With the technology that we have nowadays, it is possible to recreate almost any scenario in real life and integrate it into games. One prime example is simulating rides such as flying a plane, driving a car, to even riding a roller coaster. The games give us a first person perspective point of view as the game is being played. This is as realistic as it gets to actually experiencing the real thing.
With the simulation games comes risks as well. For individuals who are prone to motion sickness such as vertigo and nausea, virtual games may not be the best choice; however, there has been new research into this issue for potential to ease the situation. It is said that various physiological systems are the cause of simulator sickness. The real science behind motion sickness is the fact that our perceptual system does not like it when the motion of our body and our visual system are out of synch. There has been evidence that playing games which are less intense in terms of having fixed visual reference objects- such as a racer's dashboard or a cockpit controls within the user's field of view has shown to lessen the chances of developing motion sickness.
What researchers did was astounding. They developed something called a "nasum virtualis," which was in fact a "virtual nose" which was in fact a human nose that was then placed in the middle of the video display. A study was conducted on some 41 people whom all had the virtual nose inserted into their gameplay. Whilst playing the games, none of them noticed that there was even a nose in the middle of the screen, as it did not affect their gameplay. It did however, eliminate any chances at having motion sickness as the nose acted as a frame of reference to help ground the player.
Experts are still astounded and amazed at the success of the virtual nose. However, they are still yet to figure out the real reason behind why having it really works. According to one scientist, he says that "our suspicion is that you have this stable object that your body is accustomed to tuning out, but it's still there and your sensory system knows it."
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Motion-sensor gaming
Video gaming has undergone a mass transformation process ever since it was first introduced and developed. The first video games were simply blocks on a screen, which was ultimately the game Pong. Fast forward a couple of years and you have colored graphics, and then forward another 10-20 years and you have what we call today motion-sensor gaming. Nintendo was the first company to develop this type of technology, followed by Sony and then Microsoft.
The Nintendo Wii was the first device to have motion-sensor technology integrated in it. Launched in 2006, the device was an instant success on the video game market grossing millions of dollars in revenue from sales. Its motion-sensor technology is built right into the controllers and consoles. The console can then determine where the remote is relative to the console in a 3D environment, which allows for interactive gaming through movement of the controller itself. The positive aspect about the Wii is the fact that it brands itself as a motion-sensor console unlike the XBox and Playstation where you would have to pay for them additionally. If you are looking for an interactive and fun console to enjoy with the family, then the Wii is definitely your console of choice. For $129.99, you get a game, Wii Sports included when you purchase the console.
Besides the Wii, Sony and Microsoft have also developed motion-sensor devices to supplement their consoles. For Sony, there is the PlayStation Move, which is a device that consists of a spherical camera called the PlayStation Eye and Move Motion Wands that can be detected by a camera in 3D space. Microsoft developed the Kinect which is a rectangular shaped device that includes a built-in depth camera. The Kinect is probably considered as the most realistic form of motion-sensor gaming, as it does not require a remote in order to interact with the camera. The Kinect can also be used for multiplayer games at once, so that one does not have to purchase additional devices.
In terms of performance wise, I would have to side with the PlayStation Move as it has the best performance out of all 3. Although, the price tag may seem a little towards the pricier end of the spectrum, it is well worth the money as the gameplay itself is for the most part smooth and flowing. Thanks to motion-sensor technology, we are getting closer and closer towards actually physically being in the game.
The Nintendo Wii was the first device to have motion-sensor technology integrated in it. Launched in 2006, the device was an instant success on the video game market grossing millions of dollars in revenue from sales. Its motion-sensor technology is built right into the controllers and consoles. The console can then determine where the remote is relative to the console in a 3D environment, which allows for interactive gaming through movement of the controller itself. The positive aspect about the Wii is the fact that it brands itself as a motion-sensor console unlike the XBox and Playstation where you would have to pay for them additionally. If you are looking for an interactive and fun console to enjoy with the family, then the Wii is definitely your console of choice. For $129.99, you get a game, Wii Sports included when you purchase the console.
Besides the Wii, Sony and Microsoft have also developed motion-sensor devices to supplement their consoles. For Sony, there is the PlayStation Move, which is a device that consists of a spherical camera called the PlayStation Eye and Move Motion Wands that can be detected by a camera in 3D space. Microsoft developed the Kinect which is a rectangular shaped device that includes a built-in depth camera. The Kinect is probably considered as the most realistic form of motion-sensor gaming, as it does not require a remote in order to interact with the camera. The Kinect can also be used for multiplayer games at once, so that one does not have to purchase additional devices.
In terms of performance wise, I would have to side with the PlayStation Move as it has the best performance out of all 3. Although, the price tag may seem a little towards the pricier end of the spectrum, it is well worth the money as the gameplay itself is for the most part smooth and flowing. Thanks to motion-sensor technology, we are getting closer and closer towards actually physically being in the game.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Compulsive video gaming
Yes, there is such a thing as playing too much video games, and yes scientists have related it to a specific type of disorder. Compulsive video gaming is a modern-day psychological disorder that is starting to affect more and more gamers in the world. Thousands of people have flocked to countless addiction centers around the world in order to treat their addiction to video games.
Psychologists feared that video games could take over the lives of the kids that play it, and needless to say it has in fact been deemed true. But the big question now is, "can a game truly become addicting?" The answer to that is yes and to experts, they deem it as a "clinical impulse control disorder."
What is the true definition of addiction? According to WebMD, they set forth the following criteria in order to determine whether an individual fits the category or not. 1. The person needs more and more of a substance or behavior to keep him going. 2. If the person does not get more of the substance or behavior, he becomes irritable and miserable. In order to fully diagnose someone with the disorder, one of these two criteria must be present.
Compulsive also meets this criteria as severe withdrawal symptoms in game addicts can be observed. Symptoms such as becoming angry, violent, or depressed may occur.The scientific evidence to this disorder is however quite inconclusive as experts have linked the reasons for video game addictions to elevating amounts of dopamine.
Well, I'm guessing that you are still thinking to yourself, "how does becoming addicted to video games more harmful than drug addiction?" According to experts, video game addiction can become a serious issue and potentially ruin children's lives. In other words, playing too much video games can alter a child's social development in the long run.
Treating this order can be pretty simple, although it may require an extensive amount of time for things to return back to normal. The trick is, "to show gamers that they are powerless over their addiction, and then teach them "real-life excitement as opposed to online excitement." In other words, to get pull them out of their comfort zones and break boundaries by interacting in the outside world.
Psychologists feared that video games could take over the lives of the kids that play it, and needless to say it has in fact been deemed true. But the big question now is, "can a game truly become addicting?" The answer to that is yes and to experts, they deem it as a "clinical impulse control disorder."
What is the true definition of addiction? According to WebMD, they set forth the following criteria in order to determine whether an individual fits the category or not. 1. The person needs more and more of a substance or behavior to keep him going. 2. If the person does not get more of the substance or behavior, he becomes irritable and miserable. In order to fully diagnose someone with the disorder, one of these two criteria must be present.
Compulsive also meets this criteria as severe withdrawal symptoms in game addicts can be observed. Symptoms such as becoming angry, violent, or depressed may occur.The scientific evidence to this disorder is however quite inconclusive as experts have linked the reasons for video game addictions to elevating amounts of dopamine.
Well, I'm guessing that you are still thinking to yourself, "how does becoming addicted to video games more harmful than drug addiction?" According to experts, video game addiction can become a serious issue and potentially ruin children's lives. In other words, playing too much video games can alter a child's social development in the long run.
Treating this order can be pretty simple, although it may require an extensive amount of time for things to return back to normal. The trick is, "to show gamers that they are powerless over their addiction, and then teach them "real-life excitement as opposed to online excitement." In other words, to get pull them out of their comfort zones and break boundaries by interacting in the outside world.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Video games as a form of education?
When video games were first invented, the people that popularized it took it solely for the purpose of entertainment. Back in the good old days, it was considered to be a good stress reliever as well as a good way to socialize with others. Video games were first introduced in bars with the game Pong jumping right into the minds of the general public. As the game started making rounds around the country, people fled to bars to test their skills in a game of Pong. The game became so popular that the arcade revolution was born. Soon, following the arcade period, consoles came into play and is still existent to this day. There have been many different consoles developed by numerous gaming companies throughout the entire world.
Fast forward to the present day. Video games are literally everywhere. From one's console, to a portable Play Station, or even a Nintendo DS, to even the ever so ingenious smartphones that we use today. As the industry progressed and grew at a rapid rate, video game developers started to think more specifically about individual audiences that they wanted to target in order to create games that were suitable for the specific age group. In fact, one group of the public has attempted to integrate video games as a form of method to supplement their tasks: teachers. Yes, teachers. No you're not reading it wrong. Teachers have attempted to integrate video games as a form of supplement to their teaching in order to allow their students to have a better understanding of the concepts.
They find that students tend to learn better from getting exposed to something that they hold particular interest in. Using video games as a form of educating would most definitely draw most of the kids to want to learn about math or history per say. In using technology to teach kids, it also gives them early exposure to an important tool that they are almost certainly going to be using in the future, as well as ultimately building up their knowledge of concepts in the classroom.
Although this theory has been proposed, it has not yet been fully adapted by all of the schools in the country as it is still a project in the making. Many teachers however have attempted to incorporate video games in their teachings. There also actually have been no studies to prove that video games can benefit children in the form of education. However, in my opinion I believe that video games would definitely benefit children in many different ways such as having different games for different concepts in order to maximize the amount of knowledge that the kids are exposed to. Also, if the video game is set up to be visually appealing, that would also play a big factor in encouraging children to want to learn. So yes, I believe that this could be a crucial tool for children of the future as they are lucky enough to be exposed to such advanced technology, which would hopefully in turn make them more intelligent.
Source:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-video-games-are-the-future-of-education/
Fast forward to the present day. Video games are literally everywhere. From one's console, to a portable Play Station, or even a Nintendo DS, to even the ever so ingenious smartphones that we use today. As the industry progressed and grew at a rapid rate, video game developers started to think more specifically about individual audiences that they wanted to target in order to create games that were suitable for the specific age group. In fact, one group of the public has attempted to integrate video games as a form of method to supplement their tasks: teachers. Yes, teachers. No you're not reading it wrong. Teachers have attempted to integrate video games as a form of supplement to their teaching in order to allow their students to have a better understanding of the concepts.
They find that students tend to learn better from getting exposed to something that they hold particular interest in. Using video games as a form of educating would most definitely draw most of the kids to want to learn about math or history per say. In using technology to teach kids, it also gives them early exposure to an important tool that they are almost certainly going to be using in the future, as well as ultimately building up their knowledge of concepts in the classroom.
Although this theory has been proposed, it has not yet been fully adapted by all of the schools in the country as it is still a project in the making. Many teachers however have attempted to incorporate video games in their teachings. There also actually have been no studies to prove that video games can benefit children in the form of education. However, in my opinion I believe that video games would definitely benefit children in many different ways such as having different games for different concepts in order to maximize the amount of knowledge that the kids are exposed to. Also, if the video game is set up to be visually appealing, that would also play a big factor in encouraging children to want to learn. So yes, I believe that this could be a crucial tool for children of the future as they are lucky enough to be exposed to such advanced technology, which would hopefully in turn make them more intelligent.
Source:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-video-games-are-the-future-of-education/
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