Games People Play

Gaming is not only a big industry today, it is also considered the ultimate pastime by many. But what really is it all about? What are various formats and what’s the best gaming experience? We examine the options.

You Should Know...

Gaming Today

Games... where would we be without them? In a relatively short span of time, gaming has revolutionized our lives. It has grown from being a simple tool to pass our free time to a worldwide phenomenon. The video game industry itself is estimated to be worth $10 billion per year. Believe it or not, this is more than what even Hollywood rakes in!

One of the paradigm shifts to have taken place here over the last few years has also seen games appeal to a wider audience and not just teenagers. In countries like the US, gaming has even become a career option with players such as "Fata1ity" making a good living by winning some tournaments. Make no mistake: Gaming today is serious business.

Gaming Lingo and its Meaning

Like anything else related to computers, gaming has its own unique parlance. Here are some of the most commonly used words and their meanings:

1) FPS

a) First Person Shooter; which refers to the genre of game. For e.g.: Doom 3, Half Life 2
b) Frames Per Second; which refers to the number of frames displayed on the screen per second. Higher the number of frames, the smoother the performance.

2) RPG

Role Playing Game; which refers to the genre of game. E.g., Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.

3) MMORPG

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game; a relatively new entrant into the gaming arena, it’s quickly gaining popularity with games like World Of Warcraft and Ragnarok.

4) Frag

One kill. Thus, the player with the highest ‘frags’ in Doom 3 is the one who killed the most demons.

5) Boss

Refers to a special type of enemy who is tougher to beat and usually appears towards the end of the level.

6) Camper

Refers to a person who stays hidden during a multiplayer game, and waits for people to come to him before attacking. Used in a derogatory sense.

7) Newbie

Inexperienced player. Again, not used in a good way!

8) NPC

Non Player Character. They are part of the game but controlled by the computer.

9) AI

Artificial Intelligence.

10) Cut-scenes

Small cinematic scenes that are thrown in during the game to liven things up.