basement waterproofing

Gaming News March 2019

Yes its here! Your guide to Gaming News and events in March of 2019

PlayStation Sale!

This month PlayStation network have launched a sale across their store, they are offering discounts on literally hundreds of games from different genres. Here are just a handful of the bigger names I recognised which you could grab for a pretty decent price:

  • Red Dead Redemption
  • Dawn Zero Horizon
  • Borderlands 2
  • Witcher 3 Complete Edition
  • GTA V
  • Wolfenstein II the new order

Apex Legends- Battle Royale King?

And in other news, Apex Legends is the new kid on the block in the Battle Royal scene, but can it compete with the big guns such as Fortnite and player unknown Battlegrounds?

Within 8 hours of launch Apex Legends had gained over one MILLION players online. Is this a sign Apex is about to Rival the gaming giant that is Fortnite Battle Royale? Well , not necessarily. The developers of Apex have said that they deliberately withheld some details of the game and any hints at launch before launching it to ensure maximum impact and organic growth through the playerbase. At the moment Battle Royale is all the rage but it may not be long until we see a resurgence into other game types or online formats

Some of the key ingredients to Apex Legends success lie amongst the games it has taken inspiration from. Apex Legends incorporates features such as having a specific player class each based around different capabilities. E.g Medic , gunner etc. This contrasts from fortnite where you can change skins however the character traits of your character remain generic.

Another way in which Apex Legends Has made waves within the Gaming industry is by being free to download and play. This business model is actually pretty effective as companies such as epic games have found out. The customisation of characters and skins in game is a massive market and gaming companies have reported making more in-in game transactions in many cases than the base cost of the game on average per player! So its safe to say that free to play online games are pretty hot subjects for Gaming companies these days

Fallout 76 – Hit Or Miss?

For Bethesda it has not been an easy year, with a number of high profile games coming out and strong competition on all sides they had to come out guns blazing with their next publication. Fallout 76 is Bethesda’s latest addition to the Fallout series of games and has definitely caused some debate amongst gamers.

Since Launch Fallout 76 has been plagued with a plethora of seemingly never ending bugs , glitches and what seem to be haphazardly designed missions and maps pasted from fallout 4. Die hard Fallout fans are divided to small degree as to how “good” the game is but there is a resounding feeling of anger at Bethesda over the way they made this game and how much effort they put into it. Youtube is awash with game reviews mercilessly calling out and taking apart the developers for their lack of input , care and attention to the Fallout community and their expectations for Fallout 76

Ultimately Fallout 76 was a venture into the relatively unknown for Bethesda and was described by many as a DLC attempt rather than a game. Overwhelmingly the community has not given Bethesda a warm welcome when it comes to the latest Fallout Edition..

Guest post by Dan4679

basement waterproofing

How I Built The Ultimate Gaming Room With Basement Waterproofing

Are you a serious gamer? Spend your spare time playing on Xbox or PS4 with your friends? Well if you have the space why not turn a room in your bachelor pad into a gaming room for you to hang out with friends or chill out on your own playing your favourite video game. With tips on basement waterproofing , interior design ideas and other tricks to transform your home.

Building Work & Basement Waterproofing

At first we got some electricians, plasterers and other maintenance building workers in to prepare the room. In my home the gaming room will be in my unused basement. We sometimes suffer from flooding problems so we hired Richardson & Starling to carry out some basement waterproofing to not only protect the room from flooding damage but also prevent potential fires – as there will be lots of cables and plug points.

Then some electricians came in and fitted more plug sockets around the room as well as fitting spot lights in the ceiling.

Plasterers were then hired to plaster up damage and holes in the wall as well as hide any hanging cables for safety and aesthetic reasons.

basement waterproofing

Interior Design Ideas

Once the building work was finished we were able to have creative freedom of design. We wanted the basement to look dark and cosy – the perfect environment for playing Fifa. The walls and ceiling were painted dark navy blue with dark coffee coloured wood flooring (easier to clean). We also bought a large dark brown leather couch as well as two lazy boy chairs for the ultimate comfort.

basement waterproofing

The Finishing Touches

Here is all the extra bits and bobs we purchased for the new gaming room:

  • Fridge: well we needed somewhere convenient to keep the beer and snacks
  • Lazy boy: have you seen Friends? Those comfy chairs that Joey & Chandler buy to watch TV – yeah we bought those!
  • Music speakers: because music solves everybody’s problems
  • 50″ LED Screen: a big TV for a big boys room
  • PS4 with extra controllers and head set: because this is where I can entertain friends as well as enjoy on my own
  • Pool Table & Darts board: because sometimes we need a break from gaming

The Big Reveal

After 8 long weeks, the room was finished! We decided to celebrate with the only way we know how – GAMING PARTY!!

I invited all my closest friends over to the new den, we drank beer, listened to music, talked about the premier league and obviously..we gamed!

basement waterproofing

Scientists Say Gamers Are More Intelligent

When you think about video gamers what do you think of?

  • Quiet
  • Introverted
  • Shy
  • Lazy

Gamers are widely known as those who just sit inside on sunny days, alone, spending hours playing on their console not talking to anyone. However a study at East Carolina University found that video gamers are far more intelligent. Here is how:

Stress Levels

The study revealed that playing video games actually makes people feel less stressed. It allows people to switch off from daily worries and blow off some steam.

While others may choose to de-stress by watching TV, scrolling through social media, socialising and drinking with friends or binge eating – video gamers already know how to switch off and de stress. As games have progressed, you can now connect with friends through microphones and play against each other from the comfort of your own home.

Creativity

The studied also revealed that gamers, especially those who have played video games from a young age, are more creative. From school age, gamers have been shown to be more artistic and creative in their artwork and creative writing. Another benefit that was shown was that children learn the skills on how to overcome challenges and obstacles fro an early age due to their creative advancements.

This skill of creativity actually means those who play video games can build upon relationships much easier than those who don’t.

Games also teach children from an early age that if you fail then you can try again rather than give up.


Numbers Games

In terms of statistics and figures, the study revealed that gamers are 20% smarter than those who don’t play games. Their personality trait of always being curious, finding new technologies, asking questions. This is another skills that leads them to be smarter.

Tips for Storing Video Games with Self Storage Kirkintilloch

Temperature Control and Weatherproof

When opting for self storage in Kirkintilloch to store your video games, it’s essential to ensure that the containers that you will be using are temperature controlled and weather proofed. You may not think this matters too much but excessive hot and cold temperatures can damage electronics. Weatherproofing will also help ensure that no water or damp gets into the self storage unit, which can also cause major damage. You may be able to check the manufacturers recommendations on the ideal storage temperature to help you out.

Organise Chords

When putting video games and consoles into self storage in Kirkintilloch it’s important to ensure that everything is properly packed and stored. There is nothing worse than losing something, such as a chord for a controller or console. Ensuring that everything is packed into the right box prior to opting for self storage in Kirkintilloch is a sure fire way of helping ensure that you stay organised.

Pests

It’s essential to keep in mind that your gaming equipment may not be the only thing in your storage unit. It cannot always be helped and even the best self storage facilities may run into issues like this once in a while. The best way to ensure that no pests of any kind come into contact with your precious equipment is so ensure that there are absolutely no food products in any of the boxes and this can include something as tiny as crumbs! One of the best ways of preventing pests is to use a plastic container, rather than cardboard boxes and make sure that the lid is fitted.

Avoid Scratching Disks

Due to all the moving about, it is important to maintain the integrity of your disks and help ensure that they don’t get scratched in transit. The best way to do this is to ensure that all disks are kept in their original case, where possible. If when getting things ready for self storage in Kirkintilloch you realise that you are missing some of the original casing, don’t worry, there are a few things that you can do. You can either buy empty DVD cases or buy a folder with sleeves specially designed to hold disks. No matter what your budget, you can find a solution that works for you.

Clear Out Carefully

When clearing out anything, it’s important to carefully check what you are throwing out and what you are keeping. Especially with video game consoles and accessories – you don’t want to end up throwing out something that you may end up needing.

You may also need to be brutal with your choices of what you are keeping and what you are throwing out. Self storage in Kirkintilloch is generally priced by the size of storage container – as well as length of use. But you don’t want to end up paying over the odds if realistically you may not use some items again or if some items are worthless.

In Game Photography – Capturing a Virtual World

in game photography

The art of photography in the real world is a practice with decades of history and it is concerned with capturing meaningful and beautiful images from our physical surroundings. However, what about documenting the beauty within the myriad virtual worlds that exist within video games?

This imagined world of pixels is being captured by a number of talented photographers who travel the in-game environment searching for striking images – and some of the results of these photographic virtual explorations are simply gorgeous.

One of the biggest names in in-game photography is Duncan Harris, an English games journalist who operates the website DeadEndThrills. He captures truly stunning images of popular games, including Skyrim and Dishonored. He likens his art practice to that of still photography in movie production and his images are often used by the game companies in their promotional materials.

Another notable in-game photographer is James Pollock, a graphic design student in Bath, England who showcases his photography on his blog, Virtual Geographic. His style is very different than Harris’s photography, as he takes photos of his TV set with an iPod and uses apps such as Hipstamatic and Instagram to add filters and effects.

Other video game photographers include John Paul Bichard, Kent Sheely and Robert Overweg, each one experimenting with their artistic vision and finding their own unique way of capturing the virtual reality. For more info on this, please see the trick photography tutorials here.

The virtual worlds within video games have been lovingly constructed by game developers but most gamers are so immersed in their missions that they don’t often take the time to soak in the details. These photographers are seeing the videogame landscape in a new way and are finding beauty within these fictional places.

The art of in-game photography is only newly emerging, but as technology develops and virtual game worlds become even more realistic, detailed and artistic, there is certain to be more photographers who strive to capture striking scenes within their favorite games.

Use and Features of a Power Stacker Lift for Video Game Distribution

There are no two industries the same, despite this, there are many industries that can benefit from the same equipment. The distribution industry can benefit from many different types of handling equipment and vehicles to help get the job done quickly and more efficiently. There are many different branches of the distribution industry, including video game distribution. This article will tell you the uses and features of a power stacker lift for this particular type of work.

Features

There are many advantages of using a power stacker lift in the video game distribution industry. 

No Licence Required

Operators of a power stacker lift do not need a licence to operate them, although, for health and safety reasons everyone who operates any type of machinery should be fully trained and supervised. All the controls and safety precautions should be known and taken into consideration before use.

Low Costs

The initial cost of buying a power stacker lift is low compared to other types of handling equipment. Not only is the upfront cost of a power stacker lift reasonable but if you opt for an electric version they also have low running costs, in comparison to diesel, LPG and CNG.

No Pollution

Power stacker lifts don’t produce certain types of pollution; such as exhaust pollution, fumes and noise. They use a low amount of energy, producing less carbon emissions than other types of equipment.

Manoeuvrable

If your workspace is small and compact, it can be difficult to move large pieces of machinery around, due to this, having machinery that is either compact or manoeuvrable is essential. A power stacker lift comes with the advantage of being both and giving you the ability to work in a smaller space with ease and without needing to worry.

Better Operator Visibility

Power stackers are a smaller in comparison to other types of handling equipment, this allows operators to have more visual awareness when operating. They can see every part of the vehicle and are able to control it more efficiently.

power stacker lift

The Future of Video Game Distribution

 Many are unsure of the future of video game distribution and for good reason. We have seen CD’s and DVD’s both replaced largely by online sources and we could see video games make this shift soon. This could impact the industry to a great degree but we’ll just need to wait and see what happens.

Lips For Xbox 360 – Taking Games To A Higher Platform


Lips for Xbox 360, is a music franchise exclusively for Xbox 360, is the only singing game that provides wireless motion-sensitive microphones. Taking a complete new stage with Lips, give you the opportunity to sing your favorite music collection for free. Kick off channeling you favored pop star because it is you, your pals and most essential your music that transforms Lips into the eventual party experience and the capability to sing from your own music collection. Providing interactive motion-sensitive microphones to ensure your party remains lively throughout the night, while Lips inspires you to toss trepidations out the window and join the party.

Features

Two wireless interactive microphones

Featuring interactive motion lights and sensors, the microphones retort to singers’ actions. It can also be used as tapping accompaniments. With the encouragement and freedom offered by the wireless microphones, everybody can realize their singing visions in style.

The best music

Lips embrace a diverse selection of songs, comprising your favored blasts from the past as well as new songs from breakout stars. This enables you to link your past with your present; a wonderful feeling indeed.

Sing your music collection

Lips permits individuals to sing along with pals to music from their own collections.

Play along

Having an ordinary Xbox 360 controller, it enables even two people to join the fun and select from a variety of percussion accompaniment to enjoy playing their game along with the music from Lips. By engaging controls of numerous claps, tambourines, and the ubiquitous cowbell at your fingertips with a controller, create a social entertainment experience for co-workers, kids and friends alike.

Constant flow of new music

The Lips fo Xbox 360 comes along with music. In addition, you can add your own music collection and download current tracks from Xbox LIVE Marketplace. This guarantees you a continuous flow of music to bring people together and keep the party lively.

WARNING: You ought to have at least the basic singing experience to avoid public embarrassment! But not to worry… Simply checkout this superior singing method reviews here as a perfect combination to Lips.

WordPress Hosting

WordPress Hosting Guide

So what is WordPress Hosting you may ask? WordPress Hosting is a form of web hosting service that integrates WordPress into itself. This means that websites are a lot easier to build for beginners and often managed support is provided.

WordPress Hosting – The Basics

This form of hosting can include the installation of templates as well as programmes that are provided by WordPress. As well as basic WordPress hosting there is also managed and shared WordPress hosting. Basic WordPress packages can help to introduce users unfamiliar with web design into web design through WordPress. Word-presses layout has easy to use features and guides users through website and post creation.

WordPress Hosting

Managed WordPress Hosting

Managed Hosting is a form of web hosting which can be made available to web hosting users. Through this form of hosting users are offered a number unique features such as:

  • Faster load times and page navigation- Managed hosting offers better programmes and software to allow for more efficient navigation
  • Better security and protection – Antivirus software and other forms of security to protect users websites and data
  • Managed hosting offers a 24-7 support service whereby and questions or queries relating to the site or how it is made can be answered by experienced support staff.
  • This form of hosting can also offer a feature whereby you can make changes to your site and updates without having to make the site go fully online

Shared WordPress Hosting

This shared form of hosting is when your site shares a server with other websites. Share hosting is typically the cheapest option when it comes to web hosting . Shared hosting also has support service as standard but when it comes to updates of the site and performance improvements that is down to the site owner rather than the hosting company as it is not managed hosting.

What Effect Has Web Hosting Had On Gaming?

Within the gaming industry there is huge demand for web hosting for different games servers. With the rise of popular games such as fortnite and minecraft the gaming world has a large demand for online servers which can be used by gamers. Popularity has risen since the use of private servers in games such as battlefield 4 in which gamers could rent their own servers and customise their games. This gave gamers a new level of control on their matches and how they could customise them online.

As a result of this in addition to WordPress hosting which is more tailored towards bloggers and those wishing to start a website many companies have begun hosting services but tailored towards the Gaming industry. In the future more web hosting servers for gamers could widen the gaming community and prospects for even bigger and more inclusive games.

Overall Conclusions About Webhosting

To summarise it can be said that webhosting has an important influence both commercially and for recreational purposes in the gaming and online community markets. This is a fast and changing industry and is likely to increase in size in the future and find new ways of hosting sites.

Video Game Addiction and Depression in Kids

Video game addiction has been blamed for the rising cases of depression and other stress related health conditions in kids. This is an addiction just like addiction to drugs and gambling and should be treated with equal importance. Video game addiction develops over time with over indulgence and children risks loosing their social lives which is what results in the depression and anxiety.

Research conducted over the years has shown that kids who have introvert traits tend to fall into this problem more compared to their extrovert counterparts. This is because they find comfort when they are alone and so the introduction of video games gave them an opportunity to have fun in the comfort of their homes.

It is still not very clear what comes first, but psychologists believe that the relationship between video game addiction and depression can be both way, such that each can cause the other. Normal kids who have been allowed to over indulge in video games end up getting addicted and within no time start exhibiting anxiety behaviors.

It has also been proven that kids with depression brought about by other causes such as family conflicts, bullying or generally low self esteem usually resort to video games and with time it becomes an addiction which causes more depression and the cycle continues. For more info on curing anxiety, see some panic away reviews here.

Research conducted in schools indicates that it is possible to point out kids who spend their time playing video games from those who engage in interactive activities. Kids who play video games have low levels of concentration in class and they rarely participate. It is believed that video games have a way of occupying kids’ minds and since their brains are still not mature, they might not be able to strike a balance, hence causing the addiction. It is therefore important for parents and caregivers to train kids to balance their activities as this will save them from having to deal with depression at such early stages of life.

cdisc adam

Gaming Creators Are Using Cdisc ADaM To Improve Experience

The video game industry has blown up in the last ten to twenty years. With technology improvements making it easier for game creators to invent a virtual universe that players can immerse themselves in. In order to improve upon the games, it is no secret that the marketers and creators gather data and feedback from consumers.

Here is how gaming creators are using cdisc adam to capture relevant data to improve upon user experience.

Target Marketing

The number one rule if you want to maximise sales and profits – segment your market and target your product to those who will be willing and wanting to purchase. Most games are targeted to children and young adults and the majority of players are male aged 8-28. You can use cdisc adam data set to collect all the data in a readable format. It ensure you make the correct decisions, create the correct strategies and therefore produce and excellent product, or game in this instance.

cdisc adam

In-Game Marketing

Video games are immersive and addictive to those who play them. The amount of time and detail it has taken to create these games which allows players to enter into an entire universe. In-game marketing began when advertisers recognised they could place adverts or products within the game, whether that is a car, clothing or food brand. The brands can pay a fee to the game company to include their product within the virtual world.

Marketers can then use the data gathered from how engaged gamers are with their brand.

In-Game Data Collection

Video Game creators now install a cookie on live play games that allows cdisc adam data set to collect data that shows, how long the gamer is playing, what time they are playing, what are they engaging with the most in the game and if and how many other players there playing with. They can also determine the location of the player and sometimes the age of the player. This means that creators can analyse these statistics and improve upon marketing tactics, price promotions, where to sell the game and what demographic to sell to. This ensure that they maximise potential profits and reduce wasted costs.