Gaming

The Kinect is this year's hot ticket for Christmas. Microsoft's new add-on device for the XBox 360 offers the promise of getting you up off the couch and engaged, using your whole body to play a variety of games.  And there are other features that might get your interest—such as VideoKinect, the video chat system that uses Kinect's cameras and microphone to turn your television into a living room video conference with XBox-equipped friends or family.

As we parents wring our hands over our teens' video game addictions, now researchers at the University of Rochester say these often-violent simulations can speed up decision-making capabilities.

On September 14, my teenage son was off from school because of Maryland's primary elections.  But it might as well have been declared "Halo:Reach Day"Microsoft's Bungie game studio released Halo:Reach, the final installment of its wildly successful Halo game series for the XBox, at midnight, and getting his hands on the game and playing it were certainly higher on his hierarchy of needs than paying attention to election returns.

While  the Wii, Playstation and XBox 360 are what most people think of when it comes to "gaming" these days, there's tremendous growth in downloadable and online games for the PC.  Many of these games are easier for older players to play, and can be just as addictive as some of the more intense "enthusiast" games out there—if not moreso.