Video Games to help kids with ADHD?

I always thought giving all that medication to little kids for things like ADD and ADHD was bad. Apparently researchers in Sydney, Australia feel the same.

They are planning to do a study with kids who have ADHD to hopefully prove video games increase their ability to focus. This experiment is being conducted after American researchers reported last week the benefits of non-medical intervention in the treatment of ADHD.

The way this study works is giving children video games that have built-in biofeedback controls. It monitors things like heart rate and brainwave patterns to see how much concentration a child can gather while playing the game. If the child's heart rate or brainwaves drop below a certain rate they lose control of the video game their playing.

I think this study is so interesting not just because video games are involved, but because it could help prove all this medication we are giving our children is not necessary at all.

You should check the full article out over at the Sydney Newspaper's Website.

Video Game System for Babies?

This product called the "v.smile baby" is as close to a video game system for babies as you can get. Produced by the company Vtech, it's designed to make a babies playtime productive with it's "Infant Development System".

Yeah, that really makes playtime productive, sit a kid in front of a TV with a controller and let him or her get fat.

The thing that freaks me out the most about this system is the "baby sign language" it teaches. An apparent precursor to talking, it teaches babies different motions, and signals to get what they want.

Shouldn't we be trying to teach babies just to talk? What baby who lacks the ability to speak, will be able to memorize symbols off a television to signal for a drink?

The only cool thing about the product is it's website: http://www.vsmilebaby.com. It's defiantly worth a look for it's awesome design. Beware though, the music is short, repetitive, and quite annoying.

Brain Age 1 & 2 keep the brain sharp!

Another commercial that I saw this week was for the game "Brain Age 2" . What this does is give you different activities to complete as fast as you can.

Most of the problems are math related, but some involve other subjects like music. What's really cool about this though, is when you want to give the answer, you just use a pointer to write right on the screen. That makes this game fast and easy for anyone.

Some people might be skeptical about it actually "keeping your brain sharp" but the game is based off of actual research. The research was conducted by Dr. Ryuta Kawashima, a prominent Japanese neuroscientist; so you know it must be good.

Honestly, after watching a 50ish-year-old man whiz through a bunch of math problems on the Brain Age website, I was very scared I wouldn't be able to keep up!

FLY Pentop Computer helps kids with homework

While watching TV this week I saw this commercial. I was so intrigued by this magical pen that I had to do some further research on it's capabilities.

What I found was a wealth of information regarding all the add-ons, and accessories necessary for this pen to function. In fact, if you wanted it to do what it does on that commercial, your going to have to buy quite a few things.

First the pen itself for $ 79.99. Then, this pen only works on special "Fly Paper" which you must buy for $ 8.00. Then if you want the pen to tell you the answers to your homework you have to buy different software packs. In the commercial it used a mathematics software package that costs $20.00.

I think this pen is a great idea for helping kids with homework, but I just see it getting abused quite often. Also the fact that you have to be so many accessories just for basic functions, makes me want to give this product a big "Nick Thumbs Down"!

Christian Video Game too extreme?

Continuing with the religious theme, there is quite the stir about a religious themed video game. Based on a series of fantasy Christianity books, the game puts you in command of brainwashed legions fighting for Christianity.

The game and book series, take place in a time where the events of the Book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, happened today. The controversy lies however with how all other religions other than Christianity is portrayed.

The Muslim Association of Britain called for a boycot of the game, saying "This game is irresponsible and highly racist. It demonises every other religion which isn’t Christianity."

Honestly, I think no boycott is necessary of this game. It's based on a series of popular books, "Left Behind". After selling over 60 million copies of the books, no one had a problem, or suggested a boycott of the books.

I think the issue is because it's a video game, and video games always come under fire faster than other forms of media for controversal content.

Halo 3 being used in Church?!?!

I read in the NY Times this past week, that a church in Colorado was using Halo 3 as a means of spreading God's Word. Allowing children below the regulated age of 17, which is the age legal required to play Halo 3, was OK because they "want to make it hard for teenagers to go to hell", accoring to Mr. Barbour. Children as young as 12 years of age were playing this violent game saying that, "It's just fun blowing people up."

I cannnot believe that a Church would ever steep so slow as to have a Halo 3 tournament. That is absolute dispicable. They are not only breaking the law, but somehow think they are saving children from hell by allowing them to play a shooting game? They are doing anything but! I think the title of the NY Times article sums it up best saying, "Thou Shalt Not Kill, Except in a Game at Church."

Nudie Jeans Co. utilize familiarity of games...

Keeping with the theme of Advertising Week, I present to you the Nudie Jeans Company. Even cooler than their name, the Nudie Jeans Company have an amazing website. Knowing that they are selling jeans to males, they designed their website to emulate a video game.

It really is genius how they took the familiarity of a character selection screen in a video game, to a jean selection screen on their website. In other words how your able to click on each style of jeans on the website, is exactly how you choose your video game character in a lot of games.

For having only a handful of stores in the United States, and Australia I am truly impressed with the cool website, and certainly appreciate their video game approach for selling their jeans.

An Advertising Company only for video games...

Halo 3 made $300 million dollars in one week smashing any opening record held by a movie; or any other entertainment source for that matter. This is just another example to the media that the male demographic of 18 to 36 year olds aren't really watching TV anymore, but rather embracing video games as the preferred medium.

To capitalize on the success of video games are these new advertising companies that operate exclusively with video game companies. The forerunner of these companies is Massive Incorporated. Visiting their website, I was amazed to see how in depth the website was. It showcased the different types of advertisements they can blend into different games, as well as detailing the technology they use.

The thing about video game advertising that I don't like is many of the ads are subliminal. They are selling products in many cases to young kids, who don't even know they are being advertised too. Also as someone who plays games, I hope that in the future video games don't become as littered with ads, as websites, and television shows have become.