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A video game is interactive software: the experience only happens when a player provides input, and that input changes what occurs on screen. That single condition separates games from film, television, books, and music, all of which deliver a finished experience whether or not the audience does anything. If you want to understand the category, the useful move is to look at four things: the input loop, the genres, the platforms, and the people who build them.

The defining trait: player input drives the experience

In passive media, the work is complete before you arrive. A film plays the same whether you watch closely or leave the room. A game is not complete until it is played — the software holds rules and state, and your actions move that state forward.

That produces a feedback loop:

1. Rules define what you may do (move, shoot, build, choose).
2. Goals define what counts as success.
3. Challenge creates resistance between you and the goal.
4. Feedback tells you immediately whether your last action worked.

Remove the challenge and you have a toy — something to fiddle with, with no win condition. Remove the goals and you have a simulation, which models a system rather than asking you to beat it. Games sit where rules, goals, challenge, and feedback all apply at once.

The term covers many different things

"Video Games" is not one product category. It is an umbrella over genres and platforms that share almost nothing except interactivity.

Common genres

Common platforms

• Console — dedicated hardware connected to a TV.
• PC — desktop and laptop systems, often with keyboard and mouse.
• Mobile — phones and tablets, usually touch controls.
• Browser — games that run inside a web page with no install.

The same genre can appear on any platform, but the controls shape the design. A strategy game built for mouse input plays differently from one built for a touchscreen.

Making a game takes several distinct roles

A finished game is usually the output of a team, and the roles map closely to other software and media work:

• Design — defines rules, goals, balance, and pacing.
• Art — creates characters, environments, and interface.
• Programming — implements the systems that make the loop run.
• Audio — music, sound effects, and voice.
• Testing / QA — finds the cases where the loop breaks.

Small teams combine these roles; large productions separate them. This is also why game development overlaps with web development and design as a technical discipline — both are software built for an audience, and both live or die on how the interaction feels.

How to actually try games yourself

If the category is still abstract, the fastest way to make it concrete is to pick one path and start:

1. Choose a platform you already own — a phone, a laptop, or a console.
2. Choose one genre from the table above that matches something you already like (puzzles if you like logic, strategy if you like planning).
3. Pick one starting title that is free or low-cost on that platform, so the commitment is small.
4. Play for one session and watch the loop: what did you do, what happened, and did the feedback tell you whether it worked?

If step four is unclear, the game is probably not giving you enough feedback — which is itself a useful thing to notice, because it is the same failure mode that makes a website or app feel broken.

Video games are best understood not as a single medium but as a family of interactive systems. The label tells you one thing reliably: your input matters. Everything else — genre, platform, budget, team size — is a variable.

Crossword Weaver is a Windows-only crossword puzzle maker that produces two distinct puzzle styles: free-form puzzles built from only your words, and themed symmetrical newspaper-style puzzles. It fits you if you work on Windows, want printable and playable output, and are willing to test the demo before deciding on a purchase. It is a weaker fit if you need macOS or web-based tools, or if you want a free alternative without evaluating paid software.

What Crossword Weaver Actually Does

Crossword Weaver is described as a tool for making two styles of crossword puzzles:

• Free-form puzzles — built using only your words, without forcing a symmetrical grid.
• Themed symmetrical newspaper-style puzzles — a more structured layout that resembles traditional published crosswords.

The software targets Windows only. Output is described as printable and playable, and the product is positioned as a maker, builder, and creator tool with automatic features. A demo is available so you can see whether it meets your needs before committing.

The Two Puzzle Styles, Compared

If your audience expects a classic newspaper look, the symmetrical style is the closer match. If you just want your own word list turned into a solvable puzzle with minimal layout fuss, free-form is the simpler path.

Platform and Compatibility Check

Before anything else, confirm you are on Windows. Crossword Weaver is Windows-only, so Mac, Linux, Chromebook, and browser-only workflows are out unless you have a Windows environment available. This is the single most common reason the tool is the wrong choice — not the puzzle features, but the operating system.

Evaluate With the Demo First

The site explicitly offers a demo to see if the software meets your needs. Use it to test the things that matter for your use case:

1. Build one free-form puzzle from a short word list and check the output.
2. Build one themed symmetrical puzzle and compare the layout to what you actually need.
3. Print or play the result to confirm the output format works for your audience.
4. Note any friction in the word-entry or layout process before deciding.

This demo-first path is the intended evaluation route, so treat it as the deciding step rather than relying on feature lists.

How It Compares to Alternatives

Use the same dimensions when weighing Crossword Weaver against other options:

• Platform: Crossword Weaver is Windows-only. Free web-based makers usually run in any browser but may offer less layout control.
• Puzzle styles: The two-style approach (free-form plus symmetrical themed) covers both casual and publication-style needs. Many simple free tools only do one style.
• Output: Printable and playable output is claimed here. Check whether an alternative gives you the same export and play options.
• Cost: Crossword Weaver involves a purchase. Free alternatives exist, so weigh the price against the layout control and Windows-native workflow you get.
• Evaluation: A demo lets you test before buying. Free tools need no commitment but also no trial period.

Which Choice Fits You

• Choose Crossword Weaver if you are on Windows, want both free-form and symmetrical themed puzzles, value printable and playable output, and are willing to try the demo and then purchase.
• Look elsewhere if you are not on Windows, need a free tool, or only need a single simple puzzle style that a browser-based maker already handles.

The deciding factors are platform, the two puzzle styles, and whether the demo output matches your audience or publication. Test those three before committing.

A sale is a temporary price reduction on a product or service, set by the retailer for a defined period or while stock lasts. It differs from a coupon (a code or offer you apply at checkout), clearance (permanent markdowns to clear discontinued or excess stock), and everyday low pricing (a store's standard low price that doesn't expire). Understanding which one you're looking at tells you whether to buy now or wait.

Sale vs. coupon vs. clearance vs. everyday low price

The practical difference: a sale can end and the price can go back up, while clearance usually only goes lower. If an item is both on sale and heading to clearance, waiting often gets you a better price — but risks your size or colour selling out.

Why sale prices are set and why they end

Retailers run sales for a few reasons, and the reason usually predicts how deep and how long the discount will be:

• Moving stock — seasonal goods, end-of-line colours, or overstock. These tend to get deeper cuts over time.
• Driving traffic — a few heavily discounted items pull people into the store, where they buy other things at full price.
• Matching competitors — a price cut in response to a rival's promotion, often time-limited.
• Hitting targets — end-of-quarter or holiday pushes to hit sales numbers.

Because sales are tied to stock levels, seasons, and promotions, they end when the stock runs out, the season passes, or the promotional window closes.

How to tell a real discount from a fake one

A "was" price on a tag is only useful if you can verify it. Two checks do most of the work:

1. Compare against the regular price, not the sale price. The regular price is what the item sells for outside promotions. If you don't know it, you can't judge the discount. Track an item for a few weeks before a major sale season so you know its baseline.
2. Compare unit price. For anything sold in different sizes or quantities, the unit price (per 100 g, per litre, per sheet) is the honest comparison. A "50% off" larger pack can still cost more per unit than a smaller pack at full price.

A discount is genuine when the sale price is meaningfully below the regular price you've actually seen, and the unit price beats alternatives. A discount is suspect when the "regular" price only appears right before the sale, or when the sale price matches what the item cost most of the year.

Common sale tactics to recognise

• Doorcrashers / doorbuster limits — a very low price on a small quantity, often limited to one per customer and sometimes only available in the first hours. The headline price is real, but availability is the catch.
• Price matching — some retailers will match a competitor's advertised sale price. This can let you buy at the lower price without switching stores, but policies differ on whether the competitor must have stock and whether the price must be advertised.
• Bundle or "buy more, save more" — the discount applies only if you buy a set quantity. Check the per-unit price at each tier before committing.
• Limited-time online prices — an online-only sale price may not be honoured in-store, and vice versa.

Steps to catch sales before they end

1. Know the regular price first. Pick the items you actually buy and note their normal price. Without this, every "sale" looks like a deal.
2. Track the items you want. RedFlagDeals.com aggregates sales, coupons, promotions, and freebies from hundreds of Canadian stores in one place, which lets you watch a price over time rather than react to a single tag.
3. Set a target price. Decide the price at which you'll buy, based on the regular price and unit price. When it hits, buy — don't wait for a deeper cut that may not come.
4. Check the end date and stock. A sale with a fixed end date behaves differently from one that runs "while supplies last." If stock is low and the price is good, waiting is a gamble.
5. Watch for the markdown cycle. Items that don't sell at a sale price often get marked down further later. If you don't need the item now and it's clearly seasonal or being discontinued, waiting can pay off — at the risk of it selling out.

The main trap: buying right before a deeper markdown

The most common mistake is buying at the first discount on an item that's clearly on its way out. Signs a deeper markdown may be coming: the item is seasonal and the season is ending, it's a discontinued colour or model, or it's already been on sale more than once. The trade-off is real — waiting for a lower price means accepting that your size, colour, or the item itself may be gone. If you need it now, the current sale price is the price; if you can wait and the item is clearly clearing, waiting is usually cheaper.

Short answer: free NZ Herald access gives you breaking news, headlines and a broad slice of daily reporting, while NZ Herald Premium is the paid layer that unlocks subscriber-only articles — typically opinion, analysis, in-depth explainers and selected business, politics and lifestyle features. If you mainly skim headlines and breaking stories, free access may be enough. If you want to read the full argument, the data behind a story or a columnist's take, Premium is the part you'd be paying for.

How the two tiers generally work

Most large news sites, including nzherald.co.nz, operate on a mixed model: some content is open to everyone, and some sits behind a paywall marked as Premium. The exact mechanics can change, but the practical pattern is consistent.

Free NZ Herald news

• Breaking news and live updates, so you can follow major events as they happen.
• Headlines, summaries and a large amount of general reporting across NZ, sport, business, entertainment and travel.
• Basic browsing of section front pages, which lets you see what's being covered even if you can't open every article.

NZ Herald Premium

• Subscriber-only articles, usually flagged with a "Premium" label before you click.
• Opinion and columns, where writers argue a position rather than just report facts.
• Analysis and explainers that go deeper into politics, business, tax, housing and the economy.
• Selected long-form features, reviews and lifestyle pieces, such as travel and beauty coverage.

A useful way to think about it: free access tells you what happened; Premium is often where you find why it matters and what it means for you.

What kinds of content typically sit behind Premium

Based on how the site labels its own sections, Premium content clusters around a few areas:

This is a general pattern, not a fixed rule — any individual article can fall on either side, so check the label on the story you actually want to read.

How paywalls and metering usually behave

News sites commonly use one of two approaches, or a mix:

1. A hard paywall — the article is locked from the first visit, and you see only a preview.
2. Metering — you get a set number of free articles per month, then hit a limit.

Either way, the practical steps are the same:

• Look for a "Premium" tag next to the headline before clicking.
• If you hit a wall, note whether it's a per-article lock or a monthly limit.
• Check whether the same story is summarised elsewhere on the free site, which sometimes happens with breaking news.

Deciding whether Premium is worth it for you

Rather than asking "is it good?", match it to your habits.

Free access is probably enough if you:

• Check headlines a few times a day and rarely read past the first few paragraphs.
• Follow breaking news and sport results more than analysis.
• Only occasionally want a columnist's opinion.

Premium is more likely to earn its cost if you:

• Read opinion and analysis regularly, not just news.
• Follow politics, business, tax or housing policy closely.
• Want explainers that put a story in context rather than just reporting it.
• Value long-form features, reviews or travel and lifestyle writing.

A simple test: over one week, count how many times you click an article and find it locked. If that number is high and the locked pieces are the ones you actually wanted, Premium is doing real work for you.

What to check before subscribing

Before you commit, confirm these details on the site itself, since terms and prices change:

• Trial conditions — length, whether a card is required, and when billing starts.
• Price and billing cycle — weekly, monthly or annual, and whether it renews automatically.
• Cancellation terms — how to cancel and whether you keep access until the end of the period.
• Device and account access — whether one subscription covers phone, tablet and desktop, and how many people can use it.
• What's included — whether Premium covers all sections or only some, and whether any bundled products (such as a magazine or newsletter) come with it.

Because pricing and offers are set by the publisher and can change, treat any figure you see as current only at the moment you check it.

A quick decision template

Fill this in honestly:

1. How many days a week do I read NZ news? ___
2. How often do I want opinion or analysis, not just headlines? ___
3. How many Premium articles did I try to open last month? ___
4. Would I rather pay for depth, or stay with free headlines? ___

If your answers lean toward frequent reading and a real appetite for analysis, Premium is the tier built for you. If you're mostly a headline scanner, the free experience covers most of what you need — and you can always subscribe later when a specific story makes the case for you.

The Official UK Singles Chart and Official UK Albums Chart are compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) from a combination of paid sales, audio streaming, and video streaming, covering a defined seven-day chart week. To be eligible, a release generally must be commercially available in the UK, meet minimum length and format rules, and be sold or streamed through recognised retailers and services. Positions are ranked by a weighted "chart unit" total, and results are published weekly, with the Top 40 broadcast on BBC Radio 1.

What the Official UK Charts Actually Cover

The main charts are the Official Singles Chart Top 100 and the Official Albums Chart Top 100. Alongside them sit genre and format charts — Dance, Rock, Hip-Hop, Vinyl, Streaming, Country, Classical, Afrobeats and others — which use the same underlying data but filter it by genre or format.

The key distinction:

• Singles chart: tracks, typically individual songs or short releases.
• Albums chart: longer releases, including studio albums, compilations and some EPs.
• Genre/format charts: subsets of the above, not separate data collection systems.

How the Data Is Collected

The chart is built from three main consumption types:

Retailers and streaming services supply data to the OCC. Only recognised, legitimate outlets count — plays or sales from unauthorised sources do not.

The Chart Week

The chart week runs from Friday to Thursday. Data is collected across that window, processed, and the new chart is published the following Friday. The Top 40 is then broadcast on BBC Radio 1, which is why the "official" reveal is tied to that radio slot.

How Positions Are Calculated

Each release accumulates chart units. Sales, audio streams and video streams are combined using weightings set by the OCC, so that streaming and sales can be compared on one scale. The release with the highest unit total is Number 1, the next is Number 2, and so on down to 100.

Two practical points:

• Streaming is not counted one-to-one against a sale. A large number of streams is needed to equal one paid sale, which is why an act with heavy streaming but modest sales can still chart highly.
• Weightings can change. The OCC reviews its methodology periodically, so the exact conversion is not fixed forever. Treat any specific ratio you see quoted as potentially out of date.

Accelerated Chart Ratio (ACR)

A long-running rule affects how streams count for tracks that have been on the chart for a while. Under the Accelerated Chart Ratio, older charting tracks have their streaming points reduced relative to newer releases. This is designed to keep the chart responsive to new music rather than letting one huge hit sit at the top indefinitely. The exact thresholds and ratios are set by the OCC and can be revised.

What Makes a Release Eligible

Eligibility is about whether a release can appear on the chart at all. The main conditions:

Availability and Retail

• The release must be commercially available in the UK.
• It must be sold through recognised retailers and available on recognised streaming services.
• Free or promotional giveaways generally do not count as sales.

Length and Format Rules

• Singles must meet minimum and maximum length limits. A track that runs too long may be treated as an album track instead.
• Albums must meet a minimum length or track-count threshold to qualify as an album rather than a single or EP.
• Releases must be properly released, not leaked or unofficially distributed.

Pricing and Discounting

• Heavily discounted or free copies can be excluded or discounted from the count.
• Bundles that tie a sale to merchandise or tickets are restricted, to prevent chart positions being bought through bundling rather than genuine music consumption.

Artist and Credit Rules

• Chart credits follow the primary artist on the release.
• Featured artists are generally credited where they are formally billed, but the rules on how features are counted have been tightened over time to stop "feature stacking".

Multiple Versions

• Different versions of the same track (remixes, edits) are usually combined into one chart entry rather than charting separately.
• This prevents one song occupying several positions through variant releases.

How Genre and Format Charts Relate to the Main Charts

The genre and format charts are not separate competitions. They are views of the same data, filtered:

• A track can appear on the main Singles Chart and the Dance Chart at the same time.
• The Vinyl Chart reflects physical vinyl sales only.
• The Streaming Chart ranks by streaming consumption only.
• The Albums Chart and its genre variants work the same way.

So if you want to understand why a song is high on one chart and lower on another, the answer is usually the filter: the genre or format chart is showing only part of the total picture.

Practical Checklist: Will a Release Chart?

If you are trying to work out whether a release is eligible, run through this:

1. Is it commercially available in the UK through recognised outlets?
2. Does it meet the length/format rules for a single or album?
3. Is it priced normally, without a discount or bundle that would be excluded?
4. Are all versions combined into one entry?
5. Is the artist credit correct and within the feature rules?
6. Was it released within the Friday–Thursday chart week you are looking at?

If the answer to any of these is no, the release may be excluded, discounted, or treated as a different type of release.

Common Misunderstandings

• "One stream equals one sale." It does not. Streams are weighted and many are needed to match a sale.
• "The chart is based on sales only." Streaming is a major component of both singles and albums charts.
• "Any play counts." Only recognised services and legitimate consumption count.
• "Remixes chart separately." Versions are normally combined.
• "The chart week is Monday to Sunday." It is Friday to Thursday, with publication on Friday.

Where to See the Results

The full Official Singles and Albums Chart Top 100, plus the genre and format charts, are published by Official Charts. The Top 40 is broadcast on BBC Radio 1. For deeper data and professional tools, Official Charts also offers a Pro service, which is aimed at industry users rather than general listeners.

The exact weightings, ACR thresholds and eligibility limits are set and updated by the Official Charts Company, so for a specific release or a current rule, the authoritative source is the OCC's own published rules rather than any secondary summary.