Toms gaming: Gaming Articles | Tom’s Hardware

Play Ball! Rotary Night at the BlueClaws

Our club joined with members of the Toms River Sunrise Rotary Club for a fun evening in a private party room at a Jersey Shore BlueClaws baseball game. It was a beautiful event with over 30 Rotarians and guests.  And the BlueClaws won the game! The BlueClaws are an affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.

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Elizabeth Morgan

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Michael Frankovich

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Christian Christiansen

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Nancy Ellson

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Marie Daley

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Stacey Romano

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toms gf kelly shaming | TikTok Search

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tom

TOM

where SHOULD we GO?! ✈️ ? #relationship

353. 9K Likes, 69.8K Comments. TikTok video from TOM (@tom): «where SHOULD we GO?! ✈️ ? #relationship». original sound — Ｌｏｆｉ_ｌｙｒｉｃｓ.

4.2M views|

original sound — Ｌｏｆｉ_ｌｙｒｉｃｓ

tom

TOM

she was so happy at the end ☺️ #relationship

297.5K Likes, 511 Comments. TikTok video from TOM (@tom): «she was so happy at the end ☺️ #relationship». original sound.

2.8M views|

original sound — Phoebe

thelosangelescouple

TheLosAngelesCouple

How has MAVERICK not aged a day since the original ‘TOP GUN’ movie??? #topgunmaverick #topgun #tomcruise #moviereview #couplecomedy #couples #kellymcgillis #shaming

TikTok video from TheLosAngelesCouple (@thelosangelescouple): «How has MAVERICK not aged a day since the original ‘TOP GUN’ movie??? #topgunmaverick #topgun #tomcruise #moviereview #couplecomedy #couples #kellymcgillis #shaming». How has MAVERICK not aged a day in the new
‘TOP GUN’ ??? | Stop shaming KELLY MCGILLIS | ?Follow us for more ?
?Subscribe on YouTube ?
?The Los Angeles couple?. original sound.

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original sound — TheLosAngelesCouple

abehanma

Abe Hanma

After I found out Timmy Thick was a social experiment I dont believe anything anymore #greenscreenvideo #kellyxgallo #shaming #abehanma

499 Likes, 86 Comments. TikTok video from Abe Hanma (@abehanma): «After I found out Timmy Thick was a social experiment I dont believe anything anymore #greenscreenvideo #kellyxgallo #shaming #abehanma». original sound.

32.1K views|

original sound — Abe Hanma

tom

TOM

where SHOULD we visit? ? #relationship

357. 5K Likes, 18K Comments. TikTok video from TOM (@tom): «where SHOULD we visit? ? #relationship». original sound.

4.4M views|

original sound — TOM

kingviiix

Cristiano Ronaldo

fake apology video for setting up a girl in her cookie video @kellyxgallo @. BACKSTORY, Kelly made a video about cookies and she told everyone that’s in shape to say no but told the large girl to say yes to make her video go viral on purpose and that video had body shaming comments and Kelly didn’t remove the video only until she began to receive threats. #kellyxgallo #cookievideo #viral #foryou

2.3K Likes, 510 Comments. TikTok video from Cristiano Ronaldo (@kingviiix): «fake apology video for setting up a girl in her cookie video @kellyxgallo @. BACKSTORY, Kelly made a video about cookies and she told everyone that’s in shape to say no but told the large girl to say yes to make her video go viral on purpose and that video had body shaming comments and Kelly didn’t remove the video only until she began to receive threats. #kellyxgallo #cookievideo #viral #foryou». @Kellyxgallo
Fake Apology Video | FULL VIDEO. original sound.

138.5K views|

original sound — Cristiano Ronaldo

tom

TOM

chocolate = happy girlfriend ✅ the ending ? #relationship #period #relatable #wholesome

630.7K Likes, 2.6K Comments. TikTok video from TOM (@tom): «chocolate = happy girlfriend ✅ the ending ? #relationship #period #relatable #wholesome». Favourite Girl Magik Edit.

5.5M views|

Favourite Girl Magik Edit — Kuya Magik

tom

TOM

should I SURPRISE her with the tickets? ✈️ #relationship #challenge #reaction #couple

385.5K Likes, 1.7K Comments. TikTok video from TOM (@tom): «should I SURPRISE her with the tickets? ✈️ #relationship #challenge #reaction #couple». original sound.

5.6M views|

original sound — TOM

tom

TOM

this backfired on me ? the ending ?? #relationship #makeup #prank #wholesome

184.3K Likes, 309 Comments. TikTok video from TOM (@tom): «this backfired on me ? the ending ?? #relationship #makeup #prank #wholesome». Sun and Moon.

1.9M views|

Sun and Moon — martinheyrosa666 on IG

breadandwine4

bananas

#greenscreenvideo this is so mean and selfish. Just for clout. We have to be better ppl. Sending support to the girl that was bullied and hopefully kelly gets the help she needs to be a better person #bully #bodyshamming @ kellyxgallo

153 Likes, 8 Comments. TikTok video from bananas (@breadandwine4): «#greenscreenvideo this is so mean and selfish. Just for clout. We have to be better ppl. Sending support to the girl that was bullied and hopefully kelly gets the help she needs to be a better person #bully #bodyshamming @ kellyxgallo». u are 19 years old. Be logical on how ppl are going to react. This was really mean and selfish just for clout. apology means nothing and faker than james charles. original sound.

14.1K views|

original sound — kelly gallo

Bus Driver Shortage: Toms River Forced To Reschedule Sports Games

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Politics & Government

Filling 50 positions has become an unending cycle, as state laws prompt more retirements.

The process to hire isn’t speedy.

Karen Wall, Patch Staff

Posted Thu, Sep 16, 2021 at 9:01 pm ET|Updated Fri, Sep 17, 2021 at 5:41 pm ET

The Toms River Regional School District is trying to hire more school bus drivers but the shortage is having impacts in many areas, including after-school sports. (Nicole Bertic/Patch)

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Toms River Regional Board of Education on Wednesday night approved the hiring of five bus drivers for the 2021-22 school year.

It also accepted the retirement of one driver and the resignations of two others.

It’s been that way for months, said William Doering, the district’s business administrator, and Laurel Venberg, the district’s director of transportation.

Find out what’s happening in Toms Riverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

«It’s like we’re gaining one and losing two,» said Venberg, who was promoted to director in July following the retirement of Margaret Donnelly, the district’s longtime transportation director. «We had someone submit their papers just the other day.»

The district is short 50 bus drivers right now, Venberg said. They have 32 contract positions that are not filled, and she needs an additional 20 drivers on the substitute list, ready to fill in for drivers taking paid vacation, who have a medical leave or, now, those who need to quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure.

Find out what’s happening in Toms Riverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

All of the retirements and resignations have had a domino effect, and the newest domino to fall is after-school sports. The lack of available buses is forcing the district to reschedule games, primarily at the junior varsity and freshman levels, district officials said.

«We don’t have buses available until 4 p.m.,» said Ted Gillen, athletic coordinator for the Toms River Regional Schools. That means away games start later, with the potential of running out of daylight. Some districts have been letting students out of class early to accommodate sports Gillen said, and others have been rescheduling games, too.

The district has tried to hire private bus companies to fill some of the needs, but the private companies, which are facing driver shortages as well, have declined to bid on bus runs, Interim Superintendent Stephen Genco said.

The Toms River schools have been trying to come up with alternate solutions, including asking parents to drive their children to away games, but that only helps where there are parents available to do that. Having students drive themselves is not an option, however.

«We can’t have 17-year-olds driving on the Parkway,» Genco said.

The school bus driver shortage is affecting districts all across New Jersey and across the country. In Glassboro, the school district changed dismissal times at two of its schools after it was left short due to eight driver resignations right before the start of the school year. The Woodbridge and Edison school districts eliminated routes, which means there are more children on each bus — making for longer travel times and less social distancing.

The shortage is so acute in Massachusetts that the National Guard has been activated to help drive school buses, and in Philadelphia, the school district is offering parents a $300 a month to drive their children to school.

In the 2019-2020 school year, Toms River had 132 bus routes, with drivers assigned to high school bus runs and then as shuttles, Venberg said. «We had 30 buses that would help with the sports,» she said.

In 2021-22, there are 99 bus runs in the Toms River district due to the lack of drivers. The driver shortage led to adjusting start times for five schools, consolidating bus routes and aligning them to maximize efficiency. That means every driver has bus routes all day, and there are no drivers for shuttles or for sports until the last elementary school runs are completed. She has one substitute driver.

«I have two members of the office staff driving buses,» due to drivers who are out on COVID-19 quarantine, Venberg said.

Toms River currently has 24 people who’ve applied to drive for the school district, including three people who have commercial driver’s licenses but do not have the state endorsements for driving passengers and school buses, Venberg said.

Trying to get them through the licensing process has been challenging, she said. The fingerprint process alone is taking three weeks, and Venberg said getting answers from the MVC to emails takes as much as a week.

William Connolly, a spokesman for the New Jersey Motor Vehicles Commission, denied there are delays in replies from the MVC.

«Driving schools, bus operators, and school administrators have direct access to NJMVC Agency Operations, which responds to their inquiries within one business day,» Connolly said. «They are then able to get CDL permit or testing appointments within a day or two.»

The fingerprint process is managed by a third-party vendor for the state, Connolly said.

Another part of the problem is obtaining a commercial driver’s license and the school bus endorsement has become more difficult over the years, Venberg said.

«They used to just have a school bus driver’s license,» said Venberg, who drove for a private bus company for a dozen years before joining the Toms River school district 17 years ago.

The federal government requires the CDL for school bus drivers. Part of the CDL testing requires commercial drivers to know all of the parts of the engine, to be able to make a repair if they break down miles from the nearest service center.

«A school bus driver does not need to know how to repair an engine,» Venberg said. «That’s what we have bus mechanics for.»

«We’ve thrown so many obstructions in the way,» said Evie Wills, administrator of the New Jersey School Bus Contractors Association, an organization of private school bus companies.

Laws passed in the wake of the fatal 2018 Route 80 school bus crash that killed an elementary school student and a teacher have led to people during in their bus keys, she said.

In 2018, New Jersey passed legislation requiring that school bus drivers over 70 provide a federal Department of Transportation certification of fitness every year and, if over 75, every six months.

«I’ve had transportation directors tell me they are losing their best drivers,» because of that rule, Wills said.

To be certified to drive a school bus, you must have a valid New Jersey driver’s license, be at least 21 years old, and have a clean driving record for at least three years. You must pass a U.S. Department of Transportation physical — which must be performed by a doctor certified to conduct those physicals — and drug testing, a criminal background check and be fingerprinted.

After that there’s a written exam and road test to get the license with passenger and school bus endorsements. It’s a complex process, Wills and Venberg said.

And fewer people are applying for driving jobs, both said. They were hopeful that with the end of the $300 weekly additional unemployment payments the number of applicants will go up.

Connolly said the state has taken steps to make the CDL process more efficient for those seeking to drive school buses.

«Most school bus driver candidates are now tested via a streamlined scheduling process that is coordinated with the school bus industry and school districts, which allows CDL applicants to complete several steps in one visit,» he said.

«We are in regular contact with school districts and commercial driving schools. When either identifies a school bus driver candidate, we offer testing and credentialing through this bulk, expedited process. Our aim is to move all school bus drivers into prioritized scheduling and off our regular scheduling platform.»

The goal is to put «tested, properly credentialed drivers behind the wheels of school buses as safely and quickly as possible,» he said.

Wills said what the state has done is allowed people who are seeking to become school bus drivers to make an appointment with the MVC to have their documents approved, take the written test and schedule their road test all in one trip — instead of having make three separate trips to accomplish those tasks. And once the prospective driver makes an online appointment, the private companies can reach out to the state to get that appointment moved up.

She said those accommodations happened after the private bus companies contacted the state and warned them of the crisis the state now faces with the driver shortage.

Though Connolly said the state MVC has made that available to school districts as well, it was not clear if or how well that’s been communicated to districts. Venberg said Toms River schools applicants have to make their appointments online but did not mention getting any part of the process, including the road tests, expedited.

Venberg did say not everyone who applies to be a school bus driver is a good fit for the job. There was a candidate who was released during training because of continual lateness on the bus runs — the result of stopping to chat with people, she said.

«If the driver was late during the training process, what would happen when no one was along to monitor it?» she said.

For some, however, bureaucracy is the only hurdle keeping them out of the driver’s seat.

Steve Padula of Berkeley Township has been approved as a Toms River Schools bus driver. Padula has a current commercial driver’s license and spent more than 40 years behind the wheel driving trucks. He wants to get away from the toll that long-haul trucking takes with long days on the road away from home.

«I have my physical, I’ve been fingerprinted,» he said. The only thing holding him up? The written test for the school bus endorsement.

«I missed one question too many,» he said. He’s tried to schedule a retest, and the documentation gives a deadline for doing so, but trying to get an appointment in the Toms River MVC office has been frustrating.

«The first one available was the middle of November,» Padula said. The only other options were to drive more than an hour to take the test. «It’s ridiculous because every other computer in Toms River is sitting there wide open.»

«I have nothing on my license,» Padula said. «No DOT infractions. No motor vehicle infractions.»

«There has to be a better way,» he said.

As Venberg continues to try to find drivers and usher them through the licensing process, Gillen is left to keep trying to find solutions to transport athletes. He acknowledged a parent’s complaint about communication on the issues at Wednesday’s school board meeting and promised to improve the communication.

Solutions are not easy to come by. Gillen said possibilities are being discussed, but few are immediate answers to a problem that’s only going to worsen as all of the sports hit full season. Fall is the busiest, with football, boys and girls soccer, field hockey, girls volleyball, cross country, girls tennis and gymnastics all taking place.

But finding solutions will become more critical as the winter season approaches, with the potential for hazardous driving.

Gillen hopes the district is able to get more drivers into bus seats by then, to give the district more options.

«We always look for creative solutions,» Gillen said. «When you don’t have people who can drive (the buses) how can you get creative?»

This article has been updated with additional comment from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, and to correct the information on the New Jersey law on requirements for physicals for drivers age 75 or older.

Click here to get Patch email notifications, or download our app to have breaking news alerts sent right to your phone. Have a news tip? Email [email protected] Follow Toms River Patch on Facebook.

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‎Kevin Toms Football * Manager on the App Store

Description

ALL in app purchases now included for FREE.
Kevin Toms wrote the original Football Manager, considered an all time classic and still played by many, decades later.
With Football Star * Manager, he has re-created the addictive fun of that game, for modern devices.

Pick your team, buy and sell players, work your strategy and go for it, with the Match Highlights showing what happens in an exciting way.

It is a game you can take with you and play anytime and build up your saved game history of your team. It’s easy to play and if you played the original classic Football Manager you will feel nostalgia. — A game that is much easier to learn and play than similar Football Manager games but with a subtle depth.

This game is all about fun.

With familiar features: 4 Divisions, Promotion and Relegation, Cup Matches, + Euro Cup matches, Transfer Market — Buy and Sell Players. Strategy and Tactics, Build up your squad, Deal with financial pressures, and try and make your club rich and successful as you climb the league and have a lot of fun doing it!

Play as long as you like, everyone does! 🙂

New enlarged match action graphics
Revised menu to highlight customisation
Connection to new footballstarmanager.com website for info
Minor fixes.

Ratings and Reviews

77 Ratings

An updated legend

This is the game that started it all…the true game that put us in charge of our favourite clubs so they could be run how we know it all’s believe it should be… this legend has been slightly updated by the true legend himself Kevin Toms. I have been waiting for a lifetime to once again get that fun back that this game once gave me on my rubber keyed ZX 28k Spectrum. This game had me hooked back then from the first match as my team under my new leadership thrashed Mansfield 5-0. To be able to be taken back to them memories by Mr Toms is priceless. I like that past and present players are now in the mix. You can buy any player as long as you have the money. You get generous loans to do so too. No more boring in-depth analysing which player to go for and then finding you out he don’t wanna play for you. Just simple skilled players 1-5, no training, no bigger clubs taking your best players… in fact no headaches or heartbreaks, just total addictive fun…remember when football was once actually fun? You can go through an entire season of league, FA cup and European football in less than 30 mins. You can even test yourself with skill levels 1-7 that will suit any demands. This is quiet simply a very straightforward, enjoying, pleasurable game that is 100%…10/10…pure gold!!! Thank you Kevin Toms

KTF⭐️M

Hi Kev

This is my first and perhaps most likely only review of KTF⭐️M, well . ..Firstly i would like to give it ten stars but Apple only lets me give it only five stars! ? As before, just wanna’ say many thanks for re-recreating this true masterpiece of a computer game which — like many other people have said, takes me back to the 80s. Having played hundreds of seasons already now, there is not a single flaw the game lacks ….only that a cassette is not required these days for this version! ? Besides that, would love to see a World Cup version created perhaps? Kev, (as it’s World Cup year) and as the one you created for the 1990 World Cup way back then…

Anyways, keep up the good work and wish you the best of luck on this amazing revitalised adventure! ❤️???

I really appreciate this review thank you!!! I

Fun for a while

I’ve had the game about a week and it’s been great fun see my team start from Division 4 and climb to top division and lift European cup and other cup along the way.

But when you reach top division l, I found the game started to lose appeal.

Also, while I accept the game on iPhone is to replicate the original. It has also exposed the flaws of the original and I would hope improvements are made.

Eg you can still win a game without a goalkeeper (unrealistic). You can still have much higher stats than an opponent but still get hammered.

It glitches occasionally. It also has the iPhone camera flash up in bottom right hand corner of screen for no apparent reason.

It could do with a timer while showing highlights. Also corners and pens would enhance viewing experience. And maybe a half time chance to make subs.

It doesn’t tell you which round of cup you are through too.

You can run out of money but still carry on playing, making losses each week but not getting into debt.

Edit : thanks for the response Kevin. I didn’t mean to be too critical. I think it’s a great game. I was merely trying to offer suggestions where I felt the game would benefit.

I would be interested if you made a companion app -which had more features and improvements. While I commend u for staying true to the original, I can’t help but feel (just like the game itself as moved on in the subsequent 35 years), that an enhancement here or there wouldn’t go amiss.

Hi Well firstly the game is always in steady improvement, but I wonder if you just played it on the basic skill level. There are seven skill levels. I have people playing hundreds of seasons. You are not correct about the goalkeeper, if you get yourself in that position one of the defenders is the goalkeeper and less effective. Hence your defence is weakened as it says. Bear in mind this is a by request from the public, renewal of the original game. I am not going to turn it into a different game, I can tell you many fans of the game want me to leave it as untouched as possible. The camera icon popping up is a minor remnant of a feature of capturing screenshots. This is still present on other platforms but Apple removed the API I was using. I must have missed removing one icon. No, I will not add a timer to the highlights. This is something I discussed with many players, it is not in the original. Nor were corners penalties etc. Along with half time and subs. Again you are talking about making a new game, I have discussed this with players and that is something I can do, I may well do, but not change this game, which has a lot of happy memories linked to it for players. You cannot run out of money but not get into debt. The debt is added and you can go bankrupt, which happens often.
So all in all, if it is not what you want, I am sorry, but it is keeping thousands of people very happy playing hundreds of seasons. The simplicity is a big plus to them. The pick up and easy play without complex decisions is the key. Edit: Yes, but that was what I was trying to communicate. There are thousands of players and I have had discussions with them about enhancing the game. The overriding response is that the faithfulness to the original must NOT be harmed. It is a retro- rewrite. It’s not that I cannot do changes it is that I must not, for the support of the majority of players. The only way is a second app, which is where you are leading and that is the consensus with existing players of this re—creation. So I will not be changing this significantly for that reason. The years and players memories and nostalgia, are the reason, not the problem or lack of creativity for me!

The developer, Kevin Toms, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy.

Data Not Collected

The developer does not collect any data from this app.

Privacy practices may vary based on, for example, the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

Provider

Kevin Toms

Size

124 MB

Category

Entertainment

Age Rating

4+

Copyright

© Kevin Toms 2015 to 2017

Price

£4. 49

• Developer Website

• App Support

• Privacy Policy

Supports

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Escape rooms in Toms River

Choose one of the 8 escape rooms available in and around Toms River! Escape rooms are perfect for any occasion: a night out with friends, a date, a birthday celebration or a team-building activity. Search for clues, solve puzzles and work together to uncover the mystery – it’s time you escaped the room!

1. World of Escapes
2. Escape rooms in Toms River

Escape rooms in Toms River

Sort by  DefaultDistance

• 2 – 8 60 min.

  Down at the Boardwalk

  by East Coast Escape RoomEscape game

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• ‘I’ve found it! The tomb of Pharaoh Nebka! I’m going in.’ That was the last you heard from your friend. Is it true then? The story of the Mummy’s Curse? Being an explorer like him, you resolve to enter the tomb yourself and find out what happened to him….

  2 – 7 60 min.

  Pharaoh’s Tomb

  by Solve The RoomEscape game

  Rating: Unknown

• 2 – 6 60 min.

  Jail Break

  by Solve The RoomEscape game

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• You are the town’s last hope to stop the evil sorcerer. In one hour, his final spell will be complete and everything and everyone will be in danger. You are young wizards, but together, you must try to stop him in time.

  2 – 6 60 min.

  The Sorcerer’s Chamber

  by East Coast Escape RoomEscape game

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• With the police only minutes away, you must find a way out…

  2 – 6 60 min.

  Escape the Bar

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  Rating: Unknown

• Can you stop the gang war and potentially save hundreds of lives?

  2 – 6 60 min.

  Mob Hit

  by Solve The RoomEscape game

  Rating: Unknown

• 2 – 5 60 min.

  Western Bank Heist[Closed]

  by Locks and Puzzles Escape RoomEscape game

  Rating: (1 review)

• 2 – 5 60 min.

  Malus the Elf[Closed]

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  Rating: Unknown

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New escape rooms in Toms River

• You are the town’s last hope to stop the evil sorcerer. In one hour, his final spell will be complete and everything and everyone will be in danger. You are young wizards, but together, you must try to stop him in time.

  2 – 6 60 min.

  The Sorcerer’s Chamber

  by East Coast Escape RoomEscape game

  Rating: Unknown

• You are on a mission to win the grand prize at the boardwalk… but can you do it in time? You and your team must play carnival inspired games and other puzzles in order to succeed.

  2 – 8 60 min.

  Down at the Boardwalk

  by East Coast Escape RoomEscape game

  Rating: (1 review)

• ‘I’ve found it! The tomb of Pharaoh Nebka! I’m going in.’ That was the last you heard from your friend. Is it true then? The story of the Mummy’s Curse? Being an explorer like him, you resolve to enter the tomb yourself and find out what happened to him….

  2 – 7 60 min.

  Pharaoh’s Tomb

  by Solve The RoomEscape game

  Rating: Unknown

• Can you stop the gang war and potentially save hundreds of lives?

  2 – 6 60 min.

  Mob Hit

  by Solve The RoomEscape game

  Rating: Unknown

• With the police only minutes away, you must find a way out…

  2 – 6 60 min.

  Escape the Bar

  by Solve The RoomEscape game

  Rating: Unknown

• Become a prisoner and attempt the impossible — escape!

  2 – 6 60 min.

  Jail Break

  by Solve The RoomEscape game

  Rating: Unknown

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Latest reviews of escape rooms in Toms River

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Escape rooms are taking the United States by storm! The goal of the game is to find a way out of a locked room within the given time limit. Work as a team to solve logical puzzles, uncover clues, and follow the storyline to unravel the mystery. Each riddle brings you one step closer to the ultimate escape! Escape room games are great for a night out with friends, a date, a birthday celebration, or a team-building activity in the United States.

GAMING IN RUSSIA – 2022. Social and economic effects — NAFI

Portrait of a Russian gamer

According to a study by the NAFI Analytical Center, 60% of Russians aged 18 and over play video games regularly or occasionally (about 88 million people). Compared to the data of 2018*, the share of gamers in Russia has more than tripled.

Another 21% of Russians say that although they do not play video games themselves, their family members do.

Although the proportions of male and female gamers in the world are gradually leveling off, among Russians, men are still more likely to be addicted to video games. Their share in the composition of Russian gamers is 54%, the share of women is 46%. Nevertheless, among Russian women there is a noticeably more active growth in the share of those who are fond of video games than among men.

Spending time and money on video games

38% of Russian gamers devote time to video games no more than once or twice a week. Nearly a quarter (23%) play almost every day. Compared to 2018 data, this share has slightly decreased (from 26%).

On average, Russian gamers who devote time to video games occasionally spend 3-5 hours a week playing them. Those who play almost daily spend 3-4 hours a day on video games.

The most popular devices for games among Russian gamers — phone or tablet: 74% of Russians who are fond of video games use them. 48% prefer to play on desktop or laptop. Game console — the choice of the few (9%).

22% of Russians who are addicted to video games themselves, or have gamers among family members, have made purchases in video games in the last month, deposited funds into a game account, or purchased items in a game.

Russian buyers of games are mostly young people under the age of 35 who assess their financial situation as good, who are freelancers or self-employed. Gamers from the Southern or North Caucasian districts are more likely to make purchases in video games.

The social effect of gaming

Most Russians agree that video games do more harm than good to a person:

• 72% believe that playing video games is harmful to health. In their opinion, due to video games, vision deteriorates, nervous tension grows, and gamers also show the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle.
• 71% of respondents believe that, on average, students who do not play video games study better.
• 63% of Russians note that gamers are losing real communication skills, becoming more withdrawn.
• 54% of Russians think that video games make people more violent and aggressive in everyday life.

It is noteworthy that gamers themselves evaluate the effect of video games in a noticeably more positive way than those who are not fond of video games.

Russians’ fears about the negative impact on the health and social life of people who are fond of games are not unfounded: According to the results of the presented NAFI study, a quarter of Russian gamers (24%) admit that it is difficult for them to control the time they spend on video games.

19% of gamers have conflicts with other family members because of their passion for video games. Most often, these are representatives of young people aged 18-24 (32%), business owners (30%), men (22% versus 15% among women).

The best thing that the government, the video game industry and society can do together to offset the negative social impact of video game passion is to help create a “healthy gaming culture”. This requires:

• to widely inform the public about how many hours a day spent playing games is “safe” for health (based on medical recommendations)
• avoid introducing children too early to the use of digital devices, including by demonstrating the necessary behaviors in relation to gadgets by example, monitor what genres of play children are interested in **
• tell target audiences about the positive effects associated with video games (development of fine motor skills, the ability to think logically, memory training, improved ability to concentrate, etc. )
• in general, monitor the maintenance of a healthy psychological environment in the family so that its members do not have the need to «escape» to an alternative reality.

Video games as a motivator for digital literacy

The positive effect of video games seen in the NAFI study is that the more actively people play video games, the more interested they are in acquiring knowledge and skills in the field of digital technologies.

Thus, the vast majority of gamers who devote time to video games every day (80%) expressed a desire to receive additional training in working with information technology in the future — in other words, to improve their own level of digital literacy.

And young Russians under the age of 44, who are fond of video games, more often express their intention to get a higher or second higher education in specialties related to digital technologies.

The attitude of Russians towards video game development companies as potential employers

In Russia, stereotypes are still strong both in relation to gamers and game development companies, which negatively affect the reputation and status of both.

In particular, 90,014 every fifth Russian (20%) would consider his adult acquaintance or colleague an infantile, frivolous person if he knew about his passion for video games.

Less than half of Russians (41%) would consider a video game company as a desirable potential employer.

Part of the reluctance of Russians to find employment in video game companies may be due to their lack of confidence in the sufficiency of their own digital competencies for such work. Often in the public field, gamedev representatives are assigned the image of professionals with supercompetencies. However, in the process of developing, releasing and promoting games, specialists of absolutely different levels and areas of qualification are required.

Interest of Russians in eSports

Less than a fifth of Russians (17%), according to their own estimates, know well what eSports is. Compared to the data for 2018***, this share increased by only 4 p. p. (from 13%). The vast majority of respondents (73%) roughly understand what is meant by the term “e-sports”, or have heard something about it, but are not sure that they understand the meaning of the term correctly (an increase in the share by more than twice — from 31% compared to since 2018).

The proportion of those who hear the term “esports” for the first time has decreased by more than 5 times compared to 2018.

The share of Russians who are well aware of what esports is is higher among those who play sports and play video games.

Almost half of Russians (45%) think it is right to officially recognize eSports as a separate sport in Russia. In 2018, only 14% of Russians considered esports to be such. A quarter (25%) disagree with the decision to officially recognize esports in Russia as a separate sport.

As in 2018, in 2022 the share of those who classify esports as separate, “real” sports is noticeably higher among Russians who are fond of video games.

44% of Russians agree that e-sports should be classified more as intellectual sports. More often this point of view is held by young people aged 18-24 (66%), men (52% versus 45% among women). 28% of respondents do not consider esports to be an intellectual sport.

Recommendations

In order to increase their target audience, representatives of the video game industry in Russia should pay attention to those categories of citizens who are currently not sufficiently involved in the «gaming space»: in particular, these are women, the elderly.

This can be done by expanding the line of video games, increasing genre diversity, and simplifying the gameplay.

In this context, it will be useful to study the opinions of potential consumers regarding what games would be interesting for them, what attracts, causes difficulties or repels in the gameplay.

“Gaming is the new digital bread”: how video games are changing the economy

The revenue of the global video game industry is comparable to the GDP of a small European country. RBC Trends together with NUUM, a neobank for gamers, figured out how gaming captured our leisure time and turned into a multi-billion dollar market

How does gaming become a new economic zone?

The Evolution of the Video Game Audience

Over the past few decades, gamers have evolved from Internet pioneers to streamers and eSports players. This is quite natural, because human leisure is gradually moving into the virtual space. According to analysts neobank and marketplace for gamers NUUM from MTS, the average gamer is a man over 30 who has a permanent job and an income above the average. He lives in a million-plus city with his wife, a significant part of gamers have children. There are more than 20 million such users among the population of Russia, which is comparable to the population of Moscow.

According to impersonal data from MTS Bank, now paying gamers from Russia spend about ₽5 thousand per year, while the average gamer in the United States spends ₽18–25 thousand in rubles. This suggests that the domestic market of paid consumption in gaming is still being formed, but it has growth potential. Gaming has practically emerged as an independent category of leisure: gamers spend as much money and time on digital entertainment as the average Russian spends on classic ones — going to the cinema or watching a series. Much of this happened against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic..

According to Steam analytics, in 2020, 2.6 million new users from all over the world appeared on the platform every month, and the time that gamers spent in games increased by 50.7% compared to 2019. On average, the number of active Steam users per month was 120 million people — in March 2020, among them there were 26 million users from Russia. More at that time there were only gamers from the USA and China. According to research, digital entertainment is one way to cope with depression during the lockdown.

At the end of 2020, there were 2.7 billion gamers in the world, and according to the forecasts of the Statista service, by the end of 2021 the audience of the gaming market will already be 3. 2 billion people — that is, more than a third of the inhabitants of the Earth will play computer games.

How the video game market is developing

According to Newzoo, the global size of the gaming industry market in 2020 exceeded $159 billion — it can already be compared with the consumption of all goods in a small European country or, for example, with the consumption of wheat flour worldwide . The capitalization of the leaders of the gaming industry is comparable to the volume of companies in the leading traditional industries. For example, Activision Blizzard, the developer behind Call of Duty, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft, is valued at $61.45 billion, compared to Adidas’ capitalization of $63.75 billion.

Like any other economic sector, gaming generates and satisfies new needs and creates new economic relations. Markets for the sale of gaming products, advertising integrations for bloggers and streamers, and donation platforms are emerging.

Digital activities are gaining popularity. Major players in the entertainment and telecom industries are launching their own gaming platforms or buying existing services. For example, Netflix has acquired Night School Studio, the developer of Oxenfree, and plans to fully enter the video game market in 2022. In Russia, in 2018, MTS bought the eSports organization Gambit Esports, and in 2019-m launched the interactive video platform WASD.TV. At the end of 2020, MTS launched NUUM, a marketplace and neobank for gamers, where gamers can accumulate bonus points and exchange them for gaming goods.

At the same time, the gaming industry and the traditional media business are interpenetrating. Movies and TV series are based on the plots of video games: the famous franchise of Poul Anderson «Resident Evil» grew out of the no less famous series of games Resident Evil, and The Last of Us recently acquired a film adaptation from HBO, the pilot episode of which was directed by Kantemir Balagov.

The convergence of in-game worlds gives rise to a huge number of metaverses. Not only the gaming companies Microsoft and Epic Games are responsible for their creation, but also Netflix along with other BigTech companies. Now we can say that the events of science fiction films like Ready Player One, where the characters are immersed in VR, will soon become our routine and routine.

There are three key trends in the development of gaming:

1. Gaming is a full-fledged industry worth $2 billion in Russia alone. The number of paying users is growing, while the number of passive users is declining. Even ₽50 additional monthly spending can provide up to 10% increase in market volume.
2. Leisure is becoming digital. According to the gaming platform STEAM, in 2020 the number of monthly active users among their customers reached 120 million, of which more than half logged into games daily.
3. The gaming market is a springboard for launching new products and related categories. A space is being created at the intersection of gaming and new industries. Banks and their own goods appear on the market. This means that the demand is high, and the supply is still not enough.

What is cloud gaming and how does it work?

Cloud gaming is believed to give users more options in online gaming and enrich the gaming experience.

We will try to understand cloud gaming services and understand what benefits they give to gamers, as well as how cloud gaming will perform in Russia. In addition, let’s see if there is cloud gaming for android.

What is cloud gaming?

The main point of cloud gaming is that you do not need to buy discs or download games to your computer, you play directly on a remote server located in one of the data centers.

When you run cloud games in your browser, it’s the same for you as playing from physical media. However, you can enjoy the game anywhere and on any device. You get a similar experience when you open a casual games site.

No matter where you are or what device you use. In some ways, paid or free cloud gaming resembles streaming services such as Netflix, Okko, YouTube or Twitch. By the way, in our blog you can read about how to become popular on Twitch. But unlike just watching movies, TV shows and other video content in cloud games, you can control characters and interact with the environment. To do this, you must have a fast and reliable Internet connection.

If the Internet is slow, then you will get nothing from cloud gaming but annoyance and frustration. When playing this way in multiplayer, your teammates are unlikely to send you a pog (pog is a Twitch emoji expressing extreme admiration mixed with surprise).

To access the games, use the cloud gaming browser on your PC or the dedicated app on your mobile device.

Cloud games are good because they do not require large investments. You do not have to buy the most modern expensive set-top box or gaming computer. It is enough to choose a cloud gaming service, which is served on a remote server.

Thus, the quality of the game directly depends on the operation of the server and the speed of the Internet. You can play video games through the cloud on your phone, console, or PC without being limited to just one single device.

Cloud gaming services have created a new market for gamers who can play the best games the way they like, at any given time.

It’s not just that cloud gaming services are compatible with different devices. The main thing is that you can use almost any type of controller for them.

You can try a variety of control methods, including a touchscreen (relevant for cloud gaming on your phone), a set-top box controller, classic keyboard shortcuts and a mouse. Gaming cloud services will help you choose the method that is right for you.

Can I use cloud gaming for free? As a rule, you have to pay for cloud services for games. These may be annual or monthly payments that you have to make in order to play cloud games.

Some cloud gaming services require you to pay for every game you play. Other cloud gaming services charge a fixed subscription fee that will allow you to play any game you choose.

Are cloud gaming services worth the money? It depends on what and how you like to play and how important the benefits of paid and free cloud gaming are to you.

In the event that you want to switch from one device to another, you must be prepared to pay for gaming cloud services, unlike those who constantly play from the same device.

Some gaming cloud services allow you to download games to devices, but not all do. Read the terms and conditions of the cloud gaming services you plan to try beforehand.

Let’s take a look at the biggest cloud gaming companies and their products together.

How did it all start?

The history of cloud gaming goes back over a decade. The first cloud gaming service is considered to be OnLive, which was launched in 2010.

At that time, digital technologies were not so advanced, so the service suffered from technical problems and failures, and its potential was not appreciated.

Another important event happened in 2012 when Sony bought the Gaikai brand. As a result of this, they launched the PlayStation Now service a couple of years later.

This was the first big success of one of the leading cloud gaming console companies, followed by others.

In recent years, giants such as Microsoft, Amazon and Sony have taken up cloud gaming. They completely changed the market and attracted the attention of a large number of people to this technological novelty.

How many people are currently using cloud gaming services? By the end of 2021, around 24 million people were paying to play via the cloud, according to Newzoo estimates.

In 2021, these services generated $1.6 billion in revenue. According to forecasts, by 2024 it will exceed $6.5 billion. Cloud gaming will occupy about 3% of the entire global gaming market, including cloud gaming in Russia.

Pros and cons of cloud gaming

There are several reasons to try cloud gaming. Let’s take a look at the most important ones:

• When you play through the cloud, you get an amazing gaming experience even on a budget device, because the game will run on cloud game servers in data centers. You do not need to spend money on technical innovations.
• You can play various games without spending money and time to buy and download them. Also, you do not need to worry about where you will store the games themselves and the add-ons and expansions released for them. This makes cloud gaming easier on a phone that doesn’t have a lot of free storage.
• This is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to play your favorite video game, as you can play it anytime, anywhere.
• You can play on different devices without compromising your progress. Using your login, you can continue where you left off, even if you previously played on a different device.
• Cloud gaming is great for playing multiplayer mode with friends. It can be even more convenient than free multiplayer games. Each of you must join the same service and then you can meet in the game of your choice.
• There is no need to update the game every time a new expansion comes out.
• You can try many more games at no additional cost after paying for a subscription, depending on the conditions.

There are no perfect gaming services. Before signing up for such a service, consider how critical the following disadvantages of cloud gaming are to you:

• You collect game discs. If you like to buy games and store them at home, then cloud gaming may not be for you.
• Some people enjoy downloading games and feel more confident when they know the game is installed on the device itself.
• Cloud gaming requires fast and reliable internet, so if your connection is unstable, you will need to find other ways to play high-tech games.
• Even if the Internet speed is fast enough, cloud gaming may occasionally experience problems and delays in processing information.

Extremely competitive and big players

There are many cloud gaming services. This market is highly competitive, and there are real giants of the industry. The same can be said about cloud gaming on your phone or free cloud gaming.

Below are some of the most popular platforms you will come across when choosing a cloud gaming service:

• Xbox Cloud Gaming;
• Amazon Luna;
• Google Stadia;
• PlayStation Now;
• GeForce Now;
• Boosteroid;
• GameStream;
• Play key;
• Vortex;
• Shadow;
• Russian My.Games.

Cloud gaming is gaining popularity in Russia. The list of the best cloud video games includes, for example, games with the most compelling story: Grand Theft Auto V, Destiny 2, Outriders, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or Forza Horizon 4.

Microsoft says that using the cloud gaming service on a TV is no different from using it on a PC, tablet or smartphone — except that the screen is immediately large. Those players who do not yet have a subscription will be able to launch from the Xbox application via the cloud the battle royale Fortnite is completely free .

Representatives of the company noted that they will continue to develop cloud gaming. Their goal is to make cloud gaming services as commonplace as music, movie and TV streaming services. Launched on any device — and you play.

Russia is not in the list of countries where Xbox Cloud Gaming is officially launched, but you can stream games here by changing the region of your account — just turn on the VPN before entering the Xbox app or Xbox Game Pass.