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If you were born in the 70’s or early 80’s, you probably remember how exciting it was when Pong came out. It was a dot that went from one side of the screen to the other. The most rudimentary of computer graphics, but it was perhaps the coolest thing in the history of the world at that time. I remember wanting an Atari so bad I could hardly stand it. Donkey Kong, Frogger, and Pac Man it was all so amazing. With every new game we were more and more astonished at how awesome this invention was.

Just when we thought things couldn’t get any better, along came Nintendo. The world had never seemed happier or better than it did in that moment. I played Super Mario Bros. for thousands of hours. I had the arrows from the direction keys pressed into my thumbs for days. Conquering that game seemed impossible. The thrill of victory when I did manage to get through all the levels and save the princess was amazing! Even to this day, I have an old school Nintendo and my kids think I am a video game rock star because I can beat Super Mario.

Throughout the past 20 years or so, there have been many gaming systems come and go. All of them leading up to the next one with new features and better graphics and even Blue Ray capabilities, the competition between Sony , Nintendo and Microsoft has led to gaming systems that are technological feats and usually quite reasonably priced.

In 2001 Microsoft introduced the Xbox. This was in direct competition with Nintendo’s Gamecube that came out that same year. The Xbox blew the game cube away. The Xbox exceeded Gamecube in RAM, MHz and Memory Bus Bandwidth. In addition to these features, the Gamecube seemed to be more geared to younger gamers. The controls and the cosmetic look of the system itself seemed to suit an elementary school child more so than a teenager.

Also, the games for the Gamecube did not fit into the same genre of games that Xbox provides. While Gamecube had the good old fashioned games like Donkey Kong. Xbox had Halo. Let’s face it; teenage boys would rather shoot guns that be a monkey throwing barrels. Teenagers drive the market for video games. This could be on of the reasons that Xbox has still flourished almost 9 years after it’s release.

How many of us have ever heard our mother’s telling us that the TV will rot our brains?
Remember the first time you ever stayed up until the sunrise playing video games? Mom had a few choice words to say about that as well.

While it truly is not a good practice to stay up all night playing Halo 3 or staying up all night for any reason really. Video games have come a long way in providing not just entertainment but also educational games as well. You can find games for pre-school aged children all the way up to games to sharpen adult’s minds as well.

X-Box 360 offers many types of games that are educational for the young and old alike.
You can find everything from puzzle games like Bejeweled or even Tetris like games that require quick thinking and movement of shapes that sharpen decisions and reflexes to trivia games that test your knowledge of different subjects. You can play different versions of Scene It, the game that tests your movie and TV knowledge or you can play Are You Smarter that a 5th Grader. I guarantee you; you will walk away from that one feeling like you should maybe start school all over again.

There is even a game called Brain Challenge. This game offers a wide variety of activities that boost brain activity and develops stress management skills.
Even some of the strategy games that are available are useful. While at first glance they may seem like just another game to conquer, they are actually very good at helping to sharpen the mind to think ahead and plan strategically in situations to get to the end result. Like playing chess, you must always think 2 moves ahead and have a specific objective.

So, while not all games are considered educational. There are some that are out there to be more than just mere entertainment. So, rather than rotting your brain they may actually improve upon it.

Here is one of the toughest questions to ask any gamer. What are the top Xbox or Xbox 360 games? With there being so many different game styles and genres out there. It makes that question a very difficult one to answer. I guess the best way to answer this question would be to look at a few top selling games available now. We will start off with Call of Duty 4. This game offers both amazing story and online play. This next game uses the new Frostbite engine. Battlefield: Bad Company opens many new doors for gamers. With this new engine your able to destroy a building or level an entire forest just to take out one enemy. With single player and two different online modes Gold Rush and Conquest. This game will give you many hours of great play. For you racing fans I have a treats for you to check out. GRID it has everything that racing fans love to see. The wrecks and damage to the vehicles in this game are amazing to say the least. A competitive single player career mode will test your driving abilities. Now onto the role playing games. My personal favorite is The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Although there is no online play. This game offers a rich environment complete with weather and seasonal changes. You will find yourself spending hours and hours lost in its deep story line. Lets not forget about you sports fan. Now there are a lot of different sports games available out there. Lets just go with one of the most popular and best selling games. The Madden football games are always a good buy for the sports enthusiast. It provides both single and online play. This series always manages to give you bone crushing graphics and game play. These are just some of my personal favorites available now. I have found a list of the top selling games for Xbox and Xbox 360. This link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_video_games#Xbox_360 gives you that list. This list is generated by the millions of copies sold.

Everyone has there own opinion about what the best or top games are for the Xbox and Xbox 360. Before you just run out and buy a new game. Check to see if it is available to rent so you can try it out for yourself. Not all games live up to the hype or videos that’s thrown out there. You could also check to see if a friend already has it. Then just ask to borrow the game and make your own guess about if its worth buying. Now you can start making your own top games library.

Where to buy that second hand or cheaper Xbox or Xbox 360?  I’m sure that question has come across the minds of many people.  Well I have a few tips that  could be the answer to that question.  The first place to look would be at your local video game store.  A lot of these stores take systems in for trade.  They then sell them as used units.  I know not every town has a video game store that you can just run to. So here are a few more ideas.  Check some of the local pawn shops.  Some people do get into situations were they need a few extra bucks, so they pawn there Xbox or Xbox 360.  This is also a great place to find used games as well.  You can usually pick one up for $75 to $100 dollars less then a new system.  Some other ideas like check your newspaper for  ads to see if anyone has one listed for sale.  Some great deals can be found there.  A lot of people will sell there Xbox or Xbox 360 with games for a very reasonable price.  Another thing you can try is to just ask around.  You would be surprised at how many of your friends know someone that has one for sale.  The beauty of buying a system through these methods is that you will be able to try it out.  This way you will know that the Xbox or Xbox 360 is working to your satisfaction.  All you have to do is ask.  Now if they don’t want to let you, then you probably don’t want that particular system.

The final spot that you could find an Xbox or Xbox 360 is online.  Now you are guaranteed to find a system there.  Any of the auction sites like eBay will have one or more for sell.  One thing I would do before I bought a system from an auction site, is check the reputation  or customer satisfaction rating.  You can also check out the online stores for some great deals. Such as  Gamestop.com they always have some great deals on used systems. There are a couple things that will want to ask before you purchase a used Xbox or Xbox 360.  First find out if the system still has a factory warranty.  If you purchase your system from an online story see if they have  a return policy and what it is.  Now with some of these ideas you could be gaming in no time at all.  So what are you waiting for go get your Xbox or Xbox 360 today.

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Microsoft makes another huge move to take the next gen gaming market by storm.  Microsoft announces another price drop for the Xbox 360 console.  With it’s latest drop down to  $199.  This move makes  the Xbox 360 the best priced system on the market today.  Now you don’t have to weigh the pros and cons between the Xbox 360 and the Wii. When price was a deciding factor between the two.

With this drop in price you save $50.00 when compared to the Nintendo Wii system.  Not only does the Xbox 360 have the best price now, but you also get one of the industries largest selection of games.  In my opinion this drop in price will boost the Xbox 360 to new heights.  The impact of this announcement is sure to have Sony and Nintendo shaking in there boots.  I guess the big question is what will they do to counter such a move and is it to late.  Now the Xbox 360 offers the best price, warranty and game selection available.

What more could you ask for from a gaming  company.  This is the $199 Arcade bundle  as they call it.  Don’t worry though they have cut the price across the board on all there systems.  This system will come with the 256 mb memory stick and the wired controller.  There next step up from that is the  premium bundle it starts at $299 and offers a 60 GB hard drive, wireless controller, and the headset.  The final bundle is the Elite at $399.  This system offers a 120 GB hard drive, wireless controller, headset, and the new flat black finish. In the next gen gaming war it puts Xbox 360 at the lowest price against the Nintendo Wii.  It also puts the Xbox 360’s best system in competition with the Sony Playstation 3.  The Playstation 3 starts out with there lowest grade system at $399.

With the three differences in price it opens the door for every type of gamer.  This price will allow Xbox  360 to corner an untapped market.  The new price of the Arcade bundle will give the Xbox 360 an attractive price for the occasional gamer.  It will also give you hardcore gamers something to cheer about. All I can ask is what is keeping you from getting your new Xbox 360. Now that  price is no longer an issue on which system to purchase.

There is only one true way to make money playing the Xbox or Xbox 360.  That is in tournaments.  What you need to do is practice and then practice some more. You need to find the game that your best at.  You will want to test your abilities online against other players.  Ask some of your friends if they play the same game then start playing online together building different strategies for different situations. After all of you are able to play together as a team, this means not every man for himself.  You will want to start looking for tournaments at  the local level.  If there isn’t any tournaments in your area this is what you do.  Just ask around to see if anyone else plays the game.

Then tell them you want to put together a tournament to see who has the better teams.  Once you have beaten all the other teams in your area you will want to expand.  When I say beat the other teams I mean there is no competition left for you.  Start looking at surrounding cities, try to find major cities that hold these Xbox or Xbox 360 tournaments.  This is when it will start to cost you some money to enter and travel.  There is a solution though.  Some stores in your area will gladly sponsor you and your team.  Just have some shirts or hats something of that nature made up with your sponsor logo’s on them.  Now your on your way to the big time.

The major city tournaments is when you will start making some money to help cover your expenses.  I have to warn you though if you don’t keep practicing you will not get very far.  These other teams practice all the time. Some have even made this there only source of income.  After you build your reputation there start looking out of state to even larger gaming events.  You will start to land bigger and better sponsors then too.  Your goal should be to make it to the MLG that is the Major League of Gaming.  Those are the best of the best compactions. Make it to the top of your game there and you will not only make great money.  You will also be recognized as one of the best in gaming.  This is where you land the best sponsors the biggest payouts and recognition.  It is the pinnacle of competition gaming.

Being a Game Tester is not the glamorous job everyone wants  it to be.  Some things you need to know before you apply for that position.  It is not about free games and hours of fun play.  Remember you’re a tester, this means you take a rough draft of a game and play it. The games that you test may not be your favorite style of games.  The game may not be a game you even want to play. Some games you test may never see final production.  The market may change before the game goes into production.  You will play the same level over and over again trying to find any imperfections in the graphics, sound, lighting and overall gameplay.

You will be looking for any glitches in the gameplay or environments.  Again these will only be rough drafts of the game, not a completed product.  So some of your testing will be done in black and white with grey shading.  Some games may or may not contain sound when you start testing them.  When the game does contain sound. You will be listening to make sure the sound is running with what is happening on screen.

Yes, some companies may provide you with a free finished copy of the game. But with all the hours you have spent playing the game in its roughest form and learning all of its little secrets.  This will probably keep you from playing the game in its final production.  Don’t let any of this discourage you from becoming a Game Tester.  This will lead to better opportunities in the future of gaming industry.  It is a huge stepping stone onto bigger and better things.  If the gaming industry is something your interested in then this is the job for you.

Taking care of your Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles is not as hard as many would like to think.  I have found many simple solutions to a carefree Xbox experience.  One of my first suggestions would be to get the Intercooler system.  This will ensure that the air flow throughout your system is sufficient enough to keep those processors running smooth.   This will also keep you from getting the dreaded  red ring of death. You will also want to keep an eye on your game discs, make sure they are free from any smudges or debris.

Check them for any scratches that could keep your disc from loading.  There are several different products out there that will repair your game discs.  Also you will want to keep your system dust free.  This means you will need to take a dry cloth and wipe it down at least every other day.  Make sure you check those cable connections.  They need to be clean and  connected properly.  Remember any cleaning that you do to your  Xbox console needs to be done with a dry cloth.  This will keep any impurities from getting into your system and damaging any of your contacts.  There is also air in a can.  When used as intended it does wonders for your system. Dust build up inside your Xbox can cause your system to heat up and stop working properly.  I would recommend you use this once a month.

It is highly recommended that you use some sort of surge protection.  If you have your Xbox console plugged into a surge protector this can cause your system to overheat. The problem with this, is that surge protectors have a short  shelf  life.  They will only protect electronics correctly for around six months.  You need to change them out periodically.   So if your system isn’t working correctly the first thing I would try is to unplug it from the surge protector and straight into an outlet.  This will let you know if you need to replace that surge protector.

You will  also need to avoid extreme temperatures.  Don’t place your console near a heating or cooling vent.  This also applies to your game discs.  Extreme temperatures can cause discs to warp or crack. Last thing if it is at all possible is use your Xbox in the upright position.  This keeps the airflow running throughout evenly.  It allows air to get to the DVD/ROM drive.  Just by following these simple steps, you will extend the life of your system.  This will give you many hours of  enjoyable carefree gamming.

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Turn that broken Xbox into money. There are many different avenues that you can take to make money with a broken Xbox. First off you need to check and see if your Xbox is still under warranty. Have your Serial Number ready and call 1-800-4MY-XBOX. They will be able to tell you about your warranty and if you can send it in for repair.

Now if your like me you don’t want to wait the 8 to 10 weeks for it to come back. So I went out and bought a new Xbox the same day that I sent my old one out. The thing is that they don’t want you to send your hard drive or anything else with it. So you don’t need to buy the more expense package. After getting my refurbished Xbox back from Microsoft I sold it on eBay, surprisingly this just about covered the cost of my new system. This gave me a couple of ideas on how to turn a broken Xbox into cash. Now there are a lot of “fix it yourself” websites out there.

With a little research you to can learn to repair a broken system. Most people wont send there broken system back to Microsoft instead they will sell them or even through them out. You will be able to find them anywhere. By simply placing ads in local newspapers. Then all you have to do is repair these busted systems. Post them on an auction site like eBay and wait for the money to roll in. Another way is that Xbox doesn’t say how many systems you can have registered under your name.

So if you don’t like the idea of repairing them yourself. Ask the person your buying it from when they bought it. If its within the three year warranty time line. Then just simply buy the broken system register it under your name. Send it out for repair. Now if you have enough systems going in and out of repair. You can then sell them either on eBay our out of your home. This could provide you with a steady income.

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