For every negative story on the effects of videogames, it doesn’t take a lot of work to uncover many more positive ones. What They Play received a nice little anecdote from one of their podcast listeners of  the benefits with one game in particular, LittleBigPlanet, on their son who is on the Autism spectrum.

Here is the best part though; the communication between my son and my daughter and myself has been amazing. My son is engaging with his sister to solve the levels; like how to get that sticker that is sitting high above – and he’s also telling me what I need to do to help. On New Year’s Eve I ended up with laryngitis from all the talking I was doing with the kids! My wife was also very pleased with the my sons engagement and social communication by using something that he really loves (that being video games.)

Editors note: I also have a daughter on the Autism spectrum, and I know firsthand the benefits videogames have on Autism spectrum disorder children. In our household, we use the Dora Nintendo DS games as both a development tool and as a reward, and the results are very encouraging. But as with everything, they must be used in moderation and balanced with other activities.

Source: Little Big Planet helps kids communicate

MDIAG! certainly understands that we as parents have a responsibility to moderate our childrens’ activities. Even the most constructive hobby can be at the detriment of a child’s development, turning into an ugly, habit-forming escape from reality.

That is why we are happy to see an article like the one linked below, from The Irish Times via Kotaku. Instead of blaming videogames for the world’s ills, it encourages parents to maintain a healthy balance between social skills and electronics, such as computers and videogames. Simply put, it expects parents to be parents, an obvious idea lost in a world of Blackberrys and demanding careers.

Ms. Palmer would most likely cringe when seeing what MDIAG! is all about, but rest assured we echo her suggestions for a healthy family lifestyle.

Source: Detoxing the Electronic Village

The first Iron Man game wasn’t that bad. I’m sure the Gunvalkyrie fans out there had no problems with it; what, with their extra appendages and all. For the rest of us, well, at least it was no Iron Man/XO Manowar in Heavy Metal.

Well, expect a sequel from the minds who brought you the first game, which was announced today. At least it was enough of a financial success for publisher Sega, who probably had an opt-in clause for the development of the movie tie-in, due in 2010.

Two things are for certain: 1) the movie will be awesome; and 2) it will brainwash us into buying the game. We’re suckers for that sort of thing.

Source: Sega Begins Messing Up Iron Man 2

Hurray for Amazon.com. It is a survivor. Born from the Web 1.0 movement, when web retailers were simply called “etailers”, it has grown to be the big daddy of the Internet. Forget Monster, because there are no jobs; forget eBay and its inability to adjust to a changing marketplace. Amazon.com has already weathered one recession as a profitable and growing business, and is poised to take on the worst economic crisis in decades.

MDIAG! hailed the day it made available DRM-free, high bitrate MP3 downloads; it’s flash-based Video On Demand service beats iTunes for convenience; and now it’s ready to enter the battleground for the casual game market. Hence, the Amazon Game Downloads service.

We spoke with Greg Hart, vice president of video games and software at Amazon, who explained that the digital distribution service evolved from the company’s acquisition of Reflexive late last year. He stated that the service does require downloading a client (think Steam), but that the 3MB application isn’t invasive. When asked if we’ll be seeing bigger (less casual) games available, he expressed that the company would have to see how things go during the beta first.

Casual games are largely ignored by the hardcore crowd, but for parents they can be an educational and developmental tool for our children. MDIAG! took a look at the first batch of games available in the service’s beta and found Etch A Sketcha nice treat for a rainy day. Also check out the free, full versions of Jewel Quest 2, Build-a-lot and The Scruffs for yourselves, while you’re at it.

Source: Amazon launches casual game download service

Videogame blog Kotaku reports Nintendo’s global release schedule for 2009. MDIAG! is excited to see the US is getting both Rhythm Heaven and a new Mario and Luigi RPG for the DS!

The list is long, so please click on the link below to see the full schedule.

Source: Nintendo’s 2009 Launch Schedule Includes Punch Out

Yes, we at MDIAG! finally feel vindicated for all the videogames we played during our youth. And just some more ammo for us to use with our significant others when trying to justify that Wii you just brought home…

Harry Potter himself disclosed in an interview with The Daily Beast he suffers from dysplaxia, a life-long condition which impaires one’s ability to perform fine motor skills. How does he deal with it?

You suffer from dysplaxia—which is a kind of physical dyslexia. Rote physicality is difficult for you to comprehend. How has that affected you as an actor?

I have a very mild form of it. I’ve gotten it mostly under control now. I played a lot of videogames as a kid which really helped it. It basically surfaces as bad coordination. Another example of it is how terrible my handwriting is because I can never quite tell when the pen is going to land on the page.

Source: Dirty Harry

The PS3 plays catch-up with the Xbox 360 with PopCap announcing a partnership with Sony’s Playstation Network. Starting today, dazzle your children with the trippy audio and visual stylings of Bejeweled 2. Future titles include Zuma, Heavy Weapon, Peggle and Feeding Frenzy.

Just another reason to convince the missus!

Source: PopCap bringing Bejeweled 2, Peggle, and more to PSN

Finally, something else to do with your Wii.

EA recently announced the sequel to its high-praised, slow-burned Boom Blox, entitled Boom Blox Bash Party. According to MTV Multiplayer, it brings several enhancements to the franchise:

Thus, “Boom Blox Bash Party,” the Spring 2009 Wii-only sequel. Like its predecessor it is a game full of hundreds of levels, each consisting of stacks of blocks that need to be pulled, smashed, knocked into or otherwise toppled with swings of the Wii remote. Some blocks have special qualities, like being explosive or acidic. Some player moves are more potent in knocking the blocks down, like throwing bowling balls at the blocks or yanking at them with a little hand. Most levels are puzzles and all are designed to be played with friends.

The biggest addition to the sequel may be the ability to share levels online, something Rahimi said Spielberg had been asking for. The system does not use Nintendo Friend Codes, allowing any Internet-connected Wii owner to download and upload levels through EA’s servers. Users will be able to download, rate, remix and upload levels. “With the push of one button, you can send [a level you create] to EA and we will broadcast it to the world,” Rahimi said.

The biggest news is that EA may ask Boom Blox creator Steven Spielberg to create a level for the game. Maybe he’ll throw in one of his famous dolly zooms as well?

Source: EA Will Ask Steven Spielberg To Make A ‘Boom Blox’ Level