Ted Talk: 7 ways Video Games Reward the Brain

In Tom Chatfield's "7 ways Video Games Reward the Brain" he discusses how and why people play so many hours of video. Chatfield himself plays video games, and so does his wife. He is a sucker for getting on the back of a rare steed in a game, like World of Warcraft, covered from head to toe in armor. 

People play so many hours because it involves them in ways that could not be accomplished other wise, and they get rewarded for it. "Every time you do something, you get credit; you get credit for trying. You don't punish failure." People are not discouraged, they are only motivated to try again. When they succeed they are met with great satisfaction.It may not be a very noticeable thing but it all adds up. People want to get rewards for what they are doing, but getting an item of much higher value with small odds very is thrilling, "A known reward excites people, but what gets them really going is the uncertain reward." A certain level of uncertainty is what drives people, it is similar to gambling: the smaller the chance the higher the reward, of course it is much less risky. But that's the point, the less likely it is to get the ultimate reward it  is the better you feel when you finally get it. Chatfield points out that " the biggest neurological turn-on for people is other people." Given praise by our peers is the biggest reward, not only in gaming but everyday life. People are able to cooperate in ways that will allows them to things not possible when alone.

You can find the Ted Talk here:  7 ways Video Games Reward the Brain

The Wii U

The Wii U is the next generation console coming from Nintendo, which is set to be released during the holiday season. The Wii U will not be just for gamers, it will be an experience that will be enjoyed by anyone in the family who decides to give it a shot. The feature that I see as the one I would use the most would be moving the screen from the t.v. right into my hands, since my parents love to kick me off the t.v. to watch one of their shows.

The Wii U will have a very strong appeal to casual gamers.  Nintendo did a great job with the Wii, the console before Wii U. The Wii U seems like it will be a part of everyday life, just play a game of Mario Bros while some others will watch a ball game.

I cannot wait to see how well this new console does.  It's expected release is for this holiday season 2012.

This video is the announcement of the Wii U at E3 2011, a big gaming convention.

Halo 4

Halo 4 is the start of a new trilogy in the Halo franchise. Halo centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant. The Covenant are led by their religious leaders, The Prophets, and worship an ancient race called the Forerunners, who died in combat with a  parasitic race known as the Flood.

The developer of the Halo franchise, Bungie, who made the first trilogy will not be a part of this.  Instead 343 Industries, specifically created to continue the Halo series, will take over the development of future Halo games. There are very high expectations to which Halo 4 has to live up as all the previous Halo games have received awards and very high praise from fans and critics alike. I am aware that 343 Industries assisted in the development of Halo 3 and Halo: Reach, so they are not starting from scratch.  I believe they have continued the excellent work that Bungie started.

 What I have gathered from the Halo 4 trailer the new antagonists are an ancient race that have been corrupted and seek the destruction of all they come across. The new enemies will bring a great addition to the game-play. I do not know what will be different but I am expecting great things and some exciting new weapons, different game modes and understand character customization will be more sophisticated.  I know I shall be pleasantly surprised at each game level.