Such a drastic restructuring of the video game market sent other gaming companies scrambling to adjust their goals and strategies for this Brave New World or plan acquisitions of their own. We’ve already seen Sony’s response, which was to buy the Destiny and Halo (but not Halo Infinite) developer Bungie for $3.6 billion.

Source: VisualCapitalist

While Sega isn’t exactly on the level of Sony and Microsoft when it comes to revenue, it still stands among the richest companies in the industry.  Fans and analysts are left wondering what will the beloved developer and publisher do to stay competitive in this upended market. Will Sega decide to purchase one of its smaller competitors, create new and revive old IPs, or become an acquisition target itself?

Abandoning Tradition or Ditching Dead Weight?

The first move by the Japanese company after the Microsoft-Activision deal was announced was to sell off remnants of its arcade business to Genda (also known as GiGO). Sega already sold 85% of shares to GiGO in 2020 due to COVID-19 impact on the arcade market, and announced it’ll be selling off the rest of the arcades to the same company in 2022.

Source: Pexels

Arcades were conceived as one of the core aspects of Sega’s brand, as it’s what helped the company gain recognition. Sega’s arcade history in Japan stretches back to the late 1960s and the fact that it’s completely leaving the arcade business came as huge news. Not only were the fans in disarray, but this move is also sure to significantly alter Tokyo’s visual identity, as the recognizable SEGA neon light signs strewn across the city will be replaced by GiGO’s.

While arcade fans certainly weren’t pleased with the news, the general public’s opinion on the move was split. To some, it appears as the company is selling everything apart from its life support systems in order to stay afloat and profitable next to cash-rich competitors. 

Others interpret the move as removing dead weight in the form of an unprofitable sector which would prevent Sega from truly focusing on other projects. Other signals and developments seem to show the latter is the case.

Expansion to Western Markets

Throughout its history, Sega has mostly focused on the Japanese market. Both during its Sega Genesis and Dreamcast days and during the newer generation console era, a good portion of the most popular games the company created or published newer saw the light of the day in the West.

This included smash hits like Segagaga, Yakuza, Valkyra Chronicles, Phantasy Star Online, Bayonetta, and others that did not initially release in the West. This is one of the reasons why many Sega fans flocked to gaming-optimized VPNs in order to purchase or play Japan-only releases. 

Things have thankfully changed in the last decade. Sega has started releasing many of its most beloved series in the west too, and with great success. Games like Yakuza and Persona, with their unique and quirky appeal, found a lot of fans in the new market. The repeated successes of their western releases should motivate Sega to consider further expansion into the European and North American markets. As the company already vowed in 2021 to aim for simultaneous worldwide releases, it seems this was the company’s line of thinking too.

The RTS Renaissance  

The RTS (Real-Time Strategy) genre has been until recently in a very sorry state. Games were few and far between, as no company wanted to invest in a genre where monetization is so difficult. Unlike other types of games, RTS titles can hardly fit in a live service model, which seems to be all the rage currently.

The only vibrant RTS series around was Total War –  a game developed by CA and published by Sega.  The latest successes of this franchise are largely due to the release of the Total War: Warhammer series, which unsurprisingly drew huge interest. Warhammer games are in high demand, even though a WH-themed game seems to come out every month. Keep this in mind as we’ll come back to it later.

In the last year or two, several high-profile RTS games came out, as if heralding a rebirth of the RTS genre. New Age of Empires, Settlers, Stronghold, Iron Harvest – all these games drew a lot of praise and attention. Another sequel of a cult RTS franchise is coming out too – Company of Heroes 3.

CoH 3 is developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Sega, which bought Relic from THQ for $26.6 million back in 2013. Judging by the previews of the game, which is set to come out this year, it will be a great addition to the CoH series.

Relic is also behind a popular Warhammer game franchise – Dawn of War. While the third installment in that series proved to be somewhat of a disappointment, Sega would be wise to make further use of the Dawn of War franchise. Therefore, I wouldn’t be surprised if a new addition – or a remake of the first two installments – gets announced soon. Indeed, there’s already hush-hush talk on the Internet that it may be in the works.

To conclude, Sega’s potential honey pot for the foreseeable future could be RTS games & Warhammer – possibly combined in one product.

Gotta Go Fast

Probably the most popular and lucrative Sega’s IP is the ever-present Sonic the Hedgehog. Besides pumping out Sonic games, Sega has landed deals to create the Sonic 2 movie and a Sonic Netflix series. On top of that, Sonic games will be playable in new Tesla cars, which is bound to bring more visibility to the Sega brand.

Source: Twitter

Sticking to Sonic is the safest play Sega can make, and there’s really no reason they should let it go, as it’s still both very popular and profitable. 

Acquisitions

Lastly, Sega itself has stated that they plan on doing some acquisitioning themselves. In the company’s annual 2021 report, they said that they consider investing nearly $1 billion into game development capabilities in the next few years, as well as into the potential acquisition of other game companies.

In that report, Sega stated that they wish to release a major global title in the next few years, hinting at utilizing one of their existing IPs. 

As it stands, Sega has several routes towards expansion and growth at its disposal: increasing attention to western markets, utilizing their talented RTS studios like CA and Relic to create RTS and Warhammer games, continue banking on the popularity of Sonic, and potentially buying a fruitful game studio. 

Only time will tell what Sega will actually do (my guess is: all of these things), but one thing is almost certain – they won’t be in arcades anymore.

There were many great titles in the vintage Sega gaming catalogue and Alex Kidd in Miracle World was one of the first to take off in the public domain. For some Sega Master System owners, Alex Kidd in Miracle World was built into the device and the 2D platform game was based on various levels involving puzzles and obstacles. There were many monsters to beat in the game plus three henchmen of Janken the Great and the boss himself. Alex Kidd in Miracle World received critical acclaim upon its release and having been such a popular game, it came as little surprise that a remake was launched in 2021 called Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX.

Available on Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5, Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is based on the original game but offers new levels and the opportunity to play using modern or retro graphics. Having completed the game, two additional gaming modes become available and much like the original version from 80’s, Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX has received many positive reviews.

In 1990, Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse became available on the Sega Genesis (Mega Drive). Minnie Mouse has been captured by the evil witch Mizrabel and it is the job of the player, as Mickey Mouse, to save her. This was the first game in the Illusion video game series and was enjoyed by millions of gamers across the world. There have been several remakes of Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse, one in 1998 in Japan for the Sega Saturn and one more recently, in 2013 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, iOS, Windows Phone, Android, and OS X. The latter received a graphics and gameplay update, with many people choosing to play the game on their mobile device.

Some video games have been used to create online slots, with retro games such as Tomb Raider, Space Invaders, Street Fighter, and Resident Evil among them. If you fancy trying your luck at any of these games, we recommend taking advantage of no deposit bonuses. You do not have to use any of your own funds when claiming a no deposit bonus and you can choose a leading no deposit casino in the USA which is home to retro video game slots and many more.

Perhaps the most famous vintage Sega game to be remade is Sonic the Hedgehog. Ask any Sega console owner to name some of the games they played in the 90’s and Sonic the Hedgehog will be one of them. Sonic the Hedgehog is on a quest to defeat Dr. Robotnik and has the ability to run at supersonic speeds to aid his progress. The main elements of the game are controlled by using one button and Sonic collects rings which function as health. Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the best-selling video games of all time and in 2013 it was remade for the Nintendo 3DS, iOS, and Android. The release on the Nintendo 3DS provided Sonic with a 3D platform plus a Zone Select feature and the classic Spin Dash move.

Some of the other vintage Sega games to be remade include Black Belt, ChuChu Rocket! Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram, and Earthworm Jim.

The initiative will also allow SEGA to develop new titles that focus on global, online, community, and IP utilization industries. SEGA revealed that they considered the strategic partnership with Microsoft to help them advance their game development. As a result, their games can be enjoyed by gamers globally. 

Additionally, Yukio Sugino, SEGA’s President, and Chief Operating Officer stated that their objective is to build an alliance that utilizes SEGA’s robust game development capacity and Microsoft’s groundbreaking technology and development environment. 

The two technology heavyweights have consolidated a foundation for their joint venture that includes assembling new network infrastructure and communication technologies to profit online gaming worldwide.

The Super Game Online Project

SEGA and Xbox will work on a strategic alliance to develop games built on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. The games will be based on SEGA’s “Super Game” initiative. The initiative plans to come up with community-centric games based on existing franchises.

Initially, reports suggested that Microsoft was buying SEGA. Well, that is not the case. Instead, the two companies have agreed to work together to develop large-scale global games. This is a critical ingredient in SEGA’s “super game” initiative. The plan is to develop multiple games that focus on IP utilization, community, and online. 

SEGA is famous as the developer behind the Sonic the Hedgehog series and Yakuza franchise, among others. The alliance also seeks to take advantage of the 5G network, making it effortless for gamers to access on-demand content. According to SEGA, their proposed alliance targets the future by exploring cloud-based game development processes.

They argue that, in this massively connected environment, the gaming sector’s ecosystem is evolving by the day. It is also expanding thanks to more advanced tools and technologies becoming available. 

In this regard, video games continue to grow into a powerful medium for global gamers. Nowadays, gamers can access a wide range of gaming experiences, and the gaming communities are becoming more accessible and diverse. 

The alliance will see the two companies anticipate industry trends as they accelerate into the future. Moreover, they aim to offer top-quality experiences to gamers by utilizing Microsoft’s Azure cloud technologies.  

Microsoft – SEGA Is a Significant Player in the Gaming Industry

Microsoft, through Sara Bond, acknowledged that SEGA had played a significant role in the gaming industry over the years. She also hailed the Japanese game maker as an incredible partner. 

In this regard, Microsoft hopes that their partnership will help to revolutionize game development, hosting, and gameplay experiences. Moreover, Bond claimed that their goal is to add more value to players.     

So, when coin-op giants Sega released their third major console, the Genesis, in 1989, it was the perfect platform to bring those games into the home. The company’s first 16-bit home console was a huge success, delivering gamers a truly authentic arcade experience. It was reflected in the sales as almost 30million units were sold. The games flew off the shelves just as quick, and the love of the beat ’em up continued right through the Genesis generation. Five of the top ten selling games of all time on the system were from the genre, highlighting how important those fighting titles were for the Genesis.

However, while that handful was notable, others didn’t have as much commercial success but were revered by gamers. So we’ve compiled our list of the best fighting games that were released for the console.

Mortal Kombat

Mortal Kombat was so brutal that it caused other game console manufacturers to offer a watered-down version to consumers. However, the Genesis didn’t suffer the same fate as the whole arcade experience did make it into the home, albeit with a rating of ‘M’ from the ESRB. With vivid red blood flying across the screen when the assailants struck each other and ‘fatality’ finishing moves just as savage as it sounds, the one v one battles have gone down in legend with gamers.

Streets of Rage 2

This side-scrolling beat ’em up is one of the best titles released on the Genesis, and it’s loved to this day, with versions being released in the last few years as an indication of its lasting legacy. Two players could team up to battle on the streets of Wood Oak City to free the neighborhood of Mr. X and his henchmen. The music package, graphics, and control system all came together to make a game worthy of the arcades, and it had nods to other titles in the genre and movies. It’s a classic for all the right reasons.

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story

This game wasn’t met with open arms so much in the U.S. but in Europe, it was loved. It’s a classic title that slipped by people and was released around the time of the biopic of the much-loved martial artist. Bruce Lee was a popular character for gamers before this title’s release; he’d been immortalized in 8-bit on home computers, with Bruce Lee (the game) being first released in 1984. After that, appeared on the Genesis, and his legend lives on today in gaming. There’s an online slot from Foxy Bingo titled Bruce Lee, which also features the fighter’s iconic imagery. He is front and central to that title, and he’s appeared as a side character in many others. He also appeared in the EA Sports UFC series, but it’s this Genesis title that features the great fighter that is still a massively underrated title.

Greatest Heavyweights

This boxing title is excellent, and it features legendary fighters like Joe Frazier, Rocky Marciano, and Muhammad Ali with digitized versions of their trademark taunts, quotes, and more. It was compatible with the six-button controller released with Street Fighter II and allowed for more attacking options for the player. Boxing games were largely cartoony in style at this point, so Greatest Heavyweights was not only one of the better games, but it was one of the most visually authentic to the sport too.

A pretty critical aspect moving many students towards older games is their quality – nowadays, most games are quite similar and simply uninspiring. So, older classics become the obvious choice. Many even look for writing services like reading a PayForEssay Review (or a multitude of other reviews) to delegate their academic load and get more time to play some awesome games from the past.

Which old games are currently being played over and over again? Here they are:

Half-life Series

• Half-Life (1998)
• Half-Life 2 (2004)
• Half-Life 2: Episode One (2006)
• Half-Life 2: Episode Two (2007)

A series of fantastic FPS games from Valve that revolutionized the first-person shooter genre. New approaches to gameplay, an exciting plot and setting (which received a colossal and unexpected development in the second part), a charismatic protagonist – all this and much more brought the games of the Half-Life series worldwide fame and the right to be considered an immortal classic among computer games.

The Elder Scrolls Series

• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (2002)
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006)

Among Action / RPG games, The Elder Scrolls series has always been among the most popular. The proposed game universe (the planet Nirn and its parallel plane Oblivion), taking all the best from the classic fantasy and supplemented by the original ideas of the developers, is an ideal sandbox world in which you can spend a long and interesting time even after completing the storyline.

Numerous custom mods that can be freely downloaded from the net make the TES series games (presented in our top third and fourth installments) an endless source of entertainment. Morrowind and Oblivion may not be the best representatives of the franchise (especially against the backdrop of the later Skyrim and TESO), but at least some of the worthiest representatives of the genre on PC in general.

Series Max Payne

• Max Payne (2001)
• Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (2003)

Spectacular and dynamic shooters from Remedy Entertainment, catching with their enchanting gunfights and powerful criminal plot.

The events are based on the tragic story of the main character – police detective Max Payne, thirsty for revenge and leading an implacable fight against crime. Moreover, only by radical means – fire and lead. The atmosphere of the first two parts of Max Payne, presented by neo-noir with a touch of mysticism, is also impressive.

Total War Series

• Shogun: Total War (2000)
• Medieval: Total War (2002)
• Rome: Total War (2004)
• Medieval II: Total War (2006)
• Empire: Total War (2009)

A series of global historical and fantasy (based on Warhammer Fantasy) strategies, the gameplay of which uses the principles of turn-based 4X strategies and RTS. Manage cities and lead armies, expand the territory of your empire and appoint family members and loyal generals to key government and military posts.

Total War is not only a historical setting and epic battles with an abundance of tactics, but also a high variability in the management of a wide variety of government spheres.

Doom Series

• DOOM (1993)
• DOOM II (1994)
• DOOM 3 (2004)

Successful relaunch of id Software’s iconic shooters in 2004. Brutal battles against demons on a gloomy Martian station, travel to hell, conspiracies and betrayals, feelings of loneliness and fear, bringing Doom 3 closer to horror – all this will bring a lot of joy and pleasure to fans of old classic shooters.

Silent Hill Series

• Silent Hill 2 (2001)
• Silent Hill 3 (2003)
• Silent Hill 4: The Room (2004)

A true dark deity among PC horror games, taking players to the nightmarish, yet the relentlessly enticing city of Silent Hill. The place where the line is torn between dimensions, all the hidden fears become real, and pain, hatred, guilt, or a thirst for revenge give rise to terrible monsters.

The first installments of Silent Hill are the best psychological horror games on the PC that can, if not scare, then at least make even the bravest players excited.

Command & Conquer Series

• C&C (1995)
• C&C: Tiberian Sun (1999)
• C&C 3: Tiberium Wars (2007)
• Red Alert (1996)
• Red Alert 2 (2000)
• Red Alert 3 (2008)
• Generals (2003)
• Generals – Zero Hour (2003)

There are plenty of scenarios with a post-apocalyptic future of our planet among computer games, and many of them are banal and dull, which cannot be said about the series of classic RTS Command & Conquer. It was the setting and plot, dedicated to the global war between two strikingly different factions for Tiberium (mysterious material of alien origin), that rallied an army of loyal fans around Command & Conquer. And, of course, let’s not forget about the gameplay itself, using the unshakable mechanics laid down by Westwood Studios back in Dune 2, and not losing their appeal to this day.

So Many Great Games – Not That Much Time

Feeling like the boring and useless academic homework takes away your time for nothing? In that case, you can employ such services as TopStudyWriter to take a breather from the overwhelming student life. Playing older games can be just as educational as going to classes but not as taxing.

These desert Slots may be void of company, but they’re abundant with features and bonuses galore, that will leave you feeling glad that you’ve journeyed alone. So, prepare yourself for an adventure like no other as you spin the reels, attempting to match the desert’s sweltering symbols.

Desert Treasure

Treasure you say? You heard us right, but this treasure will only appear to those who are able to navigate the desert dunes and match the symbols across the reels. With five reels and 20 pay-lines, this slot may be inhospitable, but it’s equipped with prizes and a progressive jackpot, maximising the ways in which you can win.

Start your adventure with a minimum bet of just 0.01 credits. On your travels you’ll be joined by an array of symbols, including a camel, an oasis and a golden cobra, which acts as the wild symbol. This striking serpent could award you with a top prize worth 5,000 coins, but you’ll have to match five of them across an active pay-line.

The scatter symbol is the woman, and although she may be a figment of your imagination or a mirage, she will reward you greatly, providing you with an additional prize which could range from two to 500 coins. What’s more, if three or more of these symbols appear on the reels, you’ll receive 10 free spins.

That’s not all, as this slot is equipped with a blistering bonus round, and this will be unleashed if three or more oasis symbols appear on an active pay-line. The Oasis Bonus Round will provide you with as many prizes as there are bonus symbols in your spin, and bonus pay-outs are multiplied by your bet size.

Sahara Riches: Cash Collect

The Arabian desert is hostile and parching, and the backdrop for this slot game, which is filled to the brim with prize-winning potential. Sahara Riches: Cash Collect has five reels and 30 pay-lines and, as the name would suggest, has a cash collect feature, which is a symbol that could see you rack up some impressive winnings.

The power is in your hands as you can decide the size of your initial bet, which could start from as little as 0.10 coins and reach heights of 500 coins. In order to win you’ll have to land between three and five matching symbols across a pay-line.

These simple, but attractively designed reels will be adorned with the likes of a sand timer, a pink bottle, a dagger and an emerald camel statue. However, you’ll want to keep an extra-close eye on the treasure chest, as this is the most rewarding symbol. If you find five of these on a pay-line, then you could win a prize of six times your initial bet.

If you see a mysterious veiled woman on the reels, you may be intrigued by her beauty and generosity, and we can’t blame you, since this symbol is the wild and will replace all other symbols on the reels to complete a winning combination. This slot boasts some lucrative bonuses, including the cash collect feature — should you find the cash collect symbol on the reels, you’ll receive instant cash prizes and free spins. There is also the potential to win some juicy jackpot prizes, which will hydrate your thirst to win.

Is there anything missing? Oh right – using a VPN for your family! It’s a surprisingly useful tool that significantly improves everyone’s online experience.

If you don’t know what we’re talking about, no problem. We’ll give you a quick rundown of that VPNs are, how they work, and why your family should use them.

So What Is a VPN & How Does It Work?

VPNs are online services that do mostly two things:

1. They hide your IP address. Nobody can see it when you use a VPN – not your ISP, not the websites you access, and not even skilled hackers.
2. They encrypt your traffic. Translated, it means the VPN makes your Internet data unreadable. Nobody can spy on it. If they try to do that, they’ll just see gibberish.

How to Use a VPN for Your Family

Using a VPN is extremely simple. All it takes is a few steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN.
2. Download and install the VPN’s app.
3. Use the app to connect to a VPN server.
4. Surf the web safely.

You’d have to follow those steps for all your family devices. Alternatively, you could just set up the VPN on your router. That way, any device that uses the Internet through the router will go online with a VPN connection. Most VPN providers have guides that show you how to do that.

Why Should Your Family Use a VPN?

There are tons of good reasons for your family to do this. Here are the main ones:

Unblock Streaming Content

Movie night can be a great way to bond with the whole family – even with teenagers! It’s all about letting everyone have a turn picking what to watch.

Well, a lot of our readers have told us on multiple occasions how movie night was ruined because they weren’t able to find the movie or TV show they were supposed to watch on Netflix.

Sounds familiar? Then you know how disappointing that can be. But with a VPN, that never has to happen again!

Because the VPN hides your IP address, it stops sites like Netflix from geo-blocking your access to its content. Streaming platforms won’t know what country you’re from, so they’ll let you watch anything you want. For example, if you’re in the US, you can watch shows and movies on Netflix that are only available in the UK, Japan, Australia, or other countries.

To do this, you just have to connect to a VPN server in the country where the show or movie you want to watch is available. So a UK VPN server for UK-only shows, and so on.

Tip: If you use a smart TV running Android TV to watch shows and movies for movie night, you can install a VPN app on it. Most VPN providers have apps for Android TV, so you don’t need to manually set up the VPN on your router.

Secure Internet Traffic

The Internet is far from safe. Even your home network can be compromised because all network encryption standards have security vulnerabilities. Not to mention that your kids’ data is vulnerable whenever they use free public WiFi which doesn’t use any encryption.

The best way to protect your family’s data against cyber threats is to use a VPN. The service encrypts your traffic, so nobody can read it. That means you can safely use any unsecured network you want. The VPN encrypts the data end-to-end, so only the VPN app and server can decrypt it.

Prevent DDoS Attacks

As an adult, you probably won’t experience DDoS attacks too much. But your kids might experience them when playing online games. Wannabe hackers can DDoS them for something as petty as feeling “disrespected.” And pretty much anyone can rent DDoS attacks for as little as $10 per hour on the dark web.

If you don’t know what a DDoS attack means, it’s a cyber attack that forces networks offline. Your kids won’t be able to use the Internet, and probably neither will you. And this could go on for a few hours!

But if you use a VPN, this is no longer a problem. It hides your IP address, so hackers can’t use it to find your network and target it with DDoS attacks. They can DDoS the VPN’s network, but VPN servers normally have anti-DDoS protection.

Torrent Safely

Let’s face it – torrenting might be frowned upon, but that doesn’t mean your kids won’t do it if it means they can get their hands on the latest blockbuster movie or AAA video game without having to ask their parents for money. Instead of having a fight with them or trying to control their Internet access, it’s better to just make torrenting safe for them.

With a VPN, you can do just that. The service hides your kids’ IP addresses and encrypts their traffic. Here’s what that means:

• Copyright trolls and lawyers can’t see their IPs when they torrent. So, they can’t use them to find your ISP and send them angry letters.
• Your ISP won’t know your kids are accessing torrent sites.
• Also, your ISP won’t know your family is downloading torrents. Because the traffic is encrypted, they can’t see what you’re doing.

Not all VPNs support P2P traffic, so be sure to pick one that does. We usually recommend ExpressVPN, NordVPN, or Surfshark. Surfshark might be the best option for you because this VPN has unlimited parallel connections. That means everyone in your family can use the service on as many devices as they want.

Does Your Family Use VPNs?

If yes, which services do you like the most? And if the answer is a no, why not? What’s stopping you from getting a family VPN?

Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Enjoyed by people around the world, games can take many forms, from traditional board games to video, slots, and more. Asia has a long history of popularising and refining both ancient and modern forms of play. That’s why we thought it would be interesting to look at Asia’s most popular games throughout the ages. Spanning from prehistory to the 21st century, looking at the development of everything from dice to tarot to modern-day technological innovations.

Dicing

Dice represent one of the oldest forms of entertainment. In their original incarnation, they were most likely made from animal bones, hence the saying “shake them bones”. Because their beginnings are so old, it’s almost impossible to say where they originally came from, but we do know they existed as far back as prehistoric times.  

Certainly, in Asia, dice have been used throughout recorded history. The oldest known example was found among a backgammon set at Iran’s Burnt City archaeological site and dated at a phenomenal 5,000 years old.  

Many scholars believe dicing may have a South Asian origin. It’s mentioned not only in the Buddha games list but the Hindu epic Mahabharata. While we don’t know exactly how old it is, we do know from these and other texts that it was immensely popular in ancient Asia – and remains so to this day.   

Playing cards

One type of entertainment that’s been enduringly popular throughout history is the humble playing card deck, and we know for certain this originated in China. While it wouldn’t make its way to Europe until the 13th century, it had existed in Asia for at least 400 years before that.

Invented during the Tang dynasty, the original cards were printed on paper. It’s believed these were copied from the money of the time and that people played both with and for the cards. Two main types of deck existed, one with three suits and another with four.  

We know these cards were popular when Kublai Khan conquered China since one of his subjects recorded his views on the subject i.e. that gambling with cards should be treated the same as gambling without. This implies that the game was widely played in the royal court, as it is to this day.

Board games

Next came board games, with more of these developing in Asia than anywhere else. This isn’t surprising when one considers that Asia is both the largest and most populous of the continents, with many diverse cultures existing alongside one another.  

Key contributors to the world’s board games were India, China, and Korea, where an infinite number of games exist. These include what many views as the original version of chess, chaturaji. This four-handed dice variant hails from India and has four players. Other popular board games include Korea’s five-field Kono, horseshoe, which is known under various names depending on which Asian country you’re in, and pachisi, aka the national game of India.     

Video games

As we move forward to modern times, video games have come to reign supreme. First becoming popular in the 1960s, these have changed markedly over the years. We discussed seven of the most addictive in this article previously published on seganerds.com, including Tetris and Dark Souls.

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The country with the largest video gaming market in the world is China, with the pastime being hugely popular across Asia. Consoles became accessible in the country from around the 1990s onwards, and the industry has gone from strength to strength ever since.

Today, China’s gaming market has an estimated value of over $100 billion, with the number of gamers in the country reaching 665 million in 2020. Notable trends in the past few years have been increasing female participation, the rise of eSports, and the emergence of cloud-based gaming.   

Online gambling

Another industry that’s seen a surge in popularity in the last decade is online gambling. While traditional gambling has been popular for centuries, the internet has transformed the face of gaming forevermore, making it more accessible to and convenient for the average individual.

One game that’s particularly popular in Asia is dragon tiger. As asiabet.org explains, this is offered by many different casinos and has numerous incarnations, with the rules being eminently simple to master. Players new to this game will also find tips to help them get started. Beyond that, It can be played for free on-site or, alternatively, players can take advantage of one of the no-deposit bonuses listed.

This type of gaming has become so popular in the last few years that the Asian betting industry is expected to be worth $94.2 billion by 2027. When it comes to the most popular forms of entertainment in Asia, gaming has always ranked among them. However, the most widely played type of game has changed over the years, so that today, there are dozens of different options to choose from for those in search of some guaranteed fun. 

Whether one participates in a live lesson via Zoom or learns the tricks of the most amazing homework help on Studyfy, there is always a respective device and application involved.

iPads Equal Flexibility 

Speaking of devices, an iPad, or another smart portable device, is indispensable for convenient studying on the go. Its purpose is to boost your learning with engaging visuals, gamification elements, and elaborate tests. Regardless of the application you choose for studying, an iPad allows you to gain skills without living in your coziest spot.

Without such a gadget, you won’t be able to use education software or access one of the numerous online services for students and teachers. On the contrary, with iPad, you can download as many apps as you would like to make lecture notes, write essays, and watch TED talks online for your sociology or gender studies class. 

Here is a list of the most popular and widely used apps that drive progress in education these days. Most of them are free, and you can download them on your iPad in a few click-clacks. 

• Google Drive. How come something so obvious is on the list? But Google Drive has earned its spot! They say, if you want to hide something valuable, hide it in plain sight. Google services are exactly this: an underestimated gem that has been out there for so long, we have forgotten to appreciate it.
• Zotero. When it comes to academic writing, Zotero is particularly useful. It is a free tool that aids in collecting, organizing, citing, and sharing the research. And it’s cross-platform! Academic paper writers would be especially delighted with automatic citation creation for their favorite word processor: MS Word, LibreOffice, or Google Docs.
• Coursera. Hundreds of online courses both from universities across the world and companies wait for you on the Coursera website. Some of them are readily available for free. As for the paid ones, students may still take a chance and apply for a zero fee. It is possible if such a student proves their harsh economic situation and explains the importance of the course for them.
• Canvas Network. Canvas creators claim to put ‘open’ back into ‘open online courses’. As you’d notice on the front page of the service, all of the courses are free. English is not the only language of the courses, so Canvas is truly an international project.
• MathWay. Dealing with algebraic equations or formulas gets tiresome from time to time. How does MathWay take part of the load off your shoulders? Make a photo of a formula or an equation with your iPad and have the app analyze or solve it, explaining the steps it used. Handy? You bet!

Smart Boards: A New Player in the Old Field

Smart boards are getting more popular nowadays. With its user-friendly design and the form imitating the good old blackboard, smart boards are already familiar to the user. Such a device is not a must-have for every student, and there are some more useful devices for individual use at home. The device is more relevant to the teacher’s experience, since smart boards are used while presenting the class material to students. 

Have we mentioned that smart boards are also extremely user-friendly? Most smart boards have an already installed operating system with basic applications ready to use. Add a few more apps, and you are the coolest college teacher!

So, how can smart boards add fun and effectiveness at the same time?

• A smart board has an interactive touch screen and thus removes the need for markers and chalkboards forever. You can show the schemes and presentations quicker without wiping the board. No time is wasted.
• The number of special education apps for smart boards grows day by day, sparing teachers the trouble of making presentations on their own. Creating a genealogy tree of all characters from One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez never seemed easier!
• Visual representation of a subject is extremely important for efficient learning. Students better absorb information this way. Especially if the information is organized in schemes. 
• Being able to engage with a smart board to solve a practical task contributes to better memorization as well. For instance, students can easily solve math equations right on a smart board. 

It looks like such an amazingly interactive experience among all the most helpful tools is exactly what we lacked in schools, colleges, and universities all along.

Social Media: More Pros Than Cons?

It is kind of ironic that a predecessor of the largest known social network, the Facebook, was used exclusively among Harvard University students (and created by a student, of course). 

Though the mass use of social media is the next pandemic next to coronavirus, sometimes Facebook and Twitter are not that bad as most parents and teachers depict it. More than that – social media can be really useful. How exactly? Check below.

• Closeness. A modern student, especially an international one, uses social media to stay in touch with friends and effectively collaborate with classmates (or alumni) as well as teachers. 
• Build a pool of career opportunities. Applications like LinkedIn or Facebook allow a student to show their projects to the world. Meanwhile, the greatest companies can reach to the most talented by accidentally noticing their work. In such a way, a novice can subsequently build a network of job connections.
• Brings value to the campus. As a common knowledge, social media is all about connectivity, and sharing news and class materials, while learning in a competitive mode. Any problem is solved faster when the community works on it, as opposed to a single person. 

Final Thoughts

Technology improves the educational process if used right. While iPads allow a modern student to access endless resources for studying, smart boards add fun and efficiency to traditional education. Even social media is a great way to broaden one’s opportunities if one knows how to properly use it and avoid distractions.

Giant checkers

I grew up playing checkers with my sister. It’s easy enough to follow but engages your mind on a deeper level than many other popular board games. It encourages strategizing, but not so much that you can’t participate in a fun conversation while you play.

These traits make checkers perfect for entertaining your friends outside in the beautiful spring weather. Now, make it giant, and it becomes so much more fun!

First of all, enhancing the size of the checkers and the board makes it significantly easier to play outside. You don’t have to worry about the wind blowing pieces away or any high-energy folks bumping the board and screwing up all your placements.

Plus, a giant checkerboard is ideal for current times. Since it’s not just a one-foot surface with one-inch pieces, you can socially distance across the playing area without a worry of crossing that six-foot boundary.

You can rent out whatever outdoor party venue you like, such as a private space in a botanical garden for spring brunch or a cabin in the woods over the weekend.

No matter where you lay out a giant checkers game, you can wash the board (a blanket) and keep it clean and tidy for the next get-together.

Jumbo Jenga

Jenga is another one of my childhood favorites. The premise is simple: Don’t knock down the tower. That’s it! You pull out the wooden blocks one by one until someone inevitably removes one that compromises the whole stack’s stability, sending everything tumbling to the ground.

Needless to say, the tower’s collapse is even better when the game is super-sized. Not only is it entertaining for adults to watch, but it is a blast for kids especially.

This game can get surprisingly tense — every time your turn arises to slip a Jenga piece from its position interlocked with the others, every player holds their breath and waits for the seemingly inevitable implosion.

With kids, it’s a whole ‘nother ball game. This is where you have to be careful. Some little buggers get a bit too excited and like to throw the pieces around. Plus, they love the tension of waiting for the pieces to fall.

The satisfied, hysterical laughter that ensues immediately after the tower caves in on itself is contagious.

With all this in mind, you’ll need to be smart about where you want to throw your outdoor party if jumbo Jenga is your main game.

I’d recommend choosing a location with lots of grass or somewhere that you can lay down foam play mats. This guarantees that you won’t break your Jenga pieces from landing too hard on concrete, tile, or another hard surface (this will protect the floor, too).

Giant beer pong

Okay, right off the bat, I suggest you rent an outdoor party venue where you can stay overnight if you’re going to be playing this game.

Choose a rental space that has a large backyard, so you can spread out the massive trash cans that replace the cups from the original game and safely toss the volleyball — instead of a ping pong ball — back and forth.

Obviously, you won’t be filling the trash cans with beer. That would be way too expensive and very difficult to clean up.

However, if you do want to up the ante so the game’s intensity parallels its new and improved size, bump up the size of your drinking cups. (The average beer serving size is about 12 oz.)

Since you’ve (hopefully) made the choice to rent out a venue that can host you overnight, you won’t have to worry about driving or cleaning anything up right away. Instead, you can fully indulge in the game and have the time of your life with your best pals.

Where to throw your outdoor party

Now that you’ve chosen your main source of entertainment, you’ll need to decide where you want to have your party. Typically, the main objective of many outdoor celebrations is to be laidback, not demanding too much of the attendees — or the planner, at that.

With that in mind, it’s best to choose a location that all your buddies can get to easily. Plus, the atmosphere should not be too restrictive on their behavior (i.e., can’t be too loud in a restaurant, etc.).

Some of the best places to throw your outdoor party include:

• Bar with outdoor game space: I’ve been to many a bar with a “backyard” area. Typically, they have cornhole out there for you and your party to play; however, it shouldn’t be a problem for you to rent out the venue and bring your own games.
• Rental home with backyard: Who says the party has to stop after one day? Keep the festivities going all weekend by renting out a house for you and your buds. (I strongly encourage this for any parties that will involve alcohol.)

Party outside with your pals

Outdoor events are the standard right now. Having a party outside is the best way to socially distance while spending time with your loved ones, and giant games at the perfect venue make it ten times better.

See which outdoor party venue will work best for you and your crew to celebrate life and play super-sized games in the beautiful springtime air.