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Articles on Games Matters:

Games Previews and Reviews

The Sony PS3 will be the most powerful game console ever released. The impressive parallel processing architecture and powerful GPU allows for arguably the most ambitious releases on a console ever. Certainly, the graphics and performance the system will deliver will outstrip that of its more prudent competitors, Xbox 360, and Nintendo's Wii. It should come as no surprise then, that many of the most anticipated titles of 2007 will launch on the PS3, some on multiple platforms, others exclusively. As impressive as the hardware is, it's really not important in the scheme of things; what really matters is what games you can actually play!

The PS3 is costly enough as it is, and as with anything else you invest in, you wouldn't want to do it before reading up on it first. What better way to do that, than to check out some PS3 game previews? Generally speaking, the best sources of PS3 previews will come from those websites and magazines that have generally covered PS2 and the original PS from the outset. General gaming sites like Gamespy/IGN, Gamespot, 1up, and GamesIndustry.biz are generally good sources of quick, easy to read news, game previews, and reviews. The quality varies, but what is common to each of these is that they will compare their subject matter to the competition. In this case, exclusive PS3 titles would be compared against games on Xbox 360 and Wii in any PS3 game review.

If you're already a fan, and you're set on having a PS3, you might prefer PS3 reviews from sites that deal with nothing else. Dedicated community fansites tend to have active discussion forms full of analysis of every last detail. More to the point, the staff who run such sites are generally fans themselves, and are just as interested in the system and games they post about, which is usually reflected in their reporting. Sites like PSXextreme, PSrules, PS3 Power, and PS3 Land are all good sources of PS3 game previews. Naturally, there aren't any PS3 reviews out yet, but these sites are already geared up and equipped to start posting them as soon as they hit the shelves in November.

Anticipated titles at release time will include the fourth game in the ever popular Gran Turismo series, Madden 07, Vampire's Rain, Crysis, Fatal Inertia, MotorStorm, Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty 3, NBA Live 07, Need for Speed: Carbon, Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire, Resistance: Fall of Man, and F.E.A.R. Also keep in mind that the PS3 is going to be widely backwards compatible with older PS and PS2 games, which you'll be able to buy from Son'y PNP service, if you don't already have them - one of the major selling points! For your PS3, game reviews already written will be just as useful. Finally, going back even further, Sony has announced that a wide variety of Sega Genesis (MegaDrive) games will be also be compatible with the PS3, opening up yet more games to its repertoire.

Andrew Lawrence
21 Nov 2006

Andrew Lawrence is the developer of http://www.e-bookz-online.co.uk a site that promotes mostly info products on all subjects.

To find out more info on the PS3 you can find a full in depth report at http://www.theps3report.e-bookz-online.co.uk.

Go Forth and Free Europe - Call of Duty 3

For those wondering how Call of Duty 3 (CoD3) stacks up to its predecessor, here is the answer: It plays almost exactly the same way.

A year of development has not added much at all to the system, and returning players will slip easily into battle. All of the controls are exactly the same as the second title. What makes game No. 3 worthwhile though is its new outline gameplay.

Featuring support for up to 24 players over Xbox Live, CoD3 has several modes of play, most interestingly, War. In this mode, both sides are tasked with capturing random locations on a map and holding them for as long as possible. Chaos quickly ensues.

Other modes include the usual deathmatch, capture the flag and more. With several drivable vehicles and classes to choose from, the online game lacking in CoD2 is finally here in CoD3. There was also minimal lag while I tested it, despite full servers and rapid movements. Players may find themselves thinking they were in the single-player campaign. That is, until the trash talking outline starts.

Multiplayer maps are balanced, tight and features solid choke points and workarounds for teams that can play and fight together. It also offers several classes, including classics like the medic and gunner, which offer up different weapons and uses in battle.

This is not to say that the single-player campaign is bad at all. With the story of the Normandy breakout being told over 14 missions, the game is much tighter this time around, culminating in the liberation of Paris from the Nazi forces.

Its usual upgrades are minor and subtle, but visuals are still detailed as before. They go a long way to adding realism to the game. Banisters explode, and that crate you may be hiding behind may not last under a hail of fire. Not all the environments are destructible, but enough of it is that players will be forced to choose wisely as they move from cover to cover.

Like all of its predecessors, CoD's music is well-themed, with orchestral strings rising to a crescendo in some of the game's best moments. There is a reason players do not get bored of re-playing World War II shooters, and this is one of them. CoD's music captures that epic scope of war.

Final Say:
If CoD2 left you with the feeling that there was so much more, then Call of Duty 3 will satisfy that feeling perfectly. Go forth, and free Europe!

Eugene Neubronner
Singapore
07 Dec 2006

Eugene is a freelance writer and a regular gamer. This article is abstracted from The Straits Times - Digital Life, December 5, 2006

Why Play Online Poker?

I have not played much online poker - and yet after a few months' experience, already I manage to win about $10/hour on average, not including the profit I made from deposit bonuses. I would not be able to do this offline. This is because I play only online poker, and using these advantages:

1. Low overhead.
Much lower rakes, no travel costs, no restaurant bills, no tipping.

2. Low minimums.
In offline poker, the lowest minimum generally is $5, and even this is not feasible because of the high rake. Whereas in online poker, you can start at 25¢ or even 10¢, and work your way up gradually.

3. Low stress.
Hazing is still there but is much easier to ignore in online poker. Also there are no "tells," no need to freeze your face. If you like, you even can take notes and read your cards aloud.

4. Table-hopping.
Whenever overmatched in online poker, you can change tables or even casinos without a long waiting line. Or just sign off and try again later.

5. Higher playing speeds.
Online poker is much faster. This means that you can win more per hour at lower levels.

Basic Resources for Online Poker Players
Poker guides may not be necessary-experience is what counts most. If however you are a rank beginner or want the best possible game, here is all you really need.

What Poker Games to Play?
I would avoid Stud games because there are relatively few online players, so you have little chance to seek out a winnable table. Success is easier in the following games.

1. Low Limit Hold'em.
This is by far the most popular game and the best place to start. Just start cruising various online casinos with a minimum deposit-leave any table as soon as you seem to be losing-and play more wherever you tend to win.

2. Single-table Hold'em tournaments.
This is not for everyone, because only the first three players win, the rest lose everything, and there is a lot of luck involved at the end. However those who have the feel for it can be regular winners. (Never mind multi-table tournaments, however-your chances of winning in those are rare.)

3. No Limit and Pot Limit Hold'em.
This is increasingly popular, with good reason-after a while, limit Hold'em can be a bore. However the trick is to find an online poker room where you can play with a modest stake, and frequently see the flop without having to bet everything. Usually the play is quite wild-but at some tables, everyone folds often against any show of determination. This can allow you to bluff successfully even with small bets, for a huge profit/risk ratio.

4. No Limit and Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo.
Don't ask me how to play Omaha Hi-Low-I tried it a few times and lost my shirt. In the process however, it seemed evident that for those who do learn Hi-Low properly, there is a steady stream of "that looks like fun" players like me just asking to be fleeced.

Strategy Tips for Online Poker Beginners
Here are my ways of taking advantage of the little tricks that most online poker players eventually learn, and which you might as well learn as soon as possible. My tactics suggested here probably are not very professional-they are over-cautious, to be sure. However the goal of the beginner is not to win the most in the long term, but only to win and to do so steadily.

1. Taking advantage of position in online poker.
It is not enough to "have good position." You also must take advantage of a late position in online poker, by semi-bluffing when you have some chance both to win and also to fold the table. Conversely however, also look out for the over-bluffer. Then just wait until you have a killer hand-play possum while he bluffs away-and then, wham.

2. Do not slow play in Low Limit Hold'em.
With some exceptions, in low limit poker games, usually slow play doesn't pay. Your opposition usually will fold or play somewhat regardless of what you do-so when you have a strong hand, play its worth from the start.

3. Milking your 4-flush.
Always remember in Hold'em that when you have 2 pocket cards the same suit-and exactly 2 more of that suit hit the flop-and if you hold a face card-and if there is little sign of someone building a house or better-then you already know that on average, you will win approximately half the time. This means that if only you can keep 2 or more opponents in such a poker game, on that flop you should try to pile the bets to the ceiling.

4. Cooling your 4-flush on the turn.
So you bet high on the flop hoping to complete a face-high flush-then on the turn, it does not come. Here is where you want to keep the bets low, your chances are no longer about 50%, but more like 25%. In No-Limit or Pot Limit, you may even want to fold if there is only one opponent and he is making extreme bets-conversely however, you cannot reveal this reluctance, but must bet something semi-substantial if you have early position.

5. Cooling your faceless flush.
If one of your two-of-a-suit in the pocket is not a face card, then if two more of your suit hit the flop, you certainly want to stay in the game but keep it cheap. All too often, someone else is betting for the same flush and with a higher kicker.

6. Cooling your over-flush.
Here again you have two-of-a-suit-but instead of two more hitting the flop, you get three-a made flush. A dream come true? Maybe, but if another of your suit hits, and if you do not hold an Ace, this dream is a nightmare. At a full low-limit table, the chances are very high that someone has the Ace of that suit and is clinging to it. It is for the 4-flush holder to bet high on the flop and not on the turn-it is for the 5-flush holder to bet high on the turn, and not before.

7. Spotting the flush play.
If it is a full table and nobody bet high on the blind-and then somebody wants to raise the flop-consider folding as soon as you see three-of-a-suit on the board, even if you have a made straight. A flush is very likely.

Spotting the Best Online Poker Rooms
As implied in several sections above, the most basic strategy for new online poker players is "table-hopping," a.k.a., leave when you are losing. However the following pointers also may direct you to the best games from the start.

1. PlanetPoker.com is the place for rank beginners. Here firstly you will find free games that are not too bad, as free games go. Then when you feel ready for the real thing, you can start with limits as low as 10¢.

2. Generally prefer that your level be the lowest level. I.e., if you want to play $2 games, your chances may be better at a poker room that does not have 50¢ games. This is because, if the lowest level available is 50¢, then 50¢ tables are where the worst players are likely to go-the ones that you want to play. This leaves only the half-decent or better players at the $2 games-the ones you do not want to play. I.e., PlanetPoker.com is great for 10¢-50¢ beginners and perhaps fine for seasoned $5-$10 players, but probably is not the best place for intermediate $2 games!
Beware of over-popular online poker rooms ParadisePoker.com is the most popular card room on the Internet, and many players do very well there, but not I. Is there something funny going on? No, in fact I had great luck for a while at their excellent single-table tournament games, and also I suspect that their Omaha Hi-Lo and their No Limit Hold'em games can be real winners for the right players. However the unfortunate dilemma is, any card room that is so well-designed and well-run, just is bound to attract all the best players...

Boldly go where no mouse has gone before... I.e., do not be afraid to try out the new, the small, the ugly and the small online poker rooms. The very fact that these places have few players means most of these players are either good or not good. So when you stumble on a new poker room full of poor players-stick to it like glue. Just don't get too nostalgic. As soon as you start losing, you may need to move on to another online poker room, probably the place has been "discovered" by the good players.

Steve Kolesar
12 Dec 2006

For more information on playing poker online and the top 3 sites to play on visit http://www.super7scasino.com