It has often been said that no matter how many advances are made in video game technology, no matter how many innovative new games are devised, and no matter how realistic the graphics become, the simple flash browser game will always be more popular. They appeal to everyone – from hardcore players at the top of the Tetris league table to the relaxed student in the school library muttering ‘I'll just play one game of solitaire...' under his breath. It could be that while the likes of Tomb Raider and Prince of Persia are destined to die out, there will always be casual players of flash games on the Internet.

William Hill is a company which has cottoned on to this – particularly in the way of online gambling. So you can not only enjoy a flash game of blackjack, but there's also the possibility of winning some cash. Serious cash if you're a new player – as long as you pay a £35 deposit, you could win a bonus of up to £150. You won't find an offer like that in a high street casino.

But there are other advantages to playing online besides good promotions. For a start, you're not limited by selection – whatever game you want to play, it's probably available, and for some games there are several variations. William Hill offers a variety of table games, card games, slots, jackpot games and even scratch cards. You're not likely to get bored with that selection very quickly. There are also new games being added on a regular basis, and you can practice for free until you feel comfortable enough to start winning money.

The subject of video games is one which is hotly debated throughout the world. From fans arguing over the best and worst of a certain genre, to journalists and critics questioning certain aspects of the industry, to adults expressing confusion at their addictive quality, video games have a habit of touching off discussion. Here are some of the most interesting, funny, insightful quotes from some famous and some not so famous people on the subject of games.

Released on 22/2 the Playstation Vita is set to change the way we think about portable gaming. Coming on the market with 512 MB of Ram, 24bit colour, touchscreen, motion sensor and Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G connect ability it is being touted as a portable console for the here and now with all the capabilities one would expect from a new media device. 

At first glance it bears a resemblance to the PSP, though a more thorough investigation shows many key differences in the layout. Though it also comes in the familiar oval shape, the D-Pad on one side of the screen and the box, triangle, circle and x buttons on the other, the Vita also comes with two analogue control sticks. It also comes with a much more sophisticated software card than the PSP's Universal Media Discs.

Of course, the main area of interest for most people will be the games themselves and in this area the Playstation Vita is likely to shine brightly. Already announced for the platform are exciting new titles such as Golden Abyss, Gravity Rush, Hustle Kings, Everybody's Golf Next (Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational in North America) and Reality Fighters plus more familiar fare like Killzone, Wipeout, Resistance, LittleBigPlanet, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend, Ridge Racer and Call of Duty.

The BlackBerry PlayBook is just about the smallest high-profile tablet to come out for 2011. Measuring at 5 x 7.5 x 0.4, the Blackberry PlayBook's sleek design is more along the lines with the Galaxy Tab of 2010 rather than with the current iPad 2 supply breaking into the market for 2011. So far, the Blackberry PlayBook has been the most powerful 7-inch tablet tested on the market today, and the most lightweight design which comes in at under one pound.

The first thing to notice about the Blackberry PlayBook, is the complete lack of clutter in buttons on the front of this device. Like the Motorola Xoom, all of the PlayBook's navigation is handled using on-screen controls. A 0.7-inch grooved ring frames the 1,024x600-pixel-resolution screen for the Playbook, as it is also bordered by a pair of slender stereo speaker grilles. Above the Playbook screen, is a 3-megapixel camera along with a newly designed ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts for screen brightness. When you flip the tablet over you will find another camera, and this one is a 5-megapixel addition that can capture video at 1080p quality.  

There are, although, small cracks in the flawless design by RIM for their breakthrough invention for the Tablet PC market for 2011. One problem consumers encountered with the Blackberry Playbook is the power/wake button, which is so small and recessed that some users needed to file down fingernails to use it. When the Playbook is then placed within the extra layer of a case, the power button again was almost impossible to press. It's a real problem to get to these small buttons on the Playbook, especially since the power button is the only means to wake the Playbook screen from sleep.

The Sims 3: Generations is good – but not a game-changer. The Sims 3: Generations is not expansive enough, as previous Sims 3 expansion packs have come with more substantial gameplay material. Those features may include world exploration, hands-on professions, and even vampire nightlife. However, The Sims 3: Generations value proposition fell short as these new “Generations” enhancements are subtly integrated into the game, but don't have the overall impact of transforming the game and do not match up to the impact of previous expansions.

The additions to The Sims 3: Generations package include children getting tree-houses and playground equipment, as well as teens learning to drive and going to prom and adults have midlife crises. As the game progresses, you also begin to unlock other features to this game. Children don't just live with all of life's amenities; they can actually play in their tree-houses and sit on their seesaws. Maybe, you would like to play a prank on the school as a teen growing up in Sim City and release a science experiment in the girls' locker room. 

Other closely watched elements within the game, do not call for a complete loss on this expansion for the Sims 3. Players can now actually throw bachelor parties for engaged Sims and videotape their experiences to store away in their personal video stash. Builders and buyers, especially, will appreciate spiral staircases and new family-oriented novelties. These changes to the entire game from Sims 3 are great, but this time around there is a lack of impact which ceases to wow the overall audience and people are not buying into it.

The all-new Motorola Xoom first arrived in Ireland, weighing 730g about the same as the first-generation iPad. It has a 10.1-inch wide-screen display and is quite bright. It also supports up to 720p HD video. The Motorola Xoom still looks fairly similar in style to many of the tablet pcs out there today, with the standard black, glass assembly. The back of the casing is made mostly out of aluminum, though it has a strip of black running across the top. 

The on/off switch is at the back of the Xoom, which is a weird place to put a toggle switch for the avid PC Tablet fanatic who is used to looking for any on/off switch at the top or at the bottom of any device. This button is slightly indented to reduce the risk of the tablet actually turning on while in your bag. The Motorola Xoom has a 2-megapixel camera on the frontside and it works best when held horizontally. Plus, the Motorola Xoom comes with an additional 5-megapixel camera added to the back, with dual LED flash. The Motorola Xoom also contains a micro USB port, a micro HDMI output, a 3.5mm jack for headphones and SIM card slot.

Like on the Android smartphone, the five main home-screens to the Xoom can be customized to place your favorite app shortcuts and widgets onto them. These home-screen rearrange themselves to be viewed horizontally as well as vertically, just like in the iPhone and iPad there is a slight lag in the display toggle. You can also switch to “quick controls” on the Motorola Xoom, which lets the consumer access menu options by holding their thumbs up at the side of the screen and making the top bar only accessible for tabs.

While many still want to judge the Xoom on its own breakthroughs, reviews are not hard to make iPad comparisons, but there are things the Motorola Xoom does better than the iPad, such as browser and home-screen customization. However, this desperate attempt by Motorola to surpass the iPad will not be enough to become the much anticipated “iPad Killer”.

The latest frenzy for card-based wizardry starts off with a climatic sequence, in which an epic story is told filled with conflict and chaos. But, in turn, the setup for Magic this time around never delivers on its promise, as there is no storyline between the three different campaign modes. This cannot bode well for a vote of confidence among the many Magic aficionados.

The rules of Magic are simple. Players draw magic power from varied sources, casting environment-altering spells, summoning creatures and fighters big and small, to defeat the opponent or person playing against you. Of course, the game gets a lot more specific than that for PC as there are several different "colours" of spells with varied strengths and weaknesses, as well as an array of many monsters and items with special traits and abilities. Magic is mostly a strategic and competitive game based on a great deal of forethought and reaction. 

Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012, simplifies things to a certain degree from the original game dated back 20 years by making the structure of the card game more comprehensive to newcomers and casual players. Rather than carefully choosing and constructing decks of tricks card by card, there are now choices between several different pre-constructed decks with distinct styles, advantages, and drawbacks for each player.

As you play through single-player mode, you begin to unlock new decks of cards to use, you also begin to earn additional cards to augment each deck. Picking from among all of the decks you've unlocked, the player gets to play out matches against A.I. opponents. Each side takes turns laying down land cards, tapping mana, casting spells, and summoning creatures, as well as working with the game's complex rule system to defeat your enemy at his/her own game.

Hunted: The Demon's Forge, is set in a murky fantasy world and acts as a third-person action video game. The game was developed by inXile Entertainment and then published by Bethesda Softworks for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows consoles.

In Hunted: The Demon's Forge, you have the option of entering campaign mode as Caddoc or E'lara. These “mercenaries” are a lively pair, as Caddoc is packed with the most melee power and E'lara supports Caddoc with a bow. A sacred mission has been bestowed upon our heroes, as saving the world from evil sends these two characters on a quest that was actually in the making for generations.

The first hour in this dark world of Hunted: The Demon's Forge, is never going to be a pleasant one. The preface free introduction does not exactly instill a sense of literary excellence. Combat is limited to a raw mix of “plain ol' shooting and plain ol' stabbing.” But, one of the best things about Hunted is the actual relationship between Caddoc and E'lara. Big, bad Caddoc is known as the coolheaded member of the team, while the sensational E'lara is the brash and hasty one. Their personal quarreling and frivolous in-fighting with each other, as well as disagreements on almost everything is enjoyable and comes to life with some solid voice acting. 

When playing with friends, it is important to always coordinate your attacks especially when using your special abilities. Caddoc and E'lara share a set of three spells, but each hero also has their very own unique set of three weapon-based abilities that play off the other character. Caddoc can lift enemies up in the air, with a combination set base for E'lara to finish off. Alternatively, E'lara can freeze bad guys while Caddoc can smash them to bits.

It is a real shame that the cooperative dynamic breaks down once you are paired up with the computer. For those players who are ready to rock out with this adventure solo, you are missing out on a lot of what makes Hunted fun. The A.I. Partner isn't very good as a suitable replacement for another player. We might be stuck with it, too, because online communities are limited.

Red Faction: Armageddon is the fourth game in the Red Faction franchise. This game is really on point with all of its other predecessors, but if you really want the freedom of all-encompassing mayhem Red Faction: Guerrilla offered, you may be unhappy with the direction in which this game is headed. 

The game starts off with Darius Mason, who is the grandson of the protagonist Alec Mason from Red Faction: Guerrilla. Darius is not the self-proclaimed warrior his grandfather once was, as if that weren't enough, Mason then gets manipulated into saving the world from Mars' terraformer and, several years later to fight an alien menace that has unleashed on the planet Mars in a struggle to save the few surviving Martians. Something game-lovers and diehard fans of the genre will take away from Red Faction: Armageddon, is its use of environmental destruction. Other games allow the players to solely blow single objects to pieces, but in Armageddon, the environment becomes a weapon in itself as the player manipulates and contorts his/her environment to help slay the enemy. You can sling enemies into walls and crash them throughout the landscape in Armageddon.

There are also two extra modes to play in, once the gamer is done with his single player missions. Infestation is an online four player survivor mode, and the Ruin mode can be activated only through a key that comes with a new copy of the game or purchased as DLC. The upgrades a player earns in any game mode, are transferred over and you can go back to lobby between waves in order to purchase more upgrades for Darius. Armageddon also likes to keep its fans busy while in campaign mode, so the developers decided to add in all-inclusive vehicle missions that help alleviate the mundane pacing of getting to the end of campaign mode. Darius gets to pilot mechs, as this becomes a great way to showcase the extensive development that went into the fourth game.

Back To The Future has, so far, been hailed by many game reviews as a masterpiece when it comes down to the development of the characters and featuring well-crafted voice over work for the characters.

Telltale decided to make a “point and click” adventure game based on the classic Back to the Future universe. Doc is stuck in the past, and Marty now must round up his resources to save him, as the pair messed up the timeline and have been trying to fix it ever since. The main character in the game is Marty, and you will have a ton of items to choose from in your inventory so that you can interact with different people in different ways. As far as visuals are concerned; Episode four did not have too much to add. Most of these environments are no surprise to any player who is coming back for a fourth time. There are, however, small additions to the inside of the citizen plus facility in alternate 1986 and to the front lawn of the Hill Valley High School, which has been decorated for a forthcoming science expo. 

Although the first three episodes of Back To The Future were very entertaining, to those who were actually risky enough to go in and purchase the genre, Episode 4 can come across a bit boring at times. The previous installments were a bit of a scavenger hunt in themselves, but Episode 4 stretches this concept for gameplay throughout the entirety of the release. This episode stalls and stays on the lawn of a science exposition and in young Doc's lab. By the time the game is really over, everyone has felt like they haven't done anything much at all.

To promote the title, Telltale brought a mockup of the DeLorean time machine as part of their booth display to the 2010 Penny Arcade Expo which occurred shortly after the game's announcement. Prior to this release, Telltale Games published their first Facebook game entitled Back to the Future: Blitz Through Time, with mechanics similar to Bejeweled Blitz. Free copies of the first episode of the series were included in the 25th Anniversary Blu-ray release of the Back to the Future trilogy on October 26, 2010.