Bargain Bin Reviews (April 15-21)

Hello and welcome again to the Bargain Bin Reviews! This is the feature where we take time finding the good games on the cheap so you don’t have to! This week we have turned our focus more on one title apiece so you could gain a bit more insight. As always feel free to pick up any of the games we talk about by clicking on the Amazon link to the right.

Steve’s Pick

Just Cause 2

The point of these Bargain Bin Reviews is to inform you, the buyer, of cheap games that are more than worth your money. They are also designed to introduce you to games that could be considered hidden gems. If you are looking for a good story then Just Cause 2 might not be for you, but if your goal is to run around an island while blowing up as much stuff as you can then you are set. Bad guy driving you crazy? Grapple him to the back of your car, and drag him around. Need to catch a ride on a helicopter? Grapple on to it and hold on. Falling from the previous helicopter? Don’t worry just grapple on to the ground. “Why does that work,” you ask? Just Cause (2).

Tanner’s Pick

Splinter Cell: Conviction

Splinter Cell's 2010 reboot is everything that I love about modern gaming. All of the important information is projected on the environment rather than cluttering up your HUD, and the game cleverly alternates between color and black-and-white to let you know when you are hidden. You can exploit the enemy AI by luring them to the last position that they saw you, and mark and execute all of the fools in a room if you're good. Besides a compelling single-player story, the game also has a separate co-op campaign as well. Nothing is more fun than setting up ambushes with your buddy or simultaneously performing silent kills to keep a low profile. This game has a ridiculous value for $20.

Matt’s Pick

Darksiders

If you want to talk about games that came in “under the radar” in 2010 Darksiders has to be towards the top of your list. Imagine for a second that I told you about a game that took the best elements from the Legend of Zelda series and the best elements from the God of War series…awesome right? That is exactly what you have with the game Darksiders as you take control of one of the four horsemen during a time of chaos. Make your way though dungeon upon dungeon, upgrade your weapons and abilities, and hack and slash your way through some rather creative enemies. With the sequel on its way Darksiders is a no-brainer to pick up for under 20 bucks. 

Kory’s Pick

House of the Dead: OVERKILL Extended Cut 

I love ridiculous games.  This one is ridiculous on a cocktail of speed and steroids.  A classic feeling light-gun game with fast action and even more over the top language (this game has literally set the record on total swearing in a single game), coupled with the option of Move capability and you've got a recipe of bargain bin gold. As the cherry that’s on top of this already delicious sundae of a game, this is the extended cut edition, meaning more guns, more levels, and even more zombies to blast! Pick this up while its on sale at Amazon!

David’s Pick

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Explore a mysterious and mind-bending mental maze armed only with an oil lamp and your lack of sanity, constantly being pulled in by the fascinating nature of the story that lies buried.  Frictional games really take the tension and dread of weapon-less survival horror to a whole new level, leaving the player with a masterfully designed soundscape and some frighteningly unlockable doors to hide behind.  Sometimes you'll want to leave and never return, but the game's world is so fascinating that you will want to keep discovering, keep playing.  If you've ever wanted to be completely sucked into an experience, if you've ever wanted to over stimulate your fight or flight response, or maybe if you've ever wanted to be strangled to death by your own fear of pixels and code, then you
owe Amnesia your time.

Juan’s Pick

Prey

Inspired by a previous article by one of +10Damages own, I had to recommend Prey. If the mind bending, fast action shooting doesn't sell you than maybe one of the best opening sequences in all of gaming will. I won't spoil it for you if you haven't played it, but it's definitely worth the 15 bucks just for the first 10 minutes of this game. Add some solid visuals, gravity defying weirdness, as well as some solid fast paced multiplayer and you will  be checking the corners and ceilings in no time.

Summer Drought: Downloadable edition

I've already gone over the physical disc-based games that are coming out this summer, and even though they are few in number, they look high in quality.  Downloadable fans rejoice! There are many games that will be clamoring for your harddrive space releasing this summer as well. XBLA, PSN and Wii-ware games have a special place in my gaming system.  Small games that deliver a large experience while costing a meager sum.  Simply put, I love them.  Here are some highlights of this summer's byte-size goodies:

April 13th:  Fez (XBLA)

A bizzare and captivating 2D/3D hybrid game, it has the old school look and feel of a platformer, mixed with dimension bending powers of a puzzler to give you... well, probably a headache until you get used to it. Check out the trailer for an idea of how this works, as its really hard to describe on paper without sounding like a crazy person...

April 17th: House of the Dead 4 (PSN)
Have Playstation Move and dissapointed with the games out?  Well, you've got one light-shooter gem coming your way.  Yes, its a remake of the old arcade game, but for a rather sparse line up for Move, anyone with the add on for Playstation should have this one on their list.





April 18th: Trials Evolution (XBLA)
The first game was an amazing physics-based biking game that was met with rave critical reviews.  Released in 2009, its been a while since my tires got some mud on 'em, and with multiplayer tracks to actually race one another (finally), this game will get my motor revvin' for sure!

April 25th: Bloodforge (XBLA)
Have a bad day?  Want to eviscerate some poor saps who get in your way?  Click on Bloodforge to start it up and feel the blood-rage leave your body by stabbing, slicing, dicing, and decapitating your way through a handful of levels built to test your action button combos.  The real star of this game is the cinematic camera angles that give you some sweet views of the blood shed.  Very cool.  Almost too cool looking to believe its a downloadable game!




May 1st: Awesomenauts (PSN, XBLA)

An arena brawler that will take you back to arcade days, this game features 6 different characters, all with special abilities, that will rip and shred their way through waves and waves of enemies.  All the characters are ridiculous, and the animation looks right at home for a downloadable title.  Reminds me much of a certain Castle Crashers game, and I know I had too much fun with that game for it to be even legal.  This one is for sure on my watch list, and my couch can't wait for my friends and I to sit on it again.


May 9th: Minecraft (XBLA)
I haven't dug into the craze that is Minecraft yet, but if you are on a computer that can do simple processing, you probably have run into a minecraft phase or two.  If not, well you're in luck, as it's coming to Xbox360!  Featuring all the same addictive elements that the PC one has, you now can share your creations with all of your Xbox Live friends, and even participate in some co-op online or split screen!  That way, you can introduce your friends to this blockbuster and be there every step of the way to help them figure out what they are doing.

May 15th: Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Ep 2 (PSN, XBLA)
Sonic fans! Are you here?! Anywhere...?  Oh here we are.  Episode 2 for the fourth iteration of the series is finally releasing!  Yes, I know, you hardcore fans had some issues with some things about episode 1, but you guys are very hard to please! Its been more than two years in development, so hopefully they took care of those issues!  Guess we'll find out 5/15...

July: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD (PSN, XBLA)
Well, Tony Hawk must've heard some cries of pain from all of his Ride-based games.  He's realizing the success that he had in video games came primarily from the amazingness that THPS 1 and 2 brought to the table, and therefore he's re-releasing them in HD for this summer.  A mixture of levels taken from the first two games, as well as their soundtracks (!!!), but rebuilt from the ground up in modern engines, it looks promising that what wasn't broken, wont be "fixed".

Summer: Foosball 2012 (PSN)
Yup.  This is not a joke.  This is getting released.  Supports Move too.
Really all I have to say about...
Ugh...
A videogame involving a literal foosball table...

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Bargain Bin Reviews (April 8-14)

It's that time again were the writers and contributors here at +10 Damage take their times to scour through hundreds of video games to find you the best bang for your buck. As a reminder these are all deals that you can find through Amazon.com which we nicly put into that box to the right. Click it, buy some games and help out your favorite video game blog!

Juan’s Picks

Marvel V. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds

Your favorite super heroes return to take on your favorite fighters in this glorious return of one of the best fighting franchises ever. Keep that calloused thumb strong from last weeks SF4 and pick this one up.

The Orange Box

If you don’t already have this game you should walk up to a mirror, give yourself a dirty look, then smack yourself with some fresh poultry. Three stellar games, including award winners like half life 2, team fortress, and the original portal make this a must buy.

Chrono Trigger

Anyone who grew up with jrpgs and a super nintendo, you already have this game. Everyone else planning a long plane ride or torturous vacation with the family should enjoy one of the greatest rpgs ever remade.

Steven’s Picks

Alan Wake

Alan Wake came out in the shadow of Red Dead Redemption, and suffered for it. The game is a fantastic blend of storytelling and unique game play that really stands out. Play it with the lights off, and immerse yourself in the story.

Assassin’s Creed II

Ubisoft got this experience right after a flawed first adventure. Ezio climbs, slashes, and yes, runs and guns on his murderous rampage through the city. Now is the perfect time to play as we await ACIII.

Enslaved

How this game went so unnoticed is beyond me. Traveling with Monkey and Trip in Enslaved was a true adventure that finished to soon in my opinion.

Kory’s Picks

You Don't Know Jack!

Classic PC gamers will recognize this title immediately, as its been on hiatus for 11 years, finally released for the current systems! With almost the entire witty-as-hell writing team intact, this trivia game gives you the most off the wall trivia imaginable and has you "screwing" your opponents in order to win the most cash! I've been playing this one for months, and with DLC support with question packs, and over 70 in game "episodes", this game has a solid amount of replay value for the price.

Blur

This pick is essentially a re-skinned kart racer, as you'll be driving around life-like cars in life-like streets, but you'll be using power-ups to decimate your opponents and take the lead. Speeding around numerous tracks with many different levels of car speeds to use, I was transformed into the little kid playing Mario Kart 64 in my basement again. Definitely worth the nostalgia boner, especially for the cheap.

Dead Rising 2

Do you like to kill zombies? Are you creative? Can you spend hours just dreaming of different weapons to eviscerate the undead menace that will eventually rise to take us out? Well you can get plenty of ideas from trying out Dead Rising 2. It’s a bit of a challenge with their boss battles, but the game as a whole has a ton of replayability and places to discover.

Matt’s Picks

Mass Effect 1 &2

Two of my choices this week center around video games biggest controversy. The Mass Effect series is one that everyone should experience. Take your version of Commander Shepard through your own personal journey, leading to a climax that is much in debate. Grab each of them for under twenty bucks a piece.

L.A. Noire

I have to say this game had one of the quickest rises to fame followed by complete obscurity. L.A. Noire puts you in the shoes of a hardnosed cop by the name of Cole Phelps as he makes his way through the gritty desks of the L.A.P.D. Revolutionary facial animations, great story, and an impressive detective system makes this a must own for your collection.

Bargain Bin Reviews (April 2-7)

This week you will be getting  Juan and my selections for what to pick up! All titles we select are under 20 dollars and Amazon is where we get the prices. All the selections we have made are easily accessed from the tab to the right....

Super Scribblenauts $18

Puzzle solving God style. Summon anything you want, now with adjectives. If you stay away from simple things like super heroes and god you can have a lot of unique and wicked fun with this title and the (even better) original for under 20 bucks.

Super Street Fighter 4 3D $18

Really? Do I have to write a blurb on one the greatest fighting franchises to ever grace our screens? It's Street Fighter in 3D. 18 bucks. Buy it now.

Lego Harry Potter years 1-4 $17

Like all lego games, this game is a great co-op, kid friendly, funny good time. Fans of the books and movies probably already have this game, but gamers should check it out too. Great way to get those girly girls gaming....

Super Street Fighter 4 $15

Really? Again? Yes! Buy this game! Be prepared to get pissed off at the final boss and to have a pulsing blister on your thumb...

El Shaddai $15



This is a breathtaking visual ride that is worth the 15 bucks alone. Really have been enjoying this game for the last few days, I suggest that you enjoy it too!

Warhammer 40,000 Spacemarine $17



What a fun title! For 17 bucks you can rip through little trolls with your chainsaw sword or blast through them with numerous amounts of guns. Do yourself a favor and have fun with this one.

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Difficulties With Difficulties

You get off of a long day at work, drive by your favorite gaming location and pick up the newest and best game on the market.  Excited, you drive home, just barely containing your speed around the speed limit signs.  Throwing off your jacket while storming into your place of residence, you frisbee toss your new purchase into your gaming system of choice a la cheesy commercial segment, and it flies in and starts up.  Title screen, and excitement rises.  Then, you are faced with a struggle of a decision:  The difficulty screen pops up.  Select your difficulty.

Asking gamers what their skills are at a game before even trying the game?  What a cruel concept.  Make the wrong decision, and the entire game may be ruined for you! Too easy, too hard, not positioned at what the developer intended, all of these factors can mix together to give you a less favorable experience than that you expected with your sitcom levels of excitement earlier.  

What brings this topic to mind for me today?  Recently I came under fire from a friend about what difficulty I have chosen for a game in particular. 

I chose the hardest difficulty on this game.  I would never dream of trying this game on a lower difficulty, it just seems like cheating.  I know you like it though.

Why do we chose one difficulty over the other?  When is playing on easy acceptable vs. playing on hard?
My answer is completely dependent on the experience you want to take away from your game. 

When do I play on easy?
On a game primarily driven by narrative, I will usually take the semi-easier path.  I won't go so far as to make a game on the easiest setting possible.  Not usually.  However, when the main draw of the game is the story, I don't like to accomplish herculean tasks for that reward!  On a game like the Metal Gear Solid series, the story is integral to my experience.  If you miss the cinematics, you are skipping more than half the game, and  I know this from experience!  Same with Mass Effect.  While I enjoy the battle sequences immensely, the story was the main draw for me from square one.  The game is very rewarding in this aspect.  Why should I make it drawn out and difficult to get to my reward, the next part in the story? Thats like getting the first book in a series, but the only way to get the second one is to run three miles underwater and skydive off of a zeppelin.  I just want to find out what happens next!

ARRRGHHHHH WHAT HAPPENED

Lets take a look at L.A. Noire for a second.  The game has equal parts story and gameplay, but if you don't play to the standards set upon by the game, maybe accidentally running over too many pedestrians or not asking the very obscure questions, you actually miss out on story, resulting in confusion.  I HATE missing out on a part of a story!  I would even dare to set this one on the easiest setting!  Heavy Rain does the same thing, but plays down the gameplay even more.  If the game is going to be an interactive movie, it is solely going off of the story.  When you accidentally kill characters from the difficulty of the game, how is this adding to the story?

ARRRRRGHHH WHAT WAS SHE SUPPOSED TO DO

Another reason to play on easy is to build up my skills/experience so that I can take on the bigger difficulties.  Sports games are the perfect example of this.  I play NHL games.  I love them.  When I first started though, I was absolutely terrible.  Starting at the easiest setting, I ramped up my skills until I'm at the harder levels, and while doing this, I'm building up the experience levels of my players to help my progress.
Magic: The Gathering for PSN and XBLA is another key point.  You play online or against the computer, and they have every card unlocked for their decks and access to each one of them.  When you start the game, you get the chance to unlock twenty more cards for each deck, but start with the best ones locked.  Starting with the computers at an even harder difficulty makes gives you then two issues:  They have the greatest stuff unlocked while you do not, and they know how to use them even better than you might!  Why not unlock the cards at a lower difficulty, matching the skills of your decks, then raise the abilities of the computer?

ARRRRGHHH JACKASS

Imagine one of the more stressful days you've had.  After that day, go home and play video games.  When you get home, do you want to be met with the GAME OVER screen repeatedly?  I know I don't enjoy my failures being thrown in my face when I'm already on edge.  Call of Duty: Black Ops' combat training mode gave me a fantastic release.  I'd start up a game, set up many many bots on a low difficulty, and then let loose with some shotguns, knifes, tomahawks, whatever my angry heart desired.  Relaxation at it's best!

Don't think that I can't understand the hard gamers.  I know very well the arguments.  I do agree with some of them as well!  Those who were born in the fires of old school gaming love a challenge!  Being raised on the completely ambiguous Legend of Zelda for the NES, being forced to run through your paces on Mega Man and Contra OVER AND OVER again until you remembered the exact right path to take, or just playing a broken game like Mickey Mouse-capades... it makes your skin tough and resolve even tougher.

ARRRGHHH BUT I LOVE LOVE

For those who believe that fun is in overcoming a challenge, I could see hard games being a draw.  I know the feeling.  Puzzle games I have to set to higher than average difficulties.   Super Puzzle Fighter II, Tetris, Professor Layton games, the harder the puzzles, the more accomplished I feel with the win.  I feel like I've achieved something!


Speaking of achievements (see what I did there?  It's called an excellent segway), the trophies and achievements that only unlock when completing the hardest modes in gaming are, in my opinion, a fantastic idea.  They really feed into your feeling of superiority when finally conquering insanity difficulty on Mass Effect, or beating Halo with all of the skulls turned on, etc.  The whole premise really feeds into human's desire to prove how good they are compared to others, giving us even more to brag about.

ARRRGH THIS IS WHAT I BEAT
INSANITY FOR?!

Are you setting yourself up to fail repeatedly to gain that bragging right?  Are you looking to enjoy the story, and damn the difficulty?  Maybe you want to gain more gamer skills rather than cred, or vise-versa?  Do you like to learn how to swim by throwing yourself in the deep end?  It all comes down to personal preference.  I'm a "normal" gamer, in that I play on the normal setting initially and adjust according to the experience.  If you are an "easy" or a "hard" gamer, then that's your choice.  Just know that I have my reasons, and would love to throw down against you any time, regardless of the level you play on.  I'll show you how much difficulties really change in the end!

What do you play on?  Please let me know your reasoning in the comments below, or even on our FACEBOOK page!  Did you enjoy reading my point of view, or want to see what our other staff have to offer?  Subscribe too!

What is Matt Doing?

Hey Ladies and Gents! Just thought I'd post a little video showing you what I am doing as far as gaming goes! I will try to post these videos every once and a while. Also, just a thank you to all of those who read and participate in the blog. We really appreciate it!

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Bargain Bin Reviews

We’ve all heard it. The economy is bad, games are 60 bucks a pop, and I’m bored with what I have to play. Have no fear! The staff here at +10 Damage Gaming has taken it upon themselves to do all the dirty work for you. Below you will see staff favorites that you can nab for under 20 bucks! You’re welcome in advance. All prices reflect those of Amazon.com. We even put all the games in a nice little box over to the right!

Matt’s Pick

Title: Dark Sector

Platforms: X-Box 360/PS3

Released in 2008, this game may easily be one of the best games you can buy at its price point. Dark Sector blends the cover based shooting that you will find out of a Gears of War while throwing in its own twist, introducing a boomerang like blade. Outcome? One of the most underrated games to hit the shelves in a long time.

Kory’s Pick

Title: Bulletstorm

Platforms: X-Box 360/PS3

Well looking through the bargain bin this time around I would have to say that my choice for best pick would be Bulletstorm for X360/PS3.  Bulletstorm is one hell of a ride. Brief story-plot: Because of a bullish move, the crass and crude protagonist, Grayson Hunt, is now stuck on the planet of Stygia.  Now, you have to get off before you die from the land's hellish mutant inhabitants, or from Sarrano, Grayson's toughest foe.

From the start of the game you can tell that this won't just be any old shooter.  Armed with a "tether" (read: electric whip), your main goal is to get from the start of each level to the end.  The real goal, however, is to do it as stylishly as possible.  How, you may ask?  By being as creative as you can with your weapons, your tether, your feet, and your environment. The game rewards you for creating more and more ludicrous situations; all while enemies are trying to take you out.  By slowly introducing new elements in the environment and new weapons, the game never gets stale, and it never slows down the action.  Just when you think things can’t get better than fighting a Godzilla like monster through a miniature city, you get to control one.  Then a giant wheel starts chasing you down a desert path, or you battle across a collapsing dam, or you battle through a dilapidated hotel just waiting to be ambushed... you see what I mean? If a relentless single player campaign isn't enough, all of your scores are uploaded online to compare with your friends and the world.  Which is way more addicting than it sounds! You'll be replaying levels constantly looking for that one trick you didn't do, or maybe even trying to do it faster for a bigger multiplier.

To cap off this delicious package, it has online cooperative play.  With all new tricks to pull off with your friends, the game doubles in replay value. For thirty bucks, this game would be worth your money.  For less than twenty, it’s an absolute steal

Juan’s Picks

Title: Resident Evil 4

Platform: Wii

If you haven't played this game yet, shame on you! One of the best games ever made and the motion controls added to it actually work (for the most part). The graphics may appear grainy by today's standards but for 10 bucks, this game will still have you jumping and swearing in Spanish.

Title: MadWorld

Platform: Wii

Collector alert! This was the first MA game on the Wii and it bombed hard. Was it bad? No, this game is a bloody bonanza of bonified goodness. I blame the poor marketing and the strange comic black and white graphics to the demise of this great title. Pick it up before it disappears...

Title: Civilization Revolution

Platform: X-Box 360/PS3

Probably the only pc ported strategy game ever done well on a console. They took smart moves (like going to turn based) that make this title an addictive, quick, and glorious achievement in console gaming. Even the handhelds were done well so don't pass this one up during the summer gaming drought.

Title: Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon

Platform: X-Box 360/PS3

  If you love fully destructible environments, huge draw distances, and more cheese than the entire state of Wisconsin, you cannot pass up one of the best co-op experiences in all of gaming. This is silly bug shootin’ fun that is a steal at 10-20 bucks. Collectors, look for the original (EDF 2017) on american release on the 360. Hard to find!

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Arguments On The Side Of Gaming

"You're wasting your time."  
"Can't you put that brain to better use?"
"Why would you rather sit with a controller staring at the screen when you could (insert other activity here)"


If you are a gamer, and seeing as you are here reading this, then you probably are, then you have encountered one of the above phrases in your life.  What do you say to those?  What possible response can one come up with?  Well I've been proposed these questions many times in my life, and in defense of video games, one has to be creative in their answers.
What could possibly be learned from gaming?  Passing aside the silly answers like "blocks give out coins hurrr hurrr" there are many intellectual answers that could be given instead.




1. Action video game players are better at tracking and remembering objects
A very recent study done by Sungur and Boduroglu (2012) shows that people that play action video games at least an hour a day for three to four days a week perform better than those who do not.  While tracking colors, moving objects, and remembering placement of certain symbols, video game players outperformed non players in both speed and accuracy by a significant amount.  Of course, we gamers who play shooters don't need to be told this by those fancy psych majors, we'll take 'em on any time.  But its nice to finally get some notice of the fact.  This information could be applied to driving, law enforcement, bird watching, Where's Waldo finding, fishing, the list could go on, but I'm quickly running into more jokes than applicable situations.  Moving on!




2. "Serious video games" can be used as a therapeutic tool for many mental disorders

Just last winter, Santamaria et al. (2011) discovered by compiling other studies that using so called "serious games" can be very beneficial to mental health, even allieviating some neurological problems.  These games created in their players: "elevated self-esteem, higher self-efficacy, increased knowledge, awareness of the illness, adherence to treatment and problem solving skills, and enhanced outcome on cognitive and behavioral aspects of aggression".  Basically all good news!  The games that they use are a little more basic, but its a start.  For example, one game, called Re-Mission, features an oddly Samus-esque character fighting malignant cancer cells throughout the body.  This allows patients that are experiencing symptoms from cancer to virtually "fight" the illness that is wrecking their bodies.

Nice haircut there Sam- er I mean Roxxi.

2.5. Video games are being used to help children deal with ADHD

Careful kid! That stylish helmet is READING YOUR BRAIN!!! ACTUALLY this fits in with #2, but I thought it was so cool I needed to give it it's own heading, hence the 2.5 label.  A game called Play Attention is being used currently to help children cope with ADHD and learn how to direct their attention better.  The game itself is just your standard educational game, fun and interactive for the kiddies but a teaching tool for their little brains.  Problem is that children with ADHD normally have problems focusing.  So, a helmet was made for the kids to wear, that looks just like a bicycle helmet.  But the helmet can read brain waves, and if the child is not paying enough attention to the game, the game stops playing.  In this way, the child is being trained on how to keep their focus on something long enough to complete a task, otherwise, GAME OVER.  Very cool.  See more of the game here!

3. Gamers will have higher GPA's

As long as you don't spend more time playing video games than you spend in school, that is.  Ventura, Shute and Kim (2011) found that students that play video games an average of eleven to fifty hours during a month have significantly higher GPAs than those students that played less or not at all.  But lets be honest here, over 50 hours in a month while still attending school, those numbers are clearly lower as well.  The very same study found that people that play 7 or more different games in a year were more open-minded, and that those who played 7 or more hours a week were more conscientious in their actions (they thought more about the consequences of their actions and were more painstakingly careful).  So good news students! If your parents tell you that you can't have a system until your grades go up, show them this study and tell them that getting the system will actually help your cause! Its a win-win!

If this baby plays this between 11 and 50 hours this month,
it's GPA is going to skyrocket.  Take THAT parents!

4. Gamers live the lives that they want to live through games

Ok, so maybe this person would be
better off playing his video games.

This one might seem obvious, but lets take a look at the facts here.  Say you are a socially confused teenager.  You want to be somebody, but you aren't sure who you'd like to be.  Video games are a good way for that person to figure that out.  Multiple playthroughs of Mass Effect can give you a decent sense of morality.  The Sims may teach you more about certain careers.  Its a safe way to experiment with different options of who you may want to be as a person, without the threat of getting beat up by bullies at your school.  Przybylski (wow how do you pronounce that one), Weinstein, Murayama, Lynch, and Ryan (2012) looked at players and their characters in varying video games, and the characters that were more reflective of their player's "inner self" were more likely to be more compelling to the gamer, and more time was subsequently sunk into the game.  This is compelling evidence that the more you hide under a profile, the more likely you are to be yourself in the safe virtual world of video games.  They let you be who you really want to be.

This woman is going to be terrifying with a real baseball bat.

5. Video gaming is rehabilitating to senior citizens as well

More and more elderly homes are adopting Wii's in their locations, and for good reason.  Apparently, seniors are liking video games more and more.  All this new-fangled technology is hard to understand, but Wii-motes, which respond to simple actions, are easy.  You just move! That's it!  An unforseen side effect of these video games, however, is that the seniors are learning that even though they are older, it doesn't mean that they don't have to not do anything.  A study performed by Aarhus, Gronvall, Larsen and Wollsen (2011) proves that not only are the senior's physical fitness improving, but so is their motivation to continue moving.  This motivation decreases, however, when the video gaming stops.  As long as the game is simple enough for the seniors to understand, they'll see improvements.

6. Gaming is an industry juggernaut, grossing more in one day than an entire opening weekend blockbuster film

$169 Million dollars in a weekend?  Thats nothing to sneeze at, coming from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.

$400 Million dollars in one day. November 8th, 2011.  Of course I'm speaking of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.  Love it or hate it, it is the perfect example of the impact video gaming can have on our economy.  And we gamers are in the center of it.  Call of Duty may be the biggest example, but its nowhere near the only one. Modern Warfare 2 (320 million), Grand Theft Auto 4 (310 million) and Halo 3 (170 million) all top that record set by HP7(2) by a sizable margin.  Its hard to argue against the industry giant.

7. Art and video games are one and the same

Taken from the Smithsonian's web page.
Yes this is a real exhibit!

When does the line get blurred between art and video games?  The age old argument of what constitutes as art has been shoved onto video game territory for years now, and one official source may have a major opinion to express.  That source?
The Smithsonian American Art Museum.

When the Smithsonian institution recognizes video games as art, when are we going to just stop this argument?  Regardless, an exhibit just opened up with games taking the center stage, celebrating everything involving the medium.  The exhibit opened on March 16.

If you are being told that our hobby is stupid and for kids, just show them how superior we gamers actually are.  With more studies being done all the time, who knows what other ways we are improving our bodies and minds with our passion?

Any other arguments you can think of?  Tell us in the comments!

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References

Aarhus, R., Gronvall, E., Larsen, S. B., Wollsen, S. Turning training into play: Embodied gaming, seniors, physical training and

     motivation. Gerontechnology, 10(2) p.110-120

Przybylski, A. K. Weinstein, N., Murayama, K., Lynch, M. F., Ryan, R. M. The Ideal Self at Play: The Appeal of Video Games That Let

      You Be All You Can Be. Psychological Science, 23(1) p.69-76. doi:10.1177/0956797611418676 

Santamaria, J. J., Soto, A., Fernandez-Aranda, F., Krug, I., Forcano, L., Gunnard, K., Kalapanidas, E., Lam, T., Raguin, T., Davarakis, C.,

      Menchon, J. M., Jimenez-Murcia, S. (2011). Serious games as additional psychological support. Journal of CyberTherapy and 

      Rehabilitation, 4(4) p.469-476. 

Sungur, H., Boduroglu, A. (Feb 2012). Action video game players form more detailed representation of objects. Acta Psychologica, 139(2) 

     p.327-334. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2011.12.002

Ventura, M., Shute, V., Kim, Y. J. Video gameplay, personality and academic performance. Computers & Education, 58(4) p.1260-1266. 

     doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2011.11.022