PEW PEW PEW! Fans of retro gaming are in for a real treat.

Originally released in 1978, Space Invaders has seen many iterations and in it's upcoming release on the Nintendo DS will be featuring a new mode of play near and dear to our hearts.

The classic Space Invaders has been beefed up with the addition with a Gamesville favorite: Bingo Mode! In the all new bingo mode a grid is lit up during the course of a stage as invaders are shot. To win at Bingo, key spots on the grid must light up horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

Here's a screen courtesy of Kotaku of the space bingo action:

Space Invaders Extreme 2 is currently scheduled to ship in Japan on March 26, 2009 for the Ninenedo DS portable gaming system.

Sound off!

What other retro games could be improved with the addition of bingo play? What recent releases would you love to see include one of your favorite tried-and-true games? Let us know with your comments!

Every few weeks, the team at GV HQ dedicates an afternoon to playing and critiquing games. It's fun, educational, and helps generate new ideas that will continue to make Gamesville the best place to play free online game shows for real cash prizes. 

At one of our recent meetings, we started looking at games that were really innovative or special in some way. Braid topped my personal list--not just because of its unique play mechanic of manipulating time, its unique visual style and musical score, but also because of how the developers structured The Wall.

The Wall is the point where need to pay to continue playing. In most casual games, that's an automatic 60 minutes into the game. Braid was more refined. The Wall concept was actually woven into the story, at just the right point, in just the right manner, to make me reach into my wallet and pull out my credit card without hestitation. That is no small feat.

I mentioned the story. A large part of why I bought the game was because of the story, because of the unique aura of loss and longing threaded so skillfully into the game. Braid is not a depressing experience--but it is definitely a moving experience.

Will we see a lot of Braid wannabes soon? Probably. Any time a casual game is popular, the market floods with tons of clones. But does it have to be that way? Don't we deserve better? I think we do.

Today, in an editorial for DailyGame.net, I put forth the idea that casual gamers deserve a Bill Of Rights, just like their PC-gaming cousins.

Think of it as a series of guiding principles that will hopefully encourage innovation and continue to grow the casual games industry. These are also the kinds of qualities you should expect from Gamesville as we move ahead into a bold, new age of online game shows.

Casual Gamer's Bill of Rights:

1. The right to games that keep things clear without being condescending or pandering.
2. The right to appropriate feedback, to understand whether or not I'm succeeding.
3. The right to games whose price points equate logically to the games themselves, not the genre to which the games belong.
4. The right to customer service that is both prompt and courteous.
5. The right to games that innovate more than imitate, and push my boundaries without breaking my spirit.
6. The right to games that help me understand the world and my place in it.

This six-point Casual Gamers' Bill of Rights is by no means complete, and questions, comments and suggestions are definitely welcome. I'm really interested to know what you think. Because this is really just the start of the conversation. Where it goes next is, in large part, up to you.

Sincerely,
Chris Cummings
Manager, Gamesville.com
GV: chriscummings101

Hot tip!

Are you or your young ones Pokemon fans? Then head to your local GameStop right now to pick up a Free "Mystery" Gift: Deoxys!

Offer valid today and tomorrow only.

Are you the kind of person who takes great joy in planning, organizing, and directing weekend activities for your friends and family? Do you love games? Writing? Excel spreadsheets? Then we want to hear from you, because Gamesville and our parent company Lycos are looking for an Associate Games Producer. To apply, please visit the Lycos jobs website.

Yesterday, we dispelled some rumors about how Gamesville works. Today, we're going to address a question voiced by carrier9500tx and several others:

Recently, a person came into Magic 21 claiming to be the latest winner in 21. They said they had to change their member name because once you win in any game, they said you lose all your points and can't win again under that member name. Is this true?

Once you win at Gamesville, your wallet gets a little fatter--and that's it. You can still play under that same member name; you can still earn GV Rewards under that member name; and if Lady Luck smiles upon you, you can certainly win again under that same member name.

Thank you, carrier9500tx, and others who reported that same incident and posed a variation of that question. As always, if you have any questions or comments about anything Gamesville, please let us know.

Sincerely,
Chris Cummings
Manager, Gamesville.com

Recently, there was a question in the blog about the veracity of Gamesville--for example, "Do people really win real cash at Gamesville?" Now, some of the people posing those questions may just have been trolls seeking to stir up trouble. But it is a legitimate question and it's one that's been around since we launched Gamesville in 1996, so I figured we should address it again for people who are new to the site.

For new or prospective players, some degree of skepticism about "free games for cash prizes" is to be expected: After all, many of us are taught that you never get something for nothing. Yet, Gamesville games such as Magic 21 and Three-Eyed Bingo and Frantic Fish are totally free to play--you don't pay anything to register and you don't wager or risk anything to play and win real cash--so how does Gamesville make money?

Simple: We sell advertising and sponsorships on Gamesville. You, the players, play our games and as you play our games, you generate ad space that we sell to advertisers.

Can't understand how anyone can make money by giving money away? Ask that question of a game show like "Wheel of Fortune" or "The Price is Right". They'll tell you, it's all supported by advertising. In a very real way, our games are online -- and interactive -- game shows, operating on a similar kind of model to our TV counterparts. Except, instead of you watching a handful of contestants vie for a prize, you actually get to compete and win!

I should mention, there is a conspiracy theory that says we make up our winners as part of some complex, elaborate, automated piece of fiction. If you subscribe to that theory, please ask yourself this: Why would we bother doing something like that? What are the possible benefits of that kind of deception? In what way would it behoove us to be anything less than 100% real and honest? Would advertisers like us better? Would players like us better? The answers to those questions, respectively, are: We wouldn't; none; nada; no; and definitely not. We run a clean business, and wouldn't want it any other way.

If you're a reader of this blog, you know that we own up to mistakes, and do our best to accomodate a wide array of requests. We do this because it's the right thing to do and we want you to enjoy the time you spend here (and spend more time, so we generate more ad space and, in turn, more money that we can invest in new games and new prizes).

If you have questions about winners, or anything, please let us know. 

Sincerely,
Chris Cummings
Manager, Gamesville.com

The Independent Games Festival is an annual event designed to showcase and celebrate the work of independent game creators. Finalists for the 2008 IGF have just been announced, with 2DBoy's physics construction game World of Goo and Invisible Handlebar's music-adapting puzzle racer Audiosurf leading the pack. Who has your vote?

Do you make games? Then we want to hear from you, because Gamesville and our parent company Lycos are hiring game developers. To learn more about the job requirements, and to apply, please visit the Lycos jobs website.

Winning a sweepstakes is, by its very definition, up to the luck of the draw. However, by creating a smart plan to enter sweepstakes, you can improve your chances of winning and maybe--maybe--take home the prize. Here are Gamesville's Top Five Tips on winning at sweepstakes.

1. Focus On What You Want, What You Could Use
A brief search for sweepstakes reveals far more sweepstakes than any one person could possibly enter, with new sweepstakes rolling out all the time. So what should you do? Focus on what you really want, and what you can really use. For example, if you can't fit a 50-inch widescreen television in your apartment, or wouldn't be able to attend a concert on the other side of the country, don't waste your time trying to win those prizes. Instead, focus on prizes you really want to win, and that you could realistically use.

2. Avoid Highly Advertised, National Sweepstakes
Have you seen the same sweepstakes advertised online, on television, and on the radio? Then it's probably reasonable to assume the number of entries will be astronomical, and your chances of winning will be quite low. Instead, target sweepstakes that do not advertise everywhere under the sun. In particular, online-only sweepstakes and local sweepstakes could be a gold mine for you, since the number of entries can be very small compared to the number of entries received by national sweepstakes.

3. Exploit Restrictions
In the United States, the state governments set their own rules governing sweepstakes. To avoid running afoul of state laws, some sponsors will prohibit residents of certain states (in particular, Florida and New York) from entering sweepstakes. Age is another potential restriction that may work out in your favor; many sweepstakes are open to people 18+, but some are restricted to 21 or greater. Wherever possible, exploit these restrictions to your advantage; the fewer people who can enter, the better off you might be.

4. Look For Close Deadlines
Some sweepstakes have entry periods that last one to two weeks while others last for months or even years. The longer the sweepstakes is available, the worse your odds become because more people will find the sweep and enter to win. Entering sweepstakes with close deadlines, such as daily or weekly sweepstakes, can better your odds because most people don't have the drive to enter the same sweepstakes every day or every week. The lower the turnout, the better your chances of winning.

5. Follow The Rules
Every legitimate sweepstakes has official rules. Before entering a sweepstakes, read its rules carefully and follow them exactly. If you don't follow the rules exactly, your entry will be disqualified. Similarly, when you win, follow the requirements to claim your prize--make sure you complete the affidavit, if needed, and return any required paperwork in a timely fashion. Some sweepstakes may grant you leeway, but it's always best to assume that if you fail to follow the rules, you're decreasing your chances of winning.

My final piece of advice is this: While there are things you can do to improve your chances of winning, your odds of winning a sweepstakes, for the most part, will remain quite low. For your own mental health, enter sweepstakes for the thrill of it and expect nothing more. And remember: in the United States, you do not have to buy or pay anything to enter a sweepstakes and have a chance to win a prize, so be wary of any sweepstakes that requires any kind of cash payment or donation.

Happy fourth of July, U.S.A.!

Last time on "Gamesville: Behind The Scenes", we took a look at the evolution of Magic 21--from a raw germ of an idea to a sketch in a notebook. Today, we'll look at how that sketch became a fully realized game you can play on your computer.

Magic 21 was created by two full-time people (a game designer and a game developer) and one part-time game developer, with the able assistance of several Gamesville crew members who tested the game for us for "fun factor" and bugs/problems. The game designer was responsible for the vision of the game and the graphics and sounds of the game; the developers were responsible for coding the game; and together, the team was responsible for the core gameplay and final product.

Before full-scale production for Magic 21 could begin, the game designer and the game developers had to flesh out as much of the gameplay as possible. From these discussions and email exchanges came a design document, which contained detailed information on the gameplay, and, eventually, a raw prototype of the game that demonstrated how the game would work without any "frills" such as sounds and pretty graphics to gloss over any defects in gameplay.

Once folks internally were satisfied that Magic 21 was fun in action, not just as an idea, production began on the game: The developers churned out code; the game designer created assets (e.g., the burning cards, the game buttons, the sound effects, etc.); and the team worked together to modify the game design as it evolved over time. As versions of the game were completed and new features were added, people internally tested the game by playing the game.

You might think that the testing staff had the "easy" part of the job; after all, they're just playing games and having fun, right? Unfortunately, they kind of get the short end of the stick because not only do they need to test the new features and bug fixes, they also need to do what's called "regression testing" to make sure that the old features still work as intended and that the new features and bug fixes aren't now breaking something that worked just fine before. After several rounds of testing and bug fixing, Magic 21 was given the green light for release.

On Magic 15, 2007, we released Magic 21 to the live site. And it worked just fine... except for a bug that wasn't present during internal testing where GV Rewards on the live site were not being tracked correctly for all members. To address this problem, we had to bring the game down for a few hours, fix the defect, test the fix, and then re-release the game to everyone to play--thankfully, this time, without any issues.

Magic 21 has grown to be one of the most popular games on Gamesville, providing hours of fun for thousands of people every day.  Everyone at Gamesville is proud of Magic 21, and is impressed and delighted by how well the game has been received. If you haven't played Magic 21 yet, what are you waiting for?  Play now!

We hope you've enjoyed this peek behind the scenes at how Magic 21 was created. If you did enjoy it, please let us know and we'll make delving behind the scenes a semi-regular feature in the Gamesville Blog.