Online Video Game Rentals - How Do They Work?

By Jay Moncliff

Tired of going to the video store with the kids to rent those ever-popular video games? Many new services have cropped up in the last few years that make this parental ritual, and the late fees that go along with it, a thing of the past.
Going online to rent a video game is a great way to eliminate another errand and keep the kids happy. You never have to go any further than your mailbox, and you can keep the games until the kids are tired of them or beat them (whichever comes first).

Several services like Gamefly, Numbthumb and RentZero have begun serving this lucrative market, and the number of companies joining them is growing monthly. The concept is simple and convenient.
The services work more like a subscription than a video rental store. You select several games (up to 50 at Gamefly) that you would like to rent sometime in the future. These are placed in a lineup, or queue, that you will receive. Then, you’ll consult the kids and see how many at a time they want to receive. With this information, you’ll choose the subscription plan that you want. You can choose to receive one, two or three games at a time, with monthly fees that depend on the number selected. Most range from about $15.00 per month to $35.00 per month.
Your service will send the game(s) out to you along with prepaid envelopes for their return. They’ll arrive in your mailbox and you’ll need to carry them into the house. That’s it! No arguments at the video store, no chasing kids up and down the halls, no “out of stock” problems.
Once the kids (or significant other) has enjoyed the game, you simply drop it into the postage paid envelope and put it in a mailbox. When the company receives it, they send out the next game on the list. You keep the game as long as you want.

The queue is flexible as well. Game selection can be updated on the internet, and changes to the list take effect right away. The kids can make as many modifications as they want.
All of the plans have options to purchase a game that the kids just can’t seem to get enough of, and most charge pre-played game prices. However, most folks seem to enjoy trying as many games as possible each month, and you can always re-queue a game that you love.
Turnaround time is a factor, so consider where the game rental company is located. The closer you are to the mailing center, the sooner they’ll receive your returns and you’ll get your new games. Most of the plans average about 6-7 days from the time you mail your game back to when the new one is received, but that means you could try 4 games a month for each game subscription you get.

If you don’t like investing hundreds of dollars on games that you haven’t tried, or if you’re just too lazy to trudge to the video store each week, online video game rental services may be for you.
Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.videogamescenter.info/ a website specialized on Video Game, resources and articles. This site provides updated information on Video Game. For more info visit his site: Video Game

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How To Become A Video Game Tester – What You Need To Know!

By Michael Fieldings

How To Become A Video Game Tester is a commonly asked question onlin, probably because it seems to be such an attractive job! Just imagine being able to get up and the only work you had to do is get paid for playing video games.
That said and it sounds wonderful in theory but what do you need to know to learn How To Become A Video Game Tester? Today I am going to tell you a bit about how video game testing begun and explain why it is not as simple as just playing games for money!

When video games first started in the 80's there really was not much need for video game testers as a lot of the testing could be done by the programmers who were designing the games. This was mainly due to the size of the games that were being designed. As time went on and the video games became more complex there became more and more bugs in the games that the programmers themselves simply did not have time to spot or test for.
This was when the video game tester was born! The reason being was if a game was released that was too buggy and it got bad reviews then this would lead the video game company to lose a lot of money!

So what does a video game tester actually do?
Well in short what a video game tester does is during the building of a paticular video game, when it is nearly complete say 80% it is up to the video game tester to play the game and test for any errors or glitchs that may be in the gameplay, normally they are called bugs.
To learn How To Become A Video Game Tester you will need ti have good attention to detail and excellent communication skills as you will have to relay the info about the video game directly to the company or you might have to write it to them.
The pay for a video game tester can be quite high but does depend on your experience, also if you are wanting to know How To Become A Video Game Tester it is advisable to get a video game tester job part time at first and build up some experience to get the higher paid jobs!

So what can you do to learn How To Become A Video Game Tester?
The first thing you should do is seek out a video game developer as this can be an excellent starting point and they are the most likely to be able to land you a job. Although if you are not lucky enough to know a video game developer then I suggest you search the net for websites of game development companies and either search for video game tester jobs on the website or give them a call!
There are loads of video game development websites out there so if you ring enough you should strike gold. Another way you can learn How To Become A Video Game Tester is to search the net for sites that have done all the hard work for you and contain databases of video game tester jobs!
I hope this has helped you learn How To Become A Video Game Tester and helps you find your dream job!

Michael Fieldings is a qualified computer programmer and has ten years experience in IT. He writes articles and product recommendation on anything that can better your IT World!
For more info on How To Become A Video Game Tester and to learn how you can get your dream job in as little as 1 week Click the link below How To Become A Video Game Tester

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Video Games, Harmless Entertainment or Brewing Addiction?

By Troy Parrish

My boy doesn't want one video game or one video game console, he wants the Nintendo, the Sony and the Xbox and he wants all the games that go with it. He also wants access to the computer so that he can play games on the computer as well. It is as if he is plugged into these games all the time, at least he would like to be if allowed. Video games are big business, with over $13 billion spent each year on video and computer games. This suggests that an awful lot of playing is going on. New releases of games are eagerly anticipated by players and many are willing to stand in line for a day or two to get hold of a new system or spend hours hunting down a new release. Unquestionably, video games are attractive toys, particularly to boys.
Undoubtedly, parents have been concerned for a long time about the consuming nature of video games. Hours spent in front of a screen, in the dark if possible "can't be healthy" for a child. The encouragement to play or more traditional board game or to even go outside and play is something any boy of the electronic age has heard in response to his desire to play his electronic games. But is there any danger in video games? It is possible to overdo any activity, even good ones. One can sleep too much, exercise excessively and certainly we can eat too much hence it is without question possible to play video games in excess. But defining excess can be difficult. Clearly, three to four hours a day every day would be viewed as excessive by most, but what about three to four hours on the weekend? Should we count it only if they are played straight through or even if there are sizable chunks of time in between sessions? Is it excessive if there is no real demonstrative impact on the child and his behavior, attitudes and performance? There is also the variability within children to consider, some will be affected more easily by gaming than others.
There is growing evidence that video games can be both good and bad. Video games can teach certain skills such as cooperation, strategy and team building as well as some exposure to the technology that is ubiquitous in today's world. The new Wii is showing some benefits in terms of physical activity and is being used by some physical therapists. Do a Google search on the benefits of video games and you will find reputable articles discussing the benefits of video games. But the dangers are there as well. It is beyond doubt and well documented that TV violence influences violence in children. While there is little research into the connection between video games and violence, can the link be weaker than it is in television viewing? A game in which your character engages in violence has to be as influential as TV. But the dangers seem to go beyond the potential influence these games may have on character.
A recent study at Stanford University demonstrated that the brains of males responded to video game playing more than the brains of females, and that the increased brain activity was in the pleasure center of the brain. While the number of participants were small (less than 25), this type of research demonstrates that games do effect the brain. Other researchers are suggesting that games influence brain development for the negative and the too much time in front of a screen makes children more easily distracting and increases the difficulty they have in remaining still. The ever increasing diagnosis of disorders like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder may suggest that the number of hours in front of highly stimulating objects may be compromising our children's ability to be attentive and to occupy themselves quietly. Computer and video games will only add to this problem. And there is the issue of video game addiction.
While the American Medical Association has decided that there is insufficient evidence to declare excessive video gaming an addiction, it is only because of a lack of sufficient research. There are many that believe in time, excessive video gaming will be a recognized disorder. There are clinics that are beginning to offer treatment for gaming addiction and there are support groups beginning to form to deal with the issue. Addiction seems to present itself most often with games associated with on line communities.
These games usually involve the development of characters. These characters can develop abilities and skills as well as accumulate weapons and other assets that are valuable in the game world. The development of these characters takes many hours to develop and make the game very engrossing. Combined with the possibility of interacting with others, these online games form a type of alternate world into which many escape. There have been recent stories of divorces, health problems, child neglects and even death associated with these games in particular.