  Also advances in software technology, especially the introduction of Java and Flash, have given a boost to playing games online. Here’s a summary of the various online gaming options now available –

–Online First Person Shooter Games

These games allow you to enjoy an arena style of play whereby you take on your competitor head-to-head. Since the introduction of DOOM in the early 90′s this type of online gaming has become extremely popular among the younger teenagers. What makes it a rage is its amazing graphics featuring exciting armed combat scenarios, deadly arsenals, and a cast of nefarious enemies to shoot at. Kids worldwide have been thrilled with the release of Doom 3, Far Cry, Halo2 and others. Another, older online game, also of the first person shooter type, is what has been described as “The best game ever” by the PC Gamer Magazine. In Half Life 2 the player is tasked with saving Earth from deadly aliens who have attacked our world. It has won more than 100 gaming awards. Another popular game is The Jackal, which takes you to Africa in the search of a mysterious killer. To succeed in your mission you have to exploit and play on the weaknesses of various warlords through crafting plots, using force and planning surprise attacks. Read the rest of this entry »

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