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Community Gaming For Xbox 360

Community Gaming For Xbox 360If your idea of a good time is creating a video game, you’re probably familiar with Microsoft’s XNA tools. They’re something the companygives away to let amateurs develops games for the Xbox 360 and also for Windows. They’re certainly popular – over 800,000 individuals have downloadedthem, plus plenty of universities.   There’s been just one drawback. Having used them to develop your game, there was no way to share it with others.   That is now changing, accordingto a BBC report. At the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Chris Satchell of Microsoft announced a new service under which amateurs will be able to share their game via Xbox Live.  "Ten million people will be able to play your games," he said. "I think of this as gaming created by the community and managed by the community but enjoyed by everyone."  Certainly it’s a huge leap forward for those amateur developers out there, and for some it could be the big break that helps them become professionals. But it could be even better –Microsoft is working on a revenue-sharing plan for games that are distributed over Xbox Live.  

Digital Trends Staff
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How to battle your friends in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
Moltres and Zapdos cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket.

Battling against an AI opponent isn't the same as battling against real players online in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket. Better yet, you can fight against your friends. Pokémon TCGP is Nintendo's biggest mobile game in its franchise since Pokémon Go, and just like how you can play with friends in Pokémon Go, you can do the same in TCGP.

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How to make a good deck in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
Pokemon TCGP cards displayed.

Once you've unlocked the ability to battle other players online in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, you'll first need to create your own deck using all the cards you've acquired through Booster Packs. The only issue here is that most new players may find it difficult to know what makes a good deck and which cards you should pick or avoid.

Only 20 cards can fit into each deck, and players have the option to choose whichever cards they would like. Picking at random isn't a good idea, as there is a strategy to creating a deck, just as there is a strategy to playing the card game, and even the Pokémon video games themselves. To help you create amazing decks to win your card battles, here are six tips on how to make a good Pokémon TCGP deck.
Balance fighting, item, and trainer cards

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Pokémon’s free mobile card game is nostalgic fun, but watch your wallet
A trading card battle on mobile.

What's sure to be mobile gaming's next big thing is here. Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is out now and it brings the classic tabletop deckbuilding game to your phone. It's a free app that lets players open booster packs, collect cards, and play a streamlined version of the card game. On top of that, it's full of social hooks and ways for players to show off their favorite cards. It's about as much of a slam dunk as you could imagine for a mobile game, to the point where I'm surprised it's taken The Pokémon Company this long to make it.

Nostalgia is an easy path to victory, but does that make for a good game? Based on my time with it so far, I can see some immediate appeal that's sure to keep me logging in consistently for at least a few weeks. It's the kind of free download that comes with a big red buyer beware, though. This is a game designed to vacuum up money in ways that can feel a bit uncomfortable. If you're the kind of person who gets impatient anytime you're presented with a timer, download it at your own risk.
Gotta collect 'em all
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket essentially looks to capture the full experience of the Pokémon trading card game and stuff it into a mobile app. In that sense, it's a success. As soon as I boot it up and create my account, it quickly throws a five-card booster pack my way that I tear it open by swiping the screen. All the excitement I felt as a kid doing the same with real packs flooded in instantly. Just as I did back then, I find myself marveling at the art. Classic cards from my youth appear here, including the elegant Hitmonchan card I treasured as a kid, but I'm just as enamored with the art I've never seen. When I pull a card that features a top-to-bottom art spread showing Digletts burrowing through the card, I'm hooked.

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