MechWarrior 4 To Be Re-Released For Free

In celebration of the new MechWarrior, BattleTech, Catalyst Games, MekTek, and Smith & Tinker have teamed up to re-release MechWarrior 4 and its expansion packs, for free!
We are very pleased to announce that Smith & Tinker has authorized us (MekTek.net) and our professional studio (MekTek Studios) to distribute and package a worldwide free release of MechWarrior4 and all of its expansions.

This free release of MechWarrior4 that commemorates BattleTech’s 25th anniversary as well as MekTek’s 10th anniversary, and will allow BattleTech fans an chance to re-discover MechWarrior, as well as help us bring in a new army of players who are discovering MechWarrior and the BattleTech universe for the first time,completely for free.

MekTek views this partnership as a hallmark moment for the global MechWarrior community. We welcome the opportunity for the MekTek team to officially take a leadership role in the cultivation and development of the on-line MechWarrior communities in support and anticipation of the recently announced MechWarrior game by Smith & Tinker and Piranha games.

We are honored by the opportunity bestowed apon us by Smith and Tinker and its partners, and we hope the online community will enjoy this free release all the while recognizing the support and commitment that Smith & Tinker, Catalyst Games, and MekTek.net has made to the BattleTech fans around the world.

Tween gamers get in on the MMO action with 'Free Realms' PC game

Poorly designed — but free - online PC games are a dime a dozen.

Which means gamers who download Sony Online Entertainment's "Free Realms" are in for an exciting treat.

"Free Realms" (rated Everyone 10+ for the PC with a PlayStation 3 version in the works for later this year) plops you right into a fantasy 3D world where you control a pixie or cartoony human in a magical fantasy world alongside various meanies and friendly creatures.

What strikes me most is how many features are in "Free Realms" - it's packed with simple fun quests, optional fighting battles, a large starting world, personal skills to develop - this is not a stripped-down free version of a game.

Gamers invest most of their time competing in mini-games and completing quests which frequently involve searching for someone or recovering a lost item.

There's also in-game Station Cash which can be purchased with real money to buy various cosmetic goods.

Gamers - or their parents - who invest in the paid version (US$4.99 per month) get access to extras such as multiple characters on one account, access to leaderboards along with special in-game jobs and items. Neither of these, however, are necessary to have an authentic "Free Realms" experience.

My nine-year-old son had no problem getting into it. "It's a lot like 'Runescape' but looks better," he says, referring to another online game popular with tweens. He jumped right in and quickly had an extensive list of achievements.

This game doesn't have nearly the depth or scope of powerhouse MMO releases such as Blizzard's "World of Warcraft" or NCsoft's "Guild Wars" but it's an outstanding choice for younger gamers.

A typical example of one of the mini-puzzles is a cooking quest. I quickly busied myself chopping up some food, slicing meat and tenderizing it. It really feels like you're earning your keep.
But, hands down, my favourite mini-game was Wildwood Demo Derby.

You compete in a quick demolition derby that's fast, competitive and addictive - in short everything you want out of a mini-game. The racing games alone are reason alone to check out "Free Realms."

Along with the entertainment value, every parent also is concerned about online security and SOE takes this fear seriously.

Parental control security features include limiting in-game chat for children under 13 to a menu of set phrases. Plans also are underway for a "family" account that would allow for multiple character log-ins.

Setting up the browser-based "Free Realms" is a snap, you download small chunks of the game in the background as you play. I had the game up and running in about 15 minutes on my main gaming PC and the same on my laptop.

"Free Realms" is a 'must check it out' PC game for tween gamers - SOE already points to more than two million registered players, promises new areas to explore and is advertising special in-game events such as concerts.

Exercise the mind - solitaire card games

Just as we don't exercise our legs and arms in the same exact way, we shouldn't exercise our minds in the same way every day. You work your leg muscles when you stand up from the sofa - is it exercise though? Walking is exercise; so is running.

Let's stretch our ways of thinking. Try new things. Open the mind. Stretch the imagination. Experience new exercises. If your children roll their eyes at you because here comes another thing you want them to do rather than watch TV or play video games, explain to them how exercising the brain is like the rest of your body. You have do move in many different directions with various activities.

Handheld game systems used to be a deck of cards. Travels easy with many levels of games!
Most kids don't know how to play solitaire. Especially not without a computer program. A deck of cards is about $2-$3 at the store if you don't already have a full set at home.

There is the standard solitaire game where there are seven piles of cards laid out in front of you. The first card goes down to the left and is placed face up. Then you lay down six more cards face down in a row next to that first one. Next you lay a card face up on the top of your second pile. Continue with the other 5 piles with one card face down. Continue in this pattern until you have seven cards on the last pile (one face up and 6 face down). The rest of your cards are yours to flip through to get the cards you will need. The goal is to put all of the cards starting with the Ace, as a One, through to the King in suit order above these piles as you find them while you move cards around. You might want to refresh your memory of how to play by playing a little on the computer first. Microsoft usually includes Solitaire under their Games folder. There are also games online for free as well.

Other variations are fun including the solitaire games that you lay 21 cards out in a triangular pyramid shape.

To play the pyramid solitaire game "13", you can lay them down face up. Your goal is to take away two cards at a time that add up to 13. The King is the only card that can go away on its own because it has a value of 13. Thus a Queen is 12 and a Jack is 11. If on the first row an 8 and a 5 are showing, you scoop them up together and sit them to the side. As you take cards away, the next row is exposed and you can take cards from there to equal 13 if needed. If there are no further cards free that match to equal 13, you flip one card at a time to see if that card will match to another to get to 13. Continue until you have cleared the entire pyramid or you have flipped through all the cards and you have no further possibilities.