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DailyDirt: Gaming Can Hurt For Real

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Mon, Jan 3rd 2011 5:00pm — Michael Ho

Usually video games are played to escape from reality. The distraction from real life is supposed to be entertaining and fun. But every so often there are stories of folks who take their games a bit too far and end up getting hurt physically. Video games are getting more and more realistic all the time -- but that doesn't seem to matter that much. Here are a few game-related stories for your amusement:

Nintendo says 3D games could be bad for the development of young kids' eyes. These warnings, though, are probably only going to attract more kids to play "dangerous" 3D games. [url]
A 23-year-old man tries to play Frogger on an actual 4-lane highway -- and gets hit by an SUV. The awesome 2D graphics of Frogger must be at least partially to blame. [url]
L.A. Noire is a realistic-looking video game that has collected a lot of facial expressions. Players are supposed to be able to tell when video game characters are lying, but I wouldn't play poker with this technology just yet. [url]
Understanding Pac-Man's algorithms might help you master the game. Maybe someone will write a program that can play Pac-Man perfectly -- that program might figure out, though, that the best strategy is not to play. [url]

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Filed Under: frogger, l.a. noire, pac-man, video games
Companies: nintendo

16 Comments

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Chris in Utah (profile), 3 Jan 2011 @ 5:07pm

23-year-old Frogger needs to be submitted to the Darwin Awards.
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Jan 2011 @ 5:48pm

you know...wargames should be stricken from geek references. The only way to win is to strike first and force your opponent to make a mistake.

There's an xkcd comic around that shows it pretty well.
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Jan 2011 @ 5:52pm

On the bright side when the movie industry disappears(not likely but who knows) all actors still will have a job in the game industry :)
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monkyyy, 3 Jan 2011 @ 6:02pm

ummmm lets look into something such as soccer, black friday, 4th of july etc. harms(roits and fires) rather then spread moral panics
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Jan 2011 @ 6:04pm

Re:
It won't, you must mean the big studios and the organizations that represent them.
The movie industry may be better off without them.
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Jan 2011 @ 6:11pm

Re: Re:
You are right my bad.
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Computer Repair Marshall, 3 Jan 2011 @ 9:43pm

Fact: Frogger doesn't make you play in the street, violent video games doesn't make you more violent, and games like Guitar hero will never make you a musician.
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Michael Ho (profile), 4 Jan 2011 @ 1:14am

Re: Darwin Awards...
I think the guy has to actually die to be considered for that award....
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Jan 2011 @ 2:06am

Re: Re: Darwin Awards...
There are a few exceptions so this could qualify.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Jan 2011 @ 2:08am

Re:
Just a note about Guitar Hero, it may not make you a complete musician but it can train your sense of rythm and perception of sounds pretty good.

In fact Guitar Hero and all those karaoke games can be used to teach other languages because of that.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Jan 2011 @ 2:11am

About the motion capture thing I got a little disapointed to not have read anything about the Kinects hacks that are inundating the web lately.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6gJab-LyPE

People are almost doing the same thing on the cheap already.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Jan 2011 @ 2:36am

One more website for Kinect hacks

http://kinecthacks.net/

99 balloons yay!
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Jan 2011 @ 2:40am

The last one I swear.

Microsoft changes its tune after seeing how popular the kinect became in the hacking space.

http://mashable.com/2010/11/20/microsoft-kinect-hacks/

Now Microsoft says it left the hardware open on purpose, backtracking from statements threatening moders and hackers.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Jan 2011 @ 7:10am

Kinda like Tic-Tac-Toe. You can't win.
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halley (profile), 4 Jan 2011 @ 7:21am

"These warnings, though, are probably only going to attract more kids to play 'dangerous' 3D games."

Considering the risks are for kids under six years old, I doubt that the warnings will do anything. Six year olds are in first grade schooling, and some of them may have had some previous socializing in daycare and kindergarten. Peer pressure and risk experimentation is nascent and fuzzy at this age. However, virtually none of this age group are aware of news, or of corporate messages like this. Connecting the abstract concept of a negative news story into a risk-reward plan of action is way over a six year old's head. The closest analogy is connecting a blatant and specific imperative command (like those seen in glossy advertising) into an acquisition-bargaining plan of action; e.g., for a McDonald's toy, whine and shriek near mommy's knees.
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Jon B. (profile), 4 Jan 2011 @ 9:05am

The 3D thing is probably a pretty valid concern. Watching a 3D movie now and then is probably ok, but engaging in a 3D game, especially on a handheld closer to your face (at a shorter focal length) for a longer time sounds possibly painful.

I think this just good incentive to make better 3d tech that doesn't have that issue.
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