Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

A report was released today that’ll be good news for all the gamers out there that have significant others telling them to stop gaming. Besides past studies that have proven that gaming improves hand-eye coordination, a new study has come out saying that playing video games helps improve vision by up to 20%. More specifically, the study lists action games, such as Unreal Tournament, Battlefield 2142, and Counter-Strike as the games most likely to improve a person’s vision.

The study tested two different games, the classic Tetris game, along with Unreal Tournament. Tetris had almost no effect on the eye sight of its players, while Unreal Tournament gave its players a 20% boost in eye sight. The test was conducted at the University of Rochester.

Read [Gizmodo] Via [University of Rochester]

Since E3 is an industry-only event, one of the best opportunities for gamers to gather in one place each year is the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX).  Now in its fourth year, PAX is more than doubling each year, forcing it to move from humble hotel rooms to a larger downtown Seattle venue. This year’s expo will be August 24-26, 2007, at the Washington State Trade and Convention Center.

PAX tries to include every type of multiplayer game, be it video, handheld or table top, setting aside rooms for gamers to gather, compete or just meet and play for fun. Exhibitors already scheduled to demo their games, gear and other goodies in the dedicated showroom include Microsoft, Nintendo, Privateer Press, ArenaNet, Wizards of the Coast and Flying Lab Software.

The highlight event of PAX is the three-day Omegathon, where pre-registered attendees are randomly selected to compete in elimination rounds featuring several game genres. Games in the tourney, and being played in every nook and cranny of the expo, include handheld, video and tabletop games. One year the Omegathon grand prize winner received every NES product ever made (ever!) and last year’s prize included a new car.

PAX is named after Penny Arcade, a popular web comic by Jerry “Tycho” Holkins and Mike “Gabe” Krahulik featuring two video game lovin’ guys. The dynamic duo also created Child’s Play, a gamer-driven charity for sick kids in Children’s Hospitals across the world.

I attended last year and PAX is a quite the gamer’s dream and a fairly family-friendly affair. If you do plan to go, book your room as early as possible since many hotel will fill up and plan to bring your favorite portable gaming device - DSes were huge last year, but PSPS will do nicely as well - and get to concerts very, very early. PAX’s biggest issue has been limited space, causing long lines into gaming areas and the show room so the increased. Lines were long for just about everything and many people were not admitted to the Nerdcore concerts.

If you are flying in for the event, look for rooms just outside of downtown Seattle (Bellevue is pretty good, which is where the expo was held the past few years) and possibly rent a car. Also, the parking can be damn expensive, though there are free parking areas in the city. You’ll need to really hunt for them and will likely have to walk several blocks.  Last year they did shuttle people from a couple hotels, where parking was free.

Site [PAX] Site [Penny Arcade] Site [Child’s Play Charity]

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), a.k.a. the folks in charge of E3, announced today that the Electronic Entertainment Expo will be held. After the huge expo this past year with the announcements of the Nintendo Wii, finalization of Sony PlayStation3, and Microsoft’s continuing success of the Xbox 360 and Xbox live platform the expo almost closed it’s doors. I guess the planners seemed to think that the press, retailers, and members in the video game industry, and fanboys had enough announcements. Well fret no more, the show will go on...July 11-13, 2007 in Santa Monica, California will be your next chance to see crazed out gamers roaming the streets, but on a much smaller level—better eat those mushrooms.

Read [PS3Portal]

We just caught wind that Griffin wants to make it easier to turn your PSP into a portable video player…

Want to watch movies or music videos as your travel (either in the backseat or on a plane)? Griffin will soon be releasing a new product called the Roaddock. This may not seem like an overly complicated device, but it will get the job done. From the image we got (yes we know it is a photoshop of a car, this is a tech design/prototype image) it appears that some sort of velcro or elastic strap will hold your PSP at eye level by attaching it to the headrest of the seat in front of you. We are excited to see this released so we finally have a reason to sit in the backseat as well as reducing our chiropractor bills from the gamers’ neck pain.

[Thanks Corey]

When the labels Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, Sega, Electronic Arts, and Atari are thrown out; the first thing to most likely follow are fanboys, gamers, and 1337 (techie slang for elite, with each number acting as a letter.) A gigantic industry with profits marking in the billions has come from video games and electronic entertainment. To be a gamer or a geek is no longer a derogatory nomenclature, and has become a highstyle fad. While all the products, spanning from cute little educational games to large violent bloodbaths, all come across to the consumer as pure digital fun; one has to wonder how it seems behind the scenes.

With the consumer end out in the open, a few curious gamers decided to find out what happens on the corporate end. Here is where a new gaming industry watchdog site comes in. GameWatch.org, opening in April of 2006, has taken the responsibility of watching the industry that profits on our enjoyment of visual dings and dongs. Their main target being the treatment of employees in large corporations, GameWatch so far supports a forum with open discussions of the going-ons in the game industry. Anyone curious about issues from within the VR mammoths can link through GW to a number of union sites, other discussion forums, and possibly even break into the business with employment site links available.

Check it out [GameWatch]