In today’s pc gaming news, learn more about TikTok is making a significant push into the gaming industry by introducing a specialized tab within the site that hosts short-form videos. This marks the company’s first foray into a different kind of entertainment format. Meanwhile, Crossword puzzles are better than video games for memory in older persons with mild cognitive impairment, according to a recent study by researchers at Columbia University and Duke University. The findings were published in the journal NEJM Evidence. Lastly, Philips, a major player in the monitor industry, just introduced a new brand this week named Evnia, with the goal of reclaiming a share of the lucrative computer accessories market aimed at gamers.
Tiktok Launches Gaming Channel
Original Source: TikTok to launch standalone gaming channel
TikTok is making a significant push into gaming, creating a dedicated tab to the short-form video site.
The Chinese-owned firm is the latest video platform to push into games, one of the most valuable entertainment industries. Netflix launched mobile games last year, and Snapchat and Facebook are shutting down their gaming services.
One of the world’s most popular video apps will have a button for the games. It will contain mobile games with adverts and paid content, according to four people familiar with the plans.
TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance has developed its own games and wants to introduce them to the new channel, a source said. Chinese regulators have pushed down on gaming in the last year, delaying approvals for new services and limiting children’s gaming time.
ByteDance’s Chinese counterpart of TikTok, Douyin, has hyper-casual games from 2019. TikTok is seeking 20 gaming roles globally.
TikTok’s head of global gaming is Assaf Sagy. Ex-McKinsey manager and Intel system architect joins in 2020 after three years at Snap.
TikTok and gaming were meant for each other, Sagy remarked on LinkedIn last week. “TikTok has helped people find what’s enjoyable, valuable, and popular. I’m looking forward to collaborating with worldwide gaming firms to make TikTok a central part of their marketing efforts.
The new channel could be launched Nov. 2 at “TikTok Made Me Play It,” the company’s “first gaming event.” Speakers include Electronic Arts, 2K, VNG Corporation, NetEase Games, and Homa.
TikTok administrators in Europe have been testing games before releasing them to users, according to two sources.
TikTok: “We’re continually searching for ways to improve our platform and try new concepts”
Reuters reported in May that the gaming channel had been tested in Vietnam. In the summer, TikTok discreetly brought out a feature that allowed video creators to link to basic games that can be played in a pop up web browser.
TikTok has partnered with Zynga, maker of games like High Heels! made popular by viral TikTok uploads. It partners with Voodoo, Aim Lab, and Matchingham Games.
Two people familiar with TikTok’s idea claimed it was seeking to replicate Netflix, which created mobile games based on streaming material like Stranger Things last year.
Rivals have struggled in this space. Last month, Snap stated it would stop investing in gaming, and Facebook will shut down its gaming app on Friday, two years after its introduction. Meanwhile, Google stated earlier this month it would mothball Stadia, the 3-year-old cloud-based company it once termed “the future of gaming.”
The mobile gaming business is still growing, with sales predicted to jump from $104 billion last year to $128 billion in 2026, according to games experts Omdia.
Omdia analyst George Jijiashvili believes TikTok can make a splash.
“[Games] are hard to find on the app. A dedicated gaming tab will enhance discoverability and utilization, he said.
Crosswords Beat Video Games at Slowing Memory Loss
Original Source: Crossword Puzzles Beat Computer Video Games in Slowing Memory Loss
D.P. led a randomized, controlled trial. Devanand, MD, professor of psychiatry and neurology at Columbia, and Murali Doraiswamy, MD, professor of psychiatry and medicine at Duke, found that individuals (average age 71) who did web-based crossword puzzles showed more cognitive gain than those who played cognitive video games.
“This is the first study to establish both short-term and longer-term benefits for home-based crossword puzzles training,” said Dr. Devanand, who supervises Columbia’s brain aging and mental health research. “Results are important given the difficulties of improving mild cognitive impairment with therapies.”
Crossword puzzles are extensively utilized but have not been systematically researched in moderate cognitive impairment, which is linked to Alzheimer’s.
Researchers at Columbia and Duke randomly allocated 107 people with MCI to crossword puzzles or cognitive games training for 12 weeks followed by booster sessions up to 78 weeks. Both therapies were automated with weekly compliance monitoring.
The trial’s top findings were:
Crossword puzzles beat cognitive games on ADAS-Cog at 12 and 78 weeks. Crossword puzzles were better on FAQ at 78 weeks.
Later illness stage patients benefited more from crossword puzzles, but both were beneficial earlier.
MRI showed crossword puzzles reduced brain shrinkage after 78 weeks.
Dr. Devanand stated the improvements were found in cognition and daily activities, and brain shrinkage on MRI indicated the results are clinically important.
This is a crossword
Crossword puzzles are extensively utilized but have not been systematically researched in moderate cognitive impairment, which is linked to Alzheimer’s. Image is free to use
Study emphasizes engagement. Based on remote electronic monitoring of computer use, later-stage impairment individuals may have preferred crossword puzzles to computerized cognitive games.
Two strengths of the trial are the 28% minority participation rate and the 15% drop-out rate for a long home-based experiment. Lack of a non-training control group limited the study.
Although these results are intriguing, the authors urge replication in a larger controlled experiment with an inactive control group.
The Holy Grail of increasing cognition, function, and neuroprotection, said Dr. Doraiswamy. Further research on brain training as a home-based digital therapy for postponing Alzheimer’s is needed.
Philips Unveils Evnia, a Pc Gaming Brand for Gamers Who Dislike ‘gamer’ Design
Original Source: Philips announces Evnia, a PC gaming brand for gamers who hate stale ‘gamer’ design
This week, Philips announced a new brand called Evnia to regain its place in the lucrative gaming computer accessories sector.
Philips is a reputable computer display producer, but it hasn’t had a gaming brand previously. AOC, a Philips brand, provides some of the greatest gaming displays but also monitors for other audiences.
Evnia is a brand for gamers, but it eschews the aggressive attitude that has dominated PC gaming for a decade. Evnia’s style is more modern than a Decepticon’s, with white chasses and Ambiglow lighting down the rear to produce an aura effect.
In addition to gaming displays, Evnia makes headphones, keyboards, mice, and a gaming mat. The Philips Evnia 34M2C7600MV has an ultrawide QHD panel (3,440 x 1,440p), HDR 1400, and a 165Hz refresh rate. It will be available in December for €2,069 (approximately $2,050/£1,810/AU$3,240).
While costly, this is one of Evnia’s top options, with less priced monitors arriving in mid-January.
Philips’ new design may gain converts.
Black woman plays games on Evnia monitor
It’s no secret that PC gaming has a certain style, for good or worse. For at least a decade, gaming PCs and laptops have been identified by their RGB lighting and ability to mimic a stealth bomber or racing car.
Too much of anything wears on consumers yearning for a change, and gaming aesthetic hasn’t evolved much in a long time.
Philips’ Evnia brand doesn’t toss everything out the window (it will still have RGB lighting), but it does offer something new in terms of appearance.
Can it win over gamers? It’s too soon to say, but if there’s a way to break back into PC gaming with a new product line, a fresh look is a good place to start.
Summary of Today’s Computer Gaming News
Overall, TikTok is making a significant push into gaming by establishing a dedicated tab to the short-form video platform. This is the company’s first foray into a different kind of entertainment. The Chinese-owned company is the latest video platform to expand beyond video into games, one of the most lucrative entertainment industries, following Netflix’s launch of mobile games last year and filling a void left by competitors Snapchat and Facebook, which are shuttering their gaming platforms. The games will be accessible via a button on the site of one of the most popular video apps in the world. According to four individuals with knowledge of the plans, it would contain a variety of mobile games where users can pay for additional content.
On the other hand, participants (average age 71) trained in doing web-based crossword puzzles showed greater cognitive improvement than those trained on cognitive video games, according to a randomized, controlled trial led by D.P. Devanand, MD, professor of psychiatry and neurology at Columbia, and Murali Doraiswamy, MD, professor of psychiatry and medicine at Duke. “This is the first study to establish both short-term and longer-term benefits for home-based crossword puzzles training compared to another intervention,” said Dr. Devanand, who directs research on brain aging and mental health at Columbia. The findings are significant because of the challenges associated with demonstrating therapeutic efficacy in mild cognitive impairment intervention studies. Although they are popular, crossword puzzles have not been thoroughly investigated in moderate cognitive impairment, despite the fact that it is associated with a high risk for dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Finally, in an effort to regain its footing in the lucrative gaming-specific computer peripherals industry, monitor manufacturer Philips this week announced a new brand named Evnia. Evnia was created with gamers in mind from the get-go, but it doesn’t play into the usual, aggressive gamer stereotype that’s been prevalent in the PC gaming industry for the better part of a decade. The Evnia gaming monitor eschews the Decepticon aesthetic in favor of a more contemporary design, with a white chassis and Ambiglow lighting along the back to create an aura effect.
