Infinity Ward has made many mistakes involving Modern Warfare 2. They irresponsibly marketed their Fight Against Grenade Spam, they neglected to put in a colorblind option, and angered Pakistanis by showing their ignorance to Pakistani culture. Their biggest mistake of all though? Excluding the much anticipated N0M4D feature. 
    However, the publisher got things right with C.O.D.E. The Call Of Duty Endowment was started by Activision Blizzard to "provide our former service members with job placement, training, and educational services in their post military careers." Back in November, C.O.D.E. pledged to donate $1 million from game sales toward various programs that help military personnel return to civilian life. Along with this pledge came an initial donation of $125,000 to Paralyzed Veterans of America, a Congressionally chartered veterans organization dedicated solely to serving the needs of SCI/SCD veterans. This past Thursday, C.O.D.E. announced that it will donate $100,000 to Wounded Warrior Project," to establish a Transition Training Academy. TTA provides training to veterans to pursue a career in IT. 
    It's nice to see that Activision Blizzard has their heart in the right place. They are one of the few gaming companies that are trying help veterans return to civilian life. Perhaps when EA launches Medal of Honor next year, they will also start a veterans fund. 

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Ah, leave it to the Japanese to make the cutest kitty cat commercial ever! Enjoy your minute of kitty zen! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Kwkgh3Zo1E

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I caught a story this morning that I personally  have been waiting a long time to see come to fruition. Yeah this isnt about gaming but I know many ablegamers here to whom this story will apply. 

Basically, if you have sustained an injury classification of  PTSD while serving in the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan, you might be able to get a higher % disability rating than you currently have right now. You can also get an expedited new review of your case if you were discharged for PTSD and not given benefits. You should be getting a letter that will let you opt in to the lawsuit that was brought against the VA which has made all of this possible.

To anyone this applies too - make sure you get a letter and opt in before the July 24th deadline. I want you all to receive all the benefits to which you are owed.  You can go to the link below and read the story for yourself.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/25/us/politics/AP-US-Veterans-Lawsuit.html?_r=1

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Barrie Ellis over at OneSwitch.org.uk has compiled a great list of one-switch games from 2000 to 2009. You may not be familiar with what a one-switch game is, so I will do my best to explain it. It is a game that uses one switch! (button, lever, basically something that is ON and OFF).  So no joystick, no D-pad, just a single button or switch.

My favorite is Number 2 on the list, Strange Attractors 2

Anyway, go check out the list here.

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I have been thinking a lot about 2009 and how to describe what kind of year its been. Ever since Jan 1st, I keep getting the question and I havent really been sure what to say. There are reasons for me to really love it and reasons to really hate it.

My MS decided to give me some serious problems last year - pretty much all year long. Moving my life and family from Texas to Nevada was more difficult than even I had imagined. Add to that the stresses of remotely buying and putting together a new house, and it just was all so much to deal with.

Despite all of those things though, I think last year was probably the best I have had in a very long while. Sometimes I stare at 2 full address books and the notebook I bought to put names in because address books just dont have enough space for me anymore. So many names, so many people, so many stories that have been entrusted to me. I am humbled. I feel honored that so many people, some of them fantastic ablegamers, would feel comfortable enough with me to open up about your lives the way you have.

I have learned much about life in general and about myself  through you. At the very least, you have affirmed that choosing to be in counseling was the right path for me. At the most, you inspire me to be a better person everyday. Your stories are often full of hope, or can be funny, and occasionally they even bring us to tears. We have been through the full gambit of emotions together. It has been real in a way that few things are anymore.

I never cease to be amazed at the power of the human spirit. Many of you endure things that I would have thought would break even the strongest of people. But there you are, still strong and refusing to be brought down. You do make me try harder in my own life and ,for that, I cannot say thank you enough.

I love hearing your thoughts and the stories of your lives. I am so glad you have given me that opportunity to hear you out and to help when I could. You have changed me for the better this last year. That is what has made 2009 one of the best years of my life. Even taking into account all my trials, I wouldnt trade this last year for anything.

I am looking forward to 2010 and the challenges it is sure to bring. The troop increase in Afghanistan this year will, unfortunately, probably mean that I am just as busy in 2010 talking to the war wounded. They need your thoughts and prayers.

That said, I am still available to anyone who wants or needs to talk about anything you need or want to discuss - living with disability, games, family, or whatever else you want to talk about. I even take anonymous email if you just need to get something off your chest and you dont want to give a name. I seem to be getting more of those lately. I can give a reply or not - its all up to you. I try my best to reply the same day but sometimes it might take a little longer depending on how much mail I have that day. Somedays are light and other days my  eyes bug out at a stuffed full box. I love it though. :)

I wish you all a good 2010. I know Ablegamers will continue to grow and be a force for positive change this year. A big thanks and lots of love to my best friend Mark for all his hard work. Thanks to all the staff of AG for a great year. We have come so far from the beginning. I appreciate all of you. Keep up the great work!

Stephanie/Camilya  :)

stephanie@ablegamers.com

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Tara (Ladie Au Pair) and I are trying to rejump our website Thoughts from a Girl Gamer. Today I decided to write an article which we have posted on our site, but I thought it would be nice to share with you as well. Feel free to show us some love though!

Video Games Invented by the Devil

I was reading an article earlier today about comparing the positive and negative effects of video games. The author talked about how we always hear the negative in the media, but rarely do we see the positive effects. While I believe the author meant well, I should clarify here for him and all avid gamers alike. People are drawn to negativity, and the instant video games are linked to something terrible, it’s finger pointing bandwagon that every body seems to hitch their horse on.

I would like to point out the fact that it’s NOT rare that we see the positive in video games. For  years researchers and scientists have been pointing out it’s positive physical and cognitive effects. Gossip is contagious, and as long as people enjoy spreading propaganda, the negativity will always make the top headlines.

I do not debate the fact that  there have been tragic instances where video games have been involved. The Virginia Tech shootings (which is still up in the air), a 9 year old boy stabbed over a Tony Hawk game, etc. But I would like to bring to the attention to parents, friends, adults alike. Video games are like movies, when the subject matter of the game is too much for a person, I believe it’s the parents responsibility to step in. Know what your kids are playing, asses their sense of maturity. Just because a child is 17, it does not mean he or she is mature enough for the game and it’s contents, and vice versa.

For tragic situations, like the Virginia Tech shootings, the shooter was an adult. Now as far as I’m aware nothing was proved to link the two, but lets pretend there is a link. The video game set him off. If it wasn’t a video game then it would have been a TV show or a movie, if not for that then the radio, if not for that then a play. Someone who is mentally disturbed isn’t suddenly set off just by video games alone, and someone of this caliber should have been watched more closely by his parents and teachers. It’s a deflective strategy to blame video games when someone’s lacking responsibility leads to unfortunate circumstances. Sadly this is an ignorant but effective tactic.

Those in science and research have dedicated many years of providing hard factual evidence. The least we can do is acknowledge these facts when forming opinions on this controversial subject.

Many research studies have shown the positive effects video games have on fine motor skills. A study was conducted in 2004 on the effects of video games with surgeons. The results showed an improvement on reaction time and a lower probability of mistakes. Another recent study conducted by Paul Schrater, University of Minnesota’s Assistant Professor of Psychology and Science,  noted the improvement not on just the skills required to beat the game, but an improvement on many other skills as well. Schrater also noted, “violent video games actually work better to improve motor skills than nonviolent games, like Tetris.” He followed up by comparing the relationship of challenging games being more fun, thus making learning easier.

At  University of Sunderland, Chris Whitehead, a final year Psych major conducted a study on the skill of teamwork in violent games. Whitehead stated “Team objective-based games require a lot of communication between players to allow them to complete objective, and playing such games can improve these skills and potentially help develop leadership styles.”  He acknowledged a link between aggression and children in video games, especially with many violent games on the rise. Whitehead followed up by stating

“I am sure we will see a surge in controversy around the subject, but I would argue that the main cause of this link is due to parents ignoring ratings and allowing their children to play games not suitable for them. Games such as Halo, Call of Duty, and even Grand Theft Auto have the potential to become a powerful learning tool.”

One of the controversial realms to video games is it’s massive online multiplayer world. In this world you make friends not based on your weight, height, race, gender, or religion. You make friends based on your skill and personality. The more you practice, the better you become, and the better you become the more confident you are.  Researchers at McGill University did a study on the impact of gaming lowering stress levels. The more confident the players became in the game, the more they lowered the production of a stress-related hormone called cortisol (up to 17% lowered).

The University of Central Florida did a study of incorporating video games into schools. Three titles were used by the DimensionM series.  The study was done with 193 algebra and pre-algebra students and 10 math teachers. The results were astounding.

“Students in the experimental groups who played Tabula Digita video games over an 18-week period scored significantly higher (in some cases, twice as high) on district benchmark tests than students in the control group who did not play video games.”

This is just a few of the many studies on the positive effects of gaming that can be found. This information is readily available for those who wish to make informed decisions. For those concerned with children playing violent games, here’s a tip. Don’t let them. There are many non-violent games out there. If you don’t want your child playing adult themed games, then be the parent and don’t let them. Just like movies, there are many different types of video games meant for different purposes and age levels. Video games keep kids off of the street, promote teamwork and communication, improve confidence and the development of fine motor skills. If we took the time to properly utilize this technology, I think we would all find the results to be astoundingly beneficial.

Happy gaming fellow gamers.

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I’ve been a huge fan of the Final Fantasy series since my injury, it was one of the first games I learned to adapt to. I’ve played every game except Final Fantasy XII, After watching all the trailers for the upcoming release of Final Fantasy XIII I really want to play it and am tempted to pre-order it. However, I’m not totally sure if I can play it and would be pretty pissed off if I spent 60 bucks on a game I can’t play. From the trailers it looks like it may not be too difficult (even if I have to use my mouth.) but as we all know trailers can be deceiving. To buy or not to buy that is the question.

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Infinity Ward has managed to infuriate a number of communities between their lack of features and their insensitivity. They angered gamers by excluding the highly anticipated N0M4D feature, by excluding a colorblind option (which its predecessor, World at War, had) and by their ill conceived “Fight Against Grenade Spam” advertisement. Well it’s time to add another group to the list: Pakistanis.

The game features a map in the city of Karachi. To add authenticity to the map, Infinity Ward wrote the store signs in Arabic; and that’s the problem. Pakistan’s native language is not Arabic, rather English and Urdu. Both Arabic and Urdu use the same alphabet, but the words are different.

Kotaku reader Saad stated that “Infinity Ward probably thought, ‘Oh hey it’s a Muslim country so Arabic is the language.’” He went on to explain that, “To someone who doesn't know urdu won't be able to tell the difference. It's like Spanish and English. Some letters are same, some are different but the words are completely different.”

This is just another case of Infinity Ward’s insensitivity to their audience. If they were hiring someone to write the Arabic in the game, perhaps they could have just checked Wikipedia beforehand? Is that really too much to ask?

Via: Kotaku

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Watch this for more than 30 seconds. Pretty cool, eh?

If you see this lady turning in clockwise then you are using the creative side or right side of your brain. If you see it going counter-clockwise then you are using the logical side or left side of your brain. Some people can see her turning both ways, but most people see it only one way. If you try to see it the other way and if you do see, your IQ is above 160 which is almost a genius. Then see if you can make her go one way and then the other by shifting the brain's current. BOTH DIRECTIONS CAN BE SEEN

According to New Scientist, "Some people see her spinning clockwise, some see her moving counterclockwise, and most, if they stare long enough, see her switch direction. Some can make her change at will. But no-one, it seems, can make her move in two directions at once.

All pretty spooky since she is an unchanging animation of only 34 frames in a constant loop. What seems to be happening is that the two-dimensional image does not contain enough three-dimensional information to tell the brain which way she is spinning. So your brain helpfully fills this in, as brains do in many optical illusions. Only, in this case the brain can do it one of two ways.

How about the stopping? Well, perception of time is pretty subjective, and our experience of inertia is that when things make a 180-degree change in direction, they have to slow and stop first.

What this animation does not involve is different sides of the brain, as the initial post claims. What you see is purely due to your perceptual and cognitive flexibility."

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Press Play and Read While the Music Plays

As I sat talking with a group of friends who I have known for many years, we reminisced about old times; about events gone by but not forgotten.  “Do you ever wonder what would've happened if we had chosen to support the other side,” I randomly asked my group of friends, inquiring about an old decision we had made long ago in a video game.  Our guild had split in half and ultimately forced us to choose one side, which would lead to the four of us banding together.

“No,” exclaimed one of my friends in anger, one who is never angered by anything.  “Why would you even wonder about such things? You can’t change them, and even if you could, you would change everything else that has happened since.”

My friend was referring to the butterfly effect, the idea that all of the events in our life, no matter how small, ultimately shape our future in ways we cannot comprehend. If you were to change any one single event, no matter how small, you could dramatically affect how things turned out for you and for others.

I saw where I angered him; if for no other reason, than my other friends did not support me in my harmless thinking out loud. He had gotten the idea that I might have wished that things went differently and our circle had ultimately not formed. Although, I did not mean any offense, nor was that a correct assumption, my friend had gotten the wrong impression.

Of course, I meant well, and it was only a conversational topic. Nevertheless, it suddenly had made one of my random thoughts suddenly click into place.

In Dragon Age Origins and other popular RPG games, a genre that uses the decisions you make throughout your gameplay to determine the course of the storyline, you have the ability to save the game at any one point and then load the game from that point. The purpose of which is to allow you to make decisions that can be fixed simply by reloading; incredibly handy when you choose the wrong response in a conversation during the game. And that led me to an epiphany.

Life needs a save and load feature.

Imagine how many times in your life that you have said something that was the wrong thing to say. How many times have you said something to someone only to see them drop their shoulders, frown, or the hundreds of other nuances we display when something hurtful is said to us. For a moment, imagine if you had the ability to stop the conversation and choose a different response or different words.

The proverbial putting your foot in your mouth has plagued human beings for centuries. Although, that doesn't appear to be something that will change anytime soon.  So many times, in my own life, I can think of specific instances where I wish with my heart of hearts that I could have the chance to start the conversation over again.

Conversations with friends that ultimately led to progressively intense bickering and the loss of friendship. Conversations with lovers that hurt them accidentally causing a rift that could not be repaired. Conversations with loved ones before they died that should have been much more meaningful. Any conversation that went the wrong way not because of bad intentions, just happenstance.

In this example, we're only talking about the opportunity to redo conversations. Man has often wondered about the ability to time travel and do things over. But, the power of words is undeniable and often stronger than most actions.

Surely in your own life you have wondered from time to time if you would still have that ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend if you had only said something different at the right moment. If your boss would have treated you differently had you gotten off to the right foot.  If your former friends would still be your friends if you had said anything and not let the friendship fizzle.

Friends quibbling amongst each other is nothing new. Very few of those skirmishes ever lead to something worse than a bruised ego. And most can be fixed with a simple apology.

But what about those times where those little words snowballed into something larger than life. Those times where your conversation went so badly, not because you wanted to inflict pain on your friend or loved one but simply because you said the wrong thing.

For every time you hurt someone in your family by saying the wrong thing. For the love that you lost because you choose the wrong thing to say. For the argument that cost you a friend because you thought something was funny when it wasn't.

For all the times that you only meant well.  Life needs a save and load feature.

Mmmm whatcha say,

Mmm that you only meant well?

Well of course you did

Mmmm whatcha say, (whatcha say, whatcha say)

Mmmm that it's all for the best?

Of course it is

Mmmm whatcha say,

Mmm that you only meant well?

Well of course you did

Mmmm whatcha say

-          Imogen

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