Tower Defense Games: From Atari to the iPad

Tower defense has been a popular game genre for decades. In this article, we'll present a fascinating rundown on the history of the tower defense game, from Atari's Rampart, to the ever-popular Plants vs Zombies and Angry Birds. We'll also discuss the new games coming out soon for tower defense game enthusiasts.

Rampart - First Tower Defense Game

TD games are one of the earliest strategy-based games dating back to 1983. A familiar classic that pioneered the tower defense genre is Rampart by Atari. Rampart is an arcade game that merges the puzzle and shoot 'em up genres. As it's widely ported, it has versions for most modern systems. In this game, you as the player have to defend a set of castles by alternately shooting and attacking enemies, and repairing damages to the castle within a time limit. To survive and gain victory, you have to protect and maintain your territory throughout the game. Involving strategic actions of attacking and repairing, the game quickly gained popularity worldwide.

As the game became a phenomenal success, it became ported into a number of gaming platforms such as Super NES, Game Boy, Gamecube, Xbox, PlayStation 2, and most recently PlayStation Network which offers multiplayer action.

It was originally released in 1990, and it was the first ever popular tower defense game. Atari is considered by many gaming enthusiasts as one of the key ideas behind the creation of Final Fantasy and Fort Condor. The first wave of hit tower defense games include Star Craft, Final Fantasy, War Craft and Age of Empire. By the new millenium, TD games started to appear in user-created maps for games like Starcraft, Warcraft III and Age of Empires II.

Introduction of Adoble Flash to Games

The advent of Adobe Flash has brought forth significant changes to the tower defense gaming experience. Independent game developers used Adobe Flash to enrich graphics and speed. They created stand-alone TD browser games leading to the influential launch of Desktop Tower Defense in 2007. Over the last few years, there have been hundreds of new themes and gameplay variations including medieval and space settings. There have also been child-friendly game versions such as those games where players protect a picnic from ants or pop balloons. In late 2007, Protector was released, and it was ranked as one of the best TD games that offered classes and specialization upgrades.

In 2008, mobile phone versions of various games were also introduced online. Some of the most outstanding games which have taken the gaming world by storm are Plants vs Zombies, Gem Craft, Protector, Immortal Defense and most recently, Angry Birds.

Plants vs Zombies is a thrilling and addictive zombie-themed tower defense game. It was originally developed by PopCap Games for Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. The gameplay involves a homeowner placing different kinds of plants and fungi to stop the zombies from eating the resident's brain. It was first released on 2009, and upon massive success, it became available on iOS, Android, Xbox, Nintendo and PlayStation. The game received much critical acclaim from players and critics.

Another well-liked TD game is Angry Birds. The original version of the game was released on iOS in 2009. The game has been widely popular because of its unique combination of addictive gameplay, comical design and affordable price. It's now available on gaming consoles as well as PCs. With a staggering total of one billion downloads among all platforms, the game has been considered as the largest mobile app success today.

Different Versions of Tower Defense Games

After 2008, a lot of game consoles started to make their own versions of various tower defense games. Xbox 360 made a version of Defense Grid; PlayStation did versions on two games named Pixel Junk Monster and Savage Moon; Nintendo DS released a hand-held version of games called Lock's Quest and Ninja Town. Today, there are numerous mobile phone tower defense games available in the market.

Upcoming Tower Defense Games to be Released in 2013

The popular zombie-themed TD game Plants vs Zombies has an upcoming sequel, Plants vs Zombies 2, which will be released in late spring of 2013. Other games that you should watch out for next year are Sentinel 4: Dark Star which is currently being developed by Origin8 for Android and iOS devices, Nightmare Guardians which is set to arrive on tablets, and Lovers in Dangerous Spacetime which is going to be introduced in both PC and Mac.

Ryan Thomsen has been extensively involved in game development. He enjoys sharing his tips and insights on various games blogs. Visit www.free-games.net for more games.

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Best Android Apps for Bloggers

I still remember the day when I got Internet connection in my home. The first thing that I searched for, was 'How to Make Money Online'. It's been quite time of mine being an Internet addict, and yes, I feel proud to say that I am making money online by blogging. Do you also join the queue of bloggers with me? If this is so, then you might be familiar that 'Smart Work' is a big demand of blogging world.

Do you know that your Android device can work as a great blogging tool for you. Thumbs down, if you did not know it earlier. Just go to Google Play and you will find tens of thousands of apps, designed to help bloggers. I have picked up the 5 best out of them and sharing the list of same here.

WordPress

Just tell me, which blogging platform do you use? WordPress, right? If yes is the answer coming from your side, then you must download the official Android WordPress app. Though it can't work as a platform for complete blogging, but still, you can do the basic blogging tasks on your Android device, by using this app. The basic tasks include post editing, title saving, comments approval or rejection etc. Moreover, you need not to pay even a single penny to use this app.

Blogger

Google's blogging platform 'Blogger' is preferred over WordPress by many bloggers, and for such bloggers, Android 'Blogger' app is must. Talking about its features, one can perform almost the same blogging tasks, that he/she can with WordPress Android app. Like WordPress app, this one is also free to download.

Fliptoast

In blogging, one comes across other bloggers in blogosphere and makes friendly relations with them. Well, this is also very important, and as a blogger, you must stay active on social networking websites. Though there are separate official apps by every social networking site, but better to get all-in-one. Fliptoast is the solution to it. You can stay connected with happenings in your Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts, at same instance, by using this app on your Android device. The simple and intuitive user interface of the app enables it to shine at the top in its category.

Dictionary.com

The popular online dictionary, 'Dictionary.com' is having its official Android app, and it is must for every blogger as it may happen that you may not be familiar with the meaning of word that you are going to use in your blog post. That 'unknown' word for you can land up as poor quality of your post. So it's better to check the meaning, and the best way to do it is by using this app.

Google Analytics

Keep track of your website/blog's traffic while on the go, by using official Android Google Analytics app on your Android. You get all those features in this app, that you can find in Web version of Google Analytics.

Author Bio: 

This is a guest post by Harsha from Go Harsh! Tech blog. He is a web enthusiast and blogger. He writes reviews on new mobile phones, iPhones, Androids  and windows mobile phones. This article is written by him to list out the best blogger apps for android phones. He also helps newbies in understanding what is android phone , gadgets, & latest features on phones.

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How to Use 3D Modelling Software in Game Design

Although today's video and computer games have become increasingly complex, the software used to design them is more accessible than ever. To create a believable, engaging game you need to be able to create memorable characters and an interactive, 3-dimensional environment. This requires a storyline, original artwork, and the right technology to get the job done. With the help of 3D modelling software, you can start putting together these pieces of the puzzle to create your own games. It's helpful to take a closer look at how to use this complex software to start putting together your own virtual world on screen.

Getting Started

Before you choose the right software package to work with, you'll first want to do some basic brainstorming. How many characters will you need to create? Will they be similar in appearance or will you need to be able to create a wide range of creatures? Drafting a basic storyline and having some idea of what type of environments you will be creating can point you in the right direction towards choosing an animation program to suit your needs. More complex characters and storylines may require a professional set of tools like 3D studio max, while a basic game can be constructed with programs like DX Studio or 3D Rad. The best programs will offer you a variety of special effects, templates for creating characters, and adequate tutorials and support to get started. 

Creating Characters

One of the primary features of computer modelling software is its ability to create characters in a three-dimensional space onscreen. This allows you to create more lifelike creatures than you would with traditional animation techniques. Some programs will give you templates to work with, as well as wireframes that can be built on with anatomical features and realistic muscular materials. Shading and layering tools will help bring these features to life.

Special Effects and 3D Rendering

One of the most complex yet important aspects of 3D video game production is rendering. This refers to the process of translating the various mathematical codes that make up a 3D design into a final 2D image that still looks three-dimensional. For rendering to be successful, the whole scene has to have the right lighting, colour valuation, and texture in each pixel of the final 2D image. This can be incredibly time-consuming without the right 3D software, which speeds up the process by pre-storing lighting and texture information for greater accuracy. Many computer programs will automatically render as you are designing your game, but you may have to follow this step after your animation designs are complete.

Special effects and tools are also an important part of finalizing your images for the screen. Software toolkits let you work on specific textures, such as hair, fur, or cloth. You can then start building the environment around your characters with interactive objects and individual blades of grass. It's your work, so you can use these effects to your advantage. Particle effects allow you to control the movement of substances like snow or fire according to scripts or direct manipulators, which can also add to the realism of your scene.

With a combination of preliminary brainstorming, character development and shading, and final rendering, you can use today's animation software to bring your unique vision to life. 

Author Bio:
Martina writes for AutoDesk, a marketplace of 3D studio max experts and 3D Software that helps connect users .

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Apple iTune Launched in India

At last the wait has finished for the Indian fans of iPhones as iTunes stores are launched in India with other 52 countries. All iPhone users of India were waiting for the launch of iTune stores as this way through which proud owners of Apple devices can download or listen to music or video in a legal way. According to the official announcement made by the Apple, presently the iTune will offer list of around 20 million songs from which user can purchase any number of songs as per his / her choice. From a long time people of different countries were waiting for this service to be launched in their respective country.

According to the official release the prices of the songs will range from Rs 7 to Rs 12 per song which will have latest Bollywood albums and the whole album will cost from Rs 70 to Rs120 depending on the demand and popularity of the album. There are many options available in iTune like you can rent and download a movie, the cost of movie differs as per the version selected by the user, like high definition version will cost somewhere around Rs 490 and same movie in standard version will cost around Rs. 290. If user does not want to pay that much price then the same movie can be rented for Rs 120 for High definition version and Rs 8- for standard version.

This is really a good thing but if you look at the present Indian market where lot of websites are offering latest bollywood songs for free of cost, one might feel that iTunes will not get the response what they are used to get in other countries. It is true that the digital music industry is growing and the revenue share is increasing but, when you have plenty of sites or blogs that offers you latest songs free of cost then why one will go to buy it. However, the iPhones users have welcomed the launch of iTunes warmly. Apple need to think innovative ideas to lure its customer on this new platform and make it a hit in the country.

If thought in other way this may be just the start of a revolution, because competitors like Microsoft will not sit quite and let Apple grab the market so easily and we can definitely witness the music service of Microsoft launching soon. It has already around 30 million tracks and it will have some more alluring features by next year. So, that also will be nice when we have competition, we will get good service at better price.

Presently the only competitor of Apple iTune is Nokia Music store, which is presently offering around 5 millions songs to its user and it is also offering the service to Flipkart digital music store. If the sources are to be believed, then Nokia music store is getting over a million downloads per day on its music store. This should be good news for the Apple Company and like Nokia did, Apple should plan something like exclusive release of audio albums on their platforms. Recently Nokia had done same thing with Priyanka Chopra’s debut album, it was exclusively released on Nokia Music Store and this is the right way of grabbing the market share.

Author Bio:

This is a Guest article by Chandu blogger from India runs various tech blogs like http://techwaffy.com/

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The Importance of Data Cleansing for Your Organization’s Productivity

Data cleansing, also referred to as data scrubbing or simply data cleaning is described as a process through which a set of data is verified to be correct, accurate and up-to-date. This is a very important part of any business or organization, large or small, which relies on a large database. Whether you are using the database as a consumer mailing list, or it is simply a database that details your business operations and interactions with other businesses, no doubt a database is bound to carry redundant and obsolete records sooner or later. 

With specialized software and tools, and a dedicated team of experts, you can rest assured that your database can be cleansed to ensure it is accurate, up-to-date, and relevant. During the process of cleaning data, specialized tools are used to check entries for consistency and accuracy, and verified as correct, altered, updated, or deleted. The process also involves merging of multiple sets of data to ensure a seamless business operation.

Today more than ever before, so much emphasis is put on the quality of data that an organization uses. You cannot afford to have redundant or obsolete information in the competitive business environment that is characteristic of today. Staying on top of your business is vital for so many reasons, and one way to do it is through data cleansing.

Is data cleansing a do-it-yourself process?

Before looking at the main benefits of data cleansing, it is important to mention that the process is better left to experts. Unless you have the time to verify thousands of entries on your database to be correct, no doubt you need to leave it to the experts who have the time, tools and resources to do it. Generally, a reputable company will have an updated database of just about every niche, demographic, age group, region or nation you wish to target.

During the data cleansing process, your database will be matched with its exhaustive database to ensure that all entries in your database are up-to-date and accurate. Of course you do not have a list of millions of people across a specific demographic that you wish to target. Once data matching is complete, the next process entails the actual data cleaning process. This is where inaccurate and corrupt data is removed and replaced by latest data of each and every entry on your database. Don’t be surprised to have people who died several years ago still on your mailing list. 

Importance of data cleansing

1.      First and foremost, you will be able to maintain a good reputation of your organization. If you have ever received a letter with an incorrect mailing address, spelling mistake, or received the same letter two or three times, you know just how annoying this is. Put yourself in your consumer’s shoes and assume you are sending out information purportedly to the correct mailing address. For one, you will be wasting a lot of your advertisement money. Secondly, by annoying and irritating your target audience, you will end up thwarting any opportunity of them doing business with you. Why? Because you will have already created a negative first impression. Data cleaning will ensure you get rid of any possible error in your database that is likely to spoil your first impression. 

2.      Secondly, data cleansing will save you money and time because it is a total waste of valuable resources working with incorrect information. A very good example is when you have the same person on your system with different versions of the same name. This means you will be sending out similar information to the same person. Wouldn’t it be better to save yourself some time and effort and send to different people the same information than sending to one person the same information severally?

3.      With the latest technological advancements, you should be advised that redundant and corrupt data on your database can corrupt and cripple the entire database. Rather than lose all the information that you have and end up buying a mailing list, how about cleaning your existing database and ensuring it is updated? Talk about killing two birds with a single stone.

Conclusion

They say the first impression matters a lot. It would be the gravest mistake to make referring to a potential client by a wrong name several times just because the information you have on your database is incorrect. This can be the worst marketing campaign ever in the world. Taking your time to have your data cleansed by professionals means you will be guaranteed of the perfect mailing list and a database that you can rely on for all your future organization’s endeavours. 

Author Bio:
Guest Post by Steve. You can check his website on data cleansing services

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3 Tips for Managing Your Data Center

A data center helps in managing all core business functions. It may also be referred to as a server. Having this system in place, you will be able to handle any organizational information and store it in a central location. This article takes a look at some of the tips you may use in maintaining an efficient and stable data center for your business.

1) Make Your Business Growth an Ongoing Concern

With a data center in place, your business is assured of full time operation. This is because all applications and components are always available as and when needed. You will be able to have all your information within easy reach, which in turn boosts productivity. This translates to high reliability, which in turns improves customer satisfaction and ultimately leads to improved sales. A useful tip here would be to ensure that you put in place sufficient backup power supplies and network connections to mitigate any unforeseen emergencies such as power failure or server downtime.

2) Providing Data Security

A data center provides security for all information from both physical and logical threats. This ensures that no data is lost during operation. Since a data center is automated, there is a diminished chance for human error. Businesses automate repetitive, error prone administrative tasks using DCIM software packages. This helps an administrator tell at a glance which resources are assigned to which server, as well as the consumption rate of each resource. Improved security also means improved service to both internal and external end user. At the end of the day, data center security means accelerated service delivery and enhanced company profits by reducing the risks associated with new business developments.

3) Streamlined and Improved Data Storage

A data center offers more space for an organization's business operations; it does this by consolidating data and files to a central location. With a data center in place, a business only needs a few minutes to bring on a new server. Additionally, it is much easier to add new capabilities to help the business grow. It is important for staff to be able to keep up with the organizations expanding growth, and a data center provides this capability. An organization is able to share applications instantly, enhancing collaboration between companies, employees, management and customers. Data centers virtualize infrastructure, which makes more information available to those who seek it. With more information available, there is better decision making by all parties involved.

Having a data center for your business enables you grow by handling information in an efficient way, at the same time minimizing the risk for data loss through corruption. The cardinal rule of data storage is to back up all systems, as accidents are prone to occur. Information is at the heart of organizational growth, and businesses need to ensure that all information is appropriately stored and indexed. Lastly, ensure that data is encrypted as it moves from the servers to the hands of the employees or customers who may need it. You owe it to your business to get the support that a data center provides, which inevitably will account for company growth.

Written by Ted Romberg, an avid technology writer with a penchant for data protection. His articles appear on data security periodicals online. Visit On Ramp  for more data protection information.

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