Gamertell

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum used to be similar to nearly every other politician, believing that video games would train young children to be mass murderers. He took particular issue with the Wii version of Manhunt 2 due to the fact that he thought the Wii’s motion controls would enable kids to act out their “violent tendencies.”

According to GamePolitics, the person who planted that seed in his head was, of course, a certain Jack Thompson.

However, now that the holiday season is upon us, McCollum is taking a stance that other politicians are beginning to take - cautioning parents to exercise restraint when it comes to…

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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…“

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During Comic Con 2008, many games and comics were featured. And who wouldn’t want to attend a special preview of today’s most talented directors and animators create independent film masterpieces. The Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival consisted of movies that fell into seven categories: action/adventure, animation, comics-oriented, documentary, humor/parody, horror and science fiction/fantasy. On July 27, 2008, the top films in each category were announced and awarded.

This year’s Comic-Con International: Independent Film Festival are…

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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…

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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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There have been scores of surveys and studies prejudicially elucidating the cons of video gaming in recent times. But like every other form of entertainment even video gaming has its pros which are incontrovertible. According to a report on The Evening Sun, a new research has found that video games can help the development of mental ability among kids that will be of great use during their adolescence, given that they don’t over indulge in gaming.

The study took stock of about 2,000 business professionals and found that those who grew up gaming had very different attitudes as compared to…

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I remember when I was little and my parents used to tell me not to stand so close to the TV. At first I would get a few steps back, but eventually I returned to my original position until one of my parents saw me and the cycle started again. They used to say that it was bad for my eyes and I always thought they were bluffing but it turns out they were right.

Specialists in the US have determined that looking at flat TV screens affects the development of the eyes and can lead to nearsightedness and focusing problems. The human eye is designed to look at things in 3D using stereoscopic vision so looking at flat surfaces for long periods of time can affect the correct development of sight. This is especially harmful in children under six, whose eyes are still under development, although it can also affect older children.

Experts in the UK have reached similar conclusions. A leading expert in children’s eye problems, Keith Holland, has conducted exams on over 12,000 children in the past decade and has reported an increase in problems related to prolonged exposure to flat screens. Holland thinks this problem can lead to academic difficulties derived from deficient reading skills.

I think this highlights the importance of balancing video games with some kind of outside activity. Just sitting all day on a couch can lead to other problems besides sight development so children should be encouraged to go and play outside. Now I’m starting to understand my parents and why they kept on nagging me about the TV, unfortunately that can only mean one thing: I must be getting old.

Read [Daily Express]

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A recent Radio Iowa article on Iowa State University researcher and assistant Psychology professor Douglas Gentile confirms the need for parental guidance and supervision when it comes to video games. Gentile has stated that he believes parents and guardians should pay closer attention to the ratings on game boxes when buying video games for children based on his research at the Media Research Lab at Iowa State. His most recent research looking at the correlation between video games and violent behavior in adolescents has shown that aggressive behavior in even E-rated games can cause children to become more hostile. Through looking at the different games, he has determined that, at times, the amount of bloodshed is what determines a rating rather than interactions between characters.

Gentile also states that the ratings system as it is isn’t completely accurate, and that instead of six categories, there are really four. According to his research, he has found that the four real ratings categories for games are Everyone, Everyone 10+, Teen, and Mature. The official Entertainment Software Rating Board’s ratings for video games offers six categories, the four that Gentile suggests are most telling, Early Childhood and Adults Only.

The whole article is designed to act as a reminder to parents to keep an eye on their kids. Get involved in your kid’s lives if they play games. Play the games with them. Read about the game before you buy it for them. At the very least, ask a store clerk if it is appropriate for a child. All of this should be obvious though. Of course the ratings are there for a reason, they aren’t just a decorative accent. It is sad to think that parents would need to read another article like this to remind them to be active in their children’s lives.

Read [Radio Iowa] Also Read [Canadian Centres for Teaching Peace] Via [globeandmail.com] Site [Douglas A. Gentile]

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Mobile game Coolest Girl in School has been dubbed a Grand Theft Auto for Girls and has already raised some concern in Australia where its currently being beta tested.

The goal of the game is to lie, bitch and flirt your way to the top of the high school ladder to be the coolest, even if it means experimenting with fashion, drugs and sex. Cut classes, manipulate your teachers to get what you want and spread rumors to get the upper hand on classmates who stand in your way. Above all, do not embarrass yourself. Every interaction with the inhabitants of the school affects your social status in the game.

Although this game is not scheduled to be released until January 2008, a beta test in Australia has already stirred up attention.

“The activities in the game have been shown through vast amounts of research to cause significant, long-term problems for young people,” said a spokeswoman for the Australian Family Association.

Holly Owen creative director of Champagne for the Ladies, feels the attack on the game is unfair.

“We have had a lot of press and, unfortunately the game has been misrepresented in some articles,” Owen said. “It is ... a very tongue-in-cheek look at the perils of the quest for cool in high school. Keyword: irony!”

Owen said the negative activities such as smoking or using drugs “might seem obviously cool,” they can work against a character within the game as they have to deal with the consequences of their actions such as being sent to rehab or have bad breath when a potential love interest approaches her.

Christine Daviault, an expert on female gaming at Montreal’s Concordia University, said she’s not certain that the average female teen playing the game will see the tongue-in-cheek intentions Owen describes.

“I just don’t think most people will see it as tongue-in-cheek,” says Daviault. “(Youth players) are at a crossroads in the formation of their personalities and a game like this basically fosters a warped idea of what constitutes success and how to get it.”

Daviault said just being called a Grand Theft Auto for Girls will certainly draw their attention to the game, but predicts that the same gamers will quickly lose interest in the game and move on.

“The tween and teen girls who don’t already engage in this type of behavior may think it’s an interesting fantasy for a short period of time, but I don’t think it’ll keep their attention for very long,” Daviault said. “For a fantasy to be successful, it needs to make you feel good. And I think this game is too corrosive to have that effect.”

Read [Game Politics] Read [Canada.com] Site [Champagne for the Ladies]

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A couple in Canada have found an interesting way of controlling their children’s time playing video games. They use a unique system where when the children do things such as read, practice music, or exercise they are rewarded with time to play video games.

Initially Dave and Lina Caputo of Waterloo decided that they would avoid the issues associated with the potentially detrimental effects of playing video games for long periods of time by restricting gameplay all together. They had resolved to disallow a gaming system in their home.

However, an Uncle who wasn’t aware of the parental restriction bought the two boys an Xbox one year as a gift. The Caputos, not wanting to deny the children a gift from their Uncle, decided to keep the gaming system, but devised an interesting set of rules on the use of the device.

They decided that play time of the Xbox would be treated as a reward for spending time in other activities. For example if the boys spent 30 minutes reading or doing chores they could play video games for the 30 minutes. This one to one ratio reward system also applied to other activities such as playing sports and exercising, and the ratio was doubled for other activities like playing guitar. For every minute of practicing music they children could play video games for two minutes.

Wow, is this a good idea or what? Sometimes the most effective things can be so simple! And the parents have found that this technique has made the boys more well rounded individuals. Not only are they experts at Fusion Frenzy and various sport games, but they are avid readers, good chess players, and excellent athlete.

I wonder when the Caputos will be writing their book. I know a number of parents who would be interested in reading it.

Read [The Record]

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