Usually when "video games" and "depression" show up in a sentence together, there's a research team trying to prove that playing video games causes or at least correlates with depression, especially in kids and teens.
Think of it as a very specialized version of SimCity; one that replaces UFOs, monster attacks and city-flattening meteors with political unrest and economic upheaval; and replaces charming tiny animated people with real-time charts and in-person advisers.
Video games might be the key to fighting off some of the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson's Disease, according to research results released this week.
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--8DwtIv_---/c_fill,g_north,h_358,w_636/18j1rttscefmmjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--vFGiuru1--/c_fill,g_north,h_180,w_320/18j1rttscefmmjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--zIudYIAg--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/18j1rttscefmmjpg.jpg, (large)])
First Russian President Dimitri Medvedev joined Twitter. Next he visited Twitter and Apple HQs. Now he's suggesting that someone make a World of Warcraft knock-off to teach about his country's history.
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--aprZHJbs--/c_fill,g_north,h_358,w_636/18j1x9dqku3kapng.png, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--Vp5vst7T--/c_fill,g_north,h_180,w_320/18j1x9dqku3kapng.png, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--liyI8ICD--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/18j1x9dqku3kapng.png, (large)])
I'm a bit of a physics hobbyist. That doesn't mean that I understand or can even converse in the language of motion, but I love reading about it.
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--tfYOHj_9--/c_fill,g_north,h_358,w_636/18j3fmscgtafmjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--pct_EonW--/c_fill,g_north,h_180,w_320/18j3fmscgtafmjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--ULdtOcOM--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/18j3fmscgtafmjpg.jpg, (large)])
Grace's Diary has players work their way through an interactive story, working to discover what happened to Grace and, perhaps, learning the danger signs of Teen Dating Violence.
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--rN2b_HyJ--/c_fill,g_north,h_358,w_636/182hbv022baipjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--_kLg1_Gr--/c_fill,g_north,h_180,w_320/182hbv022baipjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--yVUL2CoH--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/182hbv022baipjpg.jpg, (large)])
In a large theater at the 2010 Game Developers Conference, ten thousand game makers gathered for the Independent Games Festival and Game Developers Choice awards ceremonies, where the best indie and mainstream games of the year are celebrated by and for their creators. In between the two, an unusual video was shown.…
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--abFP_pgY--/c_fill,g_north,h_358,w_636/18hfa6d88qahfjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--i2CT-FEg--/c_fill,g_north,h_180,w_320/18hfa6d88qahfjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--wssawlss--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/18hfa6d88qahfjpg.jpg, (large)])
There are, perhaps, few more disconsonant scenes than of the austere silence of the library and the boisterous play of video games, but a growing movement is starting to put the two under one roof.
The Chronicle of Higher Education sat down recently with Will Wright to talk to him about the value of educational games. Not only did they get some great money quotes, they got some great money business cards!
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--0myyISvh--/c_fill,g_north,h_358,w_636/18hgu5pdtoaoyjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--j3bRL4Mh--/c_fill,g_north,h_180,w_320/18hgu5pdtoaoyjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--DQI2V4-J--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/18hgu5pdtoaoyjpg.jpg, (large)])
Why exactly should libraries carry video games? Or music or movies for that matter? Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of free gaming, but I can't help but question the increasing multimedia nature of libraries.
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--BqZCvdLK--/c_fill,g_north,h_358,w_636/18hgy0t252ok8jpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--K9ENpx2n--/c_fill,g_north,h_180,w_320/18hgy0t252ok8jpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--xRLpPvol--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/18hgy0t252ok8jpg.jpg, (large)])
A 10-year-old girl left paralyzed by a virus four years ago is learning to walk again thanks to her doctors and a copy of Wii Fit, Ireland's Herald.ie writes.
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--Zdywcgev--/c_fill,g_north,h_358,w_636/18j52r6yu8pbrjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--lp4o4MaU--/c_fill,g_north,h_180,w_320/18j52r6yu8pbrjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--ZHS14-x3--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/18j52r6yu8pbrjpg.jpg, (large)])
From the makers of Gas Attack, a pinball machine that teaches about flatulence, comes Urine the video game.
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--FSi8clU1--/c_fill,g_north,h_358,w_636/18j52udej9gznjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--IGPLsTG_--/c_fill,g_north,h_180,w_320/18j52udej9gznjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--bw0TyOWx--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/18j52udej9gznjpg.jpg, (large)])
I've seen plenty of edumacational games and I'm always delighted to explore how they surreptitiously teach people as they play a game. But this is the first time I've played a edu-pinbal game.
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--SCQmn7YF--/c_fill,g_north,h_358,w_636/17n17mn7t1kryjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--yQeE61eD--/c_fill,g_north,h_180,w_320/17n17mn7t1kryjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--b2JJbf81--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/17n17mn7t1kryjpg.jpg, (large)])
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--BKYOal_7--/c_fill,g_north,h_358,w_636/17mxd7mnxf1x2jpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--0PDXpGMX--/c_fill,g_north,h_180,w_320/17mxd7mnxf1x2jpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--GYW7a8ap--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/17mxd7mnxf1x2jpg.jpg, (large)])
More than $2 million in grants is being handed out to teams researching how video games can improve players' health.
