SPARXVideo games get plenty of negative press, but it turns out they can do some real good as well.

Researchers in New Zealand have created a fantasy game that helps teens conquer depression. And not only does it work, it can be even more effective than traditional treatments.

By Jordan Riefe, Reuters

(Credit: Reuters/Shannon Stapleton)For 30 years the Grateful Dead recorded music and toured the world with their unique blend of rock, folk and psychedelic songs, gathering an army of followers known as Deadheads.

Over those three decades, the music never stopped until Jerry Garcia, the band's lead guitarist and composer of hits such as "Truckin'" and "Casey Jones," died of a heart attack in 1995. While members of the band continue to be active, Garcia's death meant the end of the Dead for many of its followers.

But now, for Deadheads in the doldrums, there's a way to recapture the magic online in a videogame, "Grateful Dead Game: The Epic Tour," that goes live on April 20.

By Mike Wehner, Tecca

If I were to tell you the video above uses no computer-aided visual effects or post processing, you'd probably think I was insane. The clip appears to show water freezing in mid air, and even flowing backwards in defiance of gravity. But the footage is genuine, and was not manipulated in any way — it's just a simple case of technology outsmarting itself.

Leisure Suit LarryWhen Double Fine Entertainment launched its crowd-sourced video game experiment on Kickstarter in early February, it was anything but a sure bet. While the funding platform had boasted a number of successfully funded projects, it had yet to chalk up any victories on the big stage.

By now, of course, everyone knows how that story ended. The developer, which had hoped to raise $400,000 to create an adventure game, took in more than $3.3 million. That opened the dam, and it wasn't long before Kickstarter was flooded with game projects, many from well-known industry names.

You obviously bought your game console to play games, but these days, you can do more with an Xbox 360 or PS3 than rampage through Modern Warfare 3 maps. A lot more.

Thanks to a number of awesome updates, both the 360 and PS3 are now viable all-in-one entertainment hubs, offering a wealth of features and services that make conventional cable boxes and media players seem ridiculously one-dimensional. Here are a handful of non-gaming uses for your game console:

Coolest OrigamiThe Japanese art of paper folding dates back to the 17th century (perhaps even earlier), but it's come a long way since the days of simple cranes and basic boxes. Modern day origami artists can pull off some truly spectacular folding feats, such as these eight insane creations.

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Who can forget the awesome Seinfeld episode where George Costanza attempts to navigate a Frogger machine across a busy Manhattan street?

Now, an enterprising gamer has brought that episode to life in a much, much safer way.

Frogger fan Tyler DeAngelo grew tired of the familiar traffic patterns of the game's vehicles, so decided to up the challenge by replacing those cars with a real-time replica of traffic on one of New York City's busiest streets. The result was Fifth Avenue Frogger.

When it comes to saving the planet, gamers are old hands.  Zombie apocalypses, alien invasions, dragon infestations -- you name it, we've foiled it.  But doing it for real is a bit more of a challenge.

As another Earth Day rolls around on April 22, it's time again to ponder the questions that prick our electronic consciences.  Are we gaming and gadgeting in an eco-friendly, sustainable way?  Are we making sure our old PCs and consoles don't wind up in a landfill leaking toxic chemicals into groundwater?  Is our carbon footprint closer to a ballerina or a T-Rex?  Here are a few ways you can go green while still gaming away the day.