Video Game Study: Video Games Help With Nightmares

The Wall Street Journal has news of yet another gaming study, but this one's pretty darn interesting: Rather than judge video games' effect on violent behavior or socialization, the study looks at whether games can help people escape nightmares.
Specifically, the study looked at military men and women, 64 of whom were "hard-core gamers" and 22 of whom were not, and found that the low-frequency gamers had much more threatening nightmares than the ones who played often.

Low-frequency gamers also reported being passive victims in their military dreams, while the high-frequency gamers were active participants. That games numb players to violence, often sided as a negative quality, may be beneficial for soldiers, the researchers said. The habit of fighting back, and winning, in video games, may carry over into the virtual world that arrives at 2 a.m.

Now that is pretty cool.

XBOX 720 DVR Included???

Xbox 3, Xbox 720, NextBox… whatever  lots of rumors are being floated about Microsoft's next home console. Some say it'll output Avatar-level visuals while others say it'll lean heavily on cloud architecture. But the latest hint as to Microsoft's gaming future point to their ever-increasing ambition to fuse TV, film and gaming content.
On December 27th, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office granted a patent to Microsoft for a device that would serve as both a game console and a digital video recorder. Patent # 8,083,593 gets described thusly:

A digital video recorder (DVR) application running alongside a television client component allows users to record media content on the gaming console. The DVR application also integrates itself with the console menu. Once integrated, users can record media content while playing games. Alternatively, users can record content when the gaming console is turned off. The recorded content can include television programming, gaming experience (whether local or online), music, DVDs, and so on. When in the recording state, users can also switch between various other media modes, whether gaming, television, and so on.

Rumors of such a set-top box go back as far as 2007, when the patent was originally applied for, and former CEO Bill Gates was expected to announce something with many of these features at that year's CES. The proposed device would be able to record video content while a user's playing a game and would also be able to record even if the game-playing portion is powered off. It sounds an awful lot like sleep-mode functionality of the current DVRs on the market today but with a console game layer on top of it all.

Right now, the newest dashboard update makes the Xbox 360 into a streaming media hub, with content coming in from all sorts of partner apps. If the technology and aspirations in this patent make it to market, the focus in Microsoft's gaming hardware will shift from streaming to recording and storage. That might rankle content providers, who'll probably only get twitchier about letting their programming live on various devices.

  the ideas in this patent may take years to show up in the real world. And the usual caveat about patents applies, too, which is that we may never see it at all. But, given Microsoft's continued drive to make the Xbox a dominating force in the living room, I think we're going to see some of these features whenever Microsoft reveals its next-generation hardware.kotaku source

Battlefield 3 Karkand Add-on

It’s a hectic week for Xbox LIVE subscribers. Not only is there a trio of new Xbox LIVE Arcade games to check out (including four new Marvel Pinball tables), but you’ve also got the first dose of true Gears of War 3 DLC, as well as the long-awaited Back to Karkand pack for Battlefield 3. And if you’re a fan of that first-person shooting series, as you should be, then you’re in for a treat. That’s because Back to Karkand doesn’t contain any new maps, but rather four favorites that stem from the historic Battlefield 2 video game. These are sure to evoke some memories if you played them back on your high-powered PC. These include Strike At Karkand (considered to be one of the best Battlefield maps ever constructed), Wake Island, Sharqi Peninsula and Gulf of Oman. There are additional weapons and vehicles as well, and we’ll get to those in just a second. Now, let’s talk the maps themselves. Perhaps the best of the bunch here is Strike At Karkand, mainly because it gives you a majority of action in terms of blowing stuff out and plotting a plan of action against your foes.

The other maps are great as well (especially Wake Island), but they’re a bit smaller than we remember them being. Karkand seems right on the money. No matter, though, as they’re all equally enjoyable and give you plenty more killing to do online when you’re trying to hunt down your buddies and get a few head shots in for good measure. The new maps blend in with the old ones almost seamlessly, and even though they do take a bit of hard drive room (like the previous HD patch before it), it’s space well filled, especially once you hop into the competitive multiplayer. And old-school Battlefield 2 fans? You’ll feel right at home here, and perhaps a little more validated behind this sequel’s purchase. There’s some cool stuff happening with the new weapons included in Back To Karkand. Ten are available in all, and each one really makes a difference during combat, particularly the QBB-95 machine gun, the FAMAS-G2 assault rifle and the two sniper rifles, the QBB-88 and the L96A1. (If you prefer up close and personal combat, though, the MK3A1 shotgun will suffice.)

You’ll need to complete a certain assignment with each weapon to gain total access to them, but it doesn’t take too much effort, and you’ll be fragging in combat in no time. If vehicular combat is your thing, there are three new types to choose from. The F35 jet can do some great damage in the air, though you’re still likely to be shot out of the sky if you don’t speed up enough. The BTR-90 APC gets its job done where needed, and the DPV buggy is a lot of fun to drive around. Hell, you might even get lucky enough to mow some poor waiting chap over. Not that he didn’t deserve it. (For the record, the Skid Loader is pretty sweet, too.) All four of these maps have been rebuilt using the Frostbite 2 technology, and they look spectacular. True, there are some small noticeable differences if you’re dedicated fans of the original Battlefield 2 layouts, but overall they really shine. And the destruction you can lay down in the midst of combat is ridiculous, with tons of explosions that really light the screen up. The frame rate runs adequately too, about the same speed as the other maps.

O we would’ve preferred 60 frames per second upgrade (ala the PC), but, hey, there’s only so much the Xbox 360 can take, right? We’ll take this game just as it runs, thanks. Now we come to price. And this is probably going to be the biggest turn-off factor when it comes to new buyers. See, if you purchased the Limited Edition of Battlefield 3 (as a bunch of people did on launch day), then it won’t cost you one single penny. However, if you’re a newcomer who’s late to the game, it’s going to set you back $15. Now, considering that there are no major new modes added here (just a Conquest Assault tweak and unique Rewards and Achievements), that might be a stiff price for some wallets. However, you can probably still hit the store and pick up the Limited Edition. We’ve seen it in stock in plenty of places. And it’s well worth the investment. Look, Battlefield 3 is simply a blast to play online we all know that. And while Back At Karkand doesn’t really offer any significant new gameplay elements, it is a lot more destructive and has the kind of nostalgic maps that show how much DICE really cares about its community. It’s well worth the download, if only to show someone who’s boss on Karkand ground.by robert workman

Games For People You Dislike

Terrible Gaming Gifts for the People You Hate

The Holidays are upon us; Chanukah is underway, Christmas is almost here, and it's time to get those last-minute gifts. We've given you ideas for people who already have all the games they want, for people who like science and other thinky pursuits, and for your teenage son who seems pretty normal but who you don't talk to. All those lists, and so many more.
But what about that person you just can't stand? What do you get for the nemesis in your life, that jerky brother-in-law, that horrible passive aggressive co-worker?
Never fear! I have polled the staff at Kotaku and come up with a list of spectacularly terrible gaming gifts for people you hate.

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A Super-Cheap HDMI Cable
We've been over this before: the prices for in-store HDMI cables are insane and offensive. So what better way to say "I don't give a crap about you" than giving an obviously online-ordered HDMI cable? The one pictured to the side will set you back a whopping three dollars and one cent, and sends a clear message: "I don't care if you need an HDMI cable; in fact, I don't care if you live or die. I had to get you something, and so I got you this. Enjoy, asshole."
($3.01 from Amazon. Why break the bank?)

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Duke Nukem Forever
You knew this one was going to be on here. Duke Nukem Forever was easily the most flatly bad game I played this year; a blandly offensive, dispiritingly dull, boring game. Hype up the giftee on it—"It's finally here! It's for hardcore manly men only! Prove your mettle and beat it!"
Then, they'll be forced to sit through hour after hour of terrible combat, infuriating puzzles, bland dialogue, and soul-crushingly unfunny jokes, all the while wondering when it will get good. Which it will not, not ever.
($9.99 at Newegg.com.)

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Strategy Guides for Games They Don't Own
"Hey, I bet you like video games! What about a guide for this game… you don't even own?" There are few more worthless gifts than the gift of unnecessary information—a strategy guide for an old Game Cube game, maybe a complete walkthrough of Final Fantasy XIII or the like… or you could go insidious and find a first-edition copy of Prima's Mortal Kombat guide, which contains a bunch of incorrect fighting moves.
Imagine your frenemy mashing the controller in frustration, trying to figure out why Cyber Sub-Zero's finishing move won't work, even though they're doing the exact right button combination. Imagine that, and smile.
(Most guides around $15, Mortal Kombat $13.59 from Amazon. Appears corrected.)

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Call of Juarez: The Cartel
In a near-unanimous nomination from our other editors, Ubisoft's follow-up to the surprisingly good Bound in Blood is one of the worst, most sloppy games of the year. We didn't actually review it, but our friend Justin McElroy at Joystiq summed it up thusly:
"The Cartel heartbreakingly not only fails to build upon Bound in Blood's momentum, it spits in the face of everything that made it worthwhile. It doesn't feel like a misstep for the series, it feels like an epitaph."
Give this game, and maybe it'll be an epitaph for your already doomed relationship.
($21.95 from Amazon)

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EA Sports Season Ticket
If you looked at our list of gifts for the guy who only plays sports games and decided you didn't like this person enough to get him or her any of those, then try the EA Sports season pass. It sure didn't fare well upon launch, and with good reason: as our own resident sports-game expert Owen Good puts it:
"Give your frenemy the gift of five games that they have to download (at at least 6GB each) and can only enjoy for three days."
Some gift.
(24.99 Online from EA)

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The Green Lantern Movie and Game
Imagine the contempt conveyed by giving not one but two Green Lantern gifts. Not only are you gifting one of the worst superhero movies in the history of forever, you're also gifting its wretched video game tie-in. "Here," you are saying, "This is the kind of thing I think you would like."
Honestly, this gift is worth giving just for the looks on everyone else's faces. "Oh, what a… nice gift! Aren't those based on comics? Comics are cool, right?"
($14.99 for the Blu-Ray, $28.99 for the Game)

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The Ugliest Gamepad Ever Crafted by Man
Gaaah! Just look at it! Behold the incredible ugliness of the USB Fire Dragon Gamepad. This shit has got to be the ugliest gamepad ever created by a human; it's like it was focus-tested to be as aesthetically offensive and physically revolting as possible. It's worse than the Samurai, it's worse than the Ninja (though not by much).
There is no space in a person's house for something this ugly. It cannot be hidden away, it cannot be put in a box. Its ugliness will radiate outwards and infect the world around it. It is so ugly it will make you worse at whatever game you're playing, if only because the laser-lights that shine from it are so distracting. Truly, the USB Fire Dragon Gamepad is the Cadillac of hideous gaming peripherals.
($29.99 online.)

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Obsolete Music Games
Now, let's be clear: I'm not talking about gifting the super-fun music game Rock Band 2 or the all-encompassing, best-in-class experience of Rock Band 3. I'm talking about the original 2007 game Rock Band. More specifically, I'm talking about giving an entire living room's worth of crappy, now-obsolete plastic music-game peripherals.
Forget about the re-padded, wireless Rock Band 2 drum set—give your hated friend the clacky, wired, prone-to-malfunction Rock Band 1 kit. They don't deserve the smooth, wireless guitar controllers that came with later games; give 'em the wired, tangly, weak-whammy-barred Rock Band 1 controller. As all of us who bought, retired, and eventually junk-heaped our Rock Band peripherals know, it can be very difficult to get rid of the damn things once they've invaded your house.
For bonus nastiness points, just re-gift your own old set.by kirk hamilton

New Nvidia Drivers 290.53 Released

This driver package supports GeForce 6, 7, 8, 9, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500-series desktop GPUs as well as ION desktop GPUs. New in 290.53 Optimizations for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Increases performance by up to 25% in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim vs. 290.36 drivers (measured with GeForce GTX 560 at 19x10 Ultra – Indoor Scene). Results will vary depending on your GPU, system configuration, and in-game location. Updates the NVIDIA Control Panel ambient occlusion support for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to a higher performance profile. Added new 3D Vision laser sight /crosshair options to better match Skyrim crosshairs. For a full Skyrim tweak guide, visit GeForce.com. NVIDIA SLI Adds SLI profiles for Trine 2, WRC 2: FIA World Rally Championship 2011, and Afterfall: InSanity. 3D Vision Fixes issues with Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 not launching into 3D Vision mode Added new 3D Vision laser sight /crosshair options to better match The Elder Scrolls Skyrim crosshairs Added or updated the following 3D Vision game profiles: AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! for the Awesome – rated Good The Adventures of Tintin: The Game – rated Excellent Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – rating changed to Fair Driver San Francisco – updated settings to work better in 3D Vision Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – updated in-game compatibility message Hard Reset – updated in-game compatibility message. FXAA x2 and x4 are now supported by the game Ignite – rated Good Jane's Advanced Strike Fighters – rated Fair Jurassic Park: The Game – rated Good Orcs Must Die! – rated Good PAYDAY The Heist – rated Poor PT Boats - Knights of the Sea – rated Good PT Boats - South Gambit – rated Good Race 07 – updated in-game compatibility message Race Room – rated Good Serious Sam 3: BFE – rated Poor SkyDrift – rated Good Star Wars: The Old Republic – rated Good Stronghold 3 – rated Good Take on Helicopters – rated Fair Trine 2 – rated 3D Vision Ready Waves – rated Excellent Key Bug Fixes Fixes some random instances of triangular artifacts when playing Battlefield 3 (fix is now enabled for GeForce 400 and 500 series GPUs). Fixes a default panel resolution/ timing bug in 290.36. Other Details Supports multiple languages and APIs for GPU computing: CUDA C, CUDA C++, CUDA Fortran, OpenCL, DirectCompute, and Microsoft C++ AMP. Supports single GPU and NVIDIA SLI technology on DirectX 9, DirectX 10, DirectX 11, and OpenGL, including 3-way SLI, Quad SLI, and SLI support on SLI-certified Intel and AMD motherboards. Labels:

Skyrim Steam's Selling Gem

Skyrim  Steam’s Fastest-Selling Game. Ever.

Amidst some back-slapping and self-congratulation over the impressive sales of Skyrim since its release (10 million copies shipped) came one very impressive piece of information from Valve.
It's the fastest-selling game in Steam history.

Jason Holtman, Director of Business Development at Valve, revealed the fact to IndustryGamers yesterday, and given how Steam is almost the default retailer for much of the PC community, that's saying a lot.
Not everything, since Valve continues to keep its sales figures to itself, but a lot.by kotaku

New Xbox Dashboard Coming

Microsoft know the reasons you turn off your Xbox 360. It's to surf videos on YouTube, to tune in a pay-per-view fight or to catch the new episode of a TV show you want to watch as soon as it airs. Being Microsoft, they don't want you turning off their console. The new dashboard update being pushed out to all 360s this week is their bet to keep you plugged into Xbox Live for as long as possible.
The dashboard update which hooks into new entertainment partnerships by offering more robust navigation options than ever before. It sports a new user interface that allows you to swipe through different content categories and uses Kinect to execute Bing voice searches. Some of this functionality was teased at this year's E3 but at the cusp of launch Microsoft's revealing more about how the Metro update looks and feels, and just what TV and internet outlets you'll be able to access through your 360.

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 on December 6th, console owners will notice reorganized tabs and that they can now switch seamlessly between gesture, voice or controller to get to where they want to go. Simply saying "Xbox, Bing Star Wars" brings up every TV show, movie or video game tagged with the title of George Lucas' masterpiece. The new search protocols comb through metadata and multiple services, too, so you'll see results from Netflix, Zune content and other providers on Xbox Live Marketplace like Comcast's Xfinity On Demand (which comes to Xbox later down the line). A YouTube app will also be launching on 12/6, with a My YouTube menu that ports over your profile from the video hosting network, complete with subscriptions intact. However, voice search won't be live for YouTube until some time later. As previously shown, you'll be able to use the Xbox Live Companion App on Windows Phone 7 phones to navigate through the new dashboard, too.


Microsoft wants to accomplish three key goals with the 360 moving forward: to offer more entertainment in one place, make it easier to find what users want and introduce interactive social elements to TV content. Their internal research reports 300% growth in non-game Xbox 360 use and that when users log out of their consoles it's for live TV. The UFC app stands as the exemplar of what Microsoft's trying to do in their integration of TV content on their console. Users wwill have the option to pre-order a fight, see fighter stats, make picks as to who'll win and monitor leaderboards. Microsoft described it as a fusion of app and game, with the TV content available elsewhere changed by virtue of being on the 360.

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But the Metro update isn't just about turning the 360 into an alternative set-top box. There are also features that will tweak the way you play games on the machine, as well. Microsoft's implementing Cloud Saves for Xbox Live users, where you can choose the cloud as the save destination for game saves as well as being able to migrate existing save files online. If a person's Gold membership lapses, you can still access your files but won't be able to upload any further saves. This feature will require a Gold membership but there's no word on how many gigabytes users will get with their portion of the cloud. This feature will go hand-in-hand with another new firmware change called Roaming Profile. As the name implies, Roaming Profile makes it easier for your gamertag to live on separate machines. You'll no longer need to download your profile each time you use a non-home machine. With Cloud Saves and Roaming Profile, your gaming experience on the 360 should be more portable than in previous iterations. And when it comes to playing with others, there's change on the way there, too. Soon, you'll be able to schedule virtual social appointments via dynamic reminders called Beacons. They're basically messages that get pushed out to Xbox Live or Facebook friends, request that they join you to play, say, Gears of War 3 at 10:00 p.m. Monday night. You can set up to three Beacons and friends will see them as soon as they log into Xbox Live.


Microsoft representatives say the Metro update will feel like owners have gotten a brand-new Xbox. While that remains to be seen, it does point at how the technology giant wants to evolve their signature game hardware as a home entertainment portal to various types of media experiences. Voice search, increasing amounts of TV and video content and social viewing will be waiting for you on the Xbox 360 this week. Will this evolution change the way you where and how you watch TV? Microsoft sure hopes so.by evan narcisse