Does playing video games lead to a lower IQ?

Throughout the years, many people have taken offense to the rising popularity of the video gaming community. This community is stated as being under-productive and, more importantly, most likely to have a lower Intelligence Quotient. Being an avid gamer myself, I have researched this subject and have come to a few conclusions.

The first time I heard this question asked, I thought long and hard about my motives into video games. Was I really having my intelligence sapped by my inconspicuous technology? When I stated that I was in college and asked what they would prefer me to do, they told me to read a book. That is when I realized that the IQ argument could be made about almost anything. If reading a book is the more productive thing to do, then one could assume that the countless educational video games on the market are far inferior to the many books out there on subjects ranging from the healing properties of smelling feet, to the brutal slaying or one's mother. I would agree that there is some benefit to reading a good book, but there is also much to be learned from certain video games. The amount of reading involved in most games is immense compared to what normal people go through in a day.

The recent release of the Nintendo DS title Big Brain Academy has only further strengthened my belief that there is educational value to be had in many video games. The games feature a series of mini-games that are designed to increase the thinking capacity of a single person. The game has logic, reason, math, visual, and memory based questions with increasing difficulty. Prior to these games, there were many games that were used in classrooms as a tool to increase interest in previously unattractive subjects. Games such as Number Munchers make math fun by use of quirky characters and fast-paced action, while incorporating many math problems in the process. Other games may teach people about unfamiliar regions of the world, or find fun ways to increase their vocabulary.

The Nintendo Wii has also incorporated the use of bodily movement in video games adding an element of exercise to the popular video gaming community. As critics previously said that video games are prohibitive in the growth of children, the popular Japanese based company produced the Nintendo Wii in an effort to get children more physically active. Along with the system itself, Nintendo has also released the "Wii Fit" game that has a series of physical exercises that encourages people of all ages to get in shape through the use of the video game.

Although there is no real test that can determine the amount of intelligence that is either gained or lost through gaming, there are several games that have proven they have an educational value. As people in the media scramble to prove that video game violence is correlated to actual violence, there is a ray of hope in the fact that some children have escaped this diluted reality, and have adventured into the world of imagination and education.

Nintendo Wii and Wii Sports – Good for fitness in children?

The Nintendo Wii it seems, puts pay to the concerns in recent years over the inactivity in children due to their interest in video games consoles. The Wii console really sets itself apart from the rest with its revolutionary motion sensitive controller, which actually requires movement in order to play the games.

The Nintendo Wii comes with the game Wii Sports, which includes tennis, baseball, bowling, golf and boxing. In tennis you will be swinging the remote as if it were a tennis racket and flicking it up to toss the ball into the air with a quick swing to serve just like the real thing. The other Wii Sports games work in a similar way simulating controller movements for like movements onscreen. Boxing however is the only Wii Sports game that uses the nunchuk attachment and is the most physically exhausting game of them all. In order to hit your opponent in the head or body, you will have to aim high or low with your swings.

There are three different activities with each game. In training mode, you will participate in random challenges, after which you will be assigned a fitness age, based on your performance. Sound familiar? The Nintendo DS game, Brain Training comes to mind...a physical version perhaps?

The important thing here is that gamers are becoming more physically active without even realising it - you could say it has a 'kill two birds with one stone' effect, combining video game play with physical activity. Given this 'physical' nature of the Wii game play, I wouldn't be suprised if parents rushed out to buy the Nintendo Wii console just to get their kids off the sofa!

Another great thing about the Nintendo Wii is that it appeals not only to children and teens but to adults too, so its something the whole family can enjoy.

Could the Nintendo Wii revolutionize the way we play video games in the future? It will be interesting to see what Nintendo's competitors come up with next - this could be a tough one to beat!

Best gifts for a 14

One of the most difficult things to do in life is to attempt to understand a teenager. They are sullen, rude, unpredictable and hormonal. The idea of having to spend your hard-earned cash on someone who can only communicate in grunts leaves you filled with resentment. Then you remember that you are the adult, therefore must take the higher ground by reaching out to them with a physical expression of your love.

As an English teacher in a secondary school, I try desperately to make a living from attempting to reach out to such people. From what I can gather, it seems that their main wish is to simply 'be understood.' Easy, right?

So you need to find a present which demonstrates how much you 'understand' your 14 year old boy. Most teenagers seem to enjoy their equivalent of what we used to call 'music,' so depending on your child's taste, a cd compilation of heavy drum 'n' bass dance tunes, or an album by a band whose name invariably begins with 'The' could be a good way to go. I suggest getting a compiliation rather than individual songs as teenagers are usually able to download songs from the internet, but this is more difficult with albums.

If the boy in question is more of an outdoorsy type, sports equipment could be a good idea. Some football memorabilia or clothing perhaps. Most boys like fun indoor games like a miniature pool table or a Scalextric set.

If you have a fairly high budget, you cannot go wrong with a games console. A Nintendo DS has a range of games which are more educational if you are not an advocate of the violent, shoot 'em ups that many kids love. A Nintendo WII is also a good (albeit very expensive) buy if your child is somewhat of a couch potato, many hours of flinging their arms around frantically is bound to make even the laziest offspring shed a few pounds.

Most teenage boys are highly concerened about their body image, so a nice thoughtful way to show that you understand their fears could be to buy them a posh set of hair gunk, or some very masculine-looking smellies. A t-shirt with a designer label blazened across it may also help your teenager achieve their goal of looking 'cool.'

If you would like to encourage your teenage boy to read (no ulterior motives from me here) a book by Eoin Colfer or Anthony Horowitz should go down a treat.

As I've said a few times now, most teenage boys just want to be understood. What better way to understand your teenager is there than actually spending time with them? Although they may not show much enthusiasm at first (god forbid you actually show your parents that you love them) a day out to a theme park or to see a footie match could do wonders for your relationship.

If howver you are simply buying for a relative, you could help their parents out in the bonding department by buying them tickets for something that they could do together. There are many types of 'gift experiences' for sale online or in the Argos catalogue, e.g. quad biking, body flying, sphereing or even driving a sports car for 30 mins. Be warned that their parents may not thank you for vlunteering them for skydiving without consulting them first.

Well, I hope that this list has given you a few useful ideas and I wish you happy hunting.

Want a Wii Under your Tree? Better Buy Nintendo Wii Online

Nintendo as well as most game manufacturers stockpile their consoles during the summer months

to prepare for the holiday seasons. Even though nintendo has been making 1.8 million units

per month, they get snatched up as soon as they hit the shelves at local retailers. It seems

to be a must to buy nintendo wii online if you want to snag one this year.

Nintendo can't really be blamed for the shortages because there is no way they could have

anticipated such high demand for nintendo wii consoles. It seems any nintendo product is the

must have for this year. Nintendo ds and wii reach record sales during thanksgiving week.

They sold 653 thousand nintendo ds units and 350 nintendo wii home systems. Based on these

figures and the current demand that sales could easily reach 1.5 million units sold through

the end of December.

The nintendo ds and nintendo wii systems offer fun for the entire family. This is a way to

maximize your spending for the holiday season by choosing something for the entire family.

It has been frustrating for so many shoppers trying to find a nintendo wii. Most shopper are

having to buy nintendo wii online in places like ebay and amazon where there seems to be an

endless supply unlike with the local retail stores.

Maybe nintendo's production was too conservative and these shortages are forcing customers

to buy somehting else this year. Nintendo executives don't seem to be too concerned and believe

customers will hold out for their unique nintendo wii system. It seems like everyone wants a wii.

If you want one this year, odds are that you had better consider buying nintendo wii online.

It's hard to believe that after only 12 months on the market there have been 5 million nintendo

wii units sold. This has made wii the fastest selling video game console. Quite an achievement.

Walmart has even resorted to selling wii gift cards in the amount of the retail price of a

nintendo wii console. Personally I think kids would be pretty disappointed to get a gift card

instead of a nintendo wii console. Sure they can buy a console later, but that is just no fun.

So you will have to buy nintendo wii online or camp out at your local retail store and hope you

can snag a wii. That seems to be the only way to have a wii under your tree this year. Online

shopping is very safe and secure. Now keep in mind due to demand prices have increased a bit,

but some of the auctions are still at the suggested retail price. Stand in line, get a wii

gift card or buy nintendo wi online? I think I would have to go with the later.

Wii, the Coolest Game Console

Nintendo have released so many video game consoles on the market for the past years. Among all their launches, there's definitely one that stands out and makes a huge difference, and that's Nintendo Wii. This video game console has made a big name on the market for its undefeated high gross sales, since it was first launched. It has also made a remarkable trademark to those gamers for its innovative design and advanced features.

Wii is the Nintendo's fifth home game console. Compared to the other previous video games they have released, Wii has a greatest impact to most game fanatics and those who are fond of collecting video game consoles. In fact, most gamers consider it as the coolest game console because of its unique accessories and compact design. The superb features of Wii are some of the good reasons why people from all ages get attracted and be amazed to it.

One of its distinguishing features is the wireless Wii Remote that can be used for pointing purposes and motion-sensing abilities. As a pointing device, this helps the player to be more comfortable in playing because they are no longer require to come near to the console just to choose or change a new game. In that case, it helps playing game more accessible to people. Wii Remote also makes playing game more exciting and fun, since the players do not need to use the classic controller. It also includes speaker and expansion ports intended for connecting additional input devices such as Nunchuk. By connecting Nunchuk on the wireless wii remote, the players can detect the acceleration or movements of their characters that makes playing more enjoyable. Some gamers consider this Nunchuk as an ideal partner for Wii remote because they can use Nunchuk's analog stick to assist them in character movements and wii remote to perform a specific actions. Another distinct feature is the Nintendo DS Compatibility in which Wii system supports wireless connectivity with the Nintendo DS. This allows the players to use some accessories of Nintendo DS such as Microphone and touch screen as inputs in Wii games without any additional accessories. For this reason, it would be an advantage for those people who owned Nintendo DS console because they can able to use them again in playing Nintendo Wii. Online connectivity is another great feature of Nintendo Wii. This provides Wii to have an online connection from the Internet by using WiiConnect24 and Wi- Fi connection. Through WiiConnect24, it enables Wii to receive messages and updates from the Internet while the console is on the stand-by mode. By means of Wi-Fi Connection, the players can able to facilitate free Internet play of Wii games.

Indeed, Wii is truly one of the greatest achievements of Nintendo Company. Its overall compact design and features are the main reasons why most people are encouraged to have their own Wii.

Choosing a video game console – Part 2

The first issue you should consider when buying a video game system is what type of system you are looking for. In the past, there were only two options: console or portable. Today, the Nintendo Wii adds a third, more interactive, option. So you may want to have a small portable system that can be used in most situations such as the PSP and Nintendo DS, or you may be more interested in a system that is less versatile, but has many other advantages such as the Xbox 360, PS3, or Nintendo Wii.

Perhaps the most important consideration is that of the game selection that comes with each system. In years past, games like Grand Theft Auto and Halo have made the PS2 and Xbox respectively highly desirable options, while the GameCube had a somewhat more limited range of available games. With the unique nature of the Wii, it is yet to be seen whether this will continue to be an issue for Nintendo systems.

Graphics are a very important consideration as anyone who has watched the evolution of video games has seen first-hand. What was seen to be remarkable ten years ago is of terrible quality compared to what is available now. The question is what kind of quality you feel that you need. If the last system you owned was the Super Nintendo, moving up to the Nintendo 64 or PlayStation would be a major upgrade. However, if you are looking for the best graphics, look into the newest generation of games.

Another consideration that a buyer should think about involves the accessories and alternate uses that each console has. For example, in comparing the PS2 and the GameCube, while the GameCube is cheaper and arguably has better graphics, it cannot play DVDs or regular CDs - the PS2 can. Memory also comes into play. The Xbox has built-in memory, but the PS2 and GameCube require separate memory cards. Finally, what type of controller suits you? The Wii gains major points for uniqueness and potential, but you might want something more traditional, or because of space issues, the Wii remote may not be practical for you.

The concern that hangs over every decision that must be made is, of course, that of money. While the most attractive consoles may be the Wii and the PS3, they may be out of your price range. In that case, the GameCube, PS2, and Xbox are all fine lower-cost options. A new GameCube can be found for as low as $50 while the current PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii prices are all well over $200, with the PS3 as high as $600.

How to Get a Free Wii-kend With the Help of the Wii Games Console Update

Hi, I just thought I would write a quick article to answer a few of questions that I had recieved from alot of people about the article I wrote last month titled "How to get a free Wii-kend" for those of you that didnt read it, it was about my son going over to Benidorm on a fag run where he met up with a guy he partially knew who was over there buying a Wii with a group of other guys and then bringing them back to sell on Ebay for a nice little profit which covered the cost of the whole Wii Kend.

When i mean the whole cost i mean flights, hotel accomodation, food and drinks.

Well alot of people got in contact to ask if i knew of any other products that offered the same opportunities, well im working on it as i would like to go and do it myself, why should'nt anyone want to go away for the wii-kend have a great time and then sell something somebody wants for a profit and use that profit to pay for there good time?

One of the problems at the moment the games console market has now got more stock in the shops and games are reaching the stores more readily, so no real shortages at present, but as soon as something released that really gets people excited im sure an opportunity or two will arise.

If you do find something in demand there are a few things you should always remember, here is my checklist, you might add a thing or too yourself

1, Make sure there is an eager market for your product

2, Make sure there is a reliable supply at your destination

3, Make a budget by getting accurate costings of travel and accomodation

4, When taking others with you make sure they will get on together on the trip

5, Go with the view of enjoying yourself and not a business trip

When i get a sniff of an opportunity i will write another article and post it out as soon as possible, also if anyone has any ideas please contact me.

As for sales on my site consolesmarket.com & .co.uk its still the usual pattern of Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii still dominating the hits and sales. The sale values have also dropped slightly as supply has reached the stores now since Christmas. Games are hot as every with DS leading the way.

Nintendo and Sony Close on Sales in January 2008

The NPD Group provided a reminder this week that market growth is not guaranteed. The gaming industry in the US ended the year (2007) with record retail sales of nearly $18 billion.

This week The NPD Group the industry-research firm released US retail sales data for the January 2008 period. While software sales for the month were up 11 percent to nearly $611 million, hardware sales fell by a quarter to around $378 million. Combine that with a modest decline in accessory sales, the industry overall was down 6 percent for the month, posting $1.18 billion compared to January 2007's $1.25 billion take.

Despite this, the month contained indications that the industry actually grew. That was because the January 2007 reporting period was five weeks long as opposed to this January's four-week span. Analyst Anita Frazier said that the numbers are much rosier when this adjustment was taken into account.

The big winner in the gaming market was console software which was nearly 50 percent up when compared to last year.

Hardware sales were down and a lot of this was to do with poor supply that assertion was backed up by a statement from Microsoft saying the Xbox 360 was suffering from temporary shortages.

Nintendo's longtime lead on its competitors was also slimmed. The Wii once again took the console sales crown, by a narrower margin than in previous months. In a month that saw significant advances for the PlayStation 3's chosen Blu-ray disc format, Sony's system ran nearly neck-and-neck with the Wii, selling 269,000 systems compared to the Nintendo’s 275,000. 3rd placed Nintendo DS racked up 251,000 sales, while the Xbox 360 and PlayStation Portable brought up the rear, selling 230,000 units each.

Familiar faces dominated the software list, with Modern Warfare and Call of Duty 4 for the Xbox 360 once again beating all challengers, notching up 331,000 in sales. Another favourite Guitar Hero on the Wii and Xbox 360 took third and fifth respectively, Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii was sixth and the DS edition of Mario Party in ninth.

THIS IS THE NPD GROUP's DATA FOR US GAME INDUSTRY SALES FOR JANUARY 2008

Category Total Change

Video Games: $1.18 billion -6%

Video Game Accessories: $191 million -4%

Video Games Software: $550 million +11%

Video Games Hardware: $378 million -25%

Total Sales Per Week: $295 million +18%

Hardware Sales (units sold)

Wii: 274,000

PlayStation 3: 269,000

Nintendo DS: 251,000

PlayStation Portable: 230,000

Xbox 360: 230,000

Game Software Top 10 (units sold)

1) Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat (360, Activision) - 331,000

2) Wii Play with Wii Remote (Wii, Nintendo) - 298,000

3) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Wii, Activision) - 240,000

4) Rock Band (Xbox 360, MTV Games) - 184,000

5) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Xbox 360, Activision) - 183,000

6) Super Mario Galaxy (Wii, Nintendo) - 172,000

7) Burnout Paradise (Xbox 360, EA) - 144,000

Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat (PS3, Activision) - 140,000

9) Mario Party DS (DS, Nintendo) - 139,000

10) Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (DS, Sega) - 133,000

A statement from Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello is confident the company's revenue will jump to around $6 billion by the fiscal year 2011, with at least $900 million from digital revenue streams like downloadable content, in-game advertising and subscription fees. That would represent a growth of 71 percent over its 2008 fiscal year revenue forcast, which it expected to hit roughly $3.5 billion.

Other new announcements made by EA yesterday included a release date of September 7 for Spore (and possible PS3 and Xbox 360 versions).

5 Incredible Benefits Of Owning A Nintendo DS Lite

Stacy Hokama asked:


The Nintendo DS Lite is an incredibly powerful and fun handheld game. Nintendo has really outdone themselves with this product. The Nintendo DS Lite features include but are not limited to: ultra bright dual screens, never before offered touch screen technology, WiFi Connection, microphone port for voice commands, stereo rich sound, etc.

A ton of reviews have been done on the features of the Nintendo DS Lite, however, today we will do something a little creative and talk about the "5 Incredible Benefits Of Owning A Nintendo DS Lite".

Benefit #1

Playing your Nintendo DS Lite will always put you in a good mood! No kidding! Whenever, I'm feeling a bit down (and even when I'm not feeling down) I reach for my Nintendo DS Lite and within seconds I'm enjoying incredible 3D Graphics and awesome games. My personal favorite game is Mario Kart. It is just a ton of fun racing around the different tracks and choosing different cars, crashing, jumping, speeding up, etc.

Feeling good is what life is all about and the Nintendo DS Lite makes that all possible. By the way, there are a ton of incredibly fun games: Mario Kart, New Super Mario Brothers, Brain Age 1 and 2, Nintendogs Labrador Retriever & Friends, Flash Focus: Vision Training in Minutes a Day, Animal Crossing: Wild Worlds, Disney's High School Musical: Making the Cut, Big Brain Academy, Battleship/Connect 4/ Sorry/Trouble, and of course Hannah Montana DS are just a few popular games.

Benefit #2

The Nintendo DS Lite gives you an opportunity to bond with your kids. The Nintendo DS Lite is fun for both kids and adults. My wife and daughter enjoy playing Super Mario together; they look like two friends enjoying themselves rather than mother-daughter. It's refreshing to see them laughing, teaching each other, and really having a great time together. Many parents get so caught up in their daily chores that they forget to unwind and have fun with their kids.

For those of you without kids you still can use the Nintendo DS Lite to bond with your boyfriend/girlfriend, parents, grandparents, friends, and neighbor. Just about anyone you can think of!

Benefit #3

For us older gamers the Nintendo DS Lite helps us with our hand-eye coordination. Almost all the games require you to use both hands. It really helps keep us older folk keep sharp. Maybe they Nintendo should come up with a new simpler version called "Nintendo DS Lite for Seniors".

The Nintendo DS Lite also helps develop motor skills in younger kids too.

So it helps both the young and old!

Benefit #4

The Nintendo DS Lite can keep your child occupied when you need time for your chores/tasks. Many of us have a ton of things to do at home and we also bring home work to do. The Nintendo DS Lite can give you the free time you need to complete your chores/tasks. Of course like everything else game playing should be done in moderation. So do not let your child play his/her Nintendo DS Lite until the batteries die. But it does help when you need time to cook, wash dishes, take a shower, wait for your turn at the doctor's office or any type of waiting.

And if you don't have kids you still can use the Nintendo DS Lite to keep your boyfriend/girlfriend, parents, grandparents, friends, neighbors busy while they wait for you.

Benefit #5

The last is benefit that no matter where you are you can enjoy your Nintendo DS Lite. Its small size allows you can take it anywhere.

Length: 133 millimeters (5.2 inches).

Width: 73.9 millimeters (2.9 inches).

Height: 21.5 millimeters (0.85 inches).

Our family always carries our Nintendo DS Lite whenever we go out. It's a great way to past time wherever you are. Great fun is always at your fingertips.

So there you have the 5 Incredible Benefits Of Owning a Nintendo DS Lite. There are probably a ton of other benefits because the Nintendo DS Lite really is an awesome handheld game to have. So if you don't have a Nintendo DS Lite...go out and get one! Remember the benefits: feel good, bond with the kids (or whoever), stay sharp, have free time from the kids (or whoever), and have fun at your fingertips anywhere you go!

Life is short, have fun while you can!



Cheap Video Game Rentals

wily202 asked:


Did you know you can get free Wii points straight from your finger tips? That’s right, free! Don’t believe me? Read my article and find out how. Besides, what have you got to lose?

            Instead of getting you more excited, I’ll get right to things. This is legit and it works 100%. No personal info is required. So don’t worry about getting scammed. You can also do this for other gaming gear rather than the Nintendo Wii.

            First you’re going to want to sign up for rewards1. A site where you can get free prizes! Here is link-> http://tinyurl.com/points-rewards . This site is safe, trust me. I wouldn't be writing this article if it wasn't.           

If you noticed, you can earn prizes. To do this, simply complete easy offers. All offers have a certain amount of points that when completed, you get the points.

            Points are used to request any prize you want from their rewards section. A prize cost the same amount of money it would be in real life. For example: If you get a nintendo ds lite on rewards1, it would be worth 130 points.

I just ordered the new Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings for Wii and it should get to my house around 3 days. Rewards1 has very fast shipping. Have fun getting free Wii gear!

Pleas read my blog that has tips on getting points. Here is link-> http://points-rewards.blogspot.com/ . The tips are near the middle of blog. Also tell your friends about my blog



Cheap Wii Systems For Sale Here