The gaming industry is evolving all the time and with the rapid increase and expansion of technology these days a game that was made just 18 months ago is seemingly out of date now such is the fast paced nature of the industry. This is especially true when it comes to the AI that many games and computers use and it is generally accepted that the AI is becoming far more life like in their makeup and in the way in which characters in certain games act and evolve. However, what about emotional intelligence?

This is perhaps something that is now as widely known as normal artificial intelligence. For example, a good AI will be able to do simple things such as walk through a door instead of trying to go through a wall however technology is evolving and the characters are becoming far more multi-layered in terms of their personalities and emotional makeup. Most people associated EI with the business industry and it is true that TalentSmart Emotional Intelligence (EI) for business is growing in popularity in many sectors and especially in the legal and sales professions. However, the concept is also being widely used – or beginning to at least – in the gaming industry.

This means that many characters in games are developing emotional personalities and the way in which you interact with them should allow you to use your EI skills in that you may say something or do something to upset them and you have to judge your actions according to this. While it is far from being fully developed and a character in a game is still a long way off being similar to a human being in terms of their emotional and mental make up it is a huge step forward and certainly changing the gaming industry for the better.

The Internet has changed many things; the way we work, the way in which we communicate and interact with others and even the way in which we spend our free time. What such area that it is in the process of changing dramatically is online bingo and people are beginning to turn to the interactive based game on the Internet as opposed to actually going to a bingo hall and playing there. Why this is?

Well there are several reasons why people are choosing sites likes Ladbrokes bingo and deciding to play over their computers instead of the more traditional method of playing bingo. The main reason that people are choosing to play online is that it is so much easier to do and simple in getting started. In a couple of minutes you can have an account set up, money in your account and you can be playing bingo online with thousands of other people. It certainly sounds a better proposition than having to travel all the way to the bingo hall especially during Winter when the weather tends to be less than pleasant.

Another big reason is the fact that the online companies can offer much better deals than your normal bingo hall. When you go into a bingo room for the first time you aren’t going to get offered a free £20 if you spend £20 on your first bingo cards. However by playing online, these kind of deals are very common and almost all websites that give you the chance to play bingo will offer you a deal like this. Not only is this given you more money to play with but it also increases you chances of winning and, as so many people now play online, the potential winnings are rising each and every day.

It may not be hunting season where you are but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the experience as there are several fun and entertaining hunting games to play online and the best thing is that they are completely free. Furthermore for the games that we are about to mention, all you will need to play is your mouse.

Take Duck Shooter for example. It isn’t the easiest of games but that only adds to the challenge. The ducks in question are a fairly realistic representation of real life as they won’t just sit in the water and wait for you to shoot; if you shoot and miss then you will see them scatter around the lake and fly off however you can have a shot at them in the air although it is doubly as difficult. It certainly is a game where one missed shot could see you end up with no points at all.

If ducks aren’t your forte then try aiming for a bigger target in Wild Boar Hunter. Like hunting games such as Duck Shooter all you need is your mouse and some quick reflexes as wild boar dash across your screen. The object is, of course, to shoot them however it will take more than one direct hit to bring a wild boar down and if you miss once then you could let the boar escape.

Both of these hunting games present a different challenge. However they both require a steady aim and some good reflexes, especially in the case of the ducks. The two games also have several different levels and difficulties so that anyone can play regardless of their online gaming experience. Indeed, the better you get and the higher the level, then the faster the animals will move around meaning that you can develop and hone your hunting skills in these hunting games over time.

The first statistic released by the Entertainment Software Association wasn’t so shocking. Approximately 50% of all US households take part in gaming on a regular basis. However, it was surprising to learn that female gamers aged 18 and up actually outnumber male gamers aged 17 and younger. This means that all of the ultra violent video game titles being purchased are more likely to fall into the hands of a mature woman than an impressionable male teen.

While lawmakers continue to do battle with the gaming industry over the dangers of minors being able to purchase violent games, it seems that the bulk of video game buyers are actually around 41 years of age. This could very well be an indicator that parents are actually okay with their kids playing violent games – so much so that they are going out and buying them in droves.

The Entertainment Software Association study pretty much shows that every stereotype about gamers is untrue. Nearly just as many women play games as men, with 48% of all gamers being female. Gamers under the age of 18 make up less than 20% of all game players. Sure, late night gaming tournaments might be more popular among college students than anyone else, but business men and soccer moms are just as likely to unwind while playing ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops’ as their teen counterparts. This study just goes to show you that video game developers seem to know more about their audiences than they first let on.

‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ may just the work of a big movie studio in the opinion of movie, but the video game that goes by the same name is truly impressive. Most video games based on movies aren’t able to capture the attention of the general public because they rely too heavily on gimmicks and inside jokes. Thankfully, game developer High Moon Studios was able to create a game that delivers from all angles.

You can play ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ from one of either two angles; playing from the inside of a transformer, or gaming from a more narrative perspective. While the graphics are stunning, and the game play is nothing short of exciting, there is also an intricate storyline. There are only two weapons to choose from, but you’ll be able to dole out plenty of damage anyways.

Of course, ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ also has a few drawbacks. Driving vehicles will be a major pain as you will be forced to toggle and change directions with the same analog stick. This will make it difficult for you to really get into the game until you become acclimated with this rather cumbersome control interface.

Overall, the new Transformers game will provide gamers of all ages with endless thrills. For even more action, you can go online and battle against other gamers in multi-player mode. While set in a city that has been totally demolished, you and other online gamers will have the ability to shoot, slam and dominate one another.

The amount of money, time and energy that is needed to develop a single video game for a console is astounding. Compared to the resources necessary for developing a game for the iPhone, a number of companies are starting to move towards the mobile gaming market. While mobile gaming may not be a negative thing in and of itself, the gaming industry needs to start paying more attention to buying trends.

Casual gamers are far more likely to spend a few bucks on a game title that sounds like it will be entertaining than spending $50 on a game that had gotten great reviews. Mobile gaming is more convenient, and companies such as Apple are able to cash in on impulse purchases. In addition, downloadable game content cannot be refunded. So even if a game developer puts out a really horrible title, there will be no returns.

It is far easier to develop a fairly decent game for a mobile device, but its also the lazy way out. Most iPhone users aren’t looking to play first person shooters. Instead, puzzle and trivia games are becoming more popular. Then there’s the Sony Xperia Play, which is sort of a cross between the PSP and a mobile phone. This device actually uses game discs, but there are also storage slots for saved data. The future of gaming is going to be different, and video game developers need to start catching on. Unless game developers start to make cross over titles for mobile phones, a few companies might go out of business.

What could be more exciting than playing a few rounds of ‘Pokemon’ video game on the Nintendo DS? Going to the 2011 Pokémon Video Game National Championships, of course. The first round of the world gaming tournament was held in Washington, D.C., where a total of 12 players will be moving on. After all of the regional tournaments have been concluded, the winners will be meeting in San Diego, where a grand champion from each age category will be named.

Pokemon was first popularized as an animated TV series that went along with a card game. Soon after Pokemon trading card tournaments began to pop up in the US, a new trend emerged. Nintendo released the first ‘Pokemon’ video game for the Gameboy, which was a huge success. Players still love Pikachu, Charmander and Ash, but they are constantly on the lookout for new characters.

There is a new ‘Pokemon’ video game being developed for the Nintendo 3DS, but it will be another few months before it is out in stores. Since 1996, Pokemon has been a hugely popular franchise. Originating in Japan, the TV series is still being syndicated in Europe, Asia and the US. In early August, regional Pokemon Video Game Championship winners will be showing off their best moves to see who reigns victorious. The yearly event has taken place in cities from Philadelphia to Dallas, and organizers in California expect there to be a big turnout this summer. Children as young as 8 years of age are allowed to participate in the event.

As if the makers of “Call Of Duty” haven’t already made enough off of their video game franchise, their plans to team up with Beachhead Studios will have fans lining up and pulling out their credit cards. “Call Of Duty Elite” isn’t the name of the newest game title to be released. Players that sign up for this service will be able to log their stats, find like-minded partners for campaigns and download new features. The basic version will be free, but like all hardcore gamers, “Call Of Duty” fans do everything big.

Activision has plans to released the Internet based service by the end of summer. The company hopes that “Call Of Duty Elite” will help to address the franchise’s social networking shortcomings. Strangely enough, most “Call Of Duty” fans play the game mainly because they are able to hook up with their fans, talk trash and unleash a melee of virtual destruction. Because Activision is releasing yet another add-on service, fans may begin to worry that the company is more focused on sucking them dry rather than creating good games.

So far, the reception to “Call Of Duty Elite” has been mixed. Some players will buy anything that has to do with the game while others are more selective about their purchases. Via the web, it is easy to find players that have similar skill sets, and the Xbox Live and PlayStation Network services give devoted gamers just about everything they need as far as social networking goes.

‘Tomb Raider’ character Lara Croft has gotten a lot of flack over the years. Feminist groups see her as a hyper-sexualized débutante that is used to lure in gamers based on the size of the character’s assets. On the other hand, female gamers were just happy to play a game in which a female lead actually had power. Square Enix has just released a press release that has left fans on their edge of their seats. Not only has Square Enix failed to fully take advantage of the popularity of this franchise, they haven’t revamped Lara’s look or the story line in a long time.

From the screenshots and concept art released by Square Enix, it appears that Lara is not only more lifelike, but her voluptuous frame has been traded in for a more realistic, athletic form. Her normally porcelain smooth skin is now covered in scabs, scraped and a copious amount of dried blood. If Lara Croft were a real character she certainly would have her fair share of battle scars by now. It may take Square Enix awhile to catch up, but it is likely that Lara Croft that fans have grown to love is finally going to take a real walk on the wild side.

The newest title, “Tomb Raider,” looks like Square Enix is going to return to its roots. The game also appears to be incredibly more realistic, and the story line centers around Croft being stranded on a desolate beach. As she encounters the typical blend of wild beasts, mythical creatures and environmental dangers, Lara Croft will have to depend on the skills that she has developed over her years of conquests.

Several major video game retailers have just found that the term, ‘bigger is better,’ also applies to the gaming industry. Popular super stores such as Wal-Mart and Amazon not only have global appeal, they also give gamer better discounts. While some video game retailers have been able to attract consumers based on their wider variety of gaming accessories as well as titles, ultimately the most popular items are available at lower prices at the other retail giants.

Another thing that is going to continue to hurt game retailers is the fact that they only sell one type of products. Both Amazon and Wal-Mart allow customers to do one stop shopping. Via the computer, Amazon customers can browse, select and order virtually anything to their heart’s content and have it delivered to their doors within a few days at most. Alternatively, Wal-Mart has so many holiday specials that even consumers on a budget can leave with armfuls of goods that they didn’t intend on buying.

To combat this plague, video game retailers such as Gamestop have initiated used game reselling programs that allow consumers to get more mileage out of their titles, but Amazon has already launched a similar effort. Game developers currently have no incentive to develop exclusive contracts with any retailers, but the move could actually help them to sell more titles in the future. As video game retailers continue to test out new programs that will help them to retain more of their targeted customer base, Wal-Mart and Amazon are still cashing in on the video game craze.