E-Kantipur

APR 01 - In this week’s gaming column, we will look at the various games, from small flash games to social network games such as Farmville, that are available for free on the internet, and for which, one doesn’t need to invest in a graphics card or gizmos like that. Instead, all one needs is a decent internet connection, and voila, you are good to go.

One of the best sites to play such games is, undoubtedly, Facebook. While the social networking site was not really developed with gaming in mind, anybody who has logged in hours at Farmville, or earned millions in Dope Wars, will know how addictive, and easy, it is to play these games. And, both these games can be quite challenging; Dope Wars is not a run-around-shooting, GTA type game, but rather a game where you are supposed to buy narcotics low and sell them high. As you earn more, you can buy more weapons (to fend off rivals, not that you can actually fight, but the game’s decisions are mostly left to luck), bribe politicians, and buy airplanes, bling, and live the life.

Farmville, also on Facebook, remains one of the net’s most popular games with an estimated 82.4 million users. The game is a management simulation in which players have to grow a virtual farm, including planting trees and growing livestock. Part of the game’s appeal lies in the fact that the game allows active networking: players can trade, and earn money with their ‘neighbours’, and can customize their farms.

Internet games are not restricted to Facebook though. Jolls, playable on killsometime.com, is an addictive game where you really, really have to think. Players control Jolls, beings that resemble colorful balls, and have to collect each of their respectively coloured ‘children’. The game is made much harder by the fact that you can’t control the Jolls-only drop them from a height, and you have to manipulate the terrain, and, even other Jolls, so all of the children can be collected. The game requires some serious, physical (as in relating to physics) thinking.

Crimson Room (www.fasco-csc.com/index_e.php) is another exemplary game. Here, players use their mouse to explore a series of rooms in order to escape. Though some aspects of the game are hard to believe, the game is perfect for those who have more time to spare, and want to challenge themselves intellectually. Another such game is Portal (http://portal.wecreatestuff.com/) a port from the bestselling Xbox game of the same name. The 2D game revolves around trying to get from one end of a room to another by opening portals using your gun. Again, this game is a good blend of action and thinking.

Of course, there are more gun friendly games available online, the best of which has to be Quake Live. The game, though, has to be downloaded and installed for free at quakelive.com. In true Quake style, the FPS involves lots of high octane shooting, beautiful visuals (its quite hard to remember it’s a free download) and lots of powerful weapons.

We asked various individuals from several spheres of life about Farmville, the online game playable on Facebook. The game has extraordinarily become the most-played online game in the world after being launched in June 2009, and its players include 1 percent of the world's population. Manisha Neupane spoke to them about the addictions of Farmville.

Vandana Bhattarai, college student: The best thing about Farmville is its greenery. Being someone who lives

in a town, I don't know many things about village life and farming, and Farmville allows me to get out of this

materialistic world.

Supriya Thapa, high school student: Whenever I get bored from my school and homework, Farmville is the best way to refresh myself. It is entertaining as well as knowledgeable.

Bishal Shrestha, NGO employee: This game took me to a virtual world I knew nothing about. It also taught me to grab the opportunity and help friends in their need.

Santosh Pokhrel, student: I used to play this game a lot. I became so addicted to it that I had to quit. Now, I am out of the Farmville world.

Irada Pahari, corporate employee: This game doesn't take much time and that's the best part of it. During my working hours, I roam around the farms just for few minutes and I am refreshed.

Rubin Karmacharya, computer instructor: It's different and entertaining, and very easy to pass time with.

Posted on: 2010-04-01 08:35

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