Video Games
Some people say video games rot your brain, but I think they work different muscles that maybe you don't normally use - Ezra Koenig
image by: Engadget
HWN Suggests
Why You Should Play Video Games
There is a certain kind of look I get when I tell people how much I love video games.
It lies somewhere between "You're not serious" and "Oh my God, you are serious." And by "people" giving me these looks, I mean adults of a certain age and outlook. Of course, given that I'm a 54-year-old tenured professor, these "people" are pretty much everyone I know (including my now adult children).
So today, I want to speak to all of you "look-givers" and attempt to explain why you, too, should become a gamer. Basically, it comes down to robot dinosaurs.
I am just about to finish an amazing game called Horizon: Zero Dawn. I've been in its world, working my way through its story,…
Resources
Gamers Outreach
Join our quest to provide kids in hospitals with recreation and therapy through the power of video games!
Games for Change
Games for Change empowers game creators and social innovators to drive real-world impact through games.
Mightier
Mightier was built for kids 6-14 who have difficulty self-regulating and controlling their emotions. We generally help kids with big emotions of anger, frustration, or anxiety. Kids might have a formal diagnosis, or they may just need extra support.
World Rescue
World Rescue is a narrative, research-based video-game inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Through fast-paced gameplay set in Kenya, Norway, Brazil, India, and China, you will meet and help five young heroes and help them solve global problems—such as displacement, disease, deforestation, drought, and pollution—at the community level. After all, it’s young global citizens like you who have the power to lead us to a more sustainable world!
Bioshock proved that video games could be art
The end of Bioshock makes a powerful point about choice — and in the process, proves that video games can be art.
Do Video Games Inspire Violent Behavior?
Conventional wisdom suggests violent media is harming kids. But sometimes a game is just a game.
Fact or Fiction?: Video Games Are the Future of Education
Some educators swear by them as valuable high-tech teaching tools but little is known about their impact on learning
How Video Game Computers May Revolutionize Health Care
Computer scientist Larry Smarr shows off his imaging technology -- and the inside of his own colon.
How Video Game Tech May Help Improve Medical Imaging
Computer scientist Larry Smarr is using videogame technology to make the next big leap in medical imaging, with his own body—specifically, his colon—as the prototype template.
How Video Games Can Save The World
The new book, Power Play: How Video Games Can Save The World, by Asi Burak and Laura Parker, was just released. Asi is well known in the game world as the creator of PeaceMaker and the former executive director of Games For Change. For quite a while now, he has been the go-to source for understanding the social impact gaming movement. In this important book, along with coauthor Laura Parker, Asi maps out the landscape of games with a purpose. But what really struck me is how clearly the book expresses the possibilities that still lie ahead for digital play. When I finished reading it, I was clearly reminded that the video game industry is still in it’s infancy
Is video gaming bad for you? The science for and against
We've rounded up the most notable reports and studies...so you can weigh up the evidence for yourself.
Should Parents Play Videogames With Their Children?
Family-friendly videogames not only teach academics and important life skills—they can be a great way to bond with your kids.
Take Two Games And Call Me In The Morning: The Age Of Digital Medicine
We’ve witnessed the growth of “gamification” used in product marketing to elicit certain consumer behaviors. However, the use of game design and game theory to address the more noble purpose of treating diseases and disorders is a welcome change-of-pace. As a father, I’m fascinated at the possibility that my son could play a game instead of having to take a pill—my 12-year-old self would have been thrilled.
This Video Game Improved the Attention Spans of People With ADHD
It could become the first ever prescription video game.
Video Games and the Meaning of Life
Instead of flooding his creations with violence and loud music, the developer forces players to soul-search and pay close attention.
Video Games for Good
Your kid is holed up in the basement, alone in the dark except for the glowing screen and the alien invaders from their favorite video game. Don’t worry; an alternative to space war is on the way.
Video Games Help Model Brain’s Neurons
“Mozak” is the latest in a growing array of citizen science initiatives with the dual aims of using the wisdom of crowds to tackle complex problems and engaging the public in science.
Videogames Might Be Keeping Young Men Out of the Workforce
America’s young men are increasingly giving up on work in order to slay virtual aliens and fight videogame wars, new research suggests. What’s more, these men are reporting higher levels of happiness compared with those who work, and they’re drawing on the support of mom and dad to stay there.
When Children Can Benefit From Playing Videogames
Children with anxiety and ADHD can learn to control their emotions by playing games connected to a heart-rate monitor.
Why You Should Play Video Games
We live in a world of endless pressing concerns with so many competing avenues of being productive. A good game makes no demands other than the age-old pleasures of great story combined with the very modern possibilities of immersion. And none of it matters except the enjoyment of the doing. That, I would argue, has real value.
15 Surprising Benefits of Playing Video Games
Complex, challenging, and ambitious, video games have come a long way since the simple arcade titles of the 1970s—and evidence is mounting that the benefits of play go well beyond entertainment and improved hand-eye coordination. Here are 15 ways games are programming better people.
9 Ways Video Games Can Actually Be Good For You
Your mother was wrong. Video games aren’t bad for you. They’re actually making your life better. Despite hand-wringing over a supposed connection between violence and video games (hint: there isn’t any), numerous academic studies indicate that playing video games has many psychological and even physical benefits.
AbleGamers
We utilize fun to bring inclusion and improved quality of life for people with disabilities through the power of video games.
Extra Life
Extra Life is a grassroots experience that mobilizes passionate gamers of all types to help Children's Miracle Network Hospitals treat sick and injured kids in their communities.
Introducing Stitches!
Your Path to Meaningful Connections in the World of Health and Medicine
Connect, Collaborate, and Engage!
Coming Soon - Stitches, the innovative chat app from the creators of HWN. Join meaningful conversations on health and medical topics. Share text, images, and videos seamlessly. Connect directly within HWN's topic pages and articles.
