Is he hurt or happy?: Doctors are reporting seeing an increase in injuries incurred by people playing Wii games. Is this guy one of them?
Courtesy JoitsIt shouldn’t be surprising that the growing Wii phenomenon is making an impact at medical clinics. And I guess it only makes sense – a video game that encourages people to get up off the couch and move around actively is going to lead people into injuries.

Despite imbedded reminders in the game that participants should take an occasional break, doctors are reporting seeing an uptick in the number of “repetitive stress injuries” incurred from doing the same motions over and over. They’re also seeing some ankle sprains, twisted knees and other traumatic injuries caused by Wii activities.

Seems to me that just like with “real” physical activities, people would be better off doing some pre-Wii stretching, pacing themselves and shuffling up the Wii activities they play.

Do you have a Wii injury story? Share it here with other Buzz readers. What do you think can be done to reduce the health risks of playing Wii?

Tags : health, Wii, Wii injuries, recreation, video games, sports injuries

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A beta tester tries out the "smuggle" function: It still has a few kinks to be worked out.
Courtesy Chewy ChaCheck it out y’all: this could be the next Playstation Portable!

That model isn’t exactly in production yet, though—it’s a conceptual design of what the next PSP system could be, based on existing technology (or technology that will be practical within a few years). Its designer, Tai Chiem, is exploring how the technology could be implemented in multiple portable electronic devices, including gaming systems.

For those of you unable or unwilling to click on the link above, the new PSP concept is based on a large, flexible screen that can roll up around the cylindrical controller (which looks to be about the same size and shape as a cigar case). Controls would be on the face of the cylinder, and stereo speakers would occupy each end. The screen, when unrolled, would be made stiff by a small electrical charge.

The screen is based on organic light emitting diode technology. The difference from normal LED tech is that the light emitting layers of OLEDs are based on organic compounds. A variety of compounds, which emit different colored light when subjected to electrical current, are deposited on a polymer surface in a similar way to ink being deposited on paper during the printing process. Although there is some concern over the degradation of the light emitting compounds over time, because OLEDs emit light themselves, they don’t need a backlight like LCD screens, and they require less power to run. OLED screens are already being manufactured by Sony, and have been used in demonstrations of flexible display screens.

Because the controls of this future PSP don’t exactly look comfortable to handle, I’m assuming that the impetus of the design was primarily ease of smuggling. You wouldn’t want to try to sneak a whole crate of these anywhere, but just one of them, I’m guessing, would fit pretty well in any one of a number of common smuggling compartments. The location of the speakers on each end could lend itself to some hilarious sound effects too. The potential for a stray electric charge to erect the screen, however, is disturbing. It could make things tremendously uncomfortable for the smuggler, and put an end to any sneakiness previously underway.

What do y’all think? Cool technology for portable gaming? Or is this going in the wrong direction?

Tags : video games, Playstation, LED, OLED, display technology

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Whats the best kind?

Tags : vid games, video games, games

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Think this looks weird?: Creatures you create in Spore will put this trilobite to shame.
Courtesy kevinzimA new computer simulation game based on the theory of evolution is being released today by Electronic Arts, the same company that created the vastly popular SimCity and The Sims. I lost interest in playing video games years ago, but my kids were big fans of the Sims series.

The new game, called Spore, begins with a meteorite delivering the building blocks of life into a primordial planetary ocean. As your life-form eats and grows it acquires DNA points and traits that help it survive. Single-cell organism gradually transform into more complex multi-cellular ones that eventually develop brains, defense mechanisms, and alliances to survive long enough to further evolve - eventually - into advanced civilizations and societies.

When a new generation appears, you’re given access to the game’s Editor, and the ability to add mutations to your creature’s offspring. According to Will Wright the game’s creator the Editor is “roughly a mixture of Mr. Potato Head, an Erector Set, and clay”. Parts can be given more than just one function, so, for example, a tail can be used both as a grasper and stinging weapon if that’s what you want.

Along the way your creature can be designated a predator or prey, whichever strategy proves more useful for it to flourish. It can co-operate with other species, or you can make it competitive and just have it run roughshod over everyone else, and see how that works out for you.

Neil Shubin, a paleontologist at the University of Chicago who studies how evolutionary modifications produce different body plans, was shown the game recently and delighted by it.

“Playing the game you can’t help but feel amazed how, from a few simple rules and instructions, you can get a complex functioning world with bodies, behaviors and whole ecosystems,” he said.

Luckily, (if you haven't already done so on the earlier Spore link) you can also see a great demonstration of the game yourself just by clicking below. The rather extensive demo is given by Will Wright himself.

In the end, I think the idea is to become civilized enough to develop into a society of space colonizers (I suppose so the process can start again).

Some scientists like Shubin love the game, while others aren’t so impressed, complaining it simplifies a very complicated process. But so what? Small mutations over millions of years would take…well, millions of years to play out properly in a more realistic simulation. Do they really want my kids playing computers games more than they already are? I don’t think so.

At least by presenting some of evolution’s grand ideas, Spore just might inspire some gangly, pimple-faced kid to let go of the controller long enough to investigate further the intricacies of the science and natural selection. How could that be bad? But, I have to tell you, after watching the above video demonstration, I’m very eager to try out the game myself.

SOURCES

NYT story
Spore review

Tags : video games, natural selection, evolution, games, play

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A fun virtual party: with fewer fireballs than I expected.
Courtesy Pathfinder LindenWell, maybe not “cooler,” but new research suggests that using online interfaces (like Second Life, or mmorpgs) actually improves one’s real-life social skills. And we all know that being cool pretty much goes hand in hand with excellent social skills.

Just ask Jim Stark. Or, like, Ryan Atwood.

I mean it. Ask them.

Anyway, contrary to popular belief, these videogames may be making people better at interacting with other people. The charisma stats in darkened, very nearly empty computer rooms around the planet are skyrocketing. Part of the reasoning here is that being thousands of miles apart and disguised by virtual characters makes it easier for people to approach and interact with each other.

Sort of like how if you were drunk and wearing a teenage mutant ninja turtles mask, you might say things you would have never otherwise considered to people you’ve never even met before. Right?

The research also points out, however, that to interact in an acceptable way in a virtual world, you would have to have at least rudimentary real-world interaction skills. It helps, though, if you’ve got wicked hit points.

The PhD student behind the research said that, over the course of the study, she immersed herself in Second Life.

Also, I’ll soon be publishing my research on how drunk people dressed up as ninja turtles have exceptional personal hygiene and 150+ IQs.

Tags : video games, social science, second life

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