Games have so much more potential than just fun; in fact we've known for a while now that games can be used to improve our health - mentally and physically. This is the goal of the Games for Health project which will be holding its fourth annual conference next year. Registration is currently open at their website. Check the full article for more details on the event.

Customization is the name of the game with the latest Tony Hawk game in the pipeline, Tony Hawk's Proving Ground from Activision (PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, Wii, DS). A complete first for the series, the game gives you complete and total freedom with your character's story, appearance and skating style based on the choices you yourself will make - and the only way to do that is to skate, grind and manual your way through the streets of Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington DC.

Skating's not the only thing you can do in Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, however. Get into Skater's Nirvana with more Nail The Trick moves to challenge even those with the hardest of cores. Show the world you've got what it takes by making an "Epic Skate Video", courtesy of the game's easy-to-use video recording and editing features. There's also a fully-customizable online Skate Lounge to chill out and tear it up with buddies for online street cred.

With all these new features, as well as a new gameplay mechanic that promises to alter and build the skateable environment around you as you skate - it's not a surprise that many are eagerly awaiting the title's multi-platform release. Keep it locked right here for any and all developments about Tony Hawk's Proving Ground.

The Post Online reports that game developers at Ohio University's GRID Lab were challenged this weekend during the inaugural Ohio Game Jam to develop a game within 24 hours. The GRID Lab is located on Court Street, and the 24 hour challenge started at 4:30 pm Saturday.

The Official Event Overlord (nice title), event host, event organizer, and OU instructor, Ian Screiber had this to say about the competition: " You don’t end up with Shakespeare, but you have some high levels of creativity because of the time constraints. ...The point is not for prizes and competition, but to have an informal and friendly environment for people to make games."

The competition had seventeen participants in six teams of students from the University of Baltimore, Columbus College of Art and Design, and of course, Ohio University. Games created ranged from hippies who traveled through time to thwart technology, and god games wherein you grow cities.

The three games that tied for second place are Brows of the Martian Landscape, Zomborgs and Hydroponic Hyperbole. The winning game was I can't Breathe by John Herbert and surprisingly took only two hours to develop. The said game involved dodging spore balls in an enclosed space, and having the option to release more spore balls to increase your score. Wow! A dynamic, player chosen difficulty setting in a game! Cool.

Such was the competitive and creative spirit in the contest that Ohio University Junior, Josh Ende notes: "Between 1 and 2 a.m. I was modifying a picture of Chuck Norris’s head and shooting it at things"

Well, what about you homebrew folks? What game would you come up with given one day?