How to Play Live Games With Your Own Webcam on Your PC
While electronic gaming has moved to the realm of online competitions and matches, some games are still only playable with physical boards and pieces. Board games and card games can still be played online using a webcam and a video-based chat client. Each player will need his own webcam and software, but once installed, games can be played from any location without every player being in the same room. This technique can be used for a simple game of "Monopoly" or more complex card-based games such as "Magic the Gathering."
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Instructions
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Download and install a video-based chat client. Skype, Yahoo and MSN all offer the ability for users to communicate using webcams.
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Obtain the user name of any fellow gamer who you will be playing the game against. Add these users to your contact list so you can contact them through your chat program.
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Open your chat program and select your fellow gamer to begin the webcam streaming. For example, when using Skype, click on his user name from your list of contacts. Click "Video Call" from the menu that appears on the right of the screen. Once he accepts the call, the video streaming will begin.
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Position your webcam over the game board. If you are playing a board game, one player will perform all moves using his board. If you are playing a card-based game, each player should position his camera over the entire play area. Each player should have a full view of his opponent's play area to prevent cheating.
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Communicate with one another by either using a headset or a built-in microphone. If you do not wish to communicate through audio, you can type messages to one another through the chat client.
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Confirm each move being made during the game. The confirmation will ensure that both parties are aware of any change in the game and will prevent accidental moves from taking place in the event of a pause in the video feed.
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Tips & Warnings
If any camera cuts out during the game, stop all play until all parties confirm they are back online. Use text-based chatting if you think one player cannot see a video feed.
Multiple players can use video conferencing on Skype to all participate in a game. Yahoo Chat users can each stream their own webcam and then chat with one another for games with multiple players
