Luis Miguel Aguilar

So you are a self-proclaimed expert on Starcraft. Well here is some little-known trivia about the original, 1998-released game that we bet you did not know!

- The Zerg facial structure was designed based on x-rays of human skulls’ teeth.

- When you click on the drop-ship unit, you hear various lines; all but one come directly from the 1986 James Cameron classic film Alien.

- The hero for Terran’s firebat is called “Gui Montag”. This is very clever and funny, since it is a reference to the classic Ray Bradbury novel Fahrenheit 451. The main character of that book is named Guy Montag, and he is a fireman.

- The currently popular and frequently used term “pwned” (pronounced “pohned”–rhymes with “owned”) originated from Starcraft.

A map designer working on the game misspelled the word “owned,” resulting in the game being published with the spelling error.

When a player dies, a message on the screen would read “[player name] has been pwned.” Eventually the typo was corrected, but the term “pwned” has been immortalized on the Internet.

Now the term is used not only for video games but also for sporting events when a team loses or a player gets shut down. You can also hear it regularly in everyday conversation. For example: “I heard that Liz dumped Dan dumped for Tyler. Yeah, Tyler totally pwned Dan.”

There you have it–some Starcraft trivia you may not have known. Even if you did already know these facts, wasn’t it interesting to read them again?

Known as MisS, Han Yi Yang has become the first female pro gamer who wasn’t Korean. She has hosted a popular gaming TV show in China for years, and she has previously stated that she had dreams of becoming a pro-gamer. She has been officially signed by the Korean professional gaming team StarTale. So far, she is the second female gamer to be signed by StarTale in particular.

This contract has actually been long in the making. It appears that StarTale’s “Rainbow” actually set off on his own mission to the ZOWIE DIVINA female Starcraft 2 tournament to support his girlfriend (the first StarTale member) and to test the skills of this Chinese female gamer. Before that competition, the world knew her only as a game show host in China.

It was after this test that MisS was officially invited to join their team. According to MisS, Lots of people told me that I am stupid for giving up my job as a TV hostess to become a computer player, but how often do you get a chance to follow your dream? We agree MisS. Being a TV hostess definitely pays more and gets you more attention. However, your dream is what it is and most people never really get a legitimate chance to follow their dreams.

MisS is just one of the lucky ones, and she isn’t taking that for granted. MisS has since stated that she was extremely nervous, which is understandable. However, she feels that this is the “happiest day of her life.” She’s still having trouble believing that this kind of thing could really happen to her.

Will she just be nice window dressing or will she be a real gamer? Only time will tell. So far, the popularity of this former game host is definitely something that catches the public eye. Even though StarTale is already extremely popular in its own rite, her presence may boost their public face.

When it comes to gaming, the best computers are often bulky desktops that don’t go anywhere. So if you want to have a LAN party, playing Starcraft can be a real ordeal. The good news is that all is not lost. There are budget friendly laptops out there that offer everything these bulky desktops offer in a more portable form. You may still want more accessories, because obviously a good headpiece is essential. However, there are real portable and budget friendly options.

1. Acer Aspire TimelineX AS3830TG-6431 – Talk about a long and complicated name. Feel free to copy and paste if you want to search for this particular laptop. Despite the name, this is one of your best laptops for Starcraft or any other major game. The Acer Inspire TimelineX is thin, light, highly portable, and built for gaming on the go. This speedy laptop has an I5 processor and literally weighs less than 5 pounds, which is shocking considering the screen is 13”. This particular laptop sells for less than $800.
2. Dell Inspiron – There are several different models of the Dell Inspiron. However, even with this huge company name, or maybe because of it, you get a killer deal. Keep in mind, the Inspiron is not specifically made for gaming, but it does have second generation Intel Core Processors and 14” and 15” screens. The screen options go all the way up to 17”. The Inspiron is one of the few options we know of that even allows you to customize your shell to make this laptop a little more you.
3. Origin PC EON17-S – This laptop has great graphics and easy overclocking options. Entirely customizable, the Origin PC allows gamers to tweak even small and seemingly unimportant details. Origin computers have been compared to Alienware, which for any gamer is a big deal. The only issue is that this computer is a little bit more pricey. Expect to pay $1700 to $3600.

4. Alienware M18X – Why pay more when there’s a brand comparable to Alienware for less, right? Some people just trust the name brands, and with so much history, we can’t blame you. Alienware is proven, and unlike other laptops, this particular model comes with an 18” screen and an Intel core i7 chip. With plenty of configuration options, don’t be afraid to change things up with this model.

   The major downsides include the fact that this laptop is extremely bulky, heavy, and pricey. You should expect to pay $1999 to $5000 for this model.

5. Razer Blade – This particular model has not been released just yet, but it’s pretty cool and definitely something to look forward to. The Razer Blade has been well advertised as the mecca of all gaming laptops. Demos have been given, and the Razer Blade now offers a touchpad with a screen wand 8 LED keys. This laptop can be configured down to the smallest detail however you want. You can also attach a second screen if you want. The only problem is that this particular laptop does not have an optical drive. With a 256GB SSD hard drive, you can expect to pay $2700.

Once thought of as the ultimate Call of Duty player, Kim Dotcom has officially lost his crown. Due to recent events, Dotcom has been able to play and compete, giving other gamers around the world a fighting chance. He has been called one of the best Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 players currently alive.

However, last week, Dotcom was arrested in his New Zealand homes, putting a cramp on his abilities. Megaupload has been accused of stealing content and costing copyright holders upwards of $500 million in revenue with thousands of illegal downloads. He will be tied up in court, regardless of the outcome, for a while.

Born Kim Schmitz, Dotcom officially changed his name, and being the champion, even temporarily, is no small feat. He has literally had to beat out millions of other players. However, due to his recent imprisonment, Dotcom has slipped to the #2 slot, second only to Azaros, a man who is not currently in prison. Right now, it looks like Azaros won’t be slipping any time soon.

Dotcom has denied any allegations of piracy, but his mansion and other signs of his lavish lifestyle have become evident and the center of the investigation. Due to Megaupload’s popularity, he has literally made $175 million. With a 1959 pink Cadillac and Rolls Royce Phantom, he certainly isn’t skimping.

However, for the purposes of this blog, you can watch some of Dotcom’s playing time.

For me, I started out with Warcraft II when it was actually popular and gradually moved onto WoW and Starcraft consequently. Through gaming, I’ve noticed that there are quite a few people who limit themselves to one of the two, believing the other might even be pure blasphemy. I’ll admit, my skills are still significantly greater when it comes to WoW, because I’ve been playing longer, but I am catching up with Starcraft. So what’s the difference?

Playing both, it can really feel like two different worlds. I’ve heard inexperienced players who have never played either game or only played one say that they are the same, but that’s definitely not so. The MMORPG and RTS gameplay are on completely different playing fields, but in addition, I find that the communities are vastly different!

You would think that the communities would be similar, and there are plenty of people who just look at us all as gamers, period, end of story. With the newer generations often turning to Starcraft though, things are changing drastically. If we weren’t competing communities who separate ourselves, we could definitely learn from each other. There are strategies and approaches I’ve learned from both games that I couldn’t have learned from the other. However, both communities are lacking because of our animosity or disinterest.

I don’t know that either community will change any time soon. These games have been around forever and the communities are set in their ways. There are very few of us who go between the two for a reason. However, news and competitions are always coming out for both games. The one thing I have noticed is that Starcraft sites tend to gather a lot of information in one places whereas Warcraft information is extremely spread out. I don’t know which is actually better or more comprehensive for that matter.

Either way, there is a major market out there for both of these games, and the competitions and excellence in playing continues. However, in Starcraft, I wouldn’t count on being the next champ unless you’re a dedicated 16 year old Korean boy (or younger). Based on the championship records, the rest of us just can’t seem to compete.

Are any of us surprised? We all know that Starcraft 2 has basically taken over the whole market, but not everybody expected apparently that Starcraft 2 would be in the MLG Awards, a major plus for the game and the industry. The Major League Gaming group (MLG)’s pro players have been voting for weeks, and they have finally chosen 2011’s MLG Pros’ Choice Awards, sponsored by Stride.

The pros have voted based on several different factors. However, Starcraft has come out on top. The three top titles include Call of Duty – Black Ops, Halo – Reach, and Starcraft 2 – Wings of Liberty. I can only imagine how tough it must’ve been for them to choose based on all of the great games that came out in 2011 and the many gamers who are loyal to their own games.

Unfortunately, not all of us can be loyal to Starcraft 2. There are just some who prefer games like Halo or switch between a few. However, alone at the top or not, Starcraft 2 is proving that it is still relevant and gamers still love this game.

In case you were wondering, the MLG Awards are based not just on recognition, but on continuing spirit and creating a “tradition”, which obviously Starcraft 2 has done and continues to do every time they put out a new volume.

Chess has always been the ultimate war of wills and ultimately of brain power. People view it as a test and an honor, but as it turns out, Starcraft may well be surpassing chess as the “drosphila of cognitive psychology and artificial intelligence. Starcraft 2 represents a new era in kids and a new set of expectations in how to compare smarts.

Of course, most schools haven’t gotten involved in this yet, but Starcraft 2 has attracted many men and the attention of the scientific community at large. We have even seen an entire blog dedicated to the “science” behind a video game and its imaginary creatures.

According to Mark Blair, a cognitive scientist at Simon Fraser University, “It’s working memory. It’s decision making. It involves very precise motor skills. Everything is important and everything needs to work together.”

He later adds details such as “What we’ve got is satellite view of expertise that no one was able to get before. We have hundreds of players at the basic levels, then hundreds more at slightly better, and so on, in eight hundred categories of players.”

While Starcraft 2 has been demonized for its addictive tendencies for some and the problems that arise according to some from too much play, this kind of research is meant to give some sort of credibility to the game. We cannot say for sure how that will turn out of course. There are many who will continue to believe that this game has no innate value.

However, whether gamers err on one side or another, millions of gamers all over the world will continue to play Starcraft 2 for various purposes. What we do know for sure is that at the very least, video games like Starcraft 2 have been known to help children with ADD or ADHD to focus in life in general.

While the average gamer is thought of as a man, studies have shown that there are a growing number of female gamers emerging. Like those women found in the military, female gamers some would say are more likely to be in close proximity to more men, meaning female gamers are more likely to get married than their non-gaming counterparts.

Men are encouraged to step away from their screens and “get a life.” However, studies are showing that some may actually encourage women to play more instead of griping about all of the play. As it turns out, women who play games on facebook, their computers, or even their phones are more likely to be in happy and committed relationships than their counterparts who don’t.

According to a study conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Gamehouse, some 71% of women who game online and are married or living with a partner relate their relationship as 6 or above. Of course, this study was biased, being funded and solicited by a company trying to draw more gamers in. However, this does not mean that the study itself couldn’t be right.

Whether the Legend of Zelda appeals to you or you prefer Starcraft or any other game, we can’t see playing a few games necessarily being a bad thing. Just don’t let yourself become like many men who would consider themselves to be addicted to gaming. Male or female, that kind of issue could become a real problem.

While Starcraft can be a fun outlet for some, and video games are even suggested to be good for children with ADHD, there is a limit to the fun. Serious American addiction to video games is on the rise, reaching a whopping 8.5% in the US according to one study. This new study shows that children can become addicted to video games, causing them to skip homework assignments, lie about how much they play, and struggle to cut back.

The first study on this particular subject, this study was conducted by Douglas Gentile of Iowa State University. So far, 8.5% of American youth between the ages of 8 and 18 show multiple signs of addictive behavior, suggesting that this may lead to future problems in adulthood. The problems only occur when playing video games actually disrupts other areas of their lives and their lives become out of balance.

Kids can spend more time AND more money to get the same high and the same experience, which typically involves increased charges on parents’ credit cards. Of course, this would require parents to participate, providing these credit card numbers and other similar methods of payment. In addition, many parents would have to enable children to skip out on chores.

However, the effect is the same. Many become irritable without games, becoming “pathological gamers.” If you have a boy, he is 4 times more likely than girls to have this problem. However, some parents should keep in mind that this study still leaves some important questions unanswered. You should not assume that your child is a “pathological gamer” just because they play.

Many participate in gaming and never have any problem. Many consider addictive personalities to be to blame, and personalities like that simply require an outlet.