This new Pixel Press tool lets anybody, young and old, to make their own video game levels. The only materials you will need are a pencil, graph paper and your iPad or iPhone.

Creator Robin Rath explained players can design their levels by hand and they can create any kind of traps for their avatar to hurdle. Avatars can climb five stories to reach their goal.

Rath said his tool also makes use of character recognition that allows the iPad or iPhone’s camera to convert the sketches to graphic elements. The next step is for the create to test his level, make further refinements and add skins to create a more polished game.

This Pixel Press creator admitted to being a big fan of the Super Mario Brothers and Metroid games as a child and he used them as inspiration to come up with his inventive tool. The Minecraft world-building game, though, is his biggest inspiration.

What Rath love about this particular game, he said, is its sharing aspect in that people who spend hours building their own world normally want to share their creations with their friends. This aspect, he pointed out, provides a rewarding experience and allows players to interact and learn from each other.

He added that the focus of his invention is also to teach kids about game design specifically enhance their drawing and computer technical skills, help develop their interest in the field and teach them about the value of patience and teamwork.

Image via vk.com

Another study has revealed that playing block-building games such as Tetris can help fix the lazy eye problem. Known as amblyopia, laze eye is a condition in which a person’s vision in one eye does not develop correctly. If not treated immediately, this can lead to sight problems as the brain will no longer correct the blurry images being experienced by that particular eye.

The traditional way of treating this vision issue is to cover the eye with the correct vision using an eye patch. This step will allow the weaker eye to exert more effort. The downside is that this type of treatment can take months to fix the condition.

For slight problems, doctors would also use eye drops to blur the vision in the good eye. Blurring of the vision in the eye which is functioning properly will help strengthen the weaker eye.

In the new study done by scientists at the McGill University in Montreal Canada showed that those who were given special goggles while playing Tetris experienced an improvement in their weaker eyes. The goggles allowed one eye to see the falling blocks in the game at the top of the screen while the other eye saw only the blocks lined up at the bottom.

The researchers believed that the Tetris video game was responsible for making both eyes work together instead of just strengthening the weaker eye. This strategy, they said, was better than using the patch, it worked faster and the best part is that people find it enjoyable to play the game.

Image via tetris.bestesoft

Whether you’re a casual or hardcore gamer, it’s always nice to have a space in your house set aside for gaming. If you have a basement, this is the perfect location, but another idea is to convert an unneeded formal dining room into a game room. Regardless of where you put the room, you’ll need to go through several steps to set it up with everything you need for a gaming paradise.

Pick the Right TV: You’ll be spending a lot of time looking at a screen, so you want one that’s best suited for gaming. We actually addressed this in another blog post recently, so read up on the type of TV to choose for your the best gaming experience.

Install Surround Sound: The image is only half of the experience when you’re playing a video game. You also have what you hear, which can significantly enhance the realism of the game and draw you into the world more fully. Don’t let those wimpy built-in speakers on the TV be your only source of sound, but instead, install surround sound in the room.

Add Comfortable Seating: When you’re sitting for hours, you want to be comfortable, so choose your seating carefully. A couch may be ideal if you often play multiplayer games. Otherwise, a gaming chair or beanbag may be more comfortable, especially if your TV is positioned lower. Keep your seating close enough to easily see the screen.

Get a Coffee Table: You’ll need somewhere to set down your controller, plus keep food & drink close at hand. A coffee table is the perfect height if you’re down on a gaming chair, and it’s also within reach of a couch. You may also want to consider matching end tables if you have a couch.

Stock a Mini Fridge: Especially if your space is a bit of a walk from the kitchen, you’ll want to stock an area with food and drinks to grab while you’re gaming. Some of the best gaming drinks include energy drinks, sodas, and water to stay hydrated. As far as foods go, have plenty of bite-sized snacks that won’t get your fingers dirty, and perhaps a microwave for making popcorn.

Decorate with Posters: Blank walls won’t really help the room feel like a gaming paradise, so get a hold of posters for your favorite games and hang them on the wall. Poster putty is perfect for a casual feel, or you can frame the posters for a more upscale and refined look.

Set up a Speedy Internet Connection: The last detail to remember is that you’ll want to have a fast Internet connection available for network gaming and for streaming online content through your video game system. Depending on the speed of your home’s system, you may even want to consider getting a separate dedicated service so you always have bandwidth available for gaming.

Your game room probably won’t look identical to anyone else’s, and in fact, that’s how it should be. The specific features you choose should be the ones you most care about, and ultimately, the room should be a place where you want to spend time. When it’s done, don’t forget to set aside at least a full day to break it in and enjoy your hard work!

Video games are undoubtedly a popular form of entertainment particularly for kids. Many adults are also benefiting from it, though, such those the tech savvy ones.

But other than the entertainment it provides, these video games have been found very helpful in treating pain among children. In fact just recently, the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. introduced a new form of treatment for kids’ pains in its newly opened pain care complex. The facility is now using video games to treat the pain being experienced by young patients.

The games were specially designed for the purpose of eliminating pain and were created with the use of the Kinect technology of Microsoft. Through the games, the kids are brought into an intergalactic environment where they can play, paint and exercise while unknown to them, the doctors are analyzing their movements and other vital signs at the same time.

This new method of treating pain in kids is seen to be a major change in the traditional way doctors address pain medicine and one of the largest advancements ever achieved in this field. The role of the video games here is to distract the kids while at the same time targeting their bodies similar to how physical therapy is done. And while they’re focused on playing, the doctors have an opportunity to monitor their heart rate or movements through the Kinect software. Some 24 musculoskeletal points in the body can be detected by this Microsoft technology used in the gaming system.

Medical professionals have found that young patients treated using the video games experienced greater distraction and better range of motion which led them to feel less or no pain.

Image via stickskills

The video game industry is a juggernaut. It has already outpaced the movie industry in terms of revenues – which is no small feat.

With video games now a part of mainstream culture, the number of games that are being released every year is growing –and of course, because of this the demand for video game professionals has also increased.

Video game related jobs are now considered one of the higher paying jobs in the job market. If you are interested in a career in the gaming industry then these are the jobs you should go for:

Game designer

The video game designer is the person responsible for making the game concepts that will eventually turn into the actual video game you’ll be playing at home. The game designer’s role is to shepherd the game project until it becomes a finished project. The designer will manage the whole game development team – which consists of artists, engineers, programmers and artists. This is not an entry level job – this is a position that you work towards in your career.

Animator

The animator takes care of the visual elements of the game. All of the things that you see on your monitor is a responsibility of the animator. Their contributions to the video game is the most obvious.

Programmer

The programmer handles the code for the game – they not only code the game but also develop the code if necessary. If you have a degree in software engineering or computer programming then you can become a video game programmer.

Video game tester

Video games need to be thoroughly tested before it is released to the public. The role of the video game tester is to make sure that the quality of the video game is maintained by looking for bugs and other problems that may hamper how much people will enjoy the game.  At the end of the day, the game testers are paid to play video games – which is probably one of the coolest jobs on the planet.

Writer

Video game development is both a technical and a creative process and for both aspects of development you need writers.  For in-game development you need a writer to write the script and help with story development. Technical writers are also needed to write the game manuals, instructions and documentation for the video game.

About The Author

Sean Stone works for LikeJobs.com, a job portal that lists in-demand IT jobs and gaming-related jobs.

In the video gaming world, a new game has been developed that lets people into the world of children with autism. Called Auti-Sim, the game was created by a team from the Vancouver Hacking Health hackathon whose goal is to increase awareness on this hypersensitivity disorder and help people understand that this issue can result in a child’s isolation.

According to one of the game’s programmers, Taylan Kay, the concept of Auti-Sim was inspired by a documentary entitled Inside Autism. One excerpt there, he said, simulated the behavior of a person with autism as he goes through the major department store chain Walmart. Kay further explained that seeing the video clip made a great impact on him particularly in terms of coping with the behavior and how people with this issue could be misunderstood and mislabeled.

The initial demo of Auti-Sim elicited positive feedback with people suffering from this problem thanking the developers for sharing their real world with gamers. On the other hand, there were others who felt the game does not fully represent their experience with autism.

Auti-Sim is now in the process of being expanded to become a full game. The developers are considering adding more interactivity and environments as they continue to work with therapists as well as professionals in education and those advocating the autism campaign.

Photo via abcnews.go.com

Gamers appreciate a crystal-clear image as much as other television users. That said, when it comes to choosing the right television for gameplay, there’s a lot more at stake than simply the crispness of the image. There’s been much debate over whether to choose a plasma, 3D or LED TV for gaming. Get behind the hype to see which type of television has the right features for serious gameplay.

LED TV

An LED television tends to offer incomparable sharpness when it comes to image display. While this can make it feel like you’re really there when watching travel documentaries or nature shows, there is a tradeoff to sharpness that can challenger gamers. LED models may not keep up with fast action sequences, causing gaming gaffes. Some gamers suggest turning off LED motion plus and processing settings when gaming; even fast-paced games like the Street Fighter franchise can translate well after this. LED TVs also perform better with brighter colors, so if you’re apt to play colorful games like LittleBigPlanet or the MarioKart franchise, you’ll appreciate the richness.

Plasma TV

In the early days of plasma television, many of the units retained a ghostly image after use that came to be known as screen burn. Pause a game for too long to make popcorn or take a lunch break and you’d end up with a screenshot of that pause showing up on your television for weeks after. This put many gamers off the plasma television.

Luckily for gamers, screen burn is mostly — but not entirely — a thing of the past. And games also tend not to use static backgrounds, so if you’re mostly using the plasma for gaming you may not experience screen burn ever. Plasma television offers better support for motion sequences so if fast-paced FPS shooters are your thing, you may decide to chance screen blur. Plasmas also deliver truer blacks and darker palates; games like Halo or Call of Duty that tend toward the darker side of the color palette may represent a bit better on a plasma unit.

Additional Considerations

Size still does matter when it comes to television. While you should not choose based on the largest monitor size alone, be aware that a too-small television can make gameplay difficult. If you tend toward FPS games that feature in-game text during action sequences– like Halo 4 — you may struggle to read the words if you choose a television that’s less than 32 inches.

If you’re more apt to play calibration-intense games (anything from Rock Band or Guitar Hero to Dance Central), you may notice a slight video and audio delay when playing with an HDTV. While you can recalibrate when things get out of hand, it is a concern if you’re going to be playing these games on a daily on near-daily basis.

With all of these TVs, you will get what you pay for. Expect to spend a modest to fair amount of money to get a television that will support your gaming needs; if you try to get by with a budget model and you may not be happy with screen quality and game playback. Visit entertainment stores to test drive different televisions before you buy and determine which models will best showcase your preferred video games.

A new video game of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles subtitled Out of the Shadows will be released in a few months time. Players have a chance to be their favorite reptile character either as Donatello, Leonardo, Michaelangelo or Raphael. Developed by Red Fly Studios, the game involves four players and features a more realistic 3D gaming style unlike the cartoon series that you see.

The setting of the game is in New York City, the home of the ninja turtles. Developers are confident players will love the interactive environments and the adventures that they will have go through in this new and upcoming video game.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows will be available for download for PS3, PC and Xbox 360. Thanks to Activision and Nickelodeon, this new video game was made possible. And there are more to come as the deal between the two companies actually involves three video games so two more are coming.

The first video game featuring the mutant turtles was released in 1989 for the original Nintendo console. Two other arcade games were released later – the Arcade Game and the Turtles in Time which all became hits. These previous games are now considered a classic.

Originally created in an American comic book published in 1984, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles gained popularity when it was produced as a TV series in 1987. It resulted in a high sales of merchandise for kids and teens worldwide ranging from clothes, skateboards and toys to school supplies and video games.

Photo via tower

Published by Infernum Productions based in Berlin, Germany, this game is a first-person shooter type that lets you create the world and maps you’ve always dreamed of. And the best part is it’s free to play in your web browser. It can be played on either the PC or Mac.

Brick-Force features a map editor. It allows players to construct simple and more advanced maps using the voxels. These voxels are the big square bricks also used in Minecraft.

To design the landscape, players can use regular blocks and bricks made of fire and ice as well as turrets and detonation targets. The first update of this game was done in 2012 during which certain features such as zero gravity were added.

Several game modes are also available. Apart from the traditional deathmatch (solo and team) and capture the flag modes, there’s a build and destroy mode that requires players to build half the map with their respective team in only five minutes. A firefight then ensues once you reach the time limit allowing you to play across the maps you’ve built. The defusion is another game mode.

The build mode is the creative part that lets player construct their environments using different types of bricks. These bricks can be infused with bomb sites, launch pads and turrets.

Winning a match or building maps lets a player earn in-game currency. This can be used to change your plain brick character’s look into whatever it is you like.

So far, some 1.5 million unique players have tried Brick-Force since it was released last year.

Photo via mmorpg

Surprisingly, there are PC games that even the oldies can play. We share a number of them here which you can recommend to your dad, mom, grandpa or grandma.

Plants vs. Zombies

This game which is a hit among kids is helpful in teaching the value of critical thinking, resource management and even gardening to protect ourselves from the zombie apocalypse. It’s all about coming up with your defense system with minimal violence involved. It’s very entertaining that will keep players coming back.

Minecraft

Popular around the world, this one is for those who want to be creative. It’s more than a sandbox or playground because you can explore and do whatever you want. You can collect resources, fight monsters, construct buildings through the use of your imagination. Just to give you an idea of what the other players have created, some have made replicas of the Game of Thrones setting and the Starship Enterprise.

SimCity

This game has already four series in a period of more than 20 years. A new one is coming out on March 5 via Origin.

SimCity appeals to players of varied ages because it gives them the freedom to build their own city and manage it. Some planning, management and critical thinking skills are required to ensure that problems of your citizens are resolved.

Osmos

This game is perfect for those looking for something to tinker with before going to sleep. A relaxing game, Osmos lets a person play as the molecule or mote drifting in a puddle and eating up smaller molecules to become larger. The trick is to avoid those the bigger molecules so you don’t get consumed and lose.

What makes this truly relaxing is its art style combined with calm music that lets any player just drift away until you find yourself ready to go to bed.