Monday, February 22, 2010

Into the FUTURE!!!

What will the future of gaming be like? The most reoccurring theme I’ve heard or read people say is that “It won’t be long now before games become virtual.” From my standings I would have to agree with everyone, for games are developing at a rapid pace just like any other type of technology out there. I mean ever since the Atari game system came out in 1977, they have come a long way and its only been 33 years. When you think about how much progress has taken place in just each decade, it makes you want to say wow!


Just from that it makes me wonder what could be possible for game companies to come up with in just this next decade. Maybe for war or some type of shooting game, they will come out with a realistic gun. That requires the user to cock and reload the weapon, while movements of your body are tracked by gloves and a jacket that you put on. Who knows what exactly the future may bring us in the gaming world. Things may ever become more 3D like, with characters or scenery that you feel like you could touch. We already have graphics that allow us to see characters breath, sweat, and move as if they were real people.

Really the next biggest step I can see in game development is in a virtual reality. Where when you move, they move and act as you do. Just like in the movie I just watched the other day called “Gamer.” Everything I watched on this made me feel this I kind of the way I can see video games evolving (minus the human controlling part), but how the kid controls every action of the game just by thinking it. I could easily see the military using some type of set up like this, to train their soldiers without sending them into the field where they could really end up dead because of a mistake.

So I guess will just have to wait and see what happens, and hope for the best really. Hope it turns out to be great though! Cant wait to see what you think may be instore for gaming!

Monday, February 15, 2010

DANGER!!!!!!



Video games and health problems have been linked together for a long time. Although with studies of the gamers themselves, I would have to say problems are more likely due to bad choices in how long we play the games. Video games have become very popular all over the world, but with research that people have done we find that there are many positive effects and less negative effects, as long as it’s done in moderation.


Games like Metal Gear Solid 4, now have a program put into them so that after an hour of playing the game or so. It forces you to take at least a half an hour break from the game. I think this is a great idea, so that it causes people to get up and do something in the meantime.

The many health benefits from Gaming are:

• Therapy by using games as a way to relieve mental stress and other emotional problems. As well as boost motor capabilities and hand strength with people who have Erb’s Palsy.

• Pain management where hospitals are using games as a way for patients, to distract themselves from their injuries like burns.

• Hand-eye coordination for people who are a little slow on their reflexes.

• The last thing I could find games useful for was problem solving, by the use of puzzles or obstacles in games to create challenges to work the minds thinking abilities.

The risks for Gaming are:

• Addiction and increased violence (very low in cases)

• Epileptic seizures

• Auditory hallucinations

• Wrist, neck and elbow pain

• Obesity

Most of these are rare and in those cases gamers should stop playing. Almost all risks with gaming are because people play them for too long of a period. Gaming is a leisure activity and just like any other should be done in moderation. We as humans are supposed to have a balance of activities to keep our minds and bodies healthy, we become bored other-wise if we do the same things over and over. In other words playing games can be great, just don’t do that forever. Get up, go out and have some fun.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Multiplayer Issues!

One thing I don’t care for is when a game company makes a great shooting, action or RPG, that’s co-op multiplayer. Then decide to change it to being single player or online. I ran into this type of thing over the weekend with the Medal of Honor series. For I used to play Medal of Honor Rising Sun all the time on my Game cube and it was a co-op multiplayer.


So I figured, since I had a friend coming over this weekend that likes to play games while he’s over. I decided to be the awesome friend I am and went to the store to buy a shooting game that was co-op. Well when I got there, I knew that the Medal of Honor Rising Sun was so the continuations of it Medal of Honor European Assault should be as well, or so I thought. I took it back home and started to play it and realized that I had made a mistake in purchasing it with-out looking. It was great for player vs. player matches though, over many locations in WWII.

So to fix this problem I went back to the game store and looked around for about fifteen minutes or so until I finally found a game with co-op multiplayer. It turned out to be Ghost Recon another game I’ve played before but never gave a thought about it. My friend and I had a great time playing the two games this weekend while my wife had a girl’s night out. Even though the snow we got tried to ruin things for us.

But anyway I would rather be able to have some fun with friends on co-op games to. For after any period of time no matter what game your playing a player vs. player just gets to boring. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way about it. Some shooting games don’t even have the option for a multiplayer game unless you go online, but I would say almost 90% of the time that requires a second gaming system. Plus not every-one can afford internet, for some of these only on-line multiplayer games. So hopefully they start doing something about this, because its really getting annoying.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Life Sucks without a Ps3

I really like playing video games on my Dad’s ps3, when I go back to Toledo now and then. I like having wireless controllers, the high definition and its ability to use wifi to connect with the internet. Unfortunately for now I only have the ps2, due to the fact that, like most college students I’m strapped for money. Especially since a ps3 system starts out at $299.00 plus tax, for that’s a lot of money. My biggest let down though even with not having enough money to buy my-self a ps3 is when I found out by a update, from play station/Sony by e-mail, that they are no longer going to be making games for the ps2 as of January 2010. This means that my long wait for God of War 3 after playing the first two, just got a lot longer.

I became so, so mad about not being able to continue the series with the system. I felt as if I had been betrayed by Sony. I really want to play this game because I became almost addicted to the first and second releases of God of War. But you don’t always get what you want, for many reasons, mine just happens to be bills and needing a job.

The game it-self is supposed to be better than the others because of a few modifications and the fact that it’s on the new system. I found my information with a quick search on God of War 3. I can wait to see all that’s in-store with the new game coming out in March. Apparently you’re going to be able to take control of mythological creatures and ride them to help you get from place to place or just use their strength to wipe out enemies. As well as they give you some new weapons like the Cestus, which they talk a little about on the website I found. All of the stuff I read on this game makes me want to play it even more. Maybe by March who knows I could have a job (I really hope I do) and can afford to buy a ps3. So that I can finally play games for, it without having to go back up to Toledo and use my Dad’s and can only play for about a couple hours on the weekend.