Gaming

"Illinois hospitals use video games for therapy"

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:52:24 -0600

The Daily Illini had an interesting article this week on the continued use of the Wii as a tool for physical rehabilitation, for conditions ranging from carpal tunnel to stroke. Sounds a lot more fun than putting pennies in a cup.

Shay, Jim (6/24/2008) "Illinois hospitals use video games for therapy: Wiis can be used to treat carpal tunnel, rotator cuff injuries." Daily Illini. Available:
http://media.www.dailyillini.com/media/storage/paper736/news/2008/06/24/News/Illinois.Hospitals.Use.Video.Games.For.Therapy-3384640.shtml

Sandra Day O'Conner working on U.S. justice system game

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:22:19 -0600

From Wired news:
"Delivering the keynote address Wednesday at the annual Games For Change conference at Parsons The New School For Design, O'Connor detailed a project she is spearheading called Our Courts, which she described as an "online, interactive civic education project for seventh- and eighth-graders" that familiarizes students with the legal system. O'Connor believes that America's youth aren't learning enough about civics, and thinks that the educational power of videogames is just the thing to change that....

The game "lets students engage in real issues and real problems," O'Connor said. It will allow them to "step into the shoes of a judge, a legislator, an executive -- teach them how to think through and analyze problems, take action and voice opinions to their elected representatives.""

Release date is scheduled for September 2009, and well known games in education researcher James Paul Gee from the University of Wisconsin at Madison is also involved in the project.

http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/06/justice-oconnor.html

Learn to Drive Nintendo DS style

Fri, 02 May 2008 13:09:55 -0600

The uniquity of portable game consoles like Nintendo DS in teens' lives is being leveraged by DreamCatcher Games and JoWooD Productions, who are producing a game for the DS that will let prospective drivers train for the written portion of the drivers license test, as well as practice in a variety of mini-games. The title is slated for a Fall 2008 release.

From a GameSpot press release (http://www.gamespot.com/ds/puzzle/driversedportable/news.html?sid=6190189&mode=all):

'April 30th, 2008 (Toronto, CANADA): DreamCatcher Games and JoWooD Productions, leading worldwide publishers and distributors of interactive entertainment software, today announced the development of Drivers Ed Portable for the Nintendo DS system. The game will allow teens worldwide to prepare for the written portion of their driver's licence examination, customized to the country, state or province in which they live.

"Nintendo DS is proving to be an exceptional platform for delivering all types of content, not just traditional games," says Brian Gladman, Global Product Marketing Manager at DreamCatcher. "Everyone needs to study for their driving test, and we're confident lots of teens will enjoy having a fun way to study the material on a platform they are comfortable with." '

Gaming addiction and Asperger's syndrome

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:42:29 -0600

Research presented at the British Psychological Society’s Annual Conference this week detailed a study of gamers, analyzing common social/psychological traits among those described as gaming addicts. The study found "that as players showed more signs of addiction they were increasingly characterised by three personality traits that would normally be associated with Aspergers, a variety of high functioning autism. These were neuroticism, and lack of extraversion and agreeableness.

The researchers believe that these people are not classifiable as having Aspergers syndrome but share some of the same characteristics because they find it easier to empathise with computer systems than other people."

More details available here: http://www.bps.org.uk/media-centre/press-releases/releases$/annual-conference-2008/computer-game-addicts-like-people-with-aspergers.cfm

Interview with Michelle Hinn from GSLIS on gaming

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:38:48 -0600

The new ACM Computers in Entertainment features a video interview with Michelle Hinn, an instructor at the Graduate School of Library and Information science, on a variety of topics including her work on accessibility in gaming. Questions include:

"1. You are writing a new book entitled "Accessibility and Usability in Game Design," can you tell us more about it?

2. You coauthored a book chapter "Literacy in the information age: inquiries into meaning-making with new technologies," what do you mean by "meaning-making" in that interesting title?

3. You are the chair of the Game Accessibility Special Interest Group of the International Game Developers Association, what are your goals and activities at IGDA?

4. How do you see the future of computer games?

5. Do you see a big difference between games designed for girls versus games designed for boys?"

Link:
http://portal.acm.org.proxy2.library.uiuc.edu/citation.cfm?doid=1324198.1324200

Wii at the Cave

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:44:49 -0600

The News Gazette published an interesting article about how the CAVE at the Beckman Institute looked to replace a wireless handheld controller for navigating virtual rooms (cost $60,000) with a Wii-mote handheld controller (cost $40).

"The upshot is that people are now using Wii controllers to fly through a heart or a DNA molecule, spear fish and navigate a maze by dead reckoning or the environs of a nuclear power plant, which are among the programs the lab has working with the Wiimote to date."

Full article:

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/u_of_i/2008/03/23/aint_wii_got_fun_super_mario_meets_super

Children of Arcadia at Krannert Art Museum

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:34:24 -0600

There's an interesting exhibition at the Krannert Art Museum (6th and Peabody) through March 30th for those interested in the intersection of gaming worlds and art - "Children of Arcadia." Quote from the program description:
"To coincide with Blown Away, the Intermedia Gallery features a new work by Mark Skwarek (with programmers Joseph Hocking and Arthur Peters) entitled Children of Arcadia. This panoramic view into a living-electronic world is realized using technologies from online video games and KAM's CANVAS (Collaborative Advanced Navigation Virtual Art Studio)."

More details here: http://www.kam.uiuc.edu/exhibitions.cfm?show=2008/spring

Libraries and DDR

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 09:58:54 -0600

Article: "Library lets patrons play DDR to avoid late fees"

From Joystiq - a "library's annual "Patron Appreciation Day" let attendees avoid their overdue fines by donating non-perishables to a local soup kitchen or playing a quick game of DDR."

I am thinking defeat 2008 New England Patriots with 2008 Oakland Raiders on Madden, but we're open to suggestions...

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/06/library-lets-patrons-play-ddr-to-avoid-late-fees/

Note: this is not the UIUC Library.

Music and Gaming Night Recap

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:26:45 -0600

The Third Annual UGL Gaming Night was jumped started by a lively panel discussion regarding music composition and design for and with gaming. This year's panel discussion focused around the multiple uses and role of music with gaming technology and within games themselves. Professors Guy Garnett and Stephen Taylor, doctoral student Ben Smith and music composers from local gaming company Voilition Ariel Gross and David Cubberly served as an expert panel. In addition to demonstrating the beta version of "Musiverse," a music composition software built right here at the University of Illinois that utilizes gaming technology and concepts, the panel spoke about the opportunities gaming technology has to both compose music for the sake of composing music and for enriching and designing video games.

Here is a shot of the panel discussion in action:

In addition to the many exciting games from UGL's gaming collection being played by Game Night participants, the Guitar Hero 3 competition drew fierce and talented competitors and fascinated spectators. Winners from the competition were:

First Place: Chad Johnston
Second Place: Yinnong Zheng
Third Place: Luke Yarger

Here are the first and second place winners shredding some plastic guitar (Chad on left, Yinnong on right):

Stay tuned for future gaming events at the Undergrad Library...

******************************************************************************
Gaming Night was co-sponsored by the Undergraduate Library and the Sousa Archive and Center for American Music. For more information or questions, please contact David Ward (dh-ward@uiuc.edu ) in the Undergraduate Library.

Gaming Night Saturday 11/3 from 7-10pm

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:36:03 -0600

Join Guy Garnett and Stephen Taylor from the University and members of local game company Volition as they discuss music and its relation to current video game technologies and production practices. A panel discussion will provide some insight into topics such as generating music as an integral aesthetic component of game worlds, a critical analysis of music in video games and their role in the game development process, as well as discussions of how composers can get involved with making music for video games. No gaming night would be complete without a friendly musical competition in the form of a Guitar Hero III contest with prizes.

The panel discussion will start a little after 7pm in room 291 on the upper level of the Undergrad Library. Consoles will also be set up to play a number of music themed games, as well as other selections from our collection. So come enjoy a night of gaming at the Undergrad with your friends...
For further information contact David Ward at dh-ward@uiuc.edu

The Olympics Of Gaming

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 13:37:28 -0600

It's a celebration!

The 7th World Cyber Games are coming to Seattle starting this Thursday, featuring competitors on national teams from around the world. Considered by most in the gaming industry to be "the" major event for competitive gaming, teams will compete for over $500,000 in total prizes. UIUC gamers, time to start practicing...

The events will not make live TV in the U.S., although parts can be seen online. For more information, you can visit the official site here:
http://www.worldcybergames.com/6th/main.asp

"Playing your way to health"

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 12:24:20 -0600

An article on Wired today describes a new kind of therapy, kind of a version for Twister/DDR for physical rehabilitation:

"Patients recovering from surgery or injuries may soon be able to physically play their way to a full recovery with intelligent robotic systems that generate specialized games to challenge the human body's abilities.

Henrik Hautop Lund, a robotics and artificial-intelligence professor at the University of Southern Denmark is developing therapy tiles that guide patients through physical routines and help them heal.

Each tile is a miniature robotic system employing neural networks. The system looks like an elaborate, electronic version of Twister. As patients step on or press the tiles with their hands, the tiles give feedback, indicating whether ther pressure is firm enough, or if the user is moving quickly enough. Individuals can use the game alone, or up to four patients can compete against each other in a game. The tiles can be assembled in any configuration on the walls and floor to create an intelligent game space. "

from:
Sandhana, Lakshmi (2007) "Robotic Therapy Tiles: Playing Your Way to Health"
http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2007/10/therapy_tiles

10 Hardest Parts of Making a Video Game

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:34:00 -0600

...at least according to Popular Science. Discusses the current state of video game creation, from the technical end of things, analyzing issues involving processing power, the difficulties of sculpting accurate artistic renditions of people, and the physics of video games.

Article link:
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/technology/8312f0209dd15110vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html

Musicverse: Games and Music

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 11:56:24 -0600

Experience the MusiVerse: KCPA Lobby, September 21st, 5 PM

On September 21st, in the KCPA lobby, you are invited to attend the
American premiere of Ben Smith's MusiVerse! Starting at 5 p.m. four
local performers will be join by a half-dozen remote performers,
connecting from around the country, to create a visual-musical
concert through the virtual space of the MusiVerse. Following the
performance will be an open demonstration time in which attendees are
invited to explore the MusiVerse through the open computer stations.

This performance is free and open to the public!

The MusiVerse was developed under the Cultural Computing Program at
UIUC, Guy Garnett, director.

The MusiVerse is a real-time, collaborative environment for creating
aural-visual performances and artworks. Its primary goal is to
facilitate creating rich interconnections between visual and aural
presentations by deriving both algorithmically from a single
underlying dynamic data set. This generic data set and the rules for
interpreting it aurally and visually, are collaboratively manipulated
by the performers/users. The MusiVerse appropriates technology from
contemporary 3-dimensional computer games in order to construct
aesthetically captivating environments that are both accessible and
easily portable.

Video Game Studies Fear in the Brain

Sat, 25 Aug 2007 12:11:00 -0600

In the journal Science, London researchers investigating how the brain reacts in anticipation of an imminent threat used a Pac Man-like video game to guide test subjects. Participants were pursued by a "virtual predator" (why can't they just say Inky?), and when caught, instead of unfolding and blipping out like in the classic game, they received an electric shock, which gradually grew in intensity while researchers monitored brain activity. No plans for the games release on Playstation 3 or the Wii have been announced yet.

short summary: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070823/sc_nm/brain_fear_dc

Science article citation:
When Fear Is Near: Threat Imminence Elicits Prefrontal-Periaqueductal Gray Shifts in Humans
Dean Mobbs, Predrag Petrovic, Jennifer L. Marchant, Demis Hassabis, Nikolaus Weiskopf, Ben Seymour, Raymond J. Dolan, and Christopher D. Frith
Science 24 August 2007 317: 1079-1083 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1144298] (in Reports)