Gaming Chairs Make You a Better Gamer

So I went to London for Christmas and New Year this year and man it was cold! It snowed the whole time so my friend Billy, who I was staying with, had plenty of time to show off his gaming skills to me. We played a ton of games and he whooped me every time! Hate it when that happens! He's got All the latest games and a pimped up Xbox to play them on.

Yeah I was impressed. May be I'm the last gamer in the world to find out about them, but the thing that had me buzzing the most was his brand new Gaming Chair. I kind of knew about them but never seen or used one before. Once I got in it - I was hooked! Did it improve my game? Nope! Did I have more fun? Yup! It was awesome - had hours, no wait, DAYS of gaming chair nirvana!

The guy spends all his time in it. He even sits in it to watch movies on his fat 42" high-def. flat screen! He didn't get a lot of time in it once I caught the Gaming Chair bug though! It's really contagious. If you're a gamer and you haven't bought one yet - you got to get one.

The first thing I did when I got home was to hit the net and check out what's available out there. There are lots of different types and they are really affordable if you know where to look.

Computer gaming chairs might be new to the world of gaming but they are a great way to have a better gaming experience. I mean they're not magic - they won't make you a world-class champion gamer - but they will help you get there if you want to improve, because you won't want to get off the gaming chair once you're in it! Some of these gaming chairs have an amazing sound system built it. The best ones have wireless transmission, sub woofers with integrated vibration systems, swivel pedestal bases, rocker bases and they connect to most of the popular consoles including iPods, TV's and MP3 players too. And the best thing is that you don't have to break the bank to get one.

I bought the Lumisource - 4.1 Surround Boom Chair, which is the same gaming chair as my friend Billy. They had it on special and I got it for less than $140.00!

This gaming chair looks super cool, is easy on the back and butt, light to move around and has all the best features packed into it for less than half the price of an iPhone!

"The 4.1 Boom Chair has a unique silhouette with speakers both aimed right at the user and from the headrest! The unique features of this chair are sound-activated features an ergonomic design, and two PAIRS of 3 inch internal speakers. This chair has an adjustable headrest, breathable mesh, and additional lumbar support for added comfort. The 4.1 features adjustable volume and bass/treble along with a fade knob that controls which speakers you want to sound to come out of, for a custom sound environment." - http://www.lumisource.com/4_1.html

The main features are:

* 2 Pairs of 3 inch 2-way speakers!
* Powerful 4 inch Subwoofer
* Adjustable volume and bass/treble control
* Adjustable Fade between speakers
* Lumbar support/comfort padding
* Adjustable headrest with speakers
* RCA input/output ports

The Gaming Chairs Online site specializes in Lumisource Gaming Chairs only, so you don't have to trawl the site to find the chair that suits you best. I found their site to be really easy to buy from and they did exactly as they said they would. Five days after I bought it a UPS truck pulled up outside my apartment and I was having hours of fun in my pursuit to whoop Billy the next time I go up against him!

Watch out buddy!

To check out all the best Lumisource gaming chairs in one place go to Gaming Chairs Online. They have lots of different types at very affordable prices to suit any budget. They provide a fast, friendly and efficient service and also have a some cool accessories. Have fun!

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The Sweet Spot: Being a Gamer Parent

As a parent of young children, it is often tough to find time to game. Or energy. Gone are the carefree days of playing game after game after game. There's always something coming up... late bedtimes, going to the store for medicine, washing diapers (for cloth-diapering hippies like us!), cooking, cleaning random messes the kids leave... yeah, free time is at a premium. Every minute counts. So I have to shoot for getting the most out of my time when gaming. So what does that mean? How do I get the most out of my time gaming? Honestly, I'm still working it out. I have 5 years of practice, though, and I'll share what I've figured out. Here are some guidelines I use for finding the "sweet spot" in gaming.

1. Avoid games with complex or fiddly rules.

Some games are just elegant. Play progresses in an orderly fashion, there's an FAQ in the rulebook covering anything you need, and people just "get it" after a quick explanation. Play these games. And avoid games (especially teaching games!) that require a trip to boardgamegeek.com to arbitrate a rules question, use arcane iconography or just make things complex. A game that I really like that fits into this category is Race for the Galaxy. I love the game. I really do. The iconography makes it hard to teach, though, so it's not going to hit the table when new players are around. Especially with expansions. Complexity doesn't need to be there for depth, necessarily. So when a game delivers a comparable experience without the fiddliness, go for that one.

2. If the kids are around, figure in additional time... or get a babysitter.

I don't know how many games I've lost due to having to parent. In the scheme of things, it doesn't really matter. A game is a game. But gaming is a hobby, and meant to be relaxing. Socializing. Interacting with friends, or maybe just unwinding with the wife. And it really gets frustrating when I feel that I can't remember what I'm doing from one minute to the next due to constant interruptions. I'm not the best multitasker (just ask my wife!), and the kids usually get the priority in any situation where they're involved. A good thing to do is to make sure you "load 'em up" with attention beforehand. If they're going to be supervised less during play, set their expectations and try to meet all their needs (immediate and anticipated) before you sit down. Gaming with other parents helps. Often, kids will play together. Another option is a babysitter. Even having a babysitter over at the same time is a great thing, and well worth the investment.

3. Maximize the "Fun vs. Time Spent" ratio.

Some games are just long. I'm not averse to playing a long game; I enjoy the opportunity every now and then. But some games... are just long. As an example, I don't really feel that I get more out of Axis & Allies than I do out of Memoir '44. I'll definitely be playing it for five more hours, but I don't necessarily think that Axis is going to deliver six times the fun just because it takes six times the time to play. That means that it has a poor fun:time spent ratio. Look for games that deliver the essential experience. Some games are going to take longer to do that, so make sure that when you're selecting a game to pull off the shelf, that there isn't a game that delivers the same experience in a shorter time.

4. Read reviews of games before you get them.

This has become so important for my wife and me when buying games. In the past, we would drop loads and loads of money on games we had never heard of. Sometimes this would have positive results. For instance, we purchased Attika after a recommendation from a game store employee. Hadn't heard of it, or looked it up. Just bought it. And loved it. But sometimes... you end up with a game that doesn't fit your style, isn't what you expected or is just plain bad. I'm not going to point fingers at any games in particular, primarily because I try to stay positive. But there are definitely games out there with few redeeming qualities. Which is why game reviews are so important. Just as the reviews themselves are important, so are the reviewers. It's easy to look at a review uncritically and walk away thinking of the reviewer's opinion as the final word. My advice is to find a couple reviewers' blogs or podcasts and get familiar. My wife, for example, loves The Dice Tower, a podcast about games. She doesn't necessarily agree with all of Tom Vasel's opinions on games, but she knows where she stands in relation to him on things and can use that as a yardstick and gauge whether or not she thinks she might like something based on that. We've made some very informed decisions on games based on his reviews, and on the reviews of others. FYI, I know a blog that reviews games (hint, hint!)... ;)

So what is "the sweet spot"? The sweet spot is primarily about being cognizant of factors like time and parenting when purchasing games, choosing which games to play and playing games. How this is defined for each individual is definitely going to vary. Just think of this as a game itself! It's a very complex resource management game, and the resources are time, money and attention. Stay aware of this, and you'll find your sweet spot!

Randall Newnham is a lifelong gamer and coffee drinker. He plays games with his wife and two small children, and encourages parents to play board games with their children. He and his family blog about gaming at Growing Up Gamers http://growingupgamers.blogspot.com/.

(c) Copyright Randall Newnham. All rights reserved.

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My Battlefield 3 Run In With a Girl Gamer

As of late I've noticed a growing trend. It is a trend that makes me suspicious and skeptical at the same time. I'm sitting in front of my TV, weapon selected, timer is counting down, and my way-points are clearly marked on the map. My squad leader is calmly and effectively communicating our strategy. Focused now, readying for the sprint. Then it happens; a girl's voice reverberates through the mic and into my ear. I am instantly demoralized. Our team prides itself in WINNING. There's a formula to winning. Strategy, discipline and skill. This is a war game. It may not be real war, but we treat it as such.

But today, we have a girl on our team. How did she get in? Who invited her? I stay tight lipped. I am but a junior member of this outfit and I am in no position to question the higher ups. Still, I am perplexed by her presence and even more so by the apparent normalcy with which the rest of the squad treats this clearly unacceptable situation. There must be a mistake. Maybe they can't hear her. Maybe they don't know she is here, running around guns blazing, looking like just one of the guys.

She is a Recon Soldier. She runs to a forward position and then runs back and keeps her distance. Figures.

Fighters, Helos and Tanks are running rampant but I'm no longer listening to commands and warnings. I'm fixated and watching this curious outsider, blending in, as if nobody notices. But I notice and I will expose her. I'm watching her on my HUD map and I'm about to blow the whistle and let the chips fall where they may. Then it happens.

Enemy aircraft start exploding and helicopters wildly tumble out of control. Javelin missiles strike enemy tanks in a choreographed marvel, John Woo would be proud of.

Her voice returns. This time, it's to call out instructions. They are delivered with authority and simplicity so much so that I can't help but follow them.

I see the upper right hand corner as it indicates that she, one by one, snipes the enemy soldiers in my path, one shot one kill, style. Fresh enemy tanks arrive but the laser from the SOFLAM she deployed is rapidly targeting them, and the team is dispatching them just as quickly. I'm making a run for the M-Com Station. I'm going to set the charge. To my left and my right are my brothers but they start to fall in the hail of bullets.

I'm on my own. The only protection I have is the M98B held in the purposeful hands of this outsider and I'm running. Soon, I'm too far from her lead filled deliveries that had so efficiently cleared my path. Then I see it. A radio beacon close to the M-Com. My comrades start to fall from parachutes directly above me. They provide cover and one M-Com station is now gone.

It was she that had placed the radio beacon early on, allowing reinforcements to deploy. That is why she had run forward and then retreated. She was no coward, she was a tactician. She had made the Su-35's, T-90's, and Mi28's easy targets for our Javelin wielding Engineers and she had cleared the path for my glorious, untouched RUSH to destiny.

The game went on but I could not. I sat, stared at the TV and marveled at what had happened. How could I question the skills of a fellow gamer based solely on an ignorant assumption. The term Gamer is not associated with age or gender; was what I had learned. I lost my internet connection and dropped out of the game. It was a good thing because I had realized I did not deserve to fight along side her. I haven't seen her since, but if she would let me, I would follow her into battle any day.

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