A More Indepth Look Into the Environmental iPad Game

     As I begin to think more and more about a potential iPad game dealing with environmental learning, so many different ideas come to mind.  I have begun doing some research into the current top iPad games and playing different games to see what I personally enjoy about them.  For instance, the games I stick with the longest are the ones where I am actually playing other players.  Some of those players I actually know (which makes it even more fun) and other opponents are random.  With that being said, I also enjoy playing games with individual missions.  In general, though, after several days, weeks, and sometimes even months, I become bored with those games and move on to different ones.  The games I move on from the quickest are the ones that become less challenging or the ones that I feel that I'm not making much progress.  So, with this being said, I want to design a game that encourages online play with others as well as individual challenges.  Thus, players may not get as bored as quickly with the game.  Also, it is important to keep the game challenging and keep players feeling like they are making progress in the game.  Overall, I want there to be one final goal players reach.  Once they reach that goal, they can either try playing the game on a different difficulty, try beating their top scores, or play the multi-player version of the game.  In addition, I want the multi-player version to be somewhat different than the individual version so players are less likely to become bored.  Finally, education is still the main goal of the game, so that needs to be kept in mind when actually designing it.  In my opinion, this will be a tough task to accomplish, but with some planning and determination, an appropriate game can be developed.  In the end, though, testing and experimenting are the only real ways to determine the amount of fun the game actually is; however, I am confident in my ability to produce a game that others will enjoy.

Gems With Friends

     Currently, Gems With Friends is my favorite iPad game.  This game is even appealing when just browsing through the iTunes store for different apps.  It is very bright and colorful, two of my very favorite things!  This is a great idea to attract initial interest into any iPad game.  Once that initial interest is caught, though, the game needs to keep players equally interested.  So, my first idea for my iPad game is for a very colorful and visually appealing game.  If the game does not look fun, it might not attract as much attention as a game that looks fun.  Now, the hard part is to come up with a game that is as fun as it is visually appealing so players enjoy it.  I feel that if the game is interactive with other players and is fun, players will encourage friends to download the game as well, attracting more attention. 

Food Chain

 My initial ideas for the actual game play of the game has to do with actually developing food chains or something along those lines, and obtaining more points and power-ups once that is done.  After 1 or 2 minutes of making food chains with different animals that are randomly given to players, who ever has the most points wins that rounds.  Each player would begin with five blocks that have different levels of the food chain and once those blocks are used, new ones would spawn.  The sun would be the most basic block since it is the starting point.  Then would come grass or plants, then animals, then humans.  My first idea would be that each player has to connect 3 suns and then the block would transform into grass.  Once 3 grasses are connected, it would move up the food chain again until the block turns into a human.  Once this happens, 3 human blocks can connect and a lot of points would be earned.  Players can work on developing different food chains at the same time on the board.  My other idea would be that players would have to connect food chain blocks in the correct order instead of 3 of the same.  Whoever can successfully make the most food chains would probably score more points and win.  Although these ideas are just very basic and the start, I feel that there is some potential in both of these games.

First iPad Ideas for Environmental Game

iPad

     When deciding which content to select for the iPad game I am expected to develop and story board out, I am choosing the most interesting content (in my opinion anyway).  Thus, this will create the most interesting and fun game.  Our first assignment in class was to construct an unique and creative game to inspire learning in fourth graders dealing with specific environmental objectives.  My group constructed a simple board game outlying different environments and stressing the different food groups.  My plan for my iPad game is to use some of the same ideas but construct a touch screen, Internet and gamer friendly alternative version of the board game.  I want to utilize some of the ideas from the board game, but will have to develop new, more appropriate ideas to successfully make the game.

Words With Friends

     So, when developing an iPad game, out of the different objectives that I could chose from, the food chain is the most appealing to me.  In addition to the food chain, I may like to include extra information objectives as well to add different aspects to the game.  This type of information includes contamination and other fun things about different environments and their specific food chains.  My ultimate goal is for players to have an opportunity to gain a lot of information on several different but related topics.  Adding in different information about environments will add more of a fun element.  Using realistic and vivid graphics will allow players to feel like they are really in the game.

     Finally, after doing some research about the top iPad games and playing different games, I find that the games that provide the must fun are the ones that allow for the most player to player interaction.  Utilizing the Internet to allow players to actually play against other real players may be the most fun for players.  Personally, the games I stick with the longest are the ones where I play others, such as Words With Friends.  Keeping this in mind, at times, iPad players may not have access to the Internet all of the time or may not choose to use that feature.  Therefore, I want to create a game that allows for players to play with others but also have a version of the game without having to use the Internet.  Also, I want to offer other shorter, mini games that encourage learning.  Although I am not sure how I will completely transform my board game into an iPad game, I have some starting ideas to develop the game and will continue to develop the game.

A Personal Testimony of Video Game Benefits

Pain Killers

     As I continue to do more research about the benefits of video games, I discover more and more benefits.  Most of these benefits, though, focus on the overall and general positive aspects of video games and the things they can bring to people as a whole.  In my research, I have finally come to find some very personal testimonies about the positive benefits of video games.  Kyle, a college student, used video games to help him overcome his painkiller addiction.  When Kyle was in his late teenage years, he began smoking marijuana on a regular basis, which he believes eventually led to the start of his painkiller addiction.  Once he reached college, he began trying much harder and more dangerous drugs.  After trying LSD, he believed he could try anything and admits to trying every drug but meth and crack.  Although he used many drugs, painkillers were his favorite, giving him the best high and leaving him wanting more.  His painkiller of choice was Oxycodone and he used it regularly.  Eventually, he built up a tolerance and would consistently need more and more of the drug to feel the same blissful high he enjoyed so much.  Then, in order to finance his own drug addiction, he began selling drugs to make the hundreds of dollars a day he needed to buy the painkillers.  If he couldn't find painkillers, he would use a somewhat cheaper alternative: heroin.

Heroin

After a while, he was even arrested and expelled from school.  Fortunately, his friends convinced him to enter a treatment program and after one relapse, he found a better treatment and has been clean for months.  His counselors encouraged him to find a hobby or another activity to take up his time, so he is less likely to go back to drugs.  For Kyle, he doesn't have a specific game he enjoys more than others, but he plays several different ones.  He truly believes that if he didn't spend some of his free time playing video games, like Minecraft and Borderlands, that he would have fallen back into the scary, dark path of drugs.
     Even though this is just one story about video games helping a young person overcome a serious drug addiction, I believe that video games can help people to find a somewhat more productive thing to do with their free time.  However, video games are not for everyone so other activities can work too.  Also, some video games actually encourage and show drug use, so the type of video games being played needs to be considered.  After working in a pharmacy for over a year, I see drug addicts and sellers often.  Drugs are such a big problem in this country and are winning the war on drugs.  If more treatment programs allowed patients to find other outlets, like video games, to participate in, they may have more fun and be likely to stay in those treatments.  In addition, patients will have an activity to fill their time so they are less likely to return to drugs.  This is just one testimony of the positive effects of video games; however, I believe there are many more out there and using video games in treatment facilities may be helpful.

Video Games to help with therapy

Video Games and Physical Therapy

     As more and more research is done to determine positive benefits of video games, more and more ideas are being introduced, and some even have merit!  Some therapists are actually using video games in physical therapy and are actually showing promising results.  One physiotherapist, Belinda Lange, is leading a group to develop specific games for those undergoing therapy for strokes and other serious injuries.  The first idea these researchers tried was adapting already developed physical games.  However, researchers discovered quickly that this would not quite satisfy the needs of those undergoing therapy.  First, the games didn't give researcher enough data and they didn't always accommodate those with serious injuries who couldn't jump or 

move too freely.  Thus, the researchers began developing games centered around already developed technologies, like the Nintendo Wii.  For example, one game developed allowed researchers to reach out to grab gems, daisies, books, and other various items.  The object of the games is to pinpoint exact movements and therapies the specific patient needs.  In addition, researchers can monitor the games to determine the amount of improvement that has taken place over the course of time.  This is an excellent idea because so many people, even older people, are playing and enjoying video games already.  Combine them with the activities that therapy patients have to do anyway, and patients may actually enjoy them more and progress can be easily tracked.  This type of therapy is still in the testing phase, but hopefully after more research, the benefits will be revealed and more and more clinics will be open to using it. 

Are Video Games Improving the Economy?

Popular Game

     Did you know that on average in 2010, SEVEN video or computer games were sold every SECOND of every day and that at least 245 MILLION games were sold in the United States in 2011?  Although the positive and negative effects on video games on specific individuals can vary, it is still a very highly debated topic.  Some tend to focus on the negative effects of violent video games, like antisocial behavior, while others see video games in a more positive light, focusing on the social interaction, stress release, and even learning that can be obtained from playing certain games.  Although both sides of this argument seem to have solid evidence for their perspective points, the effects of video games on an individual seems to stem from the amount of time spent playing the games and the types of games that are being played.  Instead of focusing on the specific effects of video games on individuals,  let's try to see a more general positive effect of the gaming industry:  the benefits it brings to the economy and society as a whole.  Although it has been said often that the first things that people give up during financially hard times is different forms of entertainment, including video games, the video game industry is still thriving and growing in this less than perfect economy.

A Negative Relationship

     According to one article, the video game industry will continue to grow at least five percent through 2015!  In 2011, computer and video game companies estimated a revenue of 25 billion dollars.  The benefit of this is the many jobs these companies provide at state and local levels across the whole nation.  The president and CEO of the Venan Entertainment, Inc. contributes the success of the video game industry to the older people who have always played video games and to the younger people who are just starting to play.  Also, new technologies and gaming systems, such as the Wii, may even spark the interest of previous non-players too.  Additionally, the game consoles can elicit more money when players buy ad ons, apps, and internet subscriptions to play online.  Once the consoles have been purchased, players can use them for other things as well, such as connecting to Netflix to watch movies.  Overall, because video games remain so popular, even in a time a recession, the industry is boosting the economy by thriving and adding to the country's GDP and by providing at least 120, 000 jobs across the nation.  Specific states that have the highest video game popularity, like California and Texas, are also benefiting from the industry.  2.1 billion dollars was added to the California economy over a four year period and 490 million dollars was added to the Texas economy.  Some other states, like Pennsylvania and Georgia, that are not key players in the video game industry are trying to entice the industry with tax law incentives to boost their economies.

Video Games and Learning

     Video games can serve many different purposes for different people.  Some people consider them an essential part of life and play every day, while others play occasionally and consider them to be just a pastime or hobby.  It is important to note, though, that video games serve a variety purposes for different individuals.  Playing very violent video games too often can lead to serious problems, including antisocial behavior and more serious problems as well.  Playing more positive and less violent games can have many beneficial effects, too.  For instance, those types of games can actually promote social behaviors and can relieve stress.  But, why not go one step further and reap even more benefits from games?  Playing the right types of video games can actually produce learning. 

Kids learning while play games

     According to one article by Tina Barseghian, new research supports the fact that learning can be accomplished through experiences.  Although this is a rather new way of thinking of learning, it is incredibly important.  Thus, the video game experience can actually produce learning.  To begin, video games can feed the learning process.  The experiences that encourage the most learning have clear goals, motivation, feedback, and other things.  Fortunately, video games hold all of these criteria.  For instance, most games make players follow certain guidelines and rules to reach the objectives.  Also, the social aspect of games allows players to interact and remember the things they have learned easier.  In addition, video games can build on previous experiences, which is an extremely important part of the learning process.
    Furthermore, video games motivate learning, promote risk-taking, and teach problem solving.  Motivation is a key component in learning.  If no motivation exists, little to no learning will take place.  Also, games promote risk-taking because players have to try different things to figure out the best way to achieve goals.  The cost of failure is much less in video games than in real life.  Thus, players are more likely to take risks.  Finally, players vague objective in all games is to solve problems.  Research supports the fact that problem solving is an excellent way to learn.  Overall, video games promote learning in many different ways.

Research on Positive Influences of Video Games

World of Warcraft

     With all this talk about video games and their effects, it is important to have real evidence to back up any claims.  In the past, most of the research has focused on the negative effects of video games.  However, newer research is devoting more attention to potential positive effects of video games.  Two studies completed by Colorado State University tried to determine some of those positive effects.  Both of these studies examined the popular online game "World of Warcraft".  This game is based on cooperating with other players to complete tasks and almost find an alternate reality.  This game gives players the possibility to interact with thousands of others.  The first research project involved observing individuals playing the interactive game.  In addition, players were surveyed about the experience and their habits.  Questions such as the level of involvement and absorption into the game and the level of stress relief from the game were included in the survey.  Participants reported feeling an escape and relief from their everyday stresses.  It is important to note that this escape most be short and temporary to be positive though.

World of Warcraft

     The second study focused more on the online aspect of this game.  Although playing with offline friends is generally considered to be healthier because others can help bring another player back to reality.  However, when playing with offline friends, it is harder to become completely immersed into the game.  Overall, playing with online friends allows a player to experience a more absorbed experience and can relieve more stress, but has a better chance of being addicted or too caught up into the game.  More and more research is supporting the fact that video games can have positive effects on players.  Although, the negative effects are apparent too, but as long as the right amount of balanced is displayed, video games can have serious positive effects such as stress relief.     

The Positive Effects of Video Games on Older People

Getting old is something many people dread and something that some people even fear.  However no one can stay young forever.  Over the course of time, your body goes through physical changes, like greying hair and wrinkles.  With so much emphasis put on looking young, science and technology has made leaps and bounds in preventing, stopping, or at least altering those changes. 

Physical aging

When your hair greys, it can be dyed.  Also, wrinkles, sagging skin, and other signs of aging can be fixed with a little plastic surgery and a lot of money.  As nice, or detrimental depending on specific opinions, as these advances are to society, is there a way to stop, slow down, or even prevent mental aging?
Well, science and technology have not only come quite a way in keeping people looking young, but they have also made advances in keeping people thinking young too, although there is a long way to go.  Some of the worst diseases that affect someone's cognitive condition, like Alzheimer's, don't have a cure yet.  So, since aging mentally is inevitable anyway and people are living longer than ever, some argue that playing different types of video games can actually be beneficial to an older person's mental state.  One article published in Time by Anna Hamilton argues for the benefits.  Although there is no cure or magic vaccination for memory loss yet, evidence suggests that games can at least slow the effects.  Along with eating healthy and exercising, being socially active and challenging yourself mentally are two great ways to slow down mental decline.

Playing interactive games

Today's games are increasingly a social event.  New technologies allow players to meet, socialize, and play with others all over the world.  And even if you aren't into the Internet and playing online, many games allow for multiple players and most game systems have multiple controller outlets.  Additionally, video games are such a huge part of youth culture that even if an elderly person cannot find another to play with, children and grandchildren may be happy to oblige!  Furthermore, new game systems like the Wii and the Playstation Move actually encourage physical activity.  So, if exercise does really help slow down mental decline, then playing those types of games will challenge you mentally and give you exercise.  Video games come in all types of difficulty and some are much more fast paced than others.  But, they all have one thing in common:  they are mentally challenging.  Some elderly individuals may have never played video games before and may be intimidated or overwhelmed by the technology.  However, giving it a try and reaping the benefits may prove to be very successful in the long run.

The Positive Effects of Video Games on Young Adults

Young adults playing games

As new technologies are developed and as video games continue to remain extremely popular, especially in youth and young adult culture, the effects of video games on those individuals is one of most interest.  More and more research is being devoted to this topic, but many researchers focus on the many negative effects that games have on young adults, such as increased aggression and drug use.  Although these effects are extremely important and should be studied, certain games, maybe even some of the more mature games, can have at least some positive influences on young adults.  One website devoted to young adult health tries to explore the many positive effects of video games:

• Help to keep young adults entertained.  Overall, video games are just fun to play and is one way to spend leisure or free time.
• Helps to improve hand-eye coordination.  Hand-eye coordination is not only a great skill to have for playing sports like baseball or basketball, but also for a lot of everyday activities like driving a bicycle or car.
• Helps to improve eye-sight.  Certain fast paced games show some evidence for positive effects on player's eye-sight. 
• Helps to promote exercise and allows players to exercise.  Many game systems currently have interactive add ons to the system which allow players to move around and physically do actions that are recorded on the screen.  For example, the Wii has tennis, baseball, bowling, and many other sports that the player actually swings to hit a ball or other actions which simulate real actions.  Additionally, some systems offer dance or exercise games where the player tries to imitate someone on the screen and gets scored accordingly.
• Helps to promote self-esteem.  Since video games are really a part of young adult culture, being successful at games can actually help players feel a sense of fitting in and appreciated.
• Help to provide brain stimulation and players will develop better problem solving skills.  Educational games are a fun way to learn but most games require some mental capacity and problems will certainly arise. 
• Help to promote communication with others in the room and new technologies allow gamers to connect with players all over the world!

A violent game

 As more and more research is devoted to the effects of video games, some positive effects can almost not be denied.  However, much research does support the fact that video games can have negative effects as well.  Being exposed to too much violence, drugs, or other negative things can really have an effect on players, even young adults. 

Positive Video Game Effects in Children

Photo by: sean dreilinger

In today's society, many parents are watchful of the vast amounts of stimuli that their children could potentially be exposed to.  Movies, the Internet, and video games are just some of the everyday things children interact with and see.  Although some of this stimuli can arguably have negative impacts on young children, video games can also have positive influences and effects on young children.  One writer argues that video games can actually promote positive development in children:

• Help to develop multi-tasking, quick thinking, hand-eye coordination, and resource management.    Not only do children have to control characters, but they are also responsible for making on the spot decisions to reach a goal.  Many sports games, like the famous Tony Hawk series, allow children to use control to do specific tricks.
• Help to establish memory, math, logic, and, reading skills.  Reading tasks and solving problems using logic is present in a lot of games.  Games like Tetris, Words With Friends, and Sudoku are great ways to use brain activities.   
• Help to give encouragement to players and teaches perseverance and determination to achieve certain goals.  Most games have some sort of ultimate goal that players work towards.  For instance, in the Mario Party games, players work to win the most stars.
• Help to encourage communication and teamwork skills.  Video games are interactive and many allow for multiple players that are either in the same room or across the county, state, country, and even world!  At times players are competing against each other, but many games have teams.  Video games are also great for family and friend bonding.  For example, a game like NBA Jam allows players to have computer teammates or real teammates.  Regardless, one player has to appropriately work and cooperate with the other to win the game.
• Help to relieve aggression rather than exemplify and promote it.  Video games can serve as a great way to allow children to relieve their aggression in a safe and structured environment.  Fighting games like Super Mario Smash Bros, which tend to be controversial and may not be right for all children, can help to relieve aggression.  Especially games that do not use guns and excessive violence.
• Help to introduce children to new technologies.  As new technological advances are developed, video games are a great way for children to learn how new technologies work.  Things like the Playstation Move and Xbox Kinect are some of the newest technology that games have released. If 3D games have not already been released, they will probably be next!

Video games aren't perfect and are not right for all children.  However, if the right type of games are selected, these games can actually have many positive effects on children. 

Introduction of Gaming Topic

By: Joe Shlabotnik

     In today's society, video games are virtually unavoidable.  Most people have either played, seen, or at least heard of video games.  Although video games are increasingly popular, there is a lot of debate about the negative effects.  For example, teaching young children violence is a huge video game controversy and worthy of being investigated.
     However, with so much worry and emphasis put on the negative effects of video games, sometimes the positive effects go unnoticed.  Fortunately, more research is being devoted to determining the positive effects on children, adults, and older people.  For example, one article by Art Markman of Psychology Today examines a study that was done to compare extensive video game players and non-players.  The study found the video game players were just as accurate at performing object finding tasks as non-players but were much faster in doing so.  Another article by Chacha Tumbokon lists many positive and negative effects of video games, but the positive list tends to be much longer.  For instance, she discusses that playing video games can help children become better listeners and problem solvers, assists in hand-eye coordination, and can even help develop math and reading skills.
     So, with this school of thought that believes video games can have a positive effect on people of all ages, throughout the course of the semester, I plan on blogging about the positive effects of video games, including finding research that either supports or disproves positive effects, focusing on different positive effects, and focusing on the different positive effects for different age groups.  As I began to do more research, though, other topics and ideas may present themselves for blogging.