video games

Personally, I find video games both relaxing and a lot of fun. And it appears that this isn't just the case for thirty-somethings like me; in fact, a new study shows that seniors who play video games are less likely to become depressed. Researchers ... at North Carolina State University recently studied the impact video games had on people aged 63 and older. Researchers separated the study's subjects (whose median age was 77) into three groups: regular gamers (who play games once a week), occasional gamers (who play games less than once per week), and people who never play video games. Senior ... (view more)

It's that time of year again: when millions of Americans will descend upon 'big box' stores and shopping malls to get their bargain 'fix' on Thanksgivings' so-called 'Black Friday' super-sales day. If you're looking for the latest technology ... hardware, you might want to check out Wal-Mart, where tablet PCs, flat-screen TVs, Blu-ray players, and video games are all on sale at reduced prices. Arguably, the biggest bargain involves Apple's 16GB iPad 2, which is available for $399 and comes with a $75 gift card. The iPad 2 typically retails for about $400, so you're essentially getting the gift ... (view more)

According to a UCLA professor, today's kids might use their brains much differently than children in previous generations. The findings could mean that current teaching and testing methods are ineffective in estimating their intelligence. Patricia ... Greenfield looked at more than 50 studies of technology's effects on children. She found that media such as television and video games do limit some aspects of their mental skills, but also help improve them in other ways. Tests over the last 50 years show a clear and consistent increase in visual reasoning skills. These involve seeing information ... (view more)

The British government is considering treating video games in the same way it treats movies by imposing legally-binding age limits. At the moment, video games are covered by a voluntary industry code. The current administration says they could come ... under the authority of the British Board of Film Classification, which rates movies. At the moment the BBFC only acts over video games which are so violent or sexual that they are banned from sale to anyone under 18, affecting 3-4% of games. It appears the government is particularly concerned about games which, while having milder content, could ... (view more)

Known for consistently referring to Second World War veterans as "the Greatest Generation," Tom Brokaw recently took a time out to slam Generations X, Y, and Z. In a radio tirade last week, he lashed out at kids today and "what they see in video ... games." Brokaw's rant was in response to last Wednesday's slaying of six Von Maur employees by 19 year old Robert Hawkins. Hawkins entered the store clad in a hooded sweatshirt, carefully concealing an assault rifle before unleashing death upon those around him. Brokaw saw the incident as indicative of a larger problem facing American teens. (Source: ... (view more)

As if gaming didn't already receive enough bad press, now it appears geese have joined senators and right-wing conservatives in a torch-waving mob: ready to storm industry giants like Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. In a recent (and somewhat strange) ... study, an American professor reached the conclusion that video games were responsible for the decline in the attendance of U.S. national parks. According to University of Illinois researcher and assistant professor Oliver Pergams, sedentary use of home entertainment is on the rise, and such a phenomenal increase is, well, somehow interesting when ... (view more)