Teen Tech

Lets face it. What teenage gamer has not wanted to make the next big hit game that they can call their own? This post will be all about what tools to use to get you started in that direction. Some of these tools are free, some free to an extent, and others, somewhat expensive.

Here’s the list of tools for your use:

• Game-Maker (http://www.gamemaker.nl) - Created by a Utrecht University (In the Netherlands) professor of game design. Most functions are free, but at 20$ USD, the price can not be beaten. This is mostly for 2D Games, but if you register for the 20$, you can use the 3D systems.
• 3D Game Maker (http://t3dgm.thegamecreators.com) - A tool set used specifically for making 3D games very quickly. A great tool for learning the basics of game design. This tool ranges from 32 USD for the basic to 73 USD for the creator, FPS maker and FPS model set.
• And for the more advanced, you can download Microsoft’s Visual Basic .NET 2005 Express edition for free from Microsoft.com, and while your there you should get the DirectX Software Development Kit to go with VB.NET. This option takes a lot of work to get into and I’ve only begun to delve into it.

These are some great options to get you going on your hit game, so have fun with them.

Game Maker

3D Game Maker

Ok, so lets face it, some teens don’t have a whole lot of money to play video games from. Here’s a few tips on getting what you want (or need :)) without spending a lot of unnecessary money.

1. “Used” doesn’t mean broken. You can buy used games for sometimes half the money as the New version. Many stores offer warranties on used games, so if it doesn’t work take it back. Also, some stores will let you try out the game first. One Game Frenzy actually set up a Nintendo GameCube for my brother so that he could try a game out before he bought it.
2. Shop around. Don’t just grab the first version of the game you come across. Where a store specialized in games might have it, some supercenter like Wal-Mart may have it cheaper. There are many websites out there that offer games cheaper than in the stores with reasonable shipping.
3. If you’re unsure about a game, look for a free trial for it. World of Warcraft (”WoW”) has trials available for 3$ at Wal-Mart. Try it before you buy it.
4. Look for rebates. The base PSP (Play Station Portable) costs 199$ new. The used version costed 179$. I found a 20$ rebate on a new PSP which brought the price down the the price of the used system. This goes in with shopping around. Look for rebates online and most places advertise them.
5. Trade games in. Many stores will trade in games either for store credit or new games. If there’s some game that’s been in the closet for two years and hasn’t been played, trade it in. Get something for it.
6. Rent. This is a great way to try a game out before you buy. If you don’t like it then you’ve only spent a fraction of the full cost, and if you do like it, buy it.

While some of these may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people miss out on some really great deals, or don’t like what they bought. By following these simple steps, you’d be surprised what you can find.

I recently saw the movie The Illusionist.  At first, I wasn’t to enthused about watching it, but right from the start, it was excellent, and it only got better.  Starring Edward Norton and Jessica Biel, this film is a “must-see.”  On the Internet Movie Database, it has a 7.7/10 from 16,222 voters, so I’m not the only one who likes it.  In this post, I’ve been refraining from giving any details as to not give away the plot line as I’ve done many times in the past, but I strongly urge anyone who hasn’t seen it, to see it.

Aaron

OK, so here’s the list for games to be coming out for the rest of January:

Vanguard: Saga of Heroes -PC- 1/29
Battlestations: Midway -XBox360- 1/30
Fuzion Frenzy 2 -XBox360- 1/30
Rogue Galaxy -PS2- 1/30

So, not much to choose from for January (or what’s left of it), but keep tuned in because soon I will post the February list and it promises some new titles like a new Final Fantasy Game for the GameBoy Advance, or a Warriors game for the PSP, and also for the PSP, a Rocky Balboa game, so keep reading.

Hello and welcome to my Teen-Tech blog.  This blog will be about the latest technology stuff, but all oriented towards teens.  Within this blog, I will discuss Video Games, movies, and gadgetry. 

Well enough about what this is going to be about.

 In recent events, World of Warcraft (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com) released a new expansion pack for the game that has captivated many, many, many people, both young and old.  The expansion pack, named Burning Crusades, was released January 16, 2007.  Four people in my computers class at school went to the 12:01 AM release to get it as soon as humanly possible.  This release brought almost as many people camping out at stores as did the new Star Wars films.  I, personally was amazed.  The base of the game costs around 30$ and the expansion was about 50$, and on top of that there is a 15$ a month fee for playing this game.  Blizzard (the makers of “WoW”) boasts about 7,000,000 players world wide.  Let’s do the math.  7,000,000 * 15 = 105,000,000 dollars a month intake off of this game.  Don’t get me wrong.  If I had the money, I too would be a player of this graphically beautiful and amazingly well done game.  Kudos to Blizzard.