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Video Games Level 2

Using new video game technology to keep seniors healthy [|Article] Played by: Kristina Blanco media type="custom" key="10515400"

Xbox has gotten lots of press with the Kinect within the past year or so because of the technology in motion detection. These days researchers and medical professionals are using the Xbox technology to track motion in senior citizens. They are using the console as a video camera to watch the older people in order to detect medical problems by the way that they are moving, or lack of it. In the video it talks about how the technology is well suited for monitoring people because it is not just a camera, it can actually track the motion. The technology itself was a breakthrough when it came out, but i it is important in terms of its usage in this particular field. The fact that video game technology is being used in medicine creates a new market beyond entertainment.

Epic Games: Unreal Engine 3 Technology and Gears Of War 3 [|Article 1] [|Article 2] Played By: Francine Im

Gears of War 3 (the final chapter of the GOW trilogy) has been another game that has had gamers waiting in anticipation for the release (September 20, 2011). Going off of what I mentioned in my first update about a multiplayer function, GOW3 will also be featuring the same thing. On top of being able to play against others (veterans of the game), people who haven't played this popular franchise have the option to play the online mode against other newcomers to the game, this allows them to learn from one another while learning the features of the game together rather than having to play against or with people who are extremely familiar with the game. Along with the multiplayer function within GOW3, Epic Games has brought in the Unreal Engine technology that has been used in other games (for those who don't know Unreal Engine is a gaming engine that was developed by Epic Games). The UE3 will now be launched with three gaming consoles instead of two, XBox, Playstation and with WiiU along with mobile and tablet gaming. The Unreal Engine is going to allow better portability for gamers who enjoy playing the online mode of Epic Games' most popular games. media type="youtube" key="67qB3LSEx8o" height="315" width="560"

= **Closing the Gap Between PC and Console: Gears of War 3 and Dedicated Servers** =

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In the world of competitive multiplayer games, console games have been infamous for their inefficient matchmaking systems. Instead of allowing players to game with whomever they want to, they are matched with other players based on various criteria such as play style and experience. While useful some of the time, players usually are forced to hop around from one match to the next, playing against different people, hoping to find a server with a good connection or even better, to be the host of the server. When a player hosts a server, they basically experience zero lag in the gaming environment because their console is what the rest of the players are connected to. Direct console feedback vs. an online connection with lag does not lead to fair matches, anyone who has played online knows this. While the rest of the gaming world has paid no attention to this, content with the way things are, Epic Games has decided to dust off the solution to this problem by going back to the days of PC gaming and using dedicated servers. Dedicated servers host games for players. The connection rate is usually dependent on proximity to the server. Players with better connections can still have an advantage but at least they aren’t experiencing zero lag. This development is important because if there is anything that’s keeping PC gamers on PC’s, besides their keyboard and mice of course, are their dedication to the established tradition of dedicated servers in competitive multiplayer. The lack of dedicated servers in console games has left many PC gamers laughing at so-called competitive gaming on consoles. The advent of dedicated servers to console games could help shift the loyalty of PC gamers to finally join the console revolution. Could this mean a death of PC games, I don’t think so. There are things PC games can do, especially with large scale games like MMORPG’s. But competitive First-Person-Shooters, the pride and joy of PC games, could soon become the pride and joy of console games as well. There are even accessories that allow a gamer to use a keyboard and mouse on a console, closing the gap between console and PC even more.===== media type="custom" key="10580606" width="280" height="280"

New Generation Sony Playstation Vita-Launching in December

**Played by Amanda Setter**

 * [|Article]**

Sony is said to launch its newest generation in gaming console, the new Playstation Vita, in Japan on December 17, 2011. Although this misses the popular sales time for Christmas presents in North America and Europe, they are anticipating large amounts of sales for this market. With increased pressure from Apple's iPad, and other tablets and gaming consoles on the market, Sony is still in strong competition with Nintendo, who seems to be lacking in product innovation to compete with these other gaming consoles and technology. To connect with more users, they are creating new product packaging including a pink case for female users. The Sony Vita will be sold in Japan for 24,980 yen, or $325 U.S. Dollars. This is comparable to the Nintendo drop in price on their 3DS gaming system after six months on the market having weak sales. Although this technology keeps in strong competition for larger at home gaming consoles, like XBOX, Playstation (regular) and Nintendo, they expect sales to be comparable to numbers of people buying ipad video games through the app store and other tablet apps as well. Sony announced in this article that it will be coming out with 100 games in pipeline, and 26 new titles. In this article, Sony announces that this console will be "similar to the popular PSP (PlayStation Portable) that has sold over 71 million units across the world since it launched in 2004, the Vita features an array of new functions." This generation of PS Vita features a five-inch multi-touchscreen with a pad on the back for "touch, grab, trace, push and pull" finger motions. The handset also has front and rear facing cameras. Users will be able to use the device to watch videos, listen to music, connect to internet sites and social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter. I am sure because of these new functions and accessibility to social networking programs, it will be a big hit!

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