Gaming addiction: Psychological problem or social disorder?

If you’re more than partial to an evening of World of Warcraft or Call or Duty, best keep track of how many hours you’re wiling away in front of the screen. Gaming addiction is a peculiarly modern phenomena suggested by some as being just as serious as alcohol, drugs and gambling, and there are examples of gamers making themselves seriously ill, or in some rare cases, dying through malnutrition or dehydration. Following the opening of Britain’s first computer rehab clinic, Paul Lester takes a closer look at the issues surrounding gaming addiction to see if things are really as serious as they seem and if dedicated treatment is necessary.

Britain’s first computer rehab clinic opens

Broadway Lodge [1] is a rehabilitation center in Weston-super-Mare, England, that previously focused on treating more common problems such as drink and drugs. It has now modified its facilities to welcome gamers, who undergo group therapy, watch videos and engage in recreational activity in order to wean them from their addiction. Chief Executive Brian Dudley cites the example of a recent 23-year-old patient in order to illustrate the problems they are facing.

''We developed a treatment for him which followed the 12-step (abstinence) approach, but you can't tell someone never to use the Internet again," he said. ''He had eating issues, he wasn't eating properly. He did very well. He has the mechanisms now to cope with it.

“Obviously this is the very early stages of researching how many youngsters are affected, but I would stick my neck out and say between five and ten per cent of parents or partners would say they know of someone addicted to an online game. However, you can't simply say to a 23-year-old male 'you should never use the internet again'. It's just not practical.”

If gaming addiction is to be taken seriously then, there is a real reason to be concerned. A study by Iowa State University [2] earlier this year claimed that one in twelve gamers between the ages of eight and eighteen show signs of addiction. National Institute of Media and Family president David Walsh believes that “This study is a wake-up call for families. While video games can be fun and entertaining, some kids are getting into trouble. I continue to hear from families who are concerned about their child’s gaming habits. Not only do we need to focus on identifying the problem, but we need to find ways to help families prevent and treat it.”

Symptoms of addiction

One of the most vocal experts on this subject over the last couple of years has been Dr Jerald Block, a leading authority on compulsive computer use. Last summer he outlined four symptoms of hopeless addiction [3], which included:

• Forgetting to eat and sleep
• Craving more advanced technology
• Leaving a computer results in genuine withdrawal
• Becoming argumentative, fatigued or isolated from society

Block states "The relationship is with the computer. It becomes a significant other to them. They exhaust emotions that they could experience in the real world on the computer through any number of mechanisms: emailing, gaming, porn.”

Indeed an issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry [4] last year called for Internet addiction to be added to its official guidebook of mental disorders, with many common symptoms of other addictions, including cravings, urges, withdrawal and tolerance also applying to gamers.

Psychological or social disorder?

Dr. Block does attempt to debunk games as the sole perpetrator to an extent though, arguing that around 86% of addicts have some other form of mental illness [4], turning to the solace of an online persona to escape reality in the same way a person may turn to drugs or alcohol.

Further evidence does seem to suggest that this may be a more accurate representation of a condition than just blaming games themselves. Europe’s first gaming clinic - the Smith & Jones Centre in Amsterdam [5] – opened in 2006 and has since treated hundreds of young gamers. During this time it has changed its stance on treatment after coming to the realization that gaming compulsion is not a psychological problem, but a social one.

Founder Keith Bakker argues that “These kids come in showing some kind of symptoms that are similar to other addictions and chemical dependencies. But the more we work with these kids the less I believe we can call this addiction. What many of these kids need is their parents and their school teachers - this is a social problem."

He goes on to offer more evidence, stating that 80% of the patients they see have been bullied at school and feel isolated or socially excluded. In the case of younger gamers the blame would fall more squarely on the parents then, and indeed treatment that ignores the wider problem may end up doing more harm than good.

"It's a choice," says Bakker. "These kids know exactly what they are doing and they just don't want to change. If no one is there to help them, then nothing will ever happen."

So whether or not the label "addiction" is used, it would seem clear that too much gaming can be a genuine and serious problem, but the jury is still out on exactly how to treat the condition. Statistics indicate deeper social anxieties that see youngsters turning to games to escape the real world, placing the onus more on parents or the individual to create a more stable social environment. With many symptoms being synonymous with alcohol and drug abuse it follows that the core issue may not be entirely dissimilar, in which case the failure to identify and address the problem could still be extremely damaging to an individual’s development.

Credits to: Gizmag

The Cyborg R.A.T. Gaming Mouse – the coolest mouse on the block

Mad Catz Interactive has unveiled a new range of premium Cyborg gaming micewhich will begin shipping in Q2 this year. The new range takes all the same principles normally applied to ergonomic fully adjustable flight sticks, and incorporates them in gaming mice. For the first time ever on a mouse, the key points of contact between the gamer’s hand and the mouse are fully adjustable allowing it to be customized for any grip preference. Cyborg claims they are the most comfortable gaming mice in existence, but who cares, cos they are the coolest you’ll ever see.

The USD$130 top of the range Cyborg R.A.T. Gaming Mouse has specifications to match its looks in that it’s wireless with rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries, fully adjustable and fully programmable, has a 5600dpi laser and has a removable weight system.

The company’s stated strategy is to “develop products that evoke a passionate consumer response” and the Cyborg R.A.T. definitely achieves that goal.

Credits to: Gizmag

Video games can teach the teachers

The explosion in popularity of video games, coupled with the widespread availability of computers at home and school, has given educational software developers the impetus to harness the power of video games as a way of teaching children. Whether or not such educational games are effective in teaching the three R's is a topic for another day, but an Arizona State University scholar says commercial blockbuster video games can teach educators a thing or two about how to better educate children.

According to James Gee, the Mary Lou Fulton Presidential Chair in Literacy Studies in the Mary Lou Fulton Institute and Graduate School of Education at Arizona State University, video games are some of the best learning environments around.

"Commercial video games, the ones that make a lot of money, are nothing but problem-solving spaces," says Gee.

Gee says that video games optimize learning in several ways.

• First, games provide information when it is needed, rather than all at once in the beginning. "We tend to teach science, for example, by telling you a lot of stuff and then letting you do science. Games teach the other way. They have you do stuff, and then as you need to know information, they tell it to you," he explains.
• Games also provide an environment that Gee calls "pleasantly frustrating." They are challenging but doable. "That's a very motivating state for human beings. Sometimes it's called the 'flow' state," he says.
• Many game developers also invite players to modify their products through "modding." The developers share the software and encourage players to create new levels or scenarios. "Think about it. If I have to make the game, or a part of the game, I come to a deep understanding of the game as a rule system. If I had to mod science - that is, I had to make some of my own curriculum or my own experiments - then I'd have an understanding at a deep level of what the rules are," Gee says.
• Assessment could also take something from video games. Typically, assessment happens through standardized testing. In games, however, learning and assessment are tightly married. The game gives constant feedback and collects information about players' performances. For example, the massive multiplayer online game World of Warcraft, with 15 million players globally, is completely standardized. The company that created the game has collected incredible amounts of information about the players and put it into completely statistical terms. Gee adds that integrating assessment and learning is less expensive than supporting a separate testing industry.

Of course these principles will be nothing new to many educators. It’s called "situated learning", because the student is situated in the actual problem-solving space. And educators do not need to use actual computer-based games to incorporate these educational principles.

As Gee says, “Situated learning can be done with or without a game. Good teachers have always done it."

But it is interesting that games developers have instinctively adopted these principles that have proven to be the most effective and engaging ways for players to solve the problems that the games throw at them.

Credits to: Gizmag

Playing computer games with the blink of an eye

Remember when the simple paddle game Pong generated a world-wide buzz of excitement? Those days may just have returned with the announcement that students from Imperial College London have created an interface using off-the-shelf components which tracks eye movement and enables a bespectacled user to play the game hands-free.

Under the supervision of Dr Aldo Faisal, a group of undergraduates from Imperial College London have adapted an open source version of the Atari video gamePong so that the player's paddle can be controlled using only eye movement. Gizmag has covered similar technology before of course, this time though the team at ICL used off-the-shelf components costing around US$37, rigging up an infra-red sensor and a webcam to a pair of glasses to track the movement of a player's eye and feeding the information to synchronization software on a laptop that translates it into onscreen paddle movement.

Although the developed game is quite simple by today's standards, because the technology is readily available and affordable it holds great promise for future application in devices to assist people suffering from limited movement.

"We hope to eventually make the technology available online so anyone can have a go at creating new applications and games with it and we're optimistic about where this might lead," said Dr Faisal. "We hope it could ultimately provide entertainment options for people who have very little movement. In the future, people might be able to blink to turn pages in an electronic book, or switch on their favourite song, with the roll of an eye."

The team is currently refining the technology in the hope of being able to track both eyes, perhaps enabling more complicated tasks to be undertaken by a user such as onscreen journey plotting or even control of a motorized wheelchair.

Credits to: Gizmag

Ubisoft kills the printed game manual

It might not exactly be a revolutionary idea but we think Ubisoft should be commended for announcing it is doing its bit for the environment by eliminating paper game manuals for its PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 video games. The paper numbers will be replaced with in-game digital manuals for all games that will also make it easier for gamers to access game information, as well as providing gamers with a manual that won’t get lost or ripped to shreds by the family pet.

Ubisoft internal data shows that producing one ton of paper used in Ubisoft’s game manuals consumes an average of two tons of wood from 13 trees, with a net energy of 28 million BTU’s (equivalent to average heating and energy for one home for a year), greenhouse gases equivalent of over 6,000 lbs of CO2, and wastewater of almost 15,000 gallons.

The first game to launch worldwide with the environmentally friendly packaging will be Shaun White Skateboarding, which is due for a Q4, 2010 release.

“It’s pretty cool that Ubisoft is making a conscious effort to go green with its new video game packaging,” commented Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White. “I’m excited for my new skateboarding game to come out and stoked that it will be the very first Ubisoft game to be part of their green packaging initiatives.”

In addition to Ubisoft’s efforts to decrease paper usage in its game packaging, it has partnered with Technimark, Inc. to release the entertainment industry’s most environmentally-responsible DVD case for all its future PC titles in North America. The 100 percent-recycled polypropylene “ecoTech” DVD case will make its debut with Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction PC video game on April 27, 2010. Ubisoft has featured digital game manuals in its PC titles distributed in North America since March 2010.

Credits to: Gizmag

Sony takes aim at gamers with new Ultimate Weapon Gaming headsets

Hardened first person shooter (FPS) veterans know that your ears can be as important as your eyes when battling hordes of enemy combatants. Such veterans will also be aware that the staccato of gunfire and the sound of exploding body parts aren’t always appreciated by other members of the household – particularly in the early hours. In response to extensive research to show what different gamers want from their headsets, Sony has unveiled its DR-GA500 and DR-GA200 headsets designed to maximize spatial awareness without waking up the neighbors.

The DR-GA500 combines a Dolby Pro Logic IIx decoder with Sony’s Virtual Phones Technology (VPT) for full 7.1 channel 3D surround effects. The signal processing hardware is contained in a compact external unit that features controls to select 2ch, 5.1ch and 7.1ch inputs, another to switch between surround and FPS sound modes and another to turn compression on and off. Sony says the result is a rich soundscape for pinpointing everything from a stealthy footstep to the position of an exploding grenade.

Both the DR-GA200 and DR-GA500 headsets feature 40mm drive units along with a ‘triple enfolding’ design that provide improved ventilation while avoiding pressure on the ear for comfortable gaming over long sessions behind the controller – something Sony says makes the ideal for marathon strategy and online multiplayer games as well. Both models incorporate a high quality, boom microphone for giving instructions to your squad and include controls on the headsets to set volume and mute the microphone.

The DR-GA500 includes a 1.5m cable to connect the headsets to the signal processor. To connect the signal processor to a PC Sony includes a 1.8m (5.9ft) multi analogue cable for 7.1ch. sound or a 1.5m (4.9ft) USB cable. The DR-GA200 comes with a single 2.5m (8.2ft) cable.

No word on pricing yet, but from October 15 Sony will be selling both the DR-GA200 and DR-GA500 headsets with a free copy of the new Medal of Honor game.

Credits to: Gizmag

Sorry, parents – video games are good for the mind

For some time now, it’s been one of those “well-known facts” that playing video games increases one’s hand-eye coordination... much to the consternation of parents and spouses trying to convince family members that their obsessive gaming has no redeeming value. Now, research conducted at the University of Rochester indicates that playing action video games also increases peoples’ ability to make right decisions faster. Ironically, an activity that involves sitting on the couch helps people to think on their feet.

The U Rochester researchers tested two groups of 18- to 25-year-olds, none of whom were regular gamers. One group played 50 hours of the fast-paced gamesCall of Duty 2 and Unreal Tournament, while the other group played the much slower The Sims 2. Afterwards, the subjects had to perform tests that required them to make quick decisions – these included observing information on a computer (sometimes only visual, sometimes only auditory), and having to answer a question regarding that information as quickly as possible.

The action gamers answered up to 25 percent faster, and just as accurately as theirSims-playing counterparts. "It's not the case that the action game players are trigger-happy and less accurate: They are just as accurate and also faster," said study author Daphne Bavelier. "Action game players make more correct decisions per unit time. If you are a surgeon or you are in the middle of a battlefield, that can make all the difference."

The reason for their enhanced abilities is something called probabilistic inference. When surveying a situation, the brain gathers bits of visual and auditory information until it has enough to make what it considers to be an accurate decision. Action gamers’ brains are trained to gather those bits of information more efficiently, accumulating enough to make a decision more quickly than slow- or non-gamers.

"Decisions are never black and white," added Bavelier. "The brain is always computing probabilities. As you drive, for instance, you may see a movement on your right, estimate whether you are on a collision course, and based on that probability make a binary decision: brake or don't brake."

For whatever it’s worth, spending 50 hours playing video games – unless you’re using a Wii or PlayStation Move – could still make you fat, so the criticisms from parents and spouses are likely to continue.

Credits to: Gizmag

OnLive Game System streams online games straight to TV

Online gaming service provider Onlive has announced a system that brings its cloud-based, instant-play titles direct to the television. Instead of sitting in front of a console and loading in games via optical disc or waiting for them to download, Onlive has a bunch of dedicated servers for sending the chosen title straight to the TV over a broadband Internet line. Players can even choose whether to use the included wireless game controller or a USB keyboard and mouse to control the onscreen action.

Onlive's Games On-Demand Service spent seven years in development before launching in March 2009. Now the company has revealed a MicroConsole TV adapter that connects a living room television to a broadband router to deliver online games direct to the big screen. The adapter can render up to 1080p high definition video with support for 3D and sports a couple of USB ports at one end and Ethernet, HDMI, power adapter input and audio jacks at the other, and is Bluetooth headset compatible. Onlive reckons that the system will allow users to start playing in as little as 15 seconds from switch on.

As the games are actually stored at Onlive's data centers, users should always have the latest version. Players will be able to demo a game for free before choosing to either rent or buy, with Onlive also bringing a flat-rate monthly payment plan to the system in the near future that will give players unlimited access to a broad library of quality games and indie titles. Another major advantage for players is that many of the hardware upgrades necessary for the frequently changing gaming landscape can be undertaken at the server end and not by the consumer.

The Onlive Game System comes with a gamer-designed, low frequency wireless D-pad controller that features variable rate rumble, exclusive Onlive controls and one-touch Brag video clip recording. The system works with up to four simultaneous controllers as well as a USB keyboard and mouse, giving players a choice of how they want to control the onscreen action.

Onlive says that a 5 Mbps connection for televisions with a 40-inch and bigger screen is recommended, and 4 Mbps for screens between 30 and 40-inches and 3 Mbps for those measuring less than 30-inches. The system also allows players to continue an interrupted game while out and about on a laptop and then continue the action on the TV when they get back home, taking up gameplay from the point where it was stopped.

At launch, Onlive will offer more than 35 gaming titles for demo, rent or purchase including Prince of Persia: the Forgotten Sands, Assassin's Creed II, Shaun White Skateboarding and Batman: Arkham Asylum. More titles are on the way.

Credits to: Gizmag

21st Century ball game: the smartphone-controllable Sphero

When it comes to toys there is none more basic than the humble ball. Depictions of ball games have been found on ancient Egyptian monuments, while ball games were also popular among the ancient Greeks and Romans. This enduring popularity has seen ball games remain popular the world over to the present day. We’ve seen a number of products that have brought modern technology to balls, such as thesOccket and Speedsensor. The latest to join the list is Sphero – a ball that can be controlled with a smartphone via Bluetooth.

Sphero, which was first unveiled as a prototype by Orbotix back in June, measures 74 mm (2.9 in) in diameter and is charged using an inductive charger. Once paired to an iOS or Android smartphone, it can be controlled by tilting your phone in the direction you want it to roll and opening up the ball to a whole new variety of interactive games.

Orbotrix has devised a number of games that can be played with Sphero, including navigating a maze laid out on the floor and a Sumo game, which is the first app developed for the ball. With it, two users can throw their balls on a table and try to knock each other off. The app also includes an onscreen component with online stats, profiles, damage and powerups. This provides the possibility for customized games where balls might sustain “damage” and roll slower, or a powerup could reverse the opponent’s controls for a few seconds.

Aside from the games Orbotrix plans to produce, it is also opening up the APIs for the ball to allow app developers with no hardware knowledge to build their own games or applications. Suggestions include a golf game where a swipe on the phone’s touchscreen acts as a hit to send the ball rolling around a course mapped out around the house or office, and a curling game where the player physically rolls the ball and then brushes the touchscreen to try and hit a target.

Credits to: Gizmag

Sony's Sharp Shooter machine gun for PlayStation Move

With the plethora of Wii-mote add-on attachments available it comes as no surprise to see that Sony’s PlayStation Move controller is set to get the same treatment. It also comes as no surprise that one of the first add-ons for the device was the Move Shooting Attachment aimed at titles like Time Crisis: Razing Storm and The Shoot. Being an official Sony product the unit is slightly better than the bulk of cheap plastic lumps released by third party manufacturers for the Wii, but the company has gone one better with its new PlayStation Move Sharp Shooter Attachment that will hit store shelves alongside the much anticipated Killzone 3 in February.

The Sharp Shooter houses both the motion controller and navigation controller and features a digital trigger, adjustable shoulder stock, firing mode selector, realistic pump-action and a reload button. The motion controller forms the gun barrel while the navigation controller fits into a slot located underneath that provides easy access to the buttons, trigger and navigation joystick.

The unit was designed specifically for first person shooters such as Killzone 3 andSOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs and even comes with sticker packs for both those games. It is also compatible with Time Crisis: Razing Storm and Dead Space Extraction – although there’s probably nothing stopping you using it with EyePet if your virtual pet starts getting on your nerves.

Credits to: Gizmag

JOYSTICK-IT adds a physical joystick to tablet-based gaming

While touchscreen tablets such as the iPad have proven themselves to be extremely popular gaming devices, games that require a directional input suffer from difficult to use and easy to lose track of onscreen touch control pads. The JOYSTICK-IT iPad Arcade Stick is a simple accessory that solves this problem by sticking over the top of the onscreen control pad to provide a physical joystick when needed.

Featuring solid milled-aluminum construction, the JOYSTICK-IT from ThinkGeekdoesn’t require any wires or batteries. The device itself has no moving parts with a spherical surface on the bottom of the device allowing the joystick to be rolled around which causes the outer edge of the base to contact the screen and register input on any capacitive touchscreen. Although the JOYSTICK-IT sticks to the screen, it is easily removable and repositionable.

Although ThinkGeek says the JOYSTICK-IT will work with any device with a capacitive touchscreen, its size will make it less than ideal for mobile phones, but it looks just the thing for adding some extra precision to tablet-based gaming.

Credits to: Gizmag

GAMES Razor Switchblade concept to take desktop PC gaming mobile

While mobile devices have attracted a large part of the casual gaming market, PC games still offer a depth and adaptable user interface that is impossible to match on mobile phones, tablets, or even consoles. With that in mind, gaming-oriented peripherals manufacturer Razer has unveiled a concept device at CES 2011. Called the Razer Switchblade, it looks to bring PC desktop gaming to a portable form factor.

With the keyboard and mouse interface being one of the major strengths of PC gaming but a major problem when it comes to portability, Razer has given the Switchblade a dynamic tactile keyboard that adjusts its configuration based on current game being played. This is accomplished through the placement of transparent keys over an LCD panel, meaning the keys can display game-related icons as well as letters and numbers, and the layout can even change dynamically based on the situation in-game.

Meanwhile, to replace the mouse the 7-inch upper display boasts an ultra-sensitive multi-touch screen. Although, for those that prefer to use a mouse, the concept device also includes a USB 3.0 port. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack, mini HDMI and mic ports to give you the option of playing on a larger display with better sound.

Designed from the ground up by Razor’s designers and engineers in collaboration with Intel, the device is based on the Intel Atom processor and is conceptualized to cater to all game genres and run Windows 7. It is also designed to include both Wi-Fi and 3G. It measures 172 x 115 x 25mm (6.77 x 4.52 x 0.98 inches).

Although it's still just a concept and Razor is better known as a gaming peripherals company, the company seems to have invested quite a bit of time and effort into developing the Switchblade, which could bode well for its eventual release.

Two years ago Razor says it made a secret acquisition of the engineering team of “a global award winning ultra mobile handheld brand” whose key lead engineers joined the company and have been working for the last two years on the project with the aim of bringing the design to life. We’ll be waiting and watching.

Credits to: Gizmag

Sony makes things personal with 3D headset prototype

One of the more interesting – and futuristic looking – pieces of 3D tech on show atCES 2011 is Sony’s prototype personal 3D headset. Looking like something out ofTron or an early iteration of Geordi LaForge’s visor from Star Trek:TNG, the 3D headset overcomes the problem of crosstalk experienced on 3D TVs using active shutter glasses by incorporating two OLED displays – one for each eye – offering 1280 x 720 pixels each.

In addition to providing 3D visuals, which need to be manually calibrated for each user through a dial on the unit, the prototype headset also features simulated 5.1 channel surround sound via the integrated earpieces. In it its current form the headset doesn’t include any means to hold it in place such as a strap, but Sony Executive Deputy President Hiroshi Yoshioka says he had used the device to play Gran Turismo 5.

Credits to: Gizmag

iCADE turns an iPad into a mini arcade cabinet

Yearning to relive the golden days of arcade gaming but can’t afford a full sized arcade console? Then the iCADE arcade-style controller for iPad could be the next best thing. Originally appearing as an April Fools joke on ThinkGeek last year, the fictional device garnered so much interest ThinkGeek has partnered with ION to turn the concept into a reality. The resulting unit packs a full-sized joystick and eight arcade buttons in a mini arcade cabinet form factor.

The iCADE is slightly redesigned from the initial ThinkGeek April Fools mockup, with the iPad now sitting at a slight angle in a specially designed cradle to provide a better viewing angle and the joystick and arcade buttons placed on a slightly angled surface so they’re not quite so close to the iPad screen. Interestingly, the iCADE’s controls connect to the iPad via Bluetooth and not the dock connector.

ThinkGeek was initially worried about getting Apple to approve a MAME based emulator app for the iPad, but ION has partnered with Atari to bring a suite of its classic arcade titles, including Asteroids, to market with support for the iCADE built in. Additionally, ION says new and existing apps can be easily updated to work with the device, with the API to be released to allow any iOS developer to create iCADE-compatible games.

Judging by the reception the concept received when it was first unveiled byThinkGeek and the attention it received at CES 2011, there are many iPad owners looking to relive some of their misspent youth and the device will fly out the door.

Credits to: Gizmag

Nintendo's 3DS gets official European and U.S. release date

Nintendo has announced that its much-anticipated 3DS, which offers glasses-free 3D gaming, will launch in Europe on March 25, closely followed by a U.S. release on March 27. This comes after the previously announced February 26 release date for Japan, where it will retail for JPY25,000 (approx. US$305). In the U.S. the device will be priced at US$249.99, while pricing outside these markets will be set by local retailers – UK retailers are quoting a price range of UKP219 to 229 (approx. US$350 to $366).

The March European and U.S. release date will mark a year, almost to the day, since the company first announced a new portable gaming device that would allow users to enjoy 3D effects without glasses. Since then, Nintendo has revealed pretty much all the details of the 3DS, right down to the colors available at launch – Cosmo Black or Aqua Blue – although there will no doubt be other color options released in the future.

Hardware

Other previously released specs include a bottom touch screen and top 3D display whose level of 3D effect can be altered – or switched off completely – using a depth slider. In addition to the familiar + Control Pad and button controls found on previous DS consoles, the 3DS features a Circle Pad that provides 360 degrees of direction control to navigate those 3D worlds.

There’s also a built-in motion sensor and gyro sensor for playing motion-compatible titles and that let the console act as a pedometer in Sleep Mode, with the steps users take earning them Play Coins that can be traded in for additional content in compatible games and applications.

The 3DS packs not one, not two, but three cameras. One facing the user and two pointing outward that can take 3D photos that can naturally be viewed on the console’s 3D display. The two outer cameras can also used in conjunction with augmented-reality (AR) cards – six are included with the 3DS – that are read by the cameras allowing images and animations to be superimposed on top of the card on the 3D display.

On the connectivity front, a StreetPass feature will allows gamers to exchange game information, such as Mii character data, maps for games, and high scores and custom character data for different games, as they pass each other. The SpotPass feature will allow the console to connect to compatible public hotspots and home Wi-Fi networks to receive new content and updates even when the 3DS is in Sleep Mode.

The 3DS is compatible with DS game cards and includes an SD card slot – Nintendois including a 2GB SD card with the 3DS. After the launch Nintendo will provide a service that allows DSi and DSi XL owners to transfer games downloaded from the Nintendo DSi Shop onto their 3DS. The updated Nintendo eShop, available through a system update, will offer access to downloadable games, including DSiWare and 3DS-specific titles. An upgraded internet browser will also be available via a system update.

Titles-a-plenty

Aside from a number of pre-loaded games and applications, more than 30 games will be available for the 3DS at launch, including PilotWings Resort, nintendogs + cats and Steel Diver. But it’s the titles still in the works that are likely to get fans excited, such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Star Fox 64 3D, Kid Icarus: Uprising and new installments in the Mario Kart, Animal Crossing and Paper Mario series.

The 3DS also boasts strong support from third-party publishers such as Electronic Arts, Capcom, Konami, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, LucasArts, Tecmo Koei and Ubisoft. Upcoming titles include, Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, The Sims 3, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D, LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, Ridge Racer 3D, Thor: God of Thunder, BUST-A-MOVE UNIVERSE, Dead or Alive Dimensions, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Shadow Wars,Splinter Cell 3D, and Rayman 3D, just to name a few.

CREDITS TO: Gizmag

Programmer nails real-time rendering of ultra-realistic human skin

Graphics researcher Jorge Jimenez has cracked the problem of rendering what he calls "ultra realistic skin" in real-time with consumer-level computer and graphics hardware. It's a breakthrough made possible by the process of separable subsurface scattering (SSS) which quickly renders the translucent properties of skin and its effect on light in two post-processing passes. The code is based wholly on original research using DirectX 10. Jimenez describes the achievement as the result of hours of "research, desperation, excitement, happiness, pride, sadness and extreme dedication."

Though Jimenez has released a high definition video of the effect, he's gone two better by releasing downloadable executable demo files that will run on a home PC provided it has a powerful enough GPU, as well as making the source code available on GitHub.

Though the code runs on consumer-level hardware, it'll take more than an everyday PC to run well. On his GeForce GTX 580-equipped machine Jimenez was able to run the demo at a mean of 112.5 frames per second, varying between 80 and 160 FPS. It's worth bearing in mind that that's a graphics card that costs about US$470 from Amazon.

And it may be too early to salivate at the prospect of a Call of Duty, Mass Effect orElder Scrolls sequel with such realistic characters. The demo consists of a single, stationary head and shoulders - literally a world apart from the dynamic, character-filled environments of modern video games. If the principles are applied to games in the near future, it may be that the results are significantly watered down simply because the graphics processors have a lot more on their plate (unless Attack of the Gigantic Mutant Killer Head from Venus is released any time soon).

And SSS alone is not sufficient for rendering realistic character models. "Efforts towards rendering ultra realistic skin are futile if they are not coupled with HDR, high quality bloom, depth of field, film grain, tone mapping, ultra high quality models, parametrization maps, high quality shadow maps (which are lacking on my demo) and a high quality antialiasing solution," writes Jimenez on his blog. "If you fail on any of them, the illusion of looking at a real human will be broken." The task of rendering realistic skin is especially challenging close up at 1080p, he adds.

It's an impressive achievement, and one you can observe in all its HD glory in the video below. Of course, if you've got the hardware, you can run the demo for yourself.

Credits to: Gizmag