The thing about being too engaged in newly purchased game consoles such as the Playstation and Xbox consoles is that time flies when you are having fun. A game console aimed for all ages, people are too glued to their television playing their favorite games such as NBA Live, Tekken or even Gran Turismo that they end up lacking sleep from playing until the wee hours of the morning.

Such produces a hypnotic type of a trance for gamers that simply want to complete a level or stage in storylines that these games have to offer. The game developers are not to be blamed since it is really their job to make the game as addicting as possible.

Self-discipline among the people who endorse and play this game should be done internally. It is their duty to ensure that they know when to stop even if they don’t want to. Besides, they can pull-it out anytime they wish to, when they have nothing else to do in real life.

[tags]playstation, xbox, games, sleep disorder[/tags]

Tags: games, PlayStation, sleep-disorder, Xbox

Most hardcore gamers today who are obviously after the best game play methodology would usually be left with either choosing a gun or a sword in his own role playing expedition in the usually created game worlds today. Such has been seen from the games that have been clamored to by millions such as Gunbound and Runescape. Both have their own style of game play, either medieval times or old western style shoot-around.

Depending on the theme of the developed game or the actual purpose of usual storylines that would guide the new player towards his journey, people are sure to be befuddled with what type of character they would want to create and develop. For medieval worlds, warriors and magicians would usually be the primary categories of choice. But if there is one thing that a hardcore gamer should be aware of, he must ultimately decide on one character creation first before moving on to choosing other character types with special skills. Patience in this type of game play is a rarity but can be an asset if used well.

[tags]gunbound, runescape, rpg, online games[/tags]

Tags: gunbound, online-games, RPG, runescape

I came across a short article by Christopher Dawson over at ZDNet posing the question “Do game consoles have a place in primary education?” His rationale is as follows:

However, the new game, Cosmic Family, is a slick game filled with puzzles and animation. While the puzzles are engaging, the Wii itself, with it’s motion-sensitive Wiimotes, takes a remarkable amount of coordination and sensitivity to operate.

As I watch the kindergarten teacher work to develop just this sort of skill, I have to wonder if there might not be a place for systems like the Wii (with a limited selection of appropriate software, of course) in early elementary education, just as there is for desktop or laptop computers.

It seems to me that the Wii could be a great tool for developmental work, as well as occupational or physical therapy for particular students with identified needs in these areas. The parent in me feels a knee-jerk sense of horror at the thought of Nintendos in classrooms or gymnasiums. However, the technologist in me sees some new tools that just might take us beyond technology for the sake of technology.

I understand how a parent can feel that sense of “horror” at the thought of video games in school. But then again, it really depends on your perspective. If you see video games as a tool to enhance your children’s educational experience, it would probably be a sense of elation and not horror that you would feel.

I think the bottom line here is control and discipline. Just like any other school subject, the idea of using video games for educational purposes should be monitored and guided strictly. I think that it is a perfectly good idea to expose young children to technology – learning and fun together, don’t you think so?

Tags: education

Is your child gaining too much weight? Then buy him video games! But hold your horses, we have to qualify what kind of video games you have to buy. According to a team of researchers from Hong Kong, obese children can benefit from video games which urge them to move.

Of course the first thing that entered my mind when I read this was the Wii. However, there are other video games out there that provide similar benefits. One India reports:

“A recent active gaming concept that allows players to experience various activities (e.g., bowling, fishing, tennis, golf) in a virtual world is the XaviX gaming system (SSD Company Ltd., Shiga, Japan),” the authors said.

“In addition to the exercise gaming modalities, the XaviX system includes a gaming mat (XaviX J-Mat) that allows participants to travel the streets of Hong Kong at a walk or a run, avoiding obstacles and stamping out ninjas,” they added.

Robin R. Mellecker, B.Sc., and Alison M. McManus, Ph.D., of the Institute of Human Performance, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, measured heart rate and energy (calorie) expenditure in 18 children age 6 to 12 (average age 9.6) during a 25 minute gaming protocol.

“Our data demonstrate that the two active gaming formats result in meaningful increases in energy expenditure compared with the seated screen environment. The next step is to test whether active gaming interventions can provide sustainable increases in childhood physical activity,” the authors said. The study is published in the September issue of Archives of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Not bad, eh? I think the Wii is still the king when it comes to these kinds of things but I am also thinking that more and more in the industry will follow suit.

Tags: health, obesity, video game

Yes, that is for real. There is such a thing as a peeing game. Ok, the name is not that crude (I apologize if I have offended some with the title) but the idea is basically that. Dubbed the Super Pii Pii Brothers (there isn’t much of a difference, is there?), the game involves putting on a belt harness and making sure that the neverending stream of urine goes straight where it should be – the toilet.

The guys at ThinkGeek played this game themselves and this is what they have to say:

The play mechanics are simple. Prepare yourself by strapping on the included belt harness and jacking in your Wiimote. A series of toilets are presented on screen and the challenge is to tilt your body to control a never-ending stream of pee. Get as much pee in the toilets as you can while spilling as little on the floor as possible. Sounds easy eh? Well the toilets open and close whack-a-mole style and occasionally the stray cat or other cute critter pops up. Spray a cat for extra points. Get too much pee on the ground and your game is over. With realistic fluid dynamics for the pee and over 100 different bathrooms from bars and palaces to automatic Japanese style toilets you’ll be entertained for hours. And wait until your friends see the multi-player mode with dueling pee streams…

According to the Japanese text on the box “Super Pii Pii Brothers promotes good bathroom skills and allows women to experience for the first time the pleasure of urinating while standing.” What we say is that virtual peeing is damn fun!

Uhhh…ok…

Tags: Think Geek, video game

I never thought that someone would name their child Wii but I have been wrong before, and I am wrong now. There is, in fact, a guy named Wii and he got his name way before the Wii (console) was conceptualized. Wii Yatani is a 26-year-old graphic artist from Manhattan. No, it is not a nickname. It is in fact his birth name.

Did he have anything to do with Nintendo’s naming their gaming console? Not in the least. In fact, Nintendo probably did not know he existed until he contacted them to be their spokesperson. Even then, the company did not pay him any mind, which, I think, is just rude. If I were part of Nintendo’s PR department, I would have capitalized on the coincidence. It’s not like Wii (Yatani) would be detrimental to the company, right?

Anyhow, just imagine how the salesperson at the store reacted when she saw Wii’s name on his credit when he paid for his own Wii a couple of months ago! I would have loved to be that salesperson! Of course, Wii (the man) has gotten used to all the jokes his friends would make about his name all his life. Then again, with the advent of the Wii (the console), he has new jokes to contend with. Here’s an excerpt from the article where I discovered Yatani:

And they’ve given him the ability to introduce himself in a new way: “Now, when I meet people I say, ‘My name is Wii. I’m the original.’ ”

Yatani gets new jokes now too. His friends ask him: “Oh, Wii, are you going to go home to play with yourself?” Laughing, he said he gets that “all the time now.”

Lucky man!

Tags: Wii

Among the notable games that are coming out would be the off-shoot of popular sports and athletics such as the NBA, NFL and the NHL. These sporting events usually lead the headlines of the newspaper sports headlines and people are given the opportunity to be able to experience them through developed games in the various game consoles of the Playstation and Xbox series.

Each game comes with the usual updated player rosters, teams, statistics and signature moves that players are known for. Games like NBA Live and Madden Football also have the feature of a dynasty or story mode which allows controllers to be able to dictate and follow the development and evolution of their created or existing players throughout their career. Teams are also another good thing to build on since building dynasties is synonymous to planning and strategic management in a different approach and aspect from such developed games today.

Tags: nba-live, nfl, PlayStation, PS2, PS3, Xbox

For game consoles, the need for a gamer to be familiar with the controller buttons which corresponds to a particular command in the chosen games such as Tekken and Mortal Kombat is a need to enjoy the game and interface much easier. Such controller buttons once combined properly will produce special moves and secret effects that make the gaming experience for games a whole lot worth it.

Truth of the matter is that most games, either fighting or role playing games offer more than just graphical presentation to impress the gamers. For older people the essence of game play and hidden secrets in games is something that they would initially want to crack. A good source to find out such hidden codes and combinations would be the Internet. A lot of sites like Gamespy offers such codes and walkthroughs for gamers to practice them once they get the chance to try it out for themselves in their PlayStation, Xbox and Wii game consoles.

Tags: PlayStation, ps, PS2, PS3, PSP, Xbox

Online games have been numerous and originating from all parts of the world, particularly in the Asian countries of Korea, Taiwan and Europe. Practically anyone can log on to such gaming servers, either through downloading the game client or through purchased compact discs that contain the relevant files to be able to play the game. Among the known games include Ultima Online, Runescape, World of Warcraft Gold, and Freestyle Basketball.

There are also the usual games developed by the Yahoo group, like Bookworm, Lemonade Tycoon, Family Feud or Chess. These games are more of an individual type, although features to have a two player game are available for selected games such as Chess.

Overall, it will be all whittled down to which is important, game play or graphics. For actual role playing games, it is a toss up. For hardcore gamers, the game methodology is the more important thing over the graphics since they have been exposed to various games already. Graphics such as 3D capability is also preferred although some may have pathetic game objectives. It is truly hard to satisfy both genres but overall, their presence over the web adds another new dimension on going online, gaming at a level where they can enjoy and converse with other people from any walk of life today.

Tags: 3d-graphics, online-games, roleplaying

Anyone who has had at two or three gaming consoles at the same time will know how irritating it can be to have to deal with all the wires associated with these toys. You also have to consider the game controllers. While the new gaming consoles have wireless controllers, the mere idea of having to buy different controllers for different consoles is not that attractive. We have no choice at the moment, however.

If Sony’s patent application is going to become a reality, though, we just might be able to use one gadget to play games using various consoles. Think PlayStation, Xbox, and the Wii. I think that they’ve also mentioned compatibility with Atari and Sega!

How is this going to work? According to the patent application, the controller will make use of an LCD screen – touch sensitive of course. This screen will display the various buttons and controls that we currently find in game controllers. Obviously, this means that the experience will not be tactile at all. It’s much like the touch screen phones and tablets in the market today. The controller will be able to store 3 different controller configurations but will display only one configuration at a time.

I can easily see how advantageous one controller for all consoles can be. However, I am not so sure about the disappearance of buttons that you can actually feel. I think the tactile experience is part of gaming, and the touch screen idea might not be well-received. Then again, that’s what many said about the iPhone.

Tags: game-controllers, gaming consoles, sony, universal remote