Switched http://www.switched.com Switched http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Switched http://www.switched.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Wii Fit Used to Diagnose Concussions in Football Players]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/20/wii-fit-used-to-diagnose-concussions-in-football-players/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/20/wii-fit-used-to-diagnose-concussions-in-football-players/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/20/wii-fit-used-to-diagnose-concussions-in-football-players/#commentsFiled under:

Wii Fit used to diagnose concussionsWith concussions becoming a focal point in sports medicine, doctors and trainers are searching for new ways to diagnose these dangerous injuries. According to The Washington Post, for the past year, athletic trainers at the University of Maryland and Ohio State University have been using Wii Fit to test the balance of football players in order to more accurately diagnose concussions. To begin, athletes perform a baseline balance test, which involves either standing on the Wii's balance board and mimicking onscreen yoga poses, or shifting their weight to make marbles roll into an onscreen hole. They then receive a score based on their performance. If an athlete suffers head trauma, he's asked to perform the tests again. Doctors and trainers can then compare the second results with the baseline score to see if any balance has been lost -- a telltale sign of a concussion.

Many college athletes spend their downtime playing video games, so they're comfortable with these tests, and even have fun with them. But fun and comfort only mean so much, since a concussion is tough to diagnose by balance alone. As long as the Wii Fit's results are used to supplement regular check-ups, and not to supplant them, we say let the head games begin. [From: The Washington Post]



SwitchedWii Fit Used to Diagnose Concussions in Football Players originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>concussionsfootballgaminghealthinjuryresearchsportstopVideoGamesWiiwii-fitWiiBalanceBoardFri, 20 Aug 2010 08:10:00 EST<![CDATA[South Korean Psychiatrists Dose 'StarCraft' Addicts With Antidepressants]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/20/south-korean-psychiatrists-dose-starcraft-addicts-with-antidep/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/20/south-korean-psychiatrists-dose-starcraft-addicts-with-antidep/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/20/south-korean-psychiatrists-dose-starcraft-addicts-with-antidep/#commentsFiled under:

Psychiatrists treat 'Starcraft' addiction with antidepressants.
In a radical new study, South Korean psychiatrists at Chung Ang University, College of Medicine, claim to have reduced participants' desire to spend hours online playing 'Starcraft' by dosing them with antidepressants. According to Wired UK, 11 participants in the study took doses of Bupropion, which also reduces the desire to smoke, over a six-week period. These participants were chosen because they had each regularly played 'Starcraft' for at least four hours a day. That didn't strike us as too excessive, until we read that six of the participants had missed more than two months of school, and that two of them had been divorced -- all because of their addictions. But, after drug treatment, the group's desire to play 'StarCraft' dropped by 23.6-percent, and the overall amount of time they spent playing the game dropped by 35.5-percent (maybe because they were zonked out on pills). Furthermore, MRIs of the player's brains post-drug intake showed weaker reactions to pictures of Zerglings -- the six-limbed raptors from 'StarCraft.' If the prospect of a Zerg-rush doesn't excite a medicated player, perhaps the cure to the 'StarCraft' disease has been found. [From: PubMed.gov, via: Wired UK]

SwitchedSouth Korean Psychiatrists Dose 'StarCraft' Addicts With Antidepressants originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 07:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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screenshot from 'milo'
You might not know this, but Peter Molyneux is a genius (well, according to Managing Editor Leila Brillson, since they are best friends). The man behind 'Black & White' and the 'Fable' series isn't content to hand gamers a controller, and tell them to mash buttons until the baddies are gone. He wants you to empathize with the characters, engage emotionally with the game, and consider the moral implications of the choices made in the virtual world. According to Molyneux, himself, his latest project, 'Milo,' is less of a game and more of a "very, very big tech demo." After seeing it in action, we can safely say it's one of the most compelling "tech demos" ever.

After the break, you'll find Molyneux's recent TED (Technology Entertainment and Design) talk, wherein he gives a lengthy demonstration of interaction with Milo, a virtual child who has just moved to America, through words and motions courtesy of Kinect. The really interesting stuff is the AI; Milo (or Kate, if you choose his female counterpart) are completely unique creations. These highly interactive and emotive characters are different (even if just slightly) every time you play the game. What's more, thanks to the power of the cloud, Milo will grow and become smarter over time, able to recognize more words and objects as you introduce them to his world. We do wonder if Molyneux is purposely building a Skynet-like computer that will one day turn on us and enslave the human race... but we also can't help wanting to hang out with Milo before that day comes. [From: TED, via: Engadget]

Continue reading Peter Molyneux's Milo, the Virtual Child, Gets Shown Off at TED

SwitchedPeter Molyneux's Milo, the Virtual Child, Gets Shown Off at TED originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-Man Running on a Voting Machine
Electronic voting machines are notoriously buggy and hackable. Even the manufacturers of DRE (direct recording electronic) voting talliers have admitted so much. Some states have even gone as far as to ban the touchscreen devices. While they may not be great at recording votes (or leaving a paper trail), it turns out their outdated PC-like innards are perfect for playing retro arcade games. This particular machine, the AVC Edge, houses a 486 processor and 32 MB of RAM, making it about as powerful as a 15-year-old PC. Researchers J. Alex Halderman from the University of Michigan, and Princeton's Ariel J. Feldman managed to open the machine, overwrite the embedded psOS+ operating system with the more pedestrian DOS, and install 'Pac-Man' -- all without leaving any evidence that the machine had been physically altered (aside from the ghosts chasing a yellow circle around the screen, that is).

Continue reading Electronic Voting Machine Hacked to Run 'Pac-Man'

SwitchedElectronic Voting Machine Hacked to Run 'Pac-Man' originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Games On The Go: Zombies, Aliens and other Monstrosities
It may not be Halloween yet, but that doesn't mean we can't spend some time haunting and hunting amongst the monsters and the freaks. This week, we'll find out why sandworms are the new zombies (and why zombies aren't quite played out yet), we'll try to survive on desert islands (without the aid of any soccer ball companions), we'll turn slack-jawed yokels into canned food, and we'll delve into gaming madness with the Panopea generosa (i.e., the King Clam, one of the strangest game protagonists we've ever encountered). All for free, and all at your desk. You're welcome.

Continue reading Games on the Go: Zombies, Aliens and Monsters... Oh My!

SwitchedGames on the Go: Zombies, Aliens and Monsters... Oh My! originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abductionbrowser-basedbrowser-gameCastawaycolumnseffing wormsEffingWormsflash gamesFlashGamesgamesonthegogeoduckgraveyard shiftGraveyardShiftmonstermonstersTimeWastertimewasterstopvideogamesThu, 19 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA['StarCraft' Used to Teach Management Skills at the University of Florida]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/18/starcraft-used-to-teach-management-skills-at-the-university-of/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/18/starcraft-used-to-teach-management-skills-at-the-university-of/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/18/starcraft-used-to-teach-management-skills-at-the-university-of/#commentsFiled under: ,

StarCraft Education

The University of Florida is not the first college to offer a course in 'StarCraft,' but it is the first to offer one that at least pretends to have some intellectual value beyond boosting your APM (actions per minute) rate. EME2040, or 21st Century Skills in 'StarCraft' is being taught by Nate Poling, and uses the blockbuster real-time strategy game as a tool for teaching lessons about time and resource management, as well as "adaptive decision making." Poling says that managing businesses and facilities like hospitals and factories require skills similar to those required by 'StarCraft' -- namely tracking units that have distinct specialties.

21st Century Skills in 'StarCraft' is only available to students enrolled in the honors college and who have at least a "basic knowledge of and experience playing 'StarCraft'." Shockingly, this is also the first online-only course taught at the University of Florida. The goal for Poling is to help his students learn by doing, rather than reading an endless parade of books and articles on the finer points of resource management. Of course, hospitals aren't about to hand the reigns over to a bunch of college kids (even if they are honors students), so Poling has turned to the next best thing: games. The obvious choices here would have been 'Sim City,' or perhaps 'Lemonade Tycoon,' but the split-second decision-making and reflexive recall of unit-specific information make 'StarCraft' a much better sim of real world management skills. [From: Technology Review]

Switched'StarCraft' Used to Teach Management Skills at the University of Florida originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The tablecloth Hour

We've always wanted to try yanking a tablecloth off a table without destroying all of the fancy place settings. Leave it to our experimental friends from the east to tap into our strangest wants. According to Arcade Heroes, a new Japanese arcade game called 'The Tablecloth Hour' requires players to pull an actual piece of fabric, which yanks a virtual tablecloth from an onscreen table. Naturally, the object is to pull the cloth with just the right amount of touch and quickness so that the virtual dishes don't crash to the floor. If you make your way over to Taito Station in Shibuya, Japan to test the console out, feel free to shout, "TA-DA!" for us. [From: Arcade Heroes, via: Oh Gizmo!]

SwitchedJapanese 'Tablecloth Hour' Brings Virtual Yanking to the Arcade (Finally?) originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Solipskier' flash game

Our favorite online games are the simple ones with a high-replay value (e.g., 'Canabalt'). It doesn't hurt if they're free, either. The latest title to drag down our productivity is a 2-D side-scroller called 'Solipskier' that asks gamers to guide a stick-figure skier down the slopes -- while drawing those said slopes. Like we said, it isn't a complex game, with the simple objective to navigate your skier through green gates while doing tricks and not falling to your death. That gameplay alone would get boring (Ed. Note: Um, remember 'SkiFree'?), so 'Solipskier' also asks you to draw the game's landscape by clicking and dragging your mouse across the screen. If you stop, the ground will disappear and the stick-figure skier will tumble to his death.

We're still learning the physics behind drawing a smooth slope, so we won't share our shamefully low high score yet. But we can say we'll be staying late after work tonight to improve it. [From: Indie Games and Solipskier, via: Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

Switched'Solipskier' Is a 2-D Timewaster That Combines Skiing and Drawing originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 15 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Galactic Inbox
Here's a cute little timewaster for Gmail fans: 'Galactic Inbox.' The premise is simple: You control a mighty winged Gmail envelope tasked with disposing an onslaught of baddies, including cans of what we presume are a major brand of luncheon meat. You blast your way until you meet the boss, a birdcage with spiked balls for arms holding other Gmail envelopes hostage. Your goal, obviously, is to destroy this message-hoarding meanie and free your little brother and sister envelopes. Impressively, the whole thing is coded in HTML5. For the best experience, it's highly recommended that you use either Google Chrome or the Firefox 4 beta, otherwise playing might be more like watching a slide show. [From: Gmail Blog and Monocubed]

SwitchedGmail Saves the Universe in 'Galactic Inbox' originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 14 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Retro Arcade Museum
Just a few dozen miles north of the Switched headquarters, in Beacon, New York, lies the Retro Arcade Museum, a storefront on the corner of Main and Schenk Streets loaded with the sorts of vintage arcade goodies that would make even the most steel-willed nerd weep. But an archaic law, one that is more widespread than you might believe, has caused the life's work of Fred Bobrow to be shut down, at least temporarily. It turns out that Beacon still has legislation, dating to the 1940s, that bans pinball machines within the city limits. Beacon wasn't alone in outlawing machines during the era, as most major cities in the U.S., including New York, forbade the machines as well.

The closing of the Retro Arcade Museum has inspired a backlash, including a Facebook page calling for its reopening. The mayor, Steve Gold, has responded to the media attention (as evidenced in the CNN report below), explaining that the shuttering of the museum was based on noise complaints from the building's other tenants. Gold said he worked closely with Bobrow, but that it was a serious challenge to satisfy the needs of the surrounding businesses and residents and to rewrite the ordinance that led to the closing of the business.

Continue reading Retro Arcade Museum Shut Down Over Arcane Anti-Pinball Law

SwitchedRetro Arcade Museum Shut Down Over Arcane Anti-Pinball Law originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Games On The Go
The fantasy genre has always held particular sway over various corners of geek culture. (In fact, some might say that J.R.R. Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy gave birth to what we consider fandom today.) Ancient lands populated by fearsome beasts, wizards, warriors and mystical objects have provided fertile landscapes of escapism for countless books, movies, and, of course, video games. Fantasy has set the stage for some of the most popular gaming franchises around today, from the 'Dungeons & Dragons' inspired origins of 'Final Fantasy' and 'Dragon Quest,' to the orcs and elves of 'World of Warcraft' and the 'Elder Scrolls' series. Today, we'll delve into dank dungeons, climb gargantuan beasts, and slay countless enemy hordes in a quest to quench our thirst for fantasy gaming.

Continue reading Games on the Go: Final Fantasies for Flash

SwitchedGames on the Go: Final Fantasies for Flash originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eposfantasyflash gamesFlashGamesgamesonthegogreat dungeon in the skyGreatDungeonInTheSkyheironslaughtRPGssynopsis quest deluxeSynopsisQuestDeluxetopvideogamesThu, 12 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands On With OnLive: On-Demand Gaming Scores, but Still Clouded With Issues]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/10/hands-on-with-onlive-on-demand-gaming-scores-but-still-clouded/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/10/hands-on-with-onlive-on-demand-gaming-scores-but-still-clouded/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/10/hands-on-with-onlive-on-demand-gaming-scores-but-still-clouded/#commentsFiled under: , ,

OnLive
Although, for a time, the video game industry valiantly staved off the recession while other enterprises suffered, console game sales did eventually stagnate before precipitously dropping. Online gaming currently thrives, though, particularly with enormously popular titles like Zynga's 'FarmVille' and 'Mafia Wars.' Other services like Xbox Live, which reportedly generates billions in revenue, also demonstrate that certain aspects of gaming can experience resounding success while still producing absurd profits.

Given the colossal audience of social networking sites and streaming services like Hulu and Netflix, the adoption of such financially sound models by the video game industry represents a boundless and untapped gold mine. Enter OnLive, a service that seeks to provide video games instantly to users (on an array of devices), while also enabling trash-talking friendly networking. Currently experimenting with an invitation-only, pre-release program, OnLive showcases industry veteran Steve Perlman as CEO, and claims stalwarts like AT&T and Warner Bros. among its supporters.

The cloud-based game service, which also plans to release a MicroConsole in the fall, won't require lengthy, storage-sapping downloads. But will it provide seamless, uninterrupted gaming at a competitive price? That question, as well as numerous others, remains to be conclusively answered.

Continue reading Hands On With OnLive: On-Demand Gaming Scores, but Still Clouded With Issues

SwitchedHands On With OnLive: On-Demand Gaming Scores, but Still Clouded With Issues originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuresgaminghandsononliveplaypassreviewstopvideo gamesVideoGamesTue, 10 Aug 2010 15:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Billy Mitchell, 'King of Kong' Loser, Becomes Gaming Champ Once Again]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/09/billy-mitchell-king-of-kong-loser-becomes-gaming-champ-once/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/09/billy-mitchell-king-of-kong-loser-becomes-gaming-champ-once/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/09/billy-mitchell-king-of-kong-loser-becomes-gaming-champ-once/#commentsFiled under:

billy mitchellBilly Mitchell, the ostensible villain of 'King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters' and recently usurped 'Donkey Kong' champion, doesn't like to lose. Despite the fact that he did lose the latter title to Steve Wiebe in 2006, he eventually regained the world championship, and retained it for three years. Then, in March of this year, a dude named Hank Chien muscled out Mitchell with 1,061,700 points, beating the Sauce King's previous score of 1,050,200. But, like some kind of nerd hydra, Mitchell has just come back, and edged out Chien.

Verified by Twin Galaxies -- the arcade gaming mecca and a primary setting of 'King of Kong' -- Mitchell set the new record for 'Donkey Kong' at 1,062,800 points. But his ego could not be sated by reclaiming the Kong crown; he also decided to set the record for 'Donkey Kong Jr.' with 1,270,900 points, replacing former champ Mark Kiehl, who had achieved 1,253,000 points.

Continue reading Billy Mitchell, 'King of Kong' Loser, Becomes Gaming Champ Once Again

SwitchedBilly Mitchell, 'King of Kong' Loser, Becomes Gaming Champ Once Again originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Achievement Unlocked 2'
If you're looking for a way to blow off work (or recover from that marathon session of 'StarCraft II'), there's now a sequel to everybody's favorite meta-flash game, and, yes, it has even more possible achievements than the original. 'Achievement Unlocked 2' stars everybody's favorite blue elephant as it runs, jumps, dies, stands still, avoids death by spikes, collects coins and performs other mundane tasks in order to attain the 250 in-game achievements. The game basically lampoons the achievement-based design of countless other games, but, of course, its genius is that it makes you want to accomplish every one of its achievements. We're ashamed to admit it, but we're hooked -- once again. There's nothing quite like a game that makes you feel good about doing nothing at all. [From: Kotaku and Armor Games, via: Rock, Paper Shotgun]

Continue reading 'Achievement Unlocked 2' Revives the Blue Elephant for Time Wasting Fun

Switched'Achievement Unlocked 2' Revives the Blue Elephant for Time Wasting Fun originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 07 Aug 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>achievement unlockedAchievementUnlockedflashFlashGameFlashGamesgamesgamingonlinegamingtime wastersTimeWasterstopvideo gamesVideoGamesWebSat, 07 Aug 2010 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[CyberMotion Simulator Helps Scientists Steer a Course Toward Robo Racing]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/07/cybermotion-robocoaster-helps-scientists-steer-a-course-toward-r/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/07/cybermotion-robocoaster-helps-scientists-steer-a-course-toward-r/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/07/cybermotion-robocoaster-helps-scientists-steer-a-course-toward-r/#commentsFiled under: ,

Robocoaster

With a massive, controllable robotic arm, many unprecedented and momentous tasks become achievable. Such an appendage could perform difficult rescue missions, extraordinary construction tasks and urgent emergency responses. But, its greatest perk might be the reactive, mid-air environment it can contribute to incredibly awesome gaming sessions.

Germany's Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics has created a CyberMotion Simulator Robocoaster for just that high-flying function. (The Nobel Prize winning founder of quantum physics must be proud.) The Robocoaster simulator allows gamers to realistically drive a Ferrari F2007 through a Formula 1 course, while cradled in an enormous, responsive and elevated robotic hand. The Institute's Paolo Robuffo Giordano believes his group's enhanced "six-axis Kuka KR 500" should be used as "a fundamental tool to understand how humans experience the sensation of motion." But two unanswered, pertinent questions require a resolution: Who is the lucky guy in the video? And, how do we get his job? [From: ieee Spectrum and YouTube]

Continue reading CyberMotion Simulator Helps Scientists Steer a Course Toward Robo Racing

SwitchedCyberMotion Simulator Helps Scientists Steer a Course Toward Robo Racing originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 07 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car techCarTechcybermotion simulator robocoasterCybermotionSimulatorRobocoasterferrari f2007FerrariF2007formula 1Formula1gamingMaxPlanckRoboticArmsix-axisSIXAXIStopvideo gamesVideoGamesSat, 07 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[NFL's Quinn Pitcock Makes Comeback From Video Games Addiction]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/06/nfls-quinn-pitcock-makes-comeback-from-video-games-addiction/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/06/nfls-quinn-pitcock-makes-comeback-from-video-games-addiction/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/06/nfls-quinn-pitcock-makes-comeback-from-video-games-addiction/#commentsFiled under:

Quinn Pitcock
A young professional athlete isn't the first image that pops into our heads when we think of video game addicts. But, according to the Seattle Seahawks official website, defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock left his former team, the Indianapolis Colts, because he was depressed and addicted to video games. Pitcock was so depressed that he felt like he couldn't face another year in the NFL, so he quit in 2008. "I ended up using video games as my out, I got sucked into that," he said on the team's website. "I got lost to the world." He retreated into his apartment and played games for hours on end, an addiction that became a greater problem than his depression.

Now, in the mold of all great sports stories, he's getting a second chance in Seattle. With professional help for depression and his own methods for kicking addiction (smashing and burning all his games), Pitcock has tamed his demons, and wants to start a charity organization to help others who battle with gaming addiction. [From: Seattle Seahawks, via: Kotaku]

SwitchedNFL's Quinn Pitcock Makes Comeback From Video Games Addiction originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Racer

To a certain extent, racing games take after one another in concept, so it would seem that true innovation would be difficult to find in a car game. But not for Designer Malte Jehmlich, whose game 'Racer' fuses an arcade booth, a remote-control car outfitted with an onboard camera, and a track constructed of old refrigerator boxes. All in all, it's an augmented reality version of a game you might have played back before the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. He designed the track to have the look and feel of the '90s classic 'Wipeout,' claiming that he did so "not only for style, but first of all for efficient use of material."

Jehmlich spent the better part of two months building 'Racer,' and now the whole system can be set up in less than three hours. Aside from the player having to physically be in the same room as the track, the gameplay is similar to racing on a more traditional system. Players sit in the arcade booth, and control the car via a steering wheel and monitor. Menus and timing graphics are overlaid on the screen, which displays the car's point of view in real time to further reinforce the illusion of a classic-style game. Part racetrack set (as you can watch the car actually drive through the track) and part arcade game, this augmented reality game might make the casual builder dust off his or her own track pieces and forgotten Nitro RC car. [From: Co. Design]

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Switched'Racer' Game Puts Driver in P.O.V. of Real Life RC Car originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-manCooperstown, New York and Ottumwa, Iowa will soon share an unbreakable bond -- as cities that host a hall of fame. According to USA Today, the International Video Game Hall of Fame will induct its first class of 29 members this weekend. The honored include the classic arcade game 'Pac-Man,' 'Mario' creator Shigeru Miyamoto, the Xbox design team, video game record holders Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe, and still others. But why Ottumwa? The city gained notoriety in the '80s for holding some of the first competitive gaming tournaments at the Twin Galaxies arcade, which is owned by Walter Day, a force behind the International Video Game Hall of Fame. Mayor Dale Uehling told NPR in an interview that this makes his town "The Video Game Capital of The World," a strong claim for a town of only 25,000. [From: USA Today, NPR and IVGHOF]

SwitchedVideo Game Hall of Fame Opens in Iowa, Inducts 'Pac-Man' in First Class originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Games on the Go: Platformers
For many, the original 'Super Mario Bros.' is the quintessential video game. Not only did it help the NES to usher in a new era of home consoles, but it also popularized a genre that would come to dominate gaming for decades: the platformer. Platformers arguably originated with 'Donkey Kong,' which also starred the plumber-protagonist Mario, and challenged gamers to leap over hazards, climb ladders and traverse perilous platforms suspended in mid-air. 'Super Mario Bros.' was released five years after 'Donkey Kong,' and cemented the core mechanics of the genre: daring leaps across gaps and onto ledges and platforms, precariously placed in a horizontally scrolling landscape. The genre soon came to define 8- and 16-bit gaming with such classics as 'Castlevania,' 'Metroid' and 'Sonic the Hedgehog.' While platformers evolved into the realm of 3-D with 'Super Mario 64', its traditional, two-dimensional form still holds a fond place in the hearts of many gamers. Thankfully, indie and flash game development has led to a smorgasbord of incredible new platformers to satiate any aficionado. Today we'll present our picks of some of the best.

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SwitchedGames on the Go: Jump Up and Get Down With Platformers originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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screenshot of 'foldit'
Foldit may seem like a relatively straightforward game, but the scientific theory behind it is anything but. Created by Washington University's Seth Cooper, the game requires players to deconstruct the complex, three-dimensional structures of various proteins -- a task typically left to biochemistry PhD students or researchers. Foldit, though, allows even novices to enter the world of protein architecture, thanks to its intuitive game controls, colloquial language and clear tutorials. Instead of wrapping their minds around arcane scientific concepts, users simply have to "tweak," "freeze," "wiggle" and "shake" the shapes that appear before them. As Discover reports, only one-eighth of Foldit players actually work in a scientific field, and a full two-thirds have had no biochemistry training beyond high school.

According to Cooper, the game is designed to "attract the widest possible audience... and encourage prolonged engagement." That's why, for example, he added a competitive element to the game, by scoring users based on the stability of their final protein structures, and ranking them against fellow gamers. Foldit also has a social aspect, as users can chat with each other, and collaborate on different puzzles.

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Switched'Foldit' Lets Gamers Unintentionally Make Scientific Breakthroughs originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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