Ultimatewiki - New pages [en]

Pokémon

Admin — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 17:10:56 GMT

Admin: /* Starter Pokémon */

[[Category:Pokémon]]
[[Image:Pokemon logo.jpg|right|frame|The official ''Pokémon'' logo.]]
Pokémon (ポケモン, Pokemon?, IPA: [ˈpoʊ.keɪ.mɑn]) is a media franchise owned by video game giant Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri around 1995. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative videogame-based media franchise in the world, falling only behind Nintendo's Mario series. Pokémon properties have since been merchandised into anime, manga, trading cards, toys, books, and other media. The franchise celebrated its tenth anniversary on February 27, 2006, and as of December 1, 2006, cumulative sold units of the video games (including home console versions) have reached more than 155 million copies.

The name Pokémon is the romanized contraction of the Japanese brand, "Pocket Monsters" (ポケットモンスター, Poketto Monsutā?), as such contractions are very common in Japan. The term "Pokémon", in addition to referring to the Pokémon franchise itself, also collectively refers to the 493 fictional species that have made appearances in Pokémon media as of the recent release of the newest Pokémon role-playing games (RPGs) for the Nintendo DS, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. As with the words deer and sheep, the singular and plural forms of the word "Pokémon" do not differ, nor does each individual species name; in short, it is grammatically correct to say both "one Pokémon" and "many Pokémon". Nintendo originally translated Poketto Monsutā literally, but a naming conflict with the Monster in My Pocket toy line caused Nintendo to rebrand the franchise as "Pokémon" in early 1996.[citation needed] The game's catchphrase in the Japanese language versions of the franchise is "ポケモンGETだぜ! (Pokémon Getto Daze! - Let's Get Pokémon!)"[citation needed]; in English language versions of the franchise, it was originally "Gotta catch 'em all!," although it is now no longer officially used except in the spin-off anime series Pokémon Chronicles.

In November 2005, 4Kids Entertainment, which had managed the non-game related licensing of Pokémon, announced that it had agreed not to renew the Pokémon representation agreement. Pokémon USA Inc., a subsidiary of Japan's Pokémon Co., now oversees all Pokémon licensing outside of Asia.

==Collecting and playing==
The concept of the ''Pokémon'' universe, in both the video games and the general fictional world of ''Pokémon'', stems from the hobby of insect collecting, a popular pastime which ''Pokémon'' executive director Satoshi Tajiri had enjoyed as a child. Players of the games are designated as "Pokémon Trainers", and the two general goals (in most ''Pokémon'' games) for such Trainers are to collect all of the available Pokémon species found in the fictional region where that game takes place, and to train a team of powerful Pokémon from those they have caught to compete against teams owned by other Trainers. These themes of training and battling are present in almost every version of the ''Pokémon'' franchise, including the video games, the Pokémon anime and manga series, and even the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

In any incarnation of the fictional ''Pokémon'' universe, a Trainer that comes across a wild Pokémon in its natural habitat is able to capture that Pokémon by throwing at it a specially designed, mass-producible tool called a Poké Ball. If the Pokémon is unable to escape the confines of the Poké Ball, that Pokémon is officially considered under the ownership of that Trainer, and that Pokémon will obey whatever commands its new master and/or friend (depending on how that trainer treats Pokémon in general) issues to it from that point onward, unless the Trainer demonstrates enough of a lack of experience that the Pokémon would rather act on its own accord. Trainers can "send out" any of their Pokémon to wage a non-lethal battle against another Pokémon; if the opponent Pokémon is wild (Pokémon already owned by other Trainers cannot be captured, except under special circumstances in certain games), and if the opponent Pokémon is weakened enough by the Trainer's Pokémon's attacks, the Trainer can capture that second Pokémon with a Poké Ball, increaing his or her collection of creatures. If a Pokémon fully defeats an opponent Pokémon in battle so that the opponent is knocked out ("faints"), the winning Pokémon gains experience and may level up. When levelling up, the Pokémon's statistics, or "stats", of battling aptitude may increase, including strength, vitality, speed, and so on. From time to time the Pokémon may also learn new "moves", attacks and other strategies which are used in battle. In addition, many species of Pokémon possess the ability to undergo a form ofmetamorphosis and transform into a similar but stronger species of Pokémon, a process called "evolution".

In the main series, each game's single-player mode requires the Trainer to raise a team of Pokémon to defeat many non-player character (NPC) Trainers and their Pokémon. Each game lays out a somewhat linear path, through a specific region of the Pokémon world, for the Trainer to journey through, completing events and battlling opponents along the way. Each game features eight especially powerful Trainers, referred to as Gym Leaders, that the Trainer must each defeat in a Pokémon battle in order to progress. As a reward, the Trainer receives a Gym Badge, and once all eight badges are collected, that Trainer is eligible to challenge the region's Pokémon League, where four immensely talented trainers (referred to collectively as the "Elite Four") challenge the Trainer to four Pokémon battles in succession. If the trainer can overcome this gauntlet, he or she must then challenge the Regional Champion, the master Trainer who had previously defeated the Elite Four. Any Trainer who wins this last battle becomes the new champion and gains the title of Pokémon Master.

==Generations==
The original Pokémon games were Japanese RPGs with an element of strategy, and were created by Satoshi Tajiri for the ''Game Boy''. These role-playing games, and their sequels, remakes, and English language translations, are still considered the "main" Pokémon games, and the games which most fans of the series are referring to when they use the term "Pokémon games."

All of the licensed Pokémon properties overseen by The Pokémon Company are divided roughly by generation. These generations are roughly chronological divisions by release; every several years, when an official sequel in the main RPG series is released that features a slew of new Pokémon, characters, and gameplay concepts, that sequel is considered the start of a new generation of the franchise. The main games and their spin-offs, the anime, the manga, and the trading card game are all updated with the new Pokémon properties each time a new generation begins. The franchise is currently in its fourth generation.

The Pokémon franchise started off in its first generation with its initial release of ''Pokémon Red and Green'' for the Game Boy in Japan. When these games proved extremely popular, an enhanced ''Blue version'' was released sometime after, and the ''Blue version'' was reprogrammed as ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'' for international release. The games launched in the United States on September 30, 1998. The original ''Red'' and ''Green'' versions were never released outside of Japan. Afterwards, a further enhanced remake titled ''Pokémon Yellow'' was released to partially take advantage of the color palette of the Game Boy Color, as well as to feature more of a stylistic resemblance to the popular Pokémon anime. This first generation of games introduced the original 151 species of Pokémon (in National Pokédex order, encompassing all Pokémon from Bulbasaur to Mew), as well as the basic game concepts of capturing, training, battling, and trading Pokémon with both computer and human players. These versions of the games take place within the fictional Kanto region, though the name "Kanto" was not used until the second generation. Spin-off first-generation titles include ''Pokémon Pinball'', an adaption of the ''Pokémon Trading Card Game'' for Game Boy Color, an on-rails photography simulator for Nintendo 64 titled ''Pokémon Snap'', a Nintendo 64 Pokémon-themed adaption of Tetris Attack named ''Pokémon Puzzle League'', a 3D Nintendo 64 incarnation of the handheld RPGs' battle system named ''Pokémon Stadium'', and a co-starring role for several species in the Nintendo 64 fighting game ''Super Smash Bros.''

The second generation of Pokémon began in 2000 with the release of ''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'' for Game Boy Color. Like the previous generation, an enhanced remake was later released titled ''Pokémon Crystal''. It introduced 100 new species of Pokémon (starting with Chikorita and ending with Celebi), with a total of 251 Pokémon to collect, train, and battle. New gameplay features include a day-and-night system (reflecting the time of the day in the real world) which influences events in the game; full utilization of the Game Boy Color's color palette; an improved interface and upgraded inventory system; better balance in the collection of Pokémon and their moves, statistics, and equippable items (a new addition); a Pokémon breeding aspect; and a new region named Johto. Unique to the second generation games is the fact that, after exploring Johto, the player can enter and explore the original Kanto region, which lies to the east of Johto. Spin-off second-generation titles include the Game Boy Color adaption of ''Pokémon Puzzle League'' named ''Pokémon Puzzle Challenge'', a Nintendo 64 pet simulator named ''Hey you, Pikachu!'', the ''Pokémon Stadium'' sequel ''Pokémon Stadium 2'' for Nintendo 64, several Pokémon mini-games for the e-Reader, and a co-starring role for many species in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' sequel ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' for Nintendo Gamecube.

''Pokémon'' entered its third generation with the 2003 release of ''Pokémon Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'' for Game Boy Advance and continued with the Game Boy Advance remakes of ''Pokémon Red and Blue'', ''Pokémon FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen'', and an enhanced remake of ''Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire'' titled ''Pokémon Emerald''. The third generation introduced 135 more new Pokémon (starting with Treecko and ending with Deoxys) for a total of 386 species. It also features a much more visually detailed environment compared to previous games, a new 2-on-2 Pokémon battling mechanic, a special ability system applying to each Pokémon in battle, the ''Pokémon Contest'' sub-game, and the new region of Hoenn. However, this generation also garnered some criticism for leaving out several gameplay features, including the day-and-night system, introduced in the previous generation, and it was also the first installment that encouraged the player to collect merely a selected assortment of the total number of Pokémon rather than every last existing species (202 out of 386 species are catchable in the ''Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'' versions). Third-generation spin-off titles include ''Pokémon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire'' for Game Boy Advance; ''Pokémon Mystery Dungeon'' for Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS; ''Pokémon Link!'', ''Pokémon Dash'', and ''Pokémon Ranger'' for Nintendo DS; ''Pokémon Channel'' and ''Pokémon Box'' for Nintendo GameCube; and a separate RPG series for Nintendo GameCube, consisting of the games ''Pokémon Colosseum'' and ''Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness''.
In 2006, Japan began the fourth generation of the franchise with the release of ''Pokémon Diamond'' and ''Pearl'' for Nintendo DS, which will be released in North America on April 22, 2007. The fourth generation introduces another 107 new species of Pokémon (starting with Turtwig and ending with Arseus), bringing the current total of Pokémon species to 493. New gameplay concepts include a restructured move-classification system, online multiplayer trading and battling via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, the return (and expansion) of the second generation's day-and-night system, the expansion of the third generation's Pokémon Contests into "Super Contests", and the new region of Sinnoh, which has an underground component for multiplayer gameplay in addition to the main overworld. Currently, spin-off titles in the fourth generation include the ''Pokémon Stadium'' follow-up ''Pokémon Battle Revolution'' for Wii (which will have Wi-Fi connectivity as well

==Game mechanics==

===Starter Pokémon===
One of the consistent aspects of most ''Pokémon'' games – spanning from ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'' on the Nintendo Game Boy to the Nintendo DS game, ''Pokémon Diamond'' and ''Pearl'' – is the choice of three different Pokémon at the start of the player's adventures; these three are often labelled ''Starter Pokémon''. Players can choose a Water-type, a Fire-type, or a Grass-type Pokémon indigenous to that particular region; the exception to this rule is ''Pokémon Yellow'' (a remake of the original games that follows the story of the ''Pokémon anime''), where players are given a Pikachu, an Electric-type mouse Pokémon, famous for being the mascot of the Pokémon media franchise; in this game, however, the three Red and Blue starter Pokémon can be obtained during the quest by a single player, something that is not possible in any other installment of the franchise.
{|style="width:100%; margin-top:+.7em; background-color:#FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #AAAAAA"
|style="width:56%;color:#000"|
{| style="width:280px;border:solid 0px;background:none"
|-
| style="width:280px;text-align:center; white-space: nowrap; color:#000" |
;First generation
*Charmander
*Bulbasaur
*Squirtle
*Pikachu (Yellow version only)
| style="width:280px;text-align:center; white-space: nowrap; color:#000" |
;Third generation
*Torchic
*Treecko
*Mudkip
|-
| style="width:280px;text-align:center; white-space: nowrap; color:#000" |
;Second generation
*Cyndaquil
*Chikorita
*Totodile
| style="width:280px;text-align:center; white-space: nowrap; color:#000" |
;Fourth generation
*Chimchar
*Turtwig
*Piplup
|}
|}

===Pokédex===
The Pokédex is a fictional electronic device featured in the popular ''Pokémon'' video game and anime series. In the games, whenever a Pokémon is first captured, its data will be added to a player's Pokédex, but in the anime or manga, the Pokédex is a comprehensive electronic reference encyclopedia, usually referred to in order to deliver exposition. Of the fictional Pokémon world, Pokédex is used to refer to a list of Pokémon, usually a list of Pokémon by number.

In the video games, a Pokémon Trainer is issued a blank device at the start of their journey. A trainer must then attempt to fill the Pokédex by encountering and at least briefly obtaining each of the various different species of Pokémon. A player will receive the name and image of a Pokémon after encountering one that was not previously in the Pokédex, typically after battling said Pokémon, either in the wild or in a trainer battle (with the exceptions of link battles and tournament battles, such as Battle Frontier). More detailed information is typically available after the player obtains a member of the species, either through capturing the Pokémon in the wild, evolving a previously captured Pokémon, hatching a Pokémon egg (from the second generation onwards), or through a trade with another trainer (with a NPC or with another player). This detailed information includes height, weight, species type, and a short description of the Pokémon. Later versions of the Pokédex have more detailed information, like the size of a certain Pokémon compared to the player, or Pokémon being sorted by their habitat (so far, the latter feature is only in the ''FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen'' versions). The GameCube games have a P*DA which is similar to the Pokédex, but tells you what types are effective against it and gives a description of their abilities.

==In other media ==

===Anime series===
The ''Pokémon'' anime series and films are a meta-series of adventures separate from the canon that most of the ''Pokémon'' video games follow (with the exception of ''Pokémon Yellow'', a game based on the anime storyline). The anime follows the quest of the main character, Ash Ketchum — an in-training Pokémon Master — as he and a small group of friends travel around the fictitious world of Pokémon along with their various Pokémon partners.

The original series, titled ''Pocket Monsters'', or simply ''Pokémon'' in western countries, followed the storyline of the original games, ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'', in the region of Kanto. The protagonist of the series, Ash Ketchum, began his adventure from his home, Pallet Town, where he received a Pikachu, differing from the games, where only Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle could be chosen.

Ash continued through Kanto, accompanied by Brock, an aspiring Pokémon breeder, and Misty, an up-and-coming Water Pokémon master, catching and battling with various Pokémon, including Butterfree, Pidgeotto, Charizard, Bulbasaur and Squirtle. After defeating eight of Kanto's gym leaders, Ash entered the Indigo League, a tournament of the best trainers in the region.

After exiting the tournament, Ash, and his companions, proceeded to the Orange Archipelago, a group of exotic islands, to collect an ancient Poké Ball, dubbed the GS Ball, being studied by Professor Ivy, to be returned to Professor Oak. After collecting the GS Ball, Brock decided to stay at Professor Ivy's lab, and Ash, accompanied by Misty, and Tracey, an avid Pokémon watcher, continued through the various Orange Islands, battling the gym leaders, collectively known as the Orange Crew, and obtaining Pokémon, such as Lapras, and Snorlax. Ash finally battled the undefeated leader of the Orange Crew, Drake, defeating his strongest Pokémon, Dragonite, with his Pikachu, winning the tournament.

The first, and the most familiar, is ''Pocket Monsters'' or simply ''Pokémon'' (often referred to as ''Pokémon: Gotta Catch Em All'' to distinguish it from the later series), which details the adventures of Ash Ketchum as he travels through Kanto. ''Pokémon: Adventures in the Orange Islands'' followed his adventures in the Orange Islands, a place not accessible in the games, and ''Pokémon: Johto Journeys'', ''Pokémon: Johto league champions'', and ''Pokémon: Master Quest'' following him in Johto. These series are based on the first and second generation games. Accompanying Ash on his journeys were Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader; Misty, the youngest of the Gym Leader sisters from Cerulean City; and later on, Tracey Sketchit, an artist and "Pokémon watcher" who accompanied them in the Orange Islands in the second saga.

The saga continued in ''Pokémon: Advanced, Pokémon: Advanced Challenge, and Pokémon: Advanced Battle'' where Ash and company travel to Hoenn, a southern region in the Pokémon World. Ash takes on the role of a teacher and mentor for a novice Pokémon trainer in this series named May. Her brother Max accompanies them, and though he isn't a trainer, he knows massive amounts of handy information. Brock (from the original series) soon catches up with Ash, but Misty has returned to Cerulean City to tend to her duties as a gym leader. This series is based on the third generation games. Eventually, the Advanced Generation was continued with the ''Battle Frontier'' saga, which was based off the ''Emerald'' version and had some aspects of ''FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen''.

The most recent series is the ''Diamond and Pearl'' series, with Max leaving to pick his starter, and May going to the Grand Festival in Johto. Ash, Brock and a new companion named Hikari then go through the region of Sinnoh.

===Pokémon Trading Card Game===
The ''Pokémon Trading Card Game'' is a collectible card game similar in goal to a Pokémon battle in the video game series; players must use cards (with individual strengths and weaknesses) in an attempt to defeat their opponent by "knocking out" all of his or her cards. The game was first published in North America by Wizards of the Coast in 1999.

However, with the release of the ''Pokémon Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'' Game Boy Advance video games, The Pokémon Company took back the card game from Wizards of the Coast and started publishing the cards themselves. The Expedition expansion introduced the ''Pokémon-e Trading Card Game'', the cards in which (for the most part) were compatible with the Nintendo e-Reader. Nintendo discontinued its production of e-Reader compatible cards with the release of EX FireRed & LeafGreen.

In 1998, Nintendo released a Game Boy Color version of the trading card game in Japan. It was also released in the US and Europe in 2000. This game included digital versions cards from the original set of cards and the first two expansions (Jungle and Fossil), but also included several cards exclusive to the game. A sequel to this game exists, but was not released outside of Japan.

===Manga===
There are various ''Pokémon'' manga series, four of which were released in English by Viz Communications, and seven of them released in English by Chuang Yi.

;Manga released in English
* ''The Electric Tale of Pikachu'' (a.k.a ''Dengeki Pikachu''), a shōnen manga created by Toshihiro Ono. It was divided into four tankōbon, each given a separate title in the North American and English Singapore versions: ''The Electric Tale of Pikachu'', ''Pikachu Shocks Back'', ''Electric Pikachu Boogaloo'', and ''Surf’s Up, Pikachu''. The series is based loosely on the anime.
*''Pokémon Adventures'', a shōnen manga based on the video games.
*''Magical Pokémon Journey'' (a.k.a. Pokémon: PiPiPi Adventures), a [[shōjo manga]]
*''Pikachu Meets the Press'' (newspaper style comics, not released by Chuang Yi)
*''Ash & Pikachu'' (a.k.a. Satoshi to Pikachu, not released by Viz)
*''Pokémon Gold & Silver'' (not released by Viz)
*''Pokémon Ruby-Sapphire'' and ''Pokémon Pocket Monsters (not released by Viz)
*''Pokémon: Jirachi Wishmaker'' (not released by Viz)
*''Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys '' (not released by Viz)
*''Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew'' (The third movie-to-comic adaptation.)

;Manga not released in English
*''Pokémon Card Ni Natta Wake'' (''How I Became a Pokémon Card'') by Kagemaru Himeno, an artist for the TCG. There are six volumes and each includes a special promotional card. The stories tell the tales of the art behind some of Himeno’s cards.
*''Pokémon Getto Da ze!'' by Asada Miho
*''Poketto Monsutaa Chamo Chamo Puritei'' by Yumi Tsukirino, who also made ''Magical Pokémon Journey''.
*''Pokémon Card Master''
*''Pocket Monsters Emerald Challenge!! Battle Frontier'' by Ihara Shigekatsu
*''Pocket Monsters Zensho'' by Satomi Nakamura

==Criticism==
===Racism===
This original design of the Pokémon Jynx bore a striking, but possibly coincidental, resemblance to entertainers in blackface. A strong case can be made for Jynx being a parody of or homage to the Japanese Ganguro and Yamanba fashion trends, which were extremely popular when Pokémon was first released. Blackface-influenced characters have appeared elsewhere in anime and manga - examples can be found near the beginning of Osamu Tezuka's early graphic novel, ''Metropolis'' and also can be found with Dragon Ball Z's Mr. Popo.

As Pokémon became more popular in the United States, this perceived similarity to a racist image from the United States' past offended some. In particular, it offended children's book author Carole Boston Weatherford, who accused Jynx of being a racist stereotype in an article titled "Politically Incorrect Pokémon" in the magazine ''Black World Today'', shortly after the anime episode ''Holiday Hi-Jynx'' aired. As a result, later episodes of the anime which feature Jynx were either banned or edited in the United States.

In 2002, in response to this controversy, Nintendo changed Jynx's face from black to purple and its hands from blue to purple in the video game series, a change which would be reflected in the anime three years later.

===Animal cruelty===
The primary mechanism of Pokémon has been compared to the generally-outlawed practice of cockfighting. Seen from this point of view, the game consists primarily of Pokémon trainers capturing and bartering in wild animals, coercing them to fight one another, and also features various performance-enhancing drugs to give them an edge in the fight. Some people believe that this may encourage children to commit acts of animal cruelty and illegal gambling.

In spite of these allegations, Pokémon maintains a fan base that views the battling as a friendly competition between two teams of Pokémon and their trainers. Seen in this light, Pokémon are not being coerced to battle by their trainers. There are references to some Pokémon being territorial (e.g. Pidgeotto), but it is vastly different to the aggressively territorial nature of roosters, who will maim the "enemy" rooster until it or the other dies. Furthermore, trainers do not relish the idea of allowing two animals (or, in this case, Pokémon) to fight to the death while merely viewing from the edge of the "ring"; rather, Pokémon trainers are usually depicted as fighting alongside their Pokémon and providing moral support, not simply issuing commands for them to follow. In addition to all of the above, Pokémon do not actually die from battle; they either "faint" or are otherwise made unable to battle.

In both the games and the anime, the audience is taught that fighting is not necessarily a means to an end, and those who would rather fight than compromise are often protrayed in a negative light. Furthermore, the use Pokémon for selfish or "evil" purposes is frowned upon, and organizations such as Team Rocket, which is often depicted using Pokémon solely for personal (and usually monetary) gain, are generally considered villains.

===Health===
On December 16, 1997, more than 635 Japanese children were admitted to hospitals with convulsive epileptic seizures. It was determined that the seizures were caused by watching an episode of Pokémon, "''Dennō Senshi Porygon''," (most commonly translated "Electric Soldier Porygon", season 1, episode 43); as a result, this episode has not been aired since. In this particular episode, there were bright explosions with rapidly-alternating blue and red color patterns. It was determined in subsequent research that these strobing light effects cause some individuals to have epileptic seizures, even if the person had no previous history of epilepsy. As a consequence, many publishers (including [[Nintendo]]) added warning labels to their video game products (or made pre-existing labels more prominent), warning that exposure to video games may trigger seizures in individuals vulnerable to photosensitive epilepsy.

This incident is the most common focus of Pokémon-related parodies in other media, and was lampooned by ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "Thirty Minutes over Tokyo" and the ''South Park'' episode "Chinpokomon," among others.

==Cultural influence==
A live action show called Pokémon Live! toured the United States in late 2000. It was based on the popular Pokémon anime, but had some continuity errors relating to it. In late 2002, it was scheduled to tour Europe, but was canceled for unknown reasons, possibly due to lack of interest.

''Pokémon'', being a popular franchise, has undoubtedly left its mark on pop-culture. The ''Pokémon'' characters themselves have become pop-culture icons; examples include not one, but two different Pikachu balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, a Pokémon-styled Boeing 747-400, thousands of merchandise items, and a theme park in Nagoya, Japan in 2005 and Taipei in 2006. Pokémon also appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in 1999. The Comedy Central show ''Drawn Together'' has a character named Ling-Ling which is a direct parody of Pikachu. Several other shows such as ''ReBoot'', ''The Simpsons'', ''South Park'' and ''All Grown Up!'' (rugrats spin-off) have made references and spoofs of ''Pokémon'', among other series.

==See also==
*[[Pokemon Diamond and Pearl]]

Pokemon Diamond and Pearl

Admin — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 17:06:51 GMT

Admin:

Pokémon Diamond (ポケットモンスターダイヤモンド, Poketto Monsutā Daiyamondo?, Pocket Monsters Diamond) and Pokémon Pearl (ポケットモンスターパール, Poketto Monsutā Pāru?, Pocket Monsters Pearl) are the two fourth-generation Pokémon role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo. They are the first of the traditional Pokémon role-playing games for the Nintendo DS video game console. The games were earlier released in Japan in 2006. Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl had the most successful launch week of games in the Pokémon series in Japan, and the best launch week for any Nintendo DS game in Japan. Additionally, the games set the record of being the fastest selling Pokémon games in Japan within three months of sales. Set in the fictional region of Sinnoh, the games cover the adventure of a single protagonist embarking on a quest to capture and train Pokémon while simultaneously thwarting the agenda of the criminal organization Team Galactic.

Diamond and Pearl, like the past generations of Pokémon games, add an extensive amount of new features, such as internet play over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, while building on older game concepts such as Pokémon Contests.

==Setting and plot==
''Diamond'' and ''Pearl'' are set in the region of Sinnoh, which is based upon the Hokkaidō prefecture of Japan. Sinnoh is characterized by both mountainous and snow-covered areas, and contains three lakes central to the plot.

The game contains 107 new Pokémon and chronicles the adventures of a new Pokémon trainer who strives to become the Pokémon League Champion, collecting and training various species of Pokémon along the way. As do most games in the series, ''Diamond'' and ''Pearl'' feature eight Pokémon Gyms led by Gym Leaders, professional trainers whose expertise lies in a particular Pokémon type. Gym Leaders serve as bosses and reward skilled trainers with gym badges of merit, key to the advancement of the plot.
{{spoiler}}
''Diamond'' and ''Pearl'' begin in Twinleaf Town. After viewing a television report about disturbances at a distant lake by a red Gyarados, the protagonist and his/her rival travel together to investigate the local lake. They spot Professor Rowan, an expert in Pokémon evolution, and the protagonist’s second rival, who is the playable character not selected. After a short discussion the pair exits from the lake, leaving a briefcase behind. When they are attacked by wild Starly, the protagonist and his or her rival examine the case. The player is then given a choice between three Pokémon found in the briefcase, Turtwig, Chimchar or Piplup. After defeating the Starly, they return the briefcase to the professor. Noticing that a bond has been forged between the young protagonist and his/her chosen Pokémon, Rowan offers it to him/her, asking that he embark on a journey and fill his/her Pokédex.

As the plot continues, the protagonist encounters Team Galactic, and their motives are made clear. Team Galactic captures Yuxie, Agnome and Emrit, of Sinnoh’s three lakes, and imprisons them, making it the player’s responsibility to free them. Upon releasing the trio, he/she is able to travel to the sacred shrine atop Tengan Mountain and enter the cave, where the leader of Team Galactic awakens either Dialga, in ''Diamond'', or Palkia in ''Pearl''. Dialga or Palkia’s powers begin to “overwhelm” Sinnoh, causing the newly free Yuxie, Agnome and Emrit to attempt to stop it. It is then that the player is able to engage in a battle with the version-appropriate legendary Pokémon.

==Gameplay==
Gameplay is very similar to previous Pokémon RPGs, but there are several changes and additions.

Within each species, Pokémon now feature varying levels of gender dimorphism, including aspects such as differently sized or absent distinctive physical features. For example, a female Wooper has smaller antennae than its male counterpart and a male Scizor has a smaller abdomen than a female. As in Pokémon Crystal and Emerald, opposing Pokémon each have a short animation (e.g., a Geodude will flex its arms) when entering battle. New abilities, such as “Belligerence” and “Natural”, have been added. Baby Pokémon in Diamond and Pearl, such as Roselia’s pre-evolution Budew, can be found in the wild, whereas in previous generations attaining one usually required breeding. Pokémon also hatch from their eggs at Level 1, rather than Level 5 as in the previous games.

Pokémon Contests, events where one’s Pokémon compete in a show of sorts to win ribbons, return from Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire as “Super Contests”, with similarities and differences. Super Contests consist of three rounds. In the Visual Judgment round, players utilize the Nintendo DS’s stylus to place accessories and objects on their Pokémon to appeal to a particular trait, such as “Cool” or “Cute”, and earn points. In the Dance Judgment round, Pokémon compete with opponents in a test of rhythm and balance. The final round, Performance Judgment, is identical in premise to Pokémon Contests of the third generation of games; Pokémon use their techniques strategically to appeal to the judges and crowd. Assuming the same role as Pokéblocks in the 3rd generation, a baked substance called Pofin can be made through use of the touchscreen and fed to Pokémon in order to increase certain traits and, consequently, the likelihood of success in a relevant Contest.

First introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl features sensitivity to the time of day and day of the week, which is reflected in a number of facets, such as the lighting of the overworld and locations of non-player characters, the availability of certain species of Pokémon, and even the lighting during battles. The scale of the day and night cycle has grown from the original cycle of morning, day, and night; Diamond and Pearl's cycle features five different time periods: morning, day, afternoon, evening and night.

A new device called the Pokétch, resembling a wristwatch, can be obtained and plays host to a wide variety of features, including a time management system, a calculator, a map, a counter, a wireless link up search, and drawing pad.

Below Sinnoh is a large underground area, used for multiplayer gaming. Players can create and decorate “secret bases” (first featured in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire) and participate in minigames, one of which will allow the player to unearth fossilized Pokémon such as Zugaidos and Shieldon. These Pokémon, as well as Mikaruge, can only be obtained by exploring this underground area.

Diamond and Pearl employ support for the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, allowing players to trade, battle and communicate through “voice chat” online. The main system for trade is the Global Trade Station trading system. This allows players to search for any Pokémon they have seen on a worldwide scale, with the resulting list showing people around the world who are willing to trade that Pokémon, as well as the Pokémon they want in return for it. The trade does not have to be instant and an offer can be left for other players to browse and complete, even while the player is offline. Some centers serve different purposes - one allows the player to enter battles against friends over an internet connection, while another allows the player to enter the Pokémon Union, a chat room in which the player can communicate with others on the player's Friends List.

Along with the fifty existing Technical Machines (TMs), which teach Pokémon a new move, forty-two new TMs have been added to the game while the previous fifty have been retained, bringing the total to ninety-two. This marks the first time an entire fifty-TM set has been left intact between generations, and the first time the total number has exceeded fifty (fifty-eight counting HMs). Two of the eight Hidden Machines (HMs), which, like TMs, teach Pokémon a new move (but permanently), have also been changed, and one former HM has been downgraded to a TM.

==Connectivity with other games==
Diamond and Pearl boast compatibility with many other Pokémon games. They can connect with the Game Boy Advance Pokémon RPGs after earning the National Pokédex, when the Pokémon Game Boy Advance cartridge is inserted into slot 2 (the Game Boy Advance cartridge and accessory slot of the Nintendo DS) while Diamond or Pearl is in slot 1 (the DS card slot). After uploading six Pokémon, players go to an area called Pal Park and must capture them in the wild. Pokémon uploads are restricted to six per day per GBA cartridge. The player will have to re-capture such transferred Pokémon in Pal Park by the means of a special Park Ball that has 100% chance of capture, before transferring from another GBA game. Pokémon cannot be transferred from an English GBA game to a Japanese DS game, and the player cannot transfer any of the Pokémon back to the GBA cartridge once they are transferred to Diamond or Pearl.

In the Japanese versions of Diamond and Pearl, certain species of Pokémon transferred from a foreign Game Boy Advance Pokémon game to a Japanese game and then uploaded via Pal Park to Pokémon Diamond or Pearl will have a Pokédex entry in the language of the game it originated from. In addition, a new function added to the player’s Pokédex allows the player to switch between multiple languages in those same Pokémon's entries, including Japanese, English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.

The use of Pal Park is necessary if a player wishes to obtain the starter or legendary Pokémon from a previous generation of Pokémon games. All other Pokémon can be found and caught or obtained in Diamond and Pearl. Some Pokémon, however, are only available while the player has a Game Boy Advance Pokémon RPG inserted in Slot 2 of the Nintendo DS.

In addition, Diamond and Pearl are able to connect to Pokémon Ranger. Using this feature, a player will be able to send a Manaphy egg from Pokémon Ranger to Diamond or Pearl after completing a special mission in Ranger. Diamond and Pearl also feature Wi-Fi connectivity with the Wii Pokémon title Pokémon Battle Revolution, allowing players to upload Pokémon wirelessly via the Nintendo DS into the game.

==Pokémon==
On May 14, 2004, the first Pokémon of the fourth generation, Munchlax, was revealed. Following the pre-evolved form of Snorlax, several other new Pokémon to appear in Diamond and Pearl were revealed in articles in CoroCoro Comic. Early in production, it was intended that Pokémon introduced in previous generations of the series would receive new, pre-evolved forms; Pokémon available from as far back as Pokémon Red and Blue can now be bred to produce new infantile species, such as Mr. Mime who is preceded by Mime Jr. and Chansey by Happiny. Pokémon have been given new, further evolved forms; for example, Electabuzz can now evolve into Electivire and Roselia can now evolve into Roserade. The games introduce more legendary Pokémon than any set of games before them.

The de facto mascots of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were confirmed as Dialga and Palkia, like Groudon and Kyogre or Ho-Oh and Lugia before them, when video game packaging for the games was released in late June 2006; as their names suggest, Dialga represents Diamond, and Palkia represents Pearl.

==Music==
Music in Diamond and Pearl was scored by Hitomi Sato and Junichi Masuda under the supervision of Go Ichinose. A two-disc soundtrack featuring music from the games was released on December 22, 2006.

==Reception==
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl have been met with positive reception in Japan. Though two million copies of the games were shipped for Japan alone, there were still shortages in response to a large demand. The games became the fastest selling Nintendo DS titles in Japan for the first week of sales since its release, a record previously held by New Super Mario Bros. Within forty-six days, the games sold three million units, becoming the fastest DS game to do so, and by the end of the year, the number increased to five million units in just under three months, marking itself as the fastest- and best-selling Pokémon game in Japan alone.

[[Category:Gaming]] [[Category:Pokémon]]

Viva Piñata

Admin — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 16:29:39 GMT

Admin:

'''''Viva Piñata''''' is an animated television series, being produced in conjunction with the Xbox 360 game.

==Synopsis==
In a garden on Piñata Island, a multitude of happy, colorful Piñata species live and frolic and dance (Piñatas love to dance) and grow and (in some cases) develop deep-seated neuroses. The Piñatas live to fill themselves full of the most delicious candies a child could ever want, and they eagerly await the glorious day when they’re chosen by Piñata Central to entertain at birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, retirement parties and other special celebrations all over the world!

It is here in the garden, among the burrowing Profitamole, the bovine Moozipan, and the tree-swinging Cinnamonkey that we will find a small band of Piñata friends that have known one another since they were children (back in their black and white days, when they first came to the garden).

Fergy Fudgehog, Paulie Pretztail, Franklin Fizzlybear, Tina and Teddington Twingersnap, Les Galagoogoo, and Hudson the Horstacio - for each of these fast friends, being a Piñata means something very different. Some Piñatas can’t wait to reach maximum candy-osity so that they can blast off from the Piñata Factory over and over again, bringing joy to children and partygoers all over the world. Others respond to the prospect of being shipped off to a strange place where happy children in festive hats hang you from a tree, bludgeon you until your limbs fall off and devour your innards, as suicide. Still others physically train for the parties as if they were off to the Olympic Games – hardening their bodies to create a challenge for the little tykes clamoring to get at their candy.

Why is it that Piñata Island is the only place in the world Piñatas can be found? Even the Piñatas don’t really know – but with so much happening in the garden, what with weird new Piñatas arriving all the time, crazed black-market Piñata poachers trying to muscle in on Piñata Central action, mysteries to solve, violent garden pests (referred to as “Sours”) to contend with, and constant opportunities to dance - who has time to worry about it?

The only thing upon which these Piñatas can agree is that on Piñata Island, anything can happen…

==Characters==
* '''The Bonboon''' - A con-man Bonboon who pretends to be an all-knowing guru to get candy from gullible piñatas. He is often found by the group meditating. Paulie's the only one who can see through his ruse.

* '''Cecil Cocoadile''' - A dull-sounding Cocoadile. Cecil is the only piñata on the island who thinks Chortles Chippopotamus' jokes, which cause him to laugh so hard he cries, are funny. Cocoadile tears make excellent plant fertilizer (In the Viva Piñata universe), so he helps Chortles out with his garden.

* '''Chortles Chippopotamus''' - A Chippopotamus with a horrible sense of humor, but fantastic gardening skills. Only Cecil Cocoadile thinks his jokes are funny, and Chortles uses Cecil's tears to help his garden grow.

* '''Hudson Horstachio''' - A Horstachio who is very famous, Hudson is the most handsome piñata of Piñata Island. Despite that, he appears less frequently than other characters, although does have a lot of cameos. Hudson ranked First place in the 4kids Viva pinata Character poll.

* '''Franklin Fizzlybear''' - A Fizzlybear who has a stereotypical surfer accent and lack of common sense. He is quite a bit more laid back than other piñatas.

* '''Fergy Fudgehog''' - A Fudgehog who is in love with candy but terrified of going to parties. He is frequently sought out by Langston to attend parties but always manages to find a way out at the last moment.

* '''Langston Lickatoad''' - The Lickatoad who operates the cannoñata. He's always trying to catch Fergy and make him go to a party.

* '''Mable Moozipan''' - A Moozipan with a stereotypical southern accent and manner. She owns a vegetable garden and is friends with Florence Fizzlybear.

* '''Paulie Pretztail''' - A no-nonsense Pretztail who could be easily considered to be "the smart one" of the main cast. He shares in Fergy's aversion for parties and frequently avoids attending.

* '''Teddington and Tina Twingersnap''' - A two-headed Twingersnap, they share a love-hate relationship. Tina is down-to-earth and adventurous, while Teddington is a blue-blooded wannabe. They argue constantly, much to the annoyance of their friends.

* '''Ella Elephanilla''' - An Elephanilla who suffers from short-term memory loss. Basically the opposite of the phrase "an elephant never forgets".

* '''Les Galagoogoo''' - A Galagoogoo who is the smartest piñata on the island and even has ninja skills. Unfortunately, whenever Les speaks, it comes out as high-pitched gibbering. Les ranked second place in the 4Kids Viva Pinata character poll.

* '''Pecky Pudgeon''' - A Pudgeon who takes pictures for the local newspaper of Piñata Island, the Piñata Yada Yada. He loves gossiping about everyone and will go to great lengths to get a good scoop for the paper.

* '''Pierre Parrybo''' - A stereotypically french Parrybo who organizes various activities on Piñata Island. He's also the DJ for a call-in radio show.

* '''Professor Pester''' - The main villain of the series. In all episodes he appears in, he and his Ruffians try to destroy a piñata, if not all of them, to get their candy.

* '''The Ruffians''' - Professor Pester's bumbling henchmen that usually ruin his plans, although they often seem quite capable of handling the job, and are intimidating in appearance.

==Piñata Species==
Each Piñata is based off each animal. Here are the known species of Piñatas and the animal they're based off of in Alphabetical Order:

* '''Arocknid''' - Spider
* '''Badgesicle''' - Badger
* '''Barkbark''' - Dog
* '''Bonboon''' - Mandrill
* '''Bunnycomb''' - Rabbit
* '''Buzzenge''' - Buzzard
* '''Buzzlegum''' - Bumblebee
* '''Candary''' - Canary
* '''Chewnicorn''' - Unicorn
* '''Chippopotamus''' - Hippopotamus
* '''Cinnamonkey''' - Monkey
* '''Cluckles''' - Chicken
* '''Cocoadile''' - Crocodile
* '''Crowla''' - Crow
* '''Doenut''' - Deer
* '''Dragonache''' - Dragon
* '''Dragumfly''' - Dragonfly
* '''Eaglair''' - Eagle
* '''Elephanilla''' - Elephant
* '''Fizzlybear''' - Grizzly Bear
* '''Fourheads''' - Four-Headed Snake
* '''Fudgehog''' - Hedgehog
* '''Galagoogoo''' - Galago (Bushbaby)
* '''Goobaa''' - Sheep
* '''Horstachio''' - Horse
* '''Jameleon''' - Chameleon
* '''Juicygoose''' - Goose
* '''Kittyfloss''' - Cat
* '''Lackatoad''' - Poison Dart Frog
* '''Lickatoad''' - Frog
* '''Macaraccoon''' - Raccoon
* '''Mallowolf''' - Wolf
* '''Moozipan''' - Cow
* '''Mothdrop''' - Moth
* '''Mousemallow''' - Mouse
* '''Newtgat''' - Newt
* '''Parrybo''' - Parrot
* '''Pigxie''' - Flying Pig
* '''Ponocky''' - Pony
* '''Pretztail''' - Fox
* '''Profitamole''' - Mole
* '''Pudgeon''' - Pigeon
* '''Quackberry''' - Duck
* '''Raisant''' - Ant
* '''Rashberry''' - Pig
* '''Reddhott''' - Firefly
* '''Roario''' - Lion
* '''Salamango''' - Salamander
* '''Shellybean''' - Snail
* '''Sherbat''' - Bat
* '''Sparrowmint''' - Sparrow
* '''Squazzil''' - Squirrel
* '''Swanana''' - Swan
* '''Sweetooth''' - Beaver
* '''Syrupent''' - Grass Snake
* '''Taffly''' - Fly
* '''Twingersnap''' - Two-Headed Snake
* '''Whirlm''' - Worm
* '''White Flutterscotch''' - Butterfly
* '''Zumbug''' - Zebra

==Broadcast information==
''Viva Piñata'' launched on the Fox Network's Saturday morning lineup, 4Kids TV in the U.S. on August 26, 2006 and Canada's YTV on September 9, 2006, as a part of their brand new Saturday morning block "Crunch". The episodes are also avaliable to download free of charge via Xbox Marketplace. Viva Piñata first aired in the UK on Monday 5th March on Nicktoons at 4.30pm

==Theme Song==
This is the theme song from the TV series, the opening theme also appears on the game.
===Opening Theme===
(spoken)It's party time!

Viva Piñata 
Filled with fun (filled with fun!) 
Viva Piñata 
Don't beat 'em, join 'em (woo!) 

Viva Piñata 
Filled with fun (filled with fun!) 
Viva Piñata 
Don't beat 'em, join 'em (don't beat 'em, join 'em!) 

(spoken)Welcome to picturesque Pinata Island. In its many gardens all matter of pinatas live, dance, and dream that one day they will be chosen to entertain at a party as only pinatas can. Well, most pinatas that is. 
Oh fudge!

Shake it, shake it, shake it like a party animal 
Break it, break it, break it like a party animal 

Shake it, shake it, shake it like a party animal 
Break it, break it, break it, break it, break it, break it, break it 

Viva Piñata 
Filled with fun (filled with fun!) 
Viva Piñata 
Don't beat 'em, join 'em (woo!) 

Viva Piñata 
Filled with fun (filled with fun!) 
Viva Piñata 
Don't beat 'em, join 'em 

Viva Piñata!

===Closing theme===
(spoken)
Franklin: Are you ready to rock? 
Paulie: Yeah, baby! 
Hudson: If you want to find us dont you look in a book, 
Fergie: (There's a book?) We're on Pinata Island, come take a look! 

Paulie: We're filling up with fun to give your party a swing, 
Franklyn: You know that parties our thing! 
Paulie: (You know I'm dancing!) 

(sung) 
All: Viva Pinata, we dance in the sun! 
Paulie: (In the sun, baby!) 
All: You've got Pinata, the party's begun! 
Hudson: (Come on now!) 
All: Just taste our candy, we're sure you'll agree, 
saying Pinata's are the ones for me! 
Franklin: One more time! 
All: Saying Pinata's are the ones for me! 

(spoken)
Fergie: Oh, I think I pulled something! 

''Thanks to [http://www.pinataisland.info PinataIsland.info] for the lyrics.''

[[Category:TV]]

Mario

Admin — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 13:49:48 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Gaming]]
[[image:Mario2small.jpg|frame|right|Mario: [[Nintendo]]'s mascot for over 25 years.]]
Mario is a popular video game character created by the company [[Nintendo]], and is also the titular hero of numerous successful video games, many of the platforming genre. He is Nintendo's mascot and the typical protagonist of the company's best selling video game series. Therefore, the character, aside from a few exceptions, only appears on Nintendo's consoles. With over 193 million units sold, Mario is not only Nintendo's most successful franchise, but the most successful video game series of all time. Furthermore, Mario is considered the most well-known video game character in the world. In 2005, he was honored with a star on the Walk of Game.

Mario is a 155 cm (5'1") tall, pudgy, Italian-accented, moustachioed man with a blue pair of overalls, red shirt, white gloves, and red cap with an 'M' emblem on it. Some of his typical catchphrases are "Mamma mia!" and "It's a-me, Mario!"

==History==
At first answering to the name of "Jumpman" and was a carpenter in the successful arcade game ''Donkey Kong'', he first attained the worldwide title of "Mario" and became a plumber in ''Donkey Kong Junior.''

The franchise was developed further by constant extension of the freedom of movement for Mario, and exerted crucial influence on the platformer genre of video games. A largely popular series due to its easily-accessible gameplay and exceptional level design, Mario's mascot image was cemented, and he quickly went on to appear in many forms of merchandise. Today, Mario is a household name in many countries worldwide.

===Beginnings===

====Donkey Kong====
The Japanese video game manufacturer Nintendo tried to find success in the USA just as they have in Japan through the arcade game market. Their arcade game ''Radar Scope'', while successful in Japan, didn't help the subsidiary company Nintendo of America, with only one-third of the shipped ''Radar Scope'' games sold when Nintendo was hoping for a breakthrough. Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi turned to the young game developer [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] and entrusted him with the development of a new game, which would be built from the remaining ''Radar Scope'' units. With a ''Popeye'' game, they hoped to find their desired success in America. However, Nintendo lost the rights to the Popeye character before the planned publication of the finished game.

Thereupon, Miyamoto received an order to sketch a game based on the original game. Miyamoto developed the game ''Donkey Kong'', which tells a story of a carpenter whose girlfriend is kidnapped by a gorilla. The task of the player was to steer the carpenter around barrels and other objects, while trying to catch up to the gorilla and save the girlfriend. For the then-nameless carpenter, Miyamoto wanted to sketch a simple character, which players could identify with themselves. The result was an early Mario, with a tubular nose, red pair of overalls, blue shirt, and red cap.

The design was strongly affected by the technical limitations of the hardware, which permitted only 16 by 16 pixels for the main character. The mustache was better representable than a mouth, and formed the image of a large nose. The multicolored clothes formed a contrast with the black background, and the overalls served as a distinction between the body and the arms, so that one recognized their movement. Because of the cap, it wasn't necessary to represent the movement of Mario's hair if he jumped. The game was finished in 1981, and the game sold over 65,000 units, the most successful arcade game since Pac-Man, bringing Nintendo of America its desired breakthrough. The character, named "Jumpman" by Miyamoto was renamed by Hiroshi Yamauchi due to his physical similarity with Nintendo of America's landlord, Mario Segale, and the character was identified as Italian. The color combination of the shirt and overalls was modified in later games from blue-red to red-brown to red-blue. Despite more efficient video game hardware and the improved possibilities of realistic graphics, Mario has kept this appearance even today.

====Mario Bros.====
After his appearance in ''Donkey Kong Junior'', Mario appeared again in 1983 in ''Mario Bros.'', Mario's first appearance as the titular hero. After a colleague cited that Mario looked more like a plumber than a carpenter, Miyamoto changed his occupation accordingly. In this game, which was originally called ''Pipe Jump'', Mario and his brother Luigi must exterminate Koopa Troopas and other pests that entered from the underground pipes by jumping up against the platform where the Koopa Troopa was. Although the game's success steadily declined, it was not the brothers' last appearance.

===Platformers===
The current image reached by Mario through the platformer franchise ''Super Mario'' for Nintendo's home consoles is described here.

====Super Mario Bros.====
The Family Computer (Famicom) was released in 1983. Since only good software titles could ensure a durable success of the system, Hiroshi Yamauchi, the president, turned to [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] to develop a new game for the Nintendo console. ''Super Mario Bros.'' was published in Japan on September 13, 1985, and marked a milestone in video game history.

Mario and Luigi now live in the Mushroom Kingdom where they must rescue Princess Toadstool from the evil clutches of the Koopa Bowser. The player controls Mario through laterally-scrolling levels the size of several screens, jumping over abysses and defeating enemies in order to reach the end of the level. By hitting certain blocks, power-ups are released. The Super Mushroom allows Mario to become Super Mario, who is able to destroy certain blocks, but will shrink back into regular Mario if he is hit by an enemy. Normally, Mario can defeat his enemies by jumping on top of them, but by collecting the Fire Flower, Mario can throw fireballs, which can be used for the same purpose.The 1-up mushroom is hidden in diverse locations around the game.If mario collects this Mushroom he will be granted another life. The Power Star makes him temporarily invulnerable. The game can either be played alone or alternating with another, the second player playing as Luigi.

''Super Mario Bros.'' is substantially more extensive than Miyamoto's earlier games, and was, upon its publication, the longest and most complex video game of them all. Like ''Donkey Kong'', the game follows the "hero saves kidnapped girl" story, but the levels have expanded to enormous proportions. Miyamoto created an extensive game world with branched paths and underground caves, while in most past games, the individual levels were limited to the size of the screen. Although there is also a point counter, a high score was an object of little interest to most gamers, as getting extra points does nothing to benefit the gamer.

The game mechanics from ''Mario Bros.'' were extended by new elements. Miyamoto apparently took inspirations from many books and stories. The idea of mushrooms that make Mario larger and stronger is identical to ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'', and the warps and hidden exits used to move forward many levels ahead are reminiscent of ''Star Trek: The Original Series''. Graphically, ''Super Mario Bros.'' pushed the boundaries of technology at its time. The concept of scrolling levels wasn't new, but no previous game used the technology so effectively, or had such even transitions.

Endless depth, colorful graphics, a memorable soundtrack, and good gameplay helped make ''Super Mario Bros.'' a hit. In Japan, a "Mario Boom" developed: A strategy guide, which contained exact maps of the game levels and all the hidden extras, quickly became a best-seller. Mario mangas and an anime film were published. In North America, the game helped the Nintendo Entertainment System, the American version of the Famicom, reach a breakthrough in 1986 and resulted in a Nintendo mania. This brought the video game crash of 1983 to an end. The game has since been bundled with the console, and went on to sell 40 million copies, and is now listed in the Guinness World Records as the best-selling game of all time.

====Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels====
In Japan, a sequel, ''Super Mario Bros. 2'', was already released exclusively for the Famicom Disk System. The game was identical to its predecessor, with the addition of Poison Mushrooms that shrink Mario, and gusts of wind. The game was successful in Japan, but was deemed too difficult for non-Japanese gamers, and was not published outside Japan during the NES's peak years. The Japanese ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' was finally released in western markets in 1993 as ''The Lost Levels'', released as part of the collection ''Super Mario All-Stars'' for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

====Super Mario Bros. 2====
Because the Japanese game Super Mario 2 was deemed too difficult for the western market, and the then president of American operations Howard Lincoln personally disliked the game, Nintendo acquired the rights to the Fuji Television game ''Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic'', inserted Mario characters into the game, and brought the game outside of Japan in 1988 as ''Super Mario Bros. 2: Mario Madness''. For this reason, the gameplay differs clearly from its predecessor at certain points. For example, a simple jump to the head is no longer enough to defeat an enemy, but the enemy must also be thrown into another to be completely defeated. Mario's freedom of movement was also increased: in contrast to the first game and the Japanese version, the screen not only scrolled from left to right, but could also turn around, and even scroll vertically. ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' was a success, and was later released in Japan as ''Super Mario Bros. USA'' in 1992.

====Super Mario Bros. 3====
The third installment in the series was released in 1990, and was the most-anticipated, so much in fact that it appeared in the Fred Savage film ''The Wizard'' before even being officially released. ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' was the most extensive installment in the series.This marked the second 2 dimensional game for Mario to be much like the original version with more powerups. The gameplay and story were similar to the first installment, but there were some innovations. The game world was now represented as a generic map, where Mario could choose where he would go. Various suits were also added, which lent Mario special abilities. For example, the frog suit improved Mario's jumping and swimming capabilities, and the Tanooki suit allowed Mario to turn into a statue and hide from enemies. The freedom of movement was again increased with improved scrolling: the screen can now move in all directions, with the underwater sections being able to scroll vertically and diagonally. There are also levels that automatically scroll, in which the player must keep moving to keep Mario on the screen. Over 18 million copies were sold worldwide, making ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' the best-selling non-bundled video game of all time, earning 500 million dollars in the process.

====Super Mario World====
When the Super Famicom was published in 1990, Yamauchi assigned Miyamoto with the development of a game that would demonstrate the technical possibilities of the system. The new game followed the same path as its predecessors: Mario and Luigi had to save the princess from Bowser's claws by crossing many levels, which are accessible from a map. One of the largest innovations was the dinosaur Yoshi, which served as an animal for Mario and Luigi to ride on, and could use its long tongue to eat enemies. As its color changed, so did its abilities.

The 72 levels had 96 exits; hiding many secret levels greatly increased both the player's freedom to choose as well as the replay value of the game. ''Super Mario World'' became a large success, and Nintendo bundled it with the Super Famicom, in Japan, and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, elsewhere.

====Super Mario World 2====
Nintendo released the successor, ''Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island'', in 1995. Nintendo's marketing department rejected Miyamoto's original version of the game, because they considered the game's graphics outdated, especially since games with 3-D rendered graphics, such as ''Donkey Kong Country'', proved to be a large success. Thus, Miyamoto changed the graphics to resemble pastels drawings.

In ''Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island'', the player controlled Yoshi, who had Baby Mario on its back, both having to rescue Baby Luigi, who Baby Bowser imprisoned. While the game is still a 2-D platformer, the new main character brought new possibilities with it. Among other things, Yoshi could throw eggs, implement a ramming attack, and transform into a helicopter to reach new heights. Like its predecessors, ''Super Mario World 2'' was a success, and gamers consider it one of the best platformer games.

====Super Mario 64====
A Mario game also accompanied the publication of Nintendo's next home console, the Nintendo 64. ''Super Mario 64'' advanced the plumber into the third dimension and defined the term "3-D platformer". The game was not as linear as the previous installments, and the new Analog Stick made an extensive repertoire of precise movements in all directions possible. Mario could now not only run, jump, swim, and carry certain objects, but he could also punch, perform a Triple Jump, don a Wing Cap, and more. It is also the first game in the main Super Mario series to feature the voice acting of Charles Martinet for Mario.

Mario must once again save Princess Peach from Bowser, and free as much as 120 Power Stars from the paintings and return them to her castle. Each painting furnishes a unique world, where Mario must fulfill several different tasks to free a Star. Nintendo did not bundle ''Super Mario 64'' with the Nintendo 64 at first, but it was a large success nevertheless, contributing to the success of the system. Gamers consider Mario's 3-D debut one of the most influential games.

====Paper Mario====
{{main|Paper Mario}}

In 2001 Paper Mario was released in North America on the Nintendo 64 platform as a spiritual sequel to the 1996 Super Nintendo game Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. The role playing game featured Mario and the other characters as 2D paper cutouts in a 3D world. Sales and popularity were hindered because it was released at the end of the Nintendo 64 lifespan.

====Super Mario Sunshine====
2002's Nintendo Gamecube marks the first time a Mario game wasn't published as a launch title. Instead, Luigi appeared in the main role in ''Luigi's Mansion'', where Mario only played a minor role. The long-expected successor to ''Super Mario 64'' followed only some months later. In ''Super Mario Sunshine'', Mario and Peach travel to Isle Delfino for a vacation. However, a Mario double appears and vandalizes the entire island. With the help of FLUDD (and because Mario was sentenced to an indefinite amount of hours of community service), it's up to Mario to clean up the entire island.

The gameplay here is identical to that of its predecessor: from the Piazza Delfino, Mario enters different worlds, in which he must master different tasks in order to receive a Shine Sprite (120 in total). The largest innovation in this game is the FLUDD: By using different nozzles, Mario can not only spray water forward, but can also spray downward, rocket up into the air, and receive a boost of speed. Thus, there is an even bigger freedom of movement here than its predecessor. However, there is some sections in which Mario is without FLUDD, and must overcome a fastidious obstacle course. This also marks Yoshi's first playable appearance in a 3D platformer game.

====Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door====
''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' was released in 2004 on the Gamecube. The game play is similar to its predecessor, Paper Mario. The graphics ability of the Gamecube enabled the "paper" element to truly come into play.

====Super Paper Mario====

''Super Paper Mario'' is currently being developed for the Wii console, and was formerly to appear at the end of 2006. It is a platformer game that takes on the 2-D look of the ''Paper Mario'' role-playing series.

====Super Mario Galaxy====

''Super Mario Galaxy'', the successor to ''Super Mario Sunshine'', is in development for the latest Nintendo console Wii. It is slated for release in the year 2007. Super Mario Galaxy is being developed by EAD Tokyo, which was also responsible for ''Donkey Kong Jungle Beat''.

In this videogame, Mario must once again rescue the kidnapped princess, this time in the reaches of space. Because of the low gravity in space, it is now possible for Mario to jump higher than ever before. This and other new movements are executed by the player with the new Wii Remote. The remote is used to point at things and deflecting attacks. New moves include a spinning attack and flying between planets with stars.

===Handheld platformers===
====Game & Watch====
The Game & Watch Handheld electronic game series already began in 1980, but with the publication of several Game & Watch titles from 1982 to 1984 based on the ''Donkey Kong'' arcade games and ''Mario Bros.'', its popularity rose. In the year 1983, ''Mario's Cement Factory'' was published, where Mario must empty cement from the hoppers into the cement trucks below. In addition, two titles based on ''Super Mario Bros.'' appeared in 1986 and 1988.

====Game Boy====
''Super Mario Land'' was released at the same time the portable video game system Game Boy was published. Although Shigeru Miyamoto wasn't involved in the development, the game became a large success. Following this game were 1992's ''Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins'' and 1994's ''Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3''. ''Super Mario Land 2'' served as the introduction to Wario, an antagonist to Mario, who would go on to become the main character in ''Wario Land''. Four ''Wario Land'' platformers and other games followed this.

====Game Boy Color====
At the same time the Game Boy Color was released in 1999, ''Super Mario Bros. Deluxe'', an improved version of ''Super Mario Bros.'', was released, with a two-player mode and Game Boy Printer support.

====Game Boy Advance====
''Super Mario Advance'', an improved version of ''Super Mario Bros. 2: Mario Madness'', was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2001. Following this game were ''Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2'', ''Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island'', and ''[[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3'', all of them improved versions of past Mario titles. However, an original title was released in 2004, under the name ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong''. In this game, Mario must master different levels by solving puzzles, and recover Mini Mario toys stolen by Donkey Kong.

====Nintendo DS====
''Super Mario 64 DS'' was released in the USA and Japan in 2004, and in Europe and Australia in 2005. The game is a portable version of ''Super Mario 64'', with a multi-player mode among other innovations. Another title, ''Yoshi Touch & Go'', was released in 2005, starring Baby Mario as well as Yoshi. ''New Super Mario Bros.'' was released for the Nintendo DS in 2006, a platformer that mixed classic Mario 2-D gameplay with modern 3-D graphics, new motion possibilities, and play modes for up to four players.In late 2006, ''Yoshi's Island DS'' and ''Mario Hoops 3 on 3'' were released for the DS.

===Other games===
Apart from his platformer appearances, Mario has appeared in many other games (usually on Nintendo's systems), and has made guest appearances in non-Mario games, such as in ''Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!'', where he is a referee. Apart from these guest appearances, Mario has appeared in non-platformer games as the protagonist of other successful series. Mario's popularity proved helpful in establishing these games and game series at the market. These games are published by Nintendo, but developed by another company, such as Hudson Soft or Camelot Software Planning. Mario has even appeared as a playable character in ''NBA Street V3'' and ''SSX On Tour'', both from Electronic Arts.

====Single-player games====
After the relatively unknown Game & Watch title ''Mario Bombs Away'', Mario's first non-platformer game was released in 1990. ''Dr. Mario'''s gameplay was similar to ''Tetris'', which was later converted for nearly all of Nintendo's consoles. Mario later explored other genres. Two examples include the educational game ''Mario Paint'', which appeared in 1992 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and ''Mario Pinball Land'' for the Game Boy Advance. 1996's ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars'' for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System marked Mario's first role-playing game. Since then, four role-playing games have followed: ''Paper Mario'' for the Nintendo 64, ''Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga'' for the Game Boy Advance, ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' for the Nintendo Gamecube, and ''Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time'' for the Nintendo DS.

====Multi-player games====
Mario's multiplayer games represent a more important subrange of Mario games. The ''Mario Kart'' franchise began with 1992's ''Super Mario Kart'' for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and still continues to be the most successful and longest-running kart-racing franchise today. Apart from racing, Mario is also active in the Camelot sports game franchises ''Mario Golf'' and ''Mario Tennis''. In 1999, the Hudson game ''Mario Party'' was released for the Nintendo 64, a set of minigames for up to four players, with the seventh installment released in 2005 for the Gamecube. The eighth installment is soon to come to Wii. 2005 also saw the release of ''Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix'' by Konami, the soccer game ''Super Mario Strikers'' by Next Level Games, and the baseball game ''Mario Superstar Baseball'' by Namco. The basketball game ''Mario Hoops 3-on-3'' by Square-Enix was released in 2006. Their multiplayer aspect and gradual learning curve have made each series quite popular. In each game, Mario and other characters play against each other, nearly all of them being playable, including Luigi, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Princess Peach, Toad, Princess Daisy, Wario, and Waluigi.

====Spin-offs====
The Mario series is considered to have the most successful spin-offs.

Wario made his first appearance in ''Super Mario Land 2'', and became a protagonist in ''Super Mario Land 3''. From this point on, the ''Wario Land'' franchise was created, and established Wario as an independent game protagonist, who's success has manifested itself into the ''WarioWare'' series.

Yoshi developed likewise into a titular character of several games, and so has Luigi with the Gamecube game ''Luigi's Mansion''.Furthermore, 2005's ''Super Princess Peach'' marked the first time Peach is seen as the main playable character.

====Plagiarisms====
Besides the arcade games ''Donkey Kong'', ''Donkey Kong Jr.'' and ''Mario Bros.'' (all which were converted to various game consoles by other manufacturers), the edutainment PC titles, and ''Hotel Mario'' (which came out of a license agreement with Philips CD-i in 1994), Mario has appeared exclusively on Nintendo systems. However, there were attempts to copy the successful concept of his games onto other hardware platforms. In 1987, the video game ''Great Giana Sisters'' was developed in West Germany by Rainbow Arts and released for the home computer Commodore 64, Atari ST, and Amiga. Players and critics agree that it's one of the best games for the Commodore 64. A crucial reason for the quality and popularity of ''Giana Sisters'' however was that it oriented itself very strongly around ''Super Mario Bros.'' For this reason, Nintendo forced the withdrawal of all versions of the game.

==Mascot==
After the success of Super Mario Bros., Mario became Nintendo's official mascot. Soon after, numerous rival businesses tried to emulate the successful concept of a video game mascot. One particular competitor, Sega, tried to establish a similar cult figure with the blue hedgehog Sonic, and the competition between Sega and Nintendo during the first half of the 90s was at the same time a pitting of "Sonic vs. Mario". The Sonic platformer games for Sega consoles established the character as a successful video game hero, who now represents Sega's mascot. During the following years an animated series, comics, as well as numerous video games of different categories were produced, among them the racing game Sonic R, the pinball game Sonic Spinball, and the party game Sonic Shuffle. However, despite all this, Sonic never quite reached the popularity of Mario. Sony also found a mascot in the platformer character Crash Bandicoot for their PlayStation consoles. Parallel to Mario's Mario Kart was Crash's Crash Team Racing, the same case being for Mario Party and Crash Bash. The original Crash platformers also pay tribute to Mario's own platformers. Crash proved to be a large success, but he stayed PlayStation's official mascot for only a relatively short time, and just like Sonic, he now makes appearances on other consoles.

MySims

Admin — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 18:34:16 GMT

Admin:

'''''MySims''''' (ぼくとシムのまち, Boku to Sim no Machi?), previously known as '''''The Sims Wii''''', is an upcoming title developed by EA Games for Nintendo's Wii and DS consoles based on Maxis' The Sims series. The game is slated for a Fall 2007 release.

==Overview==
[[image:Simswii.jpg|frame|right|The ''MySims'' town.]]
Wii ''MySims'' gameplay revolves around players fixing up a house in their grandparents' rundown town where only a few residents live. The mayor also gives you the opportunity to try lure new residents to the town. It is also revealed that "miserable" residents who don't like the player's town will migrate to a volcanic game location.

In contrast, the DS version takes place in a vacation resort with the player tasked with the job to lure in tourists.

Apart from creating a custom Mii-like character, players can also modify their houses and build furniture and appliances using a selection of building blocks. There will be up to 80 characters to interact with in the Wii version (30 characters in the DS version), including a mad scientist, a magician, a chef, a hair dresser and a florist amongst others. Some of these characters may ask the player to build things for them; for example the chef may request an oven be constructed for him. As with other Sims games, meeting people and forming relationships will be a major gameplay focus.

Other features include the ability to grow flowers and plants by planting seeds outside, and extracting "essences" from the player's objects which can be used for decoration. The DS version will have a number of mini games including fishing. On the Wii, the Nunchuk will be utilized for "direct movement", with the remote for object moving and building. The DS version will support the touch screen and microphone.

Compared to previous Sims titles, ''MySims'' has a more cartoonish and anime-inspired look, with chibified character designs. They are modeled after the popular Japanese dolls ''Pinky Street''. This was the idea of Emmy Toyonaga; in ''Official Nintendo Magazine'' she quotes "Well, Mario and other Nintendo characters are pretty short and stubby. Also, being Japanese I'm used to the mindset that fun games should have shorter, stubbier characters. So these characters kind of came naturally." In ''Nintendo Power'', designer Robin Hunicke claims that the character designs also imply "youthfulness ", and that the aesthetic was chosen for "world-wide appeal", while referencing the lesser sales of previous Sims games in Japan compared to other territories.

The Sims 2

Admin — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 18:19:14 GMT

Admin: /* Console and handheld releases */

[[Category:Gaming]]
'''''The Sims 2''''' is a strategic life simulation computer game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to the best-selling computer game in history, The Sims. It was released on September 17, 2004 and sold a record one million copies in its first ten days. The Sims 2 has been released for Windows, Mac OS X, and several game consoles. Five expansion packs and three stuff packs have been released to date. Its music was composed by Mark Mothersbaugh.

In The Sims 2, players control simulated human characters called Sims, as they interact with their virtual environments, engaging in activities and forming relationships in a manner similar to real life. It builds on its predecessor by allowing Sims to age through six stages of life and incorporating a more powerful 3D graphics engine. A sequel,The Sims 3, was announced in November 2006 by EA.

==Gameplay==
''The Sims 2'' does not have a defined final goal; gameplay is open-ended. The player has the freedom to direct his or her Sims as he or she sees fit. A player's Sims can experience a life generally reflective of reality, growing up, working, marrying, having children and eventually dying, all while trying to advance in a chosen career and build a home. However, having a family, or even a steady job, is not necessarily required; therefore the life cycle is not absolute.
===Neighborhoods and Lots===
Sims inhabit neighborhoods, which are self-contained; Sims from one neighborhood cannot interact with Sims from another. In The Sims 2, three neighborhoods created by Maxis, Pleasantview, Strangetown and Veronaville, were included. Each expansion pack usually adds a new area for the player to explore. For example, players associate a college with their neighborhood in The Sims 2: University, a downtown area in The Sims 2: Nightlife and a shopping district in The Sims 2: Open for Business. The Sims 2: Pets broke this tradition and did not include a new area. The Sims 2: Seasons, the fifth expansion pack, introduced a new base neighborhood named Riverblossom Hills.

Each neighborhood contains lots. There are two types of lots: residential and community. Sims live and build their homes on residential lots and are able to visit community lots by taxi. A player can build a variety of recreational destinations for his or her Sims, ranging from supermarkets to public swimming pools. Expansion packs add lots specialized to new gameplay introduced. For example, Pets includes new parks and stores for pets and Nightlife includes restaurants and bowling alleys. University also came with the option to have dorm lots, which are colleges only.

===Sims===
====Age groups====
Sims, like humans, age, have needs, develop dreams and goals, exhibit personality, form relationships, hold jobs and eventually die. They progress through six (or seven) unique life stages: baby (babies must be born; unlike other age groups, they cannot be created in the Create-a-Sim screen), toddler, child, teen, young adult (only with The Sims 2: University), adult and elder.

Throughout life, a Sim's role in his or her family changes to suit his or her age. Babies are dependent on older Sims to nurture and take care of them. As a toddler, Sims are taught fundamental skills, such as walking and talking. Children attend school and gain a new, yet still limited, independence. Teen Sims are more self-sufficient and are able to cook for themselves and work in three-tiered careers to earn Simoleons.[6] Adults are completely self-reliant, having virtually no restrictions. Elders are suited to a life of retirement, and often have to sleep and use the toilet more than adults.
====Need-based motives====
Sims are driven principally by their needs. In The Sims 2, Sims have up to eight needs or motives depending on their age, such as bladder, or the need to urinate, energy, or the need to sleep. The importance of certain needs outweighs that of others. For example, a Sim's neglect of his or her hunger could lead to starvation, but ignorance of hygiene does not result in fatality. A Sim's current levels in needs are averaged to determine a Sim's mood. If motives are collectively low, a Sim's mood will be negative, preventing him or her from engaging in certain activities. In the Seasons expansion pack, needs are affected in more ways.
====Aspirations====
As toddlers and children, Sims aspire only to "Grow Up," but upon becoming teens, the player chooses one of five (or six) life aspirations for them: family, fortune, knowledge, popularity, romance, and pleasure (only with The Sims 2: Nightlife). Each Sim has wants and fears that correspond to his or her aspiration, stage of life and present circumstances. When a want is achieved, such as to "play with a relative," aspiration points are alloted to the aspiration meter. Conversely, when a fear is realized, such as the death of a spouse, aspiration points are penalized. There are six levels to the meter, the highest being platinum, then gold, two levels of green and two of red. Aspiration levels play a part in determining the length of time a Sim will live as an elder before death. For example, a Sim who transitioned to the elder stage with a platinum level will live a much longer life than one who transitioned with a red level. Aspiration points are used to purchase special objects with helpful uses, whose beneficial effects are potentially made negative if the user's aspiration level is below gold.
====Personalities====
Personality is a quantified way of measuring a Sim's behavioral characteristics. There are five personality traits, each described by its opposing qualities. For example, a Sim can be active, lazy or somewhere in between the two extremes. These traits determine how fast a Sim learns skills, the rate at which specific needs decay, the types of interactions a Sim will autonomously engage in, the likelihood of accepting certain interactions and the likelihood of bringing home a friend from school or work. Sims want, fear, and behave according to his or her personality. For example, shy Sims will fear having parties and often become nervous before engaging socially, while outgoing Sims must interact constantly to satisfy their social needs and will point and wave to others as they pass by. Neat Sims will fear using public toilets, while sloppy Sims will urinate in the shower and even on bushes if desperate.
====Careers====
Adult careers have ten levels, while Teen and Elder careers are restricted to three. Upon adulthood, a Teen automatically joins the Adult version of his extant career. Elders are not able to surpass the third level. Advancement in career tracks, such as business and science, requires achieving certain skill levels and maintaining a certain number of family friends. The Sims 2 comes with 10 Adult careers, and some subsequent expansions add more.
====Relationships====
Sims form two kinds of relationships with one another: daily and lifetime. Daily relationships are influenced by recent interactions with other Sims, with lifetime relationships are reflective of a pair's relationship as a whole. For example, if two Sims meet they are able to improve their daily relationship to a perfect score of 100 but are essentially unable to do the same to their lifetime relationship. Lifetime relationships strengthen over time, while daily relationships weaken without recurring interaction. Lifetime relationships can be directly and more quickly affected by strong interactions, typically romantic.

Sims can lead a bisexual or homosexual lifestyle with few differences from heterosexual lifestyles. Gay or lesbian partners are described as being "joined" (in a process identical to marrying - i.e. two women will wear wedding gowns) rather than married, and they may move in together and "WooHoo". The "joined" may be seen as a reference to civil unions.
====Death====
Death is carried out in The Sims 2 by the NPC Reaper, equipped with the uniform scythe and robes. The Reaper is often seen with a cell phone or other incongruous utilities.

Sims can die several ways. If a Sim reaches the end of the Elder life stage, he or she will die of old age. Sims close to the deceased receive an amount of inheritance determined by the benefactor's relationship at death. In addition, Sims can also meet premature ends by various means, such as electrocution or drowning. Sims leave behind tombstones or urns, which are typically possessed by their ghosts. As long as the memorium is left on the lot, ghosts will haunt the household.
====Ghosts====
Ghosts behave differently depending on their type of death and other circumstances. For example, Sims that died from starvation will steal food from the fridge, Sims that drowned will leaves puddles on the floor as they walk around and fill bathtubs with water, leaving them dirty, and Sims whose spouses have since remarried will become angry and jealous. Ghosts come in different colors, depending on their cause of death (e.g. Sims who die of old age will be white, Sims who die of sickness will be green). Ghosts became an idea of the creators of the Sims as a consequence of an unexpected bug, in which Sims became transparent and inaccessible. Ghosts also make it harder for a Sim to live by waking up easily frightened Sims and other annoyances. A ghost can also scare a sim to death if their motives are low.

===Types of Sims===
''Playable Sims'' are the Sims a player controls directly. All gameplay is executed through actions of Playable Sims. Playable Sims are created in one of three ways. A playable Sim may be created using the Create-a-Family feature and placed in the game, by birth or adoption into an existing family, or by being a non-playable Sim moved into a lot.

There are two types of non-playable Sims:

* "Townie" Sims are those which are roughly equivalent to playable Sims, having jobs and other characteristics of a playable Sim, except they do not live on an actual lot. They populate the Community lots and can be interacted with just like any other Sim. They don't age until they move in with another Sim and become playable Sims. With certain exceptions, any Townie may become a playable Sim if he or she accepts an invitation to move in or be married.
* Non-playable Sims that perform specific functions are called NPCs. NPCs can be hired to work for residential lots as maids, nannies, and gardeners. There are also cashiers who work at community lots, as well as NPC Sims with special tasks, such as social workers, police officers, and repo men. Most NPCs may become a Playable Sim through union or moving in, but unlike Townies, NPC Sims will lose their job upon moving in, appearing unemployed. Their role, now empty, is automatically filled by a new NPC.

===Plot===
Although gameplay is open-ended, The Sims 2 has characters with histories, and the game is designed to accommodate story-based gameplay should the player wish to do so through expanded photo album features, such as a neighborhood photo album. The three (later four, with Seasons) pre-loaded neighborhoods each have a storyline told through the existing photo albums and the Sims' personal biographies, though playing characters in these neighborhoods is still open-ended. The story can even be completely disregarded should the player wish to.

The Sims 2 is based loosely on the original plot lines of The Sims, by containing information about families extant in the first game. Several pre-loaded families in The Sims 2 have subtle clues, hinting that this game exists about 20 years after the first game.

Utilizing the complex ancestry system, The Sims 2 incorporates details that link families in this game to the first. The Broke family has a series of Newbies in their genealogical history. The Newbies were a family from the first game. The Goth family is a canon element in The Sims games. In this game, their daughter from the first game has grown into a woman about to be married, further emphasizing the passage of time. The Goths in The Sims 2 also provide a basis for story-driven play, as a plot involving their vanished mother and impending marriage is hinted at throughout gameplay. Other returning families from earlier games include the Pleasants (for whom "Pleasantville" is named), the Burbs, and the Kats (Pets expansion only). One of the new families was also married to Michael Bachelor, who is now deceased and also identified within the Sims 2 as being Bella Goth's brother.

==Compared to ''The Sims''==

Graphically, The Sims 2 is far more accurate and true to real life than The Sims, immersing the player in a fully 3D world. Unlike earlier Sim games, such as SimCity 2000, which used dimetric projection and fixed resolutions, the camera in The Sims 2 allows the player to view things from many angles. Sims themselves are much more intricately detailed than they were in The Sims. Both in The Sims and The Sims 2, Sims are 3D meshes, but The Sims 2 introduces far more detail in mesh quality, texture quality, and animation capability. A Sim's facial features are customizable and unique. The player can adjust, for example, a Sim's nose to be very large or very small in The Sims 2's Create-a-Sim. Texturing is still achieved through use of raster images, though it appears more lifelike. Movements are more smooth, natural and true to humans and Sims are in general more animated.

There is also an increased realism in gameplay. Sims have new experiences unavailable in The Sims, such as aging and eventual death. Sims may engage in "WooHoo," a euphemism for sexual intercourse, in order to become pregnant and have a child. In The Sims, female Sims did not become pregnant; instead, infants were spawned after two Sims' repeatedly kissed. Additionally, babies in The Sims 2 progress through life stages to become adults, while babies in The Sims only become children before ceasing to continue aging. Sims take on genetic characteristics of their parents, such as eye color, hair color and personality traits.

==Game Customisation==
===Custom Content===
Like many games, a large number of players have worked to modify both the game content and behavior of ''The Sims 2''. Such fans are often called modders. Modders alter the game in ways as simple as creating new floor and wall textures using a downloadable tool from and as complicated as writing patches for the game code to customize its behavior. Such modifications are all loosely referred to as "custom content." Specifically, custom content can be divided into four categories: exporting (creating Sims and lots in-game or using the game's included Body Shop and exporting them to a file), recoloring (creating a new texture for an object), meshing (creating an object or modifying its shape) and hacking (writing code that manipulates game and object behaviors).

The modding community for The Sims 2 is self-supporting, with more advanced modders writing tools and tutorials to help in creating custom content and modifying the game environment. One such program is SimPE, which is an editor for game files. SimPE also facilitates the creation of custom content through several wizards and package management tools.

The official The Sims 2 website lists more than 500 registered fansites, many of which feature custom content. More than 250,000 Sims and lots have been uploaded to the Sims 2 Exchange on the site. Some fansites require either a one-time fee or a subscription to access some of all of the content on the site. Most of the sites do not charge for usage, some however, do allow voluntary donations to offset the cost of website maintenance.

The topic of paysites is controversial in The Sims 2 community. Although the license agreement specifically forbids charging money for content created with or for The Sims 2, to date EA Games has not commented on the controversy, and is not allowing any discussion of this on the official Sims 2 BBS.
===The Sims 2 Body Shop===
The Sims 2 Body Shop is a program shipped with The Sims 2 that allows users to create custom clothing and body recolors, such as eyes, hair and skin tone. These custom created parts can be imported directly into the game, or can be uploaded onto the official The Sims 2 Exchange. These parts can be then added to other users' games.

==Game editions and add-on releases==
For the PC, there have been three released editions of the core game, five released expansion packs and three released stuff packs. Many of these have been ported to Mac OS X by Aspyr. ''The Sims 2'' has been released for a number of game consoles, The Sims 2 Seasons has just been released.
===Core game===
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" width="100%"
! Name
! [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] Release date (USA)
! [[Mac OS]] X port Release
! Features
|-
| '''''The Sims 2'''''
| September 17, 2004
| June 13, 2005
| First release of the core game
|-
| '''''The Sims 2: Special DVD Edition'''''
| September 17, 2004
| n/a
| Core game, Bonus DVD content
|}

===Expansion packs===
''The Sims 2'' expansion packs provide additional game features and items. Generally, expansion packs add one central gameplay element, several peripheral elements, a new type of "expansion neighborhood", a new "supernatural" element (Zombies, in ''University''), and approximately 125 new objects. Five expansion packs have been released.

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" width="100%"
! Name
! [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] Release date (USA)
! (EU)
! [[Mac OS]] X port Release
! Major Additions
|-
| '''''The Sims 2: University'''''
| March 1, 2005
| March 2, 2005
| December 12, 2005
| College Towns, ''Young Adult'' life stage, pranks, Influence, Four graduate careers, Zombies
|-
| '''''The Sims 2: Nightlife'''''
| September 13, 2005
| September 13, 2005
| March 27, 2006
| Dating system, Downtown community area, ''Pleasure'' Aspiration, fury, Drivable cars, Vampires
|-
| '''''The Sims 2: Open for Business'''''
| March 2, 2006
| March 3, 2006
| September 4, 2006
| Business system, Shopping districts, ''talent badges'', perk system, Robots
|-
| '''''The Sims 2: Pets'''''
| October 17, 2006
| October 20, 2006
| November 6, 2006
| Pets system, pet store lots, Werewolves
|-
| '''''The Sims 2: Seasons'''''
| February 27, 2007
| March 2, 2007
| n/a
| Seasons environment, Riverblossom Hills neighborhood, six careers, Plantsims
|}

===Stuff packs===
Stuff packs are add-ons to the base game that add only new objects. There are currently four released. Stuff packs were originally called booster packs, as seen in the release of ''The Sims 2: Holiday Party Pack''. Current releases are called "Stuff Packs" and include certain gameplay elements introduced in previous expansion packs (as opposed to ''Holiday Party Pack'', which only added a package file containing object data). Stuff packs typically add around 60 new items. None have been ported to [[Mac OS]] X.

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" width="100%"
! Name
! [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] Release date (USA)
! Major Components
|-
| '''''The Sims 2: Holiday Edition|The Sims 2: Holiday Party Pack'''''
| November 17, 2005
| Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa
|-
| '''''The Sims 2: Family Fun Stuff'''''
| April 13, 2006
| Medieval, Tropical
|-
| '''''The Sims 2: Glamour Life Stuff'''''
| August 31, 2006
| Luxury, Couture
|-
| '''''The Sims 2: Happy Holiday Stuff'''''
| November 7, 2006
| Similar to ''Holiday Party Pack'', but adds the Chinese New Year theme. Packaged with base game for a limited time
|-
| '''''The Sims 2: Celebration Stuff'''''
| TBC
| Celebrations, Fiestas
|}
===Console and handheld releases===
* The Sims 2 was released for Nintendo DS, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Xbox October 24, 2005 in North America. The same games were released in Europe November 4. The game was released for PlayStation Portable in December 2005, with European release January 13, 2006. The game is also available via mobile/cell phones, with availability depending on carrier. The Sims 2: Pets was also ported to the PlayStation 2, GameCube, PSP, Nintendo DS, as well as the Game Boy Advance. The Console versions are very similar to the PC game, except that they posses an alternate Story Mode, and Adult is the only age group, meaning that Sims can't age or have children.

* GameSpot rated all console versions at 6.5 (on a 10-point scale), saying that "The Sims 2 loses something in translation from PC to consoles. Namely, its addictive, entertaining gameplay." The Xbox edition was rated 4.5 out of 5 by GamePro Magazine. The console games have a number of different mechanics than the PC/Mac editions. The console games feature two modes of control; direct mode allows the player to act directly as the Sim, while classic mode uses the game controls to select objects to use.

* A Sims game for the new Wii, ''[[MySims]]'' has been announced for release in 2007. The screenshots reveal that it has a more cartoonish and anime-influenced feel to it, with the characters resembling that consoles' Miis. It will also be released for the Nintendo DS.

Timesplitters

Admin — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 17:27:38 GMT

Admin:

'''''TimeSplitters''''' is a series of first person shooter video games which have a storyline based on time travel. The first two games were published by Eidos. The first, released on the PlayStation 2 as a launch title for the system, while its sequel was also released on Xbox and GameCube, in addition to the PlayStation 2 version. There are currently three games in the series, ''TimeSplitters'', ''TimeSplitters 2'', and ''TimeSplitters: Future Perfect'' (published by EA Games).

The original game, ''TimeSplitters'', was developed by the Nottingham based company Free Radical Design and published in 2000 by Eidos. Set over 100 years of past, present and future, ''TimeSplitters'' boasts probably the fastest gameplay yet seen in a console FPS, demanding the players keep their wits about them at all times.

The look of the games are substantially more stylized and [[cartoon]]-like than most first person shooters, with character models and expressions more closely resembling games such as ''XIII'' or ''Serious Sam'' rather than more realistic contemporaries such as ''Half-Life'' or ''Red Faction''. This emphasis on often comic book-style character design, many of which represent instantly recognizable parodies of established pop-culture stereotypes (such as the aristocratic English explorer or the suave secret agent) combined with an often surreal and self-mocking style of humour.

The series is notable for the inclusion of a Mapmaker, a simple grid-based level editor. In ''TimeSplitters'', Mapmaker maps may only be used in Arcade mode.

Classics such as GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark are often mentioned alongside TimeSplitters because the Free Radical Design team was once a part of Rareware, the creators of these two FPS games for the Nintendo 64. TimeSplitters is often considered to be a continuation or spiritual sequel of the popular FPS style that GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark induced.

==Story Mode==
Story mode is a series of missions. In TimeSplitters 1 and 2, this was based upon the retrieval of a key object and its successful return. In TS2 however, there were also additional objectives. Enemy AI in TS1 is simple yet determined. In TS2 stealth was possible, they weren't always suicidal, and they were sometimes sneaky themselves. On harder settings, there's little room for error. Enemies can appear out of nowhere and there are no checkpoints to allow breathing space in TS1, although in TS2 there is 1 checkpoint in each level. In TSFP there are sometimes multiple.
The difficulty curve in ''TimeSplitters'' is steep, in the harder settings the enemies become more numerous, better armed, and the maps themselves can change to make things more difficult.

There are always two playable characters on each mission in Story Mode. Cooperative play is also available, though enemy numbers and weapon/health placements remain the same as in Single Player Mode, with the addition of both players being weaker than on single player, so it can be harder if you don't work as a team.

The Story mode is also where many of the games unlockables are found. Completing a mission will often be rewarded with a new character or characters in the Arcade game. Other rewards include new cheats and new Arcade maps.

Effectively, the only link between the separate time periods is the enemies that materialize whenever you complete your goal in a level and must exit the level. As revealed in later games in the series, these are the TimeSplitters themselves, who travel through many points in Earth's history in an attempt to disrupt and destroy humanity.

== Arcade Mode ==
Arcade mode is the multiplayer aspect of the TimeSplitters series and has 2 types of gameplay: Arcade, which is simple multiplayer, and League (found only in ''Timesplitters 2'' and ''Future Perfect''), which is similar to Challenge Mode, but there are 3 different levels of difficulty that each contain 3 challenges.

These are the modes that you can play in Arcade:

* Deathmatch: Kill the other contenders
* Team Deathmatch: Kill the other team(s)
* Capture the Bag: Retreive the bag from the other base(s)
* Bagtag: There is only one bag, hold onto it for the longest time to win
* Knockout1: Retreive bags from a central point and return it to your base to score
* Last Stand1: Stay alive for as long as possible
* Elimination2: The last conteder remaining wins
* Shrink2: Contender's size is based on ranking
* Vampire2: Contenders have a limited lifespan, kill enemies to increase it
* Thief2: Collect the coins left by dead contenders
* Leech3: Absorb health by inflincting damage
* Regeneration3: Health regenerates
* Flame Tag3: Pass the flame on
* Virus2: Last person to catch fire wins
* Zones2: Control strategic points in the map
* Assault2: Assault the enemy base
* Gladiator2: Only the gladiator can score
* Monkey Assistant2: The contender in last place has monkeys making kills for them

* 1: Only available in TS1
* 2: Only available in TS2 & TS:FP
* 3: Only available in TS2

==Challenge Mode==
Challenge mode, in all games of the series, consists of 9 sets of 3 single player challenges, often based around a pre-set Arcade match. Rewards, such as extra characters for Arcade Mode, are given for successful completion.

==Soundtrack==
In 2006 Free Radical placed the soundtracks for all of their currently available games up for download on the company website, including printable album artwork. The soundtrack for the ''TimeSplitters'' games can be found [http://www.frd.co.uk/downloads.php here].

Numberwang

Admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 21:07:12 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:TV]]
'''Numberwang''' is a recurring sketch featured on Robert Webb and David Mitchell's BBC sketch show [[That Mitchell and Webb Look]], and previously on their BBC Radio 4 show That Mitchell and Webb Sound.

==Format==
[[Image:Numberwang.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Robert Webb as ''Numberwang''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s host.]]
The sketch centres on a maths-based game show consisting of a series of rounds with completely inexplicable rules, mostly featuring the two players shouting out apparently random numbers until the host exclaims "That's Numberwang!". The sketches are written by James Bachman and Mark Evans, and the phrase 'That's Numberwang!' was invented by David Wolstencroft, the creator of Spooks.

The BBC's That Mitchell and Webb Look webpage features an online version of Numberwang, and also defines the show's rules as follows:

:'''How to play'''
:1. There are 10 rounds.
:2. Each round lasts 10 seconds. You're up against the clock!
:3. Play your numbers, as long as they're between 0 and 99.
:4. That's Numberwang!

However, this has little connection to the game as "played" on television, in which a round can continue for an arbitrarily long time, and numbers outside the given range are often played.

As each number is shouted by the contestants, a number on the scoreboard lights up, although it is always a number wildly different from that shouted by the contestant. Although middle rounds vary, the final round of the game is always "Wangernumb", a reversal of the title. After each round the host gives an update on the scores, which is generally nonsensical, along the lines of "Simon is on 28 and Julie is also on 7". Partway through the game, the host shouts "Let's rotate the board!" and the contestants' deck is briefly spun round to reveal something on the other side. Things on the other side of the board have included:

*Two different contestants who wave as the board makes a 360 degree turn, so they never play.
*A shocked newsreader (Mitchell).
*A Nativity scene.
*The torture scene from ''Marathon Man''.
*The Russian roulette scene from ''The Deer Hunter''.

In the TV series, each Numberwang sketch features the same two contestants, Simon (announced as hailing variously from Somerset, Northampton, Space and Anglesey) and Julie (announced as coming from Somerset, Southampton, Dulwich and Anglesey). Most of the games are won by Simon. Julie's only victory came in the October 5, 2006 episode, although as she won by being the first to inhale a lethal dose of poison gas number 2, this could be considered a pyrrhic victory.

==Alternate versions==
Also seen in the series are the German version of the game, "Nümberwang", (entirely performed in German, with Julie and Simon billed as a Hamburger and a Frankfurter (a joke reference to Hamburg and Frankfurt) respectively and the timeless line "Rotieren das Brett!" (Rotate the board). [[James]] (embarassingly) can recite from memory the entire script for this episode.) and a spin-off version called "Wordwang" (in which Simon was announced as hailing from "a factory" and being "made of some kind of metal", at which point he slapped himself on the head, producing a metallic clang). The live version of Numberwang performed on their live tour added a few in-jokes for regular viewers, such as the presenter rotating instead of the contestants (to the confused look of Robert Webb who is then replaced with David Mitchell), and Webb telling the audience that Simon and Julie have "regenerated into cheaper actors" (a reference to ''Doctor Who''.)

==Cast==
Olivia Colman plays Julie, Paterson Joseph plays Simon, and the host is played by Robert Webb except in the German version where David Mitchell portrayed the host.

==Links==
*You can see the German Nümberwang on the videos section of [http://ultimatesite.co.nr The Ultimate Site].

That Mitchell and Webb Look

Admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 20:56:18 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:TV]]
'''''That Mitchell and Webb Look''''' is a 6-part British television sketch show starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb. It first aired on 14 September 2006 on BBC Two.

It is directed by David Kerr, who also directed Mitchell and Webb's previous television sketch show The Mitchell and Webb Situation. As well as Mitchell and Webb themselves, the writers include Jesse Armstrong, James Bachman, Sam Bain, Mark Evans and John Finnemore. The producer is Gareth Edwards. The cast includes Olivia Colman, James Bachman, Mark Evans, Abigail Burdess and Paterson Joseph.

==Recurring Sketches==
Recurring sketches seen in the series include:-
* Ted and Peter - A parody of television snooker commentary. Ted and Peter (Mitchell and Webb respectively) are a pair of jaded ex-players, who are generally more interested in getting drunk than actually commenting on the match. Their commentary comprises mainly revelations of bad habits, infidelities or crimes committed by players, mixed with mildly homoerotic praise of the players' style and looks. Ted also frequently says "Oh, and that's a bad miss". Peter recently came out as a homosexual after "living a lie for 42 years".

* [[Numberwang]] - A parody of complicated quiz shows based on maths with elements of Countdown and Lucky Ladders, mainly involving two contestants yelling out apparently random numbers until one reaches "Numberwang!" which is also seemingly random. Part way through the game the area where the contestants sit rotates (a reference to the old quiz game Blankety Blank) briefly revealing something strange before returning to where it started. Episode 5 featured a German version with David Mitchell as the host. In Episode 6, Numberwang appeared as "Wordwang", essentially the same game but with words and letters instead of numbers.

* The Party Planners - Mitchell and Webb prepare a party guest list, and realise that one of the guests will bring along a famous literary or historical figure. In one episode, they complained about their friend Moneypenny's annoying boyfriend, James, and his habit of attacking other guests for no reason. Another featured them inviting Velma, Freddie and Daphne along, but worrying that they will bring "the scrawny one who doesn't wash and his dog".

* The Angel Summoner and BMX Bandit - A send-up of crime-fighting duos, the Angel Summoner, looking distinctly like Gandalf, and BMX Bandit team up to fight crime with the usual scenario of the BMX Bandit assessing the situation, usually a highly dangerous task (hostage rescue, counter-terrorism, drug raid) and then suggesting a ridiculously complicated scenario where he would use his BMX to save the day. Various BMX style tricks are mentioned to fight crime, "I'll spin my rear wheel and kick mud up in their faces" "Then I'll pop a wheelie to knock the guns out of their hands" etc. The Angel Summoner then adds that he could simply summon a force of invincible angels to take care of the problem by simply chanting, "Angelic Hordes Come Forth!". The invincible angels are never shown, but we do see the aftermath after they have taken care of the situation and saved the day. With each installment, the BMX Bandit resents the quick fix of summoning a horde of angels and feels that he and his BMX skills are redundant in the crime fighting partnership.

* Big Talk - Host Raymond Terrific (Webb) shouts at his panel of "boffins", demanding they solve the world's problems. The experts try to solve these in a calm-headed way, while Raymond yells at them to get results faster. Big Talk has tried to solve the crisis in the Middle East, the AIDS pandemic and the issue of whether there is a God. Raymond also chaired (extremely unwillingly) a spin-off called Small Talk, in which a panel of mindless celebrities discussed 'matters of no importance', such as "What is your favourite flavour of crisp?". Raymond visibly detested taking part in this version.

* The Surprising Adventures of Sir Digby Chicken-Caesar - Sir Digby (Webb) and his sidekick Ginger (Mitchell) believe that they are a pair of detectives in the style of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson when in fact they are drunken tramps. They are so poor that they have to hum their own theme tune (Devil's Gallop), which is usually sung as the intrepid duo are escaping from a crime scene, and regularly fight each other for loose change. They believe that plots are constantly being hatched against them by their "nemesis" described as "some bastard who is presumably responsible". Henchmen of their nemesis turn up in the shape of the police or whoever stumbles in front of them. Sir Digby first appeared on radio in the show's precursor; "That Mitchell and Webb Sound" but was known then as Sir Digby Caesar-Salad. When they are in a prison cell, Ginger decides to hang himself with his tie, so they can get away, claiming he survived it because his father did it frequently in the "good old days"; and sexually abused him when it was "bad".

* The British Broadcasting Network - An old fashioned black and white broadcast. The two characters constantly talk about the wonders of the new medium of television, and how it enables people to see them talking to each other. They use very large cumbersome microphones at the side of their face, so they are mostly shown in profile

* Barry - Barry (Mitchell) runs a range of attractions which are all unsafe, including charging £2 to jump off a cliff, or offering the chance to swim with a great white shark but with the shark inside the cage along with the diver. His middle class customer (Webb) who assumes everything is "fine" as Barry has a sign, so it must be legitimate, seemingly oblivious to the obvious danger, always eventually agrees to take part, much to Barry's surprise.

* The Honeymoon's Over - Mitchell plays a rude, mean, condescending man who takes a variety of different jobs, in all of which he does his best to demean his customers (Webb and Colman) and make them feel uncomfortable and inferior. Past jobs have included being a waiter, a priest and a shop assistant in a clothes shop.

There are also "Behind the Scenes" sketches in each episode where Mitchell and Webb play themselves, on the set of the show.

Mitchell and Webb

Admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 20:48:14 GMT

Admin:

'''Mitchell and Webb''' are David Mitchell and Robert Webb, a British comedy double act. They are best known for starring in the unusual Channel 4 sitcom ''Peep Show''. They also have their own Radio 4 sketch show, ''That Mitchell and Webb Sound'' – later televised on BBC Two as ''[[That Mitchell and Webb Look]]''. Mitchell and Webb have written for Armstrong and Miller, and ''Big Train''. They often appear with Olivia Colman, who was in both ''Peep Show'' and ''That Mitchell and Webb Sound''.

Mitchell and Webb have also appeared in the U.K. regional versions of the famously biased 'Get a Mac' advertisements for [[Apple Inc|Apple]].

The pair also have their own film that is currently due for release in April 2007. The film called is called ''Magicians''.
[[Category:TV]]

Mozilla Firefox

Admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 18:45:39 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Computers]]
'''Mozilla Firefox''' is a graphical web browser developed by the Mozilla Corporation and a large community of external contributors. Firefox, officially abbreviated as '''Fx''' or '''fx''' and popularly abbreviated '''FF''', started as a fork of the Navigator browser component of the Mozilla Application Suite. Firefox has replaced the Mozilla Suite as the flagship product of the Mozilla project, under the direction of the Mozilla Foundation.

Mozilla Firefox is a cross-platform browser, providing support for various versions of [[Microsoft Windows]], [[Mac OS]] X, and Linux. However, the source code has been unofficially ported to other operating systems, including FreeBSD, OS/2, Solaris, SkyOS, BeOS and more recently, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition.

Firefox's source code is freely available under the terms of the Mozilla tri-license as free and open source software. The current stable release of Firefox is version 2.0.0.2, released on February 23, 2007.

==History==
Dave Hyatt and Blake Ross began working on the Firefox project as an experimental branch of the Mozilla project. They believed the commercial requirements of Netscape's sponsorship and developer-driven feature creep compromised the utility of the Mozilla browser. To combat what they saw as the Mozilla Suite's software bloat, they created a pared-down browser, with which they intended to replace the Mozilla Suite. On April 3 2003, the Mozilla Organization announced that they planned to change their focus from the Mozilla Suite to Firefox and Thunderbird.

The Firefox project has undergone several name changes. Originally titled ''Phoenix'', it was renamed because of trademark issues with Phoenix Technologies. The replacement name, ''Firebird'', provoked an intense response from the Firebird free database software project. In response, the Mozilla Foundation stated that the browser should always bear the name ''Mozilla Firebird'' to avoid confusion with the database software. Continuing pressure from the database server's development community forced another change; on February 9 2004, Mozilla Firebird became ''Mozilla Firefox'' (''Firefox'' for short).

The Firefox project went through many versions before 1.0 was released on November 9 2004. In addition to stability and security fixes, the Mozilla Foundation released its first major update to Firefox—version 1.5—on November 29, 2005. On October 24 2006, Mozilla released Firefox 2. This version includes updates to the tabbed browsing environment, the extensions manager, the GUI, and the find, search and software update engines; a new session restore feature; inline spell checking; and an anti-phishing feature which was implemented by Google as an extension and later merged into the program itself.

==Features==
Features included with Firefox are tabbed browsing, incremental find (via the Find toolbar), Live bookmarking, an integrated download manager, and a search system. The user can customize Firefox with downloadable extensions, themes, and advanced preferences not present in the Options dialog that are accessible via the about:config page. The developers of Firefox aimed to produce a browser that "just surfs the web" and delivers the "best possible browsing experience to the widest possible set of people." Firefox provides an environment for web developers in which they can use built-in tools or extensions. These include the built-in JavaScript Console and the DOM Inspector.

=== Standards support ===
Mozilla Firefox supports many software standards, including HTML, XML, XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, DOM, MathML, DTD, XSLT, XPath, SVG, and PNG images with alpha transparency. Firefox also supports standards proposals created by the WHATWG such as the offline storage and canvas element. Although Firefox 2 does not pass the Acid2 standards-compliance test, development builds of Firefox 3 pass the test.

=== Security ===
Firefox uses SSL/TLS to protect communications with web servers using strong cryptography when using the HTTPS protocol. It uses a sandbox security model and the developers use a "bug bounty" scheme, for finding fixes for some security and feature additions. Official guidelines for handling security vulnerabilities discourage early disclosure of vulnerabilities so as not to give potential attackers an advantage in creating exploits.

Because Firefox has fewer and less severe publicly known unpatched security vulnerabilities than Internet Explorer (see Comparison of web browsers), it is often cited as a reason to switch from Internet Explorer to Firefox for improved security. The ''Washington Post'' reports that exploit code for critical unpatched security vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer was available for 284 days in 2006. In comparison, exploit code for critical security vulnerabilities in Firefox was available for 9 days before Mozilla shipped a patch to remedy the problem.

A 2006 Symantec study showed that Firefox had surpassed other browsers, including Internet Explorer, in the number of vendor-confirmed vulnerabilities that year through September; these vulnerabilities were patched far more quickly than those found in IE and other browsers. Symantec later clarified their statement, saying that Firefox still had fewer security vulnerabilities, as counted by security researchers. As of February 25, 2007, Firefox 2 has two of six security vulnerabilities unpatched, marked "not critical" and "less critical" by Secunia. Internet Explorer has five of seven security vulnerabilities unpatched, the most severe of which was rated "moderately critical" by Secunia. (Note that the number of "Secunia Advisories" listed for each doesn't reflect on the actual number of vulnerabilities reported for each. Advisory SA23282 for Mozilla Firefox 2.0.x
contains multiple vulnerabilities.)

== Licensing ==

Firefox's source code is open source, tri-licensed under the Mozilla Public License (MPL), GNU General Public License (GPL), and the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL). These licenses permit anyone to view, modify and/or redistribute the source code, and several publicly-released applications have been built on it; for example, Netscape, Flock and Songbird make use of code from Firefox.

The official end-user builds of Firefox distributed from mozilla.com are licensed under the Mozilla EULA. Several elements do not fall under the scope of the tri-license and have their use restricted by the EULA, including the trademarked Firefox name and artwork, and the proprietary Talkback crash reporter. Because of this and the clickwrap agreement included in the Windows version, the Free Software Foundation (FSF) consider these builds proprietary software.

In the past, Firefox was licensed solely under the MPL, which the FSF criticizes for being weak copyleft; the license permits, in limited ways, proprietary derivative works. Additionally, code under the MPL cannot legally be linked with code under the GPL or the LGPL. To address these concerns, Mozilla re-licensed Firefox under the tri-license scheme of MPL, GPL, and LGPL. Since the re-licensing, developers have been free to choose the license under which they will receive the code, to suit their intended use: GPL or LGPL linking and derivative works when one of those licenses is chosen, or MPL use (including the possibility of proprietary derivative works) if they choose the MPL.

===Trademark and logo issues===
The name "Mozilla Firefox" is a registered trademark; along with the official Firefox logo, it may only be used under certain terms and conditions. Anyone may redistribute the official binaries in unmodified form and use the Firefox name and branding for such distribution, but restrictions are placed on distributions which modify the underlying source code.

To allow distributions of the code ''without'' using the official branding, the Firefox source code contains a "branding switch". This switch allows the code to be compiled without the official logo and name, for example to produce a derivative work unencumbered by restrictions on the Firefox trademark. In the unbranded compilation the trademarked logo and name are replaced with a freely distributable generic globe logo and the name of the release series from which the modified version was derived. The name "Deer Park" is used for derivatives of Firefox 1.5 and "Bon Echo" for derivatives of Firefox 2.0.

Outside of certain exceptions made for "community editions", distributing modified versions of Firefox under the "Firefox" name requires explicit approval from Mozilla for the changes made to the underlying code, and requires the use of ''all'' of the official branding. For example, it is not permissible to use the name "Firefox" without also using the official logo. The Debian project notably fell afoul of this, by using the name "Mozilla Firefox" but not the official logo, in a modified distribution (because of restrictions on its use, the Debian Free Software Guidelines did not permit Debian to use the logo). Although Debian claimed to have reached a prior agreement which would have allowed this, they were told in 2006 by a representative of the Mozilla Foundation that this was not acceptable, and asked to either comply with the published trademark guidelines or cease using the "Firefox" name in their distribution. Ultimately, Debian switched to branding their modified version of Firefox as Iceweasel.

== Advertising ==

The rapid adoption of Firefox, 100 million downloads in its first year of availability, followed a series of aggressive marketing campaigns starting in 2004 with a series of events Blake Ross and Asa Dotzler called "marketing weeks".

On September 12 2004, a marketing portal dubbed "Spread Firefox" (SFX) debuted along with the Firefox Preview Release, creating a centralized space for the discussion of various marketing techniques. The portal enhanced the "Get Firefox" button program, giving users "referrer points" as an incentive. The site lists the top 250 referrers. From time to time, the SFX team or SFX members launch marketing events organized at the Spread Firefox website.

The "World Firefox Day" campaign started on July 15 2006—the anniversary of the founding of the Mozilla Foundation—and ran until September 15 2006. Participants registered themselves and a friend on the website for nomination to have their names displayed on the Firefox Friends Wall, a digital wall that will be displayed at the headquarters of the Mozilla Foundation.

== Market adoption ==

Web-surfers have adopted Firefox rapidly, despite Internet Explorer coming pre-installed with every copy of the Windows OS. Internet Explorer has seen a steady decline of its usage share since Firefox's release. According to Dutch web analytics firm OneStat, by July 2006, Firefox was the second most widely-used browser, with 12.93% of global usage share. By December 2006, according to data made available by U.S. firm NetApplications, Firefox's market share had grown to 14% globally.

Downloads have continued at an increasing rate since Firefox 1.0 was released in November 2004, and as of February 12, 2007 Firefox has been downloaded over 300 million times. This number does not include downloads using software updates or from third-party websites. They do not represent a user count, as one download may be installed on many machines, or one person may download the software multiple times. Mozilla Vice President of Products Christopher Beard estimates that Firefox had 70 million to 80 million users as of October 2006.

With Microsoft releasing version 7 of Internet Explorer ("IE7") that same month, Firefox's share growth might have been expected to slow, but as of January 2007, IE7 has instead gained share mostly at the expense of older versions of IE.

== Critical reception ==
''Forbes.com'' called Firefox the best browser in a 2004 commentary piece. PC World named Firefox the "product of the year" in 2005 on their "100 Best Products of 2005" list. After the release of Firefox 2 and Internet Explorer 7 in 2006, PC World reviewed both and announced that Firefox was the better browser.

''Internet Week'' ran an article in which many readers reported high memory usage in Firefox 1.5. Mozilla developers said the higher memory use of Firefox 1.5 is at least partially an effect of the new fast backwards-and-forwards (FastBack) feature. Other known causes of memory problems are misbehaving extensions, such as Google Toolbar and some old versions of Adblock, or plug-ins, such as older versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader. When ''PC Magazine'' compared memory usage of Firefox, Opera, and Internet Explorer, they found that Firefox seemed to use only about as much memory as the other browsers. Tests performed by ''PC World'' and Zimbra indicate that Firefox 2 uses less memory than Internet Explorer 7.

Softpedia notes that Firefox takes longer to start up than other browsers, which was confirmed by browser speed tests.
IE also launches slightly faster than Firefox on Microsoft Windows since many of its components are built into Windows and are loaded during system startup.

=== Relationship with Google ===
The Mozilla Corporation's corporate relationship with Google has been noted in the media, especially with regards to use of Firefox to provide revenues and data for Google. The release of the anti-phishing protection in Firefox 2 especially raised controversy. Enabled by default anti-phishing protection is based on a list that is regularly (approximately each half hour) updated and downloaded to the user's computer from Google's server (the user cannot change the data provider within the GUI nor is informed who the default data provider is). Browser also sends Google's cookie with each request for update. The "advanced" security feature of builds by the Mozilla Foundation activate an anti-phishing feature to provide live protection and, according to the Mozilla Wiki, send each visited URL to Google (the user must explicitly opt-in for it). Barring Internet privacy issues over such anti-phishing protection, there are concerns on how Google may use the data, even though Firefox's privacy policy states that Google may not use personal information for any purposes other than the anti-phishing protection feature. On the other hand, Google admits that it "may share aggregated non-personal information with third parties outside of Google".

In 2005, the Mozilla Foundation and Mozilla Corporation had a combined revenue of US$52.9 million. Approximately 95 percent of this revenue was related to their search engine relationships.
=== Response from competition ===
Despite Firefox's gains on Internet Explorer, Microsoft's head of Australian operations, Steve Vamos, stated in late 2004 that he did not see Firefox as a threat and that there was not significant demand for the feature set of Firefox among Microsoft's users. However, many features that distinguished Firefox from previous versions of Internet Explorer are now available with Internet Explorer 7. Vamos stated that he had never used Firefox. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has used Firefox, but he has commented "so much software gets downloaded all the time, but do people actually use it?". A Microsoft SEC filing on June 30 2005 acknowledged that "competitors such as Mozilla offer software that competes with the Internet Explorer Web browsing capabilities of our Windows operating system products."

In August 2006, Microsoft offered to help Mozilla integrate Firefox with the forthcoming Windows Vista, which Mozilla accepted.

In October 2006, as congratulations for a successful ship of Firefox 2, the Internet Explorer 7 development team shipped a cake to Mozilla.

== Future development ==

According to the Firefox roadmap, future development will include version 3.0. Development on version 3.0, which will be based on Gecko 1.9, occurs simultaneously on the Mozilla trunk. Newer versions of Firefox will use Cairo as the rendering layer instead of the platform's native rendering engine (in the case of Windows, this is GDI+).

=== Version 3.0 ===

The development name for Mozilla Firefox 3 is '''Gran Paradiso'''. The precursory releases were codenamed "Minefield", as this was the name of the trunk builds. "Gran Paradiso" (trans. "Great Paradise"), like other Firefox development names, is an actual place; in this case the highest mountain group in the Graian Alps. With the releases of version 3.0 alpha 1 on December 8, 2006 and version 3.0 alpha 2 on February 7, 2007, it adopted the "Gran Paradiso" codename. A post on the Mozilla Wiki "Release Roadmap" from President of Products Christopher Beard suggests a release in November 2007.

The largest known change for Firefox 3 is the implementation of Gecko 1.9, an updated layout engine. It will also provide CSS3 columns. Firefox 3 will include features that were bumped from Firefox 2, such as the overhauled Places system for storing bookmarks and history in an SQLite backend, according to the wiki. Due to lack of support for [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows NT 4.0 in Cairo, and because Microsoft decided to end support for Windows 98 and Windows Me on July 11 2006, Firefox 3 will not run on those operating systems. The Mac version of Firefox 3 will only run on OS X 10.3 or higher. Unlike previous versions, Firefox 3 on Mac OS X will use a Cocoa widget implementation.

There is also advanced ongoing work focused on further implementation of features from WHATWG specification. In particular, support for the controversial "ping" attribute in <nowiki><a> and <area></nowiki> HTML elements is implemented and enabled by default. The purpose of this additional attribute is tracking clicking on links. LWN.net notes that "ping" has advantages over current click-tracking techniques because it can more reliably get the user to their intended destination and the user has the option of turning the "ping" feature off. The development team is asking users to submit feature requests that they wish to be included in Firefox 3.

Google

Admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 17:55:55 GMT

Berober04:

[[Category:Computers]]
Google Inc. is an American public corporation, specializing in Internet search and online advertising. The company had 10,674 full-time employees as of December 31, 2006, and is based in Mountain View, California. Google's mission statement is "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful."

Google was co-founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were students at Stanford University, and the company was first incorporated as a privately held company on September 7, 1998. Google's initial public offering took place on August 19, 2004, raising $1.67 billion, making it worth $23 billion. The company grew rapidly since its IPO, acquiring smaller companies such as Writely, JotSpot, and online video sharing site YouTube in 2006, and moving into the office software market with the release of its Google Apps Premium Edition in 2007. Additionally, Google is also involved in many cooperational partnerships with other corporations, such as NASA, Sun Microsystems, Time Warner's America Online, and NewsCorp's MySpace

Like most large corporations, Google's businesses have drawn some controversy, such as copyright disputes in its book search project, or accusations of censorship of search results as it works with countries such as France, Germany, and China. Additionally, in the post September 11 era, several governments have raised concerns about the security risks posed by geographic details provided by Google Earth's satellite imaging.

Google is particularly known for its relaxed corporate culture. Their corporate philosophy is based on many casual principles including, "You can make money without doing evil", "You can be serious without a suit," and "Work should be challenging and the challenge should be fun." This relaxed culture can also be seen externally through their holiday variations of the Google logo, as well as their various hoaxes and April Fool's Day jokes.

The name "Google" originated from a misspelling of "googol," which refers to 10100 (the number represented by a 1 followed by one-hundred zeros). Having found its way increasingly into everyday language, the verb, "google," was added to the Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary in 2006, meaning, "to use the Google search engine to obtain information on the Internet."

In 2006, Google bought out YouTube, adding to it's vast collection already.

Internet

Admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 17:52:50 GMT

Admin:

The '''Internet''' is the worldwide, publicly accessible network of interconnected computer networks that transmit data by packet switching using the standard Internet Protocol (IP). It is a "network of networks" that consists of millions of smaller domestic, academic, business, and government networks, which together carry various information and services, such as electronic mail, online chat, file transfer, and the interlinked Web pages and other documents of the World Wide Web.
[[Category:Computers]]

Yahoo!

Admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 17:49:06 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Computers]]
[[image:Y!_Bang_logo.png|frame|right|The Yahoo! logo.]]
Yahoo! Inc. is an American global [[Internet]] services company. It operates an Internet portal and provides a full range of products and services including a search engine, the Yahoo! Directory and Yahoo! Mail. It was founded by Stanford graduate students Jerry Yang and David Filo in January of 1994 and incorporated on March 2, 1995. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

According to Web trends companies among others Alexa Internet and Netcraft, Yahoo! has been the most visited website on the Internet with more than 412 million unique users. The global network of Yahoo! websites received 3.4 billion page views per day on average as of October 2005, making it one of the most visited U.S. websites.

==History==
===Early History (1994-96)===
In January 1994, Stanford graduate students Jerry Yang (楊致遠) and David Filo created a website named "Jerry's Guide to the World Wide Web". Jerry's Guide to the World Wide Web was a directory of other web sites, organized in a hierarchy, as opposed to a searchable index of pages.

In April 1994, "Jerry's Guide to the World Wide Web" was renamed "Yahoo!". Filo and Yang said they selected the name because they liked the word's general definition, as in Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift: "rude, unsophisticated, uncouth." The name can also be a backronym for "Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle".

By the end of 1994, Yahoo! had already received one million hits. Yang and Filo realized their website had massive business potential, and on 2 March 1995, Yahoo! was incorporated. On 12 April 1996, Yahoo! had its initial public offering, raising $33.8 million dollars, by selling 2.6 million shares at $13 each.

"Yahoo" had already been trademarked for barbecue sauce, knives (by EBSCO Industries) and human propelled watercraft (by Old Town Canoe Co.). Therefore, in order to get the trademark, Yang and Filo added the exclamation mark to the name. However, the exclamation mark is often incorrectly omitted when referring to Yahoo!.

===Growth (1997-99)===
Like many search engines and web directories, Yahoo! diversified into a Web portal. In the late 1990s, Yahoo!, MSN, Lycos, Excite and other Web portals were growing rapidly. Web portal providers rushed to acquire companies to expand their range of services, in the hope of increasing the time a user stays at the portal.

On 8 March 1997, Yahoo! acquired online communications company Four11. Four11's webmail service, Rocketmail, became Yahoo! Mail. Yahoo! also acquired ClassicGames.com and turned it into Yahoo! Games. Yahoo! then acquired direct marketing company Yoyodyne Entertainment, Inc. on 12 October 1998. On 28 January 1999, Yahoo! acquired web hosting provider GeoCities. Another company Yahoo! acquired was eGroups, which became Yahoo! Groups after the acquisition on 28 June 2000. Yahoo! also launched Yahoo! Messenger on 21 July 1999.

When acquiring companies, Yahoo! often changed the relevant terms of service. For example, they claimed intellectual property rights for content on their servers, unlike the companies they acquired. As a result, many of the acquisitions were controversial and unpopular with users of the existing services.

===Dot-com bubble (2000-01)===
On 3 January 2000, at the height of the Dot-com boom, Yahoo! stocks closed at an all-time high of $475.00 a share. 16 days later, shares in Yahoo! Japan became the first stocks in Japanese history to trade at over ¥100,000,000, reaching a price of 101.4 million yen ($962,140 at that time).

On 7 February 2000, Yahoo.com was brought to a halt for a few hours as it was the victim of a distributed denial of service attack (DDoS). On the next day, its shares rose about $16, or 4.5 percent as the failure was blamed on hackers rather than on an internal glitch, unlike a fault with eBay earlier that year.

During the dot-com boom, the cable news station CNBC also reported that Yahoo! and eBay were discussing a 50/50 merger. Although the merger never materialized the two companies decided to form a marketing/advertising alliance six years later in 2006.

On 26 June 2000, Yahoo! and [[Google]] signed an agreement which would make Google power searches made on yahoo.com.

===Post dot-com bubble (2002-05)===
Yahoo! was one of the few surviving companies after the dot-com bubble burst. Nevertheless, on September 26, 2001, Yahoo! stocks closed at an all-time low of $8.11.

Yahoo! formed partnerships with telecommunications and Internet providers to create content-rich broadband services to compete with AOL. On 3 June 2002, SBC and Yahoo! launched a national co-branded dial service. In July 2003, BT Openworld announced an alliance with Yahoo! On 23 August 2005, Yahoo! and Verizon launched an integrated DSL service.

In late 2002, Yahoo! began to bolster its search services by acquiring other search engines. In December 2002, Yahoo! acquired Inktomi, and in July 2003, it acquired Overture Services, Inc. and its subsidiaries AltaVista and AlltheWeb. On February 18, 2004, Yahoo! dropped Google-powered results and returned to using its own technology to provide search results.

Google then released Gmail, its webmail service offering 1 GB of storage, on 1 April 2004. Yahoo! responded by upgrading the storage of all free Yahoo! Mail accounts from 4 MB to 100 MB, and all Yahoo! Mail Plus accounts to 2 GB. On 9 July 2004, Yahoo! acquired e-mail provider Oddpost to add an Ajax interface to Yahoo! Mail Beta. Google also released Google Talk, a Voice over IP and instant messaging service, on 24 August 2005. On 13 October 2005, Yahoo! and Microsoft announced that Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger would become interoperable.

Yahoo! continued acquiring companies to expand its range of services, particularly Web 2.0 services. Yahoo! Launch became Yahoo! Music on 9 February 2005. On 20 March 2005, Yahoo! purchased photo sharing service Flickr. On 29 March 2005, the company launched its blogging and social networking service Yahoo! 360°. In June 2005, Yahoo! acquired blo.gs, a service based on RSS feed aggregation. Yahoo! then bought online social event calendar Upcoming.org on 4 October 2005. Yahoo! acquired social bookmark site del.icio.us on 9 December 2005 and then playlist sharing community webjay on 9 January 2006.

===The Future (2006-)===
Yahoo! Next is an incubation ground for future Yahoo! technologies currently in their beta testing phase, similar to Google Labs. It contains forums for Yahoo! users to give feedback to assist in the development of these future Yahoo! technologies.

In early 2006, Yahoo! offered users the chance to beta test a new version of the Yahoo! homepage. However, it currently only supports Internet Explorer and [[Mozilla Firefox]]. Users of other browsers, such as Opera, have criticized Yahoo! for this move. Yahoo! says they intend to support additional browsers in the future.

==Products and Services==
Yahoo! provides a wide array of internet services that cater to most online activities. It operates the web portal [http://www.yahoo.com] which provides contents including the latest news, Yahoo! Finance and gives users quick access to other Yahoo! services like Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Maps, Yahoo! Groups and Yahoo! Messenger.

===Search===
Yahoo! Search is the second largest search engine on the internet (to [[Google]]), Yahoo! also provides vertical search services such as Yahoo! Image, Yahoo! Video, Yahoo! Local, Yahoo! News, and Yahoo! Shopping Search.

===Communication===
Yahoo! provides internet communication services such as Yahoo! Mail and Yahoo! Messenger, Yahoo! Mail is the largest e-mail service in the world. Yahoo! also offers social networking services and user-generated content in products such as My Web, Yahoo! Personals, Yahoo! 360º, Yahoo! Photos, and Flickr.
====Mobile====
Yahoo! Mobile includes services for on-the-go messaging, such as email, instant messaging, and moblogging; information, such as search and alerts; and fun and games, including ringtones, mobile games, and Yahoo! Photos for camera phones.

===Content===
Yahoo! partners with hundreds of premier content providers in products such as Yahoo! Sports, Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Music, Yahoo! Movies, Yahoo! News, and Yahoo! Games to provide media contents and news. Yahoo! also provides a personalization service My Yahoo!, which enables users to collect their favorite Yahoo! features, content feeds, and information into a single page.

Yahoo! has developed partnerships with different broadband providers such as SBC, Verizon, Bellsouth, Rogers Canada and British Telecom, offering a range of free and premium Yahoo! content and services to subscribers.

===Commerce===
Yahoo! offers commerce services such as Yahoo! Shopping, Yahoo! Autos, Yahoo! Auctions, and Yahoo! Travel, which enables users to gather relevant information and make commercial transactions and purchases online.

===Small Business===
Yahoo! Small Business enables small business owners and professionals to establish and grow a business presence with services such as Yahoo! Domains, Yahoo! Web Hosting, Yahoo! Merchant Solutions, Yahoo! Business Email, and Yahoo! Store. Yahoo! also offers HotJobs to help recruiters find the talent they seek.

===Advertising===
Yahoo! Search Marketing provides services such as Sponsored Search, Local Advertising, and Product/Travel/Directory Submit that let different businesses advertise their products and services in the Yahoo! network. Yahoo! Publisher Network is an advertising tool for online publishers to place advertisements relevant to their content to monetize their websites.

Yahoo launched its new Internet advertisement sales system on February 5, 2007 called Panama. It allows advertisers to bid for search terms based on their popularity to display their ads on search results pages. The system takes bids, ad quality, click-through rates and other factors into consideration in determining how ads are ranked on search results pages. Through Panama, Yahoo! aims to provide more relevant search results to users, a better overall experience, as well as increase monetization -- to earn more from the ads it shows.

==Important Events==

[[Image:Y! Bang logo.png|right|200px|Yahoo! logo]]
* January 1994: Jerry Yang and David Filo create "Jerry's Guide to the World Wide Web" while studying at Stanford University.
* April 1994: "Jerry's Guide to the World Wide Web" is renamed "Yahoo!"
* March 1995: Yahoo! is incorporated.
* 1995: Ziff Davis Inc. launches the magazine ''Yahoo! Internet Life'', initially as ''ZD Internet Life''. The magazine was meant to accompany and complement the web site.
* April 12 1996: Yahoo! has Initial public offering, closing at $33.00, up 270% from the IPO price, after peaking at $43.00 for the day.
* June 8 1998: Yahoo! acquires Viaweb, co-founded by Paul Graham, which becomes Yahoo! Store.
* October 12 1998: Yahoo! acquires direct marketing company Yoyodyne Entertainment, Inc.
* January 28 1999: Yahoo! acquires Geocities.
* April 1 1999: Yahoo! acquires Broadcast.com.
* January 3 2000: Yahoo! stocks close at an all-time high of $475.00 (pre-split price) a share. The day before, it hit an intra-day high of $500.13 (pre-split price).
* January 19 2000: At the height of the Dot-com tech bubble, shares in Yahoo! Japan became the first stocks in Japanese history to trade at over ¥100,000,000, reaching a price of 101.4 million yen ($962,140 at that time).
* February 7 2000: Yahoo.com was brought to a halt for a few hours as it was the victim of a distributed denial of service attack (DDoS). On the next day, its shares rose about $16, or 4.5 percent as the failure was blamed on hackers rather than on an internal glitch, unlike a fault with [[eBay]] earlier that year.
* May 22 2000: A French judge ordered Yahoo! to ban Nazi-related sites from its search engine, and to stop to act as an intermediary on bids for objects with racist overtones. Yahoo! denied the French court's juridiction over a United States based company, and the tribunal's requests were finally abandoned in 2003. Yahoo! eventually quit voluntarily trading on Nazi and Ku Klux Klan bibelots.
* June 28 2000: Yahoo! acquires eGroups.
* March 7 2001: Yahoo! CEO Tim Koogle announces he will step down and remain only a company board member.
* April 17 2001: Terry Semel announced as the new Yahoo! CEO.
* September 26 2001 Yahoo! stocks close at an all-time low of $8.11. The day before, it hit an intra-day low of $8.02 (both figures are pre-split prices).
* December 27 2001: Yahoo! acquires HotJob.
*December 2002: Yahoo! Inc. starts acquisition of Inktomi Web search engine
* July, 2003: BT Openworld announces an alliance with Yahoo! -- [http://www.groupbt.com/News/Articles/ShowArticle.cfm?ArticleID=fa2aec1b-0336-4b33-8d7e-85900c10ea33 Press Release]
*July 2003, Yahoo! acquires Overture Services, Inc.
* January 19 2004: Yahoo! Inc. announces the formation of [http://research.yahoo.com Yahoo! Research Labs], a research organization focusing on the invention of new technologies and solutions for Yahoo!. Yahoo!'s Head and Principal Scientist, Dr. Gary William Flake, leads the new organization. Dr. Flake has since left the company and now works at Microsoft.
* February 19 2004: Yahoo! drops Google-powered results, launching its own web-crawling algorithm and using its own site index after it had used Google's results for a long time.
* March 2004: Yahoo! launches its own search engine technology.
* March 1 2004: Yahoo! announces that it will practice paid inclusion for its search service. However, it also announced it would continue to rely mainly on a free web crawl for most of its search engine content.
* March 25 2004: Yahoo! acquires the European shopping search engine Kelkoo.
* July 9, 2004 Yahoo! acquires email provider Oddpost.
* November 4 2004: Yahoo! acquires game platform provider Stadeon.
* December 15 2004: Yahoo! launches beta version of its video search engine.
* February 9 2005 Yahoo! Launch is changed to Yahoo! Music, which still provides free music.
* February 15 2005 Yahoo! establishes its European Headquarters in Dublin, Ireland with the creation of 400 new jobs.
* February 28 2005 Yahoo! launches a [http://developer.yahoo.net/ developer network] giving an API to most of its search verticals.
* March 2 2005 Yahoo! completes 10 years of corporate existence. To celebrate this, it gives free ice cream coupons at Baskin Robbins to its users.
* March 20, 2005 Yahoo! acquires photo sharing service Flickr
* March 29, 2005 Yahoo! launch blogging and social networking service Yahoo! 360°
* April 7, 2005 Wikimedia Foundation announces Yahoo! support
* May 26, 2005 Yahoo! announces its new PhotoMail service
* June 14, 2005 Yahoo! acquires VoIP provider DialPad Communications.
* July 15, 2005 Yahoo! announces Yahoo! Research Berkeley
* July 25, 2005 Yahoo! acquires widget engine Konfabulator
* August 11, 2005 Yahoo! acquires 40% of Alibaba.com for $1 billion US, and Alibaba will take over operation of Yahoo! China.
* August 23, 2005: Verizon and Yahoo! Launch Integrated DSL Service
* September 7, 2005. Yahoo! supplies information to People's Republic of China which then jails reporter Shi Tao, age 37, for 10 years. Yahoo! states that they were following Chinese law.
* October 4, 2005 Yahoo! purchases online social event calendar Upcoming.org. [http://www.waxy.org/archive/2005/10/04/yahoo_an.shtml]
* October 17, 2005 Yahoo! buys British company [http://www.whereonearth.com Whereonearth Ltd] which provides location technology.
* November 15, 2005 The sports section of [http://my.yahoo.com My Yahoo!] is hacked; titles such as "selfhood + conscience" and "aesthetic freedom" link to various pages at doublereflection.org.
* December 1, 2005 - Tivo and Yahoo! form a partnership where several Yahoo! features can be viewed on television via the Series2 TiVO set top box. [http://www.tivo.com/cms_static/press_71.html], [http://www.tivo.com/4.9.11.asp]
* December 8, 2005 Yahoo!7 announced for January 2006. [http://yahoo7.com.au Official Site]
* December 9, 2005 Yahoo! acquires [http://del.icio.us del.icio.us].
* January 9, 2006 Yahoo! acquires [http://www.webjay.org webjay]
* February 12, 2006 [http://developer.yahoo.net/php/ Yahoo! Developer Network PHP Center] launched.
* May 1, 2006 Yahoo! launches [http://tech.yahoo.com Yahoo! Tech].
* August 31, 2006 Yahoo! retires former frontpage.
* September 27, 2006 Yahoo! acquires online video editing site [http://jumpcut.com Jumpcut].
* September 29 to September 30, 2006 Yahoo! hosts an Open Hack Day ([http://hackday.org/ external site]), featuring a musical performance by Beck
* December 5, 2006 Yahoo! announces a significant re-organization, including the departure of Dan Rosensweig (COO), Lloyd Braun and John Marcom. Sue Decker is promoted from CFO, and other business unit shifts are made.
* January 8, 2007 Yahoo! acquires MyBlogLog.
* February 5, 2007 Yahoo! launches a new search advertising system Panama.
* March 1, 2007 Localised New Zealand internet portal, Yahoo!Xtra, launches. [http://nz.yahoo.com Official Site]

Animal Crossing Wii

Admin — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 16:28:46 GMT

Admin:

'''''Animal Crossing Wii''''' is the working title of a Wii game currently in development by Nintendo EAD. It is part of the Animal Crossing series. The title was announced as the first Wii game that markets the Wii's WiiConnect24 feature, (not including Elebits although Elebits sends levels and photos only). Little information about the game is known.

In a recent interview Katsuya Eguchi--the man in charge of the development of ''Animal Crossing''--stated that ''"someone could send a letter from their cellphone or from an email address on a PC to the Wii, and then the player living in the town in Animal Crossing could receive that letter..."''

In an IGN interview, Katsuya Eguchi discussed how his team is exploring potential ways to take advantage of the WiiConnect24 feature, such as allowing friends to visit your town or leave messages while the machine is in standby mode.

On September 26, 2006, Satoru Iwata commented on the Wii's message board system, saying:
"For example, if you're playing Animal Crossing, a message like 'Concert next Saturday in town' will automatically be posted on the Message Board. The user doesn't even have to be playing the game."

In an interview, Katsuya Eguchi--the creator of ''Animal Crossing''--discussed user designed furniture in the game:
"I think it's a great idea. Of course, if you made your own furniture, you'd want to share it with others, to be able to give and receive hand-made stuff. Otherwise why would you make it? To be able to do that, you have to build in some place to keep that in the memory. The save data would be pretty huge, then. That's a challenge I'd like to face, though."
[[Category:Gaming]]

VisualBoyAdvance

Admin — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 16:22:38 GMT

Admin:

The '''VisualBoyAdvance''' (also known as '''VBA''' for short) is a free software emulator distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License. It emulates software targeted for the Game Boy, Super Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance handheld game consoles sold by [[Nintendo]]. As of 2006, the VisualBoyAdvance is the most popular such emulator for [[Microsoft Windows]], and is one of the most widely-distributed Game Boy-compatible emulators.

== Info ==
The VisualBoyAdvance project was started by '''Forgotten''', but was discontinued by him and the project was overtaken by a team now referred to as the ''VBA Team''. The VBA Team is currently understaffed and needs contributors. As a result of this the project has slowed dramatically, though the decrease in demand for GBA emulation could be because of newer consoles.

== Features ==
It includes these features:
* Save game state at any point
* Joystick support
* Speed up button
* Gameboy Printer emulation
* Gameboy GB, SGB, GBC and GBC on GBA emulation types (GBA on NDS is NOT supported.)
* SGB border support
* Auto-fire support
* Translation enabled (for emulator only[translations for games can be obtained through IPS patches which are NOT illegal])
* Hacking capabilities, including search engine, Gameboy Gameshark and GameGenie support.
* GamesharkAdvance and CodeBreakerAdvance support
* GBA debugger in the SDL version Linux, Windows and BeOS (SDL version)
* Import Gameshark Game Saves, codes, etc...
* Import battery files from other emulators
* Export battery files to other emulators
* Sound recording
* Graphic filters to enhance display: 2xSaI, Super 2xSaI, Super Eagle, Pixelate and Motion Blur
* Full screen support
* Screen capture (through menu or configured key)
* Enhanced Skin engine
[[Category:Gaming]][[Category:Computers]]

Apple Inc

Admin — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 10:43:31 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Computers]]
[[image:Apple-logo.png|frame|right]]
'''Apple Inc.''' is an American consumer electronics corporation with worldwide annual sales in its fiscal year 2006 (ending September 30, 2006) of US$ 19.3 billion. Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Apple develops, sells, and supports a series of personal computers, portable media players, computer software, and computer hardware accessories. The company's best-known products include the Macintosh line of personal computers, its [[Mac OS]] X operating system, and the iPod line of portable media players. For the iPod and its related iTunes software Apple sells audiobooks, games, music, music videos, TV shows, and movies in its online iTunes Store. Apple has also recently announced that they will market a smartphone, to be called the iPhone.

The company was known as '''Apple Computer, Inc.''' for its first 30 years of existence, but dropped "Computer" from its corporate name on January 9, 2007. The name change, which followed Apple's announcement of its new iPhone smartphone and Apple TV digital video systems, is representative of the company's ongoing transition into the consumer electronics market in addition to its traditional focus on personal computers.

Apple operates over 170 retail stores in the United States, Canada, Japan and the United Kingdom. Apple has confirmed a store in Sydney, Australia. The stores carry most of Apple's products as well as many third-party products and offer on-site support and repair for Apple hardware and software. In January 2007 plans for Apple's first retail store in Australia [http://ifostore.cachefly.net/sydney_plans/index.html leaked] following the DA approval of plans for a 3-storey outlet on 367 George St in Sydney's CBD; for which Apple began [http://www.apple.com/jobs/au/store/ advertising positions] in February. The company has over 20,000 permanent and temporary employees worldwide, some of which staff the retail stores, and other who design the products.

For a variety of reasons, ranging from its philosophy of comprehensive aesthetic design to its countercultural, even indie roots as a company that differentiates itself from the rest of the industry by “thinking different,” Apple has cultivated a customer base that is unusually devoted to the company and its brand.

==History==
The Apple II microcomputer, introduced in 1977, was a hit with home users. In 1983, Apple introduced the Lisa, the first commercial personal computer to employ a graphical user interface (GUI), which was influenced in part by the Xerox Alto. Lisa was also the first personal computer to have the mouse. In 1984, the Macintosh was introduced, furthering the concept of a user-friendly graphical user interface. Apple's success with the Macintosh became a major influence in the development of graphical interfaces elsewhere, with major computer operating systems such as Commodore Amiga, and Atari ST, appearing on the market within two years of the introduction of the Macintosh.

In 1991, Apple introduced the PowerBook line of portable computers. The 1990s also saw Apple's market share fall as competition from Microsoft Windows and the comparatively inexpensive IBM PC compatible computers that would eventually dominate the market. In the 2000s, Apple expanded its focus on software to include professional and prosumer video, music, and photo production solutions, with a view to promoting their products as a "digital hub". It also introduced the iPod, the most popular digital music player in the world.

===1975 to 1980: The early years===
Apple was founded on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne (and later incorporated January 3, 1977 without Wayne, who sold his share of the company back to Jobs and Wozniak) to sell the Apple I personal computer kit. They were hand-built in a garage of Jobs' parents, and the Apple I was first shown to the public at the Homebrew Computer Club. Eventually 200 computers were built. The Apple I was sold as a motherboard (with CPU, RAM, and basic textual-video chips) — not what is today considered a complete personal computer. The user was required to provide two different AC input voltages (the manual recommended specific transformers), wire an ASCII keyboard (not provided with the computer) to a DIP connector (providing logic inverter and alpha lock chips in some cases), and to wire the video output pins to a monitor or to an RF modulator if a TV set was used.

Jobs approached a local computer store, ''The Byte Shop,'' which ordered fifty units and paid $500 for each unit after much persuasion from Jobs. Jobs then ordered components from Cramer Electronics, a national electronic parts distributor. Using a variety of methods, including borrowing space from friends and family and selling various items including a Volkswagen Type 2 bus, Jobs managed to secure the parts needed while Wozniak and Ronald Wayne assembled the Apple I.

The Apple II was introduced on April 16, 1977 at the first West Coast Computer Faire. Despite a price higher than competitors, it quickly pulled away from its two main rivals, the TRS-80 and Commodore PET, to become the market leader (and the symbol of the personal computing phenomenon) in the late 70s due to its color graphics, high build quality, and open architecture. While early models used ordinary cassette tapes as storage devices, this was quickly superseded by the introduction of a 5 1/4 inch floppy disk drive and interface, the Disk II.

Another key to success for Apple was software. The Apple II was chosen by programmers Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston to be the desktop platform for the first "killer app" of the business world—the VisiCalc spreadsheet program. VisiCalc created a business market for the Apple II, and the corporate market attracted many more software and hardware developers to the machine, as well as giving home users an additional reason to buy one—compatibility with the office.

By the end of the 1970s, Jobs and his partners had a staff of computer designers and a production line. The Apple II was succeeded by the Apple III in May 1980 as the company struggled to compete against IBM and Microsoft in the lucrative business and corporate computing market. The designers of the Apple III were forced to comply with Jobs' request to omit the cooling fan, and this ultimately resulted in thousands of recalled units due to overheating. An updated version was introduced in 1983, but it was also a failure due to bad press and wary buyers. Nevertheless, the principals of the company persevered with further innovations and marketing.

In the early 1980s, IBM and Microsoft continued to gain market share at Apple's expense in the personal computer industry. A fundamentally different business model evolved, once cloners forced-open the IBM PC hardware standard against IBM's will. The IBM compatible hardware market became highly competitive, with clones running a bundled Microsoft MS-DOS OS, or running a competing IBM-style DOS such as DR DOS.

Apple's sustained growth during the early 1980s was partly due to its leadership in the education sector because of their adaption of the programming language LOGO, which was used in many schools with the Apple II. The drive into education was accentuated in California with the donation of one Apple II and one Apple LOGO software package to each public school in the state. The deal concluded between Steve Jobs and Jim Baroux of LCSI, and having required the support of Sacramento, established a strong and pervasive presence for Apple in all schools throughout California. The initial conquest of education environments was critical to Apple's acceptance in the home where the earliest purchases of computers by parents was in support of children's continued learning experience.

===1981 to 1989: Lisa and Macintosh===
Jobs and several other Apple employees including Jef Raskin visited Xerox PARC in December 1979 to see the Alto computer. Xerox granted Apple engineers three days of access to the PARC facilities in return for selling them US$1 million in pre-IPO Apple stock (approximately US$18 million net).

Jobs was immediately convinced that all future computers would use a GUI, and decided to take over design of Apple's first project, the Apple Lisa, to produce such a device. The Lisa was named after Jobs' daughter (however, a backronym, Local Integrated Software Architecture, was coined). He was eventually pushed from the group due to infighting, and instead took over Jef Raskin's low-cost computer project. Branding the new effort as the product that would "save Apple", an intense turf war broke out between the Lisa's "corporate shirts" and Jobs's Macintosh "pirates", both teams claiming they would ship first and be more successful. In 1983 the Lisa team won the race, and Apple introduced the first personal computer to be sold to the public with a GUI. However, the Lisa was a commercial failure as a result of its high price tag (9,995 USD) and limited software titles.

In 1984, drawing upon its experience with the Lisa, Apple next launched the Macintosh. Its debut was announced by a single national broadcast of the now famous US$1.5 million television commercial, "1984", based on George Orwell's novel ''Nineteen Eighty-Four''. The commercial was directed by Ridley Scott and aired during Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984. Jobs' intention with the ad was to represent the IBM PC as Big Brother, and the Macintosh as a nameless female action hero portrayed by Anya Major. While the Macintosh initially sold well, follow-up sales were not particularly strong. The machine's fortunes changed with the introduction of the LaserWriter, the first laser printer to be offered at a reasonable price point, and PageMaker, an early desktop publishing (DTP) package. The Mac was particularly powerful in this market due to its advanced graphics capabilities, a side-effect of the GUI, and it can be said that the combination of these three products are responsible for the creation of the DTP market. As DTP became widespread, Apple's sales reached a series of new highs.

In anticipation of the Macintosh launch, Bill Gates, co-founder and chairman of Microsoft, was given several Macintosh prototypes in 1983 to develop software. While the company was indeed ready with its BASIC and the MultiPlan spreadsheet at the Macintosh's launch, in 1985 Microsoft launched [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], its own GUI for IBM PCs. Although sales started slow, by the mid 1990s it became the most commonly-used desktop operating system, cutting strongly into Macintosh's sales.

An internal power struggle developed between Jobs and new CEO John Sculley in 1985. Apple's board of directors sided with Sculley, and Jobs was removed from his managerial duties. Jobs later resigned from Apple and founded NeXT Inc., a computer company that built machines with futuristic designs and ran the UNIX-derived NeXTStep operating system. Although powerful, NeXT computers never caught on with buyers, due in part to their high purchase price.

===1989 to 1991: The Golden Age===
Having learned several painful lessons after introducing the bulky Macintosh Portable in 1989, Apple turned to industrial designers and adopted a product strategy based in three portable devices. One portable was built by Sony, which had a strong reputation for designing small, durable and functional electronics devices. Sony took the specs of the Mac Portable, put in a smaller two-hour battery, a much smaller (physically) twenty megabyte hard drive and a smaller nine-inch passive matrix screen.

Called the PowerBook 100, this landmark product was introduced in 1991 and established the modern form and ergonomic layout of the laptop computer. This solidified Apple's reputation as a quality manufacturer, both of desktop and now portable machines. The same year, Apple introduced a massive upgrade to the Mac OS, in the form of System 7. Although resource-hungry (for the era), System 7 dramatically improved the Macintosh experience, adding color to the interface, simplifying common operations, and introducing a number of powerful new networking capabilities. System 7 would be the basis for the Mac OS until 2001.

The success of the PowerBook and several other Apple products during this period led to increasing revenue. The computer press listened to Apple press releases with rapt attention, and speculation was rife about what projects from Apple's famed Advanced Technology Group would next come to market. Apple merely had to mention a technology, Taligent for instance, for people to christen it the "new standard". For some time, it appeared that Apple could do no wrong, introducing new products that were the best on the market, and generating increasing profits in the process. The magazine ''MacAddict'' named the period between 1989 to 1991 the "first golden age" of the Macintosh.

The continuing development of [[Microsoft Windows]] eventually resulted in an interface that was competitive with Apple's. Combined with a huge base of low-cost computers and peripherals and an improving software suite, an increasing number of potential customers turned to the "Wintel" standard instead.

Apple, relying on high profit margins to maintain their massive R&D budget, never developed a clear response. Instead they sued Microsoft for theft of intellectual property. The lawsuit dragged on for years before finally being thrown out of court. Worse, the lawsuit distracted management while a deep rot developed within the engineering ranks, which became increasingly unmanageable. At first there was little outward sign of the problem, but a series of major product flops and missed deadlines destroyed Apple's reputation of invincibility.

At about the same time, Apple branched out into consumer electronics. One example of this product diversification was the Apple QuickTake digital camera, one of the first digital cameras brought to the consumer market. A more famous example was the Newton, coined a PDA by Sculley, that was introduced in 1993. Though it failed commercially, it defined and launched the new category of computing and was a forerunner and inspiration of devices such as Palm Pilot and PocketPC.

During the 1990s, Apple greatly expanded its computer lineup. It offered a multitude of models ("Quadra 840av", "Performa 6116"), but many felt Apple failed to adequately differentiate one model from another and the cost of supporting so many products adversely affected profitability. Apple lost market share to Microsoft Windows, particularly Windows 95 — a major turning point in the history of the rival [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] operating system.

===1994 to 1997: Attempts at reinvention===
By the mid-90s, Apple realized that it had to reinvent the Macintosh in order to stay competitive in the market. The needs of both computer users and computer programs were becoming, for a variety of technical reasons, harder for the existing hardware and operating system to address.

In 1994 Apple surprised its loyalists by allying with its long-time competitor IBM and CPU maker Motorola in the so-called AIM alliance. This was a bid to create a new computing platform (the PowerPC Reference Platform or PReP), which would use IBM and Motorola hardware coupled with Apple's software. The AIM alliance hoped that PReP's performance and Apple's software would leave the PC far behind, thus countering Microsoft, which had become Apple's chief competitor.

As the first step toward launching the PReP platform, Apple started the Power Macintosh line in 1994, using IBM's PowerPC processor. This processor utilized a RISC architecture, which differed substantially from the Motorola 68k series that had been used by all previous Macs. Apple's OS was rewritten so that most software for the older Macs could run on the PowerPC series (in emulation).

Throughout the mid to late 1990s, Apple tried to improve its operating system's multitasking and memory management. After first attempting to modify its existing code, Apple realized that it would be better to start with an entirely new operating system and then modify it to fit the Macintosh interface. Apple did some preliminary work with IBM towards this goal with the Taligent project, but that project never produced a replacement operating system. A new internal effort, Copland, ran afoul of Apple's now uncontrollable engineering and became a massive failure. A new attempt was made with the Gershwin operating system.

In 1995 Apple in their attempt of reinvention tried to break into the Gaming Industry with the Apple Pippin. Unfortunately, its scope was more general purpose than hardcore gaming which resulted in the console being expensive and underpowered compared to its rivals (Sony Playstation, Nintendo 64 and Sega Saturn). As little as 5000 units were sold worldwide , and there was a very small variety of games available for those who did own a console. Overall this was not a great success for Apple.

They then investigated using Be's BeOS, NeXT's NeXTSTEP OS, and also Microsoft's [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] NT. NeXTSTEP was chosen, and this supplied the platform for the modern [[Mac OS]] X. On February 7, 1997, Apple completed its purchase of NeXT and its NeXTSTEP operating system, thus bringing Steve Jobs back into Apple. On July 9, 1997, Gil Amelio was ousted as CEO of Apple by the board of directors after overseeing a 12-year record-low stock price and crippling financial losses. Jobs stepped in as the interim CEO and began a critical restructuring of the company's product line.

At the 1997 Macworld Expo, Steve Jobs announced that Apple would be entering into partnership with Microsoft. Settlement discussions regarding Apple's "Look and Feel" lawsuit and the "QuickTime piracy" lawsuit resulted in a five-year commitment from Microsoft to release Microsoft Office for Macintosh as well a US$150 million investment in non-voting Apple stock. (This event is often inaccurately described as a "bailout" of Apple by Microsoft. Microsoft later sold its shares for a tidy profit.) It was also announced that Internet Explorer would be shipped as the default browser on the Macintosh. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates appeared at the expo on a large screen, further explaining Microsoft's plans for the software they were developing for the Macintosh, and stating that he was very excited to be helping Apple. After this, Steve Jobs said:
''"If we want to move forward and see Apple healthy and prospering again, we have to let go of a few things here. We have to let go of this notion that for Apple to win, Microsoft has to lose. We have to embrace a notion that for Apple to win, Apple needs to do a really good job. And if others are going to help us that's great, because we need all the help we can get, and if we screw up and don't do a good job, it's not somebody else's fault, it's our fault. So I think that is a very important perspective. If we want Microsoft Office on the Mac, we should treat the company that puts it out with a little bit of gratitude; we like their software.

So, the era of setting this thing up as a competition between Apple and Microsoft is over as far as I'm concerned. This is about getting Apple healthy, this is about Apple being able to make incredibly great contributions to the industry and to get healthy and prosper again."''

On November 10, 1997, Apple announced a new online [[Apple Store (online)|retail store]], based upon the WebObjects application server the company had acquired in its purchase of NeXT. The new direct sales outlet was also tied to a new build to order manufacturing strategy, and announced at the same time as new machines using the G3 PowerPC processor.

===1998 to 2005: New beginnings===
On August 15 1998, Apple introduced a new all-in-one Macintosh reminiscent of the original Macintosh 128K: the iMac. The iMac design team was led by Jonathan Ive, who later designed the iPod and the iPhone. While technically unimpressive, it featured an innovative new translucent plastic exterior, originally in Bondi Blue, but later many other colors. The iMac proved phenomenally successful, selling close to 800,000 units in its first five months and significantly boosting the company's revenue and profitability. Thanks in part to the iMac, fiscal 1998 was Apple's first profitable year since 1993. The iMac is now considered an industrial design icon of the late 90s.

At the National Association of Broadcasters convention, Apple purchased the Final Cut software from Macromedia, beginning its entry into the digital video editing market, and signaling a return to application development after a decade long policy of delegating non-system software to its Claris subsidiary. iMovie was released in 1999 for consumers, and Final Cut Pro was released for professionals in the same year. Final Cut Pro has gone on to be a significant video-editing program. Similarly, in 2000 Apple bought Astarte's DVDirector software, which morphed into iDVD (for consumers) and DVD Studio Pro (for professionals) at the Macworld Conference and Expo of 2001.

In 2001, Apple introduced [[Mac OS]] X, the operating system based on NeXT's OPENSTEP and BSD Unix. Aimed at consumers and professionals alike, Mac OS X sought to marry the stability, reliability and security of the Unix operating system with the ease of use afforded by a completely overhauled user interface. To aid users in moving their applications from Mac OS 9, the new operating system allowed the use of OS 9 applications through Mac OS X's Classic environment. Apple's Carbon API also allowed developers to adapt their OS 9 software to use Mac OS X's features often with a simple recompile.

In May 2001, after much speculation, Apple announced the opening of the Apple retail stores, to be located in major U.S. consumer locations. These stores were designed for two purposes: to stem the tide of Apple's declining share of the computer market and to counter a poor record of marketing Apple products by third-party retail outlets. The company faced challenges to balance the deployment of its own retail stores with its dependence on, and the demands of, its existing channel partners and dealers.

On October 23, 2001 Apple introduced its first iPod portable digital audio player and released it on November 10 of that year, a product that has proven phenomenally successful. Nearly 100 million units have been sold even though it was not originally perceived to be a successful product. Apple's iTunes Store was introduced soon after, offering online music downloads for US 99¢ a song and integration with the iPod. The service quickly became the market leader in online music services, with over 2 billion downloads by January 2007.

In 2002 Apple purchased Nothing Real and their advanced digital compositing application Shake, raising Apple's professional commitment even higher. In the same year they also acquired Emagic, and with it, obtained their professional-quality music productivity application Logic, which led to the development of their consumer-level GarageBand application. With iPhoto's release in 2002, this completed Apple's collection of consumer and professional level creativity software, with the consumer-level applications being collected together into the iLife suite.

Apple progressively abandoned flashy colors in favor of white polycarbonate for consumer lines such as the iMac and iBook, as well as the educational eMac, and metal enclosures for the professional lines. This began with the 2001 release of the titanium PowerBook and was followed by the 2001 white iBook, the 2002 flat-panel iMac, the 2003 Power Mac G5 and the 2004 Apple Cinema Displays. Divergent to this consumer/professional identity, the low-cost Mac mini has an aluminum case while featuring the distinctive white polycarbonate top.

===2005 to present: The Intel partnership===
In a keynote address on June 6, 2005, Steve Jobs officially announced that Apple would begin producing Intel-based Macintosh computers beginning in 2006. Jobs confirmed rumors that the company had secretly been producing versions of its current operating system Mac OS X for both PowerPC and Intel processors for the previous five years, and that the transition to Intel processor systems would last until the end of 2006.

On January 10, 2006, Apple released its first Intel chip computers, a new notebook computer known as the MacBook Pro (a 15.4 inch laptop which is purportedly up to 4 times faster than the PowerBook models it replaced) and a new (though cosmetically identical) iMac with again purportedly two to three times faster performance. Both used Intel's Core Duo chip technology. Later in February, Apple introduced the new Intel-based Mac mini, running up to four times faster and also featuring Front Row, available with a Core Duo or Core Solo (single core) processor. The Apple online store sold out of 17 inch iMac G5 computers in February 2006, Apple ended the life of its 15 inch PowerBook G4 on February 22 2006, and the G4 Mac mini was removed from the Apple online store on February 28, 2006 and replaced with the Intel Core Mac mini. On March 10, 2006 Apple retired the iMac G5 and in late May, replaced the iBook G4 and the 12-inch PowerBook G4 with the MacBook. On August 7 2006, the PowerMac was replaced with the Mac Pro, completing the transition of all Macintosh products, well in advance of their original prediction. On September 6, 2006, Apple updated its iMac line to include new Intel Core 2 Duo processors, and adding a model with a 24" screen to the line-up, as well as quietly bumping the speeds of their Mac mini. The XServe was transitioned in mid-November 2006. On October 24, the MacBook Pros were fitted with Intel Core 2 Duo processors as well, running up to 39% faster than the original Intel Core Duo MacBook Pros. The MacBooks were fitted with the Core 2 Duo processors on November 8, and run up to 25% faster than the Core Duo ones.

Apple's current operating system, [[Mac OS]] X 10.4 "Tiger", runs natively on the new Intel machines, as do the Darwin open source underpinnings. Many applications, such as iLife '06, also run natively on Intel chips. Other applications, such as Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop, which have not been updated to run on the Intel architecture, run translated using a technology known as Rosetta. Because Rosetta is a translation software that allows PowerPC programs to run on Intel processors, these PowerPC programs run slower than native applications. Programs compiled only for the PowerPC must be recompiled to run at full speed on the new Intel machines. Programs that have been designed to run on both PowerPC and Intel chips can be certified by Apple as "Universal". The Intel-based machines also do not support Classic, which allows Mac OS X to run applications written for OS 9 and earlier, so applications that require this environment will not run on these machines. Apple currently has no plans to bring Classic support to the Intel platform.

The Intel chip also allows the new machines to run the Windows operating system. On March 16, 2006 a bootloader CD image and a how-to for getting XP on your MacBook Pro, iMac, or mini was released to the Internet as an entry into a US$13,000 contest. Many hackers attempted over three months to win the prize by becoming the first to run Windows natively on a new Intel Mac. The Intel-based Macintoshes are now the only computers officially capable of running both Mac OS X and Windows without emulation (a pre-release version of Mac OS X for Intel was patched to run on non-Apple PCs through the OSx86 community, however such procedure is not permitted by the Apple [[EULA]]). Further, on 5 April 2006, Apple announced a new piece of software called Boot Camp that helps users install [[Microsoft_Windows|Windows]] XP or Vista on their Intel Mac alongside Mac OS X. Boot Camp will be included, as standard, in Apple's next OS release (10.5, “Leopard”).

The Apple/Intel partnership coined several catch phrases among Apple fanatics and parts of media. Some of the most widespread ones include "Mactel" and "Macintel", a response to the phrase "Wintel”, which is an informal moniker that describes all Intel-powered systems running the Microsoft Windows operating system. Another is "ICBM", for "Intel-chip-based Mac." However, Apple itself has not publicly used these terms.

Apple's success during this period, beginning in 1997 (the first year the company turned a profit after losses through 1995 and 1996), but accelerating between 2003 to 2005, was evident in its skyrocketing stock. Between early 2003 and January 2006, the price of a share of Apple's stock increased more than tenfold, from a little more than $6 per share (split-adjusted) to more than $80 per share. After peaking at $86 per share in January 2006, the stock declined to trade briefly as low as $50 per share before recovering to a range of approximately $75-$80 per share by October 2006.

On January 13, 2006, Apple's market cap surpassed that of Dell, whose CEO, Michael Dell, had said, "I'd shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders", when asked, on October 6, 1997, what he would do if he owned Apple.

On January 9, 2007, Steve Jobs announced at Macworld 2007 that Apple Computer Inc. would be known as Apple Inc. This Macworld also served as the venue to launch the new iPhone which will be available through Cingular (a US mobile network) in June 2007 and the new Apple TV product which will begin shipping in March of 2007. The new iPhone has been a subject of speculation for some time in various media outlets. The next day, Apple shares hit 97.80, an all time high.

On February 7, 2007, Apple Inc. indicated that it would open its iTunes store to other portable players besides its ubiquitous iPod if the world's major record labels abandoned the anti-piracy technology that serves as the industry's security blanket.

==Current products==

===Hardware===
[[Image:Ipod 5th Generation white.jpg|thumb|right|The iPod, shown here, is Apple's most successful product line. This is the most recent iPod model; it is currently available in 30 and 80GB models and is capable of playing video files as well as audio files.]]
[[Image:Mac mini Intel Core.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The Mac mini is Apple's lowest-cost desktop computer.]]
[[Image:Apple-iPhone.jpg|thumb|right|iPhone is Apple's multi-touch smartphone, to be released in 2007.]]

Apple introduced the Apple Macintosh family in 1984 and today makes consumer, professional, and educational computers. The Mac mini is the company's consumer sub-desktop computer, introduced in January 2005 and designed to motivate Windows users to switch to the Macintosh platform. The iMac is a consumer desktop computer that was first introduced by Apple in 1998, and its popularity helped save the company. The iMac is similar in concept to the original Macintosh in that the monitor and computer are housed in a single unit. It is now in its third major design iteration, and has been upgraded by times (including a switch to Intel processors) using the same design. The Power Mac brand was replaced in 2006 with the Mac Pro, featuring two 64-bit dual-core Xeon "Woodcrest" processors, available in speeds of 2, 2.66 and 3 GHz. The Mac Pro is capable of supporting up to 4 x 750GB HDD's for a total of 3 terabytes of internal hard disk space and has 8 DIMM slots for up to 16GB of RAM. On its promotional website, Apple says that the "Mac Pro not only completes the Mac transition to Intel processors but delivers advanced performance, workstation graphics, and up to 4.9 million possible configurations." Apple's server range includes the Xserve, a dual core, dual processor 1U server, and the Xserve RAID for server storage options.

Apple introduced the iBook consumer portable computer as a companion to the iMac; it is Apple's lowest-cost portable computer. The iBook brand was replaced on May 16, 2006 with the MacBook featuring the Intel Core Duo processor, 13 inch widescreen, and available black color on the high-end model. The MacBook Pro is the professional portable computer alternative to the MacBook. The MacBook Pro is marketed as being intended for professional and creative users and replaced the PowerBook models, which was introduced in 1991.

In 2001, Apple introduced the iPod digital music player and currently sells the iPod (with video), available in 30 and 80GB models; the iPod nano, available in 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB models; and the iPod shuffle, available in a 1GB model. Apple also re-released the U2 Special Edition iPod in a 30GB capacity on June 6, 2006 with a distinctive all black enclosure, a red clickwheel, and engraved band members autographs on the back. On July 13, 2006, Apple teamed up with Nike to introduce the Nike+iPod Sports Kit enabling runners to sync and monitor their runs with iTunes and the [http://www.nikeplus.com/ Nike+ website].

At the Macworld Conference & Expo in January 2007, Steve Jobs revealed the long anticipated iPhone, a convergence of an Internet-enabled smartphone and video iPod. The iPhone combines a 2.5G quad band GSM and EDGE cellular phone with features found in hand held devices, running a scaled-down versions of Apple's Mac OS X, with various applications such as Safari Web browser, email and navigation. The initial iPhone features a 3.5 inch touch screen display, Bluetooth, WiFi (both "b" "g" and the newest "n") and comes in 4 GB and 8 GB models. The iPhone is scheduled to be available first for the Cingular Wireless network, in the United States, pending FCC approval.

Additionally at the conference, Jobs demonstrated the Apple TV, (previously known as the iTV), a set-top video device intended to bridge the sale of content from iTunes with high-definition televisions. The device links up to a user's TV and syncs, either via WiFi or a wired network, with one computer's iTunes library and streams from an additional four. The Apple TV incorporates a 40GB hard drive for storage and includes outputs for HDMI and component video, and plays video at a maximum resolution of 720p.

Apple sells a variety of computer accessories for Macintosh computers including the AirPort wireless networking products; Apple Cinema HD Display and Apple Displays computer displays; Mighty Mouse and Apple Wireless Mouse computer mice; the Apple Wireless Keyboard computer keyboard and the Apple USB Modem. The Apple wireless mouse was replaced by the wireless Mighty Mouse.

====Environmental Issues====
Apple's hardware has come under fire by Greenpeace since 2004 for not setting a timeline to remove PVC, which still exists in recent products such as the iPod nano and MacBook; and for not promoting a global end-of-life take back plan for Apple hardware (although it does within Europe and Japan where it is required by law); as well as for not having reusable components. Greenpeace lists toxic substances used in Apple products in their Apple parodying ad, including: cadmium, beryllium, lead, brominated flame retardants, hexavalent chromium, mercury. Apple's own web site lists most of these compounds as "restricted substances" and has further information. Apple also claims its recycling programs have processed more than 21 million pounds (9500 tonnes) of electronic equipment since 1994. As of December 2006, Greenpeace ranked Apple last out of ten electronics companies in dealing with toxic substances in their products, mostly due to a lack of relevant documentation and timelines.

A study in January 2006 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that Apple's hardware compares favorably with that of its major competitors on environmental friendliness.

===Software===
[[Image:TigerDesk.png|thumb|right|[[Mac OS]] X v10.4|Tiger" is the newest version of one of Apple's major software products.]]
[[Image:MacOSX_kernel_panic.png|frame|right|"[[Mac OS]] X v10.4|Tiger" Crashing. This error message is equivalent of a "Blue Screen of Death" on a [[Microsoft Windows]] machine.]]

Apple develops its own operating system to run on the Macintosh, [[Mac OS]] X. Apple also independently develops computer software titles for its Mac OS X operating system. Much of the software Apple develops is bundled with its computers. An example of this is the consumer-oriented iLife software package which bundles iDVD, iMovie HD, iPhoto, iTunes, GarageBand, and iWeb. For presentation and page layout, iWork is available, which includes Keynote and Pages. Both iTunes and a feature-limited version of the QuickTime media player are available as free downloads for both Mac OS X and Windows.

Apple also offers online services with .Mac which bundles .Mac HomePage, .Mac Mail, .Mac Groups social network service, .Mac iDisk, .Mac Backup, .Mac Sync, and Learning Center online tutorials.

Some of Apple Inc's past and current advertising claims have come under fire for claiming that Mac OS X “doesn't crash”. This was featured as reason number two in the company's “Switch” campaign, and appeared as a primary reason in several advertisements in the same series. The “Mac OS X crash screen” (pictured) is called a Kernel Panic.

==Advertising==

Since the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984 with the 1984 Super Bowl commercial, Apple has been recognized for its efforts towards effective advertising and marketing for its products.

===Popularity===
Since 1977, the Apple II line was very succesful to many bussiness because they did not cost much. Many Apple II users claimed that the Apple was the second greatest computer after the Macintosh.

Besided having a smaller universe of software, the make has powerfull software like the the then Aldus Maker,Adobe Photoshop, and Microsoft Office.

In many movies the Mac has been shown many times.

===Windows Compatibility===
Since the 1980's, the Macintosh had always had some sort of compatibility with the PC platform, the Mac has also opened run programs made for Windows only and even run Windows!
===Logos===
[[Image:110px-Apple-logo.png|frame|right|110px|The current Apple logo.]]

Apple’s first logo, designed by Jobs and Wayne, depicts Sir Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree. Almost immediately, though, this was replaced by Rob Janoff’s “rainbow Apple,” the now-familiar rainbow-colored silhouette of an apple with a bite taken out of it, possibly as a tribute to Isaac Newton's discoveries of the gravity (the apple), and the separation of light by prisms (the colors). This was one of several designs Janoff presented to Jobs in 1976.

In her book ''Zeroes and Ones'', author [[Sadie Plant]] speculates that the rainbow logo was a homage to Alan Turing, the father of modern computing, who suffered years of persecution for his homosexuality before committing suicide with a cyanide-laced apple. A more practical theory is that it was to advertise the color capability of the Apple II computer, something of a rarity back then.

In 1999, Apple began enforcing the use of a strictly monochrome logo—supposedly at the insistence of a newly re-inaugurated Jobs—nearly identical in shape to its previous rainbow incarnation. No specific color is prescribed; for example, it is grey on the Power Mac G5, Mac Mini, and iMac, blue (by default) in Mac OS X, chrome on the 'About this Mac' panel and the boot screen in Mac OS X 10.3 and 10.4, red on many software packages, and white on the iBook, PowerBook G4, PowerBook G3 (late models), MacBook, and MacBook Pro. The logo's shape is one of the most recognized brand symbols in the world, and is featured quite prominently on all Apple products and retail stores, and notably included as stickers in nearly all Macintosh and iPod packages through the years.

Virtual Console

Admin — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 19:12:25 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Gaming]]
'''Virtual Console''', sometimes abbreviated as '''VC''', is a video game download service that is currently offered by [[Nintendo]] for its Wii gaming console. Described by Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata as "the video game version of Apple's iTunes Store", the service allows Wii owners to emulate past Nintendo consoles and purchase games originally released for them. Games from the NES, SNES and N64 and formerly competing systems, the Mega Drive and the TurboGrafx-16 are downloadable in the UK. New games are available every week.

The Legend of Zelda

Admin — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 19:00:25 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Gaming]]
[[Image:Zeldae32004-25b.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The official sword and shield logo of ''The Legend of Zelda'' introduced during the release of ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time''.]]
'''''The Legend of Zelda''''' (ゼルダの伝説 Zeruda no Densetsu) is a fantasy video game series produced by [[Nintendo]], and created by the celebrated game designer [[Shigeru Miyamoto]]. The gameplay consists of a mixture of action, adventure, role-playing, puzzle-solving, and occasional platforming and racing elements.
The series is known for its beautiful and inspiring settings, creative gameplay, interesting characters, stirring original music, and high overall production values. It is widely considered one of the most influential video game franchises ever created, and has earned a spot as one of the company's flagship franchises alongside such notable series as ''Mario'' and ''Metroid''. As of February 2007, ''The Legend of Zelda'' series has 13 official games released which have sold 47 million units.

==Overview==
Most games in ''The Legend of Zelda'' series feature a boy named Link as the central playable character and hero. Link is frequently called upon to rescue Princess Zelda, after whom the series is named. The main antagonist in the series is a powerful creature known as Ganon, sometimes appearing as Ganondorf (the more recent villain Vaati has appeared in multiple ''Zelda'' games as well). The action usually occurs in the land of Hyrule and involves a divine relic known as the Triforce, a set of three magically bound golden triangles of great power. In story terms, the earlier games did not deviate much from the standard "save the princess" theme, but later installments have diversified their plot and added twists and turns to the tale. One ''Zelda'' game, ''Link’s Awakening'', did not feature Zelda at all (although she was briefly mentioned when Link mistook Marin for Zelda), and in ''Majora’s Mask'', she was only seen in a flashback. The protagonist in each game is not always the same boy named Link, although occasionally the same Link is controlled across multiple games (see [[#Nature of the protagonist|nature of the protagonist]]).Other times the Link from one game could be the Link from a previous game.

The games' fantasy world of Hyrule includes many different climates and terrains, and is home to many different races and tribes of monsters and sentient beings. There are significant geographical differences from game to game, but several distinctive features recur, such as the Lost Woods, Lake Hylia, and Death Mountain (including Spectacle Rock near the summit).

The ''Zelda'' games feature a mixture of complex puzzles, strategic action gameplay, and exploration. These elements have remained fairly constant throughout the series, but with refinements and additions featured in each new game. This successful formula has been a primary factor in making the ''Zelda'' franchise one of Nintendo's most successful game series. The player is frequently rewarded for solving complex puzzles or exhaustively exploring areas. The musical cue when finding a hidden treasure (or other secret) has become one of video gaming's most memorable themes.

Nearly every ''Zelda'' game involves locating and exploring dungeons while solving a variety of puzzles until reaching the dungeon's boss. Each dungeon usually has one special item hidden inside which will be required later in the game. Some items are found in almost every game, while others are exclusive to a single game (''see weapons and items from The Legend of Zelda series''). In the later games in the series, the item(s) found in each dungeon are usually used in some way to fight that dungeon's boss.

''The Legend of Zelda'' was principally inspired by Miyamoto's explorations as a young boy in the hillsides surrounding his childhood home in Kyoto, where he ventured into forests with secluded lakes, caves, and rural villages. According to Miyamoto, one of his most memorable experiences was the discovery of a cave entrance in the middle of the woods. After some hesitation, he apprehensively entered the cave and explored its depths with the aid of a lantern. This memory has clearly influenced Miyamoto's work, as cave exploration is a major element of most ''Zelda'' games. Other than Miyamoto's childhood, Norse and Japanese mythologies have played a large role influencing the series, as well as Medieval European culture. Miyamoto has referred to the creation of the ''Zelda'' games as an attempt to bring to life a "miniature garden" for players to play with in each game of the series.

Hearing of F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife Zelda, Mr. Miyamoto thought the name sounded "pleasant and significant." Paying tribute, he chose to name the Princess after her, and titled his creation ''The Legend of Zelda''.

==History==
[[Image:Legend of Zelda NES.jpg|thumb|left|''The Legend of Zelda'' on the Nintendo Entertainment System console.]]
The first game, ''The Legend of Zelda'', was first released in Japan in 1986, and in the United States and Europe in 1987. Though relatively simple by today's standards, it was quite advanced for its time. Innovations include the ability to use dozens of different items, a vast world full of secrets to explore, and the cartridge's ability to save progress via battery-backed memory. The game also features a "Second Quest", accessible upon completing the game, where the adventure can be replayed with a very slightly altered overworld and new, more challenging dungeons. Besides the game's technical innovations, the gameplay (finding items and using them to solve puzzles, battling monsters in real-time, and exploring a vast environment) was a successful formula and became widely copied. The game was wildly popular in Japan and North America, and many consider it one of the most important video games ever made. A modified version known as ''BS Zelda'' was released for the Super Famicom's satellite-based expansion, Satellaview, in the mid-1990s in Japan.

The second game, known as ''Zelda II: The Adventure of Link'' was released in July 1988, and was a departure from the concept of the first game. It exchanged the top-down perspective for side-scrolling and introduced RPG elements (e.g., experience points) not found in other ''Zelda'' installments. It is also the only ''Zelda'' title until ''Four Swords Adventures'' in which Link does not collect rupees. Because of these fundamental changes, many consider it the "black sheep" of the series. Both this and its predecessor were notable for their gold-colored game cartridges, which stood out amongst the system's usual gray cartridges.

Four years later, ''The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past'', returned to the top-down view (under a 3/4 perspective) and added the concept of an alternate dimension to explore, a land known as the Dark World. The game was released for the SNES in April of 1992. It was later re-released for the Game Boy Advance on December 9, 2002 in North America, on a cartridge with ''Four Swords'', the first multiplayer ''Zelda'', and then on the Wii's Virtual Console on January 22, 2007. This game also had a Satellaview version that was later released in Japan, called ''The Legend of Zelda: Kodai no Sekiban''.

The next game, ''Link's Awakening'', was the first ''Zelda'' for Nintendo's Game Boy handheld, and the first to take place outside of Hyrule. It was re-released for the Game Boy Color in 1998 as ''Link's Awakening DX'' with some additional features, including an extra color-based dungeon and a photo shop that allowed interaction with the Game Boy Printer.

After another hiatus, the series made the transition to 3D with the installment ''Ocarina of Time'' which was released in November 1998. This game, initially known as ''Zelda 64'', retained the core gameplay of the previous 2D games and became one of the most successful games of all time in both commercial and critical terms. It is considered by some to be one of the best video games ever made, and scored perfect scores in several video game publications, including the first 40/40 score in ''Famitsu'' (a prestigious Japanese gaming magazine). It recently ranked by ''Nintendo Power'' as the best Nintendo game ever created. The title was originally slated for the ill-fated, Japanese-only Nintendo 64DD, but was ported to a cartridge with the advancements in memory compression technology. Innovations include the use of lock-on targeting, a new gameplay mechanic that focuses the camera on a nearby target and alters the player's actions to be relative to that target. Such mechanics allow precision-based swordfighting in a 3D space and were a revolutionary development for the time.

''Ocarina of Time'' saw a limited re-release on the GameCube in 2002 when it was offered as a pre-order incentive for ''The Wind Waker'' in the US. However, Europe continues to receive it free in every copy of ''The Wind Waker'', except for the discounted Player's Choice version. Also included were parts of a previously unreleased 64DD expansion known as ''Ura Zelda''. The disc was titled ''Ocarina of Time Master Quest''. ''Ocarina of Time'' was ported again in a ''Collector's Edition'' ''Zelda'' compilation in 2003.

The follow-up title, ''Majora's Mask'' which was released in November 2000, used the same 3D game engine as the previous Nintendo 64 game (dropping the 3D elements), but added a novel time-based concept, leading to somewhat mixed reactions from series fans. It was originally called ''Zelda Gaiden'', a Japanese title loosely translating to ''Zelda, Another Story''. Gameplay changed significantly; in addition to a form of time limit, Link could use masks to transform into different creatures with unique skills. While ''Majora's Mask'' retained the graphical style of the landmark ''Ocarina of Time'', it was also a departure, particularly in atmosphere. The game is much darker, dealing with death and tragedy in a manner not previously seen in the series, and has a sense of impending doom as a large moon slowly descends upon the land of Termina.

The next two games, ''Oracle of Ages'' and ''Oracle of Seasons'', were released simultaneously for the Game Boy Color. The games were loosely connected, and by various means they could be combined to form a single extended story. They were developed in conjunction with Flagship under Capcom, with supervision from Mr. Miyamoto. The games were originally intended to be a trilogy known as ''The Triforce Trilogy'', consisting of updated remakes of ''The Legend of Zelda'' and ''The Adventure of Link'', plus an original third installment. After consulting with Shigeru Miyamoto, however, the studio decided to make an all-new trilogy. When the password system linking three games proved too troublesome, the concept was reduced to just two titles. Fans initially criticized the ''Oracle'' series for "selling out" by copying the Pokémon strategy (two similar versions of a game coming out simultaneously to increase profits). Such claims faded when the games were released and their radical differences were noted. ''Oracle of Ages'' is often seen as a puzzle-based adventure while ''Oracle of Seasons'' is more action-oriented.
‎
[[Image:Zelda_Wind_Waker_Link_waves_goodbye.jpg|thumb|left|The cartoon art-style of ''The Wind Waker.]]
The next ''Zelda'', for the GameCube, was initially believed to be a realistically styled adventure because of a technology demo shown at Nintendo's SpaceWorld expo in 2000. However, Nintendo later surprised many fans with the revelation that the new game, ''The Wind Waker'', would be fully cel-shaded (a cartoon-like style of color design first seen in games such as Sega's ''Jet Set Radio''). Initial fears that this would affect the quality of gaming experience were eased when the game was released to critical acclaim in Japan in 2002 and elsewhere in 2003. It features gameplay centered on controlling wind and sailing a small boat around a massive, island-filled ocean, and inventive puzzles requiring the use of NPCs.

Next in the series came ''Four Swords Adventures'' for the GameCube, which was released in the first half of 2004 in Japan and America, and in January 2005 in Europe. Based on the handheld ''Four Swords'', ''Four Swords Adventures'' was another deviation from previous ''Zelda'' gameplay, focusing on multiplayer gameplay and "level-based" action (like many ''Super Mario Bros.'' titles). The game contains 24 individual stages and a map screen; there is no connecting overworld. For the multiplayer features of the game, each player is required to use a Game Boy Advance system linked to the Nintendo GameCube via a GBA-GC cable. Although it focuses on multiplayer, the game also features a single player campaign in which using a Game Boy Advance is optional.

''Four Swords Adventures'' is really two games in one: ''Hyrulean Adventure'' (with a storyline and action somewhat similar to a traditional ''Zelda'' adventure) and ''Shadow Battle'' (a free-for-all melee "battle mode" which pits Links against each other as the players struggle for dominance in Hyrulean arenas). The Japanese version includes a third segment, known as ''Navi Trackers'' (originally designed as the stand-alone game ''Tetra's Trackers''), which is not included in any other incarnation of the title. ''Navi Trackers'' contains an important first for ''Zelda'', as the game has spoken dialog for most of the characters.

In November 2004 in Japan and Europe, and in January 2005 in America, Nintendo released a new game for the Game Boy Advance, ''The Minish Cap''. The central concept of ''The Minish Cap'' is Link's ability to shrink in size with the aid of a mystical sentient hat named Ezlo. While tiny, Link can see previously-explored parts of a dungeon from a new perspective, and enter new areas through otherwise impassable openings. Link is able to switch from big to small at special portals throughout the land, once again giving Link two "worlds" to play in.

In November 2006, ''Twilight Princess'' arrived as the first ''Zelda'' game on the Wii. During the following month, December 2006, it was released on the Nintendo GameCube as well. The new game once again strives for a realistic look, improved even beyond the aforementioned SpaceWorld demo. This game chronicles the struggle of a more mature Link to rid Hyrule of the "Twilight Realm", a mysterious force plaguing the land. When Link enters this realm, he transforms into a wolf and the gameplay shifts radically. ''Twilight Princess'' also relies heavily on horseback transportation and mounted battle scenarios (including boss battles).

''Zelda DS'' was once rumored to be a new ''Four Swords'' game, but Nintendo later retracted those statements. Instead, at the 2006 Game Developers Conference a trailer for ''Phantom Hourglass'' for the Nintendo DS was shown. The trailer revealed traditional top-down ''Zelda'' gameplay optimized for the DS’s features, a cel-shaded graphical style directly recalling ''The Wind Waker'', and a ''Majora's Mask''-style feature which allows Link to turn back time with the use of the titular hourglass. At E3 2006, Nintendo confirmed its status as a direct sequel to ''The Wind Waker'', and debuted an extensive playable demo including a multiplayer mode reminiscent of ''Pac-Man Vs.'' with "capture the flag" elements. ''The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass'' is scheduled to be released in 2007.

==Fictional universe==
{{spoiler}}
The ''Zelda'' series has developed a deep story and wide universe over its many releases. Much of the backstory of the creation of Hyrule was revealed in the games ''A Link to the Past,'' ''Ocarina of Time,'' and ''Twilight Princess''.

===History===

According to the in-game stories, long ago three goddesses descended and created the world of Hyrule. Din, the fiery red goddess, with her powerful, flaming arms, cultivated the empty space, and created the red earth. Nayru, the beautiful blue goddess, bestowed her divine wisdom upon the land and created the skies to give a sense of justice and order to the world and to guide the people in the goddesses' absence. Farore, the gentle green goddess, endowed Hyrule with her powers so that courageous living beings would follow this justice.

After their work was completed, the goddesses left a magical artifact called the Triforce which could grant the wishes of the user. It consisted of three golden triangles (each also called a "Triforce" — one of Wisdom, one of Power, and one of Courage), held in proximity by a magic force. However, because the Triforce was inanimate and did not judge between good and evil, the goddesses placed the Triforce in an alternate world called the "Sacred Realm", hoping that a worthy person would one day seek it.

According to legend, if the discoverer of the Triforce has a balance of power, wisdom, and courage, they will receive the Triforce as a whole. If they are unbalanced, they will receive the part of the Triforce that represents the characteristic they most demonstrate, with the remaining parts of the whole transferring into the people in Hyrule who most exemplify the other two traits. The Triforce was first distributed as such starting in ''Ocarina of Time'', as the Triforces of Power, Wisdom and Courage were each held by Ganondorf and Princess Zelda and Link, respectively. While the Triforce of Power and Wisdom have been part of the series since the original Legend of Zelda, it was only in ''The Adventure of Link'' that the Triforce of Courage was first introduced, being obtained by Link at the end of his quest. ''A Link to the Past'', released after ''The Adventure of Link'' but before ''Ocarina of Time'', featured the Triforce, but made no mention of its three qualities or distribution beyond Ganon obtaining it.

Eventually, dark interlopers ,soon to be called the Twili and become cursed forevermore, attempted to steal the Triforce and establish dominion over the Sacred Realm. In response, the goddesses sent the light spirits Eldin, Lanayru, Ordona, and Faron to seal away their dark magic in the Fused Shadows, which are ancient artifacts. The interlopers themselves were banished to the shadowy world of the Twilight Realm (with only the Mirror of Twilight linking the two worlds) where they would become the Twili race. The Mirror was left in the hands of ancient sages to protect.

The fictional universe established by the ''Zelda'' games sets the stage for each adventure. Many games take place in lands with their own backstories. Termina, for example, is a parallel world accidentally formed as a side effect of the goddesses' creation of Hyrule.

===The Rupee===
Rupees are the unit of currency within most of the ''Zelda'' universe, within circulation in the lands of Hyrule, Ordon, Koholint Island, Termina, Labrynna, and Holodrum. Rupees are acquired primarily by defeating enemies, by cutting tall grasses or bushes, or by opening treasure chests, and used primarily to purchase items in shops.

====Values====
With the exception of ''The Adventure of Link'' and ''Four Swords Adventures'', Rupees are included in all ''Zelda'' titles. The value of a Rupee is denoted by its color. In ''Four Swords'' and ''The Minish Cap'', both size and color denote value. ''Link's Awakening'', ''Oracle of Seasons'', and ''Oracle of Ages'' specify the Rupee value through text rather than color, because the ''Game Boy'' pallette was limited. The following lists the values of each Rupee color. Because the value of each color is inconsistent throughout the games, they are not listed in order of value. The list begins with the colors that appeared in the most ''Zelda'' titles.

'''Green Rupee''' 
Small green Rupees are worth one, and large green Rupees are worth fifty. The green Rupee appears in seven games.
:* 1, small. (''A Link to the Past'', ''Ocarina of Time'', ''Majora's Mask'', ''Four Swords'', ''The Wind Waker'', ''The Minish Cap'', ''Twilight Princess''.)
:* 50, large. (''Four Swords'' and ''The Minish Cap''.)

'''Blue Rupee''' 
Small blue Rupees are worth five, and large blue Rupees are worth one hundred. The blue Rupee appears in eight games.
:* 5, small. (''The Legend of Zelda'', ''A Link to the Past'', ''Ocarina of Time'', ''Majora's Mask'', ''Four Swords'', ''The Wind Waker'', ''The Minish Cap'', ''Twilight Princess''.)
:* 100, large. (''Four Swords'' and ''The Minish Cap''.)

'''Red Rupee''' 
Small red Rupees are worth twenty, and large red Rupees are worth two hundred. The red Rupee appears in seven games.
:* 20, small. (''A Link to the Past'', ''Ocarina of Time'', ''Majora's Mask'', ''Four Swords'', ''The Wind Waker'', ''The Minish Cap'', ''Twilight Princess''.)
:* 200, large. (''Four Swords'' and ''The Minish Cap''.)

'''Purple Rupee''' 
The purple Rupee exists in all four 3D ''Zelda'' games.
:*50 (''Ocarina of Time'', ''Majora's Mask'', ''Wind Waker'', ''Twilight Princess''.)

'''Silver Rupee''' 
Debuting in ''Ocarina of Time'', where collecting all five silver Rupees solved a puzzle in a particular room, the silver Rupee exists in all four 3D ''Zelda'' titles.
:*5 (''Ocarina of Time'')
:*100 (''Majora's Mask'')
:*200 (''Wind Waker'', ''Twilight Princess'')

'''Yellow Rupee''' 
Debuting in the original title, the yellow Rupee has appeared in three games.
:* 1 (''The Legend of Zelda'')
:* 10 (''The Wind Waker'' and ''Twilight Princess''.)

'''Orange Rupee''' 
The orange Rupee exists in the three of the four 3D Zelda titles.
:*100 (''The Wind Waker'', ''Twilight Princess'')
:*200 (''Ocarina of Time''), Large Orange Rupee appears if you kill Skull Kid in the Lost Woods as adult Link.

'''Huge Rupee''' 
Appearing either gold or dark orange, this Rupee's color is not specified textually and is simply called "huge." It exists only in the two N64 games.
:*200 (''Ocarina of Time'', ''Majora's Mask''.)

'''Other Rupee Types''' 
:* Black: In ''Four Swords'', the black Rupee removes a random, negative amount of Rupees from the team wallet.
:* Rupee Shard: In ''Four Swords'', Rupee shards are individually worthless but collecting eight creates a gem worth 500 Rupees.

====Wallet size====
Link can carry a maximum amount of Rupees which varies among titles. In ''The Legend of Zelda'', players are limited to carrying 255 Rupees, which is the maximum value an unsigned 8-bit integer can hold. In ''A Link to the Past'', ''Link's Awakening'', ''Oracle of Seasons'', and ''Oracle of Ages'' the Rupee limit is 999. ''Four Swords'' allows a maximum of 9999 Rupees shared among all players.

In five Zelda titles, the wallet size can be expanded, which increases the maximum amount of Rupees the player can carry. ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Majora's Mask'' first implemented this feature, where the initial maximum is 99 Rupees. Upgrading to the adult's wallet or to the giant's wallet increases the limit to 200 or 500 Rupees, respectively. In ''Majora's Mask'', Rupees are one of the items that cannot be taken back in time with Link. However, there is a bank which retains deposited Rupees despite Link's time travel. The bank will not accept deposits if the balance meets or exceeds 5000 Rupees. Therefore, the maximum balance of 5499 Rupees occurs when the balance begins at 4999 and the player deposits an additional 500 Rupees.

''The Wind Waker'' starts the capacity at 200, with wallet upgrades to 1000 and 5000. In ''The Minish Cap'', capacity begins at 100, and increases to 300, 500, and finally 999. ''Twilight Princess'' begins Rupee capacity at 300, which can be upgraded to 600 and finally 1000 if you help out "Princess" Agitha in Castle Town by collecting Golden Bugs.

BS ''The Legend of Zelda: Stone Tablets of Antiquity'' featured a maximum of 99,999 Rupees, more than any other Zelda game, but strict time limits reduced the chances of reaching this maximum.

====Use====
Although Rupees are used most often to buy items in shops, occasionally they have other uses. In the original ''Legend of Zelda,'' one rupee is used up every time Link shoots an arrow. In ''A Link to the Past'', if a set amount (100) of Rupees were thrown into a certain fairy fountain, a fairy would appear and increase Link's carrying capacity for bombs or arrows, at the player's choice. In ''Ocarina of Time'', collecting all the Silver Rupees in a particular dungeon room unlocks the locked doors. Rupees are also central to the gameplay in the multiplayer ''Four Swords.'' As such, this game adds Black Rupees, which causes rupees to scatter across the ground; and Rupee Shards, which when collected eight of can add up to a Rupee of great value. In ''Twilight Princess'', the optional Magic Armor is powered by Rupees, and when Link is hit, he loses Rupees instead of hearts. If Link runs out of Rupees while wearing the armor, his mobility is greatly reduced.

The only titles to feature monetary systems other than Rupees are ''Oracle of Seasons'', where the [[Subrosia|Subrosians]] would accept Ore Chunks as currency, as well as ruppees, and ''Four Swords Adventures'', where the player(s) collects Force Gems rather than Rupees and although not an official currency in Hyrule, they are sometimes spent in exchange for something (such as a divination in Kakariko). Rupees were also absent in ''Zelda II: The Adventure of Link'', which had no currency system.

====Appearances in non-''Zelda'' games====
* Ingots, from ''Clu Clu Land'', highly resemble Rupees from the original game. However, ''Clu Clu Land'' came first, meaning it is most likely intended as a cameo, much like the Book of Magic originating from ''Devil World''.

* Sometimes when looking through drawers in ''Animal Crossing'', a message will say "You found 100 rupees! Too bad you can't use them here."

* In ''Donkey Kong Country 3'', after the refusal to buy a shell from Bazaar Bear, he claims that some guy named Link didn't have enough Bear Coins but wanted to pay in Rupees instead. After that he left, muttering about his shell being the wrong shape or something, which also references the shells Link collects in ''Link's Awakening''.

==Chronology==

The precise chronology of the ''Zelda'' universe is hotly debated among fans, although just as many fans do not feel the games are definitively connected. As the series progressed and more games were released, the exact order of the games in an overall timeline became complex and heavily disputed. It is often concluded by many fans that no specific timeline is necessary, and that each game is simply a new retelling of one core "Legend of Zelda" thesis. Bits and pieces of definitive information connect some games to each other, but there is no official explanation on how all games fit within a standardized timeline of events, and therefore it is impossible to be certain in which order the games are to be placed within ''The Legend of Zelda''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> chronology.

The following is a list of the Nintendo-published games '''in order of their first release''', with their release years (in brackets), along with any additional information about their placement in the timeline.

*'''The Legend of Zelda''' (NES, GBA, GC, [[Virtual Console]]) (1986)
:This was the first game released in the series, though most of the games released since then seem to take place in earlier time periods. In this game, Ganon is already in his pig-like beast form. According to the instruction manual and the official website (though the reliability of the official website is in question), shortly before the beginning of the game, Ganon broke free from the Dark World and his army attacked Hyrule, stole the Triforce of Power and captured the ruling Princess Zelda, but not before she had time to break up and hide the Triforce of Wisdom.

*'''Zelda II: The Adventure of Link''' (NES, GBA, GC, [[Virtual Console]]) (1987)
:The second Zelda game is a clear sequel to the first one. According to its instruction manual, it takes place "several seasons" after the first game and features the same Link but a different Zelda (This Zelda is most likely older than he one we encounter in the orignal Legend of Zelda.). Moreover, the story references Link's defeat of Ganon in the first game. The game's backstory also references an old legend of Hyrule. According to it, long ago, a prince of Hyrule should have inherited the Triforce after the king's death, but he only obtained part of it. Indeed, his sister, Princess Zelda, let him keep the Triforce of Power and the Triforce of Wisdom, but the late King hid the Triforce of Courage. The prince and a magician questioned Zelda, but she refused to reveal the location of the last piece of the Triforce. In anger, the magician cast an eternal sleeping spell on Zelda, before dying himself. In grief, the prince ordered that all future girls of the royal family be named Zelda. This Zelda is still asleep at the beginning of the game and is awakened by Link after he retrieves the Triforce of Courage at the end of the game. The events of this legend were never witnessed or mentioned in another game, but this legend must be early in the timeline.

*'''The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past''' (SNES, GBA, [[Virtual Console]]) (1991)
:This is the first of many Zelda games to have Hyrule's history told within the game. It is also the first game in which Ganon is referred to as "Ganondorf". By the time of this game, Ganon is in his pig-like form and sealed in the Golden Land with the Triforce. The game's instruction manual tells how the Triforce (all three pieces of it) was originally hidden in the Golden Land. One day long ago, it was found by Ganondorf the Thief, and it granted his evil wish for a monstrous army to attack Hyrule. While the Knights of Hyrule defended the land, the Seven Sages created a magic seal to lock off the Golden Land. The game itself revolves around Ganon's ultimately successful attempt to break the Sages' seal. Princess Zelda alerts Link to this and Link goes on to find the Master Sword (its first named appearance in the series), then to defeat Ganon and reclaim the Triforce.

*'''The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening''' (GB, GBC) (1993)
:This game occurs soon after the events of ''A Link to the Past'', according to the game's instruction manual. It states that Link left Hyrule on a journey of enlightenment after defeating Ganon. Most fans think this game does not count because it was a dream, but most fans still consider it a part of the game's chronology.

*'''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time''' (N64, GC, [[Virtual Console]]) (1998)
:After its release, this game was confirmed by Shigeru Miyamoto as the first in the series' continuity. At the beginning of the game, Ganondorf is the Gerudo king and has not gained the Triforce. As the game progresses, Ganondorf finds his way into the Sacred Realm and finds the Triforce, but because his heart is not balanced, he causes the Triforce to become divided in three pieces - the Triforce of Power, the Triforce of Wisdom, and the Triforce of Courage. Ganondorf uses the Triforce of Power to lead an invasion of Hyrule, but Link stops him and the Seven Sages seal him in the Sacred Realm. But not before he, in a fit of rage, transforms into the monstrous Ganon for the first time. This game started what is called by fans, the Split Timeline Theory.

*'''The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask''' (N64, GC) (2000)
:This game takes place months after the events of ''Ocarina of Time'', and stars the same Link after returning to his youth, according to the in-game story. While traveling through the Lost Woods, he is attacked by the Skull Kid wearing a sinister mask, and while trying to get his stolen horse and ocarina back, accidentally falls into a parallel world called Termina, which is going to be destroyed by a falling moon in three days. Link must relive the same three days over and over again while trying to undo the chaos created by the Skull Kid through the power of Majora's Mask, and find a way to stop the impending apocalypse.

*'''The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons''' and '''The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages''' (GBC) (2001)
:These games are connected via a password system and one takes place immediately after the other. They can be played and regarded in either order. Dialogue suggests that this particular Link and Princess Zelda featured in these games meet for the first time during the adventure. The Twinrova sisters from Ocarina of Time appear in these games and plot to resurrect Ganon.

*'''The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords''' (GBA) (2002)
:The versions of Link and Princess Zelda featured in this game are childhood friends. This is the first game in which Vaati and the Four Sword appear.

*'''The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker''' (GC) (2003)
:This game takes place hundreds of years after ''Ocarina of Time''. Hyrule has been lost for hundreds of years and now all that remains of its civilization are a few scattered islands on the Great Sea. Half way through The Wind Waker, the Link and Zelda from this game discover they are the reincarnations of their counterparts in the old kingdom. It is revealed in dialogue between survivors of Hyrule that the Link of The Wind Waker is related to the Hero of Time, who is the Link from Ocarina of Time.

*'''The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures''' (GC) (2004)
:This game takes place about one hundred years after the events of ''Four Swords''. It includes some background information about Ganon. Early in the game, he is called Ganondorf (and has his human form) before obtaining his trident and becoming the pig-like beast Ganon. Zelda calls Ganon an "ancient demon reborn."

*'''The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap''' (GBA) (2004)
:This game takes place long before ''Four Swords'' and ''Four Swords Adventures''. It involves the origins of the namesake weapon of the aforementioned games, the Four Sword, as well as Vaati, their primary antagonist. No mention of Ganon is made but Link and Zelda are childhood friends as well. This game is considered first chronologically by many fans because of Link not having his trademark hat and the only game other than Majora's Mask to not mention Ganon.

*'''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess''' (Wii, GC) (2006)
:This game takes place about one hundred years after ''Ocarina of Time'' but before A Link to the Past due to the ruins of the Temple of Time. In an interview with Japan's Nindori Magazine, Aonuma states that it takes place "parallel" to Wind Waker. After becoming the dark beast Ganon, Ganondorf returns to his Gerudo form.

*'''The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass''' (DS) (2007)
:This game has yet to be released, but Nintendo has confirmed that it takes place directly after ''The Wind Waker'' and will star the same Link.

*'''The Legend of Zelda''' (Wii) (TBA)
:This is the tentative name for the upcoming entry in the series, developed exclusively for the Wii. In an interview at E3 2005, ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess'' director Eiji Aonuma stated that he was assigned by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata to create a Zelda game for the new platform. It was later reported in the "Loose Talk" gossip column in the December 2006 issue of ''Game Informer'' that the next installment after ''Twilight Princess'' had been in deep development for approximately a year.

*'''The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords''' (DS) (TBA)
:Almost nothing has been announced about this game except for the fact that it is coming for the Nintendo DS and will feature multiplayer. Nintendo has also hinted that it will have online play. No announcement has yet been made about the stage of development that this game currently in.

The creators maintain that the series has a set timeline, but due to the poor translation protocols in the 1990s and debate over what counts as "canonical" material, the available information continues to be disputed. Eiji Aonuma has since promised he will do his best to patch it all up and reveal the timeline someday and Miyamoto stated in a 2003 interview that there is a master document containing the timeline, but this document has not been seen publicly and there is little other proof of its existence.

==Nature of the protagonist==
According to the official website, Link is described as humble but brave, attributes appropriate for the bearer of the Triforce of Courage. Sometimes Link will bear a special title, such as "Hero of Time" or "Hero of Winds". A long-eared Hylian that resembles an elf, Link is usually a boy of 12 years (though he has also been portrayed as an adolescent and a young man). Link always wears a green tunic, an undershirt and a long, floppy green cap, for at least part of each adventure. All incarnations of Link are ambidextrous, and most are left-handed; however, in the Wii version of ''Twilight Princess'', Link is right-handed to better match the Wii's control scheme.

Although some fans believe all ''Zelda'' games feature the same characters, others adhere to a quote suggesting that every single game features ''different'' characters. The official line is that there are numerous heroes named Link throughout Hyrule's history, and unless otherwise indicated, each adventure is that of a new protagonist. Some of the games are linked chronologically and take place in a clear continuity, while others do not. For example, the Link in ''A Link to the Past'' is clearly not the same Link who donned ''The Minish Cap''. On the other hand, ''Majora's Mask'' directly states that the Link character is the same one from ''Ocarina of Time''. According to the manual, the Link in ''Link's Awakening'' was the same Link who defeated Ganon in ''A Link to the Past''. The Link from ''Adventure of Link'' is the same as the original ''Legend of Zelda'', although somewhat confusingly, a different Princess Zelda is involved. While evidence in ''The Wind Waker'' suggests that its storyline is distantly related to that of ''Ocarina of Time'', it features a different Link, though it shows the same Ganondorf. Eiji Aonuma has confirmed that every time a new evil plagues the land of a Hyrule, a new hero must rise up to confront it.
Link usually doesn't "speak" in ''Zelda'' games, producing instead grunts, yells, and other such sounds. The one exception to this (so far) was 2002's ''The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker''. When it was released in the English-speaking world, the phrase “Come on!” was clearly audible (used in a dungeon to call another character, Medli or Makar, to follow the player). Prior to this, in ''Zelda II'' players chose how to answer a question with a choice from a list: no voice acting accompanied Link's answers.
More usually the character uses facial expressions to show mood - particular emphasis was place on this in ''The Wind Waker'' and ''Twilight Princess''.

Although the character's accepted name is Link, the player can name the hero in each game and characters will address him by that name in the text.

==Side quests==
In addition to the primary quest of saving the land from destruction or domination by an evil force, ''Zelda'' games often feature lesser quests upon which Link can embark at the discretion of the player. These "side quests" usually reward the player with items that make the primary quest easier to complete (such as Heart Containers, new weapons, etc.), and are occasionally necessary to complete the game. This gameplay device is not unique to ''The Legend of Zelda'', but it is fairly consistent in the series.

The longest of these side quests, present in several games, is the "trading sequence". In such a sequence, Link first obtains an item from either a store or an in-game friend. He then takes that item to a character in the game who needs it, and trades it for something else. This otherwise unhelpful item is then traded to another character for something equally useless, and so on. The trading sequence may consist of as many as fifteen separate items, and usually ends with the player finally trading for a powerful new weapon or a critical item. The most famous example of this is the trading sequence in ''Ocarina of Time'' required to receive the Biggoron Sword.

Other side quests include races, a search for hidden items or characters, or extra puzzles.
''Majora's Mask'' in particular relied heavily on side quests, ranging from short quests for a Piece of Heart to a long, arduous side quest to collect numerous face masks (and complete several challenging dungeons) needed to obtain the powerful Fierce Deity Mask.

''The Minish Cap'' had a large number of minuscule sidequests in the form of searching for "Kinstone pieces", medallion fragments which could be fused with those owned by in-game characters to magically trigger various events (opening a hole in a tree, providing a new path, making a beanstalk grow, making new characters appear, etc.). Usually these events allowed the player to obtain secret items, but it was sometimes necessary to collect Kinstones to advance the game further.

Both ''The Wind Waker'' and the ''The Minish Cap'' featured figurine collecting as a side quest. ''The Minish Cap'''s figurines could be bought with seashells, whereas the ''The Wind Waker'' required the player to take a photo of the subject upon which the figurine would be based.

==Critical reception==
The ''Legend of Zelda'' series has generated many highly positive reviews within the gaming industry. ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''The Wind Waker'' have both received a perfect score by Japanese ''Famitsu'' magazine, making ''Zelda'' the first and only series with multiple perfect scores. In addition, ''A Link to the Past'' received an almost-perfect score of 39 out of 40. The website IGN.com also awarded ''Ocarina of Time'', ''Oracle of Ages'', ''Oracle of Seasons'' and ''Link's Awakening'' a score of 10/10. GameFAQs has also held a contest for the best video game series ever, with ''The Legend of Zelda'' claiming the top position; along with Nintendo Power's Top 200 countdown, in which ''Ocarina of Time'' took first place, and a few other Zelda games placed in the top 20. Moreover, the editors of Game Rankings have declared ''Ocarina of Time'' the highest-ranking game of all time by compiling every major numeric review given to the game upon its release.

==Other incarnations==
There are a number of ''Zelda'' video games and other media creations that have been officially licensed by Nintendo but not acknowledged by fans as part of the series.

===LCD games===
Two ''Zelda''-themed LCD games were created in the late 1980's. The "''Zelda'' Game & Watch" was released first, and was an actual digital watch with primitive gameplay based on the original ''Legend of Zelda''. The similarly titled "''Zelda'' Game & Watch" was a dual-screen handheld electronic game similar in appearance to today's Nintendo DS. It featured gameplay based on ''The Adventure of Link'', and has also reappeared as an unlockable extra in ''Game & Watch Gallery 4'', a 2002 compilation for the Game Boy Advance.

===Unreleased games===
In the lifetime of the ''Zelda'' series, several video games have been in development that, for various reasons, were ultimately abandoned. Such titles include ''The Triforce Trilogy'' (Game Boy Color), and '' Mystical Seed of Courage'' (Game Boy Color).

===Others===
Link appeared in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 64. Link, Young Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf apeared in Super Smash Bros. Melee (Ganondorf and Young Link were unlockable. Zelda could turn into Sheik) for the Nintendo Game Cube. Link is in the soon to be released Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Nintendo Wii.

===Zelda Music CDs===
Many Zelda music Cd's have been released, including a Ocarina of Time CD, a Wind Waker CD, a Legend of Zelda CD (featuring music from all games up to Wind Waker), and a Twilight Princess CD released by Nintendo Power as a free promotion for getting a subscription to the video gaming magazine.

Animal Crossing Wild World

Admin — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 17:43:54 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Gaming]]
[[image:Animalcrossingdscover.jpg|thumb|right|The ACWW box art.]]
'''''Animal Crossing: Wild World''''', known in Japan as '''''Come to Animal Forest''''' (Oideyo Dōbutsu no Mori) is a life-simulation video game developed by [[Nintendo]] for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console in 2005. It is the follow-up to the GameCube video game ''[[Animal Crossing Gamecube|Animal Crossing]]'', a remake of the Nintendo 64 video game ''Animal Forest''. ''Wild World'' shares many similarities to its predecessor, but also contains many changes. The most prominent change is the ability to play with anyone in their respective country utilizing the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. It is the third Nintendo DS title to take advantage of this, following ''Mario Kart DS'' and ''Tony Hawk's American Sk8land''.

==Gameplay==
''Animal Crossing: Wild World'' features minimal plot, instead letting the player roam freely and play at their own discretion. Thus the game is non-linear and forces no set objectives upon the player. However, there are certain obvious goals that the player will be naturally drawn to, such as collecting all the fossils in the game, or paying off all their house debt. Wild World makes use of the Nintendo DS’ internal clock, meaning the game is played in real time, with the weather changing throughout the seasons and certain events happening at specific times of the year, such as the Flower Festival in Spring or the fireworks festival in Summer.

===New elements===
Although ''Animal Crossing: Wild World'' is a follow up to 2002's ''[[Animal Crossing Gamecube|Animal Crossing]]'' for Nintendo GameCube, it is not a sequel in the strictest sense. ''Wild World'' is very reminiscent of the original and contains the same basic premise and shops with some changes, such as an expanded museum that now contains an observatory and a café and the expanded Able Sisters' tailor shop that now sells hats and other accessories. Flowers can now dry up and require watering whenever they turn brown, via a watering can, or automatically when it rains. The angle at which players view the town has also changed, as well as the removal of "acres", removing transitions between areas, and the towns are smaller in a sense. As a result, the world now moves in three-dimensional space.
The script in 'Wild World' is also much bigger than the original's script. As a result there is less repeated dialogue from villagers, giving the game a more organic feel, also note that each villager has his or her own theme, and enjoys certain types of furniture, also note that the ToysRus monkeys, see below, seem to copy the personalities of other villagers.
The most notable addition to ''Wild World'' is the ability for players to visit other players' towns by exchanging "friend codes" and connecting with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
Play control for the game has also been modified from the GameCube version to take advantage of the Nintendo DS' touch screen. Changes range from easier menu navigation and text entry to the ability to "wave" or "bow" at on screen characters simply by tapping them. Also, the only real world holidays in Wild World are New Years Eve and New Years Day, the rest are holidays made up by the creators of the game.

==Main Objectives==

There are several objectives in the game that the player can choose whether or not to complete. Below are the most common goals.

===House improvements===
A main goal in ''Wild World'' is to get bells, and decorating the player’s house and expanding its size by paying off each mortgage to Tom Nook (Tanuki in Japan), the local shopkeeper. Since, unlike in the original, all players share a single house, each player can pay off the mortgage. After the initial mortgage for the house is paid off, the player can choose to increase the size of the main room and add a second floor and three extra rooms on the main floor. In addition to expanding house size, a player may be motivated to decorate their home in a preferable manner to obtain a high "Happy Room Academy" (or HRA) rating. The HRA gives players a numerical rating based on their interior decorating skills. The rating is based on numerous factors; adding points for complete furniture themes and sets, and detracting points for furniture in unreachable locations and lack of neatness.

Items to decorate the house with can be obtained in several ways. Tom Nook sells items at his store, changing his stock daily, and other businesspeople who visit the player's village will also sell their wares, such as Saharah – a carpet and wallpaper saleswoman - and Redd – a specialist in black marketing rare furniture and paintings, genuine and fake. Items can be obtained for free at the lost and found, overseen by Booker, and at the recycling bin at the Town Hall. Shaking trees also sometimes results in furniture and money falling out (Or if you're not so lucky, a bees' nest will fall!) and balloons carrying items can be shot down with a slingshot and hit Pete out of the sky or anything. Finally, running errands for the townsfolk, correctly guessing the answers to their quizzes, sending them things in exchange for others or sometimes just simply talking to them can result in them giving the player an item as a reward. These rewards can include; furniture of low or medium quality, Bells (The currency of the game) or wallpaper or carpet.

===Fossils, fish and bugs===
Another goal that the player can choose to pursue is that of collecting the fossils, fish and bugs in the game. One of each species of bug and fish can be displayed at the museum, run by the curator Blathers (who, quite oddly, is deathly afraid of insects). Fossils will also be exhibited here, but must be identified first by Blathers. Fossils are found by digging where cracks appear in the ground with a shovel. Fish are caught with the use of a fishing rod, pulling the rod up when the fish takes the bait, while bugs are caught with a net. The availability of most specimens of fish and bug depends on the time of year, but can also depend on the time of day or night and the weather conditions.You can get sharks in the summer,bugs are more common in summer too.In winter you can get a dung beetle rolling snow.

===Catalogue===
Completing the catalogue is a smaller goal in the game, though possibly one of the hardest. There are several categories in the catalogue, including fossils, stationery and furniture. In total there are over 2000 items to collect, which is far more than in Animal Crossing for the Gamecube. Another thing that makes it harder to get furniture is the fact that there are no passwords to give to Tom Nook. Also animals cannot be asked for errands, rather, they will ask for an item to be delivered to another animal, or issue a challenge to catch a certain bug or fish.

== Other features ==

===Special items===
Some items are only obtainable by special means, such as getting a specific number of Happy Room Academy points or trading items with characters. These include models of the player's house and Tom Nook's various stores, "Mario, Zelda, and Starfox Items", such as a coin, the Triforce, and an Arwing, were released over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and at Toys 'R Us, and the set of golden tools.

===Pictures and Paintings===

Every villager has a small, framed picture of themself that players can obtain as a gift from the villager after attaining a specific level of friendship with him or her. They are furniture items, therefore the player can use them to decorate their house. Each picture has a caption in the form of a quote from the villager,depending on their species, personality and, sometimes, their color. They also add a healthy bonus to your HRA score. They help you remember people that moved.

Crazy Redd sometimes sells paintings when he visits your town. These paintings are similar to the villager's pictures, but depict famous artworks (though they are only referred to by simple names, not their actual titles). These paintings are sometimes counterfeit. If the player has insurance from Lyle, he or she will be partially compensated if a fake picture is bought. If your picture is a fake, Blathers will refuse to accept it into the Museum's collections. Tom Nook can also identify whether your picture is a fake.

===Boondox===

Boondox is a town nearby the player's town (however it cannot be visited) which is a poor town that you can donate to. It is said to be so poor that the residents are forced to eat grilled dirt (scrambled dirt, if they're lucky) without ketchup for every meal. Players can obtain different colored feathers by donating certain amounts of bells to the Boondox Flavor Fund. The feathers will be sent to the player's mailbox after they have donated enough. Boondox is also mentioned by surly residents of any town. There is some controversy over whether Boondox truly exists, as described by many of the villagers. There is a commonly recognized suspicion that it is something of Tortimer's creation, and that the money donated is actually kept by Tortimer and never used for any cause besides his buying himself expensive items.

===Music===
Music plays a part in the game, because K.K. Slider comes to The Roost every Saturday night to play a song. The player can request a song, but many songs are played randomly by K.K. Slider. K.K. can play many styles of music, ranging from country, to rock. Some of his songs have been heard in other games, including Forest Life, which is a remix of the full theme from [[Animal Crossing Gamecube|Animal Crossing]] and K.K. Song (also known as Totaka's Song), a secret song that appears in many games the game's composer Kazumi Totaka has worked on, first appearing in X. It should be noted that unlike the original ''Animal Crossing'', the player does not need to request the song. The music when the player is "outdoors", are really remixes of the title screen theme, just like the original ''Animal Crossing''.

==Characters==
Aside from new characters like Brewster, Pascal and Lyle, most of the original Animal Crossing cast members return to the Nintendo DS version including Tom Nook, K.K. Slider, Blathers, Kapp'n, Pelly, Phyllis, Mr. Resetti, Saharah, Sable, Mabel, Wendell, Tortimer, and Rover, but some have different roles. Other characters such as Porter and Wisp do not make an appearance in the game. Along with Jack, many other holiday characters from the first game do not return. In fact, there are none of the same holidays except for New Year's, although there are some new ones. Strangely, there is no significant mentioning of Christmas, Halloween and other holidays, possibly because of religious references.

Most of the villagers from the original return as well, and some new ones have been added, bringing the number of villagers to 250+. Up to eight animals can live in ones town at any time, not including the shop owners & special visitors (this is a reduction from the capacity of 15 in the original Animal Crossing). Unlike the original, villagers never sleep in front of their houses. Certain villagers have been renamed, such as Bliss and Hazel (both squirrels), who were renamed Caroline and Sally, respectively.

===Villager personalities===
Although each villager has his or her own distinct personalities, they all belong in one of six different personalities.

====Male====
* Lazy: These are villagers that like to sleep all the time, as well as having a big appetite, and often having a sweet tooth. They are one of the nicer male villagers. Lazy villagers have two favorite magazines, ''Chillin'', and ''Fashion Lad''. They sometimes get sad when the player doesn't want to have a bug/fish-catching competition with them. When whacked with a bug net or pushed for a long time, they become sad, saying that "it's a rotten way to be!" while crying a short period of time.

* Jock: These are rather active villagers who are talking about lifting weights or how huge and burly they are. When whacked with a bug net or pushed for a long time, they get mad at the player a short period of time.

* Cranky: These villagers are always cranky, complaining about many things. When whacked with a bug net or pushed for a long time, they get mad at the player a short period of time.

====Female====
* Normal: They have a rather normal (if not sweet) personality. These villagers often mention about their best friend being "Moppina", who never actually appears in-game. Sometimes when a normal villager talks to another normal villager about what's making her sad and that she likes to talk to Moppina about it, the other normal villager will say "What? You talk to your mop?", possibly because Moppina may just be a mop. When whacked with a bug net or pushed for a long time, they become sad for a short period of time.

* Snooty: These villagers like talking about boyfriends and love and are always talking about their past. When whacked with a bug net or pushed for a long time, they get mad at the player a short period of time.

* Peppy: These villagers are always full of energy and mention about having their own fan club. They often act like cheerleaders. When whacked with a bug net or pushed for a long time, they get mad at the player a short period of time.

All female villagers read a magazine known as ''Ms. Nintendique''.

Sometimes villagers move out of the player's town. The player can enter their homes while they are packing up. If the player wants the moving villager to stay, he or she can convince the villager to stay a few times (more times if there are less boxes in the villager's house).If you send that specific villager a letter and maybe a gift, they might just stay. However, if the villager is not convinced, or if the player never convinced the villager to stay, they will move. Shortly after, you will get a letter saying "I moved out," etc. Often times a new villager of the same kind of personality may move into the players town, although it is occasionally a different personality or even a villager of the opposite sex.

Sometimes villagers also get sick. They walk around in their houses with purple swirls around their head, in a similar way to when they are sad. They can remain sick for up to one week, after which they feel better. The player can buy the villager some medicine, and is awarded a gift from the villager after he or she is better (it takes about 3 days, more if the player forgets to give the villager some medicine). The villager may not reward
the player a gift and go out to buy medicine for him/herself.

==The Roost==
The Roost is a café where you can spend 200 bells for a cup of coffee or listen to K.K. Slider (Totakeke) on Saturday nights after 8:00 PM. Brewster is the pigeon that owns the roost. He is vehemently against letting your coffee cool before you drink it, and he will not let you leave without drinking it hot. Many characters also make cameos at the cafe depending on the time of day.

==Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection==
''Animal Crossing: Wild World''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Wi-Fi capabilities will allow players to visit other players' villages no matter where they are in the world, assuming that access to a compatible wireless access point is available and that they are using a version of the game with a compatible language. For example, the Oceania and North America versions can connect locally and via Wi-Fi, but they cannot connect to a version from Japan. Most Netgear routers cannot connect to Nintendo Wi-Fi. Up to four players can be in an Animal Crossing: Wild World town both via local wireless or through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Connection to random players is not possible, as connection is made by the mutual entry of "friend codes." Animal Crossing is the most popular Nintendo DS Wi-Fi game (based on usage numbers).

==Problems==
On January 26, 2006, an accident occurred relating to the Wi-Fi features. A few weeks prior, Nintendo sent out a free Mario Coin item from Satoru Iwata (the president of Nintendo) to all who connected to Wi-Fi while it was available. On the same day, a failed attempt to send a second exclusive item sent a blank letter to all who connected to Nintendo Wi-Fi before 5:00 PM. This letter contained the "glitched red tulip" item. This item could be planted in cement as a tree or, if put into the player's house, would create an invisible, irremovable wall. The item could be disposed of by planting it in the ground or selling it. On February 13, 2006, Nintendo sent out a letter containing 1,000 bells and a humorous town bulletin board notice to apologize for the mistake.

Animal Crossing Gamecube

Admin — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 17:28:52 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Gaming]]
[[image:Acbox.jpg|thumb|right|The AC box art.]]
'''''Animal Crossing''''', known as '''''Dōbutsu no Mori''''' or '''''Forest of Animals''''' in Japan, is a life simulation video game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube and it was a Nintendo GameCube Players' Choice Game. It was released in Japan on December 14, 2001; North America on September 15, 2002; Australia on October 17, 2003; and Europe on September 24, 2004. The Japanese version lacks e-Reader support, a feature found in the North American and Australian versions. A version of ''Animal Crossing'' was released in Japan with e-Reader support on June 27, 2003.

''Animal Crossing'' is an enhanced remake of ''Animal Forest'' for the Nintendo 64, released a year before only in Japan. ''Animal Crossing'' was released in the United States on September 15 2002, where it was a critical and popular success.

A Nintendo DS sequel, ''[[Animal Crossing Wild World]]'' was released in December 2005. 
Another Sequel for the Wii has been annouced and is due out Christmas 2007. (See: [[Animal Crossing: Wii]]

==Gameplay==
''Animal Crossing'' has been dubbed a "communication game" by [[Nintendo]], but has been rated as an Action game. It is an open-ended game, where a player can live a separate life with no preset plot or mandatory tasks. There are, however, certain tasks which players can choose to complete, and goals they can choose to achieve. The game is played out in real-time - observing days, weeks, months, and even years - 30, according to Nintendo- using the GameCube's internal clock. There are many actual events and holidays spanning the year, including Independence Day, Christmas, Halloween, and Thanksgiving, among others. Other regular activities such as early morning fitness classes and fishing tournaments are included in the game as well. Some players purposely adjust the clock to skip forward or backward in time, a practice known as "time traveling." Other players use cheat codes.

===House Improvements===
The main and most obvious goal of the game is to increase the size of the player's house. This house serves as the repository for furniture and other items bought or acquired during the course of the game. It can be customized in a number of ways, including roof color, furniture, what music (if any) plays when a player enters the house, wallpaper and flooring. House expansions grant the player a larger house, and thus more space to store items or more decorative flexibility.

Tom Nook, a tanuki in the Japanese version and a raccoon in the American and European version, runs the local store. At the beginning of the game, he gives the player their first house with a mortgage of about 19,800 Bells (the currency used in the game). The house is comically small, furnished only with wallpaper, flooring, a box, a journal, and a radio. Upon paying off the entire debt, part of which is done through a part-time job to Tom Nook, the player is 'offered' to expand the house. In actuality, the house is upgraded even if you say no. This cycle repeats itself 4 times with the mortgage significantly increasing each time.

Though Tom Nook is more than willing to sell furniture and other items to fill a house, there are many other ways to acquire furnishings. A trip to the town dump may yield items that were unwanted by someone else and are thus free. The police station has a lost and found department run by Officer Booker, who will allow anyone to claim any item that has ended up there. Other villagers that live nearby may need favors and will reward the player for their help. Players can even obtain new furniture items by shaking trees until a piece of furniture falls from one. The downside to tree shaking, however, is that bees may come out instead. If this happens, a player must run into the nearest house or building, or else they will be stung. However, there is an upside; if the player has a net, they can catch the bees and sell them to Nook or donate them to the museum.

===Villagers===
The ''Animal Crossing'' village initially contains a handful of villagers, and others will move in or out depending on the player's actions. All of the villagers are animals, hence the game's name, and each has their own small home that the player can visit. There are many possible interactions between the player and the villagers. These include talking, trading furniture and other objects, completing tasks for rewards, and writing letters. Villagers will also interact with each other. There are roughly 200 villagers, but no more than fifteen can ever live in a town at once. Each villager also has a catch phrase that they use regularly, often relating to the type of animal they are. For example, a cow might say, "moo-la-la" or "how now". These phrases can be changed at times if the villager asks the player to do so. Villagers can also often pick up their neighbors' catch phrase. When characters go in their house and go to sleep, players can't visit the villagers or go in their houses. Some villagers sleep early and wake early, and some villagers go to bed just as the sun is coming up. There are six personality types in the game: three male (grump, doofus, athlete) and three female (snob, valley girl, sweetie). A villager's personality not only determines when they sleep, but it also determines most of their behavior, especially their interactive behavior with the user-created characters.

If the player doesn't interact with individual villagers on a regular basis, they are likely to leave the village. The village also has a level of attractiveness that depends on certain parameters that are never explicitly described to the player, but hints are given to the player by a spirit living in the village fountain. A high level of attractiveness will draw new animals to live in the village.

===Nintendo Entertainment System games===
Nearly two dozen NES games are available to collect in ''Animal Crossing''. ''Animal Crossing'' is packaged with a memory card that gives the player two games. Others are acquired in various ways. The games available are:

*''Balloon Fight''
*''Baseball''
*''Clu Clu Land''
*''Clu Clu Land D''
*''Donkey Kong''
*''Donkey Kong Jr.''
*''Donkey Kong Jr. Math'' (shortened to DK Jr. MATH in the menu)
*''Donkey Kong 3''
*''Excitebike''
*''Golf''
*''Ice Climber''
*''The Legend of Zelda'' (available with Action Replay and Power Link Disc)
*''Mario Bros.''
*''Pinball''
*''Punch-Out!!''
*''Soccer''
*''Super Mario Bros.'' (Available with Action Replay and Power Link Disc)
*''Tennis''
*''Wario's Woods''

Japanese Exclusives:
*''Gomoku Narabe''
*''Mahjong''

The other games in the differing versions are exactly the same, totalling exactly 19 games in all GCN versions.

There are four NES games often referred to as the "Forbidden Four" that can only be obtained by using an Action Replay cheat device or an e-Reader. ''Ice Climber'' and ''Mario Bros.'' are available through both hardware devices, while ''Super Mario Bros.'' and '' The Legend of Zelda'' are only available by using an Action Replay and Power Link. Previously, this was referred to as the "Forbidden Five", as ''Punch-Out!!'' was only available by means of Action Replay until the European release, when the Nintendo of Europe website for ''Animal Crossing'' offered a code similar to the ones needed for ''Clu Clu Land D'', ''Donkey Kong Jr.'', ''Donkey Kong 3'', and ''Soccer'' on the American website for ''Animal Crossing''. The code worked for U.S. copies as well. These codes were the only way of obtaining the five games.

Advance Play is when the player links his or her Game Boy Advance to his or her GameCube to download the NES game to the handheld temporarily.
This is not available for games that were originally produced for the Famicom Disk System, such as ''Clu Clu Land D'' and ''The Legend of Zelda''.
It is also not available for especially large games such as ''Punch-Out!!'' and ''Wario's Woods'' that would not fit into the GBA's RAM.
All other games can be played on Advance Play, but they are slightly stretched on the Game Boy's display (as in PocketNES) and are limited to one player.

Extra NES Games (decoration only):

*Super Tortimer
*NES Console

===Common Bugs===
====DUMMY====
Around Winter, villagers will start to make igloos around town. Sometimes villagers will make bets with the player. If a villager asks the player to pick a bag and they are able to buy the item inside, the villager may give an item to the player titled "DUMMY". It is a white triangle that has the word "dummy" written on it in katakana. It can only be obtained in this manner and it counts as furniture. The "DUMMY" is worth no HRA points. If the item is dropped on the ground, the player can only pick it back up with a shovel. Players will know this has happened if the item resembles a fishing lure. This item is generally acquired through the Igloo event in winter.

====Missing Face====
A person's character has one of eight pairs of eyes selected when a player starts the game based on the answers they give Rover to certain questions. However, if people leave their village, save their game to a second memory card, and start the first game again, without the second memory card, their character will have no eyes nor mouth textures. This is because their character's eye and mouth texture data has been stored on the second card, so the game, located on the first memory card, does not know what the textures are, resulting in the "missing face." This does not affect game play, however, as people can play normally with no face texture. It has been theorized to remind the players to save with the Gyroid and remember their memory cards. This can also occur if the player resets the console without saving in another person's town. Players will also lose all of the items in their inventory and their money if this happens. However, if the game is fast-forwarded to the next day, the player's original facial textures will become intact once more.

It should also be noted that in the game, the villager Coco, a rabbit, bears a face resembling the "missing face". There's no doubt that this character is an in-joke provided by the developers, especially after the release of the Nintendo DS version of the game which contains the same character. In the new version, characters give players their pictures. Coco's picture is inscribed "I'm feeling kind of blank today.", jokingly implying that she is, in fact, missing her face.

====Grab Bag====
If the player uses the memory card that comes with the game there will be a letter from Nintendo and a present. The present will be a Grab bag that has Japanese letters on it like DUMMY. Open it to get a background music and two NES games.

===Multiplayer===
There are several types of multiplayer game play in ''Animal Crossing''.

In the first, up to four players can create their own houses in a single village. No two players can play at the same time, but by taking turns they can each affect the village in their own ways, communicate with each other via the town board and mail, and share in the experiences of the village.

In the second, two players can play NES games together. All that this requires is two controllers and a compatible NES game (keep in mind that not all of the NES games have the two-player option). Once the controllers are in the players are able to select the NES game they want to play. Once the game is started, players can select the two-player option and start playing multiplayer.

A third type of multiplayer play consists of trading items with another player using a system of codes. By specifying the name of another player and the name of their village, a player can "trade" an item, generating a code which the other player can input to retrieve the item. Also, a well known easier way to trade items is to simply travel to a friend's town and drop the item the player wants to give them. This prevents the loss of the item code which must be memorized or written down.

==Traveling==
''Animal Crossing'' has a traveling system that allows one character to visit a friend's village. This system is quite simple, but does require an additional memory card with ''Animal Crossing'' game data, and at least 3 blocks of memory open in order to save "travel data".

Players go to the train station and tell the porter that they'd like to take a trip. The train will arrive and they climb aboard. This saves "travel data" on the other memory card. Players then arrive at the other town.

No two towns are alike, so players will probably want to stop by the Police Station to get a map of the town they are visiting. Players can meet new villagers, shop at Nook's (which will have different stock), shop at the Able Sisters (which may have different patterns) and do almost anything else that they can do in their own town. There are only a few things visitors can't do, and they all center around the idea that the character is visiting another town, which means that the character doesn't have the same privileges and doesn't receive the same services that they would in their own town. For example, another town's Nook won't travel to paint a roof, and so players can't buy paint in another town.

There are many advantages to visiting another town and having players visit yours. A different town may have different fruit (each town has a "native fruit") and players can pick fruit and plant fruit trees in their town. Players may also be able to find items that are rare in their town very easily in another town. Also, having a visitor buy something at Nook's shop is the only way to get Tom Nook's final expansion, Nookingtons.

====Moving Residents====
After visiting another town, villagers may move to the visited town. If the visited town has a full fifteen villagers, this will prompt someone from the visited town to move away.

Villagers do move even if none of the user-created characters travel to another town. If a memory card for another town is in the second slot in the Game Cube, when a villager leaves, they may move to the other town instead of just moving out.

====Item Trading====
To trade items with a friend, it is simplest to just drop the item outdoors in one's friend's town. For items that can't be dropped, it is possible to put them in the gyroid and offer them for sale. When visitors come to town, they can stop by the gyroid and buy fish, bugs, balloons or other items that can't be dropped outdoors.

''Animal Crossing'' also has a popular Offline Item Send & Receive feature. Through the use of codes customized by Player and Town name, players can transfer certain items to each other.

====Tropical Island====
In ''Animal Crossing'', each town has its own tropical island. It can be accessed by plugging in a Game Boy Advance with a GameCube Link Cable and going to the southeastern part of town where the dock is. Players will meet a friendly old Sea Turtle named Kapp'n (a pun on 'kappa', a turtle-shaped imp from Japanese mythology) there, waiting inside a tiny little row boat. Kapp'n is as generous as the other residents of the town, and will ferry players across to the island for free, while singing bizarre sea-shanties and making his trademark ribald, inappropriate remarks. Arriving at the island one will see a new animal roaming the tiny island and can become friends with him/her. The island has a new type of fruit, coconuts, that can be knocked down and taken back to town to be planted there. Players can also decorate a small communal beach house and fish at the shores. By staying there for a long period of time, (only when it's sunny, not raining.) players will get a tan.

==Characters==
*'''Blathers''': Blathers is the curator of the local museum. He is quite ashamed that his museum has no exhibits, so Blathers trusts the player to donate fish, bugs, fossils and paintings to the museum. He has an awful habit of talking too much, hence his name. Insects (especially cockroaches) creep him out, oddly enough, and he loves goldfish.
*'''Copper''': Officer Copper is in charge of monitoring who comes to town, and notifies players of special events in town and their location. Officer Copper will also let players know exactly how many things are in the police station. He is also a member of B.I.P., which stands for "Busting Illegal Parkers", which explains his grudge against Gracie. He also suspects Katrina of being an alias, and perhaps suspects her fortune-telling occupation of being a front. He seems to be the more active of the two, seeing that he wakes up at 7:00am after July 25 to host the village in aerobics.
*'''Gracie''': Gracie is a snobby giraffe who comes to the town in a showy convertible, presumably to sell her designer clothes. However, her car is filthy from driving to the town, and in order for the player to obtain a piece of her exclusive clothing, he/she must clean the car as fast as they can. After the cleaning, Gracie will do one of three things: give the player an exclusive piece for cleaning it in a timely manner, give him or her a normal piece of clothing if he or she did an average job, or not give anything at all if th player didn't clean her car that well.
*'''Gulliver''': A sailor who washes up on the shore of the town from time to time. If the player finds him unconscious on the shore, he/she must wake him up. Once doing so, the seagull will give you a rare piece of furniture.
*'''Kapp'n''': Kapp'n is a kappa that appears when the player connects their Game Boy Advance to their GameCube. Once the systems are connected, Kapp'n will appear at the docks and offer to take the player to an island. If he or she says yes, he or she will get in his boat and will soon arrive at an island.
*'''Porter''': The (seemingly) unnamed monkey who works at the train station. When players talk to the porter, he will make sure that they get on board the train safely and will wait for them at the station in the village they are visiting. He was a half-cameo appearance in Yusef Hamed's "K.K. Story" song.
*'''Redd''': Redd is the owner of a black market called "Crazy Redd's Furniture Emporium". Although Redd sells rare items like paintings, he sells fairly common items at sky-high prices, which explains his title of "Crazy" Redd as a reference to stereotyped "crazy" used-car dealers who sell sub-par vehicles for high prices.
*'''Rover''': Rover is a cat who will sit next to players on the train. When they move in to their new town, he will ask odd questions which will determine their gender, clothes and appearance.
*'''Saharah''': A camel who is famous for her excellent carpet designs. Comes to town seeking to trade her carpets for average carpets and a payment of 3,000 bells. The carpet designs are used in coordination with Wendell's wallpaper designs.
*'''Tom Nook''' (たぬきち): A raccoon (or tanuki in the Japanese version) who is the local shopkeeper. Once players pay off their mortgage, he will rebuild the players' house, build a basement, and, if the players have the biggest house in the game, he will build a statue of the player in front of the train station. If players spend a certain amount of bells at Nook's Cranny, Tom Nook will expand his store, giving him more space for more items. He was a half-cameo appearance was in "K.K. Story" song by Yusef Hamed.
*'''Tortimer''': Mayor Tortimer is a tortoise who hosts many events and holidays at the wishing well. Talking to the mayor allows the player to have a long conversation, but he will give away rare models.
*'''Totakeke''': Totakeke is a musician who plays music in front of the train station every Saturday night, from 8:00 to midnight. After players listen to Totakeke's music, he hands out a tape recording which they can play on a radio back at their house. On stage, Totakeke is known as "K.K. Slider". His cameo appearance was in Yusef Hamed's song "K.K. Story".
*'''Wisp''': A timid ghost who comes out to town at night between midnight and four in the morning on some days. He is always in town on Halloween. If players encounter him, he will ask if they can help him find the five parts of a ghost he lost. If the player is successful, he will offer to give him or her money or a rare item, or will eliminate all present weeds from the town.
*'''Wendell''': A large traveling walrus who comes to town seeking fish to eat. If the player gives him a fish, he will give him or her a rare wallpaper design. The wallpaper designs are used in coordination with Saharah's carpet designs.
*'''The villagers''': ranging from a wide variety of animal species and personality types. For male animals, there are three, generally described as "Athletic," "Moody," and "Forgetful", and for female animals, there are also three, generally described as "Sweet," "Peppy," and "Snobby." The "Athletes" usually talk about working out. "Moody" guys and "Snobs" usually insult players. The "Forgetful" ones can be described as sleepy and hungry. "Peppy" animals like gambling games and are usually friendly. And the "Sweet" animals usually compliment players and trade things.

==Using the Game Boy Advance==
Game Boy Advance connectivity can play a role in ''Animal Crossing'' for those who own one. To link the two, one needs a Game Boy Advance-GameCube cable.

===The island===
When the two systems are linked, Kapp'n can be found at the dock and will row the player to the island, where a villager has taken up residence. The player can give the villager items in return for money and other commodities. Also on the island are coconut trees, and this is the only place they can be found. It is always summer on the island, and only summer fish and insects can be caught there. When the player leaves the island, he or she can choose the option of transferring the island to his or her Game Boy Advance and interact with the islander as a minigame for in-game rewards.

==Trivia==
*Seeing as the Australian version of ''Animal Crossing'' is a direct port of the American NTSC ''Animal Crossing'', it is impossible to get ''Super Mario Bros.'' or ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' via Action Replay, due to region-coding.
*Since the game is smaller than the GameCube's 40 MB RAM, the disc can be removed while being played and still be fully functional because the game is completely loaded into the RAM.
*In the game ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', various trophies in the game have ''Animal Crossing'' characters. However, ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' was released in 2001, while ''Animal Crossing'' was released the following year in 2002. Instead of the month/year template, those certain trophies are marked "Future Release". These trophies include Tom Nook, Mr. Resetti, and Totakeke.
*Animal Crossing was named the #7 best game of all time on the Gamecube by X-Play on G4TV.
*The song "K.K. Blues" sounds a lot like the lose music in Mario Kart:Double Dash.
*The infamous ''Totaka's Song'' can be found in this game. To hear the song enter the request "K.K. Song" from K.K. Slider between 8pm and midnight on Saturday nights. You will also receive an aircheck to listen to in your house.

Animal Crossing

Admin — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 17:16:31 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Gaming]]
'''Animal Crossing''' may refer to:
*[[Animal Crossing Gamecube|Animal Crossing]] (the Gamecube game)
*[[Animal Crossing Wild World]] (the DS game)
*[[Animal Crossing Wii]] (the working title for a Wii game)

{{disambig}}

Line Rider

Admin — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 13:13:01 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Gaming]]
[[Image:Linerider character.gif|thumb|right|The ''Line Rider'' character.]]
'''Line Rider''' is a Flash game originally created in September, 2006 by Boštjan Čadež (also known as fšk), a Slovenian university student. Originally appearing on deviantART on September 23 2006, Line Rider quickly became an Internet phenomenon. In the week ending on 16 October 2006, it was the seventh-quickest gaining keyword in Google.

The basic concept is to draw one or more lines with the mouse on which a small man on a sled can ride after the player presses the "Play" button. The game includes simulated physics, which means the track must be sufficiently smooth to prevent the character from falling off the sled. The author has said that he prefers the description "toy" to "game", as there is no goal to accomplish. In spite of its simplicity, many complicated tracks have been created, which include loops and other stunts. Some tracks are even set to music and include hand-drawn scenery such as mountain slopes and trees. Tracks are typically shared among users by uploading a video to web sites, such as YouTube or Google Video.

''Line Rider'' has been featured by several websites, such as Yahoo! and Time Magazine's website. ''Line Rider'' was also selected by staff and voted by users as the Best Webtoy of 2006 in the ''Jay is Games'' polls.

On December 20 2006, it was announced that InXile Entertainment gained console rights for the game, legally restricting copies and imitations of the game. On the official site it is stated that there will be [[Nintendo#Nintendo_DS_.282004_.E2.80.93_Present.29|Nintendo DS]] and [[Nintendo#Wii_.282006_.E2.80.93_Present.29|Wii]] versions in Spring 2007 which will have new features.

== Line Rider Beta ==
The original version of Line Rider was released on September 1, 2006. Line Rider beta uses a very limited tool set. A pencil tool is used to draw lines, a left to right stroke forms floor lines, while a right to left stroke forms ceilings. It also includes a trash can icon to erase your current track. The beta includes the ability to save tracks and reload them later.

== Line Rider Beta 2 ==
InXile released a new version of Line Rider on December 19, 2006 and then a couple more bug fixes and the target were added on December 24, 2006.

===Features===
====Pencils====
*Regular Pencil: Used to draw lines as one would draw with a pencil. Lines drawn with this tool appear blue.
*Acceleration Pencil: Similar to the regular pencil but while the rider is on these segments he gains speed. Lines drawn with this tool appear black with red fin-shapes on the side opposite the one which Line Rider rides on. The red fins point in the direction in which the line accelerates, which can be changed by holding the Shift key while drawing them.
*Scenery Pencil: This tool is used like the regular and acceleration pencils, but the Line Rider character goes right through the lines created with the background pencil; not hitting them as he would with the other two pencils. Lines drawn with this tool appear green.

====Lines====

* Tools are provided to draw perfectly straight regular, acceleration and scenery lines.

====Miscellaneous====
*Lines can be erased by the eraser tool. If it is erasing lines drawn with a pencil it will delete sections at a time, but if used on only part of a line drawn with the straight line tools it will delete the entire line.
*Player can zoom in and out of their track with the magnifying glass.
*The tab button can be used to view the whole track all at once.
* Tracks can be be saved, loaded, or deleted.

====During simulation====

*Flag: Places a flag at the current point of simulation and will restart from that point the next time the Play button is pressed.
*Zoom In/Zoom Out: Press Z to zoom in the camera on the sledder and press X to zoom out.
*Slow Motion: Press M to put the sledder in slow-motion. Hit M again to get out of slow-motion mode.

Mac OS

Admin — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 12:48:36 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Computers]]
[[image:TigerDesk.png|frame|Mac OS X v10.4 "Tiger"'s desktop.]]
'''Mac OS X''' is a line of graphical operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by [[Apple Inc]]., the latest of which is pre-loaded on all currently shipping [[Mac]] computers. Mac OS X is the successor to the original Mac OS, which had been Apple's primary operating system since 1984. Unlike its predecessor, Mac OS X is a Unix-like operating system built on technology that had been developed at NeXT through the second half of the 1980s and up until Apple purchased the company in early 1997.

The operating system was first released in 1999 as Mac OS X Server 1.0, with a desktop-oriented version (Mac OS X v10.0) following in March 2001. Since then, four more distinct "end-user" and "server" editions of Mac OS X have been released, the most recent being Mac OS X v10.4, which was first made available in April 2005. Releases of Mac OS X are named after big cats; Mac OS X v10.4 is usually referred to by Apple and users as "Tiger".

The server edition, Mac OS X Server, is architecturally identical to its desktop counterpart but usually runs on Apple's line of Macintosh server hardware. Mac OS X Server includes workgroup management and administration software tools that provide simplified access to key network services, including a mail transfer agent, a Samba server, an LDAP server, a domain name server, and others.

==History==

Despite its branding as simply "version 10" of the Mac OS, Mac OS X has a history that is almost completely independent of the earlier Mac OS releases.

Mac OS X is based on the Mach kernel and is derived from the BSD implementation of Unix in NEXTSTEP. NEXTSTEP was the object-oriented operating system developed by Steve Jobs's NeXT company after he left Apple in 1985. Meanwhile, during the years without Jobs at the helm, Apple attempted to create a "next-generation" operating system of its own through the Taligent and Copland projects, with little success.

Eventually, NeXT's OS — called OPENSTEP at the time — was selected to form the basis for Apple's next OS, and Apple purchased NeXT outright. Steve Jobs came back to Apple as interim CEO with the purchase of NeXT by Apple, and later returned to the leadership of the company, shepherding the transformation of the programmer-friendly OPENSTEP into a system that would be welcomed by Apple's primary market of home users and creative professionals. The project was first known as Rhapsody, and was later renamed to Mac OS X.

With each new version, Mac OS X evolved away from a focus on backward compatibility with the earlier versions of Mac OS toward an emphasis on "digital lifestyle" applications such as the iLife suite, enhanced business applications (iWork), and integrated home entertainment (the Front Row media center). Each version also included modifications to the general interface, such as the brushed metal appearance that was added in version 10.2, the unified appearance in version 10.4, and the slight differences in the "streetlight" buttons between versions.

==Description==

Mac OS X was a radical departure from previous Macintosh operating systems; its underlying code base is completely different from previous versions. Its core, named Darwin, is an open source, Unix-like operating system built on top of the XNU kernel, with standard Unix facilities available from the command line interface. Apple layered over Darwin a number of proprietary components, including the Aqua interface and the Finder, to complete the GUI-based operating system which is Mac OS X.

Mac OS X included a number of features intended to make the operating system more stable and reliable than Apple's previous operating systems. Pre-emptive multitasking and memory protection, for example, improved the ability of the operating system to run multiple applications simultaneously without them interrupting or corrupting each other. Many aspects of Mac OS X's architecture are derived from OPENSTEP, which was designed with portability in mind, thus easing the transition from one platform to another. For example, NEXTSTEP was ported from the original 68k-based NeXT workstations to other architectures before NeXT was purchased by Apple, and OPENSTEP was subsequently ported to the PowerPC architecture as part of the Rhapsody project.

The most visible change was the Aqua theme. The use of soft edges, translucent colors, and pinstripes — similar to the hardware design of the first iMacs — brought more texture and color to the interface than OS 9's "Platinum" appearance had offered. Numerous users of the older versions of the operating system decried the new look as "cutesy" and lacking in professional polish. However, Aqua has been said to be a bold and innovative step forward in a time when user interfaces were seen as being "dull and boring". Despite the controversy, the look was instantly recognizable, and even before the first version of Mac OS X was released, third-party developers started producing skins for customizable applications which mimicked the Aqua appearance. To some extent, Apple has used the successful transition to this new design as leverage, at various times threatening legal action against people who make or distribute software with an interface the company claims is derived from its copyrighted design.

Mac OS X includes its own software development tools, most prominently an integrated development environment called Xcode. Xcode provides interfaces to compilers that support several programming languages including C, C++, Objective-C, and Java. For the Apple Intel Transition, it was modified so that developers could easily create a universal binary to remain compatible with both the Intel-based and PowerPC-based Macintosh.

==Compatibility==
===Software===
To permit a smooth transition from Mac OS 9 to Mac OS X, the Carbon Application Programming Interface (API) was created. Applications written with Carbon can run natively on both systems. On the other hand, as mentioned before, Mac OS X inherited from OPENSTEP's APIs, which are not backward compatible with earlier versions of Mac OS. These APIs are now referred by Apple as Cocoa. This heritage is highly visible for Cocoa developers, since most Cocoa class names begin with the "NS" prefix, for NEXTSTEP.

Mac OS X used to support the Java Platform as a "first class citizen" — in practice this means that applications written in Java fit as neatly into the operating system as possible while still being cross-platform, and that graphical user interfaces written in Swing look almost exactly like native Cocoa interfaces. Traditionally, Cocoa programs have been mostly written in Objective-C, with Java as an alternative. However, on July 11 2005, Apple announced that "features added to Cocoa in Mac OS X versions later than 10.4 will not be added to the Cocoa-Java programming interface."

Because Mac OS X is, unlike its predecessors, based on UNIX, most software packages written for BSD or Linux can be recompiled to run on it. Projects such as Fink, MacPorts and Pkgsrc offer a service similar to APT on Debian, providing precompiled or preformatted packages for many standard packages. Since version 10.3, Mac OS X has included X11.app, the company's version of the X Window System graphical interface for Unix applications, as an optional component during installation. Apple's implementation is based on the X11 Licensed XFree86 4.3 and X11R6.6, with a window manager which is similar to the Mac OS X look, has a fairly good integration with Mac OS X (see Criticisms section) and uses the native Quartz rendering system. Earlier versions of Mac OS X can also run X11 applications using XDarwin.

===Hardware===
For the early releases of Mac OS X, the standard hardware platform supported was the full line of Macintosh computers (laptop, desktop, or server) based on PowerPC G3, G4, and G5 processors. Later versions of Mac OS X discontinued support for some older hardware; for example, Panther does not support "beige" G3s, and Tiger does not support systems that pre-date Apple's introduction of FireWire ports. However, tools such as XPostFacto and patches applied to the installation disc have been developed by third parties to enable installation of newer versions of Mac OS X on systems not officially supported by Apple, including some pre-G3 systems. Except for features requiring specific hardware (e.g. graphics acceleration, DVD writing), the operating system offers the same functionality on all supported hardware.

PowerPC versions of Mac OS X retain compatibility with older Mac OS applications by providing an emulation environment called Classic, which allows users to run Mac OS 9 as a process within Mac OS X, so that most older applications run as they would under the older operating system. Classic is not supported on newer Intel-based Macs.

In April 2002, eWeek reported a rumor that Apple had a version of Mac OS X code-named Marklar which ran on Intel x86 processors. The idea behind Marklar was to keep Mac OS X running on an alternative platform should Apple become dissatisfied with the progress of the PowerPC platform. These rumors subsided until late in May 2005, when various media outlets, such as the Wall Street Journal and CNET reported that Apple would unveil Marklar in the coming months.

On June 6 2005, Steve Jobs confirmed these rumors when he announced in his keynote address at the annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference that Apple would be making the transition from PowerPC to Intel processors over the following two years, and that Mac OS X would support both platforms during the transition. The last time that Apple switched CPU families — from the Motorola 68K CPU to the IBM/Motorola PowerPC — Apple included a Motorola 68K emulator in the new OS that made almost all 68K software work automatically on the new hardware. Apple has supported the 68K emulator for 11 years; however, Apple will be dropping support for the 68K emulator during the transition to Intel CPUs. Included in the new OS for the Intel-based Macs is Rosetta, a binary translation layer which enables software compiled for PowerPC Mac OS X to run on Intel Mac OS X machines. However, Apple dropped support for Classic mode on the new Intel Macs. Third party emulation software such as Mini vMac, Basilisk II and SheepShaver provides support for some early versions of Mac OS. A new version of Xcode and the underlying command-line compilers support building universal binaries that will run on either architecture.

Currently, a lot of software is available only for PowerPC, and is supported with Rosetta. However, Apple encourages developers to produce universal binaries with support for both PowerPC and x86. Universal binary software should run faster on Intel-based Macs than PowerPC-only software running on Rosetta. Moreover, some PowerPC software, such as kernel extensions and System Preferences plugins, are not supported on Intel Macs. While Intel Macs will be able to run PowerPC, x86 and universal binaries, PowerPC Macs will only support universal and PowerPC builds.

Support for the PowerPC platform will remain in version 10.5. Jobs also confirmed rumors that Apple has had versions of Mac OS X running on Intel processors for most of its developmental life. Such cross-platform capability already existed in Mac OS X's lineage, as said earlier; OPENSTEP was ported to many architectures, including x86, and Darwin included support for both PowerPC and x86. Although Apple stated that Mac OS X would not run on Intel-based personal computers aside from its own, a hacked version of the OS compatible with conventional x86 hardware has been developed by the OSx86 community and is available illegally through file-sharing networks.

==Prominent features==
[[Image:Dashboardanim.gif|thumb|right|[[Dashboard (software)|Dashboard]] allows for miniature programs called "Widgets" to be superimposed over the desktop. When activated, the Dashboard "flies" onscreen as shown above.]]
* Quartz's internal imaging model correlates well with the Portable Document Format (PDF) imaging model, making it easy to output PDF to multiple devices.
* Full-color, continuously scalable icons.
* Drop shadows around window and isolated text elements to provide a sense of depth.
* Global application Services menu - spell checker, special characters palette, color picker, font chooser and dictionary.
* Anti-aliasing of widgets, text, graphics and window elements.
* New interface elements including sheets (document modal dialog boxes attached to specific windows) and drawers.
* Interweaving windows of different applications (not necessarily adjacent in the visible stacking order).
* ColorSync color matching built into the core drawing engine, for print and multimedia professionals.
* OpenGL composites windows onto the screen to allow hardware accelerated drawing. This technology (introduced in version 10.2) is called Quartz Extreme.
* Dashboard (introduced in version 10.4) supports small applications called desktop widgets that can be called up and dismissed in one keystroke.
* Exposé (introduced in version 10.3) — instantly display all open windows as thumbnails for easy navigation to different tasks, display all open windows as thumbnails from the current application, and hide all windows to access the desktop.
* Pervasive use of Unicode throughout the operating system.
* Straightforward architecture for localization of applications and other code, fully separating language dependencies from the core code of a program.
* FileVault (introduced in version 10.3) encrypts the user's Home folder with [[Advanced Encryption Standard]] (AES) 128-bit keys.
* Spotlight search technology (introduced in version 10.4) allows rapid real-time searches of data files, mail messages, photos, and other information, based on item properties (meta data) and/or content.
* Automator (introduced in version 10.4) — an application designed to create an automatic work-flow for different tasks.
* Smart Folders (introduced in version 10.4) allow for dynamically updated folders depending on a set criteria.
* A well defined set of Human Interface Guidelines followed by almost all applications giving them intuitive, consistent user interface and keyboard shortcuts.
* Xgrid allows networked Macs to form a distributed computing system.
* Built in virtual file system images .dmg supporting encryption and compression, and optionally read/write capability.
* Integrated Sync Services (introduced in version 10.4) allows applications to access a centralized extensible database for various elements of user data, including calendar and contact items. The operating system manages conflicting edits and data consistency.

==Pricing==
Mac OS X comes included in the price for new Macs. Minor upgrades are free and can be downloaded using Software Update. Major upgrades cost US$129 (CAD$149, UK £89) from Apple. There is also a US$199 (CAD$249, UK £139) "Family Pack" version of Mac OS X that comes with 5 licenses for home users who have more than one Mac at home. Developers can register for free with the Apple Developer Connection (ADC) to download developer tools such as Xcode and documentation. ADC also offers several for-pay plans which include "testing and development only" licenses for both shipping and pre-release versions of Mac OS X. Student and educator pricing on Mac OS X software is roughly 10% to 50% lower than standard retail pricing. The Mac OS X Server 10-client license costs US$499 (UK £349) and an unlimited client license is US$999 (UK £699) as of January 7, 2007.

==Versions==
[[Image:All_boxes_of_apple_os_x_releases.jpg|thumbnail|right|400px|Box artwork for Mac OS X versions Cheetah/Puma, Jaguar, Panther, and Tiger.]]
The character ''X'' is a Roman numeral and is officially pronounced "ten". It is the next logical release following the numbering of previous Macintosh operating systems such as Mac OS 8 and Mac OS 9. However, it is common to hear it pronounced as the letter "X".

Mac OS X versions are named after big cats. Prior to its release, version 10.0 was code named "Cheetah" internally at Apple, and version 10.1 was code named internally as "Puma". After the immense buzz surrounding version 10.2, codenamed "Jaguar", Apple's product marketing began openly using the code name to promote the operating system. 10.3 was similarly marketed as "Panther". Version 10.4 is marketed as "Tiger". "Leopard" has been announced as the name for the next release of the operating system, version 10.5. It could be noted that while "Panther", "Tiger" and "Leopard" are registered as trademarks of Apple, "Cheetah", "Puma" and "Jaguar" have never been registered. Apple has also registered "Lynx" and "Cougar" as trademarks.

Apple faced a lawsuit from a computer retailer named Tiger Direct regarding its use of the name "Tiger". However, on May 16, 2005 the Florida Federal Court ruled that Apple's use of the name "Tiger" does not infringe upon Tiger Direct's trademark.

===Mac OS X 10.0 (Cheetah)===

On March 24 2001, Apple released Mac OS X v10.0 (internally codenamed Cheetah). The initial version was slow, not feature complete, and had very few applications available at the time of its launch, mostly from independent developers. Many critics suggested that while the OS was not ready for mainstream adoption, they recognized the importance of its initial launch as a base on which to improve. Simply releasing Mac OS X was received by the Macintosh community as a great accomplishment, for attempts to completely overhaul the Mac OS had been underway since 1996, and delayed by countless setbacks. Following a few minor bug fixes, kernel panics became much less frequent, and Mac OS X began garnering praise for its stability at an early point in its development.

===Mac OS X 10.1 (Puma)===

Later that year on September 25 2001, Mac OS X v10.1 (internally codenamed Puma) was released. The upgrade increased the performance of the system and provided missing features, such as DVD playback. Apple released 10.1 as a free upgrade CD for 10.0 users, in addition to the US$129 boxed version for people running only Mac OS 9. It was discovered that the upgrade CDs were actually full install CDs that could be used with Mac OS 9 systems by removing a specific file; Apple subsequently re-released the CDs in an actual stripped-down format that didn't facilitate installation on such systems.

On January 7 2002, Apple announced that Mac OS X was to be the default operating system for all Macintosh products by the end of that month.

===Mac OS X 10.2 (Jaguar)===

On August 24 2002, Apple followed up with Mac OS X v10.2 "Jaguar" (the first release to use its code name as part of the branding) which brought profound performance enhancements, a newer, sleeker look, and many powerful enhancements (over 150, according to Apple), including Quartz Extreme for compositing graphics directly on the AGP-based video card, a system-wide repository for contact information in the new Address Book, and its own instant messenging client, named iChat.

Some consider version 10.2, or Jaguar, the "first good release" of Mac OS X. Due to significant API changes between 10.1 and 10.2, most third party developers currently support 10.2 as a minimum requirement.

The Happy Mac which had appeared during the Mac OS startup sequence for almost 18 years was replaced with a large grey Apple logo with the introduction of Mac OS X 10.2.

===Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther)===

Mac OS X v10.3 "Panther" was released on October 24 2003. In addition to providing much improved performance, it also incorporated the most extensive update yet to the user interface. The update included as many or more new features as Jaguar had the year before. On the other hand, support for some early G3 computers such as "beige" Power Macs and "WallStreet" PowerBooks was discontinued. New features of "Panther" include an updated Finder, incorporating a brushed-metal interface, Exposé, Fast User Switching, FileVault, Safari, iChat AV which added video-conferencing features to iChat, improved PDF rendering and much greater [[Microsoft Windows]] interoperability.

===Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)===

Mac OS X v10.4 "Tiger" was released on April 29 2005. Apple stated that Tiger contains more than 200 new features. As with the release of Panther certain older machines have been dropped from the list of supported hardware; Tiger requires a Mac with a built-in [[FireWire]] port. Among the new features, the release of Tiger introduced Spotlight, Dashboard, Smart Folders, updated Mail program with Smart Mailboxes, QuickTime 7, Safari 2, Automator, VoiceOver, Core Image and Core Video.

The retail package of Mac OS X Tiger was updated one year later around the end of April, 2006 to be sold in a smaller-size package. This installer, which replaced the first release in the retail market supply chain, was Mac OS X 10.4.3.
On January 10th, 2006, Apple released the first Intel Macintoshes along with the 10.4.4 update to Tiger. This operating system functioned identically on the PowerPC-based Macintoshes and the new Intel-based machines. Because the implementation of the operating system is built separately for the two processors, in implementation the PowerPC version and Intel versions are two separate installers (one cannot use the PowerPC installer to install the OS onto an Intel-based Mac).

At some time in 2006 the retail packages were again updated with 10.4.6, also a PowerPC-only DVD installer. As of yet, no retail package for an Intel-based Tiger Installer exists or has been released by Apple (customers who own an Intel-based Mac received Tiger along with their computer).

===Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)===

Mac OS X v10.5 "Leopard" was announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 6 2005, and was shown to developers for the first time at the 2006 Worldwide Developers Conference on August 7 2006. Steve Jobs stated that OS X Leopard will be available in the second quarter of 2007. Apple has said it will support both PowerPC- and Intel x86-based Macintosh computers. Though Apple maintains that "All features referenced in the Mac OS X Leopard Sneak Peek are subject to change," some officially previewed features include Time Machine, Spaces, Boot Camp pre-installed, full support for 64-bit applications, including graphical applications, new features in Mail and iChat and resolution independence.

It will be released in spring 2007, but a more precise date has not been given.

===OS X on iPhone===

The iPhone operating system is called OS X. Apple's vice president of worldwide iPod marketing Greg Joswiak indicates that it's an optimized version of the operating system which runs on Macs. CEO Steve Jobs also announced that the phone runs OS X. According to information presented at Macworld 2007, it will include several features present in Darwin and Mac OS X. Highlighted inherited features include syncing, networking, multi-tasking, power management, security, video playback, Cocoa, Core Animation, audio and graphics, as well as applications like Widgets, Mail, Calendar, and the Safari web browser. It has also been suggested that the iPhone has features of OS X "Leopard".

==Criticism==

Mac OS X has been criticized for some of its components:
* Bruce Tognazzini, a usability consultant who worked for Apple in the 1980s and 1990s, has been critical of the Dock, noting his concerns that it takes too much space and is too cumbersome for everyday use. Moreover, unlike its Microsoft Windows counterpart, it only displays labels if the mouse is over the item, so it makes it impossible to distinguish between different documents of an application without moving the mouse pointer. Closed documents appear in Dock exactly the same making it hard to distinguish one from another. However, unlike the Windows task bar, the Dock can be set to magnify its icons on the fly as the user hovers the mouse pointer over them. Tognazzini also criticized the Dock's drag and drop actions, noting the confusion that results when an icon vanishes in a small cloud animation and needs to be re-added from Finder to get it back. He described this "object annihilation" model as bad-behavior-inducing.
* Ars Technica columnist John Siracusa, who is known in the Apple community for his in-depth reviews of Mac OS X, has been a vocal critic of the Finder. One of his strongest complaints is that some of the options and default behaviors of the Mac OS X Finder violate the concept of "spatial interface" that existed in previous Finder versions. John Gruber, author of Daring Fireball, has voiced similar criticisms of the Finder, saying in a 2005 interview that he felt the Finder had become worse since Mac OS X v10.0, stating that "the fundamental problem with the Mac OS X Finder is that it’s trying to support two opposing paradigms at once – the browser metaphor ... and the spatial metaphor from the original Mac Finder ... and it ends up doing neither one very well." However various reviewers note that, starting with OS 10.3, the Finder can be switched by user preference into a completely spatial mode.The Finder is also criticised for, by default, leaving files named .DS Store on network shares which contain Mac OS X-specific information about folders.

Microsoft Windows

Admin — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 11:47:14 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Computers]]
[[image:Microsoft_Windows.png|frame|right|The Windows Logo.]]
[[image:Windows_Vista_Desktop.jpg|thumb|right|An image of a Windows Vista desktop, the latest version of MS Windows.]]
'''Microsoft Windows''' is the name of several families of operating systems by Microsoft. It is the primary OS for PC computers, and competes with [[Mac OS]] and Linux. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named ''Windows'' in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing trend of graphical user interfaces (GUI). Microsoft Windows eventually came to dominate the world's personal computer market. At the 2004 IDC Directions conference, IDC Vice President Avneesh Saxena stated that Windows had approximately 90% of the client operating system market.

== Versions ==
The term ''Windows'' collectively describes any or all of several generations of Microsoft (MS) operating system (OS) products. These products are generally categorized as follows:

===16-bit operating environments===

The early versions of Windows were often thought of as just graphical user interfaces or desktops, mostly because they were started from MS-DOS and used for file system services. However even the earliest 16-bit Windows versions already assumed many typical operating system functions, notably having their own executable file format and providing their own device drivers (timer, graphics, printer, mouse, keyboard and sound) for applications. Unlike MS-DOS, Windows allowed users to execute multiple graphical applications at the same time, through cooperative multitasking. Finally, Windows implemented an elaborate, segment-based, software virtual memory scheme which allowed it to run applications larger than available memory: code segments and resources were swapped in and thrown away when memory became scarce, and data segments moved in memory when a given application had relinquished processor control, typically waiting for user input. Examples include Windows 1.0 (1985) and Windows 2.0 (1987) and its close relative ''Windows/286''.

===Hybrid 16/32-bit operating environments===
Windows/386 introduced a 32-bit kernel and virtual machine monitor. For the duration of a Windows session, it created one or more virtual 8086 environments and provided device virtualization for the video card, keyboard, mouse, timer and interrupt controller inside each of them. The user-visible consequence was that it became possible to preemptively multitask multiple MS-DOS environments in separate Windows (graphical applications required switching the window to full screen mode). Windows applications were still multi-tasked cooperatively inside one of such real-mode environments.

Windows 3.0 (1990) and Windows 3.1 (1992) improved the design, mostly thanks to virtual memory and loadable virtual device drivers (VxDs) which allowed them to share arbitrary devices between multitasked DOS Windows. Because of this, Windows applications could now run in 16-bit protected mode (when Windows was running in Standard or 386 Enhanced Mode), which gave them access to several megabytes of memory and removed the obligation to participate in the software virtual memory scheme. They still ran inside the same address space, where the segmented memory provided a degree of protection, and multi-tasked cooperatively. For Windows 3.0, Microsoft also rewrote critical operations from C into assembly, making this release faster and less memory-hungry than its predecessors.

===Hybrid 16/32-bit operating systems===
With the introduction of 32-bit Windows for Workgroups 3.11, Windows could finally stop relying on DOS for file management. Leveraging this, Windows 95 introduced Long File Names, reducing the 8.3 DOS to the role of a boot loader. MS-DOS was now bundled with Windows; this notably made it (partially) aware of long file names when its utilities were run from within Windows, but angered the competition. The most important novelty was the possibility of running 32-bit multi-threaded preemptively multitasked graphical programs. However, the necessity of keeping compatibility with 16-bit programs meant the GUI components were still 16-bit only and not fully reentrant, which resulted in reduced performance and stability.

There were three releases of Windows 95 (the first in 1995, then subsequent bug-fix versions in 1996 and 1997, only released to OEMs, which added extra features such as FAT32 support). Microsoft's next OS was Windows 98; there were two versions of this (the first in 1998 and the second, named "Windows 98 Second Edition", in 1999). In 2000, Microsoft released Windows Me (''Me'' standing for ''Millennium Edition''), which used the same core as Windows 98 but adopted the visual appearance of Windows 2000, as well as a new feature called System Restore, allowing the user to set the computer's settings back to an earlier date. It was not a very well received implementation, and many user problems occurred. Windows Me was considered a stopgap to the day both product lines would be seamlessly merged. Microsoft left little time for Windows Me to become popular before announcing their next version of Windows which would be called Windows XP.

===32-bit operating systems===
This family of Windows systems was fashioned and marketed for higher-reliability business use, and was unencumbered by any Microsoft DOS patrimony. The first release was Windows NT 3.1 (1993, numbered "3.1" to match the Windows version and to one-up OS/2 2.1, IBM's flagship OS codeveloped by Microsoft and Windows NT's main competitor at the time), which was followed by NT 3.5 (1994), NT 3.51 (1995), and NT 4.0 (1996); NT 4.0 was the first in this line to implement the Windows 95 user interface. Microsoft then moved to combine their consumer and business operating systems. Their first attempt, Windows 2000, failed to meet their goals, and was released as a business system. The home consumer edition of Windows 2000, codenamed "Windows Neptune", ceased development and Microsoft released Windows Me in its place. Eventually "Neptune" was merged into their new project, Whistler, which later became Windows XP. Since then, a new business system, Windows Server 2003, has expanded the top end of the range, and the newly released Windows Vista will complete it. Windows CE, Microsoft's offering in the mobile and embedded markets, is also a true 32-bit operating system that offers various services for all sub-operating workstations.

===64-bit operating systems===
[[Image:Winvista.jpg|thumb|right|Current Windows Vista Logo 2007-present]]
Windows NT included support for several different platforms before the x86-based [[personal computer became dominant in the professional world. Versions of NT from 3.1 to 4.0 supported DEC Alpha and MIPS R4000, which were 64-bit processors, although the operating system treated them as 32-bit processors.

With the introduction of the IA-64 (Itanium) architecture, and later the AMD64/EM64T (or ''x64'' in Microsoft terminology) architectures, Microsoft released new versions of its more contemporary operating systems to support them. The modern 64-bit Windows family comprises Windows XP 64-bit Edition for IA-64 systems, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition for AMD64/EM64T systems, and Windows Server 2003, in both IA-64 and x64 editions. The x64 versions of Windows XP Professional and Server 2003 were released on April 25 2005, while the IA-64 versions were released at the same time as their mainstream x86 (32-bit) counterparts. Windows Vista is the first end-user version of Windows that Microsoft has released simultaneously in 32-bit and x64 editions.

== History ==

Microsoft has taken two parallel routes in operating systems. One route has been the home user and the other has been the professional IT user. The dual route has generally led to the home versions with more "eye candy" and less functionality in networking and security, and professional versions with less "eye candy" and better networking and security.

The first independent version of Microsoft Windows, version 1.0, released in November 1985, lacked a degree of functionality and achieved little popularity, and was to compete with Apple's own operating system. Windows 1.0 did not provide a complete operating system; rather, it extended MS-DOS. Microsoft Windows version 2.0 was released in November, 1987 and was slightly more popular than its predecessor. Windows 2.03 (release date January 1988) had changed the OS from tiled Windows to overlapping Windows. The result of this change led to Apple Computer filing a suit against Microsoft alleging infringement on Apple's copyrights.

Microsoft Windows version 3.0, released in 1990, was the first Microsoft Windows version to achieve broad commercial success, selling 2 million copies in the first six months. It featured improvements to the user interface and to multitasking capabilities. It received a facelift in Windows 3.1, made generally available on March 1, 1992. Windows 3.1 support ended on December 31, 2001. In August 1995, Microsoft released Windows 95, which made further changes to the user interface and was the first Windows version to utilize multitasking. Mainstream support for Windows 95 ended on December 31, 2000 and extended support for Windows 95 ended on December 31, 2001.

In July 1993, Microsoft released Windows NT based on a new kernel. NT was considered to be the professional OS. NT and the Windows non-professional line would later be fused together to create Windows XP.

The next in line was Microsoft Windows 98 released in June 1998. Substantially criticized for its slowness compared with Windows 95, many of its basic problems were later rectified with the release of Windows 98 Second Edition in 1999. Mainstream support for Windows 98 ended on June 30, 2002 and extended support for Windows 98 ended on July 11, 2006.

As part of its professional line, Microsoft released Windows 2000 in February 2000. The consumer version following Windows 98 was Windows Me (Windows Millennium Edition). Released in September 2000, Windows Me attempted to implement a number of new technologies for Microsoft: most notably publicized was "Universal Plug and Play." However, the OS was substantially criticized for its lack of compatibility and stability.

In October 2001, Microsoft released Windows XP, a version built on the Windows NT kernel that also retained the consumer-oriented usability of Windows 95 and its successors. This new version was widely praised in computer magazines. It shipped in two distinct editions, "Home" and "Professional", the former lacking many of the superior security and networking features of the Professional edition. Additionally, the "Media Center" edition was released in 2003, with an emphasis on support for DVD and TV functionality including program recording and a remote control. Mainstream support for Windows XP will continue until April 14, 2009 and extended support will continue until April 8, 2014.

In April 2003, Windows Server 2003 was introduced, replacing the [[Windows 2000]] line of server products with a number of new features and a strong focus on security; this was followed in December 2005 by Windows Server 2003 R2.

== Security ==

Security has been a hot topic with Windows for many years, and even Microsoft itself has been the victim of security breaches. Due in some part to the widespread usage of Windows on personal computers, as well as a number of technical reasons there is reportedly a fivefold greater amount of malware for Windows than other operating systems such as [[Linux]], Unix, [[Mac OS]] X, and FreeBSD.

Windows was originally designed for ease-of-use on a single-user PC without a network connection, and did not have security features built in from the outset. Windows NT and its successors are designed for security (including on a network) and multi-user PCs, but was not designed for Internet security in mind as much since, when it was first developed, the Internet was less important. Combined with flawed code (such as buffer overflows), Windows is a frequent target of worms and virus writers. Furthermore, until Windows Server 2003 most versions of Windows NT were shipped with important security features disabled by default, and vulnerable (albeit useful) system services enabled by default. In June 2005, Bruce Schneier's ''Counterpane Internet Security'' reported that it had seen over 1,000 new viruses and worms in the previous six months.

Microsoft publicly admitted their ongoing security problems shortly after the turn of the century and now claims to regard security as their number one priority. The Automatic Updates feature was first included in Windows Me. As a result, Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, as well as Windows Server 2003, was installed by users more quickly than it otherwise might have been. Microsoft releases security patches through its Windows Update service approximately once a month (usually the second Tuesday of the month), although critical updates are made available at shorter intervals when necessary. In Windows 2000 (SP3 and later), Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, updates can be automatically downloaded and installed if the user selects to do so.

===Windows Defender===
On 6 January 2005, Microsoft released a beta version of Microsoft AntiSpyware, based upon the previously released Giant AntiSpyware. On 14 February 2006, Microsoft AntiSpyware became Windows Defender with the release of beta 2. Windows Defender is a freeware program designed to protect against spyware and other unwanted software. Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 users who have genuine copies of Microsoft Windows can freely download the program from Microsoft's web site, and Windows Defender ships as part of Windows Vista.

===Third-party analysis===
A study conducted by famous hacker Kevin Mitnick and marketing communications firm Avantgarde found that an unprotected and unpatched Windows XP system lasted only '''4 minutes''' on the Internet before it was compromised. The AOL National Cyber Security Alliance Online Safety Study of October 2004 determined that 80% of Windows users were infected by at least one spyware/adware product. Much documentation is available describing how to increase the security of Microsoft Windows products. Typical suggestions include deploying Microsoft Windows behind a hardware or software firewall, running anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and installing patches as they become available through Windows Update.

==Comparisons with other OSs==
Mac users often say that Windows users are boring, and that Windows is unsafe. They say that Microsoft copied all of Apple's ideas. All of this is unproven. So you can make up your own mind. For an '''extremely''' biased view, you can watch Apple's adverts at http://www.apple.com/uk.

MMORPG

Admin — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 10:14:50 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Gaming]][[Category:Computers]]
'''''MMORPGs''''' ('''Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game''') is a genre of online computer role-playing games (RPGs) in which a large number of players interact with one another in a virtual world. MUDs '''are also MMORPGs'''. As in all RPGs, players assume the role of a fictional character (most commonly in a fantasy setting) and take control over many of that character's actions. MMORPGs are distinguished from single-player or small multi-player RPGs by the number of players, and by the game's persistent world, usually hosted by the game's publisher, which continues to exist and evolve while the player is away from the game.

MMORPGs are very popular throughout the world, with combined global memberships in subscription and non-subscription games exceeding 15 million as of 2006. Overall, revenues for MMORPGs exceeded half a billion dollars in 2005 and are expected to reach over a billion dollars by 2009.

== Common features ==
Though MMORPGs have evolved considerably, many of them share some basic characteristics.

A majority of MMORPGs are based off traditional ''Dungeons & Dragons'' style gameplay, including quests, monsters, and loot. Like in ''Dungeons & Dragons'', there is usually the ability to develop your character after they have reached certain levels which occurs after gaining enough experience points to do so. Often there are Game Moderators or Game Masters (frequently abbreviated to GM), which are sometimes-compensated individuals who attempt to supervise the world.

MMORPGs usually involve large communities of players and social networks, some having support for the creating of Guilds or clans, which are organizations of players. The "world" that players visit tends to be persistent ones where a client-server model is employed, in which the "world" software runs continuously on a server, and players connect to it via client software. MMORPGs usually have a virtual economy, based on the trade of items such as weapons and armor, and a regular currency.

The majority of popular MMORPGs require players to either purchase the client software for a one-time fee or pay a monthly subscription to play. Most major MMORPGs require players to do both. By nature, "massively multiplayer" games are always online, and require some sort of continuous revenue (such as monthly subscriptions and advertisements) for maintenance and development. Games that feature massively-multiplayer functionality, but do not include roleplaying elements, are referred to as MMOGs.

==Common MMORPGs==
*[[Kingdom of Loathing]]
*[[Runescape]]
*World of Warcraft
*EverQuest
*Medievia
*Ultima Online
*Guild Wars

RuneScape

Admin — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 10:06:21 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Gaming]]
----

[[image:RSlogo3.jpg|frame|right|The Runescape logo.]]
'''''RuneScape''''' is a Java-based [[MMORPG]] operated by Jagex Ltd. With over nine million active free players and more than 850,000 paying members, ''RuneScape'' is rated among the most popular online games in the world. ''RuneScape'' offers both free and subscription content and is designed to be accessible from any location with an Internet connection and to run in an ordinary web browser without straining system resources.

''RuneScape'' takes place in the fantasy-themed realm of Gielinor, which is divided into the Kingdoms of Misthalin, Asgarnia, and Kandarin, the tropical island of Karamja, the Kharidian Desert, the Wilderness, and various other areas. Players can travel throughout the game world on foot, by using magical teleportation spells or devices, or on gnome gliders, mine carts, or other mechanical means of transportation. Each region offers different types of monsters, materials, and quests to challenge players.

Players are shown on the screen as customisable avatars. They set their own goals and objectives, deciding which of the available activities to pursue. There is no linear path that must be followed. Players can engage in combat with other players or with monsters, complete quests, or increase their experience in any of the available skills. Players interact with each other through trading, chatting, or playing combative or cooperative mini-games.

==History and development==

''DeviousMUD'', the forerunner to ''RuneScape'', was created in 1998 by Andrew Gower. The game, which was never publicly released, used isometric graphics. In 1999, Gower completely rewrote the game, albeit with no improvements to the graphics or several other aspects of the game. This version was released as a public beta version for approximately one week before it was withdrawn.

As a Cambridge University undergraduate, Gower worked on a complete rewrite of the game with the assistance of his brother, Paul Gower. The isometric view was replaced by a mixture of both three-dimensional and two-dimensional sprites. The game, renamed ''RuneScape'', was released to the public as a beta version on 4 January 2001, and was originally operated from their parents' house in Nottingham. In December 2001, the Gower brothers and Constant Tedder formed Jagex to take over the business aspects of running ''RuneScape''.

On 27 February 2002, a membership service was made available, allowing players who choose to pay a monthly fee access to a variety of additional features. This service significantly changed the focus of the game.

As technological advances continued to grow throughout the years, Jagex made major changes to the game. Although they had initially planned a graphical update, Jagex developers instead worked to completely rewrite the game engine, introducing a version that consisted entirely of three-dimensional graphics, with other significant improvements. While in development, this version was called ''RuneScape 2'', although it has since become known as ''RuneScape'', with the original version being known as ''RuneScape Classic'' to differentiate between the two. A beta version of the game was made available to paying members on 1 December 2003, and the finished version was launched on 29 March 2004. On 12 January 2006, playing ''RuneScape Classic'' was restricted to paying members who had recently played the classic version. All other ''RuneScape Classic'' accounts were permanently banned and the option to create a new account was removed.
On 16 May 2006, Jagex upgraded ''RuneScape's'' game engine, primarily as a back-end upgrade rather than a visible graphical boost. In particular, the amount of memory required to run ''RuneScape'' was significantly reduced, allowing the game to be expanded and improved without increasing the loading time for most players. This is the current version of ''RuneScape'' being promoted by Jagex, and is the version most people now associate with the word ''RuneScape''.

===Servers===

Around 140 ''RuneScape'' servers, numbered and referred to as ''worlds'' by players, are located throughout the world. The servers are Unix, Debian GNU/Linux, and Cisco IOS, and they are located in the United Kingdom (including both ''RuneScape Classic'' servers), the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, Sweden and Finland. Each of the ''RuneScape'' servers has a capacity of 2,000 players, allowing a maximum capacity of more than 270,000 simultaneous players online. The two ''RuneScape Classic'' servers are each limited to 1,250 players, allowing for 2,500 users playing the game at any given time. Servers are divided into free servers, accessible by all players, and member servers, accessible only by those players who choose to pay a monthly fee for additional content.

===Advertising===
To support ''RuneScape's'' free content, advertisements are displayed above the playing screen on the free-player servers. On 13 July 2006, Jagex signed an exclusive marketing and distribution contract with WildTangent Games, which granted WildTangent the right to handle advertising in and around ''RuneScape'' in the United States. The deal also allowed WildTangent to distribute ''RuneScape'' through the WildTangent Games Network, a distribution channel, reaching over 20 million consumer PCs. WildTangent has stressed that this agreement will not change the way ''RuneScape'' is presented, and that they plan to make the presence of the advertisements, vital to ''RuneScape'', as non-invasive as possible. Jagex moderators have stated that there will be no ''in-game'' advertisements. Since computer users may use advertisement blockers which may discourage advertisers, Jagex introduced a rule that prohibits players from blocking the advertisements in the free game.

===Foreign Languages===
On 14 February 2007, Jagex released a German translation of ''RuneScape''. It is currently in a closed beta stage while errors in the translation of the game and website are corrected. Only a few specially chosen German-speaking players are allowed onto the two beta servers, one for each the free and members versions of ''RuneScape''. A public release of the German version is expected as soon as translation problems are sorted out.

==Membership==
Membership in ''RuneScape'' is an optional service that provides extensive additional content and extra features versus the free version of the game. Most quests and several skills, as well as three-fourths of the world map, are reserved for members. Members can play mini-games with unique rewards, use new items, and have access to improvements for nearly all skills. Members also receive additional storage space for their items, priority customer service, and the ability to post on the official forums and vote in official website polls. Regular game updates are usually reserved for members, save for a few updates each year that affect the free version of the game.

Monthly membership fees are currently set at £3.20, $5.00 US, €4.60, $8.20 Aus$, if paid for with a credit or debit card. Other payment methods are available, such as PayPal, cheque or money order, or through players' telephone providers, generally at a higher price. Players who pay in currencies other than pounds, dollars, or euros pay the dollar price converted into their payment currency.

Members are granted access to exclusive members servers, which have the advertisements which support the game's free version disabled. Due to free players being unable to access members servers, they are often more lightly populated than the free servers. Members features and content are restricted to these servers; however, members can choose to play on free servers if they wish. Members that switch between members and free servers must be standing on the free portion of the map in order to log into the free server. Members features are disabled on free servers, and members items lose any of the benefits that they may provide. Logging back into a members server restores these benefits.

==Gameplay==
New players begin in a secluded area populated only by other beginners, Tutorial Island. They are led on a set path where they learn most of the skills needed to succeed in Gielinor. After completing the tutorial, players can access information from tutors located in the towns they explore. These non-player characters, or NPCs, can replace some basic equipment items if necessary. Since it takes many hours to develop a character, many players regard playing ''RuneScape'' as a lifestyle, not a side activity. Playing ''RuneScape'' can be addictive, and some people play ''RuneScape'' more than they do anything else.

''RuneScape'' has music, sound effects, and ambient noises throughout Gielinor to enhance gameplay. The music, while often a simple tune, is designed to enhance mood and help to define the underlying cultures of the various locations around Gielinor. Sound effects, such as the "sploosh" heard when a lobster trap is submerged in water, are heard as players train their skills. Ambient noises, such as the cry of seagulls flying over the ocean, occur in logical places. Players can adjust the volumes of the music, sound effects, and ambient noises independently of each other. Players can also turn each type of sound off if they prefer.

===Graphics===
''RuneScape'' can be run with high or low-detail graphics; high-detail mode enhances texture and design, whereas low-detail provides a cleaner look and can reduce lag on older or less powerful computers. In February 2005, Jagex began the process of updating the graphical images in the ''RuneScape'' cities and the wilderness, planning ultimately to improve the graphics of the entire free area of ''RuneScape'' without causing more lag for people using dial-up Internet connections.

''RuneScape'' places emphasis on granting players the ability to customise their characters by supplying a wide choice in character models. Unlike many games in the genre, player characters must be human; however, players can choose their appearance from a wide range of hairstyles, body types, facial features, clothing options, and gender.
On-screen appearance is further optimised by wearing or wielding items, with each different item having a unique image. Standard weapons of the same class, such as swords, use the same set of animations in combat; however, some special weapons have their own, distinctive animations that differ completely from those of other weapons in their category.

A player's appearance can be radically changed with special equipment and during particular events. Players can be transformed by game characters or their surroundings into frogs, mushrooms, or small animals. Players using certain items can transform themselves into piles of stone, eggs, penguins or monkeys, allowing them to avoid negative effects or gaining them access to otherwise unreachable places. Such "morphs" are temporary, and players cannot perform certain activities that normally can be done in human form.

Each activity performed by a player, from walking down a city street to planting a seed in a farming plot, has its own distinctive animation. Players can also express emotions whenever they choose through the use of emotes. New players start with most of the available emotes, but others must be earned from quests, random events, or holiday events.

===Skills===
[[Image:Runescapemining.JPG|thumb|275px|left|A player collects coal using the mining skill.]]

Skills in ''RuneScape'' are the abilities that enable players to perform activities in the game. Players gain experience in a skill when they perform activities that utilise that skill, such as mining ore from a rock to increase the mining skill. In general, the higher the level required to perform a task, the more experience points the player receives, and the more desirable the result. The total skill level of a player partly symbolises the player's status in the game. The ''RuneScape'' hiscore tables can be viewed by all players, and players with higher overall levels are well known within the RuneScape community. Upon reaching the highest available level in a skill, players may obtain a special cape, which can be used to perform an emote related to that skill.

''RuneScape'' has twenty-three trainable skills in four categories. Combat consists of attack, strength, defence, magic, ranged, prayer, and hitpoints. The extraction skills, which allow players to gather resources, include mining, fishing, woodcutting, thieving, and farming. The processing skills, which allow players to process resources into usable items, include smithing, cooking, crafting, runecrafting, fletching, and herblore. The independent skills include firemaking, agility, construction, slayer, and hunter.

===Combat===
[[Image:Runescape weapons specialattacks darklight-weaken.gif|right|frame|A player and an NPC engage in combat.]]

Combat is an important aspect of the gameplay in ''RuneScape'', as it is one of the most direct ways of gaining wealth and is needed to start and complete many quests. Combat level, determined by applying a formula to the seven combat skills, is usually referred to simply as "level". Combat level is the only information about the player that is visible to other players while in game. Other skill levels increase total levels and overall rankings for players, but not their combat levels.

Combat is subdivided into melee, magic, and ranged categories. Melee attacks are close range with or without weapons, magic attacks focus on using runestones to cast spells, and ranged moves use projectile weapons. Most of the game's weapons are medieval or fantastical in nature and feature different strengths and weaknesses.

Players die when they receive enough damage from combat, poison, or obstacles to cause their hitpoints to fall to zero. Players who die reappear at one of two respawn points (the town of Lumbridge by default, though members may change to the city of Falador upon completion of a quest) with all their skills, including hitpoints, restored to normal levels; however, they lose most or all of the items they were carrying.

Unlike most games in the MMORPG genre, ''RuneScape'' does not require players to choose a character class. Players are not bound to a specific category of combat, and they may freely change between the three styles of combat at any time simply by switching weapons, armours, or the form and focus of attack. Players can carry the weapons and armours of the three combat categories in their inventories, switching between or even combining the styles at will.

===Quests===

Quests are tasks that players may complete in order to receive rewards, often including access to new items and areas. Specific skill and combat levels are required to begin or complete most quests. Quests are grouped into four categories based on requirements and difficulty. Novice quests function as an extended tutorial for new players. Intermediate quests are designed for players who seek harder obstacles, while experienced and master quests are designed to challenge the game's most experienced players. Many master quests open up new areas of Gielinor for players to explore. Once a player completes all quests in the game, a quest cape can be purchased from an NPC. Wearing this cape allows the player to perform a special emote.

Upon completing quests, players receive rewards that vary depending on the difficulty of the quest. Rewards often include coins, items, access to an area, or an increase in skill experience. Quest points are also awarded for completing quests. Some quests require players to have a specified number of quest points or to have completed specific quests as a demonstration of their prior accomplishments or ability. Many quests are part of overlapping storylines, the most famous of which contains seven quests and has been in ''RuneScape'' for several years.

===Interaction===

Many NPCs populate the realm of Gielinor. Although some NPCs, such as shopkeepers, have game functions that require them to be unavailable for combat, most NPCs can be attacked. Attackable NPCs are generally referred to as monsters, regardless of their race. Monsters range from common, low level creatures like chickens and bears to unique, much more powerful monsters like the King Black Dragon, Chaos Elemental, or Kalphite Queen. Each type of monster has its own strengths and weaknesses. Demons, for example, have low defence against magical attacks while dragons have extremely high defence against magic (the exception being metal dragons). Monsters may also be aggressive (attacking any player who comes within range, regardless of combat level), non-aggressive (not attacking players unless provoked, regardless of combat levels), or partially aggressive (attacking only those players with combat levels in specified ranges). This can make certain areas throughout Gielinor dangerous or inconvenient to players depending upon their combat levels.

''RuneScape'' features independent mini-games for its players. Mini-games take place in certain areas and normally involve a specific skill. Mini-games usually require players to cooperate or to compete with each other. Popular mini-games include ''Castle Wars'', which is similar to the real-life game Capture the Flag, and ''Pest Control''.

Players can fight against other players in player versus player (PvP) combat in certain areas of Gielinor. The most common place is in the Wilderness, where players risk their lives, but more importantly their items, challenging other players. Players can engage in PvP combat without risking their items in mini-games such as the Duel Arena, Castle Wars, and the TzHaar Fight Pits, and in combat arenas or dungeons in player owned houses. Players engaging in PvP combat in the Duel Arena must agree on the rules of engagement (eg. if allowed food or not) and the stake before combat between them begins.

===Random events===

Random events are short interludes that occur during the game, requiring some form of player input. They were introduced to deter players from using automated programs, known as macros or bots, to play the game with no human interaction. The use of such macros is forbidden and can result in the permanent ban of accounts found to be using them. Postings in the ''RuneScape'' forums by Andrew Gower suggest that random events were designed not only to hinder macroers but to alleviate the monotony that can occur while levelling skills for long periods of time (referred to as grinding).

Some random events are simple, requiring a player only to click on an NPC or to leave the area temporarily; others require more sophisticated actions from players, who must respond to these events quickly and correctly to avoid a negative effect, such as being teleported across the map or taking damage. Players are usually rewarded for responding correctly to random events.

Two random events have been removed from the game by Jagex. The tangle vine was removed almost immediately after being introduced as it was deemed too dangerous to players, but was reintroduced as part of the construction skill for POH's. The Dr. Ford event was removed for causing graphical problems within the game program.

==Community==

Players of ''RuneScape'' represent a wide range of nationalities and ages. Most players speak English to some extent. Players who speak languages other than English tend to gravitate to worlds populated by other players who speak the same language; some worlds have a greater percentage of players who speak Spanish, Dutch, French, German, or other languages. It is not uncommon, however, to see many languages on the chat screens throughout ''RuneScape''. On 14 February 2007, the company released a closed beta of the German language version.

A group of official forums created entirely by Jagex programmers is available to players on the ''RuneScape'' website. By accessing the forums, paying members are able to participate in game discussions, play player-made forum games, make arrangements to buy or sell items, and interact with the community. Free players can read the forums but are unable to post messages. The ''RuneScape'' forums are quite diverse, allowing thousands of players to access them at any given time. Each forum has its own specific list of rules enforced by forum moderators.

Players can submit questions to any non-player character in the game. Selected letters are answered in an update called ''Postbag from The Hedge'' at the end of each month. This feature of the site started on 26 September 2005 and has since become one of the most accessed pages of the site. From 24 September 2002 through 9 December 2004, players could submit questions to the ''RuneScape'' gods; however, the gods will no longer communicate so directly with mortal beings.

Players can submit their own original ''Runescape'' related artwork, a select few of which are displayed in a gallery on the ''RuneScape'' website. Media featured have included sculpture, comics, drawings, and paintings.

Many fansites have been established for ''RuneScape'', none of which are supported or recognized by Jagex. In order to provide players with an alternative, official site to get the information they want or need, Jagex introduced the Knowledge Base, which offers information on gameplay as well as the rules of ''RuneScape'' and account security.

==Reception==

A study by Brunel University claims that playing ''RuneScape'', in some ways, can be beneficial to players. It can instruct players about working hard to achieve goals and that the nature of most games, including ''RuneScape'', can teach teenagers vital skills as they enter the labour market. As of December 2003, ''RuneScape'' was one of the fastest growing out of all of the [[MMORPG]]s, having a userbase fifty percent larger than that of EverQuest." The game is praised for its free play abilities. JustRPG summarised the game with "In short, the game of Runescape is a fun, addictive game, and while the graphics may not be perfect, for a game written in Java, they aren't bad. The skills are varied, the community is alright, and it'll eat up your time if you aren't careful," giving it a score of 83%. The Yahoo! Buzz Log states that "while it may not be as easy on the eyes as some other popular online RPG games, like ''World of Warcraft'', ''City of Heroes'', or ''EverQuest'', RuneScape is still a lot better way to kill time than pushing around cells in a spreadsheet." PC Gamer UK in December 2003; states that while the "traditional RPG values of questing, slaying monsters and developing your character in a familiar medieval setting" won't "have the big boys trembling in their +2 Boots of Subscriber Gathering," this is offset by the game's accessibility through a web browser, "compounded by a version of the game that allows free adventuring before players upgrade to a members account," describing the game as "an unsurprising success."

===Criticism and response===

To combat cheating and the use of macros, Jagex has taken measures such as introducing random events that require immediate human response and providing safety warnings in the player trading system. In response to automated scripts, Jagex has banned over 20,000 accounts through a macro detection system. ''RuneScape'' chat filters have the ability to censor words and letter combinations that may be offensive to players. Players are often able to use intentional misspellings, also known as [[Leet]] (1337), or symbols to bypass the filter. To combat this, changes are continually being made by Jagex to the filters to block offensive language and to prevent non-offensive words from being accidentally blocked.

Business aspects of the ''RuneScape'' organization have fallen under criticism. ''RuneScape'' has been criticised for not having enough free content or not updating the free content often enough. While ''RuneScape'' does have a considerable amount of free content, most updates and features for high-level players are limited to paying members. Jagex increased the size of the customer support team and expanded the online Knowledge Base to alleviate customer service problems.

As with many similar games, RuneScape has been criticised for its repetitive nature, particularly in regards to building experience points. Jagex has since introduced random events to help combat this.

Stick figure

Admin — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 14:19:50 GMT

Admin:

[[Image:stickman.png|frame|A stick figure.]]
The '''stick figure''' is a very simplistic type of drawing, generally of the human form, although stick figures of other types of animals are possible (for example, a stick figure dog). In a stick figure, the head is represented by a circle, sometimes embellished with details such as eyes or crudely-scratched-out hair. The neck, arms, legs and torso are all represented by single straight lines (thus the name). The neck and torso are different segments of one straight line.

Generally, stick figures are drawn by hand with a pen or pencil and have hard, defined edges. Though not displaying very much detail, what is drawn is generally required. For instance, if one was to draw a person, the person's eyebrows would generally only be drawn to provide a sort of facial expression, be it of anger or shame.

Stick figures have proven effective as a source of advertising, entertainment and as a form of storyboarding and practice for filmwork. This is especially crucial for creating "animatics", as a film special effects team is then able to visually display the outcome of a scene by using stick figures, but saving in money, time and effort of providing a completed shot, but only having to have the necessary information provided.

The MMORPG [[Kingdom of Loathing]] is known for its comic use of crudely drawn stick figures.
== Animation ==

=== Flash ===
Stick figures are typically a form of vector art, in relevance to ones viewed on the internet, so stick figure animations are often created in Adobe Flash. Stick figures are somewhat frequently used because they are easy to draw and can depict deep amounts of action. Although they're often drawn in a 2D environment, 3D is sometimes simulated.

=== Pivot===
Pivot Stickfigure Animator is an animation program that allows easy animation of stick figures.

=== PowerPoint ===
Microsoft PowerPoint has also been used to make stick figure movies as an alternative to Flash. By creating a slide with a stick figure in it, copying and pasting a new slide and changing the new slide users can create a movie, although without key frames and tweening, it is a much more laborious process.

=== Animation technique ===
Stick figures may also pull in detail to the character while still leaving them easy to draw. The most common forms of this are detailed heads and accessories such as shoulder pads or necklaces. By simply changing the way a stick figure walks or stands, one may also change them from being simple to mildly sophisticated.

Freewebs

Admin — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 13:44:41 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Computers]]
[[Image:Freewebs.png|thumb|right|248px|The Freewebs logo.]]

'''Freewebs''' is a free web hosting website which originally started in 2001. Freewebs was founded by CEO Haroon Mokhtarzada and his brother, CTO Zeki Mokhtarzada. Other staff include president Shervin Pishevar, vice president of marketing and operations Robert Ewald, and vice president of products and programming Rick Robinson.

Piczo, Googlepages, MySpace, .tk and Xanga are among its competitors.

Freewebs is TechTeam's main host, hosting [[The Ultimate Site]], [[Tech Testament]] and [[Tech Testament Explained]].

== Websites==
Freewebs is an ad based free web hosting service that allows advanced users to make their own web site. There are three ways of going about this, each for users with different levels of HTML coding knowledge. As of October 18, 2006, there are 42 different styles for templates, each with their own subcategories (colours, specific themes, etc.). For users with knowledge of CSS, a style.css file is created in the File Manager, and users may update it through the Easy Site Builder's Site Manager. For members with advanced knowledge of HTML and other codes, a downgrade to HTML-Only mode option is available. Then, the HTML Mode's Site Manager becomes similar to the File Manager, and all pages are shown as their .htm files.
These files can be modified using the Freewebs WebzEdit™ text editor.

There are two ways to edit a web page on one’s website. Users may either use a WYSIWYG page editor, or an HTML editor. Although the free membership does not originally contain any forced advertisements (if using the advanced HTML editor), they do require placement of a text link back to them on your website. The majority of Freewebs member's sites include forced advertising.

== Drawbacks ==
Freewebs is not a full fledged hosting service. They don't offer colocation services, MySQL databases, PHP, or other scripting languages beyond a CGI-bin (and that's for premium members only). They are suited well for the average person starting up a personal or very small business site, not for the pro.

Spongebob SquarePants

Admin — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 12:56:16 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:TV]]
[[image:SpongeBob_SquarePants.gif|right|thumb|300px|The SpongeBob Cast (clockwise from top left) - Sandy Cheeks, Spongebob, Patrick Star, Mr. Krabs, Squidward Tentacles and Sheldon Plankton.]]
'''''SpongeBob SquarePants''''' is an American animated television series. It is one of Nickelodeon's "Nicktoons." Although its original network is Nickelodeon, it is broadcast across the world. It was created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg and is produced through his production company, United Plankton Pictures Inc. The series is set in the Pacific Ocean in the city of Bikini Bottom and the surrounding lagoon floor. The pilot episode first aired in the United States on Nickelodeon after the ''Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards'' on May 1, 1999. The "official" series premiere followed on July 17, 1999 with the second episode, "Bubblestand/Ripped Pants."

==Setting==
SpongeBob SquarePants is a sponge who lives in a pineapple (under the sea/SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS! etc.), while his octopus neighbor Squidward Tentacles lives in a moai head. SpongeBob's other neighbor and best friend (on the other side of Squidward), is a pink starfish named Patrick Star, who lives under a rock. Squidward often gets annoyed when SpongeBob and Patrick bother him.

SpongeBob's house-pet is a snail named Gary, whose "meow" is similar to a housecat. Although Gary only speaks in a few episodes, the characters have shown an ability to understand him. In addition to this, underwater worms bark exactly like dogs, and are kept on chains. Jellyfish are the equivalent of bees; buzzing, stinging, and producing delicious "jelly", mocking the name "jellyfish", while still referencing a bee's honey. Fish act as the citizens of the community but, as a rule, are not important characters.

SpongeBob works at the Krusty Krab, a hamburger fast-food restaurant, as a fry chef with Squidward Tentacles who is a cashier. The Krusty Krab is owned by Mr. Eugene H. Krabs, commonly referred to as "Mr. Krabs". At the Krusty Krab, Spongebob makes Krabby Patties.

Sheldon J. Plankton (commonly referred to as "Plankton") is Mr. Krabs' archrival who owns a low-rank fast-food restaurant called The Chum Bucket across the street, and he spends most of his time plotting to steal the recipe for Krabs's popular Krabby Patty.
Plankton's computer wife, Karen, alternately helps him in his schemes or bickers with him.

Sandy Cheeks is another friend of SpongeBob. She is a squirrel that lives in an underwater dome in Bikini Bottom. She was sent there by her bosses, who are chimpanzees. Sandy has a Texan accent and is from the state itself. When not inside her tree-dome, she wears a diving suit with a globe helmet to allow her to breathe gaseous oxygen rather than drowning in the water.

Instead of cars, the residents of Bikini Bottom drive boats. Once, while out in the wilderness, Patrick questions how they could have a camp fire on the lagoon bottom; the fire is immediately extinguished with a sizzle. Continuity is not consistent between episodes, however, as the creators seem to have forgotten the show takes place underwater in some episodes. A flurry of bubbles accompanies actions in many of the episodes, just to remind the viewer that everything is underwater. Ironically, when there is a body of water underwater a non-car boat must be used to cross it, because both SpongeBob and Patrick cannot swim.

==Popularity==
SpongeBob is the only cartoon to consistently make the Top 10 list in the Nielsen ratings, and is the first "low budget" Nickelodeon cartoon, according to the network, to become extremely popular. Low-budget cartoons had not garnered as much esteem as higher-rated (and higher-budgeted) shows, such as ''Rugrats'', although when SpongeBob aired in 1999, it had gained a significant enough viewers in the ratings to be considered popular, eventually becoming more popular than ''Rugrats'' had ever been. SpongeBob follows other Nickelodeon shows that have attracted "older" followers: ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'', ''Rocko's Modern Life'', the ''Kablam!'' skits, ''Action League Now!'' and ''The Angry Beavers''. Other shows have followed in this trend as well: ''Invader Zim'' and ''The Fairly OddParents'' won a similar fan base when they aired in 2001, and the latter is now second only to SpongeBob in popularity, while the former attracted a cult following.
At the time of writing, SpongeBob is the most popular cartoon on American television, extremely popular in the UK, and it was considered to be the flagship cartoon for Generation Y. The show debuted in 1999, and during that time, Pokémon was still the biggest craze. SpongeBob did not gain its popularity until around 2000, and it has remained popular since then. SpongeBob is not only popular among small children, but adults also enjoy the "low budget" cartoon. However, ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is the top TV series on Nickelodeon.

===Broad appeal===
The cartoon is designed to appeal to adults as well as children. This has a lot to do with the absurd way underwater life and situations are represented, and with the situations, references, and words used, which younger viewers might not understand. Certain innuendos which crop up, also are intended to go over younger viewers' heads. For example, SpongeBob tried to show his grandma that he was a mature adult by wearing sideburns and a Bowler hat, and listening to 'free form jazz', jokes most children would not understand.

SpongeBob is one cartoon in a long line of shows to put in more "adult" references, and has become so popular with teenagers and adults that the series was broadcasted on MTV and featured on Spike TV. A quote by Patrick ("It's gonna rock!" from the episode Mid-Life Crustacean) has been used as a promotional tag-line for rock stations. Ren and Stimpy, among others, had followed a similar path. ''The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie'', released on November 19 2004, features a cameo appearance by actor David Hasselhoff, in a parody of his role from the Baywatch TV series. In the episode Krab Borg, SpongeBob makes notice of Mr. Krabs calling his radio player his "little buddy", with an accent similar to that of Tony Montana, the main character of the movie Scarface. Also, in the episode Bummer Vacation, Squidward calls for a "shell on a shingle", referencing a shit on a shingle.

Part of the show's appeal has to do with the childlike nature of SpongeBob and his best friend, Patrick Star, both of whom are adults but display an innocence typical of human children. However, the characters are not immune from more adult avocations, including rock musicianship in a stadium performance, reminiscent of a hard rock concert.

While newer cartoons revolve around pre-adolescents with strange lives and feature many pop-culture references (e.g. ''The Fairly Oddparents''), SpongeBob chooses to go for a more teen/adult friendly formula that was used in highly successful older Nick cartoons such as ''Ren and Stimpy'' and ''Rocko's Modern Life'', non-human young adults in crazy, unrealistic situations, with minimal pop culture references.

Unlike the Nickelodeon network, SpongeBob features well-known independent musicians who contribute to its soundtrack. Alternative rock bands such as Wilco, The Shins, The Flaming Lips and Ween (who have contributed two original songs to the show and their 1997 song "Ocean Man" to the movie soundtrack), as well as metal bands Pantera, Motörhead and Twisted Sister have made appearances on the show and movies soundtracks, and heavy metal group Metallica even released a T-shirt featuring cartoon versions of themselves playing live with the characters SpongeBob and Patrick. British rock singer legend David Bowie announced that he will be a special guest on a future episode of SpongeBob SquarePants in 2009.

===Controversy===
Controversy surrounds the animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and its characters. This is not new for Nickelodeon — many of its cartoons, including ''Ren & Stimpy'' and ''Rocko's Modern Life'', have sparked criticisms in other manners. However, ''SpongeBob's'' popularity has magnified the intensity of the controversy.

The show's biggest concern from parents include its sexual innuendo. Stephen Hillenburg has claimed publicly that SpongeBob is not gay, and is in fact, almost asexual, as he is a sponge.

==History==
===Development (1993–1999)===
''SpongeBob's'' history can be traced back to 1993 when ''Rocko's Modern Life'' first aired. One of the producers was Stephen Hillenburg, a cartoon worker/marine biologist who loved both his careers. When ''Rocko's Modern Life'' was cancelled in 1996, Hillenburg began working on ''SpongeBob'' (although sketches trace back to 1987). He teamed up with creative director Derek Drymon, who had worked on shows such as ''Doug'', ''Action League Now!'', and ''Hey Arnold!''. Drymon had worked with Hillenburg on ''Rocko's Modern Life'' as well, as did many SpongeBob crew members, including writer-directors Sherm Cohen and Dan Povenmire, writer Tim Hill, voice actors Tom Kenny and Doug Lawrence (aka "Mr. Lawrence"), actor-writer Martin Olson and animation director Alan Smart. Another crew member with previous Nickelodeon cartoon experience was former ''Angry Beavers'' story editor Merriwether Williams, who worked on that show for its first few seasons and switched to ''SpongeBob'' in July 1999.

During production of the show, Bobson provided a concept of short comics with the same style of the show, but the characters looked different. ''SpongeBob'' used to be named ''SpongeBoy'', and used to wear a red hat with a green base and a white business shirt with a tie. The name "SpongeBoy" did not make it into the show since the name was already officially trademarked by Bob Burden, creator of ''Flaming Carrot''. Hillenburg later chose the alternative name "SpongeBob". The original name was once referenced in the show by Mr. Krabs' line, "SpongeBoy, me Bob!." The Krusty Krab was originally spelled with the letter C rather than K, but Stephen Hillenburg thought Ks were funnier and it would fit his Ukrainian heritage.

===Debut (1999–2000)===
On May 1, 1999, ''SpongeBob'' aired its first episode, "Help Wanted/Reef Blower/Tea at the Treedome", after the 1999 ''Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards''. At this time, ''Rugrats'' was the most popular show on Nickelodeon and had already outlived dozens of other lower-budget cartoons. SpongeBob, with its generally lower-class animation and humor style more rooted in clever word-play and culture-references unlike the potty humor that made ''Rugrats'' so popular, was expected to be just another one of those shows. Following early struggles, its ratings soared, and a year after release, it surpassed ''Rugrats'' as Nickelodeon's highest rated show. ''SpongeBob''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s signature voice (provided by Tom Kenny) and humorous style was enjoyable to both younger and older audiences.

===Peak years (2000–2003)===
The show began airing its second season in 2000 with more high-quality animation and even more popular episodes.

The first part of 2002 saw SpongeBob at its peak. The beginning of the third season produced many of classic episodes and focused on the same style and animation concepts.

Unfortunately things changed late in the year. Due to rumors of a movie, there was high speculation that the show would be cancelled and that 2003/2004 would feature the last season of new episodes. Fans were devastated and online petitions were widely distributed to convince Nickelodeon to produce more episodes by showing continuing fan support. "SpongeBob Meets The Strangler/Pranks A Lot" was the last episode of this season, and aired in October 2004. It was also released on DVD at the end of 2003. Following this, the movie was released in November of that year.

[[Image:Spongebob Squarepants Movie poster.jpg|right|thumb|170px|''The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie'' poster.]]

===Hiatus and movie era (2003–2005)===
A hiatus from 2003 to 2005 challenged viewer loyalty, as only about 7 new episodes were shown while the previous two-year span, from 2003-2004, aired 20. This led to the program's lowest ratings ever, causing speculation that the show might even be cancelled after the feature's release.

''The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie'' achieved over $85,000,000 in revenue in the United States, considered to be under-expectations: People assumed that the show's popularity showed something of a decline at the time of its release. ''The Rugrats Movie'', on the other hand, earned $100,494,685 in the United States. It was around this time that the animated series which it is based on, ''Rugrats'', was at the height of its popularity. Interestingly, that movie would also be considered ''Rugrats''' jump the shark moment by fans, while the ''SpongeBob'' movie was actually generally well received by fans who saw it.

It was announced late in 2004 that SpongeBob would be continuing with a new season due in 2005. Hillenburg, despite the rumors, did not actually leave the show but has resigned from his position as the show's executive producer (this job now belongs to Derek Drymon, with Paul Tibbitt taking over Drymon's job as creative director).

===Comeback (2005–2007)===
TV advertisements for ''SpongeBob'''s fourth season first aired publicly during the 2005 ''Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards''. The new episodes began airing on May 6, 2005. The first new episode of Season 4 was "Fear of a Krabby Patty"/"Shell of a Man". After airing three new episodes on Fridays from May 6-May 20, Nickelodeon showed no new episodes until September 2005.

For the first time in the series' run, Nickelodeon began airing 11-minute segments of new episodes separately, spread over two weeks. This practice began with the airing of the episode "Selling Out" on September 23; its companion episode, "Funny Pants," premiered the following week.

The Star Online eCentral reported in December 2005 that Nickelodeon had ordered 20 more episodes, bringing the show’s total to 100.

''Spongebob SquarePants'' has been approved for a sixth season, which consists of thirteen episodes.

In November 2005, Nickelodeon aired the special "Have You Seen This Snail?" and did not air new episodes until February 2006, when they showed the special "Dunces and Dragons". The show was sponsored by Burger King, and got 8.5 million viewers, one of the highest in ''SpongeBob'''s history. They then showed new episodes until June 2 2006. On September 23, 2006 Nickelodeon began to air new episodes, which included "New Leaf", "Once Bitten" in September. ''SpongeBob'' also aired 2 October episodes and the November episodes include "The Best Day Ever", which featured a 24-hour marathon before its premiere. This drew 6.7 million viewers on November 9 along with "Wigstruck" (Originally October 20) and "That's No Lady," which aired late the same month. The new episodes in 2007 started airing on January 15 and, one of the first times in SpongeBob history, is airing three new episodes back to back on February 19, 2007. It's announced in February 2007 that KISS rocker Gene Simmons will be voicing the Sea Monster in a new episode called "20,000 Patties Under The Sea", schedule to air in 2007.

==Awards==
The following list shows the awards the show has won:
; '''Annie Awards''':
:Best Animated Television Production (2005)
:Best Writing in an Animated Television Production (2006)
; '''Kids Choice Awards''':
:Best Cartoon (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)
; '''Golden Reel Award''':
:Best Sound Editing in Television Animation - Music (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003)
:Best Sound Editing in Television Animation - Music (2000, 2003, 2004)
; '''Television Critics Association Awards''':
:Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming (2002)

==Music==

*The painting of Painty the Pirate, which appears at the start of the opening theme song sequence, employs a chroma key for the moving lips. The lips are actually those of Stephen Hillenburg, and the voice is of Patrick Pinney.
*The ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' theme song is primarily based on the sea shanty, "Blow the Man Down". It is sung by Painty the Pirate, voiced by Pat Pinney, and can be found on the soundtrack ''SpongeBob SquarePants: Original Theme Highlights''. This song is popularly misattributed to [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]. A cover of the song by Avril Lavigne can be found on The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (soundtrack). Another cover by the Violent Femmes, which aired as a commercial on Nickelodeon to promote Season 2, can be viewed in the special features of the Nautical Nonsense/Sponge Buddies DVD. A choral version was recorded for the SpongeBob Christmas special where the last repetition of "SpongeBob SquarePants" was replaced by, "It's the SpongeBob Christmas special." The theme song is occasionally utilized as marching cadence.
*Traditional sea shanties are used for the musical themes in the show. Most commonly used is that of "Drunken Sailor". In the episode "Krusty Krab Training Video," a young Eugene Krabs is shown walking to a soda vending machine, la-laing the shanty "Blow the Man Down." Various songs used in SpongeBob SquarePants come from the Associated Production Music library, some of which have also been used in shows such as ''Ren & Stimpy'', ''Rocko's Modern Life'', ''The X Factor'', ''Camp Lazlo'', and ''My Gym Partner's a Monkey''. For competition-based episodes, some of Sam Spence's NFL Films music is used (such as "A Golden Boy Again" used in episodes such as ""The Fry Cook Games and "Ramblin' Man from Gramblin" is used in "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V".) Ironically, one of Spence's more famous songs for the NFL Films library of music is an orchestral version of "Drunken Sailor" called "Up She Rises", first suggested by Steven Sabol to his father Ed because he liked the song at summer camp.

==Magazine==
In the UK, a Spongebob Squarepants magazine is currently being published by Titan Magazines every four weeks. It was first published on February 3 2005. The magazine contains comic strips, fan letters, competitions and several features.

==Trivia==
*According to the book ''SpongeBob Exposed'', series creator Stephen Hillenburg said that the policy of the show is to avoid referencing pop culture or current events. In order for the cartoon to be timeless, he even says that Bikini Bottom is isolated from the real world, being under the Pacific Ocean.
*SpongeBob SquarePants was the first American cartoon to be broadcast in Iraq and Afghanistan after their US-led invasions.

==External links==
*[http://nick.co.uk/nicktoons/shows/spongebob/index.aspx Official site (UK)]

Nonspam

Admin — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 12:55:58 GMT

Admin:

sex, ringtone

Reggie Fils-Aime

Admin — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 11:57:02 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Gaming]]
[[image:Reggie_Fils-Aime.jpg|thumb|Reggie at E3]]
'''Reginald "Reggie" Fils-Aime''' (prounounced ''fees-aymay'') (born March 1961) is the President and COO of Nintendo of America, the North American division of Japan-based video game company [[Nintendo]]. Previously, he was Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

Fils-Aime came into prominence in May 2004 when he was selected to play host to Nintendo's press conference at E3 and opened the presentation with "My name is Reggie. I'm about kickin' ass. I'm about taking names, and ''we're'' about making games." His opening words heralded a new era for Nintendo and the rest of the video game industry, playfully dubbed the "Reggilution" and calling him the "Regginator."

==Background==
He graduated from Cornell University in 1983, earning a BSc in Applied Economics.

Soon after receiving his degree Fils-Aime took a position with Procter & Gamble. Following that, he took a position as Senior Director of National Marketing at Pizza Hut, where he launched the Bigfoot Pizza and The Big New Yorker.

He served as the Head of Marketing for Guinness in the United States and was responsible for all brands.

He served as Chief Marketing Officer at Derby Cycle Corporation, directing sales and marketing efforts for eight brands. He also served as Managing Director and oversaw Derby's British operations.

He then joined the world's Chinese food service leader, Panda Management Co., acting as Senior Vice President. Later, he came on board to VH1 as Senior Vice President. He was responsible for a 30% increase in ratings by refocusing the channel's content to appeal to younger viewers.

==Nintendo==
Fils-Aime joined Nintendo in December 2003 as the Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing. He was responsible for all sales and marketing activities for Nintendo in the United States, Canada, and Latin America.

On May 25, 2006 Fils-Aime became the President and Chief Operating Officer of Nintendo of America after former president, Tatsumi Kimishima, was moved to his new role as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. Fils-Aime is the first American to hold this position.

===Reggilution===
Fils-Aime shot to fame in May 2004 with the opening line of Nintendo's E³ press conference: "My name is Reggie. I'm about kickin' ass, I'm about takin' names, and ''we're'' about makin' games." His theatrical antics gained a cult following soon after, when following the conference, many images of him spread across the Web. Reggie is considered by some to be responsible for revamping Nintendo's public relations in North America, leading many fans and members of the press to dub his arrival the "Reggilution" (after the Nintendo Revolution, the code name for [[Nintendo#Wii_.282006_.E2.80.93_Present.29|Wii]]).

==Awards==
*Clio Award
*AICP award for Advertising Excellence
*Silver Edison from the American Marketing Institute
*2 Gold EFFIEs from the New York American Marketing Association
*Named one of the "Marketing 100" by ''Advertising Age'' in 1998

Shigeru Miyamoto

Admin — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 11:37:31 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Gaming]]
[[image:Shigeru Miyamoto.jpg|thumb|Shigeru Miyamoto]]
'''Shigeru Miyamoto''' is a Japanese electronic game designer. He is the creator of the ''Mario'', ''Donkey Kong'', ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'', ''Star Fox'', ''Wave Race'', and ''Pikmin'' video game series for Nintendo game systems.

He is one of the world's most celebrated game designers, and is often called one of the fathers of modern video gaming. His titles are characterized by refined control-mechanics and imaginative worlds in which the players are encouraged to discover things for themselves, as well as basic storylines, which had been almost unheard of before he introduced one of the first, featuring Mario.

Employed by [[Nintendo]] (then a Hanafuda manufacturer) as an artist, in 1980 he was given the task of designing one of their first coin-op arcade games. The resulting title ''Donkey Kong'' was a huge success and the game's lead character, Jump Man — later renamed Mario — has become Nintendo's mascot. Miyamoto quickly became Nintendo's star producer designing many franchises for the company, most of which are still active and very well-regarded.

Shigeru Miyamoto has two children with his wife, Yasuko Miyamoto, who was general manager of Nintendo of Japan in 1977. Neither of their children has expressed a desire to go into the family business.
He is currently the Director and General Manager of Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development (EAD), the corporate sector of Nintendo of Japan. In 1998, Miyamoto became the first person to be inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame.

==Biography==
===Early life===
Shigeru Miyamoto was born in Sonobe (now Nantan), Kyoto, Japan. As a young boy, Miyamoto loved to draw, paint pictures, and explore the landscape surrounding his home. Stories describe his fascinated discovery of hidden caves, lakes, and other natural features that were linked to his later work. In 1970, he enrolled in the Kanazawa College of Art, and graduated five years later, though he would later remark that his studies often took a backseat to doodling. In 1977, Miyamoto, armed with a degree in industrial design, was able to arrange a meeting with Hiroshi Yamauchi — a friend of his father, and the head of Cheese of Japan. Yamauchi hired Miyamoto to be a "staff artist", even though one was not needed at the time, and assigned him to apprentice in the planning department.

===Nintendo===
In 1980, the fairly new Nintendo of America was looking for a hit to establish itself as a player in the growing arcade market. After successful location tests using prototypes, NoA CEO Minoru Arakawa ordered a very large number of units of ''Radar Scope'', an arcade game. However, by the time the arcade machines could be produced and shipped to the U.S., interest had vaporized, causing Radar Scope to be a huge flop. To stay afloat and clear the costly inventory of "Radar Scope," Nintendo of America desperately needed a smash-hit game that the unsold machines could be converted to play. Yamauchi assigned Miyamoto — the only person available — the task of creating the game that would make or break the company.

After Miyamoto had consulted with some of the company's engineers (he had no prior programming experience), and composed the music himself on a small electronic keyboard, ''Donkey Kong'' was fully conceptualized. When the game was complete, the chips containing the new program were rushed to the U.S. and Nintendo employees worked around the clock to convert the "Radar Scope" machines. It was fortuitous that Nintendo had so many units on hand, because ''Donkey Kong'' was an overnight success, and not only saved the company, but introduced the character who more than any other would be identified with Nintendo.

Out of the three characters Miyamoto created for the game — Donkey Kong, Jump Man, and Pauline — it is Mario, a character who descends from Jump Man, that has found the most success, and since his debut in ''Donkey Kong'' he has appeared in more than 100 games spanning over a dozen gaming platforms.

Miyamoto is usually listed as "producer" in the credits of Mario games. The few exceptions include the ''Super Mario Land'' series for the Game Boy, which he had virtually nothing to do with. (Gunpei Yokoi, Miyamoto's mentor, produced the ''Super Mario Land'' series.) In early U.S. releases, he was sometimes credited as ''Miyahon'' — a mistranslation of the kanji in his name (本 — which can be read as either ''hon'' or ''moto'').

Despite being an influential figure in video games and responsible for multi-million dollar franchises, Miyamoto is said to be very humble, insisting on settling for an average income, and often rides a bicycle to work.

===Awards and recognition===

Miyamoto was the first member ever to be inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame in 1998, an award that outlines his lifetime achievement and dramatic effect on the video game industry. In March 2005, Miyamoto was among the first honorees in 2004 to receive a star on the Walk of Game, a section of San Francisco's Metreon Center that is modeled on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

On March 13, 2006, Miyamoto received a French honor, by being inducted Chevalier ("Knight") into the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, alongside game designers Michel Ancel and Frédérick Raynal as part of the French video game policy effort.

On November 28, 2006, Miyamoto was featured in TIME Asia's "''60 Years of Asian Heroes''", among Hayao Miyazaki, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Bruce Lee and the Dalai Lama.

At the Game Developers Choice Awards, on March 7, 2007, Shigeru Miyamoto will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for a career that spans the creation of Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda to the company's recent revolutionary systems, Nintendo DS and Wii.

=="A delayed game is eventually good; a bad game is bad forever"==
It's not rare for Nintendo to delay its games. This is largely due to the perfectionist tendency of Miyamoto who would go as far as scrapping the entire development if he did not find a game up to his standard. Miyamoto and fellow developers refer to this scrapping as "Chabuda Gaeshi" (upending the tea table), a reference to manga and anime ''Hoshi of the Giants''. It is also referred to as "Miyahon Check" (Miyahon is an alternative kanji reading of Miyamoto) or "Miyamoto Test".

*"Twinkle Popo" was a completed product with a pre-order of 26,000 units. It was supposed to be released under the game's developer, HAL Laboratory. Miyamoto intervened arguing that, with a tiny bit of tweaking, it would become a great game. After cancelling the preorder, the game was eventually released under Nintendo with the title ''Kirby's Dream Land'', selling 5 million units globally.
*''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'' was supposed to be released immediately after the release of the Nintendo 64 (Japanese release date, 6 June 1996). Instead, Miyamoto, who was the producer, repeatedly ordered the game to be redone, resulting in numerous announcements of delays by Nintendo until the game's eventual release on 21 November 1998. ''Ocarina of Time'' sold 7.6 million units and is widely considered one of the greatest games of all time.
*Eiji Aonuma was initially the producer of ''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess''. However, between 2005 to 2006, Miyamoto switched to the director's role. He stated that the switch was the result of a year-long development being "Chabudai Gaeshi"ed. In the same interview, Miyamoto said that he had to clean up the mess of his Chabudai Gaeshi, so he joined in as a producer and also to assist in the development of the game. ''Twilight Princess'', eventually released for both the GameCube and Wii consoles, has received tremendous critical and commercial acclaim.

==Trivia==
*Shigeru Miyamoto is ambidextrous, though he prefers using his left hand. As a videogame designer, he made some of his characters such as Mario and Link, left-handed or ambidextrous.
*Miyamoto likes quick, handheld games which he plays with his family.
*Miyamoto also plays the guitar and banjo in his spare time, and appeared on a concert for the Mario and Zelda Big Band.
*In 2002, rumours stated that Shigeru Miyamoto died of heart problems. People were very relieved to find out the rumours were false.
*Many of Nintendo's franchises and characters are a result of Miyamoto's past experiences. For example, The Legend of Zelda was inspired by Miyamoto's maze-like Japanese home; he'd often go exploring in the wilderness and caves. Another example is the infamous Chain Chomp enemy of Mario fame. When Miyamoto was a child, he was attacked by a neighbor's dog, which was kept at bay by a chain attached to a post.
* Shigeru (Gary Oak in the English version), a fictional character in the ''Pokémon'' franchise, is named after him. This is due to the fact that Miyamoto mentored Satoshi Tajiri, creator of ''Pokémon'', during the production of the first two games of the series. Interestingly, the character Satoshi (Ash Ketchum in the English version) is named after Tajiri.
* The Pokemon Squirtle is named "Shiggy" in the German dub. It is unknown if this was an intentional reference to Shigeru Miyamoto.
* Shigeru is fond of gardening, which helped give him inspiration for the creation of the game Pikmin. The tiny creatures featured in the game are named after Miyamoto's Shetland Sheepdog named Pikku (pronounced "Pick"), who in turn helped inspire Nintendogs.
* Shigeru is known as a very social person, always doing interviews and willing to talk to fans about video games.

Nintendo

Admin — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 20:43:20 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Gaming]]
[[image:Nintendo-logo-mario.jpg|thumb|250px|The Nintendo logo, with mascot and most famous character [[Mario]].]]
'''Nintendo Company, Limited''' (任天堂株式会社 ''Nintendō Kabushiki-gaisha'') is a multinational corporation founded on  September 23 1889 in Kyoto, Japan by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. In the mid-twentieth century, the company tried several small niche businesses, such as a love hotel and a taxi company. Over the years, it became a video game company, growing into one of the most powerful in the industry. Aside from video games, Nintendo is also the majority owner of the Seattle Mariners, a Major League Baseball team in Seattle, Washington. They are also are the partial owner of the Atlanta Hawks, an NBA team in Atlanta, Georgia.

Nintendo has the distinction of historically being both the oldest intact company in the video game console market and one of the largest and well-known console manufacturers, as well as being the dominant entity in the handheld console market.  As of December 1, 2006, Nintendo has sold over 387 million hardware units, and nearly 2.2 billion software units worldwide.

==History==

===Early life===
Nintendo started as a small Japanese business by Fusajiro Yamauchi near the end of 1889 as Nintendo Koppai. Based in Kyoto, Japan, the business produced and marketed a playing card game called Hanafuda. The handmade cards soon began to gain popularity, and Yamauchi had to hire assistants to mass produce cards to keep up with the demand.

===Middle life===
In 1956, Hiroshi Yamauchi paid a visit to the US, to engage in talks with the United States Playing Card Company, the dominant playing card manufacturer in the US. Yamauchi was shocked to find that the world's biggest company in his business was relegated to using a small office. This was a turning point where Yamauchi realized the limitations of the playing card business. He then gained access to Disney's characters and put them on the playing cards, in order to drive sales.

In 1963, Yamauchi renamed ''Nintendo Playing Card Company Limited'' to ''Nintendo Company, Limited.'' The company then began to experiment in other areas of business using the newly injected capital. During the period of time between 1963 and 1968, Nintendo set up a taxi company, a "love hotel" chain, a TV network, a food company (trying to sell instant rice, similar to instant noodles), and several other things (including a toy remote controlled vacuum cleaner called Chiritory - which was later seen as a two-player game in WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ in 2003). All these ventures failed, except toy making, where they had some earlier experience from selling playing cards. Then, after the Tokyo Olympics, playing card sales dropped, leaving Nintendo with a measly 60 yen in stocks.

Riddled with debt, Nintendo struggled to survive in the Japanese toy industry; it was still small at this point, and dominated by already well established companies such as Bandai and Tomy. Because of the generally short product life cycle of toys, the company always had to come up with new product. This was the beginning of a major new era for Nintendo.

In 1970, Hiroshi Yamauchi was observing a Nintendo hanafuda factory. He noticed an extending arm, which was made by one of their maintenance engineers, Gunpei Yokoi, for his own amusement. Yamauchi ordered Yokoi to develop it as a proper product for the Christmas rush. The Ultra Hand was a huge success, selling approximately 1.2 million units. Yokoi was soon moved from maintenance duty to product development.

The 1970s also saw the hiring of [[Shigeru Miyamoto]], the man who (along with Yokoi) would become a living legend in the world of gaming and the secret to Nintendo's longevity; his creative vision was instrumental in determining the path Nintendo's future (and indeed, the video game industry as a whole) would follow. Yokoi began to mentor Miyamoto during this period of time in R&D, teaching him all that he knew.

===Electronic era===
Nintendo at this time saw how successful video games were and began to dabble in them. Its first step in that field was to secure the rights to distribute the Magnavox Odyssey in Japan, which it did in 1975. At the time, home video game consoles were extremely rare — even the seminal Atari PONG console had yet to be produced.

Nintendo's first video arcade game was 1978's ''Computer Othello''; a large handful of others followed in the next several years, ''Radar Scope'' and ''Donkey Kong'' being among the most famous of these. The early 1980s saw Nintendo's video game division (led by Yokoi) creating some of its most famous arcade titles. The massively popular ''Donkey Kong'' was created in 1981 with Miyamoto as its mastermind, and released in the arcades and on the Atari 2600, Intellivision, and ColecoVision video game systems (although Nintendo itself generally had no involvement with these early console ports). This release method would be used on several later Nintendo arcade games of this same period, including the original ''Mario Bros.'' (not to be confused with the later Super Mario Bros.).
In addition to this arcade and dedicated console game activity, Nintendo was testing the consumer handheld video game waters with the Game & Watch. Then, in 1985, Nintendo struck gold with its Nintendo Entertainment System and continued with the handheld gaming market with their highly successful Game Boy. Nintendo continued producing updates of these two concepts, leading it to become one of the world's most recognized video-game manufacturers.

Nintendo's main line-up of video-game systems currently include the Nintendo DS and the Wii.

===Past Slogans===
*Now you're playing with power! (1986 - 1992)*
*The best play here! (1992 - 1994)
*Play it loud! (1994 - 1996)
*Get N or get out! (1996 - 2000)

<nowiki>(*)</nowiki> This slogan was sometimes used slightly differently in commercials. When the commercial was for a Game Boy game, the slogan would be "Now you're playing with power...Portable power!", and if it was a commercial for a Super NES game, the slogan would be "Now you're playing with power...Super power!"

==Gaming systems==
===Consoles===
====Color TV Game (1977 – 1980)====
The '''Color TV Game Series''' were five different dedicated consoles.

====Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) (1983 – 1994)====
''Nintendo Entertainment System'', or ''NES'', is an 8-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Brazil, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Its Japanese equivalent is known as the
Famicom (Family Computer). NES is the most successful gaming console of its time in Asia and North America, since Nintendo claims to have sold over 60 million NES units worldwide. It helped revitalize the video game industry following the video game crash of 1983 and set the standard for subsequent consoles in everything from game design (the first modern platform game, ''Super Mario Bros.'', was the system’s first "killer game") to business practices. The NES was the first console for which the manufacturer openly courted third-party developers.

The NES has sold 60 million systems worldwide.

====Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) (1990 – 2000)====
The ''Super Nintendo Entertainment System'', also known as ''Super Nintendo'', ''Super NES'' or ''SNES'', is a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Brazil, Europe, and Australia. In Japan it is known as the ''Super Famicom'' (Super Family Computer). In South Korea, it is known as the ''Super Comboy'' and was distributed by Hyundai Electronics.

The SNES was Nintendo's second home console, following the Nintendo Entertainment System. Whereas the earlier system had struggled in the PAL region and large parts of Asia, the SNES proved to be a global success, albeit one that could not match its predecessor's popularity in Northeast Asia and North America—due in part to increased competition from Sega's Mega Drive console (released in North America as the Genesis). Despite its relatively late start, the SNES became the best selling console of the 16-bit era.

The SNES has sold over 49 million systems worldwide.

====Nintendo 64 (N64) (1996 – 2002)====
The Nintendo 64, commonly called the ''N64'', is Nintendo's third home video game console for the international market. It was released with three launch games in Japan (''Super Mario 64'', ''Pilotwings 64'' and ''Saikyō Habu Shōgi'') but only two in North America and PAL region (''Super Mario 64'' and ''Pilotwings 64''). Other key titles included two ''Legend of Zelda'' games, ''GoldenEye 007'', and ''Star Fox 64''.

The Nintendo 64 has sold over 32.93 million systems as of March 31, 2005.

====Nintendo GameCube (GCN) (2001 – 2007)====
The ''Nintendo GameCube'' was Nintendo's fourth home video game console, belonging to the sixth generation era—the same generation as [[Sega]]'s [[Sega Dreamcast|Dreamcast]], [[Sony]]'s PlayStation 2, and Microsoft's Xbox. Right up until the console's unveiling at SpaceWorld 2000, the design project was known as ''Dolphin''— this can still be seen in the console and its accessories' model numbers. The GameCube itself was the most compact and least expensive of the sixth generation era consoles. The GameCube was the first Nintendo game console to use optical discs rather than game cartridges. An agreement with the optical drive manufacturer Panasonic led to a DVD-playing GameCube system named the Panasonic Q, which was only released in Japan.

The Nintendo GameCube has sold over 21.20 million systems as of September 30, 2006.

====Wii (2006 – Present)====
[[image:Nintendo_Wii.jpg|right|thumb|300px|The Nintendo Wii and its revolutionary controller.]]
Wii (pronounced as the word "we") is Nintendo's seventh-generation video game console. Its official project code name was '"Revolution", and as with the Nintendo GameCube, this reference appears on the console and its accessories.

The major feature of the Wii console is the console's wireless controller, the Wii Remote, that may be used as a handheld pointing device and can detect motion and rotation in three dimensions. The controller comes with a Nunchuk accessory which provides additional controls, including more motion sensing. The controller also contains a speaker and a rumble device to provide sensory feedback, and can be used to turn the console on and off. The console also features a stand-by mode entitled WiiConnect24, enabling it to receive messages and updates over the Internet while consuming very little electrical power. The console is bundled with a game, ''Wii Sports'', unusual for a games console of its era. In the Japan region, the Wii Sports game is not included with the console but is offered as a standalone title. The Wii has a feature called [[Virtual Console]], which enables users to download retro games. The Wii has sold almost 4 million systems as of February 19th, 2007. The Wii, like the Nintendo GameCube, is the smallest and most compact system in its generation.

On December 15th, 2006, Nintendo announced that it would offer to replace wrist straps for 3.2 million Wii controllers. Consumers reported they were breaking during game play.

===Portable===
====Game Boy (1989 – Present)====
[[image:gameboy.jpg|left|thumb|150px|The original Game Boy.]]
[[image:GBASP.jpg|right|thumb|The last but one Game Boy - the Game Boy Advance SP.]]
The ''Game Boy'' line is a line of battery-powered handheld game consoles sold by Nintendo. It is one of the world's best-selling game system lines, with more than 188 million hardware units sold worldwide. The original Game Boy has sold 70 million units, while the Game Boy Color sold 50 million units. The Game Boy Advance has managed to sell over 76.79 million units as of September 30, 2006. This latter system underwent two revisions without changing its game-playing functionality: a smaller SP model including a front-lit screen and rechargeable battery, and an even smaller Micro variant with a higher-quality backlit screen. Nintendo said of the Micro that they were not appealing to existing GBA owners, but new gamers who might see the tiny console as a fashion accessory. There is debate to whether the GB Micro is actually playable because the screen is ''too'' small.

====Nintendo DS (2004 – Present)====
[[image:nintendo_ds.jpg|left|thumb|The Nintendo DS.]]
[[image:nintendo-ds_lite.jpg|right|thumb|The Nintendo DS Lite in white.]]
The ''Nintendo DS'' (sometimes abbreviated ''NDS'' or ''DS'', also as ''iQue DS'' in China) is a handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo, released in 2004. It is visibly distinguishable by its horizontal clamshell design, which is almost a throwback to the Game & Watch, and the presence of two displays, the lower of which acts as a touch screen. The system also has a built-in microphone and supports WiFi standards, allowing players to interact with each other within short range (30–100 feet, depending on conditions) or over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service.

The letters "DS" in the name stand for '''''D'''evelopers' '''S'''ystem'', which refers to the features of the handheld designed to encourage innovative gameplay ideas among developers. Nintendo stated that it can also stand for '''''D'''ual '''S'''creen''.

On March 2, 2006, Nintendo released the Nintendo DS Lite, a redesigned model of the Nintendo DS, in Japan. It was later released in North America, Australia and Europe.

The Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite have sold over 37 million systems as of February, 2007.

===Other hardware===
*Gameboy Camera - a monochrome camera cartridge for the original version of the gameboy, includes a simple picture editor and ability to print pictures via Game Boy Printer
*Broadcast Satellaview - Only released in Japan, an add-on for the Super Famicom (Japanese SNES) that allowed anyone to download games via a satellite.
*Game & Watch – A series of handheld games made by Nintendo from 1980 through 1991, which had a clock component and a very similar design to the DS.
*Game Boy Player – An adapter for playing Game Boy games on the GameCube.
*Game Boy Printer - An adapter designed for printing things from the Game Boy. It was used for printing out Pokémon information from the Pokédex in the Game Boy Pokémon games.
*iQue Player – A version of the Nintendo 64, with double the clock speed and downloadable games, released only in the Chinese market.
*iQue DS - A version of the Nintendo DS, release only in China.
*Nintendo 64DD – Only released in Japan, this add-on system's games are on re-writable magnetic disks. Games released include a paint and 3D construction package, F-Zero X Expansion Kit, for creating new F-Zero X tracks, a sequel to the SNES version of SimCity, SimCity 64 and a few others. A complete commercial failure, many speculated that Nintendo released it only to save face after promoting it preemptively for years.
*Pokémon Mini – Unveiled in London at Christmas 2000, the Pokémon Mini was Nintendo's cheapest console ever produced; with games costing £10 each, and the system costing £30. This remains the smallest cartridge-based games console ever made. Sales of this system were rather poor, but, unlike the Virtual Boy, Nintendo made a profit on every game and system sold.
*''Mobile System GB'' - Released in Japan, December 14, 2000. The Mobile System is an adapter to play Game Boy Color games on the cell phone. The game Pokémon Crystal was the first game to take advantage of the Mobile System. Someone can hook an adapter to their Game Boy and connect it to a mobile phone which people can receive news, trade, and battle with other players across Japan.
*Pokémon Pikachu - A handheld device similar to the popular Tamagotchi toy that allowed the user to take care of Pikachu in the manner of a pet.
*Super Game Boy – Adapter for playing Game Boy games on the Super NES, which would be displayed in color.
*Triforce – An arcade system based on Nintendo GameCube hardware, developed in partnership with Sega and Namco.
*Virtual Boy – The Virtual Boy used two red monochrome displays to create a virtual reality-like system. Fewer than two dozen games were released for it in the United States. It is the only Nintendo game system to be a commercial failure.
*Yakuman – A handheld Mah-jong game released in 1983.

== Offices and locations ==
Nintendo Company, Limited (NCL), the main branch of the company, is based in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Nintendo of America (NOA), its American division, is based in Redmond, Washington. It has distribution centers in Atlanta, Georgia, and North Bend, Washington. Nintendo Europe, the European division, is based in Großostheim, Germany.

==Controversy==
Over the past, Nintendo has been fined of fixed pricing, especially in Europe, where the European Union claimed that prices of Nintendo's products were too highly priced.

Leet

Admin — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 20:13:13 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Computers]]
'''Leet''' or '''Leetspeak''' (often written in Leet as '''1337''' or '''13375p34k''', or '''13375p33|<''') is a writing system used primarily on the [[Internet]], particularly on IRC but nowadays also in online games such as Counter-Strike, [[RuneScape]], Ragnarok Online, and Team Fortress and almost all games online - although use of it is frowned upon within [[Kingdom of Loathing]]. It is based upon the writing of words using characters other than the correct ones that look similar to the Roman alphabet. The term itself is derived from the word ''Elite'', meaning “better than the rest,” and generally has the same meaning when referring to the hacking skills of another person.

Leet can be defined as the perturbation or modification of written text. For example, the term ''leet'' itself is often written ''l33t'', or ''1337'', and many other variations. Such perturbations are frequently referred to as “Leetspeak”. In addition to modification of standard language, new colloquialisms have been added to the parlance. It is also important to note that Leet itself is not solely based upon one language or character set. Greek, Russian, Chinese, and other languages have been subjected to the Leet variety. As such, while it may be referred to as a “cipher,” a “dialect,” or a “language,” Leet does not fit squarely into any of these categories. This article primarily concerns the English language variant of Leet.

==Common words in Leet==
=== Pwn ===

'''''Pwn''''' refers to the domination of a player in a video game or argument (rather than just a win). For example, in a multiplayer FPS game, a player with a default starting gun defeats an opponent carrying a vastly superior weapon. This would indicate dominant skill in the player with the inferior weapon, who outplayed (pwned) the player with superior firepower. As is a common characteristic of Leet, the term has also been adapted into a noun and adjective, ''pwnage'', indicating the superiority of its subject (e.g., “She is a very good player. She is pwnage.”).

There are several commonly accepted theories about its origin, most of which suggest derivation from the word ''own'', a term once used by hackers to indicate full control over a computer. The word ''pwn'' means virtually the same as ''own''.
Some people pronounce pwn as ''p'own'' or ''poon''. The correct pronunciation is simply ''own''. Since the letter ''p'' on a QWERTY keyboard is right next to the letter ''o'', it likely derives from a typographical error, which was eventually embraced by Leetspeakers.

A few theories state that ''pwn'' originates from “pure ownage,” “player own,” “power own,” “perfectly own,” or "pistol own." Using ''pwn'' rather than ''own'' means that one has beaten his opponent to a higher degree than ''own''. Another theory is that the term came into being through the misspelling of the word ''pawn'', pawn being the lowest prized chess piece. Therefore, when one has pwned someone, they have captured a more highly prized and powerful piece, such as a bishop, rook, or queen, with the lowest piece, hence pawn. However, even this word has been purposefully used as ''p4wn3d'', as in, “I p4wn3d you.”

Another theory is based around online forum speak, where the text '':p'' is usually seen as a [[smiley]] sticking its tongue out. Users would type '':pwned'' and when the program rendered '':p'', it would show up as a round face, standing in for the ''o''.

Yet another theory is that a Warcraft custom map maker misspelled "own" in his map. The phrase then spread. One more theory is that a Counter-Strike mod maker also misspelled "own" when writing a script to have "[Player1] just got (p)wned by [Player2]!"

All theories denote supreme victory over one's opponent.

=== n00b ===

Within Leet, the term ''n00b'' (and derivations thereof) is used extensively. The word, meaning ''newbie'' (as in, new and inexperienced or uninformed), is used as a means of segregating the “elite” members of a group from outsiders. There have been other variations of the term. For example, ''nub'', ''nubcake'' (sometimes spelled ''nubcaek''), ''naab'' (from the Pakistani accent), 'n00blin', "neeb", "nubsauce", and ''n00blet'' (a n00b who is, or acts like, a child).

Though they are often used interchangeably, there is a widely accepted separation of the definitions of ''newb'' and ''n00b'': a newb is a person who is new to something, while a n00b is a detestable or inferior person. It is used in a derogatory sense, implying the target is being ignorant of his or her own failures, blaming others without reason, failing to learn, etc. Example: “Player one is a newb because he joined the game yesterday. Player two is a n00b, because he has played the game for a year and still can't win.” The word noob is the most common insult in all online games.

In primitive Leet, as used on BBS systems in the 1980s and into the very early 1990s, the usual term was ''Christmas Kiddie''. A variant was ''greenie'' or ''Christmas greenie'' which was derived from the cowboy slang ''greenhorn''. ''Christmas Kiddie'' which referred to the phenomenon where BBS systems were flooded with new members immediately following Christmas and Hanukkah because modems were a common holiday gift. If the kiddie was young, the term ''ruggie'' (derived from ''rugrat'' meaning ''child'') might be used.

As the Internet evolved and modems saw a decline, the term ''Christmas Kiddie'' was shortened to just ''Kiddie'' with the meaning morphing slightly to indicate someone who did not know a lot about what they were doing online, and were just running scripts provided by other, more experienced users. This typically, but not necessarily, referred to children or ''noobs'' who had recently discovered the online world and were experimenting with various hacking scripts available.

The terms "ch00b" and "fr00b" are used to refer to someone who for example, is high leveled yet acts like a "n00b". "z0mg j00 pr4y3r n00b" "u 4 ch00b"

=== LOL ===
Among the early Internet slang was ''LOL'', an indication of appreciation of humor, literally meaning “Laughing Out Loud” or “Lots Of Laughs”. Similar acronyms were quickly added to the lexicon, including ''ROFL'' (“Rolling On [the] Floor, Laughing”), ''LMAO'' (“Laughing My Ass Off”), and ''ROTFLOL'' (Rolling On The Floor Laughing Out Loud), and of course ''ROTFLMAO'' (Which is obviously ROTF+LMAO). Derivations of the acronym quickly became incorporated into the Leet vocabulary. LOL can also be displayed typed as ''lawl'' Amongst black internet users there is ROFLMBAO (Roll On The Floor Laughing My Black Ass Off)

Leet is prone to the corruption of words to suit rhythm and rhyming.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} This, in addition to various ironic corruptions of the words  (such as ''ROFLcaeks,'' ''ROFLcopter,'' ''LMAOnade,'' ''LMAOtank,'' ''LOLLERskates,'' ''LMAOynnaise,'' ''LOLLERgasm,'' ''LOLipops,'' ''LOLLERcaust,'' and ''LOLLERcoaster,'' etc.), has led to the creation of tongue-in-cheek words and phrases that don't actually utilize the original acronym, such as “roffle my woffles [sic]” and ''lawlsauce''. Many people will pronounce the acronym as an actual word. For example, instead of saying each letter individually (“L-O-L”), the speaker will phoneticize the acronym's pronunciation (''lawl'' or ''loll''). More often than not, however, ''lawl'' or ''lawlz'', is used sarcastically as a contrast to LOL in a number of ways. It can be used in place of "LOL" to express how a joke was, in actuality, unfunny. It can be used in a self-deprecating fashion, resembling something of a resigned sigh (e.g. "I just got owned again. Lawl."). It can be used to provide additional sarcasm to a statement (e.g. "Yeah, best idea evar. Lawl."). It can also sometimes be used in a sarcastic but non-hostile manner to express weak amusement, much like a polite laugh or the emotive term, "heh.".

The word "lawl" is now starting to be used, which is the spelling of the pronounciation of lol as a word.
==Examples of Leet==
=== Sentences ===

'''Example:'''
7|-|3 [,]|_|1(|< |3|20\\/\\/|\\| |=0>< ]|_|/\\/\\|?5 0\\/3|2 7|-|3 |_42`/ [)09.

'''Translation:'''
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

'''Example:'''
1 ]|_|57 |_34|2/\\/3|) \\/\\/|-|47 1337 /\\/\\34/\\/5.

'''Translation:'''
I just learned what leet means

'''More common example:'''
7 |-| 4 7 |\\/| 0 \\/ 3 \\|/ 4 5 1337!!!

'''Translation:'''
That move was elite!!!

'''Another common example:'''
0|\\/|6\\/\\/7|=|3|3Q|-|4><

'''Translation:'''
OMGWTFBBQHAX

'''A more basic form:'''
7h15 15 4 v3ry b451c f0rm 0f 31i73, 0nly 1nv0lv1ng numb3r 5ub5717u710n.

'''Translation:'''
This is a very basic form of elite, only involving number substitution

'''Simple examples of slang to 1337'''
'''Example of 1337 speak-Y()|_|R /\\/\\()/\\/\\!'''
'''Translation- Your Mom!'''

WTF - \\/\\/7|=

OMG - 0/\\/\\6 or 0|\\/|6

BBQ - |3|3Q

PWN - |?\\/\\/|\\|

OWN - 0\\/\\/|\\|

LOL - |_0|_ or |_()|_

HAX - |-|4>< (Sometimes the "X" is not replaced, viz. "|-|4X")



==Modern Use==
Despite the fact that Leetspeak is now a defining feature of internet society, the practice of writing in the extended script is becoming quite rare. Leetspeak is often the sign of immaturity in many internet communities, and as such the extent to which Leetspeak is used varies widely - some communities using it in a purely ironic context, others still using it as a means of abbreviated communication.

Kingdom of Loathing

Admin — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 19:34:08 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Gaming]][[Category:Computers]]
[[image:KoL_Martini_Guy.gif|right|thumb|KoL's "Sword and Martini Guy".]]
'''''Kingdom of Loathing''''' '''''(KoL)''''' is a humorous [[MMORPG]] designed and operated by Asymmetric Publications (including creator Zack "Jick" Johnson and writer Josh "Mr. Skullhead" Nite). It is notable for its use of simple hand-drawn [[stick figure]] graphics and writing characterized by surreal humor, wit and parody. Launched in February 2003, the game had attracted a player base of 140,000 regular users by 2006.
'''''KoL''''' is a MMORPG in which players fight monsters for experience, for meat (which is the game's currency), and for items, through a turn-based system. Users get 40 "adventures" a day, which can be increased primarily by consuming food and booze. Players also interact with each other through player versus player competition, participate in the in-game economy by trading goods and services, and organize themselves in clans, such as [[The Ultimate Clan]].
There is a large section on [[The Ultimate Site]] based on Kingdom of Loathing, administrated by [[James]] and [[Ben]].

==Plot and setting==
The player takes on the role of an adventurer who is tasked with solving problems and killing monsters in a fantasy-based Kingdom. The game is humorous in nature, and most quests, battles and individual item descriptions include jokes, witticisms, or references to popular culture.

The Naughty Sorceress has captured and "imprismed" (imprisoned in a prism) the Kingdom's ruler, King Ralph XI. The ultimate object of the game is to defeat the Naughty Sorceress and free the King.

In King Ralph's absence, most of the power in the Kingdom of Loathing is held by the Council of Loathing, which gives up to 13 quests to players as they increase in level, with the last Council quest given when the player reaches level 11 (the Naughty Sorceress Quest). (Players can unlock up to 34 quests from other sources, some of which are only available after [[Kingdom of Loathing#Ascension|ascending]].) As much as the Council cares about their King, it seems that they are in no particular hurry to aid his rescue. At one point, they explicitly tell the player they "would continue to have absolute power throughout the land" if the player does not free the King, and that there is "Seriously, no rush."

==Gameplay and features==

Gameplay involves fighting monsters, completing quests, gaining skills and stats, and accumulating items and meat.

In a system that is sometimes referred to as turn- or tick-based gameplay, a player is supplied with a number of adventures each day at a time called "rollover", which currently starts at 8:30 PM, Arizona time (GMT -7 or 3:30 AM GMT -0) and lasts 5 to 20 minutes, except on Saturdays, when it takes just under an hour. 40 adventures are allotted to each player per day, and certain items increase that number when they are either placed at the player's campsite, equipped by the character, or used by their clan. Adventures can also be acquired through food and booze. However, only a limited amount of each can be consumed each day, and if the player drinks too much booze they become too drunk to continue adventuring. Although a player can accumulate a large number of adventures, the number is reduced to no more than 200 at rollover. Rollover is essentially a "rest period" for your character; minor amounts of HP and MP are restored, drunkenness, fullness, and spleen-ness are reset to zero.

Combat against a monster takes one adventure and is turn-based, allowing the player to use attacks, skills, or items each round.

Players can use "meat paste" to combine items. They can also cook food ("cooking"), mix cocktails ("cocktailcrafting"), smith weapons and armor ("meatsmithing"), and make jewelry ("jewelrycrafting"). Some items can only be created by players with a certain skill, which makes them rarer and more valuable (for instance, Saucerors and Pastamancers have access to skills that together make one of the best foods in the game, and Disco Bandits have access to a skill that allows them to make some of the best drinks in the game). Players may also make items such as the "Chef-in-the-box" or "Bartender-in-the-box" to cook or mix drinks for them without consuming adventures.

===Player interaction===
While the player versus monster content is largely a single-player game, there are other features based upon multiplayer interaction.

Player versus player ([[PvP]]) combat is voluntary, and only those who have broken their "Magical Mystical Hippy Stone" can attack or be attacked by other players. Players can later repair their stone (players who are inactive for two weeks automatically have them repaired), removing themselves from the PvP community. A PvP battle is unlike combat against monsters and features a series of stat comparisons and a randomized selection of "minigames". These tests, which range from a "Work Ethic Contest" to "Wine Tasting" or even "Balanced Diet", compare sometimes obscure statistics of the two competitors. The winner of the PvP battle can take rank, stats, or sometimes even meat and items from the loser.

The game features an integrated chat system which is only available after completing a basic test of English grammar and spelling (with one mocking question, "What was the color of George Washington's favorite black horse?"). There are many channels, including a trade channel for buying and selling goods, a games channel for various games and contests, a channel for players who have ascended, private channels for players of each clan (see [[The Ultimate Clan]], and even a channel in which all chat must follow the syllabic conventions of English haiku. Most of the chat channels are moderated; those who violate the chat rules are banned, with ban duration increasing for successive bans. Players can also message each other and send gift packages in-game. The official ''Kingdom of Loathing'' forums are also an active venue for discussion among players.

Players may join a clan (see [[The Ultimate Clan]], a group of players who can share items through a clan stash and a clan hall, which can be furnished with beneficial equipment. A clan may choose to engage in inter-clan warfare, fighting other clans for prestige and status. Members can chat with their friends in a clan-specific chat channel.

Players can create a store in The Mall of Loathing and sell items to other players. Direct trading between two players is also possible, and some players enjoy playing the market in an attempt to attain economic superiority.

Players use display cases to show off collections of various items, as a second store, or simply to store items they do not immediately need.

Players can also be listed on certain leaderboards for doing certain things such as eating or drinking a certain amount of a certain item, or collecting a item. Also, there is a record for how far players have gotten in Fernsworthy's basement, which seems to go for forever and seems to require the player to have increasingly higher attributes as they proceed through the basement.

===Character attributes===
Each player has three major attributes. By defeating monsters and through a variety of other actions, players increase these stats. The three attributes are:

====Muscle====
Muscle determines the chance of hitting monsters with melee weapons, the amount of damage done with all weapons, and the maximum hit points of a character. Muscle is required to equip powerful melee weapons, shirts and shields. Muscle is roughly the same as the attributes Attack, Strength, Defense, and Vitality. This is the primary stat of Turtle Tamers and Seal Clubbers.

====Mysticality====
Mysticality measures magical power and determines the damage caused by certain spells and the maximum MP of a character. A certain amount of mysticality is also required to equip most accessories and some other items. This is the primary stat of Saucerors and Pastamancers.

====Moxie====
Moxie determines the chance to evade attacks, reduces the damage taken when one is hit, and determines the chance to hit with ranged weapons. A certain amount of moxie is also required to equip most ranged weapons, hats, and pants. Moxie is roughly equivalent to a combination of the attributes Dexterity and Agility in mainstream RPGs, but is also associated with stylishness and charisma in the game. This is the primary stat of Disco Bandits and Accordion Thieves.

===Character classes===
Players choose from six classes when they create a character (and after each ascension). Each class specializes in one attribute, and raising that attribute sufficiently results in gaining a level. Each class has an "epic hat" and "epic weapon". Players also receive a non-tradable class-dependent stainless steel or plexiglass item as a reward for completing each hardcore or hardcore oxygenarian ascension.

; Seal Clubber : Seal Clubbers are a muscle-based offensive class, with skills that expand their fighting style, increasing damage as well as defenses. They have access to skills which allow them to craft weapons and pulverize items into elemental components, which then can be smithed into other equipment.

; Turtle Tamer : Turtle Tamers are a muscle-based defensive class, with combat abilities that depend on and enhance their armor. They can learn to craft armor and cast a number of defensive and familiar-enhancing buffs.

; Pastamancer : Pastamancers are a mysticality-based crafting/spellcasting class, with the ability to summon and cook noodles, making some of the best foods in the game. They can also learn very powerful but costly combat and healing spells.

; Sauceror : Saucerors are mystical spellcasters who can cook potions and sauces, ingredients of powerful noodle dishes. They can also create saucespheres, shield buffs which can damage enemies, restore health and bestow other effects. They have offensive combat spells and passive skills which increase spell damage.

; Disco Bandit : Disco Bandits are a moxie-based class with high evasion and the skills to make advanced cocktails, highly potent booze. They also have combat abilities which weaken their enemies and looting skills which increase item and meat drops. They, along with Accordion Thieves, can pickpocket enemies to steal their items, including some items that can only be obtained from pickpocketing.

; Accordion Thief : Accordion Thieves are a moxie-based class whose music can provide a wide variety of buffs to themselves as well as other players. In fact, all but one of their skills are buffs, providing a wide array of enhancements such as increased damage, improved stats, or drop rate increases. Their mortal enemies include mariachis. Like Disco Bandits, they have the ability to pickpocket enemies.

===Familiars===
Familiars are creatures that can accompany players in combat, performing (usually) helpful actions. Players obtain familiars by placing certain items into a "Familiar-Gro™ Terrarium" at their campground. Inside, the items "hatch", becoming the familiar. A player can adventure with one familiar at a time; the rest remain stored in the terrarium. Familiar equipment is available to improve the abilities of each familiar. There are familiar specific equipments and a few generic ones.

Familiars gain experience (expressed as weight in pounds) as they participate in combat, compete against other familiars in an arena, and through other means. Most familiars become stronger as they gain experience. The maximum base weight of a familiar is 20 pounds. This weight can be increased with items, equipment, and buffs. At each ascension, players can choose one familiar to take into the next life. This familiar retains its current weight. The other familiars remain in the terrarium, and their experience is reset to zero and weight is reset to one pound. However, the number of kills that each familiar accumulates doesn't reset when players ascend.

Familiars display many abilities. For example, a Sabre-toothed Lime attacks monsters, a Leprechaun grants extra meat after combat, and a Hovering Sombrero increases stat gains. Some familiars are combinations of two other types, and cost the equivalent of one Mr. Accessory or more. Others, such as the Misshapen Animal Skeleton and the Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot, require a lengthy search or expenditure of meat to gather their component parts.

===Ascension===
Ascension effectively allows players to "win" the game, and then restart their characters at first level. Players can select a new character class and gender, and also pick a zodiac sign. They can opt into voluntary challenges of dietary path and "hardcore" ascension. Players may drop these extra challenges at any time. At ascension, players may choose one current skill and make it permanent; permanent skills are kept through all future ascensions, although skills acquired from non-hardcore ascensions are not available during hardcore ascensions. This feature is very similar to the "New Game+ option in many console-based video games.

Some content is only available to players who have ascended, including new areas (open only to those with certain zodiac signs) and new items, including rewards for ascending.

====Normal ascension====
When a player chooses to ascend normally, that player's items and meat go into Hagnk's Ancestral Mini-Storage and are not fully accessible to the player for the first 600 turns (a period known as "ronin"). During that time the player is allowed twenty withdrawals from Hagnk's each day. For each pull, the player may take either one item, or one thousand meat. In addition, while in ronin, the player may not obtain items or receive buffs from other players or buy items from the Mall. Players who wish to send items to other ronin players must use a packaging item, which puts the sent item in a package to be stored away in Hagnk's. Normal ascension is colloquially referred to as "softcore."

====Hardcore ascension====
In "hardcore" ascension, the restrictions of ronin apply for the entire run and players have no access to items or meat from their previous ascensions or the Mall until they defeat the Naughty Sorceress and free the King. Packaging sent items also applies in hardcore. A player in a hardcore ascension does not have access to skills marked "Permanent" (taken as permanent after a normal ascension), but only skills marked as "Hardcore Permanent" (taken as permanent after previous hardcore ascensions). A player completing a hardcore ascension receives an untradable, highly-valuable piece of stainless steel equipment specific to the class that completed the ascension.

====Dietary path====
Upon ascension, players can choose one of three Diet|dietary paths. They may either become a "teetotaler" (who cannot drink booze), a "boozetafarian" (who cannot eat food), or an "oxygenarian" (who can neither eat nor drink). Although following a dietary path slows progress, a player who completes a pathed ascension receives larger rewards, including path-specific tattoos and special food, booze, or usable items. A Hardcore Oxygenarian, or "Oxycore", ascension is the hardest of all possible ascensions, but rewards the player with a piece of plexiglass equipment, which is extremely powerful.

====Zodiac signs====
A player's zodiac sign confers a hidden bonus and allows access to one of three special post-ascension areas. There are nine specific signs grouped into three categories: muscle, mysticality and moxie. These zodiac signs are not the traditional zodiac signs, but ones specific to the game, with names like "The Marmot", "The Vole" and "The Blender" A close inspection will reveal that each Zodiac sign is in fact the same combination of dots and lines rotated at different angles.

==History==
On 10 February 2003, the Kingdom of Loathing was officially launched to the public in an open beta-testing stage (as of February 2007, its official status remains "[http://www8.kingdomofloathing.com/static.php?id=whatiskol open beta]"). On Thursday 9 June 2005 came the release of [[Kingdom of Loathing#Ascension|ascension]], a major addition of game content which was said to mark the end of the beta-testing stage. Even though the game is out of its beta stage, content is still frequently added.

;"Black Sunday" and its aftermath
:During the beta-testing phase, some serious bugs were found and exploited, resulting in a severe influx of duplicate items and meat into the economy. The worst of these incidents occurred on the 8th of August 2004, a day now known to players as "Black Sunday." In order to revive the economy without upsetting the player base, a number of "meat sinks" - expensive "must have" items and services - were instituted to slowly leech meat from the economy. The Penguin Mafia, an in-storyline organization of belligerent penguin criminals, appeared in the game world over the subsequent months, creating a series of in-game events designed as meat sinks. Despite massive amounts of currency leaving the game (according to Jick, one-fifth to one-tenth percent per day), some of the richest players were reluctant to part with their meat and still hoard billions. Most would say, however, that the problem has essentially been fixed.

;"White Wednesday"
:On Wednesday the 26th of October 2005, Jick accidentally deleted several data tables during rollover, causing all users' alternate ascension inventories (at Hagnk's) to be reverted back to their previous state as of September 6. This accident has come to be known as "White Wednesday". It took more than 32 hours for Jick to bring the game back online because he had to use the full backup from September. After he fixed this problem, he apologized to everybody and gave them a special item called "petrified time" which has since become a very rare and valuable item. The developers created new game content in the form of temporal rifts that sent players backwards and forwards in time and provided an in-storyline explanation for the accident, referred to as "The Great Time Catastrophe". In the following weeks, Jick and the Asymmetric Publications staff worked to restore valuable items to players who had lost them. From November to December 2005, all the rifts closed, except the one in the Nearby Plains, which in August 2006 was made unavailable to players who had not yet ascended.

;The Gray Plague
:Another event, which began on the 11th of October 2005, was the introduction of "The Gray Plague," a fictional disease which caused the infected players' font to fade into progressively lighter shades of gray (eventually becoming very hard to read in chat). The cause was traced to "comfy blankets," suspicious items that infected the user while they rested. A cure could be created through a mini-quest, though the player could easily become re-infected. The plague was thought to be spread through chat and messages, and at its height more than 30,000 player characters were infected. Eventually, a new quest appeared that allowed players to create doses of a permanent plague cure (called "Ofuxxor"), which could be used on other players. After implementation of this quest the plague was eliminated within a few days.

:Because the Gray Plague began on Columbus Day and because "comfy blankets" were given out by a character named Cristobal Colon, it's likely that this event was inspired by stories of the deliberate exposure of Native Americans to smallpox-bearing blankets. The event possesses similarities with the widespread and devastating, but accidental, Corrupted Blood outbreak that occurred in World of Warcraft about one month earlier, and the idea of an effective virtual plague may have been inspired by that incident.

;The Comet
:On the 25th of May 2006, a comet appeared in the skies above the game world. On the evening of the 3rd of June 2006, the comet collided with Grimace, one of the two moons of ''Kingdom of Loathing''. In the game's chat channels, the word "*rumble*" followed by "KABOOOM!" appeared just before the game went offline for nightly rollover. The results of the comet collision include the creation of a third, smaller moon; the destruction of the observatory from which the comet had been sighted; and the planetfall of a large chunk of Grimacite, which has since been exploited by the Penguin Mafia. Equipment made of Grimacite was introduced into the game, obtained by winning raffles hosted by the Penguin Mafia.

;Holiday events
:There are a number of holidays within the Kingdom that are both game-related and correlated to real-world holidays. Jick and Mr. Skullhead add new content to some holidays each time they occur. The biggest holiday in the Kingdom is Crimbo, which correlates to the real-world Christmas. For the past two years Crimbo has come with new zones and associated items and, in 2006, new quests. Other regularly-celebrated holidays in the Kingdom include Halloween and April Fools' Day.

Since August 2006, the developers have added new content to the game on most Tuesdays. These "Tuesday Updates" have ranged from changes to clan structure and game mechanics to the implementation of new adventure zones and items.

==Business model==
''Kingdom of Loathing'' does not charge subscription fees. Maintenance and development of the game is supported by sale of associated merchandise, and by donations. Player donations of at least $10 USD to Asymmetric Publications result in a 'gift' of an in-game stat-boosting item known as a Mr. Accessory or "Mr. A," one Mr. A for every $10 donated. These items can also be sold for meat to other players, traded for powerful items (including special monthly items), or used to purchase customization of one's account (such as a unique avatar). The many uses of Mr. Accessories help to ensure a steady flow of incoming donations.

Jick offers a different gift for a donation of $10 Canadian in cash: an in-game item called Mr. Eh?. Mr. Eh? is a slightly weaker Canadian version of Mr. Accessory, and cannot be similarly traded for other in-game items. The power of Mr. Eh? corresponds to the exchange rate between Canadian and American currency. The enchantment of the Mr. Eh? was slightly improved on May 8, 2006 due to changes in the exchange rate of Canadian dollars to United States dollars. Jick has stated that if a Canadian dollar becomes more valuable, he will make the Mr. Eh? more powerful than the Mr. A.

==Community==

Many regular ''KoL'' players advocate the use of proper grammar, spelling and punctuation, and will correct those who misspell words or use [[leet]] in chat (which contributes to the irony of the game's motto, "An Adventurer is You!", a reference to the [[Nintendo]] classic, Pro Wrestling).

Spoilers are generally discouraged in ''KoL''. Players are encouraged to give hints, sometimes in haiku form, to help less experienced players. In the ''KoL'' forums, spoilers are typically hidden in black boxes. It is forbidden to publicly give away spoilers in chat. Even so, many external websites provide spoilers and are extremely popular among ''KoL'' players. Many players use these sites to learn tricks about Speed Ascension and Hardcore.

=== Player-based projects ===
There have been several player-based projects that revolve around the game. Successful projects include the official ''KoL'' fansite '''[http://kol.coldfront.net/ KoL Coldfront]''' which now hosts a growing '''[http://kol.coldfront.net/thekolwiki/index.php/Main_Page KoL-specific wiki]'''; '''[http://kol.yqmonline.com/ The Player-Made Music Site]''', a sizable collection of music created by players of the game that features both parodies and original songs about the game as well as non-game-related pieces by or involving players (as well as links to many band and artist sites); and '''''[http://kol.coldfront.net/index.php/content/category/10/55/92/ KoL Weekly]''''', a web-based fanzine about goings on in the Kingdom.

'''KoLmafia''' is a fan-made Java desktop client for the game. It provides an alternative interface to the game as well as several bot utilities to automate many aspects of the game. Similar projects include [http://kolmelion.sourceforge.net/ KoLmelion] and [http://ironchefs.getsloppy.com/icdownloads.html KoL CLI]. In a similar vein, several players have developed an extensive library of Greasemonkey scripts for the Firefox web browser. These scripts allow users a great deal of extra functionality and enable customization of the game's interface.

==External links==
===Official links===
*[http://www.kingdomofloathing.com/ Official Website]
*[http://forums.kingdomofloathing.com/ Forums of Loathing]
*[http://asymmetric.net/ Asymmetric Publications]
*[http://kol.coldfront.net/ Chillin' and Loathin' at Coldfront] — "Official Unofficial" KoL fansite

The Ultimate Store

Admin — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 19:31:22 GMT

Admin:

==About==
The Ultimate Store is a shop in the Mall of Loathing joined to [[The Ultimate Clan]] in the MMORPG game [[Kingdom of Loathing]]. The store is yet to be created, and at this time TechTeam are appealing to clan members to donate their Meat (in-game currency) to Clan Leader [[Aurone]] so he can create the store.
[[Category:TechTeam]][[Category:Gaming]]

Dog Blankets

Berober04 — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 18:32:40 GMT

Berober04:

Dog Blanket Dog Blanket Dog Blanket Dog Blanket Dog Blanket Dog Blanket Dog Blanket Dog Blanket Dog Blanket Dog Blanket!

Apple

Mod Yusuf — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 18:17:18 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Food]]
''This article is about the fruit. For information on the computer company, see [[Apple Inc]].''

The apple is a tree and its pomaceous fruit, of the species Malus domestica in the rose family Rosaceae. It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. It is a small deciduous tree reaching 5-12 m tall, with a broad, often densely twiggy crown. The leaves are alternately arranged, simple oval with an acute tip and serrated margin, slightly downy below, 5-12 cm long and 3-6 cm broad on a 2-5 cm petiole. The flowers are produced in spring with the leaves, white, usually tinged pink at first, 2.5-3.5 cm diameter, with five petals. The fruit matures in autumn, and is typically 5-9 cm diameter (rarely up to 15 cm). The centre of the fruit contains five carpels arranged star-like, each carpel containing one or two (rarely three) seeds.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/95apple.jpeg/180px-95apple.jpeg
==See also==
[[Apple Inc]]

MacFormat

Mod Yusuf — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 18:06:00 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Computers]]
MacFormat is a UK-based computer magazine aimed at Mac users. It is published by Future Publishing.
Each issue of the magazine includes a free DVD filled with Mac programs and utilities.
The magazine has a blog style website with news, reviews and information taken from the magazine (as well as content written specially for the website). There is also a forum based on free software PHPBB2.
MacFormat's website will be absorbed into Future Publishing's new Tech.co.uk web portal.
==Editorial Team==
*'''Editor''': ''Graham Barlow''
*'''Deputy Editor''': ''Russell James''
*'''Reviews Editor''': ''James Ellerbeck''
*'''Disc Editor''': ''Simon Holland''
*'''Advertising Manager''': ''Ben Pearson''
==External links==
[[http://www.macformat.co.uk/ MacFormat]] official website

HFMS

Mod Yusuf — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 13:14:54 GMT

Admin:

==Definition==
An abbrieviation for Hello Fellow Mac Supporter
==Origin==
[[Yusuf]] and [[Tim]] or [[Macs]]
[[Category:PC v Mac]]

Tech Testament Explained

Berober04 — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 12:56:54 GMT

Admin:

=[[Yusuf]] Made This Site=
[[Category:TechTeam]]

PC vs Mac

Berober04 — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 12:55:08 GMT

Admin:

PC vs Mac is an event on [[TUS]] which pits PC fans against Mac fans in a page count battle, see [http://www.ultimatesite.co.nr here] and follow the directions in the Nav Bar
[[Category:PC v Mac]]

Yusuf

Mod Yusuf — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 11:36:36 GMT

Admin:

==Introduction==
Yusuf was a founding member of TechTeam, and now edits [[The Ultimate Site]] and [[Tech Testament Explained]].

==Macs==
Yusuf is an avid [[Mac]] supporter, and managed to convert fellow TechTeam member Tim away from [[PCs]]. He is always happy to argue his cause with anyone who dares say that Macs are no good.

==The Ultimate Site==
In 2004, Yusuf created the original Ultimate Site with [[James]]. Now, he administrates the new site with James and [[David]].

==Positions==
*TUS Administrator
*TTE Administrator
[[Category:TechTeam]]

Creating a page

Admin — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 21:08:03 GMT

Admin:

==To Create a page==
In the address bar, after ultimatewiki/, type the name of your page - capitalisation matters. Don't worry about spaces, just type it as you want the name of the page to be.

==For example==
If you wanted to create a page about dog blankets, you'd see in the address bar:

'''<nowiki>http://editthis.info/ultimatewiki/Dog Blankets</nowiki>'''

Then just press enter. You'll be taken to a blank page which you can then edit in the usual way.
[[Category:Help]]

Pc kid

Mod Yusuf — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 20:02:53 GMT

Admin:

==Definition==
A colloquial term for 'stupid person'
==Origin==
PC computers which are believed to be 'rubbish' or 'technically challenged'.
==Uses==
One uses the term PC kid when another person has made an obvious mistake or is being 'annoying'.
==Common Examples==
[[Tim]]
[[Category:PC v Mac]]

Game Of The Week

Berober04 — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 17:50:21 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Gaming]][[Category:TechTeam]]
The Game Of The Week is a weekly thing on the Ultimate Site in where [[James]] posts a new game each week.

=Games=
===Original Games===
*Red Beard On Gold Hunt
*Mission Mars
*Reel Gold
*Wakeboarding XS
*Park-a-lot 2
===January 2007===
*Four Second Firestorm
*Diesel or Death
===February 2007===
*Tangerine Panic
*Idiot Test 2
*Haunted House Adventure
===March 2007===
*Death by Hinge
*Dr. Carter and the Cave of Despair

Current events

Mod David — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 17:27:08 GMT

Admin:

For main news, please visit the [http://www.techteam.co.nr TechTeam] News section.
===UltimateWiki News===
*Please make more pages! And tell us if you can think of any more sections to add to the main page.
[[Category:TechTeam]]

Tim

Timthewise — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 13:21:17 GMT

Admin:

==About==
Tim joined TechTeam when he created the [[Tech Testament]].He is really clever and really good at using computers. He is 5"10 and has shortish, brown, curly hair and blue eyes. He says he is a mac supporter but he has a pc! He is legally bound in a contract with [[Yusuf]] to be a Mac supporter. His strongest point,however, is telling incredibly sad jokes which are very logical but- not very funny usually!!!!!
[[Category:TechTeam]]

Macs

Mod Yusuf — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 13:08:51 GMT

Admin:

[[Category:Computers]]
[[image:mac.png|right|thumb|300px|Apple's latest iMac.]]
The Macintosh, or Mac, is a line of personal computers designed, developed, manufactured, and marketed by [[Apple Inc]]. Named after the McIntosh variety of [[apple]], the original Macintosh was released on January 24, 1984. It was one of the first commercially successful personal computers to use a graphical user interface (GUI) and mouse instead of the then-standard command line interface. The current range of Macintoshes varies from Apple's entry level Mac mini desktop, to a mid-range server, the Xserve. Macintosh systems are mainly targeted at the home, education, and creative professional markets. Production of the Macintosh is based upon a vertical integration model in that Apple facilitates all aspects of its hardware and creates its own operating system that is pre-installed on all Macintoshes. This is in contrast to PCs pre-installed with Microsoft Windows, where one vendor provides the operating system and multiple vendors create the hardware. (In both cases, the hardware can run other operating systems; modern Macintoshes, like PC's, are capable of running operating systems such as Linux, FreeBSD and [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]].)

Original Macintosh computers used the Motorola 68k family of microprocessors, but later models switched to Motorola and IBM's PowerPC range of CPUs in 1994. Apple began a transition from the PowerPC line to Intel's x86 architecture in 2006, which for the first time allowed Macs to run native operating system binaries for the x86 architecture. Current Macintoshes use the Intel Core, Intel Core 2 and Intel Xeon 5100 series microprocessors. All current models of Macintosh come pre-installed with a native version of the latest [[Mac OS]] X, which is currently at version 10.4.8 and is commonly referred to by its code name of "Tiger". Apple will be releasing Mac OS X v10.5, codenamed "Leopard", in Spring of 2007.
==History==
===1979 to 1984: Development===
The Macintosh project started in early 1979 with Jef Raskin, an Apple employee, who envisioned an easy-to-use, low-cost computer for the average consumer. In September 1979, Raskin was authorized to start hiring for the project, and he began to look for an engineer who could put together a prototype. Bill Atkinson, a member of Apple's Lisa team (which was developing a similar but higher-end computer), introduced him to Burrell Smith, a service technician who had been hired earlier that year as Apple employee #282. Over the years, Raskin assembled a large development team that designed and built the original Macintosh hardware and software; besides Raskin, Atkinson and Smith, the team included Chris Espinosa, Joanna Hoffman, George Crow, Jerry Manock, Susan Kare, and Andy Hertzfeld.

Smith’s first Macintosh board was built to Raskin’s design specifications: it had 64 kibibytes (KiB) of RAM, used the Motorola 6809E microprocessor, and was capable of supporting a 256×256 pixel black-and-white bitmap display. (The final product used a 9-inch, 512x342 monochrome display.) Bud Tribble, a Macintosh programmer, was interested in running the Lisa’s graphical programs on the Macintosh, and asked Smith whether he could incorporate the Lisa’s Motorola 68000 microprocessor into the Mac while still keeping the production cost down. By December 1980, Smith had succeeded in designing a board that not only used the 68000, but bumped its speed from 5 to 8 megahertz (MHz); this board also had the capacity to support a 384×256 bitmap display. Smith’s design used fewer RAM chips than the Lisa, which made production of the board significantly more cost-efficient.[1] The final Mac design was self-contained and had far more programming code in ROM than most other computers; it had 128 KiB of RAM, in the form of sixteen, 64 kilobit (Kb) RAM chips soldered to the logicboard. Though there were no memory slots, its RAM was expandable to 512 KiB by means of soldering sixteen 256 Kib RAM chips in place of the factory-installed chips.

The innovative design caught the attention of Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple. Realizing that the Macintosh was more marketable than the Lisa, he began to focus his attention on the project. Raskin finally left the Macintosh project in 1981 over a personality conflict with Jobs, and the final Macintosh design is said to be closer to Jobs’s ideas than Raskin’s.[2] After hearing of the pioneering GUI technology being developed at Xerox PARC, Jobs negotiated a visit to see the Xerox Alto computer and Smalltalk development tools in exchange for Apple stock options. The Lisa and Macintosh user interfaces were partially influenced by technology seen at Xerox PARC and were combined with the Macintosh group's own ideas.[3] Jobs also commissioned industrial designer Hartmut Esslinger to work on the Macintosh line, resulting in the "Snow White" design language; although it came too late for the earliest Macs, it was implemented in most other mid- to late-1980s Apple computers.[4] However, Jobs’s leadership at the Macintosh project was short-lived; after an internal power struggle with new CEO John Sculley, Jobs was fired from Apple in 1985, went on to found NeXT, another computer company, and did not return until 1997. Sculley undermined what the Mac team had been trying to do with the price of the Macintosh, when he artificially inflated the Mac’s price from US$1,995 to US$2,495.

===1985 to 1989: The desktop Publishing Era===
In 1985, the combination of the Mac, Apple’s LaserWriter printer, and Mac-specific software like Boston Software’s MacPublisher and Aldus PageMaker (superseded by Adobe InDesign) enabled users to design, preview, and print page layouts complete with text and graphics, an activity known as desktop publishing. Desktop publishing was unique to the Macintosh, but eventually became available for PC users as well. Later, programs such as Macromedia FreeHand, QuarkXPress, and Adobe Illustrator strengthened the Mac’s position as a graphics computer and helped to expand the emerging desktop publishing market.

The limitations of the first Mac soon became clear: it had very little memory, even compared with other personal computers in 1984, and could not be expanded easily; and it lacked a hard drive and the means to attach one easily. Although by 1985 the Mac’s base memory had increased to 512 KB, and it was possible, although inconvenient and difficult, to expand the memory of a 128 KB Mac, Apple realized that the Mac needed improvement in these areas. The result was the Macintosh Plus, released on January 10, 1986 for US$2,600. It offered one mebibyte (MB) of RAM, expandable to four, and a then-revolutionary SCSI parallel interface, allowing up to seven peripherals—such as hard drives and scanners—to be attached to the machine. Its floppy drive was increased to an 800 KB capacity. The Plus was an immediate success and remained in production until October 15, 1990; on sale for just over four years and ten months, it was the longest-lived Mac in Apple's history.

The Macintosh II, the first expandable Macintosh.Other issues remained, particularly the low processor speed and limited graphics ability, which had hobbled the Mac’s ability to make inroads into the business computing market. Updated Motorola CPUs made a faster machine possible, and in 1987 Apple took advantage of the new Motorola technology and introduced the Macintosh II, which used a 16 MHz Motorola 68020 processor. This marked the start of a new direction for the Macintosh, as now, for the first time, it had open architecture with several expansion slots, support for color graphics and a modular break out design similar to that of the IBM PC and inspired by Apple’s other line, the expandable Apple II series. Alongside the Macintosh II, the Macintosh SE was released, the first compact Mac with an internal expansion slot (a processor direct slot specific to the machine. The SE shared the Macintosh II's “Snow White” design language, as well as the new Apple Desktop Bus mouse and keyboard that had first appeared on the Apple IIGS some months earlier.

With the new Motorola 68030 processor came the Macintosh IIx in 1988, which had benefited from internal improvements, including an on-board MMU. It was followed in 1989 by a more compact version with fewer slots (the Macintosh IIcx) and a version of the Mac SE powered by the 16 MHz 68030 (the Macintosh SE/30). Later that year, the Macintosh IIci, running at 25 MHz, was the first Mac to be “32-bit clean,” allowing it to natively support more than 8 MiB of RAM, unlike its predecessors, which had “32-bit dirty” ROMs (8 of the 32 bits available for addressing were used for OS level flags). System 7 was the first Macintosh operating system to support 32-bit addressing. Apple also introduced the Macintosh Portable, a 16 MHz 68000 machine with an active matrix flat panel display. The following year the 40 MHz Macintosh IIfx, starting at about US$9,900, was unveiled. Apart from its fast processor, it had significant internal architectural improvements, including faster memory and a pair of dedicated 6502 CPUs for I/O processing.

===Timeline of Macintosh Models===
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/fe0c0cc74c27f6b521937fc930f07970.png

==Notes about Macintosh Computers==
For many years Apple Macintoshes have fought against PCs about which operating system is the best. Also PCs have claimed to be cheaper than macs, however in a survey in the MacFormat magazine macs are better value for money as they do not crash or have viruses.

Tech Testament

Admin — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 19:50:16 GMT

Admin:

==About==
The Tech Testament was created by [[Tim]] as a bible for the Information Age. It can be viewed [http://www.freewebs.com/timthewise/techtestament.htm here].
[[Category:TechTeam]]