Android games saw plenty of holiday cheer

metrogame — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:33:48 +0000

Android games saw plenty of holiday cheer – Android app article – Kristen Nicole | Appolicious ™ Android App Directory var _comscore = _comscore || []; _comscore.push({ c1: “2″, c2: “9582368″ }); (function() { var s = document.createElement(“script”), el = document.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0]; s.async = true; s.src = (document.location.protocol == “https:” ? “https://sb” : “http://b”) + “.scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js”; el.parentNode.insertBefore(s, el); })(); Appolicious – Find Mobile Apps You’ll Love in association with Trending: themesaction gamesarcade gamesadventure games Join Sign In with Yahoo!

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Check out our new games page for in-depth reviews and hot apps! All GamesSocial GamesArcadeBoardCardPuzzleWordDownloadsMultiplayerSkillBlogMobile Search Appolicious Advisor Android games saw plenty of holiday cheer Posted January 4, 2012 9:28am by Kristen Nicole Tags: Android, Games, Rovio, Tequila Mobile, developers, Sega

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The holidays were kind to Android, but games in particular seemed to get all the goodies, or rather, games became the goodies for Android users around the world. Lurching birds were a popular gift this holiday season, as Angry Birds Rio and Angry Birds Seasons saw 6.5 million downloads on Christmas Day alone, according to game-maker Rovio. That’s triple the amount of downloads Angry Birds saw in 2010. Android devices were a popular item for Christmas as well, as app downloads and device activations reached an all-time high over the holidays.

The surge in holiday mobile gaming may also have a dire effect on social gaming for online portals like Facebook. According to a report from AppData, there was a drop-off in Facebook gamers that affected nearly all developers across the board, including EA and Zynga, which both lost about 1 million users for top titles over the holiday. Mobile gaming is proving a viable competitor for traditional online gaming, and the massive increase in new devices and app downloads between Christmas and New Year indicates a growing interest in Android and iOS titles.

Sonic and Tequila are all for Android

Indeed, the mobile sector is becoming more attractive to game makers. SEGA has teamed up with NVIDIA for another Sonic title. Look for Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 2 to hit Tegra 2 and Tegra 3 devices in the near future. It’s the latest in a string of releases from the Sonic series, hot off the launch of Sonic CD for Android. SEGA’s interest in Android is rising rapidly, as the game distributor and console maker has been ramping-up its release schedule for Android-specific titles.

Investors are also seeing the benefits of Android as a lucrative avenue for the gaming industry. Polish mobile publisher Tequila Mobile is accelerating the roll out of its free-to-play platform Tequila Planet thanks to a $1.7 million financing round. Private investors in Poland and the UK are backing Tequila Mobile’s plans for an Android-driven social mobile gaming platform, with big ideas for Java as well. This gives Tequila Mobile, the company behind titles like Fantasy Kingdom Defense and Outlaw Racing 2011, a broader appeal to the mobile gaming space, tapping the world’s most pervasive mobile platform.

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Researchers: video games won’t make you smarter

metrogame — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:10:11 +0000

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Those action-packed video games under many Christmas trees on Sunday morning may be loads of fun, but don’t expect them to improve kids’ grades, concentration, driving skills or other cognitive abilities, one group of psychologists says.

Some researchers also say they’ve found video games such as current top-seller “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3″ won’t damage players’ brains or cause them to do real violence.

Those relatively recent findings conflict with other studies on both the positive and negative potential of gaming, but one thing experts on all sides tend to agree about is that the debate — and their research — is far from over.

“Play these games because they are fun and you enjoy doing them, and let’s kind of wait for more research to suggest whether or not they are actually good for us,” said Florida State University psychologist Walter Boot.

Boot and two colleagues say they have turned up flaws in various studies ascribing cognitive benefits to playing video games and that they they’ve been unable to replicate the results. Boot, Florida State doctoral student Daniel Blakely and University of Illinois researcher Daniel Simons wrote about their findings in a paper published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology three months ago.

It “happens to be a rather direct attack about our work,” University of Rochester researcher Daphne Bavelier wrote in an email Thursday from France where she is on sabbatical.

Bavelier defended studies she and other scientists have conducted that show a causal link between video game playing and enhanced abilities.

She said it is Boot and his colleagues who have flaws in their work and wrote a point-by-point rebuttal of their paper’s detailed findings. It’s also the only negative position paper aligned against multiple, peer-reviewed studies by “world renowned experts,” she wrote.

“This paper does not present new evidence, or even new analysis — it is just an opinionated discussion of existing data,” Bavelier wrote. “Quite simply put, there is not much controversy about the published effects so far.”

Christopher Ferguson, a clinical psychologist at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas, has focused on the perceived dark side of video gaming. As opposed to prior studies indicating violent games could beget violent actions, Ferguson said he found “nothing.”

Studies on violence and video games have some of the same flaws Boot found for research on cognitive benefits, Ferguson said. He said that was probably because researchers drew conclusions before all the data was in.

“Video games had this sort of new toy effect,” Ferguson said by phone from Orlando, where he was visiting relatives for the holidays. “People didn’t know what to think about them and kind of got excited in both positive and negative ways.”

This month’s edition of the journal Nature Reviews/Neuroscience includes an article on video game research, describing it as being still in its early days. The journal posed several questions to prominent researchers and published their responses.

They include Bavelier, an assistant professor in Rochester’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, and University of Minnesota psychologist C. Shawn Green, who submitted joint responses.

They maintained playing action video games “results in a wide range of behavioral benefits, including enhancements in low-level vision, visual attention, speed of processing and statistical inference.”

Bavelier and Green also wrote there’s no black-and-white answer to the question of whether video games improve cognitive function because there are millions of games and hundreds of genres that can be played on various devices including computers, consoles and cell phones.

“Simply put, if one wants to know what the effects of video games are, the devil is in the details,” they wrote.

Two more scientists questioned by the journal also cited studies showing positive results two others wrote that effects on the brain and behavior are “uncertain” and that studies have not generally showing gaming enhances higher level reasoning.

Boot, 32, and Ferguson, 40, grew up playing video games. Ferguson said he still plays games such as Lego’s Star Wars and Indiana Jones with his 8-year-old son. He suggested other parents do likewise.

“When they hear about Grand Theft Auto or Medal of Honor they get all freaky about it,” Ferguson said.

But, he said, a colleague’s research shows parents realize their fears were unjustified once they’ve played the games themselves.

Those trying to improve specific abilities such as driving a car or flying an airplane should look to simulators that focus on those skills instead of video games, Boot said.

“Simulate the demands that you’ll actually encounter in those tasks rather than giving someone Grand Theft Auto and assuming there’s going to be some kind of magical transfer of skills that you pick up in that game to actual driving performance,” he said.

There’s also a proven alternative for boosting brain power that has other beneficial effects as well, Boot said. It’s called exercise.

“Don’t sit down and play a game,” he said. “Go out there for a walk.”

Gaming News Headlines – Yahoo! News

Video games channel Machinima most-viewed of 2011

metrogame — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:14:11 +0000

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Gaming News Headlines – Yahoo! News

Lana Del Rey enters Last.fm singles chart with “Video Games”

metrogame — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:04:23 +0000

In this week’s Last.fm international singles chart, American indie pop star Lana Del Rey, the sexed-up reincarnation of the former Lizzy Grant, emerges in the chart with her hit song “Video Games.” Also, British singer Adele holds her position at the top of the chart with “Rolling in the Deep,” while Rihanna’s hit “We Found Love” featuring Calvin Harris holds second place.

Del Rey has been garnering considerable buzz and controversy in the media this year for her sultry sound and reinvented image. Her “Video Games” video has received more than 14 million YouTube views since being released in August. On January 30 in the UK/January 31 in the US, she is set to release her debut album Born to Die via Interscope Records, featuring the already released “Blue Jeans,” “Video Games,” and title track.

Grammy-winning American rock band The Black Keys dropped their album El Camino on December 5 and are ready to launch a 12-city tour of Europe and the UK in January. The album’s first single, “Lonely Boy,” claims 27,507 listeners this week and holds onto eighth position in the Last.fm top ten. The track reached number one on Canadian alternative rock singles charts and number three on the US alternative chart.

Last.fm’s top tracks December 18-25:

1. Adele – “Rolling in the Deep” (45,433 listeners)
2. Rihanna – “We Found Love” featuring Calvin Harris (42,140 listeners)
3. Adele – “Someone Like You” (37,736 listeners)
4. Foster the People – “Pumped Up Kicks” (37,149 listeners)
5. M83 – “Midnight City” (32,803 listeners)
6. Adele – “Set Fire to the Rain” (29,517 listeners)
7. Coldplay – “Paradise” (29,170 listeners)
8. The Black Keys – “Lonely Boy” (27,507 listeners)
9. Lana Del Rey _ “Video Games” (26,322 listeners) (+3)
10. Florence + The Machine – “Shake It Out” (25,893 listeners) (-1)

Last.fm claims more than 40 million active users based in more than 200 countries. Available in 12 languages, the site’s radio service is free for desktop computer users in the UK, the US, and Germany; mobile devices require a subscription of €3 a month to stream music.

Using a system called “scrobbling,” Last.fm’s charts measure everything its users listen to through the Last.fm website as well as hundreds of other music sites and services, including iTunes, Spotify, and The Hype Machine.

http://www.last.fm

Watch Lana Del Rey’s “Video Games”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO1OV5B_JDw

Gaming News Headlines – Yahoo! News

Digital Trends Best of 2011 Awards: Video Games

metrogame — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:04:23 +0000

It has been an exceptional year for gamers. Sales are up, which helps the industry, and the quality of games released offers everyone a little something in every genre. As it turns out, that makes the job of picking the best even tougher. We went to work in picking our best games of the year in several categories, eventually leading up to our game of the year. It proved to be a much more difficult task than first anticipated.

For a gamer, it sounds like a fun task: List out the best games of the year, then pick a favorite. Proceed to avoid any injuries while vigorously patting yourself on the back, then move on. Unfortunately for us (and maybe fortunately for you), it gets a little more objective than that. We looked at each game through a particular set of criteria. Many of these games are best sellers, but sales were never a consideration. Innovation is important, technical reliability as well as sophistication factors in, how accessible it is also played a part, and the presentation is vital.

But beyond it all, it comes down to what was the most fun. What games elicited the best reaction and stayed with us the longest? What games would we recommend to people? What games will we go back to when we have time? Maybe it isn’t the most scientific way, but it is still better than the BCS.

With that in mind, we weighed and measured each game in the categories, and then picked our winners.

Also make sure to check our our picks for the Best gadgets of 2011.

Best Action/Adventure Game The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Even after 25 years, the Zelda franchise continues to surprise us. Combining a new gameplay mechanic that squeezes every inch of innovation out of the Wii, Skyward Sword is one of the best Zelda games ever made. And that is saying something.

Read our full The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword review.

Other nominees:Batman: Arkham City, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Best Competitive Multiplayer Game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

While this year’s iteration of the Call of Duty franchise didn’t win over the haters, it is still the best online game of the year. The lack of innovation is a definite issue, but the community knows what it wants. Like an annual sports release, CoD does what it has to in order to keep its massive fan base happy. MW3 does just that, and six months from now there it will still have the most vibrant online community around.

Read our full Call of Duty: Modern Warefare 3 review.

Other nominees: Battlefield 3, Gears of War 3

Best Co-op Game Portal 2

It is one thing to have a robust campaign that other people can join in, and adding a few specific modes for people to team up in is great, but how many other games had a completely original co-op game mode on top of a single-player campaign? Of the few other that games that did, how many were just as good as the solo experience, maybe even better?

Read our full Portal 2 review.

Other nominees: Saints Row: The Third, Gears of War 3

Best Driving Game Forza Motorsport 4

There were some incredible racing games this year, but there was one clear winner in this category. Forza 4 is the best racing simulator ever made, which made a difficult choice slightly easier. What with it being amazing and all. “Best driving game” will be a tough title for the franchise to hang onto, but for now, Forza reigns supreme.

Read our full Forza Motorsport 4 review.

Other nominees: DiRT 3, Driver: San Francisco

Best First-Person Shooter Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

In what will no doubt be one of our more controversial choices, there is a reason that the Call of Duty formula continues to be used: It is still the best offering out there. The campaign nicely concludes a storyline that began with Call of Duty 4, the Spec Ops missions offer a solid co-op experience, and the multiplayer is a fine-tuned offering that fans will be playing well into the next year, easily

Read our full Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 review.

Other nominees: Battlefield 3, Crysis 2

Best Graphics Battlefield 3

On the PC, there is no comparison to the new Frostbite 2.0 engine. Someday real life will just be kinda dull looking, and engines like Frostbite 2.0 will be the reason. God help us all when Frostbite 5.0 comes out. It will cripple reality. The engine is simply amazing, and the better the system, the further your jaw will drop. On the console, it takes a bit of a hit as you would expect, but still comes off looking better than any other game this year.

Read our full Battlefield 3 review.

Other nominees: Crysis 2, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Best Remake/Re-release Ico/Shadow of the Colossus

When people discuss video games as art, there are generally two games that are on most gamers’ list: Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. The only problem with these games is that hardly anyone actually played them. Then once word about them got around, there were scant few copies to find, as most held onto their copies, or flipped them on eBay for ridiculous amounts. Now the games have the chance to shine again, as both are available in a single package featuring shiny new graphics and a discounted price.

Read our full Ico/Shadow of the Colossus review.

Other nominees: God of War: Origins Collection, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition

Best Role-Playing Game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

It used to be tough to pick the best RPG of the year, until we took an arrow to the knee. The source of numerous Internet memes, with more options than most people will ever be able to experience in a lifetime, Skyrim is a game that people will be playing for years and years. And years.

Read our full Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim review.

Other nominees: Dark Souls, The Witcher 2

Best Sports Game NBA 2K12

The NBA 2K franchise has quickly climbed the mountain and crowned itself as the preeminent sports franchise around. But the truly amazing thing is that you don’t need to like sports to enjoy it. 2K Sports took a sport that was incredibly difficult to realistically adapt as a video game, and not only made it fun and accessible, but made it look easy. Even people who don’t like the sport of basketball should give this game a try.

Read our full NBA 2K12 review.

Other nominees: FIFA 12, MLB 11: The Show

Best Survival-Horror Game Dead Space 2

Combining the sci-fi and survival-horror genres has given Visceral Games the opportunity to create scenarios that are totally original. Sure, walking down a dark hall until something jumps out at you and tries to eat you isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but floating outside a space station perched on the remains of one of Saturn’s moons, attempting to repair machinery before your air runs out while dodging attacks from enemies you can’t hear is very cool.

Read our full Dead Space 2 review.

Other nominees: Dead Island, F.E.A.R. 3

Best Writing Assassin’s Creed: Revelations

Of all the games out this year, few will have as long lasting of an impact in terms of story that AC:R did. Ezio Auditore is one of the best video game characters of the last few years. Part of the reason for that is because we have seen him grow and change, and been with him as he has learned and matured. Now we are forced to say goodbye to the man as he comes to grips with his age, the life he has chosen to live, and the sacrifices he has made. Set against the backdrop of the Ottoman Empire as it rose to power, AC:R is a narrative story grounded in reality, and etched with historical details. And special kudos for Ubisoft to have the guts to end a wildly successful character’s story.

Read our full Assassin’s Creed Revelations review.

Other nominees: Portal 2, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Best Handheld Game Super Mario 3D Land

While the 3DS continues to suffer from a lack of decent software, there are a few exceptions. Super Mario 3D Land takes full advantage of the system, including the 3D, and creates a Mario experience that should appeal to fans young and old.

Read our full Super Mario 3D Land review.

Other nominees: Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection,The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

Best PC Game Battlefield 3

While MW3 is the online king of the consoles, Battlefield 3 dominates on the PC. It is a different experience thanks to the 64 player limits, plus the enhanced PC graphics make it an outstanding game. PC gaming has become a much smaller portion of the gaming industry compared to consoles, but that isn’t something PC gamers should fear — rather it is something console gamers should regret.

Read our full Battlefield 3 review.

Other nominees: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

Best PS3 Exclusive Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

There were several great PS3 exclusives this year, but none were as impressive as Uncharted 3. Following the success of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, many critics wondered if developer Naughty Dog had found an incredible formula, or just caught lightning in a bottle. Uncharted 3 proves that Naughty Dog knows what it is doing.

Read our full Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception review.

Other nominees: InFamous 2, Resistance 3

Best Xbox 360 Exclusive Forza Motorsport 4

Whether you’re a gearhead looking to tune your way to victory, or just someone who enjoys the odd race, Forza 4 is a must own. With over 500 cars, numerous races, and content that is constantly changing thanks to the online features, Forza 4 is not just the best driving game around, it transcends the genre and is one of the best games of the year.

Read our full Forza Motorsport 4 review.

Other nominees: Gears of War 3, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition

Best Wii Exclusive The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

The Wii is in its twilight years, and soon the Wii U will steal the spotlight. Skyward Sword has proven that the system isn’t quite ready to pack it in yet, as the Wii chugs along like a marathon runner who is close to the finish line but has hit “the wall,” and tries for that elusive 100 million consoles sold mark.

Read our full Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword review.

Other nominees: Kirby’s Return to Dreamland, Rayman: Origins

Game of the Year Portal 2

When people ask for a game recommendation, there is always an asterisk on that recommendation. Maybe it is a good game but too violent for the squeamish. Maybe it is an incredible experience, but only if you have a lot of time and patience to invest in it. Portal 2 is simply a game that does everything right. From the dialog to the voice acting to the clever puzzles, the game has almost no flaws.

The biggest knock that most people (us included) had against Portal 2 was that once you solved the puzzles in the single player campaign, then the co-op campaign, there really wasn’t much left to do. Valve knew that was going to be an issue, so it released a decent-sized expansion pack. For free. It then further sweetened the pot and promised a level editor, also for free.

Throw in two of the funniest protagonists/antagonists in GLaDOS and Wheatley, not to mention the incredibly funny life lessons from Cave Johnson, and you have a winner. Portal 2 is simply a joy to play, and that is why it is our game of the year. Someone should make it a cake.

Read our full Portal 2 review.

Other nominees: Batman: Arkham City, Dark Souls, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Forza Motorsport 4, Gears of War 3, L.A. Noire, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings

This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

British military updating war simulators to keep up with Xbox games

metrogame — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:05:23 +0000

Britain’s Ministry of Defense wants to update its solider training tech and is looking at Xbox games with an envious eye. Apparently, newer recruits who have grown up with the latest generation of gaming consoles tend to lose interest with the MoD’s unrealistic simulated training war games.

The MoD currently uses something called Battlespace2; troops that were sent to Afghanistan had training with this digital war simulator. However, the older system’s clunky graphics don’t measure up to popular commercial first person shooters such as the Call of Duty series, Battlefield 3 or Killzone 3. The military just hasn’t had the money to keep up with the advances of the lucrative gaming industry.

In an interview with The Guardian, Technical team leader for the MoD’s Science and Technology Lab, Andrew Poulter said: “Back in the 1980s and 1990s, [defense] was far out in front in terms of quality of simulation. Military-built simulators were state of the art. But now…you can buy a commercial game that will be far more realistic than the sorts of tools we were using. The truth is, the total spending on games development across the industry will be greater than spending on [defense].”

The military has generally been steering towards cost-effective technology improvements–such as giving recruits iPad’s instead of having to continuously update large training manuals, as well as relying more on digital battle simulators as training budgets get cut. Poulter points out that live training can be cut down and could serve the purpose of cementing skills already learned in digital training; this would mean less resources consumed, such as ammunition, explosives or using tanks and other military craft.

Poulter and his team are working on better image generation, and are focusing on more realism as opposed to the entertainment focus of commercial games. Though plot will still be needed by the military games to immerse recruits, Poulter wants to prioritize how “credible” the mechanics are, for example: how far bullets travel, how digital cars respond to controls, or the atmosphere when a convoy gets bombed. However, ultimately the goal is to engage recruits so they remember their lessons on the real battlefield.

“Virtual Battlespace is quite good fun, and we want trainees to want to do training,” said Poulter.

This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

The Benefits of Video Games

metrogame — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:07:23 +0000

( High-tech parenting writer Scott Steinberg, a professional keynote speaker and business consultant, is launching a new book series, “The Modern Parent’s Guide,” and a companion video show, “Family Tech: Technology for Parents and Kids.” The following is excerpted from “The Modern Parent’s Guide to Kids and Video Games,” which will be free to download at www.ParentsGuideBooks.com in February 2012.)

Opinion by Scott Steinberg:

In addition to understanding the many real concerns that today’s parents have with video games, it’s also worth considering the benefits and positive aspects that contemporary interactive entertainment choices provide.

Certainly, many popular titles today are M-rated and intended for discerning adults, given the average age of today’s gaming audience. But the vast majority of games can be played by a broad range of ages and still manage to be fun and engaging without resorting to foul language or violence.

“Games can definitely be good for the family,” says the ESRB’s Patricia Vance. “There’s plenty of selection. Oftentimes I think parents feel that they’re not because video games in the media are portrayed as violent, and hardcore games tend to get the lion’s share of publicity. But parents also need to be comforted knowing that E for Everyone is by far largest category [of software]. Nearly 60 percent of the almost 1,700 ratings we assigned last year were E for Everyone, which means there’s a huge selection of games available that are appropriate for all ages.”

In fact, most video games do have quite a few redeeming qualities – even those with violent content. All games can and do have benefits for players, and in a number of different and sometimes surprising ways.

Educational Benefits for Students

A recent study from the Education Development Center and the U.S. Congress-supported Ready To Learn (RTL) Initiative found that a curriculum that involved digital media such as video games could improve early literacy skills when coupled with strong parental and teacher involvement. Interestingly, the study focused on young children, and 4- and 5-year-olds who participated showed increases in letter recognition, sounds association with letters, and understanding basic concepts about stories and print.

The key for this study was having high-quality educational titles, along with parents and teachers who were equally invested in the subject matter. That way kids could discuss and examine the concepts that they were exposed to in the games. Also interesting is the value that video games are proven to have even for very young players. A study by the Education Department Center further found that low-income children are “better prepared for success in kindergarten when their preschool teachers incorporate educational video and games from the Ready to Learn Initiative.”

Older children such as teens and tweens can benefit from gameplay as well. Even traditional games teach kids basic everyday skills, according to Ian Bogost, associate professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and founder of software maker Persuasive Games. “Look at ‘World of Warcraft’: You’ve got 11-year-olds who are learning to delegate responsibility, promote teamwork and steer groups of people toward a common goal.”

Games that are designed to help teach are having an impact on college-age pupils as well. Following a recent 3D virtual simulation of a US/Canadian border crossing, wherein students assumed the role of guards, Loyalist College in Ontario reported that the number of successful test scores increased from 56 percent to 95 percent.

Educational Benefits for Adults

Surprise: Adults can learn something and benefit from video games, too.

As mentioned earlier, research underway by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) indicates that video games can help adults process information much faster and improve their fundamental abilities to reason and solve problems in novel contexts. In fact, results from the ONR study show that video game players perform 10 percent to 20 percent higher in terms of perceptual and cognitive ability than non-game players.

As Dr. Ezriel Kornel explains on WebMD.com, playing certain video games (e.g. Brain Age or Guitar Hero) can also improve hand-eye coordination, enhance split-second decision making and even, potentially, boost auditory perception. Just playing isn’t enough, though, says Dr. Kornel. The key is that you have to be improving each time you play, because in order to improve you have to be learning.

“Anytime the brain is in learning mode,” Kornel says, “there are new synapses forming between the neurons. So you’re creating thousands of connections that can then be applied to other tasks as well.”

Someday, a video game might even save your life, as games are already benefiting students and practitioners in the medical field too. A study published in the February edition of Archives of Surgery says that surgeons who regularly play video games are generally more skilled at performing laparoscopic surgery. In addition, according to Dr. Jeffrey Taekman, the director of Duke University’s Human Simulation and Patient Safety Center, “serious games and virtual environments are the future of education.”

Besides offering medical students the ability to practice on patients (which is much safer in the digital world), simulations offer health care providers several upsides. Chief among them, Taekman says, are the abilities to make choices, see results and apply information immediately.

Beyond allowing for greater scalability and group collaboration than traditional classrooms, every decision made in a virtual world, he continues, can be tracked and benchmarked against best practices, then standardized or archived for others’ review. “The traditional textbook will soon become passé,” he suggests. “Gaming platforms will offer an interactive way for students to learn and apply information in context.”

Improved Multitasking

Other carefully-designed studies have also shown that action video games can improve several aspects of brain activity, including multitasking. According to studies by Daphne Bavelier, a professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester, video gamers show real-world improvements on tests of attention, accuracy, vision and multitasking after playing certain titles.

“If you think about it, the attentional and working memory demands of video games can be much greater than other tasks,” says Michael Stroud, a professor of psychology at Merrimack College. “Consider Pac-Man as an example. In Pac-Man, you must navigate your character through a spatial layout while monitoring the separate paths of four additional objects (the ghosts), while keeping the overall goal of clearing the small pellets in memory, as well as keeping track of the remaining large pellets.”

“Think about how this may apply to skills such as driving,” he continues. “When you drive your car, you are faced with a constantly changing environment in the road, not to mention several other distractions that compete for attention that reside in the car. At the same time, you are attempting to navigate through the environment to reach a goal.”

Social Benefits

Games with broad appeal that are easy to grasp can additionally help many families play together, and better bridge the gap between generations. Consider a title like hip-wiggling simulation Just Dance, which can have young kids dancing alongside their grandparents.

There are also many games that have positive social messages that encourage families to be a force for good. In a series of experiments published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, researchers found that participants who had just played a “pro-social” game in which characters must work together to help each other out as compared to those who had just played a “neutral” game (e.g. Tetris) were more likely to engage in helpful behaviors. Examples included assisting in a situation involving an abusive boyfriend, picking up a box of pencils or even volunteering to participate in more research.

So-called “serious games,” specifically designed to teach and inform, are also having an impact on the world. Titles like the United Nations’ Food Force teach kids about real-life issues, humanitarianism and the practical challenges facing governments and private organizations today. In the game, children must complete six different missions that reflect the real-life obstacles faced by the World Food Programme in its emergency responses. Other games, like Nourish Interactive’s online Chef Solus and the Food Pyramid Adventure, teach kids about the benefits of healthy eating habits, while still more highlight pressing geopolitical and social issues, e.g. the Global Conflicts series.

Upsides can even extend into the physical world. Consider Facebook game Ecotopia. In summer 2011, players of the popular social game met a challenge from its creators and planted 25,000 trees in the game world in 25 days, leading the game’s developer to plant 25,000 trees in real life.

Career Benefits

Future career choices for today’s tots will no doubt be influenced by technology in a way that is difficult for many parents to imagine too. Skills learned and honed playing home console and video games, as well as mobile gaming apps, will undoubtedly be very valuable to students in the workforce of 2025.

As mentioned earlier, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) has proclaimed that kids need more, not less, video game play. They argue that video games hold the potential to help address one of America’s most pressing problems – preparing students for an increasingly competitive global market.

“The success of complex video games demonstrates that games can teach higher-order thinking skills such as strategic thinking, interpretative analysis, problem solving, plan formulation and execution, and adaptation to rapid change,” the Federation announced in a 2010 report. “These are the skills U.S. employers increasingly seek in workers and new workforce entrants.”

Games are increasingly being used to educate and instruct workers around the globe by governments, trade bodies and the world’s largest corporations as well. From Cisco Systems’ The Cisco Mind Share Game, which facilitates network certification, to the US Department of Justice’s Incident Commander, in which emergency responders practice coordinating disaster relief efforts, the number of practical examples continues to grow. In fact, a recent study by the Entertainment Software Association found that 70 percent of major domestic employers have utilized interactive software and games for training purposes, and nearly eight out of 10 plan on doing so by 2013.

Going forward, in addition to polishing your resume and interview skills, who knows? You may even want to brush up on your button-mashing abilities.

Encouraging Cooperation and Teamwork

Many games today also emphasize the cooperative aspects of game play, in which two or more players need to work together in order to reach a common goal. For instance, games like Lego Star Wars or Kirby’s Epic Yarn are enhanced by having players cooperate to solve in-game puzzles.

Massively multiplayer games such as LEGO Universe and Lord of the Rings Online further offer added depth, atmosphere and enjoyment by allowing players to band together and work as a team in order to complete certain quests or defeat especially tricky opponents. Game industry analysts such as DFC Intelligence actually predict that video game revenue will reach nearly $70 billion by 2015, thanks in large part to these online, cooperative, subscription-based games that can be played together. Small wonder top titles like Star Wars: The Old Republic and Titan (the next MMO from Blizzard, the company that created World of Warcraft) continue to resonate so strongly with millions worldwide.

Even the way that games are made can encourage teamwork. At Washburn University in Kansas, students study the game development process as a way to build teamwork and collaborative skills.

“It taught me to work in a group,” said Washburn student Adam Bideau of the program in a recent interview with the Washburn Review. “Video games are not created by just one person and they require you to work well with others. You have to pool everyone’s talents together in order to produce the required product.”

Building Confidence

Researchers from McGill University’s Department of Psychology have created and tested computer games that are specifically designed to help people enhance their self-acceptance. The researchers drew on their experience playing repetitive computer games and devised novel counterparts that would help people feel more positive about themselves.

Even games that aren’t specifically designed to do so can still help kids feel a sense of achievement, based simply on the basic principles involved in what makes a good game. Through puzzles, exploration and discovery, players learn to succeed in ways that some researchers say our brains actually prefer. Most games are designed to introduce a concept, such as jumping, and then provide players with an opportunity to master it. Players are then free to explore and utilize and achieve success with this new skill, growing in self-confidence all the while.

Promoting Exercise

All parents know that kids need a healthy combination of physical and mental exercise. Happily, today’s motion-controlled games for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Kinect, Nintendo’s Wii and Wii U, and Sony’s PlayStation Move help kids get both kinds of workouts at the same time.

Better yet, people of all ages are finding them a more approachable way to stay physically fit. While many shy away from exercise because they see it as an activity that isn’t enjoyable, organizations like the American Heart Association now cite, and even recommend, video games as a fun and entertaining way to enjoy physical activity.

Upsides of active play are considerable too. A study reported in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine of 39 Boston middle-school children who played with six different interactive gaming systems found that the games “compared favorably with walking on a treadmill at three miles per hour, with four out of the six activities resulting in higher energy expenditure.”

Organizations supporting individuals of all ages and interests are additionally using active games to help get people up and moving. Nursing homes, cruise ships and even after-school programs all now employ active video games in some form to help stimulate both the mind and body.

The good news: People seem to be enjoying active play more than ever. Healthy diversions such as Wii Fit and Zumba Fitness continue to be some of the most popular and best-selling games year in and out.

Group and Social Play

Video games can also have some very important effects on family relationships, and deserve to be thought of as something that can – and should – be played together.

It’s always seemed obvious to families that activities like playing board games, make-believe, or even making music together could strengthen the family bond. But many parents view video games as a solitary, sedentary, time-wasting activity, when the truth is that video games have in fact emerged as a viable option for family game time that can potentially offer great benefits to families who are willing to enjoy them together. You won’t be alone if you do decide to take the plunge either. According to the ESA, 45 percent of parents play computer and video games with their children at least weekly, an increase from 36 percent in 2007.

Families that embrace playing video games as part of their everyday life are likely to find themselves enjoying a greater sense of cohesion and communication than families who still view video games as an idle, meaningless and solitary pursuit. As a result, it’s small wonder that so many in this day and age are putting away the cards and dice and turning to high-tech alternatives for modern family game nights.

Moving, thinking, cooperating, helping, learning, empathizing, growing, seeing the world from other perspectives… video games can help kids and families do all these things and more. So talk to your friends, do the research and seek out games that your family likes to play and that you as parents are comfortable with, then consider making play a part of your regular routine. Chances are, you won’t just have a great time – you’ll also make lasting memories and connections with your kids while doing so.

Nintendo DS Lite Onyx Black + One Bonus Games Three Free Stylus and Silicon Case – Nintendo ANINUSGSKBK4

metrogame — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 07:54:04 +0000

new nintendo games in 2011: Nintendo DS Lite Onyx Black + One Bonus Games Three Free Stylus and Silicon Case – Nintendo ANINUSGSKBK4
Customer Reviews
This Nintendo DS XL silicone gel skin cover case is made out of durable, soft, and flexible material and is custom made to fit your phone perfectly. The Nintendo DS XL silicone gel skin cover case allows for easy access to all buttons and ports. Plug your charger, cable, or headset without removing the Nintendo DS XL silicone gel skin cover case. Prevents damage to your device from objects in your pockets or purse and also gives your phone an fashionable and attractive look.

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Junior Classic Games

metrogame — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 07:50:34 +0000

new nintendo games in 2011: Junior Classic Games
Customer Reviews
Rediscover the fun of classic games! Embark on a journey through an animal world and solve timeless puzzles and exercises in Junior Classic Games. Travel through forests, jungles, beaches, deserts, farmland and more! Junior Classic Games encourages children of all ages to use their problem-solving skills with classic challenges and fun, engaging games. Bright, colorful graphics and loveable characters make Junior Classic Games for Nintendo DS the exciting new way to stretch your imagination and stimulate your brain!

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Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games

metrogame — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 07:49:45 +0000

new nintendo games in 2011: Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
Customer Reviews
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games will take players to Vancouver, Canada, host city of the official 2010 Olympic Winter Games. This gaming experience invites players of all ages and skill sets to face-off in some of the most intense winter competitions. Tailored to the specific system controls, Nintendo DS and Wii gamers will enjoy completely unique experiences thanks to each platform having its own specific gameplay features and modes. Players of all skill levels will enjoy the intuitive controls of both the Wii and Nintendo DS systems, in both single and multiplayer gaming modes. The Wii game will offer an even richer multiplayer experience offering co-op and competitive gameplay where the Nintendo DS brings an intense competitive element using the Nintendo DS wireless capabilities. Additionally, one of the new features to be found in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is its compatibility with the Wii Balance Board™ which can be used in some events featured in the Wii version, allowing for a more interactive and realistic gaming experience.

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Price: $49.99

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