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So, what’s so special about bakugan toys?

First of all, the spelling is kind of a mystery. Especially when you don’t have it in front of you. How would you spell it? It’s a little tricky, isn’t it? A little intriguing. Even I spell it wrong (backagone, bacagon, etc.). But kids know exactly how to spell it.

Secondly, the whole thing is just plain addicting. The show, those “balls,” the characters. You can’t have just one. They come in many bright colors, sizes and shapes. They open to different characters and shapes, that look cool. Most kids have at least 10. You need 3 to battle.

If you ask any kid in grade school (2nd, 3rd, 4th grade and up) you’ll get your answer. Bakugan Battle Brawler toys are so irresistible and catching on quick - so quick in fact, that they are the new Pokemon in my opinion. And better. Besides being able to battle with them yourself - roll them around on the table, you can battle with your friends at recess, “they’re portable,” and can fit in your pocket, purse or backpack. And like Pokemon, practice math at the same time. A new more sophisticated, higher tech Pokemon. There are cards, “balls” or battle brawlers, and action figure characters. And of course, a tv show, dvd and cool chapter books. There is a battle arena which is great for playing at home, and many toys that are coming out on a regular basis. They sell out every morning at our local Target, so the best place to buy them is online.

So, what is Bakugan all about? Just throwing some plastic balls onto a card and playing the game?

No! Not just, and only that…there’s much more to it. There’s a whole entire world of Bakugan, a whole story that goes along with it. Dan and his friends are ultimately trying to save the earth, and the parallel universe Vestroia from the Bakugan monsters, so they Battle and fight to win. Dan and his young warrior friends initially thought the cards they found and battled with were just a fun game but the characters on the cards were Bakugan monsters with their own agenda and it’s become a race to restore peace throughout the universe.

The graphics for Bakugan are outstanding. Eye catching colors and designs of the characters and setting are so cool and outrageous. Think Fantasy purples, reds, blues and greens, foreign territory and outer space. The posters look just as awesome as the cards and tv show. They will definitely transform your room or playroom.

Who can resist Dan and his Warrior Friends trying to save the World?

We have our own collection of these colorful balls, characters and cards in our house, and I get em at the best prices. They also make great cat toys

So, if your looking for something fun, fantastic and a little different this year for Christmas….you’ll know just what to get, bakugan battle brawlers. And, don’t forget the stocking stuffers.

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A pencil portrait drawing from life starts with the “striking” of the arabesque. Striking the arabesque means drawing the outer circumference of the head with the correct proportions, shape, and the appropriate symmetry.

Once you have drawn a reasonably accurate arabesque it is time to place the main landmarks of the head. That means that we will correctly locate the most important points of the head. These points will then be used as references for mapping out the rest of theheadfeatures.

Here is something that may help you with this task : work with your eyes somewhat out-of-focus. This is called looking with a “soft eye”. Somehow this makes it easier to correctly determine shapes and proportions. It also helps you to repress the preconceived notions we all have of certain objects.

Let us assume that we are working from a 3/4 head profile.

* The Brow Ridge - is the first critical landmark. To locate the brow ridge you must first take your best guess at where you think it is then to check it by sighting.

Note that to train your eye it is better to first guess lengths, angles, etc. and verify them second. There is nothing to gain from pre-measuring.

Sighting means to use your pencil with locked arm and marking lengths along the pencil with your thumb and index finger (starting from the tip down) and one eye closed.

So then, first sight from the bottom of the chin to a point on the brow ridge (just choose a random point on the ridge, but once chosen you should stick with it).

Now raise your pencil vertically so that your thumb is on your point on the brow ridge and note where your pencil point is. It should be a small distance above the top of the head . Mark on your drawing where you can best place that point above the head. This point is called the “check point”.

Note that whenever there is a choice, you should always measure the smallest length because doing so tends to be more correct.

Your point on the brow ridge should, if it was placed accurately, be exactly halfway between the bottom of the chin and your check point. If it isn’t – then changecorrect the position of your brow ridge.

* Hinge of the Jaw - Now you can determine the width of the face. In the 3/4 view the hinge of the jaw is a critical landmark. Again, take your best guess then check by sighting horizontally from the hinge of the jaw to the far edge of the cheek bone and vertically relating that measure from the bottom of the chin.

* Top Nasal Bone - Since we have already established the brow ridge we now only have to estimate a small distance to fix the top of the nasal bone. If you placed the hinge of the jawcorrectly, it should equal the distance from bottom of the chin to the nasal bone. If you’re off a bit, then correct the placement of the hinge of the jaw. Again, assume that the smallest distance estimated is the correct one.

Now that these primarylandmarks are placed you can further work out the arabesque. I find it best to resolve only the back, least intricate, part of the head at this early stage.

* Facial Angle - Finally, you need to establish the facial angle which is the center line of the face. Draw a slightly arching line from the middle of the mental tubercle up through the center of the brow ridge.

The correct positioning of the facial angle is very important. You have to feel your way through this because as there is no way to accurately measure it.

Once the facial angle is drawn continue resolving the arabesque carefully observing the shape of the mouth area, the forehead, and all the other elements that are expressed in the shape of the arabesque.

With this, we have drawn all the basic landmarks that will help us to map the rest of the features such as the ears and teeth.

Do you want to learn the secrets of pencil portrait drawing? Download my brand new free pencil portrait drawing course here: Remi’s Free Pencil Portrait Tutorial.

Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and expert drawing teacher. See his work at Remi’s Pencil Portrait Web Site.

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* Value and form - are two 2 of the four elements of drawing. The other two are line and texture.

In this article we will talk about the idea of plasticity or tone and how it relates to the concepts of value and form.

* Plasticity or tone - is the visual push and pull of lights and darks which, when presented in a unified and harmonious whole, defines the 3-dimensional forms of a portrait.

The human eye can distinguish between many more values than the twelve we usually employ in a drawing. That means that the artist must “trick” the eye into believing that it is seeing more than is actually on the drawing paper. To this end we must understand how light behaves and values are perceived.

The trick is to manipulate the eye’s natural tendency towards closure, i.e., towards finishing a drawing even if parts are not actually there. But the eye only does that without complaining if the plasticity is harmonious. Only then will the viewer emotionally engage.

The subject of creating harmonious plasticity is broad. In this article we limit ourselves to realistic portraiture.

* Values - are just degrees of darkness and lightness. We usually limit ourselves to 12 discrete values.

To understand how a form is rendered we need to understand how light behaves and how values enter into this. There are 2 properties of light relevant to drawing:

(1) Light travels in a straight line and reflects off surfaces.

(2) The intensity of light diminishes quickly with distance.

From these characteristics it follows that:

* As a form turns away from the light source it darkens.

* When two planes face the light they will attain different values if their distances from the light source are different. For example, the eye closest to the light source will have a lighter value than the one further away.

* The lightest value on a form is the “highlight”. The highlight is always on a plane that is directly facing the light source.

* The bulk of a portrait’s value is so-called half-tone. That is, anything in-between pure white and pure black. Halftone rendering is simultaneously the most enjoyable and the most frustrating aspect of drawing.

* As a form turns fully away from the light source it steadily descends into shadow, towards totally black (i.e., the absence of light). However, there is more to it.

* There is also reflected light from one surface onto another. Remember that light bounces off surfaces but with reduced intensity. So be careful not to overstate your reflected light.

* There is also the top of the shadow which is the darkest value on the form. This band of darkness lies between the darkest half-tones and the reflected light. This band of darkness is called the Line of Appelle. It is important to capture its shape correctly because it determines the form’s volume.

* As a form turns away from the light, the half-tone plane changes have a soft edge. The quality of this edge is determined by several factors the most important of which are the degree of plane change, the intensity of the light source, and the structure of the surface.

* In portrait drawing there are also cast shadows which are hard-edged and very dark and are cast by one form onto another. An illustration is the shadow that is cast by the nose onto the cheek.

An excellent exercise for understanding the idea of plasticity is to draw a white bowling pin. For a more prescribed situation you can build yourself a black box with one side open that fully controls the light of one source and blocks out the light of other sources that could pollute the situation.

In conclusion, the use of the 12-value scale together with the above guidelines allows you to produce the necessary plasticity or tone for your subject.

Do you want to learn the secrets of pencil portrait drawing? Download my brand new free pencil portrait drawing course here: Free Pencil Portrait Course.

Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and expert drawing teacher. See his work at Remi’s Website.

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Every one of us knows that Christmas is all about family and not the TV. However some treasured Christmas memories and stories are great to be reminisced through the TV. Watching television during this wonderful season does not necessarily mean you are missing out on all the fun there is on Christmas. That is why it has been an age old tradition in most popular TV shows and stations to showcase vast listings of all time Christmas TV favorites. These Christmas TV classics are great for those Christmas nights with family and friends, providing some cheerful relief from holiday stress. Here are some great shows you could not afford to miss on the tube:

A Charlie Brown Christmas

This 1965 classic by Charles Schulz is the first on the list. The story of this Christmas TV special is about the Charlie Brown’s quest in finding the real significance of Christmas. He thinks his friends going obsessed over luxurious material gifts and decorations and Christmas events, and everyone else totally occupied with writing letters and cards for Santa. He then gets depressed with how commercialized Christmas has become. When given the task to pick out a Christmas tree for the pageant his friends were hosting, he then searches and brings the plainest looking Christmas tree. After Linus makes a touching speech, his friends finally realized the real essence of Christmas, and how fragile it is in this much commercialized world.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

This unforgettable Christmas TV classic is about Rudolph who is treated badly by his peers because of his beaming red nose. He discovers a whole bunch of misfit toys for misfit kids. This movie shows how unfair the world can be. Misfit toys are given to poor children while the best toys are given to the rich ones. Give a misfit toy to a rich kid and he will only throw it against the wall, but give it to a poor child and you never knew you offered him something valuable his whole life can have, the sense of value and friendship.

A Muppet Family Christmas

It is a Christmas TV special that both adults and children love. The whole muppet gang is invited by Fozie’s mother to spend their Christmas in the country. The muppets showcase a lot of songs and dances, and remind us that Christmas is a time for family.

There are a lot more Christmas TV Specials that people love but these are the three most popular of all time.

This Christmas, all you need is the remote control and a good Christmas TV special guide to enjoy. It is your chance to catch the perfect flicks in the comforts of your own home with great Christmas TV specials.

To read more about Christmas TV Specials, feel free to visit It’s Xmas Time

For PlayStation 3 pre order tips read this post.

If you are still up in the air about buying a Nintendo Wii, you may need to hear more about the various benefits.

This isn’t your typical video gaming system….where you just sit around and hit a combination of buttons until your hands are sore.

Instead it offers fun for the entire family; games that people of all ages can play individually and/or with each other.

The Nintendo Wii is the smallest of all home gaming consoles. Therefore it isn’t going to take up very much room at all.

It also allows you to surf the internet, which is a great feature you wouldn’t expect from this type of electronic device. Worried about the kids sitting there playing it all day? Not a problem if you have the Nintendo Wii Fit program. These are interactive games that get you off your seat and moving your feet.

There are plenty of exciting games you can choose from as well. Love those older versions of early Nintendo games? Not a problem, as you can download them to the Wii and continue to enjoy them.

Have a Nintendo GameCube? Those games are compatible with the Wii, so you won’t need to have both of them hooked up to be able to enjoy all those games.

You can also go shopping for the newest Nintendo Wii releases that may have captured your attention.

The Nintendo Wii is very well built, too, so you can be sure it is going to last a very long time. There are updates that go automatically to your gaming console; so you always have the best features available.

There have been some few recalls on items such as the wrist strap for the wireless remote. These have been done in order to continue making sure everyone is as safe.

With all this,the home gaming console offers you many features that you would expect to pay lots extra for. However, they have been able to keep the price generally between $200 and $250. The games and the accessories vary depending on what you want. Newer games tend to cost the most, due to the high demand.

You will find many fun accessories too that make using this gaming system better than ever. For example, you can use a steering wheel, the mat for the dancing games, and the fitness features for interactive playing. There is no shortage of fun or possibilities out there when it comes to the Nintendo Wii.

With some products you are just left on your own once you pay for them. However, that isn’t the case with the Nintendo Wii. You will have access to support members online and on the phone. They will assist you with anything you need so that you can get back to enjoying your games.

If you are considering buying a Nintendo Wii don’tput it off any longer. (Although this close to the holidays, you may wish to wait for the January sales to begin.)

Once you start using your own, you will be bummed out that you didn’t have it sooner. You won’t be disappointed with such a purchase either, as there is so much to offer. Millions of them have been sold all over the world. The demand for them continues, which just goes to show that you are investing in a really great product.

For more information about buying a wii, visit:
want to buy a wii and I want a wii

Learn useful PlayStation 3 pre order tips in this blog post.

Playstation 3 is something to be waiting for as the people is a great fan of gaming world. Playstation 3 is the third video game console from the Playstation chain. The Playstation 3 was previously celebrated before it was released onto the market.

This notable Playstation 3 up till now is still classified as the paramount as well as the most famous video game console systems in the world. Every gamer from Japan to North America have a brand new love in gaming experience with Playstation 3. This game console now is already available on every electronic store all over the world.

Specifications

You should recognize regarding Playstation 3 requirement if you really fancy to learn regarding the game console. Playstation 3 has 1 VMX vector unit per core, 512KB L2 cache, 7xSPE @ 3.2GHz, 7×128b 128 SIMD GPRs, 7×256KB SRAM for SPE, and a total floating point performance of 218 gigaflops.

Playstation 3 proffers 256MB XDR Main RAM @ 3.2GHz, 256MB GDDR3 VRAM @ 700MHz, system bandwidth main RAM, and SB2.5GB[/spin]s (write) + 2.5GB[/spin]s (read).

The compatible disc media is including CD, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-DA, CD-DA (ROM), Playstation CD-ROM, Playstation 2 CD-ROM, SACD HD, SACD Hybrid (CD layer), DualDisc (audio side), DualDisk (DVD side), Playstation 2 DVD-ROM, Playstation 3 DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-ROM, Blu-ray Disc, Playstation 3 BD-ROM, BD-ROM, and BD.

Games

Games for Playstation 3 are also generally available. For example are: 2 Days to Vegas, 211, Afrika, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Alive, Alliance: The Silent War, Angel Love Online, ArmA 2, Armored Core, Army of Two, Baja, Beijing 2008, Beowulf, Big Time Revenge, Borderlands, Brutal Legend, Cabela’s Monster Bass, Call of Duty 3, Duke Nukem Forever, Dynasty Warriors 6, Eight Days, Earth No More, The Bigs, The Edge of Twilight, and Driver.

These are various method to play the game with Playstation 3. if you are novice in gaming world, renting games would be great choice as some prime game stores can sell or rent the games for you. By renting the games, you will be able to try out different games, detect whether you like the game or not. If you like the game, go and procure the game.

Any game you purchase is an investment. Though the games are not very expensive you should be sure that you like the game so that you will not misuse your money for games you will never be played. At the present, as you have great game, happy playing with your Playstation 3.

So, are you now willing to know more about Playstation 3? Visit the links here, and these guidelines will make you smarter about it!

Christmas is great time to sit back, relax, grab a bag of popcorn and watch a good movie. It’s also the most beautiful time of the year, so it would feel good to watch a good movie whether silly or serious. What would be a greatest way to feel good and spend time with our family as watching a good movie whether silly or serious?

There’s always something about our favorite Christmas movies that makes us watch them over and over again. Here 3 of the most beautiful Christmas movies of all the time.

It’s a Wonderful Life

A lot of people agree that this film is an essential Christmas movie. This film is about a man who is going through tough times to the point of wishing he had never been born. When his angel comes on earth, and grants his wish for a short time. He is given the opportunity to look and see how things would have been if he really was not born. Hope is the main subject of this movie. It gives us a good realization that no matter how small we think we could be in this big world, still we have something to offer, we have something to share. What we might consider as a very small deed may mean a lot bigger to anybody else.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” has been produced and directed by Frank Capra is a children as well as adults’ favorite one. The subject of this Christmas movie is about a grinch who lives in Whoseville and is rejected in his childhood because of his physical manifestation. As he grows up, he takes on revenge against the Whos and plans to steal Christmas away from them by removing all the decorations and the gifts from Whoseville. But when a young girl who knows him from the inside and understands his sentiments teaches him the real meaning of Christmas, he he changes his evil plans and in the end the people of Whoseville welcome him again.

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” live-action movie was for the first time the year 2000. Produced by Brian Grazer and directed by Ron Howard. Title: “The Grinch”. by

A Christmas Carol

Not only this Christmas movie surpassed time but it also remains a favorite of many. Written by Charles Dickens, the story is about an old merchant, Ebenezer Scrooge, whose only concern in life is nothing but to make a lot of money. He rejected everyone who gets in the way of his desire to make money, even his loved ones. After having declared that Christmas is a fraud, he dreams that he is visited by Christmas ghosts that will show him his wrong ways and hope he would take a turn and walk the good path in his remaining days on earth. The lesson of how to be always there for your fellowmen and doing the right ways is taught by this wonderful Christmas movie.

A Christmas Carol has been subject of many versions for theatre, cinema and televison; from the beginning of the 20th century until today.

There is no need of violence and action to make these films classic. It only takes a good and worthwhile story to let everyone know how wonderful Christmas can truly be.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Read more about Christmas movies for more info on Christmas

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How to Draw with Pencil Fundamentals - Drawing Cones

Any scene can initially be seen as a composition of a series of forms that are all related to four basic geometric solids: the brick, the sphere, the cylinder, and the cone. In this article we concentrate on the cone, i.e., we will detail its properties and its place in the overall scheme of a drawing.

In this article we discussed how to produce a line drawing of a cone-like object. What we outlined above should be enough to get you started in the right direction.

A perfect cone is a three-dimensional solid that has a circular base on one end and terminates in a point at the other end. Invariably, the first example of a cone that pops into the mind is that of an ice cream cone. But there are bottles, glasses, lampshades, bowls, and many other man-made objects with shapes based on a cone. There are also countless creations of nature such as sea shells, flowers, and trees that have conical shapes.

When you begin to draw conical objects, remember that a cone is a solid mass that tapers uniformly from a circular base to a point. In the beginning, when you identify an object that has an underlying conical form, you should draw a perfect cone first. The cone can be long and thin like in a beer glass, or short and broad like in a lampshade. Only after you have drawn the cone in the right orientation and in the right proportions start adding the deviations you observe (bulges, stretches, etc.). Pretty soon you will not need this crutch anymore and you will be able to immediately start with the object. Nevertheless you will have instantly recognized the underlying shape and you will be using your memory of the perfect cone and use it as a guide.

The cone has also an axis of symmetry. To first lightly draw this axis will help you tremendously with the rendering of the correct geometry. The elliptical base should be perpendicular to the axis and the whole cone should be perfectly symmetric around the axis of symmetry. You can mark off a point on the axis where the tip of the cone is to be and then it is a simple matter of running two diagonal lines from the tip to the ends of the ellipse. Of course, the cone should also comply with the laws of perspective and should also be rendered according to those laws. A correctly drawn cone should fit into the overall perspective of the scene and the drawn ribs on the cone should converge with all other parallel lines to the same point at infinity. The same perspective rules apply to the planes in which ellipses drawn on the cone lie. That is, all other parallel planes should converge to the same horizon.

Ultimately, with enough practice, all you have to do is observe correctly, and all things will fall in place.

Identify a number of conical object and practice drawing them. Champaign glasses, ice cream cones, lampshades, party hats, etc. are all excellent examples. Pay attention to the proportions, lengths, curvatures, perspective, etc.

The three-dimensionality of a line drawing of a cone can be simulated by adding a number of ellipses along its body. Of course, when you have learned the skill of shading you will be able to create a much better solution. In fact, you have a chance to create the perfect illusion because, in essence, the only thing there is in a black and white scene are shades of different values. In other words, if you can draw the perfect geometry and add to it the perfect values then you have the perfect drawing (at least in terms of likeness if not in terms of creating a piece of art).

This is all you need to know about rendering line drawings of objects that have the cone as their underlying geometric form.

Read more beginners oil painting tips.

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Maybe you have thought up a really neat and unique idea for a video game and you are thinking “If I can just get in touch with the right people I can sell it and make a lot of money. And I get to see my idea turned into a game that people will play”.

Well, that may be true, and it is possible to do but, to be honest, it is very unlikely. Developing a video game takes a lot of work. A typical game for today’s mass market takes a team of people two years and thousands of hours of work to create.

Maybe all of that is a bit discouraging and if you really think you have an idea that is unique there are some things you can do and I will explain the steps and processes you can take to move your idea for a game out of the world of fantasy into the world of possibility.

The big obstacle to getting your idea made into a game is the question of who is going to do all that work? It is an important question. A group of people have to believe in the idea and have to do the work to take it from idea to reality, and generally you have to rely on yourself. If you believe in your idea you need to be the person that will spearhead the work and get it from idea to reality.

Three Possible Paths to Success

There are three possible ways to get a game made from your idea:

1. Get in touch with a heavy hitter in the game making industry and convince him or her that your game is worthwhile. He or she will then set the wheels in motion for your idea to be bought and developed. (This is highly unlikely although it has happened on rare occasions) Companies will occasionally buy video game ideas and keep them for future potential projects.

2. Get in touch with independent developers with game design skills and get them to come on board with your idea. You have the ability to allow them to patch together their time in developing your game. Gamedev.net is a good place to network and find people for this endeavor.

3. Spearhead the development yourself. Learn some basic game making skills and put together a group of people willing to spend time (and money) on your game. You become the evangelist for the game and the Project Manager.

Protecting your Idea

You probably have questions about your idea and how to protect it from being stolen. Well, I guess this is a possibility and maybe it has happened but it is unlikely. It goes back to the fact that it takes thousands of hours to take a game from idea to actual game and the number of unique ideas is relatively unlimited but here are some things you can do to get started in protecting yourself.

The Problem of Copyrighting Ideas

Ideas cannot be copyrighted! It sounds funny but it ’s true. You can research this on the official government copyright website. So, just having an idea means you have very little. If you draw pictures of your game and hopefully develop your idea into a game you can get copyright for those things.

Send yourself a letter!

Put together an exhaustive package of materials about your idea. Include a summary, pictures, drawings and anything else that will describe your idea then seal it in an envelope and mail it to yourself registered mail. When you receive it you sign for it but do not open it. Leave it sealed. This gives you an amount of legal protection that establishes a time line for your idea.

NDA’s (Non Disclosure Agreements)

A Non disclosure agreement is a legal contract between two parties. In this case it is between you and the person you want to reveal your idea to. It can be a useful tool that will help you protect your rights. Generally it outlines the confidentiality of your idea and prohibits the other party from using the idea.

Okay let’s get started with something solid you can do

No matter which of the three paths you want to travel down there are some things that you can do to get your idea rolling on its path toward becoming a real video game.

1. Write out a very extensive overview of the game. Make it as detailed as possible. And put this in the package you mail to yourself!

2. Draw up pictures and artwork of game scenes, characters, maps and anything else that is unique about the game. In effect you are creating a library of images in the game. Put this in your package too!

3. Write up an executive summary - This is a one or two page summary of the game idea and it outlines the things that make it unique. This is your introduction to people in the gaming industry and it is the first thing you can give them so they get a grasp of your idea.

4. Start your research into the game industry. Hang around forums where developers and game makers chat and start learning about what it takes to make a game. You can make some good contacts and there are hordes of people willing to give you solid advice and some help with your dream. gamedev.net is a great place to start

5. Start learning how to make a video game! It is totally possible for a person with average computer skills to develop a single level of a game or a portion of a game. This can be used as a calling card and example for what the game would be about.

If you want to follow step number five and learn how to make your own game there are lots of resources available that will help you learn how to do it relatively inexpensively. With lots of perseverance you can even create the whole game yourself and have it ready for sale.

The Paragraph you might not want to read

Okay, after going through all of that I am glad to see you are still with me. But, if you are thinking all of this stuff about NDA ’s , sending letters, writing up summaries and putting together packages just seems like too much work then you can see my point about making a video game from your idea.

Read more about Diablo 3 classes and PlayStation 3 pre order issues on this Diablo 3 classes blog.

The PSP-3000 series Playstation Portable is the latest incarnation of the Sony Playstation portable series of handheld gaming consoles. The PSP-3000 series Playstation Portable features the following improvements over its predecessors;

Improved LCD screen
Increased colour range
Five times the contrast ratio
Half the pixel response time
Anti reflective technology for increased outdoor playability
Integrated microphone (for use with the built-in Skype telephony software)
Improved AV output for video and game playback on TVs

The buttons have also undergone some minor design changes which bring about a much more Dualshock 3 style layout, with the semi circles being changed to ovals and the home button being replaced by a “PS Button”.

Drawbacks

The new PSP-3000 series Playstation Portable isn’t without drawbacks however. The changes in the system have decreased the battery life, reportedly by around 20 minutes. The screen also possesses a new horizontal subpixel structure which has caused the screen to show visible dark lines, similar to traditional scan lines.

Why the Changes

The goal of the changes to the PSP-3000 series Playstation Portable is to establish it as “a viable communication device” according to Sony Europe boss David Reeves. The microphone that is now available will also open up a new world of opportunities for games development companies to make use of this new feature.

Games to Checkout

If you’re not a big gamer you may wonder what are the best games to pickup for yourself or as a present and here are our top tips:
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories 3.11 million copies sold – If you’ve never heard of Grand Theft Auto you must have been living in a bubble for the past ten years. The gameplay consists of a mixture of action, adventure, driving, and occasional role-playing, stealth and racing elements and has gained controversy for its adult nature and violent themes. This isn’t one for the kids but is definitely one for the ‘big kids’ in the family.

Ridge Racers 1.04 million copies sold – The original Ridge Racer was hugely popular and often bundled with many an original Playstation when they were first released. Namco have ported this favourite over to the PSP. As an entry in Namco’s long running Ridge Racer game franchise, Ridge Racer for the PSP shares a number of gameplay elements, cars, and tracks with its predecessors. The game features a total of 24 courses (12 unique courses and the same 12 courses reversed) all taken from previous PlayStation games or the arcade-only title Rave Racer, and 54 unlockable (fictional) cars. As you win races, you unlock tracks and faster cars.

Everybodys Golf 1.00 million copies sold - The series is well-known for its humorous look on the game of golf (including cartoon-like caricatures) and guest characters from other games, along with modes such as miniature golf and its ability to maintain a realistic engine with precise control in tandem with the unrealistic design. The series is popular with both golf fans and non-fans alike.

Wipeout Pure 1.00 million copies sold - Pure also uses the Wi-Fi ability of the PSP for multiplayer racing. The game returns to the much loved handling of Wipeout 2097 and is a sure fire hit with almost anyone, a great futuristic racing game that is surely a classic in anyone’s book.

If you’d like to pick up a free PSP-3000 series Playstation Portable or even a free Free Sony Playstation 3 why not grab one today from Mobile Phone Free Gift with a new mobile phone contract.