Game On Magazine

GAME Jags House:

A Closer Look at the LBJ Basketball Team

A&M and LSU: The “Awakening of a Rivalry”

Physical and Behavioral Effects of Video Games

In This Issue: 5

Sports Awakening a Rivalry

7

Who Deserves to be #1?

8

Scoring Leaders of NBA

9

Houston Texas

11

Jag’s House Games

16

Top Ten Games of 2012

20

Physical and Behavioral Effects of Video Games

22

Fun Games to Play

23

Top Three Sports Games

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Andy Liu

Andy Liu is a student at LASA High School. His favorite sports are basketball and football, and his favorite video games are NBA and Call of Duty. In his free time, he plays basketball with his friends or plays video games.

The Dream Team David Worman

David Worman is a student at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School. His favorite game is Halo 4, his favorite sport is football, and he likes pie.

Jesus Arellano

Jesus Arellano is a student at LASA High School. He loves to play all sorts of video games such as RPGs like Final Fantasy and first-person shooters like the original Goldeneye 007.

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Letter from the Editor

Thank you for choosing to read Game On! We are dedicated to informing teenagers around the world, with up-to-date information about sports and video games.

Game On is packed with articles written by students about sports and video games. Game On covers basketball, football, LASA High School sports and video games.

Inside, you will read stories ranging from reviews of video games, to opinion pieces on the NBA and the NFL. Hope you enjoy reading Game On! From, the Staff of Game On

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Sports

Awakening a Rivalry

By: David Worman

The Texas A&M rivalry with Louisiana State University (LSU) dates back to 1899 when they played their first series together. This rivalry was reawakened on October 20th when the Tigers came to College Station for the first rivalry game since A&M joined the SEC in mid-2012. Both teams had many differences since they last played. Les Miles, the head coach for LSU, has made many differences to the team defensively, making the tigers one of the toughest defenses to play against. Kevin Sumlin, A&M’s head coach, moved from University of Houston in to A&M this year to start his Aggie career.

When the Tigers came to College Station October 20th, they were ready to play. They came to Kyle Field to play the Aggies for the first time in the regular season since the 1990s. LSU fans came from Baton Rouge to College Station combining with the aggie fans for a total of 87,429 fans in attendance, the fifth largest crowd in A&M history. There was tension in the air as the Tigers kicked off to start the first quarter.

Since A&M left their rivalry with the University of Texas A&M head football coach Kevin Summlin Texas(UT) in the Big 12, they are looking for a new “rival”.

Since A&M and LSU have already had a long history, this would be a good rivalry between the two universities. LSU already has an ongoing rivalry with the University of Alabama which means we would have to show that this rivalry would be a good one. This would be a good rivalry to have because the two Universities are in neighboring states. We have seen how good this can be in starting a rivalry by looking at the Red River Rivalry between UT and the University of Oklahoma every year in the Big 12. LSU received the kickoff after the half, and the third quarter remained scoreless. As the fourth quarter rolled around, LSU scored a field goal with 8:35 left in the game. The Aggies would receive the ball only to be stopped third and out by the highly-ranked Tiger defense. The Tigers would get the ball back and score with less than four minutes left in the game. The Aggies got the ball back and scored on a five yard run by Ben Malena. The Ags still needed another touchdown to put them in the lead. They would get the ball back with under 20 seconds left in the game. They made

“Manziel is learning that he doesn’t have to do everything himself.”

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“A&M’s defense needs to work more on getting pressure on the other teams quarterback.”

Photo By: eschipul on flickr

one play before they were pushed out of bounds with one second to go. On the final play Manziel scrambled out of the pocket to find Uzoma Nwachukwu around the 50 yard line, Nwachukwu lateraled it to another player for a chain of seven total laterals. “Manziel is learning that he doesn’t have to do everything himself, and he is learning how to react better to changing game circumstances.”said Mark Worman a long time Aggie fan.

This was the end of the first game of a new rivalry in the SEC. Manziel, who is the leader in the SEC for total offense threw for 276 yards completing 29 of 56 passes but was held to only 27 yards rushing on

The Texsa A&M football stadium “Kyle Field”

The Texas A&M Aggies run on the field at the start of the game.

Photo By: David Worman

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Sports

Who Deserves To Be Number One In College Football?

TOP TEN:

As of 11-29-12

Total Offensive Yards: Louisiana Tech: 6935 yrds.

Total Passing Yards: Marshall: 4381 yrds

Defense

Total Sacks on Defense: Stanford: 53 Total Interceptions on Defense: Oregon: 24

Total Rushing Yards: Army: 4068 yrds.

Picture Courtesy of http://collegefootball.ap.org

1. Notre Dame (12-0) 2. Alabama (11-1) 3. Georgia (11-1) 4. Florida (11-1) 5. Oregon (11-1) 6. Kansas State (10-1) 7. LSU (10-2) 8. Stanford (10-2) 9. Texas A&M (10-2) 10. South Carolina (10-2)

Offense

By: David Worman

Total Recieving Yards: Louisiana Tech: 4209 yrds.

Total 1st Downs: Louisiana Tech: 378 Total 3rd Down Conversions: Marshall: 113 Total 4th Down Conversions: Air Force: 24

Louisiana Tech quarterback Colby Cameron running the ball past an Illinois defender.

As you can see by the information provided above Most of the top ten teams do not appear in these statistical rankings. The only ones that do are Oregon and Stanford, and these two teams only appear in the defensive categories. Louisiana Tech appears in most of the offensive categories, including most offensive yards. Louisiana Tech is not even ranked in the BCS top 25, they have a record of 9-3 which isn’t bad but it is not enough to get them into the BCS top 25. In my opinion it should mainly be based off wins and losses but also highly dependent on team statistics. Some people say other conferences’ teams were down put by the SEC champion because Georgia and Alabama are playing for the SEC championship on December 1st. This game decides who plays Notre Dame in the BCS Championship game. Some fans argue that people like Oregon and Florida, who have the same record as Georgia and Alabama, should have more of a chance to be ranked higher and play Notre Dame. Some people also argue that teams like Oregon and Florida have played harder schedules than Georgia and Alabama. In the end it all comes down to who puts up the numbers and who has the most wins.

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Scoring Leaders of NBA By: Andy Liu

Kobe Bryant

Who leads the offense in NBA?

Carmelo Anthony

Kobe Bryant 26.9 PPG 5.1 APG 5.0 RPG

Carmelo Anthony Photo from MBK2842

LeBron James

26.5 PPG 1.9 APG

Photo from Noamgolai

Kevin Durant

7.1 RPG

LeBron James 25.2 PPG 6.8 APG 8.8 RPG

Kevin Durant 25.9 PPG 4.5 APG 9.2 RPG Photo from JCz38

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APG= Assits per game RPG= Rebounds per game PPG= Points per game

Photo from JNJPaulson

Sports

The Houston Texans By: David Worman

1.The Texans are ranked #1 in the NFL Power Rankings

“It’s amazing to think the Texans have most things, including the AFC South, wrapped up.” http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings

Picture Courtesy of http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans

The Texans are ranked #2 in the NFL for rushing, with Arian Foster leading the team with a total of 1102 yards this season.

Photo Courtesy of http://azstarnet.com

Houston Texans wide reciever Andre Johnson runs past Detroit Lions strong safety Erik Coleman

The Texans are ranked #10 in the NFL for total passing yards with an average of 247 passing yards per game. Andre Johnson leads the team with 1114 recieving

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster dives from Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs.

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Photo Courtesy of http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans

Ranking #6 in the NFL’s poll for total defense, the Texans hold their opponents to an average of 322.6 yards per game.

Picture Courtesy of http://espn.go.com/blog/afcsouth

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt leads the team in solo tackles with a total of 49.

Matt Schaub averages 245.2 passing yards per game with 226 completed passes this season.

Picture Courtesy of http://fantasyknuckleheads.com

Glover Quin has 47 solo tackles just below ranking just below J.J. Watt in the team’s rankings.

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Matt Schaub has over 3062 yards in total offense.

Jags House By: Andy Liu

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Photo from LBJsports.org

LBJ player watch the game from the bench.

The thundering of shoes against the wooden floor fills the gym as Coach Freddie Roland enters with a clipboard in his right hand and a whistle in his left. The sharp blast of his whistle echoes through the court and the players all scramble to line up on the baseline. Bent over with hands on their knees, gasping for air, they line up ready for another tough day of practice.

“Everyone is pumped for this upcoming season and we can’t wait to get out on the courts and play,” freshman Luis Lopez said.

“The team and coach are really cool, they are really helpful and they are all really talented.”

However, many students at Lyndon B. Johnson High School (LBJ) forget how much everyone has to prepare for a new season. Players are striving daily to keep in shape and stay at the top of their game, with coaches and staff continue to develop new plays and plans.

“It’s a blast to be playing for LBJ and I can’t wait to start.” freshman Nico Madrid said.

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It’s a blast to be playing for LBJ and I can’t wait to start.” freshman Nico Madrid said.

Players such as Lopez or Madrid only hope of playing on the court with the crowd cheering on every move that they make. However, that dream isn’t easily achieved, because it takes hard work and dedication. Everyone is ready to push themselves and each other to their limit. The day starts out with heading to the courts ready for 90 minutes of basketball.

Then the work begins, starting with running, then drills,workouts and scrimmages.

“We work hard every day and exercising to get in shape for this season. Everyone gives 110% percent”, Madrid said.

However, it’s not just the team that is forced to work hard. Behind the scenes, Coach Roland and his staff prepare for the upcoming season. Drawing up plays, taking notes and analyzing every bit of the game, Roland and his staff are prepared to start the season ready. Roland doesn’t only just work behind the scenes, he works with the team and gives everyone tips to improve.

“Coach Roland is a great coach, he appreciates everyone that is there but makes sure we are working hard to improve the team, and ourselves as individual players,” freshman Sam Pastor said.

Sports

Photo from LBJsports.org

Standing at 6 feet tall, Roland may seem scary at first, but players soon find their coach nice and very considerate to every person. Helping the team out bit-by-bit by working with each person as well as working as a team, Roland slowly helps the team develop its chemistry and teamwork.

McCallum has been known as a tough opponent rivaling in strength, skill and dedication against LBJ high school. With each team giving everything they have on the court with the crowd cheering their hearts out for their teams, the game is a sight to watch. In the last 2 years, LBJ freshman team won their first game against McCallum but lost their second game. This year, McCallum will be filled with talented freshman players that are ready to play against LBJ freshmen. Many of the McCallum players are talented individuals that are capable of scoring a lot, but can be stopped with the appropriate defense. However this year, LBJ freshman team needs to play exceptional defense against McCallum players that can score well. If LBJ cannot keep McCallum’s best players at low numbers, LBJ will end the night with a loss. For LBJ, they need to develop more chemistry on the court and get to the basket more often for easy points, but this can only be achieved if the team works together and learns how to work together,

LBJ player prepares to score against the other team.

While LBJ begins preparing for their season, other teams also prepare themselves for the upcoming season. Rival team McCallum Knights prepare for their season the same way LBJ does with drills and practices. Whenever LBJ and McCallum clash, each team are prepared to give everything they have against each other. LBJ and McCallum have had a long history of wins and losses against each other but both teams are ready for this season.

Photo from LBJsports.org

“We have really good teamwork and everyone helps each other. Coach Roland helps us bond together and we all learn how to work well with each other.”, Lopez said.

However, the the team still has some problems that they must work on. While practicing and running drills is very beneficial for LBJ basketball, they still need to work on their flaws.

“We need to improve on our teamwork and developing as a team, “ Lopez said.

LBJ player dribbles the ball against the defense..

Lyndon B. Johnson High School, may have a hard journey ahead of them, but they are prepared for it. With everyone practicing daily, and coaches helping them improve every aspect of their game, LBJ basketball will be ready as always.

“I think LBJ has some tough competition ahead of them, but it will be a sight to see,” Madrid

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Game On |14 Photo from LBJsports.org

Photo from LBJsports.org

Photo from LBJsports.org

Games

Top Ten Games of 2012 Compiled By: Jesus Arellano

Information and ratings gathered from Metacritic.com and IGN.com.

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Top Ten Games of 2012 Games

Compiled By: Jesus Arellano

10) FIFA Soccer ‘13 Rating: 88/100 9) The Walking Dead: Episode 5 - No Time Left Rating: 89/100 8) Dishonored Rating: 89/100 7) XCOM: Enemy Unknown Rating: 89/100 6) NBA 2K13 Rating: 90/100 5) Okami HD Rating: 90/100 4) Far Cry 3 Rating: 90/100 3) Borderlands 2 Rating: 91/100 2) Journey Rating: 92/100

10) Trine 2 Rating: 9/10 9) Batman Arkham City: Harley Quinn’s Revenge (Downloadable Expansion) Rating: 9/10 8) Silent Hill HD Collection Rating: 9/10 7) Starhawk Rating: 9/10 6) Persona 4 Arena Rating: 9/10 5) NBA 2K13 Rating: 9.1/10 4) Dishonored Rating: 9.2/10 3) Okami HD Rating: 9.4/10 2) The Walking Dead: Episode 5 - No Time Left Rating: 9.5

1) Mass Effect 3 Rating: 93/10

1) Mass Effect 3 Rating: 9.5/10

Cover Art and Screenshot Courtesy of EA Games and Bioware

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Games

Based off of Metacritic Ratings Based off of Metacritic Ratings

PS3

Based off of IGN Ratings Based off of IGN Ratings

Xbox 360

10) Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss 10) Mark of the Ninja Rating: 89/100 Rating: 9/10 9) Fez 9) Spelunky Rating: 89/100 Rating: 9/10 8) Borderlands 2 8) NBA 2K13 Rating: 89/100 Rating: 9.1/10 7) XCOM: Enemy Unknown 7) Dishonored Rating: 90/100 Rating: 9.2/10 6) FIFA Soccer ‘13 6) Call of Duty: Black Ops II Rating: 90/100 Rating: 9.3/10 5) Mark of the Ninja 5) Joe Danger: Special Edition Rating: 90/100 Rating: 9.5/10 4) The Walking Dead: Episode 5 - No Time Left 4) The Walking Dead: Episode 5 - No Time Rating: 90/100 Left 3) Trials Evolution Rating: 9.5 Rating: 90/100 3) Mass Effect 3 2) Far Cry 3 Rating: 9.5/10 Rating: 92/100 2) Fez Rating: 9.5 1) Mass Effect 3 Rating: 93/100 1) Halo 4 (Limited & Regular Editions) Rating: 9.8/10 Cover Art courtesy of 343 Industries and Microsoft Studios

Cover Art courtesy of EA and BIoware.

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Games

Based off of Metacritic Ratings Based off of Metacritic Ratings

Based off of IGN Ratings

PC 10) Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss

Cover Art courtesy of Ubisoft.

Cover Art courtesy of Microsoft Studios and KLEI Entertainment.

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Cover Art courtesy of EA and BIoware.

10) Torchlight II 10) Botanicula Rating: 89/100 Rating: 88/100 Rating: 9/10 9) Fez 9) Far Cry 3 9) Torchlight II Rating: 89/100 Rating: 89/100 Rating: 9.1/10 8) Borderlands 2 8) XCOM: Enemy Unknown 8) NBA 2K13 Rating: 89/100 Rating: 89/100 Rating: 9.1 7) XCOM: Enemy Unknown 7) Mass Effect 3 7) Dishonored Rating: 90/100 Rating: 89/100 Rating: 9.2/10 6) FIFA Soccer ‘13 6) Thirty Flights of Loving 6) Call of Duty: Black Ops II Rating: 90/100 Rating: 89/100 Rating: 9.3/10 5) Mark of the Ninja 5) Borderlands 2 5) The Walking Dead: Episode 5 - No Time Rating: 90/100 Rating: 89/100 Left 4) The Walking Dead: Episode 5 - No Time Left 4) The Walking Dead: Episode 5 - No Time Rating: 9.5/10 Rating: 90/100 Left 4) Mass Effect 3 3) Trials Evolution Rating: 90/100 Rating: 9.5/10 Rating: 90/100 3) Guild Wars 2 3) Batman: Arkham City 2) Far Cry 3 Rating: 90/100 Rating: 9.5/10 Rating: 92/100 2) Dishonored 2) Diablo III (Collector’s &Regular Editions) Rating: 91/100 Rating: 9.5/10 1) Mass Effect 3 Rating: 93/100 1) Mark of the Ninja 1) Rayman Origins Rating: 92/100 Rating: 9.5/10

Games

The Physical and Behavioral Effects of Video Games Written by Jesus Arellano

Video games used to be about achieving simple tasks or objectives, which soon led to more tasks. It has been that way for many years, and within the past decades video games have started to incorporate tasks that are more complex than previous ones. Now, video games have the player complete tasks that can be as complex as the real world action.

Having all these different tasks with varying difficulty among different games can cause different outcomes depending on the player who is playing the game. Present day video games have been shown to have physical and behavioral effects on gamers.

Video games have gotten so complex that gamers could be caught up in a perceptive reality where they believe they are a part of the game and therefore take up all of the characteristics and features of the protagonist or environment, causing different behavior when in reality.

“Some video games like The Sims inspire creativity, like being able to create your own house and customizing your Sim,” Alondra Martinez said, a LASA freshman.

A study conducted by the Michigan State University found that children who play video games tend to be more creative. Children were then asked to draw pictures and write stories, and the children who played the games had demonstrated a lot more creativity in their work. The study also found that no specific ethnic, age, or gender group of children had more creativity than the others. Creativity isn’t the only thing that is gained from video games as there are a lot more life skills that can be gained.

“Playing video games betters your hand-eye coordination in the sense that you look at the screen and push buttons on the controller without looking at it,” Lorena Castillo said, a LASA freshman.

Video games have also been shown to improve hand-eye coordination, perseverance, logical thinking, strategy, memory, risk taking, and real-world skills while being entertained at the same time.

All of the listed qualities are actions that are often promoted by parents, employers, and teachers since they’re all qualities that are used at jobs, home, and school. Violent video games might be the games that improve skills the most, but there are a lot of cases where they are considered to have negative effects.

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you look at the screen and push buttons on the controller without looking at it,” Lorena Castillo said, a LASA freshman.

Video games have also been shown to improve hand-eye coordination, perseverance, logical thinking, strategy, memory, risk taking, and real-world skills while being entertained at the same time.

All of the listed qualities are actions that are often promoted by parents, employers, and teachers since they’re all qualities that are used at jobs, home, and school. Violent video games might be the games that improve skills the most, but there are a lot of cases where they are considered to have negative effects.

“There are people in the world that claim playing Grand Theft Auto inspired them to commit a crime,” Martinez said.

A study conducted by the Minnesota School of Psychology at Argosy University found that addicted gamers had lower grades, had gotten into a fight within the previous year, argue with friends more often, and had higher hostile attribution scores compared to all the other participants.

Parents often believe that a game’s rating is enough to consider whether or not their child can play the game. This belief isn’t entirely true since there are many things that are rated in a video game and those ratings are determined by the content and how the rating board views the content in terms of appropriate age.

Video games have gone from being simple and having no major behavioral effects on children and teenagers to something that has the ability to train them for the future even if wasn’t intended by the game’s creators.

“Some video games like ‘The Sims’ inspire creativity, like being able to create your own house and customizing your Sim” Game On |19