In a study released by The University of Utah in 2012, children with chronic illnesses such as autism, depression and Parkinson’s disease who played video games, specifically one that was designed for the study, showed signs of improvement in “resilience, empowerment, and a ‘fighting spirit’”.  Researchers believe that the reason behind this was the fact that the games evoked positive emotions as well as the built-in reward system which assisted the children in their daily battles and struggles.  Video games have also been referenced in helping improve preschoolers’ motor skills based off of research done by Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia.  According to the study, the children who played interactive games had better object control motor skills than the children who didn’t.  So don’t sweat it if your little one loves to play games on your smart phone, it’s not always a bad thing!

In addition to benefits for children, video games have also been mentioned to help with issues such as stress and depression in adults.  Video games can be a good outlet for people who suffer from mental health issues such as stress and depression by allowing them to vent their frustration and aggression.  Games can also help with physical pain, due to the good old trick of distraction.  Psychologists at the University of Washington developed a game that helps hospital patients suffering from immense physical pain.  What’s the game you ask? Simple.  “Snow World” features a virtual reality artic world where the user throws an endless supply of snowballs at a series of targets.  This game was even used in military hospitals, where it was found to assist soldiers recovering from battlefield wounds, requiring less pain medication during recovery.

Remember how your Mom always told you not to sit so close to the TV when you were young because it was bad for your eyes?  Well, it turns out that’s not always the case!  For people with cataracts, first-person shooter games like Medal of Honor and Call of Duty helped to improve their vision according to Dr. Daphen Maurer of the Visual Development Lab of Ontario’s McMaster University.  The improvement is attributed to these games fast-paced nature which requires the player to focus, helping to train the visually impaired in-order to see things more sharply.  The fast-paced nature of games is also great when it comes to decision making.  The split second choices that are required to play games successfully, often between virtual life and death, have been said to assist in decision making in the real world.  This discovery came from a study conducted by Cognitive neuroscientists at the University of Rochester in New York where they claimed that the process of taking in information about their surroundings and forcing a specific reaction was good for the brain.

Last but not least, video games have been attributed to keeping spirits higher in old age.  Researchers from North Carolina State University took a look at our aging population and came up with the conclusion that senior citizens, who played video games, even on a rare occasion, reported a higher level of happiness.

So, what did you learn today?  Video games are more than just cool characters, story lines and realistic environments.  They can actually be helpful to people both old and young, ailing or healthy.  So continue to play with pride!  And for you video game developers out there, you should take pride also, because your games can be helping people more than you know.

More than 20 years later, I get the same feeling playing the newest SimCity, but it’s also shadowed with some serious doubts.

Electronic Art’s Reputation

In short, it isn’t good. EA is plagued with consumer negativity over poor customer service and greedy practices. The hate for EA is so strong, in fact, that more than 250,000 voters made it Consumerist’s “Worst Company in America” for 2012, topping names such as Bank of America. A bank blamed in an economic crash is more favored than a video game company. That’s bad.

It’s important to keep in mind that EA didn’t make SimCity, it’s only the publisher behind the title. But that doesn’t mean the parent company’s influence doesn’t affect the final product. In EA’s case, that influence can often carry negative outcomes.

Always-Online DRM

Always-online DRM is a technology that requires a game to always have an Internet connection during play, whether you’re on multiplayer or not. Publishers will play the card of “enhanced multiplayer and cloud storage” when discussing always-on DRM, but it all comes down to piracy. By requiring an Internet connection, EA can determine whether or not you actually paid for the game. Now, a required connection isn’t the worst thing in the world, given the availability of Internet access these days, except that it doesn’t always go so smoothly.

In 2012, Blizzard released the anticipated “Diablo 3″ for PC and Mac. Like SimCity, Diablo 3 had always-online DRM, but when it came to the midnight launch, the servers were so overwhelmed that many gamers couldn’t play the game at all. Now, on its March 5 release, the same thing is happening with SimCity. EA’s servers aren’t able to handle the traffic of gamers waiting for the opening day launch. And to add to EA’s already bad press, funny pictures on sites are going up screenshotting all the login failures gamers are experiencing.

The Silver Lining

The greatest shame is that the new SimCity really is a great game. The new Glassbox technology allows you to plunge into the details of your city like never before. And the always-online thing? It does serve some purpose, because playing with other neighboring cities in the same region is more dynamic and rewarding than SimCity’s of the past. EA and Maxis really created an ecosystem to be played with, if anyone could actually play.

So, should you buy the game? My answer is yes, but not right now. Let’s see how EA handles these server issues, along with the complaints of the always-online DRM. Change.org has actually started a petition for EA to remove it from the game, and all future games. So this is something the buyers really care about.

Sony’s in the Game

Taking a step beyond their own technology, Sony is making their online games accessible on both Sony Playstation platforms and Sony Xperia Android phones and tablets. There will be three HTC models for Android that will also have access and users will be able to run these games on previous versions of Sony Playstation versions like Vita as well. Device owners will find the multi-platform accessibility to be easier to use and will be happy to know that they won’t have to purchase a game more than once to use on a different platform or device.

Intel Sinks Some Dough and Hopes

Intel has been throwing its weight around in the online gaming and world of cloud and mobile startups in Brazil (Pagpop), U.S. (NewAer) and China’s advertising startup UUcun. However the most lucrative and probably risky venture Intel has invested in has been with social game maker LIFO Interactive and the 3D engine geeks at Transmension, who got a heavy bag of cash as well. While it is not clear as of yet, what Intel is planning to do with these investments, it has been revealed that the amount spent overall has been around the $40 million mark.

Facebook Fancies a Game or Two

While investors are still reeling from the outcome of Facebook’s IPO and are continuing to suffer and wonder what will be the social network’s outcome, the most used site in the world is continuing to push the importance of play and creating more addictive games for users to play for free and for money.

While the games have not made a profit on desktop platforms, Facebook hopes to turn its fortunes to the positive by offering mobile versions of the games at a price and that users will download the apps. Mobile platforms have been increasing the popularity of the desktop versions and vice versa, just as Facebook had originally hoped for.

Facebook has the advantage on gaming because users invite their friends to play, rather than playing against the computer or against strangers who happen to be signed in. Games like “Words With Friends,” “Song Pop” and “Draw Something” are more fun because you’re competing against someone you know who is within your network of Facebook friends, according to Matt Wyndowe, head of the games and applications team at Facebook.

With more than 185,000 Facebook game apps ready for download on smartphones or tablets, it’s clear that online gaming is definitely an upwardly “mobile” investment for technology based companies and entertainment that users are happy to purchase. Making the growing technology of online gaming one that will move into a more mobile capacity going forward.

The family fun center, Strafe Gaming Lounge, has turned 101 S. Main Street in downtown Fuquay-Varina into a Winter Wonderland. It’s not just a line to see Santa, but a place for active and creative play while families wait to meet Santa.

With a bounce house, games and activities, treats and Christmas decor this local holiday attraction is a winter play place for the whole family. Children will receive a holiday craft to take home or make while they wait, a gift from Santa and a professional photo with Santa in front of his Christmas tree and cozy fireplace.

Strafe owners Deirdre Wahl and Jessica Galvanek decided to make the event a reality after discussing how going to the malls to visit Santa is too much of a hassle. “Traveling and waiting in line to see Santa is always an arduous task because it takes time just to get there and our kids are excited and fidgety in line. We thought it’d be nice to create a place where kids can be active while kids wait, instead of standing in line. And where better to put it than right where we live and work.”

Families from Fuquay-Varina and surrounding areas are invited to meet Santa and play in the North Pole from November 23 to December 23rd, 1-4pm Thursdays, Fridays & Sundays and 10am-4pm on Saturdays.

Visit http://www.strafegaming.com/santa or www.facebook.com/SantaIsComingToFuquayVarina for more information about the event.

Created by: MBAOnline.com

Gamers also interact with neighbors, which does not require too much real-time socializing. Many users simply leave messages or gifts for neighbors, and friends receive updates about other’s progress through news feeds. Other options include multiplayer games that thrive with real time interaction, such as those produced by Kixeye. A top online casino would also have real-time interaction for players looking to gamble.

Across the social-gaming styles and platforms, few things will change in the remainder of this year.

More Real-Time Interaction

The recent success of the company Kixeye suggests that users are more apt to get passionate and involved with real-time interaction games. Kixeye managed to expand from three employees to more than 250 just 2 1/2 years later, compared to the struggles of publicly traded Zynga.

It is easier to build strategies and work as a team when players can instantly communicate. Building camaraderie helps create loyalty.

More Integration for Real-Time Interaction Features

The features that make real-time game interactions, such as chat and onscreen competitions, are also likely to become more popular. This has been a cornerstone with social media sites as a way to connect, and re-connect, people to each other. They help to emphasize the social aspect of the games and help players become more connected with the other users.

Better Response Times for Tablets and Smartphones

Players are downloading gaming apps to their smartphone devices with increasing frequency. More than 70 percent of teens and adults play games on devices at least once a month. The games that can capitalize on this, by building adaptable games with fast reaction times, are going to be the ones that succeed. The direction social gaming is heading in is one of instant gratification, and the more streamlined a gaming app can be, the more satisfied the user will be.

Greater Integration with Apps on Smart Devices for Paying Features

As gaming moves increasingly to smart devices, they can be easily integrated with the existing app stores, an added bonus for game developers. Many of the games offer free play with the option of paying for different upgrades. By having the paying option readily available and easy to use without leaving the game, developers can encourage more purchases. This will also help gambling sites such as a top online casino engage users on smart devices.

Developers Finding Stronger Ways to Quantify Their Earnings

It is no secret that Zynga has not been a strong publicly traded company and that trouble has been attributed to the top brass in the company. The stock has struggled for some time, and recently some people have conjectured that the cause has been the lack of substance in trading on virtual goods. Finding better ways to quantify gains and monetize the virtual gaming system will go a long way in helping the industry to find stability.

People enjoy the ability to play games and interact with people around the world. As the culture of the digital world changes, however, the changes are often reflected in the social gaming environment. Since the industry is relatively new, there are still a number of features that are going to be fine tuned in the coming years, but these five are probably going to begin to be reflected in the coming year.

Social gaming has seen rapid changes in just the past few years, indicating a future full of anticipation and ever-growing ideas. From 3-D effects to enhancing the user experience, there is no telling where it will all land. Monetization, development, discovery, and engagement are all behind what the future holds for the social gaming stratosphere. We are all anxiously waiting what comes next.

Spread the Word

Strafe is seeking Sponsors, Participants & Volunteers for our 2nd Annual Strafe Zombie Run.  Benefits our local Fuquay-Varina High School’s Technology Initiative.

 

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Cannot be combined with any other offer, discount or special. 25% off all cards and card accessories at Strafe on Thursday 5/31/12 ONLY.