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Dear visitors,

This blog has now been transfered to its own domain at B4NG.com, please go to http://www.b4ng.com for future updates and fresh content.

Thank You,

Working Title Staff

Gaming Makes You Smarter

Ever felt like you were wasting your time playing video games? Like you weren't accomplishing anything by wasting hours on end sitting on your couch? Me neither. But for those of you who have family and friends who feel that way, its time you set them straight.

For those of you who aren't familiar with IQ, chances are yours is low. But to help you catch up, IQ is a method used to measure a person's intelligence (many believe it is an inaccurate representation, but this has been debated for quite some time). According to Wired.com gaming provides people with a great opportunity to work through visual puzzles and solve riddles, very similar to the kinds of questions asked in IQ tests. Wired also mentions the Raven's test, which consists of puzzles in which several shapes are displayed, one of which is missing. The missing shape needs to be selected from a set of available choices.

So to get down to business, I want to test this hypothesis. I found a link to the Raven's test online. The average score is 100. Take the test (it takes less time than they recommend, trust me) and post your score.

Lets put this myth to rest once and for all. The next time someone tells you to put down that controller and pick up a book, take them to this site, show them these scores, and silence them forever.

Games for the International Day of the Ninja

It's December 5, and that means it's International Day of the Ninja again. That means all you Nonjas out there have an opportunity to go out and dress like a ninja for the day.

Just be warned, the real Ninjas WILL be watching, so don't let your free day as a Ninja get to your head. They know the difference between a real Ninja and a Nonja.

I know what you all must be thinking right now. "But eMadman - what if we can't dress like a ninja today?"

For you guys, I must say "sux2bu", but you could always go Ninja it up in video games.

Here's a quickie list that the site's staff has come up with:

• Shinobi
• For the amateur Nonja Gamers out there, there were many Shinobi games, dating back to the Sega Genesis - all worth playing if you want to be a real ninja
  
• Tenchu
• I remember playing this way back when I first got my PS1. It was a great game then, taking some of the finer stealth portions of Metal Gear and mixing them with all sorts of Ninja related bad-assery.
  
• Ninja Gaiden Black
• A highly rated hack and slash ninja action game on the Xbox. Considering the rave reviews, you must all get it. I'll be on hold while I attempt to use my 1337 nonja skillz to get my hands on a 360.
• Mortal Kombat
• What could be more fun than a game that stirred up so much controversy that ignorant parenting groups tried to have the game banned from sale. Oh, right - the part about the badass ninja/assassin characters going head to head and fighting to a bloody and gruesome death.
  
• I-Ninja
• This is one for all of you caffeine overloaded ninjas out there.
• Kung Fu
• Ok, so it isn't exactly Ninja related. But any game that I grew up on where I ran from side to side kicking the butts of a rival dojo is a great game in my book.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time
• One of my fondest childhood memories was TiT. I had great times beating up the evil nitwit Krang in multiplayer co-op action. While the Turtles aren't the swiftest or the quietest, or even the deadliest Ninjas around, they are certainly among the most memorable.
  

That's our list of awesome ninja related games that are worth checking out for the Day of the Ninja. Put up a comment with your faves. If you think you're Ninja enough, put up a pic of your best ninja outfit too!

Top 10 Video Game Weapons

The video below is a great compilation of ten of the greatest video game weapons of all time. Video games have progressed a lot over the last few years. How we play, what we see, and how we interact have all changed, but the one thing that has remained consistent is the satisfaction of using a great weapon to blow stuff up. One thing that really caught my eye when watching this video for the first time was the fact that many of the weapons are from older games. Perhaps so much emphasis has been put on graphics, and processor power that developers are beginning to forget about the simple joys of running around with a chainsaw (anyone who has played Wolfenstein knows what I'm talking about). Is it simply the act of playing a game that we remember enjoying as children that makes it fun, or have video games changed in the last 20 years? This brings up a very interesting question...what is it that makes a video game fun? Which elements are most important?

100" Home Video Arcade Center for $4499!

Forget the Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360 for a moment. This holiday season why not go back in time, way back in time, and grab yourself a 100" projected home video arcade center? Imagine the pixel choppy classic games you could play on there all night long. Arcade titles from Atari, Midway, Namco, and Capcom are available (see list).

How much is it? Not very cheap, $4499. And you thought the PlayStation 3 was too much. But for emptying out your wallet you get a DLP projector with a 2000:1 contrast ratio and a decent 1024x768 native resolution. A removable control panel, programmable Ultimarc card and AMD Athlon 64 3200+ PC is also included.

If you really think you can cough over that much cash to go back a generation, click here for more info. What would I do? Get a few Nintendo Wii's instead.

Rockstar Ads Removed from Portland Public Transit

The Portland Transit Authority has removed ads for Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. Portland cited rider complaints as the main reason for the removal of the ads, they also said that they do not accept ads which “promote or encourage illegal activity". While the shooting, killing, carjacking, and drug dealing present in the GTA titles is definitely illegal, this once again raises the argument whether or not playing lots of video games will turn you into a killer. This of course leads to a much bigger argument, which won't really be covered here. A similar situation occurred in Boston, but the ads were kept up because the contract was already set. Now the Portland Transit Authority may have to pay as much as $71 000 for breaking it's contract, and Rockstar gets lots of FREE advertising all over the interweb through of blog posts like these.

A New Startup!

Hey,

This is an experimental start-up gaming blog where I hope a few talented writers in the field of gaming will contribute to its growth by experimenting with gaming content. This is non-profit (for now) and a free for all on posting anything gaming related. Only invited bloggers can post here. Let's get the gaming engines rolling...