The Ultimate Video Game and System Buyer's Guide: Lingo

ByABC News
December 6, 2006, 4:37 PM

— -- The Ultimate Video Game and System Buyer's Guide |Consoles and Handhelds |Video Games Galore |Understanding Video Game Ratings |Talk the Talk: Gaming Lingo

Gamers speak their own language. It's been developing for decades as the gaming community has gotten bigger and more defined.

If you've ever heard someone gush over a game's "co-op" mode, or complaining that their girlfriend cost them a "frag," this video game lingo cheat sheet is for you.

A.I. (Artificial Intelligence): This is the intelligence of a character or vehicle controlled by the computer -- an NPC or non-player character. In a racing game for example, the artificial intelligence of the cars the player is racing against, gives them the ability to try and beat the player by racing better or more aggressively.

Co-op: A mode in some single-player games where multiple players can play cooperatively to complete the game.

Deathmatch: A mode of play popular in first person shooters where the goal is to kill or "frag" as many players as possible. Generally, the player with the most "frags" at the end of the game wins. In a team deathmatch, players are divided into two or more teams where the object is the same.

FPS (First-Person Shooter): A game genre played through the eyes of the player's character. Usually referring to an action game where the player uses force -- via a gun or other weapon -- to get through the game's levels. Popular in this genre are games like the Halo series, Doom series and Unreal, or Unreal Tournament series.

Frag: A "kill" or point in a first-person shooter generally used in deathmatch games.

Game Boy: Nintendo's series of handheld gaming systems including the Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Light, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advanced, Game Boy Advanced SP and Game Boy Micro. Not to be confused with Nintendo's latest handheld gaming systems: the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite.

Headshot: Literally a weapon shot to the head of another player or non-player character in a first-person shooter.