Distinguishing Personality Traits

Leswan43 says, "This is my cat Sir SkippyDoodle, who we rescued from the local animal control in 2007. Skippy is not only the world's best lapcat, I'm pretty sure he thinks he's a dog as well!  He plays fetch with his ball, goes to his "time out" cat tower on demand (when he knows he is in trouble) and loves to have his belly rubbed! He actually comes when you call him, unlike most cats I have had. Skippy certainly brightens each day in our lives with his dog like attitude. I don't know what we would do with out him."

Want to share photos of your own favorite pet with the Gamesville community?

Send photos to: members@gamesville.com

In addition to your pet's picture, please be sure to include:

• Your Gamesville member name
• Your pet's most distinguishing personality trait

If we publish your pet as a "Best Pet," we'll give you 5,000 GV Rewards. Submit your pet today!

Jan and Pam, the Canadian twins that run The Gray Gamers

Gamesville is enjoyed by both young and old. Today we're talking with Pam and Jan, the twin sisters who run The Gray Gamers, a blog dedicated to gamers who may be up in age, but remain young at heart. 

Gamesville: We love the Gray Gamers blog. What are your goals for it?
Pam: To the game industry, we want to say, "Hi! We're here, we play, we buy."

Jan:  To create a place for gray gamers to hang out, exchange ideas and hints--a safe social network.

What topics are you covering that are unique to gray gamers?
Pam: Some research indicates gray gamers get flack from peers for "wasting time". More research has shown adult brains and bodies respond just fine to playing. So, we'll cover anything which helps adults find their game muse.

Jan:  It depends on what gray gamers have to say to us.  At this point we are kind of flying by the seat of our XL pants.
 
How has the response been to the blog so far?
Jan: People seem quite tickled by the concept. Now if we could just get them to comment... Their opinion matters!

Pam: My friends at Cre8d-design, and other friends from 20-somethings to 80-somethings, have reviewed the site for us, and we're getting the kind of feedback we hoped for: fun, functional, readable, informative.

How is a gray gamer different than younger generations of gamers?
Jan: We get up earlier, we have creaky joints and bunions and other delightful old-age ailments, we have grandkids and we don't like to be told what to do. Oh-- that last part applies to younger gamers too.

Pam: I wonder how much more we older players have bought into the idea games are simply escapist fantasy. Games and game play are so much more. There are times I'm introverted and want to relax or self-challenge, there are times I want good story lines and inventive environments, and there are times I want to play with others, explore genres and kick butt. I want affordable and varied fun.
 
What games do you see that uniquely appeal to gray gamers?
Pam: The research in this field is relatively recent. I know Jan and I share games we we both like, and our interests also diverge. Again, I think the industry does itself a disservice if it assumes older players are going to gravitate to certain genres.
 
Jan: Once again my distinguished sibling is analyzing the market. My thinking is that we will play what interests us and I don't see it as being much different than games younger individuals enjoy. I suspect though, that hardcore games might not be our first choice. 

Jan: The first computer generated my passion for games. I like my own company and the first game I found was free cell, which has held my interest to this day. Now I see games as part of my lifestyle-- Wii, DS, computer. I can no longer read or knit which is something that I used to do. Games have taken the place of those previous past times nicely.

Pam: I was a workaholic, when I wound up on medical disability and got a personal computer, I learned how to find my way online and navigate by playing. I was active in sports when I was younger, and skied in my dreams years after I could no longer hit the slopes. I'm a more recent convert to playing. Gamesville was my first log in!
 
What kind of games do you play? Web-based? PC? Console?

Pam: PC for sure. If I'm going to pay for an internet connection, I'm going to have fun! Web-based definitely, but I admit I've not tried MMORGP's or MMORTS or MMORFPS. Gamesville has been part of my life since 1999 and I remain fond of your site.
 
Jan: I like various game sites, Hoyle games, any Wii game that lets me use my Mii's because all my grandkids are on it. I am new to the DS, which has turned out to be quite a fun little portable bus ride kind of gaming system.
 
What games are you currently playing?
Jan: If Wii fit can be called a game that is one of my favorites, so is Wii golf.  On the DS it's Trauma Centre Under the Knife and Brain Age.  On the computer it's Frantic Fish and Free Cell or various solitaire games.  Jewel Quest solitaire is fun, I've been through it several times.

Pam: I've headed over to Jan's between blizzards twice this past month to try the Wii fit and clean her clock in snowboarding, laser hockey, badminton and beach volleyball. She cleaned my clock in everything else.
 
What are your Gamesville member names?
Jan: Cricket146

Pam: Thumper146

What are you favorite Gamesville games (now, or from way back)?
Pam: Three-Eyed Bingo, Hot Streak Solitaire, and Pool.

Jan: Frantic Fish and Magic 21!

Thank you both very much for the great conversation! Head on over to The Gray Gamers to check out their fantastic new blog, and a featured interview with Gamesville's own Chris Cummings!

Since she mentioned writing several cook books over the years we wanted to follow up with her about her culinary career.

How did she get her start in culinary? What cuisine does her company create? What's included her her two books? Find out below...

Gamesville: How did you begin working in culinary?
I started learning to cook when I was twelve years-old. My dad had gotten hurt on the job, so my mom had to go to work. The job of cooking for my dad and three older brothers was given to me.

What other kind of work have you done in culinary besides the catering business?
I make my own homemade Hot Sauce, called B.J.'s Fire In The Hole Hot Sauce. I've also created homemade Hot Tamales which I have sold a ton of. I would love to be able to be able to get my hot sauce on the shelves of every grocery store in the country. If you are going to dream might as well dream big.

What kind of food does your company prepare?
I specialize in home cooking and I also do a lot of party trays for weddings and other events. I also cook large private orders of food for families who work and would rather buy home cooked meals from me.

What's your work schedule like?
My work schedule varies, I have worked as long as 15 months on a job location serving hot lunches to the workers every day.

What kind of food do you personally love to make?
My favorite food to make is Mexican. Especially my chicken enchiladas.

Tell us a little about your two books.
My first cookbook is titled B.J.'s Not So Gourmet Cooking, it's all good country home cooking that I was raised on. The second is Hoochie Coochie Mamas South of the Border Cuisine, all about my mexican recipes. A lot of recipes were given to me through family and friends.

Thanks again to Lucylulu357 for sharing, and stay tuned for her favorite chicken enchiladas recipe.

That's right! Not one, but TWO lucky Gamesvillers hit it rich over the weekend in both CatchUp CoverAll and Three-Eyed Bingo!

First it was Jetmet of Pinson, AL who hit it big for $3,252 on Saturday while playing the all new Three-Eyed Bingo.

Then, a mere 24 hours later, it was Badeegirl2000 of Copemish, MI who took home $323 on Sunday in CatchUp CoverAll!

A hearty "Congratulations!" to both our big winners this weekend, as well as all the daily winners we had in Frantic Fish, Pit Stop Slots, and the GV Gold Instant Win game!

Prepare yourself for seven minutes and fifteen seconds of mind-blowing cold open, one-liners by David Caruso from CBS's hit drama CSI: Miami...

Distinguishing Personality Traits

Jan34 says, "This is our little weiner dog Naz. We got him in May when I saw him in the pet store window and couldn't resist picking him up. As you can tell by the photo he loves to play ball. He can also be quite the little rascal-- he likes to bark at his own shadow and knock over garbage cans. He absolutely loves to play with slippers and will sometimes chew them up. The kids think he is so cute and adorable, we love him so much."

Want to share photos of your own favorite pet with the Gamesville community?

Send photos to: members@gamesville.com

In addition to your pet's picture, please be sure to include:

• Your Gamesville member name
• Your pet's most distinguishing personality trait

If we publish your pet as a "Best Pet," we'll give you 5,000 GV Rewards. Submit your pet today!

Since it's initial launch in the 1999, Three-Eyed Bingo has come a long way. Today we're exited to announce another big leap forward with some fun, new improvements we've added to one of Gamesville's most played game shows. But first, let's take a look back to see where it all began.

Here's Three-Eyed Bingo, circa summer 2000...

Now here's the most recent 2007 update...

And now get ready for an all new version of Three-Eyed Bingo in 2009...

With a slew of new features, including over 50 new patterns, the latest version of Three-Eyed Bingo is sure to be the most addicting yet! Not only have we tuned up the look and feel, there are now even more ways to gain bonus GV Rewards through a variety of in chat games, including:

Hidden Gems

• In the moments before each game begins, you'll be presented with a selection of different gems. Click a ball to select it. (When you're done selecting things on this screen, be sure to click the "OK" button to submit your choices.) This is your Gem.
• Each gem type is worth a different amount of GV Rewards.
• At the end of each game, Dickie will open the treasure chest and select a gem. This is the Hidden Gem.
• All players who selected the winning gem wins the associated GV Rewards amount.

Slug Bug

• Watch the bingo board for the first double digit to be called (eg, 11, 22, 33, 44 etc).
• All players who type 'Slug Bug' in chat and click send BEFORE the next new number is called win 33 GV Rewards!

3's A Crowd

• In the moments before each game begins, you'll be presented with a selection of numbers, 0-9. Click a number to select it. (When you're done selecting things on this screen, be sure to click the "OK" button to submit your choices.) This is your 3's A Crowd number.
• When you see 3 numbers ending in the number you selected, type "3s a crowd" in the chat and click send
• All players who selected the right number and send the correct message receives 333 GV Rewards.

With all the same gameplay you've come to love about Three-Eyed Bingo, we're immensely excited about the launch of the new chat games and improvements we've made to the game. And as always, we would love to hear your comments about the new features here in the Gamesville Blog.

Good gaming everyone!

Bonus Tip! Don't like being watched by the wandering eye in the middle of your cards? Simply click the eye and it will close.

What was the thrill of the win like for her? What is the secret behind her member name? Find out below...

Gamesville: Congratulations! What was it like when you realized you won?
When I saw the e-mail from Gamesville that I had won the weekly sweepstakes I scared my husband to death from my yelling out loud, "I won!" It was a fantastic feeling.

What will you spend your winnings on?
Most of my winnings will go to pay some bills and I will spend a little on myself.

What do you do for a living?
I am retired but still work part time as a waitress. There isn't anything about my job I don't like, otherwise I would not have been doing it for 40 years.

If you were an animal in the wild, what would you be?
If I had a choice of being any kind of animal I would have to be a cat, because they are so lovable and cuddly.

What is your most treasured possession and why?
My most treasured possessions are my husband, my two children and my grandchildren.

What does your Gamesville member name mean?
My member name is for one of the first pets I had, which was a raccoon named Critter.

Thanks, Critterskea - and congratulations again on your win!

Today is a special moment in US history as we bear witness to the swearing-in of the 44th President of the United States. Watch this historic moment live from the U.S. Capitol today starting at 11 a.m. at: www.pic2009.org/live.

Happy inauguration day, everyone!

Sherry's favorite game, Frantic Fish

Every now and then we hear of Gamesvillers reaching out to each other when they need it most. A couple of months back we heard about a unique gift a Gamesville member Helen (member name: Decemberlovers) wanted to create for her friend Sherry that had recently become ill. Since Sherry's favorite game here at Gamesville is Frantic Fish, Helen asked our permission to create a Frantic Fish quilt for Sherry to use while resting and getting better over the winter. We were touched that she thought of using Frantic Fish as the theme of the quilt and were happy to oblige. Below the finished product:

Sherry's finished Frantic Fish Quilt

We were happy to hear that the quilt has been completed and was delivered to Sherry some time before Christmas, who was "bouncing off the walls" according to Helen when she received it. For more on the quilt's construction and the story behind the gift visit: Sherry's Frantic Fish Quilt

Everyone, please wish Sherry a speedy recovery!