TresSugar

Stranger Than Fiction! Man Marries Video Game Character

TresSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:55 -0800

This past Sunday a man known as "Sal9000" and his fiancé Nene Anegasaki vowed to stay together until death, or a power outage, do them part. You see Sal9000's new wife Nene happens to be a video game character in the addictive Nintendo DS game Love Plus. A priest, live audience, MC, and friends of the happy couple were also present at the event, and the bride's virtual maid of honor even gave a speech. A slideshow recounted how the couple met and teased Sal for being quite the player before he met Nene - he had lots of other video game girlfriends. The whole event was livecasted, and Boing Boing put together the video below so we could all witness this unique wedding.

This story might be the first time I've heard of someone marrying an anime character, but I have read about those who "marry" other inanimate objects. The term "objectum sexuals" describes people who feel attraction, arousal, love, and commitment for objects. One woman even held a ceremony in Paris and married the Eiffel Tower. Talk about nontraditional weddings.

Federal Court Rules: Sex Bad, Violence OK

CitizenSugar — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 08:00:05 -0800

California's ban on selling violent video games to minors is unconstitutional, according to a US federal appeals court. Before you libertarians start jumping for joy, take a look at the decision. The court maintained Friday that there is one type of content that can be banned as obscenity - sexual content.

Justifying the ban, the state argued that video games cause psychological harm to minors and should be banned like sexual content. But the court said the research was inconclusive and that video games "are a form of expression protected by the First Amendment . . .The government may not restrict speech in order to control a minor's thoughts." The opinion also said that "the Supreme Court has carefully limited obscenity to sexual content."

So, the US Constitution protects violence, but not sex? I wonder what the forefathers would say about those priorities.

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US Army to Invest $50 Million in Video Games

CitizenSugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:00:48 -0800

War isn't all fun and games, but that doesn't mean video games can't help train soldiers for combat. Over the next five years the US Army will spend as much as $50 million to purchase a commercial video game called Game After Ambush, with plans to modify scenarios and missions. The money will also go toward researching new gaming technologies adaptable to training.

The military and video games aren't joining forces for the first time. Developed in 2002, America's Army, a recruitment tool, "provides young Americans with a virtual web-based environment in which they can explore an Army career." In a Philadelphia mall, a $12 million and 14,500 square foot gaming center features a command-and-control center along with other simulations.

The Army also uses gaming to confront problems off the battlefield. With many soldiers avoiding treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a customized version of the best-selling video game Full Spectrum Warrior has become a promising treatment option. The virtual Iraq game exposes a patient to the source of trauma over and over until the event or situation no longer triggers fear.

Are you surprised the US Army turns to video games for its recruitment, training, and post-war treatment needs?

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Where the Ladies At? Fewer Girls Going Into Computer Science

CitizenSugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:30:15 -0800

The number of girls interested in computer science peaked in 1982. Yes, 26 years ago, before people even had computers at home. After a sharp decline, it held steady until 2000 and now it’s at an all-time low - back to where it began in the early ‘70s.

Why? That was the funny part of the New York Times article "What Has Driven Women Out of Computer Science." Nobody actually knows. But everybody speculates! Here’s what was said:

Before the male subculture of gaming, women felt more comfortable pursuing computer science.
The girls game movement of the '90s backfired: It made girls think computers were boy toys and girls didn’t play with computers.
Women went into web design so it all evens out. Nope. Web design and other “nontraditional” forms of computer science don't count to the people counting. The pay is less and the work is less influential on how computers are used.
The perception of being a “geek” or “nerd” that comes with majoring in computer science The theory? Girls don’t want to be that person. I know a geek who would disagree!

The one thing everyone can agree on is that the younger girls are when introduced to computers, the better. Expect to see video games for newborns soon!

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An Abstinence Program That Just Might Work

GiggleSugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:00:00 -0700

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Save the Princess! Almost Every Kid in the US Is a Gamer

CitizenSugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:30:57 -0700

And yes, that title would be a Mario Bros. reference, the last time I played video games with any seriousness. Well, now the Wiis have it: a surprising 97 percent of all kids under 17 play video games. According to the new study out today, 99 percent of boys and 94 percent of girls of all ethnicities and incomes report playing some form of game. Seven percent even said that while they didn't have a computer at home, they have a video game system. And it's not just once in a while: more than half of the respondents said they had played a game the previous day.

Though visions of silent, glued-to-the-tube teens dance in my head, the act of gaming is more social than one might think. Two-thirds say they game to socialize with friends and family, as well as still texting and emailing friends. One of the researchers says, "Gaming is the reason to get together - but they're probably talking about other things."

To see what the researchers say about the types of games, read more.

And the type of video game played varies wildly, from Dance, Dance Revolution and Wii Fit to HALO and Madden NFL, researchers were careful to say no video game is "good" or "bad," parents could do a better job of knowing what's in the video games their kids play. "If more parents would take the time to play the same things their children are playing - or even better, play with them - it would benefit both parents and children." Of course as with most things, moderation with the sweet, sweet licks of Guitar Hero is strongly advised.

And, no. I never saved that princess.

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Thai Teen Kills Taxi Driver, Video Game Pulled Off Every Shelf

LibertySugar — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:30:18 -0700

The strikingly violent video game Grand Theft Auto IV will no longer be sold in Thailand, after a teenager murdered a taxi driver while trying to bring the virtual violence into reality. Video retailers have pulled the game off the shelves, and replaced it with other games. As for the teen who played the game for hours a day over a few years span, he now faces a possible death sentence.

Bangkok's police chief said that the teen wanted to find out if it was as easy in real life to rob a taxi as it was in the game. He said the boy planned to use the stolen money to play the game at arcades.

While I have a low tolerance for violence (I closed my eyes during most of The Dark Knight), I can't decide if I think Thailand is overreacting to this individual's crime. To see what experts might say, read more.

Some empirical research has shown that high levels of violent video game exposure have been linked to delinquency, fighting at school, and violent criminal behavior. I wonder which is the cause, and which is the effect. Still, other research maintains that there is no connection between violence and gaming.

If the distributors of Grand Theft Auto start self-censoring, will movies, cage fighting, and other forms of violent entertainment be expected to follow?

Grand-Theft Auto It's Not. Video Games Ease Soldiers' PTSD

CitizenSugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 11:00:52 -0700

Soldiers and Marines are iron tough in battle - though the biggest enemy they face sometimes doesn't show up until they get home. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or major depression afflicts nearly 20 percent of troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. One-half don't seek treatment. But a new treatment, Virtual Iraq, allows troops to delve into their trauma without landing on the couch.

With many soldiers avoiding treatment out of fear of stigma, a customized version of the best-selling videogame Full Spectrum Warrior has become a promising option. Since 2005, the Department of Defense has poured funding into it and two other virtual-reality programs targeting PTSD. And psychologists like JoAnn Difede - who treated Sept. 11 victims with a similar program called Virtual WTC - are hopeful. She said:

You don't have to do any work. You don't have to engage in any mental effort. We'll do it for you and then, gradually, we'll let you get involved in the experience in sensory detail.

Slow and steady wins the race with this therapy. A patient's readiness to move on must be carefully assessed. Looking at an Iraqi street scene may begin and end the first session, but slowly sounds and smells and actions are added. It can take months.

How is this even helpful? To see how, read more.

It's a form of prolonged-exposure, or immersion, therapy. The idea is to expose a patient to the source of trauma over and over until the event or situation no longer triggers fear. If you remember psychology and this sounds a lot like "habituation," it's because it is. (Does Pavlov ring a bell? Heh! Bell.)

While results are still pending on the efficacy of Virtual Iraq so far it's promising. After a few weeks of exposure, one marine was able to sleep without medication, felt more relaxed, and could joke around. He said:

Before I felt like there were two people in me. The marine who was numb, who was a tough guy, and the civilian in me, the real me, the guy who isn't serious all the time, the guy who can take a joke. By the end of therapy, I felt more like one person.

Should we be exploring more cutting-edge methods of treating the whole soldier? Could forcing them to relive the sights, sounds, and smells of battle, actually help soldiers cope?

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Flashback: Magnavox Gets in on the Video Game Action

GiggleSugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:00:00 -0700

With games out today like Grand Theft Auto, it's hard to imagine anyone was entertained by this self-described "electronic game of the future." You attached the Magnavox Odyssey to your color or black-and-white television, and it allowed you to play games such as hockey, tennis and. . . geography(?!) I have a feeling the Magnavox Odyssey tanked, but at least we have this awesome commercial to look at!

Introducing: Snuggle the Video Game

GiggleSugar — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 03:30:00 -0800

Is Grand Theft Auto too violent for you? Then I think I've found your video game! I've never been a big fan, but I would play this over and over and over again. . .