Swopster Blog

Play the Original Tetris Online

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

If you get the urge to play the original Tetris online, you'll find slightly more than just one or two versions out there - the net seems to be stuffed to overflowing with umpteen versions of the game. And mixed in amongst the good (as ever) are some rather dubious looking sites that want you to install their custom toolbars first...

Rather than you having to suffer by surfing through malware-laden pages, I've done all the hard work for you. I found a great little Flash implementation of Tetris that you'll simply spend hours and hours on. So, if you want to play Tetris for free, just click on the link below to play the original Tetris online:

http://www.toysforyourblog.com/games/tetris/

Warning: Woah, I'd forgotten just how addictive Tetris was. How can something so simply be so absolutely absorbing? I spent ages on there playing it! So, don't click on the link unless you've definitely got a fair bit of free time to spare.

But, hey, if you really must play the original Tetris online (and for free), that's the best one I've found so far. Right, I'm off back for another game to see if I can beat my high score...

Easily Swap XBox 360 Games

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The first console to really take off on Swopster was the XBox 360. With quite a head-start over the PS3, the 360 really was the console to own back then. Fuelled by leading-edge titles like Gears of War, next-gen gamers simply flocked to it. Initially, this site was set-up to swap XBox 360 games, along with the other leading consoles.

Indeed, the 360 is still pretty firmly entrenched as the most popular console here - although the PS3 and Nintendo Wii are slowly making up ground on it. Game publishers don't seem to release that many games exclusively in a single format any more, and that probably makes it a bit trickier for the other consoles to catch up now.

Just looking at the numbers today:

• 156 completely different XBox 360 game titles to swap
• 1,002 individual XBox 360 games offered for swapping
• 1,324 individual XBox 360 games wanted

So, if you want to swap XBox 360 games, take a look through the game lists - there are plenty of XBox 360 games available to swap. Or check out our XBox 360 top games list to immediately see the most popular games.

Where Can I Find Tips on Computer Games

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The question "Where can I find tips on computer games" crops up with enough regularity that I thought I'd list my primary way of finding all those cheat codes, walkthroughs, and game guides.

There are so many sites out there catering for cheats, hints and tips on computer games that it is useful to filter them down to a manageable level.

And so we're off...straight to the mighty Google. The Big G. Now, with Google, you tend to find that what you put into it has a huge bearing on what you get out of it. You need to learn a bit of Google-Fu.

Typing in, say fifa 2008 when you're stuck trying to fathom FIFA's control system is going to bring up an ocean of unwanted search results. Good luck to searching through those thousands of links.

No, you need to give it a little more context... Expand your query to something a little more relevant to your problem: fifa 2008 hints or learn fifa 2008 tricks or even fifa 08 tricks guide - now you're giving google a lot more to work with and it'll automatically filter down those huge numbers of results.

But that's not all. You can go a step further than that - by wrapping your search phrase in double-quotes, you can tell google to only find those sites with exact matches. This means google won't do any guesswork - as long as you're phrase is used out there on the internet it'll just return those exact sites.

So now, you can use something like "fifa 2008 hints" or "learn fifa 2008 tricks" or "fifa 08 tricks guide" and you know you're getting much more relevant results.

There you go, it's as easy as that. The next time someone asks you "where can I find tips on computer games", just point them towards google and show them how to properly filter their search phrases.

Virtual Pets and Virtual People

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Virtual simulations are, of course, extremely popular. The Sims and Tamagotchi are just two of the most well-known types of virtual games.

What's so great about virtual games are the virtual consequences - there's never any real mess to clear up. If you forget to feed your virtual character, no one actually dies. And if things do go badly, you can alway start again from scratch!

With the abundance of sim games out there, it means there are usually plenty of folks willing to swap - just check out our Sim game pages and see if anyone's willing to exchange a game with you:

The Sims (PC)
The Sims 2 (PC)
The Sims (PS2)
The Sims 2 (PS2)

Swapping XBox 360 Top Games

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

With the XBox 360 proving to be such a popular game-swapping platform, I thought it was worth compiling a Swopster all-time XBox 360 top games chart, which makes it easy to quickly see if you have/want a popular top game.

Games for the XBox 360 are only included in the chart if more than one person owns them. And this covers all the Swopster gaming regions (USA, Canada, UK, Australia and NZ).

So, pop-pickers, here we go with the movers and shakers in the world of XBox 360 top games:

	Position	Title
	1.	Gears of War
	2.	Halo 3
	3.	Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
	4.	Crackdown
	5.	Assassin's Creed
	6.	Project Gotham Racing 3
	7.	Grand Theft Auto IV
	8.	Dead Rising
	9.	Forza Motorsport 2
	10.	Bioshock
	11.	Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter
	12.	Saints Row
	13.	Colin McRae: DIRT
	14.	Call of Duty 4
	15.	Call of Duty 3
	16.	The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
	17.	Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
	18.	Mass Effect
	19.	Table Tennis
	20.	Fight Night Round 3
	21.	Lost Planet: Extreme Condition
	22.	Hitman: Blood Money
	23.	Test Drive Unlimited
	24.	Pro Evolution Soccer 6
	25.	Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent
	26.	Perfect Dark Zero
	27.	Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
	28.	The Darkness
	29.	Kameo: Elements of Power
	30.	Viva Pinata
	31.	Dead or Alive 4
	32.	Call of Duty 2
	33.	Condemned: Criminal Origins
	34.	Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007
	35.	Guitar Hero 2 with X-Plorer Guitar Controller
	36.	LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
	37.	F.E.A.R
	38.	Madden NFL 07
	39.	Marvel Ultimate Alliance
	40.	Spider-Man The Movie 3
	41.	Battlefield 2: Modern Combat
	42.	Burnout: Revenge
	43.	FIFA 07
	44.	Need for Speed: Carbon
	45.	Need for Speed: Most Wanted
	46.	Skate
	47.	Tony Hawk's Project 8
	48.	Medal of Honor: Airborne
	49.	Stranglehold
	50.	Far Cry: Instincts - Predator
	51.	Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth II
	52.	Prey
	53.	WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2007
	54.	Burnout Paradise
	55.	Just Cause
	56.	Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend
	57.	Half Life 2: The Orange Box
	58.	Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
	59.	Pirates Of The Caribbean 3
	60.	Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2
	61.	Brian Lara Cricket 2007
	62.	Madden NFL 08
	63.	Project Gotham Racing 4
	64.	Sonic the Hedgehog
	65.	Call Of Juarez
	66.	Def Jam: Icon
	67.	NBA Street: Home Court
	68.	SmackDown Vs Raw 2008
	69.	The Godfather: The Game
	70.	Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Volume 1

Phew, that's quite a few games. And, don't forget, you can influence the XBox 360 top games chart by adding titles to your SwapList and WishList.

How To Play Megaman Games

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Capcom's popular MegaMan (the Japanese call him Rockman) was first released all the way back in 1987 and is based on the video game character originally created by Keiji Inafune. Rather amazingly, this series of games is still going strong even now, 21 years later!

Whether you're already a fan of MegaMan or have just discovered the delights of battling Dr Wily, there are still lots of ways to play MegaMan games on a wide range of modern consoles. Check out our MegaMan game pages and see if anyone's willing to swap a MegaMan game with you:

Mega Man Anniversary Collection (GameCube) Mega Man Legends (PS1) Mega Man Anniversary Collection (PS2) Mega Man Anniversary Collection (XBox) Mega Man Powered Up (PSP)
The storyline features MegaMan's battles to thwart Dr. Albert W. Wily - who is intent on world domination. As MegaMan, you've been cobbled together from a lowly lab assistant robot by Dr. Thomas Light to stop Wily.

All the MegaMan games feature the same style of gameplay - MegaMan must battle through a series of stages, defeating the Robot Master at the end of each stage. Rather handily, you then gain the Robot Master's unique weapon, which you can use throughout the rest of the game. You've got immense speed and strength, as well as a handy arm cannon to blast away with.

The earlier games were amongst the hardest too - although there was a neat pause trick/glitch you could use to help defeat the Robot Masters. While this glitch has been left in some versions of the game, others don't have it, so don't get too reliant on it.

So, if you're up for a bit of old-style gaming action, you could do a lot worse than play MegaMan games - they're gaming classics.

Pokemon Gold Evolution List

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

While I don't want to turn this blog into some sort of cheat/tip portal, I do occasionally put together or stumble across some good tips or guides, which are worth sharing. Today, I thought I'd publish a handy Pokemon Gold evolution list to give you an idea of all the different level evolutions in Pokemon Gold. I've listed it by Pokemon character to make it easy to follow:

Pokemon	Evolution	Level
Abra	Kadabra	16
Bayleef	Meganium	32
Bellsprout Poison	Weepinbell	21
Caterpie	Metapod	07
Chikorita	Bayleef	16
Chinchou Electric	Lanturn	27
Croconaw	Feraligatr	30
Cubone	Marowak	28
Cyndaquil	Quilava	14
Diglett	Dugtrio	26
Doduo Flying	Dodrio	31
Dragonair	Dragonyte	55
Dratini	Dragonair	30
Drowzee	Hypno	26
Elekid	Electabuzz	30
Gastly Poison	Haunter	25
Geodude Ground	Graveler	25
Goldeen	Seaking	33
Hoothoot Flying	Noctowl	20
Hoppip Flying	Skiploom	18
Horsea	Seadra	32
Houndour Fire	Houndoom	24
Krabby	Kingler	28
Larvitar Ground	Pupitar	30
Machop	Machoke	28
Magikarp	Gyarados	20
Magby	Magmar	30
Magnemite	Magneton	30
Mankey	Primeape	28
Mareep	Flaafy	15
Marill	Azuremarill	18
Metapod	Butterfree	10
Natu Flying	Xatu	25
Nidoran Female	Nidorina	16
Nidoran Male	Nidorino	16
Paras Grass	Parasect	24
Pidgeotto Flying	Pidgeot	36
Pidgey Flying	Pidgeotto	18
Pineco	Forretress	31
Poliwag	Poliwhirl	25
Ponyta	Rapidash	40
Pupitar Ground	Tyranitar	55
Quilava	Typhlosion	36
Rattata	Raticate	20
Remoraid	Octillery	25
Rhyhorn Rock	Rhydon	42
Sandshrew	Sandslash	22
Seel	Dewgong	34
Sentret	Furret	15
Skiploom Flying	Jumpluff	27
Slowpoke Psychic	Slowbro	37
Slugma	Magcargo	38
Smoochum Psychic	Jynx	30
Snubbull	Granbull	23
Spearow	Fearow	20
Spinarak Poison	Ariados	22
Swinub Ground	Piloswine	33
Teddiursa	Ursaring	30
Tentacool Poison	Tentacruel	30
Tododile	Croconaw	18
Venonat Poison	Venomoth	31
Voltorb	Electrode	30
Wooper Ground	Quagsire	20
Zubat Flying	Golbat	22

I think that's a pretty comprehensive Pokemon Gold evolution list. But if you notice any evolutions I've missed off, just let me know and I'll get them added.

The Ultimate Spiderman Kids Game

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Our favourite web-spinning hero already has a pretty hefty number of games out there, especially with the movie franchise doing so well (personally, I was bitterly disappointed with Spider-Man 3 though). Given the box-office success, perhaps we need to substitute the term web-spinner for money-spinner... But our very own fine-tuned Spidey-sense has heard news of perhaps the best Spiderman kids game ever - Spider-Man: Agile Warrior (Wii). In Agile Warrior, you use your feet on the Wii balance board to jump, climb and kick. Just like Spidey!

Imagine if this type of game took off - the possibilities are simply endless with the super-powered cast of thousands in the Marvel universe. Use the balance board to control the Green Goblin, or even the Silver Surfer! It could open up a whole new genre of interactive superhero gaming (instead of dressing up in a cape and practising kung-fu on your friends - or is that just me?). In truth though, I guess the balance board would be a lot more relevant to the flying-through-the-air skills of the Goblin or Surfer, rather than a super-powered arachnid. I'm just not that convinced fighting and wall-crawling is going to translate too well to hopping about on a Wii balance board.

Anyway, enough of my doubts. If a Spiderman-inspired board jumping game wasn't enough to get your Spidey-sense tingling merrily, oh boy, wait until you hear about Spider-Man: Webmaster (Wii). It's an idea so cool, it actually hurts. In Webmaster, you get a handy new controller to...this is awesome...shoot your own webs! Then start your new-found career in web-swinging with the ever versatile Wii Remote. Woah - imagine that kids! No more coating your entire house in Silly String as you recreate another Spidey adventure (again, is that just me?). Crikey, I can't wait. Seriously, could there ever be a better Spiderman kids game than Spider-Man: Webmaster?

Sadly, this is all currently based on leaks and (strong) rumours. Neither Spiderman kids game is yet 'official' at the moment...but the potential is so huge they surely have to make these great Spiderman games at some point. So, c'mon Activision, time to get your Wii team working overtime!

Learn FIFA 2008 Tricks

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

To become a truly great FIFA 2008 player, you'll need to eventually master those tricky skill moves. With this guide, you can easily learn FIFA 2008 tricks and skills and then give your friends a master-class in football wizardry!

The first move we're going to look at is the Blanco Hop. It's easy to achieve, but not many players are even aware of it.

You'll already be familiar with the slide tackle - when a player slides along the ground to get the ball. If you're controlling the ball, it's hard to avoid an opponent's slide tackle. Even if your opponent fouls you, play is broken up and their defence then has time to regroup. With the Blanco Hop, you can turn the fact the opponent is sliding along the ground into an advantage - and leave them for dead while you scamper away with the ball!

So, how do you do a Blanco Hop? Well, first you need complete control of the ball - tap L1 to stop with the ball at your feet. When your opponent rushes in an attempts a slide tackle, hold down the left trigger (L2). Keeping it pressed down and move the right stick - you'll flip the ball up and jump over the sliding player. It might look like you stagger a bit, but event then you'll still have a good head start on your opponent.

The second trick we're going to learn is the Rainbow Kick - this isn't quite as easy as the Blanco Hop to master.

What is the Rainbow Kick? Well, if you stand with the ball between your feet on the ground, you can use leg to roll the ball onto the back of your other leg. Then you can flick the ball over your head with that leg, so that it lands neatly in front of you. Easy, eh?

This FIFA 2008 trick is hard - and you need a highly skilled player to do it successfully. The mechanics are actually pretty simple: hold down L2 and then move the right stick back once, then forward twice. When you do this, your opponent will helpfully stop dead and admire your skill! This means you gain a bit of ground over them thanks to your wizardry and the element of surprise.

So, get practising - if you can learn FIFA 2008 tricks before your friends, you'll be able to amaze them on the field with your new-found skills.

Are They Going To Make A Zelda Movie

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Ever since Shigeru Miyamoto originally created The Legend of Zelda in 1986, it's been an immensely popular game series and turned into a terrific money-spinner for Nintendo. Having maxed-out in terms of merchandising, and even produced an animated series based on the idea, many people have asked the question: "Are They Going To Make A Zelda Movie?"

It seems like the next logical step. Indeed, Nintendo does have plans for other successful brands like Metroid. But the road to a Zelda movie is a long, twisted one littered along the way with rumours, gossip, news reports, and even an April Fools trailer!

Fans have been asking about a Zelda movie for years. Back in 2005, it seemed like everyone's prayers were going to be answered when Club Nintendo, an official Nintendo-related Mexican magazine ran a quote with Nintendo executive vice-president of sales and marketing Reggie Fils-Aime, in which he stated that the company was intending to release a Zelda film.

Great news! Well, not quite. Club Nintendo then had to release a public apology stating that there were no plans at that time for a Zelda film. Boo, hiss!

Since then, Nintendo themselves have stayed quiet on the issue. It's been left to fans of the Zelda games to dream about a movie based on The Legend of Zelda. Indeed, one group of Zelda fans have even set up this site: http://www.zeldamovie.co.uk/

Interest in a Zelda movie was sparked again this year when IGN ran an April Fools hoax by posting a 'trailer' for a forthcoming Zelda movie on their website: http://uk.movies.ign.com/dor/articles/863515/legend-of-zelda...
There is huge support amongst Zelda fans for such a movie, but Nintendo don't seem too concerned with making one. Are they going to make a zelda movie? I don't think they will - I guess Silent Hill probably scarred them for life...

XBox Ninja Gaiden Guide

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In Ninja Gaiden, you're Ryu Hayabusa, the legendary ninja assassin. And, as you'll have no doubt noticed, this is one of the hardest, and best games out there for the XBox. And you're going to need some help to get the most out of it. So read all about it in the XBox Ninja Gaiden Guide.

While you'll be itching to get to grips with those great traditional ninja weapons of nunchuk, sword or shuriken (throwing stars), you first need to master a few basic concepts before you'll be able to get anywhere in this game. In fact, the game may seem crazily fast to begin with - don't worry. You need to learn to get to grips with the control system first.

You move via the gamepad, with your left thumbstick. There are two attack buttons, along with a blocking button. One thing to watch out for is that once you start an attack move, you can't simply abandon it in mid-flight. Some gamers find this to be much harder to get to grips with than other games which allow attack moves to be changed after initiating them.

To defend yourself, you can attempt to block an attack, or you can dodge it by rolling away. The problem with blocking an attack move is that some stronger opponents may just smash through your block or grab you, so you should make sure you're always ready to dodge out of the way - you'll find this an invaluable tactic against the first boss you encounter.

Okay, on to the fun bit in our XBox Ninja Gaiden Guide: your weapons! For close-combat, you can use light weapons such as one-handed swords for speed or, to inflict more damage on opponents use heavier weapons. For long-distant enemies, you'll need to use shuriken (you have an unlimited amount) or shoot them with your bow and arrows. Each weapons has its own advantages and disadvantages of course; usually along the lines of heavy damage but slow, or fast action but light damage.

In addition to all the great weapons at your disposal, you can also collect the energy of your vanquished foes to let loose your Ultimate Technique attacks! That way you can inflict huge damage to other opponents and also make yourself temporarily invincible. You can also deploy spells, known as ninpos. However, if you don't use magic to clear a level you'll gain extra bonus points.

Don't forget, you're a ninja. You can run up walls, swing from pole to pole, and even run across water.

Now, master those techniques, along with all the rest in our XBox Ninja Gaiden Guide and become a ninja legend!

Grand Theft Auto 4 Cheats For PS3

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

If you're looking for Grand Theft Auto 4 cheats for PS3, then look no further!

I've been busy trawling around the net for the best cheats possible and have found a great resource over at Cheatmasters. Just follow this link:

http://www.cheatmasters.com/...

Halo God Mode Cheat For Halo

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Halo continues to be fantastically popular - remember you can still swap it for a range of excellent games at the moment...and it's all completely free!

Anyway, a quick question on Halo: God Mode cheat for Halo - does anyone know if there actually is a Halo god mode - a way of getting invulnerability in single player mode in the game? As far as I can tell from some quick googling (ah, all praise the power of the mighty Google!), Bungie don't seem to have any cheats in their games.

Now I have to say, from the viewpoint of a man who is hopeless with all games and has the reaction speed of a tortoise, this really is a bit of a shame. Messing about and doing crazy stuff in a Halo god mode would simply be fantastic!

So, if anyone does have any info about any possible Halo god mode, could you let me know? Cheers! Naturally, if and when I receive any information, I'll be sure to post it up here.

Mario Cart Wii Cheats

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

We've got a few members wanting Mario Kart now, so if you own it (and if you're well and truly sick of the fiendish Rainbow Road) you should be able to find some great free swap offers for it. Just click on the link to see who wants it.

For those of you lucky enough to be playing Mario Kart now without throwing it out of the window (seriously, Rainbow Road is incredibly frustrating!), here's the very best Mario Cart Wii cheats I could find:

http://www.cheatcc.com/..

If you've got any great Mario Cart Wii cheats or tips, drop in to the Wii forum and post them there - they'd be much appreciated.

Getting Soft in My Old Age

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I've had a few complaints now about the ranking system being a little bit too tough.

On reflection, I think that's a pretty valid point, and so I've been tinkering with the rating system (uh-oh!). So, after today, those of you who have swapped successfully in the past will find a lot more of that nice ranking gooeyness coming your way...and it'll stick with you for longer than ever before.

On the flip side, though, anyone who has any negative feedback will get one hell of a whumping. And that'll last for longer than before too :-)

If you do dispute the feedback you receive in a swap, let me know and I'll consider each case as impartially as I can.

Play Need For Speed For Free

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Today's focus is on the Need for Speed (NFS) series of games.

Incredibly, the Need For Speed series goes all the way back to 1994! That's 15 different releases. And counting...another is planned for release in 2009. In fact, a new version has been released each year since 1997, so it's no surprise. The NFS game was originally developed by Distinctive Software. Black Box Games produced one of the series as well, but now the franchise is owned by Electronic Arts (as they continue to aquire smaller games companies).

Of course, Need For Speed: Most Wanted was one of the very first XBox 360 games back in 2005. Police chases and free-roaming are the main features there. Need For Speed: Carbon was then released in 2006 and features night-time racing. If you want a more realistic type of racer though, the more recent Need For Speed: Pro Street (released in 2007) is much less arcade-like.

So, if you want to play Need for Speed for free, just check out the swap lists in the links above.

Happy swapping!

Despite the Doom and Gloom

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

So, we have the credit-crunch, the meltdown of the mortgage market and ever-rising fuel bills. We're in the midst of some horribly uncertain financial times.

And yet, despite this grim, dark background, it's almost beyond belief that there's some fantastic commercial success going on within the video-game industry at the moment.

All this has been, perhaps, best demonstrated by the eagerly-awaited release of Grand Theft Auto IV. Hell, shops even opened at midnight for the launch. Folks were scouring internet forums to track down places that haven't sold out.

And it's not just the next-gen XBox 360 and Playstation 3 consoles that are doing so well. Thousands of people are handing over their cash for the brilliant Wii-Fit too.

But...

Don't get me wrong, it's great to see the industry doing so well, with some truly fantastic games available now. The thing is, video-games are a massive industry now (getting to epic Hollywood proportions), but - sadly - gamers are having to get all too used to the obscene £40/$60 price point. And, for every Grand Theft Auto IV, there's a Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles waiting to rob you blind.

I really feel the cost of video games is still way, way, way too high, despite the hours of entertainment they can undoubtedly bring. Is £40 really value for money? Just a quick comparison off the top of my head - I rent movie DVDs through Amazon. £6.99 for 4 movies per month...that's £1.75 per movie...which means I can watch 22 movies for price of one game. Twenty two movies! At least 40 hours of entertainment. Okay, I can still sell/swap the game at the end of it, but do you get my point?

Anyway, the worst thing, the thing that really gets to me, is the way publishers continue to pitch average and mediocre games at exactly the same price point as the ground-breaking, quality titles like Grand Theft Auto IV. It's simply outrageous.

But then again, I guess if game prices were reasonable this site wouldn't really need to be here...

Grand Theft Auto IV Tops Swapping Chart

Tue, 20 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, Grand Theft Auto IV is finally here and has taken over the popularity chart! Kind of predictable (but well deserved!), I guess.

Which brings me on nicely to the way the charts are calculated. It's something that's been bugging me for a while. I don't know about you, but I've noticed a bit of a trend with games like Grand Theft Auto IV, MotoStorm, Gears of War, etc. being insanely popular and wanted by everyone for a few months...and staying in the charts forever more (well, until the next top title is expected).

That's okay, but it does tend to lead to a bit of staleness in the charts. Over the months, the games that everyone got bored with quite a while ago cluster up at the top of the charts.

So, I've decided to blunder in (uh-oh!) and tweak the way in which game popularity is figured out. From now on, not only will it take into account how many members want to swap each game, but also how recently those games have been added.

This will take a month or two to become really apparent as the new calculations kick in, but I think it will help keep the charts much fresher and up-to-date.

Great New Games Added (PS2, PS3, PSX, PSP, DS, Wii, 360, PC)

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Thanks to all those who have taken the time to send details of more games to be added to the site.

Here are the latest:

XBox 360

Bully Scholarship Edition (XBox 360)

Playstation 3

Dynasty Warriors 6 (Playstation 3)

Playstation 2

Shadow Of Memories (Playstation 2)
Dark Chronicle (Playstation 2)
Destroy All Humans 2 (Playstation 2)

Playstation

Crisis Beat (Playstation)
Hard Edge (Playstation)

Sony PSP

Naruto Ultimate Ninja Heroes (PSP)
Final Fantasy Tactics The War OF The Lions (PSP)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PSP)

Nintendo DS

Bleach The Blade Of Fate (Nintendo DS)
SEGA Superstars Tennis (Nintendo DS)

Nintendo Wii

High School Musical (Nintendo Wii)
Boogie (Nintendo Wii)

PC

Ghost In The Sheet (PC)
Stalker Shadow of Chenobyl (PC)

Overcoming Development Burnout

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

It's all too common for software developers to get burnt-out or demotivated. One recommendation that pops up time and time again on forums is to exercise regularly.

I never really took any notice of this advice - figuring the respondants were just some sort of religeous health freaks, decked out in leg-warmers and bandanas. I'm not even remotely athletic - indeed, the very worst moment of my entire school life was having to run the 1,500 metres on sports day in front of the whole school population. It was an abject study in humiliation - I finished dead last, my lungs were on fire and my feet felt like they'd never walk again (all my own fault, though, since I never actually trained a single second for the event...).

But lately, I - the archetypal anti-Olympian - have got the fitness bug. After the excesses of Christmas, I piled on some weight and have found myself uncomfortably short of breath even on relatively short walks.

So, instead of buying a PS3 to make myself feel better, I bought a cross-trainer and a home gym instead. In fact, in total, they cost less than a PS3.

The best investment I've ever made, tbh.

When I first started off on this cross-trainer thing, it was just like those 1,500 metres all over again. In fact, come to think of it, I did manage 1,500 metres on it with my first attempt. However, with that evil and horrific way history repeats itself all over again, I felt just as awful as I did on that dreadful school sports day.

This time though, 2 days later, rather than moping around feeling sorry for myself, I jumped on and did another 1,500 metres. And, while I felt truly appalling and exhausted yet again, I noticed I recovered a lot, lot quicker. By my third attempt, I still felt quite wiped out, but I recovered within just a few minutes.

And now, I've been gradually upping my distance. From 1.5k, to 2.5k, to 3k, to 4k.

While the cross-training wipes me out, the multi-gym is the exact opposite. After a full session on there, you just feel such a rush, such a high, it's ...well...indescribable. I just really enjoy my sessions on there and that's what keeps me hooked and coming back for more.

I can't get over the difference it makes to my everyday life, though. I feel energised. I feel much healthier. I no longer get out of breath. And, although this is all to do with making my body fitter, my mind definitely feels sharper too. All this in just over 4 weeks.

I know a lot of IT folk who do little or no exercise at all. What my new fitness plan has shown me is there is a healthier way. A better way, and it really doesn't cost that much. It just takes a little effort, a little willpower. But the results could be life-changing.

PSP Video Conversion

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Having accumulated a few games consoles over the past couple of years, I've found I now rarely use my PSP for actually playing games (apart from the excellent Burnout, which is simply awesome). It's generally a better all-round experience to play games on the 360 or Wii on the tv. However, the little PSP device simply excels at something else - watching movies or piling through series boxsets.

Armed with a 4GB pro-duo memory stick (crikey, these things are tiny!), I can now watch movies/series while my other half monopolises the tv with endless documentaries or sessions on Super Mario Galaxy.

However, transferring your movie from DVD onto your PSP is not particularly straight-forward. So, I thought I'd write a quick little guide to (hopefully) ease the agony of it all.

You will need to download 2 items of software. They're both completely free though:

• DVDDecrypter
• PSP Video 9

DVDDecrypter

DVDDecrypter is simply phenomenal. Install, start, insert the DVD movie to be copied, and then select the IFO mode:


After changing the mode to IFO, you'll then need to click on the Stream Processing tab. DVDs consist of various streams, such as the video, English soundtrack, French soundtrack, etc. You need to select the 'Enable Stream Processing' checkbox, then tick the appropriate video AND audio stream. So, you'll basically just be ticking two of these checkboxes. There will be other stuff in there too like subtitles. You probably only want the video and audio streams!


Then you simply need to select File, Decrypt. It’ll take the .VOB files that are on your DVD disc, remove all that nasty copy protection, and dump a new VOB file on your hard drive.


This should only take about 10-15 mins. Once it's done, you’ll end up with (probably) a 7GB VOB file on your hard drive.

Okay, that was nice and easy...

PSP Video 9

Download Red Kawa's 'PSP Video 9'. Install and then start. The interface is, to be brutally honest, complete crap, but you'll just have to bear with it...

Click on Settings...the One-Click Settings stuff allows you to select from pre-configured profiles. Select the 'Fw2.80+ MP4 368x208...' setting for widescreen movies.

About Firmware Versions - ignore if technically-challenged... Now, there are numerous versions of the PSP out there, all with different firmwares. As far as I can make out, different firmware versions allow different video capabilities with various advantages/disadvantages. However, I decided to ignore all that complicated crap - the aim here is to be able to transfer a movie onto the PSP, with a decent chance of it actually working without wasting endless hours of our lives. These different firmware versions simply complicate the hell out of all this.

You can select higher firmwares or the alternative AVC format, but I simply couldn't get any of that working with my PSP. Bear in mind it's going to take a couple of hours to convert your DVD movie into a PSP-compatible video, so it's entirely up to you how much time you want to waste experimenting with different settings.

Okay, click on Convert, ignore the Video Wizard stuff and click on the Current Conversion tab. Now click on 'One Click Convert' button.

Select the .VOB file that DVD Decrypter dumped to your hard drive. This conversion process takes absolutely bloody hours! It does run quietly in the background though (when minimized it drops into your system tray). If you have a dual-core processor you’re laughing. One thing to be aware of is that the progress bar is terribly misleading. It'll be done when it's done, not when the progress bar reaches 100%...

When you’re done, you’ll end up with a lovely shiny MP4 file all nicely converted (around 600-900MB). It also generates a THM (thumbnail file) as well.

You're not quite finished yet, though! Now copy the MP4 file directly to the \VIDEO folder on your PSP. I always just copy the MP4, not the THM.

You should now be able to play your movie through the Videos menu on your PSP.

Help Us Help You

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Whilst running Swopster is pretty good fun most of the time, one of the most mundane tasks I have to do is scanning through lists of the latest games and adding them to the site.

New games come out all the time (those game companies must never sleep!), across multiple formats and it's always been a tad tricky keeping up with the little blighters. Thankfully, I've now added a simple new way to let you nag me :-)

On the game listings and forums, there are links to a new page that will let you tell me about any games you think are missing:

Simply let me know the game title and which console, and I'll add it within a couple of days.

Bag A Bargain

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

For those lucky UK gamers, Forza Motorsport 2 (Xbox 360) is just £17.99 at Play for this week only - I haven't played it but a friend of mine raved about it when he got it a while back:

http://www.play.com
That's a huge saving of £32 off the RRP!!

Making Things Happen

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

An interesting topic came up on the forums recently. One member thought the site appeared a bit 'dead' since, after listing his games and the ones he wanted, didn't see many matches and wasn't getting responses from members he communicated with.

Looking at the bigger picture of activity on the site, I can see how he could think that.

A lot of people (the vast majority, in fact) are just quietly passive. They list their games, perhaps try initiating a few requests, but go no further. They're quite content to sit and wait.

The problem is, if they have no immediate matches, nothing will happen unless another member joins who can exactly match their games.

The interesting folks, though, are the members whom I'll term the 'activists'. These are the ones who are not at all passive - they'll play around with their lists, pm lots of other members, and be very active in little bursts to see what swaps can be achieved.

They're interesting because these are the folks who actively raise the pulse of the site. They spark and initiate and make useful connections around the system.

Their activities generally make something happen.

Now that may not result, directly, in a swap. It may just bring someone back to the site who may then update their out-of-date game list. But that might then create more swap matches in the system.

But just by doing something, they're having a positive effect.

If you really want something out of the site, and you're swapping page isn't looking too encouraging, I'd urge you to become an activist. Play with your WishList. PM other members.

You never know, you might just make something happen.

Welcome Home

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The blog has found a new home.

It used to be http://swopster.wordpress.com, but I think there are quite a few advantages to integrating it into the main site.

The first, and most obvious, is for SEO purposes. If any site is going to get some decent link-juice, I'd rather it was the main site rather than a Wordpress hosted one.

Secondly, because I'm a control-freak, I can do whatever I want with images, fonts, formatting, etc. And no-one can pull the plug on it (not that Wordpress would, of course).

The third reason is a little more subtle. If I write an entertaining (yup, rare, I know!) article on a Wordpress-hosted blog, there's simply not that much incentive for visitors to click on the links to the main site without lots of spammy-sounding marketing blurb.

I'd much rather bring visitors straight to the main site, let them read the article and let their curiousity get the better of them - the layout and design of the site immediately conveys what its all about far better than a link/advert/etc on a blog.