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Viewing Bored of Board Games? Try Family-Oriented VideogamesBored of Board Games? Try Family-Oriented Videogames
By Adam Singleton
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Forget Scrabble, Monopoly, and even Cluedo this Christmas - video games are increasingly becoming a favorite family pastime. Although once thought of as isolating and alienating, videogames are now becoming a favored means of bonding for families. While playing board games might be a fun way to spend a family evening or other social event; children, parents, and even grandparents can all get together and have a great time playing videogames. Although once thought of as an isolating and alienating influence, videogames are now becoming a favored means of bonding for families. A recent survey by PopCap Games found that 92% of casual gaming parents and grandparents used videogames to bond with their children or grandchildren. Seventy percent of the respondents also cited that playing videogames with their young helped them improve their hand-eye co-ordination and memory, and provided an opportunity for learning, stress relief, and confidence building. Professor Mark Griffiths, Professor of Gambling Studies at Nottingham Trent University, agreed with the survey's findings: 'Empirical research has consistently shown that in the right context, computer and videogames can have a positive educational, psychological and therapeutic benefit to a large range of different ages and sub-groups,' he told ElectricNews.net. Recent years have seen an increase in the number of games released targeting family interaction, with the most popular being the Buzz!, SingStar, and Guitar Hero series of videogames, all available for the PlayStation 2. The Buzz! series of videogames allows up to 8 players to compete in quizzes just like real TV game shows, complete with the host, Buzz, and his assistant, Rose, all accompanied by an audience that claps and laughs, on a variety of topic. There are two general knowledge editions and three special editions for music, sports, and Hollywood, respectively. The games even use special five-button Buzz! controllers to further authenticate the feel of being on a real game show. There is also the Buzz! Junior series, featuring party games rather than quizzes, aimed more at younger children, but they can be equally enjoyable for older children or even adults. SingStar is a karaoke game where players sing to music videos in order to score points, using microphones plugged into the console. Lyrics are shown at the bottom of the screen, and players score points in real-time according to how accurate their singing is. The game allows two players to compete simultaneously, and up to eight players can face off in a series of singing challenges using the 'Pass the Mic' feature. SingStar is different from most karaoke in that the rights have been obtained to use the original sound recordings, meaning that players can sing along to the actual track, while the original vocals can be lowered or elevated in the mix depending on the player's, or audience's, choice. The series includes different editions offering a diverse selection of music, including SingStar '80s, SingStar Rocks! and the upcoming SingStar Bollywood. Guitar Hero allows players to play along to their favorite rock songs on a special guitar-shaped controller. In the game, an extended guitar neck is shown on-screen, and as the song progresses, colored markers indicating notes scroll down the screen in time with the music. The player has to push the corresponding buttons on the guitar controller in order to gain points, and the game supports both cooperative and competitive modes, allowing two people to play simultaneously. The songs included in the games cover a variety of genres, from easier numbers like 'Smoke on the Water' by Deep Purple, to the ridiculously hard such as 'Free Bird' by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The latest installment, Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock will be released later next month. So if you're looking for something that can appeal to family members of all ages and provide endless hours of fun and friendly competition, party games for the PS2 are the way to go. About the Author: Adam Singleton is an online freelance journalist from Scotland. His hobbies include traveling and hiking. Article Source: 1st Rate Articles - http://1stRateArticles.com |
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