University of Texas Assistant Professor Jorge Pena has finished a study on the way game avatars affect a player’s in-game actions and he believes a bad avatar = bad actions.

In a study earning coverage in the Austin American Statesman, Pena did two separate experiments.

In the game Jedi Knight II, the experiment randomly assigned white or black robes to gamers. Experiment number two gave them roles as either Klu Klux Klan members or physicians. A control group got transparent avatars. Pena said those cast with “negative” avatars exhibited anti social and aggressive behaviors in both team building exercises and when asked to describe ambiguous pictures.

“What’s interesting here is not only did using the avatar in the dark uniform affect a negative attitude and point to individual problems, but also showed less group cohesion.”

According to Pena, the effects on study participants were automatic and for the most part, unconscious. The Statesman piece also looks at the relationship between gamers who play on opposing sides of conflicts in games including World of Warcraft. In some cases, the fictional battle between the Horde and the Alliance leads to real animosities between players.

I think some of this is because of the largely anonymous nature of playing games online. It is a lot easier to be completely rude to someone you will likely never meet in person.

I’m shuddering at the prospect that Jack Thompson already has a copy of this study.

Read [Austin American Statesman]

Full Story » | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Could the United States’ next General Patton be a 13-year-old currently playing Halo 3:ODST?

That is not as far fetched as it may seem, according to Washington Examiner columnist Peter W. Singer.

Singer notes United States Army officials’ testimony in Congress that video games including America’s Army are more effective than “any other method of contact” at recruiting potential soldiers. A 2008 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Study found that 30 percent of Americans aged 16-24 had a more positive impression of the Army because of that particular game.

Not only that, Singer found officers willing to testify that gamers make very useful young soldiers, particularly in the piloting of remote drone vehicles. An Air Force colonel called skilled gamers “naturals” at the task that often requires years of training. As a caveat though, that same colonel said gamers didn’t understand the consequences of war as well as regular recruits.

“The video game generation is worse at distorting the reality of it [war] from the virtual nature. They don’t have that sense of what’s really going on. It (video games) teaches you how to compartmentalize it ( the reality of war).”

America’s Army makes no real effort to disguise its goal as a recruitment tool and that has drawn the ire of people that are worried the government is brainwashing youngsters. In May 2009, seven protesters were arrested at a Philadelphia mall that boasts a video game equipped recruitment center.

Read [Washington Examiner] Also Read [Game Politics]

Full Story » | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

As a Reuters story notes, there is big business in history for the game industry. One of this year’s most anticipated titles, Assassin’s Creed II, sees the game’s hero interact with a young Leonardo da Vinci and use his design for a flying machine.

The first Assassin’s Creed was set during the Crusades and, of course, there are probably more World War II games on shelves than there were actual battles in the war.

Upcoming game The Saboteur is loosely based on the real life story of Wiliam Grover-Williams,  who worked with the British Special Operations Executive in the hopes of liberating France. Grover-Williams was executed for his undercover work but, in the game, your character lives to help free France from the Nazis.

Libraries are playing up the learning connection to games, declaring November 14, 2009, “National Gaming Day” with many partaking in game-related activities. Patrons will be encouraged to play video and board games while librarians promote the importance of learning and literacy.

This isn’t a move without controversy. There are a lot of folks who think libraries should be using limited resources to stockpile books, not board games or video games.

So, readers, what’s your take? Have you ever played a video game that inspired you to learn more about its subject matter?

Read [Reuters] Also Read [National Gaming Day site]

Full Story » | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Researchers from the University of Iowa conducted a study to analyze the relation between gaming for prolonged periods of time and attention levels when performing certain tasks.

The study involved 51 males ages 18 to 33. Half of the participants declared playing more than 40 hours a week and the other half said that they only play a couple of hours a week. All of the subjects took a Stroop test where they were asked to identify the color of words being displayed while their brain activity was measured. Sometimes the words matched their color (for example, the word “yellow” printed or displayed in yellow) and sometimes they didn’t (“yellow” printed in blue).

The results indicated that the group that played games more than 40 hours a week had significantly less proactive attention - the kind used in anticipation of events - while reactive attention -  the kind triggered by an event - was similar in both groups.

Although the test revealed a correlation, researchers are not if the subjects have a propensity to play for longer periods of time due to this attention deficiency or if it is caused by playing for longer periods of time.

Sadly, this study will cause some people to blame video games right away and again label them as the cause of all evil even though other studies like this have indicated otherwise, but clearly further study is needed in these matters.

I’m sure I’ve played more than 40 hours some weeks and I’ve never seen any change in my attention when performing a task, none change whatsoever in… huh? What? Megan Fox!?

Read [CNET] Also read [UPI]

Full Story » | Written by Christian Morlotte for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

New Spaces and Special Items

New Spaces - Pixel Junk Museum

The Pixel Junk Museum just opened its virtual space filled with all things Pixel Junk to include videos, displays with descriptions of the creatures or vehicles found in games including Pixel Junk Shooter, Pixel Junk Eden, Pixel Junk Monsters and Pixel Junk Racers. Browse through the displays to learn more about the game or browse the store for Pixel Junk virtual items. (See store list below.)

Charitable Purchases

This week the PlayStation Home has partnered with EA Sports to create exclusive virtual items to support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. NFL Football fans can purchase the NFL team jersey of their choice for $2.99 from the Atlanta Falcons to the Tampa Bay Bucanners to the Washington Redskins Jerseys and have 100 percent of all proceeds donated to the Brees Dream Foundation organized to support breast cancer research and awareness programs in hopes of fighting this deadly disease. The Jersey’s can be found Threads 1 located on the first floor under the EA Sports item category. The jersey’s are available for both male and female avatars.

The art of Jon Burgerman

This week at the mall gamers will find interesting items featuring the art work of Jon Burgerman, a UK-based artist who brings unique and exclusive art items such as virtual clothes and tattoos for avatars as well as future art for in-home virtual spaces to the PlayStation Home.

Movie Theater

The hit Adult Swim cartoon Metalocalypse has invaded the movie theater featuring death metal super group Dethklok. Check out the video featuring band members Nathan Explosion (lead vocals), William Murderface (Bassist), Skwisgaar Skwigelf (guitarist), Toki Wartooth (guitarist) and Pickles (Drummer) as they rock their way towards world domination. Some images may be too violent for some viewers to watch so view the film at your own risk. And don’t forget to check out their virtual items at the Mall.

Shopping Mall

Threads 1 located on first floor of Mall

• Metal Dethklok 2009 World Tour T-shirt is Free
• Dethklok T-shirts (20 different designs) are 99 cents each
Female Only Items:
• Bridesmaid Mini Top cost 49 cents
• Bridesmaid Tied Top cost 49 cents
• Bridesmaid Tube Top cost 49 cents
• Bridesmaid Short Sleeved Top cost 49 cents
• Bridesmaid Mini Skirt cost 49 cents
• Bridesmaid Criss-Cross Dress cost 49 cents
• Bridesmaid Straight Skirt cost 49 cents
• Bridesmaid Balloon Skirt cost 49 cents
• Bridesmaid Layered Skirt cost 49 cents
• Bridesmaid Flowing Skirt cost 49 cents
• Bridesmaid Red Shoes cost 49 cents
• Bridesmaid Two-Strap Shoes cost 49 cents
• Bridesmaid Open-Toe Shoes cost 49 cents
• Bridesmaid Pendant Shoes cost 49 cents
• Bridesmaid Low-Heel Shoes cost 49 cents

Real Estate Store located on both first and second floor of the mall

• MotorStorm Monument Camp Site cost $4.99. The MotorStorm campsite overlooks the speed way in the valley below. Decorate your space with beat-up furniture, junked car parts and more. Check it out:

Furniture Store 1 located on the first floor of the mall

Paintings:

• “Arthotecture” Modern Art Painting cost 99 cents
• “Bigblow” Modern Art Painting cost 99 cents
• “Birds of California” Modern Art Painting cost 99 cents
• “Blue Poodle” Modern Art Painting cost 99 cents
• “Bottom Feeder” Modern Art Painting cost 99 cents
• “Chips” Modern Art Painting cost 99 cents
• “Codependency” Modern Art Painting cost 99 cents
• “Cybo” Modern Art Painting cost 99 cents
• “Dandy Bandy” Modern Art Painting cost 99 cents
• “Fauxy Wauxie” Modern Art Painting cost 99 cents

Furniture Collections:

• Neptune Suite Collection—Tuxedo Style Furniture Bundle cost $1.49
Individual Items:
• Large Tuxedo Style Sofa, Medium Tuxedo Style Sofa and Tuxedo Style Chair cost 99 cents each
• Neptune Suite Collection—Vases and Vessels Bundle cost $1.49
Individual Items:
• Carved Stone Vase, Green Clay Vessel, Green Glass Vase and Sea Blue Vase cost 49 cents each
• Neon Cactus cost 75 cents
• Neptune Suite Collection—Mix-It-Up Furniture Bundle cost $1.99
Individual Items:
• Glass Coffee Table with Metal Frame, I Gotcha Chair, Slant Back Love Seat and a Tall Dark and Deep Chair cost 99 cents each
• Neptune Suite Collection—Natural Plant Decor Bundle cost $2.99
Individual Items:
• Bonsai Tree on Plant Stand, Bonsai Tree on Wood Stand, Oblong Vase with Branches, Small Vase with Branches, Palm Breeze in Vase, Palm Spray, Zinc Planter with Botanical - Low and Zinc Planter with Botanical Tall for 75 cents each

Individual Furniture Items

• 3-Ply Chair cost 99 cents
• Take-A-Load Off Chair cost 99 cents
• Pedestal Wood Chip Chair cost 99 cents
• Slide and Glide Sofa cost 99 cents

Threads 2 located on second floor of the mall

• Arrow through Head Headband cost 99 cents
• Axe in Head Headband cost 99 cents
• Propeller Head Headband cost 99 cents
• Devilish Horns cost 99 cents
• Head Horns cost 99 cents
• Side Horns cost 99 cents
• Rabbit Ears Headband—Blue ears for male and Pink ears for females cost 99 cents
• Heavenly Halo Headband cost 99 cents
• Elfin Ears cost 99 cents
• I Heart Glasses cost 99 cents
• Jon Burgerman’s Glow in the Dark Rainbow Sneakers cost 99 cents
• Jon Burgerman’s Glow in the Dark Ice Sneakers cost 99 cents
• Jon Burgerman’s Animated Sad Bomb Hoodie cost $1.49
• Jon Burgerman’s Animated Anton Hoodie cost $1.49
• Hoodie with Skull Tattoos cost 99 cents

Male Only Items:

• World War 2 Helment cost 49 cents
• Hoodie with Maori Inspired Tattoo cost 99 cents
• Vest with Dragon Tattoo cost 99 cents
• Vest with Tribal Tattoo cost 99 cents
• Faux Military Jacket cost 99 cents
• Samurai Headband cost 99 cents

Female Only Items:

• Cropped Shirt with Butterfly Tattoo cost 99 cents
• Cropped Shirt with Star Tattoo cost 99 cents
• Hoodie with Star Tattoo cost 99 cents

Pixel Junk Museum Store

• Q-Games Logo T-Shirts in choice of following colors: Aqua, Burgandy, Camel, Green, Grey, Peach, Pink, White or Yellow for 49 cents each
• Pixel Junk T-Shirt cost 49 cents
• Eden Gate T-Shirt cost 49 cents
• Eden XMB T-Shirt cost 49 cents
• Monsters Tikimask cost 99 cents
Males Only:
• Monsters Kuri HeadPhones cost 49 cents
• Monsters Fancy T-Shirt cost 49 cents
• Monsters Hard T-Shirt cost 99 cents
Females Only:
• Black Q-Games Logo T-Shirt cost 49 cents
• Monsters Tribal T-Shirt cost 49 cents
• Monsters Bee Slippers cost 49 cents
• Monsters Easy T-Shirt cost 99 cents

Read [PlayStation Blog] Site [PlayStation] Site [National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Site] Site [Jon Burgerman’s Official Website] Site [Adult Swim’s Metalocalypse Site]

Full Story » | Written by Lucy Newman for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Who knew all those hours put in on various Guitar Hero games could someday be a critical component of an education at a top university? New York University professor Gary Marcus is teaching a freshman seminar called “Guitar Heroes (and Heroines): Music, Video Games and the Nature of Human Cognition.”

No, really.

Not surprisingly, Marcus said there is a waiting list for the seminar which capped at 16 spots. I’m betting there was also a waiting list of parents wanting to know why they’re paying $50,000 a year for video game courses. Marcus knows people are talking and that some of them aren’t saying the nicest things about the course.

“Video games are an understudied area,” Marcus told the New York Post. “People dismiss them unfairly, but ‘Guitar Hero’ is a good tool for teaching and I’m interested in the nature of learning.” The course will also try to figure out why people get “sucked in” to games. Sucked in is NYU’s terminology, not ours. In addition to the Guitar Hero offering, NYU has a course called “The Poetics of Television.” Students will select much of the “text” for this course, that is to say they’ll select some of the shows that will be discussed in class.

I’m pretty sure I went to college about 13 years too early.

Read [New York Post] Also Read [Destructoid]

Full Story » | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Thinking about purchasing The Sims 3? Good for you. Thinking about purchasing it used? Think again.

Thanks to certain procedures set in place by EA regarding the game, you must register your copy in order to gain access to The Sims 3 community website and store. If you’ve purchased a used game and someone already registered it, prepare to jump through hoops in hope of attaining access.

I’ve experienced firsthand the ordeal bargain hunters who shop used will have to go through, and chronicled my experience in an attempt to assist other users. With the used game business being so prevalent, I’m sure I’m not the only person who’ll encounter a twisting and turning adventure with a used copy of The Sims 3.

My adventures began shortly after I purchased The Sims 3 at a Goodwill Store in Illinois for $9.99. The box claimed if one registered, the user could receive $10 worth of Sim Points and an additional neighborhood. Since all the appropriate documentation was in the case and the security stickers were still affixed to the top and bottom, I decided I would register and see if I’d be granted access to these bonuses as well.

When I attempted to register at The Sims 3 website, I received an unfortunate error message stating I was unable to register and would not be granted access to certain areas of the site. However, the site didn’t provide an explanation why. I remembered hearing other users who’d purchased the game new had run into similar experiences. I decided to consult with tech support. While it would be nice to get the additional town and free Sim Points, my primary concern was that I would be unable to accessThe Sims 3 exchange, forum or store, and perhaps even be unable to patch the game.

I first touch based with The Sims 3 customer support on June 14, 2009 at 5:43pm. I provided my serial number and stated that the site would not allow me to register due to the serial number being invalid. The site informed me that I would receive a response within 24 hours.

At 7:27am on June 16, 2009 I received my first response. It read as follows:

Greetings,

Thank you for contacting Electronic Arts.

Sorry for the delayed response. Because of our new launch ‘The Sims 3’ we are getting a little higher than normal volume

I have reviewed our Knowledge Base and located an article that may assist with resolving your issue. Our Knowledge Base is consistently updated to ensure that you can reference it for even the most recent issues.

Please go through the below mentioned link:

https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/easims.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=22219

If you have anyquestions about this material or have any additionalquestions about your issue, please let us know.

Sincerely,

EA Rep _______
PlayerRelations
Electronic Arts

The response sounded automated, as though copied and pasted. It offered instructions on redeeming Free Sim Points. Not what I was requesting help with. I immediately responded at 9:20am with the following.

Hi ______,

The link that you sent me is not applicable to my situation at all. I have gone to My Account and attempted to register my game with the serial number XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX. Every time I enter the serial number, the site states that it is not a valid serial number. So, I am unable to register my game. However, I had no problem installing my game with that serial number.

I received a rather prompt response at 9:58am. The EA Rep asked for my full name, account e-mail address, alternate/active e-mail address, date of birth and zip code. I responded back at 10:17am with the requested information, and also informed the EA Rep I had purchased the game at Goodwill and gave the serial number again.

The EA Rep’s next response came June 17 at 4:26am.

Greetings

Thank you for getting back to Electronic Arts

I would like to inform you that you have provided wrong information .

The registration code that you have provided is : XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX. which has been used for registration for some other email address .The Email address that you have provided is: ______@______.com has not been registered for the given code that you have provided .

Please provide us the correct information regarding your account so that we can assist you further !

Regards

Ea Rep ______

At this point, my suspicions that the previous user had already registered the game were confirmed. Perhaps the other user had purchased the game, was displeased with the bugs, errors and new direction, and donated it. Perhaps the other user had opted to download the free digital copy of the game with the EA Download Manager and decided the actual hard copy was no longer needed.

I then decided to offer a final plea on June 17 at 8:26am.

Is there any way I can still register my used copy of the game so I can have access to patches? The “no ultraspeed” and story mode that won’t turn off are incredibly annoying and I want to be able to patch my copy the second patches are available.

Does EA offer any support or registration options to players who purchased used copies of The Sims 3?

The EA Rep then requested a scanned copy of the manual. I took a photo with my laptop’s webcamera and sent it along.

Meanwhile, I was getting a bit frustrated by the rate at which the issue was being addressed through the online support center. I decided to try my luck with the EA Technical Support hotline. I called right when the line opened at 8am PST on June 17, 2009 to see if I could find any kind of assistance there.

When I first explained my plight, the EA tech support representative offered me this option. Buy another, new copy of the game. “The Sims 3 is available in most major retailers or as a direct download!” he chirped. I then explained that my budget doesn’t really allow for a $49.99 game purchase, especially when I have a copy that I can play, but can’t register.

To his credit, the EA tech support representative I spoke with on the phone was very cheerful and attempted to accommodate me. He asked for the registration code and told me he would try to get the log-in information that accompanied it so I could access the various features. Unfortunately, he was unable to do so.

He then offered another solution. Contact the EA Warranty department and tell them I had lost the manual. He stated that for a $10-13 money order, I could receive a digital manual with a new registration code which I could then use to register my game.

Later that night, at 6:02pm, I received a final email response at the EA help center:

Greetings Jenni,

Thank you for writing back to us.

We searched with code and found that it is already registered to a different EA account (some “__________@____.com” account). If you already posses such EA account then we suggest you to login to game with that EA account to play the game. However, If you do not have any such EA account then we request you to contact the retailer to get a replacement copy of the game.

Should you have any further questions, please take a moment to review our Knowledge Base site at http://support.ea.com or let us know.

ThankYou,

EARep ______
EA Games support.

I came to one conclusion, after my experiences with EA’s technical support. EA does not want people purchasing used copies of The Sims 3.

I decided to try to make contact with one of EA’s press representatives, to try and get an official statement and advice from EA concerning options for users who purchased used copies of The Sims 3. Unfortunately, a press representative from EA could not be reached to comment on EA’s stance concerning used copies of The Sims 3.

In closing, a used copy of The Sims 3 may not be the good deal it appears to be. If you eventually want access to the website and store, you’ll either have to pay at least an additional $10 for a replacement manual with a new registration code or an additional $49.99 for fresh copy of the game. Thankfully, the free downloads in the Sims 3 Store, like the Toyota Prius car, and the game updates don’t require any registration to download and install into your game.

Site [The Sims 3]

Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to design your own game (I know I have), and have barely any programming skills, that wonder may feel like only a dream. If you have own a copy of Little Big Planet you can let your creativity run rampant through the world but it’s still rather hard to get the challenges to work right without glitches. (And reading poor reviews of your game can be heartbreaking.)

I came across this article in USA Today about a program called Kodu. According to the article, written by USA Today reporter Mike Snider, Kodu is a program that will be available to Xbox Live users later Spring 2009 and will give players the tools they need to create their own game. Similar to Little Big Planet, you can create a variety of levels, bosses and vehicles for your character which kind of looks like the robot from the old Nintendo 64 game Rocket: Robot on Wheels.

According to Microsoft Research site the program uses simple language and is entirely icon-based to make it so easy even a child could create a game using their own Xbox controller. Here’s the quickie description from the Microsoft Research site:

Kodu is a new visual programming language made specifically for creating games. It is designed to be accessible for children and enjoyable for anyone. The programming environment runs on the Xbox, allowing rapid design iteration using only a game controller for input.

Key features highlighted in the program, according to Microsoft’s research site, include:

• High-level language incorporates real-world primitives: collision, color, vision
• Uses Xbox 360 Game Controller for input — no keyboard required
• Runs on Xbox 360 and PC
• Interactive terrain editor
• Bridge and path builder
• Terrain editor - create worlds of arbitrary shape and size
• 20 different characters with different abilities

With these tools players can bring a variety of Kodu characters and items to life. If it’s anything like Little Big Planet it will be quite an adventure just creating a level and then publish it on the server for others to tryout.

I’ve been playing around on my Metal Gear Solid-themed level in Little Big Planet for three months now and have yet to finish my game. Hopefully Kodu may be a little bit easier and be as enjoyable as Little Big Planet.

Read [USA Today] Also Read [Microsoft Research site] Site [XBox community news]

Full Story » | Written by Lucy Newman for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

With folks having fewer dollars in their pockets to spend overall, a report from Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR) indicates there are more games coming out at lower prices. The research group suggests publishers may have to continue that trend, at least in the short term, as the economy gets hit harder.

According to analyst Jesse Divnich, from the EEDAR’s report:

“As the Xbox 360 and the PS3 hardware continue to decline in price, more non-traditional, casual, family, and price sensitive gamers (noting these demographics sometimes overlap) will likely adopt these systems, which will increase the demand for cheaper titles.”

Another important issue is shelf space, as there are more games coming out than there are spaces for retailers to put them in. Stores will find space for Street Fighter IV or the latest Final Fantasy installment or spinoff but, for titles that aren’t big names, retailers are going to have to look at price as a factor in choosing games. That’s particularly true in a climate that sees more non-traditional gamers shopping.

Divnich said the average manufacturers’ suggested retail price for Xbox 360 and PS3 games for February and March is $53, when initially PS3 and Xbox 360 games were starting at $59.99. It’s a risk for publishers as dropping decrease their profit margins. But in this time of economic struggle, the bigger risk may be doing nothing at all.

Look, I love video games as much as anybody but $60 is a serious drain on my wallet. I don’t remember a time in my adult life I’ve been more excited about sales that knock $5 or $10 the price of a game. Nor has there been a time I’ve traded more beloved games in for pennies on the dollar just because I couldn’t justify buying the game without using the trade credit. Knocking a couple of dollars off the price benefits everybody in the long run. A lot of us devout game slaves will just end up spending the extra money in the game store anyway. But you can’t get us in the store for an impulse buy if the games cost too much for us to put gas in our cars.

Read [GameDaily] Also Read [Gamers.com] Site [EEDAR]

Full Story » | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

There are so many jokes about World of Warcraft being akin to a second job that one wonders whether or not your better work-related WOW skills could legitimately be applied to a resume. That very idea is at the center of a recent PC World article by senior writer Darren Gladstone - could your management skills in a virtual world apply in real-world situations?

From the post:

“Klopfer points to Constance Steinkeuhler’s work at UW Wisconsin. She is “showing that people are developing and applying all kinds of useful skills in World of Warcraft—data collection and analysis, collaboration, planning, resource management and even team management.” Remove the “WoW” identification from the place of employment, and all of these accomplishments look fantastic on a résumé.”

He then goes on to explain the ways in which WoW could legitimately contribute to a person’s valuable life/work experiences. Surely, playing a huge, complex MMO and communicating effectively with so many other people will foster leadership and communication skills, and allow dedicated players to claim that they are “team players”, “problem-solvers” or “detail-oriented, analytical” workers. I, for one, am convinced.

Of course, Gladstone isn’t saying that you should waltz into a job interview bragging about your accomplishments in 1337speak. Nor should you necessarily go on and on about WoW in any non-game industry interview. But someday, folks, when games no longer have a “smelly 30-year-old manchild” stigma attached to them, we may just be able to put our virtual world accomplishments on real world resumes. Someday.

Read [PC World]

Full Story » | Written by Danielle Riendeau for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Maybe this makes up for all the awards Postal 2 didn’t win as a shooter more renowned for its controversial content than its gameplay. Kotaku tells us that the game, which caused quite the uproar in Sweden, will now appear in that nation’s Nobel Museum as part of an exhibit on freedom of speech.

Rhe exhibit, called “Freedom of Speech: How Free is Free?” will look at many issues including game censorship and that portion of the exhibit will include footage from Postal 2. The exhibit will examine censorship in video games, movies, books and magazines. It will also include discussions of variou issues including tge use of free speech as a rationale for spreading hateful or destructive words.

These are issues that definitely warrant more discussion, but here’s hoping the Nobel Museum adds some eyebrow-raising games known for gameplay as well as content.

A discussion of Grand Theft Auto, Manhunt or (quick, let me think of a controversial game that’s not done by Rockstar), oh yeah, Doom, would actually interest the average gamer a lot more than a game that only got publicity because it pushed some hot buttons. Well that, and it had Gary Coleman in it.

Read [Joystiq] Also Read [Multiplayer]

Full Story » | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

The dueling studies as to whether video games are harmless, destructive or somewhere in between continues.

A study published Friday (January 23, 2009) in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence concludes that video games ruin relationships between gamers and their family and friends. The basis of the study is research conducted by Brigham Young University undergrad Alex Jensen and Laura Walker, a professor from the university’s School of Family, Home and Social Sciences. They gathered data from 813 college students to come up with their conclusions.

According to Jensen and Walker, the more students play video games the worse they rate their relationships with peers and family. Walker told BYU’s news service that it may be because young adults remove themselves from social settings to play games, or the games could be an escape for people who would already rather not engage in social settings. Walker’s guess is that it’s a little of both.

All the impacts this particular study found were negative. In addition to the bad personal relationships,  the study indicates that gamers are more likely to engage in risky behavior such as drug abuse and drinking.

According to the study, gamers who play daily were twice as likely to smoke pot as occasional gamers and three times as likely to smoke pot as those who don’t game.

The timing of this study is perfect for video game opponents in Utah as there is currently talk of video game legislation. Involved, as always, is our favorite disbarred attorney Jack Thompson.

Read [Information Week] Also Read [Game Politics]

Full Story » | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

The success of Nintendo’s Brain Age series can be attributed to both scientific officials touting its capabilities and positive reviews from the gaming press. There are some, however, that are still not sold on its potential.

The University of Rennes, Brittany, contend people who play Brain Age do not show a jump in memory. In fact, based on their data, it leads to memory becoming worse.

To arrive at these results, the researchers split a group of 10-year-old children into four groups. The first two groups engaged in a seven-week Nintendo DS memory course, while the third group engaged in puzzles using pencil-and-paper. The final group,  the control group, went to school as usual. All of the subjects groups took logic tests at the beginning and end of the experiment.

As it turned out, the DS group only showed a slight increase in math in comparison and a significant decrease in memorization. Not the best results for a game that is supposed to promote sharp memorization and intelligence improvements.

In speaking with Times-Online, Alain Lieury, the professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Rennes, said:

“The Nintendo DS is a technological jewel. As a game it is fine, but it is charlatanism to claim that it is a scientific test… There were few positive effects and they were weak. Dr Kawashima is one of a long list of dream merchants.”

As someone who owns Big Brain Academy, I seriously disagree with his results.

Read [Times-Online] Via [Kotaku]

Full Story » | Written by Jason Townsend-Rogers for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Nielsen’s latest top ten list for 2008 has revealed something that most Sony fans already know - the PlayStation 2 is still a hot commodity. It is so hot, in fact, that Nielsen is saying it was the most played console in 2008. I guess Sony really knew what it was doing when it made the PS2.

Nielsen Wire reported all the official figures from Nielson concerning the top seven consoles. The PS2 game in first in terms of use, followed by the Xbox 360, Wii, Xbox, Playstation 3 and GameCube. There was also an ambiguous “others” given for seventh place, likely refering to all older consoles that alone didn’t have enough usage minutes to achieve a ranking.

I bet Sony is disappointed to see the PS3 come in fifth place. The original Xbox even beat the PlayStation 3. At least the PS3 did better than the GameCube - that way Sony can save some face. 

I totally get it though. I’ve had a PS2 for years. (Since Final Fantasy X, to be exact.) If I’m playing a video game, chances are I’m using either the PS2 or the DS. Its a wonderfully versatile console with a fantastic game library. I even use it as a DVD player on a regular basis. I’ve never used it to play CDs, but hey - at least I’m using two of the three available functions. It’s just a shame that the PSP and PS3 don’t receive the same amount of love.

Read [Nielsen Wire] Also Read [eFlux Media] Also Read [Ars Technica] Site [Nielsen Media Research]

Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

News flash - videogames, like all other media in a body image obsessed culture, can lead to lowered self esteem in males and females. According to PS Extreme, a study at Kansas State University noted differences in self-esteem related surveys in students who played a beach volleyball game (the women) and a wrestling game (the men). So, everyone felt worse about their body after playing games that depicted muscle-bound men and lithe, busty women. What a shocker.

Ok, so, it’s worth noting that the supposed sample size and lack of a double-blind control keep this from being a thoroughly scientific study, but it sounds legit in terms of everything else. Plus, it’s important and useful to note that males are just as affected by body image and body size issues as women are - an idea that certainly doesn’t get much attention. Though I think the article’s writer went a little too far in starting the post with “You know how the feminists are the first to complain about how women are often depicted in video games?” that’s a little much, I think.

What do you think, readers? Do we need more realistic guys and gals in games? Shall we cut down on the beefcake and the cheesecake?

Read [PS Extreme]

Full Story » | Written by Danielle Riendeau for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

For all those gamers who have had to sit through parental rants claiming that video games will lead to their brains atrophying, help is now on the way thanks primarily to a study in the journal Psychology and Aging.

This study (based on a sample size of 40 adults in their 60s and 70s) came to this interesting conclusion: older individuals may actually benefit from playing video games, at least strategy-intensive games.

This deduction was arrived at after observing the actions of those older adults playing Rise of Nations. According to one of the researchers, these adults “significantly improved their scores on a number of tests of cognitive functions.” The researcher also mentioned that it is actually beneficial for older adults to play video games with their younger contemporaries.

However, while the results of these studies do signal a positive direction for video game perception, it is important to note that these findings are the first of their kind and that, of course, additional research is needed to support their hypothesis.

These researchers are on to something though, considering reports that more and more older adults are catching on to the video game craze, ,proving that it is not an activity that has to be restrained to younger individuals.

Hopefully, as our generation ages, video games will be regarded on the same levels of mental simulation as more traditional fare such as crossword puzzles, bridge, enjoying the arts and Sudoku. After all, each of these tasks all work towards the same goal: making sure your mind remains sharp.

Remember that, as they say, the brain is a muscle like any other part of the body, so if you don’t use it, you lose it.

Read [Reuters] Via [Kotaku]

Full Story » | Written by Jason Townsend-Rogers for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

The question of Second Life‘s popularity is one I have frequently mused over as I have examined this alternate online universe. While the premise behind Second Life is a noble one, allowing individuals and companies to grow themselves in an alternate universe, the results thus far have not always been positive; companies have slowly begun to abandon Second Life as a viable means of dissipating information.

Reuters, a large and international real-world news service had previously set up an office within Second Life but has since decided to summarily abandon their virtual branch there. According to 1UP, a spokeswoman for Reuters said that the service would only remain there “as part of their usual tech and media coverage.”

The news service has chosen to discontinue its tenure there after a mere two years of activity. The last time Reuters made an entry was on September 30, 2008.

Reuters’s departure strikes a significant blow to the heart of the Second Life, which is understandably doing its best to present itself as a universe where individuals can both escape from the realities of their first life and become truly immersed in an alternate universe.

GamePolitics references the opinions of individuals from Reuters who worked in the Second Life universe. One of them, Eric Krangel, made it clear to the Silicon Valley Insider that he is not sure what else Second Life needs to do in order to make themselves expand their audience there.

Of course, it remains to be seen just what will happen to Second Life. However, one entity should become very concerned about its fate, and that entity is Sony. After all, if Second Life fails, what might that mean to Sony’s Home?

Site [Reuters/Second Life] Read [1UP] Also Read [Gamepolitics] Via [Silicon Valley Insider]

Full Story » | Written by Jason Townsend-Rogers for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

With all of the detractors that have made news in the gaming industry, there has always been one individual who has stood in our defense.

That individual is Henry Jenkins, a professor at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) who not only has his own blog but has frequently spoken in defense of video games in article after article.

Now, the renowned media scholar is taking his knowledge over to the University of Southern California, where he expects to expand on his research methods, which not only cover video games but also includes media literacy, civic media, creative industry and fan/culture research.

According to an article on GamePolitics, Jenkins felt that he needed to leave the proverbial nest at MIT and place himself “in the heart of the entertainment industry.”

I personally wish him the greatest success in his new field as he is an individual whose work I have admired. Some of his more notable works include Fans, Bloggers and Gamers and Convergence Culture, both books that I have read from cover to cover and would recommend wholeheartedly to anyone who desires to learn more about the media and how it affects the lives of individuals.

In referring to the reason that he chose to leave, Jenkins jokingly makes a reference to Green Lantern, saying that “even he needs to recharge his power ring now and again.” He then added that “when I did this position, I used to have the body of a 37-year-old. Aliens have since switched it with the body of a 50-year old.”

Here is hoping that this new post will provide him with the vigor that he needs.

Read [Gamepolitics] Via [Confessions of an Aca-Fan] Also Read [PBS] Also Read [Gamasutra]

Full Story » | Written by Jason Townsend-Rogers for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Confirming something most of us already know, a new study coming out of Villanova University indicates that motion controls do not increase aggression in people who play violent video games.

Certainly inspired by the controversy controversy surrounding the Wii release of Manhunt 2, a study titled “An examination of psychoticism and motion capture controls as moderators of the effects of violent video games” (Patrick M. Markey and Kelly Scherera, 2008, Department of Psychology, Villanova University) examined the “hostility and aggressive thoughts” in individuals while they played Manhunt 2 as well as Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08. A total of 50 male and 68 female college students were subjected to a psychoticism test before and after playing the two titles. Each game was played with motion controls\ as well as button-based controls.

To the dismay of anti-video game activists everywhere, the study concluded that motion controls do not raise levels of hostile behavior or aggression any more than button-based controls. Furthermore, people with raised levels of psychoticism before playing violent video games are more affected by them than people with lower levels.

Here’s a snippet from the study’s abstract:

Results indicated that the use of motion capture controls did not increase the negative effects of violent video games. However, participants with elevated levels of psychoticism were much more affected by violent video games than other participants. Such findings suggest that only some individuals are adversely affected by violent video games and that those who are affected have preexisting dispositions which make them susceptible to such violent media.

Although most gamers may argue this study was pointless, perhaps it can help to further diffuse the argument that violent video games lead otherwise normal people to commit real-life violent acts.

Read [Science Direct (Study Abstract)] Via [Wired Blog] Also Read [1Up]

Full Story » | Written by Eddie Bracco for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

According to a recent article published in the SouthTown Star and written by GateHouse News Service, online gamers may have been wrongly stereotyped.

Of the 7,000 online gamers researchers interviewed who played EverQuest 2, a MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online game), they are not the overweight rotund teenage boys most people once thought they were.

Scott Caplan, an associate professor of communication at the University of Delaware, studied players along with colleagues from the University of Southern California and Palo Alta Research Center. The group shared their findings with GateHouse News Service during an interview where they said they found online gamers to be 31 years old and older, physically fit and mostly female.

Some of the information Caplan and his researchers were able to gather came from in-game surveys provided by Sony Online Entertainment from its large database of gamers who have played EverQuest 2 since its launch in November 2004.

There have been a lot of research done on the impact of video games since 1983 but Caplan claims that this particular research would mark the first of its kind in which a industry game corporation worked with a research team to perform a customer-based study.

Sadly, according to the article Caplan’s research team found that most of the gamers interviewed reported substance abuse and depression.

But due to stereotyping, my guess is the non-gaming community and parent patrol organizations would report that video games caused these gamers to consume drugs and depression.

Caplan’s findings and research papers can be found online as a PDF file at Wiley InterScience Journal.

Read [SouthTown Star] PDF [Wiley InterScience.com]

Full Story » | Written by Lucy Newman for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

The two biggest stereotypes when it comes to gamers are a) that they are kids and b) they are males. A recent study put out by, IBISWorld, Inc. (one of the nation’s most respected independent publishers of business intelligence research), indicates that the complete opposite it true.

Results of the study suggest that most of the current gamers are older adults and may of those are - you guessed it - women.

According to the study, the average purchaser of games in the U.S. is 39, which means these adults started playing video games when they were teenagers and haven’t stopped. As if that’s not enough,  24% of current gamers today are in their 50s. These gamers would have easily been in their late 20s when video games became popular.

The early ‘80s was certainly a high point for the video game industry. I’m not talking about Pong either, I mean systems like Atari, ColecoVision and the Sega Master System (then, of course, the Nintendo Entertainment System which came a little later). Sure there were systems before that (Odyssey for example) but those aforementioned systems were the ones that really started the era of “gamers”. 

As for “girls,” the study shows that a whooping 38% of US gamers are female, stomping out the ridiculous stereotype that “girls don’t play video games.” This could be due to the fact that the market produces much more games geared towards girls then in the previous years but that’s not the only reason. The basic fact is that plenty of girls enjoy the action, strategy and challenge that video games produce.

Girls love to play Halo for the same reason boys do. Plus, girls grew up with these games too.

Of course, there are plenty of girls who don’t enjoy video games. This could because a lot of girls are not into all the violence and challenge associated with video games, or they just simply didn’t grow up with them. Maybe their parents never bought them a Sega Genesis. (I’m banking on the latter.)

All the girls that I know of that grew up with a game system (even the real girly-girls) love to play games. Those who didn’t grow up with it think they are a waste of time or boring.

So, it seems that if you grew up with game systems, you are a fan for life. With all the technology that comes with gaming, and all the new ways to play, it would impossible to not be a lifer. So it’s really no surprise that today’s gamers are adults, and women. This is not to say that children aren’t also a huge contribution to the industry, but they are not the majority anymore.

Site [IBISWorld USA] Via [The Earth Times]

Full Story » | Written by Jessica Moen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Move over, obnoxious female gamer stereotypes. It seems that young girls are taking up gaming at increasing rates, potentially leading to a more gender equal future among hardcore gamers (or so I hope). GameDaily recently posted an item about this “migration” of young girls to computer/videogames, as reported by the NPD group (you know, the people who give us legit, fanboy-exciting sales umbears each month).

According to the study, Very young girls (2-5) are happy with traditional toys, but around 6-8 they begin taking an interest in more interactive activities, and by 9-12, they’re very interested in virtual worlds, online spaces, and all sorts of videogames.

Of course, back when I was a 6-8 year old girl, you couldn’t tear me away from my NES. Ah, the halcyon days of youth…

Read [GameDaily]

Full Story » | Written by Danielle Riendeau for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

In the Los Angeles Times, writer Alex Pham reports that the San Fernando Library encourages youth to play video games and even invites them to be as loud as they like.

“It lets teens be more comfortable with the library and become familiar with librarians,” San Fernando librarian Lydia Harlan told Pham. “And it’s what kids are into these days.”

In the article, Pham reports that more libraries are turning to video games to connect with technologically savvy youth who might be losing interest in books and stories. In New York, the New York Public Library has even added a collection of books, films, music and maps about video games.

“Especially at this pivotal moment in our history, it is so great to have so many people of this age group here in the library, because it foreshadows what life is going to be like around here when we have transformed this building,” said Stephen A. Schwarzman, the co-founder of the Blackstone Group, to the New York Times. “We want to do a better job of integrating the circulation and research collections, and part of that is becoming more relevant for a younger audience.”

But not everyone agrees that this would be a good idea, some parents feel that it would just distract kids.

“To be honest with you, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Miguel Castaneda, 45, told the Chicago Tribune after his 14-year-old son played a video game at the Florence Library in Los Angeles. “I think a library should be for studying, and when you go to play video games, your mind is away from what you’re supposed to be learning.”

In Chicago, the Library system does not approve of the new video game fad other libraries have taken a liking to.

“The video game aspect is not the direction we want to go,” Ruth Lednicer, the system’s director of marketing, told the Chicago Tribune. “We want to keep them focused on the literature-based aspect of it, keep it focused on reading and writing, and even the performance-based aspect helps them with public speaking.”

Whether the library system chooses to add video games to their collection or not there are a series of books about video games that may interest youth according to an article published by Kelly Czarnecki in the School Library Journal. Czarnecki wrote that the following books can help libraries understand the teenage mind:

• Sex, Brains, and Video Games: A Librarian’s Guide to Teens in the Twenty-first Century by Jennifer Burek-Pierce. Burek-Pierce, an assistant professor at The University of Iowa’s School of Library and Information Science, covers a wide range of adolescent issues and interests as well as findings involving the pros and cons of video games and discusses violence in video games to name a few topics.
• The Ultimate Guide to Video Game Writing and Design by Flint Dille and John Zuur-Platten. The book is more of a resource for aspiring game writers and designers as well as high school students interested in a career in the gaming industry.
• Playing to Learn: Video Games in the Classroom by David Hutchinson. The book contains hundreds of video game activities ideas for teachers who want to integrate video games into 4th to 12th grade classrooms with exercises in all subject areas to include Language Arts, Social Studies, history, science, math and music to name a few.
• Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth about Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do by Lawrence Kutner and Cheryl K. Olson. Kutner and Olson are founds of Harvard Medical School Center for Mental Health and Media, and have studied more than 1,300 middle school students in Pennsylvania and South Carolina to determine the effects of video games and violence on young people.
• The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning by Katie Salen. The book explains how gaming empowers young people and contributes to literacy, as well as help librarians and teachers relate to today’s youth culture.
• The Pleasures of Computer Gaming: Essays on Cultural History, Theory and Aesthetics by Melanie Salwell and Jason Wilson. The book contains eight essays that look at computer gaming, the importance of cheats in a gaming context rather than deceptive practices, a look at gaming and addiction and other topics of interest.

Read [Chicago Tribune] Also Read [New York Times] Also Read [Los Angeles Times] Also Read [The School Library Journal]

Full Story » | Written by Lucy Newman for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Just when you thought the world was turning an evil eye towards video games, accusing it of converting children into violent thugs, rotting their brains and making them fat. Consoles like the Nintendo Wii have opened up a new way for the medical field to use the games to their advantage. With games being integrated into physical therapies that can not only improve a person’s hand-eye-coordination it may just help shed some pounds in childhood obesity.

According to an article published by the UK Press Association video games that engage children in any form of physical activity “may be an effective answer to childhood obesity.”

The Science Daily reported that because video games seem to be the more popular form of entertainment among children, “Children burn more than four times as many calories per minute playing an active video game than playing a seated game, and their heart rate is also significantly higher with the active game.”

One of the companies mentioned in the press release is an interactive system called the XaviX gaming system created by SSD Company Ltd. in Shiga, Japan. Much like the popular Nintendo Wii system, the XaviX system is designed to involve children in physical activities playing games like bowling, fishing, tennis, golfing and a more physical activity like jogging by using a gaming mat to perform their activities on called the XaviX J-Mat.

Of course in my opinion this console is starting to sound more and more like the Wii system. I’m not sure who will be willing to go out and buy a totally new system that does the same exact thing a Nintendo Wii does. Having played in a recent Wii bowling tournament and working out for the next one in a few weeks, playing any game on the Wii console for 15 minutes and I mean ANY game will have you downing a bottle of Gatorade and hitting the showers following a session.

The only difference between playing a game on the Wii and actually going to a gym is there are no membership fees or bone thin aerobic instructors putting you through an hour of torture while dangling the fact she can out bend you in any yoga position possibly known to women.

Read [Daily Mail] Read [Science Daily] Read [Forbes Online] Site [XaviX Online]

Full Story » | Written by Lucy Newman for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Two papers presented on August 5, 2008, at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association (APA) in Boston, MA (USA), demonstrated that some videogames can help improve the ability to solve problems and dexterity.

In a paper titled Children’s Problem Solving During Video Game Play, Fordham University psychologist Fran C. Blumberg, PhD, and Sabrina S. Ismailer, MSED, presented the results of a study that examined the problem-solving skills of grade-school aged children while they played videogames.

The subjects (122 fifth-, sixth- and seventh-graders) were asked to play a video game that they had never seen before. For 20 minutes during the game, the children had to think out loud so the researchers could gauge how they were thinking about and perceiving the situations in the game. It was found that younger children tended to focus better at in-game problems than the older children who played simply for enjoyment. The younger children also seemed more interested in setting short-term goals than the older children.

Another paper titled Four Dimensions of Video Game Effects by psychologist Douglas Gentile, PhD, and William Stone, BS, described game usage within high school and college-aged students along with a few professionals in the field of laparoscopic surgery. The purpose of the multiple studies that served as the basis for the paper were to detail the effects that gaming had on students’ social performances.

One of Gentile and Stone’s studies indicated that gamers playing violent games tended to be more violent and unforgiving than most gamers who play “prosocial” games. Another of their studies showed that gaming solely for enjoyment usually lead to poor academic performances and obesity. The study that involved 33 laparoscopic surgeons found that the surgeons who gamed could not only perform advanced surgeries more quickly but also made fewer errors in surgery.

Even when examining the gender differences, level of experience and number of surgeries done, it was found that advanced gaming skills can be a strong indicator of suturing capabilities. Another study, focusing on 303 surgeons, also found that their spatial skills and dexterity were improved by games that require both.

This shows that games aren’t necessarily good or bad but may have previously unknown (or unassumed) educational implications.

Another study titled Informal Scientific Reasoning in Online Game Forums by researchers Constance Steinkuehler, PhD, and Sean Duncan, MA, used the ever-popular World of Warcraft. It showed that games where characters have to work together to level up end up helping out with problem solving abilities as well as teamwork abilities. They also tend to level up quicker. It also showed that people who openly talked about plans within the game were dealing with in-game problems in a scientific manner when trying to figure out how to get through a difficult area or defeat a difficult boss.

Read [Psych Central News] Also Read American Psychological Association] Also Read [APA 2008 Convention]

Full Story » | Written by Jonathan Gronli for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Pokemon and one of its most famous creatures, Pikachu, made their way into the world’s vocabulary years ago. Now, Pikachu is making its way into medical vernacular. A newly discovered protein has been dubbed “Pikachurin” by Japanese scientists.

The July 20, 2008 web edition of Nature Neuroscience (which requires a subscription to view) discussed the Osaka Bioscience Institute’s discovery of pikachurin, a protein which aids kinetic vision. The protein was named specifically for Pikachu, because of the character’s agility.

Totally unexpected, but pikachurin is worth a giggle. Just think - at this moment you have pikachurins zipping through your body. I wonder if the next new disease they discover will be named pokerus.

Read [Daily Yomiuri Online] Site [Nature Neuroscience]

Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

The next time your mother/significant other says videogames have no real-life value, point them in the direction of this article, which recaps an interview between News 8 Austin and surgeon Mark Smith. Smith claims that playing the Wii (with it’s motion controls and demand for precise movements) can help trainees improve their skills by 50%, and the relatively inexpensive console is a cheap, effective alternative to the ultra-expensive simulators (or actual surgery).

From the interview:

“I have never thought I’d be in video games to this extent. We have surgical simulators in virtual reality, but this has taken it to a whole new level, which is exciting.”

It looks like this is the new Wii-hab, and I’m sure Nintendo is eating it up. Speaking of learning on the job, the article also addresses the fact that only a few years ago, the only way for surgeons to train was the real thing - actually going in with a knife and assisting a real operation. Scary.

Read [Austin 8] Via [CVG]

Full Story » | Written by Danielle Riendeau for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

People who call themselves gamers already understand how playing videogames can contribute to life in a positive way. Some games require a very detailed strategical approach that encourages deep analysis of situations before making a move. Maggie Hommel thought it would be a good idea to have a videogame section in her library to attract more teenagers. As fate would have it, she was right.

Hommel is a librarian in Chicago, IL, who understands how videogames can encourage people to become more social. Her plan was to first get teens into the library using videogames, then encourage them to take up game programming and design classes. According to Hommel, the circulation of books catered to young adults has increased 60% since the library started offering videogames. The number of participants in the libraries summer reading program has increased to 450 members. On average the library received between 230 and 280 participants in the last two years. The teens then took the leap from playing games to learning how to design them at the library.

Her experience has shown some light on how games don’t just teach how to shoot everything that moves. Teens these days are becoming more interested in developing the games they love to play. Even if programming code is too intimidating to some, a good videogame still requires an immersible story that will stick with the player long after the adventure is done.

Read [Chicago Tribune] Also Read [The Cullman Times]

Full Story » | Written by Jeremy Hill for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Maybe it’s time to start rewriting some of those rote gamer cliches. You know, like, “Your mom is such a gamer.” Statistically, thats not so far-fetched.

According to the ESA’s (Entertainment Software Association’s) annual report released during E3 2008, 40 percent of all gamers are women older than 18 and a quarter are older than 50. That’s up from 38 percent and 24 percent, respectively, from the 2007 release (PDF). The average age of gamers also ticked up to 35 from 33.

This is the sort of data that plays right into the more casual, family-friendly strategies all the major game companies are trying to roll out. Microsoft’s avatars, Sony’s featuring LittleBigPlanet as one of three games in a major marketing blitz and Nintendo being, well, Nintendo. In a world where a Sims 2 expansion pack beats Call of Duty 4 on the PC and WiiPlay beats it on the console side on the report’s year-long sales charts, it makes sense for companies to start moving their chips around the board. Eleven of the 20 top-sellers on consoles were rated “Everyone.” Three, including Halo at the top spot, were rated Mature.

The age and gender demographics taken with the sales charts don’t suggest that women and the over-50 crowd can’t enjoy mature content. It does suggest a shift away from some of the comic book-fueled gore fests targeted toward young men. When a game gets rated Mature these days, it rarely means it has a lot to say about the human experience and delivers that message in ways that may be tough for the young ones to come to grip with. Often, it’s that it has far less cultural significance than a cheese sandwich and conveys its message through a shoot-anything-that-moves blur. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)

Also according to the report, 44 percent of online-game players were women and nearly 50 percent of online games played were board or card games. Seventeen percent of online games played were downloadable titles such as Bejeweled. The big three console makers are all making strides in delivering those smaller-scale games through their online services and on retail shelves. And, heck, if you play it right, chess can be just as evocative as another stomp through COD‘s Chinatown. Or, at least it is for some people. Some people like your mom.

Read [News Report] Site [ESA]

Full Story » | Written by Neil Barbour for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

It’s difficult for the parents of a child diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) to find ways to control their child’s disorder and help him or her live a normal childhood.

PopCap Games recently contracted Information Solutions Group to conduct a unique survey in April 2008 in which 2,728 respondents (of the 13,296 casual gamers surveyed) indicated they or someone they are caring for has a disability (and of the 2,728 respondents, 422 claimed to be taking care of children ranging from 5 to 17 years old). Some claimed that the person they are caring does have ADHD.

The reason for PopCap’s survey is that casual games may offer a way to help ADHD children and parents control the disorder. According to the survey, children with ADHD appear to benefit by playing casual games.

The following is a list of short-term and long-term benefits of casual gaming based on responses from 220 children diagnosed with ADHD who participated in the survey through their caregivers. According to the survey, respondents claimed that after playing casual games:

• 83% of the children claimed their concentration and attention spans have improved.
• 70% claimed their hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity have improved.
• 64% said they are relaxed and feel relieved of stress.
• 60% claimed they are able to learn and perform basic skills such as (pattern recognition, resource allocation, spelling and typing skills.) 
• 56% claimed the games offered mental workouts, strengthens memory and kept them mentally sharp and focused.
• 55% claimed casual gaming was mood-lifting.
• 51% claimed they received positive affirmation, have increased confidence and sense of accomplishment for themselves.

Forty-three (43) percent of the respondents claimed they played at least two to three times per week, 43 percent claimed they played daily and the remaining 8 percent play only once a week. The length of each game session varied between those surveyed.
Of the children interviewed, 24 percent seemed to enjoy puzzle games like PopCap’s Bejeweled and Tetris while 16 percent of the children showed interest in games like Platypus and Diner Dash and 13 percent of the children were drawn to araade-style games such as Peggle which seems to be the favorite.

Site [PopCap Games]  Read [Develop]

Full Story » | Written by Lucy Newman for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

The very first thing guys tend to say to me when I bring up my obsession with gaming is always “really? but you’re a girl.” This isn’t an uncommon response at all, but given that almost half (IDGA says 40% while the ESA puts the figure at 38%) of players are female, it’s pretty strange. CNET editor Don Reisinger things it’s a weird, stereotypical phenomena - and one that needs to stop. He cites the usual stuff - the statistics showing that plenty of women game, the fact that most women in game-design schools feel that male dominance is a huge deterrent to female participation, and the general “girls only play Wii Fit and Bejewled” attitude that prevails.

From the article:

“So where do we go from here? Certainly we can’t simply sit back and accept the fact that stereotypes exist in the video game industry and women are being forgotten. Instead, we need to finally pull our heads out of the sand and welcome the fact that women are very much a part of the video game industry and should play an even greater role in its development going forward.

So next time you hear someone say that women don’t play video games or listen to some uninformed loon try to tell you that the video game industry is for men, make them realize that women play video games, too. And just in case they don’t believe you, have them log on to Halo 3—I’m sure a woman would be more than happy to frag them into oblivion.”

Damn straight! I applaud Reisinger for taking a stand on an issue that so many gamers just ignore (unless they so happen to be girl gamers themselves - or dating a girl gamer).

Read [CNET]

Full Story » | Written by Danielle Riendeau for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

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.

Citing a study by the nonprofit Australian research company, Choice, the PS3 is the biggest energy hog when idling (turned on but not being actively played), followed by the Xbox 360 and, in an uber-energy-conscious third is the Wii. Here’s the breakdown in kilowatt hours:

How much energy do you burn each week when your video game console stays on and idle?

• Sony PlayStation 3: 31.74 kilowatt hours
• Microsoft Xbox 360: 23.57 kilowatt hours
• Nintendo Wii: 2.97 kilowatt hours

That doesn’t even count the type of TV you are using. The article compares the PS3’s energy drain to being greater than the average refrigerator. This also gives Nintendo one more thing to brag about. “Stay healthy and save energy with the Wii.”

Assumed to be next on the green gaming investigative agenda: How much oil and resources go into creating game discs, game boxes, box art and game manuals.

Read [Kansas City] Also Read [Gamertell] Site [Choice]

Full Story » | Written by PJ Hruschak for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Overenthusiastic female Wii-exercisers in UK are relentlessly damaging 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 these British female Wii-exercisers are also severe on their pets, accidentally sending them for a toss. Animal rights activists around the world won’t be too appreciative of this particular demographic and its antics.

Just for the record, each female Wii-Fit player in the UK was responsible for £6.55 ($13 approx) of damage last year. These women have a special penchant for crashing into furniture as 30% of those polled admitted to have done that.

Similar studies in other parts of the world would be interesting. Then only will it become clear whether it is a global phenomenon or something in the British air. As the British say, “God save the Queen.”

Read [Metro] via [Pocket-lint]

Full Story » | Written by Pulkit Chandna for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

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]

Full Story » | Written by Danielle Riendeau for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

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 2012 as reported by News.com.au.

Honestly, gamers aren’t the shy nerds they’re made out to be. They can be just as out going as non-gamers. As I was quoted in an article from the NEIU Independent, “gamers seek out groups but the social norms and customs of the game world are only applicable to that reality and are not valid to real society.” This means that gamers, much like other people, are social animals that seek out friends both in the real world and the game world. It is up to them to recognize which world they’re interacting with at one time. It is also up to them to act according to that world’s norms and customs.

Now the difficulty with MMOs is that they try to emulate a real society within a game. It can be a bit harder for the MMO addict to realize that disconnect, especially if they are already mentally or emotionally unstable. Then again, this isn’t to say that the games themselves are the problem. In the cases of people like Shawn Woolley, who committed suicide in 2001 over a problem he had in-game while playing Everquest, there might be underlying circumstances that were not addressed before it was too late.

If a person is shy in real-life, a game isn’t going to be the cause of it. The problem already exists. The person just uses games as an outlet. However, society is always looking for someone or something to blame for everyone’s problems and entertainment is easy to blame because, outside of satire, it doesn’t fight back.

Read [News.com.au] Also Read [NEIU Independent] Also Read [Wired] Also Read [CBS News]

image borrowed from News.com.au

Full Story » | Written by Jonathan Gronli for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

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.

The grants were given away to 12 research teams across several states and they were officially announced during a phone-based news event on May 29, 2008. The studies will explore the possible role motion-based games can play in helping stroke patients recuperate and how virtual worlds can aid drug rehab. The research teams have on an average been granted $2,000,000 each and will take one to two years to complete. The gamers in the studies will be aged 8 to 98 years.

There was an overwhelming response to the University of California, Santa Barbara-based Health Games Research program as there were in all 112 applications for grants. The whole program has a total funding of $8.25 million Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and there soon be more research grants in January, 2009. The research data will be valuable in making healthier video games.

Read [Game Career Guide] Site [Health Game Research]

Full Story » | Written by Pulkit Chandna for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

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 a Penn State University professor, S. Shyam Sundar. While they certainly found that gaming did lead to enhanced level of creativity, it also observed that the creative boost actually depended on the mood of the gamer. A positive frame of mind, i.e., when people are chirpy sans any taxing cerebral activity, is ideal for gaming to stimulate creativity in gamers. On the contrary, frowning and worried gamers don’t get a great boost in creativity through gaming.

The study used 98 undergraduate and graduate students as guinea pigs, er, test subjects, who were asked to play Dance Dance Revolution and then take a standard creativity test to measure the creative impact of gaming.

Of course, gamers don’t really need any research to condone their love for videogames.

Read [Howrah] Also Read [PhysOrg]

Full Story » | Written by Pulkit Chandna for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

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.

System: Game Boy
Maker: Nintendo
Date manufactured/purchased: sometime in 1989
Original price: $89.99
Background: The original Nintendo Game Boy, affectionately referred to as the brick, has got to be one of the most durable consoles ever created. My parents bought me my Game Boy brick from a Sears Outlet store in 1989, when I was in kindergarten. I loved it, even though the only games I had initially were Tetris, Alleyway and Super Mario Land.
Care: After I received a Game Boy Color, I abandoned my Game Boy brick. My dad was given full custody of the system. He takes fairly good care of it, but it has been sat on a few times and fallen off of a couple of end tables.
Current system status: My dad still has my old brick. He still plays Tetris all the time. The system is in perfect condition
Current game status: Every single Game Boy game I have tried has worked. Not only that, but they all work perfectly in the original brick, the Game Boy Color and the Game Boy Advance.
Mortality: I think the world could end, and all that would be left behind are cockroaches playing Game Boy bricks. Don’t believe me? The Nintendo World Store has a Game Boy on display which survived being bombed in the 1990-1991 Gulf War and still works.

System: Game Gear
Maker: Sega
Date manufactured/purchased: 1991, but mine was purchased sometime near the end of 1992
Original price: $149.99
Background: I received my Game Gear as a gift - my mom purchased it at one of those warehouse club places. At the time, it worked perfectly. I really loved that system, and relished the games I was able to convince family and friends to purchase as gifts. After all, that was the time period when video games based on Disney movies didn’t suck.
Care: My Game Gear was carefully stored in my closet. All of the games were in the plastic protective cases. Batteries were removed from the system prior to storage so they wouldn’t corrode. The system was kept in a fabric case and placed on top, to prevent being crushed. Nothing was placed on top of the box.
Current system status: My system has decided that the pinnacle of portable gaming was Sonic the Hedgehog, and refuses to play any other cartridges. It is a bit more agreeable when it comes to the TV tuner peripheral. The screen also is a bit buggy - it isn’t as sharp and crisp as it was way back when. Something is also wrong with the sound or speakers, everything sounds far more shrill than it should.
Current game status: Sonic the Hedgehog works for sure. I borrowed a friend’s Game Gear to test some of my other games. I tested ten other titles - Columns, Ristar, Sonic Chaos, Chuck Rock, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, X-Men: Gamesmasters Legacy, Donald Duck: The Lucky Dime Caper, Psychic World, Fantasy Zone and Shining Force: The Sword of Haiya. Seven of the ten worked perfectly, but Chuck Rock, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Donald Duck: The Lucky Dime Caper just wouldn’t work.
Mortality: My system has one foot in the grave, and is gradually easing itself in for a long nap. Its a shame, because I really did love the titles available. Of course, the games also seem to be expiring as well, so maybe it is for the best.

Sega Nomad
Maker: Sega
Date manufactured/purchased: 1995, I think I got one around 1996~1997
Original price: $179.99
Background: I betrayed Nintendo originally, and begged my grandpa for a Sega Genesis rather than an SNES. Imagine my delight when I learned that the Genesis games I had become fond of could be played anywhere thanks to the Nomad! I don’t remember when or how I got one, I just know that sometime after they came out I ended up getting one. The Nomad did have one flaw - the battery case. I think it was held on by wishful thinking.
Care: Like the Game Gear, it was kept in a box with the games. It was in a protective case, and all the games were inside their boxes to keep them safe and protected.
Current system status: It fared a bit better than the Game Gear. The screen doesn’t seem as bright and crisp, but it will play the games. The battery case won’t stay on at all now. The system must always be played with the AC cord. The sound doesn’t seem to sound the same as well. It makes me glad I have the Sega Genesis Collection for my PSP.
Current game status: Most of the games I’ve tried still work. I picked out 10 random titles, and all 10 worked. The only issue I had was with Phantasy Star 2 - the save function is broken.
Mortality: It might survive another 10~15 years, but the Game Gear is fairly telling. I don’t think it will survive another 20 years.

Game Boy Color
Maker: Nintendo
Date manufactured/purchased: 1998
Original price: $79.99
Background: I honestly don’t remember when I got my Game Boy Color, I just know it was the purple see-through one. I probably got it when it first came out - that was the trend with me and Game Boy systems. I mainly used it to play Game Boy games, because there weren’t many Game Boy Color games I enjoyed.
Care: Its in a duffel bag, in a zip-lock bag, with my Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. It also lives in my closet with my Nomad and Game Gear, and usually the bag is on top of one of those boxes.
Current system status: It works perfectly. The screen quality is excellent. It works the same way it did when it was new.
Current game status: Same as the system - every single game I try works perfectly.
Mortality: It’ll probably last as long as the Game Boy bricks. The roaches will be fighting for turns with the Color system, and the losers will resort to the brick systems.

Neo Geo Pocket Color
Maker: SNK
Date manufactured/purchased: 1999, I got one of the 2003 repackaged ones with games
Original price: $69.99
Background: I bought the Neo Geo Pocket color because it was cheap and came with games. I was at an EB Games and saw it was like $30 for a system and three games, so I figured why not get it. (I’m a packrat when it comes to video game systems.) I then went online and bought up a slew of cheap import and domestic games.
Care: I keep it in an old purse. The Neo Geo Pocket color is in a plastic bag and the games are all in their plastic cases.
Current system status: It works perfectly. In fact, it works as well as the Game Boy and Game Boy Color. Of course it isn’t that old - only about five years. 
Current game status: The games all work really well, of course they’re all between five and seven years old, so why shouldn’t they?
Mortality: So far it seems like the Neo Geo Pocket Color is in it for the long haul, but we’ll only know for sure in about five more years.

Site [Console Database] Site [Vidgame.net]

Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

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

The European Commission has published a Communication on the Protection of Consumers, in particular minors, in respect of the use of video games. The revenue prediction for for the video game sector is a revenue of 7.3 billion Euros by the end of 2008. The publication also asserts that internet and mobile phone games will make up 33%  of the total revenue by 2010.

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. PEGI is a rating system similar to the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) that quickly indicates the the amount of violence, sexual contents and bad language in a game.

The only game currently known to be banned in Ireland is Manhunt 2 following the Irish Film Censor’s Office finding that the content of the game as gross and unacceptable. Ger Connolly, deputy Irish censor for IFco, told the Irish Times that Rockstar Games has yet to appeal the decision and the ban will remain in place. He also told Irish Times that IFco officers will often check game shops to insure the game was not being stocked for sale and anyone who purchased the game via online from another country will be considered as the person committing a criminal offense.

Read [Irish Times] Site [European Commissions] Site [PEGI online]

Full Story » | Written by Lucy Newman for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

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 than one console if not all three. But only 3% of those surveyed own more than one console. Here is confirmation that being a multi-console owner is financially saddling, certainly if you happen to be a starving video game writer.

The report has also revealed that gamers play all types of online PC and console games including casual, role-playing, racing and combat games. Online gamers made up 40% of the US population in 2007 but the figure has already shot up to 42% in the first three months of 2008. Xbox Live might have taken online console gaming to a whole new level but it still has a long way to go as 90% of online gamers use a PC for online gaming.

The marketing research firm also gave an age-based breakup of the online gaming demographic: “Four out of 10 online gamers are ages 2-17, driven heavily by kids ages 6-12. Kids ages 2 to 12 are driving more than 25 percent of online gaming, while 18-24 year olds only represent 10 percent of online gaming.”

Anita Frazier, a NPD analyst, said in a statement that there is a huge untapped market for “gaming in general and online gaming in particular.” According to her, online gaming is still in the shadows of offline gaming despite the hype.

Read [Ecommerce Times] Site [NPD Group]

Full Story » | Written by Pulkit Chandna for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »