Monday, January 27, 2020

Balance Of Payment And Exchange Rate In Egypt Economics Essay

Balance Of Payment And Exchange Rate In Egypt Economics Essay Is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Thereby, Egypt is a transcontinental country, and is considered to be a major power in North Africa, Mediterranean Region, African continent, Nile Basin, Islamic World and the Red Sea. Covering an area of about 1,010,000  square kilometers (390,000  sq  mi), Egypt is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west. Egypt is famous for its ancient civilization and some of the worlds most famous monuments, including the Giza pyramid complex and its Great Sphinx. The southern city of Luxor contains many ancient artifacts, such as the Karnack Temple and the Valley of the Kings. Egypt is widely regarded as an important political and cultural nation of the Middle East. Part 1 Balance of payment and Exchange Rate in Egypt: Balance of payments transactions are usually tabulated under two broad categories, current account and capital account. Current account includes visible (merchandise) trade as well as invisible items, such as tourism, shipping, and profits and other moneys earned overseas. Here is the results of studying an annual report for balance of payment and exchange rate in Egypt : The Year Balance of Payment (BOP) Exchange Rate The Comment 2005 5.5 billion 1$ = Selling price:1$ =5.77 Egyptian pound Purchasing price:1$=5.23 Egyptian pound Thats mean that the export rate will be greater than the import rate. So, the income of Egypt in this year is in good situation and it was the best situation in the last 5 years 2006 2.7 billion 1$ = Selling price:1$ =4.34 Egyptian pound Purchasing price:1$=5.99 Egyptian pound Thats mean that the export rate less than the import rate. So, the income of Egypt in this year is decrease and it was the worst situation in the last 5 years. 2007 3.1 billion 1$ = Selling price:1$ =4.76 Egyptian pound Purchasing price:1$= 5.00 Egyptian pound Thats mean that the export rate more than the import rate. So, the income of Egypt in this year is start increase again 2008 4.1 billion 1$ = Selling price:1$ =5.3 Egyptian pound Purchasing price:1$= 4.33 Egyptian pound Thats mean that the export rate more than the import rate. So, the income of Egypt in this year is still increasing 2009 5.38 billion Selling price:1$ =5.5 Egyptian pound Purchasing price:1$=5.23 Egyptian pound Thats mean that the export rate will be greater than the import rate. So, the income of Egypt in this year is increased Part 2: Economic reform in Egypt In The Political Economy of Reform in Egypt: Understanding the Role of Institutions, Carnegie Middle East Centers Sufyan Alissa finds that economic reform, considered a priority by the Egyptian government, has not been fully effective for three reasons: it lacks public support, Egypt has failed to foster a competitive business environment, and the lack of dynamic and transparent institutions.   Alissa argues that Egypt lacks the institutional capacity to implement better-coordinated reform programs that address its socioeconomic realities, including widespread poverty and unemployment, high inflation, and a soaring public debt. Reform is needed to improve the efficiency of Egypts bureaucracy, increase the accountability and transparency of politicians, and widen political participation for Egyptian citizens. Key Findings: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚  Egypt has failed to create a healthy and competitive environment for business development. Despite the passage of many laws to organize the business environment, the government has not developed an effective enforcement process for these new laws, and little progress has been made in the fight against corruption. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚  Economic reform lacks popular support in Egypt as reforms are perceived to cause more harm than good as previous reforms have consistently failed to address socioeconomic problems. Furthermore, future reforms are predicted to increase the gap between the Egyptian rich and poor before the masses can feel the positive effects. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚  The majority of the private sector and civil society is excluded from the debate over Egypts economic reform strategy. Public participation is crucial for advancing civil society institutions and promoting an effective role in designing and implementing comprehensive economic reform. Given the nature of the Egyptian state and the main actors in the market and civil society, developing the necessary institutions and, most important, making them function properly within a short period of time seems unrealistic. Hence, Egypt should make the choice: Either start developing these institutions soon or lag behind. Building these institutions is the responsibility not only of the Egyptian state but also of the private sector and civil society, contends Alissa. Part 3: Monetary Policy in Egypt: Egypts Monetary Policy Objective: Law No. 88 of 2003 of the Central Bank, Banking Sector and Monetary System entrusts the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) with the formulation and implementation of monetary policy, with price stability being the primary and overriding objective. The CBE is committed to achieving, over the medium term, low rates of inflation which it believes are essential for maintaining confidence and for sustaining high rates of investment and economic growth. The Governments commitment to fiscal discipline is important to achieve this objective. Fiscal Policy in Egypt: Fiscal policy is the use of Egyptian government spending and taxation to influence the economy. When Egyptian government decides on the goods and services it purchases, the transfer payments it distributes, or the taxes it collects, it is engaging in fiscal policy. The primary Egyptian economic impact of any change in the government budget is felt by particular groups-a tax cut for families with children, for example, raises their disposable income. Discussions of fiscal policy, however, generally focus on the effect of changes in the government budget on the overall economy. Although changes in taxes or spending that are revenue neutral may be construed as fiscal policy-and may affect the aggregate level of output by changing the incentives that firms or individuals face-the term fiscal policy is usually used to describe the effect on the aggregate economy of the overall levels of spending and taxation, and more particularly, the gap between them. Conclusion: Egyptian economy is one of the most attractive economies in the world that is because it faced mane ups and downs, also the large number of population in Egypt affects the economy in a very observing way. Thats why the economics ministry in Egypt must take care for its behavior.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Reproductive and Therapeutic Cloning Essays -- Science Technology Gene

Reproductive and Therapeutic Cloning Cloning is defined as the â€Å"creation of an exact copy of a living matter, such as a cell or organism† according to Encarta encyclopedia. The copies produced through cloning have identical genetic makeup and are known as clones. Scientists use cloning techniques in the laboratory to create copies of cells or organisms with valuable traits. Cloning is a controversial topic because new areas of science often raise questions about safety. Early experiment performed on animals showed potential dangers. For example, cloned cows developed faulty immune systems. In some studies, cloned animals seemed to grow old faster and die younger than normal members of the species. According to Encarta online Encyclopedia, â€Å"In 2002 the National Academy of Sciences released a report calling for a legal ban on human cloning. The report concluded that the high rate of health problems in cloned animals indicates that such an effort in humans would be highly dangerous for the mother and developing embryo and is likely to fail† (encarta.msn.com). Reproductive and therapeutic cloning has possible side effects or danger that could affect the human race. Reproductive cloning is a technology used to generate an animal that has the same nuclear DNA as another currently or previously existing animal and therapeutic cloning involves transplanting the nucleus of an adult body cell into an unfertilized egg. An electric shock stimulates the egg to begin dividing. This reproductive cloning technology can be used to help people who cannot give birth to children or those who are not married. Though Reproductive cloning would be beneficial to us, there are a number of reasons why this system should be banned... ...er, etc. it would be use to replace and restore tissues, organs, and their lost functionality† (Williams 591-594). As William said using this technology to treat an aging brain could be difficult because of the hostile environment created by the neurodegenerative disease (Williams 591-594). Reproductive and Therapeutic cloning is not as beneficial as it is made out to be by researchers. Developing humans are killed in the long pursuit of this technology. Money also is a big issue. By using the money that could be used to help developing countries to play or be God is immoral. We have everything we can use to revive humans to the best of our ability, what more do we needed? Sometimes, certain things are not to be tampered with because of issues and dangers behind it. Therefore Reproductive and Therapeutic cloning should not be used and should be banned.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

History of Real Madrid Cf

Martin Torrijos 12th Grade English November 21, 2012 Real Madrid FC Real Madrid Football Club is one of the oldest, most successful clubs in the world. Ever since its inception in 1902, the club has won countless titles, and has been a perennial contender for its entire existence. Many of the sport’s biggest, most notorious legends have worn the pure white uniforms that have become synonymous with the team. With a history of excellence, and a winning tradition that continues to this day, Real Madrid’s already unbelievable legacy looks to become even greater with the passage of time.This incredible club was founded on March 6th 1902 as â€Å"Sociedad de Madrid FC, and its first ever president was Mr. Juan Padros. In one of the first team meetings, the board agreed to the dress team white shirts, with matching shirts and socks, as a tribute to one of his favorite football clubs (Corinthia of London). This decision inadvertently led to the creation of one of football†™s most iconic looks, the pure white Real Madrid home kits. In the very same year that the club was founded, it won its first championship, the â€Å"Campeonato Regional Central† (Central Regional Championship).Two years later, On May 21, 1904; Madrid FC participated in the founding of FIFA (the international federation that, to this day, is still the central governing body of the sport), with the federations of Belgium, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland (and their respective top clubs) all present. Decades later, on June 29, 1920; the club received a letter from the King Alfonso XIII of Spain granting them the title of a â€Å"royal†, a distinction that very few Spanish clubs can boast.Not even some of the country’s most successful clubs (Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga, and Atletico de Madrid; for example) share the distinction of being â€Å"royal† clubs. Since then, the club has utilized its present name, Real Madrid Club de Fu tbol. In the same decade that they were declared football royalty, they participated in the inaugural league championship of Spain in 1929, where it finished in second place behind their soon-to-be lifelong rivals F. C. Barcelona. The following season the club began a tradition of spending made many signings, including goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora, for whom they paid 150,000 pesetas to Espanyol.Despite the large investment, Real Madrid had a discrete participation and came nowhere near winning the title. In 1931, with the establishment of the Second Spanish Republic, Real Madrid was stripped of the title of â€Å"Royal† and renamed to Madrid Football Club again. The club, however, further invested on players and obtained League 1931/32, the first in Madrid, undefeated. The success was repeated in the 1932/33 season, with Brazilian Olivares consecrated as the first big-name scorer of the team.The first era of Real Madrid-style success soon ensued, and the club won three consecuti ve leagues (1933-34, 1934-35 and 1935-36), and were also cup winners in 1934 and 1936 after beating Valencia C. F. and F. C. Barcelona respectively. With the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War sports activities were suspended from 1936 to 1939. After the end of the political turmoil in Spain, the club regained its title of â€Å"Royal†. The war, however, left Real Madrid without several of their stars, so they decided to hire many players, including Sabino Barinaga, a world class midfielder who arrived from Southampton FC in England.On September 15, 1943 ex-player and former coach Santiago Bernabeu was unanimously named club president, ushering in a prosperous stage of the club’s history. This move allowed Real Madrid get the â€Å"bicampeonato†, winning both the league and domestic cup, in 1946 and1947. The club, however, suffered such poor results during the 1948-49 campaign that league winning coach Quincoces Jacinto, with just one year in office, resigned fro m his post midway through the season.In January 1948 Michael English relieved Quincoces, and managed to save the team from descending into the â€Å"Segunda Division†, the second tier league of Spanish football, which sends its top three teams into the first division while receiving the bottom three from the â€Å"Primera Division†. Although English had stars like the great Pahino at his disposal, the â€Å"Merengues† spent the next few years in mediocrity and finishing mid-table. On March 6, 1952, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its founding, the team hosted an international friendly tournament , where they lost the final ost to Club Deportivo Los Millonarios from Colombia. Despite the loss, the club spotted Argentine player Alfredo di Stefano and hired him from Millonarios in 1953, along and Spaniard Francisco Gento from Racing de Santander. This signing proved to be excellent, as Di Stefano would lead Madrid to an era of absolute success, and is still regarded as one of the top five players to ever play for Madrid. With â€Å"Pahino† Molowny, Di Stefano and Gento, the â€Å"Merengues† got the 1953-54 league title, after a 21 year dry spell. Di Stefano was crowned top scorer of the tournament, a feat that he would repeat four more times in Madrid.Under the direction of Spanish coach Jose Villalonga, and with a team of players like Juan Alonso, â€Å"Marquitos† Rafael Lesmes, Miguel Munoz, Jose Maria Zarraga, â€Å"Joseito† Alfredo di Stefano, Hector Rial and Francisco Gento, Real Madrid conquered 1954-55 and 1956-57 league. They also participated in the first two editions of the European Cup, which they won by beating Stade de Rennes in the French league in the Parc des Princes and ACF Fiorentina of Serie A D’Italia in the Santiago Bernabeu, respectively, in the 1955-56 and 1956-57 editions.Argentina’s Luis Carniglia relieved Villalonga, and, with the additions of Raymond Kopa, Jose Santam aria and Ferenc Puskas; the team won the 1957-58 European Cup, and beat AC Milan and Rennes in the finals of the â€Å"Coup d’Europe† in 1958 and 1959, respectively. Following years of Di Stefano-led success, the club began a new era in 1966. Madrid gave relief to the old idols of Madrid with a team of young Spanish people like Joseph Araquistain, â€Å"Pachin† Pedro de Felipe, Manuel Sanchis , â€Å"Pirri†, Ignacio Zoco Francisco Serena, Amancio Amaro, Ramon Grosso and Manuel Velazquez; and led by the veteran Francisco Gento.The rejuvenated tea won the European Cup, after years of futile performance. In the 1970? s, the now-veteran players won Real Madrid five Leagues and three Domestic Cups. The happy period of the club’s history would soon end. On June 2, 1978 Santiago Bernabeu died during the World Championships in Argentina. Soon after, in September, Luis Carlos became president of Madrid. During the reign of Luis Carlos (1978-1985), the team won 2 Leagues, 2 Cups and one UEFA Cup. In those years he was formed what came to be known as the â€Å"Quinta del Buitre† (The Vulture’s Five): Emilio Butragueno ( nicknamed the Vulture†), Michel, Manuel Sanchis, Rafael Martin Vazquez and Miguel Pardeza were all instrumental to the team’s success. In 1981, Real Madrid was defeated in the final of the Champions League for the first time, against Liverpool FC. La Quinta del Buitre was one of the best generations of home-grown Real Madrid players, starting with their win the Second Division title in 1984 with Real Madrid Castilla, the subsidiary of the Club. That generation won five consecutive league (1986-1990) , a Domestic Cup in 1989 and a second title of the UEFA Cup in 1986.In 1985, Luis Carlos retired from the presidency due to his advanced age and was succeeded by Ramon Mendoza (1985-1995). This new generation was led by Mexican striker Hugo Sanchez, bought from Atletico Madrid. They, like the Quinta del Buitre before them, achieved great success (although not as much as their predecessors). The era of victorious accomplishments was broken in 1991, when F. C. Barcelona (led by legend Johan Cruyff) managed to win four consecutive league titles and one European Cup in 1992. During those years, the Madrid only won a Copa del Rey (Domestic Cup) in 1993.At the end of that dark period, the last remnants of the Quinta del Buitre were dissolved with the departures of Butragueno and Michel Vasquez. However, another big player in history came from the Madrid youth academy, Raul Gonzalez Blanco. Commonly known by his first name only, Rauis believed by many to be the best Madrid homegrown player ever. In 1995, he returned Madrid to its winning ways, winning the league with the help of coach Jorge Valdano and signings new signings Michel Laudrup, Amavisca and Jose Redondo.The joy would prove to be short-lived, as the team failed to win any major titles in the 1995/1996 season, Valdano was f ired because of poor performances and the huge debt accumulated for Real Madrid. Real Madrid finished the season outside the European places, so it did not play in any European competition next season. After a radical restructuring of club, Madrid won the Liga 1996/1997 being directed by Fabio Capello, but he left the club due to their discussions and conflicts with then-president Lorenzo Sanz and was succeeded by Jupp Heynckes.The Madrid team led by Heynckes won the seventh European Cup (which has been renamed Champions League ) in 1998, winning the final against Juventus in Turin by a solitary goal he scored on 66 minutes of the meeting by Predrag Mijatovic, breaking 32 years of drought without winning it, but he was fired due to poor performance league. After a season without a title, Vicente del Bosque came to coach in November 1999, making a debut to promising young goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Del Bosque managed to conquer the Eighth European Cup in 2000 after defeating Valencia CF 3-0 in the final.Shortly after, Florentino Perez was elected president of Real Madrid, with a promise to end the club’s debt. On July 16, 2000 held new presidential elections. Sanz lost his re-election to Florentino Perez, who from this moment became the fourteenth president of Real Madrid. Immediately after, Perez bought Brazilian Flavio Conceicao fro Deportivo La Coruna, Frenchman Claude Makelele from Celta Vigo and Albert Celades of F. C. Barcelona. But no purchase had more impact than that of Portuguese winger Luis Figo, who was bought for 60 million from arch-rivals F.C. Barcelona. This moves started the â€Å"Galacticos† Era. This era was marked by great econoinc spending, and the purchase of many of the world’s biggest stars. Players like Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, and Figo all ushered Madrid to great heights. In 2001, Madrid won the league again, and Raul was named top scorer. The team won two league titles (2000/2001 and 2002/2003) and the ninth European Cup in 2002 against Bayer Leverkusen thanks to a goal from Zidane right at the end of the first half.After that, the team spent 3 consecutive seasons without a title, one of the worst losing streaks in its history, prompting the resignation of Florentino on February 27, 2006. With Ramon Calderon as the new president, the club won two League titles: (2006/2007 and 2007/2008) and the Spanish SuperCup (2008) with two different coaches (Capello and Schuster), despite failures in the Champions League. In the 2008/2009 season, there was a scandal which forced the resignation of Calderon in January 2009, and he was succeeded by Vicente Boluda.He organized the transition to return to the presidency of Florentino Perez as the only candidate in the 2009 elections. With the return of Florentino Perez for the 2009/2010 season, the club bought Cristiano Ronaldo, had long sought by Calderon, and Kaka, breaking records for the most expensive players in history (C ristiano Ronaldo 96 million euros, Kaka 67. 2 million euros). Also, the club made other expensive such as Karim Benzema (35 million) and Xabi Alonso (34 million euros). As he signed to coach Manuel Pellegrini, Villarreal from the C.F. , thus beginning the Second Age of Galacticos . However, it was not enough and Real Madrid failed to win a title in 2010, despite having added 96 points in the league, a record surpassed only by the 99 champion. The good league season contraste with the early eliminations in the Doestic Cup and Champions League the sixth consecutive time falling eliminated in second round of the continental showpiece. Pellegrini ended up being removed and replaced by Jose Mourinho, who dismissed two emblematic players Raul and Guti.After 18 years of drought, Mourinho managed to win the Copa del Rey. This was the first title in the second stage of Florentino Perez as the first title from Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid. The following year, Mourinho led Madrid to a league t itle, while breaking the record for most points (100), and most goals scored in a single season (121). Today, Mourinho is currently sitting at third in La Liga, and Madrid has just qualified for the next stage of both the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. The future of this club appears to be just as bright as its illustrious history.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Research On Game Mechanics In Racing Games - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 11 Words: 3166 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? Introduction The very first racing game built by KONAMI was Road Fighter (Konami, 1984). The goal of the game was to reach the finish line without running out of fuel. The interesting part was each time the player gets close to finish line without getting crashed; a superman flies by and the player gets extra 1000 points. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Research On Game Mechanics In Racing Games" essay for you Create order If you havenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t noticed before, the superman has à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Kà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ marked on his dress, which probably stands for Konami. But, if you see from a developersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ point of view, the superman bonus is the result of reward and feedback game mechanics. This point bonus encourages players to play better. It makes the game more interesting and players concentrate more in order to get the bonus à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Supermanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? points. Game mechanics is a huge subject. It has been used in many fields today, other than video games. Game mechanics have been used for growing the playersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ interest and involvement in gameplay, but as the area of game mechanics became largely successful, it started being used in other fields for other purposes. With the research on game mechanics, I try to study and understand the vast game mechanics subject and its application in various fields. I have also tried to form up a definition and apply it to study gameplay in various games. At last, a thorough study of game mechanics in racing games is attempted, and I introduce a new mechanics for racing games. Research Context The example above explains the game mechanics at quite brief extent. Here, I present some definitions by various researchers as well as own thoughts, experience and some examples. Game Mechanics Definitions Different researchers provide different game mechanics definitions, most likely related to their research. Here are some of the definitions given by some authors. Miguel Sicart defines game mechanics as: Methods invoked by agents for interacting with the game world. (Sicart, 2008) Here, Sicart offered a formal definition for game mechanics as he exercises this definition with a comparative analysis of Shadow of Colossus (Team Ico, 2005), Rez (United Game Artist, 2002) and Every Extend Extra (Q Entertainment, 2006) to research game context and user experience. One of the game mechanics definitions that Sicart has mentioned in his research is by Lundgren and BjÃÆ' ¶rk (2003) as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“any part of the rule system of a game that covers one, and only one, possible kind of interaction that takes place during the game, be it general or specific.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? The definition given by Lundgren and BjÃÆ' ¶rk covers traditional board games and puzzle games, rather than video games. However, they mention that most of the mechanics identified in their research can easily be brewed into video games played on PCs and consoles. It would have been easy to describe these game mechanics without starting from traditional games, but, starting from traditional games also opens up a way that allows easy comparison between computer-based games and non-computerized games. Mike stout (2010) explains how to come up with a better game mechanics when the gameplay is repetitive and boring. Stout describes game mechanics as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“A major chunk of gameplayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. He gives an example of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Nintendo, 1991) and the game mechanics used in the game like: sword combat, block pushing, boomerang throwing, swimming, button based puzzles, Hazard-avoidance, etc. (Stout, 2010) Amy Jo Kim explains game mechanics applied in functional softwares and social media as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The system and features that makes games fun, compelling and addictiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. Kim also explains how game mechanics is brewed into social media like eBay, Facebook, YouTube etc, (Kim, 2009). Game mechanics is a subject that is used in many fields other than video games like, social media, social games and entertainment, consumer products and services etc. Game Mechanics in Social Media Social media sites like facebook.com, eBay.com, youtube.com etc. Implements game mechanics at a very large scale. Amy Jo Kim (2009) explains how collection, points, exchange, feedback and customization mechanics is implemented in social media. For example, ebay.com gives rating and feedback score to the sellers based on the feedback received from customers or buyers. The feedback is accessible through sellerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s profile page where any user can check the ratings and score. This mechanics improves the seller services. Tesco PLC has implemented point mechanics to attract more customers. The customer gets certain points for purchases made at Tesco shops through Tesco Clubcard. Later, they can redeem points for other offers of items. Tesco makes various offers available through Clubcard points which drive customers to purchase more products. (Tesco, 2010) Jesse Schell (2010) presented multiple examples of game mechanics used in non-game media in his presentation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Design outside the Boxà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? at DICE Summit 2010. Schell mentions new Ford Fusion hybrid car that comes with an EcoGuide facility, which is basically an implementation of feedback mechanics. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a virtual plant in techno meter; the plant sprouts more leaves as your miles-per gallon go up, indicating how green your motoring is. (Goodwin, 2009) Here, feedback mechanics is used in such a way that might affect the way people drive their car and possibly encourage them to drive in an eco-friendly way. MouseHunt (HitGrab, 2008) and other facebook games are mainly based on points, feedback, collection, and customization mechanics and MouseHunt can be the best example of it. The player is required to build a mouse trap to catch mice and when a mouse is caught, the player is awarded with points and gold. The game keeps a track of points and gold on leaderboard. The mice caught by the player are added in his collection. Game Mechanics in Mainstream Games Quake (id Software, 1996) popularized rocket jumping mechanics. Rocket jumping is the technique of firing a rocket launcher or similar explosive pointing at the ground or at wall and jumping at the same time. The explosion propels and accelerates the playerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s jump to large distance. Rocket jumping mechanics was introduced in Marathon (Bungie, 1994) and Rise of the Triad (Apogee, 1994), adapted in Team Fortress 2 (Valve, 2007) Unreal Tournament (Epic Games, 1999) and others. (Wikipedia, 2010) Another popular game mechanics is slow motion. The gameplay of Max Payne (Rockstar, 2001) involves bullet time-based action sequences. Bullet time slows the passage of time down to a certain level and enables the player to perform special moves. Time based mechanics is also one of the main features in later versions of Prince of Persia series (Ubisoft, 2003). This mechanics makes the prince able to slow down or rewind the time and perform special combat moves. Portal (Valve, 2007) is a single player Puzzle-Platformer game that consists primarily of a series of puzzles that must be solved by teleporting the playerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s character and simple objects using the portal gun, a unit that can create inter-spatial portal between flat planes. The game received praise for its unique gameplay and darkly humorous story. Portal seems a perfect combination of Challenge and Skills, though its gameplay consist teleportation based puzzles only. The gameplay contains no combat sequence or rocket jumping or slow motion. Kill.switch (Namco, 2003) introduced cover and shoot mechanics which was adapted into Gears of War (Epic Games, 2006). As described by Miguel Sicart (2008) Gears of War introduced an effective combat tactic where the player takes cover behind a block or a pillar and patiently shoots enemies. This third-person combat design also influenced Grand Theft Auto IV (RockStar North, 2008) and became highly popular. But Grand Theft Auto series is more popular for its variety of gameplay which consist of action, adventure, driving, racing, and stealth elements. The GTA series is also a good example of open world type of video game level design concept where a player can roam the virtual world at any point in the game. It also contains sandbox style nonlinear gameplay where the player can complete challenges in any sequence. The Game sold 2.5 million units in the America on the first day. (Mazel, 2008) The roots of open-world game concept go back to space simulator Elite (Acornsoft, 1984). However, we get to see open-world gameplay implementations in Midtown Madness (Microsoft, 1999), Need for Speed Underground 2 (EA Games, 2005) and Burnout Paradise (EA, 2008) as well. Game Mechanics in Racing Games The main gameplay in racing game is driving the car. However, many racing games offer various gameplay that are unique to the game itself. Need for speed: Underground (EA Games, 2003) has a unique win condition. The player has to finish the race at first place only in order to win the race, even if there are more than two players playing. This finish-first only mechanics deliberately increased the challenge level in the game. Underground emphasis heavily on import racing scene and featured vehicles associated with it. Cars can be customized to increase performance and visuals. Underground also featured EA Trax (EA Games) which is a collection of soundtracks. Overall, Need for Speed Underground contains multiple game mechanics that appealed many racing game lovers. According to VGChartz.com, the game sold 6.49 million units of PS2 version of the game till date. (VGChartz, 2010) Trials HD (RedLynx, 2009) is a combination of puzzle and stunt bike driving. It doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have any competitive race, as in the player has to get through a number of obstacles with as few crashes as possible. The challenge in the game is to balance and control the speed so that the player can pass through obstacles successfully. The game uses 3D graphics but the player can only more forward and backwards. However, the player can lean front or back to perform special moves or stunts. With such limited movement, the controls are also made simple. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Trials HDà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? also has a leaderboard feature, and when connected to Xbox Live, the player can compare his progress with his friends. Split Second (Disney, 2010) introduced destructive environment, which, when triggered by player it creates obstacles for other players. As a player performs stunts like drafting, drifting or precision driving, the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“powerplayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? meter builds up which allows the player to trigger special events like creating obstacles, enabling shortcuts or altering the race track entirely. High speed racing, imported cars, customization, stunts, crashes and motion blur can be noted as features of a racing game required to make it best selling. Burnout (Acclaim Entertainment, 2002) is noted as the initial in a series of high-speed racing games which also includes high risk gameplay mechanics. Burnout paradise (EA, 2008), the recent release in burnout series, features an open world environment called à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Paradise Cityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, with day-night cycle. Game Mechanics include stunts, car crashes, and motorcycles. A very player favourite and famous gameplay is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Crash Modeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? in which players can cause car crashes. However, in burnout paradise, the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Crash Modeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? is called à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Showtimeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? and records are kept for playerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s biggest crash. The game contains best time for every street in the game which encourages the player to keep on driving to get the best time. Recently released blur (Activision, 2010) incorporates real world cars with arcade style handling and vehicular combat. It introduces a completely new type of gameplay to the current racing genre. However, it is brewed with the power ups mechanics that has been used in many games. It also uses the ranking and perk system. The race starts without a count-down timer which is currently popular; we can see such game mechanics in Split second and need for speed series. Results and Contribution The Definition I would like to give a brief explanation rather than a definition. It is possible that this has been mentioned some or other way in many articles. Game mechanics is a set of rules that builds a specific gameplay which makes the game more challenging, interesting and player-involving. Game mechanics can also introduce new ideas or variety within a game, which ultimately makes a game à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“funà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. Game mechanics can be used to build up such a gameplay that motivates or manipulates human behaviour. The definition explained here has been used to study and understand the game mechanics and gameplay in a variety of games mentioned in the research. Game Mechanics In Racing Genre When it comes to racing games, speed is everything. The faster the gameplay is, the more the excitement, interest and challenge will be. In a racing game, the player is not given a high performance car at the beginning of the game, but as he levels up in the game, faster cars or performance upgrades that can boost up the speed are unlocked. This mechanism creates a need of high performance car, and as the player progresses further, the game feels more rewarding. Free roam mode or open world environment plays a crucial part in racing games. Player gets a chance to explore the environment and start the race whenever he wants to, which gives a realistic feeling to the game. Players usually get attracted towards imported cars. Car customization has become an important feature of racing games. Models of original cars are highly praised by players and. They have a tendency to customize their cars and show off as well. Leaderboards allow players to compare their best times, high score and achievements, which also keeps a player engaged in game. Challenge is not the only element a player is looking for in racing games. A number of games provides stunts and car crash based gameplay. Trials HD (RedLynx, 2009) and Burnout series (Criterion Games) are good examples of it. Player can drive through a signboard or perform a stunt in burnout paradise to gain extra boost, where Trials HD is all about passing through obstacles by performing stunt moves. Such game mechanics inserts the element of fun in games. A few arcade style racing games have been avoiding the use of start up countdown. The round starts with ongoing race and the player gains control of the car after a cut scene. This type of mechanics is seen in triple-A titles like Blur and Split second. However, Simulation style racing games, where the realism is more persistent, follows the traditional countdown start-up of a race. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Need for speed undergroundà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? featured finish-first only mechanics. In order to win the round, the player has to finish at first place and first place only. This increases the challenge at a high degree, but it also seemed to be improving the player skills. Other notable game mechanics or gameplay features includes motion blur, car pursuit, allowing player to create tracks etc. Music and soundtracks also play an important part in making the game more interesting. Who wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t listen to hip hop or rock music while driving oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s favourite car at top speed? It is believed that EA Trax has played an important part in the success of Need for Speed series. Gameplay is designed by brewing multiple game mechanics together. There is no specific recipe to make a best-selling racing game, but a game with various gameplay is more likely get popular. Developing a new Game Mechanic for Racing Games Whether a player is performing stunts, chasing a car, trying to make a huge crash score, or just playing a normal race, the core element is speed. Wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t it be great if a car never lose speed unless it is commanded to? Here, I have attempted to come up with such a game mechanic. During a race, if a player hits an obstacle, the car will lose health points but not the speed; the car will continue running throughout the track without losing its speed. However, massive loss in health points will ultimately result the player lose the round. The game presented here demonstrates the game mechanics with some other features as well. The demo consists of a single straight track. Instead of solid obstacles, the player will face white ghosts on track. On colliding with a ghost, the car will go through it but will lose health points. The race does not start with a countdown; instead it begins with the player car running at minimum speed; which increases the challenge from the beginning. On the other hand, if the player runs out of health, or fails to finish the race at first place, he loses the round. But, if the player finishes at first place without losing any health points, he wins a perfect finish. The demo also features some power ups. If the player picks up a health pack, the car health is restored. Slow motion slows down the game, allowing player to easily move through ghosts. Once activated, the game runs in slow motion for 10 seconds. Another power up is a shield which protects player from getting hurt by ghosts or opponent cars. The shield, once activated, stays active for 5 seconds. Shield provides a great advantage. When activated, the car will run 2 points slower than the real speed. Opponents do not collide or influence the playerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s game; however, if collided with opponent cars, the player car will lose health. Evaluation Game Mechanics The following racing mechanics have been implemented into the demo, speed mechanics, power ups, random obstacle mechanics, competition mechanics, countdown less start up and finish first only. The gameplay was changed regularly as the demo was forming up in order to get the optimum effect of the mechanics. Multiple values were changed to improve the difficulty and challenge. However, it was also ensured that the difficulty is not far above the ground. Besides game mechanics, the gameplay can be improved with better feedback, graphical and visual effects, music and sound, more rewards or other bells and whistles. The Gameplay A game demo or a beta version of a game is made for testing purposes. The developers would test the graphics, frame rate or overall performance. Here, the game demo was made for an identical aim. The game demo was given to a group of game enthusiasts. Afterwards the reaction of the players towards the game mechanics was observed. The demo has a look and feel of classic road fighter (Konami, 1984) and the players did miss the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“supermanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? bonus point. Random obstacles increased the challenge; it made the demo interesting as well. The demo has proved to be an ideal combination of challenge and skill. The players had to concentrate more in order to achieve the perfect finish; several players attempted more tactical approach to win the race. When asked about each feature of the game separately, the replies were encouraging and prove the success of the demo. User Comments Here are some comments given by players who tried the game demo. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The game is quiet good; the ghosts were terrible as they ate up all my health in the first round. I rate it 4 out of 5.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Pratik Solanki à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The concept was different from other games, though the difficulty level was maintained throughout the demo. It seemed easy to win the game, but it was tough to achieve the perfect finish. 3.5 out of 5à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Kushal Joshi à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The game gets addictive as soon as you start playingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Dirk Fortmeier The Research Game development is not quite possible without understanding game mechanics. Gameplay is an important factor that attracts a player. The research on game mechanics helped to understand why a particular gameplay is more interesting and player involving. Conclusion