Gamertell

As if responding to my previous post concerning the price of videogames and the cost of a tank of gas, KansasCity.com has posted an article concerning the energy consumption by videogame consoles…

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Overenthusiastic female Wii-exercisers in UK are relentlessly sabotaging their own houses. According to an intriguing study by British insurance company Sheila’s Wheels, female Wii Fit gamers in the UK are responsible for cumulative damage worth £20.1 million ($40 million) to their homes.

In the study, women confessed to having damaged costly vases and furniture during Wii Fit-induced hysteria.  The study also revealed that…

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Destructoid is reporting on some very interesting (and heartening) findings of The Information Solutions Group. According to a recent survey, a full 20% of casual players are disabled, and there’s strong evidence that casual games provide relief/distraction from their maladies.

From the post:

“What’s really interesting is that almost half of these disabled gamers have recommended casual games to other disabled people, and some are even playing as prescribed by a doctor. This study may be an eye opener for gamers in the “hardcore” set. Casual games may not be for us, but it’s good to know that they’re doing disabled people some good.”

I’ll take it with a bit of a grain of salt - after all, “disability” can mean many vastly different things. However, this is also pretty encouraging, positive news - take that, anti-game advocates!

Read [Destructoid]

Dan Laton, a Psychology graduate from Victoria University, recently conducted a study on the effects of games on social well being. Gamers tend to be thought of as a group of socially awkward, shy nerds. The purpose of the study was to find out whether or not that stereotype is actually true.

His study had shown that there are no clear links between shyness and gaming, since only one percent of his subjects actually suffered from shyness. The gamers that have been found to have problems socially end up being the players of MMORPGs like World of Warcraft and Everquest. These findings have some implications for the American Medical Association (AMA) which will be readdressing whether or not video game addiction as a mental disorder by…

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We all know that the Wii has found extensive use as a fitness device besides being incorporated into rehabilitation programs world over. There have been a few researches to study its relationship with a player’s health and fitness but a deeper understanding of the subject can fashion a fitness revolution of sorts. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has announced grants worth $2 million for research on effects of video games on health through its Health Games Research program…

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A recent study has found videogames may be creatively galvanizing. Researchers around the world seem to be locked in a seesaw battle when it comes to video games as they draw conflicting inferences. But this is certainly not one of those studies that anti-game attorney Jeff Thomson can use to make his case against our first love.

The research was conducted by a group of media researchers led by…

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I collect video game systems. I love the classic games, because I grew up with them. I always had a special place in my heart for the handheld systems, because I’m an only child, which meant being carted to events where I would be the only person under 30.

A few times a year, I’ll enjoy a retro weekend. This past weekend I decided I would spend some quality time with my Game Gear. Imagine my shock when it would only play one game - Sonic the Hedgehog. This discovery prompted a bit of informal research - just how well were my portable systems holding up? I decided to spend some serious time playing my Game Boy, Game Gear, Game Boy Color, Sega Nomad and Neo Geo Pocket Color to see if they were aging well. The results gave me a newfound appreciation for Nintendo.

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According to the European Commission survey, Ireland is now banning violent video games.

The reason for banning violent games, according to the EU’s study of the implementation of Pan European Game Information ratings, is that many of the EU nations are not enforcing the age limits on the games identified by PEGI.

The only game currently known to be banned in Ireland is…

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The gaming population is on the rise, making up 72% of the entire US population, according to a new NPD report that was released last Wednesday (April 2, 2008). That figure is for the year 2007 and is up 64% from 2006.

NPD found that 58% of all the people who play video games like playing them online. Many gamers dream of owning more…

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The UK is all set to revamp the videogame rating system according to the recommendations made by Dr. Tanya Byron, who is heading a review into the ill effects of games and the internet in the U.K. Byron told Next-Gen that the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has assured her that the government will adopt her recommendations in full.

Byron also talked about the appreciation her report has drawn from British parents but her suggestions might be…

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