A new study from the journal of Molecular Psychiatry explores the impact of video gameplay on the brain’s gray matter, which is responsible for muscle control, memory, and language and sensory perception. Researchers from Berlin’s Max Planck Institute for Human Development and St. Hedwig-Hospital gathered adult subjects to play a game, “Mario 64” on Nintendo’s DS system, in order to analyze the potential effect of gameplay on the brain. Continue reading Study Suggests Video Game Playing May Increase Brain Size

Video game players began “speed running,” or playing through a video game as quickly as possible, and posting videos to the Internet for others to enjoy as early as the 1990s. But streaming technology is revolutionizing the speed running community, as Twitch allows viewers to watch players compete live. Just as people enjoy watching sports live rather than on a delay, people find live speed running more compelling. Continue reading Livestreaming Twitch Turns Video Games into Spectator Sport