An online resource for gamers - retro games, arcade games, consoles and more

Welcome to our online resource for game addicts!
We're mad on PC, Arcade, Console and Online Card Games...

A Brief History of Gaming

Computer Games were first produced commercially in 1971. At that time they were mostly aimed for users of video arcades and game consoles, but with the onset of home computing during the late 70's and early 80's many people began to play and program simple games in their own homes. A cottage industry soon ensued, producing classic gaming heroes such as the Codemasters - two brothers who began producing commercial computer games from their bedroom in 1982. They started off by producing a BMX Simulator game and went on to produce some of the all time classic computer games such as the Colin McRae Rally series of games and Sensible Soccer. In 2005 Develop Magazine pronounced Codemasters as the world's leading independently owned video game developer and the two founders, Richard and David Darling, were also recently awarded the CBE for their 'services to the computer games industry'. After starting out producing games for the most popular computers of the 80's such as the ZX Spectrum and the BBC Micro they now produce for PCs, handheld devices,

mobile phones and the three main consoles - Playstation, Nintendo and Xbox.

Towards the bottom of this page you can find a selection of classic retro games and memorabilia that are for sale on ebay right now - just click on the items for a closer look. Isn't it amazing how much computer game technology has progressed? It all kicked off with an arcade game called pong way back in 1972

and now the industry is so successful that universities are teaching degrees in computer game programming - some people skip the education all together and make a career from being paid to test the latest computer games in the comfort of their own homes. Find out more about a career as a computer game tester here.

Modern Gaming

In recent times, as computers and games consoles have become more powerful, games have become more sophisticated and complicated. Techniques used in films are applied to give the same level of virtual reality. Gaming has become a collaborative experience as strangers meet up to play online in virtual worlds, with a strong sense of team playing and loyalty.

Applications such as Second Life have gone even further than this - it is a free to play, internet-based virtual world where people can be whoever they want and create the reality they want. Many people are

actually making money here too - creating things and selling real estate for 'Linden dollars' which can be exchanged for real cash. Some people spend more time in Second Life than they do in the real world and it is also being used for educational purposes - many colleges and universities use it as a platform for education, for example, there is a virtual continent called 'Scilands' which is devoted to technology and science.

MMORPG - Massive Multi-Player Online Role Playing Games

MMORPGs are a genre of computer role playing game. They are virtual worlds in which large numbers of players interact with one another at any given time. These games are incredibly popular and unlike many online games which are free to play, people are happy to part with large sums of money on virtual products or virtual gold which can enhance the playing capabilities of their online characters.

In some MMORPGs there have been instances of Chinese 'gamer farms' where people 'work' in the online worlds to earn credits or virtual 'gold' that they can transfer to the characters of other players who are willing to pay them with real cash to do so. So instead of wasting hours of your life going from newbie status to warrior class, you can go to work all day and come home to play, smug in the knowledge that whilst you were away your character was down the 'virtual gym' beefing up your online profile.

Mogs.com is a reputable company which sells add-ons and enhancements for MMORPG style games. Mogs stands for 'Massive Online Gaming Sales.' The company was formed in 2004 by a group of veteran MMORPG gamers, based in Ohio - titles that they work with include: Age of Conan, EverQuest, Final Fantasy XI, Guild Wars, Lineage, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars Galaxies and the extremely popular World of Warcraft.

In World of Warcraft, everything is about 'gold' and there are even websites such as goldsecrets.com who specialise in providing lucrative information on how to acquire the most gold in the shortest amount of time. Find out more about the World of Warcraft gold secrets here.

Online Card Games

Many traditional card games can now be played online - the most well known of these being Poker. Following on from the success of online Poker, other variants have begun to make an appearance, including, Canasta, Cribbage, Solitaire, Gin and Blackjack. At present , the game of Rummy is increasing in popularity and is a great example of taking a well loved game, revamping it and putting it online. Rummyroyal.com have mastered this to perfection - players participate from all corners of the globe and the site provides a safe and secure online environment for them to play.

Rummy Royal's version of Kalooki was specially adapted for the UK to accommodate the flood of interest which is currently surrounding the game. If you would like more information about Kalooki then visit Kalooki.me - an info site which provides an overview of the game, including it's origins and rules of how to play.

Pub Games

Also increasing in popularity are 'pub games' - online adaptations of games that used to be reserved for drinking houses, such as darts, skittles, table tennis and of course the most popular - snooker and pool.

Pool and snooker have been a firm favourite in games rooms, pubs and gentlemen's clubs for over a century so it is only natural that they should find their way onto the computer screen - the skills required to play are the same - adjusting the angles of play, choosing the power of the shot and planning advanced strategies to defeat your opponent. Online Pool and snooker games offer the added advantages of not having to leave the house and never having to buy a round, without the usual obstacles to a good night out such as missing pool cues, no chalk or a couple of big blokes hogging the table with a round of 'winner stays on'. Once you've mastered the online version you could soon be playing against people from all over the world - you can enter tournaments and possibly even become a pool king - without ever having to leave the comfort of your own home. A great example of an online pool and snooker site can be found at: poolsharks.com - Pool Sharks offers seven billiards games in one platform: four types of pool and three types of snooker.

A Return to Retro Gaming

Despite the sophistication and complexity of modern gaming, many players still hanker for the simplicity of retro games such as Pacman and Chuckie Egg. Games have been re-developed either though web-based applications such as the Facebook ZX Spectrum simulator or for mobile phones
and other devices. Games such as Worms - a simple yet highly playable game, released in 1995 and initially only available for the Amiga, was redeveloped and released again in 2007 for the Xbox -
with the option for multiple players both on and offline.

The Future

People have been playing computer games now for nearly forty years and look how far the industry has come - you could not have imagined the advances in gaming that have occured since it's humble origins in the early seventies. As well as the revamped versions of old classics there is now a burgeoning market in retro games and old computers, such as the Commodore 64 - these items make excellent investment pieces and contribute to the rich tapestry of our British gaming heritage - why not get yourself on ebay and grab a piece of history while you still can...