Study shows games improve your decision making

http://www.talktalk.co.uk/games/news/2010/09/15/study-shows-games-improve-your-decision-making.html

It's official - a study at the University of Rochester has shown that playing games can officially improve your decision making. If only they could have told our parents when we were young whippersnappers!

In a research product that features in the September 14th issue of 'Current Biology', researchers presented a group of players and non-players with a series of dots and were asked to identify the direction of the dots' motion. Tests varied in difficulty based on the number of dots that were moving in the same direction. Intriguingly, the study found players were able to make their decisions faster, and more accurately, then those who didn't play action games - notch one up for the FPS genre!

The researchers concluded that: "Unlike standard learning paradigms, which have a highly specific solution, there is no such specific solution in action video games because situations are rarely, if ever, repeated. Thus, the only characteristics that can be learned are how to rapidly and accurately learn the statistics on the fly and how to accumulate this evidence more efficiently". While it's an emerging area of study, it's encouraging for gamers to know that all those 'wasted hours' can actually have a positive effect on the human brain.

Researchers have said that the unpredictability of some shooters and other action games could play a factor in how quickly players can make decisions; as action games are becoming more complex, you are required to constantly evaluate routes, ammo, health, enemies and objectives all at once.

So the research means that whenever somebody is on at you to stop playing those pesky games, you could potentially argue that you are improving your decision making in preparation for your glittering future as a world leader. Far-fetched, but it's worth a try...

Manchester United - the implications of Valencia's injury

A disappointing 0-0 Champions League home draw against Rangers last night was made even worse for United by the news that Antonio Valencia is probably out for the season after breaking and/or dislocating his left ankle in an innocuous challenge with Kirk Broadfoot in the second half.

I'll start with the obvious and say that I hope Valencia makes a speedy recovery; regardless of club loyalty or a player's character, nobody likes to see injuries like that on the pitch.

It was especially unlucky seeing as it was a legitimate challenge by Broadfoot, and it was just an unfortunate combination of speed, the pitch, the stress on that particular joint, and the distribution of his body weight.

Anyway, it'll be intriguing to see what this means for United this season. I think that Valencia's injury will certainly affect how Wayne Rooney plays, or rather, the way in which Sir Alex Ferguson decides to utilise him.

Rooney got a lot of his goals (especially headers) from crosses by Valencia last season, following clever play by Valencia and Berbatov. Nani has shown that he can be a great crosser, and while he may arguably have more natural talent than Valencia, but he doesn't necessarily have the consistency to deliver crosses on a reliable basis as Valencia did last season.

Although he provided two sumptuous crosses for goals at Everton last week, the rest of his game was off-key, and it'll be interesting to see what the undoubted spell on the right wing will do for his overall performances and consistency. It's also not being that fair on Nani to expect his to just fill Valencia's shoes, as he's a winger that likes to cut in and shoot, rather than a more traditional winger such as Valencia. Thus, telling him to fill Valencias role on the right might be counter-productive, and could limit his game.

Nani aside, United don't really have another winger who is either talented enough, old enough or consistent enough to play on the left or right and be a conventional crossing winger, so I would think that Ferguson will have to adapt how United play this season. Nani will probably be made the full-time right winger, being allowed to cut in from the right more often, and the left-sided duties will be shared between Park, Obertan, Giggs and possibly even Fabio or Bebe.

Although Ryan Giggs has transformed into a fine creative central midfielder over the last few years, it's not surprising that he doesn't really have the necessary pace required to be a marauding left wing any more; whilst Park is great for big games, he sometimes lacks the intricacy needed against lesser opponents (such as in last night's game).

So, I think it's a perfect (as perfect as a horrible injury can be) opportunity to allow some of the younger players to stake a claim on the left, or perhaps adapt the formation to become more solid, with more or less the same players, but playing in a different manner.

What it does mean is that Rooney will probably have less chances to score than last season, as he won't realistically have somebody feeding him reliable crosses, and as a result, he may drop deeper to make things happen. However, Berbatov has looked good, and perhaps it might be the start of a more flexible formation of something like three in the centre, with three attackers/forwards.

----------------van der Sar-----------------
Rafael------Ferdinand----Vidic--------Evra
------Fletcher----Scholes----Anderson------
--Nani-----------Berbatov--------Rooney---

Rooney has shown that he can play well on the left, and with Berbatov's improvement in terms of his work rate and finishing, his clever play could be great for Rooney and Nani to link up with from inside left/right positions, as Malouda and Anelka do at Chelsea.

Given Rooney's general poor form recently, it might be better to give the in-form Berbatov more responsibility up top, as he's shown in the first few games that he finally seems up to the challenges of being at United. Width could come from giving the attacking full-backs (Evra, Rafael, Fabio) more license to get down the wings with the extra protection afforded by a third central midfielder, and the central midfield could do with an extra body at times, especially in the big games.

So, hopefully Valencia's operation will be a success, and he'll come back relatively soon. In the meantime, Ferguson has some thinking to do.

Halo: Reach launches worldwide

http://www.talktalk.co.uk/games/news/2010/09/14/halo-reach-launches-worldwide.htmll

Since midnight last night, the most devoted Halo fans amongst you will have undoubtedly been playing Halo: Reach, the latest instalment in the series.

The game went on sale at 00:01 this morning for the Xbox 360, and thousands of retailers opened up especially to meet the huge demand. With fantastic reviews across the board, the latest game, set as a prequel to the other games, will surely sell millions, and be one last big success for Bungie before they move onto new projects. 34 million copies of Halo games have been sold already, so this title could push those figures up quite nicely in the coming months.

While Bungie's press release suggests (somewhat comically) that "...millions of people around the world will embark on a mission of courage, sacrifice and valour in Halo: Reach", the game apparently packs some emotional firepower to go along with all the shiny bullets you've got squirrelled away. According to Bungie, "Halo: Reach tells the tragic and heroic story of Noble Team, a group of Spartans, who through great sacrifice and courage, saved countless lives in the face of impossible odds. The planet Reach is humanity's last line of defence between the encroaching Covenant and their ultimate goal, the destruction of Earth. If it falls, humanity will be perched on the brink of destruction." So you're under no pressure - just save our last hope of salvation from imminent destruction at the hands of powerful aliens...

Phil Spencer, the corporate VP of Microsoft Game Studios at Microsoft Corp, stated: "When it comes to the size and scope of a franchise and especially the dedication of the fans, no game is bigger than 'Halo'... With 'Halo: Reach,' we're delivering on our promise to redefine blockbuster entertainment experiences and ultimately help make this year the biggest ever in Xbox history." Just to give a sense of the scope in this game, more than 2.7 million players participated in the "Halo: Reach" multiplayer beta in May, making it the largest console video game beta test on record, and more than triple the size of the historic "Halo 3" beta. So if you fancy getting an Xbox 360 especially for this title, then you can actually purchase a customised Halo: Reach console and other accessories to go with it. The game's out now, and be sure to get practising for what will be genuinely epic multiplayer modes - we know we will.

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock preview

http://www.talktalk.co.uk/games/previews/2010/09/13/guitar-hero-warriors-of-rock.html

Yes, it's that time again; there is another Guitar Hero release on the near horizon, so we'll be dusting off our leather trousers and getting down to the pound shop for some discount hairspray. And perhaps playing some music too.


Anyway, the latest in the long line of games in the eponymous series is entitled 'Warriors of Rock', suggesting that Activision are ready to reclaim their place as top dog in the music sim market, given the rising success of such titles as DJ Hero. Given the statment of intent, the setlist had to pack a punch to make any real impact, but even a casual glance will tell you that this is one of the most impressive setlists to date. Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, The Cure, Fall Out Boy, Foo Fighters, Interpol, KISS, Linkin Park, Muse, The Offspring, Queen, The Rolling Stones, Slayer, The White Stripes, and ZZ Top are just some of the 90+ names that feature, with loads more picking up the slack, while there will undoubtedly be a whole host of DLC songs to add at your own leisure.

Tom Riley, Vice President of Music Affairs for Guitar Hero, said: "We engaged our fans to find out what they really wanted and then hand-picked over 90 tracks that deliver the ultimate rock experience. From the new guitar controller to the gameplay to the on-disc set list, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock is truly a return to rock." And rock we shall. So, along with a whole host of new songs, there are a number of new additions to the series in 'Warriors of Rock'; Quest Mode is an all-new story mode this time around, whereby you "...join with friends on an epic rock journey (and use) unique, game-changing powers to help the Demi-God of Rock take down "The Beast" to save rock.
Not too much of an ask then for our sweaty fingers.


The controller has also been redesigned, and is customisable; all essential parts are now contained within the neck allowing removable 'wings' to be replaced with alternatives, giving gamers the chance to tailor the guitar controller to their own unique styles, for those of you who like to rock out in style. Party Play, Competitive modes and any combination of up to four instruments all make a return for 'Warriors of Rock', while another new mode, Quickplay+, promises to be fast and furious for those seeking a quick burst of frenetic fun.

It'll be interesting to see whether Activision's hugely successful series can keep up its popularity, given the sheer number of Guitar Hero games on the market already. However, judging by the setlist, new custom guitars, and the new modes available, Activision won't just be sitting back and cashing the cheques - they'll definitely be making some serious cash, but they'll rock all the way to bank.

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock is out on 24th September 2010, and is available for the PS3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii.

He's not the messiah - he's a very naughty boy...

So, as yet another England footballer falls foul to a kiss-and-tell story, a number of national news outlets have been circling following the allegations surrounding Wayne Rooney's private life, citing it as proof that the current crop of English talent is rotten to the core.

With other recent stories concerning the likes of John Terry, Ashley Cole and Peter Crouch, anybody would think that the current squad are involved in some sort of perverse race to disgrace themselves in the most embarrassing manner possible, yet the simple equation of "stupid footballers + aspiring models x money = happy editors" doesn't tell the whole story here.

Whilst these players have, on a personal level, undoubtedly let down their respective partners and families, the level of reaction to their private affairs perhaps says more about us as a nation, or rather, what we as a nation expect of those in certain positions (no pun intended).

We live in a disposable society, where success is measured in column inches and bank balances. Although the names of the people involved might make a case of cheating more scandalous, it is not presumpuous to assume that we all know of somebody who has, or is, currently cheating on their partner. Therefore, it is not surprising that when these rich, young, talented men are tempted by the throngs of party girls who view them as their one chance to make a name for themselves.

The high-pressure environment of their work lives, coupled with the intense levels of fame and fortune from teenaged years is a heady combination for affairs of this nature. If you offered the majority of men between 18 and 35 one 'lad's night' out every three month, but around £30, 000 with which to play around with, the chances of a quiet night in the local are practically non-existent.

This is not to lay the blame at the feet of the players' wives and girlfriends either, as they must live up to impossible expectations; they are resented for their cherished positions alongside their cash cow alpha males, wary in the knowledge that there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of girls who would gladly fight them, and I mean literally fight them, to be with these 'superstars'. And if they're not up-to-date with the latest trends or being doting mothers, then they are being criticised for simply spending their partners' money; it's a 'Catch 22' situation for many of these women in the impossible war against the tabloids.
This is enough to put a strain on any partnership, particularly one involving young people, still finding their place in the world, and their own identity.

In terms of the extra-curricular activities, Rooney's case could be considered as slightly different, in that he allegedly paid for Jennifer Thompson's 'services'. This suggests that both of them were aware of the nature of the relationship, and, in essence, were using each other; Rooney was getting his kicks from an eager participant, safe in the knowledge that his wads of cash would pay for whatever his heart (or other organs) wished, whilst 'Juicy Jeni' benefitted from the money, and from the inevitable kiss-and-tell story that has been sold to the papers.

If anything, the £200 he allegedly gave a member of the hotel staff for one pack of Marlboro cigarettes is more shocking, as it simply highlights the warped reality in which many of these players live. Perhaps he thought that the money he was paying to Thompson and the staff member would buy their silence, yet he was naive if he thought that somebody selling their body to England's star striker wouldn't then sell their experiences to the papers.

While the case of a cheating spouse rarely ends well, one can only help but feel that there are more important things going on in the world than whether Wayne Rooney is a good husband or not. If he did indeed cheat on his pregnant wife, then that simply tells us that he doesn't necessarily have either the emotional capability, or required intelligence, to realise that this isn't necessarily a good thing to do; but that doesn't change the fact that he is contractually, he is paid to be a footballer, and nothing more. If he was being paid by his club (and by extension, his fans) to be honest and respectable, then his actions would be deserving of official reprimand.

However, he's paid by Manchester United to play football, and, as his goal against Switzerland showed, if he does not let his personal life affect his professional life, then it's up to him how he spends his time and money. In comparison, John Terry's alleged involvement with Wayne Bridge's ex-wife, Veronica Perroncel, directly affected Bridge's involvement with the national team, and Fabio Capello decided to strip Terry of the captaincy - as long as his fellow players are comfortable playing with him, then it is again a private matter; no matter how dislikeable a person is, if they and you can do your jobs in relative harmony, then that's what counts.

It is a different case with Rooney's sponsors, of course, who are paying him based not only upon his talent, but also his image, which has unquestionably been tarnished by this whole debacle. In the same way as Tiger Woods, he may not only lose his marriage, but face the prospect of having his bank account (any future earnings) severely dented, should Coleen decide to go it alone. In this case, he has marketed his image to a particular degree, and it is up to his sponsors to determine whether his association with harm their brand.

In this respect, Coleen Rooney does seem to hold the upper hand in the ensuing discussions between the couple. If she to decided to leave her husband, she would surely gain a big share of his past, present, and future earnings, whilst also being able to command large deals through her own personal contracts with big-name brands, including Littlewoods, Argos, ITV and LG Phones; needless to say, she would gain the public's support over any separation, just as Cheryl Tweedy did in her split with Ashley Cole.

This whole affair simply reinforces the cult of celebrity that currently envelopes us; we are like moths to a tacky flame, knowing that we will be burnt to a cinder by the likes of JT, Wazza and their hangers-on, but we can't help guzzling their exploits like a milkshake of piss and indignant bile.

There are plenty of examples of current players who approach the game, and their lives, responsibly. Paul Scholes is a one-club, one-woman family man, and he still commands a place in the Manchester United team, despite his 35 years of age. He avoids the glare of the spotlight, but he does his job well, and then goes home. But with the huge growth of interactivity and social networking sites over the past few years, stars are being caught out more regularly, and scandals will continue to spill out in real time before our very eyes and fingers. Twitter feeds allow us direct contact with the stars, giving fans a window into their world, and the celebrities a chance to bypass their carefully crafted PR image. However, it works both ways; the immediacy of the site didn't aid Kevin Pietersen when he unwisely decided to use his 140 characters to call the England selector Geoff Miller 'a prick' after being dropped. Those with a brand to protect, particularly footballers, should be wary of cracking out the Blackberry to inform us of juicy details in future.

The furore surrounding these players, girls, and their lives surely suggests that if we are looking to them for an example of how to live, then we're not going to get it. Perhaps more importantly, if the children of today grow up constantly being told that these players represent the pinnacle of achievement within society, rather than simply being very good at kicking a ball, then we need to have a rethink about the pressures we place upon children to be successful, regardless of the cost.

If we are looking to footballers as the guardians of our collective moral compass, then we might as well batten down the hatches and wait until the day that the winner of the Big Brother 2012 reunion show overthrows the government in a popularity coup and demands the nuclear codes. Wayne Rooney is no more a 'hero' than your next door neighbour. Being a great footballer doesn't make you any less of an idiot, or a cheat; it simply makes you a very well-paid idiot. The sooner we realise that footballers are just the same as other young men, but with more expensive tastes, the better.

Manchester United - Let battle commence for number 19…

Any discerning fan will tell you that you that you’d be a fool to form concrete impressions from the Charity Shield, but it was difficult for United fans to hide their optimism after a resounding victory against Chelsea on Sunday.


After the disappointment of last season’s campaign, in which Wayne Rooney almost managed to hide the general malaise of the squad, the 3-1 victory was not just important in the sense that it laid down a marker; it was the manner in which United won that will have pleased Ferguson the most.


Edwin van der Sar is, if anything, looking better than ever at 39, denying Chelsea multiple times - the highlight being a stunning stop to tip an Ivanovic header round the post. After Patrice Evra’s awful summer, he was given an extended rest, with Fabio coming in and impressing at left-back. The twin brother of Rafael looked assured and committed, possibly meaning that Evra may be rested more this season, or possibly even tested for his place.


Paul Scholes unquestionably deserved his man-of-the-match performance; he gave the watching Capello a ruthless display of ball retention and vision that will surely have left the Italian with regrets for not having done more to tempt him to South Africa. At 36, there are doubts as to how much longer the ginger prince’s Indian summer will last, but his role as a deep-lying playmaker in this team ensures that he can still pick apart teams bit by bit, rather than destroy them with a volley.


Javier Hernandez (or ‘Chicarito/the Little Pea’ to fans) looks like a fantastic coup for Ferguson’s scouts at £7 million; his movement and pace frightened the cumbersome John Tery, and he bagged a fortuitous goal off of his face to mark his debut in England – when you’ve got it, you’ve got it. His energy and enthusiasm is seemingly infectious, as a number of United players have remarked, with Ferguson seeing him as another potential Solskjaer. However, the most important signing of the summer is undoubtedly the extension of Nemanja Vidic’s contract; according to the where you get your news from, ‘Vida’ was off to join Mourinho at Real, but with a new contract sorted, the Serbian wore the captain’s armband with pride and led by example.


Wayne Rooney also shook off his World Cup hangover with a fantastic display, setting up Antonio Valencia with a glorious cut-back, and chasing Michael Essien 70 yards to win the ball back – the Chelsea fans booing him must have been secretly impressed, although everybody in the ground must be wondering why this version of Rooney was left at home in June, with the bearded version from the Nike advert seemingly taking his place in the World Cup squad. Even the much-maligned Dimitar Berbatov got in on the goals, with a sumptuous lob over the naïve Hilario – the signs of a blossoming partnership with Hernandez are there, but he’ll need to maintain this directness to keep his place following the arrival of the likable Mexican.


So, although Chelsea were clearly not at the races, it’s heartening for United fans to see their team firing on all cylinders coming into the new season, which is normally started with a string of poor results. If Ferguson can effectively rotate the ageing greats with the promising youth players he has cultivated and acquired of late, keep the likes of Valencia, Rooney and Nani on an upward curve, and fill the Mezut Ozil-shaped hole with Mezut Ozil (or a similarly-skilled player, given the German’s preference for Barca), then the coming season looks very promising for the Red Devils.

The Bedroom Gamer - ignorant fiction, or unappealing fact?

Keith Stuart of the Guardian wrote an enlightening article in the Guardian today in response to Will Hutton's assertion that for young men facing a difficult future of unemployment and mediocrity, it's "...Much better to smoke dope, hang out and obsessively play computer games all day."

Whilst Hutton made some pertinent points regarding the challenges that young males in Britain face today in relation to rising unemployment and a culture of a loss of both fear and ambition, Stuart rightly calls out Hutton's lazy generalisation about gaming representing the inertia of today's youth, as if picking up the controller is the equivalent of rolling up a spliff, pouring yourself a White Russian, and effectively saying "Fuck it dude, let's go bowling".

As Stuart says, "Games could and should be part of the solution with young men. Instead, all too often, they are a convenient figurehead for the problem." He suggests that with games such as LittleBigPlanet, we are seeing a level of interactivity that allows the gamer to create for themselves, and could help to usher in a new, hungry generation of developers that the UK is crying out for.

Given the rate at which the industry is currently expanding, with the PlayStation Move and Microsoft's Kinect to follow the Nintendo Wii into the motion-sensor market, gaming has the potential to evolve and become one of the dominant mainstream activities in living rooms across the country. Unfortunately, in the wake of the government's announcement that tax relief for the gaming industry will be scrapped, it seems as though the main image that people have of gamers is of the saucer-eyed, spliff-holding drop-out that sinks days (and nights-usually nights) into gaming.

This is unfortunate the huge economic rewards that the industry is profiting from, but also considering that gaming, despite massive strides recently, still seems to be boxed up as a geek's pursuit by those, like Hutton, who fail to understand it at a fundamental level. Given that the games industry is one of the few areas in which the UK is seeing steady economic growth, and is also a highly-skilled, carbon-free industry, the decision is particularly disheartening.

It has to be said that while Hutton's assertion is lazy, we can't pretend that we don't all know friends or family members who fit the bill. Indeed, while at university, this particular blogger fell into the trap of losing days and weeks of seminar-free days to gaming, usually at a personal cost to friendships, educational opportunities, and relationships. However, that says more about the individual than the past-time - I'm sure we could all look at people we know and think that they are far too into watching soaps, films, or practically anything else that we don't necessarily find of immediate value to ourselves.

So, while some people may conform to Hutton's stereotype, it's unfair to suggest that gaming is equivalent to giving up the ghost of a future. The fact of the matter is that if people are given opportunities, and are determined, then they will hopefully strive to better themselves. For many of my friends, they can slot in an hour or two of gaming whilst maintaining jobs, partners, and good relationships across the board. However, others that I've known conform to Hutton's 'gamers' to an unnerving degree, and seem perfectly content with it.

The key is balance. Gaming can and should rightly be seen as an entirely acceptable past-time, in which we can escape into a captivating world, and/or enjoy the company of friends, either on your headset or cramped up on the sofa. However, just as films, books, music, pets and practically anything else can offer an escape, gaming also offers an escape to those who genuinely want to retreat from reality. In this case, the problem is not the entertainment source (unless, like drugs, it's highly addictive or harmful), but the person engaging in it.

We can all sink to a low point, but if you have a healthy balance in life, then there's nothing inherently wrong with putting in a few hours with your favourite virtual friends.

The main problem, however, is that when you put down that controller, you've got to make sure that there's enough of a real person left to make a decent stab of doing something with the only life that hasn't got a replay button.