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Video Games Effective in Treating Kids’ Pain

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gaming.saloncom

Video games are undoubtedly a popular form of entertainment particularly for kids. Many adults are also benefiting from it, though, such those the tech savvy ones.

But other than the entertainment it provides, these video games have been found very helpful in treating pain among children. In fact just recently, the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. introduced a new form of treatment for kids’ pains in its newly opened pain care complex. The facility is now using video games to treat the pain being experienced by young patients.

The games were specially designed for the purpose of eliminating pain and were created with the use of the Kinect technology of Microsoft. Through the games, the kids are brought into an intergalactic environment where they can play, paint and exercise while unknown to them, the doctors are analyzing their movements and other vital signs at the same time. …

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The Ninja Turtles are Returning!

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Did you miss the mutant turtles? If you haven’t been watching cartoons on TV or played their video games recently, you have something to look forward to this summer.

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A new video game of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles subtitled Out of the Shadows will be released in a few months time. Players have a chance to be their favorite reptile character either as Donatello, Leonardo, Michaelangelo or Raphael. Developed by Red Fly Studios, the game involves four players and features a more realistic 3D gaming style unlike the cartoon series that you see.

The setting of the game is in New York City, the home of the ninja turtles. Developers are confident players will love the interactive environments and the adventures that they will have go through in this new and upcoming video game.
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24-Hour Ceasefire for Video Games a Success

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If only to show sympathy for the community in Newtown, Connecticut, a call was made this month for a one-day ceasefire of video games that involve first-person and online shooters. It was aimed at extending emotional support to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootout and their families.
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The call was spearheaded by a well known video game blog GamerFitNation. The site which promotes video games and health living was founded by Antwand Pearman.

The 24-hour ceasefire took place on December 21st and was a great success, according to the blog owner. His words were “You can’t be afraid, you know, to come out and speak against something in fear of what’s going to happen, you can’t let the media define who you are. You define who you are.”

Pearman earlier created a nine-minute video to appeal to gamers especially online shooters to take a one-day break from their usual routine. He said his goal is to pay respect to the victims of the tragedy that occurred on December 14. The video has close to 11,000 views already and 300 comments.
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Gaming Has Gone Beyond Consoles

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As technology advances, people enjoy more upgraded devices. Despite the higher prices that come with the newer models, many consumers don’t mind spending for their favorite gadgets and changing them as often as they like.

This is what’s happening with the video gaming consoles. In the past, it used to be that people relied primarily on them to play their favorite video games. In short, one had to purchase a console and even a cartridge in order to play a game. Such is the case for most of the Nintendo devices like the Atari and Gameboy.

Today, however, this is no longer the case. In fact, gaming has gone beyond the consoles.

With the advent of the internet, it is possible nowadays for players to do what they love to do online either via their computer or their mobile phone. This is convenience and savings at their best. In other words, it is really not even necessary to own a specific console in order to play a particular video game. Keep in mind that a gaming device can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars but if you’re okay with going online, then you can be sure to enjoy big savings.

The designer of Tekken, one of the most famous video games, agree that manufacturers of game consoles can no longer control the way people games. According to Harada San who is the game director and chief producer of Tekken, major console makers such as Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft can even do more good if they join forces. By this, he means coming up with a single console for the satisfaction of consumers.

Sharing with you some interesting statistics here about gaming console usage. According to the 2012 figures of grabstats.com, there are currently 190 million households in the U.S. that own the next-generation video game consoles and 80 percent have consoles connected to the internet.

Also, 65 million American households play video and computer games while the average age of a player is 35. The regular players have been engaged in their favorite activity for 13 years. You might be surprised to know that of these millions of game players, 40 percent are actually women.

Video Games Teach Empathy

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Boy lying in lounge playing video game

Contrary to common belief, video games teach players empathy and not aggression. At least that is what a new study is saying. Got Game’s feature states:

Dr. Kourosh Dini, a Chicago-based psychiatrist and self-declared gamer recently published Video Game Addiction: A Guide for Parents, which includes a study that reveals video games to be a beneficial teacher of understanding the way others think. Dini reached such a conclusion after much observation–and even participation–in gameplay. In his studies, he analyzed from three different perspectives: the psychiatrist, the first-person player, and the third-person play observer. According to the book’s website, such analysis led Dini to conclude that “age appropriate multi-player video games can allow children to learn how other people think – a key aspect of empathy.”

I really like his point of view – it makes total sense. However, we cannot discount the fact that other studies – and there are more of them, I think – have results that are quite different from that of Dr. Dini’s. So which is which?

I am no expert in the matter but I suppose that this study will be enough for other researchers to take a second look at their studies. Perhaps there are other factors that should be taken into consideration. Perhaps it is not a simple matter of stating that video games make children (or even adults) into so and so people. As for me – and other gamers like, I am sure – a study like this is a good start in forcing people NOT to immediately pinpoint video games as the “evil” they are supposed to be.

George Mason University Trains Video Game Designers Of The Future

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Who wants to build a career in the video game industry? WHO DOESN’T? Seriously, anyone who spends hours and hours in front of the computer or TV playing games would want to actually do it for a living – make money out of it!

And that is what the people at George Mason University are trying to do. With their new program dubbed Computer Game Design, the educational institution aims to develop and nurture the talents and skills of young people who want to build their career around video games. It looks like their gamble is paying off. It is only 2010 and they already have about 200 students enrolled in the program. Their forecast was a little over a hundred by the year 2012! They’re even getting inquiries from people all over the world.

That is really not surprising as video games are becoming more and more popular – even if it’s hard to believe that that’s possible. From young kids to retired seniors, playing video games has become a past time. The development of new technology has contributed to this, plus the ever expanding kinds of video games.

George Mason University is not alone in offering this course, but it looks like its program is fast gaining the attention of enthusiastic students. Before long, we will probably see programs of this type in most major universities around the world. If I were you and I were just starting my university life, I’d definitely check this out!

ALA Promotes Video Gaming

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24videogames.cityroom.1It has been going on for quite some time now – libraries across the country have been stocking up on quality video games and encouraging their patrons to come to the library to play them. One might be surprised at this turn of events, especially those who have always associated libraries with being stuffy and full of nothing but old books. Some people know better though – and I would like to think that I am one of them! 😉

The American Library Association actually is actively promoting video gaming in libraries these days. If you don’t believe me, check out events such as the one at the Bluffton Library. They are going to celebrate National Gaming Day @ Your Library on Saturday. The event will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. I am sure that other libraries across the country will be holding similar events – check out your local library to see if you can find something that interests you.

Anyhow, why is the library turning to video games now? Libraries are the repositories of information in all formats. We all know that in today’s world, electronic formats are fast becoming the choice for the average person, and the library is quickly changing things to adapt to trends, while keeping their original aim in mind. Hence, video games and other content in electronic format are part of their collection.

I think that this is a great way to encourage people to go back to libraries, which hold so much in terms of tools for lifelong learning and interaction with other people. Perhaps video games is the best tool to attract people for now.

Photo courtesy of the New York Times

Video Game Console Wars Back!

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consolesNot long after Sony released its much awaited PlayStation 3 Slim, video game console makers seem to have woken up from their slumber. If you thought that the video game console wars are over, think again! It’s back and in full force.

Try looking online for a video game console and you will be met with various promises and offers. This console has better hardware to give the best graphic experience. This one is the fastest. This one has awesome sounds. And so on.

More than the actual console itself, manufacturers are coming up with a plethora of hardware add-ons that promise to give gamers the best experience yet. At the most recent E3 convention in May, Sony revealed a new control system that is compatible with the PlayStation Eye. Not to be outdone, Microsoft revealed Natal, a hands-free control system. Of course, Wii had its MotionPlus.

Now we are witnessing the slashing of game console prices. The PlayStation 3 Slim already costs less than the first models. I was really taken by surprise at how low the price was! The Wii is also getting cheaper, with a 20% discount in the works.

What does this mean for us, consumers? Simple! We will have more and better choices in the near future. Looking at things from another angle, owners of the Xbox 360 and PS3 Slim are quite assured of the longevity of their consoles – it doesn’t seem like the units will be phased out for newer ones anytime soon.

Gundam Creator: Video Games Are Evil

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gundamsYou read that right. Video games are evil. At least from the perspective of the creator of the much loved anime, Mobile Suit Gundam.

Yoshiyuki Tomino dropped a bomb at the 2009 CESA Developers Conference when he unequivocally made his stance against one of the most popular past times of modern times: video gaming. He delivered a keynote speech, wherein he said:

“I think that video games are evil. [Gaming] is not a type of activity that provides any support to our daily lives, and all these consoles are just consuming electricity! Let’s say we have about three billion people on this planet wasting their time, bringing no productivity at all. Add 10 billion more people, and what would happen to our planet? Video games are assisting the death of our planet!”

I do get his point, especially about the part about using up electricity. However, I find it totally ironic that he said something about providing any support to our daily lives. Come on now, we all love Gundam but does it provide any support to our daily lives? More so, it is beyond irony – Gundam has been involved in countless video games over the years. Where was Tomino when these were being made and he was making money? In addition to this, do not forget the thousands (or is it millions?) of Gundam kits and toys that have been produced and sold in the past decade? Where they all environment-friendly?

What do you think of his statement?